Bike Exploring

Today was a beautiful sunny day for [1] learning more about my new bicycle and [2] exploring old neighborhoods where I grew up. In the morning I rode about 19 miles to the Portland and Shawnee neighborhoods where I lived from 1950 to 1960. I was amazed at how the streets and everything had shrunk in size since I rode my bike there 65 years ago!

In the afternoon I rode from Nazareth Home to home of my sister Mary and husband Mike. The return journey from there (8.7 miles) is in the graphic above, taken from Strava, an app that records bike trips. Mike is a professional biker and introduced me to the app. Today’s graphic shows two personal records, which can only be made to seem noteworthy because this was the first time to use Strava and that journey is the ONLY one it knows!

US Bishops: One Big Beautiful Bill

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on Trump’s signature bill:

“The final version of he bill includes unconscionable cuts to healthcare and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation.”

Another anniversary

Two weekends ago I went to Maryknoll, NY for the 50th anniversary of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners. Today is the third anniversary of Fr. Roy Stiles moving to Nazareth Home Clifton and he decide to celebrate a little.

Roy is partial to watermelon and decided to have a small watermelon party this evening for the guys here in Nazareth Home Clifton with him.

Receiving mail again!

Since I moved into Nazareth Home Clifton two weeks ago, I have received three letters–the first mail I have received in more than ten years. Cambodia had no mail pickup or delivery before Covid. Mail could be received only in a post office box. Then with Covid, there was NO mail in either direction.

It’s strange to receive mail now. In past years if I wanted to send something to the United States, I had to use FedEx or DHL or another courier–at $40 per letter!

Visit to Cincy

The last sister I hadn’t seen after my return is Martha in Cincinnati so yesterday two other sisters, Mary and Jane, and Jane’s daughter Emily, drove to Cincy to see Martha. It was a great reunion for me and a wonderful visit for us all.

The four siblings, Jane and Charlie (front), and Mary and Martha.
Enjoying the porch after a wonderful lunch together.

Theme for Day of Peace

January 1st each year is celebrated as an international day for peace. Today Pope Leo announced the theme for this year’s celebration.

The theme for the January 1, 2026 Day of Peace is:“Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace.” The theme “invites humanity to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace an authentic peace based on love and justice.”

It was interesting that at the 50th anniversary of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners last weekend, Marie Dennis announced a new peace initiative from Pax Christi.  Marie was previously the director of the Maryknoll peace and justice office, and then was national head of Pax Christi, and then international head of Pax Christi.  She now directs the international Pax Christi’s Catholic Non-violence Initiative.  It is an attempt to put non-violence at the center of Catholic theology.  They are meeting with Vatican officials about that in October.

The pope has also written a book on peace, with the title “And let there be peace.”

Bicycle Surprise

Today I got the surprise of my life! Because of macular degeneration in my eyes, I am not going to drive any more and was looking for an e-bike to get me around Louisville. I had borrowed my cousin Julie’s bike and today she asked if I could bring it back. I rode it over to her house and when I got there she announced that my cousins had collaborated to buy me a new e-bike! I was stunned–and most appreciative of their caring and generosity!