A few days ago I was in my son Timothy’s room, putting away some clean laundry, when I saw a smudge on his wall. My first thought was, “Oh no, not again,” but when I looked closer and realized it was just a shadow, I sighed with relief. You see, our Timothy is known for being a bit of a Picasso, with an artistic flair that makes me proud and nervous at the same time. When Timothy was in kindergarten, he decided to draw on his desk…with a permanent marker. You can guess how that turned
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We love our freedoms here at Matchmaker, but we also love our food. Last year, we reminded you that truck drivers make our holiday cookouts possible, including one holiday food more American than any other – the apple pie. It’s the perfect centerpiece for the Fourth of July picnic, on a red checkered tablecloth against the blue sky and topped – of course – with creamy vanilla ice cream. Apple pie is a symbol of the best things America has to offer – prosperity, happiness, and good clean fun. The legend of American apple pie has
Read more →Have you ever had one of those days where you look at your pet and think, “I’d sure like to have his life.” Our 11-year-old, 20-pound cat, Sir Sir is sort of like Garfield – large, in charge, and always looking for his next meal. When it’s finally feeding time, he likes to lie down in front of his food bowl and eat one morsel of dry food at a time. Shasta, on the other hand, our 6-year-old Pomeagle (Pomeranian and Beagle mix) gulps down her dinner the second the bowl hits the floor, while
Read more →As you may already know, I play guitar and sing in a band. Our group is fortunate to get more work than we can handle; in fact, this summer we’re booked to play almost every single weekend. I like to think that practicing my passion for music by being in a band keeps me young. My wife might counter with this joke: “A child says: ‘Mommy, when I grow up I’d like to be a guitar player.’ His mother replies, ‘Well honey, you know you can’t do both.’ I feel like my best (and
Read more →Today, my oldest son, Denver celebrates his 16th birthday. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday he driving his “little tikes” car around our yard; now, he will be driving his F-150 on the road. As a birthday present, we’re giving Denver his Dad’s 2006 truck; friends and family gave him (much appreciated) gas money. Denver is proving to be a good driver, but that isn’t stopping my husband from wanting to put a bumper sticker on the back of the truck that reads: “How’s my driving? Call Dad at __________
Read more →Tomorrow marks the first day of summer, and here in the Southeast, the heat is already on! This year’s brutal winter-complete with epic snow and ice storms across the country feels like a distant memory. But despite the gradual arrival of sunshine and warm weather, in my house, one question remained a constant: “Do you wanna build a snowman?” That’s right, even with the approach of summer, our house remains Frozen, as my daughters obsess over Disney’s hottest movie and memorize the lyrics to every song. With the story of the movie following a
Read more →Want to drive your friends and co-workers crazy? Issue this little mind-boggling challenge. I couldn’t believe it when I tried it myself, and if you’re anywhere near as stubborn as I am, you will keep trying to see if you can outsmart your foot. Trust me, you can’t. 1) While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. 2) Now, while doing this, draw the number ‘6’ in the air with your right hand. 3) Your foot will change direction. And there’s nothing you can do about
Read more →There are many different kinds of fathers: there’s the Dad who will teach his children how to properly swing a hammer and the Dad who will teach his children what to yell when they miss and smash their thumb instead. Sometimes, it’s the same Dad (not that I’m speaking from personal experience)…. In the past, I described my father’s parenting style. But as any Dad will tell you, those descriptors change year by year, day by day, minute by minute. This Father’s Day, I thought we’d honor The Top Ten Dads We’ve Known, (Been)
Read more →Have you ever heard of a pool cover? My husband and I haven’t. Or at least that’s what you’d think. We own a pool cover, but somehow, it didn’t make it on our pool this year. We should have been more conscientious, because as we often joke: “our pool is our only liquid asset!” Nine months later, after a blustery fall, a brutal winter and a cold spring, our swimming pool looked less like an asset and more like a science project gone wrong. So, this past weekend we bravely climbed in to that
Read more →“Time to grab your go-go juice, check your coloring book, and hit the super slab. Don’t forget to pay the cash box, and flip your ears on – just in time to hear the news about some gator guts on the road-watch out! Hit the road long and hard all day and make sure you stop at the mandatory chicken coop in Jacksonville. When you’re done for the day, carry on right through to Miami and park at the TA for the night.” Right now I bet half of you are nodding your heads
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