The Haasienda on Shroyer…

MIAGD: Make it a great day

Today, I begin the academic year’s schedule with teaching and I am so excited to get started.

64 students are on the Zoom schedule and I’m thrilled to meet 8 new students, with two from Michigan and Virginia.

This morning’s deck time was nice but a small, small shower passed through last evening, barely wetting anything; however, the dampness clings to the heavy air. It’s only 71-degrees but the 85% humidity makes it a bit muggy.

Time to prep for my Instacart delivery.

Make it a great day!

MIAGD: Make it a great day

If I had a cornfield and a horse, I’d be riding along, singing, “Oh, what a beautiful morning” as I’m surrounded by a song-belching cardinal, the breeze sweeping down Shroyer Road, swishing traffic as one might find in Kansas City, and four dogs, but they are not scurrying.

Yesterday was filled with a marvelous amount of reading, presidential podcast, some household items, walks, enjoying Nicole’s flavorsome cucumber salad, and some research and writing.

But, all my excitement was eclipsed by a delivered pet-meds box that contained a stuffed dog.

Erma immediately knew what to do with the stuffed animal, whereas the other three, being raised from early puppyhood in a unique home always filled with attention giving folks, were somewhat mystified.

Erma’s “Baby” is now constantly with her, even in sleep. The other three could not care less.

The arrival of Baby has taken The Haasienda energy up a few notches because Erma is just so damned cute.

I hope we all find that “Baby” that energizes our day.

Make it a great “I’ve got a new Baby” kind of day.

MIAGD: Make it a great day

Early Monday morning, August 20, 1990, I got into my car, packed with last minute items and backed out of my West Washington Street driveway for the last time.

The cassette tape, inserted from the previous drive, drifted into “This Is The Moment” from JEKYL & HYDE.

It seemed prophetic; or, at least I hope so.

I opted for a familiar route that took me along the river past the homes of the Ball brothers and The Minnetrista Cultural Center.

Within a few minutes, I was heading East out of Muncie, my destination Dayton, Ohio.

All my furniture and other items had already been moved to the Victorian townhouse on McPherson Street in the historic McPherson District.

The adventure was fresh and exciting. I was stepping forward into a new chapter, a new city where I knew absolutely no one.

Within three months, that new chapter had turned into a whirlwind of activity that was soon to become the life I’ve loved these past thirty years.

It’s been a wonderful chapter; a wonderful life.

Make it a great day.

MIAGD: Make it a great day

Quarantining, for many, is miserable.

For others, it’s imprisoning, oft from those who find it illicit.

This pandemic has led many to anxiety and depression; it appeared, somewhat suddenly, and without toleration, forced us to promptly exchange our routine, our way of life.

I was raised with the stories of my great-great grandparents and their siblings, my great-grandparents and their siblings, and my grandparents and their siblings.

I absorbed their tales of our personal US history in our family’s genealogical academy and learned about the uncles who served in the Spanish-American War, seeing Teddy Roosevelt, WWI, the 1918 (to 1920) Pandemic, The Great Depression, and WWII.

I was blessed.

I’ve said, before, that I do not recall any of them whining or complaining about the devastation of WWI, the 1918 Pandemic, the Great Depression, WWII, or any other tragedies that bore tragic results. There was always a “this is how we handled it” or “oh, the fun we had when…”

The components of my DNA, for which I am most appreciative, are my positive attitude and sense of humor.

While nothing about The Pandemic is amusing, for me, there’s no reason I should forgo a positive applied vision and finding the amusement in different things.

It’s quite easy to permit ourselves to lapse into self-pity, depression, etc. as I have battled depression for forty years.

It’s imprisonment.

However, I’ve not allowed it to grab ahold too firmly, or defeat me.

I’ve learned attitude, vision, control, positive focusing, resilience, humor, and tons of hope are a great mixture.

I hope folks will join me in attacking our attitude fatigue, casting our minds toward a stronger vision.

