Category Archives: Inspiration

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 4

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Fiction, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 25,2026- Hana has two new toys. One is a plush crab, that mimics any sound it hears. So, she hears her own vocalizations “squeaked’ back to her. She hears the same, when one of us is near her and speaks. She doesn’t seem fazed by it, one way or the other. The other toy is a bumble bee pack pack, with the antennae fitting over her head and the wings and honey sac as her backpack. In truth, these seem more for her mother’s enjoyment than anything that might interest Hana. She may, eventually, develop an interest in them; we’ll see.

She is mostly just happy that it’s the weekend and she has Mommy and Daddy, as well as me. Among other things, she gets to snuggle with her parents, in the master bed, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It gratifies me to see that happening. She will be much more secure, as time goes on.

I made my Saturday morning visit to Plano Farmer’s Market and stopped by H.E.B., on the way back. I got zucchini, which Hana likes in pureed form. Other items in my bags will be for her to enjoy later. The rest of the day, the three loved ones rested and I cleared some of the bags and boxes that were brought back from storage, several weeks ago. Mind over matter.

HANA’S NOTE- I think the copy cat crab is silly. I am not sure what is so special about copying my voice.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1977 This was the year in which I felt the fullness of not having stuck it out at UMass Boston, in 1969 I managed to serve my country and to earn my Bachelor’s Degree. Still, there was an emptiness and I know it was about Katie. She had a good life and I wasn’t going to go and mess things up for her. I stayed in Maine and carried on.

In February, one of my housemates decided he didn’t want me in the house, citing the disappearance of some of his venison and of his watch. In reality, he, his girlfriend and the other housemate had eaten most of the venison. He was later seen wearing the watch. What did happen was that I had to walk through the bedroom he shared with his girlfriend, to get to my room. The young lady asked who I was and said she thought I was cute. That was the deal breaker. I moved out, and found a family that had a room available. I stayed with the Robinsons for nearly a year, so it was a soft landing.

The other thing that happened that month was I drove up to Winter Carnival in Quebec, with three young ladies along. I left them off at a dorm they had booked and found a hotel room. The carnival itself was lovely, as usual. The drive back was a disaster. We drove through a blizzard, as far as Skowhegan, in western Maine. That was where I ran out of gas. They hitched the rest of the way to Orono, and I stayed behind with the car, finding cheap accommodations-an empty jail cell. In Maine, back then, the sheriffs would put up law abiding citizens who were in dire straits, for 1-2 nights. The next day, with help from my cousin, I got to a bank, got money out and retrieved my car. I was glad to see March 1.

The year had its good moments. The summer was spent mostly tooling around Maine and New Brunswick. I was given a new assignment for the 1977-78 school year, acting as Title I Math Tutor. My middle brother married his high school sweetheart, in October.

The emptiness, though, remained. I thought of the Star Wars film series, which came out tn May. “The only way is through.”

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 2

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Striving

July 23,2026- “Oma!” Hana was worried about her mother, when I mentioned that her parents were on their way home. Both her Mom and Dad got home safely. So, the little girl’s worries were for naught. Still, I can only imagine what goes through a child’s mind.

Aram was with us for part of the day, as he had a medical appointment in late morning. So, the three of us walked together, on our usual route through the park. A neighbour engaged us in conversation, for about twenty minutes, during which Hana slept soundly.

The rest of the day went smoothly. We played a lot, with Hana crawling all over her grandfather, my putting rings on a cone and her alternately tipping the cone over or taking one ring off the cone at a time. The neighbour mentioned above said that, sooner or later, I would treasure my alone time. Right now, I’d say that is off the mark.

HANA’S NOTE- I saw Mommy driving while she was tired, so I called out to her, in Korean. Nothing bad happened to her.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1975 This was an interesting year. I lived in two different places- a rooming house in Northampton and a shared apartment, in South Deerfield. I completed my baccalaureate, and had a mediocre stint as Teaching Intern. I was determined to up my game, when the actual jobs came about. I worked in the spring as a short-order cook in a country cafe (I was terrible at this one), in the summer as a custodian at Northampton Public Schools and in the fall as a stocker in a package store (alcoholic beverages). I had the unique experience of being fired at the latter, on my 25th birthday. It turned out that the assistant manager’s son needed a job, and the A.M. felt I was doing work that he considered his turf.

