Remember the good times and learn from the bad times, to enjoy more good times.

Most of us find ourselves just trying to keep up with our rapidly-changing world on a daily basis. Technology enriches our life, but it also inherently brings stress and takes so much away from relationships because of lost interactions. A little simplification is always good for the soul. Reading about life in uncomplicated form is also good for the soul. See and feel that which the author has experienced as he leads us through the simplicity and beauty of the good things in life. This heartfelt collection of prose will relax and mellow the heart as it explores life, love, beauty, nature, happiness, hardships, dreams, and nostalgic memories. This work is a timeless treasure of observations which uniquely capture the soft and gentle aspects of life.

Jim is the youngest of eleven children and grew up on a farm near the rural small town of Metamora, Indiana. His parents started their life together about the time of the Great Depression, so their values and principles were a reflection of those difficult times. Their children were raised under old-school discipline, which may seem a little harsh by today’s standards. They were raised on hard work, but they were clever and innovative enough to find time for hard play as well. They adopted most of their parents’ values and were served well by them. That same family farm where they were raised still resides in the family over a hundred years after the grandparents settled there. Jim’s love for the land led to him owning part of that farm for 50 years and still counting. He owned much of the valley surrounding it for much of his life. Growing up and living with nature in that valley has provided the backdrop and powerful inspiration for much of his writing.