I’m blessed to be encouraged by family, wonderful friends, students and their families, and four awesome dogs.

We need our down times as long as we don’t make it into our new address.

Be strong.

Make it a great day!

1969. A year with tremendous highlights.

As if landing on the moon, Nixon’s inauguration, Woodstock, the release of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” the premiere of “Sesame Street,” “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” is released to movie theaters, and the Mets winning the World Series weren’t enough, my father decided we should go on the All-American Family Campout.

Earlier in July, we had traveled to Williamsburg, Jamestown, Virginia Beach, and Washington, DC where we absorbed so much history and saw terrific beautiful scenery. I even got to see protestors outside The White House and on The National Mall near The Reflecting Pool and The Lincoln Memorial.

That was a tremendous amount of excitement for a lad who would turn five in a few months.

This particular trip was not moving along the same preparations as other weekend trips to Gatlinburg, Dewart Lake, or Holland, Michigan.

I always had the run of the backseat in my parents steel blue Bonneville but since “something” was taking up most of the trunk, more than half of my domain was spoken for and I was agitated.

My investigation concluded there were boxes filled with pots and pans, grates, trash bags, blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, hand and bath towels, funny looking folding seats, and so much more interesting inventory.

I can remember being curious but don’t recall my parents mentioning “camping.” All I knew about camping came from Yogi Bear cartoons or other television programs.

My father had the ambitions and intentions of Clark Griswold in the Family Vacation movies, but without the Chevy Chase antics.

Mother said the travel time was filled with she and my father answering a multitude of questions, none of which satisfied my preciousness.

One response, “Yes, we’re almost there,” was puzzling because we’d already passed a Holiday Inn with a pool.

I remember pulling up to a huge tree where an elderly man sat in a webbed lawn chair, simply chatting with my parents. My mother threw one of her glares when I asked why he was being rude and not standing.

After he stood and completed some kind of transaction, we moved along the gravel trail as the tires making the popping sound as they ran over rocks.

My parents pulled into the numbered section that would be our weekend abode.

“Where’s the hotel? This isn’t Holiday In!”

My parents explained this new form of Holiday Inn… but I experienced something entirely different:

• sleeping in a tent

• sleeping on top of a sleeping bag

• strange sounds

• no pool (I’ve never been a lake kid)

• no television (especially, no Johnny Carson!)
• cooking over an open fire where the smoke line followed me everywhere

• bathrooms? And then the war was on! The concrete building had open showers and the toilet area smelled worse than any of my cousins’ farms.

I can still remember most of it and fifty one years later, it still seems unpleasant.

Mother said I complained (my dad said “bitched with every breath”) so much that we never attempted camping, again. Mother, admittedly, didn’t enjoy camping.

When I took my sons down to the Outer Banks, I saw what appeared to be a really cool campsite, Camp Hatteras. It sounded fun, actually.

It never happened.

How nice they made it appear in the 1960’s ads

This is not Mother and me.

I posted a photograph of Queen Victoria which sparked discussion.

My friend, Elizabeth “Liz” Bryant, commented that she’s had a lifelong love with British history.

I can remember what sparked my interest in the royal family.

When I was four years old, my parents purchased a fine collection of World Book Encyclopedias with all the additional books that completed the long second row of the specially designed bookcase which is still in my possession. It became my favorite gift.

Although I wasn’t fully comprehending the section on Queen Elizabeth II, but I was captivated by two photos:

Post coronation portrait.

The post coronation photograph was so appealing to my young eyes and is still one of my favorites.

The family photograph contained the pram which was identical to mine. The bonus was learning Prince Edward, the baby, was six months older than me.

So, Liz and I share slightly over a century of combined love and interest in Great Britain’s royal family.

It’s been a bit muggy, today, and there are some swift back and forths between still damp air and abrupt cool Southern breezes to aide in some comfort.

Thursday, Friday, and today have been fairly idle with a few house chores, reading, researching, typical routine with the dogs, and my presidential podcasts. The evenings spent on the deck have been quite comfortable.

