February is a great month. It is a transition month in many parts of the country, from winter to the beginnings of spring. The sun is in the sky just a bit longer every day, and doesn’t forget the usual...
Trick or treat? MDS changes are in the bag
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 03, 2023
When I was a kid, I loved getting dressed up for Halloween. I remember especially a clown (funny not scary) costume I got one year. I couldn’t wait to put it on and be transformed into another world....
It’s Independence Day y’all!
By
Joel VanEaton
Jul 11, 2023
I love summer and especially the July 4th holiday. In the small town where I live, we have an event called “Jonesborough Days.” It’s a two-day celebration with a parade, food vendors, music, fireworks...
The MDS reminds me of something in Narnia?
By
Joel VanEaton
May 16, 2023
I am a fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have not read “The Chronicles of Narnia,” you should. You may have seen the more recent three films based on these books. As good as they were, as is usually the case,...
An MDS affair — or RFI — to remember
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 19, 2024
I’m a sucker for classic movies. My parents made sure I grew up watching black and whites of the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Gene Autry, John Wayne,...
CATs in the cradle, CAA changes coming soon
By
Joel VanEaton
Sep 05, 2023
Have you listened to the song, “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin? It’s a folk song written in the early 1970s. If you haven’t heard it, give it a listen. I think you’ll like it. The phrase...
“No man is a failure who has friends” — an MDS Merry Christmas
By
Joel VanEaton
Dec 20, 2023
As Christmas and the new year approach, I get nostalgic. I like to think back on good old childhood memories. For me those are the 1970s and ’80s. I remember one Christmas, I was probably 7 years...
The coming cicada invasion. Can the MDS compete?
By
Joel VanEaton
Feb 20, 2024
I am constantly reminded how the complexities of nature astound me. Recently, I became aware of the impending cicada invasion that will happen this year in various regions of the United States. According...
New year, new MDS, new resolve
By
Joel VanEaton
Jan 24, 2023
Where did 2022 go? And, hang on for the wild ride 2023 will be. So much lies ahead of us and we need to be prepared, starting with the MDS.
The movie is never as good as the book… usually
By
Joel VanEaton
Jun 13, 2023
Have you ever read a really good book that was subsequently made into a movie? I have. Time after time, after watching the movie, I end up walking away thinking, “I wish I had just stuck with the book…...