Category Archives: Assistance

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 11

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 2, 2026- Hana and I took a longer walk today-2 miles, round trip, going along a paved path in Hoblitzelle Park that passes Hedgecoxe Elementary School and followed the connecting street to its junction with Hedgecoxe Road. There, at the corner, was Montessori Children’s House. So, I noted to my granddaughter that we had passed two possible schools in her future. She was happy; probably because of the delight in my voice.

Later in the afternoon, Hana showed interest in a book I am reading on a more esoteric subject. She noted the two people on the cover, also feeling how smooth the cover was. Then she opened the book and was looking carefully at some charts and graphs. I explained what those were, in very simple terms. She continued looking at the printed pages, for nearly fifteen minutes. I read the title of the book and the authors’ names to her, a couple of times. This is consistent with her keen interest in books, whether they are simple cloth books, pop-ups or more detailed volumes.

HANA’S NOTE- I like Papa helping me with my breakfast and lunch, but i want Mommy to be home and help me with dinner. Papa lets me wait for her, which is nice.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Washington State-The Evergreen State, like northern California, is a place of enormous contrast. I’ve enjoyed all parts of the state, in five different visits.

The Turf- Western Washington, especially the Olympic Peninsula, is covered by rain forest, and along with southeast Alaska, is one of the wettest parts of the mainland United States. Islands fill the Straits of Juan de Fuca, which separates Washington from Vancouver Island, and Puget Sound, between the Olympic Peninsula and the Seattle area. East of Puget Sound are the foothills of the Northern Cascades. Seattle has some of the sharpest elevation grades of any American city, rivaling San Francisco., East of Metro, the Northern Cascades rise in earnest. Beyond the Cascades, the Columbia Plateau is semi-arid, getting almost desert-like in the southeast corner, known as the Palouse. North of the plateau, the Columbia Mountains extend nearly to Spokane, ameliorating the dry conditions that are prevalent in the southeast of the state. Washington is drained by the Columbia, Snake, Skagit, Toppenish,Snohomish, Cascade, Sauk, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Duwamish, Puyallup, Nisqually, Okanagan, Cowlitz,Yakima, Spokane, Chelan and Wenatchee Rivers, among nearly 300 divers, streams and creeks,

First Nations- Washington State is the ancestral home of 29 First Nations. The largest of these are the Colville, Cowlitz, Lummi, Makah, Muckleshoot, Nooksack, Port Gamble(Kitsap), Puyallup, Quinault, Spokane, Swinomish, Tulalip and Yakama. In the 1850s, a four-year, territory-wide war between the Yakama and their affiliated nations on the one hand, and the U.S. Army, the Territorial Governments of Washington and Oregon, and the Snoqaulmie Nation, on the other, was sparked by the wanton murder of two Yakama women and an infant, by a party of drunken miners, followed by the husband and father of the victims killing a government emissary and several settlers. The conflict resulted in the establishment of reservations for the Yakama, Spokane and Walla Walla people. Relations between Native and white people today are generally peaceful.

Where I feel most at home- Tacoma, Olympia, Quinault, Neah Bay, Forks, Port Angeles, Spokane, Pullman, Goldendale.

Where I feel most at peace- Neah Bay, Goldendale

NEXT: Oregon

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 7

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 28, 2026- Hana talked a blue streak today. She seemed to be excited about her vast gains in scooting and standing up. She is now able to stand, unsupported, for nearly two minutes. She walked, with my help, the length of the master bedroom, from her crib to the door. These achievements made her beam with delight.

I, too, beam with delight, when she listens to me and sits down in her high chair. She wanted to show off by standing up, proud as you please. My reaction was: “If you want more breakfast, then sit down.” She sat down, and finished her breakfast. Better that, than Bravado Girl taking a tumble. (We strapped her in, for lunch and dinner.)

HANA’S NOTE: I am happy when I am standing and walking, while holding on to the playpen. I REALLY want to take steps without help.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Southern California- We now leave the Southwest and focus on the Pacific Coast and Basin. It could be argued that southern California is part of the Southwest, as the area (from Coalinga- Visalia- Mount Whitney on to the Mexican border) has an identity somewhat closer to Arizona and southern Nevada than to the northern part of the Golden State. It also has a unique tie to the Pacific Ocean.

