Category Archives: General observations

Life and Love in the 70’s

Everyone knows the feeling of getting back to your own bed after a vacation. I also like to get back to my own shower. It was a wonderful adventure Marilyn and I had and while it is nice to be home, I have to admit that I miss being with her even if we are just minutes apart.  When God made men and women, I think he meant for us to go through this life as a pair. I know some choose to go it alone but I for one prefer to be a part of a pair. I get my joy through the person with whom I am sharing an adventure. In other words, when Marilyn saw cave point for the first time, I was there and I felt her joy and excitement. When she said, “ I would do that” referring to the kids jumping off the rocks into the water below, I felt the exhilaration as her heart beat faster thinking about it.  I could never feel the same by myself.  Sharing this adventure,  the maiden voyage of the restored Roadtrek motorhome, was more than I could have imagined. Thank you, Marilyn for allowing me to share your joy.

We started our trip on Sunday morning, heading north to Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin.  I was a bit apprehensive taking this old motorhome so far from home. I remembered the last time I set out on an adventure in a restored van. That trip across country to California and up the coast into Canada, was a trip of a lifetime. It was also a mechanical nightmare the entire trip from the Rockies on the way out,  to the 150 mile tow home from the north west border of Illinois; but that is a whole different story. As it turned out this trip was free of all those mechanical concerns. The van was perfect in its performance. The ride was more comfortable than in my car. I calculated the mileage on the first tank of gas and it was more than 13 mpg. That is great when you are carrying or towing your mini home with you. And the van is fun to drive. Marilyn even took a turn on the way home.

We arrived at the Felds a little after lunchtime and they were the perfect hosts.  It was a little like being in a tree house with the views of surrounding treetops through the windows. Even the climb up Mt Feld  from the first floor after going down to the bathroom was like climbing up to a treehouse.  It took Marilyn about 2 minutes to become close friends with Nancy and Hans.  It is so rewarding sharing Marilyn’s friendship with others.  Everyone loves her and they are happy seeing the joy she brings to me.

After a nice visit, we headed over to  Potawatomi  state park where we would be watching for the tall ships to arrive on Monday afternoon. I paid my $38 for a yearly pass for all the Wisconsin parks, and we started our search for a good viewing location. As we left the ranger station, I noticed there were some non-electric camping sites available. It started me thinking that for this to be truly a maiden voyage, we should actually camp in the van at least a night.  There were some open sites near the water where the ships would be arriving. I put those thoughts into my mix of things to think about. After finding the best viewing sites, and getting acquainted with the park, we headed back to the Felds for the night.

Following our first night at the Felds, we headed to the park again. I wanted to see if there just might be an open camping site with electricity. I asked at the gate as we entered the park. ”There is one electric site open”, the ranger said. We took it. We went through the campground to see where we would be located. I figured that we needed to be back to a viewing spot by about two for the four PM arrival of the ships; so, We headed north to find Cave point, a county park on the water where the waves of Lake Michigan crash into the rocky bluffs shore line. There were young people standing in line to make the jump off the rocks into the clear water below.  Marilyn looked at me and said, “ I would do that.” I could feel the excitement she was feeling as the thoughts of jumping into the water bounced around in her brain. I think she was vicariously enjoying the experience watching the kids, one by one, get the chance to make the plunge. I thought about it and yes, I too would have joined the line of jumpers in my youth.  How fun it was to be here with Marilyn; and how different it was from previous times I have been there.  At that point, we both agreed that it was the best part of the trip so far. I checked my watch and decided we had better head for our viewing spot so we headed south back to Sturgeon Bay, to the park.

We found a shady spot to park the van and headed down to the shoreline with chairs and cameras. The snacks we had picked up at a convenience store filled our stomachs and the joy of the sharing this adventure filled our hearts.  One ship came in early. And finally, on schedule the other ships started making their way down into Sturgeon Bay  past our observation spots. I maned my camera and Marilyn, who is also a proficient photographer, took her spot and we captured the event . I was disappointed that all the ships were coming in under power without sails open.

Tall ships

I have seen this event played out in Chicago and  the sight of those ships with sails up is heart pounding . These naked masts were not what I was hoping for but the ships are still amazing.

The parade of ships ended and some of the people started packing up their gear but I was in no hurry. We just had a short ride to the campground. Marilyn said, “ perhaps the other ships are raising their sails and will be still coming.”  I said that I didn’t think so. I felt this was it. Disappointingly, I said, “ I think that was the end.”  Then someone said, “ Here comes another ship with the sails up.”  I got my camera ready again and sure enough there were more ships and they had sails up.  They were smaller ships but

none the less exciting to watch. It was a wonderful afternoon.

I stopped for firewood on the way to the camp site so we were set for a wonderful romantic night by the campfire.  We backed in and connected the electric line to the van. Now, we had air conditioning. Neither one of us sleeps well in the heat. Now, I could be certain we would not be hot. Then I thought about the fire. The wood was good and dry hardwood. It looked like oak to me. Oak makes a great fire but it is hard to get it started.  Now, keep in mind that while I have been prepping the van mechanically, I have given no thought about  providing the van with the tools needed to have things like a fire. I had no hatchet for splitting the split logs into kindling. I also had no fire starting material. We headed back to the camp store and what luck, They had one hatchet and the waxy sawdust fire starters. It wasn’t long before we had a roaring campfire. There we sat, side by side warmed by the popping fire in the cool 85 degree Wisconsin afternoon.  We held hands and shared an occasional kiss when we were not in hand to hand combat with the mosquito army mustering around our campsite. With my back pain, another walk to the camp store was out of the question so Marilyn fought her way through  the mosquito curtain off to the camp store again.  Upon her return, We doused  ourselves with the oily skin protection. It didn’t stop the diving bombers but after buzzing around and finding no good landing spot, they would just hover waiting for the force field to open, for their final attack. One group had a cargo net that they planned to use to wrap me up and carry me away to be eaten slowly by the entire community. Fortunately, when  they flew it through the fire, the spider webbing material flamed up like a July 4th display. They headed back for reinforcements and we headed into the camper. Perhaps we have to rethink our Wisconsin camping, where the mosquito is the state bird and the warm moist summer they have had is ideal for breeding the nasty vampires.

Inside provided its own challenges. A small unit like this is a little like playing musical chairs. On person needs to  move before the other can change places. The front seats swivel around and when the curtains are all drawn, it really is a comfortable little house.  The bed is a standard double bed. It is smaller than a queen.  If I were much taller, I could easily hit my head and feet at opposite ends but I am not and neither is Marilyn.  She started against the wall but her touch of claustrophobia made her uncomfortable so I got the wall side. Fortunately this was a one bathroom run, night. While climbing over someone might seem a bit stimulating, keep in mind why I have to get up. No time for a stop on this journey.  When I returned, empty, she had moved to the wall side so there was no more option for climbing over.  Anyone who thinks those campers are all a rockin’, have obviously not done much camping. They are seldom conducive to much more than a kiss. Besides the cramped conditions there is also the lingering bug spray.

Morning brought cooler temperatures and a beautiful sky filled with those wandering puffy white clouds.  We spent the day sightseeing with Nancy, before going out to dinner. We went to a local garden exhibit kept by area Master Gardeners.  We also went to see the restored one room southern door county schoolhouse. You can take the school teacher out of the classroom but you can’t take the classroom out of the school teacher. Marilyn was ready to start class as soon as we saw the fantastic restoration.  So these Illinoisans could show their gratitude for a wonderful visit, we took Hans and Nancy out to dinner.  Now it was time to return to the treehouse for the final night.

Wednesday morning  we headed to the cheese store for some fresh cheese curds. We arrived with the rest of the crowd at 8 AM   and found they were still out of curds. The truck was due in about 10 so we waited.  A truck arrived so we scampered into the store like two little kids heading in to the old Peases candy shop for penny candy. No, this was not the delivery of curds. After standing around for some time, we were told it would be another hour. We decided it was time to leave this beautiful place and return to the  comfortable routine of being at home.

This brings us to the end this adventure but now that we know the van is a comfortable fit for both of us, you can expect many more adventures in the future. You will be able to follow along as we navigate through love and life in the 70’s .

Christmas 2018

Christmas 2018

A time to live . . . . . And a time to die . . . . . . . . . . . And a time to live again!

It is with great joy and sadness that I share this Christmas letter.   On November 2, 2018 Pat loosened her grip on her life here and allowed the angels to take her home where so many of her family awaited her return. Those of us who must remain behind must pick up the pieces of memories she left behind and go on with our lives here. That is where I find myself at this time. I am joined in my sorrow by a supportive family and many friends. I am so thankful for that.  Because this Christmas letter will be going to those same friends, I say Thank You to all who have shared this portion of my journey. But as we always told our kids; you have to get up, brush yourself off and move on.  Cancer is a family disease because it affects everyone in the family but the reverse of that is also true; in that once Pat was free of her nemesis, so were we.

