make money online

Lawns Big Enough for a Garden

I have seen so many homes, and so many yards here in Tallahassee, and elsewhere. What I do not see in the yards, some big, some small, are organic gardens, or any kind of vegetable or fruit garden. What a shame, I would say, since food grown at home, using organics, is fresher, healthy, and richer, than produce bought in the supermarkets. Would it not be nice to follow Thomas Jefferson’s idea for America back in the 1800’s, which was that America would be dotted with organic farms, and most of us would be working in our organic gardens/farms? Many of us did before Big Oil came along. Much of America’s prosperity, and moral development, came as an effect of our simple, small farm, small town, entrepreneurship lifestyle before oil changed all that.

What comes to thought, when thinking about “organic” or “organics?” For me, I think about nature, naturalness, back to basics, home grown, putting the garden to work, not using synthetics, chemicals. An organic garden is a chemical-free garden, if by chemical is meant synthetic chemical, not natural chemicals freely found in nature.

An organic garden is a healthy garden. The soil is not unnaturally tampered with through the introduction of contaminents, pesticides, or chemicals that in nature do not belong there. Before the emergence of the petroleum industry along with our petroleum based agricultural system, everything grown was organic. Prior to the 30’s America was filled with organic gardens, and agricultural models based on sustainable, organic operations.

An organic garden is a location in which vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, bushes, are grown using nature’s elements of controlling bugs, and other garden critters. It is an open, but controlled ecosystem. Substancially, Organic gardening is about controlling the bug population, so that healthy plants can emerge. In addition to this, and in support of this, organic gardening uses a system of plant rotation, so that the same bugs do not infect the same plants year after year. Compost, and mulch which can include pine needle straw, especially here in Tallahassee, Florida, but also, bark chips, small twigs, paper, and more compost, play a big part in a healthy garden, and healthy soil.  Compost is the garden’s best friend, so it does not hurt to use it in abundance, with the proper balance of nitrogen and carbon inputs. A healthy soil, thanks to nutruient rich compost, and proper working of the soil, along with water, and sunlight inputs, will reduce the unwanted bugs, and insects. Healthy plants keep many of the critters away. Mulch will control water evaporation and absorption, and protect the soil from the hot sun’s rays. Also, attracting birds by putting up bird baths, and bird feeds helps control bug population too. However, some bugs are good, and attack the ones that eat our plants. We want to attract those as well, such as the ladybugs.

I am now about to go back to work in my organic garden, as I always have a rich population of tomatos, peppers, squash, basil, and others. In fact, we have not bought any of this vegetables for over two years. Not one, except for an event we participated in in which we needed a bigger amount of produce than what we had. Overall, we are getting better at organic gardening here in Tallahassee, and hope to be 80 percent vegetable independent within the next three years. Much of that will have to do with how successful we are at composting, and controlling the bugs. Yes, that is the essential task: getting rid of the hungry pests.

What is Special About my Tallahassee

Today, I am viewing Lake Ella, which is a central location in Tallahassee, Florida. Around Lake Ella, is a walking path, grass areas for sitting, or sun bathing, benches scattered around for sitting, reading or watching the many ducks that claim Lake Ella as their home. There is a coffee shop, Black Dog Cafe, beside the lake which is a popular place to relax, drink Tallahassee’s best coffee, read a book, visit with friends, or play a game of chess. You can sit indoors, in the outdoor area of the business, or take your coffee for a stroll around Lake Ella. The lake always is populated with walkers, runners, scate boarders, children, seniors, students, couples, singles, dog owners, and visitors. It is popular for the lunch break crowd, after works folks who want to take a stroll around the lake, and evening walkers. Lake Ella is close to Tallahassee Mall, many restaurants, and other business establishments. If you live in Tallahassee, you probably have gone to Lake Ella for the many events that take place there.  Astronomy groups meet in the evenings at times throughout the year with their telescopes. There has been dog shows, farmers markets, St Patrick Day celebrations, weddings, carnivals, and much more.

Tallahassee’s Seven Days of Opening Nights is a series of top cultural presentations starting in January and includes orchestra, opera, musical, and other arts of high quality. Besides this, there are musical and cultural presentations throughout the year.

Tallahassee’s Downtown MarketPlace occurs every Saturday from March through November, and is consists of a long line of vendors selling fresh vegetables, crafts, and foods ready to eat on the spot. There is usually live music. The setting is on Park Avenue’s downtown park with the Leon County Public Library nearby, and beside this long green space plaza. This a a good reason to get downtown on Saturdays.

Tallahassee’s two biggest festivals include Springtime Tallahassee, with thousands upon thousands of visitors, and many vendors. There is a spectacular parade welcoming the beautiful spring in Tallahassee, my favorite time of the year. The other festival is the Winter Festival before Christmas, which also has a spectacular parade, and so many people watching and participating. It is usually cold in the evenings here in northern Florida in the evening of the festival, and I always have to wear my warmest coat and a warm hat.

Macclay Gardens in the northwest sector of Tallahassee is a State Botanical garden, and on the property, there is a historical mansion, a lake for summertime swimming, boating, and picnics, and hiking trails. Within Tallahassee, you can hike in nature. There is so much natural green in Tallahassee. That attracts me so much. Tallahassee Symphony has concerts in the gardens, and they are wonderful outside musical events.

If you want to know more about Tallahassee let me know.

Kenneth Fach
Tallahassee, Florida.

Who is Kenneth Fach in Tallahassee

Now, I am going to describe who Kenneth Fach in Tallahassee, Florida is. Kenneth came to Tallahassee in 1994, to work on his master’s program in the School of Arts at Florida State University. He spent much of his time in the Dodd building and in the teaching assistants office, since Kenneth taught Spanish to undergraduates during his graduate program, and was a popular teacher for the several years he was teaching. After graduating, he went back into high school teaching. Kenneth, his wife, and son, have not left Tallahassee since 1994, as they both like the community, and the surroundings.

Some know Kenneth Fach as a real estate agent, who started his career in Pensacola, Florida, his hometown community, and later, continuing real estate in Tallahassee. Kenneth is known by a few as a mortgage consultant, with a deepfelt desire to help all who want to get into a home. Others know Kenneth Fach  as a Spanish teacher, a youth volunteer, a garden enthusiast, a friend of nature, a hiker, camper, a Christian Scientist, a devout student of biblical studies, a loyal husband, good dad, and an avid  coffee drinker.   He has been active with the scouts, encouraging his son in his scout achievements.  Others, know Kenneth Fach  as a Florida state employee, since he worked for Florida for about six years using his writing, editing, computer, foreign language and customer service skills. Kenneth blogs on a variety of topics: micro-blogging, technology, land, real estate,  northwest Florida lifestyles, Tallahassee, camping experiences, home decorating, and improving ideas, and  growing up in ranch style homes.   Kenneth desires to spend much more time blogging, as he is passionate about the written word. Kenneth Fach is a lot of different things, and puts the spiritual, before the material in all aspects of his living.

Kenneth likes Tallahassee because of the many natural green spaces all over. He loves trees, parks, and the color green, his favorite color. Kenneth  painted the interior walls of his prior home, sage green, as the dominating color, but had also painted the interior walls of other homes because of his inspirational and attractive use of the color green.

Kenneth likes the closeness of Tallahassee to many of Florida’s state parks, national forests, beaches, lakes, rivers, cultural attractions, a yearly grape festival, Christmas festival, Spring Celebration, and so much more. He finds everything he wants in Tallahassee, except for mountains, and canyons. He likes taking his family to fine musical concerts at Florida State University, and FAMU.

Prior to coming to Tallahassee, and after graduate school, Kenneth taught school, used innovative teaching strategies to get the students involved in learning, and had classes filled with movement and activity, literally. Kenneth always believes that everyone should participate in his classes, and he had a way of making this happen. Although, his teaching methodology, and strategies were working with the students, and were getting students involved, a few members of the leadership, and a few fellow teachers were of the old school, and did not accept, or welcome innovative teaching styles from a young teacher in their turf. Schools are often centers of teacher and administrator political plays, and old school ways of doing things, which have proven to be ineffective in many subject areas. Kenneth is not against old fashion ideas, but he knows that in the times we live today, we need to cheerfully usher in innovation, newness, freshness, and discard the old, worn out clothing of older days. Too much is new today, and Kenneth welcomes that. He also welcomes a team approach to educating children, even getting parents involved, and interested.