The turf- The coast is defined by tits beach towns, the energy and drive of Los Angeles, San Diego and their seemingly endless suburbs (and traffic). The Coast Ranges separate the metropolises from the Colorado and Mohave Deserts-somewhat. Orange groves, which were once ubiquitous, are mainly now on the eastern slopes of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains-and in northern San Diego County. The San Andreas Fault, and other tectonic plates, run north to south, through the Transverse Ranges-which themselves run east to west, from San Bernardino to Santa Barbara. The Colorado River, along the borders with Nevada and Arizona, is the major draining flow of southern California. Shorter rivers, such as San Diego, San Gabriel, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and Santa Ynez, drain from the Coast and Transverse Mountains, to the Pacific Ocean. Salton Sea is a shrinking body of salt water, in the southern reaches of the Colorado Desert.

First Nations- Southern California is the ancestral home of the Diegueno, Luiseno,Juaneno, Gabrieleno, Quechan, Cahuilla, Serrano, Soboba, Tataviam and Chumash peoples. The Diegueno are also called Kumeyaay, or Tipai/Ipai. Most of the people were brought into the life of Mission Communities, either by enticement or by force. Today, the communities are more independent of the Church and are organized in rancherias, or small reservations. A revival of indigenous languages, especially Kumeyaay and Chumash, is being slowly nurtured.

Southern California, particularly San Diego, has been very important to my family, over the years. My relationship with Penny was nurtured in Vista and in Julian. We were married in San Diego. We took our vacations from Arizona in San Diego, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara, Aram was stationed in San Diego, for nearly six years.Much of my time was also spent around southern California, especially in the beach towns, from 2012-2025.

Where I most feel at home: Ocean Beach, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Banning, Julian, Crystal Cove, Dana Point, Ojai, Lomita, San Gabriel, Joshua Tree National Park

Where I most feel at peace: Ocean Beach, Torrey Pines, Joshua Tree

NEXT: Northern California

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 6

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 27,2026– Hana now has a pegboard, with thing like a timer, a zipper, an abacus, a gear board and some coloured fruits. She has taken happily to it and posed for a picture, while playing with the gears. When I left for Baha’i Feast, this evening, she was still busily at work, sorting things out in the large toy basket.

Earlier this afternoon, we went on a walk, for the first time in P.M., since June. I took her by a yard that already has a full Halloween display, mostly various skeletons, from an armadillo to a 20-foot human, along with Elphaba, from the “Wizard of Oz” and a few little goblins. She regarded them mildly, then went back into her own thoughts.

HANA’S NOTE– I am so happy with my new toys, that are on a board with holes in it. I especially like the wheels that fit into each other.

EXPANDING CIRCLES- Nevada The Silver State has often been called “The Big Empty”, but not so much in the last 15-20 years. Las Vegas is now a major metropolitan area. Reno- Sparks-Carson City and Lake Tahoe are becoming a second major metro. The area in between is no longer “The Loneliest Road in America”. I would not be surprised if places like Beatty and Tonopah start to fill in and grow,

The Turf- Nevada has regions that are close to sea level, not far from mountains that rise to over 13,000 feet. The bulk of the state is in the Great Basin, but there are small mountain ranges: Toiyabe, Ruby and Panamint. The Sierra Nevada edge into their namesake state, near Lake Tahoe, which, along with Pyramid Lake and Lake Lahontan, is a fresh water remnant of glaciation. Lake Mead, on the other hand, is the result of the damming of the Colorado River. That river, with its tributaries, the White and Virgin Rivers, drains the south of Nevada. The Truckee, Carson, Owyhee, Humboldt, Reese and Marys Rivers irrigate the north,

First Nations- Nevada is the ancestral home of the Northern and Southern Paiute, Goshute, Mohave, Chemehuevi, Mono, Washoe, Shoshone, Pahvant, Tsaiduka and Kuyatikka peoples, along with a dozen smaller groups. As in many other areas, Nevada’s indigenous people have had reason to regard people of European descent with suspicion. I have been received with varying degrees of guardedness, by people in First Nations areas near Las Vegas and Carson City. It is always best to show kindness and patience there, as anywhere.

Places where I feel most at home- Carson City, most certainly, as that is where my heart family lives. Reno, Austin, Fallon, Tonopah, Beatty, Valley of Fire, Pioche and Panaca are all heart homes, as well.

Where I feel most at peace: Cathedral Gorge

NEXT: Southern California

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 4

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 25, 2026- Hana practiced walking around the house, with me holding her hands. We made it through the dining room, kitchen and living room,before her father came home and her attention was shifted. She has her stopping places, of course: The dining room table, the dish washer, the door to the laundry room, her kitchen high chair (where she sits and watches us prepare food and clean up) and her two strollers, which are parked near the door to the back yard. We stopped at the sofas, one of which has her quilt and the other, a Winnie the Pooh plush toy. This will surely be a regular afternoon activity, until she is able to walk on her own.

A bit earlier, when she woke from her afternoon nap, I took her to the playpen. She said “No no”, which somehow cued me that it was time to prepare her mid-afternoon feeding. So, I sat her in the kitchen high chair, and started warming the bottle, which gave her the satisfaction of being understood. After the feeding, she was perfectly glad to spend more time in the pen.

HANA’S NOTE- I ate almost everything by myself today. It is getting easier. even using the spoon.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Utah- The Beehive State stands prominently in two ways. First, the per-eminence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, colloquially called “the Mormons” and second, the number and variety of its natural treasures.

The turf- Utah’s landscape is a fascinating interplay of desert and mountain, with lush valleys in between the two. In the west are found Zion and Kolob canyons, comprising Zion National Park; Bryce Canyon National Park; the mountainous Cedar Breaks; and furhter north, the low-lying Bonneville Salt Flats.

In the center of the state are its urban centers: Salt lake City, Provo-Orem, and Ogden, the first two built near lakes. Great Salt Lake is the signature symbol of Utah, yet is under extreme duress, from development and diversion of its water. Utah Lake is also increasingly surrounded by urban growth.

Eastern Utah is dominated by the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, in the north; Canyonlands, Arches National Monument, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges and the Henry Mountains cover the southeast. The area around Price is also filled with rugged canyons.

Utah is drained by the Colorado and Green Rivers, and their tributaries, including the Duchesne, San Juan and Virgin Rivers.

First Nations- Utah is the ancestral home of the Ute, Paiute, Goshute, Shoshone and Dineh (Navajo) peoples. Mormon pioneers alternately traded peacefully with the Native peoples and fought with them over land and resources. Some Utes enslaved members of surrounding tribes, selling them to the Spanish, during the time of the area being part of New Spain. (The Mormons sometimes purchased the slaves, then set them free, engaged them as fairly well-treated house servants, or adopted them into their families. Utah was never a part of the Confederacy, and in fact sent men to serve in the Union Army.) Ute and Dineh lands in southeast Utah are productive of oil and natural gas, for which the tribal members receive some royalties.

Where I feel most at home: Kanab, Salida, East Side of Salt Lake City, Price, Arches National Park, Natural Bridges, Mexican Hat, Aneth.

Where I feel most at peace: Natural Bridges

NEXT: Arizona

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The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 31

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Education, Entertainment, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 21, 2026- Hana does not hold back, when it is time to express her opinion. She was not happy about being left out of ice cream for dessert. (We have a rule that there will be no sugary foods until she’s at least a year old, and maybe not until her “two-year” molars come in.). She didn’t throw a tantrum, but she did voice her objection, along with three strong taps of her hand on the playpen fence. Then it was over, as we acknowledged her feelings, and she went back to playing.

This afternoon, when I set her down in the crib, for her second nap, she was sleeping happily for about forty minutes. Then the afternoon sun came shining brightly, even through the fairly thick shades, She got up and called for me, then slept on my shoulder, in the recliner, for another hour. The girl is not shy about expressing her needs, and I want to keep it that way.

Today is the last day of summer. It’s been a season of loss- my friends Annie Lovell, Carole Hitti and Eva Kahn left this world, much as Randy Smith and Betty Cooper Ritchey did in the spring. Another, very dear, friend is deathly ill. Suffering and pain are widespread, both due to mismanagement and to climatic cycles.

Still and all, it has been a good summer. Hana has begun standing up, both with and without support. She feeds herself, at least 60% of each meal and has “told’ us that she wants the hot food before the hand-held cold items. She likes the little standing shower device that lets her parents bathe her, while she experiences something very close to a ‘grown-up” shower. Toilet training is right around the corner-and it is something she seems to want.