I came out to the deck for lunch and I thought there’d been a murder in my Adirondack chair! A bird, having eaten berries, had perfect target, and the top of the chair looked like an execution site.

The power-wash hose-handle and some cleaner cleaned the chair and other deck items and the leaf blower dried everything off.

There are some beautiful, white fluffies hanging in the southeastern sky while some grayer ones are moving eastwardly.

I need to think about supper at some point.

While I sit in my rocker, all four dogs lounge about me in a semicircle after playing with one another on the deck.

Enjoy your evening.

My maternal grandmother, Donna Clary Barmes, grew up in northern Boone Township of Madison County, Indiana, an area her ancestors helped to settle a century before her birth in 1924.

Grandma Donna had a favorite aunt, Vivian Jones, a beautician, who was married to her mother’s brother, Harry Jones. Aunt Vivian and Grandma Donna were much alike in humor and shared a number of other commonalities.

Every May, for Grandma’s birthday, Aunt Vivian would give Grandma a permanent for her birthday.

Grandma Donna was barely above five feet tall and the heavy rods used for the permanent were much too heavy for my wee bit of a grandmother.

Uncle Harry would kneel in front of Grandma and hold her head up throughout the process.

When I saw this photograph, I immediately thought of Aunt Vivian giving Grandma Donna her birthday permanent with Uncle Harry on his knees, holding on to Grandma’s head to keep her from toppling over.

Note: I was fortunate to know and love My great-great uncle, Harry and Jones and Aunt Vivian Silvey Jones. They each lived until the mid to late 1980s. I could have easily see why my grandmother adored Aunt Vivian and Uncle Harry.

MIAGD: Make it a great day

It’s a very quiet morning despite a few chirping birds, Shroyer Road traffic, and some children playing across Rockhill. It’s 71-degrees and the deck still feels damp from Monday night’s heavy soaking yet, the 95% humidity is not at all uncomfortable.

Shortly, I’ll begin teaching at 9:30 AM and finish up by 11:00 PM with two separate one hour breaks for lunch and dinner.

Tomorrow begins a ten day break. I’ll attend to a few house items and I’m hoping to spend a majority of the time in writing.

It’s time to go turn on my laptops and get the day moving along.

Make it a great day!

As August continues, my recently graduated seniors are dwindling down to just a few more remaining seniors as college campuses beckon their arrival.

Tonight, Anthony Comunale had his last lesson.

AJ just graduated from Centerville high school where he held several great leading parts in both the plays and musicals. Now, he is off to Saint Louis Missouri to study acting at the Webster Conservatory of Performing Arts.

The upside to Anthony’s departure for college is that I have his younger brother, Patrick, now a sophomore at Centerville high school, as a student.

Anthony, I’m so proud of you and will eagerly follow your collegiate and professional careers.

Know you are loved…



MIAGD: Make it a great day

The substantial rain last evening left us very soggy this morning and as I was sharing this with my Taco Tuesday loving son, he commented that he hoped my tacos weren’t soggy.

– is just wet and the air is heavy with moisture. We’re predicted to have more rain and pop up showers throughout the day. I could have easily reported that myself as my sinuses are acting up.

Another full day of teaching awaits me and after Wednesday evening, I’ll have ten days of no teaching as I prepare for the academic year session to begin.

That’s about all there is to report for this day.

Don’t let your tacos get soggy and make it a great day.

From early this morning I knew we had a huge storm heading our direction and after a humid day of anticipation, it arrived around 9:45 PM.

My friend, Nancy Sumner, in Chicago, was giving updates as the storm ripped through.

By the late afternoon, my Hoosier relatives and friends were posting about their storm experiences and damages.

It was fast to move in and seems to be fading.

Erma is wedged against me.

Just now, at 10:19 PM, an extraordinary crackle of thunder shook the house. Harrigan and Bailey tore out of the guest bedroom to hunker hinder my desks in the study.

