Daniel Mason, my newest grandson, has been cast in his 1st theatre production. He was born on the 7th of November and has been cast as the "baby Jesus" in a live Nativity in Corraville, Iowa. It will be fun to watch him grow and see what he becomes...the other 6 grandchildren provide as much entertainment and keep us guessing. We may have musicians, scientists, inventors, gymnists, artists - who knows? It's fun to watch...
I apologize for the new Comment Controls on this blog, but I have been getting spammed by a Japanese Porn Site. I removed the post it was consistently appearing on (in excess of 50 times) and have instituted a new comment process where after you use the "funky" word thing I will have to approve the comments before they appear. I will delete all Japanese Porn messages!!!
July 13, 1915 to October 22, 2009
I had to attend a credit union meeting in Des Moines today and on the way home I felt an over-whelming urge to stop in Iowa Falls. We had put my mother in Hospice a couple of weeks ago, and as I was returning to Waterloo this afternoon I wasn’t going to stop in Iowa Falls because I had a board meeting to attend – but I felt compelled to stop.
When I arrived at the nursing home I could tell that my mother was in her final stages. I sat with her about 10 minutes and at the encouragement of my youngest daughter (via phone) I took her hand and told my mom it was ok to go. I told her to make sure to say hi to Uncle Oliver (he died 2 weeks ago), to Dad and to Jesus...she took one more breath and was gone.
I believe 4 things (1) there was Divine Intervention in my urge to visit Iowa Falls, (2) my Mother was waiting for me to tell her it was ok to go, (3) there was a flock of people waiting to meet her in heaven and (4) my last words to her were, “Say hi to Jesus.” And she promptly delivered the message.
It’s been a long week and a very long day. We will be having her services on October 31st – yes, Halloween. It’s All Saints Day plus my mother loved to dress up for Halloween – when I was younger I sometimes think she enjoyed Halloween more than the kids. So – next week remember Virginia when the Goblins come calln’ at your house...one of those ghosts - you never know...
My Uncle Oliver passed away a week ago. He was 89 years old. He had been doing some yard work and had bumped a wasp nest and they subsequently stung him over 40 times.
He went to the hospital and because of the stress caused by the wasps he had a heart attack and passed shortly thereafter. The funeral was held Saturday, October 10th, 2009. He was not the first Uncle or Aunt to pass, but it is the first time in quite some time that all of the 1st cousins have been together and it was great catching up on 40 some years. The picture is where we are waiting to have our picture taken.
So, what does that all that have to do with "Right Baby"? When I was young I had 2 dolls and I had called one "Right Baby" and the other one had come to be called "Wrong Baby". Ann, one of my cousins, remembered those dolls, as they had once been hers (something I just learned) and asked me, "Bobby, why did you called one of those dolls "Right Baby" and the other one "Wrong Baby"?
"Did you love one more than the other?"
It seems she had thought about this every once in awhile over the last 40 years. Ann and her sister Judy Lee frequently took care of me when I was little. Their Mother, Aunt Mildred, kept me supplied in comic books. I was a sickly kid and spent a good portion of the 4th grade in and out of the hospital. Aunt Mildred would visit me frequently, especially when my Mother couldn't get into town. And ever time she came she came loaded with comic books and I guess at some point in time the "Babies" came into my possession. Both babies did well and I loved them both the same.
"No, Ann, that wasn't it at all. I was sick one day and threw up on one of the dolls and she started to smell so I called her "Wrong Baby". It didn't matter how much my mother cleaned the doll she still carried that stigma [and smell] of puke with her. I ostrazied her and made her sleep at the foot of the bed and when all of the other dolls and stuffed animals were having a party she was never invited. She had to sleep at the foot of the bed."
"Oh..." Ann seemed a bit disappointed, but was glad the mystery had been solved for her.
I still have "Right Baby", "Wrong Baby" has long since passed.
"Right Baby" is the ugliest doll I have ever seen and she curretly resides in a box with her head wrapped in plastic (her head started to melt several years ago). I won't be taking her picture as I want to remember her as she was before her head started to melt.
I was speechless and flabbergasted last night. I was at Target and had to by some canned air to dust off my keyboards and screens. Upon check-out the girl asks, "May I see your ID Please?"
