Essdack where the Learning Pendulum Never Stops!

Where in the world can you spend hours of your week working, learning and just simply enjoying your day. There are so many things about where I work "Essdack" that make me smile. We are an "Educational Service Center" right in the middle of Kansas and right in the heart of the USA. I have blogged in the past on "life long learning" . If you are eager to stay current on new technologies, and great new ideas on teaching the young to read, or making math fun, then hanging out in my office will be quite enjoyable. Now the reading, math and current technology is just a drop in the bucket to the many things our service center contributes to the educational world. Our employees are energetic and so very eager to teach anyone that wants to learn. Our specialists are the greatest! They are always learning in their field of expertise so our guests who enter leave with something new and exciting for them and the students in their classrooms.

This very morning we had a staff meeting and had valuable conversation about blogging and face booking. We have been ask to write blogs for well over a year now so while it still feels new it is becoming a little more comfortable. We continue to learn tools with both that we can better use these new technologies. I always tell my friends and my family already knows and understands what a great place Essdack is to work with great friends and colleagues. I say to all of you "just keep your mind open and don't be afraid to jump out of the box".

"Like a Good Neighbor"

I know that most of you know that State Farm's claim to fame is: "Like a Good Neighbor State Farm is there". What you most likely do not know is that for me personally, I am a State Farm prodigy. State Farm is the only insurance company in my family since my childhood. From the time I was a young driver many years ago "State Farm" has always been there for me. In the past 10 years my son Andy has been employed with the "Good Neighbor" company. He started his career as an underwriter for autos in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After two years he took the position as a "State Farm Agent" in Salina, Kansas. After several years of agency in Salina he took a management position working with many "State Farm Agents" in the Wichita, Hutchinson, Kansas area. He is an educator by college degree so those skills as a teacher were perfect for assisting agents with their businesses. His true desire however, was to have his own "State Farm Agent" office again. One of his best talents is meeting people and being in t

he business he has chosen gives him the opportunity to provide a needed service to families living in his community.

With that I am so excited to have him back in his hometown, Hutchinson, Kansas. He has had the opportunity to take an agency in the city where he was born and raised. Communities are always excited to have young professionals return to where they have childhood memories. It will be exciting for Andy to see folks that he has known forever and fun for him to meet new Hutchonians. He will open his doors for business in Hutchinson, Kansas April 1st. The time is just about here so if you are in the area watch for "Andy Fry State Farm Agent" to open the doors to his new office at: 2420 North Main, Hutchinson, Kansas, in the State Fair Shopping Center.

For me, I am very happy to have him back home. I am richly blessed to have an extension of my family come home to live and work. Check out his commercial by clicking on State Farm below.

STATE FARM

Moments that take Your Breath Away

As I move on through life I learn valuable lessons everyday. I guess that is what should happen if we are truly living life. I am continually amazed by how I am blessed with a great family, great friends, and a great working environment and great health too!

I try everyday to remind myself of what is really important. Really when you think about that, it is people. Whether we are at work, home, or anywhere it is always the people that help me make memories and moments that take my breath away. I don't have the opportunity that often to spend quality time with my Lawrence Kansas family. There are two very special kids there, Sam and Haley, and then of course their parents Brad and Emily "my daughter". I know we live in a world of technology where we can phone, text, skype, and email. However, I have a lot more fun seeing those I love face to face. Children are so expressive and often times being there in person brings those cherished moments closer. Even in a work setting it is the people that stir creativity and also fill my head and mind with memories.

I am a country music fan and "The King of Country" George Strait is one of my very favorite country artists. His song "The Breath You Take" really says it all for me. It just falls so close to home for me in all aspects. We only have one chance in life to have "moments that take our breath away". I need to be looking and noticing the small things that happen for they are the most important.

I want to challenge the readers of this blog to look for moments that happen in life that take your breath away!

Please listen to them music and lyrics of the song and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Transition is a Good Thing

Today's blog is on "transition". I have always known in my life that everything changes and nothing stays the same. I have also blogged in the past on "life long learning" and how important it is to focus on learning something new everyday. Please check out the site on 15 steps to cultivate life long learning. Many times it feels safer and more comfortable to stay in your box. The problem with that is we are not pushed to the limit of learning something new. Learning can take on many different shapes and sizes. It can make you nervous, a little stressed, and then it can also build your confidence and most importantly your knowledge. As we get older it is important to continue doing activities that make us think and use different parts of our brain. Many times during our life we experience many forms of transition. Just to name a few, going to college, getting married, children leaving home and losing a loved one.