Stay safe and enjoy the fresh smell of rain!

Photos posted by Hoosier friends.

We were vacation in Myrtle Beach, staying in a motel where our second floor room faced the swimming pool.

I was in the pool when Mother ran to the balcony and said I needed to come upstairs and to hurry.

She wrapped me in several towels so I could immediately watch the historic event unfold.

President Nixon resigns: video

At eight years of age I’d been following the Watergate scandal and now, at almost ten, I was preparing to watch President Nixon resign.

The next morning, my parents postponed going to the beach so we could watch Nixon’s farewell to his staff in the East Room of The White House. I can still remember the tears in Mrs. Nixon’s eyes as she strained to maintain composure. The agony in the eyes of his daughters and sons-in-law was painful to watch, as well.

I’ve enjoyed a day entirely free of any business, emails, purging items for Goodwill, and other household needs.

Mama Kay delivered my China Cottage order and the Cottage vegetables and hot and sour soup hit the spot.

I made a vegetable stew from a zucchini, cucumber, pepper, chicken broth from my friend, Nicole, and added in rice, diced tomatoes, onion, celery and spices. Yes!

I almost grabbed my camera and took the bus to downtown. I’ve sorely missed taking photos and visiting my favorite haunts. I miss Carillon Park, too.

But, I need to exercise strict caution.

I can do it.

Thankfully, friends’ photos keep me photographically abreast of RiverScape, Dayton buildings and events, and the eagles at Carillon Park. I really appreciate seeing these places through their lenses.

I am attaching several favorite photos of places where I enjoy spending time.

It’s been a terribly busy day around the neighborhood with all sorts of sounds and activity.

The parking lot construction at the high school auditorium, the cutting and mulching of the tree across Shroyer, kids playing across Rockhill, birds, a heavy breeze nudging leaves and wind chimes, and just recently, some trucks seem to be loading or transferring lumber next to the house in the high school’s north parking lot.

People have asked, “doesn’t all the noise of living here disturb you?”

Never. I love the sound energy.

When I hear these sounds I hear “progress.” It’s never just noise.

I hope everyone else is having a noisy day filled with energy.

As a young kid, my parents went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee every October to enjoy the Autumn foliage and to visit the attractions.

For any of our trips, Mother made a pallet for me in the long back seat of our steel blue Bonneville, complete with my favorite pillow, coloring books and crayons (which always ended up in the back window and melted), and a large white square Tupperware container filled with orange cookie-cutter pumpkin-shapes sugar cookies.

A styrofoam cooler was always behind the driver’s seat and I can still hear the squeaking styrofoam against the leather seats.

We always stayed at one of the few motels in Pigeon Forge which was the very last motel before entering Smokey Mountains National Park. It backed right up to the mountain where a large picture window opened right up to rock and trees.

While we were in The Smokies, we always visited:

• The American History Wax Museum
• Christus Gardens Wax Museum
• Cade’s Cove
• Clingman’s Dome
• Cherokee Indian Village in Cherokee, North Carolina
• Ghost Town in Maggie Valley
• and all the various stores and attractions in Gatlinburg

My favorite was the American History Wax Museum. I was in heaven.

Below are several of my favorite exhibits. One photo I could not locate was of the Kennedy section which included President Kennedy, the widowed Mrs. Kennedy with Caroline and a saluting John, and Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald.

I have such fantastic memories of those annual trips to The Great Smokey Mountains.

John Brown execution.

The Alamo.

Lincoln assassination; 1970s

MIAGD: Make it a great day

This 68-degree and just-enough-breeze morning is rather jolly and the crew trimming trees on the east side of Shroyer Road adds a new layer of color to the typical score of birds, rustling leaves, traffic, and the occasional barking when anyone walks too near the house, even if unseen.

No plans.

Last summer was preoccupation with Mother and I accomplished only the bare necessities. This past year has barely altered the minimal requirements.

