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A Mortifying Meltdown!

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I recently had a meltdown! No, not exactly the kind you are imagining. This one was a literal melting down of a part on the engine of my new riding lawn mower. In late fall, the mower had unexpectedly been delivered about a month before promised. I was so excited to get on it and take it on a trial spin around the yard. I had only intended to mow and mulch leaves around the grass area adjacent to the circle driveway. I knew that our teenage grandson would enjoy using the new machine during the next official mow. Oops! I Forgot!! The backstory to this “meltdown” is that on the day the mower was delivered by the implement dealer, I thought I would compare the air filter on this new engine with the one that I used on my previous mower. These engines were similar, and I had a couple of expensive filters left over that I hoped I could use on the new rider’s engine. The issue occurred when I failed to secure the filter’s plastic cover. On the next day’s trial run, I had only been mowing fo
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Soaring, Freedom and Faith!

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Since 1782, the Bald Eagle has been the national bird of the United States of America. Many believe that the Founders made an appropriate choice because of the eagle’s majestic beauty, powerful strength, and fierce independence. It is likely that our forefathers borrowed the treasured emblem from the Native Americans who revered the Bald Eagle and its feathers in their traditions, culture, and religion. To them and patriotic Americans as well, this beloved symbol represents courage, honesty, truth, wisdom, and freedom. Lincoln In Lincoln, Illinois! Lincoln, Illinois, has distinguished itself for being the only city in the United States to be named after Abraham Lincoln before he would become the Sixteenth President in 1861. Lincoln helped to found the city in 1853 and christened it with watermelon juice. To this day, the downtown Train Depot marks the christening with a historical plaque and a small “watermelon monument.” Lincoln, Illinois was the setting for numerous visits by Abraha
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Apples! Not Sugar Plums!

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It’s apples, not “sugar plums that are dancing in my head” these days! Growing up, it was a ritual for my family to visit the apple orchards at this time of the year! So, in this fall season leading up to Halloween, I’m thinking about all things involving apples: apple pie, apple turnovers, fried or baked apples, apple salad, apple snack slices, apple cider, and most of all, caramel apples! A tempting selection!!🍏🍎 I have been fantasizing for weeks now about the delectable and monstrous St. Louis Merb’s Bionic Apple covered in pecans! I like to get them at the Edwardsville Dierbergs Markets because it saves some time and the drive into the city! I won’t carry out anything less than four to six! This allows us to give away our favorite annual treat to family and friends! As stated, I was already thinking about Merb’s when Marc popped in and texted several pictures while they were in metro Salt Lake City, Utah this weekend celebrating their 20 th wedding anniversary. One photo was f
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Appreciate the Moment!

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We recently returned from a two-week visit with our family in New Mexico. The temperature was unseasonably warm, winds were light, and the daily bright sunshine is what is expected in the Land of Enchantment. This is a high desert experience with lots of sagebrush, tumble weed, and sand. Albuquerque has a beauty all its own with its narrow green belt down the Bosque and Rio Grande River. And who can refuse three-hundred days of sunshine! ABQ Balloon Fiesta The conditions were perfect for the Balloon Fiesta this year! It is the world’s largest hot air ballooning event. It is so unique to be down on the infield at Fiesta Park where you can stand side-by-side with pilots and crew members who prepare their balloons for launch just after sunrise. The Balloon Fiesta is a once in a lifetime experience that everyone should have on their bucket list! This year we passed on going down to the launch site since we have already been on three other occasions. Instead, we let the balloons come to u
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What is FOMO?

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Karter Andrew, our seventh grade and handsome second-born grandson, lives with his parents, an older brother, and a little sister in beautiful New Mexico. He loves sports, pestering his siblings, and enjoys chasing around all five of the household dogs! Karter recently made an interesting observation. He asked his dad, “Have you noticed that when you call Sophie (the family’s six-year-old Golden Doodle), the other dogs follow her?” His dad, Reece, replied, “That’s FOMO.,” and you know what that means! Karter admitted, “I actually don’t!” (I also agreed!) Reece explained, “FOMO is an acronym for the “Fear Of Missing Out!” Follow the Leader! This abbreviation is short for a mental and emotional state that arises from being anxious about what might be going on around a person due to non-involvement. I cannot tell you how often this simple question, “What are you doing?” has come up in day-to-day family life. You will hear this inquiry coming from a curious, and in many instances, a younge
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Cruising With the Kids!

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Our New Mexico rental car these days has made our travel a little more conspicuous than we’re accustomed to! This time, Enterprise put us behind the wheel of a snazzy Dodge Charger for the next two weeks. Back in the day, we proudly owned a plain white two-door 1973 Charger SE with vinyl top and rear quarter opera windows. While it only had a 318 V-8 engine, it had as much power as needed and took us over 200,000 miles! This rental is a 2023 model with an Octane Red Pearlcoat exterior and black rims, accents, and interior. The 6.2-liter V-8 qualifies for “muscle” and jumps to sixty mph a lot quicker than my number one passenger is comfortable with. 😊 I have been trying to hold it back because I know, as a law enforcement chaplain, that the red color, along with the faster acceleration tends to attract unwanted attention! I am doing some chauffeuring during this visit. The boys have noted that there are a lot of heads turning as we pull up to the school drop-off locations. The grand
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The Blame Game!

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Wash day is Saturday morning at our house. I returned from a morning meeting  at church to see a curious sight on the kitchen counter. It was a wadded-up Kleenex or two along with this note printed on masking tape that said, “We need to do a DNA test on this surprise…” I suspect that Mrs. K. already had a good idea who had tucked this little problem into his mowing shorts and had forgotten to remove it before the wash!😉 "It's Not Mine!" We were extremely lucky this time that the tissue had held together through the wash and dry cycles. Usually, after such a disaster like this, we have had to sort through our laundered clothes and tediously pick through and gather up a “thousand little pieces” of debris left behind on dozens of otherwise clean garments! It’s never fun when this happens and there are usually unpleasant words spoken by both of us. As “empty nesters,” we don’t have anyone else to blame these days! The culprit clearly has to be one or the other of us since
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