Saturday was productive. I had upgraded my Money program and then balanced my accounts. In the process I also paid a couple bills using Schwab Bill-Pay service. I also sent in the paperwork for a rebate on the cost of the Money program. Did I ever say I hate rebates? Rather than lower the price of the product, they offer the rebate in the hope that you will not go through the trouble of asking for it. I hope that the rebate will go the way of Green Stamps. Do you remember them? Many retailers offered the "S&H Green Stamps" with your purchase. The larger the purchase, the more stamps. You pasted them into your Green Stamp book and then when you had enough you could get "free" merchandise at the redemption Center. People finally got tired of that. Or did they? Check out S & H GreenPoints .

I mentioned that Biscus bloomed this spring and didn't bloomed much at all during the summer. I also said that last week after he was settled in and given some plant food he looked happy. (Oh yes, you can tell when they are happy)  Well, he is so happy that he has a couple buds. Not to be out done, my Christmas cactus is in full bloom. It is gorgeous. It has been in our house for at least ten years and I have not given it a name. I'll have to think about that.

I have been thinking about my teeth and have decided to do something. My current dentist is suggesting a top-of-the-line solution. Maybe I don't need that!  Dr. N is a great guy and if I was a movie star, I would trust him to give me an award winning smile. He also supports two hygienists and at least two technicians and a receptionist in his beautiful office. I have decided to see a new dentist with less overhead and possibly less ambitious plans for my mouth. I need to save what I have, not rebuild it into the perfect monument to modern dentistry.

Sunday after watching the first half of the Chicago Bears mess, I did a little genealogy sleuthing. I have been assured that our line of the Packard. family is indeed connected to that of the automobile Packard's. My mother had attended family reunions in Warren, Ohio and Peggy says she has information buried in her files. And so I include the Packard History link this week to tell you a little about the car company and the founding family. While digging around I located an interesting web site with a page about the Revolutionary War and Bridgewater, Massachusetts. I invite you to get A bit of History at this web site and see all the names of men from the Packard family who fought. Companies were formed as the need arose, then disbanded and the men returned home only to join another group of freedom fighters at a later time. Their uniforms were often the clothes they brought with and their weapons were the ones they owned. We also have the web site of Dale H. Cook with some details of Samuel Packard, his children and grandchildren. Included there is an article by Karle S. Packard with additional details about Samuel and his family. I made a few revisions to my Packard page based on the information found.

Mikey and I went to the Albano's for dinner. Roast beef, double baked potato, and veggies along with salad and home made cake. It was very enjoyable ... not just the food, but being with family in a relaxed setting.

Summer came back on Monday and I enjoyed the garden and some reading in the morning and later in the afternoon. The new plants are doing well with the Asters almost doubling in size. The old rose (on probation) is thriving. Hopefully it will do as well in the spring and retain it's place in the garden. The flowers planted around the two trees are glorious and the newest day lilies are still blooming. It is bonus time in the garden.

A visit was made to the foot doctor for my usual foot pampering, always appreciated, and on the way back I went over to the card shop near Wal-Mart. To my surprise, the row of buildings of which it was a a part, were being demolished! I would have to go to another store a couple miles away. The local Jewel store's selection of cards is limited because they are remodeling and the card department has been cut in half while the work is in progress. But, as I left the parking lot I saw that the card shop I had planned to visit was in a new row of stores on the opposite side. Saved! One thing Anne taught me was that you don't send any old card. It must fit the person who is receiving it as well as the relationship with the sender. I don't just mean the kinship but the right words to express the true feeling that is to be conveyed. It must be as if I was capable of being the author. The new store seemed to be larger than the old and I was not disappointed in what I found there.

I was disappointed, however, later in the day.  There has been a sign in the window of a storefront for months. "Lithuanian Restaurant and Deli ... Opening Soon." While making my rounds I noticed the sign was finally gone and there were curtains in the window. I went back at 5 PM and went in. One of the two women standing there, asked, with her Lithuanian accent, "Can I help you sir?" When I asked if they were open she answered in a most desperate voice that they were not ... they should be ... they still had to wait for the Fire Department inspection. She suggested that I come for breakfast on Sunday.  Influenced by her mother, Anne cooked with a Lithuanian touch. She would have loved to have this place just two blocks from the house. So, with the promise of good things to come. I returned home to a Lean Cuisine dinner ... better than nothing! ... Much better than a sharp stick in the eye.

Bob (Grandpa Baboo) has updated his web site and a major update it is. He related the events of the spring and summer and introduced his very first "Current Events" page, Even more notable was the ending promise of "More Next Week". It was notable because he now has committed himself to a weekly update. I also liked the style and flare of the promise itself and asked him to send the graphic to me so I could use it. Silly me! Bob explained that it was not a graphic at all but "Word-Art" a feature that I have seldom used. Thanks to Bob, I now have changed the signature box at the bottom of my "Current Events" page. If you want to know more of my good friend Bob, visit Grandpa Baboo's Neighborhood .

While looking for something else I found the following on a web site called "Ramblings of a Shadow":

Hope again,
Posted in Adoption, Family, Life on June 23rd, 2006
You know there are days were I feel my chest is going to burst and days I am comfortably numb. Then there are days like today where the story of a 75 year old guy who finds his other family brings hope to my heart.

Read the Story here: Grandpa Don Plefka

Isn't that a great thing to find! When you have said or done something to give hope to a stranger it is like getting the Nobel Prize for Kindness. The web pages are very difficult to read and I could not make out the name of the owner but he deals with adoption. I also like the quotation found there:

 "The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself." -  Mark Twain

I left a note on the web site and the owner, Dan, responded. He is troubled by the many negative attitudes toward adoption and the perceived rejection of the child by the natural parent. I have said often that the child should not feel rejected because it is more a matter of practicality and circumstances the state of mind of the mother and/or father. It sure beats abortion ... that's rejection.

I had seen his story on TV and then my son Tom sent a link. It is by and about a man who is definitely "comfortable with himself". Randy Pausch is going to die soon. He is amazing and you can hear what he has to say at The last lecture of Randy Pausch

I love them. Maybe because I feel that many things aren't what they seem to be and that our senses are always playing tricks on us. So when Alex sent this link, I had to share it with you. My favorite is the Blivet, although I never knew it had a name. Check out Optical Illusions

This is followed by "Life: By Rose", sent by Grandpa Baboo.  It's an old story, ... been around for years (So are Bob and I) but it is worth sharing. Take a minute and read Life: By Rose

I talk a lot about my parish. I am very much involved in it and I am not the only one. There is something about it that brings out the best in people. Yes, there are some of the usual complaints and questions ... why do we need such a large staff ... why do we need to install stained glass windows ,,, why etc, . Everything we have goes to make it function or to fill a need, be it spiritual or material. It may not be what I personally need at this time in my life but someone needs it or it goes to make the parish inviting and functional for them. The point is ... it works! This week we publish the annual State of the Parish report. I have had the opportunity to preview it and it is, I think, astounding. I am so fortunate to be part of it. A major indicator of how well our parish works is the following from our pastor:

Sunday Mass attendance increased at St. Julie by 6% versus a 2.3% decrease overall in the Archdiocese.

I just read that church attendance of all denominations is decreasing in our nation! Yes, indeed, at St Julie, we are going in the right direction. www.stjulie.org  Go to the web site and read about it. As further evidence of the direction of our parish, we are having a "Ministry Fair" this weekend. The over seventy ministries of St Julie parish will have information available so that people can either join in their work and benefit from their efforts. It will be a busy day.

Speaking of busy, ... the following is from Karen:

" ...We've been busier than ever. There is a never-ending stream of people in and out of my yard. The landscaping went in last week and the fence is going up today. The sprinkler on Friday and I think the sod next week. If we're ever home a weekend we'll have you for dinner. Ana and her girlfriend swam for the first time today. The water is 85degrees, so as long as you stay in it's fine. I'm going to leave the heater on til Sunday, because it's supposed to be 80 and then turn it down. I'll have to take out a 2nd mortgage just to pay the gas bill.

Kelsey ran yesterday to qualify for Regionals this weekend. She had to place in the top 7 of Andrew and she came in 8th by 4 seconds. She will go as an alternate. She is disappointed but she lost to a Senior who is her big sis in X country, so she felt a little better since it was that girl's last time to qualify for Regionals. She did very well for her first year of X country.

Dan was in Mexico on a golf trip last weekend as a guest of a supplier. He has it rough doesn't he? "

It is obviously a hectic season over at their house but I am sure it will result in a glorious spring.

