By Joe Rector Daddy never taught us boys how to build anything, fix plumbing, or work on a car. Mother didn’t either, but she made sure her three sons weren’t dependent upon their wives to clean house. For as long as I can remember, we did that. One of the biggest jobs was vacuuming. I’m […]
By Joe Rector Well, I certainly expected some good things, or at least better ones, to come with the new year. However, fate, karma, the good Lord, or something made the decision to keep things going the same. It’s been a long stretch for even the strongest optimist. Millions of us nervously waited for […]
By Joe Rector Amy and I woke up the Monday after Christmas, stretched, and fell back asleep. Both of us have entered the world of retirement, and we appreciate being here. I’ve heard so many folks my age regret their decisions to retire. They miss work and wish they could go back. For those […]
By Joe Rector joerector@comcast.net I know why I began to write all those years ago. Even as a young boy, the mood and feeling the need to write things down would come, and I climbed the steps to the upstairs bedroom, a place that was hotter than a mill in the summer and as cold […]
By Joe Rector I hope your Christmas shopping is finished and that it has been successful. Nothing can ruin this holiday more than being unable to find the one thing that your child wants the most from Santa Claus. A close second in disappointment is a husband’s giving his wife something utilitarian instead of […]
By Joe Rector The longer I live, the more I see that life is circular: what goes around comes back again at some point. That includes both good things and bad ones. The key is to try to improve on the way we handle those events the second time around. Bill Jones and Mark Kirshner […]
By Joe Rector Thanksgiving is finished, and we have run through what little bit of leftovers we had from the feast. Amy planned perfectly so that every meal doesn’t include something made with turkey. Lacey and her family are back in Nashville, and Dallas is back home just down the road. I love to […]
By Joe Rector Remember this time of year when you were a child? How much more excited could you have been to know Santa was going to visit and leave presents? Another time to remember is that last day of school before summer vacation. The arms of the clock crawled around its face. We […]
By Joe Rector A week after this is published, we’ll be gluttonously full of turkey, dressing, and all the other Thanksgiving foods. Some, thankful that they managed not to fall asleep at the wheel, will have made the long trip home. Hosts will spend the week cleaning the mess that always comes with a […]
By Joe Rector The “strange” year elections are over, and it appears that both sides found at least a bit of disappointment. Most of us suffer from election fatigue. We are ready to celebrate holidays that were missed last year as Covid-19 ravaged the country. Not being bombarded by political ads on television will be […]
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