The year 2018 in review

2018 started with little fanfare;  Pat was in bed by nine and I watched some fireworks around the world on TV and ushered in the new year from a reclining position in my lounger.  Our life by this time was revolving around doctor visits, tests, scans, chemo and all things health related.  We tried to work life in amid these constant interruptions.  I was torn between trying to fulfill Pats desire to travel and her need to be doctored.  Travel windows became shorter and shorter.

I knew that Pat’s remaining time was short so I tried for one last trip to celebrate our March 23rd, 50th wedding anniversary. We planned a three week trip to Key West Florida for April. We drove the car because it would be more comfortable than the truck and camper and for the same reason stayed in Motels. I also wanted to be able to get back quickly if needed. It took us four days to make the trip and Pat did well riding. When we got to Key West, we moved into my nephew’s guest house. Kim and Krystal flew down and met up to make the final drive from southern Florida together. They joined us at Todd’s house for a week of sightseeing and enjoying the seafood. Pat was so happy to be able to share this time with all of us and we felt the same.  We left the nightlife primarily for the kids and they made the most of it. I think we all fell in love with Key West.  Given the opportunity, Krystal would have stayed; so would I. As the week together started to wind down, Krystal had to drive back up to Miami area for her flight back. Kim, Pat and I had another day before we started back. It was this last couple days that Pat started showing some distress. She did not have her normal appetite and was taking home more food than she ate.  We first passed it off as an allergy she was having some trouble breathing and was all stopped up with sinuses. We drove Kim back up to Fort Myers for her flight home and Pat and I stayed for a couple nights so we could go to see some sights at the wildlife sanctuary.  We drove around on familiar roads but the birds we expected to see had already migrated north.  Even with her walker, Pat was having difficulty doing much walking. On several occasions, she would have to stop and I would go on alone.

From there our plans took us to visit our friends the Dershimers in Orlando area. We planned to stay there two or three nights but it was becoming clearer that Pat was going downhill fast.  Plans would have taken us from there to Jacksonville, Fl to visit an old school friend, Karen Wonders Hart and then over to Virginia Beach to visit another old friend, Keven Burke. I knew I had to get Pat back home and into the doctor; so, we skipped those visits and headed home the next morning, cutting our visit with Dershimers to the one night. I planned to take three days to make the return trip but even that had to be shortened and the last two days of driving were combined into one long day so Pat could get to the doctor on Friday. By this time, Pat had gone from walker to wheelchair she was so weak.  I was glad we had made this trip but I knew it would be the last vacation for her and I was so glad the girls had joined us down there.

2018 was Pat’s 5th year, fighting the metastatic breast cancer spreading through her body. By this time, we were changing chemo drugs about every 3 months as each provided no significant effect on the growing cancer. She did fight off the sinus infection and felt better. By May, we were taking day trips and she was in less pain as she was now on Norco and a fentanyl patch.  She was back to using the walker and she had a renewed spirit. The middle of May, I ordered myself a new electric bicycle. Cycling was one of the few things I liked to do outside by myself. That purchase was probably my highlight of the year. It was amazing how much good two hours on my bike helped my morale, not to mention my general health.  I was able to leave Pat for these couple hours and she could get around the house and to the bathroom on her own.  In June, I was able to go to the doctor about my back and tell him I didn’t need the planned cortisone treatment to my back and surgery was no longer on the table; because the new exercise I was getting on my bike was easing the back pain.  I got the camper ready for a camping trip and we spent a few days out at Sanchris State Park relaxing in the sun overlooking the lake. It was good to get away in the camper but Pat was not up to much walking even with the walker.

In July, Pat had a cyst removed from her back. A biopsy showed it to be more breast cancer in her skin. Scans now were showing spots on her liver and in her lungs.  Her waking hours became shorter and the pain killers increased in quantity and type. Pain was constant while she was awake but she was able to sleep.  We were now reaching that point where everything became a blur. It was like those last few minutes of an emptying tub where the water spins out of control down the drain. September and October were like that, spinning out of control. She began losing blood and had to have transfusions on several occasions. She was admitted to the hospital after going to the ER for severe side pain. The pain was not diagnosed but she was found to have sepsis, an infection in her bloodstream. She was put on strong IV antibiotics and eventually released to go home with me administering  the IV infusions of antibiotics every 8 hours for 6 weeks.  Those finished October 4th and blood tests showed no recurrence but she was still anemic and required transfusions. Later in October, she was having trouble breathing and again, we were admitted to the hospital for an extended stay. This time it was fluid around her lungs that did not allow her to take a full breath. The liter of fluid removed contained blood and cancer cells.  It was becoming more and more evident that her lungs were fully involved.  The pain was increasing with little relief and radiation was suggested to ease the pain.  By this time we were on pain control only; because the cancer had gone too far to cure.   The first two treatments to her back seemed to ease the pain in her side so we suspected, it was a compression of the nerve from the cancer in her spine.  Then, while still getting radiation, Pain increased dramatically.

Her last night at home brought continued pain and when I could not give her enough medicine to ease the pain; she asked me to call an ambulance. She said she did not want to die at home. At this point, she was just too tired to fight any longer. She wanted it to all end. The following are taken from my FB posts following her passing.

Facebook November 2nd: Every story has a beginning and an end. Pat’s story is no different. There was only one possible end because the only cure for life is death. We come into this world encased in a physical body. We know from the beginning it isn’t perfect. It will eventually wear out. For those who loved her, and there are many, it is important to know how she died.
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After a painful night, she was put on a morphine drip. As long as she showed any discomfort, the dosage was increased until she was in comfort and showing no signs of distress. It was explained that this same drug that took away her pain also would eventually take away her breath of life. She had family members at her side the two days she was in the hospital. During that time, she could respond to sounds with breathing rhythm, gripping your hand or facial movement. When I told her I loved her, she tried to speak and I knew. I had read that sometimes the patient will wait to go when loved ones are NOT present to protect them from the viewing of the actual death. I left her last night and told her she could go while I was gone if that was her wish and kissed her good-by.
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When I arrived this morning, the nurses were giving her a bath. They were so caring and gentle. They had turned on some music channel on the TV with soothing music. The room felt as if it were filled with angels. I was at peace and obviously so was Pat. I looked at her thinking how beautiful she was as she glowed in the morning sun. As I sat there holding her hand she ever so gently slowed her breathing and then stopped. I watched for her to start again but she didn’t. She was at last free from an all too restrictive body filled with cancer. The cancer took her body but that released her soul.
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I am sure someplace in Heaven, she is lining up angels alphabetically and by height. I’m sure she will get the Akashic records all organized and Heaven will be spotless.
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I removed the wedding ring that she never took off and will wear it on a chain close to my heart. A love bond this strong can’t be broken by a death because the love is the energy of spirit. It is eternal. I loved her in other lives and I will continue to love her till we can be together again. Peace my love. I love you so.

Facebook November 3rd:This will be short because I need my beauty sleep. I first want to say thank you to all who have shared this part of my life. I do read all the comments even if I don’t comment or “like” . I have often asked myself why I continue to share my thoughts even when there are no comments. The response here validates my reasoning. Sharing my feelings helps others process their own feelings. I have always been a teacher and the best way to teach is by example. I am not saying everything I do is right because if that were the case, I would be finished here and on my way to be with Pat. I obviously have more to share. If I share my lessons, perhaps you can learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to learn from your own. I love the spirit within every one of you even if I don’t agree with your politics. If even one person realizes we are all one. One with each other and one with our creator, I will feel I have accomplished something. We are all held together with the energy of love, the energy of God. I have learned a great many lessons through many incarnations. This last week, I learned the beauty of death. I have never experienced the feeling of love that I felt in that room before Pat was carried home on the wings of angels. I was truly blessed by the presence of Gods messengers. There are many accounts of near death experiences. I feel like I experienced that same feeling through Pat as she was immersed in pure Love. Because of our closeness, like that of a twin, I was feeling what she was feeling. Death is nothing to fear. While I will not go looking for it, I certainly will embrace it when I have finished here and my turn to go home comes. Live life to the fullest, my friends, it is all a gift of lessons to make us more like our creator and less like the animals we inhabit while here. Love and Light. Now, I have truly experienced the Light and felt the Love.

November 7th we had a celebration of life for Pat at our church, St Johns Lutheran.  On several occasions during the visitation, we were prodded by the Pastor to quicken the pace because the line extended outside. I don’t have any idea how many were there. If you asked Trump, it was in the millions. I can’t be sure; I didn’t count.  At the church service, several gave accounts of Pat’s life. Mine follows.

November 7th: Let me start with a disclaimer. This is the small print usually at the end of an important document.  As most of you know I wear my emotions on my sleeve.  .  .  .  .  . Well, let me change that. I post my emotions on FaceBook.  So, if I become a blubbering idiot someplace along the presentation, please bear with me. I’ll try to recover and proceed.

So, Who was Patti Jo Saladino Sriner? She was a very old soul who has accompanied me on many adventures in this life and others. If you ask most people who knew her, “what do you remember about Pat” and they would most often say, “ I remember her smile” . It would literally light up a room. We tried to show that smile in the picture for her obituary and the poster out front.  She was beautiful the first time I saw her in High School and she was beautiful the day she passed on to be with her Father in Heaven.  But her beauty didn’t reside just on the surface; it went all the way down to her core. And that beauty  would shine like a beacon in the dark. I know there is someone out there right now poking their partner and whispering, “ It Probably was from all the radiation she has had.

Pat took after her Dad when it came to work ethic.  She was always early to work and put in her full eight hours.  Like her father, I think she judged her self-worth,  by  her job performance. She told the story of her first summer job working for the city. She was confronted early on by her coworkers telling her to slow down because she made them look bad. But, she never slowed down.  She was also a compulsive helper.  This sometimes got her in trouble because some felt her “helping” was obtrusive.  She would go to the point of helping you finishing your sentences.  I can assure you that while her help was not always the most tactful; her motive was as pure as her smile. When chastised, she would always reply, “ I was just trying to help”  and that was the truth.

When she was not working, she wanted to travel. She considered herself a wandering gypsy.  We never had much money but we always took vacations. She has seen all but the far North-east of the contiguous United States.  I hope to take her there, with me, in spirit.  Even with her invasive cancer, she wanted to travel ; sometimes, just out to the wildlife sanctuary. This last spring, we made it down to Key West to celebrate our 50th anniversary. She loved the trip because we were joined by both our daughters; but her health started to really deteriorate as we started to take a long way back and we had to cut it short.

Just the other day, I was putting some stuff into her dresser  drawer and found a stack of lists. Now everyone who knew her knew she was world famous for her list making; but I never knew she saved what she thought were the important ones.  I won’t say she was a hoarder but she did hate to throw things away.   On the kitchen table, I even found a list for me about how she wanted this service to go.  If we had followed that list exactly, you would all be seated alphabetically and color coded  by family.

She loved her family and I hope none of you were offended that you were not listed in the obituary. If we included all the family members that she loved, it would have read like an Italian who’s who.  The key word here is LOVE and Pat did love people. She never knew a stranger  and I mean that literally. No matter where we went, she would be pointing out someone she was sure she knew.  I have to say that everyone she knew was a little better off having known her.

This was followed by a solo of the Lords Prayer.

Now, with Christmas bearing down, I try to continue remembering the good times. I hope the Kids and I can share the love and joys of the season with each other to fill the void created by Pat’s absence.

Now, as this year comes to a close, so does this annual Christmas Letter. It also brings with it a close of a major chapter in my life but not the end my life. I have new challenges to conquer, new mountains to climb, and new adventures to live. And yes, I have new Christmas Letters to write. This letter was difficult to write but I felt it was necessary. For some, it was probably difficult to read. Even if you found it difficult to read, I hope you gained some understanding of Pat and I and our true love for each other. We had a great life together of more than 50 years. We produced two wonderful daughters and watched our 2 grand kids grow. I pray none of you will need to walk this path behind me but I’m sure some will. If you do, let my account give you some understanding of the road ahead and above all, keep the faith; nurture the love; and let in the Light.

May 2019 bring you a new awareness of your place in the world of spirit and may that place be filled with health, happiness and Love.

Bless you all,
Love and Light, I AM,

Dulany

It’s not a black and white world!

How would you like to go back to black and white movies or TV? It seems to me that a black and white world is what our political system has become. Black or white, Republican or Democrat, White or non-white, Christian or non-Christian, these are the choices we seem to be given. What ever happened to the balance? Our country was designed to be a balance of the opposite opinions; that’s why so many checks and balances were included in our constitution. E pluribus unum or one out of many is found on the Great Seal of the United States. It signifies that we are one Nation coming from many differing peoples. The term United States signifies the uniting of many into one but somehow the recent political system is anything but united.

It seems that both sides have wandered to opposite ends of the spectrum of black vs. white. The compromise is all but gone; and yet if you come to the people when put on the spot, they will instinctively come together for the good of the group. This is as it should be. Look around at the actions of the people in natural disasters; you will find blacks running into burning buildings to save white people. The reverse is equally true. So, why do our elected representatives not represent US!? The reason seems simple to me. They are not there to govern, they are there to feather their own caps. To do this they choose up sides to compete with each other from opposite sides of the fence. Nobody wants to walk up to the fence and offer their hand to a counter-part. They huddle in dark rooms devising plans to defeat the others. But, the others are also us. Just like there have always been good and evil, there has always been fighting in government and most people have accepted the fact;  thinking there is nothing they can do about it.  With the prevalence of wide spread communication from the airwaves to the internet, these teams or gangs of politicians are now trying to increase their gangs strength by enlisting we the people. Is this what we have become? Political gangs?

We the people are NOT really that different. Sure we have differences of opinion and those differences are in degrees but we have been brainwashed to believe our gang is best and the only one that can save the country from the other.

Let’s start with our opinions about immigrants. We all know our country was made up of immigrants. The American Indians are the ONLY indigenous peoples here and at one time I guess they had to come here from someplace. I’m a liberal but I don’t want complete open borders. We do need to provide a fair way for immigrants to escape repression and fear, for a better life in America just like all our forefathers did. We need a fair and equitable way to allow them to find safe harbor here and become citizens. That should be their goal and ours. They should not be supported by the government besides humanitarian aid unless they do become citizens. The fact that they are all getting public aid and such is not factual. Yes, we do provide for illegal alien pregnant mothers because they are carrying future citizens. That is the the current law. We need a system that is not yes, you can move in or no you can’t cross our borders. We need a conditional approach. OK, you can come in to save your self and your children from the persecution in your country but you must become a contributing member of our society or leave after a prescribed time.

How about abortion? I remember running for school board and someone asked me what was my stand on abortion. I paused and replied, ” I would definitely be against it in the classroom!” No, I didn’t win that election! And, No, I don’t believe in killing but I also think a woman has the right to control her own body. Again, it isn’t a simple right or wrong. If we turn to making all abortion illegal, what is next? Will it be all forms of birth control?

Let’s look at the form of government. What do you really want the government to do?  I think most of us want the government to protect us and to provide services.  OK, should those services be actually provided by the government or private sectors?  Should they be capitalistic or  more socialistic? I’m sure many of you cringe at the thought of socialism so you jump to capitalism.  With pure capitalism, all these services would be provided by private firms. Perhaps the Pinkertons could provide police services on a person by person basis. Roads would all be private and would be operated on a toll basis.  No public libraries and the internet would be completely unregulated so things like Facebook might be at additional cost. There would be no public lakes or parks. These are all a form of socialism where they are owned by the government and used by all equally. I think most of us would not want a completely capitalistic system.  It’s just not practical or economically sustainable. How about schools where the poor would have no access. This country used to lead the world in innovation because we had a good worker base that were educated to be able to perform difficult production.  Public education is socialistic. Like everything else socialism and capitalism are not just black and white. The capitalists need to be regulated to provide services and products that are safe  realistically priced and the socialists need to be constrained so as not to take over all production like communism.

Life is not just black and white. It is all forms and shapes of colors and shades.  Our data might have gone binary but our life is far from it.  Rather than yelling at each other over the fence, we need to talk to one another. I’m betting we have far more in common than our politicians want us to believe.  Get out of the political gangs and join the unity of all humanity.

Obviously, this is my opinion. I’m no expert but I do know that the present state of our nation is not good and we need to reign in the hate speech from both sides.

Love and Light

How free are those free services?

For those of you who follow me on this blog and on FaceBook, you know that I spend most of my posting time on FaceBook. It is so easy to just drop in a quick post and be done. It can be something as  Innocuous as a video of my ride through the park on my new e-bike or thought provoking as some “thought for the day”. Whatever it is, I don’t feel the need to fill a page by any means.  This blog, on the other hand, requires more thought and consideration.  Where Facebook is like a neighborhood chat, a true website is more publicly distributed.  I can also see more about how many view the articles and pictures.

It is said that if you think you are getting a product or service free, you are the product. In the case of FB, the posters get readers and the readers  become customers for the multitude of adds placed by FB on the pages.  So, in reality, as a FB participant, you provide FB with prospective customers and FB provides you with a platform to interact with your friends.  That part is OK but they also collect information about you and your friends and sell that information to third parties.  I’m not too keen on that.  They are certainly not alone there.

Google that google this. What a great free service Google is. Why are they doing this nice service for us free?  Every time, you google something, you are telling them what you want.  You tell them what interests you. You tell them where you eat, where you go on vacation. You are telling them your sexual preferences, and your medical needs.  If some unknown person came to your door and asked you all these questions, you would be ready to call the police but you give google ALL your secrets.  How will that information be used to benefit Google and the clients it sells the data to.  Once they know how you think, they know how to push your buttons to get you to buy something, vote for someone, or send you email or FB posts to use your weaknesses to pull you in to their way of thinking.  You are being played and don’t even know it.

Studying the way the mind thinks, counselors can be used to help you through troubling times. This same information, used improperly,  can be used to control the way you think.  It is a little like personal propaganda where those wanting to control you, can exploit your negative characteristics for their own gain. Groups of similar thinking people can be played like puppets on a string.

Think about recent decisions you have made recently.  How many of those decisions have had external influences?

Merry Christmas 2016

The first Sriner Christmas letter was printed on my spirit duplicator; remember those purple printed pages we got in school that could almost get you high from the smell, if it was just printed by the teacher.   Next, the letter  was printed on the mimeograph machine. Remember  that messy ink splattered  print we also got in school. I had both at my book store.  Then along came computers and home color printing. I moved into that media and was able to add color pictures to the Christmas Letter.  The older I got, the more I had to say and early printed letters were often 4 -5 pages printed front and back.  Even on light paper, the over-weighted cards became costly to print and mail as more and more people requested them.  Next, computers started talking to each other over the internet.  Suddenly, you could send color graphics and even video with the click of the button.  Over the years of ever-increasing digital communications, my letters evolved to the point that only digital format was practical. That is where we are now.  It is also now phone or tablet friendly; unlike the pdf versions I have posted in the past.  In this fast paced life we have built for ourselves,  we don’t even have or take the time to sit down at the computer and read email. We are ever-increasingly reading our mail on the phone while riding an elevator or waiting in line at the grocery store. It’s also a great way to pass the time waiting for the doctor; something that I and many of my friends do on a regular basis.  If we continue on this trend, soon we will have to confine our communications to a 140 character tweet.  If it comes to that, sorry but you will have to come visit me so I can tell you about my past year.  So,  for now, hang on; here we go; off for a ride through the thoughts of 2016.

As I try to chronicle the past year into a digestible serving of the meat and potatoes of life topped with a delicate humorous glaze of slap-stick and satire, I find myself face-planted against the reality wall of  CANCER.  There, I have said it! It is that word whispered in corners of the room by family and friends.  It isn’t something that can be wrapped up and tied with a bow to open at some unknown time in the future.  It is here and it directs, either directly or indirectly, the final scenes in this drama of life.  Yes, it can be postponed but it does not go away.  But, as they say, the show must go on and Pat is the strongest, most positive, most giving person I know.  The bad news is that the cancer is still slowly growing ; the good news is that the cancer is growing slowly and the medications have had few side effects. Thank God we have good doctors and good insurance.  I can’t even imagine what it would be like if the stress included the worry of how to pay for the care.

OK, so we have now faced the elephant in the room.  No, I’m NOT referring to me although I can see the resemblance.  I have reached that point where anything below my belly button is considered on the dark side of the moon.  Otherwise, I am relatively healthy.  Sure, I have those aches and pains that seem to accompany this age also aggravated by inherited spine problems but  I consider myself lucky. I can still get onto and off the roof and can do a little work while up there.  Yes, projects do take longer but time I have.

dsdigitals_4fb-8832 dsdigitals_4fb-8849This past year’s major project was the kitchen remodel and although we are still looking at a patchwork of multicolored cabinets, otherwise, it is finished. My only regret is that we didn’t do it long ago. It is so much more convenient.  There is nothing about the new design that I don’t like.  I love the new appliances and new window.  I enjoy cooking and it is much easier to enjoy in the new environment.

When I look back on the year, I see it can be divided between trips to visit with the doctors and trips to visit with nature and friends.  It is sometimes challenging to balance these two aspects of our current life.  While we considered a trip south to consume part of the winter, the threats of weather problems both getting out of, and returning to, home were more stressful with health issues.  We find ourselves less flexible both physically and mentally.  The “what-ifs” can certainly put a damper on plans. Even a planned outing in May was cancelled due to weather.   It was June before we ventured out in the camper and even then, it was just out to Sangchris SP for a long weekend. .  The end of June brought a visit from our new friends, the Boones, who we met at Rocky Mountain National Park while camping. We camped together this time out at New Salem and visited with them  each day they were here.  We could not show them around as much as we wanted, but we did have a great time.  It is friendships like this that bring true value to life.

It wasn’t until August that we ventured out again; for a visit with another wonderful couple, the Felds, up in Door County, Wisconsin.  We decided to stay camped in their driveway and they were exceptional hosts.  Aside from providing full hookups for the camper, they tried to feed us every night.  I tried to reciprocate by fixing my self-proclaimed famous crab tacos.  In my excitement to share my dish, I overdid with the sriracha dressing.  It didn’t even occur to me that they didn’t like hot food. This was a major blunder on my part. When Hans coughed and lit the candles across the room, I got the idea that perhaps it was too hot.  Fortunately, Nancy had some cooling desert to sooth the fire.   We planned the trip around the Tall Ships Festival and spent two full days watching and photographing the ships as they entered and left Sturgeon Bay.  What a wonderful time it was.

tall_ships_sturgeon_bay-1569-edit-1 tall_ships_sturgeon_bay_2016-9178-edit-1 tall_ships_sturgeon_bay-1209-edit-1 tall_ships_sturgeon_bay-1350-edit-1

click here for more tall ships pictures

Shortly after returning home, we were hosting another high school friend, Karen Hart,  here at our house.  Actually, we set her up in our camper “guest house”  for the time she was here. Again, more time with the companionship of friends.  While Karen was here, we were also able to enjoy a short visit with another HS friend, Mary Gasperin.  I guess you could say, August was Old friends month!  The key word here is “old”, no strike that; make it “friends”.

turkey_run_sp_barns_and_bridges-2094-1 turkey_run_sp_barns_and_bridges-9893-edit-1In September, we headed over to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana,  for a week camping and visiting the sights there.  We crisscrossed the area photographing barns and covered bridges.  We are slowly finding a balance between the resting stages and the sightseeing events. We need both.  We are also finding ourselves able to take our time to see the little things and stop and visit with folks.  It used to be Go, Go, Go the whole time we were out; but now it is Go, rest, go, rest, rest, go.  Aside from missing one barn I wanted to re-photograph, we saw everything we wanted to see. We even took a less than rewarding trip down to Brown County where I remember stories of an artsy area with lots of barns.  It turned out to be too commercialized for us. We drove around and headed back. It felt like a wasted day.  The end of September brought more friends from High School as we gathered for a mini-reunion, 70th birthday gathering.

In October, we hit the road again. This time, we were headed for the east side of Lake Michigan.  We were delighted to be going to visit another old friend from High School, Julie Avery in Empire, Michigan. Not coincidentally, this was the location of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore.  We camped there in the national park. The campground was AWESOME!  The first night there, we were delighted to have a surprise visit from Julie.  I don’t think anybody ever did that before. It was a nice welcome.  It is an interesting note that we were almost directly across Lake Michigan from Nancy  Feld. I tried to wave to her, but apparently she does not have as good eyesight as Sarah Palin because she could not see us just across the lake.  Barns, Barns, and more barns would be the keynote for this visit. We ventured up two peninsulas on either side of Traverse City, MI and zig-zagged our way back down.

empire_-mi_trip_2016-3065_6_7_8matrix-edit-edit-1 empire_-mi_trip_2016-1362-edit-1 empire_-mi_trip_2016-3052_3_4_5matrix-edit-1 The beautiful barns made for a delightful outing. We will definitely be going up there again.  Click here for more barn pictures. We shared a dinner at Julie’s home and another at the local restaurant.  Two specific events come to mind when I think back about this trip. The first would have to be the “wrong turn” guided by our GPS.  It was one of those back road short cuts. It was the closest we have come to the 4WD drive we found going up to Crystal Mill Colorado.  There were not the sheer drop offs but the ruts and muddy rills made up for that. Add in low hanging branches and a steady light rain and you have a real adventure.  The second event was not as exciting but rather an incidence of self-awareness. We pulled into the parking lot at the base of an extremely tall sand dune.  We debated getting out, but decided to just stay in the truck and enjoy our PBJ sandwich.  Before us was the sky reaching sand dune with young and older adventurers at various points ascending the dune.  At the provided picnic tables, were people putting on shoes or taking them off. I watched, almost in a daze contemplating the ascent of the “mountain”.  It took all of my willpower to stay in the car and NOT try to conquer the sandy slope.  I’m sure I could have made it just because of sheer will but at what cost?  As I second guess myself now, I’m not sure I won’t try it at some time in a future visit. Being old is still new to me and it is hard to accept.

