Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

Water Festival 2017 is now in the history books. My participation in this event was limited, so I have no idea how successful the vendors in Scidmore Park were, or how many attended the classic car show on Main Street, Saturday morning. I do know that the parade was as entertaining as ever and that the Three Rivers Lions Club …

I could never be a teacher. Besides the fact that one needs more than a Bachelor’s Degree, a teacher must also have the patience of a saint. Teachers are among those professionals who should be addressed as Mister, Mrs., or Miss, and this would be difficult for me. Whenever someone refers to me as Mr. Stutesman, I start looking around …

I’ve never been much of a boss. While working for a freight forwarder near O’Hare Airport in Chicago, I vied for a position as warehouse foreman. I was told that I didn’t get the position because I wasn’t a hard-nose slave driver. They used another term, but I’ll refrain from using that name here. I’ve overseen individuals working toward a …

Everyone has their share of problems. Sometimes the problems are small and easily solved. Other times they are beyond imagination. We’ve all had problems so difficult that we’d wish we would wake up and discover that it was all just a bad dream. I remember listening to a speaker whose topic centered on problems that people encounter and have to …

I admit that I do my share of procrastinating, especially when it comes to having to tackle a task I don’t want to do. It’s so easy to say, “I’ll take care of it tomorrow.” Tomorrow is one of my favorite days. People usually procrastinate the most when it comes to that “Honey-Do” list. This is that list that never …

If you are a Snowbird and have just migrated back to Pure Michigan from the balmy south, may I say, “Welcome Home”. You missed a pretty nice winter, and according to some, you might have been better off to stay here, rather than risk the flooding and storms of some of the southern states. I received several phone calls from …

I admit that my church attendance has been less than satisfactory, according to my mother’s standards. Growing up, I attended Sunday school and church every Sunday, as did my entire family, but for quite some time, I have not made an honest attempt to be a regular church goer. This has bothered me enough that I decided to seek out …

I recently had the privilege to attend a presentation by Deb Davis from Paws with a Cause (PAWS), an organization located in Wayland, Michigan. This organization breeds, raises, custom-trains, and places service dogs with people with a variety of disabilities. These assistance dogs include: Service Dogs: Used by people with a physical disability, debilitating chronic illness or neurological disorder. Hearing …

The only time I saw my father cry was when I told him that my nephew, who was his first grandchild, had been killed in an auto accident. At that time, a “real” man didn’t openly shed tears. I am so grateful that times have changed, and that now it is not a sign of weakness for a man to …

I am getting very close to surrendering my driver’s license. On a recent trip to Ann Arbor, we had to use I-94. I hate this highway beyond words. The speed limit for cars is 70 miles per hour, yet if you drive the limit, you will find yourself being passed by cars doing at least 80 or 85. The speed …