Sean has completed another semester at Crafton Hills College. Brianna is busy with school and work. Ryan has finished a year at a junior college!!!!! Opal (woof) is our dog. And Jerry is keeping busy and out of trouble by blogging *gulp* and posting on the internet *big gulp*.
Pam passed away suddenly at the beginning of July 2007. Pam we all love you and miss you.
I have been telling my oldest son, that we have finished the year. We may not be running at full speed, but we more than likely approach the end of the year limping and unbowed. . Jerry and the Kids.
And Opal (woof)
. . .
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
As of late, I see myself getting more fatalistic with age. Certainly not every life event is preordained.
But, alas the milestone events appear to happen without any way to stop, change, or avoid them.
Not every falling leaf, raindrop, sunbeam, tear, or smile is fated. But, those crossroad events seem immutable and beyond control.
What does it all mean? And where do I go from here? I chose to walk my life road with a mate.
And fate has snatched her from me. Plucked like a rosebud before coming to flower and full bloom.
No gloom, doom, or brooding temperament will I wear. I control the attitude, demeanor, and character of my life.
Though uncertainty, doubts and trials still await me; the road lay ahead with surprises and happiness yet to come.
But, does Fate intervene in life? Well, I believe so. The following is what I believe one could call Fate in one person's life.
New Abode
One day during World War I, Winston Churchill visited France as a volunteer to observe the fighting first hand. In his sandbagged shelter at the front line, he was brought a message from a visiting general, a former acquaintance, who wanted to see him. Churchill was instructed to walk to a crossroads some three miles away, where a car would meet him. After waiting at the crossroads for nearly an hour, however, he was joined by one of the general's officers. The car had been sent to the wrong crossroads, the man explained, and it was now too late for any meeting to take place. Churchill, understandably peeved, began the long haul back to the trenches in the dark; then, as rain began to fall, he produced a stream of silent invective describing the thoughtless general.
When he finally reached his camp, Churchill was astonished to find that his shelter had apparently disappeared. Five minutes after his departure, he learned, a shell had come through the roof, obliterating the structure and killing the man inside.
"Suddenly I felt my irritation against General X pass completely from my mind," he later recalled. "All sense of grievance departed in a flash. As I walked to my new abode, I reflected how thoughtful it had been of him to wish to see me again, and to show courtesy to a subordinate when he had so much responsibility on his shoulders."
Churchill, Winston Leonard Spenser (1874-1965) British politician and writer, First Lord of the Admiralty (1911-15, 1939-), prime minister (from 1940), Nobel Prize recipient (Literature, 1953) [noted for his remarkable eloquence and leadership ability; for his memoirs and letters; and for such works as The Second World War, The Great Republic : A History of America and My Early Life]
. . . never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
We are ending 2006 for the most part with all of us in fairly good health. Pam still has her thyroid problems to deal with but her General Practice doctor is now trying to get the paperwork through “STAT” or as quickly as possible. I just wrote that this year has had its share of UPS and DOWNS. And 2006 had more DOWNS than UPS.
But, the REDLANDSCOSTALES’ are ending 2006 on the rise and rebounding UP. And some of us may be familiar with that old expression –
. All’s Well That Ends Well.
. Now, I just did a Google search and just found out that “All’s Well That Ends Well” is a play by William Shakespeare. (link -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All ) So, it just shows you that you that you can learn something new everyday if you make the effort and are willing to learn.
I hope all is well with you and yours. ;-) GC
PS This is the closest thing to a brag letter that you’ll see from me.
PPS New Year resolutions –
.
1. To post more in the family blog – RedlandsCostales. 2. To get to the 10 gallon milestone in blood donations. 3. To be a better person. (Vague but concise.)
It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are. -E. E. Cummings .
I've never thought of either Pam and now Sean being bipolar as being any different than if they were diagnosed being diabetic or having some other illness. You take medicine either way and you adjust to the illness the best you can. Here’s some facts you might not know.
. Many attribute some of Churchill's extraordinary abilities to his being affected by bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression. In his last years, Churchill is believed by several writers to have suffered from Alzheimer's disease, though the Churchill Centre disputes this. Certainly he suffered from fits of depression that he called his "black dog." Some researchers also believe that Churchill was dyslexic, based on the difficulties he described himself having at school. However, the Churchill Centre and other experts strongly refute this.
Ryan and Pam are working hard at home doing Independent Study for seventh grade. Ryan is doing really well receiving four B’s and one A in his latest semester report card. Seventh grade has been an adjustment for Ryan. But, he’s looking forward to going back to Clement Middle School for eighth grade. If Ryan has stumbled, he remains unbowed. . “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
. Ryan certainly is not a timid soul. And he’s had his share or victories and defeats. Ryan does his best and works hard through the bad times. He is moving steadily back to better times an better days . Ryan recently received a First Place ribbon at the last school district Science Fair. When he was younger, he tried his hand at both organized baseball and organized basketball at the local Community Center. He still shots hoops occasionally with his Dad for highly contested games of “Horse”. Ryan specialty is the backward shot. Back to the basket, Ryan launches the ball two handed over his head and arching the shot into the waiting basket. Now, that’s what I call “Horse”!!! His recent fractured toe as limited his activity. But, he seems hale and hearty. Ready to tackle other endeavors. . Ryan is working on honing his drawing skills. Working with pencil and paper, he is showing great improvement in learning the proportions and drawing of the human figure in motion. Though heavy handed at times, he is refining his style to achieve more realistic facial and figure drawing. His drawings are patterned on the popular Japanese Anime style of art. . The Anime style is highly stylized with flamboyant long-legged figures. The people sport huge expressive eyes and the people are usually shown in dramatic action poses. The hair is wind blown with long swirls or highly coiffed in high and overly teased hairdos. Though not realistic the Anime people evoke high action and adventure with a unique usually sharp edged flair. These Heroic figures are usually equipped with sword, staff, and an assortment of Martial Arts weapons. . Ryan’s drawing are usually inspired by the Comic Heroes of DC Comics (Batman, etc.) or Animated Television (Teen Titans, etc.) . But, it is the highly competitive and action packed arena of Video game design and programming that he eventually hopes to be in. Keep up the Good Work. You make us all Proud. ;-) DAD
To all our Family and Freinds,
PS Don't forget to Vote this year.
