The World of Grandpa Don  

A mystery solved with a good cry! I have to admit that at times I may seem to be obsessed with the concept that it is our function in life to be a help to each other. It is something that seems to be ingrained deep within me. Last Friday afternoon I may have discovered where the idea came from and why it is so much a part of me. Something came across my computer screen that triggered a memory. It was just three words, "Two little boys". I immediately remembered a song my mom sang to me when I was a very small child. I loved that song even though it always brought a tear. I would ask her to sing it. Of course, I had to look it up and sure enough I found it. I invite you to listen to this rendition.

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If you didn't get all the words, here they are: Two Little Boys . My mom sang it to a different melody than the version I found, slower, more gentle. But the words are the same. I thought it was a WW I song but it was written in 1903. I thought the song was of English or Australian origins but of course I had to look up the composer, Edward Madden, and found that it was written in reference to the American Civil War. ... of course ... "Back to the ranks of Blue" in the war between the blue and the grey. I told my daughter about finding this old song from my childhood but when I tried to read the words over the phone, I couldn't. I cried too hard. I don't think that it was just the words themselves or the thought behind them, but that it was something from my very early years and something of my mother was something that hit a chord. And then it was also the message. Sharing. That is what we are supposed to do. It stuck with me. Thank you God.

Hi Joe. A simple greeting, but maybe not. I wonder how many Joes there are out there. Last week I said I got an email from Joe. I did. But my grandson didn't remember sending one and, in particular, an email that had anything to do with what I was talking about. He called his mother to ask what it was all about. She couldn't figure it out and so called me. At first I was perplexed and then I realized that he was referring to my little attempt at humor regarding the "confidentiality" notes that appear on the bottom of many business emails which are kind of ridiculous when a business computer is used to forward things to a bunch of a person's internet friends. No, Joe (Albano), I wasn't referring to any email of yours, but any email of the sort I described. I won't name the particular Joe who sent the original email but his last initial is Krajewski. :-) The rest of you Joes can relax and so can Joe K. As I said, it was a little (very little) attempt at humor.

Saturday was a strange day in Chicago but it was not too bad in Orland Park. We had sun most of the day but it was cold. Anne Marie reported sun mixed with rain, hail and later some sleet. There was a cold wind blowing down the length of Lake Michigan and it picked up the moister from the warmer lake, then dropped it as it came to the shore. I treated myself to a soak in the hot bathtub, something I seldom do. It was delicious.

 

To carry care to your bed is to sleep with a pack on your back.  ~ Thomas C. Haliburton  .

Sunday morning as I sat in my place before mass I heard, "Good morning grandpa" and turned to see Bella walking down the aisle dragging her mother and dad behind her. Well, that's what it looked like. When they released her hands she came into the pew to be picked up. We had a little visit before mass and after I went to the back to leave with them. It always takes a while to get out of the church because so many people need to talk to Bella. Her parents are gathering a lot of friends also.

After returning home and having a very light lunch I had to watch the UTube version of Two Little Boys again ... and again. But there I found several other versions and replace the one I had originally found with a better one. They all had the same tune with the cadence of a march but this one had better background photos. But then I went further and found something on a lighter side. I think you will enjoy ...

I think that's hilarious! Maybe that's because of the performer and his very Australian accent and manner which of course itself originates in Jolly Old England from which I have most of my roots. I find myself with an affinity to the droll, understated English humor and can find no other explanation for that propensity other than genetics.

One of my internet friends is the Ol' Kunnel, Bob Clarke. He has recently switched to a new server for his web site and I wandered around there a bit. If you read this particular page you will see why I consider Bob as a kindred spirit. And if you read all the way to the bottom of the page you will find an invaluable device ... the "Round Tuit". Everyone needs one and you have to keep in mind the square tuits, rectangular tuits, triangular tuits or oblong tuits will not work. Visit and meet The Ol' Kunnel

I went to Dan & Karen's for dinner Sunday. The girls were both home and so I had a great visit with them. Ana's cross country meet was a great success. The school finished first, a feat not accomplished in 18 years. Ana ran her personal best, exceeding her old record by two minutes. Astounding! Ana is pictured at the left. Kelsey was home, fully recovered from her bout of flu but of course wearing the support boot on her left foot. After dinner, Nick came home. He had been with his cousin Marc and Uncle Tom at Scott lake for the weekend. They got the boat out of the water but apparently the motor starter will need replacement for next summer. The rest of the weekend was occupied in felling a tree that had split in a storm, and burning old wood that had accumulated on the Marx property. There was also a little beer consumed and it was a great "guy thing" weekend.  With Nick home, Dan and Kelsey were off to bring her back to Elmhurst College and I was off to home. The steaks were delicious and I brought half of mine home for a repeat diner during the week. It was a great day.

 

God hasn’t called me to be successful.  He’s called me to be faithful. ~ Mother Teresa .

OK, This you have to see ...

  Bella & the Pumpkin Patch

Sunday was warmer and sunnier and Monday was even more of the same. But it was still cooler than normal for this month. It was nice enough that Mikey and I went out and I sat in the sun on the patio as my little friend went all aver the yard, checking this and that as he loves to do but is reluctant to do when I am not out there with him.  As I reflected on life in general my thoughts went to the current problems of our American health system. As I see it, we have the best health system in the world and it is getting better all the time. We have knowledge and technology  that is unsurpassed. We have great doctors and wonderful hospitals. We have drug manufactures who are producing the best medicines ever. The problem is cost. All this is very expensive. We look to insurance to pay for all this. Originally, insurance was to cover the cost of disasters. Ship owners, for instance, contributed to a fund which, if a ship and its cargo were lost at sea, the fund would reimburse the owner for most or all the loss. Life insurance paid a person's survivors in the event of his early death so they could pay for his burial and possibly have money on which to survive. Then health insurance came along in the early part of the 1900's. Companies provided insurance funds to cover the health costs of their employees as a "benefit" and an incentive for the employee to stay with the company. This evolved into an entitlement and as the cost of health care increased, it became a necessity. Even the cost of providing the insurance has become prohibitive. So we must address the cost of health care and the insurance to pay for it. I don't hear of anyone addressing the reduction in cost of the products and services themselves. Maybe in the interests of quantity and quality, these costs are inevitable and not able to be reduced. But I am sure that some savings can be made if only in the reduction of waste and fraud. Are we trying hard enough in that area? Part of the high cost of doing business on the part of doctors and institutions is the cost of their liability insurance. This is driven by the propensity to sue at every opportunity. It may be rational for people to be reasonably compensated for their monetary cost when a medical mistake is made. But huge awards do not solve the problem. The insurance companies that defend against law suits are pressured to make large settlements due to the high cost of litigation even when the suit has little merit . It would be better if carless and incompetent practitioners would be stripped of their licence to practice as punishment and for the protection of others. Lawyers have no incentive to pursue this option for to do so would deprive them of their 1/3 of the awards by juries. On a personal note, I am sickened by some of the adds on TV by lawyers  who try to convince people that they "deserve" payments from doctors and hospitals. Why don't we work to take the greed factor out of this situation. Doctors have extended my life well beyond what I expected and disserved considering what I have done to my body and if, when I am in heaven, I see any of my children talking to a lawyer about suing a doctor over my death I will ask God to hit the "smite" button and strip that child of everything they have so that they become homeless and destitute. Even if a doctor does make a mistake and I die, that is part of life. Heaven knows I have made mistakes in my profession and I thank God I wasn't sued every time I did.

Another part, or rather, an extension of, the problem of health providers being sued is their use of defensive medicine. They are almost bound to prescribe and give expensive tests to protect themselves from being accused of not doing enough. Case in point! My mom, fell in her assisted living apartment. The nurse suggested she see her doctor. Mom said she was OK but had a bump on her head. Her doctor was off that day so I took her to the ER. (Big mistake) After hours of examinations they announced they were admitting her to the hospital. Why? ... they could find NOTHING wrong. While in the hospital for a week, she was sent to cardiac intensive care twice. The third time ICU refused to take her. She was having panic attacks and was hyperventilating. I could have told them that. She refused to eat. Why eat, she knew by all the tests she was getting that she must be dying. I finally convinced the doctor that for her to get better they needed to send her home. She had a miraculous recovery. But providers feel they must provide this kind of defensive care to protect, not the patient, but themselves from malpractice suits.

Moving on to the insurance companies themselves ... there is an inherent conflict of interest. We look to them to pay for most, if not all, of our health care costs for the lowest possible costs to ourselves. That is what they are supposed to do. They are there for our benefit. Or, are they. They are commercial businesses, often publicly held and their prime purpose is to return a profit for their investors. The more benefits they pay, the less the profit. If there are too many claims paid, there may be no profits. In a perfect world, one with no greed, the two will be in balance. Have you ever noticed that this is not a perfect world? Did you know that the original insurance companies in America were started and run by religious organizations as non-profit organizations for the benefit of their members?  Thousands of years ago the original concept was that of a charitable organizations supported by groups for the benefit of their members. Even fire insurance was in the form of neighborly self help, for if a person's house burnt down everyone chipped in and helped build a new house. If you didn't help your neighbor, you got no help if you were in need. Maybe insurance companies should be non-profit organizations or be regulated to act like them. Employees and executives of non-profit charities get paid and there are operating expenses as well. That is a necessary cost that must be paid.

Some contend that those without health care insurance can just go to the ER and get their care free. It may be free to them but it is the most expensive type of care. Somebody pays for it and that is us. Besides, emergency care is always less efficient than preventative care. The fact is that if we do not step up and support a just and compassionate health care system it just may be that the only way to do it would be to put it in the category of roads, bridges, sewers and police protection. Everybody pays and everyone has the benefit. True, everyone does not make equal use of these things but when the need is there, the benefit is available.

The concept of insurance is the act of spreading the cost so that those in the greatest need can get the help they need. Yes, ... Sharing  with a capital "S". We are on this earth to share its resources with each other and do what we can when others can't do for themselves. What better example of this is there than the story Jesus told us of the "Good Samaritan"? We are not to ignore those among us who are in need and Jesus tells us that includes the foreigner. We complain that we should not provide health care to foreigners who are in our country. My question is which is more important, compassion or our need to satisfy our self and our wants. God did not establish boundaries when He created the earth. We did that. Our founding fathers said that all men are created equal. (I contend that they meant that they are to be treated equally with justice and compassion), but the point is they didn't say all men in this nation that we are founding, but "all men". Who could leave a sick child to suffer when the cure is available. Who could refuse to give medical assistance to anyone who needs it. I could not refuse them if it was within my power to help, at least I hope not. We are told in Mathew 25: 31- 46 that we will be admitted to heaven, or not, based on our compassion toward others, or lack thereof.  I tend to take that seriously. I think Jesus meant that when He said it. Anyone can keep the commandments, the bare minimum requirements,  but we as Christians, need to go further. We like to claim ourselves as Christians living in a Christian nation. If so, we probably should start acting like it. At this point it is time to remind you that this is my opinion, albeit a strong opinion, and I know all of you do not agree with me. That's OK and I accept your views, I hope, with understanding. I do not expect everyone to agree with me but if you do, welcome to the World of Grandpa Don. This is simply the way I feel and the reason I do as I do. I am glad that as an only child, my mom taught me that the thing to do was to share ... with everyone. Climb on up Joe, there is room on my horse for two.

Who begins too much accomplishes little. ~ German proverb .

Frank Schober sent a little help for praying. I have seen it before and there are several versions circulating. I invite you to read about The Five Finger Prayer. That link brings you to a web page that gives you some information about the origins of the piece and also has a button on the bottom that displays a printable view. Its a keeper.

A story came to me from Larry Hettinger  I share it with you:

An eyewitness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago:

A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!' 'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,' was the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.' As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her. 'Are you God's wife?' No, she said, "I'm just one of His children."

That is a beautiful story and it contains a great message about caring for those in need. What it doesn't say is, maybe, more important. The woman did not ask how the boy how he came to be barefoot. She did not ask who he was or where he came from. A need was perceived and met. Amen. The woman was obviously one of God's children. She will not be among the goats. Mathew 25: 31- 46

There was a meeting of the Community Life Board at St Julie. Sr Gael and I were the only attendees. So, we talked of things pertaining the parish web site and the fact that all the various ministries are doing their jobs and then some. The people involved are all self motivated and certainly don't need direction or motivation. They are busy with their jobs, families and still take on the extra work of ministry. It would be nice to get together and review plans and goals but much of that is done these days informally with a phone call or most likely, an email. So, it was a short pleasant little meeting and it is always a joy to talk with Sr. Gael.

It was in the low 60's on Tuesday and I went out to the patio with a light jacket for a while to enjoy the color of my maple trees and the fresh air. Mikey wandered through the garden and all of a sudden from under a small bush just a couple feet from him a rabbit burst fourth, sprinting out of the garden and only stopping when he had reached the front of the shed near the west fence.  Mikey was so startled that he froze on the spot. It was only when the rabbit stopped his flight that my little friend decided to give chase. When Mikey started after the little furry critter, it dashed behind the shed whereupon the pursuer changed course to go around the other side of the shed and cut him off. Soon the cottontail was streaking back the other way with his adversary in hot pursuit.  The two of them ran the width of the yard, the leader easily outdistancing his foe and soon the bunny was under the fence and out of reach. Mikey took a nap later to recover from his little adventure. I enjoyed it as well along with the fresh air. Some sunshine would have been nice but you can't have everything. Click on the photos for better looks at my fall colors. As you can see we did get sunlight later in the day.

  

Sleep …peace of the soul, who puttest care to flight.  ~ Ovid .

I had a great sleep Tuesday night and Wednesday morning awakened at about 7:45 to the barking of my neighbor's dog ... more like yapping. I can't help thinking that they don't understand that dogs crave love and companionship. These animals, like ourselves, have a need for togetherness and they want to be with us. My neighbor has told me that they have had trouble training the dog to go out to do his thing. When he has an "accident" they apparently put him out and leave him out. Does this teach him anything? It sure does. When he is out he is separated from the ones he adores. Going out, for him, is a punishment, a bad thing. No wonder he doesn't want to go out. Mikey likes me to go out with him and whenever I can I do. When it is too cold or wet however, I make sure I am at the door, a glass sliding door where he can see me and I can see him. Sometimes I sit at the kitchen chair nearest the door and even though he goes away from the door he often comes back to check and see I am waiting, then quickly goes about his business. When he returns to come back in the house I try not to keep him waiting. Mikey knows that when he goes out, he is not separated from me and he also knows the door will be opened for him when he wants to come in. When training a pup to go out, you go out with him for as long as it takes. When he does his thing you praise him. They glory in your  praise. Going out becomes a good thing. Once the habit is established the hard work is done. Animals are creatures of habit and will be trained forever.

With the need to wait between my Byetta shot and the beginning of breakfast, I have taken to checking my email, deleting the garbage and leaving the good stuff for later action. But I always have time for the daily 3 Minute Retreat. Wednesday's retreat was particularly apropos to the theme of this page this week and so I invite you to view it. They started a new format and I think you will like it. You can progress at your own pace and so it can take even less than three minutes to complete. I also suggest that you check this link: Peace & Justice.

After breakfast as I had my time of reflection I read from one of my little inspirational booklets. There was a poem by Grace E Easley, a frequent contributor. It also fit into my thoughts this week and if I may, and obviously I will, with or without permission, I would like to paraphrase the last line. 'We persist in building walls, when we should be building bridges.'  Just like our dogs it is carried in our very nature to thrive on togetherness but we deny that need and separate ourselves into artificial groups thinking it is self preservation. We reject preservation of the species, which is the ultimate self preservation in favor of self destructive isolation.

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist Wednesday afternoon. There was a long wait but I didn't mind. We were both happy to see that my lab tests, including the A1C that shows the average level of glucose in my system, were all in the normal range. That is a first for me in recent years. I told her of a low sugar problem I had on night and she agreed that I should have a bedtime snack before going to sleep. (I love it) She reviewed my daily log of self tests and reduced the dosage of one of my medications just a little. I asked about the fact that my highest readings were after breakfast and when I told her I was having cereal in the morning with the lowest carb content I could find she said it makes no difference because the grains in any cereal turn to sugar in the body. I am better off with bacon and eggs. Wow, I'll go with that! I see her again in three months.

On the way home I stopped at the PetSmart store. There I found several versions of Doggy Steps and selected a low cost, light weight version. It came in a small box and needed to be assembled. There was a plastic frame that simply snapped together which was then covered with a snug fitting fleece cover making an attractive looking set of steps, just the right size for my little friend. After assembly. I placed the steps in front of his favorite chair near the living room window. He refused to go near them. More later.

Thursday morning I was up early. Murphy's Windows was to be there after 8:30 and I wanted to have the beds and such pushed away from the windows they would be replacing. But there was a very light rain at times ... occasional sprinkles ... and I wasn't sure if they would cancel since heavy rain was predicted for later. It was after 10 when I called their office. I was assured that they would be here but they had to finish a small job first. While I waited, Mikey wanted to get into his chair but would no attempt these strange steps. I picked him up and placed his feet on the stairs. He attempted to climb them but it was then I discovered that due to their lack of weight they were unstable. It was after that that I looked at the instructions which informed me that the steps should be placed firmly against the object which is to be climbed. The problem is that this chair with its tall legs provided no surface against which the stairs could be supported. They also suggested that the dog could be introduced to his stairs by placing treats on the lowest step and then progressively higher until he was comfortable with them. But first, I must solve the stability problem while still keeping them portable. That was done while waiting for the Murphy crew. A glance around the garage reviled the old defunct UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) that I had left there wondering how to properly dispose of it. It was heavy and just the right size to fit inside the stair frame. A short heavy rubber tie down secured it in position and the steps when set on the carpet did not move with moderate force. Next I tried to use treats to get Mikey acquainted with his new friend. He went as far as getting up on the second of the three steps with his front paws but his back paws would not leave the security of the floor. By that time it was time for my lunch so I gave it a rest. 

