Transmissions from the Northern Outpost

Tag: family

  • My niece turns 11, Corner Gas, & a high school reunion

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    Today, my niece turned 11. This is her shortly after she was born with me and her brother:

    This is she and her brother today at breakfast at a restaurant in the town where they live, that my sister took her for her birthday:

    This past week

    Kim and I are rewatching a series we’ve watched before and enjoying it all over. Here is a clip of the show:

    This weekend

    Tomorrow, Kim and I are going away for the weekend for her high school reunion on Saturday in southern New Jersey. It’s a multi-year reunion so also includes her sister’s class from a few years before Kim. We’re staying at the hotel where the reunion is being held for two nights, then with her sister and her husband in Delaware Sunday night before coming back Monday morning. Also, we’re meeting up with one of her high school classmates, who isn’t going to the reunion, for dinner tomorrow night. It ought to be a good weekend all around.

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  • Vaccines, celebrating 62, & wine

    Every Thursday, or sometimes Friday as today, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today

    I got both a covid and a flu shot about an hour and a half ago. My wife Kim is getting both, plus a shingles vaccine next Friday.

    The Past Week

    Kim and I visited with my parents, sister, and her family yesterday. My parents celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on Monday. We were at their house for that and to go over wills, advanced health directives, and discussions about the potential of nursing homes or home health care as both are 81 and are in declining health. Nothing was decided yet, but at least we all discussed it, and our talk together was productive.

    The Week(s) To Come

    Starting Sunday, I work seven days in a row, but only a few hours each day for most of the days. Then at the end of the seven days, next Saturday, my wife Kim and I are going to an equinox party at a local winery. Woo hoo!

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  • 3 Good Things: Family, family, family!

    Every Thursday, or Friday or Saturday, like today, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Keeping it short and simple this week

    • I’m at my parents, who live about 60 miles away from us. I’ve been here since late yesterday morning and will be here through late Sunday morning.
    • I also am able to see my sister and her family, who live near my parents.
    • My wife and I are both off work tomorrow night and maybe we’ll catch up on some TV we’ve been meaning to watch, including this documentary.

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  • 3 Good Things From July and For August

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    I didn’t draft my regular Three Good Things Thursday earlier in the week, then I worked this past Thursday and Friday. And yesterday I just didn’t feel like writing a blog post, so here we are.

    With it being near the end of the month July and the beginning of the month of August, I thought I’d look back at three good things from last month and hopefully three good things from this coming month.

    3 Good Things From July

    1. I survived the heat, as I was able to keep our house relatively cool during the heat waves we had during the month, thanks to three strategically-placed air conditioners in our small one-story house. We live in northcentral Pennsylvania so we don’t usually hit 100, but we had some days in the 90s and a few days and nights that were very humid. I would prefer temperatures in the 70s all the time.
    2. I had a three-day weekend to start and end the month.
    3. I also had therapy to start and end the month, with progress being made during the month relatively, despite, while not my personal world but, “the world” in general falling apart or further declining. I’m still attempting to “cultivate my garden” as was, and is, my goal when I first began this blog back in January.

    3 Good Things For August

    1. First and foremost, today is my mother’s 81st birthday. She is now the same age, as my father who turned 81 in January. Despite some medical issues for both of them (I won’t go into details because, as with “these kinds of things,” it’s easy to get bogged down in the details), they still live at home, with my sister, who lives a few miles away. I’m about 60 miles away and while my wife’s work schedule doesn’t allow me to go over today, I am going to see them both later in the week as…
    2. the month begins with five days off in a row. I won’t be able to get over to see them and my sister and her family until later in the week, but it will be good, whatever time I get to visit with them all.
    3. And the month ends with four days off in a row into Labor Day to end summer.

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  • Happy anniversary, today off, and Tomorrowland tomorrow

    Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    To my sister and brother-in-law

    This past week, my sister and brother-in-law celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary. My brother-in-law was/is off work all week and besides going to a bookstore and out for dinner on their anniversary, they’ve just been hanging out with each other and their kids at home the rest of the week.

    Today, my wife Kim and I were both off work. She went to a local art club, her first time going, then the local produce market. We then watched silly TV the rest of the day. Like my sister and brother-in-law, we are simple folk, I guess.

    This weekend I’m off work and among other things I plan on watching Tomorrowland (a music festival in Belgium), which is still happening despite a fire on Wednesday that destroyed the Main Stage.

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  • Remember compassion

    Every Thursday, and sometimes Friday like today, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today I’m grateful for the day off. Most Fridays I work but happen to be off this Friday, and I’ll be off next Friday for the Fourth of July. I also am off the last Friday of the month. I have no big plans for any of the days. Still it’s nice to have off.

    Addendum in afternoon: it’s not sunny but the temperatures are hovering around 70 and the windows are open after the house was closed up earlier in the week with temperatures in the 90s and window air conditioners running nonstop for a few days.

    This past week, my sister and I have been able to communicate well, especially about our aging parents, both with health issues.  It’s a challenging time for both of us, our spouses, and her children, and, not least of all, our parents. However, we all are trying to be understanding with each other, and know that when we get upset with each other, we still love each other. In the next few months, year, and years, I’ll probably have to return to this thought more than once as a gentle reminder, hence the title of the of the post.

    Next week, I will have a three-day weekend, starting with the Fourth of July. My wife is working that weekend so we won’t be going anywhere and normally don’t anyway. Personally, I’m looking forward to the second and final Subway Series of the season between the Yankees and the Mets Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Yankees won the first series, winning two out of three games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This time, the games will be played at Citi Field in Queens, with all afternoon games.

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  • 3 Good Things For Father’s Day

    …in lieu of a 3 Good Things Thursday this week.

    Usually Thursdays, but today on a Sunday, I share three good things from that day, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. Then I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. (I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.) Today is a quick special edition for Father’s Day.  So without further ado…

    My Father

    This weekend I’m visiting him and my mother who live about 60 miles away, after not seeing them in probably six months, around his birthday in January. I came over yesterday and will be here until later today. It’s been a good visit thus far.

    Family

    My sister and her family will be here this afternoon, and we’ll have burgers and hot dogs.

    Yesterday my sister and her daughter came over and we played a game called Aggravation (a board game with marbles), with my niece winning after my mom and I “put her back” to the beginning. It was a nicely played game by her (even with the mild trash talking amongst us).

    From a game last year this month in which I won. I think my niece remembered. 😉

    A nearly-perfectly-made omelette

    To start today, I made omelettes for my dad and me. They have a nice set of non-stick pans, and the first omelette for my dad turned out nearly perfect. I say nearly perfect because I forgot to add a piece of thin-sliced ham to his. That said, I used olive oil, a little salt and pepper and it turned out much better than the ones I make on our stove. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of it right out of the pan, but you still get the gist:

    I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

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  • Yay, negative biopsy! And go Yankees!

    Every Thursday I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the week or weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to share in the comments your three good things too, if you want. I was introduced to thinking on three good things for the week by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who lists hers every Sunday on her blog.

    Today’s No. 1 is a big one. A couple of weeks ago, my dad, who is 81, had an ultrasound on a spot on his chest. Then a series of doctor appointments followed with the spot being removed and a biopsy being performed. Today the results came back: negative!

    After that, No. 2 and No. 3 are just cake.

    A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I am now watching baseball, and specifically the Yankees. As of today, at they have 35 wins and 20 losses and set atop the American League East and the third best record in Major League Baseball behind the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

    And this weekend, they will be in Los Angeles facing the Dodgers who…ugh…I hate saying this…defeated the Yankees in last year’s World Series. But this year, the Yankees are on fire and the Dodgers are beleaguered by pitching injuries. So…

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  • Waiting To Become Bait

    For National Poetry Month, I’ve been sharing poems each day, one that I’ve written, usually followed by whatever one from three sites that share a poem a day that strikes my fancy that day. Today, however, I’m just going to leave you with my poem – and also end my sharing of poems for National Poetry Month early, because this seems like a good place to end.

    Today’s poem is another one about one of my grandfathers, my paternal grandfather, Grandpa Robinson. Like others about my grandfathers, it involves fishing.

    I saved this one for last because it is my mother’s – and sister’s – favorite poem of mine. It is one I couldn’t find on the external hard drive that holds most of my old poems. However, my sister texted me a photo of the poem that my parents have in a picture frame, that I gave to my late grandmother. The house they live in also was my grandmother and grandfather’s house. Thank you, Lisa, and also you, Mom, for encouraging me to include this among the poems I shared this past month.

    I mentioned to my mom in a phone conversation that I thought the poem was too sentimental, but after my sister sent it to me, I re-assessed that view and realized why it works, not only for them, but also for me – and hopefully for you.

    Waiting To Become Bait

    We fish until dusk flits its wings like a dragonfly 
    along the surface of the algae. Reel in our lines

    as if any turn could be the last before we are
    swallowed. Stumble up the hill, stars stabbing us

    in the back, cross the porch's portal out of breath. 
    Our sojourn to pond, success usually. A bucketful

    of bullheads or bass, what we drew out of its banks, 
    if providence granted. Now today in the same room

    where bone cancer caught its hook in my grandfather 
    and took his ghost out, I look out its west window

    to see him standing there again among the cattails,
    wearing his yellow windbreaker, aqua fishing cap.

    Head bowed like a monk, contemplating the dragonfly 
    just before it bolts across the horizon, swallows him.

    The poem is best read in desktop and sometimes lansdcape on your browser of choice.

    This post is also part of The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz.

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  • CHK-6645

    For National Poetry Month, I’m sharing poems each day, one that I’ve written followed by whatever one from three sites that share a poem a day that strikes my fancy that day.

    CHK-6645

    	"Who'll stop the rain?"
    		-- CCR

    She couldn't bring herself to climb into the Chinook
    at the air show, she said, because it reminded her
    of her father serving in Vietnam. But I did,

    on her behalf, and as I walked up the ramp,
    heard the boots shuffling across the tarmac:
    the other men as they climbed in behind him.

    There were no individual seats, just two benches
    running down both sides, and bubble-shaped
    windows which looked out on the jungle, 

    straps to hold you in. About every five feet,
    a medical kit was inset in the wall, a red cross
    painted on it to remind you this was not a drill.

    She said he only talked about his experience once,
    and that even then it wasn't much. It was a tale
    he told around the campfire to her and her sister

    when they were children. Like a ghost story,
    the Viet Cong were the boogey-men in the bush,
    but smaller, wielding machine guns, machetes.

    He never spoke of losing any friends there,
    of the woman in Saigon, the photograph
    her mother found in a box of medals

    he'd won for assorted acts of bravery,
    or why he won them. He was also silent
    when he and his daughter walked down the path

    to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington,
    as if he was remembering walking up a ramp,
    the names of those who went with him.

    Today’s poem from one of three sites that share a poem each day is “Downtown Oakland Poem” by Barbara Jane Reyes on Poets.org.

    The above poems are best viewed in desktop and sometimes lansdcape on your browser of choice.

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