HANA’S NOTE- I just want a spoonful of ice cream-or maybe three or four.

EXPANDING CIRCLES– Arkansas- It would be very sweet to visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, near Murfreesboro, with my family, and devote 2-3 hours to digging and sifting. That is just one of the reasons to stop in Arkansas, which borders Texas on the northeast.

The turf- Arkansas is largely rolling hills and small mountains, in its western two thirds, and flat riparian plain, “the Delta”, in its eastern third. The Natural State is drained by the Mississippi, into which flow the White, the Ouachita and of course, the Arkansas River.

First Nations- Arkansas is the ancestral home of the Caddo, Chickasaw, Osage, Quapaw and Tunica peoples. The Nations, as entities, have moved to Oklahoma and Louisiana, but Arkansas is still their hearts’ home. Ceremonial mounds abounded in the state, with Toltec Mounds State Park being the largest preserved collection of mounds in the area.

I have visited the State Capitol and the Clinton Presidential Library, during visits to Little Rock, in the 2010s. The western Arkansas “twin cities” of Fort Smith and Van Buren are worth a day or two, especially the riverside Fort Smith National Historic Site. A favourite of my son and daughter-in-law is Hot Springs, for obvious reasons. The Ouachita and Boston Mountains extend into Arkansas, from Oklahoma and the Ozarks dominate the northern region. There is a lot to be said for stopovers in the Natural State.

Where I feel most at home: De Queen, downtown Van Buren, Little Rock Fitness Park

Where I feel most at peace: The banks of the Arkansas, at Fort Smith National Historical Park

NEXT- Louisiana

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 22

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Family, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

September 12, 2026- Hana didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, being amuse dby my making funny faces, while feeling sad that she couldn’t enjoy the spicy food we were having for dinner. She had eaten a full meal, earlier, but still wants to be included in whatever we are eating in our grown-up meals. Yunhee usually will cut up small bits of fruit. Tonight, it was bits of strawberry, then there were bits of a spongy peach and yogurt bread that Yunhee had made, especially for her girl. Those hit the spot, and Hana was again all smiles.

She shows a lot of the same resolute behaviour that Aram showed as a toddler. Yet, Hana is just shy of nine months, so “toddlerhood” is a bit down the road-or so we think now. She is on a mission, though, and is going to be walking earlier than her father did (13 months). She is also a lot more vocal than he was as a baby. Still, when we called her grand-uncle, David, as today is his birthday, Hana had nothing to say. She just looked at me, and then her father, talking into the phone. So, we sent him a birthday message, with her smiling countenance.

HANA’S NOTE– I was looking for a piece of strawberry I had dropped. Daddy told me to check my bib, and so I did-and there was the missing fruit. I’m glad I know more words now.

I REMEMBER: “Pete and Gladys”;” Mighty Mouse”; Pinky Lee; Captain Bob and Herkimer the Kiwi; the first girl I liked, named Katie, who moved out of our neighbourhood, when I was six years old and she was five; Kickball; acorn fights; the old oil drums in the marsh, and how Eddie and I pretended they were our boats; Consumer Reports; my handwritten newsletter; Mom’s lessons in cursive writing; helping dad put a blanket over the car engine, on a bitter January day; “The Thing” and “The Tingler”, in movie theaters in downtown Lynn; “Perry Mason”; my Book of Nations; my friends Mario Mattei, Mike Putnam, Joe Discolo, Charlie Landrigan, Joan Madden and my conscience, Jim Blanchard; the Harrisons; the Murphys; “Feep”; Brigham’s Ice Cream Parlor;my Nana’s parlour; my Grama’s porch; Pal, her dog; Winky, the Dows’ dog; Smoky, the Blanchards’ dog;

I remember Patsio’s Snack and Soda; Katie Walsh, my first real love, after my mother;Harvard Square, in the Summer of Love; the rotometer shop at G.E.; National Geographic, before the cover had photographs; Mad Magazine; Basic Training; Dave L. Cummings; Mack Gray; Brad Watts; Rufus Roper; Lisa Kifer; New Times; the New University, in Georgetown of D.C,; Uncle George’s science projects; George Boyce; FDR Hurst; Bill Bullock; Don Moore; Gary Oakley; Arnie Price; Lenny Covarrubias; the Henderson girls, of Woolahra, AU; the Tours and Travel Committee at NSCC; Joe Latino; Cindy Jacques; Mickey Berry; the Library Tower at UMass-Amherst; Roz Williamson; Jim Crepeau; Quisisana; Sally and Bill; Kathy Hughes and Annette Kuderka; the moose at Lake Kezar; the Bizortinator; Sophie, who told me to not wallow in self-pity, after I was fired on my 25th birthday.

