tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51049933903559101192024-03-04T23:16:55.878-08:00The Essays of W.J. KlostermanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-38720579451126089012022-12-26T11:58:00.006-08:002022-12-26T12:00:05.047-08:00Holiday Greetings 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeIjyk52PEvMCb84albtcBy510LMswsQ25D3dI2xFR4X3odqDNCeGeO7jr2LrGoYRNfnM5CtJQyppNwuEp2srSzP6crlWtDrGyVcHR4smk6cYwJB0KBcYTfjJI9NsDqS3kQRSX_KQJf3uShlZQBKIDDvg9nuacwGs27-Pzs9U-C7m7phsEoSkh-H3/s1651/2022_SantaKLOS_FINAL%20copy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1651" data-original-width="1267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeIjyk52PEvMCb84albtcBy510LMswsQ25D3dI2xFR4X3odqDNCeGeO7jr2LrGoYRNfnM5CtJQyppNwuEp2srSzP6crlWtDrGyVcHR4smk6cYwJB0KBcYTfjJI9NsDqS3kQRSX_KQJf3uShlZQBKIDDvg9nuacwGs27-Pzs9U-C7m7phsEoSkh-H3/w492-h640/2022_SantaKLOS_FINAL%20copy.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-24473447145147159192022-05-16T06:05:00.012-07:002022-05-18T09:10:14.330-07:00Kathe and Murphy<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">In a book titled, “A Dog’s Gift”, author Bob Drury captures the heart-felt story of an organization called “Paws4People.” This organization was founded by a former army officer who joined his daughter on trips to nursing homes to allow residents to play with their family dog, a golden retriever named Riley.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span>The book follows the journey of pups bred by the organization from their loving, if rigorous, early training to an emotional event that he and his daughter have since called “the bump.” The “bump” is where each individual service dog chooses its new owner through an almost mystical connection by going up to the trainer and “bumping” their hand.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In the retirement center where my in-laws have lived for the past several years, there is a "companion" dog who resides at the center. His name is Murphy. He strolls the halls and stops whenever and wherever he wants. Generally, it's to be petted or given a treat.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>I’m not sure Murphy had such rigorous training as Riley, but I know he has certainly had some mystical connections to the residents who live there.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Becky’s Mother, Kathe, passed away last December. It was early on a Tuesday evening, and as good fortune would have it, her family and her husband, Allen, were by her side.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Kathe passed quietly and peacefully. I watched from a distance as each family member gave her hand one last squeeze and a soft kiss on the cheek.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>It wasn’t long after, that Murphy came walking his slow pace into that part of the memory care facility. I was sitting on the bench outside of Kathe’s door and I saw Murphy turn and head directly to her room. <br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>I said nothing. Murphy walked to the open door and stopped.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>He soon let out a soft whimper…a yelp…and then a short howl.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>His head dropped…he turned and left.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>I believe it was Murphy’s way of giving a “bump” to Kathe.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBU00LOK6waOK4rVXG39BQeRVUaXzi08mXFG9Vps4GN-BTdgGAbEhOMv7GX2POqtj5zRtJs3dA50P9TcZkGkJ1K6hIKXCxTtbkT8ESrtRBRJLMuQcKa7Qzn2hJMje-zc2uWRzg8PqNGjZeqIKX14BrV30M6eejzMIOReeDvrfQ1HC1sVPvJpvcOq6/s2572/Test%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2572" data-original-width="2572" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBU00LOK6waOK4rVXG39BQeRVUaXzi08mXFG9Vps4GN-BTdgGAbEhOMv7GX2POqtj5zRtJs3dA50P9TcZkGkJ1K6hIKXCxTtbkT8ESrtRBRJLMuQcKa7Qzn2hJMje-zc2uWRzg8PqNGjZeqIKX14BrV30M6eejzMIOReeDvrfQ1HC1sVPvJpvcOq6/w640-h640/Test%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHF0bHDuNtYP2_uISzp66N-OnpWOIDvZ0CDWkxXzmqTfEluf5TJg0mU5r3jaafh3lYcsI0JX8dHMyrSA3dujJ2eLHN4g1qcaMDhxl1D2Ut1UMlgqSX4vAjpn1mUHkkLiOFwtds-lriZSeITiszt96V7F1oFFUw1FrOQDpH6gRD2aCOpg1AtMLnudT/s1550/Kathe_Web.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-39257996649213294702021-12-24T08:15:00.005-08:002022-03-22T10:40:10.528-07:00Holiday Greetings 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigYZT5ACMb0QPH-n_tKVkva7pjlbtRNzTjuKKn8iKzxrElLr3fzJcsNvHMUGVpeH2C1p4g7RV36DM1K8kvdSgVCE5KGxDDn-D8CCWXoUAU03pX6uXJLMGx9HrJTIXfdOg5MlJrhvnUw6kNThfRvSxyld7cUPXziTsSHYQCitZyRnREzkR6RaKw8yRN=s1238" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="950" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigYZT5ACMb0QPH-n_tKVkva7pjlbtRNzTjuKKn8iKzxrElLr3fzJcsNvHMUGVpeH2C1p4g7RV36DM1K8kvdSgVCE5KGxDDn-D8CCWXoUAU03pX6uXJLMGx9HrJTIXfdOg5MlJrhvnUw6kNThfRvSxyld7cUPXziTsSHYQCitZyRnREzkR6RaKw8yRN=w491-h640" width="491" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-5051726181991580162021-08-11T10:43:00.013-07:002022-03-22T10:58:32.231-07:00Rose<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHUXW7ipELdZxtjcV81W7h-5ewDR57e7Dr0-DqkHOsROlq0vYl3HlWuKcEJewWYm_4pLiuZWbLPkA68PoPmZYL7JGACSqsGnhEr3spJM8hWglcm2FYLyWDyKXOwEH6j69IS4-47hkvQ4c5Fk6RDj8N7GvpSXTnGF9WHL2ej05eLc5S9WLndelbI5t/s1957/237117180_10224090096032437_253658369404999030_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1957" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHUXW7ipELdZxtjcV81W7h-5ewDR57e7Dr0-DqkHOsROlq0vYl3HlWuKcEJewWYm_4pLiuZWbLPkA68PoPmZYL7JGACSqsGnhEr3spJM8hWglcm2FYLyWDyKXOwEH6j69IS4-47hkvQ4c5Fk6RDj8N7GvpSXTnGF9WHL2ej05eLc5S9WLndelbI5t/w640-h424/237117180_10224090096032437_253658369404999030_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">It was a beautiful Autumn weekend in 2014. Friends of ours had invited us to their trout club. After so many years, it brought our little group of eight together for something other than our monthly Euchre game.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Some of us fished…some of us watched…it was simply too beautiful to not sit back and enjoy the view…</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">and each other. </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As usual, I took pictures. And, as usual, I was more interested in capturing the scenery.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I wish I had done a better job of capturing time.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The past 18 months have kept our group apart. And, just when we thought it was safe to come out of our shells again…we lost something more valuable than time;</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We lost one of us.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Today, I turn a year older. And I turn my thoughts to how we measure time. I have been drawn to the wisdom of the people who have been told “what they have” will end their lives before their lives might otherwise have ended. And I have been moved by their strength and their courage. </span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Tomorrow, we pay our respects to the woman we lost this past week.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Everything ends, and you carry this knowledge with you inside, until you’re reminded by something like the summer’s fading flowers or the turning leaves that suddenly drift down from the trees in the wind.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Perhaps, the day after, we might rise, choose to take a bit more time, slow our step and make a phone call to a friend. Just be out there in the windy heat of summer…because it’s there. And so are we.</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Capture it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmnafuxHuukHMpL2ptI6v9_1g-tgIG3Yfm2zbrrj4BLJz7UziUNgq1MNq4uc77Op8RRew0WocO-w0bZxUjbiy1quG9c2o-igHLcAcdfHioPo3zXkTWNmmGF8hrEw_W6AtSVPAg2AvTiG74MPCZO31K9JxGVMTK-I77I6c84kgzEAb_RcMZzeTXgpd/s1175/Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1175" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmnafuxHuukHMpL2ptI6v9_1g-tgIG3Yfm2zbrrj4BLJz7UziUNgq1MNq4uc77Op8RRew0WocO-w0bZxUjbiy1quG9c2o-igHLcAcdfHioPo3zXkTWNmmGF8hrEw_W6AtSVPAg2AvTiG74MPCZO31K9JxGVMTK-I77I6c84kgzEAb_RcMZzeTXgpd/s320/Rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoxs8ae1W9X3O8Vc8wmz2CiDr1mQr1Xz-9C6vC5V4kX-18_NcvNaPcy90qSOOzL6ernd16rg-xGYiBr_3fEk1LrwSA14dRkZakEsY4JStwqvU2h0Tzs0U7Z8_22SlnITnfzABco4-JK3FfUsNfZQk0fQBGn-OQLxvw144O9oSbSYPOVNlvAHTl5fc/s1804/Tim_Sue_Framed%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1804" data-original-width="1804" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoxs8ae1W9X3O8Vc8wmz2CiDr1mQr1Xz-9C6vC5V4kX-18_NcvNaPcy90qSOOzL6ernd16rg-xGYiBr_3fEk1LrwSA14dRkZakEsY4JStwqvU2h0Tzs0U7Z8_22SlnITnfzABco4-JK3FfUsNfZQk0fQBGn-OQLxvw144O9oSbSYPOVNlvAHTl5fc/s320/Tim_Sue_Framed%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-33286048768853303842020-12-24T11:58:00.009-08:002022-03-22T10:40:22.766-07:00Holiday Greetings 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARbF5PztQo2E9pZ5ah06VP_w8rycAYlu33OJsWpKztw4E45EkaAKleMj6dMEghcaKkeLmWCUyAd-VIpAek_dNBwt3D2oAyZrGCxbUV2umJaOFtfd41AcQ43fo2cKcgdsea95t6updTp8/s1238/2020_SantaKLOS_FINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="950" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARbF5PztQo2E9pZ5ah06VP_w8rycAYlu33OJsWpKztw4E45EkaAKleMj6dMEghcaKkeLmWCUyAd-VIpAek_dNBwt3D2oAyZrGCxbUV2umJaOFtfd41AcQ43fo2cKcgdsea95t6updTp8/w491-h640/2020_SantaKLOS_FINAL.jpg" width="491" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-82591279202538653592019-12-24T07:15:00.004-08:002022-03-22T10:40:35.130-07:00Holiday Greetings 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-70466087291951433452018-12-24T09:46:00.002-08:002021-01-07T12:03:21.164-08:00Holiday Greetings 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbdoV2To7DAgZxZtkAa9QivF6vGCDkxbeXC41mV7dEXjbnOTII2n0LErmsdR4KKkkIbF55bGNa0OefGBV2ldxfevTbDlsL-l59mP6wOKIcYKhfGCCwLKmMY_a8uJHfEAInSsZrO1HQnQ/s1600/2018_SantaKLOS_Final.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="950" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbdoV2To7DAgZxZtkAa9QivF6vGCDkxbeXC41mV7dEXjbnOTII2n0LErmsdR4KKkkIbF55bGNa0OefGBV2ldxfevTbDlsL-l59mP6wOKIcYKhfGCCwLKmMY_a8uJHfEAInSsZrO1HQnQ/w491-h640/2018_SantaKLOS_Final.jpg" width="491" /></a></div>
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<style></style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-52443177390914090512016-12-24T07:00:00.003-08:002022-03-22T10:41:32.352-07:00Holiday Greetings 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-36032428460640071832015-12-24T17:32:00.001-08:002022-03-22T10:42:07.088-07:00Holiday Greetings 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Poh2-GL9yvyn6N1NDt9NNB78Ud7g40wVSzEZ8hSIibnrJe8snyGr39rhvY9ppUP8E_OYsFoRwuAOtfPfMeIgjxIAEHdQEf3moEdbPnrKBicBH9o65Dab7tjeqSQD4KEsaSv5jOXkQzc/s1600/SantaKLOS_2015.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Poh2-GL9yvyn6N1NDt9NNB78Ud7g40wVSzEZ8hSIibnrJe8snyGr39rhvY9ppUP8E_OYsFoRwuAOtfPfMeIgjxIAEHdQEf3moEdbPnrKBicBH9o65Dab7tjeqSQD4KEsaSv5jOXkQzc/w386-h640/SantaKLOS_2015.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
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<style></style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-64490439458912848622015-06-25T09:05:00.001-07:002015-06-28T09:13:40.451-07:00The Sounds of Summer<div align="left" dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was one of those first warm Saturdays when spring slowly works its way into summer. The world heads outdoors, and the sounds ensue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The landscape behind our house — covered in a morning mist — provided the perfect vista for enjoying birds that had seemingly been quiet for months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These sounds of summer are the very ones that central Ohioans anticipate during the endless months of winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And I knew that, within the hour, other familiar sounds would begin to seep into the day — sounds that would continue until the last waning moments of sunshine and finally diminish a short time after the birds had finished their evening meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By then, I would have migrated from the screened-in porch where I started with a morning cup of coffee to the patio and a glass of wine to turn down the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sounds were predictable but never in any particular pattern. Laughter in the distance, then an occasional shout.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the sounds grew closer, they would become more familiar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Fore!" was a common one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"It’s over here!" would be another. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And, finally, as the din drew nearer, the occasional profanity or the echo of "Nice shot!" would distinguish themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not today, though. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today, those particular sounds of summer would not be forthcoming — nor would they be ever again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nine years ago, my wife and I became empty-nesters, and the ideal dream of owning a condo overlooking a golf course became a reality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With real estate at its prime, we paid a premium price to secure a lot with a marvelous view of the course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sure, there were the occasional golf balls that ended up scattered in the backyard, expletives from the tee box that would embarrass a sailor, and random "up close and personal" exposure to the golfer who couldn’t quite make it to the turn before having to relieve himself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was a golf course; we got that part of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We accepted the "downsides," as they were far outweighed by what we considered one of the best views in the area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">All four seasons presented us with a wonderful tableau of sights and sounds: flora, fauna and human.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the news began to spread about the impending bankruptcy of the golf course<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5104993390355910119" name="T_12852_bold"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5104993390355910119" name="N_12851_10"> </a>and the potential sale and parceling of its land, my wife and I couldn’t have imagined the city of Dublin allowing such a prominent piece of real estate to slip away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But one should never underestimate the power of potential property taxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And so, today, the golf course lies still. Access to the parking lot is blocked, the clubhouse is closed and the golf carts are idle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And yet, the occasional golfer stops by on foot trying to get in one last round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And, later in the day, I’m surprised to see the number of people walking their dogs and families strolling on greens that, in an earlier time, would have been hazardous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The perfect park with fabulous trees, streams and ponds. The perfect central park for a community that will allow 152 acres of pristine land to be developed for 185 homes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I used to look forward to the sounds of summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But now, I simply wait for the sound of bulldozers.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-15897343717541915762014-12-24T09:57:00.000-08:002019-01-12T09:49:34.026-08:00Holiday Greetings 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<style></style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-24697791489282461552013-12-24T07:51:00.000-08:002014-01-18T07:53:23.461-08:00Holiday Greetings 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-46092764526406824942012-12-24T12:46:00.000-08:002019-01-12T09:50:11.652-08:00Holiday Greetings 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<style></style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-86593936372654749232012-11-14T20:30:00.000-08:002013-05-22T13:37:35.607-07:00This Side Of The Mississippi<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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"From the very beginning..."</div>
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Undergraduate Days - Student Teaching</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m sure many of you have seen the stage presentation of “Our Town,” written by Thornton Wilder. If you have, you might remember a conversation that takes place between Emily Gibbs and her mother.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She quite openly asks her, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> "</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mama, am I pretty?”</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She continues to badger her mother long enough that finally Mrs. Gibbs turns to her 12-year-old daughter and says, “You’re pretty enough.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My wife, Becky, has been in the school system for more than 35 years. And when you’ve been married to a school psychologist for as many years as I have, you’ve been subjected to every kind of test and utilized as a virtual guinea pig. From the WISC to the Woodcock, and each new test that came out, I took more IQ tests in her early years so that she would not only know how to administer the test, but, at the same time, give her ample practice in scoring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I suspect most people might have done, I always asked at the end of each test how well I did? “So, dear, am I smart?” And without ever divulging numbers or showing me the actual results, she would pretty much look at me and say, “You’re smart enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tougher role would come later when faced with the reality of sitting down with the anxious parents of a six-year-old child who awaited real test scores. She would see a generation of children grow up in a world where, all too often, a difficult child is often quickly and incorrectly labeled with ADHD; where learning disabilities are “instantly diagnosed” on the Internet and taken as fact. And, over the course of 35 years, she would eventually see children of students she once worked with, knowing she had their trust and the best interest of their child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There were moments she treasured – running a social group twice a week for four years at an elementary school with an intervention specialist, a speech therapist and a school counselor. The children they mentored were the social “misfits” that didn’t have many friends and they worked with them on reading facial expressions, developing conversational skills and playing games appropriately. The children became a support system for each other and eventually became more socially interactive. One of the fathers wrote how he truly believed this social interaction saved his son’s life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the course of the years, I’ve affectionately called my wife “the best school psychologist this side of the Mississippi.” It was my way of letting her know that the job she was doing was not going unnoticed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And during all these years, through all the politics that take place in a suburban school system, she’s kept one, simple mantra: “Keep your eyes intently focused on the child, and you’ll always do the right thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was usually in the first couple months of every school year or near the end that requests for evaluations poured in, asking for more weeks in the school year than actually existed. That’s when “the best school psychologist this side of the Mississippi” needed her own advice the most. “Keep your eyes intently focused…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The evening chores were usually just a precursor to her late nights of scoring and reports written to parents who needed the cautious guidance of a woman who not only interpreted the scores, but calmed with a soothing voice when under-achievement was confirmed by the reality of a learning disability, or the knowledge that the child of an over-achieving set of parents would never reach their lofty goals. Or, hearing the elation in a parent’s voice when told their child had qualified for gifted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While working on her final case presentation in the school neuropsychology program, she tested a student that she had known from the second grade. They spent 12 hours testing on several Saturdays, which is more than a typical case. The insights gained and the relationship they formed proved invaluable in supporting this young lady. The final report contained significant information that her teachers found useful in helping other students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, tomorrow, “the best school psychologist this side of the Mississippi” is going to retire after 35 years. A career that began with teaching Special Education students in Northwest Ohio, to earning a Master's degree and further certification as a neuropsychologist, will close a chapter in one of the best school systems in the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With that will come some celebrating and best wishes and more than one opportunity for me to bestow that moniker upon her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if the occasional questioner comes up to me tonight and asks, “Was she really that good?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, if you’ve listened to the story this far, you might imagine what my response will be. Certainly the words of Mrs. Gibbs might come to mind. But tonight, those words simply won't do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ll pause for a brief second and respond with as much pride as I can muster, </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-69808119645048032272009-12-31T13:26:00.000-08:002013-01-06T09:46:40.709-08:00A Time Capsule<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I took a peek at the past the other day and caught a glimpse of the future. While going through boxes of Christmas ornaments, I noticed a gold tin can sitting in the corner of one of the boxes with a tag that said, “Do not open until January 1, 2010.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then it dawned on me that in the waning moments of the 20th century we had asked our New Years’ Eve guests to participate in putting together a Ten Year Time Capsule to celebrate the new millennium. Each couple was asked to answer questions about their current status – ranging from their interest in music to movies to television shows. We also asked them what they thought was the most modern convenience they owned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the next page we asked them to look into the future and asked them questions about what they thought they would be doing and where they would be in ten years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was all prefaced with a look back at the year 1990 and an up-to-minute review of 1999. To help give them perspective we listed some of the news events from the year 1990: George H. Bush was President; East and West Germany were united; Nelson Mandela was freed; Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigned; the cost of a first class stamp was 25 cents; the Cincinnati Reds defeated Oakland in the World Series; two new television shows debuted – “The Simpsons” and “Seinfeld;” the Hubble Space Telescope was launched and the world mourned the passing of Jim Henson, Greta Garbo and Sammy Davis, Jr.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we gathered round with our glasses of champagne that December night in 1999, we looked back on the events of the closing year: Bill Clinton was President; George W. Bush had emerged as a front-runner in the next Presidential race; two Columbine students had killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves; Nelson Mandela was succeeded as President of South Africa; President Boris Yeltsin had resigned; the cost of a first class stamp was 33 cents; the New York Yankees defeated Atlanta in the World Series; two new television shows debuted – “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and “Greed;” the Hubble Space Telescope was repaired and the world had mourned the passing of Joe DiMaggio, Payne Stewart, the Lone Ranger and John-John.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was the year Prince had been singing about since 1982 and now it was time to party as if it truly was 1999. It was the year of Pokémon, dot.coms and “Living la Vida Loca.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was also the year of a little thing called Y2K. Why indeed?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The world had yet to be fully exposed to anthrax, the Euro, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama, iTunes, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And 9/11 was still just another September day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Included in our time capsule was a Polaroid picture of just the two of us. Oddly enough there was no mention of who else was in attendance. But memory tells me there were several neighbors from the house we moved away from several years later. There were also friends both new and old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We closed our time capsules with best wishes for the coming year and the hope that “when the New Year dawns in 2010, we’ll once again toast our friendship as we look back and cherish the past ten years.