Maple Valley is a small tourist town in Kertok County, Missouri. The claim to fame in this tiny place is The Old General, a Civil War era steam locomotive that carries visitors to Maple Valley. Maple Valley has been here a lot longer than The Old General has been bringing folks to see it. Years …
Continue reading The Cast of Characters in the Scandal at Maple Valley
I have been working diligently on the scenery of my HO scale model railroad, The Maple Valley Short Line. Since I learned how to make convincing weeds, I'm putting them everywhere, and probably overdoing it. You can see the steps I learned for placing great weeds, by clicking here. I've added one more step. After …
Continue reading More Trees for the Maple Valley HO Scale Model Railroad
I loved the church our family attended while I was growing up in Saginaw. It seemed huge when I was young. Thirty-six years after we moved to Lapeer, I went back to the church as a substitute preacher while the congregation was looking for a new pastor. The sanctuary was much smaller than I remembered. …
When our three boys were little, they were fascinated with their grandmother's cigarette smoke. They stood and watched as the cloud swirled around her head. "What are you doing?" one of the boys asked. "I know! It's going to kill me!" Grandma said, gruffly. Her answer didn't dissuade the boys' interest. When she put the …
Continue reading Coffee Conversations: Kids Say the Funniest Things
As a middle school counselor, I had many opportunities to speak with students about things bothering them. It certainly wasn't all troublesome topics, there were many happy moments when great success had students beaming with pride. Bullying was a common thread in discussions about student life. We did our best to provide an atmosphere in …
Continue reading Hot Coffee Conversation: “Heck Yeah, I Like Myself!”
Our triplet boys were born ten weeks early, at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan. We learned Mary was expecting three babies instead of two just seven days before. At 3:30, 3:31, and 3:31:30, our precious tiny babies were lifted into the world. Baby A weighed four pounds. Baby B weighed three pounds, three ounces. …
No matter what you're talking about, they always turn the conversation around so it's about them instead of you. Have you met those people? It doesn't matter what you're going through, trying to share your heart, you walk away thinking, "Did they hear anything I said?" Probably not. You can be in pain, obviously hurting, …
Continue reading Hot Coffee Conversation: “You Shouldn’t Feel That Way”
All teachers have the opportunity to shape young minds and hearts, providing building blocks that students can use to construct a lifetime of experiences. I was blessed to have many terrific teachers, most of whom I can still name from second grade to graduation. While attending Lapeer High School from 1968 to 1971, it was …
I had a stray thought this morning. Carl Rogers and Mr. (Fred) Rogers were incredibly similar. Carl Rogers is widely considered to be the father of person-centered, or client-centered counseling. Empathic listening, acceptance, focus on the experience, thoughts, and feelings of the client are central to this type of practice. If you are familiar with …
Continue reading Therapy Thoughts for Thursday: Carl Rogers and Mr. Rogers
Sheriff Pete Terkinberry enjoyed "Hannah's Egg Surprise" at The Ya'll Sit Cafe. He's been going to the cafe every morning for the past several weeks. Pete is looking forward to another quiet day in Maple Valley. The call changes everything. Sheriff Terkinberry had no sooner stepped into the office, which is his kitchen, than the …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 36: The Call About Sylvia
A Coffee State of Mind 