Happy New Year

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and to thank you all for keeping Maureen and I in your thoughts and prayers. It means the world to us to have so many family and friends in our corner.

The last procedure I had was still inconclusive as to the source of my cancer, but I think we are getting closer. On Jan 10 I have another endoscopy where they will take a closer look at the pancreas and bile duct, and I have a feeling they will finally find something. Then, we can move on to a treatment plan, thank God.

We are continuing to attempt to live our lives as normally as possible and enjoy each new day.

Love,

Scott

Turbine parts arriving

It's really happening! Finally, after Steve's worked 4 years to help get a wind farm constructed in NorthEast Nebraska, parts for two wind turbines began arriving. The 25 remaining turbines will arrive in the next couple months, and then construction will begin. The turbines you see in the background are from another adjacent wind farm just recently constructed.

Born's update

Just a short update on the Born/Anding family. We have finally moved into our new home, and I began working as a cardiac nurse @ Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, MI. We all are working hard preparing our house for the arrival of baby Adelaide Marie (Leigh is due Jan. 15th). Felicity is very excited to step into the big sister role.

We hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thanksgiving at the Schwartz house. . . fun for us. . . kids love spending time with their cousins. Sarah is a good cook!

This blog site seems to be dying on the vine from lack of nourishment. OK, so it's the holiday season, and we are all busy. And maybe we get discouraged when we post something and nobody comments. Or there were comments we didn't like. I'm sure those who have asked to be authors don't post because nothing is happening that the rest of us would be interested in reading. We'll see what happens in 2011.

http://richardschwartz.wordpress.com/

Sarah sent me this link to Richard's blog. I know you'll enjoy reading his postings. I sure did and will continue to. And I was really impressed by the blog itself. Makes anything I've put out there look pretty anemic.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8jnKFQuoHc

You may remember my writing about a note I added to a card I wrote when Mom was 84.

"You're 84, but why keep score,
For you will always be, young and beautiful to me."

I thought I had heard those words before, but didn't know where or when.

Last evening Mary had an old Elvis Pressley movie on the TV in the 200 dining area. He sang the song you'll hear on the link above. I know I never saw the movie, and I don't think I ever heard Elvis sing the song, so I still don't know where I heard the words. But you'll like the song and the way he sings it, even if you were never much of a fan of his.

The Ruby in the Idol's eye

Tim Hollingsworth sent me an email explaining how some of his story-telling skills arose:

"I do believe by the way that I learned any story telling skills I may have from your Dad. No one told a joke better than Uncle Bob. Actually, he appreciated them about as well as anyone too. I can kind of remember Grandpa Murphy telling us stories in bed, but they all seem to begin and end with "the ruby in the idol's eye."

I sent emails to Mike, Scott and Dad and Mike didn't seem to remember these stories from Grandpa Murphy. Here is what Scott wrote:

"I definelty remember Grandpa telling stories about the ruby in the idol. He told a lot of other stories about his travels in Africa. Took a while for me to realize he had never been out of this country."

Then Dad wrote:

"I do remember "the ruby in the idol's eye", but only vaguely. My father was a great story teller. He had a wide ranging imagination, and most certainly had read adventure stories. My sister, Vivian, said she thought, until she grew older, that he was, indeed, a world traveler with many adventures. I don't actually remember much about that particular story, but I think the ruby was regarded as a "trophy" of sorts for adventurers, and he was the one who was able to sneak into wherever the idol was, avoid whoever was on guard and pry the gem loose. I wish as I grew older I had reminded him and asked him to tell me some of those stories again. As kids, sometimes the value of such stuff in our memory banks escapes us."

These stories must be like the ones Dad told us kids about the Three Big Things. I have since spun stories about the Three Big Things to my kids and also to Morgan and Anya. Now I look forward to telling them to Jack and Molly.

Vetarans Day

I told many of you about the Veterans Day celebration I went to last week. It was to honor all veterans but particurly to honor and welcome home Vietnam Veterans. One gentleman, Bill Beck, received the Silver Star for his actions in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam in 1965. That was the first major engagement between US and North Vietnamese forces and was the basis for the movie, "We Were Soldiers" starring Mel Gibson. Also present were several of Bill's fellow soldiers from that battle including one Medal of Honor recipient, Joe Marm. These guys were all in their 20s during that battle. The photos include Bill receiving the Silver Star, Bill and several of his fellow soldiers receiving gold spurs from the 1st Air Cav Division, Joe Marm describing the battle, and a group photo of all of the veterans present.

A beautiful day at Camp Mowana

Pat and I drove out route 42 towards Ashland and turned right onto Fleming Falls Road, then right into the driveway leading to the camp. This camp was the first Boy Scout Camp in the area and it is where Dad went camping. The Boy Scouts then sold the land to the Friendly House and it became Hidden Hollow Camp, and this is when Pat attended, also I believe either Mike and/or Scott attended here too. Eventually the Friendly House built another camp off of Possum Run Road and this area we are about to walk became a Church camp. Megan went camping here after this land became Camp Mowana.

We passed a small building that said office, where during camping days, people would stop and sign in. We were looking for the lodge/dining hall and pool because Pat remembered walking up from the pool to the lodge, which was wide open with a high ceiling and many windows. Soon we found it and what she described is what we experienced. We parked in front of the lodge and peeked into the windows. They had some ping pong tables in the corner and tables and chairs stacked in another corner. We spotted several workers around the site, tending to maintenance.

We walked to the left along a road which went through the woods with many cabins sitting empty for now. Pat remembered her cabin was “Zeta Rho” but now all the cabins had Indian names like, Uncas, Tecumseh, etc. We peeked into one of them and it had six double-deck beds with a single bed for the counselor. These cabins were in pretty good shape, compared to the ones we saw at Hidden Hollow.

We continued out of the woods and followed the road to the “Farm.” Here was a lot of open grassland and a newer barn was sitting next to a fenced area with two goats, who came bleating to the fence. We stopped and talked to them for a minute then followed the road to Mohican Lodge, which sat way back by itself. There were many trails through the property and we followed one along the ridge with a creek below. We noticed many of the trees were huge, including many Beech trees and it reminded me that here in this part of Ohio the climax forest was predominately Beech/Maple. A climax forest is what land reverts to when it is left to Mother Nature.

We followed the ridge trail back to the center of the campsite and followed another trail down some steps, across a wood bridge spanning the stream, and then up steps to another campsite which had an outdoor shelter where Pat remembered watching some skits. We followed a trail through a pine forest which was planted some time ago and it seemed as if we were in a cathedral. Rows and rows of tall giants - beautiful, silent, and serene.

Back out we saw a sign that said “Falls Trail” so we followed it along the high edge of the deep gorge down into the chasm where we heard water falling. Soon we turned a corner and saw the top of the falls in the near distance. I walked out onto the rocks just at the top of Fleming Falls and noticed how the water, over the millennia, carved grooves in the hard bedrock. Then the water cascaded down over the rock outcropping down about 25 feet into a pool of cool water below. We continued on and climbed out of the canyon till we reached one of the many outdoor theatres which had seats with a lectern and a cross.

We pondered when the first settlers happened on this gorge, would they be surprised how deep it was, nestled here within the magnificent forest? We returned the way we came and enjoyed our walk through this exquisite piece of land. Hopefully it will be here for other generations to enjoy, as we have.

The rest of the story – Camp Avery Hand

The News Journal reported that the 110 acres of the Boy Scout Camp was purchased by a private owner who lives on Clearfork Lake, and has no plans to develop it. They may use it for family outings and/or company picnics. The sales price was $380,000 but it was once listed for 1.4 million!

Camp Avery Hand operated in the area for 70 years and closed on July 2, 2008. The original Camp Avery Hand off Fleming Falls Road was purchased in 1927. Charles Ackerman donated the money in the name of his grandson. In 1940 the Boy Scouts purchased 75 acres on Orweiler Road, then transferred the camp there.

The bird sanctuary was leasing some land from the Council. In recent years, an agreement was reached by the Boy Scouts and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary to allow the neighboring nonprofit agency to buy acreage at the camp and its dining hall.

The Ohio Bird Sanctuary now owns about 90 acres of the former camp. They own what used to be the dining hall and they hope to one day renovate it into a visitor’s center. They use it now for wintering birds. In the summer they use it for some of their camps.

Pat and I drove out to the sanctuary today and walked the several miles of trails through the woods and down along the Clearfork. We looked in the windows of the Lodge and a sign said that 80 acres of land was donated to the Scouts in 1940 by the Olson’s, and the lodge was built in 1948 and is named Olson Lodge.

It was a beautiful fall day and we saw many birds along the way including a red shouldered hawk! I remembered walking down one of the paths to the Clearfork and the camp had a canoe landing area there. Terry Lake and I canoed the river and out onto the lake and we received our canoeing merit badge.

We plan to take Jack and Molly there some day and every day they feed the birds inside an aviary with mealworms. I can already see their happy faces as they feed the birdies!

Had some nice visits with Megan and Steve. They were here for a while all three days, including going to church with us today. It was good to get caught up on some things in more depth than in e-mail exchanges - the wind farm business, Leadership Kearney and Whitney's practicum/internship for next semester and summer. While here they took a new power toothbrush out of the box and got it working for me. I bought it at the dentist office when I was there Thursday, but hadn't had time to do anything with it. Also, I told them my little refrigerator had stopped working and they picked up a new one for me at hhgregg at Easton. About church, on the fifth Sunday of a month the service is mostly a hymn sing. And today was also Reformation Sunday. Of course, we sang A Mighty Fortress - we would song a verse, then some responsive reading, another verse etc. - something quite different from usual services. Mom didn't sing this time. We can only guess if she knew what we were singing.

A hike through Camp Avery Hand

The Boy Scout Camp in Mansfield has been closed for a while, and I saw a “for-sale” sign up and I called the agent. She said it was under contract and the listing price for the 105 acres was $410,000. Avery Hand was a banker and I believe he donated the land to the Boy Scouts. Well soon someone else will own this beautiful property.

I walked in the main entrance past the house where a caretaker used to live. (The signposts are still there – twelve of them, such as: trustworthy, loyal, friendly, clean, reverent. The camp is arranged differently and the only remnant of my camping days was an old wooden bridge over a ravine, leading to the area were we set up tents for weekend camping. (There were some old latrines scattered around and a large tree limb fell on one and pretty much destroyed it).

Now the cabins are up front, before you get to the parking area - more in the interior. The old lodge and pool are gone, now just grassland. In fact there isn’t a lodge at all, just a metal pole building with a kitchen and an area for meals – nothing like the old lodge with its large stone fireplace. A newer pool was built next to the parking area.

I remember when Mike went to camp there, and on a night when parents and siblings were allowed in, they had some skits and some boys jumped in the pool grasping for the greased watermelon. What fun.

I walked the mowed roads into the interior of the camp and found the area where I spent a cold weekend at winter camp, alongside a ravine in the woods. I remember it snowed 8 inches that night but the bacon smelled good sizzling in the iron skillet that morning. Another area I recognized as a tent campsite where we would send the younger scouts out from the wooded camping area into the open field adjacent to us, to look for snipes!

