Evil Urges 2016 Politics

     I have new glasses and like them much better than the old ones as I can now read the fine print again. We spent April 7th-10 with Silas in Indiana and watched him Friday while his parents were working. He learned how to get up out of the lower family room into the rest of the house under our care. We had 3 great days there though the weather was a mix of everything, the travel was fine. Jon changed his work location to Plymouth which gives him an earlier start and longer drive but it's less stressful than Gary was. Last night we went to the Starlight Theater at Waverly East and watched Greg in You Can't Take It With You. The flowers are starting to come out and the grass is growing with the rain that let up for a week but is mixing cool with warm weather. It looks like Trump vs. Clinton for the election which certainly is not a good omen for our nation. Prince died Thursday the 21st and Purple Rain fell on Earth Day. The water in Flint is getting better and Governor Snyder says he'll drink the water but is leaving for Europe for a week while 3 state officials take the blame for him. Politics that's dirty makes you wonder is everything fixed to protect the elite while the masses struggle on believing in falsehoods about justice and equality! Helter Skelter!

Catching up if I can

  The leap year has had over 2" more than normal precipitation with 8" of snow cancelling school the first 2 days of March. We visited Silas the first weekend of March with Simon as well as Phillip for Easter the 25th-27th in Canton. We went to Fanny May and the Belden Mall again as well as the McKinley Memorial. We picked up Phil's new grill at Lowes and put it together and grilling out before heading for home on Sunday. I finished my therapy at Arch the end of March and found out I tore my right bicep. We all voted for Bernie in the Michigan Primary and he won Michigan. I turned 65 and am now on Medicare.  Jane and I went to Grand Rapids Saturday for Grant Schertzing's wedding at Chaney Place. It was snowing on the way there but it was a fun time. MSU got a #2 seed and lost in the 1st round to Middle Tennessee State which I luckily only saw some of the 2nd half of as I was subbing and then had therapy. Monday Villanova beat North Carolina with a 3 pointer at the buzzer to win the NCAA and MSU ended up #7 in the final poll. I'm on spring break this week and we are going to see Silas tomorrow for the weekend and to celebrate some birthdays. The grass is getting green but the temperatures have been cool so still awaiting a real spring!

Where have you been?

    On Tuesday November 24th I had surgery on my left rotor cuff at St. Lawrence Outpatient by Dr. Noud. We arrived at 6am and I remembered I had not done my blood tests but they did them there so I had my surgery at its scheduled time and was home by 11:45. I had some pain but not as bad as the doctor said it could be and we had our Thanksgiving dinner as Phillip was here for the weekend. I had to sleep in the recliner for 3+ weeks before it was comfortable to make through the night in bed. I also had to be in the sling for 6 weeks but after 4 weeks I spent a good deal of the day out of it but wore it at night to protect my arm. My pain was never higher than a 5 and I didn't need the pain meds except at night and only used the shoulder cooler for 3 days. Gramma was in the Dimondale rehab. during this time after having knee surgery also and we tried to visit her twice a week once we found out. We had her and Mark over for Christmas as Jon and family were here and she had been over to Petra's earlier as she would still be at Dimondale for another week. My recovery has been very successful as I have been going to Arch Physical Therapy since January 5th and have most of my motion and range restored. I resumed subbing the first week of January doing half days and then back to my regular workdays. My wife was very attentive and lovingly helping me through this time. We went to North Canton, Ohio to visit Phillip at his new house for the weekend of February 12-15. Simon went with us and though it was cold the roads and travel were good. We had a good dinner at 91 Wood Fired Oven and Jane cooked two homemade meals and we had some Handels ice cream. We went to the Harry London/Fanny May Chocolate Factory and the Mall in Canton on Saturday. Gramma left for Florida Wednesday just before the 10+" snow caused 2 snow days here. We had her Mark and Andy over Saturday for a farewell dinner. Lukas is working at Inovalon by Frandor since December and enjoying it and going to the MAC with his co-worker friend Joe. The political scene is Bizaroo world trumped on surrealism spiced with fascism!

