Catching Your Breath

Mark vs Cancer

2012-01-09T15:14:00.002-07:00

I had kidney cancer. Past tense. It is gone, thanks to robotic intervention. Here's a link to my blog where I discuss the experience in agonizing detail.www.markvscancer.blogspot.com

Promoting Movement Up the Spiral

2011-10-04T10:23:00.001-06:00

"I am not saying in this conception of adult behavior that one style of being, one form of human existence, is inevitably and in all circumstances superior to or better than another form of human existence, another style of being.What I am saying is that when one form of being is more congruent with the realities of existence, then it is the better form of being for those realities.And what I am

ON COMMITMENT by Goethe

2011-09-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

Until one is committed there is always hesitancy; the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,

Love and Justice

2011-09-19T09:30:00.002-06:00

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love You Tonight

2011-09-09T00:10:00.000-06:00

Remembering 9/11 and the tangled knot of anger and fear we all felt as we came face to face with our fragility. I wrote this lullaby for my infant daughter that evening. She's now ten. Thanks to my genius brother Jeff Foster for producing it, and to my genius friend Amy Smith for sketching the artwork. If you like it, please forward it. Go to www.authormarkfoster.com to download more songs

Zero-Point Energy and the Nature of Consciousness

2011-07-29T18:44:00.005-06:00

Zero-point energy: the energy that remains when all other energy is removed from a system. Zero-point energy exists, and this discovery by quantum physicists, originating from the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, reveals that there is still energy in a system, even in a complete vacuum, when it would otherwise appear that all matter and energy had been removed. Everything is gone, and yet

Sometimes a Man

2011-07-14T08:51:00.000-06:00

by Ranier Maria Rilke Sometimes a man stands up during supper and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking, because of a church that stands somewhere in the East. And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead. And another man, who remains inside his own house, dies there, inside the dishes and in the glasses, so that his children have to go far out into the world toward that same church,

The Thin Line

2011-07-11T16:06:00.000-06:00

"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"Time Held Me Green And Dying . . ."

2011-07-03T13:44:00.003-06:00

(A favorite poem brimming with ecstasy and ache . . .) Fern Hillby Dylan Thomas Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green, The night above the dingle starry, Time let me hail and climb Golden in the heydays of his eyes, And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple

No Victory Without Struggle

2011-06-20T12:53:00.007-06:00

“There is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that

Skipping Stones

2011-06-05T01:12:00.008-06:00

I was skipping stones over a remote mountain lake with Grant today, and I thought of a poem I wrote years ago about such an event. Juvenilia, for sure, but I like the rambling rhyme scheme, the wilderness imagery, and the metaphors of opportunities gained and lost, the endurance of hope, the resiliency of the human spirit, the blessings of a short memory. Or it's just a poem about a dude

Transitioning from Self to Soul to Spirit

2011-06-02T18:10:00.002-06:00

“In the archeology of the Self, we are at the point where the soul has emerged from the interior depths of the mind and pointed the way to a greater tomorrow. But, like Moses, the soul can see from afar, but never actually enter, the Promised Land. As Teresa would say, after the butterfly (soul) emerged from the death of the chrysalis (ego), so now the little butterfly must die. When

In the Waiting Room

2011-05-19T11:28:00.008-06:00

A favorite poem. This is Elizabeth Bishop's recollection of the moment when, at age seven, she became aware that she was a Self in a world of Others, different from and yet still connected to everyone else. In the Waiting Roomby Elizabeth Bishop In Worcester, Massachusetts, I went with Aunt Consuelo to keep her dentist's appointment and sat and waited for her in the dentist's waiting room. It

Gotta Love Steinbeck . . .

2011-05-16T12:05:00.002-06:00

From East of Eden: "And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or

Sudden Solitude

2011-04-19T16:50:00.016-06:00

I went for a hike up Massey Draw yesterday afternoon. It was sunny and breezy, blue sky streaked with wispy white clouds. I was alone. I parked my truck and started up the trails through the prairie, mostly brown grass with green shoots poking through, and entered the mouth of the steep, piny valley. Unexpectedly, the creek was completely dry at the bottom. This far into the spring, I had

New Beginnings

2011-03-30T14:38:00.000-06:00

It has been a tumultuous and exciting few months. I am no longer working for Chatfield Family Medicine. Please check out this new blog for the details. http://www.markfosterdo.blogspot.com/ I'm working on some very exciting projects, including starting my own practice or joining an existing practice, various writing and speaking opportunities, and some exciting family situations. I'm

