You know the ways you procrastinate, and you know each of your own rationales for dreading and delaying chores. Me too, these unwanted, un-adult non-actions, this wasteful side of humanness. I laid down the procrastinator’s law to myself last weekend, underscoring to self, the schedule was going to be light and easy, no excuses left.

On this Veterans Day, this former U.S. Navy veteran would like to thank all of you who make the time to serve or say, “thank you for your service,” to the men and women of the Armed Forces who have sworn an oath to defend our freedom and protect the ideals of this great nation.

I’m the individual whose 4X4 windshield finds the sole flying rock on the freeway (that was on Veterans Day). I’m also the grandma who trips over both the cat and the pumpkin on the porch and does a hard-left hip slam into the rose bush (that was last week).

The flags waving on Sunnyside streets Monday were there because of the dedicated service of our Sunnyside volunteer and paid firemen.

My students are working hard to identify and understand why particular issues are contemporary, world problems. When I wrote “Baby Boomers” and “Ageism” on the whiteboard, heads went down, a refrain of heavy, heavy sighs occupied the room, then suddenly students had the most urgent need to take care of Mother Nature’s business.