Light Thoughts

     I had not been driving a school bus but a fews days when I made a mistake that could have ended my bus driving career before it started!  I was driving the school bus with a learning permit and my instructor was telling me where to go and how to drive safely.  We came to an intersection and my instructor told me to wait to turn right if there was a car coming from the opposite direction.      I do not know where my mind went but it obviously departed for a brief period because I started the turn even though there was a car right where I needed to go!  I think my instructor said something like "Okay then"  and ran to the back of the bus to try to make sure I did not hit the power pole right on the corner.  Meanwhile, my show down with the car was progressing nicely.  Because I was big and yellow, they started backing up.  I ran over the curb but missed the telephone pole!  In just a few seconds, it was all over a...

      Last Monday was my 63rd birthday so I started thinking about all the different presents I have been given over my lifetime.  I can't tell you everything I've gotten, but I can tell you that, at times, I was disappointed in what I received.  Okay, so I am sure we all can say that.  I think for me, part of the disappointment is that people did not really know what I wanted or needed.  Now days we tend to give people gift cards so they can get what they want.  Doing that makes gift giving easier and safer but we lose the personal touch that says we put effort into the gift giving because we really care about that person.  The sound you are now hearing is me climbing down off my soap box.       Three of the gifts that have meant the most to me did not come on my birthday but they had a great effect on me.  Full disclosure, I did not see them as gifts at the time, that came later.       When I was in ...

     A few weeks ago we had some hot weather.  Kathy and I are not opposed to hot weather provided our air conditioning is working properly.  We usually stay inside and only venture out when necessary.              Whenever we look at our weather app and see it is going to be hot though, we think about our flowers in the front and back yard.  I've written before how we love our yard and plants because we enjoy their beauty and it adds peace to our lives.  So if it is going to be hot we make it a point to check on our flowers and water them either early in the morning or late in the evening.       We cut back our petunias in the back yard and since we wanted them to blossom one more time we have been diligent to water them.  In the front yard we have zinnias.  They have done well except for the 3 in front and one in particular that are doing well but still lagging behind the others in size....

One thing I have learned during my 5 years (can't believe it has been that long) as a school bus driver is that things are not always what they seem.  There are some kids who seem to get in trouble a lot. So, if there is a problem, your first thought is that they are probably the cause of the trouble. Sometimes though, I have found out by inquiry that they were not the cause but were actually trying to fix the problem.  I have learned that it is much safer to go into a problem on the bus without a preconceived notion about what is going on.  What looks like a student causing trouble can turn out to be someone trying to escape from a bee that flew in the window.  So when I can, I try to approach a problem with an open mind and try to get as clear of a picture as I can.      One of our lady bus drivers who has been driving for a long time and just loves being with the kids and being a positive influence told me an interesting story.  One day a stud...