My Canadian friend, Don Hall sent a link to a news article that I would like to share. Priest gave 'rich' kids a priceless education. It is the story that not only tells of a saintly man but of what happens when we share our talents. The benefits are like a super ball, bounding all over the place and touching everyone, even the person who threw it. The world has been enriched by Father Louis Quinn not only for what he has done but by the good he has set into motion. He was the inspiration for the D.R.E.A.M.S. Project . You may wish to revisit those pages.

I also added a page to my "Witness? section " Time and Talent ", a Story of Sam Alletto.  Sam was a St Julie friend and an example of the people who make the parish thrive. Thank you Lord for people like Fr. Quinn and Sam.

I have found another family connection to the Mayflower! Sarah Ames,  my 5th great-grandmother was the daughter of John and Sarah (Washburn) Ames and a fifth generation descendant of Francis Cooke of the Mayflower. This was found on the web site Early Bridgewater Families by Dale H. Cook. I now must trace the lineage from Sarah Ames to her (our) ancestor Francis Cooke. You can learn more about him at " FRANCIS COOKE IN 17TH CENTURY RECORDS ". It will be of special interest to those among us with an interest in history as it gives a bit of a personal touch on life in the Colonies in the 1600's.  Of course all this is dependant on the Packard connection through the two Shepard Packard's around 1800. All of this was the result of some mental "grunt labor" in trying to find a connection between the automobile Packard's of Warren, Ohio and the Lossner-Packard's of Cleveland.

I sometimes feel like I should have been an archeologist, digging up ancient history. Delving into genealogy is a lot like that but you don't get your hands dirty. Very often while digging around for something, you find something totally unexpected. Oh, wait a minute, ... that is what life is all about ... You expect one thing and are presented with something completely different.

Speaking of different! Thursday evening as I ate my dinner with the patio door open and enjoying the view of the garden and gazebo with the sun shining brightly. I heard thunder. The storm cell was from the South West and rain soon arrived as a torrent with very high winds. It was one of those with sheets of water like curtains blowing in the wind. The trees bent under the pressure and I have no idea how the branches, let alone the leaves, held on, but they did. After a about 6 or 8 minutes it calmed down and then was gone. The local news was on the TV and I knew there were two more cells following the same path.  20 to 30 minutes later the second cell was on us, this time less intense but with pea sized hail. It was also shorter in duration. After another 20 minute break the third came, more intense that the second, but not as bad as the first. It did include the hail but the duration was the shortest. It was a "Spring" rain, spawned by sharp temperature differences in the air masses jostling for supremacy. The rains continued intermittently and with varying intensity into the night.

I mentioned that Anthony got a job at the boat yard. It is a short duration job sat to terminate when the boats are out of the water and stored for the winter. His supervisor asked him "what else does he know how to do ... there must be something he could do there when the boats are in". The greatest complement you can get is for someone to want you to stay. You are doing it right Anthony ... keep it up.  A professional ball player is limited in his job selection in the off season. Besides, he also has his coaching job at RMC. Joe is having a problem also in that most part time jobs require lifting and he is still limited in that department due to his shoulder surgery. Did you see the Columbus Day parade in Chicago last weekend? I didn't either, so we missed seeing Caitlin in the Marist HS marching band. Sorry.

I have yet to hear from Mr. Packard of Hebron, Maine regarding our ancestor Shepard Packard. I hope that he can supply some verification of our theory about the Packards that lived there around 1800. Or, if he can't, that he direct us to someone who can. There must be town records, church records or cemetery records of these people. Of course delving into these things takes time and sometimes expense. I gave him my email address and the URL of this web site but I have no way of knowing if he is computer oriented.

It has been a busy week ... aren't they all. I am up to 20 minutes a day with my walking again and my afternoon glucose levels show it with readings around 100. 80 - 140 is normal. The morning readings are still high even though I have cut way back on my evening snacks ... but not completely. The left eye is improving and with my glasses I am beginning to be able to read with it so the Restasis must be helping. It all goes to show that with discipline and self control you can take control. We all too often let our appetites control us whether it be an appetite for food, drink, drugs, or pleasure of any kind. Our egos tell us "we need it" but our egos lie to us and the more we indulge our egos, the more that is demanded. Our legitimate needs are what we must satisfy for health and happiness. Gratifying ego driven "wants" can never satisfy because they are not our true needs.