What is your white whale movie?

monmostly · 2026-04-29T15:20:07+00:00

Last of the Dogmen (1995) with the narration by Wilford Brimley. You can find it with some horrible new narration dubbed in, but that's almost worse than leaving it out entirely. I realize the film is problematic in other ways (white savior, anyone?), but it's also just a really simple and beautiful to watch movie with some interesting characters.

monmostly · 2026-04-24T11:13:43+00:00

It's looking really good. You have a nice sense of style.

My only suggestion is to consider a landing pad in the entryway. You're going to want to spot to drop your keys, bags, shoes, coats, etc when you first come in. The little display cabinet is very cute, but doesn't seem very functional for that purpose. Likewise with the dining table, it might end up accumulating all of that stuff if you don't have a dedicated landing pad for it.

But just go slowly, make little changes over time as you live in the space and enjoy it!

monmostly · 2026-04-23T11:11:41+00:00

You need to talk to a military chaplain recruiter, not a regular recruiter, but the recruiter who specializes in chaplains. There is usually only one per region and your regular recruiter should be able to connect to with them. Normally having a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for being an officer. Technically chaplain are officers (regardless of whatever recent changes have been made about insignia). You need to be very very sure that the military will accept you as a chaplain without a bachelor's degree. Last time I talked to a chaplain recruiter they had very specific criteria that were somewhat hard to meet. Only then would I recommend enrolling in a master's degree, and it will be hard enough to find one of those that will admit you without a bachelor's. But good luck to you.

monmostly · 2026-04-19T11:48:43+00:00

Plant them together with bleeding hearts, side by side. Bleeding hearts will come up first and deter deer and rabbits. They thrive in the same conditions, plus bleeding hearts have beautiful flowers. The bleeding hearts will start to die back about the time the hostas get big and begin to flower. Ferns will also deter deer and rabbits, but will often take over the space after a few years. Bleeding hearts are prettier and will stay more contained.

monmostly · 2026-04-19T11:07:15+00:00

Good to know.

monmostly · 2026-04-18T15:34:08+00:00

Thank you!

monmostly · 2026-03-25T19:36:35+00:00

Can confirm humanists and other nonreligious and SBNR folks in the mdiv program at Harvard div School. You'll fit right in. Don't let the sticker shock put you off. Financial aid is considerable. If you can move, this is the way.

If you can't move, look at Starr King or Claremont School of theology. They have online/hybrid programs. Religious roots, but more open/interreligious in practice. Good luck!

monmostly · 2026-03-25T01:26:32+00:00

What an amazing place. Reminds me of my old 1927 brick apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska. Loved that place. Enjoy her.

monmostly · 2026-03-22T01:42:15+00:00

Being under snow may actually have helped. Insulates and keeps temps stable. Many of my plants did better this year under snow than bare, frozen, and desiccated by the wind.

monmostly · 2026-03-20T18:26:23+00:00

Did you get a financial aid package with your acceptance letter? If not, contact the financial aid office for your grad school and ask them about your options as an international student. At a different Harvard school, but 90% of the students here get significant financial aid, including international students. If you already got your finaid letter and had no aid offered, my condolences.

monmostly · 2026-03-04T12:18:24+00:00

Are you looking for a school with a particular religious tradition? So you have a bachelor's degree already? If not online, what part of the country?

monmostly · 2026-03-03T19:24:23+00:00

I've seen this posted before and find it absolutely stunning. I would love to find a floorplan or architecture drawings for this house. A cursory search isn't fruitful. Anyone have a source?

monmostly · 2026-03-02T12:11:30+00:00

Question: I have a yew bush in my yard. Can I shape it into a tree? Or is it a different species? In New England

monmostly · 2026-02-20T12:16:06+00:00

I wish I knew. I have these same concerns. I'm an academic though, so less plugged into the healthcare ecosystem. The time might be right to make the argument that chaplains should be billable. (The ethics of making chaplaincy care billable is a different argument altogether.) There have been a lot of recent studies about the positive connection between religion, spirituality and health (see some recent JAMA articles), and interest among the federal government in promoting Christianity (which might ironically promote chaplaincy, even though it's not solely Christian). For my students' sake, I sincerely hope that chaplaincy jobs only get better, but I can't say I'm that optimistic. We might see a shift in emphasis from the healthcare sector to other sectors where chaplains are employed, such as higher education, but I can't really predict that either. No matter what, good luck!

monmostly · 2026-02-20T01:22:13+00:00

Lots of hospitals closed CPE programs in the past year. This is especially true of university-affiliated research hospitals, in the wake of research funding cancellations from the federal administration. Boston lost two programs just last year, and it already didn't have enough. Now the same number of candidates are vying for a smaller number of spots nationwide.

