Fruitful Life

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Welcome to the Blaising View blog, where I share treasures I find to enrich your life now.

3 Secrets from Beavers to Stay Cool and Happy All Summer Long

Beavers use cool summer math games for a happier life.

The math is all about building the perfect beaver lodge. You know, the ideal dream house.

Designed on the water with trees and a garden, a beaver mansion teems with three secrets for all.

Cool summer math games
Beaver lodge at Lake Athens/photo by Steve Blaising
Continue Reading “3 Secrets from Beavers to Stay Cool and Happy All Summer Long” >
3 Secrets from Beavers to Stay Cool and Happy All Summer Long

Hope: 3 Powerful Strategies to Conquer Life’s Toughest Obstacles

Would you still have hope if the greatest of all tragedies struck you down?

Katherine Wolf does even though, at age 26 to date (now 42), she has survived . . .

  • a catastrophic brain-stem stroke
  • paralysis throughout her body
  • numerous falls with broken bones
  • aneurysm surgery unrelated to her stroke
  • multiple vertebral artery dissections
  • ongoing neurological issues
  • hearing loss
  • blind in the left eye and double vision in the right eye
Hope by Katherine Wolf

In spite of all this, she proclaims hope as she . . .

  • just published her third book, Treasures In The Dark
  • travels nationwide, speaking to thousands
  • sponsors a special-needs summer camp
  • opened a coffee shop staffed by special-needs folks

I heard her speak at a jam-packed Highland Park Presbyterian church service months ago. Her testimony has changed my life.

After reading her books and reflecting on what she says about hope, I see three proven relievers for overcoming despair.

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Hope: 3 Powerful Strategies to Conquer Life’s Toughest Obstacles

A good father reveals three secrets for surviving disasters

Nothing like being a father.

I always knew Father’s Day was coming when Jack was little, because he would ask me what size cologne I wear.

Father and son
Steve and Jack Blaising at the Blaising farm December 2017/Kate Blaising

When I was raising teenagers, I had a satellite TV, a smartphone and a laptop and my kids told me I was out of touch.

Somebody said a father is a man with pictures in his wallet, where his money used to be.

Jokes aside, fathers are the ones we consult when unnatural disasters like war or mass shootings shake the world.

Since the Ukraine and Gaza wars are rattling our souls, I thought it appropriate to share my dad’s old school advice for surviving chaos.

My father at 93
Dad at his farm in Riesel, TX 2017/Kate Blaising

All his tips came on a filming trip to San Antonio by dad’s childhood landmarks.

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A good father reveals three secrets for surviving disasters

Discover Key Insights Learned After a Storm to Make Better Decisions

A monster storm can pack valuable insights for future decisions.

Life is risky business and risks are easily ignored.

Monster storm risky decisions
Large trees downed in Houston, TX, on May 17, 2024, following a powerful storm/Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via AP

A good example is city leaders in Houston.

They ignored catastrophic flooding risks and Hurricane Harvey devastated thousands in 2017.

A few days ago, the culprit was 80 mph winds knocking over thousands of trees and power lines.

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Discover Key Insights Learned After a Storm to Make Better Decisions