The Beatles' Genius

2010-12-04T12:47:00.004-07:00

I recently have been reading through a special edition of Rolling Stone, "The Beatles 100 Greatest Songs." It has been a exhilarating trip down the penny lanes of nostalgia and creative genius. I think the enjoyment comes from recognizing and relishing their genius, which was so unique, so fresh and challenging, so overpowering that, in the span of eight short years, they revolutionized the

Anatomy of an Epidemic

2010-08-24T08:15:00.003-06:00

Could it be that our drug-based paradigm of psychiatric care is fundamentally flawed, that the magic bullet medicines purported to correct chemical imbalances are actually worsening mental illness in America? That is the conclusion of Robert Whitaker's new book, "Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America." It is an

Children: the Antidote to Existential Crises

2010-07-18T09:27:00.001-06:00

First post in several months. Writing has come with difficulty recently, and I'm not entirely sure why. The most obvious reason is that life has become busy: busy at clinic, busy at church, busy at home. Busy is good, but sometimes it seems hard to, well, catch your breath. I believe the more subterranean reason is because I have been battling through what I would term a prolonged

Annie Dillard Is A Genius

2010-03-30T20:14:00.001-06:00

(Here is some of the greatest prose ever written, the first paragraphs of Annie Dillard's Pulitzer Prize winning essay, "Heaven and Earth In Jest".) "I used to have a cat, an old fighting tom, who would jump through the open window by my bed in the middle of the night and land on my chest. I’d half-awaken. He’d stick his skull under my nose and purr, stinking of urine and blood. Some nights he

Parenting Gems

2010-03-03T23:07:00.001-07:00

I know why you came to this blog today. You came here because, as a parent, you are seeking wisdom from a man who's got it all together. You want a "How To" list that will help you master the exact science of parenting, boxes that you can check off as you bask in the satisfaction of quantifiable achievement. You came here because you want to know the secrets of becoming a Super Dad. Sorry to

Chagas Disease and the Exploding Heart

2010-01-02T22:44:00.002-07:00

When I lived in Brazil, long before I knew anything about medicine, I met a man who told me the most ridiculous story. He said his father had recently died of an exploding heart. I asked how such a violent thing could happen. It seems, he said, that years ago his father had reached behind a wood pile and had been bitten by a poisonous bug, the bicho barbeiro, or barber bug. The bite had

Grey Matters

2009-12-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Grey Matters is in print. You can purchase it through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or through this link: www.createspace.com/3416990 I'd love to have you read it. Thanks for the support.

In Sickness and In Health

2009-10-31T13:05:00.001-06:00

I was hit by a truck this week. I could barely make out the license plate as it sped away: H1N1. I had spent the last six weeks dodging germ traffic in my clinic, having diagnosed several dozen patients with the much hyped Swine Flu. But my luck could only hold out so long. My symptoms were mild at first, causing me to believe I may have contracted some lesser virus. But, being a much

The Power in Sean's Palm: A Short Story

2009-10-09T22:43:00.020-06:00

Evening blows across the sky, early stars stretching out like cotton, soft and deep. This is August in Colorado, just past dusk: cool, dry, and violet. I make my way up the trail from the culvert, across the field and towards the car, with Sean at my heels. He pants and shuffles along, struggling to keep up. He's a foot shorter than me, and as is his custom, he keeps on talking. ". .

After Apple Picking

2009-08-30T21:35:00.010-06:00

We're up to our ears in apples.We have two apple trees, and our neighbor has three, and he said that if we picked his apples, we could have them. Well, I'm a sucker for anything free, so I have--rather recklessly-- risked life and limb in climbing to the flimsy upper boughs of the trees to pluck from them the last tantalizing, crimson-blushed green apples. (Where's Waldo in the above photo?)The

The Best They Can

2009-08-26T22:06:00.008-06:00

I work with a great nurse, an RN with many years of ER and OR experience on her resume. She maintains a healthily cynical, darkly humorous view of needy patients, exhibiting the hardened exterior that most of us health care workers eventually develop out of experience and necessity. But beneath the tough veneer, she has a gigantic heart and displays gentle acceptance of our most difficult

Lincoln

2009-07-31T15:26:00.010-06:00

Greatness takes many forms. It is typically easy to recognize and quantify, and we celebrate those who achieve such heights. Roger Federer's fifteen grand slam titles, for instance. Neal Armstrong walking on the moon. Warren Buffett's wealth and sagacity. Dealin' Doug's hairpiece.But rarely do we find greatness in a place that matters most, embodied in a person whose values, vitality, and

