White Weekend

Michigan got hit with it’s first real winter storm this weekend. It was no joke. It started Friday afternoon after I got to work. In the short couple hours I was there, the snow accumulated quickly. It didn’t take long for patients to start cancelling their appointments for that evening.

Believe it or not, despite the 6-8 inches of snow that had already fallen, there were still a couple patients who were going to drive in. The problem was that our techs were having trouble getting in. We ended up having to cancel everyone for that night. This was probably a good thing, because I got to go home early.

My wife didn’t want me driving in the storm, but I certainly didn’t want to sleep at work. So I ventured out and my normal hour and ten minute drive wound up being about 3 hours. The drive was treacherous. There were cars flipped in ditches, semi-trucks jackknifed, flares surrounding cars that had stalled, and many freeway closures. It was a white knuckle drive and I was glad to finally be home.

Saturday, the kids and I took advantage of the snow and tried out their new sled.

I pulled them all over the yard and up and down the street. It didn’t take long before my copy cat (Andrew) wanted to pull his sister in the sled. I really didn’t think he’d be able to, but he did!

Daisy was having a blast in the snow and kept trying to bite the cord we were pulling the sled with. Naturally, Ella had to pull Andrew as well.

It was very cold out, so I had to really beg them to come inside. They didn’t want to, but I promised hot cocoa, so they came in.

Sam was supposed to work Saturday, but all the patients had cancelled. So we enjoyed an evening at home. Ella decided that she would give us a spa day.

Sam got her nails done first. As I chuckled about how hard it was going to be to get that polish off, Ella informed me that I was next!

I still have nail polish in my cuticles!

Before bed, we made an obstacle course in the living room for them to burn off all their extra energy.

Sam was teaching Ella how to tuck and roll. She stood on the foam nugget (above), touched her toes, tucked her head, and they rolled over. She wanted me to try it. Three times I did it and failed miserably each time. My wonderful and loving wife took video and posted on Facebook for all to see. It is not my proudest moment and I look like hell! I will NOT be sharing here.

All the running out in the snow did tucker Daisy out. I had to laugh as I sat on the couch next to her and I looked over and saw this:

My brother and his friend had tickets to see the Madonna show in Detroit last night. He drove up on Saturday night and stayed at a hotel. He stopped by Sunday and hung out with the kids. They were so excited to see their Uncles. At one point, Andrew kept bringing books to my brother to read. He’d read it right the first time and then (when asked to read it again) would alter the story with humorous comments.

Any time I get to see my brother is treasured. We need to take a trip down to see him in Ohio this summer.

Sunday Night, the Detroit Lions beat the LA Rams in their first playoff win sin 32 years. I wrote about this in the previous blog, but had to share this. Coincidentally, the Detroit Free Press posted a picture of the temperature in the little town of Hell, MI on Sunday night.

Go Lions!!!

Testing My Heart

I’ve watched a lot of tight football games. I’ve been at the edge of my seat for many of them. Can I tell you that my heart rate is still up there after last night’s Detroit Lions playoff game?!

There was a lot of talk about this game. Matt Stafford was our Quarterback for years. They traded him to the Rams and we got Jared Goff. Stafford went on to win a Superbowl.

Last night Goff and Stafford went head to head in a playoff game. The Lions had not won a playoff game in 30+ years. There was more than electricity in the air.

Stafford, who did a lot for the Lions, was boo’d when he took the field. The crowd chanted “Jared Goff” when he came out. I get it. Goff is our guy now. Stafford even admitted that he knew he was “the enemy.” Was it necessary for the crowd to boo his kids … no, but again, all they were thinking about was a win.

Two great teams. Only one winner. I will not lie when I tell you I was almost in tears. What an amazing feeling! This team has brought life long fans like me a season like we haven’t seen in way too long.

The last five minutes of the game had me so anxious! It was a 1 point game! When we got the first down and all we needed to do was take a knee three times…..I was still worried. I’ve seen too many crazy outcomes to not be worried. But, alas, a victory!!!

Next week, we have another playoff game. I may need a valium, but I will once again be rooting for my Detroit Lions!

No matter what happens, I thank Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the rest of the team for a year that has been amazing to watch!!

The Sacred Tool Hymn

The other night my wife was singing to Andrew at bedtime. Like me, she has her own repertoire of songs to choose from. This particular night, she chose to sing Amazing Grace.

It is truly one of the most recognized hymns of all time, and the story of how it was written is fascinating. Anyway, for those unfamiliar with the first verse:

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost and now am found. Was blind but now I see.”

