As children we all read the story of “The Little Engine That Could.” The story is used to teach children values of optimism, perseverance and hard work. Perhaps you have also read the book to your own children or youngsters and continued the passage to them of a can-do message! The last Friday in August, I… Read more »

Dinger. Tater. Bomb. Moon Shot. Round Tripper. All of these terms are baseball slang for a home run –  the crowd rising (well, if we had crowds now) event. As we enter September (the “home stretch,” in more baseball lingo) and teams vie for the playoffs, home runs become even more valuable –  more crowd… Read more »

Given the choice of the numbers above which would you pick? One hundred is a much higher number. It is the perfect score on a test. So, why not choose 100? Eleven. It is not even a dozen. A dozen donuts. A dozen eggs. What happened to the other one that we only have 11? With… Read more »

As the COVID-19 situation drags on, staying positive and keeping perspective on things becomes challenging. So I decided to shake things up a bit by getting back into reading books. I decided that I wanted a book to continue learning more about my culture and history (got one by Ron Rash – Appalachian Author – thanks for… Read more »

Think over the years about how many times you have used that phrase – the cake or cookies someone brings to work, homegrown vegetables or fruit shared with you. I was reminded of the value of “Homemade” last Saturday when our neighbor Jess brought over some homemade chocolate covered cherries. Normally, these are a treat she… Read more »

You have planned a family event – getting ready to head to the ball game or maybe start a meeting, and you are waiting… Waiting for that person (or family) who always seems to be just a “little late” to the event. In our family, we play a little game with our beloved family members who… Read more »

One of the most interesting things about visiting with a new person or business is the “Evidence of Success” they display. Often, it is a reference to the college they attended, such as a diploma on a wall. Maybe a golf trophy for a hole in one on a desk. Or perhaps a picture of family… Read more »

My father was a Military Policeman who served in the 1st Army and later transferred to the 3rd Army during occupation of Germany. During his service he was decorated and acknowledged for his service – which led to him being promoted to Corporal – well, at least for a while. As my mother shares the story, as… Read more »

One of the joys of summer as a youngster was getting a new toy. Perhaps as you got older it was something more than a toy – rather a gift that helped define you.  We had just heard the song, “Brand New Key” by Melanie about roller skates and having fun when my wife shared… Read more »

One of the best things about vacations for me is getting to listen to music. Between my Sirius App, iPod, and Internet Radio – KXT (Dallas Fort Worth – great FM Station), I have listened to a wide range of music (interesting what you can do when you haven’t turned on a TV for a week). Recently… Read more »