Kenneth loved the classroom, but wanted to try other areas of work. He went to work for the State of Florida using his writing, computer, editing, foreign language, and customer service skills. Kenneth brough new ideas into his team at his workplace, and brought a lot of dedication to his job.

For much of his life, Kenneth Fach had been exposed to the workings of entrepreneurs. His uncle owned over 12 travel agencies in Chicago, his grandpa was a real estate developer in New Mexico, and and created and owned the most successful camera shop and photography business in Albuquerque in the early part of the 20th century. Kenneth’s other uncle was an Inn keeper in Illinois, and also invested in real estate. Kenneth’s dad was an artist, painter, owned his own picture frame and art gallery, sold all areas of  insurance, was an  investment planner, calligrapher, teacher of calligraphy, commercial artist, aviation engineer, and hollywood cameraman. Kenneth Fach comes from a family of so many diverse interests, and backgrounds, and this gives Kenneth much to be proud of.

Kenneth’s first love of his life, is his love for the Holy Bible. He gets this love from his dad who daily studied the bible and Christian metaphysics.

Kenneth Fach welcomes all into his circle of friendship, and brotherhood. Kenneth is all for following the precepts of his Master, Christ Jesus.

Kenneth talks with people about ranch style homes since he finds that some have never lived in this long lasting symbol of American architecture. Others like to share their experiences living in ranch style homes as well, with the many stories coming within these homes. Kenneth is proud of his ranch home background, and hopes that the ranch home always stays as an architectural icon for America.

I wonder who lived in this house

The other day, I saw this lovely, charming, home, near Madison, Florida. I had to pull out my Treo, and take a few pictures of it. Someone at sometime, lived in this house, ate in it, washed in it, changed clothes in it, stored materials in it, and was comforted by the home atmosphere. In other words, this dilapidated, run down, wooden structure, served the need for one or more individuals.

I really was not trying to be cute by saying that this is a lovely, charming, home. However, it probably was in the past. I have seen many structures like this, that at one time served as a comfortable home. I have often stopped my car to get out and walk around, and into these abandoned houses. I never get tired of that, and it fascinates me. I look forward to the next abandoned home that I can explore. There are plenty of abandoned homes in northwest Florida.

Since childhood, I have been fascinated with old structures, and abandoned homes,such as this. Dad took me to old ghost towns when we lived a couple years in New Mexico, when I was an elementary aged child. We walked in and out of abandoned buildings on abandoned roads. This had an impact on my interest in old structures. If you have not experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of abandoned towns, ghost towns, you have missed an experience that I can say, I have had.

I recall the summers I spent on my grandpa’s farm, in Santa Rosa County, Florida, and the exploration I did of old wooden barns and storage building on his, and nearby farms. It was fun climbing in and out of these wwden buildings, exploring lofts, dark rooms, and passageways. It was fun climbing up onto the roofs, and entering through open spaces between walls. I used these buildings as if they were tree houses. One farm had maybe 10 different building to explore. What joy for a 10 year old. I think these simple wooden structures held more interest to me that teasing, and scaring the pigs and chickens.

Later, as I did my three years in the service, stationed in Germany, I walked all over the land, into the countryside, into the forests, and found old structures, some even medieval, and had opportunities to enter and explore these abandoned dwellings.

Each building is a story. I like to imagine and contemplate on those who used the buildings and what they did in them. A picture tells a thousand words the saying goes, well, seeing an abandoned building is a picture, and thousands of words are telling a story. We just have to ponder the story as we view and experience the house, barn or other abandoned improvement on the land.

Joy in Florida’s State Parks

If you really want to know Florida, you need to get out into our many state parks, 161, in total, national parks, and local parks. Florida is a state of outdoor pleasures and recreation, I know,  I grew up in northwest Florida, and have camped, hiked, and swam, in most of the many state parks in the region, including a few national seashores, for example, Gulf Islands National Seashore.

 

There is so much more to Florida, other than sunny, coastal beaches, boating, deep sea fishing, and cultural attractions of the big cities. Florida is a land of  various ecosystems, and natural preserves. Traveling from Pensacola, Florida, to Tallahassee, Florida, where I live, most of what is seen are forest lands, with an inexhaustible appearing of pine trees almost everywhere.

