Category Archives: Spiritual

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 2

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

September 23, 2026- Hana is having the unique experience of cutting both her top lateral incisors and her upper canines at the same time. She is holding her own, but at times it is extremely uncomfortable. The canines are coming through seven months early, according to the chart I have in front of me. Other sources allow for a wide variation, among children.

She has a new toy, of sorts: The larger fiber storage basket for her playpen toys. She can fir about half of herself in in, so this has become her “hide and seek” go-to. She “gives herself away”, though, giggling when I call for her. I think she knows that I can see her.

HANA’S NOTE– I like the stand-up frame that I am put in, for my showers. I feel more like I am washing myself.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: New Mexico- The Land of Enchantment is Texas’s western neighbour, and the gateway to the Southwest. The Turf- Eastern New Mexico is largely an area of high plains, with rugged canyons and an extinct volcano in the northeast. The Rocky Mountains take up the state’s mid section, from Raton and Chama, in the north, to just east of Las Cruces, in the south. Western New Mexico is a mix of high desert, the Gila Mountains and forested plateau. New Mexico is watered by the Rio Grande, as well as the San Juan, Pecos, Chama, Gallinas, Puerco and Canadian Rivers.

First Nations- New Mexico is the ancestral home of four different Puebloan groups: Tewa, Tiwa, Towa and Keresan. These groups comprise the Eight Northern Pueblos, along the Rio Grande, Isleta, south of Albuquerque and Zuni, in western New Mexico. It is also home to a large Dineh population, with northwest New Mexico largely a part of the Navajo Nation. There are two Apache groups: Mescalero, in the south and Jicarilla, in the north. Utes also claim northwest New Mexico and Comanches (Numunuu )ranged across the eastern plains.

The First Nations of the Rio Grande Pueblos gave freedom-loving people the world over a road map, in rising up against the Spanish, in 1680. Though the rebellion was eventually put down, by superior military force, Spain never quite regained the control it once had over New Spain, and the seeds of the revolutions that created independent nations, across Mesoamerica and South America, 130 years later, were sown in 1680.

Dineh people also sowed seeds of resillience, by largely surviving the Long Walk from Chinle and beyond, to Bosque Redondo, at Fort Sumner. 3,500 people died on the Long Walk, between 1863-66. The rest mostly survived internment. Those who hid in the canyons of Arizona, western New Mexico and Utah were there to welcome their returning brothers and sisters, in 1868. I have visited Fort Sumner, and felt lingering grief.

New Mexico was another home for me, during my decades in the Southwest, along with California, Colorado and Nevada. Though Arizona was Home Base, not a year would go by without visits somewhere in the Land of Enchantment. Places where I feel most at home include Santa Fe, Moriarty, Madrid, Gallup, Old Town Albuquerque, Taos, Cimarron and Bosque del Apache. I would gladly take Hana to any of these towns and neighbourhoods. The vibrant Native American and New Mexican Spanish cultures are features I hope she can experience, even while still a child. Zuni holds special significance, as that is where I met her grandmother. I also would like to share Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands, in southern New Mexico, a region with which I am less familiar.

With a look at New Mexico, our focus now shifts away from Texas’s neighbours and to the other states of the Southwest.

NEXT: Colorado

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

NEXT- Louisiana

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 30

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

September 20,2026- Hana was glad to see me, when I stopped on the stairs,and looked down at her. She was in her highchair, eating her dinner, stopping to show me what was in her mouth. I just told her to chew it up well and continued to my bringing my bags upstairs and putting stuff away.

Later on, we went to a Korean restaurant, where we each enjoyed our favourites- mine was bibimbap. Hana was given several pieces of skinless, sliced grape, as she had already had dinner. Once done with those, she cast around the room, looking for whatever she might get her hands on, as well as being interested in the party behind her. When she fidgeted a bit too much, her father restrained her, which she found objectionable. Later, in the car going back, I admonished her from the front seat, to which she replied: “Papa said I am not to hit Daddy. Uh,uh,uh!” She was nice to him when we got back, and promptly fell asleep, after telling her mother that she didn’t want any more of her nightcap bottle.

My morning at the Baha’i Summer School had me thinking about how vibrant Hana will be, if she is carefully guided. The children and youth made colourful and insightful presentations, and a number of the children showed a joie de vivre that reflects her energy. This is a cut above children running about and being noisy. The Alpha and Beta generations are thinking things through and showing more group-oriented energy than I recall seeing in the two generations above them. Electronics still have their place, but their use is not as dominant as it was among children ten or twenty years ago.