The Back Nine

2009-07-17T15:07:00.006-06:00

"Golf is a good walk spoiled." --Mark TwainI think I'd have to disagree with Mr. Twain on this one.Maybe that's because I usually play golf with my Dad, and we always get carts. Can't spoil a walk when you're riding.But even when we do walk, and in spite of the fact that I'm a pretty lousy golfer, in spite of the fact that I routinely lose, and in spite of the fact that it costs a lot of money

2009-07-03T15:39:00.003-06:00

(Here's another favorite poem, this one a sonnet by Timothy Steele describing the exquisite serenity of a languid summer afternoon. Enjoy.) Summer by Timothy Steele Voluptuous in plenty, summer is Neglectful of the earnest ones who’ve sought her. She best resides with what she images:

Classic Punchlines from the Mick

2009-06-23T15:18:00.003-06:00

(A late Father's Day entry.)I have a strange sense of humor. My sister Megan believes (depending on the day) that I am the funniest person in the world. Sometimes, I am funny by being either intentionally unfunny or excruciatingly annoying. I do have, occasionally, some pretty good comedic timing and delivery. But often, I am the only one who laughs at my own jokes. (My kids think I'm hilarious,

Terrible and Terrific

2009-06-21T16:55:00.005-06:00

My son Justin is a force of nature. He is now two years old, and he will not--cannot--be ignored. You must deal with him.He is a walking paradox. Let me explain:He is exceptionally cute. He is incredibly frustrating.He never eats anything of substance. All he desires is cheese and juice.He is inconsolable. He is sweet and tender.He is a monster in a boy suit. He is a boy in a monster

Cult of Personality

2009-06-17T09:27:00.002-06:00

My clinic staff and I recently participated in a corporate-sponsored personality test. Each of us individually answered a hundred or so multiple choice questions online, and a few weeks later we received a visit from a very nice motherly human resources woman armed with pages of read-outs to discuss the results.The results placed each of us into one of four main groups: red, green, blue and

Up and a Che'

2009-05-31T20:26:00.010-06:00

Over the past two weekends, I've seen two very different masterpieces of sorts.The first was Evita, performed live at the Arvada Center. It was a perfect setting--comfortable theater, exquisite scenery--and we had the perfect seats, front and center. The acting and singing were superb, bolstered by the excellent source material. Forget Madonna and Antonio Banderas: Evita is a gripping tour de

Going for the Goal

2009-05-20T10:25:00.012-06:00

I'm going to be a terrible soccer parent. I already am. Not in the "beat up the other players' dads" sort of way, but more in the "living vicariously through my children" way. It's pathetic, I know. But I'll be honest with you: few things get me more excited than watching my children excel at sports.This Saturday was a watershed moment. After a series of early season snow-outs, both Joy and

"The Good Flesh Continuing"

2009-05-10T20:17:00.005-06:00

Here's an all-time favorite poem: post post-modern, plaintive, aching, nostalgic, evocative, insightful . . . what more could you want in a poem? Every time I read it, it makes me want to run off to the woods, eat blackberries, and write poetry.Meditation at Lagunitas by Robert Hass All the new thinking is about loss. In this it resembles all the old thinking. The idea, for

Blowing the Lid Off The Can

2009-04-30T09:50:00.015-06:00

Twelve hours later and my nerves are still buzzing. Last night, I lucked into some sweet tickets to the Nuggets' playoff game against the Hornets. The hospital CEO, confusing me with somebody important, invited me to the game, along with the Vice-Prez of the hospital, and five prominent Denver surgeons. (Which one of these things doesn't belong?) The CEO bribed our way past the forty-five minute

Columbine

2009-04-19T21:10:00.007-06:00

On a clear and windy day last fall, I took a break from writing at the Columbine Public Library and ambled out into neighboring Clement Park. I was eating a packed lunch when the wind blew my sandwich back across the lawn. I chased it down and found myself staring at the entrance of the Columbine Memorial. I had never visited it.There was a logical reason for my neglect: we had been living out

The Rise of the Rest

2009-04-05T13:44:00.007-06:00

I just finished an excellent book, The Post-American World, by Fareed Zakaria.It's a discussion of America's unprecedented global economic, military, and political power, and how it will play that hand in the near and distant future.He suggests that America will remain strong and continue to be the leader of the world, a beacon of capitalism and democracy, but will see a relative decline of its

Tooth Fairy Inflation

2009-03-28T12:02:00.007-06:00

What's the going rate for the Tooth Fairy these days? Go ahead. Make a stab.Twenty-five cents? Maybe a dollar? If you're like me, your only frame of reference is what the Tooth Fairy used to give you, some twenty-five plus years ago. I was lucky to get a dime, if she remembered. (Hey, I'll cut my parents some slack. With six boys at home, the deciduous pearly whites must have added up

