Family

I Whiffed

David and Lindsay’s twenty-first wedding anniversary was August 6th.  I forgot all about it and wouldn’t have remembered at all if I hadn’t spoken with Lindsay that day.  Shame on me. Years ago, Ruth and I divided the bill paying process between the two of us.  She paid for some things, and I paid for …

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Family

Nippy Cups

I visited Michael, Kate, and young Jackson James in California to celebrate Jackson’s second birthday.  Mike and I were having an adult beverage and Jackson knocked my glass over. It wasn’t a deliberate act. He simply bumped the side table where the drink sat, and his blow tipped it over. Jackson was oblivious to his …

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Family

Hot Pursuit

If you’ve ever had teenagers in your life, you may be able to relate to this tale.  The event took place about thirty years ago, but I remember the key components like they occurred yesterday. One of the perks of being a school superintendent was attending conferences in Traverse City each fall.  Ruth enjoyed going …

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Family

The California Dairy Queen

My daughter-in-law, Kate, is the California Dairy Queen.  She never had a formal coronation, but since she started working with the California Milk Advisory Board that’s what I call her. The California dairy industry is a significant part of California’s agricultural community.  Milk has the highest farm revenue among California agricultural commodities. California ranks first …

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Family

Fifteen Weeks Volume Two

Editor’s Note:  I wrote the original version of 15 Weeks last October.  I’d forgotten all about it.  As I was reviewing my draft of today’s blog, the original version popped up.  I’m not going to develop a whole new story.  The bulk of this tale is similar, but it has a different ending.  With over …

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Family

Cupboards and Closets

With a condo in Michigan, and a house in Florida, I’ve got a lot of cupboards and closets.  I’m responsible for the organization of one closet in Michigan, and I didn’t organize anything in Florida.  Ruth did it all. My single contribution is the closet that I use for my office. It’s really one of …

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