About this time four years ago I was in Kentucky with my father.  He had been battling a rare blood disorder that had just turned in to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.  I quit my job and traveled back home to take care of him for whatever time he had left.  This was one of the most difficult, yet one of the most rewarding times of my life.  I learned so much from...

This Thanksgiving week I missed my mother more than usual.  I know what “kicked” it off.  My daughter, Lindsay went to Disney World with her Dad and his family.  She sent me a text message from Epcot “I am eating in Mimi’s Italian restaurant in Epcot”.  Suddenly my eyes filled with tears at a long ago memory……. My mother...

Thanksgiving has come a long way from that first feast of November 1621.  The original Thanksgiving was a celebration of the first successful corn harvest for the colonists of Plymouth.  A feast that would not have been possible had the Native Americans not taught the colonists how to cultivate corn.  Back then growing a sufficient amount of food to survive was...

I retired from my corporate job in 2007. At the time I was exhausted from the years of travel and pressure of working in a public company environment. I was hopeful that the “right thing” would just come along or one of the many ideas I have from time to time would be the next great thing to excite me. Four years have passed and I have dabbled in a number...

Veteran’s Day we set aside to remember all those who serve or have served our country. Without the courage and sacrifice of our Vets we would not continue to enjoy the freedoms that we have in this country. Really, we should be showing our gratitude and giving thanks to our Vets every day of the year not just on Veteran’s Day. Often the true sacrifice...

Today we spent our second day in Santa Fe taking in the art, culture and cuisine of the area. In today’s fast and cheap economy it is a rare treat to spend time in a city with much focus on the old ways and support for a local artisan community. We started the morning by returning to Oleaceae ...

Last night in our final class of Channeling Aristotle we discussed the role of a person as citizen. Aristotle felt this role trumped all others. Our professor asked us “What is the first freedom”? Our class gave no strong response. His answer – The freedom to govern yourself. We the People. We govern ourselves. We choose. We get what WE choose. ...

7 Billion……… Person # 7 billion was born sometime yesterday on this earth. We were just at 1 Billion in 1804. It took about 1800 years to reach that first Billion. 100 years later in 1900 the population was 1.6 Billion. And now in 2011 it is 7 Billion. That is a daunting number which will rise to 9 Billion in the next 35 years. ...

I am fascinated by adventure and often looking to create new adventures for myself. While shuffling through old family papers I came across the letters of a reluctant adventurer from my family. Her name was Maddie Abbott and she was just 16 years old when her adventure began. It was 1860 and war was brewing in America. Maddie and her three siblings had lost their...

Here’s a great video of a teacher bringing science to life for kids. Carving a pumpkin using science. It’s fun! If only more of our teachers would bring education to life! A little fun along with the learning goes a long way to generate excitement.