The rooming house found me with four housemates-two rather testy older men, a woman who was also at UMass and an 87-year-old widow, who was the nicest of the four. When things got too heated between me and one of the older men, I left and found the apartment. I first shared the place with three stoners, and did painting and small repairs on the place, when they left. A nice couple with a little girl came in after them. We got along well, and I left the place to them, when I graduated.

I spent about a week, between the summer and fall jobs, hiking the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I met quite an eclectic bunch at the various Appalachian Mountain Club huts and actually hauled two bags of trash from the hut on Mount Jefferson to the base of Mount Adams.

1975 was definitely an interesting year.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 1

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

July 22, 2026-Hana started her new month with a new behaviour- wanting to more actively take part in Story Time. She wants to be able to look at a page for several minutes after I have read the words. She focuses on the pictures and the form of the words. She also likes to touch the page, especially if it has a smooth texture.

She laughs a lot more now, taking delight in all of my antics and silly songs. Once, this afternoon, she put her hand over my mouth.hen I was singing to her-then she started laughing. She also likes to tip a tower of rings over, as soon as I put the rings back on. It is just another of the games that get invented by infants, using their observational skills.

We went on our morning walk early, again this morning, thus avoiding the later 105 degree still air. Few people were along the path, but there was a group of Middle School Track Team members, getting ready for what was hopefully a brief pre-season workout. Hana, for her part, spent part of the walk asleep in her stroller.

HANA’S NOTE- I want to know what this reading thing is. The stories that Papa reads to me are sometimes exciting and other times just silly. I am looking at the pictures and making little stories in my mind. Sometimes, I dream of them.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1974 I spent my first year at UMass-Amherst living in a co-ed dorm. Having a large group of brothers and sisters was nothing new, so I was quite relaxed. Still, ever the rube, I used my antiquated record player-which became known as The Set”. Most everyone else had a boom box, state-of-the art stereo systems, etc. I was okay with what I had. I was also the “editor” of a residence quad newsletter called “The Sage-Revisited” and I delivered The New York Times around campus, six days a week. That lasted about five months, then I forgot yo change the code to “Sunday”, a bunch of Sunday Times were ripped off and i left that job. The editor position wasn’t much more successful. I did a lot better, academically than in extracurriculars.

I kept encountering Baha’is in Amherst, though I remained Catholic. I did not find the Newman Center (Catholic student union and parish) very supportive of us students, so in hindsight, I might have made more inquiries into the Baha’i Faith-my second Residential Assistant, and one other RA across the Quad, were Baha’is. I babysat our RA’s infant daughter on at least one occasion. (I would later meet both mother and daughter, at Baha’i gatherings in Arizona, in the 1990s.) The Dean of the College of Education was also a Baha’i.

Summer of 1974 was mostly spent at a resort hotel in western Maine. Quisiana was/is a music camp, so there was a wealth of musical talent. I wasn’t part of that talent. I worked as a busboy, did a credible job and explored a lot of Maine, those eight weeks. Young women floated in and out of my life, which was okay. I have never been much for brief affairs.

This was the summer of Goodbye, Nixon. The staff dining room attendant made the announcement of the President’s resignation, on August 2. It was a quiet day, otherwise. This potentially unsettling year was like my one encounter with a juvenile moose-could have been troublesome, but …Nah

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 30

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

July 21, 2026- My little girl cried for nearly a half hour, this afternoon, before finally letting go and falling asleep on my shoulder. She sometimes is so tired that, like many a toddler, she fights sleep, while remaining miserable. She has a little way to go, before being a toddler, but her mindset is already there.

On either side of the meltdown, Hana was happy-with her lunch, with our little walk, with playtime and with the story I read. We went outside while it was still relatively mild (87 F). The temperature eventually hit 107. We didn’t have to face any of that.

This caps six months of life outside the womb. In that time span, Hana has mastered crawling with her body elevated, sitting up independently, eating pureed solid food, sipping water from a cup with a straw, feeding herself with a soft spoon and calling for her mother and father by title.

