Category Archives: Social

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 13

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

July 4, 2026- Today is America’s 250th “birthday” as an independent country, marking the Declaration of Independence. Of course, five years of struggle ensued, before the Continental Army, with help from France and the German state of Prussia, defeated the British Armed Forces, which had their own help from the German state of Hesse.

Hana was feeling independent today, and so got everyone out of bed, fairly early this morning. It is our dry season, so the sun shines brightly very early into the east-facing windows, one of which is facing her crib. She will face her parents’ bed and call to them. Usually, on a weekend, that means time in their bed, and if she is in the mood fro crawling around, as she was this morning, there is no sleep-in. I am up by 6 or 6:30, anyway, so hearing her on the baby monitor at that hour was not difficult.

We largely spent the day at home, tending to cleaning issues. I got to Farmers Market and Saved by the Bagel, this morning. I got our watermelon, which will be enjoyed tomorrow, as sweet cantaloupe- the best I’ve had in years, was our mid-afternoon treat. We went to HMart, in the afternoon, to get the meat that Yunhee will need for the week’s meals. Aram “won” a blue dinobear for Hana, at the HMart Grip and Grab Arcade (only in Anime is there a dinosaur-bear hybrid. It is made to look cute and plush, though, so Hana took to it right away.

She has also started to stand straight up (with support), when her clothes are being changed. I get the feeling she is trying to help. She will need to convince her father of this; he wants her to lie still-though it is actually easier to put on an outfit, when standing. She is still working on sitting up, also, thus giving the impression of a child working overtime on developmental activities.

HANA’S NOTE- I don’t know much about birthdays, but my family has been talking about Daddy’s birthday being in a few days. America’s birthday is today. Who is she and why does everyone have the day off?

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE; 1956- I walked to the Felton School, for First Grade, two days after Labor Day. Mom walked me there, with Cheryl beside her, and David in a stroller. Our teacher, Miss Lavin, taught us to print our names and to spell Felton School, as well as Saugus, and several other words. She also taught us to add and subtract single digits, and built on what Mom had already taught me about reading. David surprised me one day, when I went home after school and he showed that he could walk. My reaction was-“Look out, world!”

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 12

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Posted by on in "sibling-ish", children, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 3, 2026- Hana had a good day, playing with each of us, in succession. Each of us also had to tend to separate errands and appointments. She learned, this evening, however, that I have the role of parent, as well as of grandparent. Her father was having a heat-fueled headache and needed me to take over for him during her bath. I had no trouble doing that. She then wanted him to hold her, instead of her going into the crib. After about twenty minutes, though, she was still carrying on and I had the intuition that, unless she had a physical discomfort, she would stop squalling if we all just left her in the crib, to fall asleep. We did that, and she went to sleep right away. Sometimes, self-reliance has to be nudged along.

I have received criticism, online, from two people I don’t know. One is a fairly intelligent extended family member of some friends back in Arizona. Her complaint was quite specific and had some validity, so I made a correction to my own remarks. The other, possibly a bot, was all over the place, attacking people across the political spectrum. There was nothing specific, other than he knows everything and we are all full of dung. As it was on another person’s forum, I made my own remarks-not about him-and left it alone afterward. I am always willing to learn, even hard lessons, but I have no time for nonsense or fantasy-driven abstractions.

We are preparing for tomorrow’s Independence Day festivities. Hana will be asleep before any fireworks, but for good measure, we have a pair of earmuffs. I hope to be able to see the festivities from my upstairs window, but whatever.

HANA’S NOTE- I get so tired that I want to sleep in my Daddy’s arms. Papa says that’s not fair to Daddy all the time. I guess that’s so, ’cause Papa doesn’t lie.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1955 We found ourselves too cramped for space on Central Street, and my parents found a fixer-upper for sale, on Adams Avenue, in the middle of Saugus. So, it was so long, Russ, Karen and Bobby. It was a good thing we moved when we did. Brother David came along, on the day we moved. He needed the crib, so Cheryl got her own room and I got the second bedroom, looking out on the street below.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 11

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

July 2, 2026- Hana and I figured a way for her to actually enjoy beef. I tenderized the meat, more than what the food processor was doing, by heating it in a saucepan, with a little water and what was left of the cabbage. This made a mid-afternoon snack, as she was too tired to finish her lunch, and took a two-hour nap.

