Category Archives: Travel

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 9

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

August 30, 2026- Hana mostly just wanted individual time with each of us, so we took turns in the Playpen and letting her nap in our arms. She is also more vocal and keeps eye contact, to make sure we understand what she wants.

She wore a skirt with panty, in the morning, then was switched to her first pair of jeans, in the afternoon. These made no difference to her, except during diaper changes. She is fairly adaptable, though, showing that her trust is very deep.

Mommy and Daddy took Hana with them, on a morning run to H-Mart. I went to a Baha’i devotional, then came back to a fine lunch of freshly made kim bap (sushi rolls). I recall, fondly, that this was my first Korean food, back in 1986. Yunhee does it very well.

HANA’S NOTE- I was so happy when Papa came back from the place he often goes on Sunday. He brought his prayer book, so it must have been a nice meeting.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2013 I was planning for my summer journey to be a spiritual quest of sorts: Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Spirit (“Devils”) Tower, Black Elk Peak, Pipestone, the Baha’i House of Worship (Wilmette),and my brother, Glenn’s Sail Blind race, off Newport, RI were on the itinerary. First, though, was a birthday party for my twin sisters-in-law, in Colorado. It would all have gone nicely, but I tripped up, emotionally and spiritually, allowing confusion to set in and sidetrack me,a fair amount That it caused problems for a devoted friend haunted me for a good long time.

The shattering of our Prescott community, just prior to my journey, also had an effect on my own equilibrium, and the fact that only two years had elapsed, since I lost Penny, didn’t help. Yet, on June 30, 19 wildland firefighters died in a firestorm, west of Prescott. There were several people displaced and I helped man a Red Cross shelter, for three days, until a larger crew arrived to lead the sheltering effort.

In the end, the journey had its sublime moments, I reached each of the places on my itinerary and began to make amends to said friend.

No sooner had I returned to Prescott, than I read an appeal from a single mother to help with moving. I answered that appeal, and made a friendship that has lasted to this day. Additionally, my friend introduced me to do Terra natural supplements, which I also use to this day. My gratitude to Melissa knows no bounds.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 8

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

August 29, 2026- Hana reveled in going to a Brunch establishment, Sunrise Cafe, in Allen, about five miles north of here. Though she already had her lunch, she was happy to sit in a high chair and tap on the table, looking around at the different people coming in and out, as well as at the large conduits hanging from the ceiling. We enjoyed our brunch items and I found my Tex-Mex omelet comparable to the ones I enjoyed at Zeke’s, in Prescott.

She also was intrigued later in the afternoon, when we were filling boxes with items for return. That activity had the side effect of my emptying two large boxes, so that they could be used for the returns. It thus made my common space upstairs a bit tidier. Hana likes to watch processes take place, especially when these are involving her mother.

HANA’S NOTE- I like going to different places now. I didn’t so much before I could sit in a high chair. It is fun to look around.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2012 I began to have a sense of equilibrium again, after eight years of feeling buffeted. I was again substitute teaching, this time in the three major districts of western Yavapai County: Prescott, Humboldt (Prescott Valley) and Chino Valley. I was more selective about which classes I would cover. Most of the time, the days went successfully. I also joined the American Legion, began volunteering with the American Red Cross and connected with a group called Slow Food.

I began to get out on the hiking trails of the Prescott area and other parts of northern Arizona, during the school year. One memorable event was the “Longest Day Challenge” (6/21), in which I hiked the Grand Canyon, from the South Rim to the Colorado River and back, using the Bright Angel Trail-which had water stations every 1-1.5 miles. Devil’s Corkscrew was the hottest and most challenging part. On the way back, I encountered a woman about my age telling the young Park Rangers that she would walk up and out of the Canyon as she saw fit. She was stumbling about and seemed disoriented, so some of us prevailed on her to follow the Rangers’ instructions. She got into the helicopter. The rest of the way, I hiked with three young Mexicans. The girls were a bit overwhelmed by how “difficult” it seemed, but we took it slowly and got back to the Rim around 9 p.m.

I branched out, traveling around the state of Texas, in May, then going to Massachusetts, by way of Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. This became a yearly itinerary, thereafter. In September, we Baha’is commemorated the centenary of a visit by ‘Abdu’l-Baha to North America. I was planning to go with three ladies from the Prescott area, but one by one, they canceled. I drove instead to visit the Smiths, Baha’i friends who lived in Reno, and the three of us went to San Francisco and Oakland, where events were held throughout the weekend. I then drove along the Coast, through northern California, Oregon and Washington, re-visiting Portland and seeing Seattle for the first time. When a fire threatened Wenatchee, in central Washington, I went there, rather than stay in Seattle, and joined several Baha’is in prayer for protection. I went back to Reno for a bit, then drove to Salt Lake City and Glenwood Springs, CO, for other commemorative events.

Southern California also became a focus, as Aram was stationed in San Diego and a friend in Orange County was one of my regular correspondents, so I got to enjoy quality seafood and take in a lovely beach town, each time I visited.

I will be focusing more on each of the states, provinces and countries I’ve visited, after this series on Years in Remembrance is finished.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 7

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

August 28, 2026- “Let’s go.” With that remark, Hana stood at the gate to her playpen, and was ready for me to help her take some steps. She is not shy about asking for help, or,as was the case today, telling me she wants assistance. I carefully opened the gate and we took about a dozen steps, almost making it to her mother’s office. She stopped at the small rise between her play pit and the front door. After thinking for a few minutes, she took the step up and made it along the wooden floor as far as her father’s pair of sneakers. Her mother came out of the office and Hana decided she’d done enough step-taking for the morning.

The three of us went shopping at Costco, as Aram was at work. When Yunhee said she was going into the fruit cooler, to get blueberries, Hana excitedly said “Yum!” She can’t get enough of them. The four of us do go through blueberries rather quickly.

She was exhausted by day’s end, not letting herself sleep, even when put down for a nap. She had to keep practicing standing and scooting, much of the afternoon. After her bath, she was in bed by 6:45, and out like a light.

HANA’S NOTE- I am glad that Papa understands me, when I say some words in his language. I am understanding his language, and my Mama’s, more and more.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2011 Aram made the call, while I was at work, in the last few days of February. Penny’s visiting doctor and home nurse had both come down with the flu and were unable to fulfill their visits. She needed care, regardless, so back to the Hospice she went. We spent most of our time there, the next several days. Penny began to throw out the artwork that visiting children had left, and she was asleep most of the time, anyway. My wife of twenty nine years became unresponsive in the evening of March 3. She remained in laboured breathing, the next day. as there was no available room for me to stay that night, Aram and I went home.

The next morning, I awoke to a heavy presence that filled our bedroom. I knew Penny was saying goodbye. Getting up and readying for the day, I took a call from the Hospice, just after 6 a.m. We had to go there quickly. When Aram and I arrived at the Hospice, the air was still, but there was a light spiral of dust and leaves going upward, near the front door. We went inside, where the nurse said she had just checked on Penny and she was lying calmly, in shallow breath. That breath had stopped, however, at 6:03, and her still warm body was lifeless, as I held her hand. We summoned the doctor, called a friend who was a mortician, and spent about thirty minutes saying our own goodbyes. We then had to drive to Prescott, and sat with Penny’s parents, in this time that no parent should have to endure.

The following Tuesday, I wrapped my beloved’s body in silk, carefully following the directions I was getting from her spirit. It was a dignified ending, to a horrific eight years of physical and mental decline. It had witnessed me grappling with every bit of self-loathing, while I kept going because Penny needed me, our son needed me and, I needed myself to get a grip and somehow pull through.

Family came, we gave her a loving funeral and then, I was alone, save for our son. I went back to work at Dysart and Glendale Union, the following Monday. Outside of work, though, I was a shell of a person, for two months. In May, Aram and I drove east, to my third niece’s wedding, in New Hampshire, one for which Penny and I had prayed for most of our last year together. It was an event that I needed to attend, even if some of the family thought it was too soon for me to be out. It was a beautiful affair.

Summer came soon after. Aram entered the Navy. I moved my belongings to Prescott, leaving behind our home of eight years. Then I drove east, again, spending a week at Louhelen Baha’i School, slowly pulling myself together. Visits with family in Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts were alternately hard and comforting, but I’m glad to have made them. When I went back to Prescott, it felt like I was settling into a haven of peace. Gradually, I would shed the cloak of self-loathing and earn the respect of all but one or two of my family members. I would also feel like I had found community, at long last.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 8, Day 5

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

August 26,2026- Hana was able to stand upright, without support, for four seconds. She is also able to scoot, along the bars of the playpen, for about five steps at a time, and is able to transition from one section of the bars to its perpendicular neighbour.. She is on a rather systematic mission to master all the prerequisites of walking.