I think that was the day that I tarted to grow up, I didn’t finish the process, until about ten years ago. Then again, maybe I’m still growing.

EXPANDING CIRCLES– Starting tomorrow, I will be looking at places, especially where I’ve been, talking about my favourite aspects of each: Where I went ; who I encountered; what was most enjoyable; what was impactful; where I might visit in the years ahead. I will begin with Texas, then proceed gradually outward, as Hana might, when she comes of age.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 21

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 11, 2026- Hana has no idea about the events of 25 years ago. Her parents were in Middle School, back then, I was making an effort to become fully employed. Her paternal grandmother was fully employed, and made a a concerted effort to explain the events to her Second Graders, before all were dismissed early.

I hope, against hope, that my granddaughter will not have to endure anything like what thousands of people experienced, on that turbulent day. She has had a safe and stable life, thus far. While I want to see her face challenges, and develop strengths, I also want these to be of her own choosing.

Hana has been more vocal and a bit feistier today, than heretofore. While I was feeding her oatmeal, this morning, she engaged me, just a bit, in a game of “keep away”, with her spoon. I pretended to be shocked and covered my eyes for a few seconds, then “pop”, I gently took the spoon back. This evening, while I was putting her high chair straps in place, she took one of the straps and began babbling about how she wanted it put over her shoulder, just so. I followed the “instructions”, to her delight.

HANA’S NOTE- I am almost ready to say words in Papa’s and Daddy’s language. I am also almost ready to start walking. Today, I scooted halfway around the play pen.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2025 This was another year of almost constant motion. I made it back to the Philippines, in February, and was actively contemplating moving there. I knew there was no guarantee that Kathy and I would be together in marriage, but I wanted to make the effort. Besides, the country and its people had made me that much more a part of a larger community.

I hosted a couple from Metro Manila, for a week or so, in April, taking in the South Rim of Grand Canyon, Seligman, Williams, Sedona, Flagstaff, the Verde Valley and Desert Rose Baha’i School, as well as Prescott. They got to experience the Farmers Market, Bearizona, Sno Cap, Bell Rock and Montezuma Well. I became more familiar with the Filipino communities in Las Vegas, where I met up with Babo and Thelma, and Phoenix, where I left them off.

For much of the year, I focused on acts of service. taking on a remote administrative position with the Red Cross, particularly focusing on the disastrous wildfire that destroyed the complex at the North Rim of Grand Canyon. I kept on with volunteering at Prescott Farmers Market and appeared at some Slow Food events as well. Social gatherings at the American Legion Post remained important.

In May, I drove back to the East Coast, with stops in Kansas, Wilmette, Mishawaka and northern Pennysylvania, before,visiting my parents’ and youngest brother’s graves, in Saugus,. I took in Mystery Hill, “America’s Stonehenge, in Salem, NH. The return included stops in Downingtown and Oley, in Harrisonburg and in Crossville. Grapevine was a weekend visit, and the question came forth. A baby was coming, in December. Would I be willing to move into a house that Aram and Yunhee planned to buy, for the sake of the child? In a few short minutes, my plans regarding the Philippines were, at the very least, put on hold. I had dreamed of a granddaughter, and this child was going to become a reality. Kathy, and other Baha’i friends, see this as a confirmation of my worth, not as a disappointment over the change in plans.