HANA’S NOTE- I was so tired this afternoon, I just cried and cried. Papa was patient and I slept in his arms for a long time. i heard him say it was one and a half hours-whatever those are.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1973 This was the second year at North Shore Community College. I had to leave the Beverly house, in May, because the owner sold the house and we all dispersed. After looking around at different options, I went back to my parents’ house. Work was at United Parcel Service, sorting packages by destination, in the wee hours of the weekdays. I also worked security at Crane Beach, in Ipswich, MA during the summer and in the stockroom at our local Sears, Roebuck, during the fall. This was a year for taking in the Winter Carnival in Quebec City, running a college tour to Montreal and taking a road trip to Prince Edward Island, in early June.

I ended the year by preparing to transfer to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. I did credibly at NSCC, earning an Associate Degree in General Studies.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 29

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal goals, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 20, 2026- I used an unconventional means of opening a container, this evening. Hana looked astounded, and let me know that she didn’t think it was a good idea. I told her that, although it worked this time, I wouldn’t do that again. She gave a wan smile. If you have ever been scolded, in infant-speak, you know what I mean.

She is speaking her mind, a lot more these days, and I find it fairly easy to decipher what she is saying. There are times when she will speak, from the back of her throat, in intelligible English words- “I want that”; “I don’t want it.”; “I love you”. As the teeth pop out, she will produce more words, certainly.

She also has her own set of expectations for our daily routine. She will not go for a nap, until she has had her walk in the stroller and taken her medication. She also prefers to take any afternoon nap with me, in the recliner. Her lunch meal has the “bite” order of vegetable, starch, meat, sip from the milk bottle, and repeat. This works just fine and she is a plate cleaner.

HANA’S NOTE- I told Papa, “That is not a good thing to do”, when I saw him opening a salad box, without using scissors. I have to watch him every minute that Daddy isn’t home!

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1972 I was discharged from the Army on January 2, with the condition I attend college. I resumed my studies at North Shore Community College, in Beverly, MA. I lived at home the first semester. I worked at a warehouse called Central Sales, not far from the college, three evenings and Saturday mornings. As before, young women floated in and out of my life. I dated a sweet girl who was four years my junior, for a few months. She was more mature than I was, and it fell apart after about three months.

Summer brought a three-week jaunt across Canada, from Montreal to Edmonton and Calgary, then down through Montana, Idaho, Utah and across Colorado, the Midwest, West Virginia, Maryland and back up through Pennsylvania and back to Massachusetts. I met nice people along the way, and learned the limits of sleeping outside, in some of the national parks of Canada. Stops to visit people along the way ranged from turbulent (a pen pal in Colorado) to gratifying (my Viet Nam buddy , Bill, and his family, in Baltimore). I also first heard of the Baha’i Faith, outside Philadelphia. I was still comfortable as a Catholic, so didn’t investigate any further, but the name kept popping up, over the next several years.

Fall semester found me living with an eclectic group of people in Beverly. I stayed there with Al, Sandy and their housemates, into the following Spring. It was a pleasant arrangement and I learned the value of platonic friendships with women, other than my sister and cousins. Emotional maturity was coming along, slowly but surely.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 27

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, Historical, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Striving, Travel

July 18. 2026- Hana greeted the ladies who came to visit us, this afternoon. This was Yunhee’s first real house party, and five of her former co-workers came. Hana likes a small, intimate gathering, but doesn’t like too much noise, or what seems to her like a crowd. I helped her get comfortable with the idea of so many people sitting around the dining table. She understood, when I told her that all the ladies were nice and that they were there to see her, as well as her mother.

It meant a lot to her Mom, and to us men, that this afternoon went well. We enjoyed Korean-style fried chicken, Malaysian empanadas,and Filipino purple yam cake. The conversation centered on dealing with the heaviness in the logistics industry, but floated to topics of fashion, child-rearing and the anomalies that pop up in moving a household, in which two of the ladies-mother and daughter-are now engaged. A comparison between living in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Greater Atlanta entered into discussion. We also talked of travel in east Asia-Singapore, Korea and the Philippines. It was a lovely afternoon.

When the ladies got ready to leave, Hana spoke loudly, seeming to say “Thank you for coming.” She also smilingly took part in the ladies’ group photo. This evening, it was hard for her to wind down, but after I told her that tomorrow will be another happy day, if she gets a good rest, her father put her in the crib and she rolled over to go to sleep.

HANA’S NOTE- I had fun in the playpen with the first two ladies that came and went to take a nap, after a while. When I woke up, there were three more ladies here. That confused me and at first I was upset. Mommy and Papa got me to understand what had happened. It was fun after that.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1970 This year was spent keeping the mail delivery system at the Tri-Service Barracks at Fort Myer well-functioning. I was able to move into that barracks, myself, after five months. There were many weekends spent in Washington, primarily in Georgetown. I also walked-a lot, around the city, at one point going all the way to Rockville, MD and on another occasion, found myself in Coral Hills, a northeastern suburb. My co-worker, Charlie, was from southeast DC, and commuted each day. He was flabbergasted that I had walked all that way, but it is what I’m used to doing.

I took part in a couple of anti-war demonstrations, and associated with a progressive group that had set up a free university, they called “New University”. I sat in on a few of their lectures. I walked away from the demonstrations, though, after some of the participants started attacking DC police officers. I later learned that there were agents provocateurs among the crowd. My association stopped altogether, after I was directed by my Commanding Officer to join a detail that stockpiled pro-war pamphlets in a DC Public Schools warehouse. Somehow, I was photographed in fatigues at that exercise, and the photos were circulated among identified radical groups,

I met different public figures, during the year: Vice President Spiro Agnew and his wife, on a Georgetown street, with Agnew telling me he was “for the war and am anti-you”; Senator J. Strom Thurmond, who was jogging near the Capitol, and encouraged me to always stay active; Chicago 8 defendant Rennie Davis, who was nervous about being re-arrested and Abbie Hoffman, at a large anti-war event. Hoffman said, “Watch this, kid”, then turned to a TV set that featured Richard Nixon making a speech. He kicked the TV off the stage, into an empty grassy area. I was not impressed, and left right afterward.

I went back and forth from DC to Massachusetts, several times during the year. I met a few young ladies, and basically we passed through each other’s consciousness like ships in the night. In the middle of 1970, one of my neighbourhood friends from Saugus was gravely wounded in VietNam. He survived and is still alive. That, however, along with my increasing annoyance with both sides in the war debate, made me decide to go to Viet Nam and see for myself, what was going on. I asked HQ Company, U.S. Army First Sergeant Harper for help in getting re-assigned, infuriated my pacifist friends-and gave up the easy life at Fort Myer, early in 1971.

It was time for innocence to end.

Korean Onion Chicken

Filipino Purple Yam cake

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 24

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 15, 2026- Hana is taking on small responsibilities, with regard to getting dressed and feeding. She puts her sleeves through the body bib at lunchtime and can feed herself if someone puts food on the spoon and hands it to her. She chooses which of two outfits she wants to wear for the day and helps put the onesie or dress over her head. She also sits up straight in the plastic bath tub and is better about letting her mother wash her hair. She already likes to “wipe” the play mat, using a small bamboo cloth.

She is learning a lot by watching the three of us do different tasks. We describe what we are doing, step by step, and she listens with rapt attention. With repetition, much of this will register, as the months roll on. As I mentioned above, she has pretty much mastered sitting up. If she is tired, it helps her to have someone or something to hold onto, but otherwise, my granddaughter is on track, developmentally.

Today, we sat by the window and watched the cement truck pour concrete into the forms for the new sidewalk and landing. After a few minutes, she became more interested in feeling the curtain, but went back to watching the cement pouring after that. We stayed in today, because of the work being done, especially as there was really no room for a stroller anywhere in our immediate front walk.

HANA’S NOTE- I took my medicine tablet by myself, when Papa gave it to me, and I made it dissolve in my mouth. After another little while, I put my arms in the big bib. I like to be helpful.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1967 (I am writing this part, so that Hana may read these reflections, when she gets old enough, and will understand things that happened to her Grandfather.) Junior year saw me break a few rules and set myself on a path with some bad choices. I never got in trouble with the Law, fortunately, but I know my use of alcohol hurt my parents’ hearts and it did me no favours, in the long run. I went to work at Star Market, shortly after I turned 16. As it was three miles from my home, I got rides for the first few months. Then, thanks to the long-suffering, but fastidious, Coach Wall, I earned my Driver’s License. I learned to scan the road on both sides of me, very quickly, and managed to not have an accident, for nearly 47 years-and then, only because someone tampered with the brakes of my car. As for my work at Star, I was diligent, but also maddeningly slow in going about my work. It would have helped, had I listened to my supervisors, but the 16-year-old Gary was not so ready to do that.

