Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

It is 32 degrees as I start this e-mail. I am hoping that the daffodils, and the tulips survived the frost which we had last evening.

Linda and I made it through our full day on Wednesday. We /(I) did come home in time to watch most of the Red Sox game. A home run in the 10th inning brought another Red Sox victory.
The Sox are off to Tampa bay for 3 games, and then they are off to Yankee stadium for games on Monday and Tuesday before coming home to Fenway.

Besides the breakfast visit with Mom, Linda and I went to visit Mom in the afternoon. The therapists took Mom out of bed, and put her in a wheel chair. While in the therapy room, they tried to get Mom to stand up straight at the parallel bars. Mom struggled because she hasn't used her one leg or her hands for weeks. She has no muscle tone at all. The therapist were really trying to establish a baseline of where she is at so that they could create an action plan.

Social calendar -- My sister is going to do the morning shift today. My day will consist of helping Linda prepare and serve dinner for 8 Book Club members. The appetizer course will begin at 6 PM. Linda will be making a couple of antipasto platters, and I will be the grill person. The grill man will be preparing vegetables, chicken, and shrimp. The meal will end with a homemade dessert and coffee.
As soon as my services are no longer required, I have to leave for a neighborhood watch meeting. Hopefully I won't arrive too late.

Swine Flu -- Should we go out and purchase those masks that the people of Mexico have been using?

Speaking of people of Spanish descent, I want to tell you of an incident I witnessed at the grocery store where I purchased my vegetables which I am grilling this evening. Visualize a discount grocery store that has a good deal of ethnic fruits and vegetables, 50 pound bags of rice, etc. I watched three short people (two women and one man) of Spanish descent do their shopping while I was doing my mine. I observed one of the ladies take a banana, and eat the whole thing, and leave the banana peel on a shelf in one of the isles. I wanted to say something when I observed what she did, but I didn't. They lady knew that I caught her in the act.
When we get to the check out line, the three of them are right behind me. I wanted to confront them, but I resisted. As I walked to my car, I started to think that of what I should have said to them. See if what I said would have created a confrontational situation? I was going to tell the cashier to charge these people for one banana. I would then speak to them directly, and say : "I saw what you did with the banana. Maybe it is okay what you did in your country, but in the United States it would be considered stealing."
My wife, who wasn't with me, suggested that I should have gone to the store manager, and tell him what I observed. I prefer the confrontational approach.

Well, I finally have a morning where I can relax a little before my kitchen work begins.
Have a great Thursday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

It is 38 degrees as I start this e-mail. We didn't need to have the air conditioners on last night. We went from a day time high of 88 degrees to 38 degrees in a short period of time. We are supposed to have high's in the 60's for the next 5 or 6 days. This is my kind of weather.

Mom was moved from the telemetry wing to the rehab wing (located on the second floor) of Berkshire Medical Center last night. She was doing okay, but not great, when I was there to assist her for breakfast on Tuesday. She still needs pain pills, and she is experiencing some discomfort.

Speaking of Mom, I asked my sister what they did with the leg when they removed it a week ago. My sister said that the doctor asked her if she wanted the amputated leg. My sister thought this was kind of weird. The doctor said that some people actually take the leg, and bury it. Is this like a dog burying a bone?

Sports -- My beloved Red Sox couldn't make it 12 wins in a row last evening.
The Boston Celtics did win a nail biter, and they lead their series by a 3 to 2 margin as they head back to Boston for the next game against Chicago.
I think the Boston Bruins Hockey team plays this evening.

Mah Jongg went well except for the heat at our house on Tuesday during the day.

The Polenta dinner went well at St. Mark's. We served over 300 people salad, bread, Polenta, chicken, and sausage. When I say served, this was not a buffet dinner. There was a cash bar for wine and beer. The 50/50 was worth $500. No, I didn't have the winning ticket. We never got out of the place until around 9 PM. There were many pots, and pans when you serve over 300 people. The pots that the polenta was cooked in were the most difficult to clean.

We have a full social calendar today which should end a little after the start of the hockey game which I am looking forward to watching. My first adventure starts with a visit to see Mom at BMC for the breakfast hour.
I have to go to City hall to pay our quarterly taxes before heading off to the grocery store.
I am the liquids person. Linda doesn't like lifting cases of soda, and water.
While at the grocery store, I am in charge purchasing the vegetables which I am grilling for the Book Club dinner on Thursday evening.

When I return home, both Linda and I have to head out to Berkshire Community College for a Health Fair for City of Pittsfield employees. We are changing health care providers, and have to choose a new one by May 15, 2009.
We then go to Berkshire Medical Center because Linda has a doctor's appointment. I will visit Mom again while Linda is doing her thing.
No, our day doesn't end after Linda's appointment. We are going off to a 5:30 PM awards dinner for some people who will be recognized for there local volunteer efforts for Cancer Society. A former colleague of our is receiving an award.

Hopefully my day will end with me sitting in front of a television watching the Boston Bruins. I hope that I will be able to stay awake for the whole game.

Politics -- Can't you Republicans just feel the love generated by President Obama?

Have a great Wednesday at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

After today, we won't need the air conditioners for over a week. We had them cranked up last evening.