In 2014, I spent about a month in western Europe. For several years, I had promised myself and others that I would return to Europe and expand upon the earlier itinerary. This year, I was able to spend six weeks, spending quality time in eleven countries and transiting through three others. Iceland was the first stop, for four days in Reykjavik and the Reykjanes Peninsula. Sweden was next, with Stockholm, Gotland, and Nynashamn (the home of a delightful young family, who are my friends of several years) filling my days. In Denmark, the magical city of Helsingor, Copenhagen and Arhus won my heart. Germany focused on Berlin, Heidelberg and Frankfurt-am-Main. Austria, with sweet days in Vienna and Salzburg, was the midpoint of the journey. Poland presented the heritage of Krakow and the dark legacy of Auschwitz, with the town of Oswiecim as its gentle counterpoint. Croatia showcased bustling Zagreb and lively Split, where I met up with another online friend. Bosnia & Hercegovina presented the joy of Old Town Sarajevo and the grim heritage of Srebrenica, I transited through Czechia, Hungary and Slovenia, getting a brief taste of those beautiful countries. I returned to France, focusing on opposite ends of one of my ancestral homelands-Strasbourg and Metz, in the east; Le Havre and Dieppe, in the west, with a bus rid across Paris as the link. England was a revelation, at Portsmouth and Salisbury, the latter with its magnificent cathedral. Wales gave me a chance to connect with another online friend-at Fishguard. In Ireland, another ancestral homeland, I passed through Wexford, from where my maternal forbears are believed to have left for Germany, in the days of the Hanseatic League. I spent three days in Dublin, taking in the heritage of the waves of Celts, Vikings and English who built that grand city. Scotland, and a visit with another online friend, plus two happy days in Edinburgh, capped the journey. I was able to connect, albeit fleetingly, with Baha’is in Iceland, Germany, Austria and Ireland, the last being for the Twin Birthdays of al-Bab and Baha’u’llah.

Once back in Prescott, a scant month separated time in Europe from an increased focus on my Texas family. I spent Thanksgiving, and my 75th birthday in Grapevine with Aram, Yunhee and soon-to-be born Hana. Christmas brought me back there, and the last several days of the year were focused on wrapping up thirty-four years of Arizona living. On December 30, with the Pensky moving van loaded and my apartment clean, I bid farewell to one Home Base, and headed towards another: Prescott to Plano.

One lifestyle drew to a close, and another began; but I’m still a Sagittarian Seeker.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 19

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 9, 2026- Hana has taken to joining us in tapping on a surface, when we pretend to drum. She is developing a sense of rhythm, and also tries to dance, while holding onto the wall of the playpen, if one of us sings a lively song. If she falls down, she gets right back up.

A friend of Aram’s came by today, and was very helpful with some of the home remodeling work that we are contemplating. Aram and Yunhee now have a game plan. Hana was a bit unnerved by the man’s presence, though she started to get used to him, after about an hour. He is not a rough, or loud man, and is clean shaven, so I guess it’s just one of those things that she will work out, with our encouragement.

HANA’S NOTE- I was scared because this man who visited us had a sweaty shirt on. My smelling and hearing are very sharp, and the sweat smelled. I guess the man is okay, though.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2023 My Hiking Buddy moved here, in December and I met her at The Raven. We took several hikes together, in Prescott and Sedona. She is a self-made person and still manages to produce perfumes made with essential oils, in quite a prolific manner. We would have many hikes and meals together, in the next few years.

It seemed I was constantly on the road this year, more so than usual. There were three visits to California-One to manage a Red Cross shelter in Watsonville, after a flood that was triggered by rapid snow melt. I had the bounty of being helped greatly by my day manager, an energetic and efficient logistics team and by our Partner Agency, the county Emergency Management team. It was a fast-paced two weeks, and I was gratified by getting a poster of gratitude from the sheltered clients, signed by many of them, including the children. The Job Director, in San Jose, was also very appreciative of our efforts.

I took a train trip to Sacramento, thence to Carson City. It was my first journey that focused on the California capital, which I found quite welcoming-especially the hostel, across the street from Sacramento City Hall. I lost a jacket on the way back. It contained a locket with a faded photo of Aram and Penny. I substituted a better photo of them back at my Home Base.

In July, I went back up through the Central Valley, using Sportage. This time, I continued on, after visiting Sacramento. I paid a call on friends in Ashland, OR., and later took in Oregon’s stately capital, Salem. Then it was on, through Washington, to Vancouver Island, where I spent three days in Nanaimo, punctuated by a visit with a disabled Baha’i friend, in Victoria. Prepared a salmon dinner for her, in her cozy apartment, visiting until it was time for her to attend to other business. The return trip took me to Vancouver, WA, then past Lassen Volcanic National Park, which was closed by wildfire and on to Carson City, where a little girl I have known since she was a baby was performing in “The Wizard of Oz”. She was a Munchkin, but to me, it was just as important as if she had been Dorothy. It was also the last time I would see her grandmother, a friend of 30 years. She would pass on, in 2024.

