Every age and stage has a purpose

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 22 September 2009 13:41

“There is no other time in a woman’s life when she needs to be quite as smart as when she is looking after young children.”

—Katherine Ellison, author/journalist



Raising kids is anything but boring. It’s so rewarding when my oldest daughter looks up at me from her math book and says, “I don’t understand this. Can you help me?” I smile knowingly, give her head a little pat and lean over to scan the open page.

Why not? I’ll give her a leg-up, walk her through the first couple of…whoa, wait a minute. Number theories? Prime and composites? What the…? She’s in fifth grade, right?

Now it’s all coming together. I get it. Fifth grade is a math test. Just like the other tests I’ve been given. Infancy was a...

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Outdoor jobs a growing ‘to-do’ list

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 08 September 2009 13:58

“They know, they just know where to grow, how to dupe you, and how to camouflage themselves among the perfectly respectable plants, they just know, and therefore, I’ve concluded weeds must have brains.”  —Dianne Benson, “Dirt,” 1994



I’ve been looking for an excuse to clean my patio. I haven’t exactly over-exerted myself looking, but I’ve browsed. My new (used) patio furniture gave a little boost, but the spark didn’t last.

It’s reasonable to assume a new patio set would lead to the desire to barbecue more, resulting in more meals around the patio set. And if you go through all that trouble, you sure won’t want to stare at an overgrown garden or terra cotta pots full of dried out flowers. This in itself...

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You can make an impact right here

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 25 August 2009 13:32

“I consider myself an average man, except in the fact that I consider myself an average man.”

—Michel de Montaigne,

French philosopher/writer



There comes a time when you realize one of two things. Either you’re just like everybody else or you’re special. I know, everybody is special in their own way. But let’s be honest, there are some people who excel, make a bigger impact or leave a larger mark on the world around them. This isn’t a negative thing, just a realistic one.

I’ve noticed a string of similar images and ideas coming at me in the recent weeks. They revolve around that one thing: Impact.

How do we impact other people? Who do we impact the most? It’s a test in perception and self-awareness. People...

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No special tools needed to live, learn

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 11 August 2009 14:10

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” —Albert Ellis

 

In March 2006, Forbes magazine published a list of what they called “The 20 Most Important Tools Ever,” which was compiled by a bunch of experts who know a lot about stuff like this. In addition to being a source of stimulating conversation between me and my 10-year-old for a solid commercial break, the list is interesting in and of itself.

The top 20 include the knife, abacus, compass, pencil, harness, rifle, sword, eyeglasses, saw, watch, needle, candle, telescope, fish hook and chisel. (The entire...

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