Society's Child

   Janis Ian is in town tonight playing in East Lansing and after 46 years of performing now white haired. Her writing and music have had an influence on me and I still relate to her songs and admire her abilities to be timeless with her lyrics. Her For All The Seasons Of Your Mind is in my 10 best albums, Janis Eddy Fink is 6 days younger than me.  Andy Ybarra turned 50 last week and we got together at Old Chicago and had some good cake. The sequester has not been felt yet but change is coming and this is the beginning of the end of entitlements hopefully for all rich or poor.  I wanted to go see Janis Ian but seeing her old probably would have disappointed my expectations and memories. The past is safer and cheaper than the present and reaching out takes courage and risk is costly, so I run from it.   Phillip was accepted into MSU's grad school for the fall and is very excited about the possibilities it presents. The future awaits ready or not it will come whether if we approach eyes wide open or closed. You choose to lose and that don't give you the right to sing the blues.

The Takeover

  After the takeover Jane needed to send Jon a letter expressing her feelings about the wedding.  Jon replied but still did not fully understand how Joe Gerst had compromised any future relationship with his backwardness and our family.  After an e-mail from me Jon admitted to the ignorance of elder Gerst and how he damaged a meaningful or close relationship with the Pratts from Lansing.  Mr. Phillipich died at 90 and we visited with his family. Jim was the best man at our wedding and I always talked to Tony at church or at Meijers. Two members of the O'R class of 69 also died recently. They were Barb Spedoske and Janet Deibolt.  I have been subbing everyday but 2 snow days and holidays have made for short work weeks now for 5 straight weeks.  On Saturday our furnace quit and we braved house temperatures of  52-56 degrees until they came to fix it at 11;00 am today.  It was the gas valve and cost $600 but that's better than having to replace the 23 year old furnace.  Jane is still waiting for her extension pay and found out that she probably will not get any money due to the pending sequesterian budget cuts. Last Friday we went to the Foster Community Center and saw a play about Urbandale.  It brought back memories of her old neighborhood on Howard Street, and she got to talk to a cousin of the VanDousers there. Basil is still going for more testing on his lungs as the doctors are trying to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong. Life is a gift and we must cherish it and make good of our short time we are given on Earth.

Long Trip to IOWA

  On Saturday we left at 6:10 for Iowa and arrived there at 1 EST. We went to the Coral Ridge Mall for an hour as it is CST in Iowa and we couldn't get into our room at the Country Suite yet. We headed for Solon where the recital dinner and pictures after getting into our rooms and arrived after 2:30. It was a sunny day with the temperature near 50. The family took pictures as well as the wedding party and I inquired about my cost for the dinner which we agreed to pay for. The cost came to $737, much more than I had anticipated but the meal was good and the 3 boys were served 2 meals as we paid for 25 adult dinners and a couple of guests were not present. We declined to go to their church for hymn singing as we were tired and Simon had to find an AA meeting. Simon did his PBT the next 2 mornings at the Coralville Police Station and we had very good continental breakfasts at the Inn. At 12:30 Sunday we went to the church in North Liberty for the service which began early with hymn singing droning on continuously until the service started at 1:15, as snow flurries began to fall with the temperatures outside. The wedding was a service and preaching dragged on by the deacon from Valparaiso and then Sharon's dad. It was mostly a reiteration of their church's beliefs, I would guess for the benefit of us visitors. The actual wedding was only about 5 minutes, involving exchanging of vows while they held hands. There was no rings or kiss and then they started another hymn and they exited after the first verses were completed. Did I describe her gold dress with the black veil that looked like mule ears? The 3 bridesmaids wore red dresses and my 3 boys had black suits, very funereal. Most of us were disturbed by the service so much that we headed back to the Inn with the possibility of not attending the reception. We got to Solon about 3:00 and they were waiting for us to begin the receiving line. Jane and I spent the next hour greeting at the end of the line all of the attendees and then ate and after another song bid farewell to Jon and Sharon and by 5:30 we ready to leave. Did I mention the boys were expected to serve drinks at the reception as part of the discount they got for their buffet style food. We left Iowa at 9:20 EST with the temperature near zero and made great time with our second stop at the Michigan welcome rest stop at 1:30. But the lake effect took over as we headed up the shoreline and met whiteouts from St. Joseph to Kalamazoo and then an hour crawl to Battle Creek to get us home at 4:55 safe but exhausted. The 3 days away felt like a month and culturally years as Iowa is on our list of do not return to places. What more can I say, "Toto there's no place like home".  2012 was the warmest year on record for the contiguous U.S. according to the National Climatic Data Center surpassing 1998 with an average of 55.3 degrees. Every state had a warmer than average year with 362 all-time highs and zero all time low temperatures across the nation. Today is the 35th anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978 when we were dumped on with 19" of snow and I was working midnights. I was stranded at the Olds parking lot taking up residence with some guys from the block floor in a motor home. Finally at 9:00 in the morning we walked to that guy's house by Ingham Medical until after 3 and then dug out his motor home and headed down Main St. taking one guy home over by Gier Park and then about 6 they dropped me off at Willow and Waverly.

