The World of Grandpa Don
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Back to grandkid .
A work in progress - complete but not finished |
What's New In the world 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 |
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Go to the Current Event
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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  |
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As last week closed - Thursday and Friday morning - Anne Marie was
discouraged and
frustrated due to the fact that the families' efforts to replace their old
pool seemed to be doomed to failure. They had trouble getting the metal
sides in place and once that was done after several days of effort, the
liner seemed to have a mind of it's own and would not be put in place evenly
and without wrinkles. But ... a very happy daughter called early Friday
evening with a follow-up call on Saturday.... All was well!
Their neighbor Jack and
his son Pat came over and together with Joe, Marc, as well as Anne Marie's
brother Tom and a shop vac to suck the air out between the liner and the
pool wall, the liner was tamed. Saturday morning the top rail was installed
after needing to be modified to fit, and the pool was being filled. Not only
are two heads better than one but, more heads are better than a few because
somebody will have the solution to the puzzle and helping each other is what
it is all about. The Albano family weekend could now continue ... joyfully
and care-free without a the cloud of an unfinished pool hanging over their
head. More on that later.
Last Friday evening John Renaud of Winsor Canada, stopped by to visit. He walked. No. silly, not all the way from Canada, just from his nephews house about three blocks away. John was here for the HS graduation of his nephew's daughter.. We had a wonderful visit discussing a myriad of subjects and concepts. Being the President of Canadian Catholic Radio, and deeply involved in the Newman Club at the University of Windsor, our chat largely circulated around religious matters. John loves his faith and is disturbed by the difficulties he has getting air time for CCR as well as getting volunteer help for his projects, donations to support them and yes, support for the Church itself. He is disturbed, but not discouraged and keeps charging ahead, doing himself what he can not get help to do. He has even decided that in order to maintain the CCR web site, he will need to learn how to do it himself. He will be calling me for pointers of web site maintenance. I wish that I could maintain the site for him ... posting news of events and articles of interest ... but there are things that I should be doing and have been putting off due to other things I am doing. (Visit CCR )
Giving John's problem further thought I realize what may be wrong in his approach. He told me he keeps looking for a "WebMaster". He needs a :WebServant" The reason I coined the term "WebServant" is to impress on myself that the St Julie Web Ministry members are there to serve the needs of the parish by using the Web (Internet). ... Masters of anything, we are not!
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The impossible of today |
Saturday morning I had just finished a leisurely breakfast when my cousin Gay called. You may remember that last week I reported her broken arm and made some comments about her outlook on life in spite of the fact that she seemed to attract bad fortune. like the comic book character that always had a cloud over his head. At the time I couldn't remember his name. Since then I remembered he was the creation of Al Capp in his Li'l Abner comics and that his name is unpronounceable. (see JOE BTFSPLK - pictured above) Gay, although she seems to be followed around by Joe Btfsplk, is his direct opposite in attitude and her cheery phone call Saturday attested to that fact. She called to tell me that she appreciated what I said about her and the conversation continued from there. She and I have remarkably similar outlooks on life but while mine took many years to developed, she inherited hers from her parents. Before she broke her arm she had started to write the story of her parents and she will send it to me when it is finished. It was great to talk to Gay and launched me on to a great day, uplifting me even higher that the visit from John and the news from Anne Marie. Joe Btfsplk is defiantly no where in site around any of us.
By the bye, Il loved the Li'l Abner comic strip and all it's other characters. For those of you too young to know Li'l Abner, you have miss something great ... when the comics were entertaining and carried a message. The characters were often exaggerations of people you knew which prompted the saying "See you in the funny papers". You would often see your friends there doing something outlandish or trying to solve a problem. And yes. I do know a couple people like Joe Btfsplk. No, not you!
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Trouble is
only opportunity in work clothes. |
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Well, that is stupid. Because it contains the words "This space intentionally left Blank" it is no longer blank. But no matter ... the truth is that it was not left blank, but became so after I deleted what was there. More on that later. Now it is no longer blank but contains that dumb notice. While on the subject of notices ... how about the one on TV movies that tell you it has been modified to fit your screen. Ok, maybe they are attempting to be honest but ... who cares?.
Check out Dubai. Do you still think the US is the richest nation, the world leader, and most modern country in the world?
Deacon Ed Pluchar included the following story in his homily on Sunday.
A certain man, call him Joe, a church go-er for many years stopped attending. The pastor, noticing Joe's absence for several weeks, decided to pay him a visit. When he arrived Joe of course knew the reason for his visit, took his coat and invited him to sit in a comfortable chair near the fireplace on that chilly night. He waited for the pastor to broach the subject but the pastor just watched the flames as they sat in silence. After a while, the pastor got up, grasped to fire tongs and moved a brilliantly burning coal from the center of the fire off to the side by itself. He silently returned to his chair and they watched as the coal's flame flickered out and it's glow faded to cold black. The pastor then got up and put the coal back to the center where it soon burst into flame again. The pastor then announced, "It has been a nice visit, but I must go now" and he got up and put on his coat. Joe said, Thanks for the fiery sermon. I'll see you in church Sunday.
.The family has scattered for the Memorial Day weekend.. Dan, Karen and his girls had either track or soccer meets in the West and Northern suburbs. Marc went to the lake with his Uncle Tom to do some maintenance and put Tom's boat in the water. Tom's girls had "school stuff" and Diane worked at the boat yard and stayed home with them. Anne Marie and Dom drove to Kalamazoo to see Anthony play ball. I got to do some reading in the gazebo on a beautiful Sunday. It clouded up a bit and I could here constant thunder to the north but the storms stayed clear of my little piece of paradise. Joe Btfsplk must have been bedeviling those north-sliders.
Dinner Sunday consisted of a couple smoked bratwursts, grilled to perfection and served on hot dog buns garnished with hot dog relish along with mustard potato salad. Afterward I sipped a B&B on the patio while reading the wisdom of "A New Earth". Now, that is living high on the hog!
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Walk boldly and wisely . .
. There is a hand above that will help you on. ~ Philip James Bailey |
The storms that passed through about 2 AM Monday woke me with their sounds and flashing lights but there was little rain. Memorial day dawned sunny and warm, perfect for taking my daily meditation out to the gazebo. After an extended visit with God and Nature I had to renew a subscription to the parish newsletter (email) service. Apparently with the recent changes the parish made in their email service, the address that serves the web ministry was dropped and so we had no advance notice of the expiration of the bulk email utility. I renewed it and sent an email to the parish computer guru explaining the importance of that email address. Hopefully it will get reinstated quickly. All the web site services are registered using that email address so that ownership lies with the parish and not any individual.
I enjoyed reading and just "living" in the gazebo during the day. Mikey did also, asking to be lifted onto the other cushioned chair where he was very comfortable as he surveyed his kingdom. After he had his dinner we went to the Albano's where we found the family in their pool. It looked gorgeous. Snacks were brought forth and we continued to enjoy the day with the temperature reaching into the 80's. The news from Kankakee was that Anthony hit his first home run for the season. In spite of his efforts, they lost and were on their decrepit, non-air-conditioned bus on their way to Florence, KY. Chicken and pork chops were grilled. Anne Marie had made a cheese cake and smothered it in cherries for desert. Mikey and I went home satisfied after a greet day.
My friend Bob sent a story;
Here's something to think about.
I recently picked a new primary
care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive lab tests, he said I was
doing 'fairly well' for my age. A little concerned about that comment, I
couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?' He asked,
'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?' 'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm
not doing drugs, either!'
Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?
'I said, 'No, my former doctor said that all red meat is very
unhealthy!' Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf,
sailing, hiking, or bicycling?' 'No, I don't,' I said.
He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?' 'No,'
I said.
He looked at me and said,....
'Then, why do you even give a shit?
Cute story. But of course I couldn't leave it at that because it got me thinking. And so I responded with;
He didn't ask;
Do you read good books, enjoy the company of family and friends, love to see a beautiful sunset and see the beauty in nature?
Do you help others by volunteering at church and/or service organizations such as the American Legion?
Do you do random acts of kindness to bring a bit of joy to others?
Do you help to spread the word of God by helping to maintain church web sites, and help out in other church activities?
Do you influence others to be better people by publishing your own web site?
In other words, do you do things which have merit for eternity rather than just bring temporary pleasure?
If so, you should strive to live to 90!
Bob replied that he doesn't do much reading. But I know he does all those other things. That is why we have become good friends. "Birds of a feather ..." You might sat we a re kindred spirits, sometimes agreeing to disagree on some particular topic but sharing the same basic beliefs. In the mean time I have been trying to get him interested in reading the works of the man I refer to as Bob's "Uncle Clive", C. S. Lewis.
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No one knows what he can do
until he tries. |
On Tuesday I woke Mikey up at 6:30 so we would be prepared for Barbara's arrival. The temperature had dropped into the low 40's and Mikey didn't like it at all. He had my full agreement. Confined to the house, I assembled my thoughts about the War in Iraq and share them with you at The Iraq War - 2008 .
In preparing the page on the war I was also pondering the way we handcuff ourselves, or rather how our egos handcuff us. In refusing to admit that we sometimes make mistakes we prevent ourselves from progressing towards the truth and wisdom. We also force the same behavior on others, especially politicians. Even if they wanted to admit a mistake they are reluctant, to say the least, to do so knowing they will be labeled by the media as well as their opponents as being inconsistent and waffling. We do not allow for growth and maturity in ourselves or others. But we do make mistakes. I had the good fortune to work for Herald Roberts who, told me that when, not if, I made a mistake, to be sure to tell him. That way we could take steps, first to repair the damage, and second to be sure it didn't happen again. He also told me that if I tell him, he would be on my side but if he found I was trying to hide a mistake he would not be on my side. Herald is one of the people I always remember as touching my life and leaving me better for the touch.
Governments and religious organizations make mistakes. They will do anything it seems to avoid admitting to it for fear of destroying the people's confidence in them. It is difficult to change course and make corrections under these conditions. Come on guys, ... making mistakes is human. Correcting mistakes is wisdom ... g3tting in tune with God. We treat a mistake as a sign of weakness, not of growth. Even in our children the attitude of parents seems to be that of immediate defense and denial, saying, "Oh, not my Jimmy, he wouldn't do that!" Denial of error only makes matters worse and creates more problems. It is contrary to honesty and certainly not wise.
Having pontificated on that subject I suppose I should quit saying "I thought I made a mistake but I was in error."
Let's talk about gas prices. We are spoiled! I saw the other day that prices for gas in Europe range from the equivalent in US dollars of $8 to $12 per gallon. I checked several web sites and while most ere undated or ou6tdated I did find one that had prices recorded in early May. To see how lucky we are here, check Gas Prices. Of course the reason the European prices are so high is that they carry a huge tax burden, since they feel that those who use the roads should pay for them. But then they also carry heavy income tax burdens as well. Check Think your taxes are bad? Oh yes ... we are spoilt rotten!
Prayer is the soul’s
breathing itself into the bosom of its heavenly Father.
~ Thomas Watson
I became the teacher on Thursday. Actually "moderator" is a better term because I am also a student. Sr Gael was away and someone was needed to lead the opening and closing prayers as well as run the commentary tape for Bible study. It is an easy job for the most part, the most difficult part being the task of bringing the discussion back to the subject when it strays, as it often does. But, it was an easy job, as it should be when discussing "Wisdom".
About that blank space at the top of the page ... The fact is that my oldest son Dan sent an article that got me boiled up ... as was the intent of the originator of the piece. Dan, and then I, following him, fell into the trap and did not check it for authenticity.. You can get more information at Snoops. . It had been cleverly worded to make it seem to have been written by a trustworthy person when, in fact, it was mostly the words and propaganda of a known bigot. In my foolishness I wrote a page of thoughts about the subject that, influenced by this bigot, reflected some wrong thinking on my part. To make matters worse, I sent a copy to my kids and grandkids. My youngest son Tom called me Thursday evning, asking when I became a bigot and told me that he was disappointed that I had sent those thoughts to his children. WOW, He also told me of the Snoops page. We had a long conversation. I was, hasty and misguided in my remarks and, on reflection, know that they were contrary to my core beliefs. Grandpa Don was stupid! I have since apologized to my kids and grandkids and I extend the apology to those I have maligned. The page is gone from this web site. It was a great mistake. (I am still learning.)
My thanks go to Tom, for having the courage to point out my error. Dan had done the same thing in regard to another matter a couple month ago. In both cases I needed it. I was definitely not endowed with the Wisdom of Solomon..
Friday morning (today) Mikey awakened me at 6:00 AM. I shouted at him to "Go to sleep ... it is too early!" I heard nothing more and the next thing I heard was the sound of the big lawn mower in my back yard. It was 8:10. After I got up, Mikey came from behind the chair. He waited patiently while I dressed and then until the lawn people left at about 8:45. The morning news showed the rain downtown but we were experiencing partly cloudy. My morning reflections were enjoyed in the gazebo. But rains are on the way ... possibly heavy and violent.
I thought I made a mistake ... Oh my ... I DID
!
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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