Serve by Design

Our family room is decorated with Texas symbols. It is a tribute to the fifteen years that we resided in the Lone Star State. Prominently on display is a beautiful Texas Afghan throw comforter, that is draped over our largest couch and showcased by two Texas pillows at each end! The comforter pictures, in decorative stitching, some of the most notable symbols of the Great State: the Alamo, the Mockingbird, the Armadillo, a Bucking Bronco, a Pecan Tree, and numerous Bluebonnets outlining the perimeter! It is a continual reminder of what we love about Texas! A Tribute to Mac! I regularly read these monthly periodicals: Texas Monthly , Parks and Wildlife , and Texas Highways . They help me to keep up with Texas news, events, and happenings! I never miss reading the last page of Texas Monthly that features a delightfully funny and sarcastic short article with a “Question and Answer” format. It is written by Davis Courtney, The Texanist , who, by his own description, offers “Fine Advice an...

Our youngest granddaughter, Klaire Michelle, recently completed her first volleyball camp in the nearby high school gym. She loved it! Klaire is a petite, yet athletic, nine-year-old who’s going into fourth grade. She, along with one hundred other campers, participated in a week of disciplined two-hour sessions that included instruction and hands-on (pun intended!) practice! Hey Girl, Keep Diggin'!! Both of our twin daughters played volleyball during their middle and high school years. They were short in stature, but gritty, daring, and highly competitive! They were our team’s best diggers long before the sport would designate specialists called Liberos, who excelled in backrow defense. Monique, their mother, continues to score for the Libero during high school volleyball games! What makes a backrow specialist so valuable? They are agile, have quick hands, and are balanced on their feet. Diggers must get low enough to the floor to protect against the deadly hits of fierce tall hi...

I haven’t heard the local meteorologist say much about the drought monitor lately. Last season, our area was locked into some serious drought conditions, but 2026 is quite different for us. The intersection of highs and lows, along with the jet stream, is pushing an abundance of thunderstorms and higher rain totals our way! We are on the plus side (five inches so far in June!) for rain totals here in central Illinois. A Rainy Day Retreat!  We have a neighborhood pond about a half-block away from our house. Over the years, I have seen a few mallard ducks crossing our property with a half dozen ducklings imprinting behind the mother hen. It is nature, at its best, to see the next generation in motion! The frequency of these visits seems to have increased with each flood watch report this spring! It has me thinking that even the ducks are seeking higher ground! There is a good bit of relational advice in the saying, “Take the high ground!” I’ve heard something similar, “If someone g...

When our grown children “talk shop” about their jobs and careers, I often hear reoccurring themes of office politics and “one-upmanship” in the workplace. Experts will say that such bravado is a mixture of competitiveness and personal insecurities. But, the goal is usually to make another’s accomplishments seem small if not inconsequential! I recently heard a retired family member lament about this subject, “That’s why I’m glad to be retired!”  Follow Sophie, the Leader! That's Better!😊 The metaphor. “Stay in your lane,” has been around a while and may have had its origin in driving and sports (swimming and track) applications where a lane is involved to prevent accidents or interference. In professional settings, the phrase is usually used as a cautionary warning for coworkers to mind their own business and avoid overstepping into another’s responsibilities. The ultimate putdown is to harshly question a coworker, “Why don’t you stay in your lane?” Strongly telling someone to “b...

Monique is back reading again! She grew up hiding under her covers with a flashlight and an enjoyable book (like The   Boxcar Children !) long after her dad warned her to go to sleep. All during our dating years and early years of marriage she was always reading little paperback romance novels or something by Danielle Steel. I was never at a loss for book ideas for her on special occasions like her birthday or our anniversary. Use Your Local Library! It's Free!! Of late, she is back at our local library, most Saturday mornings, checking out a stack of books for her week’s reading. Recently, I was tickled to see that there was a half-dozen boys’ and girls’ bicycles parked (with helmets attached!) at the front bike rack. Monique reported to me the number of hugs those kid-readers gave to their “favorite retired sub” as she was checking out! I did not grow up with an appreciation for reading. My parents were task-oriented and “doers” by personality type, but not readers. My childhoo...

Have you noticed the proliferation of mobile services? It used to be that you would have to go into the office to do your work. Yet, half of our employed adult children and their spouses work mobile or remote from home, either full-time or part-time. These same family members use store grocery shoppers and appreciate timely delivery to their doorsteps. There are a variety of mobile services that can be leveraged by today’s busy families! Mobile Pet Services! Imagine my surprise the other day when I looked outside the kitchen window and saw a mobile pet-grooming van parked at the end of our next-door neighbor’s driveway. I immediately texted these friends to let them know that their busybody neighbors were spying on them again! This is what I wrote: “A mobile pet grooming business? What a great idea! Who would have ‘thunk’ it?? This is the kind of stuff a blog writer loves!” These neighbors were not surprised by my comment. I send my weekly blog articles to them, and they often reply wi...