Tag Archives: insect pests

The Hana Chronicles: Month 7, Day 16

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

August 6, 2026- Enormous cockroaches have shown up, around the neighbourhood, as the outside water dries up during August. We get “our share”-one here, another there, yet another in the dishwasher. If any of these pests comes anywhere near Hana, I will show it no mercy. These are “sewer” roaches, mind you, and our household’s standard of hygiene is second to none. Still, we adults can get exercised about any pests that threaten our girl’s health. Thankfully, the pest control technician is coming here tomorrow.

She “explored” a small area of the dining room. this afternoon, being able to climb up a small border between that room and the sunken family room, where her playpen and the recliner sit. I allow her limited crawling area, on carpet that has recently been cleaned. This way, she knows how to get around to different parts of the house, at eye level, should she ever need to do so, before learning to walk.

Yunhee was home during the morning, as she had a business call to be made from home. Hana kept a close eye on her, while she was in her office. I took her in the stroller, for part of that time, so as to give her mother more privacy.

HANA’S NOTE- I love being in the stroller. Today, I sang a little song that I made up, while we were out on our walk.

YEAR IN REMEMBRANCE-1989- This was big year for people in eastern Europr regaining their freedom. We were at a Baha’i Institute, in Busan, when the freedom wave came to Romania. Being partially of German descent, I felt relief when the Berlin Wall came down. Each time another segment of the Iron Curtain fell was another day of joy.

We brought Aram to Massachusetts and Maine, as well as New Jersey,during our summer visit to the U.S. He was warmly welcomed by all family and friends.When we spent a week at Green Acre Baha’i School, in Maine, his one curly hair, coming up from the middle of his head, earned him the sobriquet, “Sweepea”, after the orphan from Popeye. We celebrated his first birthday, with a party in my mother’s backyard. There, he got to meet most of his cousins. We joined a photography session, on the day of Penny’s cousin’s wedding, in Bedminster, then visited other friends in the area, while the wedding itself was in progress.

Penny had left her position at Jeju National University, to take care of Aram. She received a year’s salary as maternity leave, so that helped. I bonded more fully with the first group of students that had entered the program last year and continued making strong connections with those who entered each subsequent year.

The Eighties were bittersweet, but on balance, they set me in the right direction-something I had been seeking since 1969. The Nineties would see this straight path accelerate.

Bugs

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

April 30, 2026– When my son returned from a shopping run, this evening, among the items he brought out were two electronic flying insect zappers. This sparked a conversation about the pests that occasionally find their way in from the outside-the houseflies, mosquitoes and sewer cockroaches. We maintain roach motels for the latter, which only show up after a heavy rain. So, the zappers should take care of the rest.

To be clear, we maintain strict standards of cleanliness around the house. With a baby becoming more mobile, we take no chances. Besides, who wants to “share” food with flies? The kids loathe them, and even I, in my sanguinity towards all life, will wield a fly swatter or kill a mosquito with my hands, before seeing either harm anyone in my family.

This brings up the place of scavengers in nature. Aram would gladly burn all vermin, if given the chance. So, what would the planet look like, with no flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, rats (which we don’t have, thankfully) or carrion-eating birds? Since all living things eventually pass on, I daresay the planet would be far more of a mess, if not for the clean-up crew.

Further, I have been in places where there is either irregular trash pick-up, or none at all. My penchant for being a good citizen and picking discarded paper or plastic off a sidewalk and depositing it in a trash receptacle would have seemed ludicrous in such communities, The animals are, in such cases, fully “on the job” and humans have their work cut out for them, in maintaining hygienic boundaries in their homes.

So, we carry on with the balance of cleanliness and dirt, life and decay, conflict and resolution. The effort is a constant-and the bugs will keep getting zapped.

A Noble Partnership

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Family, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Travel

September 24, 2024- A groan came from the back of the taxi, and I turned to see my sister-friend trying to stomp a cockroach, which scurried out of harm’s way-toward my beloved, who also tried to stomp and missed. Being the man in the party of three, Filipino culture dictated that I sit in the front passenger seat, so despite my annoyance at the insect being near my friends, I could do nothing-but wait and see if it came towards my space. Somehow, it stayed hidden under my seat-and we all refocused.

We had been on an outing, first to the Philippine-American Cemetery, where 17,000 men and women, who died fighting the Japanese invaders, between 1941-45, are laid to rest. Those Missing in Action are named also named on a Wall of Honour. This wall is in three segments, each of which has several columns. Kathy wondered if any of my family members died in service, during World War II. None did, but my late father-in-law was a prisoner of war, in Berga, Germany, for five long months, in 1945. As a Jew, he was given “special” torment. Two of my maternal uncles were in the Navy, during the Battle of Midway. One of them served with valor, when his ship was shot out from under him and crew mates. He received a Silver Star for his actions. One of my paternal aunts served in the Women’s Naval Corps, the only member of her family who was able to serve at the time. I did find a distant relative, a Robert Boivin, USN, who was killed in action in the Philippines. There may be others, as we did not go to the Army, Marines or Coast Guard sections, which we will visit another day.

We viewed a film about the sequence of events There were so many heroic figures, among the Filipino and American forces, including many of both who acted as guerillas, constantly harassing the occupants. Filipino civilians also acted in wily fashion, many operating right under the noses of the overconfident Rising Sun. All those who died, made the soil of the Philippine nation fertile, in the best of ways. My head is bowed in tribute.

Here are some scenes from our visit to this hallowed spot.

The Home Front of America sprang to action.
People of colour were in the forefront of the battle for the Philippines, and elsewhere.
Kathy and Norlie are among the grateful.
So am I.
Norlie’s grandfather was one of the above.
I still stand ready.
This cenotaph honours the fallen, collectively.
Robert Boivin, Signal Corps, USN, was a distant cousin.
Three of Penny’s distant maternal cousins, Anthony, Ervin and Kyee Faust, were also in the forefront of the battle-at Leyte Gulf (1944).

Here is another view of the Cenotaph. It is actually a chapel, with a statue of St. Mary inside.

Afterwards, we went to one of the legacies of Philippine freedom: The new financial center of Manila: Bonifacio Global Center. There, we met another friend and I became the lovely ladies’ paparazzo.

Bonifacio Global Center
Norlie, Kathy and Ylona at “BGC”.

We got a late start today, but it didn’t matter.

As Chaos Calmed

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 10, 2021, Bellemont, AZ- Beware slumbering. in the calm sea, lest one be unaware when the roiling comes along. During the day, yesterday, things were smooth as glass. After dinner, though, came a sprained ankle, five other people (teens and adults) needing “immediate attention” (simultaneously, of course) and the recognition that everyone needed to be sent to their respective quarters, and any visitors bid goodnight, a bit earlier than usual.

The night thenceforth passed, with no further incidents. A perceived insect pest was spotted, this morning, and the requisite protocol was set in place. After the offending pest was found and eliminated, followed by the contents of the building subjected to six hours of bright sunshine and a fairly warm afternoon, the alert was lifted.

This is the way of the world, for as far back as I can remember. Problems find a designated solver, the crisis gets resolved and, after a fashion, the next order of business presents itself. That is, unless the disgruntled and the bored contrive a solution in search of a problem. Then, there are at least two problems.