November didn’t bring any camping but we were able to have Thanksgiving here again after several years celebrating with Krystal and Steve’s family.  No, we didn’t live with them for  four years and celebrate, we went to their home several times to celebrate Thanksgiving.  It was nice to have the family, Krystal, Kim, Joshua and Emily all together for a more intimate meal.  Now, we are getting ready for Christmas and a new year.

A recount  of 2016 would not be complete without some comment on the election and the state of our world. Last year, I talked about the great divide I was seeing in our country.  Now, it has grown to shameful proportions.  It could easily erupt into a small scale civil war depending on what transpires over the next year.

According to Edger Cayce, Plato and many other philosophers, there was an ancient continent of Atlantis. It was very advanced much like we are today. It too became divided between two factions. The one faction believed that we were all one; interconnected in spirit.  The other faction broke away from that belief as they enjoyed the thought that they were better and deserved to control those below themselves.   As long as they just fought among themselves, they were allowed to have free will,  but when they  lost respect of the land and misused it,  the Earth, also a living being, made the necessary changes to correct the attack on itself. Atlantis, like Lemuria before it, was taken to the bottom of the ocean for cleansing.

I resonate with the belief that we are all one in spirit. That means those who believe and those who don’t are still interconnected.  This spirit has no color, no religion and no sex.  I know, I don’t like that last part either.  I just pray that we can all remember who and what we are before  we blow each other up like many of the prophesies predict.

Love and Light,
the Sriners

The first Sriner Christmas letter was printed on my spirit duplicator; remember those purple printed pages we got in school that could almost get you high from the smell, if it was just printed by the teacher.   Next, the letter  was printed on the mimeograph machine. Remember  that messy ink splattered  print we also got in school. I had both at my book store.  Then along came computers and home color printing. I moved into that media and was able to add color pictures to the Christmas Letter.  The older I got, the more I had to say and early printed letters were often 4 -5 pages printed front and back.  Even on light paper, the over-weighted cards became costly to print and mail as more and more people requested them.  Next, computers started talking to each other over the internet.  Suddenly, you could send color graphics and even video with the click of the button.  Over the years of ever-increasing digital communications, my letters evolved to the point that only digital format was practical. That is where we are now.  It is also now phone or tablet friendly; unlike the pdf versions I have posted in the past.  In this fast paced life we have built for ourselves,  we don’t even have or take the time to sit down at the computer and read email. We are ever-increasingly reading our mail on the phone while riding an elevator or waiting in line at the grocery store. It’s also a great way to pass the time waiting for the doctor; something that I and many of my friends do on a regular basis.  If we continue on this trend, soon we will have to confine our communications to a 140 character tweet.  If it comes to that, sorry but you will have to come visit me so I can tell you about my past year.  So,  for now, hang on; here we go; off for a ride through the thoughts of 2016.

Christmas Letter 2015

It’s been a long year; so you might want to grab a favorite beverage and pull a comfortable chair up to the computer before getting started on this chronological dissertation. Any time you see text in green, it indicates an active link. Click on it for additional information or pictures.

If life is a roller coaster, I am feeling like the track; simply watching life’s events whiz by. Sometimes, I try to grab hold of the car so I too can enjoy the ride; but this year, it seems that every time I reached up, the car ran over my hand. Fortunately, I have a high pain tolerance. As I look at Pat’s notes for the year, they read like a script for a hospital real life drama, and Pat and I had the starring roles. Mom would be proud. At last, we made it into the theater.

Every year, I name this narrative “Christmas Letter (insert year) “ when in reality it is just yearly chapters of the chronicles of life. This year’s starting point was January 1st. I know that is where I started last year, but some ruts are just too deep to dig yourself out of. I know, that dang dangling preposition is just hanging out. Oops; the more I dig, the deeper I get. Note to self: When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging!

IMAG0433January started with an old Saladino family tradition of making homemade cheese filled ravioli. This time it was a Sriner family event. We rolled out the egg noodle dough and cut it into coffee-can-sized circles and filled them with the cheese filling. I make the sauce following Pete’s recipe only I add some flavoring. I like a meaty sauce. This was a great start for the year. Pat was recovering from her femur (thigh bone) surgery and the cancer seemed to be stabilized. The key word here is “seemed”. Surely, 2015 would be better than the health disaster we had in 2014. I was to get my knee repaired and then Pat and I could ride off into the sunset together headed for new adventures!

CUT!

Roll the credits.

It’s a wrap.

NOT SO FAST! While my torn meniscus repair went perfectly, Pat’s leg was not healing properly and she had another surgery scheduled for the end of the month. It was only January and we were already making new friends at Memorial Medical Center. The new doctor removed the nail, pin and screws from the first surgery and redid the work. This time, the nail that extended down the femur was shortened so as not to interfere with her previous knee replacement. The pin into the ball of the femur head was inserted at a different angle and location; and again Pat was to go through the long painful healing process. This time it was made worse by the invasion of the same location and the new incisions over old minimally healed scars. The 6 week preliminary healing check-up in mid-March showed healing and Pat was beginning to feel better. 4 days later, she was greeted by more hip pain. X-rays showed that the hip repair had failed! Doctor G wanted to do the surgery again using a different procedure to try to mend the cancerous hip. We asked again about a complete hip replacement and were set to have a second opinion from a hip specialist. At the last minute, he was not available. Dr. G asked him if it made any difference that the bone was cancerous. The reply from the hip specialist was, “ If it is cancerous, she has to go to a specialist either in Bloomington or St. Louis.” As Dr G recounted this conversation to us, I almost fell out of the chair. In the several discussions with the hip specialist, cancer was never mentioned? How could this be?

While all this was happening, I had my own sub-plot going with another surgeon. Tests indicated that I had an enlarged para-thyroid that was overactive causing a number of problems. Not the least of which was memory loss. . . . Hmmm, where was I going with this? Oh, neck surgery was scheduled for the middle of April because that is where the para-thyroid is located. No, the para-thyroid isn’t located in April; it is in the neck. April isn’t in the neck; the para-thyroid is. Sure glad that brain damage wasn’t permanent!

Pat had her consult with Doctor McDonald in St. Louis and surgery was scheduled for early April. This time the entire hip ball and socket would be removed and a new hip joint and upper section of the femur were to be replaced. Her surgery was on the 7th of April and mine was a week later. We were again on the mend together. Like the knee surgery before, my recovery was very short. I was out digging in the garden the next day. We had now made it through 1/3 of the year. We had spent most of our time in health facilities or recuperating at home.

As we flipped the calendar over to May, I felt like I could leave Pat for the day while I photographed the Abe Lincoln Funeral reenactment. Using my bicycle as my mode of transportation, I zipped from event to event around town. It was good to get out and the weather cooperated with a beautiful spring day. Here is a link to my pictures. http://www.dsdigitals.com/Events/Abe-Lincoln-funeral-reenactmen/ The last page contains some video clips of the procession into the cemetery. I was beginning to feel like my old self again. Note the inflection on “old”.

May, might be called the road to recovery month. Pat was healing as well as can be expected after such a major surgery. She had an incision from her hip almost to the knee. It was obvious from the first few days that this surgeon knew what he was doing. The bruising and swelling that were a big part of the previous surgeries were almost nonexistent. Pat was determined to be well enough to go to Disney World by the end of the month. May 18th, it had been six weeks post-surgery. Pat had been wearing a hip abduction brace 24-7 the entire time which restricted her hip movement. She could neither bend over nor spread her legs. I know some of you are waiting for some comic relief here and the previous sentence was just the place to insert it; however, considering the severity of the surgery and the subsequent pain, I will not discuss such an insertion here. I will pause while you make your own comments to yourself. . . . . .  With the end of the six weeks, came the six week check-up. Imagine that! At last the chastity belt was removed and Pat was now free to say, . . . .   “Disney, here we come!”

After an overnight with friends, the Dershimers in Orlando, we pointed Big Red and his pull-behind house for the Wonderful World of Disney. For the first time in over a year, we stuffed the thoughts of cancer and surgeries in a faraway cubby hole and embraced the Disney experience.

2015_florida_disney-5223-1Everyone knows it is best to see Disney World through the eyes of a child and we had that covered. You see, this trip was planned clear back at Christmas of last year; and the reason it was so special was that we would be joined by the grandkids Joshua and Emily. They brought their parents with them. What a delight it was to have them all there. With the new Star Wars movie just over the horizon, the week we were there was made even more special by the two Star Wars weekends that book ended our week there. Here is a link to our FaceBook album Star Wars Breakfast

The best way to experience Disney is through the interaction with the characters; and interaction we had! We joined the kids for 5 different character meals. While the cost was hard to swallow, it was still the most memorable part of the experience. We had breakfast at an indoor drive-in with Star Wars characters roaming through the restaurant. 2015_florida_disney-5720-Edit-2We had dinner with Disney princesses and experienced Cinderella’s step sisters up close and personal. The shrill voiced step sister grabbed Joshua out of his chair to dance.2015_florida_disney-5428-1 He just turned three shades of red and wrestled himself free only to be laid on and “Boobie whipped” from behind. 2015_florida_disney-5434-1I can still laugh just remembering it all. Watching the kids and capturing the moments digitally was the highlight of the vacation. When we were not trying to keep up with the family, Pat and I were off on our own adventures on our twin scooters. We knew Pat would be unable to walk around the grounds so soon after surgery; so, I planned on a wheel chair that I would push around. That thought didn’t rattle around my empty brain long before I thought a scooter would be easier. In the end, twin scooters were the solution. For those of us reaching the age of limited ambulation, scooters are the bomb! We had a blast zipping around. Pat would lead the way busting the crowds for me. She has practice from bumping old ladies out of the way at the grocery store with her cart. She was the queen of the scooter once on board. Needless to say, this week will go down in our book as one of the most enjoyable times ever. Our aging brain cells often have difficulty putting memories in the proper time line. Let’s see, was that when Krystal was young or was it when Kim was first experiencing Disney? Now, we can add Emily and Joshua to the mix or should I say mix-up! In any case they will be great memories.

If you follow us on FaceBook, you can see the Disney albums there. Here is a link to one album Disney Princesses .

2015_florida_disney-5385-1Additional Disney pictures can be found here.

After another night at the Dershimer family campdrive, we headed across the state; OK we were already half way across. The state of Florida is only about 20 miles across, I think. It seems unfair that one state should have two bordering water bodies. Anyway, next stop was Anastasia SP just at the edge of St Augustine, FL. It had a lovely beach where we tried several times to watch the sunset over the water. Never did get any pictures of that. Now that I think of it, St. Augustine is on the East coast of Florida. Perhaps that was the problem.

2015_Florida_trip-2252-1While in St. Augustine, we met up several times with classmate Karen Waters from Jacksonville. She was to be our tour guide. The first outing was just across the street from the campground entrance. It was the Alligator Farm which was filled with feather covered photo ops. If you have never been there, you can’t imagine how many nesting birds are squeezed into this small area. It is open for fly-ins and fly-outs so they must like it there, as they keep coming back and so will we now that we know. I thought it was all about alligators. Not so! I still have pictures I have not yet edited. Our next outing was not as successful. I think Karen was keeping the good places to herself or she just wanted to discourage our future visits; because after what seemed like an all-day drive, we turned into a wildlife refuge and saw an innumerable number of water fowl. No, it wasn’t that there were too many to count. Zero is also innumerable. I take that back, we did see some roadkill. Then to make up for the poor showing we went to another closed location and parked nearby. It was equally productive.2015_Florida_trip-2768-1 I did get a photograph of Karen photographing a big blue Heron. Talk about anti-climax after the numerous birds the day before. To make up for the lack of excitement, she took us to an amusement park called, “the Florida highway system”. The first ride was called “change the cell phone battery in your phone in the rain while driving 65” this maneuvering was necessary because she had to get directions on how to get us home. I won’t try to compare it to Mary’s driving in Texas but I will apologize for saying Mary was the worst driver I knew. Mary, I take that back! My brake foot leg is just now starting to uncramp. Nothing personal; but next time I will drive. I will say it was memorable; and I don’t remember much now days. It is just that some things like oncoming traffic on our right side leaves a lasting impression.

It was the middle of June before we got back home. It felt really good to be home; however, we didn’t have much time to enjoy it, because as soon as we could get in a hundred or more doctors’ appointments for the both of us, we were off again. This time we were headed to one of our favorite places in the country; Rocky Mountain National Park. After a couple nights on the road, we arrived at20150625_141838 Cheyenne Mountain SP in Colorado Springs. We were only there for one night; but we will certainly return. It was a Great camping spot. We were able to make it to the top of Pikes Peak the afternoon of our arrival. We could have made it to Garden of the Gods, too; but the ranger at the state park gave us bad directions to the road up to the peak. I should have listened to the GPS on this one. It was a rainy assent and there was talk of closing the road off; but we got past the gate in time and headed up. I remember the old gravel road from our first time there nearly 50 years ago; but now it was all paved. RMNP_2015_trip-6253-1YEA! On the top, the rain let up long enough for us to get out and discover we could not breathe due to the altitude. We walked 100 miles across the parking lot and went into the gift shop where Pat found the nearest bench. I went outside determined to get a few pictures. I chipped the ice off my fingers long enough to press the shutter button. It was cold and wet but beautiful and invigorating at the same time. This is one of those places you never forget. After a few shots of us in front of the Pikes Peak sign, we headed back down the mountain. By this time the weather had deteriorated even further and Nature was offering electrical fireworks in the distance. Pat was torn between taking some pictures with my camera of the storm on the way down and covering her eyes and holding on for dear life. Miraculously, she did get some good pictures of storm fronts over the mountains.

RMNP_2015_trip-6477-1After a night at the Estes Park KOA, we headed into RMNP in the morning. We had one night on our own before Kim and her friend Eric pulled in after their all-night drive.RMNP_2015_trip-6799-1 We were also joined by several school classmates. RMNP_2015_trip-6649-13After a nice afternoon visiting, we were ready for some quality rest. We had to leave the park on July 4th ; but we made the most of it and spent 2 more nights in Estes Park KOA before reentering the park for another week. Kim and friend had returned home and now it was just the 3 of us, Pat, the dog and I.

20150708_090315We had a lot of rain but we did hike some trails, saw a lot of wildlife and were able to relax for a change.

Jay and Joyce Kesinger came back up for a day and we went back up Old Fall River Road. RMNP_2015_trip-3556-1Here is Jay photographing a  beautiful Elk. He also saw his first moose up close and personal. This is what the elk thought of us!

RMNP_2015_trip-3547-1

The next leg of our journey took us to Custer SP near Mt Rushmore. 20150712_191554The park and wildlife encounters were great; but Mt Rushmore with all the new multilevel parking garages, hall of flags and mini mall extravaganza turned us both off.RMNP_2015_trip-7620-1 It was too far for Pat to walk back to the overlook; so I walked back, took a few pictures, and headed to the truck where Kira was waiting in the hot sun with the truck running and A/C going.   That was a wasted afternoon but the ride to and from was enjoyable. We spent several days camped just outside the park and enjoyed the park animals more than anything.RMNP_2015_trip-7723-1 There is something about being in the truck with hundreds of large buffalo skirting around us to put things in proper perspective.RMNP_2015_trip-3639-Edit-1 We had a great time; however, after a month on the road, we were hearing the call of our own home. The camper is nice but home is better.

We couldn’t link up with friends and relatives in Minnesota; but we did get one last short visit with Nancy and Hans Feld in Sturgeon Bay before heading to the cheese factory and home.

August was rather non-descript but it was a chance to get back into a normal groove. It was a time of regrouping before I went into work mode for the rest of the year. It was time for a project. I was trying to recuperate from some shoulder soreness after the month on the road; so, I decided I needed a project. That makes perfect sense. Some good manual labor should be good for shoulder pain. Right? My project started with some major landscaping in Kim’s back yard. Kim's_back_yard-7799-Edit-1Once that looked good, I decided it was time to replace her garage door and as projects go, one thing led to another and by the end I had replaced the big garage door, the service door, and siding on the front of the garage. A coat of paint on the trim finished up that project. Time to relax.20151015_153001 NOT SO FAST, her furnace started acting up. After many attempts to discover the problem, I decided that it would be simpler to just replace it! Did I really think that one through? Had I forgotten how much fun sheet metal work was and also how painful? I call it my hand shredder. Death by 1000 cuts was one of my descriptive posts. This was all above the head work. Remember that shoulder pain. It didn’t go away. Between that, the sliced up hands, and the numerous times I cracked my head on the low ductwork, my body looks like a war zone. It is now starting the second week of December and I am just finishing up that project. In the midst of the work cycle this year, we discovered that the supposed inactivity was not really inactive. There was evidence of further cancer activity. This necessitated a change of attack. Pat is now on a new cancer treatment which requires two additional shots along with the one she already was taking. We have them planned the end of each month so we can plan on month-long vacations during the rest of the month. We are confident she will beat this thing. We will get more results the end of this month.

I would have concluded my yearly description of events with a trip to Florida but the furnace fiasco and late delivery forced us to cancel that. Now it is time to make plans for next year.

