“It was always a good idea to keep an eye on Jack, and pay very close attention to what he would bring in on his stringer, because when it came to finding creative ways to recycle a dead catfish or the like, he wrote the book.

In his opinion they made great hot water bottles, and it was not unusual to find one tucked up under the sheets to keep your toes warm and toasty at night…”

Walking into our kitchen one Wednesday afternoon around 3:30, after a rather uneventful day at school, my mom, who was at the sink peeling potatoes, turned to face me and uttered the words that no kid ever wants to hear.

"I just spoke to both your teacher and the principal, so don't plan on going to school for the next couple of days."

Before I could open my mouth - well it was probably already hanging open - to try and articulate one of several hundred questions that quickly flashed across my mind, she said,