We may not realize it, but the school year has already begun. At my neighborhood school, our community’s teachers and support staff are already at work. Long hours are being put in to prepare for a productive year of educating our children. …

Lessons from Life — (Published in the Tillamook County Pioneer, May 17, 2023) Life is always teaching me lessons. I can get lost, or lose something I think is important, a treasure that is valuable to my life. In the process of the “hunt” for what was lost, I learn something about myself. …

(published in the Tillamook County, Oregon Pioneer, 3/290/202 by Neal Lemery “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” ____ Steve Jobs In every job I’ve had, I’ve tried to find purpose, joy, and a…

published 2/1/2023 in the Tillamook County Pioneer by Neal Lemery “Through the eyes of a child you will see the world as it should be.” — Anonymous In recent days, I’ve experienced the simple joys of being around several kids who have been fully engaged in simply enjoying life, with…

(published in the Tillamook County Pioneer, 1/21/23 by Neal Lemery Last week, I learned that a good college friend had passed away. He wasn’t a particularly close friend in the usual ways with college friends. We did not often keep in touch, like many friends from our past. We’d run…

Is tomorrow. I flip the calendar to the new one hanging behind it, patiently Waiting its turn, with all the clean open spaces, and uncluttered weeks, only the Birthdays and anniversaries and that one dental cleaning appointment Written on the new year. It will fill up, with the good times…

Published in the Tillamook County Pioneer, 12/24/22 by Neal Lemery I’ve arrived in the holidays. Normal obligations have either been taken care of, or completed, or postponed until “later”, which means whenever we feel like getting back to the daily routine. …

by Neal Lemery (Published in the Tillamook County Pioneer, 11/24/2022) I am again learning to cherish the darkness and the quiet of the early morning. I often struggle with the early darkness of the evening and the late-rising sun of November mornings, when late fall and winter descend upon my…

By Neal Lemery (Originally published in the Tillamook County Pioneer, 11/13/22) At a meeting the other day, a new member of the group spoke about their passion for a particular topic, which happened to be one of my passions as well. I’d been fairly quiet about the subject for a…