2012 is off and running

Posted Jan 16th, 2012

Hi All,

Made it through the Christmas Season this year fairly unscathed. I was tired of course like we all are from activities including shopping, parties, school and church events, and shopping (I know I already mentioned that but my wife LOVES to shop).  Once she is in a store, with a shopping mission in her plans, she is not leaving until the lights are flickering to close.I don’t know how she does it. If it is Home Depot or Costco I am all in.  Other than those two stores I would almost rather have lepropsy than stand around looking at 7 different outfits (that are almost identical) then picking out one,  waiting in line at the register to pay,  then decide the next day to return it the next day because “I just don’t like the way it looks on me”.  It’s no secret that men and women have different mindsets when they go into a store to purchase something. Men, being the hunters and warriors, have a plan all laid out:  Me can picture pants, me know where pants are so me go directly to pants and pick them up. Then me go directly to pay for pants and return to car. Me keep my mind on pants and not look at anything else.

Women on the other hand, are gatherers. Cave women stayed around the camp talking and bonding with other cave women or went out gathering berries for a nice garnish for the meat the men would return with.  Me see berries over by rock. ooooh me not notice how berry stain go so nice with your pigskin dress.  What you do with your hair? Gonka did that to you, I wonder if Gonka can do that with my hair. Me tired of beehive -doo and need a change. honey drip in eyes from beehive but Klohnog like it like this. Hey speaking of Klohag Me think his brother Chuk-Chuk is cute and blah blah blah blah. Get the picture? It is like that when my wife shops she’l start a conversation with someone and it usally goes on forever (but always orbits around the “hair” topic, or at least comes back to visit it) and I’m given nasty looks if I so much as sigh a hint of boredom. Man I hate to Shop!

My son Riley gave his first large scale performance of a great poem he wrote for MLK day at his Kentwood High School.  He also played guitar while accompanying has friend who sang. I was so proud of him. He did both tasks flawlessly in front of about 2000 kids and was extremely well received. He is such a talented kid and I hopes he keeps the fire of passion with his music and poetry. I am so proud of all my kids as they go through life. I’m not so much concerned with their grades(which are all pretty good) as I am with their growing up to be good, kind, concerned people who know that part of their duty in life is to look out for their fellow man/woman. A good heart is much better to have than wealth and material things. If you have all of those, with the good heart above all, then you are truly blessed and I hope that you realize the material things can be taken in a blink of an eye. I know I am rambling here so I have to sign off. God Bless you in this new year and I hope that your dreams and prayers are answered. Later.

Holidays Behind Us – Election Looms in Front of Us

Posted Jan 6th, 2012

Had a Great Christmas Season. I hope that you greeted those around you with a heart-felt “Merry Christmas” instead of the politically correct (and wimpy) “Happy Holidays”. Happy Holidays????? What other holiday would you be talking about if you are a Christian? Of course if you are talking to a friend who is Jewish,  than Happy Hannukah (sp?) would be completely appropriate. I would not be offended if some stranger said Happy Hannukah to me by any means. I would just understand that either he/she was Jewish or thought I was (small chance of that, but possible). I would just wish it back to them. It would make me feel good that I live in an America where I could freely express my beliefs and others could do the same. This fear of walking on eggshells and worrying that I might offend someone if I let them know I ‘m a Christian even though they might be Muslim , Jewish, Buddist, or whatever, drives me absolutley nuts. I’m being honest though when I tell you I’m not quite sure of Kwanza just yet. I’m not sure if it is actually a real holiday or something made up just to feel special. I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying I don’t quite get it. But if someone said “Happy Kwanza” I’d wish it back to them. We all need to lighten up a bit.

Something has been weighing heavy on my mind and heart over the last week. For those of you who live in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the Seattle area, I’m sure you heard about and remember the beautiful little girl, Gloria Strauss, who was suffering so long with terminal cancer. Her struggles were written about in the Seattle Times in a continuing story by Jerry Brewster (hope I got the name right). Gloria’s story and her incredible spirit brought so many people closer to God. She was an amazing gift not only to her family and friends but to the whole community. She came from a large Catholic family. Dad is a teacher /coach in one of the local private Catholic high Schools (Kennedy). I attended a function at our local church where the parents spoke about Gloria’s story and was blown away with their faith and how they manageed to not only get through the ordeal, but to start an outreach to other families who are going through the same thing. I remember thinking to myself how any parent could manage to mentally, emotionally, and physically survive the death of a young child??