The first part of my Senior year saw a budding interest in writing gain support from our English teacher, Mrs. Vande. That course was probably one of the most rewarding classes I’ve had. It’s largely why I am here now. Mr. Quinlan took us through Algebra II. I had two history classes: Latin American History, very rewarding and Asian History, which was fascinating, but for the incompetence of the teacher, proved annoying. Business Law, taught by our then-State Representative, was one of the most useful classes I’ve ever had. Coach Wall and Mr. Bly are two of the reasons I’ve kept out of trouble. Bob Powers, at Star Market, would have been a third, had I listened to the poor man.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 20

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

July 11, 2026- Hana was in her glory, this morning, as she had her Mommy to herself. She delights in my presence, yet, as one might expect, Mother is supreme. While they played and Yunhee fed her lunch, I went on a few errands-at Plano Farmers Market and H.E.B. Gas is a bit cheaper at the latter place than anywhere other than Costco-which is on the southwest end of town. My errands were on the northwest. I got lobster rolls for the three of us adults, as there was a food truck out of Dallas that offered wild-caught lobster, from the Gulf of Maine. That is a once-in-a great-while treat, as you might imagine.

Once back, I played with Hana for a while, showing her again about sitting with both buttocks on the floor. She managed to do that, for several seconds, and began to hop a bit. During the course of the day, and for the past few days, Hana has been vocalizing a lot more also. The cadence of her sounds suggests a message, an urgency, that is also reflected in her face. When we appear to understand that she is serious about the matter, she is pleased and we go through the anticipated needs she may have-food, milk, a clean diaper, exercise-or just someone to be with her. My granddaughter is a social being, much like her father and grandmother.

HANA’S NOTE- Of all the stories that Papa reads me, I like the princess stories the best, especially if the girls have to actually do something. I won’t be a lazy girl. That would be boring.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE, 1963- The first half of this year was not at all bad. I had a generally good experience in the rest of Grade 7. We spent a lot of time at the ocean (Lynn Beach) and at a pond (Breakheart). I had a good summer with the Boy Scouts also-a fair amount of camping. I left, though, at the end of summer-feeling hamstrung by my poor swimming ability. Aquatic skills are required for higher ranks in the Scouts.

Eighth Grade, though, brought hardship. A few bullies made a big deal about my autism, which was not really yet a diagnosed thing back then. I was just “weird”, in their view. I managed to do fairly well, academically, except for Math, where we were set to learn the binary system. The first quarter was terrible,but with tutoring from a next door neighbour, I made it back to ‘B’s and C’s’, the rest of the year. The Math teacher backed me up, when I stood up to the bullies. After that, things were okay for me, personally. For the school as a whole, though, it was one disaster after another. Someone set the old Junior High on fire. It burned to the ground, for the most part, leaving only a small section-which was renovated and became an elementary school. We were sent to the East Wing of the High School. There, we did double sessions, sharing with the freshman high school students. We went during the morning and the 9th graders went in the afternoon. The East Wing would itself later be destroyed by arson. While we were still there, though, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, TX, by a still indeterminate number of shooters. I have, on balance, a sad remembrance of 1963.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 19

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 10, 2026- Today was the Commemoration of the Martyrdom of al-Bab, a Baha’i Holy Day. On this day, in 1850, al-Bab, the Herald of the Baha’i Dispensation, was executed by firing squad, along with a personal assistant. Baha’is generally gather to say prayers and readings associated with al-Bab, Whose name means “The Gate”, in English. His Teachings were the gate to understanding those of Baha’ullah, Who came after Him.

As Hana is too young to attend such events, I said my own Tablet of Visitation here at the house. Hana sat in the playpen, right in front of me, and listened quietly as I prayed. She does the same when I say my daily morning prayers, each day. I sense that this practice is having an orienting influence on her.