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it turns out, we probably won’t be sharing New Year’s Eve with any of the people that we welcomed in the new century. Distance, time and other commitments will preclude us from sharing our answers, laughing at our predictions or looking back at dreams either realized or vanished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My wife, Becky, had scribbled down one word in answer to the question: “What wish do you have for yourself?” Her response was “Peace.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To all our friends, both past and present, we share that sentiment and trust you find happiness in your own little time capsule we call life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy New Year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-21917180931509718312009-12-25T12:24:00.000-08:002013-01-06T09:45:00.198-08:00Holiday Greetings 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDvXwhFZOb-oJap6r4raD0UUTpU5yLqkkSuj6ZHgpVL5i9A4pPtZ4RpuBf-oOOQEQ0_fSP3-r6KZKsSm247Ih_v2GLmpHn2EqZAlpVqr-KJ9cmFI3EwmfMrwbBLJl1KkZt5EN0fvRyx8/s1600/Holiday+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDvXwhFZOb-oJap6r4raD0UUTpU5yLqkkSuj6ZHgpVL5i9A4pPtZ4RpuBf-oOOQEQ0_fSP3-r6KZKsSm247Ih_v2GLmpHn2EqZAlpVqr-KJ9cmFI3EwmfMrwbBLJl1KkZt5EN0fvRyx8/s640/Holiday+2009.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Turning The Page. The Year Passes...A Decade Closes.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s difficult to capture a moment in time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As a photographer, I know when the shutter opens for that split second, it merely captures the visual imagery reflected in its mirror.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Limited to its one sensory interpretation, the camera is destined to ignore the sounds, the smells, the touch of what’s embraced in the viewfinder.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">As I look back on moments from the past year, I’m forced to rely on my own memories...my own recollection...my own interpretation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">There are some moments that will quickly fade away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">There are other moments that I’ll put away for future reference...store them in my own personal time capsule and look back on them in years to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">And still, there are other moments that will stay with me to call upon on a daily basis...and pull strength from when the day grows dark too soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I trust the moments you’ve chosen to capture throughout the year provide you with peace and harmony...a measuring stick, so to speak, of the people and places that make up your visual imagery. Embrace them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Happy Holidays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Bill</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-7370994373278467592009-11-26T11:17:00.000-08:002013-01-06T09:56:35.156-08:00Thanksgiving 2009<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year, as we sit down to give thanks, it is easy to notice we are fewer in number.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whether by distance...or by time, we make note of the empty chairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But we feel the presence of those we love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let our memories be our nourishment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let our thirst be quenched by those around us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let the hope of days to come be our anthem of thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Thanksgiving.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-4754756201311113742009-07-23T14:53:00.000-07:002013-01-06T09:42:46.916-08:00Summer Stimulus Package<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think I’ve come up with a way to help the economy and, at the same time, improve the golf scores of the average player. In fact, this may be one of the reasons that has kept me from becoming a professional golfer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OK, I can hear those of you who have seen my golf game and the snide remarks about my handicap, my swing, my age and everything else that deals with my driving, short game and putting. Those are mere details…hear me out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The only people who stand to lose from my idea are the manufacturers of golf balls. But given the current state of the golfing industry and the scarcity of duffers on most golf courses in the area, I’m sure the Titleists and Nikes of the world would welcome a compromise of having more golfers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the idea: what does every pro golfer have that no one this side of Jack Nicklaus has on any public course in the area – someone to watch where their ball lands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Think about it. From Pebble Beach to Bethpage, the pros have people lined up and down the fairway just waiting to not only point out where their ball has landed, but to encircle it as if they were pointer dogs. And, get this, the better you are, the more people you have looking for your ball! Do you sense a trend here?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How many strokes does the average golfer take on any given round due to lost balls? Four water balls? Three in the rough? You get the idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So here’s my suggestion – in these difficult economic times, instead of having people holding billboards at every intersection advertising the last three days of still another “Everything-Must-Go” mattress sale, let’s have the area golf courses hire them as ball spotters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They don’t have to line the entire fairway – simply put them at strategic points along the way – say for instance, the 200 yard mark where they just happen to have the first set of bunkers and that overgrown crud known as the rough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have another positioned at the edge of the water. Sure, some of the balls will go over their heads and straight into the drink, but the ones that always seem to land and then trickle down and fall into the murky depths – hey, they can stop those. Sure, the golfer has to drop, but at least he’s got the original ball.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ve been through rough economic times in my career and I know what it’s like to welcome a part-time job. I’d much rather be out on a golf course doing basically the same job that volunteers at the Memorial Tournament line up in droves to participate in as one of the fairway crew.