Learning to Appreciate the In-Between

Random Coffee Cup

Lately I've been staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what to write about this week.

Usually, I have something. A camping trip. A vacation. A conference. A family gathering. Some kind of adventure that gives me an obvious topic.

This week, I wasn't coming up with much.

Then it occurred to me that maybe the fact I don't have a major story to tell is the story.

The truth is, life right now is in one of those in-between seasons.

Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT) is behind me. Summer is flying by. The fall semester at Washburn is still a few weeks away. There are no camping trips on the calendar this weekend and no vacations immediately around the corner. Most days have settled into a routine, and things have been relatively quiet.

And maybe that's not a bad thing.

For a long time, I thought the most memorable parts of life were the big moments. The trips. The celebrations. The milestones. The things that show up in photos, blog posts, and social media memories years later.

As I've gotten older, I've realized that most of life isn't lived in those moments.

Most of life happens in the ordinary days between them.

It happens during a quiet evening at home with Carrie. It happens while watching a Royals game, catching up with friends, attending meetings, working on projects, or sitting outside on a warm summer evening. It happens in simple conversations and everyday routines that seem unremarkable in the moment.

Those moments rarely feel important while they're happening, but looking back, they often become the things we remember most.

The past few months have certainly included their share of significant moments. Finishing LGT was a highlight. Celebrating Oliver's 15th birthday was a moment I will always treasure. Then, just a week later, saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things Carrie and I have experienced in a long time.

In many ways, this summer feels divided into a "before" and "after."

The house is quieter now.

It's funny how many little things remind me that Oliver isn't here anymore. Sometimes it's looking over at one of his favorite spots. Sometimes it's expecting to hear his nails on the floor. Those are the moments that catch me off guard.

At the same time, life keeps moving forward.

One thing I'm happy about is that I've managed to get back into running. Earlier this summer, I wrote about wanting to restart the routine. Over the past three weeks, I've actually been doing it.

I'll be honest, it has not been perfect.

The weather hasn't exactly been ideal either. July in Kansas is not known for cool temperatures. Most of my runs have been after work when the heat is still an issue. I feel pretty good when I get a run in, especially on those evenings when it would have been easy to come home and skip it altogether. 

But I've stayed consistent.

For me, that's what matters.

I'm not training for a race. I'm not chasing a personal record. I'm simply trying to rebuild a healthy habit that had slipped away.

I've found that getting back into running is a lot like getting back into anything worthwhile. The hardest part is often just starting. Once the shoes are on and I'm moving, I almost never regret it.

Our Neighborhood with a Drone

There is also something calming about the routine. The familiar route through the neighborhood. Most of my runs have been on my usual route, and while it may not be the most exciting course, it's familiar and easy to fit into my schedule. The quiet time to think. The feeling of making progress, even if it's only a little bit at a time.

Three weeks isn't much, but it's a start. Right now, I'm more focused on getting out there consistently than I am about how fast I'm running or how far I'm going. A lot of goals are achieved the same way. Not through one grand effort, but through showing up over and over again.

Maybe that's another lesson from this season of life.

Not every week needs to be exciting.

Not every month needs a major accomplishment.

Not every blog post needs a big story.

Sometimes success looks like getting through a normal work week. Sometimes it's making time for a run. Sometimes it's spending a quiet evening with the people you care about. Sometimes it's checking in with friends. Sometimes it's simply appreciating where you are instead of always focusing on what's next.

I think social media can sometimes make us forget that. We see vacations, celebrations, achievements, and milestones. We see the highlights. What we don't often see are the ordinary Tuesdays and quiet evenings that make up most of our lives.

Yet those ordinary moments are where most of us actually live.

Maybe that's why I've been thinking about them lately.

I spent much of the first half of the year looking forward to events. LGT activities. Conferences. Trips. Summer plans. Through it all, Oliver was still here, even as his health challenges increased.

Now those events have mostly passed, summer is moving quickly, and life has settled into a quieter rhythm. I'm finding that there is something comforting about that.

There is comfort in routine.

There is comfort in familiar faces.

There is comfort in a neighborhood run, a conversation with Carrie, dinner on the patio, or a Royals game on television.

Those things may not seem remarkable, but they're the pieces of life that often matter most.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the months ahead. Football season is around the corner. Cooler weather will be here before we know it. Hopefully there will be a few camping trips, family gatherings, and adventures to write about before the end of the year.

But for now, life is pretty ordinary.

And honestly, that's okay.

The older I get, the more I realize a quiet week is not something to complain about. There is value in routine. There is value in a normal Saturday. There is value in having an evening where nothing special is planned and nowhere you need to be.

Those ordinary days may not make the highlight reel, but they make up the majority of our lives.

Maybe that's why it's important to appreciate them while we're living them.

So this week, instead of writing about a grand adventure or a major milestone, I ended up writing about the fact that I didn't have anything big to write about at all.

And maybe that's the point.

And as it turns out, the in-between might be worth appreciating just as much as the big moments.

That's all for now. I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful week ahead.

242 Sundays Later: What Weekly Blogging Has Taught Me

The Commitment

I have been blogging regularly since Sunday, January 3, 2021. I’ve posted at least one entry each week since that date. Some weeks are easy, while others make it difficult to think of what to write. Trips provide easy topics, and tech-related events often lead to straightforward posts. But weeks like today—when I’ve waited until Sunday afternoon and nothing comes to mind—are more challenging.

I initially started blogging to drive traffic to my website. Over the years, I’ve made a few changes. Now, everything going to https://www.haverty.net redirects to https://blogger.haverty.net. Although I secured the main site about a year ago, it still redirects to the blog.

I’ve had my website and blog since before Carrie and I were married. I used it to host our wedding site, a discussion forum, and various sub-sites focused on family, site design, and more. Over time, the site evolved into a testing ground, but its primary purpose is now blogging.

My first blog post was in 2006 on Blogger. After years of inconsistent posting—sometimes going months without an update—I learned that building a consistent audience requires weekly posts. As I mentioned earlier, this can be a challenge, but somehow I’ve managed to keep it up since 2021.

Each week, I spend time thinking about what I’ll post. I usually start early in the week, though I often forget to write down my ideas, which means I revisit them later. If I have something in mind, I start writing on Saturday. Otherwise, I begin Sunday morning.

This process is part of my routine, whether I’m busy, on vacation, or out of the country. If I know a week will be hectic, I write ahead and schedule the post to maintain my Sunday cadence. Occasionally, I’ll post additional entries for holidays or special family occasions.

I genuinely enjoy posting regularly and being able to look back over the years. I try to use consistent keywords so I can easily revisit related topics.

Today, I reflect on my process—and the reasons behind it.

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Discipline Over Perfection

Some weeks my writing is brief; other weeks, the posts are longer. It depends on how much time I have and what’s happened. It can be challenging to show up each week and write something engaging enough for someone to click on when it appears in their social media feed. I find it interesting to watch the metrics—some posts get lots of clicks, while others I expect to perform well barely get any.

Posting consistently has helped build a following. I get regular visits and interactions on social media. Before I started posting weekly, I read that consistency is key—if visitors don’t know when to expect new content, they’re less likely to return. Posting every Sunday helps keep people coming back.

I also believe that consistent posting has helped me grow as a writer. Each week, I brainstorm the topic, title, keywords, and how to promote the post. I’ve automated social media sharing for platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Occasionally, I manually post to other platforms if I think a post will attract high traffic.

When I struggle to find a topic, I aim to write something short—around 250–300 words. It may not be perfect, but it keeps the habit going. I work hard to avoid spelling, grammar, or usage errors, and I appreciate it when someone points out a mistake.

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Capturing Life in Real Time

Blogging has become a digital journal of my weekly life or focus. Whether I’m writing about a trip or looking forward to a camping weekend, it’s a way to review my year—or even revisit earlier years to see what was on my mind. It’s fun, and I enjoy the process.

I’ve used the site to post about sporting events—from the Royals and Chiefs to Washburn sports. It’s a journal that helps me remember where we were or what we did on a particular date. It’s come in handy more than a few times.

Beyond sports, blogging helps me capture personal events—changes at work, losing a parent, or saying goodbye to a pet. It’s a way to reflect on life’s moments, both joyful and difficult.

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Finding Your Voice

Over the years, my writing has evolved—or at least I think it has. Early on, I posted sporadically and kept things light. Back then, posts were often just text—playlists, random thoughts, or sports updates. These days, I try to include images, even if they’re shared visuals that match the week’s content. Lately, I’ve used AI to generate images based on the post’s theme. Images help keep readers engaged and break up the text.

If I’m going to ramble, I try to call it out in the title or early in the post. Some weeks, that’s the easiest way to get my thoughts down when I don’t have a specific topic. I just have to be careful not to ramble too long.

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Connecting Through Stories

It’s fun when people tell me they read my blog or connected with a post—like a camping trip they saw on social media. I’ve met people through work who mention they enjoy my site. Sometimes the conversation is about exercise (or the struggle with it), and other times it’s about the places we visit and the summaries I share. It’s rewarding to know others are reading and connecting with my posts.

I try to write as if I’m speaking directly to the reader. Sometimes I tell a story, recounting each day—what we ate, what we did, and the sights we saw. I’ve received positive feedback on those posts. I wish there were more interaction on the site. While I do get comments, many are spam. Occasionally, I get meaningful comments and have a fun discussion with someone, which I really enjoy.

Posting helps me stay connected—with family, friends, and even strangers who find my site through a Google search. They might land on a post that matches something they were looking for and then explore more.

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Lessons Learned

Each week offers a new opportunity to reflect on what happened—what to highlight, think through, or share in a way that might interest someone. Writing doesn’t come easily, and this year especially, I’ve found myself frequently struggling to come up with something to write.

Writing consistently on the same day each week helps build a steady stream of visitors. Having something to post not only attracts regular readers, but occasionally a post will resonate widely and spike in traffic—which is fun to watch as it gets shared and revisited. I’m not a great judge of which posts will be popular. Some weeks a post gets hundreds of clicks, while others barely get any. That unpredictability is part of the fun, and I enjoy collecting my thoughts in this electronic journal.

I’m not afraid to try new things or explore new topics. Over the years, I’ve reviewed new products and shared how they worked for me. I’ve also written about new blogging tools and continue to look for fresh ways to enhance my posting process.

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Looking Ahead

I plan to maintain my regular cadence of Sunday postings. Watch for new entries each week, and feel free to leave a comment—I do read and reply to them. I enjoy interacting with readers and hope to see more engagement in the future.

One of my goals this year is to post more frequently. In addition to my regular Sunday posts, I’d like to add one or two extra entries during the week—focused on topics that interest me, such as technology, politics, or sports. While I’ve occasionally posted more than once in a week over the past few years, those extra posts have usually been tied to holidays or celebrations. I’d like to expand beyond that and share more spontaneous content.

If you’ve made it this far, I’d love to hear from you:

• What have you enjoyed about the site?
• How long have you been following?
• What would you like to see more of?
• Is there anything you’d prefer to see less of?

This is a fun process, and that’s what matters most—I genuinely enjoy doing this each week. I hope you have a great Sunday and a fantastic week ahead!

Books, Bikes, and Baseball: A Sunday State of Mind

Oliver Sleeping

This Sunday morning, I’m struggling a bit with what to write about. I feel like a blank slate that I can’t quite start filling in—so I’m jumping in and writing anyway, hoping it sparks some ideas. I’ve got golf on the TV and baseball coming up later today. There are a few chores I need to tackle around the house, and I should probably think through some work-related things, but overall, it’s a pretty relaxed Sunday.

With no set plan for this post, I’ll be jumping around a bit as different thoughts come to mind. Bear with me as I shift from topic to topic.

Reading Goals and Audio Book Struggles

My reading has been steady, but I’m not quite meeting the goals I set for the year. I’ve only finished one book in the past two months. I recently started a new book and also began an audio book that sounded interesting.

When it comes to audio books, I’ve realized that unless I’m in the car and fully focused, I don’t retain much. If the TV is on or I’m following sports, my attention drifts. It’s clear that multitasking doesn’t work for me when listening to audio books—I need to be fully engaged. Right now, I’m about three books behind where I should be.

Bike Riding: Out of the Habit

I’ve definitely slacked on my bike riding. Between camping, travel, and just falling out of the routine, I haven’t been on the bike since June 6, 2025. Wow. I keep telling myself I’ll get back to it, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’ve got a conference coming up in early August, and I’m planning to restart my riding routine once I’m back. It’s amazing how easy it is to fall out of a habit—and how hard it is to get back into it.

Camping Adventures Continue

I’ve shared quite a few posts about our camping adventures this year—and for good reason. We’ve done a lot of it, and we already have another trip scheduled for the end of October. It’s been great to get out so often. Carrie summed it up perfectly: last year was our year of concerts, and this year is the year of camping. All of our trips have been in Kansas, and our final one will be as well. I’m really looking forward to it.

Family Time in Lawrence

Group Photo of Cousins

Carrie and I met up with my family on Thursday for a cousins’ dinner in Lawrence. We gathered at the Lawrence Country Club for drinks and dinner. It was a fun night. Some cousins couldn’t make it, but Mom, Dina, and Aunt Barb joined us, which was a treat. We usually meet in Kansas City, so it was nice to have a get-together closer to home.

Birthday Dinner at Fire Keepers

Birthday Celebration Wine Toast

Friday night, we celebrated my birthday at Fire Keepers Golf Course with dinner at Three Fires Steakhouse. It was our second time dining there, and it lived up to our memories—excellent food and great service. Big thanks to Joan and Eddie for the birthday dinner! Erin, Carrie, Greg, and I keep talking about making a trip to Fire Keepers to stay overnight and do some gaming. We haven’t made it happen yet, but we brought it up again while walking through the casino.

Sports Season Shifts

As July winds down, baseball is still front and center—especially with the Royals managing to stay somewhat in the hunt. But football is on the horizon. Fantasy football leagues are forming, and draft dates are being set. It should be a fun season all around:

• KU football kicks off in a newly renovated stadium.
• Washburn has a new coach and fresh energy on campus.
• And of course, the Chiefs are gearing up for another exciting run.

Let’s go!

Wrapping Up

That’s enough rambling for this Sunday. We’ve moved into the afternoon, and baseball is about to begin. The Royals are just about an hour away from first pitch.

Have a great rest of your Sunday—and a fantastic week ahead!