The World of
Grandpa Don
A work in progress - complete
but not finished
What's New
In the life of Grandpa Don
On this page I have
recorded what I found significant during the past week as well as my
thoughts about those events and other reflections. I started doing
this before the practice became popular on the internet
This is my diary, written a little each day and published weekly.
At times I may seem to
pontificate on a subject that comes to mind during the week. I do
not intend it as a demand or even a suggestion that everyone should
think or act as I do. It is rather, intended to let you know what
goes on in my mind ... how I am motivated to live as I do.
If The World of Grandpa Don
appeals to you,
you are free to join me in it. Be warned, however, it is not always what
some would call "The Real World".
Week Ending
Friday April 4, 2008
Go to the Current Event
for ..
Archive
Or to learn more of Grandpa Don and his
remarkable family ...
Many of the quotes found on this page
are from the daily messages I receive from Covenant House
In
the
Electronic
Spotlight
Forgotten
Arizona
A
Shattered Romance
Packard Family Mysteries
A
Thought ...
Wisdom comes with age, but
sometimes age comes alone.
The
Prayer Corner
Visit
the On-Line Chapel
www.stjulie.org
Post your prayer requests there.
Before I presume to pray ...
for my offenses against God
and everyone else, I ask pardon.
I invite you
to
Pray with me
...
... for the speedy and complete recovery
for all who have had surgery,
all who have had injuries,
and thoes who suffer from illness.
Bono
Vince Malum
Overcome Evil with Good
Knight Grand Officer
Chev. Donald J Plefka, KGOStI,
OMStlAt-Large Priory Commander
Order of
Merit III
Last Saturday seemed very productive to me. Much of the morning was invested
in research for the next three poems written by my father which I planned to
publish here. I found some interesting facts to be included with his words.
I also scanned the pages so carefully and artistically prepared by my sister
Marilyn and set up the three web pages.
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
JOHN
I called my little brother, John Copeland, after lunch to wish him a happy birthday. He and
Liz planned to celebrate later at dinner. They are just as tired of winter
as we are and he and a couple friends plan to head south in a couple weeks
in the hope of finding some green grass on which to play golf. He reported
that our brother-in-law John Barilla was expected to come home. That is
great news and would indicate that his recovery is progressing well.
My exercise period was enhanced by some remarkable footage about caves, how
they are formed and what animals live in them. When I finished, as usual, I
set up my entertainment system for TV (it requires the use of four remotes
to do it) and found myself watching a public TV production of touring
Chicago by boat. That was interesting as it described the history of the
many buildings, bridges and structures along the Chicago River. It even
described a new "Fish Hotel" in the downtown area which creates an
artificial habitat designed to encourage the repopulation of the river. .
Believe that life is worth living,
and your belief will help create that fact.
~ William James
It was about 4:00 AM when I heard the thrashing about and turned on the
light. Mikey was on the bedroom floor just outside of his bed having one
of his seizures. I got down next to him and stroked his back and
it seemed to have a positive effect. He was looking up at me with his
big brown eyes that seemed to ask. "What is happening?".Soon he was
quiet and after a moment managed to regain the control of his legs and
struggled to his feet. I gave him a moment to gain confidence and led
him down stairs so he could go out. He was only out for a minute and
when he came in we went back upstairs and I cleaned up the floor. The
seizures cause him to loose all control. He asked to get up on my bed
and once he was up there I petted him for a while, then when I turned
away from him he snuggled against my back, something he seldom does, and
we went to sleep.
All day Monday Mikey was at my feet wherever I was. I had an appointment
with the eye doctor but when I got home I read my email. I found the
story of
Freedom, the Eagle .
This story reinforce my current experience with Mikey. A bond has been
established, one formed by kindness and trust. We find it a source of
amazement when a bond of this nature is formed between humans and
animals but it is only unusual because it is so seldom tried. It works
as well between humans and humans and the humans in question need not be
alike in any way. It is the kindness and compassion that holds the key.
We too often try to gain others "respect" by dominating them and it
never works. They will fear the dominator but never respect or love
them. I keep referring to Dale Carnegie and his book,
"How to Win Friends and Influence People."
To do so, one must be GENUINLY interested in
the other person and the key is the word Genuine. It can not be a sham
or pretended. Such trickery will eventually fail.
Getting back to my visit to the eye doctor ... On my last visit in
September he placed tiny plugs in ducts at the lower part of each eye.
These ducts drain away excess "tears" that normally lubricate the eyes
and since I do not produce enough of this lubricant, the drainage is not
necessary. The result was that my eyesight has improved in both eyes but
not equally. I have noticed the improvement but with the glasses I got
after the cataract surgery I have trouble focusing on my reading
material. I no longer need the glasses for distance and made the mistake
of getting progressive lenses (no-line bi-focal) when I bought them. The
result is that there is a very narrow band in the left lenses that is
used for reading. I had him write a new prescription for a pair of
reading glasses giving me strong correction needed for the left eye and
very little correction for the right. I brought in a pair of old (Feb,
2000) glasses to save the cost of new frames and my new cheaters should
be ready at the end of the week.
Diane and Caitlin have returned home from their west coast visits to
colleges. I am waiting for a report from my granddaughter on her
adventures there. Her prime target was, and is, Stanford University and
a pre-med curriculum. It is a ambitious and noble target and we pray for
success in her goals.
Doing good is the greatest
happiness.
~ Chinese proverb
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
JOHN
No, I'm not repeating myself. This time we congratulate John Lawler, my
nephew and son of Harry and Carol Lawler. (Harry is Anne's brother).
John and his family live in the Detroit area. While we are remembering
birthdays, we say ...
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
CHRIS
Chris Lawler is John's sister, the only remaining
member of our Lawler clan still in the Chicago area. We wish them long
life and prosperity as well as happiness.
One of the aspirations of the members of the Order of St Isidore of
Seville is to use the internet responsibly. One way to do this is
actually a negative, that is, instances when we should
not use the
internet. But let me go back for a minute and say that I hope that we
all have a good virus protection system installed on our computers and
that we keep it up to date with automatic updates. And I hope that we
all remember not to open email attachments unless we know the sender is
trustworthy. We of course also know that we should not go to websites
and download stuff that they tout as "free" unless we really trust the
source. Having issued that reminder, we can stop worrying about
viruses and such. When you get that email, even from a friend,
that warns of an impending virus, DELETE it! DO
NOT forward it to all your friends. It is probably a hoax,
initiated by someone who has nothing better to do than see how far their
little trick can proliferate and how long it will stay on the interned.
Even in the unlikely event that it is true, it is totally unnecessary
because the intelligent people know how to deal with viruses already. It
adds to the already heavy internet traffic and is an irresponsible use
of the internet.
Another irresponsible use of the internet is found in the circulation of
slanderous claims against others. Certain politicians are frequent
targets and one has been actually labeled as the "Anti-Christ" sighting
the Book of Revelation as proof.
The fact is that the so called "Anti Christ" is not
one person at all but the collective mentality of those who oppose His
(God's) word and values. Materialism, sexism. hedonism and the such
comprise the "Anti-Christ". Those who point to the Book of Revelation
for clues to coming events or persons are, in my opinion, on the wrong
track.. The
book was written by the author as a warning to contemporary Christians
and referred to the Roman rulers of their day. It applies to us as a
warning of similar but unspecific situations and people. As much as we
may not agree with the views of the individual being maligned in this
manner it is an irresponsible use of the internet and the messages
should not be sent on to your friends or anyone else. Use the delete
key..
Instead of adding to the problem by forwarding this junk,
ask the one who sent it to you to refrain from the practice and tell
them why. That would be a responsible use of the internet.
Use life responsibly.
~ Grandpa Don ~
My Father Wrote ... I have added three more
poems.
