Tag Archives: From the Capn’s Pen

The Mount Rushmore Nobody Else Can See: The People Who Shape a Life

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some people change history in ways the world remembers. Others change our lives in ways only we remember. Maybe the most underrated people in history are the ones carved into someone else’s memory. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tasting Tuesday: Knob Creek, Three Ways

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Knob Creek’s Blender’s Edition No. 1 promises a sweeter side of the classic Beam profile. I put it in a blind tasting against Knob Creek 9-Year and a 125-proof cask strength single barrel store pick to see where it landed. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sunday Pour: The Shared Recipe

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The best recipes are more than instructions. They are love, memory, tradition, and sacrifice passed from one generation to the next — often learned by watching the people who loved us enough to keep making them. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, The Sunday Pour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Friendly Little Question, and Other Ways to Start a Bar Fight

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Sunday’s WordPress prompt asks which public figure I disagree with the most. That sounds thoughtful until you realize it’s less a writing prompt than a folding chair being slid across the floor at a town hall meeting. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick Thought – Sunday, May 10, 2026 (Mother’s Day): Thank God for Mothers

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Moses’s mother gave up her son to save his life, trusting God with what she could no longer hold. Her sacrifice reminds us of the countless ways good mothers set aside pieces of themselves so their children can grow, thrive, and follow the Lord. Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Quick Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Career Plan? I’m Still Waiting for the Final Draft

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I’ve had four or five career plans by now, depending on how generously we define “plan.” Teaching is the current one, writing is the dream one, and a few letters from former students reminded me this week that the work still matters. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick Thought – Saturday, May 9, 2026: Trust in the Midst of Trials

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Job lost nearly everything, yet he still trusted that God’s purposes could not be thwarted. When our own trials come, we can remember that God still loves us, still has a plan, and can still be trusted. Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Quick Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Concert? I’m Going to Need a Bigger Category

Posted on May 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I’ve seen some unforgettable concerts — the Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Sting and Toto. Picking the best one isn’t easy, because sometimes the best concert is less about the ranking and more about the night. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 36: The Triple Oak Mason Jar Project

Posted on May 7, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Can a $19 bourbon get even better with a week in a mason jar and a couple of oak sticks? I put Member’s Mark Single Barrel through a homemade “triple oak” experiment and tasted it against the original. Continue reading →

Posted in Bourbon, The Bourbon Cheapskate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Thing to Do in Jacksonville Is Often Not in Jacksonville

Posted on May 7, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Jacksonville has its charms, but the best thing to do here is not always technically here. Sometimes Jacksonville works best as a launching pad. Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Prompt, Random | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment