What Is Going On?

What is going on at your house today?  There is no classes in Cassville Schools today; and of that I am sure the kids are glad.

By the way; I hope no one is offended by me calling children “Kids”.  I have always called them “Kids”.  I probably always will.  If you are offended by that, just do not read this blog anymore.  Now that is a statement isn’t it?

Too many people are offended by whatever offends them.  Do I ever get offended?  Most certainly I do.  Do I tell people that what they said offends me?  Maybe!  Maybe not.  How ever I respond to them I do not start a riot, or set up a blockade to try and cause that sort of speech to stop.  Maybe I am offended that you are offended by what I say.  So what.

Let me help you here if it does not offend you.  Let it roll off your sleeves.  Get up. Get out. Make a difference in your life today, by doing something.  Do something for someone who has offended you.  There is a catcher.  Right.  Do something for someone who has offended you.  I mean something good.

If it is an offensive neighbor take them some of their favorite cookies.  If their lawn needs mow; mow their yard without expecting anything in return.  In fact do not let them know you did it.  You might find yourself with a better neighbor, and find yourself to be a better neighbor.

You also might take being offended a whole lot better.

What is going on  at your house, in your life today?

My thoughts from the banks of Flat Creek.

~tim

Driving a School Bus

Where I live the new School year for ages K – 12 began on August 13; so we have been in school now for two weeks.

I have been driving for the Cassville R-IV School District in the southwest part of the State of Missouri now for the last 9 years, and started my tenth year.  I have a total of 16 years driving with the Cassville School District.  With the first stint being from 1984 – 1990.

I quit driving a bus for 12 years, even gave up my CDL for a regular license for a while until I decided I needed to go back to driving a bus.  That was in 2003, and I have been driving a bus ever since then.

Actually I am driving for Cassville for my third time.  When I came back in ’03 I came in as a sub driver, then was given a route in the beginning of 2004 (January).  I left at the end of that school year, moved to Farmington, Missouri, and drove a School bus for the Farmington District for two years, then moved back to Cassville.

Driving a School bus is a challenging job; yet it is rewarding.  The reward is watching those kids grow up.  I took the route I have now in March of 2007.  I now have one student who is the only original student who was riding when I started it.  She is a Senior this year.  She was a third grader when I started.

It is a difficult job while you are driving, watching the road, tending misbehaving children, and watching for other drivers who are not watching what they are doing.

I guess I am writing this because I know many School Districts are in need of good bus drivers; people who love and care for kids.  If you are one of those go to your local School District and talk to them about driving a bus.

If you do it for the money you will not make it.  If you do it because of the kids, and you enjoy it.  You will do great.

I am writing this from the banks of Flat Creek.

-tim

Just for Thought – The Green Thing

I received the following as an email from a friend.  Thought it to be a good reminder of things.

-tim

The Green Thing

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”
She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana?  In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.  But she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.  But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Remember: Don’t make old People mad.

Easter Weekend

This past Easter weekend was a big event around our house; here along the Flat Creek, as it flows by.  Most of our kids and grandkids were around most of the time, and for a few hours all were around.

We had a cook out Friday evening with barbequed hamburgers on the grill, with hickory charcoal, and oak wood.  My were those burgers really delicious.

Madge and I ordered some trees, plants, flowers, and/or shrubs a while back, and they were delivered by our wonderful United States Postal Service.

I had an annual checkup with my cardiologist yesterday, and I am a research patient as well.  They are trying out Plavix on me.  I have taken it for a year now, and for a year I will be on a pill provided by the doctor’s office, Plavix or Placebo; none of us know.  For a year I do not have to purchase the pills, they are provided.  I also do not have to pay a co-pay, and they pay me when I visit the doctor.  Now, that is different.

Anyway, when we arrived back home yesterday afternoon I began planting trees.  They are just small seedlings, about 2 feet in length, maybe a little less.  I wore myself out, but I did get nine of them planted.  I have two more Poplars to plant, then three Blue Spruces, and 12 Rose of Sharons.  We will eventually have some shade around here.

Last Thursday evening I mowed our front yard, then I mowed the back yard on Saturday.  My it sure is looking good around here.  The old rider I am using is hanging in there.  I did break the bead on the left front tire Saturday doing some finish up mowing around the road.  I hit a hidden stump.  It will be simple enough to fix, unless I punctured the tire; I do not think I did though.

We got some rain this morning.  My how things green up after a rain.  The sun is shining now, and it is so gorgeous out.

Sunday morning was great for worshiping the Lord of the Universe, who died was buried, and rose bodily from the grave.  What a wonderful and glorious Creator.

-Tim