Serve by Design

With temperatures still in the nineties during mid-September, the extremes have those of us in central Illinois asking, “How do we beat the heat?”  The conventional answers include staying inside (if you have air conditioning), taking breaks in shady areas, seeking out a shelter like a library or other public buildings, using fans to move the air, keeping hydrated, and similar strategies. Electronic WBGT Meter Creator: SrA Willard E. Grande II We are fairly “weather wise” in keeping up through our local news station. It does a great job of informing us about trending weather conditions related to the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. I noticed this late summer, as high school football athletes were preparing for the fall season, that the sports staff at the station added additional stories about a metric that is being used to measure heat stress. This device is known by its acronym – WBGT which stands for “wet-bulb globe temperature.” Now, that’s a mouthful!...

Have you noticed the proliferation of mobile services? It used to be that you would have to go into the office to do your work. Yet, half of our employed adult children and their spouses work mobile or remote from home, either full-time or part-time. These same family members use store grocery shoppers and appreciate timely delivery to their doorsteps. There are a variety of mobile services that can be leveraged by today’s busy families! Mobile Pet Services! Imagine my surprise the other day when I looked outside the kitchen window and saw a mobile pet-grooming van parked at the end of our next-door neighbor’s driveway. I immediately texted these friends to let them know that their busybody neighbors were spying on them again! This is what I wrote: “A mobile pet grooming business? What a great idea! Who would have ‘thunk’ it?? This is the kind of stuff a blog writer loves!” These neighbors were not surprised by my comment. I send my weekly blog articles to them, and they often reply wi...

Monique’s sixty-something first cousin, Sylvain, is an avid and experienced skydiver. He loves the sport and sometimes sends us a photograph of one of his more spectacular dives. These pics make us shudder with fear and amazement! He is handsome, still single, and ever the beloved son of his French mother. We have asked many times, why do you do this? And he usually just laughs with delight! I think he would answer if he chose to, “I just love the daring and freedom of it all!” 10,000 feet and descending! Occasionally, I like to watch Indy Grand Prix car races where the drivers skillfully maneuver around tight turns and down straightaways of street or road courses at speeds exceeding 200 mph! I admit that there is something intriguing about speed. I am often tempted during vacation time  to “put the pedal to the metal” in the wide-open spaces of Texas or New Mexico where the official speed limits are quite generous! Just so you know, while growing up in my dad's auto repair shop, I...