Uncategorized Articles
Most people look forward to the arrival of spring – after a long, dark winter, the increased sunshine and warmer temperatures are great mood-boosters. For others, however, spring means an invasion of dust, pollen, and other allergens that can make you feel miserable. Poor indoor air quality is a common problem this time of the…
It’s so hot outside that you’re considering seeing if you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. The minute you walk outside, you’re instantly drenched in sweat. When you get in your car, the steering wheel burns your hands from baking in the sun all day. When you finally get home, you walk in the…
We deal with a lot of extreme weather and conditions of Mother Nature here in the US. Anything from extreme summer heat to heavy rains and flooding, to terrible drought conditions; everything can come our way, often distracting us from home maintenance we would otherwise pay attention to. Unfortunately, forgetting some of these components of…
What are you planning on doing this Valentine’s Day? A romantic dinner at a candlelit, exclusive, intimate restaurant with your loved one? Over a glass of Chardonnay, you ask her a big question…would she consider moving in with you? To your delight, she says yes. Now, maybe it’s the rush of this exciting news or…
Forty-three years ago, on November 10th I was washing my 1966 Chevelle convertible while wearing a T-shirt on an unseasonably warm afternoon. The car had to be clean for our wedding. It was decorated before the night was over when our groomsman covered it with shaving cream, soap, and other things! That comfortable weather seemed…
Deb and I were fortunate to watch a random act of kindness take place recently after we had just boarded a plane for a quick vacation. As we sat there, “Rosa”, an elderly Jamaican woman, arrived at the front of the plane in a wheelchair. The wheelchair would not fit through the aisles, so “Rosa”…
When you were a kid did you hear a lot of “old wives’ tales” that were passed down through generations? Some call them “old wise tales.” Whatever we prefer to call them, many were true. One of the most common was, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples of course are very healthy…
Dad died on August 12th at age 91. That was my birthday. I wondered how difficult it would be to write an article so soon after his death, but what I learned last week needs to be shared. It’s a story about what dads struggle to tell us. Mothers tend to take the nurturing roles…
Nebraska is a unique state full of the good life. It takes special people with the right upbringing to fully appreciate all the great things we enjoy here. The greatest thing about Nebraska of course is the special people that tend to have a passion to be nice. It’s so obvious that Nebraskans are nice…
Please don’t tell anyone that’s my favorite question to ask applicants during job interviews. That’s our secret! Occasionally the applicant gets those answers right. What are the right answers? Without hesitation, my top three important things in life are faith, health, and family. The list goes on from there with friends, happiness, hope, a positive…
The reality is most people do not feel completely appreciated. It’s too easy to get busy and forget to tell those around us they are important. This thought hit home over the last few months as three of my good friends passed away. After friends and family pass away it’s easy to ask the daunting…
Last Saturday Deb and I watched one of our granddaughters take her first holy communion. Our granddaughter wore a beautiful white lace dress and her pretty face beamed. It was a heartwarming event for so many reasons. The church was filled with families and friends. We also watched our two-week-old grandson get baptized on Sunday.…
The last place most people would expect to get “how to do it” suggestions on successful hiring practices would be from a plumbing and HVAC article. That is an unfortunate misconception. The reality is protecting the health of our community is serious business. To do it responsibly, John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical had…
Mornings are a great time of day to sit and watch the sun come up while drinking a cup of great-tasting coffee. The birds are singing, and the beautiful sunrise is constantly changing the colors of the landscape. It seems like everything in the world is just right at that moment. What could go wrong?…
Nebraskans tend to be tougher than most because we have excessive extremes in temperature and relative humidity that few experience. We are used to the extremes and take them in stride. We patiently wait for the uncomfortable hot or cold temperatures to go away as seasons change. We are resilient as we wear warmer clothing…
Why do accidents happen? Why do cars crash into each other? Why do people fall? Why do birds fly into windows? Why do we drop or spill things? We can answer all of these questions with an understanding the root cause of most problems is a “failure to pay attention to details”. It’s safe to…
Grandpa Zohner never really retired completely. His “retirement” included maintaining a huge garden, working part-time preparing homes for auctions, tinkering, and inventing things. When he fished it seemed like work because his tackle box was huge. I remember him walking toward his best fishing spots at Sprunk’s sandpits by Columbus while carrying that huge tackle…
There has been a lot said in the news lately about President-elect Donald Trump saving 1100 or so jobs because the Carrier plant is staying in the United States. Regardless of political views about stopping Carrier from leaving the United States, there is often more to consider about “made in the USA” stories. Purchasing items…
That’s a tough question. It would be easier for most to describe the “perfect” car to drive. Some feel the “perfect” car is the one that gets them from Point A to Point B. Cheaper is typically better. At the other end of the chart are the drivers that want luxury regardless of the cost.…
It seems like only yesterday, but over 50 years have passed since I was feeding June bugs to frogs on our farm. Frogs and June bugs were everywhere. Where did all those frogs and June bugs go? Birds sang loudly on our farm. There were so many back then. Fish in the Platte River could…
We seldom talk about what the Better Business Bureau Integrity Awards mean in today’s world. As the world seems to crumble around us, those awards could be considered a “parachute in life that take us to safety”. They are an “insurance policy” for consumers and also hard-working employees. As consumers, we want it all. We…
Grandma Zohner’s sister drowned when she was 16. Losing someone that close was tough on Grandma. I paid the price when we went fishing at a sand pit by Columbus. Grandma would tie a rope around my waist and the other end to a tree. It slowed down my fishing, but Grandma was happier knowing…
Yes, we are hearing more coughing and sneezing than ever before because the quality of our air is quickly declining. More people than ever are suffering from major respiratory issues. It’s not our imagination. Our world has changed. This trend promises to continue as the world population increases. The U.S. population grew from 132 million…
I never will forget the looks on our daughter’s faces at the dinner table the night I announced we were starting a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning business. They were shocked I planned to quit a good-paying job and make this change. It was probably good back then Deb and I did not realize that…
Do you watch the HGTV remodeling shows? After their remodels are completed, the before and after pictures are amazing. The remodeling shows tend to open up our minds by letting us see what is possible. That extra vision can make a difference. A good example is a recent improvement at Mom’s condo. The newer carpet…
A very moving TV show that can tug at our hearts is This Is Us. It’s about the life of a couple that had triplets and one died at birth. At that exact moment in time a newborn African American baby appeared at the hospital. The couple adopted Randall, who through time had some common…
Some of my grandparent’s legacy was who they became by experiencing the incredible challenges they faced as our country evolved. They seemed wise beyond their years. They stood tall. They followed rules and were good neighbors. Their priorities were admirable. Their stability held our country together. What will our legacy be? Our legacy may be…