Before the newly adopted life of depressive-driven withdrawal, I attended to house chores daily, keeping up with everything so my days off were entirely free for me and the sons.

I’m slowly easing back into the preferred life management. It feels good.

The pandemic has incorporated a new focus and some applicable measures that I’ve truly come to value. I feel more energized with this new way of thinking and the new lease on life and career.

I’ve always been a self evaluator. I love finding new things to learn, different ways of doing things with the same or better results, various ways of making life simpler or more exciting.

When my niece was visiting, Tuesday, she thought it was cool that with one button my entire living room is lit and one wall of lighting is on a timer (not currently in use since there are no visitors). Walking around to turn on all the lights before lessons was a tad busy; so I connected all the lighting fixtures onto a Bluetooth control. For nighttime, I’ve strategically placed motion sensor lights so that as I approach a darkened area my way will be lit. The upside is that I don’t have to remember to go back and turn off lights in rooms I’m not in.

I must always keep active, even if it is dropping into comfortable seating with reading, documentaries, podcasts, or loving on one or all of the pooches.

On to the day!

Make it a great day!

The teaching day is over, except for one lesson that’s always at 10:00 PM and it is on to my three day weekend.

Last night, all four dogs were exhausted from the excitement of having my sister and her children here. This is the first time they’ve been around anyone since March and I’ve not seen them so bushed.

It was a mild day with the temperatures: a very cool morning and up to about 73-degrees during the late afternoon. The deck is a bit cool but very comfortable with a light breeze tugging for attention every now and then.

I’ve no plans for these upcoming three days; the house is fairly clean organized but I still have a great deal of purging to complete. I’m envious of those who aren’t collectors and can live with “less is more.”

Thanks to Nicole Melin, I have some delicious food to kick off the remainder of my evening into the weekend. She’s the best cook!

On to the weekend!

MIAGD: Make it a great day

The morning was too beautiful to not participate in it so I wrapped myself in a blanket against the 73-degrees and continued with breakfast on the deck.

Our educational world feels as though it’s in a whirlpool as it navigates its way through the pandemic.

I am, and will forever be for closing the buildings until the storm is over.

I know my beliefs go against that of several friends, especially since I don’t have children in school, but the alternatives to a more creative, solid approach to learning and honing skills are waiting for to be incorporated and utilized.

Build from within!

The teaching day begins in five minutes and I am eager to spend the day with some terrific young folks!

Make it a great day.

Know you are loved, Mother…

This has been a fantastic week of surprises and other wonderful things happening.

A former student returning to college gives me an artistic gift with a witty reminder of my JOSEPH years, a former student’s mom and friend gives me a stein with aviation carvings, and my sister and her family spent a few hours, here in Dayton today, bringing me this beautiful wall hanging to remember our mother who died one year ago tomorrow, August 5, 2019.

My sister, Dena, is 8 1/2 years younger than me. We did not really grow up together because by the time she was at school-age, I was already in junior high and high school. However, it never hampered our closeness and unbounded humor.

Mama Kay came over to visit with us, bringing several plates of treats, and we had the absolute best time laughing. (Imagine that!)

Although we’re coming up on our first anniversary of being without Mother for a year, it certainly was not a sad visit by any means.

Today is also the one year anniversary of the horrendous mass shooting in the Oregon District of downtown Dayton. Despite having a close friend whose son was one of the surviving victims, I still feel quite removed from the event. I was returning to Dayton from Indiana when I learned of the shooting. Still, the haze of my mind at that moment compartmentalized the event and it was pushed aside. 

By late Sunday afternoon, August 4th, I was hurrying back to Indiana to be at Mother’s side, along with my sister, as we waited those next several hours for the final breath. As the Oregon District shootings played out across all the major networks it still seemed far off in the distance, perhaps another country.

The anniversaries of the mass shooting in Dayton and the anniversary of Mother’s passing, only 23 hours apart, appear to have born a rainbow of hope and a page turning from a year long chapter that dragged out with the full range of emotions.