HANA’s NOTE– I am glad Papa came back. He tells me if I am not being nice.

EXPANDING CIRCLES– Oklahoma: The Sooner State is about an hour and thirty minutes north of us, using US 75. The Turf- Oklahoma has three fairly rugged, if low, mountain ranges: The Wichita, in the southwest, the Ouachita, in the southeast and the Boston Mountains, in the east central region. Black Mesa, in the far northwest, is actually Oklahoma’s highest point, even as it is shared with Colorado and New Mexico. The central area of the state, and the northeast, around Tulsa, are largely plains and prairie. Oklahoma has six major rivers, flowing west to east: The Red River, along the border with Texas; the Washita, which flows into Lake Texoma; the Canadian; North Canadian; Cimarron; and Arkansas. These help with the state’s substantial agricultural output.

FIRST NATIONS: It’ well-known that Oklahoma was the relocation place for those nations which were displaced by the policies of Andrew Jackson and several presidents who came after him These included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware(Lenni Lenape) and Seminole. Later, the Iowa, Kaw, Kickapoo, Otoe, Ottawa, Pawnee, Peoria, Ponca, Pottawatomie, Quapaw, Sac and Fox, Seneca and Wyandotte were sent here, from other parts of the Midwest and Northeast. The Modoc were brought here, from California.

Often overlooked, though, are the nations which were already present in parts of Oklahoma, particularly in the lush and attractive riverlands. Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa,Osage, Tonkawa and Wichita peoples were established across both “Indian Territory” and western Oklahoma, when the first people expelled from the east and southeast arrived. None of these nations, either indigenous or transplanted, were treated equitably or fairly, until relatively recently.

I’ve been to all parts of Oklahoma, except the southwest. I’d like to visit the areas around Lawton, Anadarko, Chickasha and Duncan, as well as hike a bit in the Wichita Mountains. My favourite hiking spots are Black Mesa, Roman Nose State Park, Gloss Mountain and Grand Lake o’ The Cherokees. The Ouachitas and Bostons would be nice to check out, along those lines.

I have made solemn visits to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, paying homage at the memorials to the 1995 Bombing victims and the Greenwood Massacre, respectively. There are other places of interest in both major cities, of course, and I would be happy to take them in, with my grandchild(ren). Enid was a happy place to visit, when a friend lived there. He has since moved away. I’ve also found interesting historical sites in Claremore, Ponca City and Tonkawa. Far flung places like Guymon, Henryetta, Moreland and Sallisaw have been comfortable venues to enjoy a hearty meal or spend the night. There is plenty left in Oklahoma to both re-visit and experience for the first time.

Where I feel most at home: Downtown Enid, Tonkawa, Grand Lake of the Cherokees

NEXT- Arkansas

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 29

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

September 19,2026, Bruceville,TX- Hana had a fairly quiet day with her Mom and Dad, while Papa was down here, building more connections with Baha’is from other parts of Texas, as well as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. There are dozens of children at this camp, more than I’ve seen at any such gathering since three years ago, in Colorado Springs. Texas is a far younger state than many seem to think-and with youth, there are changes in community thinking. The energy I sense in my granddaughter is also evident in those not too much older than she.

As I write this, a dance party, similar to those in which I have taken part in the past, is joyfully playing out in front of me. Hana already likes to bounce on her feet, while singing a tune that reflects her inner joy. I will most certainly encourage both. The embracing of life, while a certain portion of our population embraces artifice and calls it progress, is a clear and present choice.

HANA’S NOTE- Mommy and Daddy are making my day fun. I wonder where Papa is.

EXPANDING CIRCLES– Northwest Texas The Panhandle and Llano Estacado are both oil and gas country, and the hub of the Texas cattle industry. The region is drained by the Pecos, Colorado (not to be confused with the longer river, further west), Red and Canadian Rivers. The Permian Basin,at Northwest’s lower end, also is a treasure trove of mega fauna fossils, both dinosaurian and mammalian. The Turf- Much of the lower half of Northwest, from Odessa to Abilene and west to Lubbock, is flat, with cotton farms taking up the area close to the New Mexico state line.

The northern half, the Panhandle, is cattle country, and is more rugged. Canyons, such as Palo Duro-the nation’s second largest and Caprock, a bit further south, hold their own when it comes to scenic beauty and challenging hiking. Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument showcases an area that was nearly as important to the indigenous peoples of the West and Great Plains as Pipestone was. The flint quarries were invaluable for the shaping of arrow and spear points, and thus were a key factor in hunting.

FIRST NATIONS- Northwest Texas is the ancestral home of the Comanche, (or Numunuu), Kiowa and LIpan Apache peoples.

I have a good friend in Amarillo and have enjoyed that city’s Old Route 66 area of shops and restaurants. I would like to show Hana the Quarterhorse Museum, also along Old Route 66. Between Fort Worth and Amarillo lie the canyons I mentioned above. I’ve had two exhilarating hikes in Palo Duro and would like to revisit there, as well as spend time in Caprock and at Alibates. The little towns between Wichita Falls and Amarillo also have their charms-like the Quanah Museum, in the town named for Comanche leader, Quanah Parker, and Valley Pecans, a large market and restaurant in Chillicothe, which has been one of my favourite pit stops, over the past five years. Northwest Texas has been a good friend, in my travels back and forth to Arizona.

Where I feel most at home: Amarillo Fun Zone, Chillicothe, Memphis, Palo Duro Canyon, Shamrock

NEXT- Beginning a look at Texas’s nearest neighbours, starting with Oklahoma.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 25

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

September 15, 2026- The practice continued today, for two stretches of 2 hours each. Hana would call out “Hah!”, when she was ready to have me keep time while she stood without support. She worked very hard at it-with several sets of 5-6 seconds without falling and the longest stretch being 16 seconds. I am following her lead on this. She has the routine down. In between, she either scooted along the playpen fence or played with her toys, while I watched. After each session, she napped soundly.

Hana is also feeding herself, more and more. She did so at breakfast and dinner today. Of course, it’s a messy affair, but as I told her, I am glad to clean up after her, the way someone cleaned up for me, back in the day. I was mostly a Gerber baby. She has food prepared from scratch by her mother.

HANA’S NOTE- I am getting closer to walking. I made my own game for standing up.

EXPANDING CIRCLES- Houston and the Texas Bayous The turf: The area between Big Thicket and the Brazos River has become home to the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country. Houston and its suburbs weather fairly regular tropical storms and have seen some rising tides. The area is low-lying coastal plain, with several bayous in and around the city. Buffalo Bayou is the best known of these. The region fronts on the Gulf of Mexico, with Galveston Bay and Trinity Bay as the Gulf’s main inlets. The Sabine, Neches and Brazos Rivers are the Bayou Region’s major drainage.

First Nations- The Texas Bayou region is the ancestral home of the Atakapa people. The Bidai, Akokisa and Karankawa people also lived in the area. They were either killed off or intermarried with surrounding nations.

I have been in the Houston area four times. I haven’t familiarized myself with the city, as most of the time was spent meeting up with friends in small city parks or staying with other friends in the comunity of Spring, a northwestern suburb. If I did visit with Hana and her parents, I’d focus on the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, and take in the Museum and Theater Districts. Then Buffalo Bayou and Hermann Parks would also be high on my list.

Galveston and Beaumont are other cities which I’ve visited in the area. Galveston, which I visited with Hana’s grandmother, in 1984, is a seaside town, famous for its having been hit by a major hurricane (1900), and before that, as the place which inspired Juneteenth. It was here that General Gordon Granger, of the Union Army, informed enslaved people that they were now free, by Proclamation of President Lincoln, This was on June 19, 1865, two months after the War had ended and three years after the Proclamation had been issued. I would focus on both elements of Galveston’s history, if I returned here. My visits to Beaumont have been Red Cross-related. I would like to check out Old Town, and the area along the Neches, if we come by here. Sabine Lake and Pass, near Port Arthur, would also be of interest.

Where I feel most at home- Arts District Houston, East End, Buffalo Bayou, Galveston

NEXT: Central Texas

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 24

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Posted by on in children, Community, Entertainment, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

September 14,2026-Hana spent the afternoon singing and dancing. I am not sure what prompted this, but in between the songs and dances, she called out “Ha!” and stood without any support. She kept at it, at one point staying upright for 8 seconds. My granddaughter has a plan, an agenda.

Her mother is working from home, this week, on-boarding for a new position. So, Hana also is taking up a position in the play pen with a view of Yunhee’s office. Maybe that’s the reason for the songs and dances. She knows how much this ne job means to her mother.