In September, I headed east, for my mother’s birthday, after taking in a Baha’i school outside Colorado Springs. The route also took in sights in Nebraska, paid respects to a slain police officer in West St. Paul, MN, visited Pilot Knob, and of course, the Baha’i House of Worship, in Wilmette, Il, before heading to Lynnfield, by way of Toledo, East Palestine(OH), Bedford, PA and Hartford. Mom turned 95, to a lunch of pizza and perked up a bit, hearing “Happy Birthday” sung to her. It would be the last time we would get that chance. On the way back, I visited Harrisburg and York, PA, after my Oley stopover, and my brother’s birthday, in Downingtown. Another Harrisonburg visit found Duke’s had been replaced by a nice coffee shop. I visited Chuck and Laureen, in what would be my last time seeing him. Rock City, outside Chattanooga, was a delightful change of pace. Mississippi brought stops in Philadelphia and Jackson, then it was on through Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, before heading homeward, via Amarillo and Moriarty.

October took me to the Philippines. My purpose was to visit a young man I had been sponsoring, and his mother, through the auspices of the charity which had cared for them. It was a fun visit, although brief. I left their section of Luzon, and spent several days in Manila, focusing on the Baha’i community there. Of a Sunday morning, I met several of the Baha’i friends. A spirited and friendly lady introduced herself and quickly took charge of making my visit as happy as possible. In the Filipina style, she and two other ladies took me on a tour of Old Manila, that afternoon. The next few days, we went to elegant shopping malls. I felt close to Kathy and came to regard her as yet another special soul in my life. I would be back to the “Phils” two more times, in the next two years.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 18

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 8, 2026- We told Hana that it was important for us all to keep quiet, while a workman was doing a sonic test, in different parts of the downstairs. She was very careful to stay quiet, until she knew he was finished. Then she had all kinds of things to say about her lunch, of which she ate every bite.

Hana was surprisingly attentive to what he was saying. Most infants don’t attend very well to adults, other than their closest family members. She wants to at least hear what people are saying. It may stay in the back of her mind, until some day in the future, when she will recall hearing it somewhere. and put it to use. I’ve had that happen. She is also very much attached to certain books, my Baha’i prayer books among them. We spent about fifteen minutes, this morning, with my turning to random pages of “Baha’i Prayers”, and her looking at them with a fair intensity.

HANA’S NOTE- I feel happy when I hear Papa saying prayers. I also want to make it easier for my Mommy and Daddy, so I don’t get into mischief, even when it seems like it would be fun.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2022 I got less than a year with the Saturn Vue. It took me north and east to Massachusetts, and two visits with my mother, then to coastal Maine, and on to North Sydney, NS, and then from Channel-Port aux Basques, NL,on up to L’Anse aux Meadows, at Newfoundland’s northern tip, south and east to St. John’s, and back across to Nova Scotia, then clear to Mountaintop, PA. That is a town where my brother and his family once lived, and I felt a bit of nostalgia, having visited them there in the mid-1990s. When I was on my way out of Mountaintop, passing through its nearest southern neighbour, on the way to visit my niece and her family, I was stopped at a traffic light. BAM! A lady had fallen asleep at the wheel and rammed into the jeep behind me, which was then pushed into the Saturn. The light turned green and I led the way to a safe place for the three of us to stop and wait for the police. The jeep and the rearmost vehicle were attached at the bumper. The police officer looked at Saturn and said there was no damage to the exhaust or gas line, so I was free to go.

I continued on, to Exton, where my niece and her husband grilled some burgers and I relaxed for a time. I then went to Oley, where it was Dave Glick’s birthday (as well as Aram’s) and enjoyed a cake, coffee and conversation, then spent the night, as I often have. Next came a two-day stay in Crossville, TN at the home of friends Laureen and Chuck, followed by the State Capitol and Parthenon, in Nashville, a segment of Natchez Trace, from Nashville to Hohenwald, Once there, I found a pizza place open on that Sunday night, had a decent meal and went on to Florence and Muscle Shoals, AL. Mississippi, Louisiana and east Texas followed, without any indication of trouble. I spent three days with Aram and Yunhee, in Grapevine, and made the rest of my way to Prescott. Then I took Saturn to my regular auto body shop. It was pronounced totaled. Maybe it was the initial collision, or the wear and tear of a seemingly uneventful drive homeward-or maybe both. I turned the warhorse over to my insurance company, got a settlement with the PA woman’s insurance agent and bought KIA Sportage.

