A One Week Summer

We began our week at Grand Haven on the 8th of August this year, and it turned out being the only real summer weather of the year 2009. Except for a couple of days around Father's Day the sun and warm 80+ temperatures excelled during our week. Lukas and Phillip were with us all week, and John arrived Sunday through Wednesday, and Simon was with the Foxes on Sunday. At 6:30 Sunday we had our storm with 60+ mile an hour winds cutting electricity for an hour and taking out a tree outside the porch. It scared April and Jane was afraid the tree was going to blow over onto the roof, but outside that the sky was sunny and it was nice to be by the beach. We went swimming everyday for the first time I can remember and Wiley went with us for the first time and was a good boy! Last week I worked at Cooley proctoring for lap tops and accommodated exams all week, 37 hours. I read Steinbeck's In Dubious Battle, W. Somerset Maugham's The Narrow Corner, and Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust. None are great books but were interesting in their perspectives and historical times of reference. Lukas and Phillip are taking classes at LCC and hopefully they'll get there class schedules straightened out soon. I got my letter from MIP on my school retirement and service time which is 5.1204 years. This means I will need 5 more years of public school service for a pension or will need to move this money I've accumulated since I work for PESG now. Edward Kennedy died yesterday and has been featured on the news and TV networks honoring the liberal Camelot legacy now over. Birds cry outside and the air is cool as a health care bill waits for compromise that will never be fully what we need or want. Our fates await the passage of time which goes on as forever it will ,and nothing we say or do can change the natural course of nature and God.

Buddy Not Bud

Around an hour ago Little Buddy was hit by a car and died in front of our house. Lukas got home and told me and we looked out at the lifeless body in the street. Luke and I buried him in the back property line and we are sad to lose our cat that fetched the socks, teaching Wiley that trick. The white monkey will no longer climb the trees or screech when chased by Cappachino. It's been a boring summer but pleasant temperature wise. Lukas finished 2 classes at LCC and did really good, while Phil is still slowly learning all the things he'll need to do better at for college. Jon took the Indiana bar exam this week but has a wait before he finds out if he passed. Jane is going to be full time at Fabianos and hopefully getting a raise and benefits. I talked to John Magnotta at Meijers Saturday for about a half hour about high school and friends and his 20 years at the unemployment office. We had Sue Hauser over for spinach pie Sunday, 2 weeks after Ruby's 1st birthday party at Richard's house in Grand Ledge. I went to 2 more Blues on the Square concerts and will go tomorrow night after the Cooley proctors meeting. Everything seems to be losing its luster but I pray the joy of living will not fade with the passing days and the realization our time is shorter with all our loved ones. I miss Holy Cross and they've boarded up the rectory 2 weeks ago and the school over the weekend, the nails in the boards like the ones through Jesus' body and my heart. No more Beefus, Little Beefy, or Captain Beefheart with his sad eyes and goatee.