The World of Grandpa Don  

The above quote explains why, with my daily visit with God before anything else, I feel so content with the world.

On Wednesday, my 78th birthday, my thoughts went to my mothers, Lucile, who gave me life and Sylvia, who nurtured that life, and of course, to motherhood in general. That then led me to my annual revision of my Mother's Day page. I invite you to visit Mother's Day 2009.  While you are there, I also revised the "Mother's Day Wish" at the top of the page and you can also review thoughts from previous years.

We are not finished with grand occasions and royalty. Photos arrive, magically carried on the backs of millions of miniscule electrons, nevertheless of great import.

	Marist HS Prom 2009 Her Grand Highness, Princes Caitlin of Plefka/Lossner/Copeland/Marx (Another descendant of  Charlemagne) (Mayhap)
		She is joined by Her Royal Sister Princes Kelly

 One feels so humble and insignificant in the presence of such grandeur and beauty.

But we are not done with grandeur and beauty. We have this report from Kelly Plefka: ...

Hi Grandpa,

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, I have been busy with school and other activities.

I thought Colorado was great, while there my mom and I visited 4 colleges and went to Rocky Mt. National Park. The first college we visited was Colorado State University which I thought was nice, but a little too big.

The second college we went to was University of Denver, which I really liked. After taking a tour of the campus I was able to talk to a member of the Engineering Department and see what the program is like, I really like the setup of it and the different experiences I could have like studying abroad and the numerous intern opportunities that are available. The next college on our list was Regis University, which I really enjoyed the small community, but it does not have the major I am leaning towards. The last college we visited was University of Colorado at Boulder, where I was able to learn about their Architecture Program and I thought it was very impressive. In between visiting the colleges, my mom and I had the chance to go to Rocky Mt. National Park. The experience I had there was amazing, although everything was covered in snow, it was still beautiful. We hiked around a frozen Bear Lake, luckily we didn't see any bears but we did see plenty of elk, and hiked a few other places. Over the next year I hope I will be able to visit the colleges and the National Park again, but with nicer weather. I attached a few photos from our day at Rocky Mt. National Park.

Love, Kelly 

The Photos ... you must see ...

Thank you Kelly. Just keep doing what you are doing.

I had a date with my daughter Wednesday evening. She wanted to take me out for my birthday. I thought that any place would be fine but she insisted that it be "special". We went to Rocco's Little Italy and it was indeed a special evening. Rocco's greeting was warm and lavish, as a welcome home to a long lost brother. The food was, of course, great, as was the service. And finally there was a slice of cake! It was a most astounding slice of cake, lavishly presented with a lit candle by the entire staff singing Happy Birthday. It was oversized, ... too much for two people. It was, I thought, angel food cake, but inside it had layers of ricotta cheese, vanilla and chocolate. It was decorated, after being cut, with delicate streams of crosshatched  chocolate. It was a work of art and ... Oh so good! Thank you Rocco Grecco. We returned to my house and got involved in the genealogy of the Albano family. We can only go back to his great grandparents, Frank Albano, born July 21, 1866, and Antoinette Geriminio, born on March 3, 1876. Both were born and married in Italy, place unknown, and gave birth to Dominick A Albano in 1891 before immigrating to Chicago where their 5 other children were born. My grandson is  the 4th "Dominick" in the succession of American Albanos'. The evening with my daughter was a beautiful culmination to a great day.

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Thursday was the continuation of a near perfect week. Work was done on this web site but I also enjoyed the great weather by watching the Climates climb or reading in the gazebo. We were accosted by strong thunder storms at supper time. Nothing we can't handle.

My cousin Tilley Plefka sent a 7 page letter. I will label it a "folksy letter" which she started to write in February. A couple pages of writing tired her and she set it aside to pick it up in April. There were a few more pages written before fatigue forced another pause and it was finished and mailed on May 4. Tilley has 9 great grandchildren and she told of them. She also told of being confined to the house due to the need of her oxygen tank and difficulty in walking. She also spoke of the need to leave her beloved home in Wisconsin and being forced by her health to live with family in Chicago, the place of gangsters and murder. She would rather be fishing. Life brings changes, not always wanted. But ... we live with them and make the best of it.

This week's page is scattered through with tongue-in-cheek references to royalty. Oh, there is no doubt that Bella and my granddaughters look like princes even if I do say so myself.  The decendentcy from Charlemagne the Great is a possibility but by no means assured. But what is assured is that we are all children of God and what could be more royal than that? Our children do not come from us but through us. We are but a conduit and a care keeper. But all of us are princes and princes, equal heirs to the Heavenly kingdom. Would that we treat each other as such. We may not dress in courtly raiment and bear royal titles but we all deserve to be treated with respect and we all need to realize that when we reach our inherited place in the Kingdom of God we will, by definition, love God, and He, us ... all of us. It would behoove us to start loving each other now. If we don't, I fear it will be an obstacle to entering the kingdom. I refer you to Mathew 25:31-46.

I chose that passage for the Gospel reading at my Mom's funeral Mass. It was not until after he read the passage that I realized the full significance of it and so when he came to us at the sign of peace, I asked him to tell the assembly at the end of the mass, that Joe and Sylvia Plefka took in a child, not of their own and ..
... He was hungry and they gave him food
... He was thirsty and they gave him drink
....He was naked and they clothed him
....W hen he was distressed and they comforted him
....When he was sick they looked after him
This was my way of thanking my mom and dad and also to announce to my friends and relatives that I knew I was adopted. Many at the time did not know. We had not even told my mom that we knew.

Happy Mother's Day

 Suffice to say ....