A Coffee State of Mind: Embracing Life’s Simple Joys

We are Dale and Mary Parsons, and this is most of our family. We have a son and daughter-in-law who live in Australia, and were not home for this family picture. Mary and I were high school sweethearts, and will celebrate our 53rd wedding anniversary in December.

After thirty-one years in ministry, I retired in 2004 and returned to school, attending Saginaw Valley State University. I received secondary teacher certification in Social Studies and Psychology, and graduated in 2006. I received a Masters Degree in Professional and Educational Counseling from Central Michigan University in 2011. Mary and I are now both retired from education.

Dale & Mary on the beach, blue sky, water, waves

When our triplet sons started kindergarten, Mary continued her education by going to the University of Michigan-Flint. She graduated summa cum laude in 1992 with a degree in education. Mary then completed a master’s degree, plus an additional thirty-two hours in teacher education. She taught 7th grade Social Studies, Science, and English during twenty-four years in the classroom. I am, and have always been incredibly proud of her.


Dogs have always been part of our family. This is our precious Maggie, a mini-goldendoodle, who we loved and cherished all of her fourteen years, She was constantly at our side, eager to please, and full of energy. In the spring of 2025, we noticed she was losing weight. Tests revealed she was suffering from kidney failure. In May, we made the awfully painful decision to give her one last kiss and hug, and end her struggle. We will always miss our sweet Maggie.

Maggie, couch, plaid blanket, windows, curtains
Dale & Mary with Gracie Joy

Early in the summer, we travelled to Missouri to greet our newest family member. Gracie Joy is our cute and fluffy little Cavapoo (King Cavalier and Poodle). She has already learned to stay, sit, lay down, spin around, and shake. She goes to the door and barks when she needs to go out, and has already learned the futility of chasing a ball only to have it tossed again after returning it. (Maybe she would enjoy golf.)

Gracie is always ready to play
Gracie just returned from her first visit to the groomer.
Gracie is sound asleep after a play session

The Reason for A Coffee State of Mind

A Coffee State of Mind began as an effort to create social media activity. I finished writing a middle grade novel called, “Smivvy Stepward”, and it was time to seek a publisher. As a result, the blog bloomed, but the novel didn’t. I have always enjoyed writing, and blogging provides an opportunity without any deadlines.

The Goal of A Coffee State of Mind

Some people say blogging is a thing of the past. I don’t agree. Personally, I prefer reading over listening to someone talk. While reading, I’m not thinking about the speaker’s nasally voice or critiquing their skill. For me, reading a blog is more enjoyable than listening to a podcast. To each his own.

A coffee state of mind is a sense of knowing everything is going to be okay. One can still have a coffee state of mind even if they don’t care for the drink itself. For me, it is an attitude of peace and well-being. These links will open examples of A Coffee State of Mind.

Model Railroading.

Mental Health

Blogging.

Scandal at Maple Valley.

Post Pages.

Model Railroading includes many photos of my HO scale Maple Valley Model Railroad. If you need help building your own model railroad, this will help.

Mental Health posts contain some thoughts that may be helpful to mental health.

Blogging is a bucket for posts about a variety of topics.

Scandal at Maple Valley is an ongoing saga about the disappearance of Sylvia Meisner, and life in Maple Valley.

I hope you will choose to follow A Coffee State of Mind and invite your friends to join you. Please leave a “like” and a comment!

Thanks so much!

Dale & Mary Parsons

Career

Licensed Professional Counselor

Master’s Degree in Educational and Professional Counseling from Central Michigan University.


Writing

Former columnist.
Former religious curricula writer.

Teacher Education

Thirteen years in middle school public education.

Previous Career

Thirty-one years in church work.

7 thoughts on “A Coffee State of Mind: Embracing Life’s Simple Joys”

  1. Hi Dale I so enjoyed reading your testimony and learning more about you. We have a lot in common. God, family and hobbies. And our unique ability to express positive thoughts through our songs of artistry.

    Though I have not tried the Coffee Element yet, the idea is tempting!

    I am your friend from Instagram,

    Mark LT, talladega_rails and
    on Facebook, Mark L-Train

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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