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 and before it had a name. This is my "Blog", written a little each day and published weekly.

I don't drive much any more. When my "Change Engine Oil" light came on I realized that it was long over-due. (Not as bad as my dentist visits) So last Friday afternoon after I fed Mikey, I brought the car to Jiffy Lube and took care of it. It only takes ten minutes, so why do I wait so long?

From there I went to Dan and Karen's new house. Karen was there waiting for the phone installer who was to come between 11 and 2. It was 3 and no installer yet. The moving van arrived and so did Dan. Loading had been delayed for a time by heavy rain but now the sun was out. The workers took a lunch break and I left before they started unloading the truck. I expect that they had a very long day.

Saturday was a day for reading and absorbing my book on Microsoft Expression Web. It is starting to make sense to me and I have tried various things described in the book. I know that I now have a much better grasp of page layout functions as well as the way the program has been designed to work. My education on the functioning of the HTML and CSS programming languages is expanding as well as a smattering of Java Script. I never expect to be able to program in these languages but the Expression Web application will do that for me. However it is necessary to be able to understand what to expect.

When we work towards a goal it helps to learn all you can about that goal. It is even more important to have a map or guide to the goal. That is why we go to school. It is also why we go to church. And church, like school, is not just a place to be in case someone takes attendance but in order to pass the course one must participate and do homework. Participation is all the more important as we progress and working with others is essential to success. Just ask anyone who has studied for an advanced degree. That is why we refer to the communion of saints. It is not a bunch of individual holy people, it is, as the meaning of the word conveys to us, a "close association" of people who have made the grade. And when we "go to Communion" the act of consuming the Body and Blood of Christ is done in "Communion" with our fellow Christians signifying a close association with them. That is why it is so important to share the same cup. It takes some trust and some love.

In any case,  I study the book on Expression Web in order to become proficient in its use, and I go to Bible study and adult religious education classes and seminars to become more informed of my faith.

Dan and Kelsey came to watch the Bear's game Sunday afternoon. They had no telephone or cable connection. They brought snacks and Kelsey heated up some cheese dip. It was a treat for me. After a while, naps took Kelsey and I, leaving Dan to watch in solitude. After the game, Karen and Ana came. They have not set up their computer and printer yet so Ana used mine to print a homework assignment. We then went to Gatto's for dinner. They left the snacks here and as I watched TV later, I pigged out on potato chips. I never buy them because if they are in the house I loose control. Monday my glucose level was 100 points above what is normal for my morning reading ... and my normal morning reading is about 80 points above what it should be for a normal person. .

Monday morning I went for my consultation with Dr. Kennedy prior to the planned oral surgery. I have never been to someone who was so careful about the health status of his patients and who so carefully explained what he was going to do and the expected results. I now know why my daughter likes him and why Anne was so impressed with him when she had occasion to consult with him many years ago. I made an appointment for the actual procedure to be done the following day. After lunch I decided to go foraging for food. I was out of orange juice and low on milk as well as a number of other items. The store is relatively empty on Monday afternoon which makes checkout easy and quick.

Tuesday morning it was back to Dr Kennedy. After signing the usual releases I was made comfortable in his chair and the procedure was begun. I had opted not to start with the "laughing gas" and all was relatively painless without it. He works with two assistants and very efficiently. When the lower tooth was out he asked if I was ready to continue with the upper and soon it was gone. I was given detailed instructions for the next several days and they called the pharmacy with a prescription for a pain killer. I was soon on my way home.

Since I still had gauze in my mouth I decided to go home before going to the pharmacy. I wanted to be able to talk when I got there. During the half hour wait for the time to remove the gauze, I checked my email and was surprised to find one informing me that my prescription was ready. I had never picked up a prescription at the local Walgreen store but I use their mail service for all my normal prescriptions. I was further surprised to find that it had been submitted to my Medicare prescription insurance and my co-pay charged to my credit card. Such efficiency! The medication included codeine and I slept all afternoon while trying to keep an ice pack on my face ... 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.

My greatest problem was that I didn't have much in the way of soft cold food in the house. I picked up a few things that I could eat when I went to Walgreens but they didn't have much. That's OK because with the pain awakening in my jaw I didn't feel much like eating. I slept most of the afternoon. In the evening I slept through several TV shows and went to bed early. Mikey woke me at 4:30 wanting to go out and then we went back to sleep until 6. There was very little pain in my jaws so I just took a couple Ibuprofen tablets. By mid morning when Dr Kennedy's office called to check on me I was able to report that I was totally pain free and doing very well.

By Wednesday evening I was able to attend the meeting of the parish Communications committee. Based on our recommendations the parish bulletin will soon have a new look. The layout looks a lot like a web page and the information is to be presented as a resource for the needs of the parishioners. It will be more "reader friendly". Our press releases to the local newspapers will be intensified as a way to let the community know we are here and what we have to offer and a parish brochure is nearing completion. We are indeed "St Julie Billiart Evangelical Catholic Church". No ... it is not a new denomination ... we have just decided that we need to be more like the Catholic Church that Christ established.

Thursday morning I left Mikey at Touch of Class for his bi-weekly bath and grooming and then went on to Bible Study and the doom and gloom of the prophet Amos. Yep, his message is to stop oppressing the marginalized. We weren't listening then and we aren't listening now. But of course in order to get ahead and increase our creature comforts we must step on the less fortunate. We are lucky to have them because the rich wouldn't stand for that kind of treatment. But, oh yes, Amos was, and is there to tell us that there will be consequences to our callousness because if we turn our backs on the poor and underprivileged, God will turn His back on us. C. S. Lewis suggests that we cooperate with others rather than compete with them. Someone does not need to lose in order for all of us to win. 

When I retrieved Mikey I was told that he had another seizure while there. He has had four that I am aware of and they are about a month apart. He recovers fully in a short time  but this can not be good. There is no way of knowing if he has had others when he is alone.

This past week, Liz was able to download files for the web site, make changes and upload them, a major step in her abilities to be a valuable member of the Web Ministry of St. Julie. There were some glitches but they were dealt with in short order. Jason also reported progress in his re-design of the structure of the web site. God has provided some marvelous tools with which to spread His message it is only for us to use our talents in the application of these tools in trying to make this a better world where everyone is in tune with Him and each other.

Dan, Karen and family are slowly settling in. They now have phone service and cable service. The work on their pool has started (I think). In the mean time the Ana and Kelsey are balancing studies and, for Kelsey, cross country running, and for Ana, cross country and soccer. Caitlin and Kelly are so busy with their school work and sports that I haven't heard from them. The Albano boys are just as busy. It is hard to keep up but the most important thing is that everything is going well and in the right direction. I am reminded of Gibran's words on Children. Actually it is more about parenthood.

More next week ...
and 'till then, ... 

Let's be more kind than we need to be.

Grandpa Don Plefka 

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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