Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

When I think about a half-bushel, I always think, “That’s not too many peaches!” Then, when I have them out on a table, a half-bushel looks a little more daunting. Then, when I have to start peeling them, a half-bushel looks very daunting! The Peach Truck came through last week and I picked up my… Continue reading One-half Bushel of Peach Truck Peaches

I didn’t use to be a hugger. Then I met two dear friends who taught me the value of a hug. The warmth conveyed through a hug. The support felt from a hug. The love transmitted by a hug. How healing a hug can be. I miss giving friends and family hugs. It was always… Continue reading When a Hug is not just a Hug

Today, we finished the next project for my mom’s place. As you may remember, last year we rebuilt her deck as the old one was falling apart beneath our feet. We didn’t get the chance to waterproof the new one before winter. This year, we wanted to make sure to put on a stain or… Continue reading Another Project Complete

Well, I don’t think we are going to make it until November. I was gaining hope, until today. 70,000 new COVID-19 cases nationwide. We “only” had 50,000 daily cases a week ago. 758 new cases in Indiana just today. A huge increase from a week ago. Went from 4.1% positive rate mid-June, now 9.1%. Roger… Continue reading It’s Been Nice Knowing You United States

It was an exciting day! The Peach Truck was in town to deliver the first batch of peaches for the season. My time to pick up was 8:00, but I arrived around 7:40. They had already started letting people pick up orders. I was there and back in less than 30-minutes. Thankfully my supervisor allowed… Continue reading Peaches, Peaches, Peaches

Dear Governor Holcomb, Speaker Huston, Majority Leader Messmer, and Secretary Lawson: I want to start by saying thank you for allowing anyone who had wanted to do so, to vote via Absentee Ballot for the Indiana Primary Election last month. It allowed myself, and so many of us, to exercise our constitutional right to vote.… Continue reading Please, Just Let Us Vote!

Although I am no longer in a school setting, I am still, and always will be, an educator at heart. My teacher, instructional aide, principal, and other school staff friends are always on my mind. They are on my mind even more so right now as politicians and union leaders are making decisions that will… Continue reading Is This Our Time as Educators?

There is no true substitute for effective intentional instructional practices, whether they are delivered face-to-face or virtually. If instruction isn’t effective and intentional, it doesn’t matter how it is delivered. It is true, as with everything school related, or life really, different things work for different people. Some people thrive in a certain environment, while… Continue reading When Did Students, Teachers, and School Staff Become Expendable?

Social media is a good, and a bad, thing. It can suck me right down a rabbit hole in nothing flat. I check on friends, check on blog stats, check on politics, check on the news of the day, and check on family. It is the politics and the news of the day, and sometimes… Continue reading A Challenge to Remain Godly

I know the 4th of July means many things to many people. Although our country has often not lived up to its ideals, it has continued to move forward, even after taking a few steps back, maybe many steps back under the current administration. The good thing is, we do eventually move forward again. Hopefully,… Continue reading Happy 4th of July!