Forgotten My father takes up
the cause of the many soldiers back from the "Great" war and all it's
sacrifices of time, comfort, and the danger of loss of life and limb who
then find good jobs difficult to find. The fat cats who got rich while
they were "over there" show no gratitude or even acknowledge their
sacrifices. He points to the Battle of the Somme to illustrate the
hardships and dangers these soldiers faced, a battle that was one of the
most horrific of "The Great War", See
Somme. The poem was
undated but I am sure it precedes the gross indignity that these
veterans suffered in 1932. Having been promised a bonus for their
service and over a decade after the war, now faced with the joblessness
of the great depression, many marched on Washington, DC and camped in
the parks demanding what was promised to them. see
Bonus March
. It was there that the injustice was exasperated by government military
action against them. It was not until 1936 that a bonus bill was passed
by congress.
Arizona This poem follows a
now familiar pattern. My father much preferred the wide open spaces to
the hustle and bustle of the city. He was also obviously impressed with
the unique culture of the Zuni, a tribe with which he must have had some
contact in Arizona in 1918. You may say that the Zuni were the Swiss of
the American West. Of course you never heard of them. They were
peaceful, never engaging in any of the disputes of the American
migration west or for that matter with other Indians. Their cultural
differences were as unique as their language. Read
Zuni.
A Shattered Romance.
A girl in every port! Oh wait ... that is the sailor, not the soldier!
But their is no reason a solder can't be an opportunist since he will be
stationed in one place only for a limited time. My father mixes the
seriousness of war with romance in this, the first of the whimsical
poems we present on these pages. The dedicated nurse finds her mind
almost clouded by the attempt of the wounded soldier, who may have been
a victim of the German use of mustard gas on the battlefield. See
Mustard Gas
But it does ring a bell for me. Let's see, after Anne cut me loose and I
joined the Navy, there was Myrtle in Beaumont, "What's-'er-Name" in
Milwaukee, Janet in Philadelphia, Sally in Charleston ... but no serious
commitments or promises. They were all compared to the benchmark back in
Chicago and all were found lacking.
We have a request from Peggy Cecora ... I'll let her tell you about it
...
Hi all,
My cousin's son entered a baseball contest and has won a regional
position for us here in Cleveland, Ohio. In order for him to win
the national contest he needs your vote. Please go to the
following website:
www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com
and vote for # 25 Jack B. You can also read his essay that he
wrote to enter the contest.
Thanks everyone for taking the time and please forward the information
to any of your friends that you think will help make this 7 year olds
dream come true.
Peggy
Did you read his essay? Jack really loves baseball so lets make him a
winner. Give him your vote and tell all your friends to do the same.
The gift we can offer others
is so simple a thing as hope.
~ Daniel Berrigan
Writing the letter to my cousin Diane Simousek kept getting put off again and
again and I had to respond. I finally just picked up the phone and
called. But of course, I only got to leave a message on her answering
machine. I left my number and promised to try again. Her return
call came in the evening and we had a long and delightful conversation.
The last time we saw each other was sometime in the 1940's when my folks
and the Snyder's, ... Aunt Kate, Uncle Charles, Ken and Bob would visit "the Farm" in Indiana, home of Uncle John
and Aunt 'Tony". and our cousins John and Diane. It was an
adventure for us city guys, at first, no electricity or indoor plumbing
but the lack of conveniences were offset by being able to explore the
woods and play in the barn. We were put to work but that was part of the
adventure. There was brush and small trees to be cleared and sometimes
potatoes to be picked. The house, that my uncle had built after cutting
trees and sending them to the mill for lumber, had a partial basement
and we spent some time shoveling sand from the unexcavated part, out the
windows. Sometimes we disturbed a wasp nest and suffered the
consequences. We boys slept in the attic with the spiders and bees. I
was jealous of my cousin John because he could drive the tractor and the
truck and he was years younger than I. There was milk, from the cows,
just from the separator that removed the cream.
Diane was the quiet one,several years younger than John, keeping in the
background and quite shy amongst her older male cousins. Diane had found
me when she googled my father's name and up popped this web site. Her
six page letter brought me up to date about the Indiana branch of the
family and our phone conversation filled in some details for both of us.
She and her husband Ed operate Lambert Farms, specializing in mint
production, processing it in their own distillery and selling the oil.
See
Mentha spicata –
Spearmint, Curly mint and
Mentha × piperita –
Peppermint
The old farm house is still in the family, now owned by Ed and Dian's
son, Ed, Jr. and his wife, Lynn. They have refurbished it recently and
plan to finish the basement as well. Diane is interested in genealogy
and will send (snail mail) some of her research on the family reaching
back to Europe. Although she has been using computers for many years,
she is reluctant to use the internet for file transfer and such. Maybe
it's a continuation of her childhood cautiousness and shyness. However,
our phone conversation belies that theory, at least I felt very
comfortable talking with her. We are old friends! . The World of Grandpa
Don continues to expand, capturing the new and recapturing the old. (Not
that any of us are old!)
Speaking of Mint ... when looking for information on this crop I noted
that it is considered an invasive plant with a strong perennial root
system and I immediately thought of the pest I have been fighting in a
section of my lawn. I had noticed that when cut, it had the smell of
mint! Alas, it is a form of mint verified by goggling "Creeping Charlie"
the name used by my lawn people. Diane and her family earn a living
raising mint and I spend part of my hard earned savings trying to get
rid of it's cousin "Charley".
It was Thursday at about 3:15 as I was recovering from my stint on the
treadmill that Anne Marie called to let me know that Dom's surgery was
complete and he was in recovery. All went well and after spending the
night in the hospital he will face 6 - 8 weeks of recovery. It took
about 3 hours for the orthopedic surgeon to repair the torn muscles in
his shoulder, the result of the fall he took several weeks ago. Let's
pray that he will keep his sanity until he regains full use of his arm.
Today, April 4, is the feast day of St. Isidore of Seville. He is being
promoted as the patron saint of the internet since he was, if you will,
one of the first nerds of the church. He established libraries of books
and manuscripts, disseminating knowledge until his death on this date in
the year 636. The Order of St Isidore of Seville, to which I
belong, is dedicated to "Promoting the ideals of Christian chivalry
through the medium of the Internet" I invite you to join me in
membership. See
St Isidore.
In faith and hope the world will
disagree,
but all mankind’s concern is charity.
~ Alexander Pope
There are times when a note comes from a stranger, a note that gladdens
the heart to know that someone has been touched in a positive way. This
one arrived this morning:
Just a
note to let you know I love your story. I sat here and cried as I read
it, probably because it hits so close to home. My mother is adopted and
has wondered about her birth parents but never wanted to find them,
always said she was afraid of who they might be. I on the other hand
have wondered since I was a child (and am now in my 30's) about her
birth family, after all they are a part of me too. However my
mother made me swear that I would NEVER look for them. Out of respect
for her I promised but it really eats at me because I would like to know
who we are too. I never give up hope that one day my family can
experience a story like yours.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Lynn
Thanks Lynn. I also was hesitant to seek. The main reason was out of
deference to my mom, but then there was also the fear of what I would
find. My fears of course were completely unfounded as all fears most
often are.
I said above that Lynn was a stranger. I was wrong. But that is one of
the problems of the world in that we regard people unknown to us as
"strangers". To be unknown is not to be strange. We are all different
and that is by God's design and in our differences we are to complement
and complete each other. But, to do that we need to get to know each
other.
This website has been a great blessing to me. First of all it keeps me
off the streets and out of the bars by giving me something to do. It
keeps my mind active ... Yes the brain needs exercise too. It keeps me
connected to my family and to the world and creates new and renewed
connections all the time. But most of all it lifts a veil and lets
anyone who cares to read how God has worked in my life. I intend it to
be a witness to His goodness and His love for us all. At the same time
it lets everyone know what makes me tick, what motivates me to do what I
do and think the way I think. I am different but I do not want to be
strange.
I want everyone to know that what ever has happened in my life, good,
bad, or indifferent, has influenced where I am today and I am content
with the results ... with no fear of the future. The process is on-going
and unfinished.
God is Good.
I
:The name Shepardsfield may have some
significance as the possible origin of our ancestor's first name.
.
Grandpa Don Plefka
Links of the
Week
Following the link is ...
the name of the person who led me to it.
Freedom, the Eagle
... Alex Kapocius
Icon
Wars
... Alex Kapocius
"How to Win Friends and
Influence People."
Hymns for over 50
... Alex Kapocius
Understanding Islam and Muslims
Anne
wanted everyone to be 'Nice'.
This button was in one of her dresser
drawers I cleaned out in August of 2004
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source
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A work in progress - complete but not finished |
What's New In the life of Grandpa Don On this page I have recorded what I found significant during the past week as well as my thoughts about those events and other reflections. I started doing this before the practice became popular on the internet This is my diary, written a little each day and published weekly. At times I may seem to pontificate on a subject that comes to mind during the week. I do not intend it as a demand or even a suggestion that everyone should think or act as I do. It is rather, intended to let you know what goes on in my mind ... how I am motivated to live as I do.
If The World of Grandpa Don
appeals to you, |
Week Ending Friday April 4, 2008 |
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Last Saturday seemed very productive to me. Much of the morning was invested in research for the next three poems written by my father which I planned to publish here. I found some interesting facts to be included with his words. I also scanned the pages so carefully and artistically prepared by my sister Marilyn and set up the three web pages. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN I called my little brother, John Copeland, after lunch to wish him a happy birthday. He and Liz planned to celebrate later at dinner. They are just as tired of winter as we are and he and a couple friends plan to head south in a couple weeks in the hope of finding some green grass on which to play golf. He reported that our brother-in-law John Barilla was expected to come home. That is great news and would indicate that his recovery is progressing well. My exercise period was enhanced by some remarkable footage about caves, how they are formed and what animals live in them. When I finished, as usual, I set up my entertainment system for TV (it requires the use of four remotes to do it) and found myself watching a public TV production of touring Chicago by boat. That was interesting as it described the history of the many buildings, bridges and structures along the Chicago River. It even described a new "Fish Hotel" in the downtown area which creates an artificial habitat designed to encourage the repopulation of the river. .
It was about 4:00 AM when I heard the thrashing about and turned on the light. Mikey was on the bedroom floor just outside of his bed having one of his seizures. I got down next to him and stroked his back and it seemed to have a positive effect. He was looking up at me with his big brown eyes that seemed to ask. "What is happening?".Soon he was quiet and after a moment managed to regain the control of his legs and struggled to his feet. I gave him a moment to gain confidence and led him down stairs so he could go out. He was only out for a minute and when he came in we went back upstairs and I cleaned up the floor. The seizures cause him to loose all control. He asked to get up on my bed and once he was up there I petted him for a while, then when I turned away from him he snuggled against my back, something he seldom does, and we went to sleep. All day Monday Mikey was at my feet wherever I was. I had an appointment with the eye doctor but when I got home I read my email. I found the story of Freedom, the Eagle . This story reinforce my current experience with Mikey. A bond has been established, one formed by kindness and trust. We find it a source of amazement when a bond of this nature is formed between humans and animals but it is only unusual because it is so seldom tried. It works as well between humans and humans and the humans in question need not be alike in any way. It is the kindness and compassion that holds the key. We too often try to gain others "respect" by dominating them and it never works. They will fear the dominator but never respect or love them. I keep referring to Dale Carnegie and his book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." To do so, one must be GENUINLY interested in the other person and the key is the word Genuine. It can not be a sham or pretended. Such trickery will eventually fail. Getting back to my visit to the eye doctor ... On my last visit in September he placed tiny plugs in ducts at the lower part of each eye. These ducts drain away excess "tears" that normally lubricate the eyes and since I do not produce enough of this lubricant, the drainage is not necessary. The result was that my eyesight has improved in both eyes but not equally. I have noticed the improvement but with the glasses I got after the cataract surgery I have trouble focusing on my reading material. I no longer need the glasses for distance and made the mistake of getting progressive lenses (no-line bi-focal) when I bought them. The result is that there is a very narrow band in the left lenses that is used for reading. I had him write a new prescription for a pair of reading glasses giving me strong correction needed for the left eye and very little correction for the right. I brought in a pair of old (Feb, 2000) glasses to save the cost of new frames and my new cheaters should be ready at the end of the week. Diane and Caitlin have returned home from their west coast visits to colleges. I am waiting for a report from my granddaughter on her adventures there. Her prime target was, and is, Stanford University and a pre-med curriculum. It is a ambitious and noble target and we pray for success in her goals.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN
No, I'm not repeating myself. This time we congratulate John Lawler, my
nephew and son of Harry and Carol Lawler. (Harry is Anne's brother).
