Category Archives: Spiritual

The Hana Chronicles: Month7, Day 5

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

July 26,2026- When I got back from my Red Cross volunteer stint, this afternoon, the family was gone. A bit later, I received a photo of Aram enjoying a gelato cone, while Hana looked up at him, wistfully. The little girl is grateful for all the nutritious food we give her, but I think part of her wishes she could have have the treats we enjoy.

Her father is convinced that, as long as she can’t speak English or Korean fluently, she is not really thinking. I see too much of her, day to day, to ever make that mistake. She and I have a deeper communication, and she will not hesitate to tell me what she is feeling, even using English phrases, every so often.

At dinner, she had her first taste of pureed stewed tomatoes. She grimaced at the first few bites, then took the rest without any fuss. When she saw us laughing at her grimaces, she laughed also. I am glad that my granddaughter doesn’t have a congenital feeling of inferiority. I hope she will keep on being able to laugh at herself.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to try new foods. I just wish they included the stuff that’s in the cones that Mommy and Daddy were eating today. Maybe some day, I will get to try it.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1978 The Maine years drew to a close, in September. It was 45 F ,(7 pm, EDT) at Bangor International Airport, when I boarded an American Airlines jet, bound for Phoenix. I landed at Sky Harbor at 11 pm, MST. It was 104 F.

To no one’s surprise, I was let go at the end of the school year, due to “budget constraints”. I was actually glad to be leaving. The Title I math tutoring job was alright, but I didn’t fit in well. I spent a month or so working in the summer program, called Maine Journeys-an interesting premise that took seventh graders around the state, even into New Brunswick-and Mactaquaq Park, near Fredericton. I just didn’t have the composure to tolerate admittedly minor misbehaviour. It was time to leave.

My sister, Cheryl, and her boyfriend, Steven, were married in late June, so I hitched my way down for the wedding. Going back was by Greyhound. After staying at a boarding house in Dexter, west of Bangor, and helping the owner paint her front porch, I landed a job at a Boarding School for the children of wealthy patrons, in Toltec, Arizona-halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. Before I left, Mrs. Knox told me that I’d enjoy my Thirties (I was 27 at the time) and that Arizona was full of breathtaking sights.

I arrived at Villa School (later called Villa-Oasis School), in the company of my immediate supervisor, Patrick Giovanditto, who got me situated into a spacious apartment, around midnight. The next day, I met the Headmaster and his wife, and the administrative team.The students showed up a week later. I was the senior high math teacher. The lessons went fairly well. I was additionally given the assignment of teaching Physics to one Senior, an otherwise pleasant young man from Australia, who had absolutely no interest in the subject. Before we really established any kind of footing, though, he got into a loud argument with one of the administrators and was expelled. The administrative process was rather strict, and several of the brighter, more outspoken students found themselves in similar states.

The Villa was, if nothing else, my gateway into Arizona. I explored much of the central part of the state, during the Fall and, at Christmas time, joined one of the administrators on a road trip as far as Michigan. We stayed at a 5-Star hotel, in the Chicago Loop,as it was managed by his brother. I stayed in a room whose last occupant had been Henry Fonda. I don’t think I’ve been in such swanky digs, before or since.After he dropped me off near Ann Arbor, I found a ride to Toledo, and from there caught a bus to Boston. New England for the holidays was again a special treat.

My climb out of the emotional hole I had dug was well underway.

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 28

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, distraction issues, Family, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 19,2026- “I want this!”- So said my granddaughter, as she sat on my lap, while I was reading my Baha’i prayer book, this morning. I let her touch the cover and the pages, but not pull on them. She understood, after I explained the reason, a second time. It is nice that she wants to hold such a comforting book.

We went to Costco, as a family, this afternoon. Hana is not yet curious about stuff. She basically looks at what people are doing-especially other children teasing their parents. She had no reaction today, at a little boy trying to keep things away from his mother. On other occasions, she has babbled at another child, in a scolding tone. Today, she was in a more pensive mood.

In the evening, we had Hana in a swim vest, and she kicked her legs several times, in forward motion, in a half full bathtub. With a full protective suit and three of us hovering, she was perfectly safe and felt more relaxed.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to handle things-and put my mouth on them. My grown-ups won’t let me “eat” some things. I try to do that anyway. Books taste yucky!

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1971 My first experience with the Pacific Northwest=11 different forms of weather, in 24 hours, at Fort Lewis, WA. My first experience with Japan- Yokota Air Force Base was a miserable place, with bad weather and miserable American civilians, who disdained us grunts. My experiences with VietNam- Mostly kind, gentle locals worked on the bases at Long Binh and at Cholon. I was seen as a “newbie”, at Long Binh, especially by those who had come in from combat units, in the back country. One of them changed his tune, after I defended him from the unit’s self-styled alpha male, while I was assistant Charge of Quarters, overnight. I managed the Accountable Mail cage,both at Long Bin and at Cholon. Long Binh was touch and go. I was there from March until July.

When said alpha male threatened me, for having embarrassed him before the unit, I was transferred to Cholon, a small unit in Saigon’s Chinatown. There was no word on what happened to him. Sergeant First Class Hobson, the operations sergeant, just thought I’d be better off at Cholon. I was, as it happened. I had good friends there-Bill, Arnie, Richie, Roger. At Long Binh, I had been mostly an outsider.

I spent four days in Sydney, on a Rest & Rehabilitation leave, in September and spent much of that time with two sisters, who my buddy Bill had met, on his R&R, earlier. I was rather a rube, during those days, but I did enjoy my time with them and a visit to Tauranga Park. I also visited Vung Tau, a beach town, southeast of Saigon. We were told that the Viet Cong also used Vung Tau as a resort, but I basically stayed with a small group of other soldiers and met no trouble that day. Once, while I was still at Long Binh, my cousin Johnny came by, as he was stationed in the Mekong Delta and had an errand to run on the base. That was one of the best days in a rather miserable place.

In November, right after the guys threw a surprise party for my 21st birthday, I was given the chance to apply for early release, to return to college. I put in for it, got approval and my time in VietNam came to an end, with the new year.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 6, Day 14

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

July 5, 2026- The fireworks were so much fun for people, the past two nights, that there were a few sets going off tonight. We just went about our business. For Hana, that meant sleeping soundly through it all.

She is focused on her sitting up, which is getting longer, with less help. She knows now to use one hand to prop herself and can stay upright for 4-5 minutes, before wanting to move on to something else-and then sitting up again.

Our focus today was an early birthday celebration for Aram, who has chosen to work on Tuesday, his actual birthday. Hana understood that it was Daddy’s special day. When I left, in mid-morning, for a Baha’i devotional, she was puzzled as to why I was leaving the house alone. I promised that I would be back in time for the family outing.

At noon, we all went to a place called BBQ Chicken, and enjoyed two varieties of said item, Hana sat patiently in her stroller, while the three of us ate. We then went to Daiso, a Japanese dry goods store and picked up a few things-among them, a rain coat for me and a body bib for Hana. I also stopped in at 85 C and bought mini pineapple cakes for Aram’s birthday celebration. It was a nice afternoon, though probably less than exciting for our girl.

HANA’S NOTE- I was confused when Papa went out alone, after my parents said we were all going somewhere. I asked Papa why he was leaving, and he said it was to a devotional, whatever that is. Anyway, he came back right at Noon, and we went for Daddy’s birthday. This is the first time I have heard the word birthday. Yesterday was “America’s” birthday. I would like t meet that lady someday. She seems pretty popular.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1957 During the second half of First Grade, Miss Lavin took us, on foot, to the Saugus Public Library. She rang her bell the whole way down Central Street. We were all guided by police officers, who stood at each intersection. It was a nice introduction to the Library and I got my first card that day.

In the summer,I was given my First Communion, a Roman Catholic sacrament. It was my first time wearing a suit and tie, also. For the next six years, I had to go to Sunday school, every week after Mass.

Second Grade started in September. Mrs. McCarrier was our teacher. She showed us subtraction and two-digit addition, plus how to tell nouns from verbs and articles. We began the SRA program, a reading enhancement tool. I did well in it, but didn’t get along with the instructor, who had no patience for students who read at a higher level. I never understood her reasoning. In October, our Principal. Mr. Lynch, told us about the launch of Sputnik, a Russian satellite, which was the first rocket launched into space, That was our first school-wide assembly.

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 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.