Daily Life – CWSpencer

CW Spencer December 10, 2024

Christmas: Come as You Are

Only two days away from my eagerly anticipated destination, I departed Peninsula. My faithful recumbent trike sliced through the frigid morning air. My body was weary and my face numb, but I peddled on. I was completing the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) with George. We had been working on it off and on since summer. We usually rode a total of 40 to 50 miles, returning to our cars at the end of each day. Essentially, we were doing the trail northbound and southbound simultaneously. Upon our late afternoon return to Peninsula (we had …

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CW Spencer October 13, 2024

Honest Headaches

Bonnie and I needed Halloween props and candy for an upcoming Trunk or Treat event at our church. We got a lead from a friend that a local box store had just what we needed. She forgot to tell us, though, that our money would be no good there. We found candy-scented markers, Play-Doh, bottles of bubbles, glow sticks. And what kid can resist slime? We tossed three giant bags of fun-size candies into our cart as well. Wow, $30 each, but at least the shelf labels promised a two-dollar instant refund per bag at the …

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CW Spencer February 11, 2024

Marriage by the Percentages

Back in December Bonnie and I watched a Hallmark Christmas movie almost every day with our lunch. I like them for the most part—because I like almost everything about Christmas. However, when our preacher exposed his negative feelings from the pulpit towards “those Hallmark guys,” that’s the closest I’ve ever come to saying “amen” out loud in church. Probably good I didn’t. The last time somebody shouted “amen,” everybody turned and stared. Not only that, but the preacher lost his place. (Kidding, but it could happen.) Those Hallmark guys give everyday husbands a bad name. They …

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CW Spencer December 17, 2023

Searching for a Star

It was a dark and stormy night. Definitely not a night to be separated from the comforts of home. The weary travelers shivered as they searched for the star that had guided them in the past. After all this anticipation, would they be late for the big event? Then, a momentary pause in the heavy snowfall revealed its glow—and our friends pulled into our driveway just in time to visit our Christmas open house before it was over. Every Christmas for the last few decades, we’ve had a lighted star that has occupied a spot …

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CW Spencer September 18, 2023

So Much More “Flex”ible at 32

September 18, 2023 I’ve fallen into a daily routine in my senior years. I’ve become very predictable. In fact, you probably already knew I was going to write that. It was different, though, back when I taught school. Things changed up constantly, and I had to stay on my teaching toes. Some of the biggest changes took place in the early ‘80s. We moved into our new building. On top of that, our administration figured we might as well try a new schedule. Instead of six 55-minute periods, we’d shave a few minutes off each one …

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CW Spencer March 24, 2023

A Nudge to Budge

I was shopping at my favorite tool store when I ran into one of the horticulturists from our county extension center. After we exchanged greetings, she reminded me of the potluck lunches the center hosts every month during the winter for area master gardeners who volunteer in the community garden. I had a perfect non-attendance record for these winter social affairs and hadn’t planned on ruining it anytime soon. But there’s something about a personal invite. I told her thanks, I might come. A few weeks later, on the day of the next …

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Category: Daily Life