All posts by Clay

About Clay

I've been a blogger since 2010 and I keep at it because of the community of readers I have come to know. Every day is a possibility and I intend to make every day count.

The List

adventure, country, Family, history, Scouting, Writing, , , , , , ,
several lotto tickets - waiting to be checked!

The other day, I went to the grocery store with a list, Beth made the list and it included everything I needed. I ran my errands and drove to the store. I got out of the car, forgot about the list and left it inside the car, where it was safe, and went inside to shop for groceries. I added items to my cart, remembering the items from the list, as I walked down each aisle.  I checked out and drove home. Of course, when I walked in and unpacked the groceries Beth asked where the sour cream was and it was still at the store on the shelf, where I had left it. It was on the list but evidently, it never made it to the Iist, I used. If it were the first time, I suppose Beth could have forgiven me, but this happens all the time; I make a list or am given one and do not use it. Continue reading The List →

New President Car and quiz

Family, history, model railroads, , , ,

It is the final day of February and the month’s answer was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States of America. I will need to call my model railroad dealer to make sure I get the car. The caboose and the Benjamin Harrison car arrived last Tuesday after I posted my last update. Here is this month’s question:

Question for March: Which President graduated from Yale ranking second in his class, taught his wife to speak again after she had a stroke during his presidency and is the only President to have also served as the Chief Justice of the United States?
*All answers must be submitted by email to mtl@micro-trains.com by the March 15th to be eligible.

Good luck and let me know what your answer is! Try entering your name with MicroTrains and see if you can be selected to win Presidential Oath of Office car. Making the Days Count, one day at a time and someday (soon), we will run our trains!

President’s Day Weekend Recap

Family, food, Life in General, model railroads, racing, Reading, , , ,

It is Tuesday morning, and normally, I would be wrapping up teaching my first section of Language Arts block and heading off to duties, meetings, and lunch. However, today’s schedule includes evening, leaving me a few moments to re-think and review the President’s weekend. Continue reading President’s Day Weekend Recap →

Saturday – President’s Day Weekend 2011

Family, history, Teaching and Learning, , , , , ,
Snow remains in only a few places in the backyard, what a bright sunny February day

Most of the snow has melted leaving only pockets of grey dingy ice piles here and there. Fallen twigs and branches litter the backyard and deck leaving a carpet of brownish grey grass matted from the snow. That is what is left of the yard after twenty or more inches of snow and several days of late winter days in the forties. It is nice outside, thought the sunlight belies that temperatures in the thirties, which will probably remain there all day, at least that is the forecast. Continue reading Saturday – President’s Day Weekend 2011 →

Like vs. Need

Family, jobs, Reading, Writing, , ,

Often, I am torn between what I would like to do and what I need to do. And, sometimes I am caught between what is good and what is better. This morning, I spent time thinking and now it is time to be doing. Sometime after I fell asleep and before I woke, snow fell and I need to clean the driveway before we leave for church. The job will take ten or fifteen minutes but I need to get it done, now. I also want to write a blog post, but I cannot. Therefore, this will have to suffice, for now. The view out the window this morning is all white and grey, but the sun will shine today and bring brightness to us all. Make the Days Count, one shovelful at a time! Continue reading Like vs. Need →

The Big Snow – part one

Family, Life in General, teaching, Writing, , ,
Ivy looks out the front window and 'dreams'!

At this moment, it should be first period and geography class, but I am sitting in my basement writing about the past couple of days and the ‘Big Snow Day.’ It has been a very hectic couple of days and last night was the latest night I have had since Christmas Break, but I knew I was not going to need to get up in the morning and drive to school. As school was cancelled due the blizzard prediction for Tuesday and Wednesday; and it came, starting midday Tuesday and it continued until just a few moments ago. After the initial frenzy quieted down, about eight o’clock Tuesday night, I checked Facebook and a friend posted, “Due to the weather tonight, I’m cancelling bedtime.” To which I replied, “Our’s was cancelled hours ago! It is wild outside!” And, the weather and snow was wild: the winds howled, the snow fell, and it blew. Continue reading The Big Snow – part one →

Allegiances

Family, history, travel, , ,
Tom Regner's football card from 1970 - I have two of them!

I grew up in Sugar Land, Texas in the late 1960s and lived there through the mid- 80s. My mom still lives in the house we grew up in, though it is quieter today than it ever was when my brothers and I grew up. It was at the early age of eight in 3rd grade in 1970 that I became a football fan. I was a fan of the Houston Oilers, who were not very good in the early 70s. Our next-door neighbor was Tom Regner and he played for the Oilers. The 1970 season was his fourth as a professional after a college career at Notre Dame where he was a first team All-American in 1966. As a third grader, and even today, I remember him being big, Continue reading Allegiances →

Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend

adventure, Family, travel, Writing, , ,
Lafayette County Courthouse with a Confederate soldier facing south in memory of his comrades.

I am in Oxford – Oxford, Mississippi. A couple of months ago, in late November I texted my bother Warren – ‘Hey what do you think about Oxford for MLK day?’ Warren, being Warren, texted in return, ‘Wouldn’t Selma be a better choice?’ I have to admit he got my message, but he had me in the one-liner department. Continue reading Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend →