Life at Graestone

I am George Beckman. I spent my life with 6th graders. We built community and learned a great deal. I designed, programmed, and published elementary grade book software, The Pretty Good Grading Program, for thirty years. Ruth taught primary grades. The last 11 years of her career, she was a Reading Recovery Teacher Leader. Teacher Leaders train Reading Recovery teachers. Reading Recovery Teachers work with the bottom 20% of first-grade classes

I started my life in a canyon, and we purchased a house in a canyon in 2011. It seemed like a good way to finish. The place is beautiful and was named Graestone long before we came along.

I write every day. I love to play the piano and not playing makes my fingers long for the keyboard. I seem to attract Old Iron. I have two old tractors and drive a 1937 Ford Pickup. Life is good. Ruth likes to dig in the dirt. Graestone has so many unique plants and trees that she is still trying to find names for some of them.

We are Methodists, and the ColfaxUMC is a wonderful congregation. We help put the online service together each week. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on August 8, 2020.

These pages contain an Occasional Poem and some ramblings. When I rant about something, it is meant in fun. If you are too serious or are offended by some of my ramblings, then it is probably best that you not read them.

I am an author. My first book, Members of the Cast. It was released in 2021. The first book of a steampunk-ish is out as well. You can find more information at my writing website, graestonewriter.com