Walking along I also remembered this smaller trail I traversed for the first time on my first night after induction into the Order of the Arrow. (Yes, Chief Chingatchcook, make this one brave!) They led us along in the dark along this trail and a leader would point to one of us and say, you sleep here. The rest would go along and I could hear them telling other scouts to sleep there – in the woods with only our sleeping bag and pack. Ah yes, under the stars – I loved it!

I made the loop back and went down the back way to the archery area and the rifle range. Then I went out onto Orweiler Rd. and back to my car.

Below the camp is a bird sanctuary. I remember a trail from the camp down through the woods to a spot where we went canoeing on Clearfork Lake. That trail would have come through the area now occupied by the sanctuary. I just learned that the bird sanctuary bought the land just last week!

Hidden Hollow Camp – revisited

Pat and I took a Sunday drive on a beautiful sunny fall day down possum run road past Snow Trails for a few more miles. We turned off the road and followed the narrow road up to the top of a ridge where the camp sits. We parked in the grassy parking area and walked down the main road towards the lodge. We could see cabins on both sides of the road, down in the woods: boys on the right and girls on the left.

We arrived at the lodge and the view from there is wonderful. It sits high on a bluff overlooking more woods down below and the grounds around it are mowed grass. The pool is below the lodge to the right with its meandering sidewalk leading the way. For some reason the lodge door was open so we entered and found it mostly empty. It still looked in good shape, other than normal wear and tear, and many flies and wasps climbing on the windows.

I remember having meals there and below were the areas for many crafts and things like ping pong etc. I also attended a winter camp there over a weekend and we stayed downstairs in the lodge, with a roaring fire to keep us warm at night.

Back outside we walked down the leaf strewn path to the boys cabins. They are arranged in a semi-circle around the wash area (which is outside under a roof) and the enclosed showers and toilets. The cabins are in need of much repair, and I entered my old cabin, (Allen Knapp – but the sign was gone) and saw some old beds etc.

We returned to the car and walked up the incline to the area where they have the bonfire with logs in a circle. This is where they told the story of the ape-a-gator on the first night – real scary! Nearby is something which wasn’t here when I was – the Warren Rupp Observatory.

Pat and I reminisced on the return and I remember having a good time there during a summer of one of my junior high years. Pat went to the old camp which is now Camp Mowana, so we might take a drive out their some day to see if she can remember the layout.

Several times, when I want to add a comment to a posting, the word verification part doesn't show up. Then when I enter my e-mail address and password, I get an error message but now the word for verification is there. When I complete that part and enter my password again, the comment is published. Don't know why that happens, or if anyone else has experienced it.

Hi Poppop! I thought you might like to see our handsome Marching Cavalier! Matthew is really enjoying Marching Band. He is so good on his Sax! They are going to the Bahamas in March! He turns 16 November 7th and is doing well in school. Jordan will be 14 on November 11th, and she, too, it great.

We miss you!

Rebecca Anne

A welcome home reunion

Yesterday Pat and Molly and I went to a reunion for Shirley and Tim Hollingsworth, it's been 15 years since they have been to the Mansfield area. The party was at the home of one of Shirley's sisters and it is on the property of the old dairy farm where Shirley and her two brothers and two sisters grew up. Shirley's other sister lives next door in the old homestead house with a barn. So Shirley also came from a family of five!

We were welcomed with open arms and Molly was a hit. She got to meet Honey, a miniture long-haired dachsund, and she laughed when Honey licked her face. Molly is used to dogs since at home, she has Bear, a 100 pound Black Lab, and Brook, a 60 pound yellow Lab.

We sat with Tim and Shirley during the meal and caught up on family news. He asked about all my brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad, and my children. They now split their time in Petaluma, CA, where their son Jasper lives (Jessee lives in Thousand Oaks, CA near LA), and St. Petersburg, FL. Jasper is a child psychiatrist and Jessee is a VP of a firm which sells pharmaceuticals to groups of doctors. Tim and Shirley have three grandchildren and love them dearly.

It was good visiting with them and they may come to see us in Key West in January. Tim expressed an interest in meeting my family, and of course they are always welcome.

We celebrated Mom's 89th birthday today. We looked at her cards and some clothes I bought her in the morning. After lunch, I went to Kroger and bought a chocolate-fudge cake and Edy's Triple Chocolate ice cream, which we enjoyed after the evening meal. There were just two candles on the cake, an 8 and a 9. Everyone sang to her and seemed to enjoy the "party". Before I left her this evening I asked her if she had a nice birthday. She smiled. Last year when I asked that question, she said, "Uh huh."

Had a short visit with Pat and Steve today. They were headed for the Old Bag of Nails Pub in Grandview to listen to Ryan's best man play his guitar and sing. Apparently he is an accomplished performer. They came here about 4:00 and left about 5:45 to have their dinner and get a table for the 7:00 show. Mom was here when they arrived. We went across the hall at 5:00 and they watched Mom and me eat in her room. We had dinner there because the living/dining area is considerably smaller than it was in 600, and another resident also had visitors. They had some extended family news that Tim and Shirley Hollingsworth will be in Mansfield, I think for a reunion of some of her family. I don't remember when they said it will be.

Mom moved today. She lives in 213 now. Her move was less of a problem than I anticipated, but the total move was hectic with men still working in some rooms and on the two doors to make them secure. It's much nicer with her closer. I brought her over here this afternoon. She watched me check the computer for e-mail and write a condolance note to Rick, Jon and Brad Sowash. We sat outside on the covered entranceway for a while before dinner.

Polly Sowash died on the 14th. Many of you readers won't know who she was, but some will. She used to bring Bradley with her to play bridge with Mom (and other women I don't remember), and Brad and Megan would play together. The note I sent to the funeral home website:
Rick, Jon, Brad,
When I read that your mother had died, I remembered how close she and your father were and that she lived many years without him. That made me recall some words of a song by Woody Wright:
“So don’t weep for me when I cross over death’s sea.
My pain will all be gone, and I will have a brand new song to sing.
. . . .
If you get there first, I’ll join you on the second verse.
And for eternity, you and I will have a brand new song to sing.”
Those, or any other words, won’t take away your sorrow, but the thought of a brand new song may help a little.

Ryan & Robin's wedding

Ryan and Robin were married on Sunday, September 5 in the backyard of their home. It was a beautiful sunny day and Robin looked lovely! Around 115 people came to celebrate their marriage and fun was had by all. Ryan and Robin prepared their own vows and nary a clear eye was to be seen. Then Robin's sister and then Jason, the best man, shared anectotes and again sniffles were heard along with a the gentle breeze.

Jack was hugging Molly (cute) and then Anya showed them how to dip water out of the fountain and water the flowers.

Pat and I are proud of Ryan and we welcome Robin with open arms to our wonderful family!

Robin and Ryan are now enjoying their honeymoon in Barcelona, Spain and then a cruise to Rome, Florence, and the French Riveria.

Move

It's almost 9:30 and time for me to get ready for bed after two long, tiring days. I moved the computer yesterday, and today two men moved everything else here to 332. I still have to put some stuff away, but that can wait until tomorrow. S0 my mailing address has changed, and my phone number is now 614-257-4498.

Aulick

In an interesting conversation and subsequent correspondence between him and an instructor he uses in an ASTM course, Scott discovered the following link:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/569.htm

There you will find some interesting information, including photographs taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard on December 26, 1945 of damage done by the suicide attack in November. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I have written some descriptive words about this, but these chilling photos, especially the one of the rear of Gun 2 and the handling room under it, give viewers a better understanding of the catastrophic event that killed so many men in a small area. Another, of the 40 mm directors, lo0ks much less severe with some holes in the round shields around them. But all three of the ship's officers, who died as a result of the attack, were all in this immediate area. Two must have been hit by the fragments (or others like them) that caused those holes. There are also photos taken in February after repairs had been completed, more while the ship was in the Greek Navy (two of which show it in rough seas) and the last one in the process of being scrapped. Of course, I had no idea such information was available and really appreciate seeing it now.

Restoring Honor Rally

On 8/28 Sally and I attended the Restoring Honor Rally held at the Mall in Washington, D.C. It was one of the most inspirational events I have ever attended. Some estimated that 500,000 attended. These photos give some idea of the crowd which went from the Lincoln Memorial to past the Washington Monument. It was not a political event. The event was to support the Special Operations Warriors Foundation. Speakers like Sarah Palin and others called on all Americans to renew their commitment to God and concentrate on Faith, Hope and Charity in order to restore America to what the founding fathers envisioned. I was a beautiful although warm day, and a wonderful crowd.

Moves

I found out today that the residents in 600 will be moved to 200. That means both Mom and I will be moving. Katie McMahon has suggested 201 for Mom and 332 for me. 201 is the same layout as 611, and 332 is the same as 214, so furniture arrangements can be the same as they are now. A big difference will be the distance between the rooms. They are just a few steps apart. 201 and 332 are the first ones off the long hall. I'll like that. The walk from 214 to 611 has been getting longer. I was never able to figure out why 200 wasn't made the secure corridor to start with. The nurses should like the change. It will save the trek back and forth to dispense meds. Don't know exactly when this will take place. I'll let you know more when I learn more.

A drive down memory lane . . .

A few evenings ago, Pat, Joyce, and I went to Martinis on Main, which is just past Coney Island and City News (yes they are still open). Martinis is an upscale bar and we sat outside surrounded on three sides by high brick walls, with the other side open to a brick paved parking lot. Across the lot is the BMV where we received our new Ohio driver licenses.

As we sipped our tea we listened to the soft music and then we were joined by Tom Moore, a new friend of Joyce’s. He graduated from Senior High in ’64 and said he new Scott, and some of his friends, including Rick Spangler! He just returned to Mansfield after 30 years of living elsewhere. We enjoyed pleasant conversation as darkness began to change the ambiance of the evening as street lights and candles illuminated the surroundings.

Another day I was looking for a warehouse (for a used mower) at the corner of Wayne and Orange streets and I spot the old Tappan building, standing empty. I remember working second shift there one summer, building spray arms for dishwashers. I also remember Mr. Litzler worked there as well. Just down the street I could see the old Westinghouse building. I could imagine the hustle and bustle that once was constant in this neck of the woods. By the way, the Union Hall where Pat and I had our wedding reception is there, but closed with weeds growing all around.

I follow Adams Street over the tracks and then turn left onto Newman Street and drive down memory lane. I pass Newman Park, where Dad used to go to school, but the building has since been torn down. I arrive at the stop sign and catty-corner from me is the building where Uncle Harry had Hollingsworth Tire. I’m not sure what is there now but someone is using the building.

Across the street where the Mansfield Tire used to be are several businesses. I am surprised because the last time I drove past this spot, all the Tire buildings were raised and only empty ground remained. A company called Jay Industries has several buildings erected here, and one of them has something to do with paint. I remember visiting Dad there once and he took me on a tour of the factory. I also remember picking up Scott a couple of times as he worked a summer there. I drive along and remember the building where Mr. Sheldon used to run the tubing machine. Now on that spot there is a Regional recycling center run by Rumpke. It kind of smells of garbage and many trucks are entering and exiting.

I turn around and head south and notice most of the houses along Newman Street are run down with many boarded up. That is the way of much of old Mansfield, but there are many areas that are kept up and some areas which have new business. I suspect it is the same in most towns across America.

