Category Archives: Essays

My Improbable Dahlia Habit

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Another happy surprise I took from Portland. I am a dahlia guy. Growing up, I hated yard work. In the desert, it was a hot, nasty business that ended with me wheezing and sneezing nonstop in front of the air … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The First Portland Apartment Porch Mystery

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Good grief, it has been a long time since I have had the time to sit down and write. The last 2 months of the move have been one task after another. I enjoy feeling productive and genuinely enjoy the … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Portland the First Time: My Euphoria Story

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Jim Blackwood Jr

As Sally and I get ready to leave Portland, it occurred to me I have been clear why I am leaving, but not so revealing about why I came here. So, this tale will be one of a series of … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

My Best Live Show… Ever

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

With over 1,000 shows on my list, as I watched the snow fall, I thought about which one was the pinnacle. I could go big, Bowie, Stones, Who, Eagles in the 70s. But as my memory pot simmered, and everything … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The End of Mystery

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

Surfing Netflix, I came across the 1998 movie, “As Good as It Gets.” If you haven’t seen it, just the on-screen time between Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, who both won Academy Awards, is worth the 2 hours. About 90 … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Does America Only Have 3 Years Left?

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I was awash in hope for the great American experiment. It is a wonderful notion, this idea that a wildly diverse collection of humans would gather to commit themselves to a creed, a collection of ideas. Through the flaws at … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Emptying The Boxes

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

The two small boxes could not have been more different. One was a neat, glossy, rectangular wooden box. Simple, but nicely made. The other was tin metal with a paisley flower pattern on the outside. In another life, it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Thoughts On: “How Democracies Die”

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I instinctually avoided this book until I could arrive at my own conclusions. Once I posted “The End of America,” I dove into this frightening little tome. The credits are funny. The authors are academics who thank their editor for … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Finding Your Team

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

I have tried to isolate the first moment I knew I was going to stand in the middle of life. There had to be something profound in my life that left me so suspicious of seeming consensus, of being a … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged | 1 Comment

Finding an Old Friend in My Car’s Trunk

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Jim Blackwood Jr

There is one book I own that has never been on my bookshelf. Since 1984, it has been under the seat or in the trunk of every vehicle I have owned. In sequence, that includes: Toyota Pickup, Toyota Camry, Ford … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , | Leave a comment