Making Peace with Barney

2009-03-17T15:10:00.002-06:00

I used to be a hater. I used to curse and spit venom whenever I saw His Purple Cheery Chubbiness flash across the TV screen. The eery, vacuous smile. The fingernails-on-chalkboard of his chuckle-headed voice. The social propaganda. The ubiquity.There was a Barney conspiracy afoot, a brainwashing of an entire generation, presumably to activate, as some future time, a latent hypnosis, and then

Bono, Barack, and Steve Nash

2009-03-09T15:18:00.004-06:00

You know the old question, "Who would you invite to dinner if you had the chance?"For me, it's easy. Three dudes: Bono, Barack, and Steve Nash. What a dinner party it would be! We have so much in common, the four of us. Bono and I could talk about our golden pipes and world-wide charisma.Barack and I could joke about our similar gangly frames and worldviews on globalization and the American

LOST In Space

2009-03-01T20:47:00.004-07:00

"We have to go back, Kate. We have to go back!"This post is a shout-out to what has become a semi-obsession with the only TV show I regularly watch, other than The Bachelorette. (Just kidding. I don't watch that anymore after what Suzie did to Veronica.) :)Why do I love LOST so much? Let me count the ways:The writers. I don't know how they do it: an indecipherable plot (and I mean that in

Great Analogies

2009-02-20T09:58:00.003-07:00

This is a cheap post I'm recycling from something I found online, because I lack the energy to create something de novo. But it's very funny, so enjoy.*Analogies you probably won't find in great literature*The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.From the attic

Pronunciation Woes

2009-02-03T21:16:00.017-07:00

How do you pronounce the word BANAL?Simple, right? Five letters, no combination vowels. I know what it means: boring, "drearily predictable and commonplace," as stated on dictionary.com.But how is it pronounced? BAY-nal? Or is it bah-NAL? It's one of dozens of words of which I understand the usage, pass over without thinking when seeing it in print, and yet find myself reluctant to use in

Grey Matters

2009-01-21T16:22:00.007-07:00

2%.No matter the subject matter, those are poor odds.For a novice writer like me, 2% represents the odds of signing a deal with a book agent.That's one in fifty. For every winner, there are 49 losers who have their very souls crushed by the bitter tombstones of reality in the form of a dreaded rejection letter. Kind of like American Idol, but without the national humiliation.But a little cautious

Colorado Weather

2008-11-22T09:30:00.003-07:00

I love Colorado.No surprise there. But being away for two years has only sharpened the intensity of my love for this great state. I love the mountains, the people, the sports teams, the weather, and so much more.So many things to love. But today let me focus on the weather. Start with the seasons: four distinct ones, but each varied enough that you don't get drubbed by monotony for months on

Pan-tastic!

2008-11-16T21:08:00.005-07:00

So Elizabeth and I had to wait forty minutes before there would be a table available for us at the restaurant Friday night. We took advantage of the time and strolled along the sidewalk of the fancy shopping center. We saw a kitchen store with some attractive window displays, and we went inside.This is what we found:A rubber spatula for $18 dollars. A wine glass for $60.A box of designer hot

Big Sand Dunes!

2008-11-06T23:02:00.006-07:00

I knew there was a reason they called it Great Sand Dunes National Park . . .We had a blast. Perfect weather, blue skies, and lots and lots of sand.Kudos to Elizabeth and Joybear for hiking all the way up to the top of High Dune. No easy feat when you every step you take slides halfway back down the hill. And thanks to Grant and Justin for playing Sand Monster with me and tumbling down fifty

The Art of Despair

2008-10-05T20:26:00.004-06:00

Last year, I produced three Demotivators of my own. You may remember them. But probably not.I've since added a few more. They're all included in this post for your perusal. Check them out.Following them, you'll find a letter that I'm actually sending to Despair.com to see if I can make some money off of my latent cynicism.Enjoy.MIDDLE MANAGEMENTWhen pulled in opposite directions by powerful

My Boy

2008-09-23T21:02:00.006-06:00

My son Grant turns five this week, and I'd like to wish my Little Buddy a happy birthday.He and I had a wonderful opportunity to bond over the past two weeks. Due to our move and some free time in my schedule, he and I headed out to Southwestern Colorado to spend some time on "the Ranch," a friend's spacious and idyllic mesa in the middle of nowhere. My parent's joined us for the first weekend,

Props to Craig and His List

2008-09-08T22:45:00.010-06:00

No posts from me for a while, but no worry. I'm sure all six of my infrequent readers have yet to notice. ;)Actually, to those who may care, we have successfully moved our family back to Colorado and are enjoying settling into our new home and a new routine.Now, today I wish express my appreciation for that cyberspatial miracle known as Craigslist.com. Why? Because Craigslist has saved me