MSU 17 OSU 14

  Michigan State beat #2 Ohio State to put themselves in the driver's seat for the Big Ten Championship. I'm finishing my subbing for this calendar year as I have rotor cuff surgery this coming Tuesday. We visited Silas in Valparaiso last weekend and had a beautiful time visiting Gary Indiana. Jon showed us where he worked and Sharon's University campus. We drove by Michael Jackson's home place which dead ended by Roosevelt H.S. athletic field. We had our first snow today that has brought us back to the reality of the wintry cold and snow we had evaded. Dr. Noud will do my surgery at St. Lawrence outpatient now that my new cardiologist, Dr. Naum cleared me after an EKG that required me to see him. This week I taught classes about Joe Hill whose 100th anniversary of his execution was the 19th. I told them he was a singer and union organizer who may have been unjustly accused of murder to quiet him up and played them the song about him and how some never die. Phillip got the job in Canton with Marathon in HR this week and is looking for a house to buy. Isis and the terrorists attacked Paris last week and it is sad the world will never be the same because of their misguided religious beliefs which certainly are wrong by any standard of humanity!

Leaves are Falling

   I've been subbing about everyday and have a date for surgery on my rotor cuff November 24th. We've had a moderate Autumn that is seeing the colors blowing off the trees to met the coldness of the shorter days of light. They finally trimmed some branches off the dead ash tree behind the garage and it won't be the only bare tree around soon. The politicians continue to fragment fact and opinion in their debates that if nothing else has created interest as to who will survive words of mass destruction. Jane and I went to Byron Center's Tanger Outlet Mall the 10th of October and then to the Rockford Brewing Co. for the beer tasting I purchased during the summer. It was a beautiful fall day and a relaxing day for a drive on some back roads home. MSU is somehow 8-0 after a miracle ending to the Michigan game.  Don't worry be happy because what's going to happen will work out according to a plan we can only have faith in the Lord.

When I'm 64

A supermoon lunar eclipse is happening right now and 1982 was the last time this occurred. It will become a blood moon during the total eclipse because the refraction will give a orange and red tone. We spent our week in Grand Haven the 15-22 of August with all the boys there the first 2 days. It was warm and sunny and it was the most time in the water in years. Jon, Sharon and Silas left later on Sunday and Phillip left Tuesday afternoon. Simon and Lukas were there all week and we went up to Muskegon on Thursday as 6 to 8 feet waves were crashing in on the beach and the pier. On the 29th Gabor and I went to Mark Neering's funeral in Sterling Heights, it was a week short of his 64th birthday. Ray Morris was there and Gabor was relieved when he saw Mark's urn as he was apprehensive of an open casket. We visited with his family and bade out farewell as Mark had suffered from ALS. We attended the dinner afterwards and shared memories of Mark. I started the first 4 days of school at Waverly East with Pat Albright subbing for Mrs. Blodgett's 6th grade. I've also been in Mr. Dimick's 5th grade as they are hiring a new assistant principal. I've also been to many doctors appointments as I ruptured my left bicep tendon and needed an ultrasound and MRI. They probably will not operate on the tendon as I have no pain and full mobility of the arm but I will find out Thursday about my rotor cuff. Jon and Sharon came up this weekend and we went up to Jim and Betty's so they could see Silas. Phillip was here also for the MSU v. CMU  tailgate and recruiting for Marathon Pope Francis was in America for 6 days and I believe it will change the world and our country for the better as his message was for the poor and families and their importance to a just society. He is the pope of the people and all should be able to respond to his simple teaching.

3.77 inches of rain

 Yesterday from 11-2 we had 3.77" of rain at Capital Region Airport to set a record for August and the 6th wettest day ever in Lansing, all the other days occurred in June or July . Saginaw Street was impassable at many locations and the water was backed up halfway into the Ritter's yard at the corner. Jane and I made it to all the City of Lansing concerts this summer on Wednesday nights as well as Friday night of the Great Lakes Folk Festival enjoying the Scottish Celtic music of The Tannahill Weavers from Glasgow. It has been a good summer without too much heat and enough rain to keep everything green. The Republicans have been entertaining with the Trump alternate reality show dealing with racism, sexism and lots of money convincing the rich who is looking out for them. Shadows on the pavement but no bodies do we find, where is yesterday?