Some presences in life are rich, but fleeting. So it has been with all three of the Saturns I’ve owned.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 17

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 7, 2026- Neither Hana or I are working paid jobs, but we did our share around the house. Hana likes to put her own tray on the high chair-and she knows how to do it. Of course, some adult dexterity is needed to fasten it securely, but she likes to start the process. She also wants, very badly, to climb up and out of the playpen. There are no footholds, though, and we’re not providing her with any.

Labor Day, for the family, was very productive. We finally got a foundation and drywall specialist who was a straight talker and was not interested in selling us his services, on the spot. He recommended a holistic course of action, which addressed the matter of water-sucking shrubs and small trees. We had three of them removed, this afternoon.

HANA’S NOTE- I am so glad that my grownups listen to me, when I need my diaper changed. I also like getting bits of cut fruit, when they have their lunch or dinner-after I’ve had my big meal. I like being part of their gathering.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2021 Year Two of the Pandemic saw more in-person classes resume, as the danger of infection abated, somewhat. Masks and physical distancing were still big things, as were virtual meetings. Our Baha’i gatherings were still largely on Zoom, as there were too many people with compromised immune systems, and we lost one elder in the summer of 2020.

This was the year that my mother moved out of our childhood home- a place in which she had lived for 66 years. I made two journeys across country this year- first, to ascertain Mom’s state of mind, at her new place of residence and to help clean out the old house, once it had been sold. So, in May, I went back to Saugus, and spent five days helping to with the process. The road east was still COVID protocol-led, from New Mexico to Connecticut. Once in Massachusetts, things had abated somewhat, though for obvious reasons, I went into Mom’s residence masked up and wearing gloves. She made me remove my mask and gloves, when I entered her room. The place was taking care of her, to the extent she let anyone do so.

I went back to Prescott, stopping in Carmel, NY; Oley (for a home-style dinner); Bedford, PA; Terre Haute; Jefferson City, Wheatland and Lamar, MO; and Grants, NM. The COVID protocol was less stringent already.

July brought me eastward again, through Grapevine, TX, so that I could celebrate Aram’s birthday with him and Yunhee. The route then took me to the Greenwood section of Tulsa, where a mob massacred large numbers of Black people, a hundred years ago; then came Memphis, and a visit to the Museum of Civil Rights and Beale Street. In Crossville, TN, I visited with friends and hiked to Fall Creek Falls, in the rain. Harrisonburg did not have Artful Cafe, any longer, but it had Duke’s, a similar place of welcome, in the same location. I made a stopover at Oley, on the way up to Saugus. I had a fine visit with maternal cousin, John and his wife, as well as spending time with Mom and my MA siblings. In Maine, I paid respects to paternal cousin John, and his parents, now all interred in a National Cemetery in Augusta.

Going back was a northern route: Concord, NH; Albany; Du Bois, PA; Mishawaka; Wilmette; Madison and Hudson, WI; Minneapolis-St.Paul, (where I met up with a first cousin, once removed and her family; Fairmont, MN and Sioux Falls (where I made a boo-boo and needed some radiator repair, as a result). Nebraska and Colorado saw me safely back into Home Base.

Late September brought the end of Elantra. As I was headed to work, on a country road, I stopped for 5 seconds and proceeded, A landscape vehicle, going twenty miles over the speed limit, came over the hill and hit the Hyundai exactly between me and the gas tank. I was cited for not having waited 10 seconds at the stop sign. The landscaper was taken into custody. The Hyundai was replaced by a 2007 Saturn Vue, for which I paid cash. While I waited to take possession of the Saturn, whose owner was getting ready to move and just needed the vehicle until her moving date, I had a rental car, paid by the landscape company’s insurance. With that rental car, I made a trip to Chaco Culture National Historic Park and to Ghost Ranch, spending a day in each place.

In December, the Vue and I drove to Santa Fe and Taos. A Christmas visit to Santa Fe had become my self-indulgence for two years, before COVID and it seemed like a good time to jump start things. I visited the Georgia O’Keefffe Museum, having been inspired by the October visit to Ghost Ranch.

Life was becoming normal, and full, again.