I am experiencing transition in my work place "Essdack". It has been exciting to learn some new technology and support skills that are different than what I have previously experienced. At Essdack we have educational specialists that support educators in the learning process. These are folks that work diligently to have learning be fun and exciting whether you are a kid or an adult. These are creative folks that put all of themselves in to their trainings. Supporting them is not new for me but my responsibilities have changed and the transition feels good.

Hot Chili Peppers!

A couple weeks ago Tim, myself and friends spent a few fun filled days in Toas, New Mexico. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets in several different locations in the area. Sunsets are beautiful no matter where we are, but there is something about the mountains that makes for magnificent "eye candy". We enjoyed the square with so much to see. We all loved the food of the area too!

To that end this blog mainly is about "chili peppers". We enjoyed peppers one night in almost a soup form. It was so delicious! It was so good we all could have taken a spoon and eaten it like soup. We had the opportunity to come home with a sack of of "chili peppers". I decided that I would use both red and green for our brats and kraut lunch. Chopped chili peppers seemed the perfect addition to our meal. I proceeded to my chopping block with a knife and peppers in hand. I was thinking to myself fresh from New Mexico doesn't get much better. I prepared the peppers for the grill and went on about the business at hand. Tim did the grilling and I was attending to last minute details so that we could enjoy our invited guests. As I am chopping away I noticed that I was getting hot! I mean like my skin, finger tips, and eyes. Now please understand I was pretty inexperienced with chili peppers straight from New Mexico. I continued chopping because I was on a mission to have these hot things for lunch.

Lunch was served and so were the peppers. One bite for me was plenty because at that point my fingers felt as though I had burned them on a hot stove. I had barely any feeling on the tips of my fingers. Please read this link on How to Treat a Hot Pepper Burn. This saved me from continuing to burn. I will always love peppers but I will treat those little things with a lot of respect! Beware the next time you are thinking of tackling them bare handed.

Life is a Journey Worth Doing!

This past weekend was spent with my daughter Emily, Sam age 6 and Haley age 10, my grandchildren. Also included in the weekends festivities were 3 other special people, Diane, Cameron 10 and Mackenzie 8. They are very special friends of Emily's family. They came to Hutchinson for the Kansas State Fair and a concert on Sunday afternoon from Lawrence. As I had the opportunity to spend quality time with this gang, I began feeling very blessed! They all were awesome to be with. My heart began feeling full of how blessed I am to have them in my life. For those of you that know me and for those of you that don't, I am a relationship person. If my life begins going in a direction that I am not enriched by relationships I am not a happy person. I feel discontentment that makes me feel unsettled. If my life situations put me in a spot that I don't feel connected with my loved ones or friendships acquired over a lifetime I struggle with what is important.

The exciting thing for me about this weekend is that my grand daughter Haley has been so excited to share our home with her friends. That in itself is pretty awesome! She is awesome so I shouldn't be surprised. She is a kid that is about relationships too! I love being in her life as well as her families life. Haley and her friend Cameron are just a duo. They compliment each other in such a way that shows such maturity. They are friends for life, I can see that already. To be a grammy and have a grand daughter that is intuitive, social, loving, that enjoys spending time with me is a blessing that brings me such joy. Please don't be mistaken I love all of my family and grand children. This blog just happens to focus on Haley and her zest for life in such an exuberant way it just inspires me. There is no price tag that could be put on spending quality time with my relationship people. This weekend was NO exception.

It Takes a Village

As I reflect on the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" I have somewhat changed my views over the last few years on whether or not I agreed. Being a grandma, "grammy if you will" is what my own grand kids elected to call me upon me expressing that is what I wanted them to call me. It just seemed best suited for me personally. Oh my, it does take a village as you see little ones as darling babies grow into their own individual person. What I have observed as I think about "the village" is how valuable grandparents are in the lives of our grand kids. I have worked diligently since my 3 have been babies to be a very intricate part of their precious lives. I have always told them to call me anytime of the day or night, if you just want to talk. I will always be there for you and never, ever, go away!! Kids need to know that there are other adults in their lives besides mom and dad that will care for them unconditionally. It is important for them to feel at ease with changes that may happen in their world. School and other social situations in a kids life can put pressure on them and for some they may need another ear to listen.

What does the word "village" really mean. Check out what Webster's says. The residents of a village are compared to the people in a child's village, or their world. Many people make up a child's world. Parents, grandparents, step parents and step grandparents, teachers, coaches, church school teachers, scout leaders, the list could go on and on. Often times one or more of the names on this list are very involved in a child's life. That person or persons can help the child with life and the issues that are present on any given day. As I have observed the changes that happen as children develop, both my own kids, grand kids, and all others that have been a huge part of my life, could not have survived without the support of their "village".

Yes, in my opinion and in my small world there have been many villages of great human beings that have been there for kids of all ages.