Between December 21st and January 3rd we hosted up to 31 members of our extended family, including 6 young children between the ages of 3 and 7. This was our third year in a row to host this much extended family over the holidays. Some live close by, some stayed in a nearby Airbnb, and some stayed under our roof and shared our 2.5 bathrooms. We cooked, washed dishes, had long talks, looked at pictures, played games, watched movies, played with Legos and toys, went on walks, a

As we enter this century’s decade of the “Roaring 20’s,” wouldn’t it be wonderful to have 2020 vision, looking into the year ahead with clarity and accuracy? Or… maybe not. If we could know in advance what tomorrow will bring, would we be better off? I’m not sure. When I reflect on the year past, I think taking life one day at a time is what we humans can handle best. A year ago I created a list of 19 goals for 2019, the second year I followed this idea from author Gretchen R

I am writing this while sitting on our deck enjoying the sights and sounds of the waves breaking on the beach and feeling the warm sun and cool breezes on my face. This is heaven. Our month on Cape San Blas, Florida this year started and ended much the same as in 2018 – leaving Indiana on a cold snowy day and returning to what is predicted to be a colder-than-average early March. We ditto the lessons learned last year and added some new ones. The main differences this year we

Are your family holiday gatherings suitable for a Norman Rockwell painting or a Hallmark movie? Maybe… sometimes. For many reasons, gatherings of extended family can fall far short of those idyllic representations. Let’s face it – family relationships are often strained if not broken. Hopefully, your gatherings aren’t as dysfunctional as this video: Is This Your Family At Christmas? This Christmas Eve we hosted 32 members of our extended family for a sit-down dinner, gift exc

This week we have had the pleasure of watching two of our four grandkids – Micah, age 4, and Emily, age 2. In the photo, they are the girl I am holding and the boy in back. The other two are their cousins, Isaiah and Maddie. Our daughter is in Italy on a business trip and our son-in-law is also traveling for work. This is one of the reasons we retired – to be available to watch our grandkids. Not every week, but for special occasions like this. As I have spent most of my week

In celebration of our nation’s birthday on July 4th, many of us will take the day off to enjoy parades, picnics, outdoor activities, and fireworks. If your family is like mine, you will gather to eat – hot dogs and hamburgers, BBQ chicken, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, and a bounty of other delicious food. Can you see it, smell it, and almost taste it in anticipation? One of my favorite parts of summer in Indiana is fresh, local, sweet corn. So you can imagine my pleasure when

Have you ever considered how much of what you know you learned by observing others? Children imitate their parents. Students emulate their teachers. All of us look up to those we admire and strive to become more like them. Everyone has role models. Over the course of a lifetime most everyone IS a role model. Who is watching you? Throughout my career I have worked extensively with parents to help them become more competent and confident in feeding their children. I believe one

The morning of February 5th we pulled out of our driveway in Indiana and headed south. It was 3° and snow had covered the ground overnight. Our van was packed – 2 bicycles, beach chairs, a cooler, clothes, a few of our favorite spices and knives, some cleaning supplies, a table to use as a desk, my computer and printer, notes for the book I am working on for the Academy. We felt a bit like the Beverly Hillbillies. The following evening we arrived at Cape San Blas on the gulf

Between December 18th and 30th our home hosted up to 25 members of our extended family, including 6 young children between the ages of 1 and 5. Thankfully, some live close by and a half dozen stayed in a nearby Airbnb, but many stayed under our roof and shared our 2.5 bathrooms. We cooked, washed dishes, played games, watched movies and bowl games, played with blocks and toys, went on walks in the snow, and visited with the great-grandmas. What has a house full of company tau

Buy less stuff - Make more memories. Are you making a list and checking it twice? I am too… but this year it is a list of memory-making activities and not a list of gifts to purchase, wrap, and pay for in January. This is the second Christmas season that our family has gone “stuff-less.” The first time was back in 2010 – before grandchildren – when we took all our kids and their spouses to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Each day was a different couple’s responsibility to pla

I venture that outside of formal school I have learned more around a table sharing meals with others than in any other single place. I’ve learned language, manners, customs, cuisine, jokes, stories, trivia, and truths. I’ve learned that toddlers throw food on the floor and young children have trouble sitting still. I’ve learned that fixing the meal often takes longer than eating it, but the time spent eating it together is time well spent. Meet my family. Every Monday we gath

Did you know? Our country is in the midst of a “loneliness epidemic.” Consider these statistics: More than one-fourth of all American households consist of people living alone. (US Census, 2010) More than one-fourth of Americans regularly experience loneliness. Don’t assume these are the same people who live alone – same percentages, but different statistics. (Cacioppo, 2009) Loneliness and living alone increase the risk of premature death by 26% and 32% respectively. (Hol

On Monday, August 21st, our nation collectively looked skyward to witness the moon eclipsing the sun. We watched the event unfold through solar glasses as the sun appeared to be eaten by the moon, looking much like a vanilla wafer with larger and larger bites taken out. As the sun grew “smaller” I expected darkness to come more quickly. However, it wasn’t until the moment of totality that it was as if a light switch turned off the sun and the world was submerged in darkness.