My grandchild has associated my being with her, with her parents’ absence. So, she was trying to figure out why I still rock her to sleep for her afternoon nap, when she knows her mother is in the house. I explained that “Mommy needs a nap, herself.” She then relaxed and went to sleep on my shoulder, seeming to understand that it would be hard for either of them to sleep, as Hana likes to play with Yunhee, when they are in the playpen or on the bed,

Hana has her grandmother’s single-mindedness, and will surely master anything to which she sets her mind. The rub is that she will need to learn when to defer her mission, so that things her parents need her to do can take precedence. This will later transfer to her school life. The willfulness can work, once that balance is reached.

HANA’S NOTE- I like to have just a small snack, like bits of fruit or cucumber, when my grownups eat their big meals. I have my meals earlier, but I still want to sit with them and be part of things.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-2009 I was starting to get overwhelmed by trying to hold down a job, at the same time as the long hours needed to care for Penny, as she became increasingly unstable. She could no longer drive. That came to an end in 2007, when she admitted to being scared to even try driving in an empty parking lot. She could manage her motorized scooter, but wanted me to be with her, when she was anywhere other than the ASU West campus.

I left WIS, in March, and went to work for a mental health agency, whose motto was “New Ways of Thinking”. Those turned out to be “The boss is always right” and “We are here to serve the insurance industry.” In fairness, I was running on fumes a good part of the time I was serving clients, and even more so when sitting in training sessions or in meetings. I was let go, at the end of the 3-month probation period, but was not replaced. A co-worker I met by chance, afterward, told me they were trying to cut costs-and that was the real reason I was terminated.

I attended Penny’s graduation from ASU West, a few weeks later. There, we met Nancy Pelosi, the singer Alice Cooper and President Barack Obama, who gave the graduation address. Penny had opted out of attending all her other graduation ceremonies, over the years. The meaning of this one made up for all those.

We made one last road trip across the country, to attend my second eldest nephew’s wedding, in New Jersey. As it was, by chance, not far from the Fellmans’ house, we stayed there, though Penny’s parents were in Arizona. Her younger sister was there, though. The wedding was lovely, but the trip had a finality to it, that I could not completely grasp. One silver lining was that all the work we had done, the past six years, to get access to restrooms for disabled people and their opposite sex caregivers, was starting to pay off. In four states along the way, we found facilities that had “family” restrooms-one seaters that could be locked from the inside. Other times, we still had to prevail on kind souls to stand guard outside, while we tended to nature’s call.

Lady, our family dog for the past fourteen years, passed away in September. She was 17 and had severe arthritis, unable to move without screaming in pain. It almost felt like she was going on, to prepare a place for Penny-but we were far from ready to give up the fight. I went back to substitute teaching and she busied herself with looking for positions in Technology Education.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 24

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

August 14, 2026- Hana and I took her Daddy to retrieve his car, this afternoon. While the initial plan was for him to merely pick up the vehicle, there was an extended wait for his service adviser to come back from lunch, so Hana and I went into the waiting area of the Service Department, which was large, cool and very spare. I entertained Hana with a water bottle, which she held and felt its coolness and its rough exterior.

Just when she was getting frustrated at not being allowed to drink out of it, her Dad and the service adviser appeared. Plans had changed. He was getting some further work done on the car, and we went back to the house. Hana was a bit tired, so she napped in the car seat, which is still rear-facing.

She babbled a lot, in an animated cadence, throughout the day. When I changed her diaper, this evening, she started mimicking what she heard as my voice, saying, in a raspy voice: “Wow, that’s a lot.” Her bubbly personality is emerging, more and more, as the days progress. It is truly a joy to be here, doing this work.

HANA’S NOTE- I want to be able to drink from a bottle!

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1997- I failed at a few things, this year. My lingering shyness, lack of athletic ability and self-doubt led me to fall down, in meeting the needs of a group of troubled adolescent boys, who started out just wanting to have my support and friendship. I had no problems, as a counselor, working with younger children and with adolescent girls. Middle school boys were, for some reason, a different matter- especially when their hook was basketball.

