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America on Independence Day 2023: Down but not Out!

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It's Independence Day, and that has me thinking about the state of our nation. Almost 250 years into our nationhood, the United States of America is mired in a morass of massive proportions. It would be nice to say that the morass is of a strictly political nature, but it would be inaccurate. Our morass  is  political—let there be no doubt—but it is also physical, ethical, academic, economic, social and environmental. (Add just about any other adjective here.) As we approach our sestercentenial, our roads, bridges and cities are in an appalling state of disrepair; a significant number of our elected officials (on both sides of the aisle)   are either under investigation for ethical breaches or have already been expelled; our primary and secondary schools are failing at an unprecedented rate and our colleges and universities—although still strong—are prohibitively expensive. Worse still, the disparity between rich and poor grows daily, and our  leaders  (word used with great misgivi
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A Father's Day Tribute to my Father

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It's Father's Day and, as usual, that means I think about my late father, and wish he was still with me. So, this year, I have decided to put my thoughts to words and publish them in my blog, if for no other reason than writing about him is the best way for me to spend some time with him, and I would give anything in the world to do that. My father was a deliberate and methodical person; when he used a particular word in a certain circumstance, it was because he had thought about the context, mulled over the way the word sounded, and considered the possible interpretations of the word by his audience before uttering it. (No, he was not given over to quick responses.) And if he couldn't think of the exact word he wanted, he would ruminate about it until the perfect word became clear in his head. If rumination didn't work, he even stooped to research--his favorite book was Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (you know, that massive thing you see in
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June is National Crime Reading Month

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Hello All,  Sorry it's been a while, but I can explain... we have a puppy. Enzo Ferrari Hogenkamp has entered our lives, which are never to be the same again. But the show must go on, and June is National Crime Reading Month. So, I wrote a short piece about my new book, The Woman From Death Row (Tirgearr Publishing, June 2023.) And please don't forget to preorder the book,  Link to Pre-Order the book , which is only 1.49$ during the pre-order period, and sails to 5.99$ once the book is released. (It's also good for the book when pre-orders are strong, as it makes the book more visible on Amazon.) Anyway, can't wait for you to meet Jade and Mark, the main characters. Here's a little preview: People make mistakes. They fail, often epically. But they can also pick themselves by their bootstraps, get going again and redeem themselves, if they have the desire and the mettle to do so. By my way of thinking, there is nothing more dramatic than redemption, and no better way
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Sunday Afternoons with my Mother: Episode 2, A Snowy Day in January

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My Co-Pilot It's Sunday afternoon and my mother and I on the road again; in this case, a snow covered secondary road paralleling a small river that meanders it's way into the White River and then the might Connecticut. But there's nothing mighty about this stretch of water, which isn't to say it isn't pretty. Because it is pretty, my mom says so, and when you are 94 years of age, you know a pretty sight when you see one. We're stopped in the middle of the road--which isn't a problem because we haven't seen another car in a half-hour--searching the open water for the nose of a beaver breaking the surface. We don't see any live beavers, and though it would have been nice, it really doesn't matter. We're here to enjoy each other's company, not watch aquatic mammals, so the day is a success anyway. We move on, winding our way back and forth up a steep road flanked by snow-covered pines, and then down a hill leading to a frozen lake dotted wit
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Five (realistic and easy) New Year's Resolutions for a Healthier You.

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You might wonder why I am posting this blog about New Year's Resolutions on January 18th. Perhaps you were thinking I have been meaning to do it, but ended up procrastinating until after more than half the month is over. Good thought, but no. (And I have resolved previously never to procrastinate.) The real reason is I heard on John Tesh's radio show (so it has to be true, right?) that this is about the date the average person gives up on their New Year's resolutions.  It's true; most New Year's Resoltutions have the shelf life of unrefrigerated fish. The reason for this is that they are either: 1) poorly thought out; 2) too invloved; 3) wholly unrealsitic; 4) completely out of character for the person making them. Don't follow? Here are some examples (all taken from my patients, who shall remains nameless.) Example one: a guy, who lives entirely on fast food, resolving to make all of his own meals. He lasted a few days. Example two; a woman, with no previous hi
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Sunday Afternoons with my Mother: Episode 1; Moose and Ice Cream

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  The road unfurls in front of us like a tightly wound string from a coil, waving back and forth, back and forth, as we drive slowly over the graded gravel surface, tires crunching lightly against the stones. We're--my mother and I, that is--somewhere north of Bridgewater, Vermont, on a back road, with no destination in mind other than wherever we end up. It's a Sunday afternoon in August, the blue skies are clotted with white clouds, and the smell of hay wafts in through the open windows. Life is good. I started taking these drives with my mother several years ago--after she gave up her driving license--and I think we have been on every back road in Central Vermont since. There is something about driving the back roads that we love; could be a lot of things, I suppose. Like today we ran into a moose (not literally, but it was close) eating leaves on the side of the brook paralleling the road. We saw a black bear last week, scurrying across the road just east of Killington. A f
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Book Review: The Magdalene Deception by Gary McAvoy

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\ Or just click on the Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088JN41PH If you want to stay caught up with me, make sure to follow the blog, or click on this link,  Peter's Author Website , to check out my website. Make sure to enter your e-mail when prompted to join my mailing list as well. If you would like to read one of my books (or gift one to a friend) click on the link to  Peter's Amazon Page  and you can order them right from there. And, as always, thanks for your support. Cheers, peter Peter Hogenkamp is a practicing physician, public speaker and author of fiction living in  Rutland, Vermont. Peter’s writing credits include  The Intern  (TouchPoint Press, April, 2020); The Vatican Conspiracy  (Bookouture/HachetteUK, October, 2020), and  The Vatican Secret (Bookouture/HachetteUK, April 2021.) He can be found on his  Author Website  as well as his personal blog,  Peter Hogenkamp Writes  where he writes about most anything. Peter is the creator, producer and host of  Yo
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