 

When you get out into our forests, you find our different species of pine trees. It seems that my friends, the pines, are everywhere in north Florida. I am thinking of the many tents I have put up underneath these forest watch towers. So much is attributed to the pines, economically, historically, and in terms of ecosystem survival. I have built many campfires using pine logs for fuel, and pine needles for tinder. I have used fallen pine trees as benches for sitting, and objects to practice my wood carving skills. I have used pines hang my hammocks, put up my clothesline, and to hang food. I have observed so many squirrels climbing up and down pine trees, and when I was a kid, in Milton, Florida, we had an abundance of squirrels in our pine rich backyard. Of all the trees on earth, the pines are my favorite. They take me down memory lane. For me, they represent nature in the world I know the most. The smell of pine, on a wet rainy day, or sunny day, in a thick pine forest, is a good and satisfying aroma, to me.

 

The Florida Trail, which goes 1,400 miles, from Big Cypress National Preserve in far south Florida, all the way to Fort Pickens in the Gulf Islands National Seashore close to Pensacola, Florida, in the far northwest corner of the state.  No, it is not the Appalachian Trail, with its many challenges, but the Florida Trail offers a different variety of challenges, from hiking through swamps, thick jungle like sections, and very high temperature, and humidity. Also, Florida has what some would say, every kind of dangerous snake, spider, and other critters, found in North America. The Florida Trail is not a fast walking trail. Caution is always necessary when on the trail.

 

There are many smaller hiking trails all over Florida, even within my nearby community of Tallahassee. There are many people in Tallahassee who are passionate about hiking, and camping, and the other day, I went to one of the local hiking group’s meetings, and listened to what the new schedule of hiking and camping trips consist of and where the events will take place.

 

To get involved in group hikes, trail maintenance, and to learn more about Florida’s trails, a good organization to join is the Florida Trail Association. Invididual membership is $30. Family membership is $35. The Apalachee Chapter which in in northwest Florida has a website, and it is http://apalachee.floridatrail.org. There toll-free phone number is 800-343-1882.

 

Northwest Florida has caves, in Mariana Caverns State park, in which the public can enter and view the rock formations, and learn about cave formation. There are other caves which I have found in north Florida as well, on private property as well as public lands. North Florida even has waterfalls, rolling hills in and around Tallahassee, and other parts of the region, many lakes, swamps, rivers, creeks, streams, bays, inlets, islands, white sand river banks, such as on the Blackwater River, near Milton, Florida, shell banks, shell mounds, Indian mounds, and sink holes. North Florida, which I know the most, is a great study of nature, and what the glaciers left so long ago as they helped to construct what is today, Florida.

 

One of my favorite activities growing up in northwest Florida, was swimming. I swam everywhere where there was water. I swam across lakes, and rivers. I loved swimming so much that during high school, I was on the Milton High swim team. During my college years at the University of West Florida, I divided my recreational time between swimming, playing tennis, camping and hiking.

 

Come on, you just got to experience the Florida outdoors, and if you live in Florida, experience more of land. I am always discovering something new in the land of northwest Florida. Now, I can share my outdoor love, with my son, and wife.

 

To find camping vacancies and reserve your campsite in any of Florida’s state parks, go to http://reserveamerica.com.

 

When I am in my organic garden, here in northwest Leon County, just outside of Tallahassee, looking over at the green zone conservation area, in back of our property, or when I am sitting beside a campfire in one of our favorite parks, or when, I am on a trail hiking, I think of the verse from Genesis, which always means much to me: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” The bible does not say it was just good, or just beautiful, or just OK, but it says that it was “very good.” That is exactly how I feel about nature in northwest Florida. It is so comforting to acknowledge this “very good” work of the Creator, especially on a very hot August day, or a cold January

day.

 

Here are some other useful Florida sites:

http://floridagreenwaysandtrails.com  Florida has many greenways

http://fl.dof.com  About Florida’s forests

http://floridastateparks.org  Good resource on state parks in Florida

http://VisitFlorida.com  A must see for people interested in Florida

 

A Weekend at Sandestin in Northwest Florida

This weekend, we had fun, relaxation, a lot of swimming, thick hamburgers, bicycling, and beautiful landscaping to view, all at Sandestin  Resort in Destin, Florida, on the northwest Florida white sand dunes of the Gulf of Mexico, close to Ft Walton Beach, Florida.