An early morning jog through Woodland

Out the door I go at 5:35am and turn left on Andover Rd. and run along till it dead ends into Overlook Rd. On the way I crossed Stewart Lane, Chevy Chase, Edgewood, and Forest Hill. Some street lights illuminate my way as well as occasional lamps from homes tucked in their yards. I turn left on Overlook and cross Davis Rd. (which is the street Woodland School is on). Between Davis Rd. and Dickson Pkwy. is a beautiful section with a few large homes, which is now almost dark.

After crossing Dickson Pkwy. I run uphill as I cross Woodhill Rd. and then pass the house some say is haunted. It is a large brick home with a turret in the front center, and the yard spans from Woodhill to Woodland Rds. It is dark here so I make my way only by the intermittent moonlight. I turn left on Woodland and jog peacefully along until I turn left onto Edgewood Rd. and follow it somewhat down a gradual incline. A couple of dogs bark at me but they stay in their yards (probably because of invisible fencing).

I arrive back at Andover so I turn right and follow it to Stewart Lane where I turn right and run by the Woodland Garden Apartments (where I am now the building manager [part-time] – oh boy, I’m the BM :) – and that’s another story. I turn left onto Dickson Pkwy. and run up the hill and turn left onto Andover.

Across the street at the corner of Andover and Dickson is an unusual home that was built I believe in the ‘20’s, and some call it the home of the future and others call it the “Westinghouse Home.” I guess when it was built, they outfitted this house with all the latest new gizmos and was completely lighted with Westinghouse bulbs and outfitted with Westinghouse appliances. Of course Westinghouse had a huge plant here in Mansfield that manufactured appliances. Pat’s Dad worked there as a Tool and Die Maker for years until he retired. (The factory is still there and much is unused and dilapidated, but someone is using parts of it as a storage facility).

I arrive back at my house and ascend the steps now barely illuminated by our solar lights along the walkway. I ran alone and saw no one except one car which passed me on Edgewood. So peaceful and invigorating at the same time, and I am grateful for the whole experience!

Jonathan's Graduation!

I am very happy to say that Jonathan has graduated from his accelerated nursing program! The past 15 months have been very intense but will no doubt prove to be very rewarding.

Surprisingly jobs for new nurse graduates are hard to come by nowadays. A few weeks ago USA Today had a story on their front page about how tough it is for them to find jobs within the first 6 months of graduating. With that said, we feel VERY blessed that Jon has already had one phone interview with a hospital in Kalamazoo, MI that went VERY well. They are actually bringing him up this Friday for a face-to-face...so be sure to say a prayer on Friday for him!!

Mom, Dad, Morgan & Anya came for a couple nights on their way to Steubenville. They dropped off Morgan for her senior year at Franciscan University.

Memories of Mansfield - Glendale Blvd.

Early this morning I went for a bike ride and turned right out of our driveway and continued west on Andover Rd. till it dead ends onto Woodland Rd. I turned left along Woodland Rd. and passed the up ground reservoir (they since took down the water tower), crossed Cook Rd. and continued on Woodland Rd. into South Boulevards. I passed the house where Tim Beard lived and then I turned left onto Courtwright and passed the house I think where “Daughter” lived and then passed Steve Smeltzer’s house. Down the hill I sailed then turned right into the parking lot which bordered Lexington Ave., passed what used to be McClure’s and the soda fountain, and what used to be the Tiffin & Toffee (which is now called Brunches).

I turned right onto Glendale Blvd. and climbed the rise where I passed the Mott’s house. The house where the Mishey’s lived is for sale. Then I passed our house and pleasant feelings and memories surrounded me. The house looks pretty much the same and someone added a lean-to shed structure onto the one car garage – probably for storage. Back at Woodland Rd. Glendale crosses but does not go through, into what used to be Cunning’s field – which is now an upscale subdivision. I turned left onto Woodland and rode till it dead ended into Sunset Blvd. I turned right and passed the Fire Station, then turned right onto Autumn Dr. till it met up with Glendale Blvd, in this subdivision. I think this must have been where Mike and Cousin Tim told us the “Boogey Man” lived – in a groundhog hole in the old corn field.

I passed Cunning Dr. and then came again to Cook Rd. so I turned left and rode past the old Cunning home and barn. On the barn was “E.E. Cunning 1909.” I turned right onto Trimble Rd. and rode past fields of corn and beans till I came to Marion Rd. so I turned right and rode past lush fields and then mansions of the then, Black family. Some horses were grazing in front of one of the houses in this compound. I turned right onto the beginning of Woodland Rd. and rode mostly in the shade caused by the plentiful trees. I think this is where Scott had his mishap where he wrecked his bike and had to go to the hospital where the needle was “on the bone!” I rode by several walkers, including Pat and Joyce. I rang my bell and we exchanged smiles and greetings. This is a regular occurrence for them both, and they enjoy meeting halfway – at the intersection of Davis Rd. and Bigelow Rd. and then walking through Woodland.

I continued on and then turned left onto Andover Rd, and past the Woodland Club and pool. I crossed Woodhill Rd. and then Dickson Parkway and down the hill and left into our driveway. Someone told me that Woodland used to be the Dickson Farm – circa 1900 or so. That was fun and I may write more about our exploits around our hometown. I can’t describe the feelings I have, but it feels good to be home!