In the past, I have concluded my narrative with some type of social observation. I have discussed everything from boiling lobsters to shrinking toilet paper. I even touched on the political climate when Governor Rod wanted to move Lincoln’s Tomb to Chicago. Recent current events sometimes make it hard to find the humor as I see a divisiveness in our country not seen since the Civil War. What ever happened to “One nation, under God, indivisible . . . . “ If we are to survive as a nation, we need to find our common ground not our differences. We were the melting pot where people from all backgrounds came together; they let their differences commingle, melting together, to where the sum was better than the individual parts. Now, nobody wants to get in the pot and give up some of their own flavor to the benefit of the stew. We are in  the selfie generation. Our phones have special selfie cameras. We have selfie sticks and selfie stickers.  Everyone wants the world centered around themselves.

In the words of Lincoln: “At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Like a cancer, this fighting among ourselves serves only to weaken our resolve and in the end could easily destroy us as we lose our values and freedom in the name of a false security. “I have seen the enemy and it is us.”

May the joys of this Christmas season bring peace to the world. May the light of infinite wisdom burn brightly from within to allow us clear vision and understanding and unwavering resolve.

Love and Light,
Pat and Dulany

pat@sriner.com
dulany@sriner.com

As you can see, we are quite active on FaceBook. “Friend” us to see more pictures. You can also find picture albums on my website for DSDigitals

All Life matters to God!

All Life Matters to God
All Life Matters to God

All over facebook, you will see posts and posters; Black lives matter, Police lives matter and even Native American lives matter. Is this to imply that others don’t matter? Where does the list end; or does it?  Just what determines  the value of life?  In some  populations, only the male life really matters.  Women are possessions to be used like slaves.  To the civilized world, this is repugnant.  Some religions only give value to those professing to their faith while non-believers   are simply vermin to be eradicated.  Black, White, Yellow, and Red alike, often find other races inferior to their own selective race and therefor the value of these others’  lives are less.  Basically, we find anything different than us, less worthy and  often expendable.

All the “Black Lives Matter” posters really go against my grain; not because I feel they don’t matter but because singling them out is to imply that other lives matter less. Yes, black lives matter just as much as any other lives but singling them all out is divisive.  If you ask a behavioral scientist, you might find that one way to control a large population is to get them fighting amongst themselves and then you can gently guide them like cattle to slaughter.  They are much less likely to see and resist those in control (the government of the rich)  if they are too busy fighting with the “others” be they black, white, yellow or red.

It has been a long time since we had slavery in this country. Or has it? Think about it. The lower and middle class are mere pawns on the chessboard of life being manipulated by those holding the purse strings.  We are mere chattel to be used by the rich.  Not only do we have to do their work for them, making them rich but by our taxes and their tax breaks, we are paying them to work us.  Slavery is not gone in this country, it is alive and well. We are all slaves to the rich; only we are slaves with benefits.  Move over black folks, we are all in this together. All our lives matter.  Think of the power we could have if we would stop fighting with each other and worked together to defeat the truly oppressive.

If you follow my posts  here and on FaceBook, you know that I believe in reincarnation.  I bring this up because many of us who are white now were non-white in another incarnation.  Inside, we are the same,  the soul has no race or religion. We are all spiritual beings acting out a specific life here on Earth to grow.  I can remember being a black slave in the South. I can remember being an American Native  in several incarnations.  Most of you reading this  have been.  Perhaps this is why I find racism so divergent from my beliefs.  All races have their own set of qualities and lessons.  We must learn to embrace our differences, learn from them and grow to fill our perfect God given mold.  Our color, our status in life and our religion do not determine our true spiritual stature. It is determined by what we have learned along the paths we have followed.  We all matter, we are all connected. Failure to realize this will sentence you to yet  another life of lessons.  Look around, the lessons are getting harder.  I for one would like to graduate some time soon. How about you?

Life on the high seas

No, I have never been on the high seas during this lifetime but that does not lessen my yearning for it and my rightful place at the wheel.  I have always loved the water and boats. As a child, I would float them down the street gutters during a rainstorm.  I fitted them with tall masts and pieces of paper for sails.  I remember  a common theme in many of my kindergarten drawings was a wooden ship with three tall masts.  I loved these ships and how they made me feel. I was at home with the waves lapping at the side of the ship.

In high school, the only thing I wanted nearly as much as  my car and girls was a boat.  I finally was able to get an old broken down fiberglass runabout.  I remember that it had a Scott motor.  I learned quickly that this was a poor excuse for a motor. I was always having to fix it.  I remember it had fins similar to the late 1950’s cars. DSDgtls_4FB--13

We spent a lot of time out on that boat at Lake Springfield. Sometimes it even worked!

I don’t even know what happened to that boat except that it seemed to disappear when I went to college in Chicago.

After getting married, it wasn’t long before that inner yearning began to resurface and I bought my first and only new boat from Sears Roebuck.  It was a fiberglass tri-hull  with the most basic design but along with the 10 HP Mercury engine, Pat and I skimmed the tops of many fishing lakes around the area.  Those early years were lean and at a particular low point, I had to sell my treasure.  There is a saying about boat ownership; There are two days you love your boat; the day you buy it and the day you sell it. For me, that was not the case. I didn’t want to sell it.

My next boat was another fix-me-up. I saw it chained to a tree down the street with a $600 price tag.  I brought it home on it’s rusty old trailer which had to be replaced shortly thereafter.  I can’t remember what kind of motor it had but I remember that was not one of the good points. As I look at the picture, I see it was an Evenrude, a very old Evenrude!  I replaced all the upholstery and put down new carpet.  Krystal learned to sky behind that boat.  But it was not very reliable and would leave me and often the “girls” , Krystal and her friends, stranded on the lake some place.DSDgtls_4FB--12

One time, the engine died and I could not get it started so I started paddling back to the dock. This was long before the day of cell phones. It was slow going with the boat filled with a couple kids and myself. After getting across the lake, I paddled along the shoreline toward the awaiting car and trailer. I decided it would be faster if I got out and walked along the shore and pulled the boat behind me.  I could not go too close to the shore or I would pull the boat into the rocks along the shoreline. As I tugged it along, another boater pulled up within shouting distance. This was the first boat we had seen all afternoon. “you need some help?” they yelled. What a stupid question, I thought. Wasn’t that a bit of the obvious.  I sarcastically yelled back, “No, I am just taking my boat for a walk.”  Then before I could ask them to throw me a line and get back in the boat, they said, “OK, and sped away. Sometimes my sarcasm got me into trouble and it certainly never got me out of trouble.

Another trip out on the lake took Krystal, Kim and one of Krystal’s friends back up Sugar creek. We were way back up the river when the motor again gave that last sigh and sputtered and stopped. A piece of the linkage had fallen off. Now, you would think that by this time, I would have carried more tools and supplies but I didn’t. So, there I was stuck out on the lake again.  I got in the back and started unraveling some wire from the steering cable.  Then I bent it back and forth to get it to get hot enough to break. It seemed to take forever before I had the piece I needed. I set it on the side of the boat and repositioned myself back beside the motor and started to make the repair. I reached for the makeshift linkage where I had left it and it was gone! “Where is the wire I put here?”  Kim looked up in her sweet way and said, “I threw it in the lake” She was probably about 4 or 5. What could I say. I just wanted to cry.

After all the trouble we had, every time we took the boat out, Krystal’s friends didn’t want to go out with us. I wonder why.  The truth was, I was about fed up with the whole thing too. I went on a quest to find a new outboard motor.  I happened upon a great deal. It was a nearly unused 25 HP Yamaha motor.  An old guy bought it and died after only one time taking it out. It sat on the boat for a couple years until she sold it with the boat. I bought it for $1806. That was a good deal for an almost new motor.

By this time, I was yearning for another fishing boat. I cut the front end out of the deck and turned this old runabout into a bass boat.  I can’t say I was too happy with this new  design but we did take it out a couple times. The motor was sensational. It was not even broken in.  But each time out it seemed to go slower and slower. It turned out that the boat was now rotten and taking on water between the floor and hull.  When I took a good look at it, I found that the trailer was about rusted through and the rotted decking was full of carpenter ants.  The boat went to the dump but I kept the motor.

For nearly 20 years, that motor was stored in my garage until one day I saw the neighbor was selling his dad’s old bass boat. I always envied the neighbor for having such a great boat.  I asked the price and it was only $1000.  I was told that the transom had some soft wood and he was actually selling the trailer and trolling motor for the $1000. The boat was free. And worth every penny of it, I might say.  That was over 5 years ago.  I brought it home and put in new carpet, patched the floor with some new wood and fiberglass.  I did some reinforcing of the transom and hung that 25 HP Yahama on the back. I hooked it up and turned the key. Sputter sputter stop. I tried again and this time it started right up perfectly.  I decided to replace the water pump impeller simply because of age and non-use and out we went. DSDgtls_4FB-0132I should say, “Out I went” after all the previous boat trouble,  nobody wanted to go with me.DSDgtls_4FB-0130 The kids were grown and Pat really doesn’t like the water and was afraid what might happen.  So, alone , I cruised the water at Lake Springfield. It was great but a bit lonely.  I brought  the boat home and there it sat for a couple years.

