52 stories, one for each week, from the popular story column "Life's Outtakes". These stories are a humorous and inspirational view of community and family life. From the inspiration of dying soldier's last wish in "Singing To The End Of Life" to the humor of "Football Through The Eyes Of A Child" these stories will keep you laughing and make you think about what is really import.Stories include:1) Trying To Outsmart The Corn Bandits2) Journal Of A Gardner At Harvest Time3) To Catch A Raccoon4) To Catch A Cheater5) Who Is A Real Hero6) The Unknown Student7) Disappearing Lids And Box Tops8) Halloween Haunts9) Old Clunker10) A Rose And A Letter11) A Not-So-Friendly Rivalry12) Thankfulness For Freedoms We Take For Granted13) Standing Up Against Injustices14) Tatiana's Escape15) The Cost Of Doing The Right Thing16) Nothing Less Than A Miracle17) Y2K Problems, Looking Back A Decade Later18) What Students Communicate19) A Shocking Experience20) A Shocking Practical Joke Gone Awry21) Computer Systems And Grade Petitions22) Thermostats, Heaters, And Air Conditioners23) Those Awkward Junior High Years24) Boy Scouts, Snow Caves, And Tom Sawyer25) Winter Camp Survival26) What Really Makes A Champion27) An Exciting First Child28) A Very Precocious Child29) The Love of A Determined Child30) No Greater Love31) Cell Phone Secrets32) Life's Lessons Learned A Little Bit Late33) Considerations Of Guardian Angels34) A Horse Named Cashmere35) Making A Friendly Horse Mean36) Like Mother, Like Daughter37) What It Takes To Have A Good Church Choir38) Joining The Church Choir39) Fraudulent Flowers40) A Ring Of Truth41) The Bestest Vacation Ever42) Father's Day And Fishing Trips43) A Tale Of Two Sergeants (Leading From The Front)44) The Farm And Ranch Store45) A Really Important Can Sale46) Getting Children To Weed A Garden47) The Unique Daddy Daughter Date48) A Nice, Peaceful Neighborhood49) An Interesting Party50) How Much Is It Worth51) Playing The Part Of The Rented Boyfriend52) A Chicken Named Fluff Daris Howard is an author and playwright who grew up on a farm in rural Idaho. He associated with many colorful characters including cowboys, farmers, lumberjacks and others. Besides his work on the farm he has worked as a cowboy and a mechanic. He was a state champion athlete and competed in college athletics. He also lived for eighteen months in New York.Daris and his wife, Donna, have ten children and were foster parents for several years. He has also worked in scouting and cub scouts, at one time having 18 boys in his scout troop.His plays, musicals, and books build on the characters of those he has associated with, along with his many experiences, to bring his work to life.Daris is a math professor and his classes are well known for the stories he tells to liven up discussion and to help bring across the points he is trying to teach. His scripts and books are much like his stories, full of humor and inspiration.He and his family have enjoyed running a summer community theatre where he gets a chance to premiere his theatrical works and rework them to make them better. His published plays and books can be seen at He has plays translated into German and French and his work has been done in many countries around the world.In the last few years, Daris has started writing books and short stories. He writes a popular news column called Life's Outtakes, that consists of weekly short stories and is published in various newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and Canada including Country, Horizons, and Family Living

Mode of access: World Wide Web