PreachingI prepared sermons and preached at five congregations: Columbus and Fort Scott, Kansas, and Carthage and Washburn, Missouri, and Grove, Oklahoma. I've done this kind of work, filling the pulpits of churches when the regular preachers take a vacation or when the churches do not presently employ a full-time preacher. It is a very satisfying, almost-weekly, work that I take very seriously, and it provides me with an added income to supplement my teaching salary. I always try to prepare extra Bible class lessons and sermons to keep the work going through the school year, as well, so I've spent many hours in study and writing. |  |
Traveling
Originally, I was supposed to spend some days at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute for a few days. As a lover of United States colonial and revolutionary history, I was supposed to take this trip in 2020, but it was postponed. I was disappointed to receive word that it was being cancelled altogether in 2021 because of the COVID. I will certainly reapply for the institute when it comes available (and hopefully go to the front of the line).
 | That said, the family and I did enjoy our St. Louis and Mississippi River trip the week after school let out in May. We visited the recently-renovated Gateway Arch, the protected Cahokia Mounds, the St. Louis Zoo, and St. Louis Science Center. We rode a riverboat cruise on the river. We took a ferry across the river and discovered Piasa. We also took short trips to St. Joseph and Ste. Genevieve, as well as Chester, Illinois (home of Popeye) and the 1720 century fortress at Fort de Chartres. It's always good to get away and see new things. Even though we have been to many of these places before, we always see and learn new things. |
TV Viewing
If I have a bad habit, it must be sitting on my backside and binge watching classic TV shows. I don't want to admit how many episodes I've watched over the past few months, from M*A*S*H to The Bob Newhart Show, from Abbott and Costello to The Red Skelton Show, from the original Stargate: SG-1 to Stargate: Atlantis to Stargate: SGU, and all of this was supplemented by visits to new series on Disney+ (research to keep up with the kids). The number of hours wasted watching television is disgraceful, though to be fair, I also worked on the computer most of the time the programs were playing (That makes it OK, right?).
Kid Carting
In June, daughter (17) took part in a Missouri Leadership Conference online after it was cancelled in person. Our 11-year-old son attended Green Valley Bible Camp near Rogers, Arkansas, where he introduced himself to more than a few ticks. He also had a few chances to work the concession stand at some of the Joplin Outlaws games. Pretty soon, the girl was off again, this time to Missouri Girls State, where she had a week of studying law, listening to speakers from the state and city levels and singing the national anthem for Missouri Governor Parsons. She also launched a campaign for governor of Girls State, winning her party's nomination and falling just short of the top spot. A couple of weeks later, we delivered her to General Tommy Franks' Four Star Leadership where she joined 67 other students selected from around the world. The boy, meanwhile, was able to spend some time with Grammy on my side of the family and some time with PawPaw on my wife's side. I won't complain that my two kids have been busy with positive endeavors this summer. All of this kept us busy as we had to deliver them to each destination.
"Websiting"
As always, I curated lesson materials, constructed a couple of lesson sets, wrote commentary articles, and kept this website updated. For years, I have maintained the site with a new entry every day, even during the summer. I am always amazed that I can keep ahead of the game with the website as I try to make it relevant as well as useful for my teaching, my classroom, my students, and for other teachers who might be interested in using the material.
 | DreamingWhether I'm on vacation, watching a television show, driving on the interstate, or surfing the interweb, I'm always trying to think of ways to make my class different and better. Sometimes, I dream of ways that we can do the impossible. I want every minute to be alive for my students, and trying to get to that point consumes a great deal of my time and energy. I suppose I have been a dreamer for a long time. I come across it naturally - something that came from my dad. It even predates my time as an educator. Through many years, I have wanted to create my own stories - books, movies, TV shows. I've dreamed of new theme parks and new theme park rides. All of these got me ready for my stint as a unique teacher. |
House Improvement
| Many of the above items have referred to my home life - my family is my home - but the house also needed some work this summer. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of guy who does engine and appliance repairs, but when push comes to shove, I'll try to do some of the minor activities. I had the privilege of replacing the hinge on the washer, repairing a tire on the riding mower, replacing the battery in said mower, trading a couple of door knobs, and installing a new ceiling fan in the place of one with a broken blade. These things, in addition to mowing and trimming bushes and unwanted plants got me sweating on more than one occasion. |  |
How About You?
Many teachers give the assignment, at the beginning of the school year, to write down or verbally present a report entitled What I Did during Summer Vacation. Some students have more summer opportunities than others, but we still like to hear about your adventures. While I do not make such an assignment, I still welcome your informal reports if you are willing to share. our American history coverage