Had a nice visit with Mike today. He flew this time - figured it was a stand-off costwise and sure beat all those hours driving. He got here (actually to the beauty shop) about 10:00 and left for the airport about 4:00. I had told him Mom would be getting her hair done and that she might still be under the dryer if he arrived as expected at 10:00. So we visited down there for a while, took Mom back to her room, then came here until lunch. I had asked Linda Painter (head of dining services) if he could have lunch in 600. She said yes, so he ate with Mom and me. With all that moving from one part of the facility to another, he got to meet quite a few staff people this time. We covered a wide range of subjects in our conversations. He reminded me that I had said on my birthday I would avoid, in my comments, anything about politics and religion because of considerable differences of opinion on both subjects. He said friends, and certainly family, should be able to talk about them. One subject we kicked around was how a socialist country like Germany could, as reported, beat China in export sales and be recognized as maybe the world's leading industrial power. We didn't have a good answer. Maybe some of you do.

I met the CEO of Peregrine (parent company of Summit's Trace) on Thursday. His name is Paul Dauerman. He was in the reception area when I went there to see Jim Robison about a problem with our car. But let me go back a little. I've had to move the car several times at different stages of the process of repaving the parking area. I probably had been paged to do it again, but didn't hear it. One of the maintenance men looked me up and said he would move the car for me. He took my keys, then came back a few minutes later and told me he had run the windows down because it was so hot in the car, but the passenger side front window wouldn't go back up. He had told Jim Robison about it. Jim is under contract with Peregrine and oversees all the renovation work going on here. I guess Jim thought he might be able to fix the problem, so I went to the lobby to see him. That's when I met Paul, and he heard about the problem. Turned out that Jim couldn't get the window back up, and someone ran the rear passenger window down, and it wouldn't go back up either. The maintenance man taped plastic over the windows for the night and Jim said he would see that trouble was corrected. He also said Paul had told him the company would pay for it. To make a long story shorter, Jim had the the car fixed and charged (over $800) to Peregrine. Both motors and window regulators were replaced. I feel funny about all of this. If I would have moved the car myself, I wouldn't have known there was a problem with the windows - I wouldn't have run them down. Sooner or later, though, I would have (maybe at a very inconvenient time) and would have had to pay for the repairs. I guess the best thing to do is gracefully accept what was obviously a goodwill gesture on the CEO's part.

The following letter from DePauw's president came in today's mail. I believe the university has "readers" in big cities who look for DePauw related items in newspapers and relay the info to Greencastle.

Dear Mr. Murphy,
I was very touched by the poignant article from The Columbus Dispatch about you and your wife, Peggy, and the blog you write detailing memories of your 66-year marriage. Your enduring devotion to Mrs. Murphy is deeply inspiring and admirable, especially so in light of her debilitating illness of recent years. How wonderful to learn that you began your journey as a couple here in Greencastle on our campus.
Please know all of us at DePauw send you and Mrs. Murphy our prayers and strong hope for better days ahead.
Most sincerely,
Brian W. Casey
President

Sarah and Emma were here last week. Matthew and Jordan spent some nights with us too. One day we went to a parishioner's farm where the kids fished and canoed in the pond. Our dogs enjoyed the pond too.

In an e-mail, Steve said, "For some reason I can't make comments on your blog." I'm sure it can be set up for responses, but I don't know how to do it. Not sure I want to yet. Apparently there is a way for readers to try to make contact through a site www.contactprivacy.com which allows a reader to send a message to the owner of a domain name. The owner then can send an e-mail to the reader if he wants to. I have received one about the Dispatch article that I haven't responded to. Also, a couple people have asked reporter, Rita Price, how to contact me. She forwarded the messages to me, but didn't tell anyone my e-mail address. I haven't responded to them. Not sure I will - and I'm not sure why I'm not sure. Another woman took a more direct approach and called me on the phone. I don't suppose that would be hard to do, since the name of this place was in the article. We talked for several minutes. Her husband, who had Alzheimers, had died in June.

Summer 2010: Jack

Here are a few picture of Jack....kids grow up so fast!

I have read the 23 comments related to the Dispatch article. It took me a while to access some of them yesterday and again today. I don't know how long comments are available after the original publication date. I had wondered if someone would object to going public with such a story, and one woman did raise that question. I think it's legitimate, and one I raised very early in what I put on the web. Would Mom want me to write about her? I repeated that question to the reporter and she mentioned it in her story. I actually believe if Mom and I had ever discussed such an eventuality - one of us getting Alzheimers and the other writing about it - she would have opted for privacy. I probably would have also. But now I think differently. When people get to know more about how others deal with such things, they may be better able to deal with them, if and when their turns come. I don't believe there's any one approach that will fit all situations. I once heard a wise statement about approaching human relations problems. The speaker said to successfully treat, say a case of scarlett fever, a doctor had to know a lot about medicine, a lot about that particular disease and a lot about that particular case. He also had to know a lot about humans and a lot about that particular human. You could apply the same reasoning to a case of Alzheimers. So far, having observed behaviors of many with the disease as well as that of their loved ones, I'm sure my approach wouldn't work in some, maybe none, of the cases. If it would in one or more, writing about it is worthwhile.

Rita Price had told me the piece would appear today, but my eyes popped when I saw it at the top of the front page with THE LAST SONG in big capital letters. I think the story and the photos are award-winning material - not because they're about Mom and me, but because of the way it was written and the unique way the photographer captured the scene. The use of the big mirror added a third dimension in a very creative way. One was at the top and across most of the page. I think Rita told the story with a certain spirit that reflected a deep understanding of life situations - feeling the content as she writes it, something that goes way beyond regular reporting.

Rita Price, Dispatch reporter, called today and said she's pretty sure the story she wrote will be in Monday's paper (7/5). You can see it at www.dispatch.com Most of you probably know more than I do about how to navigate such a site. If you have problems, she said she could provide a specific link. She said "the editors" liked what she had written. She also described some shots the photographer had captured, but didn't know which might be in the published piece.

