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I Love a Parade
2007-09-11 04:53:00
I love a parade, when I hear a band I just want to stand and cheer as they come.I love a parade, a handful of vets, A line of cadets or any brigade, For I love a parade.Arden-Ohman This afternoon I took the kids to our District Fair parade, complete with way too many fire trucks, marching bands, beauty queens, and tossed candy. Some of my favorite aspects included: The anticipation The respect The quirky participants The loot! The overcast sky made for comfortable parade weather as the kids scrambled on the pavement for Tootsie Rolls and Dum Dums. This simple hometown tradition was a perfect summer afternoon.
More About: Love , Parade

3BT: 9/9/07
2007-09-10 04:16:00
1.  Sitting out on the front walkway with my daughter, who suddenly decided that she was an expert in grass and “flowers.”  She began picking different blades of grass and weeds and explaining each one’s name and special characteristics.  She was so focused on making each one unique and amazing. 2.  “Look, Daddy!  The sun is so beautiful and orange as it’s setting. Isn’t it beautiful?” 3.  After dinner, we went back outside and had a twilight dance on the driveway. She had changed into a pastel easter dress and put on red velvet Christmas shoes.  She was the Princess and I was the Prince she chose to marry out of all the princes there. I got to dance with the beautiful Princess while everyone watched. They all knew that she picked me. Inspired by Three Beautiful Things.

MyTurn/YourTurn: Influence
2007-09-09 05:06:00
MyTurn:  Sometimes when I’m holding his hand, I can’t believe the enormous responsibility that’s been entrusted to me.  I realize that I have so much influence over my son in so many ways.  I want to do all the right things for him, so I read parenting magazines and try to do all of the “right things.”  I try to make sure he doesn’t eat too much candy or watch too much TV, but realize that eating candy and watching TV are two pretty great parts of being a kid. I see him emulating me in so many ways.  I hear my own laugh in the way he laughs.  He wants to “work on ‘puter” when he sees me blogging.  I pick up on how he matches my inflections:  he both say “oh MAN” when we’re disappointed. If I just keep trying to base myself on my own dad, I’ll be OK.  All of my best qualities can be traced to him.  He has always been either at work or at home.  He has always made family his number one priority. ...
More About: Influence

Don’t Waste Another Wasted Minute
2007-09-08 20:58:00
Looking around at other people reveals that they probably have more than we do:  more talent, more ability, or more money.  We can content ourselves with the fact that at least we know there is one resource that’s distributed equally to everyone:  time. The way we use our time reveals a lot about our priorities, but so often we aren’t in control of how many of our minutes are consumed by our tasks.  It’s not a personal priority of mine to stand in lines, for example.  Yet, I find myself spending lots of time doing it:  at the post office, in the grocery store, even waiting for the copy machine at work! Lately, I’ve been doing my best not to waste these minutes. Rather than let my mind drift to a stressful “to-do” list or simply idle while silently cursing the time I’m wasting, I’ve decided to try to spend the time in prayer or reflection. Regardless of your spiritual leanings, see if you can adapt your “wasted” time t...
More About: Waste , Minute , Wasted

3BT - Sept 5
2007-09-06 01:18:00
1. A cooling summer shower bringing some much needed rain! 2. A student making a great effort in class and pushing herself past her normal “comfort zone.” 3. Warm brownies fresh from the oven.
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Three Beautiful Things - Sept. 4
2007-09-05 05:00:00
1.  My daughter, her backpack big on her tiny body, boldly walking by herself into kindergarten. 2.  My two-year-old son, sitting in a high chair, calling out “Daddy!” when he saw me come home from work today. Shortly after that, “My love you!” 3.   My wife, kissing our kids before she left for work tonight… then remembering to kiss me too.
More About: Beautiful , Things , Sept , Beautiful Things

Why “every, every minute?”
2007-09-05 04:47:00
In Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town, the central character dies an early death. Emily is given the chance to revisit a day of her life and is advised by those in the afterlife to pick an ordinary day, warning her that she might be overcome otherwise. Still, Emily is overwhelmed with emotion as she recognizes how wonderful the everyday details of her existence were. Her daily routine takes on new significance now that it is gone. Through her tears, she asks: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it– every, every minute? With this blog, I am trying to fully “realize” my life by documenting the things that I love. I want to appreciate and examine my past and present, as well as plan actively for the future. I hope to accentuate the positive in my life and in the world around me, with the hope that by focusing on the positive, I will draw more positive elements into my life. Or, at least, realize all of the blessings that I do have. The author of ...
More About: Minute

It’s a Beautiful Day
2007-09-04 05:19:00
I am inspired by the site Three Beautiful Things to post three things that made me happy today. 1. I attend a comtemporary church where we sing pretty loud praise music complete with sort of “rocking” drums and a bass guitar. It’s geared toward a younger audience. I am always moved seeing our senior citizen members praising full-out with the rest of us. 2. My son, after a pretty thorough tickling session: “Tickle me again!” 3. The sparkle in my dad’s eyes as we laugh, cracking each other up.

Act of Code Kindness
2007-09-04 03:20:00
I was having some issues with my site. The sidebar was mysteriously floating to the bottom of the page on this new theme I’ve adopted for the site. I was in need! Who came to my rescue? Pro Blog Design! (Heroic music plays) Many thanks!
More About: Code , Kindness

Hello world!
2007-09-03 09:01:00
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
More About: World , Hello World

Happiness as a Spiritual Practice
2007-09-03 05:21:00
I just subscribed to cheerfulmonk.com and I think you should, too. Every post currently on that blog’s front page is uplifting and worthwhile. Post topics include happiness, living fully, following the path, and change. These topics probably aren’t causing readers to beat a path to his door, but they should be. As the author says: I’m sure there are plenty of people in our society who would scoff and dismiss this talk of love as “touchy-feely” hogwash. Well I don’t think my readers would dismiss it, so I hope that they will become readers of this blog as well. Check it out! You’ll be glad you did.
More About: Happiness , Spiritual , Practice

Thanks, readers!
2007-09-01 21:12:00
This blog is about to turn three weeks old. I thought about waiting to post a “status report” until the one-month birthday, but I just can’t resist. I want to thank everyone who is reading and participating in this blog.  I really want this blog to have a sense of community, and I think that thanks to you we are off to a great start.  I’d like to thank some people and then share some information about how the blog is doing.  Finally, I’ll be asking for your feedback and suggestions. Your comments are appreciated. I’ll begin by thanking last month’s top commentator, meowminx.  She is also the first person to respond to MyTurn/YourTurn posts on another blog. Thanks, meowminx! I’m glad to have you here. I’d also like to thank Priscilla Palmer for placing me on her Personal Development List.  I’m in some wonderful company on that list and was honored to have been included. I hope I’m living up to that inclusion! Feed...
More About: Readers , Hank

Random Act of Linkess: jehara
2007-09-01 04:37:00
It’s been a while since I’ve handed out a Random Act of Linkness, but I’ve found a very deserving recipient to wrap up the week! Go and visit Soleil at jehara and you will a lot of great things! I was especially drawn to the fact that she recently posted a Thankful Thursday, listing many things that she’s thankful for. She also blogged about a recent random act of kindness that she initiated. That’s pretty close to the spirit of this blog. Way to go, Soleil! Have a great weekend. Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
More About: Hara

Memories of Mammaw and Pappaw’s House
2007-08-30 04:44:00
The title of this blog is a reference to a line in Thornton Wilder’s play, Our Town. In it, the central character is able to go back and review one day of her life after her death. While she is viewing her simple day, she is overwhelmed by how much she missed and took for granted during her life. She asks: “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?” If I could go back to a place from my youth, I would choose my Mammaw and Pappaw’s house. It is filled with happy memories for me. Tents I would take all of the kitchen chairs, bring them into the living room, and drape sheets all over the top of them. I would spend hours inside my “tent” or “cave” having imaginary adventures. Stone Soup Having read the children’s story “Stone Soup,” I decided that I wanted to make some. I found a cool rock outside and Mammaw helped me in the kitchen. I added an enormous amount of salt and pepper to my st...
More About: House , Memories , Appa