Well I was terrribly sad to learn that just last Friday this wonderful family had to face another tragedy beyond comprehension. Apparently one of their sons, a dear 10 year old, died from an accidental asphyxiation. I don’t have the details of course but I believe it had something to do with getting one of his father’s ties around his neck and the knot tightening and not being able to loosen it by himself. I just wanted to cry and cry for this family. Why do some people seem to get incredible burdens and sorrows while others seem to have only good luck?  I huggged my own kids a little tighter that night when I got home. Somehow the mess they left and the noise they were making didn’t seem to bother me as much. I just felt blessed to have them safe in my home where I could hold them and enjoy their company. Please Please keep the Strauss family in your prayers. I truly believe that Gloria is there waiting for her little brother when he passes over. I truly believe that all our loved ones who have crossed over before us will be waiting to see us when it is our turn to make the trek. Without that belief I’m not sure how people deal with the death of loved ones. If we don’t have an afterlife it is hard for me to understand what we would be put on this Earth for? I love Jesus!! Please pray for the Strausses!

Getting into Holiday Season

Posted Nov 15th, 2011

Well it is here already. The Holiday Season. Weren’t we just worrying about our animals being protected from 4th of July fireworks?? Man I am telling you the time flies, and of course every decade after you turn 20 seems to kick into a higher gear. I think 15 to 20 are the slowest 5 years of your life. You are waiting to get your driver license, waiting to graduate, waiting to finally live on your own be it in college, military, or just out having adventures. Waiting for that first legal drink. Not important to me now of course because I am somewhat of a tea toteler, but I remember at the time it was a big deal. Then when you get about 22 to 25 you realize that in just a few years your high school 10 year reunion is coming up. A couple years after that and you are already in your thirties, probably settled down with a wife and maybe some kids and trying to make your way in your chosen field. 30 to 40 went like the wind, and 40 to 50 was like a laser beam. 50 is when you start thinking about why you didn’t invest in Microsoft when you  had the chance. dreading the fact that you have to now go in for your first colonoscopy………..yikes! I can’t imagine doing that as a career choice can you? Spending hours a day exploring where no man has ever gone before. I know it is neccessary and it saves lives but…..most definitely not a career choice I would have considered. Ranks right up there with being a mortician! Again neccessary but……

Just kind a babbling here but to anyone who reads this or knows me you probably know that I am (try to be) a devout Catholic. I fall short often but I try. I, like many other Catholics, are angered and ashamed when we read of the clergy sex abuse scandals that seem to hang in the news. Just when you think they finally got their act together and drummed out all these perverts another seems to pop up. I know this goes on in all churches, or organizations that seem to attract these evil beings who pray on children ( Penn Sate’s Jerry Sandusky for a recent example) but it never ceases to amaze me of the stupidity and immorality of these people who stand by and say nothing or don’t do enough. For example (besides Joe Paterno) I just came across the story of Archbishop Finn of the Kansas City Diocese. After all the church has been throiugh with these pervs and all the harm they  have caused with children what in the hell was he thinking???? He has known for months that one of his priests was participating in child pornogrophy with young girls in the parish and failed to tell the police, or the familes of the victims or do anything about it. Hellloooo anyone home in there McFly?  Personally I think he should be demoted or possibly even de-frocked. I am sorry but a person who does that, or helps in hiding it, or just turns the other way and allows it to continue is NOT a man of God. I don’t care if it was the Holy Father himself. If I found out that a priest, bishop, cardinal, coach or teacher, or whoever touched one of my kids in a harmful manner they would have a hard time eating corn on the cob.  Hard to chew corn with no teeth and besides you can’t walk to even get the corn with broken knee caps.  I know “vengence is the Lord’s” but I would just have to take that up Jesus at a later date because I know I couldn’t contain myself. In my mind and world they are no longer “holy people”. They are scum, soldiers of Satan and they decided that they want to follow him and not God.  I’m sorry but I would have a problem allowing my child to go with anyone on weekend to some event where I wasn’t present. Maybe that comes from 30 years of having a police commission. I have seen many horrible atrocities in my life and I am over-protective of my brood because of it. I don’t care! My kids can go through therapy in their adult life to deal with an over-protective father. At least I am going to do my darndest to make sure they make it there safe and sound. Well there I go ranting and raving again. Sorry.  Oh Yeah…Happy Holidays!!