The World of Grandpa Don
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Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works
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What's New In the world of Grandpa Don |
Week Ending Friday |
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As planned, Anthony and Joe came to the house after their baseball practice last Friday and brought out the
patio furniture and the summer tables and chairs for the gazebo. It
isn't a big job for them but I no longer have the strength to do it.
They were going home for a shower and then to watch the RMU of I girls
softball game. Joe has only two more days of school and he will be off
for the summer. After they left I took the digital camera out to capture
the spring beauty of my Bradford Pear tree in full bloom. A little green
is sprouting in the garden as well and the grass is greening nicely.
Then, after feeding Mikey, we went out to the gazebo for the first real
enjoyment of the spring. It actually would have been too hot to be
comfortable but there was a strong, but pleasant, breeze to moderate the
83 degree warmth. I didn't intend to stay out long but
completed
my bible study homework for Thursday. It was just too pleasant out to go
into the house and, like Little Orphan Anny, I just "felt glad all over." Of course
we all remember Annie and her adventures from the comics which
originated in the Chicago Tribune, a brainchild of Harold Grey in 1924.
(Well, we don't remember back that far.) But he wanted her to be a boy named Little Orphan Otto. The Editor
talked him out of that. Even then the name was not original. I invite
you to read a poem by James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) called "The
Little Orphan Annie". Now there is a little ditty to keep the kids
in line. Scare them with goblins if they don't behave. I can identify
with the woman who got into trouble last week for putting her daughter
out of the car and then leaving her when she misbehaved. We threatened the
very same thing with Dan, Anne Marie and Tom but of course never
actually did it and the kids knew we would not just abandon them without
someone to care for them. But what did work was threatening to leave
them at the nearby orphanage (St Xavier University - but they didn't
know that). These days that may be labeled child abuse and if so, I am
guilty. But back then it seems as though there were fewer children
getting into trouble.
The fact is that children need limits. We are told not to stifle them and that is true, but bad behavior must be stifled while good behavior is rewarded. And the behavior must be rejected or reinforced as close as possible to the occurrence of the act in order that a link is established and remembered. They must know that there are consequences to their actions even if those consequences are artificial in order that the training of the conscience is effective. Are goblins and orphanages appropriate methods? They are better than hitting especially when you injure or leave a mark. There will be a time when the goblins will go the way of Santa Clause and when the kids will learn to read the name on that dreaded building. Still, a parent needs to be sensitive to the sensitivity of the child. There is a need for moderation in all things.
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My efforts in building this web site have been gratified in different ways this past week. One of the reasons for doing this has been to give credit to God as He has worked in my life, often not recognized at the time. I have received messages this past week that were beyond heartwarming, messages that let me know that the ideas and ideals I promote are appreciated. It is wonderful to be told that you are doing something right. My ego soars! But my ego also gets put in its place when I admit (and I must admit) that the good things I do are because God never gave up on me and is it He, working through me that is responsible. The only credit I can take, ... and I do, ... is allowing Him to use me for His purposes. It wasn't an easy thing to do at first but ... practice makes perfect and ... I am still practicing ... Perfection comes in another world, ... the World to come. .
It is good to be reinforced in your efforts and ideas. Such reinforcement came by chance in the following message and presentation:
Dear Grandpa Don,
There is one thing that we all have in common. That is...at some point in our life, we will face adversity. It's not a matter of if but...when.
In my 64 years on this earth, I have come to realize that the difference in our success or failure is not change, but choice. Because when adversity strikes, it's not what happens that will determine our destiny; it's how we react to what happens. That's what this 3 minute inspirational movie is all about. So just sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy.
And don't forget to pay it forward by sharing this email with friends, family and co-workers. They'll thank you for it!
Finish Strong,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
NOTE: If you received this email from a friend and want to join our list please click here.
Choice ... it is all in how we choos to live and to deal with the things that comes with life. Most of us go through life just being ordinary folks. Some of the ordinary folks do exceptional things and continue to be "ordinary" but in a way that leaves the world better for their being here. Some are propelled to great heights. I started my "Witness to Life" pages in the "Sundry Subjects" section of this web site to showcase some ordinary people doing exceptional things as an example to be followed. But I added another who had risen to the top of the heap even though his beginnings were most humble and his life was full of obstacles. I invite you to visit with John Paul II .
Alex Kapocius sent this a long time ago and while looking for something else I re-discovered it. It fits right in here so I invite you to visit Once Upon a Time .
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Saturday started warm and sunny, at least through breakfast. A thunderstorm passed through as I finished my meal but it was brief and mild. I had my coffee on the patio along with my morning visit with God. It was the first of many this year.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To John Barilla, husband of my sister Rita Copeland. I haven't heard how he is doing lately. Rita apparently has moved again and has a new phone number and I have not re-connected with her yet.
I enjoyed the outdoors as much as I could that day not wanting to waste the opportunity. Unsettled weather was predicted and sure enough there were brief rain showers, some thunder and a quick 40 degree droop in temperature in late afternoon. Then that evening, as I was talking on the phone with my darling daughter, there was a loud crack of lightning and blinding white flash. It was close! Then the phone went dead. I had been watching a program that I had recorded on DVR so I didn't immediately realize that the TV signal was also gone and when I did discover that, I checked and found my internet connection was gone. They all arrive at my house by cable from Comcast. The modem which usually has a myriad of little indicator lights blinking only showed the power indicator on and one lonely light blinking. I tried resetting it to no avail and after finishing watching the recorded program, I went to bed.
Sunday morning the cable was still out of commission and since I don't own a cell phone I could not call for repairs. Now there was a time when the veins would have been standing out in my neck and I would have been in a tizzy over the situation. But I was calmly concerned that Anne Marie may have been franticly trying to get in touch with me. I half expected her to show up at my door. But as that did not happen I turned on the radio ... to WFMT, the classical station, and had a relaxing breakfast before going to church. The cold was short lived and it was downright warm when mass was finished. I arrived back home to find the phone, TV and internet all in tip top order, all functioning properly. An hour in church works wonders.
I talked to Anne Marie later and discovered that the last thing she heard from me on the phone was "good night" but she said she thought of something else to tell me and went on talking. Then, getting no response, assumed I had had hung up and decide to tell me the next time we talked.
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After having a pleasant albeit windy afternoon in the garden, I sallied forth to my son Dan's for a visit with his family. Nick has been working at The Great Escape, ... pools, patio furniture, spas, pool tables and such ..but also getting a lot of time in as a substitute teacher in the local grade school district. The girls are deeply involved in their HS track activities as Kelsey gets ready for the senior prom, graduation and thoughts of college. Kelsey is preparing a couple Microsoft Movie Maker projects on her family and her friends as a senior project and I got a preview ... really quite good. Dan grilled delicious steaks and Karen prepared her signature potatoes and it was all delicious. ... especially when topped off with butter pecan ice cream. I left very satisfied in body and spirit with my leftover steak and some pictures in hand.
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Kelsey & Ana Track 2009 |
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Nick Graduation Dec 2008 Southern Illinois University |
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To the right is a portrait of Anne painted by Kelsey from a photo, an art class project in the fall of 2008 |
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The painting will be displayed on the wall of my living room. Thank you Kelsey. |
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Monday morning was still warm but again very windy. My morning coffee was enjoyed on the patio which is in the lee of the house with the breeze emanating from the southwest. My Clamitis vine is sprouting like gangbusters, growing very fast, for those of you too young to understand the terminology. (see Gangbusters ) I went to the gazebo after lunch but it was too windy and getting cool so I didn't stay long. But while I was there I noticed leaves sprouting on the Sugar Maple, always a week or more later then the other maples. I also noted that a couple more of my perennials were sprouting. As my mom used to say, "some make haste slowly."
I spoke with my son Tom over the weekend and their house is full of activity also. They run in parallel with Dan's family. Caitlin is also getting ready for the senior prom and graduation. I still don't have a report on Kelly's trip to Colorado with her mother. They are all too busy doing things to have time to talk about the things they do. We all know how that is.
Monday night it rained ... and it rained ... and it rained! According to the weather report Tuesday morning there was almost 2" of water that fell from the skies during the night. And ... it was cool again. I was awakened before the alarm sounded by the sound of garbage trucks so I hurried to get dressed and put out the garbage and recycle bin for pick-up. I got them out just in time. I was finished with my breakfast before Maria arrived. We needed her since she had not been here for four weeks due to illness.
We all know what the Seven Wonders of the World are ... or we think we do ... or at least have an opinion of what we think they should be. Well, you may be surprised. Mary Moskal sent The Seven Wonders. I have made it a permanent part of my Inspirations page. Speaking of wonders ... I had received a letter from my cable company which offered a new package of services. I am , as mentioned above, getting my cable TV, internet service and telephone service from Comcast Cable Company. With the new package, I'll no longer pay an equipment fee for my High Definition TV and will get three additional premium movie channels at no extra cost. In addition, my internet speed more than doubles. All this for pennies more than I am now paying. Such a deal! But I remember a time when we had a pay- phone in the house with a bowl of nickels alongside it. The man from the Bell Telephone Company, affectingly called "Ma Bell", came once a month to collect the money from the phone. If we wanted entertainment we turned on the radio and what you got was free! TV (B&W), Internet??? What's that? Technology is not cheap! But if we go back to the Seven Wonders of the World, according to that student, we find that the important things do not require any technology, and yes, the most wonderful things in life are free as well as being priceless.
If we could all hear one another’s prayers,.
God might be relieved of some of his burden.
~
Ashleigh Brilliant
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You may remember the D.R.E.A.M.S. Project in my "Witness to Life" pages of the Sundry Subjects section of the World of Grandpa Don. My friend Don Hall sent a description of how the name D.R.E.A.M.S. come to be. It is a story in itself and so I added it to the pages. See NAMING OF THE DOMINICAN PROJECT.
It was growing towards three weeks elapsed since my last trip to replenish my larder. A stop at a convenience store had replenished my milk supply last week but I had finally ran out of dog food. Something needed to be done about that. I made a list, gathered my coupons, discarding the expired ones, and I was off to the store. Once there, the foraging began and of course there were a lot of items found that had been omitted from the list. I left with a full cart. After I came home and put everything away, I was exhausted but I fed Mikey before sorting out the new coupons and such. Some I immediately throw away because I just don't use the products they are pushing. Reviewing my receipt, it was punctuated with "preferred" savings ... yes I use that card since the discounts it provides is more important to me than my privacy. Besides at the end of this trip and because of the "preferred" card, I had accumulated enough in purchases to entitle me to a 10% discount on my next trip. There were also several dollars listed as saved because of the manufacturer's coupons and several more dollars listed as being saved in their recently announced price reductions. I am thinking that to really be prepared to shop, you should bring along a nutritionist and an accountant. While I do pay attention to the nutritional aspects of what I buy, I am more concerned with how it tastes and how easy it it to prepare. It must be ready to eat or microwaveable. Taste and ease of use are also more important to me than cost. I am very blest to be in that position.
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The subject line in the email from a friend was ""Cell Phone Numbers Go Public next month ..." I was about to delete it but saw that it had been sent to a large number of people and I thought it was like shouting "FIRE" in a crowded theater. So I fired off a 'reply to all'. listing several links to websites debunking this myth that has been circulating for several years. The next day I received this from one of the recipients:
Whatever, call the number and the recording
will tell you that cell phone numbers go public….. Try calling,
you get the National Do Not Call registry and you have to be calling
from the number that you wish to block.
I was amused and dubious enough to actually call the number and indeed got the recording of the Do Not Call Registry, as expected, but there was no mention of cell phones going public, also as expected. I don't know who this was that shouted at me "I JUST DID THIS Dude!! " but she must have been in a dream world and not very smart even though her email was signed as the president of a company. (God save that company) But, it gave me a laugh and I deleted it and went on my way. But the following day I received the following from the friend who had sent the email to me:
Thanks for the rebuttals. Do what you choose to do, I know that we called the Do not call registry for our home land line several years ago and it did in fact stop the telemarketing calls. I will do the same with my cell phone because I do not want the telemarketers calling me.
Now I had to reply:
First of all ...
The subject line of the original message it NOT true!
I referred the readers to several web sites but it is too much
trouble for a lot of people to look them up. So, I will quote the
best explanation here:
Yes, you can add your cell phone number(s) to the National Do Not Call Registry.
But no, you won't suddenly be at the mercy of 10,000 telemarketers if you don't.
While it's true that several of the major wireless phone providers announced a plan some years ago to establish a 411 directory of customers' cell phone numbers, it is not true that the plan involved publishing said directory for any and all to read. Participating companies said the numbers would be made available only via telephone, only to users who dialed directory assistance and paid a fee, and only with customer consent.
In any case, the point has been moot since 2006, when the plan to create a 411 directory for cell phone numbers was indefinitely postponed.
The Federal Trade Commission does allow cell phone users to add their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry (the same one already in force for landlines), either online or by calling 1-888-382-1222. Doing so probably isn't necessary, mind you -- per FCC regulations, telemarketers are already prohibited from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers -- but millions have already signed up, and so can you.
Contrary to what most variants of the email rumor claim, there is no 31-day, 16-day, or 8-day deadline for adding cell phone numbers to the Do Not Call list — indeed, there is no deadline whatsoever. More Info from the Federal Trade Commission
It seems to me that sending the email around that says "Cell Phone
Numbers Go Public next month ..." is comparable to yelling "Fire" in
a crowded theater". OK that may be a bit of overkill but so is the
email. At the very least it is based on misinformation. It occurs to
me that the "Do Not Call list will accept your cell phone number is
a practical one in that they can not tell the difference between a
cell phone number and a land line. You call the same number for
either or you can register any kind of phone you want on their web
site also.
You will note that according to the above, the proposed (but never
implemented) 411 directory would include numbers only by the consent
of the owner of the number.
So, if you want to wear a belt and suspenders, go ahead.
But, my main concern is in using the "internet responsibly, ... a
precept of The Order of St Isidore of Seville. In that regard ...
Obviously, you shouldn't incorporate a lie into your message or
forward messages that do so, no matter how strongly you feel about
the cause you are promoting.
You also avoid sending "panic" messages. (Good grief ... this
particular one has been circulating for years repeating the same
supposed happening "next month".
I forgot to mention that sending these emails, as useless as they are, only further congests the internet and clogs mailboxes of friends as well as costing them the time to read them in this busy world. But why do I make such a fuss about this? ... Because I take seriously the goal of the Order of St Isidore of Seville to use the internet responsibly and because it is only one aspect of responsible living. People use the internet the way they drive their cars. "I am in control and I can do anything I want ... so long as I don't get caught." In addition, when we act irresponsibly in small things it spills over to larger things. If you want to live responsibly, no detail is too small.
No
Speaking of living responsibly and the Order of St Isidore of Seville, another matter arose within the order. A member was seeking promotion and thought he could apply for an award of merit. I remember when my promotion came and the award of merit arrived I was very surprised. Some organizations may function differently but I did not join the order to get a string of post-nominal's after my name or to become an officer. I joined because I agreed with their precepts and expected to get and give support for them. The difference between self·-aggrandizement and reward is sometimes thought of as a fine line. I see it as more of a wide fussy line. We are told to be a light for the world. To do that the light must be seen, not put under a basket. Our good works must be seen and recognized. If they are, rewards will follow but the test is found in the motive. Are we doing things for their sake or for self-promotion? .
It was
No
Life
Seriously,
It will
Knowledg
And so,
Suffice to say ....
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I am blest |
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
