Reporting LIVE!
From suburban Port St. Lucie, FL!
Currently the blog machine will not let me check spelling or post pictures so, sorry in advance!
We are making rumblings about heading out early next week, which really means thinking about specifically where and doing some planning before we leave. This way we actually discover the next place to see and things to do and explore and maybe even have a place to pull the RV into for the night if we remember to plan that much in advance.
(This piece is important to me(Bill) so I generally make sure that we are set with a place to sleep before we head off somewhere. But, I must admit that I have been getting better with just going with it and seeing what turns up. It is actually becoming exciting and less worrisome (most of the time when I can have faith that ALL IS WELL!)
We are spending this week doing projects around the house to help Bud (Megs Uncle) out but mainly focused on making the house work for Pop! (Megs Grandfather) much to his immediate chagrin. We have made some accessible renovations in his bathroom to make it easier for him to use (which as of last night he didn't like and told us to take them out) and also added in a couple of functional item repairs to keep things running smooth. We will also do some asthsetic changes on the in and out to get some of the things completed that working, living, being in a loving relationship and taking care of someone would or does prevent most of us from getting to on the house. It is great to be here and great to get to be with Bud and Pop and be a vital part of the family unit.
Jasper has just been having a great time here. He has fully integrated into the neighborhood with all of the available kids and waits anxiously for them to get home from school each day so they can begin another play adventure. I imagine it is somewhat novel for them as well, to have an out of town, home schooled kid to play with, particularly when it is Jasper.
The other day a couple came walking down the street in an obvious panic and very upset stating that they had lost there dog. Jasper got on his bike and rode thru the neighborhood until he found the dog, a grown German Shepard, got the dog with the help of some of his new to be friends, who provided some string to tie to the dog's collar. He brought the dog back to the very happy and relieved family. As of symbol of their relief and gratitude, they gave Jasper 10 dollars. He came home all excited to show us he had gotten the money and to ask if we had two fives as he wanted to share the money with the other kids who helped him. We found the change and he headed off to give the kids their share of the reward. He came back about 15 mins later and reported that he just gave the whole ten dollars to the other kids. He told us that he knew he had forty dollars and that he thought that they didn't and that they had actually found the dog but didn't know who he belonged to, so he gave it all to them to share. "Besides, now I have about 13 new friends," he said and ran back out to go play with the boy, Niko, next door. We were amazed and warmed!
Since leaving in December, I, Like Megan, have had opportunity and joy to read many good books., I read "Three Cups of Tea", The Tipping Point, another Mitch Albom story "For One more Day" a novel called "Lost and Found" and I am currentlly reading another novel "The Whistling Season" but I am mainly, currently, completely and thoroughly enjoying and somewhat obsessed and mesmerized by the reading of the book "Mark Twain - Himself".
This book is a chronological account of his life through corresponding excerpts of his writing, explanations from the author and accounts of Twain's where abouts, travels, aquaintenances, friends, family, drawings, jobs, notes and potraits, newspaper articles and many other pieces of info all assembled in remarkable fashion to illustrate the life and times of Samual L. Clemens and how he became so well known/famous in the mid to late 1800's. Before reading this I had no idea he was born in Florida....... Florida, Missouri. He moved A LOT but spent a good deal of time in Hannibal, MS and thus where we have now added another stop to our journey. His success and carreer were nothing if not magical and mysterious but certainly illustrious. He met near every dignitary of his day from here to Hawaii to Russia, if you can believe even one word of what he says in his writings.
Speaking of writing, I wanted to let you all know of some really wonderfully, cool news. My great friend, who meets me and travels with me in and to many different places in the world as I go... Dan Zuckergoods' new, first book "Teaching in the Real World-Stratagies to Survive and Thrive" is being published by Prentice Hall and is currently in printing and will be released in all of your favorite book stores throughout the country on Feb 27, 08'
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0131590529,00.html
Take a look at the book on the site and pick it up in the stores! I am very excited for him!
This is a remarkably touching book that will pull at your heart strings as you read the real life journey of the making of a magnificant , extraordinary teacher and the touching moments that Dan (and his students) gets to experience and enhance as he participates in this process with his student teachers. He is a professor at Springfield College, Springfield, MA and begrudgingly allows me to beat him at golf (albeit occasionally). He shares the rest of his life and freindship with me willingly. Dan and his daughter, Megan, (a student at Springfield College) met us recently for the afternoon at The Alligator Farm (pictures soon) just outside of Everglades National Park on their way back to the cold north after a week cruise during winter break from school. We hope to meet next in Clevland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. http://www.rockhall.com/
I have been there and have been tantilizing him since to get there and enjoy our lifes' time as seen thru music. Soon!
Speaking more of writing, I have completed the outline, the development of the majority of the characters and have even written a few thousand words for the story I am writing for my first book. The tentative title is "The Discovery of Passion". This will be novel with the underscore of how several of the characters discover and rediscover the heartfelt true purpose in their lives.
I am so very much enjoying the writing process and hope that someone actually gets to read it when I am done.
Thanks for all of your comments, calls and continued support and connectivity to us while we are on this trip. I have not enjoyed a winter this much since the first time I experienced a blizzard as a young boy of 10 in Meriden, CT.
Maybe, just maybe, I am enjoying this one a little more.
