Tag Archives: Family

Day is done

Family, Photography, Science, Sign of the Week, teaching, Teaching and Learning, , , ,

I am a sucker for a sunset, especially when the sun sets over water.

last night’s sunset – Lake Margrethe Grayling, MI September 13, 2025 7:46 EDT

I am skipping this week’s sign of the week post because there are so many signs that fall is coming, then winter.

Last week I noticed acorns in the driveway and sidewalk from the towering oak tree across the street. I’ve noticed it is getting light outside later and dark earlier in the evening. Last night, I noticed that the location where the sun sets has shifted from the west end of the lake towards the hills and the next time, I visit the lake, the shift will be even greater. I’ve noticed fewer hummingbirds at the feeder than a couple of weeks ago. The signs are here.

Memorial Day weekend sunset – Lake Margrethe Grayling, MI May 24, 2025 8:54 EDT

It is Sunday and the cottage is quiet. Even the dogs are tired after yesterday’s work party. We’ve got a few more chores before I return home later this afternoon as I drive into today’s sunset.

I am going to relish in the last few moments of solitude before I jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Today is going to be a great day. Making the Days Count, watching the world come into and out of focus.

What are you noticing these days?

two signs this week – Sign of the Week

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Last week I came up blank, this week I have plenty of material. I can always count on churches, especially the churches up north near the lake.

NOTE: I didn’t see that I had left the ‘G’ out of the word sign so the e-mail notification read “sin of the week.” But it is still in the url….. oops.

I found this sign in Gaylord, Michigan after dropping off one of the boats for service and winterization. Gaylord is a forty-minute drive north from the lake and on the edge of the snowline in the lower peninsula. Last season the area received over a hundred inches of snowfall and was devastated by an early spring ice storm. Our place got less than a hundred and was spared the worst of the ice storm.

no caption required. Gaylord, Michigan September 1, 2025 10:20 AM EDT

The church’s message is a good reminder to be better every day. We all need help and in turn we can help one another, but together we can help a community. This church has been around a while as evidenced by the historical marker. They’ve been lifting people up for more than a hundred and fifty years.

It’s been a great week, and I finished Friday checking in the science safety agreements I handed out Tuesday. The turn in rate was pretty good at just over 70%, so I’ll be tracking down the remainder next week. For the coming week I’ll be helping my kiddos practice a few more science skills including the difference between an observation and an inference and encouraging curiosity.

I’ll be on the lookout for more signs, but I have a few more churches saved in case I come up blank again.

Today is going to be a great day. It will be busy helping people at the food pantry, then a few errands, and more to-dos than I have time, but I’ll make it count. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, helping kids learn and helping people get what they need.

Gaylord, MI September 1, 2025 10:21 AM EDT

sign of the week – blank

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This week I came up blank.

the other side says welcome back, but this side is blank, like me…..

Sometimes it happens. Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right place, or I had so much on my plate I did not see one. The fact is I came up blank.

It’s been a busy week with school and home and the end of summer.

Last night, my daughter and I drove to the lake to put an end to summer for another year. Friday night drives always seem to take forever, but last night’s was only an hour longer than the norm.

Friday night traffic leaving Chicagoland is always a grind, especially on a three-day weekend. Once we crossed the Indiana state line and passed the 65 split, traffic lightened up and we were able to drive the speed limit into the night.

It was pitch black when we arrived and I was too tired to look up at the stars, but I am sure they were there.

This morning, I sipped my coffee and stared out at the fog as it lifted in the early morning light thinking about all we’ll accomplish before the sun dips below the horizon later this evening. And before we return home Monday afternoon.

the fog slowly lifts and yes, those are my toes

August is going to leave us with a whimper. It began hot as blazes with skies shrouded with western wildfire smoke and it finishes with clear skies and chilly fog filled mornings.

Today is going to be a great day. It will be busy with errands, to-dos, and time spent together like so many Labor Day weekends by the lake. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time remembering to be purposeful.
 
How is your August finishing?

Sign of the Week – blink

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The week’s Sign of the Week is a throwback to last week.

I passed by Wiesbrook Elementary’s sign Thursday evening and found a gem and then went back in time to find some old photos.

Time flies…. when I was posting to Instagram, I added the song, Don’t Blink by Kenny Chesney,

Don’t blink, you just might missYour babies growing like mine didTurning into moms and dads

Dads yes, have twin grandsons who are then months old tomorrow. Moms NO, unless you count the dogs, because she is a dog mom to two. But she’s grown and starting to test her wings.