John and his family live in the Detroit area. While we are remembering
birthdays, we say ... One of the aspirations of the members of the Order of St Isidore of Seville is to use the internet responsibly. One way to do this is actually a negative, that is, instances when we should not use the internet. But let me go back for a minute and say that I hope that we all have a good virus protection system installed on our computers and that we keep it up to date with automatic updates. And I hope that we all remember not to open email attachments unless we know the sender is trustworthy. We of course also know that we should not go to websites and download stuff that they tout as "free" unless we really trust the source. Having issued that reminder, we can stop worrying about viruses and such. When you get that email, even from a friend, that warns of an impending virus, DELETE it! DO NOT forward it to all your friends. It is probably a hoax, initiated by someone who has nothing better to do than see how far their little trick can proliferate and how long it will stay on the interned. Even in the unlikely event that it is true, it is totally unnecessary because the intelligent people know how to deal with viruses already. It adds to the already heavy internet traffic and is an irresponsible use of the internet. Another irresponsible use of the internet is found in the circulation of slanderous claims against others. Certain politicians are frequent targets and one has been actually labeled as the "Anti-Christ" sighting the Book of Revelation as proof. The fact is that the so called "Anti Christ" is not one person at all but the collective mentality of those who oppose His (God's) word and values. Materialism, sexism. hedonism and the such comprise the "Anti-Christ". Those who point to the Book of Revelation for clues to coming events or persons are, in my opinion, on the wrong track.. The book was written by the author as a warning to contemporary Christians and referred to the Roman rulers of their day. It applies to us as a warning of similar but unspecific situations and people. As much as we may not agree with the views of the individual being maligned in this manner it is an irresponsible use of the internet and the messages should not be sent on to your friends or anyone else. Use the delete key.. Instead of adding to the problem by forwarding this junk, ask the one who sent it to you to refrain from the practice and tell them why. That would be a responsible use of the internet.
My Father Wrote ... I have added three more
poems. We have a request from Peggy Cecora ... I'll let her tell you about it ... Hi all, Did you read his essay? Jack really loves baseball so lets make him a winner. Give him your vote and tell all your friends to do the same.
Writing the letter to my cousin Diane Simousek kept getting put off again and again and I had to respond. I finally just picked up the phone and called. But of course, I only got to leave a message on her answering machine. I left my number and promised to try again. Her return call came in the evening and we had a long and delightful conversation. The last time we saw each other was sometime in the 1940's when my folks and the Snyder's, ... Aunt Kate, Uncle Charles, Ken and Bob would visit "the Farm" in Indiana, home of Uncle John and Aunt 'Tony". and our cousins John and Diane. It was an adventure for us city guys, at first, no electricity or indoor plumbing but the lack of conveniences were offset by being able to explore the woods and play in the barn. We were put to work but that was part of the adventure. There was brush and small trees to be cleared and sometimes potatoes to be picked. The house, that my uncle had built after cutting trees and sending them to the mill for lumber, had a partial basement and we spent some time shoveling sand from the unexcavated part, out the windows. Sometimes we disturbed a wasp nest and suffered the consequences. We boys slept in the attic with the spiders and bees. I was jealous of my cousin John because he could drive the tractor and the truck and he was years younger than I. There was milk, from the cows, just from the separator that removed the cream. Diane was the quiet one,several years younger than John, keeping in the background and quite shy amongst her older male cousins. Diane had found me when she googled my father's name and up popped this web site. Her six page letter brought me up to date about the Indiana branch of the family and our phone conversation filled in some details for both of us. She and her husband Ed operate Lambert Farms, specializing in mint production, processing it in their own distillery and selling the oil. See Mentha spicata – Spearmint, Curly mint and Mentha × piperita – Peppermint The old farm house is still in the family, now owned by Ed and