The other rough spot, for me, was resolving petty disputes between adolescents. I thought this was something that they should be able to figure out among themselves. A parent disagreed, and complained that I was not meeting her son’s needs. I thought back to how I was raised, and had my answer: My own mother would not intervene in any disputes that we had with neighbour kids..

We went back East, as usual, and visited Dave, Debbie and their kids, in eastern Pennsylvania. It was our first time meeting their daughter, Rebecca, who was holding her own with her two big brothers. We made a couple of other stops along the way. At one point, we stopped at a National Cemetery, in Illinois, to pay respects to a former sergeant of mine, who had been later killed in action. We also took in a couple of sites in the Abraham Lincoln National Historical Park.

This, though, was the last year of relative normalcy in our lives, for quite some time.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 23

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

August 13, 2026- Hana got a boost, this afternoon, from one of her physicians; Her functioning, in a key area, is showing stability. This particular area of health is measured every three months, until age 3. She is showing in the higher percentile, and is developing skills at a consistently high clip.

Hana listened very intently, at what the doctor was saying, perhaps storing information for later. She seems to know that certain things are more important than others. She has been very good about taking mid-morning medication, for example. She is also fastidious about beginning her mornings with exercise, even if she is on the changing table-which leads us to insist that she wait until the diaper is changed!

HANA’S NOTE- We drove a long way, in Papa’s car, to see a new doctor. The people at that hospital are very nice.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1996 Cracks started showing in our Jeddito life. Our next door neighbour died, during Spring Break, so we cut our southern Arizona jaunt short. The principal was fired, in mid-year and a School Psychologist took the reins, temporarily. Penny and a co-teacher had a program called Collaborative Literacy Intervention Plan (CLIP), which got results and kudos from the Governing Board.

My program went well, though there was some difficulty with the Superintendent, looking to find fault with our summer program, for no other reason than to have cause to eliminate it. The Board protected us, and despite some setbacks, such as a bus conking out, halfway up a hill on the way to Phoenix, we managed to get to several interesting places.

We went back East, as a family, for three weeks in July. A week was spent in Massachusetts and one week was spent in New Jersey. The rest was spent going to and from the Coast. We made the second of our visits to Bosch Baha’i School, in Santa Cruz, California, by taking a road trip. (The first was in 1994, by air.) Bosch is atop a high cliff, with breathtaking views of the ocean. We were there for a Spiritual Literacy conference. Afterwards, we drove down the Coast, getting our first views of Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara-the last being towards sundown.

I would be seriously evaluating my continued effectiveness as a counselor, in the year to come.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 21

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

August 11, 2026- Hana is fully into practicing standing up, and is very clear about wanting me nearby, so she can hold onto me while boosting herself up. I am close by, anyway, to make sure she doesn’t have any hard falls. The play pen is high enough that there is no danger of her climbing over.

The bedtime struggles have started; essentially, she can be put in the crib at the same time, but it takes her longer to lie down and go to sleep. She has one teething ring and one plush toy in the crib, s she will fall asleep more from boredom than anything else-and I recommend to her parents that they go with that. Our girl is very active during the day. and needs her naps, so it will take her a bit more time at night, to wind down.

She is very good about telling me when she needs a diaper change and in reminding me that it’s her supper time, if her parents are running a little late in getting home from work. She likes most foods, but winces at the taste of stewed Roma tomatoes. Her favourites are the naturally sweet things, like carrots, apples and squash. She also likes salmon and chicken.

HANA’S NOTE- Papa had ice cream for dessert at lunch. I wish I could have ice cream!

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1994 I lost my youngest brother, Brian, in March. It will forever cast a shadow over St. Patrick’s Day, but he left us after blessing the family for nearly 29 years. He taught us love, forbearance, patience and the knowledge that there is value in every human life. All the lessons I absorbed, from watching my parents raise and safeguard him would become very valuable, in nine very short years.

Our summer started with Bellemont Baha’i Summer school, at the salubrious camp, fifteen miles west of Flagstaff. In the 1990s, we still had our meals prepared by a “chuckwagon crew”, three or four men who cooked everything over an outdoor cook stove. The program was well planned, with deepenings on both Baha’i history and the path to a more virtues-based society. Recreation was always vigorous. We provided both volleyball and badminton nets. Another staple was a youth trip to some Lava Tubes, northeast of Bellemont. Penny and I joined a group that climbed Kendrick Peak, an outlier of the San Francisco Peaks.