Farewell to OB

2008-08-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

For an unlucky 600+ babies in this world, the first thing they saw coming out of the womb was my ugly mug, which could explain all the crying.Two of these infants were my own sons, although the first delivery I ever witnessed was that of my only daughter, who was born on the weekend before I started clinical rotations in medical school. When the doctor held up our new baby and asked me to

Empty House

2008-07-19T22:29:00.010-06:00

When I pulled up to our empty Worland house late last Sunday night, I didn't expect any melodrama. I had helped move my family down to Colorado two days prior, and then had driven solo back up to Worland to finish my last week of work. We hadn't yet closed on the house, and so although it was barren, we still had ownership, and I had to check on a few things prior to heading over to a friend's

Wimbledon Classic

2008-07-06T17:33:00.014-06:00

This weekend I watched what will likely go down as one of the greatest athletic competitions of all time, as young, hungry and indomitable Rafael Nadal outlasted the venerable, invincible five-time defending champion Roger Federer in a five-set, seven hour thriller in the Wimbledon finals.Anyone who follows tennis even casually (like I do) had been anticipating this rematch of last year's final

Waiting for the End

2008-06-25T10:34:00.005-06:00

I have a very pleasant patient who is slowly dying of end-stage emphysema. He is on very high levels of oxygen and a number of medicines, but there is no cure for his condition, no remedy that he is willing to consider. He will continue to experience a slow decline until he finally succumbs and dies.I've been caring for him for the past twelve months, when I inherited him from one of my partners

Chicken Run

2008-05-31T17:12:00.006-06:00

For the last nine months, we've been amateur chicken farmers. But due to our imminent summer vacation and upcoming move, we gave our eleven chickens away today. It's a rather poignant moment: the end of the Chicken Era.Last fall, we joined ranks with another family in caring for eleven hens that were housed in a chicken coop on a ranch outside of town. It was a great opportunity for our city

Spontaneous Wipeouts

2008-05-20T20:30:00.005-06:00

A young child is ambling on without a care in the world. Suddenly, through a mixture on incoordination, head-size disproportion, and just plain bad luck, they collapse in a heap. Cue the crying.Elizabeth and I refer to this sudden, catastrophic collapsing malady of childhood as the "spontaneous wipeout." Our children are masters of the art.Joy may be routinely brushing her teeth, and suddenly

Breaking the Bad News

2008-05-11T20:13:00.009-06:00

I don't have to diagnose patients with cancer very often, thankfully. But the last few weeks have brought a grim procession of cases where I've been the one that's had to break the news.Two of these patients have been very elderly, very frail, and while a cancer diagnosis is always devastating, they and their families have met the news with a sense of resignation mellowed by dementia.But two of

Circle of Five

2008-04-26T12:00:00.011-06:00

I sat semi-dejected at my desk late last week, trying to clear my head after a difficult day at work. In addition to typical patient issues--chronic pain, terrible social problems or unsolvable health issues--I was also dealing with a more personal matter: having to tell my patients that we are leaving Worland this summer.This is harder than it may seem. I feel a strong loyalty towards my

Planet Erf

2008-04-12T15:57:00.009-06:00

"It's just an inch from me to you, depending on which map you use."--JewelMaps, like telephones, have always fascinated me. I've been known to stare at a road atlas for hours with no particular objective, just for entertainment. Museum exhibits with maps are invariably my favorites. My wife gave me an atlas for my birthday a few years ago because she couldn't figure out what else I would like

Decentralize Yourself

2008-03-25T19:01:00.002-06:00

For many people, few things provoke more anxiety than public speaking. How many times have we all heard a semi-lame joke from a trembling church speaker about how, when the bishop called with the assignment, they wanted to run from the phone?I don't think that the anxiety is typically induced by the content of the message one is giving. Rather, it's the self-presentation, the exposure, the

A.C.H.O.O. Syndrome

2008-03-05T19:11:00.014-07:00

I have a disease, a genetic disorder that causes me significant distress. Regretfully, I have passed this diabolical gene on to my two sons.What is my condition? In short, I sneeze--suddenly, violently, frighteningly--when exposed to bright sunlight.Do not laugh at my affliction, commonly known as A.C.H.O.O. syndrome, or Autosomal-dominant Compelling Helio-Opthalmic Outburst Syndrome. (Read here

Willpower

2008-02-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

"What drives someone to accomplish a difficult task against great odds? To defy convention, command or even coercion in order to hold true to a deeply held principle?"These are questions I asked my eight month-old son, Justin, the other day as he and I battled yet again over The Bottle.The Bottle has become a milk-bone of contention in an otherwise wonderful relationship between my son and me.To