Then one day, I decided to clean it up and take it out again but that is when I discovered a crack in the transom.  Obviously, it had gotten worse!  That brings up the present.  Again, I have a boat that can’t go on the water. I am looking at a major repair because as I tore off the transom, I found even more damage to the floor in the rear compartment.  I can’t afford a new boat and I don’t know if it is worth completely repairing this one.

I feel a bit like the old man and the sea but my battle has been with the boats and motors not a giant Marlin.  I too will sleep and dream  of times past as I steered my ship across oceans outracing pirates.  Tomorrow, I will think more about my boat and my yearning for the sea.

Moonlight Marathon Registration is OPEN

 Moonlight Marathon at Oak Ridge Cemetery

 Looking for something different?

How about running through an historic, century old cemetery at night on a fully supported, closed road course that you can run solo or with your friends and family and with the goal of finishing your adventure closest to midnight.

The evening of May 3rd 2014 will be the inaugural running of the Moonlight Marathon at Oak Ridge Cemetery.  On that night, you will have the option to run a full marathon, marathon relay, 6.55 mile or 5k courses under a crescent moon and in the shadow of Lincoln’s Tomb.

While final details are being worked out, organizers want to let the public know about this exciting, first ever event occurring in 2014, 2015 and beyond.

Runners embark on their adventure from the lagoon bridge near the Lincoln Park Pavilion after 5:45 p.m. and enter the cemetery through the currently closed Original Entrance on 3rd Street where almost 150 years ago President Lincoln’s body passed en route to his final resting place in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Participants will then navigate the course while passing through the beautiful yet haunting statuary and among the astounding history of the nation’s second most visited cemetery.  Racers must wind their way back to the finish/exchange area using the moon, a headlamp, a flashlight, route reflectors and course volunteers.

While the 5k and 6.55-mile racers start at 5:45pm and run the courses for the fastest time, the full marathon and marathon relay runners can choose to begin any time after 6pm with the goal of finishing closest to midnight but without the use of any GPS, phone or timing device.

These unique night time road runs are being hosted as a fundraiser for the Oak Ridge Cemetery Foundation to renovate the “Original Entrance and Gates “ on 3rd Street and to provide a never before chance to run at night in the cemetery in a controlled, safe environment with safety and race personnel on site.

On-line registration is open at the website www.triharderpromotions.com

Stuff We All Get (SWAG)

So Far……

Each participant in the 5k fun/run receives on-course support, a gender specific race shirt and food and drink in the Lincoln Park Pavilion after the race with live music.

All 6.55 mile, Marathon Relay (up to 4 runners) and Marathon participants will each receive on-course support, a gender specific race shirt and food and drink in the Lincoln Park Pavilion after the race with live music and a Finisher Medal.

The Moonlight Marathon Course is a chip timed 6.55 mile loop (4 loops) lined with reflectors and cones to guide you along the roads of Oak Ridge Cemetery.   The course will open at 6pm for individuals and relay teams with a finish goal of 12 midnight.  The latest time a runner can begin the marathon is 9pm.  PLEASE NOTE: As this is a loop course, no participant will be allowed to start a new loop after 11:20pm.

Beware: this may be the most challenging marathon course in the nation!  But, take whatever time you need to cover the distance because your time on this race does not matter!  Slower runners and even walkers have a chance of winning this event because all that matters is finishing closest to midnight without going over.  The majority of the race is on paved roads that wind, meander, climb and descend in one of the most beautiful venues you can imagine. However, please keep in mind that runners will be immersed in total darkness with only their headlamp, course reflectors, cones and volunteers to guide them through the cemetery.  The only traffic on the course will be course monitors and bike safety patrol.

Prediction Marathon/Relay

Marathon participants choose their own starting time based on the predicted pace with a finish time goal of midnight on May 3rd.  Teams of 2,3 or 4 people choose their own starting time based on the predicted pace with a finish of midnight.  The course will be open at 6pm for individuals and relay teams but the latest time a relay or marathoner can begin is 9:30pm.  Relay participants will run with a baton containing the timing chip, which will be handed to the next runner at the lagoon bridge exchange area.  The loss of the baton means no time is recorded.

The course closes at 1:00am and anyone still on the course at that time will be escorted back to the finish area.  If a marathoner or relay member has not started their last loop by 11:20pm, they will be stopped from starting it.

6.55 mile and 5k Fun/Run Walkers and Runners

The 6.55 mile race is one loop of the marathon course and is chip timed. The 5k course consists of a flat route that is beginner friendly; it is not chip timed.  For safety reasons, any walkers are asked to line up behind the runners.

PLEASE NOTE: All kids under the age of 12 are free to participate in the 5k but if they do not pay they will not receive a bib, shirt or post race meal.  However, food and drink can be purchased at the park pavilion.

The Course

“On May 14, 1856, an ordinance was passed forbidding the further establishment of burying grounds within the city of Springfield. A tract of land containing twenty-eight and one half acres, lying two miles north of the Capitol, was purchased by the City, for the establishment of a Cemetery, adequate to the necessities of the growing city, and sufficiently remote from the business center and every – day life to render a fitting abode to the dead.”  (Oak Ridge Cemetery Records)
Since 1865, the cemetery has grown to be the largest Municipal cemetery in the state of Illinois, encompassing 365 acres of beautiful rolling prairie land, thousands of hardwoods and conifers, and over 75,000 interments. Oak Ridge Cemetery has the distinction of being the second most visited cemetery in the nation, second only to Arlington National Cemetery.  Almost one million visitors enter these gates annually not only to pay respects to their deceased families and ancestors, but to also visit the final resting place and pay homage to our distinguished sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln.  However, none of them have the opportunity to visit the cemetery at night…

Awards:

Overall Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female individuals and teams in the marathon and relay to those finishing closest to – but not after – midnight.  A finishers medal will be provided to all those in the Marathon, Marathon Relay and 6.55 mile run.  The top 3 male and female finishers in the 6.55 mile run will receive Overall Awards. No medals will be provided for the 5k participants.

Contact:

Email triharderpromotions@gmail.com with any additional questions.  Bring chairs, pop up tents and games to set up near the lagoon to pass the time and serve as your headquarters and cheering station during the race.

On line registration is now open for the May 3rd Moonlight Marathon at Oak Ridge Cemetery at http://www.active.com/springfield-il/running/distance-running-races/moonlight-marathon-at-oak-ridge-cemetery-2014Or visit the triharderpromotions.com website for the link and latest news. After spreading the word about these events in St. Louis, Chicago and all over central Illinois, I would not delay in registering. The response has been over whelming and interest very high. Don’t delay, sign up today for the most unique runs in the most unique venue in central Illinois at night.

FaceBook friend or foe?

Since my first website many years ago, the face of the web has changed many times.  Many of these changes have been good and make internet presentation much easier. You no longer have to learn code to produce a very nice web presence.  You can build a site just by filling the blanks on a website development tool. You tell the software what you want and almost instantly, the website appears.

Then there are the social media. They have the website set up for you. All you need to do is post notes. In the case of Twitter, the notes are short. For FaceBook, you determine how much you want to post and who can see it.  FaceBook is a free service; or is it?  Do you think it was designed to make you happy?  It was designed to provide a broad sampling of consumers for advertisers.  Not only can they provide an audience for advertisers, they can look at what you are posting and use that information to offer you specific goods and services based on your interests.  In other words, they read your postings and if you start talking about a baby, you will be flooded with baby items.  We complain that the government  snooping  and then turn around and open our innermost thoughts to the corporate world.  I don’t trust the government but I trust the big business even less.  The way I see it, as long as you understand the rules, and go in with your eyes open, FaceBook can be an enjoyable experience.

There is a saying, ” never point a gun at anyone” and most people are familiar with it.  That one thought has probably saved countless lives.  Another saying that everyone should be taught is, “Never post anything you don’t want the world to read”  You can not expect security measures to always protect you.  If you don’t post it, nobody can steal it.  Use some common sense.  That guy who is a friend of a friend of a friend of yours and wants to be your friend might really want to con you out of some money or perhaps he likes to look at cute little girl’s pictures.  Know who you friend.

I like FB and enjoy the friendships it has expanded,  If someone really wants your information, it is available. I won’t let that fear stop me from communicating with friends.  But  I also keep private information in e-mail. It isn’t perfectly secure but it is more secure than social media.

I plan to talk more about how to use FB in the future. Watch for it.