 

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. ~ Guideposts  .

Pete and Mike arrived at about 12:15. There still was an intermittent light rain but they said it would be no problem. All the work they intended to get done first would be accomplished from the inside. I opened the garage door so they would have a dry work area and they brought in the 6 new window assemblies, 5 doubles and the small single for the bath room. Soon Mike had stripped out the old window in the SW bedroom and Pete was installing the replacement. Mike then started demolition in the NW bedroom. That set the pattern of work. I apologized for not having a large workspace for them in each room but was assured that they had more than enough room. In some installations they need to work around and over beds and all kinds of furniture.  Before 3 pm all the new windows were securely in place and sealed with a high insulating value of waterproof  foam. My installers now went to the outside and took measurements for the outside trim. The rain had stayed north of my neighborhood which was a great help. At 5:15 Pete let me know that all the trim work was finished on the inside of the windows. He had seen a quartz floodlight in the garage and asked it they could use if. Of course they could. There was a steady light rain coming down and it was getting dark. The work continued. Well, it continued until about 6:45 when Paul announced that they were giving up. They had about 2-1/2 hours more work to do, all outside, mostly on ladders, it was dark and the rain was now very heavy. They would clean up for the night and return at 8 Am, 'God willing and the creek don't rise.'

An email came from Peggy Cecora. She and Jim had gone to the funeral service for Paul Newell. I had no idea who that was until I went to my Family Tree Maker program and looked up the name. Paul was my 1st cousin, once removed. Paul was born in 1922, the son of Jennie Duty Packard who, in turn was a daughter of Henry Shepard Packard, my great-grandfather. Paul will be in my prayers as will his daughter Debra An. Peggy sent a photo. Of the three boys sitting on the running board of the car, Paul Newell is in the center with my brothers Jim on the left and Ken on the right. In the car is our uncle Bill Lossner, holding his father's face (Richard Lossner) to get him in the photo. Click the thumbnail for a better view.  I appreciate any information I get about family, even when it is not good news. It makes my newly found family all the more "real" to me. The old photos help also. Seeing this photo brings me closer to them and reminds me of the cars I was familiar with as a child.

Tom sent the photos from Kelly's Homecoming dance. And so I share ... 

	Marist High School Homecoming 2009
Kelly on the right			Kelly & Date

Beautiful girls,  ... wonderful times ... memories to last a lifetime.  

I was up early again on Friday but it was still raining and when the call came from Pete I expected it. He would wait an hour or so until the rain abated. He called again to let me know he was going on an emergency job and be at my house at 10 or so but he would finish today. I let him know that I had a doctor's appointment at 2. He said that would be no problem because all his work was on the outside and he had no need to be inside. He could finish even if I wasn't home. As I settled in with my coffee I noticed my flag laying in the shrubs. Going out to retrieve it I saw that the anchors for the bracket had pulled out of the brick. They were the small plastic expansion anchors and it is obvious that something more substantial will be required. That is another task, one which will wait for better weather.

 

Envy and fear are the only passions  to which no pleasure is attached.  ~ John Churton Collins .

I love my new windows. They are energy efficient and now there is no wood to be painted on the exterior except for the living room and dinning room windows. I may replace them next year. The new windows tilt in for easy cleaning inside and out, thus eliminating the need to use a ladder to wash the outsides. Even the screens are removable from the inside. The kitchen window has a diamond grid insert between the panes and I like the "look" of them. But, the vertical blinds do not go well with the diamond grid so I will look for different window treatments there. Something more "kitchenie". Now that the windows will be done I can get some much needed interior painting done. ... Always another project.

It was another busy and eventful week.  It has been a productive week. I am very fortunate in being able to keep my home maintained and each improvement makes it easier to keep up. The advances we have made in materials and design are a constant wonder to me. Oh hell, LIFE is a constant wonder to me. What a precious gift! ...

I Am blest I Am  anointed I Am overjoyed .