What's After Work?

 Hi all, it's been a while. I guess with the continuing pandemic and all it's variations I just got complacent. Riding my bike, shopping online and planning a wedding. But now Christmas and the wedding are over and I can get back to telling about what happens during retirement.   Last year my son Austin became engaged to his now wife Morgan.  A tradition that my mom started is to make the newly weds a memory quilt. At the beginning of last year Jan and I began to make Morgan and Austins memory quilt. To the right are the fabrics we bought. The lighter blue is the fabric was sent to 40 family and friends.  We asked them to create a memory they have of Austin or Morgan on the square. As we got them back I started sewing them together into a quilt top.   As we got them back I started sewing them together into a quilt top. ...

  Our March trip was a visit to Evansville Indiana to celebrate Art's (Jan's dad) 97th birthday.  But before our trip north we headed south. For one of my varied aliments I see Dr. Castro at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston Florida. I can't say enough good things about the Doctors and staff of the Cleveland Clinic. Every time I visit I am made to feel that my care is their first thought. Also there is some great artwork on display through out the clinic. I really enjoy seeing all the art on the walls. And I got a good review by the Doctor! After visiting Weston we headed north via the Florida Turnpike. Jan and I traveled the entire length of the Turnpike.  All 312 miles of it. Along the way we passed several Turnpike Travel Centers. These advertised gas and food as well as restrooms. We decided to stop and give it a try. These are really big rest stops. They are in between the north and south roads so if you don't pay attention or get a little confused when leaving you ...

 Here is something I've never done till today. Ridden in an Airboat.  For my retirement my kids got me a gift certificate to an adventure ride on an airboat. Today Jan and I along with Kent and Leslie cashed in that gift.  We made an afternoon by meeting the Voges for lunch at Backwater Fins . A quaint little fishing restaurant and bar fight up the road from the marina. Leslie likes the place because the inside reminds her of caban she use to go to as a girl. We sat out on the deck looking over the water. I had a BLT and it was very good. Jan watching Captain Billy docking our airboat. After lunch we headed over to the Ozella Boats and Airboat Tours. A rustic working small boat yard on Ripple Path in Ozella.  There we met our Captain and boarded our airboat.  Then it was off into the wilds of the St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve . We saw a lot of salt marsh grass and the paths cut through to connect the small lakes so the small fish can get into the lakes to h...

  For the past 5 years I have ridden in June to raise money to  support of research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer. This year because of Covid 19 it was moved to September. I began the month with the challenge of raising $500 and riding 250 miles. I'm still trying to ride 250 miles but because of my having very generous family and friends I have raised more than $1500. That is just  amazing. One of the other challenges I gave myself is to document each ride and share that with my friends, family and other Great Cycle Challenge riders. What follows is each of those posts that I placed on the GCC site. I started posting before September, kind of a prequel to the ride.

I'll admit the best part of being a teacher and especially an art teacher is the kids. The are all just so darn honest and pure in thought. I will miss the interaction with them. And they don't forget or miss anything. Well anything except what you want them to learn. Ya know what is in the textbook and curriculum. But anything else I do or say in class or in the halls, or thinking they are not listening. They hear it and remember it. That is the gift of being a child. If teachers could just figure out how to make the things we want them to learn seem like "forbidden fruit" ya know a secret we are trying to keep from the kids they would spend every waking moment trying to know it and would NEVER forget it. Sigh. With that in mind I have been reading some of the cards kids have been giving this past week. I am very touched by some of the caring words the kids have for me. But then there are the other things they remember from my class, really that was the take away. ...