Greetings from Ann Arbor. Yes, you read it correctly. Emily and I have moved from Ohio to Michigan. As lifelong Buckeyes, it’s a big transition, but we were both ready for a big change.

After years of living with uncertainty and adapting to cognitive changes, we find ourselves in a season of renewal. What began as a journey of healing has evolved into something more — a new chapter filled with gratitude, creativity, and the opportunity to start anew. Together, we’ve embraced this unexpected gift and are stepping into it with open hearts.

Emily and I have been given the opportunity to enjoy retirement and have at least one more adventure. This past winter, we sat on the balcony of our rental apartment in Luquillo, Puerto Rico and talked about where we wanted to spend our next chapter. We actually made a matrix of what we wanted in a place to live and a list of potential cities and towns.

Ann Arbor came out on top of our list. This city of 125,000 has a major university, outstanding medical care, 162 parks, a great network of bike lanes and paths, a vibrant and walkable downtown, lots of independent restaurants, retailers and bookstores, fabulous art and music venues, progressive politics, inclusive faith communities, good public transportation (free to seniors), and easy proximity to an international airport, the Great Lakes, and three major cities (Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland).

After some exploration and input from friends, we discovered Newport West, a neighborhood of 100 homes surrounded by Bird Hills Nature Area, a 146-acre city-owned nature preserve and wild-life sanctuary.

Over the course of four weeks, we sold our Cleveland Heights house and purchased a condominium in Newport West. We moved in early June, placed the furniture, unpacked the essentials, and then for our 11th summer season at the Chapel of St. James the Fisherman in Wellfleet, MA. We will return to Ann Arbor in September and settle into our new home and new life. Emily and I are both feeling very grateful for the opportunity to have this new chapter. It’s a gift we weren’t expecting.

And to top it off, I have a photo exhibit at the Beck Center for the Arts (17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio) running from August 30 to October 31. It will be a three-person show with two other Cleveland artists – Dante Rodriguez and Bob Walls. There will be an artist reception and gallery talk on Friday, October 3, 6–7:30 pm.

My offering will feature Intersections, an interactive, multi-media altar; and Holy Ground, a 2005 composite reflection on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as some new and not-so-new framed photos. If you’re in Cleveland, I hope you get a chance to see it, and I hope to greet you at the reception on October 3. Till then, be well and stay strong.