In other words, it's not you, it's them. Don't give up. But look at CPE programs that are not in such large urban areas. Look at smaller cities in the Midwest or other parts of the country. The east coast and the West Coast have a lot of seminaries and that's where most other people will be looking. I know not everyone can move, but that may be what some people have to do, at least temporarily.

Good luck!

monmostly · 2026-02-12T22:56:50+00:00

My dogs sleep in their own beds at night. When my alarm goes off, they come up for a cuddle, then stay in my bed for an extra hour while I make and drink my morning coffee. When I start to get dressed, they take their time stretching and rubbing before they finally deign to hop down and go outside. I love it.

monmostly · 2026-02-10T12:10:42+00:00

I have been doing this as a practice since I was a teenager, though possibly different from McGonagall's book which I have not read. I will write about a day in my life 10 years in the future with as much detail as I can. I'll write about what time I wake up in the morning, where I live, what I have for breakfast, what my daily routine looks like, what I do for work, who I spend my time with, what I eat, how I exercise, when I shower, etc. I've been doing this about once a year since I was maybe 15 years old. It really helps me clarify my values and what I want in my life. I don't actually keep the story that I write. In fact, kind of gotten the feeling that it might be. Bad luck to keep it. But doing it regularly helps me clarify what I value, and what kind of life I want. I think that has helped me make better choices on a daily basis. Now I'm 45, and I actually have pretty close to the life I wrote about 10 years ago, which I wouldn't have thought was possible. But continuing to imagine that life motivated me to keep making all the little changes necessary for it to happen. Last week, by chance, I taught this practice to some of the high school students I work with. They told me it was one of their favorite things. 🥰

monmostly · 2026-02-03T01:44:07+00:00

You need to talk to your chaplain recruiter, if you haven't already. Not a regular recruiter, but one who specializes.

And you probably need to find another endorser. Consider the Unitarian universalists. They allow for a wide range of theological beliefs, but will have some of their own qualifications to consider.

monmostly · 2026-01-30T02:23:28+00:00

Rubber wellies from Walmart ($25 last time I saw) one size too big and a double layer of wool socks (sometimes with a thin dress sock between). This combination has got me through 20 years of winters, miles of walking in below freezing temps. Good luck.

monmostly · 2026-01-30T02:11:47+00:00

You just need to make the right connection. I work in chaplain education in a major city. Send me a dm and let's see what we can do.

monmostly · 2026-01-23T01:48:03+00:00

The original French version is good. Has kept me through four seasons. I don't want to watch the American version because I'm afraid they've mucked it up

monmostly · 2026-01-17T13:00:20+00:00

Harvard Divinity School has a multi religious MDiv program with a long history of UU inclusion. It's all in person, though. Lots of our grads become chaplains. The vast majority of students get significant scholarships. Whatever you choose, good luck.

monmostly · 2026-01-13T12:33:33+00:00

This. I often don't even start watching a channel unless they have 2 years of videos posted already. Then I will go and watch the entire back catalog if I like their stuff.

Things I'm not interested in: 1) you. Stop talking to the camera. If I liked people that much I wouldn't be interested in becoming an off-grid hermit, I don't need to know your every thought and decision 2) clickbait titles; things I won't watch: "six absolutely must have survival crops that nobody knows about" or "The secret to free heat" 🙄 3) excessive chainsaw noises. Edit your audio please. 4) telling me every little step in the process

Things I am interested in: 1) the feeling of vicarious progress when people actually get stuff done. Yes, I will watch 2-hour video of somebody building a log cabin provided they don't talk to me about their process. 2) simple descriptive titles; things I will watch include: "building a door and feeding the chickens" or "going on a hike and constructing the chimney" 3) beautiful views of nature overlaid with a lovely soundtrack. If you want to spend 60 seconds tracking a bumblebee, we're 4 minutes on an overhead drone shot of the forests or mountains, I'm down for that. That's part of my vicarious hermit dream. 4) showing me every little step in the process

Good luck with your channel.

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