She is constantly on the move, inside her play pen, thus she gets tired after about ninety minutes of crawling around and doing pushups, as a means of readying herself for sitting upright. I help her to sit back, and she can keep that posture for about two minutes, without support. After her snack and 3 p.m. feeding, she went for another such round of exercise, then fell asleep in my arms, around 5:15. As soon as her parents walked in the door, home from work, she woke up and was happy to see them.

Her favourite plush toys remain Rion the Lion and Pompompurin. The little golden retriever is in the crib with her. The lion rules the play pen. She likes to lie on it, when taking a breather. Her favourite story book, at the moment is “365 Stories and Rhymes”, which has a number of g-rated fairy tales and nursery rhymes. “Four and Twenty Blackbirds”, for example, has snipped the part about the blackbird snipping off the cook’s nose. I appreciate the clean-up. Kids will experience enough hardness, soon enough in their lives.

HANA’S NOTE- I speak up for myself. When I am tired, I let Papa know it. He is good about not pushing me past my limit.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1954 I made a few friends in the Lynnhurst neighbourhood. One of them liked to sneak things. I told him I would share with him if he would only ask for something. We were only three, but I already knew better. I didn’t know, though, that I was supposed to ask before just walking up to my Grandma’s, which involved crossing a street. I did look both ways before crossing, but not telling Mom where I was going, got me a hair brush to my rear end, when my uncle had to come and get me from Grandma’s.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 10

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

July 1, 2026- Hana can claim Canada as an ancestral home, along with Korea (her mother’s side); Ireland, Germany, France and the Penobscot Nation (on my side); Scotland, England, Lithuania and Romania (on Penny’s side). The Canadian ties are also on my side of the equation. My paternal grandfather’s forebears hailed from Montreal and Shediac, NB. Nana’s ancestors stopped for several years in Prince Edward Island, before heading “down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England.”-*

Canadians celebrate their National Day today. I’ve been in the country on July 1, once-years ago, in the border town of St. Stephen, NB. There, I saw a joyful parade go by, and I recall picking up a Canadian flag that had been dropped on the sidewalk, and propping it against a shop window. I’ve also been in the country on June 30, and having had to not stick around until the next day, because of the need to get to an American bank on July 1. There are all the other times that I’ve been north of the border, and had fabulous stays-in each of the ten provinces. I wish the Canadian people a grand Canada Day. It has, from my perspective, been a good year to be Canadian.

I will tell Hana lots of stories about my travels, as she gets older-and hopefully will be able to include her in a few that are yet to come. Right now, our jaunts are along neighbouring streets and Hoblitzelle Park; any place that can be accessed by a stroller. I want her to become very familiar with the neighbourhood, so that by the time she is of pre-school and kindergarten age, she will be able to find her way home, in a pinch. (The occasions when that would be necessary are likely to be few and far between, but it can’t hurt to have that knowledge.

HANA’S NOTE: I mostly fall asleep in the stroller, these days. Papa takes me out in the morning, before it gets too hot, but I still get lulled by the motion of the stroller.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE: 1952- Cheryl came to be with us. We moved to Central Street, Saugus. (1951, and ’53, are ciphers. I can’t think of anything that stood out in my life, those years.)

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 9

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Entertainment, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 30, 2026- “Lion goes ‘RAH’ !” So said my granddaughter, as I lay with my head resting on her large plush “Rion the Lion”, a Japanese cartoon character. She probably remembers that from her father and I each having read to her from a book about animals. We learn these things from her, in return, each time we are in the play pen.

Looking at Hana’s eyebrows, it is noticeable that they resemble my mother’s brows. Mom left us two years ago, today. She would have gotten quite a kick out of her youngest great granddaughter, She would have called Hana “a pistol”. The little girl is quite outspoken, even “weighing in” on things to which we didn’t know she had been paying attention.

