So, I’m watching an old episode of the television show Everybody Loves Raymond, where his son is staying home from school. The boy is maybe seven years old. It comes out that he has school phobia because he was teased. He accidentally called the teacher, “mommy” when he asked her a question. His classmates heard…
If you asked me about my beverage of choice, I would have to say tea! I enjoy a cup or two of tea every day. It’s gotten to the point that I’ve been known to take tea bags on vacation with me! My preferred tea is black tea. I like it to be full-bodied, have…
In late September I had the chance to go to the Mojave and Colorado Deserts by way of Joshua Tree National Park in California. Long a fan of and fascinated by desert habitat, I jumped at the chance to take a Hummer tour of this unique ecosystem. My 6th grade science fair project was on…
I woke this morning, Christmas Eve of all days, thinking about death and dying. Odd, but I know the reason; two of my friends have lost their parents in the last two days. Each of their parents, it seems, were ill. But, death’s arrival has still shocked both of my friends. It always seems to…
Ames, Iowa is a great college town. My oldest son has lived there for the last six years, completing one degree and now working on others. So, over the years, we’ve experienced many different facets of the community there. From wandering the halls of one of the largest dorms in the country on the ISU…
My husband retired last Friday. Today is the first day he is at home when he used to be at work. This morning, after going to the YMCA, was spent reviewing online accounts and setting up our new health insurance plan. Our old plan was through the hospital at which he worked, now we will…
A Bottle Cap Plastic Bags Straws A Cup with Iced Coffee Air Fillers for Packing Boxes Forks, Knives, Spoons, Plates Take out containers Saran Wrap All Plastic. Discarded, Floating, Moving with the tide out to Sea and back again to distant shores A river of trash forming a plastic river in the wider ocean Moving,…
This is an ongoing series on my blog regarding leadership. It was prompted by the response I got to an initial post on What Is Leadership? This was followed by two posts, each exploring a single characteristic of leadership. The first was on Being Inspirational. Leaders should make people want to take action, participate, be…
Today is a day we all need to pause and give thanks. In the United States, it is our Thanksgiving Holiday. At dinner, when our table is filled with some of our favorite foods, lovingly cooked and baked, I will ask each of my sons to share with the rest of us what they are…
As you might know I have developed a fondness for all things Dutch! This started with a trip to the Netherlands in 2016 for a five night stay in Den Haag. Since we had occasion to walk around the city, while visiting the grocery store, I spotted something that looked like a Pizzelle, but alas,…