Going to Extremes

2008-01-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ten days ago, I boarded a plane in frigid Salt Lake City with my young family. It was ten degrees and snowing as we took off and punched through low gray clouds into a brilliant blue sky. We zoomed through the icy atmosphere,but as we headed southwest, the clouds dissipated, revealing thinning snow cover melting into expansive deserts. After a shockingly incident-free flight (only one spilled

Soggy Muff

2008-01-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

I am a big-time Dr. Seuss fan. Maybe it's the whole "doctor fraternity" thing . . .One of my favorite Seussian books is Sneetches and Other Stories, a collection of four short, silly and didactic stories. Kids love them for their imaginative zaniness, but you can read fairly profound messages into each of them. "The Sneetches" conveys powerful lessons in the foibles of identity politics and the

Ski Frog

2007-12-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of ski season for my six-year old daughter, Joy, and me at our little local hill, Big Horn Ski Resort. (Suggested motto: Two lifts. No people.)We were both blessed and cursed with a major snowstorm that was tapering off as we headed up the mountain. Blessed, because there was nearly a foot of fresh powder, the trees were blanketed, and hardly anyone else had braved the

Ode to Johnny D

2007-12-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a shout out into the Great Beyond, to Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., better known to all of us as the late and great John Denver.This salutation comes from me hearing a lot of John Denver recently, as his Muppets' Christmas album figures prominently on my iPod Christmas playlist. Sweet, silly, even saccharine, it speaks to Mr. Denver's post-60's sentimentality and his kid-friendly,

The Incredibly Fantastic And Amazing Telephone

2007-11-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I have had a casual fascination with telephones. Casual, I say, because I've never been fascinated enough to actually devote significant time or brain power toward fathoming their deeper mysteries.Yet something about them will from time to time suddenly mystify and inspire me. At such moments, I will stare into the heavens and laugh a sly, wistful little laugh,

The Memory of Fish

2007-11-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Two straight posts about fish?Not really. This one is about memory, but it was partly inspired by our resilient goldfish, Foxy.Foxy came into our lives about two and a half years ago when some friends went on an extended trip and left him/her--how do you tell fish gender, anyway?-- with us to fish sit.They never came back for him.Fearing that Foxy would feel hurt and abandoned, we took him under

The Fish

2007-10-23T22:14:00.000-06:00

by Elizabeth BishopI caught a tremendous fishand held him beside the boathalf out of water, with my hook fast in a corner of his mouth. He didn't fight. He hadn't fought at all. He hung a grunting weight,battered and venerableand homely. Here and there his brown skin hung in strips like ancient wallpaper, and its pattern of darker

Speaking Truth to Power

2007-10-15T16:18:00.000-06:00

Christ before Pilate . . .Peter at the Day of the Pentacost . . .Paul before Agrippa . . .Martin Luther before the Catholic Church . . .Galileo before the Inquisition . . .Joseph Smith in chains at Liberty Jail . . .Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial . . .President Reagan in the shadow of the Berlin Wall . . .The Tank Man's silent protest in Tiananmen Square . . .These

Rocktober

2007-10-10T20:04:00.000-06:00

Normally, this is football time in Colorado. But not this year . . .The Colorado Rockies are on a winning streak unprecedented in the history of baseball, closing out the season by winning thirteen of their last fourteen games, which gave them a chance to earn a berth in the post-season in a winner-take-all tiebreaker game against the San Diego Padres on October 1st.What ensued was one of the

The Supreme Effort

2007-09-30T21:29:00.000-06:00

I've been inspired.I've just finished a great book, Long Distance: A Year of Living Strenuously, by Bill McKibben. Recommended to me by my friend Dan, it's the personal narrative of an accomplished writer who is also a chronically sub-par middle-aged athlete. For one year's time, he devotes himself exclusively to a rigorous endurance training regimen, hoping to maximize his athletic potential and

Fruit: The Greatest Hits

2007-09-08T16:17:00.000-06:00

As much as I love the veggies from my garden, I've got to admit something. You know the food pyramid? The one that recommends 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?Give me the fruit, baby.The sweetness, the coolness, the freshness, the flavor . . . what isn't there to love about fruit? By divine providence, we don't have to settle for just a handful, but rather we have a nearly endless

Shooting Stars

2007-08-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

Recently, Grant and I went camping in the Bighorn Mountains. We were fortunate to go on a night with a new moon and perfectly clear skies, and the stars were radiant and innumerable.Stars, of course, are always innumerable, but our capacity to perceive them is greatly limited by more local conditions, like sunlight during the day, like moonlight, cloud cover or light pollution at night, or even