Gentleness
2007-08-26 16:07:00
“There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.” — Han Suyin My mom recently gave me my grandfather’s wallet.  It was on him when he died, which was when I was pretty young.  I went through its contents carefully, handling everything inside as if it were a precious artifact.  Receipts for bills he’d paid, his insurance card, pictures of little me. Luckily, I don’t have to be as careful with my memories of him.  I don’t have any bad memories of “Pappaw.”  In my memories, he is always cracking a corny joke and laughing about it.  He’s singing gospel music with a bluegrass sound and a Kentucky twang.  He’s playing a harmonica or plucking his “Jew’s harp.”  He’s letting me feed the chickens he raised in the backyard. He’s showing me how to plant seeds in his garden. It seems that he treated me with such care.  We had no way of knowing that we wouldn’t have a lot of tim...
More About: Lene , Gentle , Gent

Random Act of Linkness: Yawn
2007-08-26 01:52:00
I was out an about, buzzing through the blogosphere when I came upon a post called My blog sucks.  Why is the blog’s author, Mccormicky, so downtrodden? Because I have no incoming links. How can that be? Oh right,because my blog sucks. What a vicious circle. Go visit Yawn, the blog and let her know that her blog doesn’t suck. And now she has some incoming links! Yay! Random Act of Linkess to the rescue! Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!

MyTurn/YourTurn: Summer Days
2007-08-26 01:05:00
MyTurn: When I was little, my summer days were pretty much spent outside. I don’t ever remember thinking, “Gee, it’s hot. Maybe I shouldn’t go outside.” I’m sure mom probably kept me inside when it was necessary, but for the most part I was out playing. One of my favorite things to do was dig. I didn’t have a proper sandbox, really. I did have a designated spot in the backyard that was reserved for my digging. I enjoyed constructing elaborate tunnels — digging down in two different places and then digging the holes toward one another until they connected. I also spent a good deal of time burying action figures and then helping them rise from their graves. At some point in my young life, I heard about the concept of the water table. The idea was that if you dug deep enough, eventually you would discover water. My imagination created a flowing underground river that was waiting for me if I’d just dig a deep enough hole. I...
More About: Summer , Days

Saturday Special: Personal Preferences
2007-08-25 23:10:00
~Personal Preferences~ 1. Quiet evening at home or Out on the town?: Evenings in our home are rarely quiet, with a kindergartener and a toddler running around! When we do go out, it’s usually just for dinner and we take the kids with us. 2. Watch a movie or Reading a good book?: I love to watch a good movie with my wife and then dissect it like the drama nerds we are! 3. Order a meal or Cooking one yourself?: Can my wife cook? Because otherwise it’s going to be hot dogs if I’m cooking. 4. Going for a walk or Taking a ride in the car?: I love going for a walk. Since it has been flaming hot lately, we haven’t been doing much of that. Come on, autumn! Saturday Special participants:  Want to help me jump-start a new meme? Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
More About: Ferenc , Sona

Thirteen Back To School Items
2007-08-23 04:45:00
Since I’m both a teacher and parent, my mind is pretty much stuck in “back to school” mode this week. I’m back for another year of teaching and my daughter just started kindergarten.When I was younger, one of my favorite aspects of back to school time was getting a new set of school supplies! Here are some of my most and least favorite items. 1. Trapper Keeper - As a child of the 80’s, I loved a new Trapper Keeper! Finding one with a cool design was the key. I never wanted one with just a plain cover. For some reason, in my later elementary years the school started prohibiting them. I could never understand why. Maybe they were too big to fit in our desks? 2. A new Crayola box - Nothing held the promise of good times quite like a brand new box of crayons. That fresh smell when you’d first open the box was intoxicating. The best was that huge box of 64 with the crayon sharpener in the back… although my tips always broke off after sharp...
More About: School , Back , Thirteen , Items , Back to School