This evening, Yunhee remarked that Hana is much more composed now. She sleeps through the night and only gets irritable when she is hungry. While Yunhee is at work, Hana and I have the feeding routine pretty much down. If she is napping before her medication, she wakes herself on time to receive it. Her lunch meal and bottle feeding are on schedule, as she is awake then and happily watches me prepare the items. I also have her watch me prepare the mid-afternoo0n bottle. After Yunhee gives her the evening feeding, she is ready for a good night’s sleep.

HANA’S NOTE- Papa and I watched some workers take our old sidewalk from in front of the house. Papa says they will put a new one in, next week. Since we also saw them putting in new sidewalks at the end of the street, I know he’s right.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1962 It was a year of transition. I finished Grade 6. Boys began teasing one another about things of which I had no idea. One of the “faster” kids in my neighbourhood noticed my naivete and talked to me about some of it. My father also gave me “The Talk”, before I entered Grade 7.

I had my share of friends in my immediate neighbourhood. Eddie and Allan were the closest, of the boys. After Ellen moved, I would go by her old house and hang out with the Geotis kids, whose father let me stomp grapes for his homemade wine. I got a glass or two of grape juice, that their mother set aside from the batch that was to be fermented. A group of us boys played touch football, in the middle of the street. Some men driving home from work would go around us. Others demanded we stop and make a hole for them. I was probably the worst of the players, but some of the boys felt it was a good thing to include even a klutz like me.

Grade 7, Junior High School, brought the concept of rotating between classes. I had a good Math teacher, Mr. Anzalone, a large man with a booming voice and quick temper, who also had a keen sense of humour and a heart of gold. My Social Studies and Science teachers were also competent. Mr. Anzalone talked with us about current affairs, during our home room time. This was the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Kennedy took a firm stance with the Soviet Union. We froze our missiles in Turkey and they, their missiles in Cuba. Thus, did cool heads walk back from the brink of nuclear war.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 17

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

July 8, 2026– “AMPA!!” My granddaughter called to me, while she was in the playpen and I was in another room. She keeps close tabs on loved ones.

These things also happened today: A spammer called me and left a voice mail: “Gary, can you hear me?” I deleted the call and the voice mail. I do not answer anyone who hides behind a number.

Aram dealt very well with a private matter that was making him nervous. He handled it himself, as I knew he could.

Hana fed herself some of the beef and spinach that could be easily picked up with her fingers. I told her I was proud of her. I, of course, fed her the rest of the meal.

We went out for our walk, before the temperature got too hot, just before her lunch. The sidewalks are being replaced at the cul-de-sac corners, so the first part of our walk involved sharing the cul-de-sac with a couple of vehicles. We had enough room to pull off to the side, until they went by. The rest of the sidewalk was open.

After her lunch, I brought Hana into the kitchen, while I fixed mine. When she saw the container of sliced watermelon, she said “watermelon!”, in a hopeful manner. I told her I’d have to ask her mother first. Yunhee said, this evening, that she thinks watermelon is too sweet for Hana right now. The girl was sitting there and more or less shrugged her shoulders.

HANA’S NOTE- So many yummy-looking things in this house. I get a few of them. Mommy says NO to sugar and salt. Those must be not good for me. I would eat them anyway, so I am glad my grownups keep me safe.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE, 1960- Grade 4 ended, with me knowing all multiplication and division tables, cold, as well as the steps for long division. Mrs. Kimball, it turned out, had been dealing with a serious health issue. She would only teach a few more years,

My second brother, Glenn, came along, right after school was out for summer. All three of us boys were in one bedroom, after he reached six month, and was in a crib. That was while I was in Grade 5. Miss Hanlon, our teacher, told us that a man and a woman working together can accomplish a lot more than two men or two women. I saw this in action, with my parents, especially once Dad went back to day shift. Miss Hanlon taught us more about kickball, which the previous two teachers had started letting us play. I was never very good in sports, but I could at least kick the ball to the outfield and catch it fairly well.

John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States. We were all proud because he was from Massachusetts and was fairly young.

Saddest of all, though, we lost our Grandma. She was the one who kept Cheryl and me feeling secure, when both of our parents had to go grocery shopping on Saturday mornings, when we lived on Central Street. She would come to visit us on Adams Avenue, taking the bus to the corner and walking up the street, always wearing a full dress. I missed her terribly.