Dian's son, Ed, Jr. and his wife, Lynn. They have refurbished it recently and plan to finish the basement as well. Diane is interested in genealogy and will send (snail mail) some of her research on the family reaching back to Europe. Although she has been using computers for many years, she is reluctant to use the internet for file transfer and such. Maybe it's a continuation of her childhood cautiousness and shyness. However, our phone conversation belies that theory, at least I felt very comfortable talking with her. We are old friends! . The World of Grandpa Don continues to expand, capturing the new and recapturing the old. (Not that any of us are old!) Speaking of Mint ... when looking for information on this crop I noted that it is considered an invasive plant with a strong perennial root system and I immediately thought of the pest I have been fighting in a section of my lawn. I had noticed that when cut, it had the smell of mint! Alas, it is a form of mint verified by goggling "Creeping Charlie" the name used by my lawn people. Diane and her family earn a living raising mint and I spend part of my hard earned savings trying to get rid of it's cousin "Charley".
It was Thursday at about 3:15 as I was recovering from my stint on the treadmill that Anne Marie called to let me know that Dom's surgery was complete and he was in recovery. All went well and after spending the night in the hospital he will face 6 - 8 weeks of recovery. It took about 3 hours for the orthopedic surgeon to repair the torn muscles in his shoulder, the result of the fall he took several weeks ago. Let's pray that he will keep his sanity until he regains full use of his arm.
Today, April 4, is the feast day of St. Isidore of Seville. He is being
promoted as the patron saint of the internet since he was, if you will,
one of the first nerds of the church. He established libraries of books
and manuscripts, disseminating knowledge until his death on this date in
the year 636. The Order of St Isidore of Seville, to which I
belong, is dedicated to "Promoting the ideals of Christian chivalry
through the medium of the Internet" I invite you to join me in
membership. See
St Isidore. In faith and hope the world will
disagree,
There are times when a note comes from a stranger, a note that gladdens the heart to know that someone has been touched in a positive way. This one arrived this morning: Just a note to let you know I love your story. I sat here and cried as I read it, probably because it hits so close to home. My mother is adopted and has wondered about her birth parents but never wanted to find them, always said she was afraid of who they might be. I on the other hand have wondered since I was a child (and am now in my 30's) about her birth family, after all they are a part of me too. However my mother made me swear that I would NEVER look for them. Out of respect for her I promised but it really eats at me because I would like to know who we are too. I never give up hope that one day my family can experience a story like yours. Thank you for sharing your story. Lynn Thanks Lynn. I also was hesitant to seek. The main reason was out of deference to my mom, but then there was also the fear of what I would find. My fears of course were completely unfounded as all fears most often are. I said above that Lynn was a stranger. I was wrong. But that is one of the problems of the world in that we regard people unknown to us as "strangers". To be unknown is not to be strange. We are all different and that is by God's design and in our differences we are to complement and complete each other. But, to do that we need to get to know each other. This website has been a great blessing to me. First of all it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars by giving me something to do. It keeps my mind active ... Yes the brain needs exercise too. It keeps me connected to my family and to the world and creates new and renewed connections all the time. But most of all it lifts a veil and lets anyone who cares to read how God has worked in my life. I intend it to be a witness to His goodness and His love for us all. At the same time it lets everyone know what makes me tick, what motivates me to do what I do and think the way I think. I am different but I do not want to be strange. I want everyone to know that what ever has happened in my life, good, bad, or indifferent, has influenced where I am today and I am content with the results ... with no fear of the future. The process is on-going and unfinished. God is Good.
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Grandpa Don Plefka |
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Anne
wanted everyone to be 'Nice'. This button was in one of her dresser drawers I cleaned out in August of 2004
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