We made a trip eastward, including Aram’s first visit to the Baha’i House of Worship, in Wilmette, IL While we were praying silently, he snuck away and began to speak into the microphone. This earned him a sharp rebuke from the security guard. He later told me, “Daddy, I didn’t know Baha’is could be mean.” I told him there was difference between “mean” and strict, and that from now on, he needed to be quiet in the House of Worship.

Penny returned to work, in August, taking a second grade classroom. She lost no skills in her time away from teaching and her students were making great strides in the first semester, My counseling efforts benefited from the addition of a four-pronged program that the new Principal brought with her. She had been a counselor for several years, and I valued her recommendations, though her manner could be quite abrupt. The four prongs, Academic, Vocational, Social and Leisure. were able to be worked into my work with each class. I also was fully into the Red Ribbon program, which addressed substance abuse issues.

The Winter holidays meant a three-day Baha’i Winter school, at a hotel in Phoenix. A large group attended this, each year, with many dressed in their finest clothes. We were business casual, and enjoyed the gathering, nonetheless. Aram had a fairly good experience in the children’s classes, which focused on virtues. It was always pleasant in Phoenix, in December. New Year’s Eve always meant Penny’s parents’ anniversary, so we joined them in Prescott.

The decade had established a sweet routine.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 20

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

August 10, 2026- “Quack, quack” So said Hana to her rubber duck, as her parents were bathing her, this evening. She stores an incredible amount of information, that she has only heard once or twice. I guess we all do that. I have used phrases that are favoured by Millennials and Gen-Zers, without recalling exactly where I heard or read them, in the first place.

She spent most of our playtime practicing standing up. My granddaughter is very good about looking to me for help, and usually will hold out her hand, when she wants a boost. She is also good about pushing my hand away, when she wants to do this on her own. I’m glad to oblige, either way.

She is now able to go back to sleep, when something disturbs her nap, or evening slumber. A month or so ago, one of us would have to rock her back to sleep. Now, she can comfort herself, most of the time.

HANA’S NOTE- I know a couple of animal noises-the duck’s “Quack” “and the cat’s “Meow.” Papa makes those sounds when he reads about the animals.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1993 I was able to establish my boundaries with those I loved and with those who were beloved by those I loved. I was most concerned with setting boundaries for myself. Being counselor to 900 people and chief Child Protection Officer for a school district that stretched over 100 miles, left little room for error. I went up against the Chief of Staff of a large medical facility, some cross street neighbours and even my own Superintendent, in the course of bringing well-connected people to justice, on behalf of children. We won each time.

The social aspect of our time in Jeddito was what was most endearing. We attended social dances in each Hopi village, and at least two healing ceremonies in Navajo camps. We hosted a friend from Washington state, who had a unique view of the future. (It never came to pass.) We also welcomed a family from Oklahoma, who stayed with us for four days and a lone traveler from the Omaha Nation, who was with us for two weeks,

We were becoming more focused.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 19

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

August 9, 2026-

The day “started” just after midnight, with several gunshots audible, across the alley. All four of us awoke to the noise. Hana was looking around but was being very quiet. Aram and I stood watch upstairs, and he called the Plano Police to report the n=sounds. It appeared that a cruiser came by later, but as we heard no further sounds and only saw a neighbour girl’s boyfriend dropping her off a bit later, then all lights in the nearby houses go out, we went back to bed.

Hana, Yunhee and I got up around 6:30. Aram slept in, then we enjoyed Yunhee’s chicken and waffles around 10. Hana expresses a wish that she could eat them, too. That day will come, but for now, it’s all puree. We do make it a point to have her sit in the high chair and have something at each meal. Lunch and dinner are the big meals for her.

I made a huge dent in the remaining pile in my storage unit, this afternoon. One more good load will empty the unit and save several more dollars each month. I can then start culling my excess items in earnest, once more.

HANA’S NOTE- I did not like those banging noises last night. Something told me to keep quiet and not cry. Mommy stayed with me, so that helped.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1992 We made the hard choice to not renew our visas, and so Penny and Aram flew back to Arizona in late January. They stayed with her parents, in the RV that they had driven across country, settling at a park in Prescott. I stayed behind, to complete my contract, taking seven of my freshman students on a circular field trip around Jeju. Their task was to prepare English-language mini-guides to each place we visited. After that was finished, I took a personal journey, mostly by bus, around the Korean mainland, starting in Kwangju and going up through Cheonju, Taejon and Seoul, then over to the east coast, including Soraksan and one last visit to the Demilitarized Zone, then down to Geongju, the ancient fortress town, with its impressive tumuli.

