What Could Be Sew Hard?

I and three dear friends of mine got a rare opportunity this weekend. We got to visit an artist’s studio and work under her direction in her medium and style. Irmgard Geul is from the Netherlands where she was born and raised not far from Amsterdam.  Her art is both abstract and impressionistic and much…

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Final Disposition

I attended the funeral of my friend’s father on Friday. Historically, I have not been a fan of funerals in general, but this one was really nice. My friend’s father had served in the military during the Vietnam war, so there was an honor guard present. One of them played “Taps” before they lifted the…

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Harder Than It Looks

Sometimes things we think should be easy turn out to be quite difficult. At my age, this is a lesson I should be familiar with, yet I often forget it and end up where I ended up this weekend. My son and I were replacing the rotors and brake pads on his 2004 Ford F-150.…

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Hallmark Of A Good Life

After we had eaten our turkey, dressing, and potatoes smothered in gravy and had a second piece of pie, it was acceptable to start Christmas. Many of you already know my rule, no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. One unintended consequence of this mandate occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving when we attempt to put up all…

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We Want A Shrubbery

In the 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his band are blocked by the dreaded Knights Who Say “Ni!” in an enchanted forest. “We want a shrubbery,” demands the giant Knight, adding, “One that looks nice…and not too expensive.” King Arthur delivers a “shrubbery” after a short (hilarious) quest, but the…

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The Rent Is Due

A highlight of my week is spending time each Monday evening with guys at one of the HIA houses. If you haven’t heard of Hope Is Alive, check them out. Almost everyone is affected by addiction, and HIA offers what I believe to be the most successful support for recovery I have ever seen. This past Monday, I was…

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A Warning Light

When we left Colorado to come home early Sunday morning, the check engine light was on in my car. The car was running fine, fluids and pressures were good, and in general it was not at all apparent that anything was wrong. My car came with a service where I can push a button and…

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Compound Interest

I was talking to someone recently about our 401K program at Kimray. There is the initial benefit of the Kimray match that doubles your money, but the real magic of an investment account is the compounded interest over time. The simple math is that if a 25-year-old who makes $40K a year puts 5% of…

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Grow Your Own

“Leadership is not about you; it’s about investing in the growth of others.” Ken Blanchard The average adult human body contains over 30 trillion cells. Every single adult started as a single cell that divided into 2, then 2 divided into 4, then into 8 and so on. This is growth. When we were babies, our…

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Borrowed Not Owned

Have you ever rented a piece of equipment, like a floor sander or wet vac? Maybe you needed a tile saw for a bathroom project or a trencher to put in sprinkler lines. Did you take the time to read the fine print (or maybe not so fine print)? There is always a clause in…

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