I think what impressed us the most this weekend at Sandestin, was the many palm trees, flowers, and landscaping all over. I only had my Treo 700 with me as I did not bring the digital camera, but it is always amazing how the cell phone pics can turn out good, to a degree.

 

We had this pool view right down from our balcony on the 5th Floor of Hotel Luau at Sandestin.

Sandestin is an enormous resort with many hotels in this Destin vacation spot. There are two big shopping districts, with restaurants, and art galleries. I would recommend Mangos if you want a big hamburger and nachos. It is in the Villages, which has a zipline, and trampoline area.

Look at the beautiful view of the soft, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We walked along the beach at night as well, and the water was so warm, just like in our swimming pool.

There he is, my son, always fascinated with every place we visit it seems, as long as we do more recreational activities and not so much window shopping, and viewing art shops. Oh, well, he is a typical boy, all the way.

What boy does not dream of a tree house like this. We all went up to the top, to the terrace way above. This is on the marina, bay side of the resort. By the way, everyone gets an hour of free use of the canoes, kayaks, tennis courts and bicycles.

You won’t see this view in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I met a family visiting from Albuquerque. I stated that I lived in New Mexico for a couple years as a young child, and that Albuquerque is probably vastly different now. I stated that New Mexico made a very big impression on me as a child, and it influenced my direction towards the love of nature, and the outdoors. One person in their party agreed that Albuquerque is  different, and that I am not missing much. The said that they would rather live on the beaches of Florida.

These spectacular palms. I had to observe the many varieties of palms, and the colorful landscaping. Flowers were all over. As an early riser, waking up typically around 5:00 in the morning, I prepared my coffee, and headed outdoors when the light appeared, and found a cozy sitting area, to read my Bible Lesson, and then, to walk around and view the flowers and the trees. Did all that before my morning swim.

Sandestin

Crooked Creek Development with Butterflies

Today, I took a 30 minute drive from Tallahassee, Florida,  to the small community of Monticello, in neighboring, Jefferson County. I had some business to complete at the old Jefferson High School, and it is old. I think of the memories these old school have for prior students. Monticello is an old, country community, with a lot of community pride, history, and in an area surrounded by horse farms, and horse stables, as well as evergreen forests. I see not just a few varieties of evergreens, but a vast array of green trees, as well as the seasonal leaf throwers. The old historic district of Monticello, has its big, stately turn of the century homes, and yards filled with an abundance of plants of many identities. I can’t help but get garden ideas from these old, out of the way communities.

In Monticello there is a new single family home development, called Crooked Creek, which is spacious, and at this time, only has infrastructure, and a couple homes. Once filled with homes, this will be a big neighborhood, but at this time, it is an empty piece of nature, with roads running through it.

Today, in Crooked Creek subdivision, I saw many yellow butterflies, big white birds with long necks, and a variety of different kinds of trees, mostly evergreen trees. You can tell I don’t know my flora and fauna names, but I do know the harmony and beauty of living in and surrounded by nature, because for most of my life I have been in that situation, and have been so united with nature.

I think of nature as another way of describing the creation of God. Nature is good, because nature is God. God made nature, and God is good. When I look at the forests, the trees, butterflies flying around together, birds together, all the beautiful, harmonious pieces of nature, I think of the verse from Genesis in which it says, “God saw everything he had made, and behold it was very good.” What I saw today was very good too.

I talk to so many people who want land, or want to have a quieter lifestyle, with the loveliness of creation appearing all around them, outside of thick urban areas. Tallahassee is much like that with all its parks, trees making the area look like a forest, and the many green, conservation zones between neigborhoods. Monticello, Florida is a community like this: green trees all over, quiet residential streets, a nature friendly, and people friendly community. Yes, God’s green creation, and for many, a garden of loveliness. Crooked Creek will be that comfort zone for individuals and families.

Crooked Creek is so easy to get to from the Tallahassee. The people in Monticello live a quiet, countryfied life, and yes, with those yellow butterflies, and can still get to Tallahassee for the many benefits of that larger community.

Tallahassee’s finest auto center

Having lived in the tree-filled city of Tallahassee, Florida, since 1994, I have visited many businesses and have seen how this relatively small community has grown, structurally, and economically.

One place of business that was here even before my arrival to Tallahasse is , Tuffy Auto Service Center.

