Welcome.

I recently came across a beautiful documentary film called My Octopus Teacher. Set on the rugged coast of South Africa, it tells the story of filmmaker Craig Foster’s journey to healing and self-discovery through a unique friendship he develops with an octopus. I’ll try to limit spoilers in case you want to watch the film for yourself, which I highly recommend. It won best documentary feature at the Academy Awards in 2021 and is currently streaming on Netflix....

There are several ways to prepare a steak. First, there is the traditional charcoal grill method, which I am partial to. To start, heat the grill to around 400 degrees. Sear the steak directly over the heat for four to five minutes on each side, adjusting based on the cut, thickness, and desired doneness (these times are for a one-inch New York strip, by the way). Personally, I prefer using an instant-read thermometer and taking the steak off when the center reaches about 120 degrees....

☊ I took a plane trip earlier this week and happened to receive a book recommendation just the day before I left. A good story always makes a long flight more bearable, but I was skeptical. The book is titled “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.” While a couple of close friends highly praised it, it sounded like just another “life hack” program—like a “Marie Kondo, tidy up your life in bento boxes and all your dreams will come true” kind of thing....

☊ According to my porch thermometer, it dropped to 57 degrees last week. I don’t know about you, but after the sizzling summer we’ve had, I felt like I had a new lease on life. Stepping outside in the morning and being hit by the crisp, cool air prompted a reflexive deep breath. It even smelled like fall–a hint of pumpkin spice on the breeze, perhaps? But it being September in Arkansas, I knew this lovely weather wouldn’t last long, so I decided to make the most of this gift from God....

☊ My sister recently bought a cabin near the Buffalo River outside the town of Gilbert. It’s in a gorgeous location, perched on the banks of Tomahawk Creek in Mud Hollow, nestled in a maze of hills and cut off from the rest of the world–a classic Ozark landscape. Every time I’ve gone up for a visit and passed the Gilbert General Store and canoe launch, I’ve dreamed about how great it would be to float the Buffalo from there, down to the mouth of Tomahawk Creek and walk up through the hollows to the cabin....