Random Act of Linkness: Disasterology
2007-08-23 00:55:00
While it may not sound like a very positive place, today’s Random Act of Linkness goes to Disasterology.  Mike has written a great post about promoting blogs and helping other people build up their sites. Here’s an excerpt: This is a wonderful way to meet new bloggers and make friends with people that you might not have ever meet before. Since that’s pretty much the same concept behind Random Act of Linkness, I had to feature him here! Thanks for your efforts to make the blogosphere a more positive place, Mike! Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
More About: Ology , Rolo , Aster

MyTurn/YourTurn: Back To School
2007-08-22 13:56:00
MyTurn: New crayons, a new backpack, a Transformers lunchbox… who wouldn’t be excited about going back to school? In my elementary student days, I loved going back. Not that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy summer and its days of playing outside until sunset and leaving a thick dirty ring around the bathtub to prove how much fun I’d had! But school was just as fun for me. The only exception was the year I entered third grade. When my mom called the school to find out who my teacher would be she found out that I’d be with… (dramatic music plays) MRS. ALLEN! Looking back, I don’t even remember why I feared her. She must have looked at me cross-ways in the cafeteria one day or something. But in my mind, she was a hateful crone. I immediately flew into fits of panic, tears and screams flying around our house. Mom, bless her heart, somehow called and arranged for me to meet my second grade teacher at school. Going to have a summit with Mrs. Evans, ...
More About: School , Back , Back to School

Tuesday Twosome
2007-08-22 04:32:00
Tuesday Twosome Do you check your email once a day or more? Explain: I check email way more than once a day. This is true for every account, but especially at work. I leave Microsoft Outlook open on my computer all day. When you receive SPAM emails, do you just delete them or take the time to mark it as SPAM? Explain: I just delete them. I have pretty good spam filters on every account, so I don’t get very many. I do have to admire the cleverness of the ones that make it through the filter, though. When a friend/acquaintance emails you a “forward” email like a joke or chain letter, do you forward it to your friends or just delete it? Explain: I don’t forward it, and I rarely even read it. Who are two people whose emails you look forward to receiving? Explain: My wife and my friend DC. Do you believe that email has completely replaced other forms of communication? Essentially, yes. It has certainly cut down on the amount of other written communication that I do....
More About: Tuesday , Some

MyTurn/YourTurn: First Jobs
2007-08-19 15:58:00
MyTurn:  Sometimes I felt a bit like Casey Kasem.  There I’d be, sitting in a small room on a Sunday night, playing songs and making love connections.  “This next song goes out to Sonny from Jessica, who says she loves you very much and misses you. Here’s Whitney Houston with I Will Always Love You.” I can’t image a better job for the teenage years than being a disc jockey!  Somehow, I’d scored this awesome job where I got to play music, read the news and weather, and basically be a very, very minor celebrity.  My usual shift was Sunday nights from six to midnight, with two hours of that hosting Sunday Night Dedications. Listeners could either call in their dedications or they could mail them in. Since this was in pre-email days, I would sift through enveloped full of 14-year-old-girl handwriting, scanning the lists of late 80’s and early 90’s hits that best expressed their feelings. I’m thankful that I avoided fast food job...
More About: Jobs

MyTurn/YourTurn: Family
2007-08-18 03:56:00
MyTurn: Tonight, I was hugging and tickling my two-year-old son on the couch. My five-year-old daughter took a break from watching 101 Dalmatians to come over sort of get tangled up on our tickling tussle. After we were all giggling and smiling, she just looked up at me with a big smile and said “Ahhh… family!” YourTurn: Describe a time when you have felt especially loved or supported by your family. What’s MyTurn/YourTurn? Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
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What’s MyTurn/YourTurn?
2007-08-18 03:52:00
MyTurn/YourTurn is a meme, meant to spread throughout blogs and create a kind of community conversation. The original post starts here at everyeveryminute, and it is intended to be picked up by other bloggers and posted on their blogs. Here’s how it works: Respond to the “YourTurn” question on your own blog, labeling it as “MyTurn.” Then, copy the “YourTurn” question at the end of your post, which encourages a continuation of the conversation. Please link back to this post at everyeveryminute.com so that your readers will know how to participate. Leave a comment on the blog where you originally saw the MyTurn/YourTurn post, so the author can come and read your response. Thank you for participating and please consider subscribing! Have a great day. See all the MyTurn/YourTurn posts here. Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!