This week flew past and when I blinked, it was Friday morning, the Saturday.

School’s back in session and I really made this last week count. It’s Saturday morning and I am off to Loaves and Fishes to serve others, but I’ll be home to make the afternoon count with the ’21 grad and dinner and maybe a walk with the dogs at one of my favorite forest preserves.

This could possibly be the best day ever
And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be
A million and six times better
So make every minute count
Jump up, jump in and seize the day

Making the Days Count, one day at a time, looking back to see where I’ve been, but keeping my feet firmly planted in the present.

What are you doing today?

W^2 – storm

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W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Monday afternoon was hot, humid, and still.

Then the atmosphere exploded, and the temperature dropped 15 degrees (9C), the wind picked up, lightning and thunder flashed and crashed, and the rain fell.

And it didn’t stop.

I was volunteering at Loaves and Fishes, and we decided due to lightning to close early. I think our clients new it was better to go home and try another day.

The storms came in two waves and by the time it was over, we had gotten 3.5 inches of rain at my house and some places around the area got up to 7 inches. One of our neighboring schools had to close Tuesday because their a few of their schools had been flooded.

Tuesday morning was our first day of school with kids this year and even though the skies were cloudy, it was a bright sunny day inside.

This could possibility be the best day ever!
(This could possibility be the best day ever,)
And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be a million and six times better.
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

It’s Wednesday morning and we’re headed back for day 2 and building routines, remembering names, and spreading kindness. It’s going to be a great year, and the sun is going to shine today!

my first day photo for my 27th year as a teacher, Wheaton, IL August 19, 2025 6:57 AM CDT

Today is going to be AMAZING. I know it and I can feel it, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, making new friends, learning new names, and spreading kindness.

What’s new for you lately?

Sign of the Week – back to school

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The signs are everywhere – stores, roads, churches, and schools. Yes, even on the faces of parents and kids; It’s time to go back to school.

My neighborhood’s schools open yesterday and other schools around me opened Thursday, and few like mine, open next week. There isn’t a set day to go back or let out. The only days many of our school districts have in common are the holidays and spring break in my county.

the sign on Wednesday – two days before school… it was hosting an open house and meet and greet – the streets were filled

I passed the elementary school where our kids went from August 2003 until May 2014 and where we spent Halloweens, parent conferences, daddy-daughter dances, carnivals, and much more. Our kids had only one year when both were attending together; one was in fifth grade and the other a kindergartner.

I asked them for their memories of their time as Tremendous Tigers and this is what they responded:

  • “0ne time I got a splinter playing capture the flag”
  •  “The memories of spectacular field days filled with fresh watermelon, with class filled participation and always looking forward to explore more days at the end of each year”
  • Both were nominated at some point as “Tremendous Tigers.”

My kids are not going to back to school this August, their days are done for the moment. One is raising twin boys, and the other is figuring out next steps.

I am headed back for my twenty-seventh year as a teacher, but I am still learning.

I’ve been back for two days – mostly meetings to go over new initiatives and procedures, celebrate accomplishments and career milestones, and for an hour on Thursday – meeting a few of the kiddos and parents I’ll have in my classroom. It was the best hour of the two days.  

It’s Saturday and the last weekend before the kiddos arrive on Tuesday. I have Monday to work in my classroom and prepare for the first few days. I’ll be looking for signs and taking the first steps to welcome kiddos to their first year in middle school.

The Sign of the Week has been published on Fridays, but I ran out of time this week. I’ll be looking for new signs and maybe a few old ones this coming week. And who knows, I might even publish on Friday next week.

Today is going to be like the all of the Saturdays since school ended – AMAZING. I know it and I can feel it, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, getting ready for a new year of teaching and learning, always paying attention to the signs.

Do you notice the back to school signs?

W^2 – monarch

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W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, July 30, 2025

a monarch stops for a nibble a long the lake. Grayling, MI, Saturday July 26, 2025 6:39 PM EDT

My wife replanted the garden along the path from the driveway to the cottage this summer and the butterfly bushes are already receiving visitors. Spotted this monarch enjoy a nibble this past Saturday evening.

My late mother-in-law loved monarchs. Every time I see one, I think of her and think she’s visiting and checking on us.

Today is going to be a great day, especially when there is someone watching over me. Today could be a million and six times better than yesterday, but I am going to take it as it comes. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, looking around and paying attention to nature’s beauty – sometimes it’s a sign.

What’s a ‘sign’ or symbol for you?

