The nice lady asked me how old I was. I worked hard to hold up three fingers, and then I was 70. My mother stood outside looking at me through the window. I was abandoned forever in my seersucker jacket and bow tie on the first day of kindergarten. And then I was 70. I …
Author: Dale Parsons
I love my wife, my family, and our dog, Maggie. I started blogging in 2018. A Coffee State of Mind covers a lot of topics. I hope you enjoy it.
Hidden Scenes on the Maple Valley Railroad
I enjoy looking behind the obvious scenes, which is why details are so important. More things are happening than we can see at first glance. A lot of life takes place in hiding. Maybe the good folks of Maple Valley aren't hiding on purpose, but not everyone sees everything they're doing. That's good. No one …
Growing Up Lapeer: Missing Some Favorite Places
If I say "swamp-water," what comes to your mind? Green algae with unseen beasts waiting just below the surface to bite off a toe if you dare step in? Lilly pads? Frogs? Snakes? Large-mouth bass? Swamp-water is none of those things, except, I guess it could be if I were talking about a real swamp. …
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Model Railroad Scenery, Coffee, Earl Klugh, and a Sunlight Therapy Lamp
I have to admit, even though I don't want to, this winter darkness has not had as much of a detrimental effect on my mental state as in other years. At least it doesn't seem so. But winter isn't over. There is another hype-filled round of snowpocalyptic prognostications beginning to fill the air, even as …
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The Cast of Characters in the Scandal at Maple Valley
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 …
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More Trees for the Maple Valley HO Scale Model Railroad
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 …
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Hot Coffee Conversation: “Heck Yeah, I Like Myself!”
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 …
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Angel in the NICU
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. …
Growing Up Lapeer: Teachers
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 …
Therapy Thoughts for Thursday: Carl Rogers and Mr. Rogers
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 …
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A Coffee State of Mind 