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sure, there’s probably a minimal health risk associated with putting yourself in the line of fire of errant tee shots. But just think how many people put themselves in harm’s way by dressing up as giant rabbits and standing along Sawmill Road.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OK, at the end of the day it helps me shave six or seven strokes off my game. No, that’s not going to put me even close to the ranks of a professional. If I’m lucky, it will help me break a hundred. That’s par in my book. With the average cost of a box of balls being $25, I’ve also maybe saved myself $12. Not bad really, when you take in the cost of a round of golf.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It would certainly be enough incentive to bring me back more than once and if you multiply that scenario by 50 or 100 (a rather conservative estimate of the number of golfers who would think the six or seven strokes and the savings were significant), you’d definitely make it worth the golf course’s cost of hiring the ball spotters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But more important, imagine this. You’re standing on the 1st tee at Raymond Memorial staring at a moderate Par 5. Your tee shot caroms off the cart path and heads towards the huge clump of trees on the right. Just as you’re about to unleash that first “expletive deleted,” you look up and see a man holding an orange flag indicating that he’s found your ball. No penalty stroke. No lost ball.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, there’s no smattering of applause and no huge throngs. Just a gainfully employed person who’s possibly helped you avoid a penalty stroke and saved you a couple of dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tipping is optional.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-5667316395564110302009-03-23T17:30:00.000-07:002013-01-06T06:35:24.177-08:00Words To My Father - A Eulogy For Mom<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dear Dad,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are days when it seems impossible that it’s been more than 30 years since you left us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That it couldn’t possibly have been back in 1978.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, however, is not one of those days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I look around the room this evening and I see the faces of grandchildren and great grandchildren who never had the opportunity to know you, I realize that several generations have been passed down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And knowing that both of your children have now surpassed the age that you were, it’s quite clear that our memories simply hide the fact that you left us much too soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But yet, there’s another reason that makes it so painfully obvious…and that’s what brings us here today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The woman you left behind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m quite sure your first concern would have been – how will Ma take care of herself without me?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How will this woman, who never learned to drive, never finished high school, manage to make it on her own?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What we may have all forgotten is that this woman had been taking care of people all her life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the youngest of seven children, she was made to quit high school as a junior and go live with her grandparents to care for them out on their farm. Can you imagine that happening now? To have a 16 year old girl quit in the middle of high school and go care for her grandparents for the next two years?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Dad, I’m sure you would no doubt remember all the years our grandmother lived with us, occupying a hospital bed in your bedroom. And Mom, lifting her in and out of bed, the wheelchair, the bath and everywhere else she had to go. This woman did this for nearly seven years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And all while raising two kids and working part-time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lest it be taken for granted, raising two children in any era is a hard enough chore on its own. And Dad, I know you were there for us as well, but it was always Mom who was there to bandage a knee, help with the homework or write a letter when we were away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And more than anything else, Dad, she took care of you. More than you ever would have admitted. Yet, deep inside, I’m quite sure you knew how very special she was to you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And let me add right now, that while Mom did indeed take care of a lot of us in her life, there were some people around her that helped her immensely. Dad, you would have been very proud of how some of your family members kept a continual watch on her and came to her assistance on numerous occasions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And to the members of Mom’s family that visited and kept in touch over the years, I can tell you that Mom enjoyed the company and the connection you brought with her past. My sister and I are very grateful for the comfort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dad, you passed quietly into a warm summer morning. And Mom, who was subjected to a very difficult year and who struggled in her last days, called you the “lucky one.” Lucky, because you didn’t have to endure the pain and suffering that an old body can bring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucky, because we didn’t have to witness the shortness of breath or the loneliness of a mind confused by the darkness or the unfamiliar surroundings of a strange room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But what she didn’t realize is that we were the lucky ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucky, because she was there for us long after you were gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucky, because she was able to witness the grandchildren and great grandchildren you never got to know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucky, because we had her with us all these years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Dad, maybe it’s because she had so much time alone after you left us that one of her favorite pastimes was to “remember.