Fractal Custodial Grandparenting

Every single year since the stupid STUPID idea was started, all spring long, all through summer and well into fall I am out of sync.

See, when I grew up, Daytime was just daytime and nighttime was just plain old nighttime.

As some of my readers know, I have the WORST possible time getting up all spring and summer, and starting into fall. I hit the snooze. Hit it again. And again. And again. Finally, grumbling, cranky and fighting it every step of the way, I get out of bed, usually 10 minutes late and am grouchy and miserable.

However, these last few weeks, since we returned to REAL time, and I got my lost hour back, I wake up 10 minutes BEFORE my alarm goes off. Feeling well rested. Feeling good about the day. Feeling pretty dang wonderful all around.

Please, God. Let them do away with the stupid Daylight Saving Time whole idea!!!!

My body just doesn't EVER adjust to it, all spring, all summer and the beginning of fall.

My body is happy from November until March. I get five months of normal circadian rhythm and then seven months of misery.

Anyone else out there in cyberland have that problem?

I lost a dear dear friend who will be sadly missed. He gave me great conversation, someone to look up to and someone to show my grandbabies what a true American Hero was like.

His obituary. I am sad.

Colonel Richard D. Humphreys, 85
September 14, 2009


EAST LIVERPOOL - Colonel Richard D. Humphreys, 85, retired U.S. Marine, attorney-at-law, and real estate agent, of Forsyth Place, died Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, at 8:10 a.m. at the Stone Pear Pavilion at the Fox Nursing Home in Chester.

Colonel Humphreys' active military service began with his enlistment as a Private in the U.S. Marine Corps on Dec. 14, 1942, and ended with his retirement on April 30, 1970, as a Colonel of Marines on duty as the Director of Legislative Plans and Coordination, Office of the Secretary of Defense. He joined the Second Battalion 7th Marines in Korea on Dec. 6, 1950, and was a Platoon Commander of the 3rd Platoon and later the company Executive Officer until June 6, 1951, when he was wounded and evacuated to the hospital in Japan. During his active service he received the following decorations and awards: The Silver Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, the Purple Heart Medal with one Star, the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Victory Medal (WWII), the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one Star, the Korean Service Medal with three Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Navy Letter of Commendation, the Vietnam Service Medal with one Star, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device, and the Navy Commendation Medal with combat V.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 13, 1924, a son of the late Harry W. and Helen V. Davidson, he was a 1944 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College. He furthered his education in 1949 at the Dickinson School of Law where he earned a J.D. in Law. A Distinguished Graduate of the Naval War College in 1967 and a holder of the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation (CCIM) from the Realtors National Marketing Institute of the National Association of Realtors. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the United States Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Military Appeals.

He is past president of the Rotary Club of East Liverpool, and the Columbiana County Board of Realtors, and a former member of the Ohio Job Training Partnership, Inc., the Realtors National Marketing Institute, and the National Association of Realtors. He is a former member of and past chairperson of the Private Industry Council of Mahoning-Columbiana Counties, the Southern Columbiana County Joint Services Employers Committee, and of the Ohio Small Business Council Coordinating Board. He was formerly a member of the Ohio Governor's Human Resources Advisory Council, the Business Advisory Council of the National Alliance of Business, the Advisory Committee for the Columbiana County Incubator, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Mahoning Valley Incubator. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church of East Liverpool, a member of Chapter No. 126 of the Korean War Veterans Association, a life member of the Korean War Veterans Association, a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, a member of the Dog Company 2nd Battalion Seventh Marines Association, and a member of the American Legion Post No. 374. He is the author of "Triumph on 1240" the history of the Marines of D Company 2nd Battalion 7th Marines 1st Marine Division in Korea.

Since his retirement from the service, he served in several positions in the East Liverpool Area Chamber of Commerce including that of Executive Vice President and Secretary from 1982 to 1987. He was also a member of the Riverview Cemetery Association Board.

His wife, **** survives at home. The couple married June 1, 1980.

Burial will be at Riverview Cemetery where full military honors will be conducted.