Sam started singing the first line and Andrew says, “Dis is Pa’s song! Dis is Pa’s song!”. She figures that it is completely possible that her dad or mom may have sung this song to him too.

So she says, “Oh yeah?”

He replies, “Pa’s wrench was lost in the garage, but now it is found! Pa found it!!”

Why do I have a feeling a wretch will forever now be a wrench from now on?!

Book Recommendation: The Marlow Murder Club

One of the things I love about Goodreads is how they will take books that you have read and offer suggestions based on them. You may recall that I have read all of the available books in the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. This book was suggested based on those. I admit there are similarities, but this one was just as good.

This is the first book in the series. It was very well written and there were plenty of twists and turns throughout it. There were likable characters and characters that you like to hate. I was left guessing right up to the end, and there were some surprises that wrapped everything up nicely.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…

Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.

One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.

Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.

When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…

The author, Robert Thorogood, is an English screenwriter. He is best known as the creator of the BBC 1 Murder Mystery Series, Death in Paradise. I was excited to learn that the PBS show Masterpiece is adapting this book into a 4-part miniseries that will air on PBS soon.

It’s no secret that I love a good mystery, and I enjoyed this one a lot!

Winter Karma

We woke up today to about an inch and a half of snow. There is more on the way before the week is done. It’s been fun to see how Daisy reacts to the snow.

She is not quite sure what to do with it. She sniffs it. She rolls in it. She eats it. It’s quite a scene.

When she is out by herself it was fun to watch. When the kids came outside, it was even more fun. The kids could not wait to get outside.

They were making snow angels, throwing snow up in the air, and running around like crazy. The puppy was loving every minute of it.

The puppy was hilarious. I would grab a bunch of snow and make a snowball. The pup would see it and get excited. I would throw it and it would explode as soon as it hit the ground. The pup would run to where it landed and would look around for it. If a snowball remained a snowball after it hit the ground, she’d go to pick it up with her mouth. Naturally, it would crumble immediately.

The more I threw snowballs for her, the funnier I found it. Sam came outside and I said, “Hey, watch this dumb dog!” I threw a snowball and she’d run after it it and go crazy when she couldn’t find it. She’s be digging around the snow. I was cracking up.

I did this for quite a while and karma came back to get me. I reached down to grab some snow for a snowball only to see that I had also scooped up with it a semi-fresh bit of dog poop! It was all over my gloves. No more snowballs for me.

Ok, Karma, I won’t make fun of the puppy anymore. I got your crappy message – literally!

I Hate Those Calls

The other day I received a message from a high school friend: “Hey. Are you up?” I didn’t see it because it was sent through Snapchat and I tend not to look at those right away. The following day, I texted her back and said, “Sorry I missed you. Is everything ok?”

It is sad, but it seems more and more messages that start that way bring about bad news. I know her mom really well and thought it might be something to do with her. She texted back, “I just wanted to let you know about (our mutual friend).” She then said she’d call me in a few.

The more time went by, the more I began to think about how strange this was. I had just reached out to our friend around Christmas. I messaged her on Facebook and said Merry Christmas and wished her well in the New Year. I then remembered I hadn’t heard back. I opened my Facebook messenger and saw that the message I sent her had not been read. This made me start to worry.

When my friend called back, I asked her what was going on. I was informed that our friend was in hospice care. I was stunned. I couldn’t even begin to imagine this. I hadn’t heard from her in a while, but I knew she had all kinds of things going on at home and figured she was sorting through all of that. I had no idea that she was sick.

I was told that she has an aggressive form of Bile Duct Cancer. It’s a rare cancer and it has metastasized into the brain. Within 24 hours of my friend’s call, she texted to say that they were upping the morphine and our friend would most likely be in a coma like state until she passes. I had hoped to visit her today, but wasn’t able to get there. I haven’t heard an update today.

I’m 53. We graduated together, so we’re about the same age. We reconnected through Facebook years ago, and when I was going through my divorce, she often reached out to see how I was. Our group of mutual friends all went out to dinner one night and it was so much fun. It was like being in high school all over again. Those friendships picked right up where we left off. She and I messaged often and when she started having issues in her life, the tables turned and I was there to talk with her and offer support. Now, she is in her final days.

I read a quote from someone online that really hit home:

“One of the absolutely worst things about getting old, is the loss of friends and loved ones to sickness and ultimately death. The longer I live, the more I find myself reminiscing about the folks who peppered my world with the joy of their presence, now gone forever.”

This is so true. I have so many things in my life to celebrate and that make me happy (my family first and foremost), but as I get older, it hurts to lose some of those wonderful people who shared good times with me.

