60 Feet 6 Inches To Home

According the an article in the Washington Post, historians from the Plymouth Plantation , a living museum in Plymouth, Mass., believe that the first Thanksgiving feast was shared by the colonists and Wampanoag Indians. Basically, these people where strangers and Squanto, who had learned English, served as a translator or moderator between them.  Sadly,  I suspect this scenario is still being played out around tables all over the country today.   Families can be tricky and holidays have a way of bringing out the best and worst in them. Each person comes to the table, literally, with their own experiences, memories and perceptions. How one person sees their history, current place and situation in the family may drastically differ from the person sitting next to them. Being together may bring to the surface hard feelings and old wounds left unsettled.  Communication may seem forced to the point that you wish there was a Squanto in the group.  ...

Three years ago as our sons both began their Freshman year, the oldest in college and the youngest in high school, I wrote about what I hoped this next chapter of life would hold for them. Recently I went back and read those posts, reflecting on how far they've come and what we all have learned along the way. Time has gone by quickly, they are now Seniors. Some of what I wrote in the earlier posts have changed, but so much of it has stayed the same. In a The Tale of Two Freshman-Part 1, I wrote this about Owen. "He is smart, inquisitive, creative, interesting, athletic, relational, kind hearted, witty and full of personality. Unfortunately most of those qualities are not things that are given a grade or a test score. He has a big voice, which can be a negative when talking in class, but when he sings it is a huge asset. He is a people person and can hold a conversation people of with all ages. We know that all of these things will serve him well in life even if the...

By no means do I pretend to be a parenting expert, but I have had the unique opportunity to observe a variety of parenting styles from two perspectives. First as a parent and secondly as a school secretary. In both settings I have seen the helicopters, drill sergeants, and consultants that I read about years ago in Parenting With Love and Logic . I have encountered Tiger Mothers , Queens Bees ,   Masterminds  and pushovers. Truth be told I have recognized a few of these in myself during my 20 plus years as a mom. Recently I have seen a new type of parent emerging. I have coined them "Snow Plow Parents". These parents work hard to clear a path for their children free of anything that could cause them any hardship or disappointment.  This usually includes all aspects of their lives from schoolwork and grades, extra curricular activities and sports to even their relationships with friends, classmates and teachers.  All of these parents love their children and b...

Working for a school district, I get big blocks of time off several times through out the year.  Spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas and about five weeks in the summer. I always have big plans to get a lot of things done during those times. My ambitions are high and my to-do lists are long. I tell myself that I should use this time to be productive.   Christmas Eve Church Service 2016 Yet here I sit, once again, at the end of my time off having gotten very few tasks completed. Generally I would be bothered by that. I would feel as if I had wasted an opportunity to get the house in better order, mop the floors, purge the boys closets, shred old paperwork or numerous other projects that always reappear on my lists. For some reason this time I am fine with it. Christmas 2016 As I think about what I did do with my time I realized that I was productive. Maybe not in the way I had originally set out to be, but that's okay. I was able to do the job I love the most,...