Paris – day one and a trip to the country

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It’s Monday and I am in Amsterdam. We were in France a week ago celebrating the 14th of July Fete National with a flyover in the morning and fireworks in the late evening.

The flyover screams past us marking the first of 39 planes

After the flyover, we  rented a car and drove to the countryside.

Reminiscent of Monet’s haystacks…the countryside was beautiful

When my wife visited my parents in France in ‘97, my father and Juliana rented a car and took us to country. We visited Normandy our first weekend and then they took us to the Champagne region just northeast of Paris. It’s was a short drive of about an hour and half, just past the recently opened EuroDisney.  My dad took us to the Aisle-Marne American Cemetery near Chateau-Thierry.

Fifteen years ago we took dad back. Day 19: Father’s Day comes Early.

Juliana and dad were very much in love. It’s easy to see, looking back as I grieve. She took dad’s death hard and I am not sure she ever got over it. When we released dad’s cremains in 2010, she saved some and kept it close. We discovered it when we packed up their home and sold their house in Oxford, Mississippi a few years ago.

We saved it for the time we would disperse Juliana’s ashes. Last Saturday, we reunited Juliana and dad when we dispersed her cremains according to her wishes in the Mumbles in Wales and we reserved a small portion of Juliana’s cremains to take to where dad was in France.

So Monday morning my wife and I took off. It was a relaxing drive after we escaped the Parisian traffic and my wife remarked that we chose a good day as many people were off the streets because of the holiday.

We exited the highway where Maps told us to and switched to two lane roads through farms and small towns which were the battlefield in World War I. The battle line was very close to the French capital and the French army gave up a stiff fight to stop the advancing German army after the Germans invaded France to begin WWI. The battle lines remained for most of the war from September 1914 until the spring of 1918. The Americans joined the war the year before, but were not prepared to join the fight until 1918.

The first major battles for the American forces were in the region. In the late spring of ‘18 the Germans mounted an offensive which came close to breaking the lines had it not been for the marines and American forces fighting back. It is in this battle that the Germans nicknamed the marines “Devil Dogs” for their ferocity and steadfastness in holding the line and it stuck.

The entrance to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery
The Marine Memorial in Belleau Wood
The woods where we dispersed dad fifteen years before on the edge at the memorial.

My dad served in the Marine Corps for three years – 1953-56. He was fortunate to never see combat and served the entire time stateside.  I believe that is why he wished to have his cremains spread here.

My wife and I walked around and I showed her where I remembered where dad was and then I walked out into the woods and re-united the two. I dropped a pin with my iPhone and shared it with my brothers in hopes that one day one of us or all of us will get back here.

We got in the car and drove to the the cemetery, but our afternoon took a turn when my wife suggested we take a right at the church and we drove down a narrow lane to discover a small American Museum and the Devil Dogs Fountain. Click the link to learn more – Why United States Marines Drink from a Fountain in France.

It was a wonderful side trip.

On the train ride from Paris to Amsterdam I worked on the video below, I think it tells the story well. Please take a moment to watch. Thank you.

I signed the guest register and walked among the headstones. I took four photos of fallen Americans. There are 2,294 more, 250 of them still unknown.

It was peaceful in the country. I believe my dad and Juliana are at peace. I know I am.

My wife and I drove to Chateau-Thierry hoping to find a cafe or restaurant to find a bite to eat but were disappointed to find the town closed for business due to the holiday.

It was a wonderful day and it certainly counted. Today is going to be an amazing day, too. But I have to jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, remembering my parents and all they taught me. 

 What is one thing your parents taught you?

 

Sign of the Week – Cyrmu

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This week’s sign comes from the Swansea train station. It’s where our train ride from London terminated for us. I noticed the signage everywhere was in two languages – Welsh on top and English below – when stopped in Cardiff, the Welsh capital. We asked our seatmate, who joined us in Reading and was on here way home in Swansea for a long weekend if she spoke Welsh. She replied,

“No, I don’t. Only a few words I learned in school.”

Later, I asked our Uber driver if he spoke and the answer was also, no.

It made me think of Juliana, she was Scottish and born in Aruba, her older brother was born in Mexico.  Her father was much like her husband and  my father, a petroleum engineer working for oil companies. She had strong family roots in Wales.

One of the lessons I want my kids to have learned from me is to ask more questions before it is too late. I guess we always think we have more time, but we never know. This morning, I was sad to read a person I know through my son, passed away. He was 66, far too young.

Juliana would have been 91 this past Sunday. We held her celebration Saturday and we were able to gather, though not as many as I had hoped. It was a wonderful gathering and I learned why she wanted her ashes dispersed where she did.