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Remember to remember” was her favorite saying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She could always conjure up some memory that most of us had long forgotten.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in the final months of her life, even as her short term memory was giving way, she struggled to search in the deepest corners of her past to remember every facet of her life…and how happy she was when she shared it with us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the last memories I asked her to share was a poem that she had written and had published when she was 24 years old. The title of the poem was “The Ones He Left Behind” and it was about the husband of her sister who was killed in World War II.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She couldn’t remember what day it was, but she recited each line as if it had been written yesterday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another of her favorite sayings that she would always seem to slip in at the end of every conversation was, “Be happy.” And while I’m sure we’ll all refuse to heed that suggestion today, I have a feeling each of us will look back in the next couple of days and smile at her continual wish for all of us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, Dad, the woman you left behind has come home to you. You two can once again continue on your Sentimental Journey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As for those of us left behind, we will never forget.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We will forever, remember to remember.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sleep well…both of you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bo</span><br />
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<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Sentimental Journey - The Lyrics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gonna take a sentimental journey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gonna set my heart at ease</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gonna make a sentimental journey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To renew old memories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Got my bag, got my reservation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spent each dime I could afford</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like a child in wild anticipation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I long to hear that "All aboard."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll be waitin' up for heaven</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Countin' every mile of railroad track</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That takes me back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Never thought my heart could be so yearny</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why did I decide to roam?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gotta take that sentimental journey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sentimental journey home.</span></blockquote>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-41983943030241380722009-03-22T23:03:00.000-07:002013-01-06T09:38:08.352-08:00Remembering Grandma<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGLRmxtE4T7pk2YO6KNq48sIYj-TVcj_0-_XAm7o0FQIam3qKlg1CQAfOO7ETCeiRa8Sp2rKyjySntML71WA235-W5IXueNf02sBHcmaAreP9fhQ0fz_olX-VU0igPGLo9BnvcI_xMNI/s1600/Remembering+Grandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGLRmxtE4T7pk2YO6KNq48sIYj-TVcj_0-_XAm7o0FQIam3qKlg1CQAfOO7ETCeiRa8Sp2rKyjySntML71WA235-W5IXueNf02sBHcmaAreP9fhQ0fz_olX-VU0igPGLo9BnvcI_xMNI/s640/Remembering+Grandma.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by Kari Hughes Wint - March 20, 2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-70714516593287799062009-03-22T22:58:00.000-07:002013-01-06T06:30:41.621-08:00A Poem<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Ones He Left Behind</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His wife received a telegram on that Monday afternoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Your husband was killed in action, you’ll get a letter soon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now her heart was saddened for she saw the years ahead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She’d have to spend them all alone ‘cause now her husband’s dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His little daughter Betty sure had a super dad,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But she’s too young to realize the meaning to be sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She’ll soon grow up and forget the things she used to do,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But she’ll still recall her daddy who was killed in World War II.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He’s buried over there somewhere with other soldiers brave,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We’d give the world if we could see the hole that is his grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">His buddies that he fought with will see him smile and grin,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For they know that he’ll be watching when they take old Berlin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Written in 1945 by Doris (Coble) Klosterman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dedicated to Sie Weikert</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-28130059179245850582008-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:002013-01-06T06:32:00.141-08:00Images and Essays - The Book<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkkH6eX5rjlunGYfusYc9ABnUi9DTz3C6Kdg0Bkx6lQlSvz0n11nlGjenXgjYFG2WMrpnIHVLB0ts7lS5puKuJ3E0nJEHg4GxrcgPEjbPtjsnk13o9IpwZfXXQJMNi0K9wa9r8oT6uss/s1600/ImagesAndEssays_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkkH6eX5rjlunGYfusYc9ABnUi9DTz3C6Kdg0Bkx6lQlSvz0n11nlGjenXgjYFG2WMrpnIHVLB0ts7lS5puKuJ3E0nJEHg4GxrcgPEjbPtjsnk13o9IpwZfXXQJMNi0K9wa9r8oT6uss/s400/ImagesAndEssays_Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, it's a vanity book...but it is INDEED a book. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it's MY book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hard cover and premium paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It truly exceeded my expectations and I truly wish I could give everyone who's asked about it their own copy. Alas, I still have a day job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You're more than welcome to sneak a preview of it and if you're so inclined, you can even order it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/518053"><b><span style="color: #2500f4; text-decoration: none;">Images and Essay</span></b><span style="color: #2500f4;">s</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't worry...I won't be hurt if you don't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But it was a thrill to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I'm glad I did it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It made for a great Christmas present.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-73753843528297356012008-09-20T16:14:00.000-07:002013-01-06T06:24:48.618-08:00Tat 2 U<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx7uMTOYtb9EWE2UnEdaNiPHqgEL_gumRFZ7df52__b94-3FBYq3AifvjqO1wKvFJHTBwW735bQO3HSL6ogCjhbgLiFYGWpGMNkhvqrjlgeexbldWnkM7bdYaVa9jtxt9Ke2deUpikQA/s1600/BillsTatFinalFINALONEa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx7uMTOYtb9EWE2UnEdaNiPHqgEL_gumRFZ7df52__b94-3FBYq3AifvjqO1wKvFJHTBwW735bQO3HSL6ogCjhbgLiFYGWpGMNkhvqrjlgeexbldWnkM7bdYaVa9jtxt9Ke2deUpikQA/s400/BillsTatFinalFINALONEa.jpg" width="398" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I turned 56 years old this year, thereby surpassing the age that my father was when he died. To commemorate the occasion, I went and did something that I've wanted to do for a very long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I got a tattoo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The reason it took so long was because I didn't know what I wanted. I wanted one that represented how I felt, so I designed one myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The colors represent the rainbow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The two figures represent the continual and elusive pursuit of our dreams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The central figure is the sun...or the core of what I hold to be true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The obvious question is...where?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had it put on my right shoulder...and yes, it hurt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(To answer the second obvious question.)</span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104993390355910119.post-89403549170867275382007-08-11T08:53:00.000-07:002013-05-22T13:36:46.517-07:00Double Nickels<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As with most guys, I never kept a diary. I did, however, have my heart set on writing a journal. It was intended to be a time capsule for our kids…a reflection written every five years on the milestones in my life. As a new father of a baby girl at the age of 30, I looked upon this prehistoric blog as an opportunity to give them insight on what was happening in my life at those major turning points. I wanted them to know the excitement their mother and I were feeling as parents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I guess I wanted to provide answers to questions that were never asked of my father. Information my dad certainly wouldn’t have thought to have sat down and written about when he was 30.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That’s how old he was when I was born. Already the parent of my older sister, perhaps the newness of fatherhood had worn off and he was simply happy to have a healthy son and daughter. He had survived the rigors of World War II as a gunnery sergeant in the Air Force. “Keep ‘em flying” was what he had written as his motto in his high school yearbook. And keep them flying he did; he simply never talked about it. Perhaps it was that generation – The Greatest Generation as Tom Brokaw wrote – that wouldn’t allow themselves the pain of remembering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Except for a few faded black and white pictures, there aren’t a lot of things that I know about him when he was 30. There are the stories that my mother still tells, but I’m sure my father had a different perspective on a lot of subjects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, I wanted to make sure that our children had these personal moments in time recorded on paper. Of course, in 1982, there was no such thing as the immediacy of the Internet. And while I even made a living of putting words to paper, the daily activities that we call life somehow kept me from keeping the journal. By the time I turned 35, my own son was already three years old; we had moved to a bigger city and a new career was keeping me busy. Somewhere Harry Chapin was warming up with “Cats In The Cradle.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was prompted to write these thoughts down as a result of peeking into my own son’s published world on MySpace.com. He is now a young adult out on his own, and while I’m not terribly thrilled by what I read there, I no longer think of it as spying. It is “his” space after all, and I’m delighted that such a medium exists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was, however, taken aback by part of his profile. Written next to the question, “The Person I’d Most Like To Meet” he had written: My father’s father.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I wanted to say, “Yes, son, I would have liked to have known him as well.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, my father died at the age of 55. And the thirty years that separated us in that period growing up in the late 70’s was a distance far greater than time. I was 25 years old, just married and starting on a career path I’m sure my father never dreamed I would obtain. We were just beginning to bridge the silence between a much-too-conservative father and a more-liberal-than-he-ever-knew son.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a span started much too late.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For those of you tracking the math, you know that I stand at that precipice today. One thing I have learned over the past 30 years is that the milestones are not the birth years themselves. They are merely the mile markers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I didn’t keep a journal on a five-year basis, I truly hope my wife and I have nurtured a relationship with both of our children that doesn’t mandate we write down every single memory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So that whatever medium that presents itself to our children’s children, my son won’t be reading those same words from his.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In other words, “Keep ‘em flying.”</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com