Approaching Halloween

I have been busy subbing this school year. Today I was at Waverly East and the Halloween party. I've been to Elmwood, Scott, Cumberland, and Riddle many times so far. The weather has been mild and the leaves are starting to come down now. What was bright yellow and red background is now turned grey and empty with the decaying of leaves on the ground. Jane is now full time at Fabiano's and got a raise 2 weeks ago. We visited Helen Reck at Tendercare West, she is 95 but still very aware of everything. Michelle Fedewa died and we went to Tiffany's and took Ed dinner last Saturday. Phillip started painting the house but still has the upper east side to finish as Luke and I also worked at it. Jon may have fixed the roof this last time tarring the seams thoroughly as no leaks have dripped while it's rained hard. The budget of the state threatens education as the federal budget increases. Someday there will have to be the reckoning of debt and the extravagances of the rich and want-to-bes. All Hallows Eve is approaching with the full moon and the fall back of daylight savings and time. We had 9 visitors this year compared with an average of 3 a year since 1975. All Saints Day and All Souls Day will be the fate of true believers, Amen!

Flowers on the Wall

Jane and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary, Sunday at Smokey Bones. Rachel helped Jane pick out and plant flowers to replace the bushes in front of the house that had been there for 20 some years. Phillip had tore out the bushes and put in the black soil and mulch. Jon was here for the Labor day extended weekend and returned to Indiana today. We had a nice cookout at Ybarra's Saturday and the weather this past week has been sunny, in the 70s, and cool at night. Today is Beatles day as their remastered songs were debuted and a new generation will fall under their influence. Tony got out of Clinton County Jail yesterday and turned 18 today. Instead of counting flowers on the wall we all could follow Obama's advice to school children and make our lives better by working hard toward beneficial goals. Don't tell me I have nothing to do but you can remind me to get off my ass to do good in the world. I've been retired 8 years now and time should be my best friend but he is not kind to anyone. But without time we would go nowhere and stillness only freezes inaction to nothingness. Number 9/ Number 9/ Number 9.

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.

Summertime of the Great Recession

GM has left bankruptcy after 40 days as the new leaner GM Co. leaving all its bad investments to the U S taxpayers. Doom looms over the economy as the recovery lingers on with all questioning are we going to be able to go back to business as usual? Even the comfortable are cutting back on the free spending that drives the economy and our record debt. Over a trillion dollars on the governmental level makes one wonder is this money really worth much?" Sha La LA lets live for today." Lukas had his wisdom teeth removed the day before we lost our dental insurance, which had been suggested years ago, saving us $1,700. I also lost our vision insurance as we also will pay double our current prescription co-pay, in hope of saving GM and my pension. Both boys will be at LCC this fall and I will be very limited on helping them. We were at Duck Lake for the 4th of July for the 1st time in 4 years as we will be in Grand Haven In August this year. I talked to my friend Mark Neering who is related to the family cottage next to the Beckers. I've been to Blues on the Square again this year staying until after 9:30 each night so far. It has been cooler this summer with little time hotter than the 80's here in Lansing. All the cats seemingly have had kittens making the population over 20 and mothers taking care of kittens that aren't even theirs. Kind of sounds like our society in general as we try to survive this Great Recession. We got a new refrigerator and hopefully a new stove soon as we try to catch up on overdue updates. Worry or not time and life goes on with us or without us, so with faith we march or dream on into the future. The diocese didn't give Holy Cross 40 hours before they boarded up the church and changed the locks. A heartless business where most thought the purpose was spirituality," someone's on the cross again/someone's throwing dice. " I freely quoted different songs throughout this blog without permission, please Lord forgive me!

Holy Cross

I was baptised at Holy Cross and my brothers went to school there the years before I was born in 1951. My dad sang in the choir and I can remember singing Holy God We Praise Thy Name on Sundays of the Holy Name Society. I went with my parents often to the St. Anthony devotions on Tuesday nights. In September of 1956 I started school at Holy Cross to continue until June of of 1965. First and second grades were in the new part of the school which was not there when my brothers went there. For grades 3 thru 5 I was in the old building, and then back to the new section for the duration. At the start of fourth grade St. Gerards opened their school which was the beginning of the end. The church had also built a new friary for the Franciscans who had 3 priests there and made Holy Cross an unique parish. I walked home from school almost everyday once I was a little older with the Curtins who lived on Main Street. We walked down Jenison Street about a mile to Saint Joseph. We had a huge first communion class and third grade confirmation class also. On September 6,1975 Jane and I were married at 6:30 by Father Keith at Holy Cross. My mom,dad, and brother Frank were all buried out of Holy Cross. I was a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, The Respect Life committee, and an Eucharistic Minister. Today is Fathers Day and the beginning of summer as well as the closing of Holy Cross parish at 1:00 this afternoon. I attended the last parish mass last night at 4:00 and the church was full to capacity and was a beautiful remembrance of my 58+ years of Holy Cross. Father Maurice did a great job and Father Pius gave me communion. I could not attend today as I was told I wouldn't be needed to be a minister for the bishop's dioceses closing the doors mass. I wanted to keep my positive memories so avoided the negative. It has been hard thinking about this final day as each week brought it closer, so I saved my emotions for this tribute to my parish, Holy Cross. Amen,that they can't take away from us.

Busy Blur

It was a busy weekend with 5 open houses to attend and Phillip's graduation at MSU yesterday. On Saturday Waverly had their district baseball game against Charotte and Phil's first pitch went over the fence for a home run and the next 5 hitters also got on base to make it 4-0 and his coach decided to pull him, only to have 7 more runs score to make it 11-0 after one inning. There were some bad calls, all not in our favor and after 5 innings we were mercied 12-2. Our consolation was Charlotte was so hot they beat Hastings for the championship 18-5 in a mercy game. At the baseball banquet Phil got the Heart trophy and at the senior awards night was the recipient of the Alumni Award. At Matt Lottes open house one of his relatives asked me if I knew I looked like Francis Ford Coppola? Time flies by as I write this from Sheridan Road School Kindergarten, after being at East this morning in the last week of school. GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization today and I will lose my dental and optical insurance soon due to contract concessions. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and even the mightiest fall bringing down the dreams and promises that once were so secure. Without faith in God we would be lost, the flock dispersed.