From suburban Port St. Lucie, FL!
Currently the blog machine will not let me check spelling or post pictures so, sorry in advance!
We are making rumblings about heading out early next week, which really means thinking about specifically where and doing some planning before we leave. This way we actually discover the next place to see and things to do and explore and maybe even have a place to pull the RV into for the night if we remember to plan that much in advance.
(This piece is important to me(Bill) so I generally make sure that we are set with a place to sleep before we head off somewhere. But, I must admit that I have been getting better with just going with it and seeing what turns up. It is actually becoming exciting and less worrisome (most of the time when I can have faith that ALL IS WELL!)
We are spending this week doing projects around the house to help Bud (Megs Uncle) out but mainly focused on making the house work for Pop! (Megs Grandfather) much to his immediate chagrin. We have made some accessible renovations in his bathroom to make it easier for him to use (which as of last night he didn't like and told us to take them out) and also added in a couple of functional item repairs to keep things running smooth. We will also do some asthsetic changes on the in and out to get some of the things completed that working, living, being in a loving relationship and taking care of someone would or does prevent most of us from getting to on the house. It is great to be here and great to get to be with Bud and Pop and be a vital part of the family unit.
Jasper has just been having a great time here. He has fully integrated into the neighborhood with all of the available kids and waits anxiously for them to get home from school each day so they can begin another play adventure. I imagine it is somewhat novel for them as well, to have an out of town, home schooled kid to play with, particularly when it is Jasper.
The other day a couple came walking down the street in an obvious panic and very upset stating that they had lost there dog. Jasper got on his bike and rode thru the neighborhood until he found the dog, a grown German Shepard, got the dog with the help of some of his new to be friends, who provided some string to tie to the dog's collar. He brought the dog back to the very happy and relieved family. As of symbol of their relief and gratitude, they gave Jasper 10 dollars. He came home all excited to show us he had gotten the money and to ask if we had two fives as he wanted to share the money with the other kids who helped him. We found the change and he headed off to give the kids their share of the reward. He came back about 15 mins later and reported that he just gave the whole ten dollars to the other kids. He told us that he knew he had forty dollars and that he thought that they didn't and that they had actually found the dog but didn't know who he belonged to, so he gave it all to them to share. "Besides, now I have about 13 new friends," he said and ran back out to go play with the boy, Niko, next door. We were amazed and warmed!
Since leaving in December, I, Like Megan, have had opportunity and joy to read many good books., I read "Three Cups of Tea", The Tipping Point, another Mitch Albom story "For One more Day" a novel called "Lost and Found" and I am currentlly reading another novel "The Whistling Season" but I am mainly, currently, completely and thoroughly enjoying and somewhat obsessed and mesmerized by the reading of the book "Mark Twain - Himself".
This book is a chronological account of his life through corresponding excerpts of his writing, explanations from the author and accounts of Twain's where abouts, travels, aquaintenances, friends, family, drawings, jobs, notes and potraits, newspaper articles and many other pieces of info all assembled in remarkable fashion to illustrate the life and times of Samual L. Clemens and how he became so well known/famous in the mid to late 1800's. Before reading this I had no idea he was born in Florida....... Florida, Missouri. He moved A LOT but spent a good deal of time in Hannibal, MS and thus where we have now added another stop to our journey. His success and carreer were nothing if not magical and mysterious but certainly illustrious. He met near every dignitary of his day from here to Hawaii to Russia, if you can believe even one word of what he says in his writings.
Speaking of writing, I wanted to let you all know of some really wonderfully, cool news. My great friend, who meets me and travels with me in and to many different places in the world as I go... Dan Zuckergoods' new, first book "Teaching in the Real World-Stratagies to Survive and Thrive" is being published by Prentice Hall and is currently in printing and will be released in all of your favorite book stores throughout the country on Feb 27, 08'
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0131590529,00.htmlTake a look at the book on the site and pick it up in the stores! I am very excited for him!
This is a remarkably touching book that will pull at your heart strings as you read the real life journey of the making of a magnificant , extraordinary teacher and the touching moments that Dan (and his students) gets to experience and enhance as he participates in this process with his student teachers. He is a professor at Springfield College, Springfield, MA and begrudgingly allows me to beat him at golf (albeit occasionally). He shares the rest of his life and freindship with me willingly. Dan and his daughter, Megan, (a student at Springfield College) met us recently for the afternoon at The Alligator Farm (pictures soon) just outside of Everglades National Park on their way back to the cold north after a week cruise during winter break from school. We hope to meet next in Clevland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. http://www.rockhall.com/
I have been there and have been tantilizing him since to get there and enjoy our lifes' time as seen thru music. Soon!
Speaking more of writing, I have completed the outline, the development of the majority of the characters and have even written a few thousand words for the story I am writing for my first book. The tentative title is "The Discovery of Passion". This will be novel with the underscore of how several of the characters discover and rediscover the heartfelt true purpose in their lives.
I am so very much enjoying the writing process and hope that someone actually gets to read it when I am done.
Thanks for all of your comments, calls and continued support and connectivity to us while we are on this trip. I have not enjoyed a winter this much since the first time I experienced a blizzard as a young boy of 10 in Meriden, CT.
Maybe, just maybe, I am enjoying this one a little more.
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