Good Medium For Starting Seeds

While having grow lights is crucial for starting seeds indoors, everything about the health of a plant is rooted in the soil.

Seeds require a growth medium that provides plenty of nutrition, holds moisture, and provides the proper environment for sprouts to develop. While you could use soil from your garden amended with compost, it isn't likely that you'd see the type of results you would want.

A good mixture that was shared with us a few years ago is:

• One bag (40 quarts) Bruce Miller Nurseries Lite Potting Soil
• 5 quarts compost
• 1 Cup blood meal

We typically add some dried molasses and epsom salt (for the magnesium) as well. 

I'm certainly no expert on soil. For that I highly recommend The Dirt Doctor. I can, however, say that we've had tremendous success with growing plants from seeds using the mixture.

DIY Grow Light

Dallas weather provides opportunities for gardening year round. That doesn't, however, mean you can simply plop seeds into the ground and expect them to sprout into healthy plants. Starting seeds in a friendly, nutrient-filled medium helps them sprout and develop. To do this most effectively, you need to control the environment as well, so an indoor grow light is a crucial tool.

Searching for grow lights, we discovered that this could become an expensive undertaking. Then a fellow gardener shared some plans for building our own grow light—thanks Ms. Becky! Not only was it a simple undertaking, the materials cost us less than $50.

This link has all the details and instructions.

We've started with tomatoes, peppers and some flowers. With several varieties of each, we should have plenty to plant by the end of February when the threat of frost in Dallas has passed.

Rule Number 1: Keep Your Word

For the past decade, I've been told time and again that TheKiddo is a special little human being. I was reminded of this recently when one of her teachers remarked, "Whatever you guys are doing, it's working. You should teach a master class."

Honestly, TheKiddo deserves the credit for being such a special human. We do our best to guide her, support her, and let her find her own way. She is the one filled with kindness, compassion, a competitive spirit, and a keen power of observation (as well as a startling large memory). 

That's not to say we have a laissez-faire approach to parenting. Quite the opposite; however, we avoid being helicopter parents. TheKiddo has to learn to handle both wins and losses; solve her own problems; fight her own battles; and ultimately discover what she wants her life to be.

There are several lessons we reinforce as often as possible—including reminding her, "First, you have to want to. Everything else is details." As part of this, she has been told time and again that Rule Number 1 is "Keep Your Word."

If you agree to something, do it.

If you sign up for something, see it through.

If you tell someone you'll do something, make sure it's done forthwith.

When you don't do those things, when you fail to keep your word at any point, it becomes difficult for people to believe you, or believe in you. Trust and respect are hard to earn, and are incredibly fragile. When they're broken, they can never be the same. 

Of Course Good Dads Make Good Leaders

I recently stumbled across a post on LinkedIn that lays out the reasons awesome dads make great leaders.

As someone who takes his responsibilities as a dad very seriously—even to the point of carrying the pink backpack whenever necessary—all of the reasons make complete sense. They also seem to be rather self evident to me.

Men who take their roles as a dad seriously, will always be careful to treat those that work with them with respect and concern. It's the men who don't take the role seriously that I worry about.

Your Company's Logo Doesn't Matter

On September 1, 2015, Google changed their primary logo and overhauled their identity package.

If you missed what they said on the topic, I recommend reading it here.

There are countless articles, blogs, essays, tweets, etc. on the topic (everyone has an opinion about everything). So I'll stick to two quick thoughts.

1) As a communications professional, I think it's a brilliant piece of work, and their explanation/rationale is well done.

2) It reminds me that beyond the insular world of marketing, design, advertising, whatever-you-want-to-call it, logos don't really matter all that much.

A new logo won't change how many people use Google for search. It won't change how they think of the company. It won't make them uninstall an app (or install one faster) on their favorite device.

It's just a logo. People have already decided what the "brand" means to them. Me? I'm a fan.

Even if I prefer "googol" as the spelling.

Make These Brownies; You Have The Ingredients Already

When someone told us about a three-ingredient, Nutella® brownie recipe, TheKiddo™ and I had to make some that day. We would have done it immediately; however, we weren't home at the time. 

Since the three ingredients are flour, eggs and Nutella (as I'm sure you've already guessed) we always have the necessities on hand. Now we're likely to have brownies on hand constantly, too. 

You need:

1/2 Cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 1/4 Cup Nutella

All you have to do is:
Preheat the oven to 350⁰  F.

Mix the ingredients;

Plop (because it's too thick to actually pour) the batter in a buttered pan (yes, we buttered rather than using cooking spray);

Bake at 350⁰  F. Since I used a square pan (no clue if it was 8x8 or 9x9), I baked them for approximately 25 minutes. A 9x13 pan would take about 15 minutes.

Go make these brownies, and make yourself happy. 

Without quantity time, there is no quality time

An inalienable fact perches itself before me daily, and forces my attention. Poking, prodding and imploring me to respond viscerally and instinctively. Calling into question my reality as a man and a dad. This particular, peculiar fact is sublimely simple, while maintaining an irascible inscrutability.

The fact in question: I don't spend enough time with TheKiddo­™ on a daily basis.

Without much hesitation I could provide a litany of reasons, and the vast majority would seem reasonable, logical, and necessary. They would also be completely worthless in the face of a daunting reality that nothing is more precious than the time we can and should spend with those we love.

I've read enough articles, blog posts, or other musings on the topic of the importance of quality time to frequently deceive myself that I'm doing it right. To convince myself that when I'm present, she has my time and attention. To delude myself into the narcissistic view that I'm there for the moments she'll remember.

The singular, obvious, striking problem with that idea is that I'm completely wrong about quality time. So are you. And so is anyone else who thinks quality time is something that fundamentally exists in nature.

You can't plan quality time. There's simply too much chaos in life to allow for it.

That romantic evening you planned with your significant other can be completely undone by a stray nail lying randomly in the road. A shredded tire and a call to AAA suddenly become much more urgent than the gelato you've been looking forward to sharing. Or a sudden fever by one of the kids makes it unlikely that you'll leave the house at all.

Those moments will create memories; however, it is unlikely they will be the fondest memories you have. Worse, when a little chaos is introduced, your preplanned quality time has suddenly become a chore, or something more akin to an unmitigated disaster.

Happily the converse can be equally true. Chore-like sojourns to the grocery store can be moments of discovery and delight when you encounter something you've never seen, or tell new jokes invoking peals of laughter.

So a new inalienable fact now perches before me: The more time you spend with those you love, the more quality you'll discover in your life. 

Pecan Lodge is certain to give you the meat sweats

It was overcast, windy, and threatening rain when the soccer game finished, and we went in search of some 'cue. TheKiddo and I wondered aloud if the line at Pecan Lodge would already be out the door at 11:15. We had considered visiting many times, and hadn't yet because our Saturdays are typically packed with back-to-back activities which makes the usual line we've seen a concern about our schedule issue. 

After a bit of a discussion we decided we'd head that way to find out, and it really wasn't all that cold anyway.

We rolled slowly past on Main and were glad to see there was no outside line. As soon as we hopped out of the car, we were thrilled. The aroma of smoke smothered us from half a block away. 

"Good decision," said TheKiddo as she took my hand to cross the street. 

The line was to the door when we entered, and the folks behind us were the first ones out the door. So we'd arrived at an ideal moment. 

The line lasted about half an hour, which was plenty of time for us to watch people, scout out tables we hoped would be open, and decide on our lunch. We settled on splitting a three meat platter - brisket, ribs, and sausage - with a sides of mac & cheese, fried okra, and rolls.

The food was heaped onto the tray in a gloriously gluttonous display. We actually started giggling. Almost immediately, we shut up with reverence as we tucked into the divine.

The brisket was smoked-meat perfection. A crusty exterior, with plenty of spice that was wrapped around tender, moist, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. We originally thought we'd have some left over to save for later. The foolishness of that concept was quickly apparent.

We were cramming it into our faces with both hands along with huge scoops of the bacon mac & cheese. 

While barbecue joints aren't typically known for their sides, I'd be tempted to roll into Pecan Lodge just to snag some of this. We all know this isn't probable. I'm unable to enter such an establishment and leave without smoked meat. It just doesn't happen. 

Like the brisket and mac & cheese, the sausage was simply sublime, and we've vowed to try the jalapeno variety on our next visit. 

The only disappointment, and frankly it's a matter of context, was the ribs. They had wonderful flavor and a delightful crust similar to the brisket. They just didn't fall off the bone, and match the tenderness of the brisket.

After devouring everything we could manage, which was almost everything on our platter, we sat for a few moments sipping tea and telling jokes. 

After several minutes, TheKiddo looked at me and said, "Daddy. I've got the meat sweats." Then she pushed out her chair, stood up, and started for the door.

There isn't a stronger endorsement for barbecue than that. We'll be back, and we'll be back often.

"Meet MONAT" - MONAT Global

"Let's go to Cabo!" - MONAT Global

7 Business Lessons Learned From Tomatoes

Vegetable gardening feeds the mind, spirit, and body. Most people, however, only focus on the edible end results. I've enjoyed some success growing tomatoes. I'm defining success as the harvesting of far more tomatoes than I could either can or consume on my own.

While harvesting recently, I realized that tomatoes have reinforced some crucial business lessons.

1. Plant deep roots.
When planting a tomato seedling, you'll want to bury most of it in the soil so that it has plenty of space to form roots. This helps the plant grow due to the nutrients the roots absorb, and ensures that it doesn't topple easily in winds or under the strain of the fruit it produces.

Any job is the same. Though the roots will be an understanding of the corporate culture and history of the company you join; research into the products and processes of the organization; and a steep learning curve about how you fit into the organization as a whole.

Learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. 

2. Protect yourself from obvious issues
Cut worms are dangerous. They will kill healthy plants with ease. You probably won't see them until it's too late. So prepare for them when planting.

Dangers in business are usually easier to both see and avoid. Toxic co-workers of every variety - from the constantly lazy to the ruthlessly ambitious - wander around every company. You will have to work with them, but you don't have to be their friends or become embroiled in office politics in the process. 

3. Pay attention to early growth
Tomatoes need some babying early on. They require extra attention in order to mature properly. A job is the same. That steep learning curve must be climbed as quickly as possible for you to be effective at what you're doing. Besides, companies don't wait for employees to learn. They'll prune you out of the garden without hesitation. 

4. Feed and water regularly
Make it a habit. For a tomato it's all about water and sunlight. For you, it's all about knowledge and building your skills. The more you learn, the faster you'll grow. 

5. Train for the direction you want to grow
Tomatoes have a tendency to spread out in any direction. That's why they're put in cages. So they grow the proper way and don't take over a garden - or droop so low that the fruit is rotting on the ground.

Identify the skills you want - not just the ones you need to do your job effectively. Learn them. Practice them. It's how you'll thrive. 

6. Identify and eliminate pests immediately
Don't let pests feed on your plants. With tomatoes you can spot them easily. Some can be squashed between your fingers. Others, such as birds, can be avoided by simply picking the tomatoes before they're fully ripe (as long as they have the proper size and aren't green they will finish ripening on your kitchen counter).

In business, the pests will assume myriad forms. From the co-worker who wishes to wax poetic about his weekend fun or the colleague who wants to define every negative thing the company does, the pests will consume your most valuable assets - time and focus. Avoid them.

You don't have to be rude, simply let them know you have something urgent to handle. It's work, after all. 

7. Enjoy the process as much as the end result
Like the plants, you'll grow - wiser, smarter, more experienced - as you produce. Enjoy it every minute you're able. It will make the final product that much tastier. 

8. The season will end
Like tomatoes being planted to produce fruit, you were hired for a job. Do it. Do it to the best of your ability every day. One day, you'll be done. The project may be finished. The company may decide you're expendable. You may receive an offer to do a job elsewhere.

When the time comes, move on and plant yourself in the next job.