Summer Gardens

2007-08-16T20:51:00.000-06:00

I love to garden.I freely admit it. Maybe that takes me downa few notches on the coolness scale.But the truth is that gardening has becomea deeply held passion for me.Last summer, because of the timing of our move to Worland, we were unable to have a garden, and I felt a tangible sense of loss.What was summertime without a garden?All winter long, I thought about our future summer garden:What

The Assault on Cloud Peak

2007-08-03T18:14:00.000-06:00

Three men and a dream . . .A lush green valley with innumerable lakes . . .A mystical 13,162 ft peak shrouded away in clouds . . .A hailstorm, a lightning storm . . .An endless field of car-sized boulders . . .A triumphant summit . . .An exhausted descent . . .A highly illegal campfire . . .An adventure, a conquest . . .A memorable trip with two good friends . . .

Twenty Five Things

2007-07-16T21:00:00.000-06:00

Several years ago I made a list entitled, "25 Things To Do Before I Die." Recently, I amended this list, and I thought I'd share it to edify, enlighten, and inspire you, my devoted reader.Some of these are very earnest desires; some are quite whimsical. I've tried to come up with objectives that cover the gamut of my interests, as well as the full spectrum of mind/body/spirit. Many of these

S.C.R.A.B.B.L.E.D.

2007-05-20T16:03:00.000-06:00

Here is an innocent looking boy, smiling cutely and inviting you to play a game of Scrabble with him. Sure, you think, he's only 3 years old. I can whoop him easily enough. And so the game begins. You play, he plays, and the tension mounts. He is hanging with you with every word. Is he hustling you? This kid is good!He's pulling you in, but there is no escape now. He has the lead, and it's your

The Sweet Dish

2007-05-13T15:49:00.001-06:00

There is nothing in basketball sweeter than a great assist: a perfect no-look pass that threads the needle, finds its target, and drops jaws. (A close runner-up would be me busting a three on some fool's head.)What makes a sweet dish so thrilling? Other hoops skills are more purely athletic: shooting, dunking, dribbling, etc. But passing is first a cerebral and secondarily (but equally) an

Breathe Out

2007-05-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

My phone rang at one a.m. this morning, the hospital nurse informing me that one of my favorite and most challenging patients had peacefully passed away.This pleasant woman had been terribly ill and suffered greatly over the past nine months, and her death came as a relief and a blessing. Her devoted husband, who lovingly cared for at home right up until the end, called me yesterday, concerned

Frost into Spring

2007-04-29T12:56:00.000-06:00

As we accelerate into a rich, green spring, and as even the Wyoming desert rejuvenates into a new cycle of life, I thought of some Robert Frost poems that capture two distinct but related feelings evoked by the lucious springtime weather in my winter weary soul: peace and wanderlust.(And I threw in a few pictures of cute spring children and lovely Elizabeth . . .)A Prayer In SpringOh, give us

Dissatisfaction and Complacency

2007-04-15T13:30:00.000-06:00

What drives someone to excel? To reach beyond their current situation and to strive for something greater?Often, we speak of the need to find contentment with where are lives are at, with what we are currently doing. This is Zen-like: living joyfully in the now, appreciating the wonders of the present without clamoring for the future or regretting the past. But when does Zen transform into

The Easter Bunny: Ambassador of Deceit

2007-04-09T20:49:00.000-06:00

My precocious five-year old daughter has it all figured out: the Easter Bunny is a lie.This year, I thought I had done an admirable job of surreptitiously masquerading as the Giant Pagan Lagomorph. Due to inclement weather, the EB (with input from his lovely pregnant bride) decided that the eggs should be delivered indoors. So while the kids were distracted upstairs, I furtively ensconced the

"So Others May Live"

2007-04-02T09:09:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth and I saw a good movie this weekend, The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, about Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. While some of the acting was a bit stiff (as is Costner's M.O.) and some of the early ocean scenes were somewhat skimpy on the special effects side, the film still managed to tell a powerful coming-of-age story about loyalty, courage, selflessness and true

Bad Medicine

2007-03-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

" The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals."-- Sir William Osler "I firmly believe that if the whole material medica could be sunk to the bottom of the sea, it would be all the better for mankind, and all the worse for the fishes."-- Oliver Wendell Holmes When I first encountered the above quotations by famous 19th century physicians, I

Let There Be Light!