The above quote from Leo Buscaglia should be something that should be on our minds daily. When they say “tomorrow is promised to no one,” they are right. In the blink of an eye, or in one millisecond life can change.

A co-worker was in a serious accident this week. She is ok, but her car is totaled. All it would have taken is a second earlier or a second later, or any other minute factor and the outcome could have been very different. You never know when it’s time.

The quote at the top of this blog is one that a good friend of mine had written on a mirror in her home. “Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many” It was found by her son when they were cleaning out her home. This friend was only 5 years older than me. Now, my friend in hospice is being denied that privilege, too.

I am grateful for the times we shared together and will miss her.

A Look Back at 2023

Perhaps this year I will plan a bit better. I hoped to post this year-end recap on January 1, 2024, but life had other plans. If I made New Year’s Resolutions, planning ahead just might be one of mine. Better late than never …

2023 was a year of ups and downs, but that’s what makes life interesting, right? As I looked back at the year in preparation for this blog, I was surprised at what a decent year it was. I found myself smiling at so many of the memories. I truly believe that there was more good memories than bad last year.

2023 was a year of accomplishments for me:

I read more books last year than I have in a very long time. There were so many good ones (many of them I reviewed here)!
I completed a full semester of my Bible classes and am ready to start the 5th semester (of 9).
Then there were the projects my father-in-law and I completed. We turned a closet into a nook, put in an entire new deck on the porch, and built a fence for the puppy.
I also completed a course on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
I participated in 12 installments of Turntable Talk for Dave Ruch’s A Sound Day site
I contributed a few songs to my friend Nancy’s The Rhythm Section site
I taught a couple classes on Sleep Medicine at a local college
I wrote my 1000th blog

There were a lot of new things in 2023 for me:

Sam and I both got new vehicles
I got a new schedule at work when I switched to afternoons
We got a new driveway and sidewalks because of that construction mess on our street
We added to our family with our new puppy, Daisy
A new diagnosis of ADHD and long term depression for me. This brings many challenges.

There were so many wonderful times with family and friends:

Ella celebrated birthday #3
Andrew celebrated birthday #2
Dante turned 21
Dimitri turned 16 (and I golfed with him for his birthday)
I celebrated my birthday with a princess party theme (picked out by Ella) and wore a tiara!
Our family enjoyed a nice day at the beach in Caseville
We enjoyed a great day on the Halloween Train with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Walt
My brother and I got to spend some time together thanks to his visits up to Michigan (He even contributed a nice guest blog)
Sam and I enjoyed a night out with a nice dinner and then seeing a Golden Girls play
My radio buddy, Cam, who I hadn’t seen in decades, came up and we had a great time reminiscing over coffee
My Goddaughter, Marissa, got married
The family enjoyed a night at the Detroit Zoo enjoying their Christmas Lights display
I had all my kids over on Christmas Eve and it was nice to have them all together. It may sound crazy, but we all sat on the couch and watch the Christmas episode of Shaun the Sheep and laughed like crazy together.
I also got to enjoy my first ever Daddy Daughter Dance with Ella.

Andrew certainly kept us busy this year. He’s been through the ringer. This year he’s had an MRI, an EEG, a few Sleep Studies, throat surgery, a swallow study, received a diagnosis of mild cerebral palsy and is now wearing braces on his legs. Between doctor appointments, he’s been doing speech therapy, and physical and occupational therapy. We spent a lot of time in the car this year. Thankfully, we continue to work on things and his prognosis is looking great.

I was finally able to hold the amazing portrait of Ella and Andrew in my hands this year. My friend Belita sent me many photos as the portrait progressed and my excitement built with each one. It is so beautiful. I need to get a frame for it, so I can hang it up on the wall.

As a bonus, the Detroit Lions have given me the best season I have been able to witness in forever!.

In 2023 I wrote 274 blog posts and this site had almost 31,000 views. As I looked back at the most popular posts, I was surprised to see that there was a new “Most Viewed” blog. The 6th blog I ever wrote for this site somehow always was the most viewed blog every year. It was a blog I wrote with some of Red Buttons’ funniest lines:

“Never Got a Dinner”!

That blog came in at the third most viewed this year (Over 700 views). The second most viewed blog was a holiday themed blog about one of my favorite Christmas specials:

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

The Year Without a Santa Claus blog just beat the Never Got a Dinner blog (750 views) The new champion, and most viewed blog this year was also holiday themed and got an amazing 4841 views!

