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Seeing Front Royal Through Dad’s Eyes
My father spent a day exploring Front Royal with me following the loss of his wife. Together, we visited community landmarks, met remarkable people, and discovered that the town’s greatest strength isn’t its places, but the relationships that connect them. Read More
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Nickel Books and Hidden Libraries: Front Royal’s Tabard Inn Library
While researching Samuels Public Library’s past, I uncovered Front Royal’s forgotten Tabard Inn Library: a 1903 book exchange hidden inside Trout & Turner’s drugstore, connecting local history to a national network of nickel books and circulating libraries. Read More
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The Watermelon Has Been Compromised
For Samuels Public Library’s Tiny Art exhibit, I painted a bitten watermelon on a sunny picnic table, inspired by summertime memories, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and the playful idea that the fruit had been compromised. Read More
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CSS, Jukeboxes, and Flags
A canceled meeting opened unexpected time for jukebox research, website development, community events, and quiet reflection on leadership, delegation, and balancing too many responsibilities while continuing work on the Restoring the Signal exhibit. Read More
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Restoring the Signal Flyers
Preparing for a news interview, I created flyers, updated the exhibit website, and wrestled with CSS, AutoSSL, and responsive layouts deep into the night — all to help bring the phone exhibit and Royal Visit recordings to the community. Read More
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Crown & Commonwealth Conversations
What began as a petition inspired by the Royal Visit of King Charles III & Queen Camilla has evolved into a broader community conversation about tourism, heritage, identity, & the future of Front Royal & Warren County through recurring events, partnerships, & public engagement. Read More
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ChatGPT Tried to Explain Me
After years of conversations about technology, history, memoirs, civic issues, creativity, and absurd humor, I asked ChatGPT to describe who I am. The result was a detailed portrait of an archivist, community-minded technologist, storyteller, and observer of systems, people, & preservation. Read More
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America 250 Bingo Challenge
Stepping into Revolutionary attire for a library skit, I found myself balancing historical accuracy, missed lines, and unexpected humor. Not quite reenactment, not quite theater—just a moment where community, history, and imperfection came together in a surprisingly memorable way. Read More
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A Life Recovered from MiniDV
Old MiniDV tapes revealed forgotten footage from 2008—woods that no longer exist, family moments, and fragments of a life once lived. What began as digitization became something deeper: a rediscovery of memory, time, and the person I used to be. Read More
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Where Lodge, Community, and Life Intersect
A week of courthouse paperwork, lodge leadership training, community service, civic conversations, and unexpected moments of fellowship reveals how Masonry often intersects with everyday life. Most meaningful lessons come not from ceremony, but from simple acts of service and brotherhood. Read More