Had an interesting experience today. Yesterday, Rita Price, a Columbus Dispatch reporter called me. She had heard about, and read the website. Wanted to visit Mom and me. So she came to 600 this morning, came back here with me for a while, then came back to 600 at noon with a photographer. He took pictures before and during lunch. I have no idea what might get into print or when, but I'd guess it will be sometime this weekend. I'll let you know and if the article will be available on the web.

Had a nice visit with Steve and Pat this morning. They were in Marysville yesterday and came to 611 about nine, then came here and stayed until almost noon. So, from the standpoint of being closer to family, their move to Ohio is working out. They brought a picture of their new house. Real nice. I'm still trying to figure out just where it is, even after looking at MapQuest. But it's been a long time since I was in that part of town.

New address

Pat and I have a contract on a home in Woodland and will be moving in less than four weeks - so we won't be homeless much longer! We are staying with Pat's brother John in Ashland and we have placed our belongings in storage until then.

We were surprised and happy that a couple purchased our home in Georgia - that they wanted possession in two weeks! And to boot - we were in Key West on vacation at the time we got the call from our realtor. As you can imagine we had to cut short our vacation and we've been very busy since then.

Our new address will be 866 S. Andover Rd., Mansfield, Ohio 44907. You are always welcome to come visit and/or stay!

Another good one forwarded by Bob Jergensen -

You, who worry about republicans versus democrats--relax, here is our real problem. In a Purdue University classroom, they were discussing the qualifications to be President of the United States. It was pretty simple - the candidate must be a natural born citizen of at least 35 years of age. However, one girl in the class immediately started in on how unfair was the requirement to be a natural born citizen. In short, her opinion was that this requirement prevented many capable individuals from becoming president. The class was taking it in and letting her rant, and not many jaws hit the floor when she wrapped up her argument by stating “What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified to lead this country than one born by C-section?" Yep, these are the same kind of 18-year-olds that just voted in our last election.

I'll include some of the following in dontsaygoodbye at a later time, but want to put it on the blog in the meantime. Last Friday, Earnie, the regular day-shift Resident Assistant in the 600 Corridor, gave me a sticky note with these words she had written on it:

A friend hears the song in my heart
and sings it to me when my memory fails.
Pioneer Girls
Leader's Handbook

She had seen the quote in the paper. She said, "It reminds me of you and Peg." That was such a nice thought. From now on, it will always remind me when I sing to Mom to listen to the song in her heart. Maybe I have been listening before and just didn't realize it.

Another thought. All of the RA's are, to one degree or another, angels, for whom we can be thankful. Earnie has probably spent more time with Mom than any of the other RA's. And I think she's the only one who would take notice of such a verse, write it down and give it to me. I think you'll agree that's pretty special.

Whitney's Commencement

Whitney and Luis, prior to Commencement, standing in front of Boe Memorial Chapel.

The graduate!!

Another from Bob Jergensen

If you are a senior you will understand this one, if you deal with seniors this should help you understand them a little better, and if you are not a senior yet.......God willing, someday you will be......

The $2.99 Special

We went to breakfast at a restaurant where the '"seniors' special" was two eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $2.99.
"Sounds good," my wife said. "But I don't want the eggs."
"Then, I'll have to charge you three dollars and forty-nine cents because you're ordering a la carte," the waitress warned her.
"You mean I'd have to pay for not taking the eggs?" my wife asked incredulously. "YES!!" stated the waitress.
"I'll take the special then," my wife said.
"How do you want your eggs?" the waitress asked.
"Raw and in the shell," my wife replied.
She took the two eggs home and baked a cake.
DON'T MESS WITH SENIORS!!! WE'VE been around the block more than once!

Concert

I don't know how many of you might have watched the National Memorial Day Concert last night. I'm sure some of you did. Once again, it was very good. The music was as good, even better, than any I remember. I had forgotten that orchestra conductor Eric Kunzel (not sure about the spelling) had died in the last year. I had heard of only two singers (Lionel Ritchie and Brad Paisley) before, but they were all top notch. Had some trouble understanding all the words that Katherine Jenkins was singing to two widows (from two different wars), but the very nature of the song was very moving. Very moving also were the views of the overseas cemeteries. To some families it has been important to have remains returned home. All those crosses reminded me that millions have thought otherwise. And the song, Mansions of the Lord, was played as we saw them. Wow! I had never heard that song before. I was prompted to look it up today, and I listened to two different versions, one at Reagan's funeral. Mom always liked watching the concert, so I missed being with her. I had left her asleep in her room at 7:30. If you've never watched the concert, near the end all veterans are asked to stand when their service song is played. She always insisted that I stand when Anchors Aweigh was played, so I did again last night.

This message was forewarded to me by Bob Jurgensen, who sends me some very funny stuff. I forwarded it to some, but couldn't resist the temptation to post it here.


I don't care who you are or what you believe in,
this is funny.
Gun Control

Barack Obama at a recent rural elementary school assembly in East Texas, asked the audience for total quiet. Then, in the silence, he started to slowly clap his hands once every few seconds, holding the audience in total silence. Then he said into the microphone, 'Children, every time I clap my hands together, a child in America dies from gun violence.' Then, little Richard Earl, with a proud East Texas drawl, pierced the quiet and said:

"Well dumb ass, stop clapping!"

Hail

Sarah,
Your city was in the TV news again. There was a shot of a guy holding hail stones as big as baseballs. Did any of you, your house or cars get bombarded?

