Many of us can point to one person or perhaps several people who played significant roles in our life. People who made the difference at a tipping point in our lives. Someone whose words or actions changed our attitude and the direction of our life for the better. For me, after my parents, it is a short list of those who had a very significant influence on my life. It includes a third grade teacher, a high school basketball coach, a…
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a book by Jean-Dominique Bauby of France which is very unique because Bauby "dictated" it while totally paralyzed with only the ability for some movement of his head and eyes. Bauby was the editor of the well known French magazine, Elle in December of 1995 when he suffered a massive stroke and went into a coma. When he came out of the coma he had a "locked in" syndrome – a poisoner within his own…
I am enjoying a book by Allen Barra about Paul "Bear" Bryant The Last Coach. Bear was bigger then life and his story is enjoyable to read as well as inspiring. Here are few excepts from the book which I am still reading: Alabama coach Wallace Wade was a legend himself. In the Rosebowl of 1925 Wade's team was behind at the start of the third quarter 12-0. Wade said to the gathered team in a big, booming voice "They told me boys…
Lita and I arrived at our home in Scottsdale a few days before Christmas. We traveled with Josephine and Valentino. They are our two Bischon dogs who complicate our lives, but are worth the effort because they are very loving animals. The weather was in the mid forties, but clear and sunny. This hasn't been weather for swimming and we have had frost on the ground. We moved from our previous house, about a block and a half away in this gated community, to…
The newspaper reports that Kim Peek, age 58, died December 19th. Mr. Peek was diagnosed as severely mentally retarded as a child. In fact, throughout his life he need around the clock supervision. He wasn’t even able to dress himself or do simple things such as comb his hair. Born in 1951, his parents were advised he should be put in an institution, but they cared for him at home instead. This required constant care every day because of Kim’s mental problems. After…
Dad's mother Phyllis Filippa Luvera was born in Italy May 26, 1870 and died in Anacortes, Washington on December 20, 1946. Nonna Luvera spoke only a word or two of English and we children were not taught Italian so I only communicated with her through dad. She was a large woman – a typical Italian grandmother who always had Italian candy she offered us and who cooked great food. Nonno and Nonna lived in small house on Commercial Avenue, but…
Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th, came and went with only a passing media reference to this historical day. World War II for the United States began on that date when a Japanese war fleet with planes and submarines launched a surprise attack on Hawaii the morning of December 7, 1941. The target was our naval base and war fleet at Pearl Harbor. Almost all of us who were alive at the time can remember the precise moment when we learned…
Elizabeth (Betty) Catherine Devitt, was born December 5, 1910 in Butte,Montana and died December 20, 1995 in Puyallup. She was my mother in law. Her children included my wife, Lita, Devitt (deceased) Hollis, Barbara and Monica. She was a very remarkable woman in so many respects. She was also someone for whom I had a great deal of admiration, respect and love. Betty's parents were Merritt John Devitt and Elizabeth McCarthy Devitt. She was baptized at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Butte. She had a brother Jack…
Included in my daily meditations is a small little publication My Daily Breadpublished by RBC Ministries http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml. It has a very short comment for each day. For December 1st it had a discussion about selecting the perfect gift. The reading suggested we should give these gifts to others: The Gift of Listening No interrupting, no planning response. Just careful listening to another. The Gift of Affection Showing a loved one we do love them and appreciate them The Gift of Laughter…