Seasons Greetings

     I was able to read 2 Jim Harrison books during proctoring at Cooley this term. I read Farmer and A Good Day To Die and enjoyed both with their similarity to Hemingway. I worked every day until break and now am taking advantage of the 2 weeks off. We had Christmas Eve dinner here with Jane making tostadas and plenty of deserts. We got 2 inches of snow slowing Jon and Sharon's drive from Indiana but they were present along with the Ybarras and Mark for a peaceful evening. We stayed home for New Years and MSU won their bowl game over TCU 17-16. Lukas worked 3 days a week at MSU and Phillip studied for and took his GRE exam. We didn't go over the fiscal cliff because of the last minute deal by our congress of the rich and for the tax less union posturing. Who knows what the new year holds for us but paying more for our health care and taxes certainly are a reality we'll have to adjust to.  Christmas can be everyday if only in the hearts and good deeds of people who love like Christ taught us to.

Right to Work Agenda

    This week the lame duck Republican legislature of Michigan has pushed its regressive right to work agenda through both branches to wait the governor's signature. President Obama was reelected so the tea party Nazis are fighting socialism by turning back the progressive clocks to the days of serfdom. Jon is getting married and we have met his intended and her family who are from Iowa. We met them at a restaurant in New Buffalo with Elder Joe, wife Connie, and Sharon who dress conservatively in the Apostolic tradition. This has given Jane much anxiety and need to adjust to a different value system and lifestyle. I've been working everyday and being busy helps to deal with all the tension around from varying sources. It has been a mild fall with only 2 snow flurry episodes to date as the USA will likely record its warmest year ever. Grampa is out of Tendercare West and recovering well from his bout with pneumonia and trying to catch up slowly with his health and Gramma's. I've added Siriusxm Internet radio and can listen in the house to Deep Tracks and the 60's Survey comfortably anytime. The world is still a scary place that challenges and makes us see how fragile life and integrity is when left to man's reason. Thanksgiving was celebrated here and went well with plenty of food and blessings to be grateful for.  Thank you God for you are good and we are weak being lost without looking to you for the path to true salvation that this world is only an obstacle to reach.  Cleanse us in peace and tranquility above our limited minds.

Political Bombardment

   It has been a busy season for substituting with nice pretty mild weather. All of the flowers in the planters are still alive and thriving though they usually are faded or dead by now.  George McGovern died Oct.21 at the age of 90. In 1972 he was the Democratic candidate for president and I campaigned and voted for him but he was too liberal for America and lost by a landslide though in reality he spoke the truth about the Vietnam War.  Each month continues to bring record temperatures as September rated the warmest ever for the USA.  The Tigers won the American league pennant but were swept by San Francisco in the World Series.  One more week until the presidential election so hearing and seeing politics fills all the gaps that money can buy.  Jon announced to us yesterday he is engaged to be married.  Grampa has been in the hospital since last Wednesday with pneumonia. We are in the process of painting the family room and ceiling as well as replacing the fan and shower door.  The winds of change blow and yet so much stays the same.

Labor Day 2012

   The week before Jane and I went to Pier View at Grand Haven I proctored at Cooley and read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.  Tom Wolfe's book about Ken Kesey and LSD trips in the 60;s in California took most of the week to read. Jane and I spent the week alone except for Joan Lopez  coming on Sunday afternoon. We went to breweries, museums, parks and shopping with good weather and quality time together. We went to Brian Trudell's wedding and reception and had a good time despite Aunt Peg's complaining remenences.The boys are back in school though Lukas is only taking 1 class as he is reevaluating his education plans. Simon if he successfully completes sobriety court for a year, will lose any felony charges after his court date. He has moved in with April and hopefully this will help him to stay on the straight and narrow. Jon has bought a house in Hebron Indiana and will be moving in soon.  Hurricane Issac caused its problems in New Orleans last week and bringing plenty of rain in its path. The political season is beginning its blustery occupation heading to the election day drama.  Summer is over though it is still hot and labor union workers now in Michigan are only 17.5% as opposed to 26% in 1989. Time will tell the future of labor but with less unionization there will only be a bigger gap between the classes with a minimizing of the middle class that is the foundation of this nation.