Daily writing prompt

When are you most happy?

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Often enough, the best part of the day is right now, first thing in the morning– when I’m writing in here, sitting with my cold brew at the ready, and it’s still dark and quiet.

It’s hardly ever that we have a packed calendar, but there are stretches when we have places to go, people to see, and I really like when all that is behind us– unless it’s a vacation and we’re going on a road trip somewhere, or folks are coming here.

It’s enjoyable when we go out to eat. It’s a good feeling when the bills are paid and we still have money in the checking account.

I find myself to be selective when it comes to the people I really like being around. Mostly I prefer peace and quiet and an unstructured day. So, I guess I’m most happy when the schedule is open, and we don’t have to be anywhere, and financial obligations have been kept at bay for another month.

Daily writing prompt

What was the last thing you did for play or fun?

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I can usually pick a time we were with the grandkids– our get-togethers happen fairly regularly– but I’m gonna go with a trip to Shady Maple with my sister-in-law and her husband. Shady Maple is a well-known smorgasbord in Lancaster County, PA. In fact, it claims to be the largest such establishment in the U.S.

One does not go to Shady Maple without saving one’s appetite ahead of time– you have to get your money’s worth… They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or supper), and each meal is a feast for the eyes and the stomach, an almost embarrassingly vast array of dishes and choices, from salad to entree to dessert. The coffee is decent, too. We had lunch there and it ended up being the last time we ate that day.

If you’re ever out that way, stop in and enjoy! There’s also a huge gift shop downstairs, along with a free-standing grocery store and furniture store– one-stop shopping for a variety of needs and wants.

Daily writing prompt

List your top 5 grocery store items.

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I’d like to say veggies and fruit, but it’s dark roast coffee beans, Oatmeal and Raisin Cliff Bars, Berries and Vanilla Chobani yogurt, something from the deli, and Utz Ripple Chips. My wife tends to all the really healthy stuff, so we eat smartly more often than not.

Daily writing prompt

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

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Pretty much, I guess. I’ve never been one for making long range plans, especially anymore. The only thing approaching goals or plans that I might have had a year ago would have been to stay ahead of the bills, and stay healthy enough to be useful around the house, enjoy the grandchildren, and tackle a couple of woodworking projects.

Daily writing prompt

What skills or lessons have you learned recently?

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I recently introduced myself to the new combination belt/spindle sander I had bought a while back. It’s a very useful tool, and I intend to utilize it as often as called for, especially now that I know how it works.

As far as lessons learned, one can never arrive at a place where they feel as though there’s nothing more to learn, especially when it comes to human relationships.

Daily writing prompt

What cities do you want to visit?

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I honestly have no burning desire to visit any urban area, but if I had to choose, it would probably be places like Tokyo, Sydney, London, Paris just because, and Reykjavik.

Daily writing prompt

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

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Of the three choices named in the prompt, the one I remember best is my first day of first grade. My first day of work was when I was maybe 16, working on a farm, but I don’t remember much else about what I did that first day. My first day as a parent was, of course, a day like no other, and the significance of that moment when our first child was born wouldn’t really settle in until sometime later.

My first day of school, on the other hand, sticks in my head as a sunny morning in early September, 1960. I remember waiting for the bus at the bottom of our dirt driveway, on the opposite side of the street, near a power pole and a banking, beyond which spread nothing but woods, since it was still years before the housing development would appear. My Mom was with me, though I can’t remember if any of my brothers or sisters were there, too. Dad was already off to work. I was the oldest, so this was the beginning of a next chapter that I got to kick off.

I remember the old Dodge bus rounding the bend and slowing down. The door opened and I got my first glimpse of Mr. Lemanski, a weathered, older gentleman with a gruff exterior but a good heart, who smoked cigars (this was 1960…) and gave me the impression he was always a bit put out by something.

I don’t remember my first day in the classroom, just bits and pieces along the way. But I’ll never forget that first day waiting for the bus. That has stayed with me, for some reason.

Daily writing prompt

Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

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I was Bob Cratchit in a middle school performance of A Christmas Carol, but never got to deliver all of my lines because a couple pages of dialogue somehow got skipped. It was a long time ago, but I’m pretty sure that’s what happened.

I was a pastor for 26 years, so most Sundays, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, Lenten mid-weeks, Holy Week, and at weddings and funerals I stood before groups of people and offered words that hopefully fit the occasion. They weren’t speeches, in the typical sense, but to a skeptic or a neutral observer they may have seemed that way.

Daily writing prompt

What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

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I try to get to the Y on a regular basis, where I warm up with a brisk half mile on the elliptical, then move on to several weight machines. I’m not against walking, but it’s nice to have a destination or at least different routes. And even though we use a cart, golf is quality outdoor time, with friends, and a fair amount of walking is still involved.

Come Spring, I might be working with my son, helping him in his landscaping business. I also enjoy mowing our yard and doing other yard work.

Daily writing prompt

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

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They volunteer, give of their time, find ways to stay connected, keep their heads about them. They aren’t in a hurry, they practice their religious faith in ways that make sense to me, that seem genuine and well-informed. I find a certain humility admirable.

I gravitate toward people who are low-key in their approach to conversation and general behavior, who are capable of engaging in give and take– capable of listening as well as speaking. I tend to tune out when people are loud and in your face and argumentative, none of which sparks admiration or joy.