Took advantage of a mild November day and worked on math in our outdoor classroom today. #abilene5starschools

Monarch butterflies are loving the zinnias in front of our house this year. We counted six today. #monarchs #butterflies

Rain today, so we had inside recess all day. The kids did a great job and had a lot of fun. #recess #boardgames

After the abundant rainfall last week, we have been invaded by army worms. #armyworms

I think I’ve started enough projects. I better start finishing some. #abilene5starschools #BackToSchool

Can’t wait to use my Math Stackers to help students build number sense. #math #abilene5starschools

We canned our first batch of peaches. We have also frozen a good quantity to last us through the year. I’m so thankful that my parents taught me to grow and preserve food from a home garden. #gardening #peaches

Picked more peaches today. #peaches

Nothing says summer like homemade peach pie with fresh peaches from the backyard peach trees. #peaches #PIERROT

We picked a few peaches this morning. The insects and birds have caused quite a bit of damage this year, most likely due to the hot, dry weather. #peaches #gardening

I appreciate @RepMann for contacting me regarding my concerns about after school funding. Not only did Rep. Mann’s office respond to my initial questions, they contacted me again to let me know how things were progressing.

We did our 4th annual back to school shopping excursion, and finished with our traditional stop at IHOP. #school #backtoschool2025

We canned our second batch of tomatoes today. #gardening #tomatoes #canning

Picked some sweet corn today. It’s not the prettiest or best crop I’ve had, but I’m happy considering it was laying flat just a few weeks ago. #gardening

I had a moment today at the Chapman senior center that really stayed with me and I want to share it with you. I was invited to speak during their lunch gathering. Nothing fancy. Just a chance to connect, share a message, and hopefully brighten the room a bit. But something unexpected happened. As I was speaking, I spotted someone I hadn’t seen in many years. Nate Sparks, a retired Kansas State Trooper. Nate retired early in my career, but I remember him well. He was one of the best. Known for his skill, especially at the firing range. He helped train so many across the Kansas Highway Patrol and even beyond. He was calm, steady, knowledgeable, and people listened when he spoke. His work left a mark. In fact, some of the things he taught are still talked about and reinforced today. His impact back then is still felt in small ways even now. As I continued to speak, I saw something change in him. His eyes lit up. His posture shifted. His face showed a spark of recognition and connection. It was like the words I was sharing reached into a part of his past that still lives within him. And then I saw something else. Nate is older now. He moves slower. His voice is softer. His once razor-sharp mind is now a little clouded by time. It was beautiful to see him. And it was hard… 😔 We all hope to grow old. That’s the blessing. But aging quietly takes pieces of us. Our energy. Our clarity. Our strength. And it reminded me again how important it is to use the time we have now to do something with meaning while we still can. You don’t have to change the whole world. Just change your corner of it. Help someone. Be kind. Speak up. Live with purpose. Because one day, your energy will fade. And I hope when that day comes, you can look back and know you used your time well. The ripples we create in life can carry far and wide over many years. We may not always see how far they reach, but they keep going. Say nothing. Do nothing. And you become nothing. Say something. Do something. And you become something. Time is not endless. Make it count. Make it beautiful. Make it yours. Thank you Nate, for your years of service, and for reminding me today what it means to live a life of purpose.

Everything was looking good yesterday. After a rough night of storms, it looks a little different. #gardening

Filled the gas tank this morning. Gas is $.31 higher than when Mr. Trump took office, not lower as he proclaims. If the President will lie about the obvious, I have a difficult time believing anything he says.

I love certain politicians who are touting the largest tax cut in American history (that they haven’t passed), while ignoring the imposed tariffs that are one of the largest tax increases in American history.

I need more information from @EDSecMcMahon how A1 is going to improve education.