HANA’S NOTE– I am glad for Mommy. I felt like singing, so I just sang a tune that came into my head.

EXPANDING CIRCLES– East Texas- This area is indeed “a whole ‘nother Texas, as a friend from Palestine (pronounced Pal-es-TEEN) once told me. The Turf- East Texas also is watered by the Red River, its northern border with Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Sabine also waters this vast sectorof piny woods and wetlands. “East’ comes to a southern end, of sorts, with Big Thicket National Preserve.

First Nation- East Texas is the ancestral home of the Caddo people.

I’ve never been to the Thicket, but would like to include it on my itinerary some day. My experience with East Texas has been in Texarkana, which at the time I was there had worse traffic than our Collin County. A local who knew a shortcut was in front of me, saw my then-out-of-state plates (Arizona) and waved to me to follow him. I did so, and we drove past a three-mile line of stalled traffic. I’ve also been to Tyler, a nice, small city; Palestine, where I almost went to a child’s birthday party-until it was postponed because of a storm;and to Grand Saline, where a video store was opening and the owners were giving away hot dogs-by the dozen. Those are all in the middle of East Texas. I passed through Longview, a bit east of Tyler, as well as Marshall, Sulphur Springs and Greenville. We stayed overnight in Tyler, in the 2000s and I’ve recently been invited to go back there. There is a fine Rose Garden in Tyler, that Hana may well like to see. I’d also like to bring her along to Marshall’s Festival of Lights, one year soon.

To the south, on the way to Houston, are East Texas’s southern tier towns: Nacogdoches and Lufkin. Hana’s parents have friends in Nacogdoches, so I can see us heading down that way, at some point in the near future. It is also the “oldest town in Texas”, and Sam Houston hung his shingle in Nacogdoches, so I am sure there is a wealth of historical treasure there.

At the northern edge of “East” lies Paris,TX. It has had a history of particular tension between Blacks and Whites. I would like to go by there at some point, and talk to folks, as I did a few years ago in Philadelphia and Ruleville, MS, to see what the situation is now. That’s probably not something I’d do with Hana along, though, at least not until she is in her teens.

Where I feel most at home: Tyler, Grand Saline

NEXT: Houston and the Texas Bayous.

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 20

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

September 10,2026- My mother would have been 98, today. Aram said, this evening that he sees something of her in Hana. I definitely have seen the same for quite some time. It’s in the intensity of her gaze.

Hana has been quite effervescent, all day. When I turned on the lights in the dining room, this morning, her word was “Light”. She has been in a fun-loving mood, crawling on me and giving me hugs, She has also been very busy standing, a couple of times hands-free, and has been practicing walking, in the playpen, with my help. Daytime naps in the crib have been rather short, but today, when Yunhee came back from an errand, just as I had Hana ready to sleep, the little girl greeted her mother happily, then let Yunhee put her in the crib. She slept for nearly two hours. The top lateral incisors continue to poke through, a bit at a time,

HANA’S NOTE- I was just glad that my Papa was with me for much of the day, even though Mommy is also home.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2024- This was the year that my mother said goodbye- right in the midpoint of it all, June 30. She had lived an astonishing life, and was the last of nine siblings. She had the most profound influence of anyone on my life. I will be ever grateful to have been there for her, at the end of hers.

I was at her side three times, once in mid-Spring, en route to Newfoundland and once on the way back to Arizona. The third time, which had me sitting with her constantly, over a three-day period, came at end of watch. She would shake her head, at all my travels, over the years, but the last five days of her earthly life saw me travel solely between Bedford and Lynnfield. Ditto for the days up until her interment. Aram joined me for the time leading up to the funeral, and Independence Day, which followed.

The year was otherwise one of constant motion: San Diego and Orange County in February; Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, plus St. Pierre, by way of my usual route, in April and May; homage also paid to Emmett Till and to Fannie Lou Hamer, on the way back to Prescott; flying back to Mother’s side in late June and seeing her off on her timeless journey; northward to Vancouver Island and B.C’s Sunshine Coast, in July; the Philippines, including Baguio, Palawan and Dumaguete, in late September and much of October. My time with a lady I still very much treasure was the finest part of that last journey.

I ended the year pondering whether my Home Base would change, either to Texas or to Metro Manila. The answer would come within a year.

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.