Chris Struble Writes

My church has an auction every year. This year it is online. I decided to donate something new to the auction. I will give 1-on-1 online guitar lessons to up to ten people who contribute to the auction. This is something I have only done a few times before in person, and never online. It is long overdue. I have been playing guitar since I was four, with a decade off in my teens and twenties. Over forty years altogether. I learned mostly on my own, by listening to songs on the radio and working out how to play them. I had a few books with introductory lessons and chord boxes. I only learned to read music a few years ago. But I can play hundreds of songs, and have written more than twenty of my own, in three different tunings. I needed a photo for the auction site, so my wife took this photo of me on our couch. The guitar is a Yamaha NTX 700 classical acoustic-electric, with nylon strings. It has a beautiful sound and is easy to play. I bought it ten years ago and it is still my favorit...

It's time to write about why I support Joe Biden for president. Joe Biden believes in science. He accepts basic scientific facts such as the germ theory of disease and the greenhouse effect. He will take scientific evidence into account when making decisions. He will tackle the biggest threats to our economy and our safety, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. Joe Biden will work for fairness. He will protect health insurance coverage for people with health issues. He will protect working people and small business owners. He will protect women, LGBTQ people, people of color, and others who continue to be denied full access to the American dream. Joe Biden will protect democracy. He will protect our sacred right to vote, our freedom of speech, our right to peacefully protest, and the sovereignty of our states and cities. Joe Biden embodies decency. He will lead by example with his own behavior. He will not use the presidency to benefit himself, or his big donors, or to settl...

This week the air quality in Washington state has been very unhealthy due to wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington. We have been forced to close all our windows and stay inside for days. We have a box fan running continuously through a furnace filter to remove particles from the air. The inside air is stale, hot, and muggy but at least it is better than outside. But some people have to work outside to earn a living, such as landscape workers, gardeners, utility workers, road workers, and many others. Landscape workers have to work with bad air quality in the best of times. I am thinking of two cycle engines and dust and allergens from grass clippings. My heart goes out to all the outdoor workers. I hope they are getting the PPE and other equipment they need to protect their lungs from this smoke.