The Move by Mark Lyons Image by Rebecca Matthews from Pixabay SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and Sammy’s Dad “Are you ever going to move?” asks Sally. Mark and Sally hunch over a checkerboard centered on their dining room table. Sally roams her fingers over a pile of red checkers taken from Mark. Mark furtively glances back and forth to all corners of the board. His right pointer finger rests gingerly on a single red checker surrounded by a sea of black checkers. “I’m thinking,” mumbles Mark. “You know how I like to think through my moves – 4 or 5 ahead. Besides, there is no time limit...
The King of the .....! by Mark Lyons Image by Charles Rondeau from Pixabay SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and Sammy’s Dad Peering out at the vast expanse of the water, a lone figure unsuccessfully shielded his eyes from the searing rays of the sun. The movement of the water was relentless. The never-ending heat fried his skin and parched his lips. He could feel the energy leaving his body like rats from a sinking ship. Time and time and then time again the water swelled up and down each time threatening to swallow him up. The elements battered and ravaged him. The loneliness was as palpable as the...
The End of the Old and the Beginning of the New by Mark Lyons Image by eliza28diamonds from Pixabay SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and Sammy’s Dad The end of a year often triggers a walk down memory lane. We review the good and the bad of all that happened to us and those around us. It can be a time to “close the book” on parts of our lives that we would rather not continue. The new year approaches with all the promise that a blank sheet of paper holds for a writer. We have the chance to start something new. Let us take the opportunities that a...
Building Memories by Mark Lyons Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and Sammy’s Dad We live in the present. But so much of who we are resides in our pasts – our memories. We often use our memories to get through the present to plan, hope, and wait for the future. The holiday season is rife with opportunities to forge memories that will help us live in the present and the future. Our memories can support us when the present is less than desirable. The hope of the future based on our past can help us prepare for a bright and promising future. ...
Putting Up the Outdoor Christmas Lights and Stuff by Mark Lyons SammySocks Etc. Blog - Comments and Observations from Someone Who Is a Retired Educator and Sammy’s Dad Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay If one bulb goes out, the whole strand goes out. Or even worse, if one bulb goes out, some of the strand will still be lit. So, you either have to try and find the bulb or bulbs that have burnt out or just go ahead and replace the entire strand. Then there’s the lighted candy canes. The plastic loves to crack while you are attempting to plunge the pointed top into the usually rock-hard ground. Metal wire deer with white lights tend to have...