Bad things happen.

Sad things happen.

Great things happen.

Regardless, love is always present as it ebbs and flows, sometimes very strong, sometimes practically invisible.

But, it’s always there.

It’s a blessing to have this heart full of love.



I don’t think there’s any other way to describe the day as anything short of spectacular.

It was just that much fun!

Motivational session was great and such a rush.

Then, into the teaching part of the day was outstanding with students grabbing eagerly onto new techniques and progressing beautifully.

A super surprise awaited me on the front porch. What a wonderful, touching surprise.

Amanda Berlon has been a friend since around 2003 when her eldest son, Zach “Ginger,” became a piano and voice student. Zach was in choir and show choir with my son, Matthew, and Amanda and Scott’s you get son, Caleb, was in the same grade as my third son, Jose.

Amanda was always my go-to mom in the early years; she just always knew what she was doing in the preteen and early teen era. Even if she wasn’t sure about something, I trusted her.

Amanda is also one of those folks that doesn’t back away from tackling any demanding project from redoing their kitchen (my kitchen redo followed shortly after theirs), to various house and yard projects, juggling her position at Miami Valley Hospital, to being the ultimate soccer and choir mom.

My surprise was this beautiful stein featuring aviation through the years. It’s gorgeous and the first stein I’ve ever owned. I love it!!!

Thank you, so much, Amanda!

Tomorrow is another packed day and I’m ready to charge into it but first, I must sleep. I’m still charged from the morning motivational session, teaching, and being so honored with Amanda’s beautiful gift.

What a damn spectacular day!

MIAGD: Make it a great day

Birds are singing, cool breezes blowing, trucks beeping and moving around the construction site at the high school, an annoying crow cawing every bother three seconds, wind chimes tinkling, silent senior dogs lounging while The Sisters hold court on the deck’s edge, cicadas buzzing near and far, and the muffled sound of passing traffic on Shroyer Road.

That’s my Monday morning symphony while sitting on the deck.

In thirty minutes I’ll be be leading a motivational seminar for two hours, followed by a break before teaching until 10:45 PM.

This is what I already call a great day!

Make it a great day!

Someone posted this meme…

I reposted and one of my former students didn’t realize cocaine was actually used in Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola arrived in 1885, not as a soft drink, but as a medicinal soda. Yes, it contained the coca leaf but most medicines did in that era.

By 1901, there was barely enough coca leaf to even matter. By 1929, it was fully removed from the soft drink.

I first learned about it in high school at the Indiana State Fair.

One of my favorite exhibits was the Hooks Drug Store Museum. It was fascinating.

One of the exhibits of Coca-Cola described the early years. Cocaine.

If you’re ever at The Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, be sure to check out the Hooks Museum!

There was a bit of rain, early on, much cooler weather, some sunnier skies and some threatening skies, a sudden blast of heat and high humidity which settled into a very comfortable evening.

Instacart was ordered and arrived in under an hour.

Lessons ran smoothly and quickly and all of a sudden it’s 9:00 PM.

The air is still heavy with moisture and the mosquitoes are sniffing heavily without taking any chunks.

Chief and Erma, as always, are lounging near me while the ever animated Bailey and Harrigan are on paw patrol. Chief got fairly high playful and was enjoying an ounce of major energy! I love those moments when he lets loose to enjoy life.

Friday, I got to watch one of my students in Colorado perform in a safely block production of MOANA. This is this companies second production I’ve seen and I applaud them for being so innovative and determined to safely continue theatre.

I’ve some things to attend to inside the house so I’m forced to leave my comfy chair on the deck.

A shower went through in the early hours this morning and after the sun rose the day was a tug of war between the sun and the grey clouds that eventually spilled over to steady off and on rain the remainder of the day and evening.

The weighted fatigue held on, again today, and I was glued to the guest bed with reading, podcasts, documentaries, and four loving pooches.

Other than that, there’s little to report.