2007-02-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

A very curious thing began happening to me a few weeks ago: I began craving sunlight.Initially, this was a subconscious phenomenon. I found myself staring at pictures of sun splashed beaches, and salivating over photos from our trip to Costa Rica. I lingered at windows where filtered sunlight radiated ephemerally through bleak winter skies. Amidst these yearnings, I did a number of unusual things

Insomnia

2007-02-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sleep should not be difficult. Sleep should be easy. Infants sleep instinctively for eighteen hours a day, no training required. Bears and chipmunks do it for months at a time. It is a basic, nightly, perfunctory activity. What do you do at the end of the day? You go to sleep.Not me. These days, I go to bed, but not to sleep. I no longer possess this capacity. Sleep's mystery eludes me like a

The Karate Kid Within

2007-01-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Some modern psychologists propose that we all live out our lives according to an internal "script," a living, fluid drama/ action/ comedy wherein we play a pre-determined role as protagonist or victim . . . or the guy who gets pushed into the produce stand while the cops chase the stray dog through the supermarket. (Then the dog pees on the watermelons, and there's a close-up on your yucchy face.

Winter Fun

2007-01-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

(At the Blossoms of Light show at the Botanical Gardens)As some of you may know, we have two very cute kiddos. I thought I'd devote this post to them, along with a few fun (and random) photos from our Christmas break in Denver.First, the Joybear (aka, Ski-Girl): Yesterday she and I went skiing, and we're both ecstatic about the results. For years, I have

Dr. Foster's Fun Flu Facts

2007-01-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

[This post is a copy of an article I've written for the local newspaper about the dreaded (and misunderstood) influenza virus, pictured to the right.]Recently, I diagnosed the first case of influenza virus that WMC clinic has seen this winter. By the time this publishes, the Bighorn Basin will likely be seeing flu season hit full stride. As a local physician, I have witnessed a lot of

"People Aren't All They're Cracked Up To Be"

2007-01-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, also a family practice doctor, once stated, "I went into family medicine because I wanted to work with people. Problem is, I found out that people aren't all they're cracked up to be."Like my friend, I too felt drawn to family medicine because of a deep-seated desire to help people in need. Overall, I'm very happy and fulfilled in my career. But people in need are often tough

Eclectic Playlists

2006-12-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have a pretty eclectic taste in music.By eclectic, I don't mean "cutting edge" or "unusual." Rather, I mean that my musical tastes cut a broad swath across most genres of popular music. Country, rock, folk, Motown, New Age, 80's, rap, classical, Christian, alternative, oldies: I like something (but not everything) from each of these groups.To some, the very idea of music being popular

The Dastardly D's

2006-11-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

My daughter's kindergarten class learns a new letter every week.This week, I choose to highlight the letter D. Every Foster boy worth his salt should know by heart the "D" song, which showcases all of the dark, dastardly, demented connotations of words that start with the letter D. While still in late childhood, I set these D words to an ingeniously hypnotic cadence. I consider this D song a

Intestinal Fortitude

2006-11-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

During a big college football game this weekend, I watched a quarterback receive a vicious hit. As he lithely bounced back to his feet, the announcer commented on his "intestinal fortitude."I reflected upon that curious phrase, and how it has come to have its current meaning in the lexicon of sports. I now bless you with my ruminations.Intestinal fortitude: the phrase means "courage," "mental

God and Science

2006-11-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

TIME ran a cover story last week entitled, "God vs. Science," as if the two subjects were exclusionary. It promised, "a spirited debate between atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and Christian geneticist Francis Collins."Instead, it presented a polite, thoughtful defense of faith and science by Dr. Collins, and a histrionic, scattershot retort by a belligerent Professor Dawkins. In the end, Dr.

Free Time

2006-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

What is free time? For most of the past seven years, it has been a concept completely foreign to me. Every minute not spent as a slave to medical school or residency seemed to be consumed with every other responsibility I had been forced to set aside: husband, father, church member, neighbor, citizen. Even vacation was not really "free time," as I oxymoronically felt obligated to maximally

Football Weather

2006-10-08T22:08:00.000-06:00

The blaze of autumn leaves. Crisp, frosty mornings. The scent of apple cider on the stove. And football, baby. Football.These are the signature flavors of autumn, my favorite season of the year.On the heels of wins by both BYU and the Broncos this weekend, I thought I'd jot down my thoughts about this autumnal, violent, and thrilling American game of football.First of all, I had a wave of

Ethical Dilemmas

2006-10-01T19:23:00.000-06:00

Every day, I encounter some dilemma of medical ethics.Usually, it's a small thing: a patient demanding an inappropriate medicine; confidentiality issues involving sexually active teenagers; end-of-life care for elderly, demented patients.Occasionally, I have been intimately involved in gut-wrenching, life-altering family dramas: removing ventilator support from a beloved mother who barely