Uncategorized
-
This morning, I reunited with my best friend from high school (and beyond) after a 10-year “pause” in our best-friendship. Life, ya know? We picked up right where we left off, with silly one-liners slipping between giggles like we were 18 again. It is a testament, I believe, to the depth of our friendship. But…
-
![Day 4: [Re]Launch](https://rusvanwestervelt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/dsc_1068.jpg?w=1024)
Tonight, our family gathered around the television and watched the launch of Artemis II, a historic return to space as four astronauts began their 10-day journey to the moon (and beyond) and back to earth. It was a nostalgic moment for me when our own family gathered around the television in the late ‘60’s and…
-
In the last couple of days, I have taken two 3-mile hikes on local trails. The first was at Cromwell Valley Park, a moderate hike that took me through pastures and along ridge lines, leading me in the early going to a nice, high view of the big dam and the surrounding reservoir. I took…
-
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have been doing a lot of reading since reclaiming my time. In 2024, I read 64 books (or 17,210 pages, if you like the stats). Last year, I finished 48 books (or 12,464 pages). This year, I am on track to read somewhere between those two numbers. I…
-
In the past four years, I have made a more conscientious effort to “feed my soul” and focus on many of the joyful, creative acts that I have neglected for decades. That’s a long time, but now that I am in my 60’s, I’m thinking less about what I haven’t done and more about what…
-
November has always been a great month for me. The first round of college apps and letters of recommendation is over, and I have historically used the 30 days in November to write; it is, as I have said for years, my most productive month as a writer. So today, I leaned in to my…
-
Since the news of the tragic floods in Texas broke on July 4, I’ve been lifting prayers of love and peace on the social media posts that are sharing the tragic stories of the individuals who were swept away or died as heroes. The algorithms are noticing my trends and are filling my feed with…
-
Every day, I think about what I *should* write about. I think about how my sometimes-gift with words can be used in the best possible way to manifest change, support others, address the inequities in our country and beyond. To not write about these things seems to, on some level, ignore them. Last month, I…
-
The last two weeks have been filled with chaos and tragedy. I make this statement rather generally; you can get more specific if you like, but I don’t really need to. When there’s a hurricane, we don’t really spend too much time on any one tree that’s been blown over. The aerial shots are enough.…
-
This is one of those “Rus Uncut” posts. Actually, I’ve been throwing the idea around for some time to drop the formalities and the anxieties that come with it. My best words on this blog are when I’m less formal, more “real,” and just trying to sort through a few things. Like we’re in a…
The Baltimore Writer 