"My ID?," I ask, "For what?"
"The air, sir."
"The air. You're kidding right?"
"No, sir, I need to see your ID.
She then made me take my license out of my billfold, she looked at it and then scanned it into their system.
Still speechless (or at least nearly), I managed to ask her what this is all about. It seems that people buy air to get high and that the state law enforcement authorities track those who buy air to make sure they are not buying an exorbitant amount.
I have never heard of such a thing. I have for meth ingredients, but air? How do you get high on air? Can't you just take a deep breath and be high on life? I don't get it...
So, what about the air hose at the gas station? Do people addicted to air sneak into the station in the middle of the night and stuff the hose up their nose? I don't think I have ever read about anyone busted for possesson of air?
Bicker...bicker...bicker...that's all I hear about health care reform. They said, he said, she said...bicker...bicker...bicker.
In his morning homily today our priest suggested that the health care debate could be settled by the teaching, "..the last shall be first and the first shall be last." I have thought about what he suggested all day and that is if the voters could (sadly we cannot), vote to suspend all of the Senators and Representatives Health Care Plans they could experience life without health insurance. It just might be an impetus for them to move faster. It seems alot of them are getting up there in years and are probably taking a ton of medication for a variety of ailments. If they had to worry about how to pay the bill, perhaps their sense of urgency would be faster.
The congress should listen to the adage, "...walk a mile in my mocassions...". They should visit a Walmart, or a Walgreens pharmacy and observe the people who have to make a choice - do I eat or do I buy medicine? I've witnessed an elderly man choose - eat, because he couldn't pay the cost of the prescription.
Perhaps the congress should also visit an emergency room and observe all of the people who use these facilities as their "primary" caregiver, because they do not have insurance. Stop the line of people who are testifying before comittee, after committee and go out and stand in line in an emergency room.
Both the Republicans and Democrats agree that something needs to be done. However, (isn't there always a however?) each party is so busy "defending" their point of view that they are not aware of the people who have very real medical insurance needs.
My message to the Congress - don't use your health care plan until you come up with a plan for everyone. Plus, each member of congress should go to an ER on a Friday night and sit and watch. Dress down so no one knows who you are and just watch.
As my grandmother used to say to me, "Come now, get busy!!"
I had dinner this evening in a Boston's Restaurant in Coralville, Iowa. While I was in the restroom (a nice remodeled restroom) I noticed that someone had scrated their initials into the top if the urinal. I guess I have a couple of questions: (1) Why? and, (2) What were they thinking - that they'd gain some sort of urinal fame? Well, Mr. SU and Mr. MR you have found fame on the internet...
I've been attending the Minnesota State Fair for years and have always been impressed with "Minnesota Nice". This year, however, was "Minnesota Rude". I was pushed, pulled, bumped, prodded, and cursed at. Perhaps the economy and national health care debate has everyone on edge and grouchy - but, hey, no need to be rude. Being nice is easier
Be careful when you order a plain cheesburger at Wendy's. My wife ordered a plain cheesburger, "Plain cheeseburger, just bread meat and cheese. And a diet coke please."
I sure don't know what the cook was thinking when he made a "plain" CHEESEburger without the cheese...? Am I wrong - doesn't that make it a plain hamburger?
We had a great 40th Reunion July 3-5 filled with a lot of activities. We started Friday with a sit down dinner, followed by a dance that broke up at 1:00 AM Saturday (it nearly killed me to stay up so late). There was a Silent Auction where posters and mementos from the the 60s were auctioned and we raised nearly $2,000 for our Memorial Arboretum Project. On Saturday we had a memorial service in memory of our 14 fallen classmates which touched the hearts of everyone who attended. There was not a dry eye in the place. I heard the service described as the "heart and Soul" of our reunion. We had lunch at the Princess Cafe in downtown Iowa Falls, took a walking tour from the Old High school to downtown, and toured the new museum housed in the old Carnegie library. We then had a wine and cheese tasting party follwed by viewing the Iowa Falls fireworks from the best place on the river. Sunday morning we took a cruise on the Iowa River enjoying a great view with perfect weather. After the cruise we had a picnic in Foster Park where again we ate and had a chance to visit with our classmates. Our next reunion is in 5 years and it will probably take me that long to recover...
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