I flew out on March 1, having left a lot of camping equipment behind in Jeju. The University ended up giving it away to students. We had the bulk of our household put in a storage unit in Prescott, until we found a permanent place to live. I arrived “home” on March 2, and we settled into a residential motel. We stayed there for about five weeks, and during that time, I struggled with reconnecting to American life. There were a couple of auto-related mishaps, though neither involved other drivers and only one involved another vehicle. I was able to immediately get on board as a substitute teacher, in three school districts. Penny also did so, and we took turns staying with Aram. In April, we got a town house, in a nice neighbourhood on the west side of Prescott. Her Dad came and stayed with us for a week, while he made arrangements to fly his dog, Buddy, back to New Jersey.

In May, I was hired by Penny’s old boss in Keams Canyon, as school counselor at the newly opened Jeddito School. In August, we moved up to Keams Canyon, Aram entered pre-school, which was a half day. Penny had to go back to New Jersey for an operation, so Aram went with her for the two weeks. They also went back in November, for the Second Baha’i World Congress, which was held in New York City. I stayed behind and focused on my job of tending to the needs of 900 students.

By year’s end, I was finally regaining my equilibrium.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day18

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

August 8, 2026– Hana wished for only one thing: A chew toy, something that means a lot to a teething infant. We were at a Korean restaurant, enjoying things like Suntubu (Spiced tofu soup), Tonkasu (Pork cutlet) and Naengmyun (Cold buckwheat noodles, in soy sauce). Hana is not ready to eat any of this. Her meal waited at home, so she sat, just waiting with varying degrees of patience. I promised her that next time, with her parents rushing about and getting ready, I would make sure to bring her favourite teething ring of the week.

She had not had an easy afternoon. When I finally got her to nap on my shoulder, and had brought her into the master bedroom, to put her in the crib, the Robo Disc was in there, cleaning the carpet. I brought her back out to the recliner for ten minutes. The cleaner announced that it was done, so back in the bedroom we went, and I put her in the crib. Ten minutes later, the yard crew showed up, four hours late, and started their lawnmowers and leaf blowers. Hana’s Mommy and Daddy arrived back from their errands, about that time, and she was only too glad to get out of the crib, the Master Bedroom being bordered by the back and west yards.

HANA’S NOTE- I don’t know who felt worse, me being woken up by people speaking words I only hear when Papa says his last prayer, or Papa himself, trying to make sure I got my afternoon nap.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1991- Nothing reminds a person how much they love someone like finding their loved one in unexpected distress. Of a March afternoon, as I arrived home earlier than planned, I found Penny with her ear cut, babbling and on her knees, in the bathroom. Aram, not yet three years old, was in the empty bath tub, bawling his eyes out. I took him out first, dried and clothed him and set him on a sleeping mat. Then, I tended to Penny, bandaging her ear, and picking her up off the floor and carrying her into the bedroom, then dressing her, Just at that moment, almost like a TV movie, her Korean language tutor came to the front door. I had Penny seated and let the tutor in. She called an ambulance and then told the apartment complex manager what had happened. Between the three of us, we got Penny in a chair and I took Aram in my arms and comforted him.

Long story short, the ER doctor found that Penny had an allergic reaction to Ibuprofen. He stitched the ear up and by the time he was done, she was again lucid and able to walk. The three of us went to a noodle shop and had a bite to eat, then caught a bus to the University complex. The next morning, my back went out and I had to slowly walk down to the bus stop and go downtown to a chiropractor. This is what happens when one has to lift another adult, who is deadweight, from the floor. Penny never again took Ibuprofen, to say the least.

The rest of the year saw my classes go smoothly, and our Baha’i activities, with some ups and downs, reach dozens of students and young workers. We went back to the U.S. for a few weeks in June and July, enjoying the beach in Massachusetts and fireworks in Livingston, NJ. Aram liked playing with his somewhat older cousins.

In October, though, we started getting pleas from Penny’s parents to return to the United States, when our visas were up for renewal. They were heartsick at not having their only grandson closer to them. After praying long and hard, we decided we would return- in the new year.