My Top 20 Favorite Christmas Characters

I have to wonder why it got so many views. I do think it is cool, though.

As a loyal reader and visitor to this blog, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you for reading and commenting on my posts. Thank you for making 2023 something to remember.

As we continue in the new year, I pray it is a good one for you and me. That being said, I’m going to do something that I really have never done before on here.

My faith is something that you are aware of. I am always open to a good conversation about my faith. I make it no secret that I believe the Bible and am a Christian. I understand that you may not be. That is your choice and I am not in the position to judge anyone for what you believe. That being said, I watched a message from a pastor friend that really was powerful. I’m going to post the video here on this blog. Feel free to watch if you wish. If you don’t want to watch it, that’s ok. Consider this the end of this blog post.

If you do want to watch, let me set it up for you:

In the 1990’s, William Strauss and Neil Howe wrote a book about the historical cycles in America. It was called The Fourth Turning.

It is really a fascinating read! Bryan Ross taught a message about the New Year and if the cycles of history continue to follow the pattern, 2024 could bring some issues. His message was full of information and really helped me to be at peace and ready for what history might cycle back our way.

Keep in mind that the book itself is not a biblical book about prophecy or anything like that. It looks at the cycles of history. Pastor Ross presents this info honestly and then answers the question of how we should prepare for it.

Thanks for reading.

The Scissors Add 10 Years

Andrew got a haircut a few weeks ago. I had to work, so Sam brought Ella. She kept saying she wanted her hair cut. Now she’s had the ends trimmed a few times, but that’s been the extent of it.

When Sam asked how she wanted it cut she showed us with her hands. She said she wanted it to look like her cousins Kenzie and Riley. Both have theirs a bit short.

I was supposed to take her to the haircut today, and was hoping that I could talk her into just getting it cut to about shoulder length or lower. Sam decided that she’d take her and before they left, we asked her again. She wanted it like her cousins.

She has such beautiful hair. Her curls have always been there and people compliment her all the time on her hair. I just wasn’t sure if I could take it being gone.

Her hair is so long and beautiful. She was having issues with it getting snagged in the car seat buckle and in the zipper of her coat. This may have played a factor in her decision, but it was probably more that she loves her cousins.

When it was finally her turn she was excited!

Sam said she smiled through the entire haircut and could barely contain herself. When she saw the finished cut, she was filled with joy! She loves it!!!

Sam sent me a text with the above picture. My heart sank. “That’s a lot of hair,” I thought. She said, “She loves it and can’t wait for you to see it. Make sure you make a big deal out of it when we get home!”

I saw the car pull in the driveway and I began to prepare myself. I’m no dummy. I know that a good haircut makes kids look older. That’s why I think it bugged me so much. I knew she’d look older to me.

I put my hands over my eyes and they came in. “Here’s Princess Ella!” Sam cried. I opened my eyes and was stunned by just how beautiful she looked. She’s always been beautiful, don’t misunderstand me, but I’ve never seen her hair short before. I can’t even begin to describe it.

I told her how amazing she looked and then the video calls began. We had to show Nana, Aunt Emily, and Uncle Chris. The other folks were working, so they got to see pictures.

She’ll be four in February, and she is getting sassier as the days go on. Today, however, when I saw her new haircut, I held back every tear because I felt like she looked 10 or 12 years old.

My sweet baby girl, Daddy loves you so much. You are the most beautiful Princess I have ever seen. Slow down a bit, honey, you’re growing up so fast!

Happy New Year – Welcome 2024

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

2024 rang in quietly at my place. Sam worked New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I was in bed and asleep by 11:45pm on NYE. I didn’t even hear the fireworks and gunshots. At 5:45am, Daisy was barking to go outside. I got up, got dressed, and took her outside. The sad thing about this who scenario is that the first kiss of 2024 for me … was from the dog!

Sam came home and went to sleep and the kids and I prepared for my dad’s visit. Each of us had things going on over the holiday, so he said he’d drive up on New Year’s Day. He brought the kids their Christmas presents. Ella got a Barbie Camper and Andrew got a Little People car wash. Naturally they fought over the toys while my dad and Rose were there. During one loud batch of screaming, I looked at my dad and said, “By the way, I was hoping you could babysit the kids for a few days.” LOL

Rose doesn’t like her picture on the net, so I cropped her out of the picture. It is always nice when the kids get to see them.

I’m glad I got to see my dad. I feel like I see him less now with my new schedule, but we still talk all the time. There’s nothing better than seeing each other in person, though.

My yearly recap is coming and a pretty big thing happened today that brought me to tears. More on that next blog.

Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian