Originally published in The Tecumseh Herald, Sept. 30, 2021 Mackenzie gets a blessing from Father Dan Wheeler at St. Elizabeth's Pet Blessing October 2021. Germaine is blessed by Father Dan Wheeler at the St. Elizabeth's Church Pet Blessing October 2021. Parishioners at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church along with their Protestant brethren at the United Methodist … Continue reading Pet Blessings can help heal us all
Author: reneecollins
‘America’s Darkest Day’ 20 years later: What’s changed?
Originally published in The Tecumseh Herald, Sept. 9, 2021 It was akin to something out of a Bruce Willis "Die Hard" flick, those images of jetliners hitting the World Trade Center--the two most powerful symbols of the U.S. economic prosperity and globalization--gone in minutes along with the lives of more than 2,300 people. The attack … Continue reading ‘America’s Darkest Day’ 20 years later: What’s changed?
An inspiration– Gordie Theisen: Coach, dad, friend
Originally published in the Tecumseh Herald, October 21, 2021 Last weekend, I had the honor of witnessing the induction of Mr. Gordie Theisen into the Siena Heights University Athletic Hall of Fame. Theisen and I were classmates at Siena back in the late 1970s and later on became pretty good friends. I mention Theisen because … Continue reading An inspiration– Gordie Theisen: Coach, dad, friend
From 2021: Travel in a time of pandemic chaos
Originally published November 2021 in The Tecumseh Herald Inside the Basilica Papale San Paolo fuori le Mura, in English, St. Paul Outside the Walls St. Mark's in Venice, Italy November 2021 The pandemic has created a few new wrinkles in the fabric of travel that impact overseas travel, but these are minor compared to the … Continue reading From 2021: Travel in a time of pandemic chaos
CHAT BOTS: Is tech out of control? Part 2
Three weeks ago, I penned a column about ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence app that will help people write all kinds of things, from letters to essays to sermons and much more. As I mentioned, the ChatGPT is convenient and smart and a great way to get information, but it lacks a voice. That's really important … Continue reading CHAT BOTS: Is tech out of control? Part 2
Dogs, dogs, dogs: Lifetimes of our favorite companions
I love dogs. And if social media is any indicator, there are a lot of folks out there who love dogs as much as I do. Is there anyone out there who has not watched cute puppy videos, seen "Space Dogs" or followed someone on Instagram who shares their canine's antics with the world? Now, … Continue reading Dogs, dogs, dogs: Lifetimes of our favorite companions
Spare: A brave effort
When I was a kid growing up in Tecumseh with my seven siblings, I remember how hard it was for me to get along with all of my sisters and brothers. I was the eldest of eight and bossy. It had to be my way or the highway and I'm sure my siblings still think … Continue reading Spare: A brave effort
ChatGPT: Is AI taking over the world?
Squibs You could say the writing's on the wall--or at least on the screen--for the arrival of artificial intelligence that could change the way we think about learning. Artificial Intelligence or "AI" refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are designed to think and act like humans. This is according to ChatGPT, … Continue reading ChatGPT: Is AI taking over the world?
The Ghosts of Christmas Past
The ghost of Christmas past haunts me regularly as the calendar winds down from December 1 to the 25th. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ timeless classic, that ghost shows me happy times: family dinners, birthday cakes for Baby Jesus, toys, and a state of sustained chaos starting around 4 o’clock Christmas morning and lasting throughout … Continue reading The Ghosts of Christmas Past
Remembering Carol Lapham
From December 2021 When December rolls around and I'm celebrating the holidays, I always think of my sister, Carol. She died Dec. 19, 2002 at the age of 42 from complications of a rare, hereditary disease. We weren't the closest of sisters, although we were only two years apart. But our circumstances and her disease … Continue reading Remembering Carol Lapham