Following the service, family and friends will gather at the Dawson Family Center for further remembrance.

sorry everyone!!  I have been more than busy, just everything that could possibly go wrong this past month, has, in fact, gone wrong.  There are days like that, and sometimes, there are entire months like that.

Soon, I hope to be able to blog again LOL. Everyone is healthy, the girls are fine and I am fine, overworked, stressed and a bit frazzled, but then, you'll have that occasionally.

Love to all who have checked up on me!!

Thank you Appliance Mike. the video was perfect. Took laptop down to the basement and followed directions. Took me only slightly longer than the video to completely fix the washer. A $20 part at the local appliance parts shop and saved me $200 in repair fees.

Sometimes, its nice to have good things turn out.

The furnace went out last night. THAT one I had to call repair man for. he has yet to call back.

Hope tonight is warm?

Thank you Appliance Mike. the video was perfect. Took laptop down to the basement and followed directions. Took me only slightly longer than the video to completely fix the washer. A $20 part at the local appliance parts shop and saved me $200 in repair fees.

Sometimes, its nice to have good things turn out.

The furnace went out last night. THAT one I had to call repair man for. he has yet to call back.

Hope tonight is warm?

This is what I am going to be doing tomorrow. Won't we have FUN !   Thank GOD for the internet. BTW, the coupler on a direct drive transmission washer is what makes it go. Kind of IMPORTANT.

 

I am  heretofore going to live my life like a dog.

 

If I see something......

 

and I cannot EAT it or SCREW it...

 

then I shall Piss On It and walk away.

We, S and I, are sitting on the couch the other night.

She starts writing down something in her notebook whilst we are watching TV.

I look over and say "Whatcha writing?"

She says, "oh, just something I heard that I thought I'd better write down. My brain is getting fuller now, and I thought I'd better start writing some of the things down."

Casually, I looked over, and her handwriting isn't that readable. She is 9. She is in 4th grade. Now, I know the kid is gifted. At 9 years old, I too, was extremely gifted. HOWEVER.....

This is what she wrote. It took me awhile to get through it and decode it, as it were.

Then, I turned to her and said..."Was this an assignment in school, to memorize these passages"?

"no, she replies."

I said "Then why?"

She said "I just heard it somewhere, one of my teachers was reading it, and it sounded really sort of profound, so I told my brain to remember it, in case it was important later in life."

Then, curiosity overwhelming me at this point, I said, "when did you 'overhear' this."

She said, "I'm not really sure, sometime this school year though." I said "Oh. That's cool."

then I put her to bed and ran to the laptop to look up the passages (my mind being somewhat old and overused and, well, idiotic at this point. Here is what she wrote down, decoded.

"But words are things, and a small drop of ink

Falling like dew, upon a thought,

Produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think." Lord Byron

 

"There is no Frigate like a Book

To take us Lands away

Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry --

This Travers may the poorest take

Without oppress of Toll --

How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human Soul." Emily Dickinson

If I seem to be freaking out just a tad, well, it's probably because I am.

Time for James Joyce and Papa Hemingway? Perhaps some Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky?

God gives us challenges, but REALLY !!!!!!!!!!!

So, how's everyone been doing?

Good? Great!!

the girls and I sort of bought a business which is slowly starting to take off. Slowly would be the operative word here LOL.

My hours are sketchy, I am open Mon and Fri from 8-3 then Tues, Wed and Thurs from 12-3 and again from 4-8, and Saturdays from 10-6.

The reason is on Mon and Fri I have to do karate, and on T, W, and Th, I can be at the shop because the girls have music/voice/piano/guitar/ drum lessons at the shop downstairs from me. I am keeping up with it, that's as far as I am going so far LOL. I AM 53 years old and raising 3 grandkids, but business is starting to pick up.

It is a 'contemporary ceramic studio' (read Paint your own Pottery), and is lots of fun, and dirty, and hands on etc.

 

One of our tBlog friends, who shall remain nameless, took it upon himself to bless me and my endeavor by sending me fairly regular $50 bills. He has no idea how that has saved my old butt several times and is responsible for advertising and signage and a few other things. He is very sweet andhas helped more than he could possibly know. here are a few pics for everyone!!