my last night at ESL

Here I am talking to Mario Albuja from Ecuador. His wife Guadalupe is seated facing us. At the end of the table is Abelina Rodgriguez.

On my last night as a teacher of ESL they had a party for me. We had great enchiladas, rice, and a wonderful Ecuadorian dish that resembled a very thick beef stew. From left Gabriela Rodrigues, Dorothy, Me, George Reyes, Linda (another teacher) Delfino, and Ofelia Reyes.

blogging

One of the things I'm looking forward to in retirement is to post more personal essays on this blog. I've filled a lot of space with photos and quotations, but that's me; I like to share the grandkids and my favorite quotes. Having a time and energy consuming job prevents me from writing. For most of my free time I'm just too tired to think. Pushing 60 years old doesn't help either. But I'm inspired by some of the blogs that I read regularly. There are a few bloggers who have a talent for describing their work-a-day lives with language that pulls us in and keeps us reading and anticipating each post. So I'm learning that it's not the subject matter so much as the words you put together that makes good writing. Two of my favorite writers are Envoy-ette, author of It Could Be Worse. She draws on her traveling experiences and life with her husband and children for her essays. She's funny, interesting, and writes in a way that causes you to visualize the scenes she's describing.
Another blogger I just discovered is Dawn who writes Old Bones . She writes with clear and concise language about every day concerns. I believe she's a natural writer. Check these girls out; you'll enjoy their blogs.

off work

I'm off work this week so I can practice being retired. 74 days! Yesterday, we had the kids down and grilled some hamburgers, and had some potato salad and baked beans, you know, the usual Memorial Day stuff. Today I applied a textured coating to the ceiling of our guest room and tomorrow Dorothy will paint the walls. I was going to post a little more extensively today, but she just brought in the mail and I got the U.S. News magazine and the latest copy of The Sun, so I'm off to the recliner to read them and maybe catch a nap. I'll post later.

addicted to the internet?

My wife and daughters think I'm addicted to the web. Maybe. Yesterday our ISP server was down and I couldn't read email or catch up on my favorite blogs. I kept checking the computer every once and awhile with no luck. It does leave a rather sizable empty space in your day when you can't do your computering. But I'm not really addicted. Really. I can give it up any time I decide. I can.

what I'm reading now

This is a very readable report on the collapse of ancient societies such as the Maya, Anazazi, and Easter Island. He discusses the possible causes such as environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, unstable trade partners, and pressure from enemies. He also issues a warning and shows signs of possible future collapse of modern societies.

look at my lillies!

such color!

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quote of the day

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 'Gift From the Sea'

take me out to the ball game

Sami comes in for a run. (softball game, Fayetteville, Ar.)

Sami with her team after the game. 

79 days to retirement

Splendid!

I love this young Japanese Maple. See how the sun illuminates the leaves? I was sitting in the shade of a Silver Maple sipping iced tea and taking in the color of my front yard. 

quote of the day

You are going to let the fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live.
-- George Bernard Shaw

quote of the day

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
Albert Einstein