I loved summer as a kid. I associated summer with freedom: freedom from school, teacher’s, and homework. On the last day of school each year I was excited, and at the same time, anxious. I was excited to get home and get started on all of my summer plans. As I skipped home from elementary school on the last day, I would sing a celebration song: School’s out, school’s out, Teacher let the mules out. No more reading, no more books, No more teacher’s dirty looks. School’s

Adrian, now in heaven, was my friend. Like me, he loved old cars. He had a beautiful, restored 1929 Ford Model A. It was black and yellow with a ragtop, and a rumble seat. It was Adrian's baby. His granddaughter Angie was getting married. She said, “Papa, why don’t you take us to our car from the church in the rumble seat of the Model A?” She and her new husband were driving to their honeymoon destination, and they intended to hide their car from the family pranksters.

On Memorial Day we remember the heroes who have given their lives in the service of our great nation. Those who spend time in military service have an uncomfortable life. Field duty is an inescapable ordeal. No matter what branch of the military, there will be C-Rations or MREs. Time will be spent cleaning weapons, standing guard duty, and braving the harsh elements. There will also be long hours spent living in a tent. For our military men and women, a tent is frequent

We both knew that she was stealing from me. I was cementing rock to our home’s foundation, which requires quite a bit of masonry mix concrete. She was a wasp. Maybe you did not know that only female wasps build the houses their babies are hatched in. Motherhood is a tough job by any standard. This wasp is what we refer to as a “Mud Dauber.” You have seen countless thousands of their long cylindrical nests if you live in Kansas. The Lady Dauber builds her nest and then paraly