When I have a problem or a service maintenance need for my vehicle, I take it to Tuffy’s and know that I will get quality service since they have well educated mecanics in that field of automobils. The work always gets done on time, and the price is not bad. I cannot complain at all. I will be taking my vehicle back there for the unforseeable future. I totally trust the work done at Tuffy Auto Center, and the mechanical talents of the employees who work at Tuffy’s.

Recently, I received a card in the post mail from Tuffy Auto Center. It stated that as a loyal customer I can come in for a free oil change and tire rotation. This is the first auto service center that has offered me this free service. I am a happy customer and yes, I took them up with that offer a couple days ago. I did not have to wait long and now I am even happier. The people at Tuffy’s know how to treat their customers. Free is nice.

Tuffy Auto Service Center is a tradition and a symbol in Tallahassee. They are ideally located next to Tallahassee Mall, on North Monroe, one of the main north-south corridors through town.

Being Prepared the GreatBearOutdoors Way

I am fond of camping in the great outdoors. I know the rules that make a  successful camper, and the most important of these rules  is to be prepared. Now, you can be prepared, by going to http://GreatBearOutdoors.com and gettting your camping supplies such as tents, and sleeping bags. 

GreatBearOutdoors offers a big selection of camping tents for all types of camping ecosystems and camping experiences. It is nice to know that you can also pick up a variety of tent accessories such as rope, poles, stakes, and repair parts. They have it all in terms of meeting your camping needs. If you are like me you want to be prepared for the many surprises that occur in camping and  with regard to your camping tent.

Besides tents, you can also find a big variety of sleeping bags as both tents and sleeping bags are their specialty. You will find at the GreatBearOutdoors website under the category of sleeping bags all kinds of sleeping arrangements: cots, kids sleeping bags, hammocks, mattresses, blankets, and pillows. Just like tents, there is also a wide selection of accessories for your sleeping experience in the great outdoors. I can’t think of anything not found at http://GreatBearOutdoors.com.

We usually camp once every other month, in the northwest Florida outdoors, but have also camped in Colorado, New Mexico, the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, Tennessee, Mexico, and Paraguay, South America. Camping is a rewarding, joyous and wonderful experience for individuals, couples, families and groups.  Just be prepared, and go http://GreatBearOutdoors.com to get all your camping supplies.

A New Dog Addition to Our Tallahassee Family

For years, living in northwest Florida, Connecticut, South America,  I lived without the in-home companionship of a dog. That has changed, and now, I am learning again, how to care, and love our new addition to the family: a Rott Weiler Mix. I hope I have the spelling correct.  I don’t do good with dog names, and I am not knowledgeable on the many types of dogs, but there is one thing I have, and that is an abundance of love to give to a dog.

Mocha is an adorable, cute 11 week old puppy. Too me, he reflects so many spiritual qualities from his Creator: purity, cheerfulness, loyalty, obedience, goodness, and many more. I think of the verse from Genesis, “And God saw everything he had made and behold it was very good.”

Having grown up with dogs, and then, being without one for years, and now having one again, has brought back many memories from dogland. My son wanted a dog so much, and we waited so long, kind of like waiting to buy a first home. Now, we are in our fourth home, but with our first dog as a family. Just in these few weeks, there has been an added dimension of joy and cheerfulness in our home.

We know there will be challenges with training the dog, and keeping the dog out and away from our organic garden, but these challenges can be met, including the puppy challenges of not wetting in the house. We are doing the crate training, and also following the teachings of Cesar Millan, in his “very good” book, Be the Pack Leader. This book discusses how to correctly discipline a dog, walk the dog, support the dog, and care for the dog. It discusses the reasons dog behave the way they do which according to the author, often have to do with the state of mind of the owners.

My son, as well as the rest of us, will benefit from having a dog addition to the family. I just know that. Having a dog shows that there are new ways to love, and to be loved.