Hana has learned the sequence of eating three bites of food, then taking a sip or two from her bottle of milk. She had been fairly possessive of the bottle and wanted to drink it dry, without much of a break. This is changing, as she finds it a good aid to chewing meat or rice. Tonight’s mini-meal was peanut butter (unsalted and creamy). She took to it, using a spoon. It was not as messy as the yogurt, but she did need to be cleaned up afterward.

HANA’S NOTE- I get cranky towards the end of the day, when I expect Mommy and Daddy to come home. If you read this, Papa, know that it’s nothing against you. I need all three of you.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE- 1950: Coming out backwards (almost); Uncle Jim landing at Incheon. Upstairs in the Gooch Street apartment.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 8

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Posted by on in Social, Assistance, Inspiration, Personal Values, Family, children

June 29, 2026- Hana likes plain yogurt, both as a light supper and as facial make-up. She managed to get some of it into her belly, tonight, but a good part of it covered her face and hands. It was a safe item to use for giving her a chance to try to feed herself, so that’s what happened.

We usually take 40 minutes to an hour for her lunch. She can only eat half a spoonful at a time, even of pureed foods. I take a very leisurely pace, with my main goals being getting her to enjoy eating and to derive the greatest nutritional value from what her mother has plated for her.

This afternoon, a workman made a brief call, to tend to something small in the master bedroom. As Hana was napping in her crib, he and I were extra quiet. She pooped her head up, anyway. wanting to see what was going on. The little girl is a light sleeper, like her paternal grandmother-not a storm snoozer, like her father. I got her out of the crib and she watched the rest of the proceedings. Of course, she needed more sleep after he left, so I let her sleep in my arms, while we sat in the recliner.

An advance gift came today-her ear muffs for the Independence Day fireworks. Her little ears don’t need to endure the bangs and booms that are certain to go off, in Hoblitzelle Park-probably Thursday night (There is always a purist, who points out that the Founding Fathers wanted to go with July 2, originally), as well as Friday and Saturday nights. She will most likely be asleep by the time the light shows start, but one can’t be too careful.

HANA’S NOTE: Papa can’t put anything by me. I sleep with one eye open.

The Hana Chronicles, Month 6, Day 7

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, Family, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual

June 28, 2026- Hi, everyone! It’s Hana, Papa’s favourite girl. Since my grandfather is at the Red Cross Donor Center this morning, I am taking the reins of the blog site-since it’s in my name.

I just want to let you all know how I see things. My family is pretty tight. When I cry or call out, all three of them are at my side in a flash. I sense that not every kid has that kind of family devotion. I’ve heard Papa talk about people who yell at children. I’m glad no one yells at me-at least not yet.. My grown-ups hold me to a few rules, but nothing that is not fair to where I am as a person.

I am mostly a happy baby. My plush toys comfort me, when the Bigs are all doing something around the house. Usually, though, someone is either in the play pen with me or sitting in the recliner nearby. Papa reads a bunch of what he calls his morning prayers, every weekday morning, before we do anything else. I hear him upstairs, on weekends, doing the same thing. He and I go on walks every weekday that it isn’t raining. Now that it is the hot and dry season, we will go outside in the early morning, right after prayers. At least that’s the plan for now. The four of us go outside on weekends, before it gets too hot.

Let me tell you about my plush toy friends. They all come from Japanese cartoons: Pompompurin ( a dog); Ryon (a lion); Hello Kitty (yep, she’s a cat) and Tottoro ( a giant rabbit). I also have Sonya ( a plastiic female hedgehog) and Renata (a colourful wooden Mexican girl doll). Mommy says I need to be careful with Renata, but she seems pretty solid.

