Serve by Design

Have you ever used MacGyver as a verb? If you have watched the popular television series, MacGyver, (1985-1992, 2016-2021) you would know what I mean. The term, “to MacGyver something,”  comes from the ingenuity of the lead character in the series who had an extraordinary gift for problem solving. The term. as a verb. has made its way into popular culture for anyone with an uncanny talent for fixing things from resources, often meager, and on hand! Another similar term for this creative ability to improvise is “Jerry-rigged.” There is a difference though between a duct tape solution, excellence, and innovation! Jerry-rigged, but it works! 😁 The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this week was an incredible display of artistic creativity and dazzling talent. In one of the most beautiful of settings along the famed Seine River the dance artists were kicking up their heals in puddles of water as the rain poured down. There were explosions of color from the decorated natural struc...

We recently had a special ministry event at the church. Members prepared and delivered a quick lunch to some of our community’s first responders. After I had gone throughout the building scoping out the preparations and chatting up some of the servers, I headed home. As I reached the entrance and exit drive just off the parking lot, I saw an unusual sight. The job's not done yet! 😒 Image: png.com I thought at first that one of our pastors was trying to move a very large rock that was in the median all by himself. I stopped, rolled down my window, held up my phone and said, “Now that’s a pic for my next blog!” I had misunderstood the situation! The pastor laughed and explained that he was pulling weeds, while stationed at the church entrance to direct visitors toward the event serving area. I set my four-way flashers and got out of the car to chat with him for a little while about those pesky weeds. We commiserated together about the copious amounts and different kinds of weeds t...

Every time our kids come home to visit, they lament the day when they’ll have to clean out the basement after our passing. The irony is that much of that stuff is theirs! I must confess though that Monique and I have contributed to a lot of the stuff that’s stored down there! When we retired from school and church work, we each moved our offices downstairs into file cabinets, onto bookcases and packed away in storage boxes. We have about maxed out the available shelving and space. Self-Storage Image: uhaul.com Have you noticed the one-, two-, and three-story ground-level storage buildings that dot our communities? The “bread and butter” of U-Haul used to be in renting trailers and box trucks for moving our stuff from point A to point B. Today, I’m seeing more emphasis upon providing storage space in modern, secure, and even temperature-controlled   facilities. These buildings have multiple-sized pods for every storage need. Consumers are accumulating more and more stuff! They’ve ma...

As we were pulling out of the garage this week, I looked straight out to the street area and saw a captivating sight. One, from our family of gray squirrels, was perched and relaxing upon the fire hydrant that sits between our property and that of a neighbor’s who just happens to be a firefighter! I loved the humor in this and wanted to send him the picture that I took with a caption regarding the legality of what I was seeing. Is this legal? Illinois law is specific about fire plugs and parking. You cannot block a hydrant or park a vehicle any closer than fifteen feet in any direction. This is for obvious safety reasons. Firefighters must have access to these “Johnny Pumps” during emergencies. (If you doubt the use of this Yankee synonym for hydrant, just look it up!). I wanted to ask my firefighter neighbor about the squirrel, “Is this legal?” I’m always curious about why the neighborhood squirrels like to get up a little higher while they’re nibbling on the acorns from my oak tree...

I am back to mowing my lawn all on my own! My team has left town for the beautiful high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico! I was so gratified this spring to enlist my thirteen-year-old grandson, Danny, (and his very capable lawn specialist mother, too!) to help with the weekly chore of mowing .55 acres of Keppler real estate. Danny’s departure this week has left me with a little uncertainty about whether I am still up to the job. I’m happy to report that I was able to edge, mow, weed wack, and blow all the debris away as always! A "One-Man Show" This Week! 😀 But, I do miss my “Number One!” Especially because his partnership allowed me to catch up on other chores, like keeping on top of the stick detailing, flower bed weeding, and shrub trimming touch-up. It was fun to see Danny at work. Even his mother was amazed at the skill he showed in leaving straight mow lines as if he were grooming a professional baseball outfield! He took to the task (and the humble remuneration!) l...