TN Flood

Flood waters rose last week. This has been one of the worst disasters since Katrina. Sadly, there hasn't been much coverage. Our county was among those listed as a disaster area. Personally our home is fine. Last week school was out all week and many main roads including highways closed which made it time to just stay home. This weekend our family and folks from church went to help with clean-up. We focused on the Salvation Army because they had lost EVERYTHING. So the people who help the people had no where to feed or house people. We worked in a lot of disgusting muck. I'm most amazed and proud of my two teenagers who worked for hours (Alex 3 days in a row and Hannah 2) without complaining once. That was the best mother's day present ever!

I wish I had actual pictures of the flood but you can see them at www.leafchronicle.com That is our local paper and they have LOTS!

Emma earns her orange belt

Last night, Emma earned her orange belt in Judo!

Thought you all would get a kick out of the remainder of Saturday and Sunday morning. When I left Mom a little before eight, the chapel was all set up for the church service the next morning. I gave a silent salute to whoever had done the work. On Sunday morning everything went as usual except there was no music when we got to the chapel. Then I heard the organist say there was no power to the organ. Someone summoned maintenance. The oldest and one of the best men showed up and corrected the problem - reinserted a plug or two. We both smiled about that, realizing that some small hands might have been busy the day before.

Birthday party pictures

Thanks for making this day such a memorable one. I was deeply honored by your presence. As I said, it's hard to find the right words to really get that idea across. Eddy Cantor (I'd be surprised if any of you know who he was) had a radio show on Sunday nights. He signed off with a song that began, "I love to spend each Sunday with you. As friend to friend, I'm sorry it's through. I'm telling you just how I feel. I hope you feel that way, too." So I guess you just have to let the spirit and the love in a gathering like the one today take over when words aren't adequate. Mom held up well, I think, after having lost her lunch and needing a change of clothes before getting there. We'll have to believe the same spirit and love in the room could reach into the deepest centers of her being. She got a little rest before her dinner, ate well, stayed awake and seemed to enjoy the Lawrence Welk show. But her eyes didn't stay open long after she got in bed. Of course, she would have to be awakened again to be readied for the night. So to sign off, I loved to spend this Saturday with you. As one deeply honored, I'm sorry it's through. I love you all. Remember the connecting strand and love each other.

The weekend may be rainy here, so you should bring umbrellas. Chances are you'll have to park in the parking lot - too far to walk in the rain without some protection. Sorry about that. I had a mini-birthday party today. Bob Jurgensen and Pat Ciccone from All Saints were here for a while this afternoon and brought a small cake with 90 written with icing on top. Bob brought a DVD we watched on this computer. It was about a second disaster at Pearl Harbor in May, 1944 - an event that was kept secret for many years. There were explosions in some LSD landing craft which were loaded with ammunition in preparation for the invasion of Saipan. I wonder if any of you ever heard about it. I never had.

For those interested, I intend to be in the chapel Saturday morning. Maybe you would like to come by for a while. I may bring Mom along, but I'll decide that when I see how she is feeling after she eats breakfast. She is usually pretty sleepy, so I may just let her sleep to improve her chances of lasting longer in the afternoon. Also, Scott wanted to know if I wanted to come to the hotel Friday evening, but I'm going to pass on that - it would make the day too long for me. However, on Friday, some of you might want to come over here during the day for a while - if you're in town. I'm usually in 600 until about 10:00,then in my room until noon. Then I go to 600 and stay till about 2:00. Then I'm in my room again until 5:00.

Wedding

Pat and I are pleased to announce Ryan and Robin Vanderpool will be married on Sunday, September 5, 2010 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. They will send out invitations early next month explaining the particulars. We hope you will join us in this celebration of life!

Fun in the Sun

We were very blessed to spend some time in Key West over Spring Break.

Although they were having a very "cold" winter it was still a delight to have sunshine and wonderful company!

Lunch our first day there

A walk on Sunset Key

Felicity loved the water!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks as well!!

This blog site has gone silent - no postings since March 12. I think I'll liven it up a little. What do you think of Sarah Palin? I have no strong opinions, but I don't think she should be taken seriously. Makes me wonder why I voted for McCain who put her a heartbeat away from the presidency. And I smile when I read something like what appeared in the last Readers Digest about pranks that have been pulled on people, famous or otherwise. During the presidential election a Canadian disc jockey was able to reach her by phone and convince her that he was French president Nicolas Sarcozy. She apparently failed to pick up on any of the hints that the conversation was a joke, even when he said with an exaggerated accent, "From my 'ouse, I can see Belgium."

For those still reading it, I started a new section of dontsaygoodbye. Click on "Read more: after June 22, 1944" and you won't have to scroll to the end of the original post.

Updates

Alex and our dog, Hope. Then there is Emma in a Tennessee snow

It has been so long since I posted (though I read this all of the time) I decided to add some recent pictures. I can't wait to see everyone next month!

Hannah ready for a Swing Dance (she's taking lessons and they have a dance every month..BIG BAND music!!)

Had nice visits with Scott on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was here from mid-afternoon until early evening on both days. He had been at a business meeting in Pittsburgh Tuesday morning and another in Columbus Wednesday morning, so the timing was such that he could spend some time here both days. I think the nature of the business in the two cities is interesting. ASTM is, for the first time, getting into the certification of products and people, and the the phase involving people will be part of Scott's responsibility. So he has been talking to organizations that already have certification programs to learn more about how they do it. The one in Pittsburgh, certifies people who rate lubricants. The one in Columbus certifies people who who do non-destructive testing. I find it interesting that both those areas are important to the society and the general public and I never heard of either one. But I understand, for example, that if someone is hired to do non-destructive testing on the steel in a bridge, whoever hired that person would want to know he or she was "certified" to do it. ASTM will be seeking to certify professionals in a wide range of activity, such as evaluation of sites for possible environmental problems caused by previous use etc. I don't think I made all that very clear. but appreciate the opportunity for the visits here.