Once we arrived, we made introductions and sat sharing our stories of Juliana. Lachlan, her nephew, suggested a spot over looking the Bristol Channel on the Mumbles and we walked along the path overlooking the Bristol Channel.

It was solemn reunion of our only gathering some fifty years before.

As we walked along the path, we discovered ‘cat prints’ in the cement path. it was our sign, this was her place. Juliana adored her cats. In the time I knew her she had several cats, Lilac, Sambo, Porgy and Bess, and her last cat, Zorro a black Manx cat who kept her company.

Cat prints in the path mark Juliana’s spot…. I dropped a pin to share with those not present.
The view along the path overlooking the Bristol Channel
Christina (my brother’s wife), my brother Warren, Lachlan, his wife Kim, their daughter Lindsay, my wife, and me.
A cove along the rocky shoreline – Bristol Channel

Every one of us took a turn with words of love and celebration of all she had taught us and dispersed her ashes. It was a beautiful day. Afterwards we gathered for dinner before departing.

The sign in the train station reminded me of a time many years ago. It was after Juliana had moved to an assisted living facility. It was late February 2020, a few weeks or so before the COVID lockdown which would further rob her of her mobility and keep her from returning to her home in Oxford.

I was visiting her to check with her and her doctors to hear her about her progress. It was after dinner and she wanted to watch television, but there was nothing on. I suggested we watch ‘The Crown.’ She had heard of it but had never seen it, so we watched the first two episodes. In between episode, she opened up and shared she enjoyed the show and commented how it was quite accurate. She talked about the queen, being her ‘Queen.’

The next evening I came by with dinner and afterwards she asked if we could watch another episode, so we watched two more before bot of us were nodding off.

Last summer, I had a flashback when I was re-watching the series.  I remembered our conversation from that night as she recalled her youth – Juliana was 18 when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned and remembered the events of the time including the content of the last we episode we watched. It was about the killer fog of December 1952.

A few years later, I watched the episode entitled ’Aberfan’ and during our next phone call, I made a point to bring it up. She shared so much and I had so many questions. She asked if there was a way she could watch the episode or the series and I told her the next time I Was down, I’d try to help her see it. Sadly, the technology was too difficult for her to grasp and we never were able to enable her to stream on her own.

Cyrmu is Welsh for Wales. It’s also part of the title of another episode in ‘The Crown,’  the episode is titled ‘Tywysog Cyrmu’ which means Prince of Wales.

I miss her stories and talking with her. She was with us this past Saturday and her memory will always be with us.

It’s Friday and our last full day in Paris. Tomorrow, it’s off to Amsterdam by train and a drive to the countryside and back before three full days in Amsterdam then flying home Wednesday and back to responsibility. It’s been a busy week and I’ve  been micro-blogging at Instagram @makingthedayscount check it out for short busts of our trip.

Today is going to be an amazing day, full of new discoveries and experiences. So I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, looking for signs to make think.

Is there a sign that made you think, or took you back to another time? 

W^2 – Pont Neuf

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W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, July 16, 2025

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday,  again. A week ago I was stumbling around on a couple of hours of jet lagged sleep through London. Since then we’ve been around London, traveled by train and car to Swansea and back, taken the second to last train to Paris, and tromped around the French countryside and several iconic places around Paris.

A lamppost on the Pont Neuf, Il de la Cite, Paris, France, July 15, 2025 9:21 PM

We are having fun and getting a lot of walking in. The weather has been beautiful.

I am usually the early riser in the family, but this morning I awoke to an empty apartment. My wife had gotten the jump on me and gotten out while I slept late, much later than I usually do.

fifteen minutes later, Il de la Cite, Paris, France, July 15, 2025 9:36 PM

When the body speaks, I should listen.

Last night after a full day of touring, we rode the Metro back to where we are staying.  We stopped to sit on one of the benches along the Pont Neuf. It was peaceful even with the traffic below on the river, the busy road connecting the Rive Droite with Rive Gauch, and the pedestrians going home, going out, or simply enjoying a moment outside as the day came to a finish.

It had been a full day.

We’ve done so much since my last post Sunday night. Monday we traveled to the countryside and explored then Tuesday we explored the city. I have so much to share, but I need time to process everything – moments and images.

Today is going to be another full day, I know it and I can feel it. Today could be a million and six times better than yesterday, but I have to jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the days COUNT, one day at a time, especially when I am on vacation.

How do you ‘vacation?’ Full throttle, slow and easy, or as it goes?