Where a Teacher can be a Teacher

This was sent to my email today, and I have to post it here since the message is very serious. There is so much confusion, materialism, and regulation in society today, unlike the past. Teachers have to be many other things besides teachers. I know. I was a school teacher for seven years, and I know the issues public school teachers face today, and because of this, and the school environment, many families are homeschooling their children, or sending them to private schools. Of couse not all public schools, or school districts are as extreme as in the message below, but this si the general trend and drift of public education overall today. I went into teaching because I love in share knowledge, work with others, help children learn new things, and contribute to the community. Teaching is about loving. I am thinking of the bible verse, “freely ye have received, freely give.” That is what teaching is about: giving. Giving from the abundance of Love. As you read this email below, think of ways that we can bring the classroom back to the normal, traditional environment of teachers teaching, and children learning, without the interplay, disruption, and all the unrelated issues of education, that teachers have to deal with in the classroom today. Let’s bring back logic to the role of teacher, and let the teacher be a teacher again, like it once was. Here is the email: “ TEACHER JOB APPLICANT   >> After being interviewed by the school administration, >> the teaching prospect said, >> ‘Let me see if I’ve got this right: >>  >> You want me to go into that room with all those kids, >> correct their disruptive behavior, >> observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress >> habits, >> censor their T-shirt messages, and instil in them a love >> for learning. >>  >> You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, >> wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, >> and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride. >>  >> You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, >> sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, >> balance a chequebook, and apply for a job. >>  >> You want me to check their heads for lice, >> recognize signs of antisocial behaviour, >> and make sure that they all pass the provincial exams. >>  >> You want me to provide them with an equal education >> regardless of their handicaps, >> and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, >> telephone, newsletter, and report card. >>  >> You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a >> blackboard, a bulletin board, >> a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that >> qualifies me for welfare. >>  >> You want me to do all this and then you tell me… >> I CAN’T PRAY?”

Turning the Compost

I was out in my Tallahassee, Florida, garden today, working my compost bin: feeding it more nitrogen and carbon materials, dampening it, and thoroughly turning everything in it. The turning is quite intensive as this has to do with the hot temperatures at work in the compost bin. I want to make sure all the microorganisms get to it and do their work of breaking it down, and excreting nutrients, so that in when the compost is ready, I can spread it over my garden beds.

As I was turning and working the compost, I was thinking of the turning and working that goes on in the cycles of nature, such as the movement of the seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. I was thinking of the cycles in a day, morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night. I was thinking of the cycles in the the seven days of creation in Genesis 1 in the bible. There is a lot of good expressed in that biblical story. I was also thinking of the cycles in the economy in general, and  the mortgage industry, specifically. In a relatively short amount of time, I was thinking of all the good that goes on in cycles, natural or expressed by man. Each day of creation is an expression of good, whether it be the light of the first day, the firmament dividing the sky from the earth in the second day, or the land and the seas of the third day, and so forth. There is good in all these cycles, that constitute the universe, the earth, our environment.  The media, however, would have us believe that all is doom, and bad. It reports only  what is wrong, or discordant, and leaves out good. In my contemplation in the garden, I was able to see only good, and not see, hear, think, feel, or consider one bad thought, one bad image from any source. I only felt the good that is all over the place.

Thinking, hearing, seeing, witnessing, expressing, loving, contemplating good, is very healthy, and inspiring. I do this everyday. I sit quietly, and for about 30 minutes minimum, I fill my consciousness with only good. Call this prayer, rejoicing, giving gratitude, quietly listening to angel messages. The result of this thought process is goodness reflected. When I am through thinking good thoughts, seeing good images, and surrounding myself with only good, I then, really feel good, and I can go forward with any project, or task, with that sense of ever-present good. This is a good exercise for all to practice, and fulfill each day, or perhaps, throughout the day. You start to feel that good is alive and well, amidst all the evil and negativity that seems to fill the air and world we live in. Good is so natural.

Anyway, I have a very good feeling about my new garden projects I am just now starting since the summer crops are almost gone. Still have some tomatoes, and peppers, but most of the plants have withered away. I will be constructing a brick outlined island to expand the garden, but doing that instead of making more rows. Gardenting is also a cycle, a good cycle. Everying about gardening is good. Can’t think of one bad thing. Not even a problem with pests, because we have never had a serious problem with bugs, or pests. We always have had a healthy, successful garden. Maybe it is because we keep out thoughts focused on the good around us. I can make a list of hundreds of things that are good in my life, and in the life of those around me. I can probably find hundreds of things good in the mortgage industry, the real estate industry, the retail business, education, economy, and people. If you want good, you will experience it. “What goes around comes around.” Let us make good go around. Don’t forget to thoroughly turn your compost material every several days, for a healthy, rich compost spread. You soil will love you for it.