Chapter 1
I saw changes in my father during the month of August that summer. He started reading his Bible emphatically, relentlessly, beginning on page one and working through the books, one by one, quizzing himself about theological dates, names, and events. He had an extra bounce in his step that I found annoying, never practicing before. He was talkative about the weather, particularly the sun, about running out of water in our lifetimes, about inflation and the Republicans controlling the government. I saw him studying books called Zen and Life, The Methods of Tarot Cards, and Growing and Caring for Sunflowers. Never did I see him eat a vegetable. And mysteriously, he was meticulous about how he looked. He spoke of his appreciation for nature, seemed to glow with satisfaction, enlight