Five on Friday: Dog Days
2007-08-18 02:49:00
1. Are you a dog or cat person? I’m definitely more of a dog person. I think I’ve only had one cat, and that was very briefly. I’m never particularly attracted to cats and don’t find them engaging. 2. Do you have a dog? Have you ever had a dog? I don’t have one now, but we definitely plan to have one in the future. I’ve had several dogs in my life, most notably Bailey, Buster, and Spider. 3. What is your favorite breed of dog? I think Siberian Huskies are beautiful. 4. Do you believe that dogs truly are man’s best friend? No, I believe that other people make better friends. 5. If you could come back to life as a dog, would you? Why or why not? I think I would get too frustrated not being able to talk! questions are from five on friday Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
More About: Friday , Days , Five

What’s Random Act of Linkess?
2007-08-17 20:20:00
One of the regular features on this blog is the “Random Act of Linkness.” I select a deserving blogger from the vast blogosphere and highlight their blog, usually with a link to the blog, a link to a specific post, and a selected quote from the post. The purpose is simply to build a sense of community and encourage interaction. It is my hope that the recipient of the “Linkess” will “pay it forward” and engage in their own Random Act of Linkness on their blog. Certainly, a link back to this blog would be appreciated as well. In other words, it’s a meme. Thanks! Archives of all the Random Acts of Linkness are here. Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!

Good News: August 16
2007-08-17 06:32:00
It’s easy to find troubling news all over the internet. Allow me to round up some good news for you today! Please amplify the good feelings by sharing comment love with these bloggers. You can even tell ‘em that we sent you! Enjoy! Julia at 3 for 365 is blogging three things that make her happy every day for a year! What an admirable goal! Today’s post is entitled “Warm” and includes this great imagery: I hugged the fresh, hot stacks of office paper feeding out of the printer up against my chest and stomach. Travis and his wife had an ultrasound experience yesterday. Reading his post brought back a lot of memories for me. Am I buying barbies, or am I buying footballs? You an find out the answer, because The Results Are In. Finally, Linda is a children’s writer who has some good news to share: So though this bit of happy news may not mean much to most folks, I’m going to celebrate it here. I always say: Savor even the smallest victories. I th...
More About: News , Good News , Good , August

Random Act of Linkness: Living In Grace
2007-08-17 06:03:00
Visit Living In Grace and you will find a beautifully designed blog whose author’s faith shines through in her writing.  She’s facing some challenges right now, but is truly living up to her blog’s title by relying on grace to see her through. I was particularly moved by the post For Kati, written for her daughter who is about to enter high school.  As the father of a soon-to-be-kindergartener, I can relate to the memories she describes.  Listen to the love shared in this quote from the post: As a parent, it’s a bittersweet time for us. We are so excited to see you grow and prepare to live your life, but we wonder how we will ever live without you around every day. Know that we are incredibly proud of you and the decisions you make.  And, that we love you. Unconditionally. Please visit this blog and share some comment love. It is well deserved! What’s Random Act of Linkess? See other Random Acts of Linkess here. Enjoy the post? Please bookmark!
More About: Ving

Thirteen Gratitudes
2007-08-16 14:41:00
I’ll start my day by listing thirteen things I’m thankful for. I am surrounded with love from my wonderful family. I have parents who taught be the importance of saying “I love you” and showing others that you mean it. My wife inspires me to appreciate the beauty of life. I have a career that is satisfying and fulfilling for me. My children are happy, healthy, and beautiful. My daughter is excited to start Kindergarten, and I am happy that we live in an area with excellent public schools that I am proud to send her to. I am very thankful to live and work in comfort during this very hot time of the year! I’m thankful that most of my life is comfortable and that I am free from worry. Communicating freely through forums like the internet without fear of reprisal is definitely a blessing. I’m grateful for the relaxing vacation I just had with my family. I feel so refreshed! I’m happy to be able to indulge in little pleasures:  a favorite snack...
More About: Thirteen