You know what’s the neatest new thing? I get to sit in my high chair for all the family meals! I used to sit in a bouncy chair, behind my Mom, and had to talk loudly so no one would forget I was there. It got lonesome, especially when the Bigs would all be talking about stuff at my parents’ jobs or things about the house or yard. Now, I can listen and offer my own opinions. Like when my Daddy hurt himself, yesterday, while Papa was upstairs. When he came down to see what had happened, I told him all about it! Of course, Daddy spoke for himself too. It is what he calls “agency”. I guess I will find out more about that. Papa says I should speak up for myself-and believe me, I do!

Well, that’s it for now. Papa is coming home and he says he’s bringing sandwiches from a deli. My parents are happy at that news. I’m okay with it, even though there’s no sandwich for me. I am going to eat part of a banana. I like bananas. They’re sweet-and they’re fun to play with! Have a Happy Sunday, everybody!

The Hana Chronicles, Month 6, Day 6

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

June 27, 2026- Hana had two kinds of fruit today. At lunch, she sat with us and ate a few bites of apple. At dinner, she ate a bit more pear. She now sits in her high chair, for both meals, She tried sipping water through a straw, but needs a bit more diaphragmic power, yet. That doesn’t stop her from trying, so we will keep going on that front, day by day.

She made a visit to Whole Foods, with her parents, and was reportedly delightfully fascinated by all the sights and sounds-“well-behaved”, in her father’s words. What else could a six-month-old be, I wonder? Everything is new and exciting. Hana is taking it all in.

She also can “explain” things that she observes. When her Dad experienced a minor mishap, in the kitchen, this Noon, my granddaughter said “Daddy hurt” and tapped her hand, to show that was where he was hurt.

While the family was at Whole Foods, I went to the storage unit and retrieved five boxes and a few bags. I am making a definite dent in that unit and should have everything in the house or donated to Goodwill, by the middle of July.

My prayers go to Venezuela, where the situation remains horrible, following the two earthquakes near La Guaira, in the north of the country. So many families have members who are dead, or are buried under concrete. I am also watching three fires in northern Arizona, two between Flagstaff and Grand forward, Tuesday is the thirteenth anniversary of the Yarnell Hill Fire, which led to the deaths of 19 wildland firefighters. The threat is never far away.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 5

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

June 26, 2026- Hana “enjoyed” a banana, this evening. She ate a few bites, then played with the rest. Her jumper, and the tray to her high chair, were covered in banana art. This was conveyed to me by her mother, who thought a banana would be a treat for her. It was-just not especially as a food, at least for now.

Earlier, I found that Hana was having trouble chewing the semi-pureed beef that was left for her lunch. Yunhee got off work early, and so fed her by alternating meat with milk. I wondered aloud if that worked. My granddaughter looked me full in the face and shouted : “HO!” I took that, and her expression, to mean “Of course, Papa. Don’t you know anything?” I guess I know now-as with so many people, Hana likes to alternate solid food with a sip of liquid.

Hana has a robust sense of humour. She even laughs if she breaks wind, which is thankfully not a frequent occurrence and never very loud. It amuses her, though. Her laugh is infectious.

Our six-month-old got a clean bill of health from her pediatrician, this afternoon, and she is well within normal range, in her vital signs. Team Hana is doing things right.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 4

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Posted by on in Social, Personal goals, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Family, Striving, children

June 25, 2026- Hana sat up twice today, on her own. She called to me, both times, so that I knew she had reached her goal. Of course, she will build on this and be able to sit without support, for several minutes at a time, well before reaching 7 months.

In setting tasks for herself and practicing diligently, until she completes the task, Hana is a mirror of her grandmother. Penny always had a project or mission to accomplish. In many ways, Yunhee,, always doing some work on behalf of her daughter, is likewise setting the example. Hana notices what is being done on her behalf and part of her already wants to emulate purposeful activity. In her large playpen, my granddaughter is always on the move.

In my own sphere, any thoughts of slowing down have been quickly disabused. In keeping watch over this dynamic little girl, I will be just as occupied as in the days of community service and travel. Then again, slowing down was never my intention when I came here. Whether there is one grandchild, two or three grandchildren, the joy of passing the baton will be long in playing out.