We have a busy day ahead of us. I have to exit the house before 7 AM to make sure Mom gets through breakfast okay.
I will return home to help Linda set up for her Tuesday Mah Jongg Session since she is hosting it today. If the day wasn't so hectic, I would grill some burgers and hot dogs for the ladies.
As you know, her Tuesday session goes from 11:30 AM until 4:30 PM.

When Mah Jongg is over, Linda will be representing the family at a wake for the 95 year old mother of a friend of ours. We normally would be attending the wake together, but I was asked to work a Polenta Dinner fund raiser for a local Church. I will be part of the serving, and clean up crew. I got involved because one of my UNICO guys is the head chef for today's dinner.

Swine Flu was the most talked about item in world news on Monday. We just had some friends come back from a Mexican resort who said that they were flu free. They were actually in a part of Mexico where the flu didn't originate from. I am betting that there will be some super offers for Mexican destinations in the next few days, but who in their right mind would want to travel there.

The influx of stimulus funds have spiked a flurry of home-financing activities for our local financial institutions. Like I always said: "Give our President a chance, and things will turn out okay."

My Red Sox have taken over first place in their division. The team had several heroes last evening. When both starting pitchers left the game, the score was zero to zero. Boston's bullpen came through once again. Jason Bay cracked a three run homer in the top of the ninth, and that was all the Sox needed to win the game.

I should be home in time to watch the last couple of periods of the Boston Bruin playoff game this evening.

Have a great Tuesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday afternoon.

Dear Friends,

It seems like I never left Pittsfield even though I went the Yankee vs Red Sox game last night, and slept over Kevin & Kyla apartment in East Boston. I left East Boston without my toiletry bag, but there is nothing in there that I use unless I am on a trip somewhere.
I decided to stop in Lee to visit my dad on the way home, and to my surprise an appointment had been scheduled with the Elder Services rep. She was there from 10:30 AM until after 1 PM.
I was going to go straight home and take a nap, but I decided to do some chores before my nap. Well, three air conditioners later, and the front door being changed from glass to a screen, and here I am typing on the laptop.

Linda is just teeing off as I continue this e-mail. I think that I am content to be in an air conditioned room instead of chasing a white ball around the golf course. Give me the 70 degree temperature that I had on Friday with no humidity, and I will play golf every day.

No, Linda's evening doesn't end when golf ends. She and her lady friends have some food and beverages after golf.
No, her evening still doesn't end, she was asked to sub at a Mah Jongg session. This was a last minute telephone call.

I am going to enjoy and evening of peace, and quiet while I watch the Red Sox do battle in Cleveland.

Speaking of the Red Sox, we had a great time at the Sox game last evening. We dined at a restaurant right next to the gates where we went in. The food, and fun was great.
I am going to have to lose weight if I go to a Red Sox game again with Kyla. Kyla had warned me that the seats were kind of tight. She should have said that my butt was too big for the seats. I now know that when the Red Sox say that they added more seats to the regular part of the ball park, exactly how they did so.

I don't have to watch the ESPN Sports Center highlights because I was at the game.

My head hit the pillow a little after midnight in East Boston. I am so glad that I didn't drive home after the game. I would have fallen asleep at the wheel for sure.

Well, I still might take a short nap so that I can stay up for the whole Red Sox game.
Have a great Monday evening.
Go Red Sox! For those Yankee fans I will use the typical line that : "It is early in the season."

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Saturday went as planned from my perspective. I visited mom through her breakfast, and then headed home to do my projects. Taking all the stuff out of the storage shed, and putting in two snow blowers, and ice fishing gear, etc. in a orderly manner was quite a challenge. I had to work around a riding lawnmower, and a self propelled lawn mower too.
It was so exhausting that I needed a nap while Linda went off to do errands, one of which was to purchase food for the appetizer which we were bringing to the dinner party.

The dinner party went very well as I watched, off and on, the Red Sox play one of those marathon games. The game was so long, and there were so many runs scored by both teams that I had to finish watching it at the concert which we attended. The Sox 16 to 11 victory sounds more like a score from a football game than a baseball game.
The Yankees and Red Sox do battle this evening at 8 PM EST on national television. As I said in previous e-mails, I will be at tonight's game.

The concert was fun. I guess that I didn't realize how much better it is to have a live band as opposed to a D.J. The band was right out of the 70's, and they had the whole place rocking. There was no rap music at this place. It was baby boomer heaven with a few youngsters thrown in. One guy from a table next to us came back from a restroom stop, and sat at our table by mistake. I tried to carry on a conversation, but he was incoherent. After a few minutes, he did realize that he was at the wrong table.
Our table of eight started to do shots of tequila. I did participate in consuming a few shots of the Mexican firewater.

Linda is not happy that she will be spending her afternoon at the ITAM while I am having fun in Boston at the game. I told her to compare it to when she and her girlfriends do dinner and a movie while I am home alone.

Linda and I didn't mean to get so defensive with respect to our teaching careers. Our lives right now are going in the direction we hoped that it would, and "Life is good". I am thinking that there are some people who are not happy because Linda and I are always so happy, and upbeat. Do I detect a bit of jealousy?

Well, I have to get to the Boston Globe. Our local newspaper was a quick read today.
Have a great Sunday.
Go Red Sox!

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

We made it through a hectic Friday even though we never saw or talked to each other until I woke up from an afternoon nap (2 hours long)after golf.

I left the house before 7 AM to send off a package by using the self service device at the Post Office. I went directly to the hospital to visit Mom before heading off to the golf course. After playing 18 holes of golf, and socializing at the 19th hole, I was ready for a nap. After my nap, I took a shower before we headed off to our Sister City Event which was held at the ITAM lodge. There was much food, fun and merriment between 5:30 PM and 8 PM before we returned home. After putting on my sleep wear, I settled down to watch the Red Sox do battle with the Yankees.
Linda had a similar busy day. She went off to her monthly retiree breakfast at 8:30 AM with her lady friends before she headed off to a body maintenance procedure. She then went off to visit Mom at the hospital. Since she was at the hospital, she decided to see if she could reschedule her appointment, and be squeezed in for her annual mammogram. She did get the mammogram done, and now she will be able to play golf for the first time this season with her lady friends on Monday afternoon. After her mammogram, she did a little recreational shopping, and returned home just about the time that I woke up from a nap.

Speaking of Mom, Linda said that she was a bit uncomfortable around lunch time when her and my Dad were there. The nurses come in every two hours to help manage the pain. The dressing also has to be changed a couple of times per day. There was some normal draining in the wound area. I still haven't chosen to look at the amputation area yet. I am not sure if I ever will.

Sports -- The baseball game was a great one if you are a Red Sox fan. The Yankees were ahead by a score of 4 to 2. The Yankees had their premier reliever on the mound during the bottom of the ninth inning. The Red Sox had one man on base, but there were two outs. The batter was one strike from the inning, and the game coming to an end, and !!!!! With the crack of the bat, Jason Bay hits a two run homer to tie the game. The Sox won the game with another homer in extra innings by Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox Nation when crazy, and I went to bed a very happy man.
Linda was watching her programs in the family rooms while I was watching my sporting contest.

Social Calendar -- I am going to make a morning visit to see Mom before I have to do some yard work. I am very tired of looking at my ice fishing gear, and the snow blowers which are still in our garage. I have to put them in the storage shed, but that means I have to empty and clean the storage shed first.
Linda has to make a grocery store run because she has to prepare a appetizer dish for the dinner party which we are attending. The dinner party is a prelude to the Band Concert which we are attending the Wahconah Country Club this evening.

Politics -- It is kind of quiet on the political front. The Presidential dog got a good bit of press this week.
One of our senior golfers is a die hard Republican while the 15 or so other golfers are liberal Democrats like me. After a few beverages, we got into some good verbal battles. Our friend soon realized that it is going to take a lot of work to convert us Democrats into believing in a Republican type of mindset. Even a majority of the nation believes that President Obama has us going in a positive direction.

Weather -- We are finally going to hit some summer like weather today before it cools off a bit next week.

Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

P.S. Two more days, and it is back to school for you teachers and students in Berkshire County. I remember counting the hours, minutes, and seconds before Monday morning arrived, but not any more. Friends still ask us if we miss school, and the students, and we keep on smiling, and say: "Absolutely not!"

Go Red Sox!

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

It is 35 degrees as I start this e-mail. I am ready to start a new season of
golf, but I don't think that the golf superintendent of my club will allow us to
tee off until it warms up a bit.

Our Thursday went as planned. I was at Berkshire Medical Center a little before
7 AM to visit with Mom. I didn't want to look at the stump of her leg which was
left after Monday's amputation. They have her on pain pills, and not morphine .
The nurse said that she looked better on Thursday than she has looked all week.
Yes, they are still trying to manage her pain, but hopefully this pain will go
away eventually. Mom seemed very lucid, and in good spirits.
Mom did suggest that we (my sister and I) should spend more time with our own
families, and let the hospital assist her when the need arises. Mom said that
she likes it when we do visit her, but that we don't have to be there for
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
There is something called Phantom Pain and feeling. Your mind / nerve endings
have been programmed to believe that a person is functioning with both legs even
though one is not there any more. I am hoping that I never have to deal with an
amputation in my life time.

The nurse who was working with Mom these past few days was one of my students
from several years ago. She was in my class as a ninth grader, but she left
school to have a baby. Yes, I had her boy friend in one of my other classes too.
I asked my former student if she was married, or stayed with her boyfriend. She
said that they tried to make it work, and they lived with his parents for a
while. She ended up in a teen parent program because things didn't go as
planned.
The good thing is that she didn't give up the challenge to get her life back on
track as a teenage parent. She eventually went back to high school and college.
She has been a registered nurse for almost 7 years now. Her daughter is 15 years
old, and she is attending my former high school. This means my former student is
some where around 30 years old. I don't know what role the father has in raising
his child, but he owns a successful landscaping / nursery / lawn care business.
The purpose of this little story is to point out that you can make a mistake,
and still work through it. You have to get off of your butt, and make the
effort. This is what all the support groups were designed for like the local
"Teen Parent Program". The Democrats have created a good deal of these social
systems, but most weren't meant for people to be on them for life.

Sports -- The Boston Celtics beat up on the Bulls last evening in Chicago.
The Red Sox start a weekend series with the Yankees tonight. Let the baseball
wars begin.


Speaking of this weekend's baseball series, it looks like I will be sitting in
Fenway Park on Sunday night to watch the Yankees and Red Sox do battle for the
nationally televised game on ESPN. This means that I won't be attending the
installation of officers at the ITAM on Sunday afternoon. Linda will have to
represent our family.
Kevin and Kyla, Kyla's Dad and me will be sitting together at the game. The
weather is going to be great for baseball. I can't wait!

Have a great weekend, especially if you live in areas where we are finally
supposed to get some warm weather.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning from the Berkshires

Dear Friends,

It was such "Sweet Sorrow" as we departed Kansas on Wednesday. Our 8 day visit seemed to go by so fast.
If there is such a thing as the "perfect grandchild", Linda and I know that we have one. Of course, the credit goes to the parents, Mike & Danielle, who work very hard to make it happen.
We will miss the daily routine which we had during the visit. Do you think that a 14 month old child will wonder where we are this morning when she gets up from her normal 12 hour night time sleeping period.
Our house is so quiet right now that I will bet that Linda will sleep a long time until I open the garage door.
We mentally have not set a time frame of when will we return for another visit.

Speaking of parents, I am going off to the hospital in a little while to be with Mom for breakfast. I will give you an update about Mom's condition in another e-mail.
I did chat with my sister yesterday. She sounded sicker than my Mom.
Marie has a wicked cold (chest & nasal stuff along with a cough) that she has had it for over a month. She might be the classic case of the care worker getting as sick as the person whom she is dealing with.

Our normal busy routine starts after my visit with Mom. We are booked in with an event every day for next couple of weeks
My Friday morning senior golf group will be teeing off at 8:30 AM. They already started playing last week when we were in Kansas. I will have to dust off the golf clubs at some point today.
Of course, I will have to squeeze in a visit with Mom before Linda and I go off to a Sister City Event which is being held at our ITAM Lodge.

We had a plane delay in Detroit on our second leg of the journey home on Wednesday so we didn't have a chance to visit Mom. We decided to stop at the East Side Cafe on Wednesday night. It is home made pasta night on Wednesday's until June. While there, I ran into some of my Italian friends, one of whom is one of our Friday seniors golf group. He filled me in on all the stuff which we missed while we were gone.
This guy and his wife were just finishing up when we arrived. He is just like me when it comes to sports. He watches every Boston sporting event. He can give you facts and figures for every player and the game itself. He like me can't get enough of the sports stuff.

Every time I talk to somebody it leads into another social event which we have to mark on our calendar. I found out that the annual Steak & Dandelion Dinner at the Italian American Club is coming up soon.
We sat with total strangers the last time because none of our friends were interested in attending the event. I don't have the date, but the last time it was on the same night as our Irish Sister City Meeting night. We showed up late, and lost our seat, and ended up sitting with people who we never met before. Yes, we can adjust to any situation.

Speaking of sports, I went to bed a happy man last evening since the Red Sox won both ends of a day / night double header, and the Boston Bruins won their first round series by a 4 to 0 sweep of the Montreal Canadians. It was so nice to be back in Pittsfield, and to be able to watch both games instead of watching highlights on ESPN, which I had to do while we were in Kansas.

Weather -- I thought that I would come home to a lawn so high that I would need to cut it twice. Not! I forgot that the weather in the Berkshires in April is cool. The daffodils and tulips are the only things that grew pretty well when we were gone. Today, we might hit 50 degrees with a possibly of snow in the hill towns which are at higher elevations. Good thing that I didn't put away my turtle necks and sweaters.
The good news is that we are going to get some 70 degree and above weather this weekend starting with Friday which is supposed to hit 70 degrees.

Politics -- I will get back into my political comments in a day or so. I am still adjusting to being back in the Berkshires.

Well, I have to finish my brief morning routine, and go off to the hospital.
Have a great day.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning from Kansas

Dear Friends,

Linda and I are counting the hours, minutes, and seconds until we depart the Curley home in Kansas in about 24 hours from now. The time really flew by quickly during this visit.

Mother Update -- We are no longer waiting for Mom to expire. We are on a life watch since Mom's surgery yesterday morning. My sister called us from Berkshire Medical Center on Monday morning to say that Mom's surgery went well. The amputation went as planned, and now the recovery process begins. It will not be an easy transition for Mom and our family, but we felt that it wasn't time for the good Lord to take Mom.
The next step in the process is rehab in a nursing home, and eventually a return to her home in Lee. Since Mom will be wheel chair bound, there are many things which will have to be worked out.

On a different note, three of the Boston Sports teams were victorious on Monday. The Red Sox won their 11 AM baseball game in 40 degree weather at Fenway. The Boston Bruins beat their arch rivals, the Montreal Canadians, to take a 3 to 0 lead in their playoff series. Finally, the Celtics won their playoff game with a last minute shot with 2 seconds left in the game. I went to bed a happy man last evening. The only game which I was able to watch on television was the Celtic game.

Social Calendar -- Linda is going off to Isabelle's gym class at 8:30 AM, and then the females will all head off to a neighbor's birthday party which had to be rescheduled do to an illness.
I will be doing a load of clothes since I packed light, and have run out of clean underwear.


Politics -- Hillary Clinton says that it is wrong for the Dutch to release captured pirates. The Dutch let 7 captured pirates go because their government(the Dutch) felt that they were arrested out of the Dutch jurisdiction area. Could this be a Democrat taking a strong political stance on an important issue? I thought that only Republicans were tough on the bad guys?

Well, I have to start my morning routine. I am the only one up right now. I am really trying to be quiet.
I even tap computer keys in a noisy manner. Can I pour a cup of coffee, and do so quietly. I set up the coffee pot the night before so that I wouldn't disturb the household.

Have a great Tuesday
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Mike is off to Military School. Isabelle, Danielle, and I are up.
Linda is trying to pick up a few extra minutes of sleep since we spent an exhausting afternoon at a local Casino on Sunday.

The clientele at the Argosy Casino were mostly from the baby boomer age group, and the more mature senior citizen age group. If the children or grandchildren were expecting any monies left in our will, the Casino took it from us. When I am not playing those evil slots, I do a good deal of people watching. You wouldn't even know that there has been a downturn in the economy at the Casino. Some people were in walkers, wheel chairs, and motorized scooters. The people were from all walks of life. Linda and I fit in very well.
One weird thing at his Casino is that the drinks are not free even when you are gambling. The cocktail waitresses do come around, and ask you if you would like a drink. They then tell you how much the drink costs. $3.50 for a domestic beer. There was a machine for free sodas and water.
Gamblers are smokers for the most part which was one of the negatives at the Casino.

Weather -- I see that the Northeast is locked into some of the coolest weather in the nation. On this Patriot's Day in Boston, the Boston Marathon Runners won't mind the cool weather. The Red Sox play at 11 AM in Boston in this 40 degree weather. No, the game will not be televised in the Kansas Area. I do have a Celtic Game to watch this evening.
If I was back in the Berkshires, there is no way that I would be on the golf course with my friends. 40 degree weather is too cold for the Curley Lad to play golf.


Mom is being operated on this morning as I type this e-mail. My sister said that she will call me, and give me an update.

We might head off to a farm which has some animals today. It is going to be 65 degrees around here today.

Politics -- President Obama's hand shake with Venezuelan President Chavez is the big topic of conversation. The Republican's are claiming it is a sign of weakness.
I am not sure if I could go through life thinking about every single word that I say, or every kind of gesture that I make. I get myself in trouble all of the time, and I would have real difficulty trying to change what I say or do. I guess this would disqualify me if I ever decided to run for political office.

Well, I have to go, and prepare for the day's activities.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,
We never made it to the zoo on Saturday. Mother Nature didn't cooperate until around supper time.
a
Speaking of supper, we went off to the Kansas City Plaza for supper last evening. Visualize a two floor series of restaurants with indoor and out door seating with attendants at every plaza every entrance checking to see if you were 21 years old. There was an outdoors stage for entertainment which would start around 9 PM. We were on the 5 PM to 7 PM shift since we had Isabelle with us.
We had a great and relatively quick meal at Gordon's Bierhouse which a chain restaurant located only in the Central and West Coast areas.

Mom update -- We changed our strategy with Mom. I will give more details in a later e-mail. Extending her life is what we are proceeding with right now.

Sports -- Two out of three Boston sports teams won their contests yesterday. I was actually able to watch the Celtics lose their first playoff game at home, and the Boston Bruins Hockey team win. I had to watch highlights to see that the Red Sox won their game.
Speaking of baseball, the Yankees are struggling a bit in their home park while the Red Sox are winning. The Yankees may replace the Red Sox as cellar dwellers. I can hear my Yankee Fan friends say that it is a bit too early, but I always think that these early games set the tone for the rest of the year.

Social Calendar -- Not sure what is on tap for today. It did rain last night, and it still looks cloudy and dreary outside right now.

The birthday party which was scheduled for Saturday was rescheduled for Tuesday. We will still be in Kansas. Linda is so happy.

Politics -- I am out of the loop right now. I have to do a little studying of what our President is up to. I would like to vacation in Cuba one of these days, and it might happen soon.
We might even have a little more access to Venezuelan oil too.

Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday from Kansas

Dear Friends,

Our Friday went as planned.
Union Station is an old, and huge train station which was refurbished at a cost of millions of tax payers' dollars.
If Isabelle was a little older we could have stayed to watch some of the Science exhibits, and movies which were there. Of course the over 10 bus loads of elementary age children could have added to the noise and confusion.

Union Staion is functioning train station for Amtrak.
Linda and did agree that it would be kind of exciting taking an Amtrak Train from Pittsfield cross country to Union Station.

It was another sunny day in Kansas, but the rain is on our doorstep, but not for the whole day.

The birthday party today for a next door neighbor has been canceled. The birthday girl came down with strep throat.
Every one is healthy in the Curley household.

Mike and Danielle took us up on our offer, and decided to go off and do dinner and a movie. Our baby sitting lasted for a couple of hours. Isabelle cried a little as her parents went out the door, but the whimpering didn't last long. After she ate a hearty supper, which Linda prepared, we entertained her for about an hour before Linda put her to bed at 7 PM.
Linda and I whipped up some pasta, and a salad before I tried unsuccessfully to find a sporting contest to watch.

I finished savoring the book written by Linda's dermatologist. It did get better as the book ended.

Since the birthday party was canceled, we decided that Saturday might be a zoo day. We will see how fast the rain exits Kansas.

Politics -- I really have thought much about what is coming out of Washington , D.C. over the past few days. I am confident that the President and his cabinet are doing what they are supposed to do.

Observation -- Things have sure changed since we raised our two boys. Most of the baby stuff we used back then has been totally banned from car seats to cribs. Most of the toys wouldn't be allowed since the Consumer Protection Agency would have declared them as hazardous. How did our children make it through these early with all that illegal equipment?
Isabelle has been having some teeth issues with respect to some incoming molars. We used to rub a little whiskey on them, and drink the leftovers. Not any more! They have a non needle syringe which you load up with a Motrin type of a liquid, and squirt some on the incoming teeth to relieve the pain. I didn't check the prescription ingredients, but I would bet some alcohol might be part of the contents.

Another good thing is that Isabelle eats at the same time the rest of us do from breakfast through supper. You know she is done when she starts dropping her food on the floor. She threw a little risotto on my shirt when she had lunch on Friday.

Mom -- I chatted with my sister on Friday. Mom is pretty much the same, and still doped up quite a bit.

Everyone is asleep. I got my usual 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Taking a nap when Isabelle is taking a nap has been working out great for me. Our naps take place right after lunch.

Well, it is difficult to believe that another week is coming to a close.
The schools in Pittsfield have their April vacation this coming week.

Have to continue on with my quiet activities such as typing e-mails.
Enjoy the weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday

Dear Friends,

We had another pleasant day in Kansas. We are in for another day of sunshine with temperatures near 70 degrees. The weekend might be a wet one.

Linda talked to my sister yesterday, and Mom is about the same as when we left her. They are giving her more pain medication.

We pretty much have been chilling around the Curley home here in Kansas. It has been fun watching the interaction between Isabelle and her parents. It is also amazing to watch Isabelle communicate by "Signing". We never did this stuff when our children were small.

What is also nice about this visit is that I don't have to check our calendar to see what event that I have to attend each day. I have already missed one meeting on Tuesday night. I am missing one during the middle of the week, and a Trivial Pursuit Fund Raiser on Sunday afternoon. All this, and squeezing in visits to the hospital. Our golf course is in full operation, so I would be playing golf if I was home. It is good to be like a slug for several days, and to totally enjoy the grandchild.

My Red Sox finally won a game. I wasn't able to see it on television because we are in Kansas City Royals territory.
They give the military good discounts on tickets for the baseball games except for when the Red Sox come to town. The Red Sox don't play here until September.
I have a Bruin playoff playoff hockey game to watch on national television this evening. I am happy!

Our daughter-in-law is a domestic goddess. We have had some great suppers over the past few days. If I lived here for over a year, I would shed some serious pounds with the healthy foods which she prepares. The meals aren't the usual meat, vegetables, and potatoes concoctions.

I am trying to talk Mike & Danielle into getting a suction cup window bird feeder. There are no bears around here that they know of.

We might go off and feed the ducks today. We will visit the Kansas City Zoo over the weekend.

I heard that the weather in the Berkshires has been pretty nice over the past few days. I would have been doing yard work if I was home. I still have four flower beds that I have not touched yet.

Well, I have to grab a second cup of coffee. Linda is finally starting to wake up. Her cold is getting better. I still feel great!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

We arrived on time at KCI at 10:30 AM. Danielle and Isabelle picked us up shortly after we picked up our bags. After lunch, Isabelle took a nap, and so did the Curley Lad. We might have to rethink about having a 6 AM flight. We thought that there would be very few people on a flight like that. Not! We forgot that the New York Public Schools have this week off, so many of the people getting on airplanes were heading to warmer climates. I was also amazed by the number of businessmen and and businesswomen who fly out on the early flights to make it for a mid morning sales meeting or seminar.

The weather in Kansas was great on Tuesday, and we have another warm one on tap for today before any rains make their way to the middle of the country.

I did call my sister who gave me an update on Mom. She was pretty much in the same condition when we left her on Monday.

What is really nice about our Kansas visit is that we are celebrating life as opposed to being on a watch for the inevitable.

Our 14 month old grandchild has progressed so much since the last time that we visited which was right after Christmas. She is like the energizer bunny. We spent several hours outside in the fresh air in their fenced in backyard.
It might be a shorts and tee shirt day type of day.
Isabelle might be a lefty!

I did get a chance to watch the Boston Celtics win once again. The Red Sox game was not broadcast in this area so I had to settle for Kansas City Royal victory. The Sox lost in 12 innings, and continue their strong hold in last place in their division.

Well, have a great day at work or play.
Have to get dressed, and take the grandchild outside for some good old fresh air.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Yes, it is a bit early, but we are exiting the house at 3:30 AM for our trip to the airport, and eventually to Kansas. The long term forecast for Kansas is for a chance of rain for several days in a row, but the temperatures will be reaching the high 60's pretty much every day.

Our day went well on Tuesday. I was at the hospital before the 7 AM shift arrived at Berkshire Medical Center. I assisted Mom with breakfast as well as talking the charge nurse to upping Mom's pain medicine. It was 10:30 AM by the time it was approved, and administered.
She was out like a light when I left a little after 11 AM. Dad and my sister took over for the lunchtime meal. Mom kept on insisting it was time for her to depart this earth, but her body has not shut down one bit.
Many of my friends who have lost loved ones had told me that it often takes weeks for the inevitable. One friend said that he wouldn't be surprised if Mom would still be alive by the time our Kansas trip comes to an end.

Linda never left the house on Monday. She was busy most of the day washing clothes, including mine, and packing for the trip. I made a written list, and the only thing left is for me to pack the lap top.

My UNICO meeting went very well. I have been successful in keeping the meeting under 1 hour. Last night's meeting was over in 45 minutes. The May meeting is my last meeting to run. The new President takes over on June 12, 2009. I can't wait for that to happen.

Well, I am going to pack up the computer, and jump in the shower.
Loading up the car will be the last thing that I do before exiting Pittsfield.

In a few short hours, we will be with our grandchild Isabelle.
The thought of taking a break from care giving is wonderful thing, but of course it comes along with a bit of guilt since my sister will be doing double duty.

Have a great Tuesday.
My next e-mail will be from Kansas.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Easter went well except for the part when our two sons had to say "Goodbye" to their grandmother.

The noon time meal also went very well although everything was a bit rushed since I had to get Michael to the Albany airport, and help pack up Kevina and Kyla for their 2.5 hour drive back to Boston.

At this time tomorrow, we will be on the road and heading toward Albany Airport to catch our 6 AM flight to Kansas City, Kansas to see Mike, Danielle, and our grandchild Isabelle. For two days now, we have been watching our grandchild on Skype, and it sure looks like Danielle can do with another set of hands to break up her days of child rearing.

I am taking the morning shift with Mom today, but I can't stay there much longer after breakfast. I have to get home and pack for our trip. I also have to run a UNICO membership meeting tonight at 6 PM so I would like to be packed before the meeting.

Linda's cold is better, but she was a hurting buckaroo when she woke up, and got involved with preparing our noon time dinner on Easter. After everyone left, we did a little tidying up, but she was pretty much exhausted by 4 PM.

I settled in to watch the Masters and the Red Sox, but I headed upstairs to bed around 9:30 PM.

We had leftovers for supper. I had one of those "Grandma's Meatballs" grinder which reminded me what a talented person our son really is with respect to the food business.

Have to go and untangle a mess of yarn which Linda left for me.
Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Saturday went okay for Mom. I was there for breakfast, and lunch. We did alter Mom's lunch. Our son Kevin brought in some of his home made meatballs. He calls them "Grandma's Meatballs" at his restaurant. His customers love them, and so did his Grandma Curley.
Grandma passed on the recipe to Kevin. Of course, nothing is written down. Since I didn't have breakfast on Saturday morning, Kevin packed me up a Meat Ball Grinder for lunch. It was wonderful. I can see why Kevin's customers call up, and ask for Grandma's Meatballs specifically.
Marie came to the hospital at 1:15 PM, but I don't know how long after Mom's supper that she stayed with Mom. She had a house full of her family members too.

I will be heading to the hospital in a little while to help Mom with breakfast. I can't stay too long since I have to help Linda with our noon time Easter dinner. Linda has caught a cold, and she feels like dog do do! She has to rally because we have a full day today, and on Monday because on Tuesday we have a 6 AM flight to visit our grandchild Isabelle in Kansas.
Of course I will have guilt leaving Dear Old Mom as she enters her last few days of her life. I will also feel guilty because Marie will be the only care giver except for her family own members. Dad reiterated the fact that if Mom does go while we are in Kansas, we will have the services for her when I return.

It is amazing that as I talk about Mom's situation on a daily basis, so many of you have gone through this already. I can see how the caregiver can get just as sick as the person being cared for.

On a happier note, The Red Sox won a thriller on national television yesterday afternoon.
Also my sons and I got caught up in the National College Hockey final last evening. Another Boston team was successful in attaining first place at something. The game was so exciting, the highlights will be on the ESPN Sports Center all day long today.

Tiger has a very long shot to better his position at the Masters Golf Tournament, but it will be difficult for him to come in first place.

Well, I have too many things to do, so I have to bring this e-mail to a close.
Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

My mother had more visitors on Good Friday. My mother's sister Gladys (87 years old), and her son Joseph, flew in from Florida to be with his mother for Easter. He wasn't planning on seeing his Aunt Mary at the hospital waiting to expire. Mom's other sister, Josephine, who is a spry 91 years old, came with Gladys and Joseph. A good number of tears were shed during their visit.
My sister did stay with Mom overnight on Thursday, and she said that Mom slept well. Mom hasn't been that alert over the past few days because of the morphine drip, but when she hears voices, she opens her eyes, and acknowledges the visitors.
Her mind is still functioning quite well, but we aren't sure how long before the vital organs will shut down. Like the doctors said, once the vitals organs, like the kidneys, stopped functioning, the inevitable will occur quickly.

On a happy note, Kevin and Kyla ( and their two dogs) came in from East Boston around 9 PM last evening. His restaurant "Dough" will be shut down today and tomorrow (it is normally closed on Sunday). We wish that both Michael (who lives in Kansas), and Kevin lived closer to us because we would have them over for Sunday dinner as often as we could.

We are going to have Easter Dinner at our house at noon time since Michael has to fly back to Kansas on Sunday at 4:30 PM out of the Albany, New York airport. I am trying to talk Dad into joining us for the noon time meal.
I(not sure about Linda) will be taking Mike to the airport.

The Boston Celtics won their game last evening, but the Red Sox weren't so lucky.
I did try to watch a little of the Master's Golf Tournament at different times on Friday. Tiger struggled a bit on Friday, but the golf course can put a whole bunch of hurt on you even if the leaders are ahead by several strokes.

Social Calendar -- We will go off and see Mom this morning, but I will be there early. We have a baby viewing this afternoon in Dalton. Linda and I wanted Kevin, Kyla (who is due in August), and Michael to see the Gerardi grandchild. The Gerardi's are like the Curley's with respect to having their grandchild living in a place where you need to get on an airplane to visit. Let me correct myself, the Gerardi Lad doesn't mind driving from the Berkshires to Atlanta, Georgia. I have no desire to drive from the Berkshires to Kansas City, Kansas. Linda doesn't like the way I drive around the Berkshires never mind me driving cross country.

Speaking of Kansas, Linda and I made flight plans a month ago to visit Mike, Danielle, and Isabelle in Kansas. We are schedule to fly out on Tuesday morning at 6 AM out of the Albany airport. I spoke to dad about this, and he said that he wouldn't object to holding off the graveside service until we return. Our plans, and what my father agreed to might change.

Well, I woke up early because I couldn't sleep, and I started thinking about Mom. I might go back to bed and try and sleep for a couple more hours before I head off to the hospital.
Have a great Easter weekend, and give all of your loved ones a big hug.
Don't wait until it is too late. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,
Thursday was a long day for the Curley Family. While visiting Mom, we
saw the two surgeons who had performed both surgeries on her during the
three + months since we have been dealing with the situation. The first
surgeon, who put in the original stent, said that Mom was probably not
going to die within the next few days. He reiterated the fact that Mom
is one strong woman. He said that there is still time to amputate her
leg all the way up to the groin area. He actually gave us hope that we
could have Mom with us for a longer period of time.
The surgeon who tried to remove the blood clots on Saturday night came
into the room later on in the afternoon to discuss why she didn't pass
away in the 48 hour time frame which he said she would.
After much discussion, and with all the family members present for
several hours, we decided to let the good Lord take Mom. It was her wish
too. We talked about the quality of life that she would have, who would
take care of her, being wheel chair bound the rest of her life, the
hiring of caregivers, etc. The quality of life became the real issue.
The problem is that Mom's passing will not be as quickly as we were
told after the Saturday night 4 + hour surgery. She could go in a matter
of days, or possibly a couple of weeks.
The Saga continues!

My actual day went from 7:30 AM until 7 PM. At 5 PM I left the
hospital, and went to Lee to prepare dad a meal of pork chops, baked
sweet potato, and canned corned, and a couple of cheese flavored pieces
of toast. He was a member of the clean plate club once again. I think
that I might replace Rachel Ray on the "30 Minute Meals" segment on
television.

Well, today is Good Friday. It would be so appropriate if Mom did go on
the day that our Savior died on the cross. I think that God has other
plans for Mom. Mom spent another day wishing the Good Lord would take
her, but her body hasn't given up the fight. All the systems in her
body, which sustain life, are all still working even though her left leg
is not receiving any blood flow.

On a different note, I fell asleep watching the Boston Bruins Hockey
Game last evening. A roar from the crowd because of an overtime goal
woke me up.

Well, Kevin and Kyla are returning from East Boston to spend Easter
with us this weekend.
Mike goes back to Kansas at 4:30 PM on Easter Sunday.
I have a feeling that Mom will still be with us, but at the hospital.

Have to go and get dressed, and head off to visit Mom. Maybe today, I
will spend a little more time at home. The whole ordeal is starting to
wear on our nerves.
Can you imagine all the people who have no one as they go through these
life and death experiences?

Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon.

The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

The "Watch" continues for Mom. They increased the amount of morphine in the morphine drip. My sister decided to spend Wednesday night at the hospital with Mom. This means that I will be heading off to be with Mom shortly.
Mom spent her waking hours when I was there from 7:45 AM until 1:30 PM (my first visit of the day)asking me why the Good Lord can't just take her? I wish that there was something family members could do.
I wish that there was some kind of a pill which we could give her to make her wish come true. On the other hand, I can very easily see that there could be problems if a family fortune was involved. We definitely don't have to worry about such a problem in our family.

This whole scenario with Mom reminds of the watch that we had with my brother in 1970. He had just gotten out of the Marines, and he was 21 years old. His "Watch" went on for months because he was in great physical condition before the colon cancer was diagnosed. With the technology that we have right now, things could have been much different.

On a happier note, I am really trying to adjust to taking my morning showers in the Master Bedroom. It has been quite a challenge. My first shower was a very difficult one to get through. There were ten containers of fruit smelling stuff that was supposed to do different things to your body in the cleaning process. There was no bar of soap. There was a fuzz ball device that I found out was for removing dead skin. There was a bottle of Tub and Tile cleaner. I would advise people not to use the tub and tile cleaner on your body. The chemicals do affect the sensitive areas of your body.
Men are simple creatures when it comes to body washing. A bar of soap, and unscented hair shampoo is all that us males require.

My sister's husband Tom, and our son Michael were bonding quite well with respect to their Republican views as they were visiting Mom at different points on Wednesday. They sounded a lot like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, the radio talk show hosts who express their Republican views on a daily basis. I do have a few e-mail recipients who could very well get along with my brother-in-law, and military son.

Sports -- My Red Sox lost their game last evening at a cold Fenway Park, but the Boston Celtics Basketball team did win their contest. It is amazing that the Red Sox are still playing to a packed house in this dreadful economy. You have to be pretty well off to be able to afford take a family to a professional sporting contest. You can buy a whole case of beer in the Package Store(another name for what we call Liquor Stores in the Northeast) for the price of what it costs for two beers at the ball park.

Social Calendar -- None for the moment. Trips to and from the hospital are taking up most of our waking hours as well as making trips to transport dad to and from the family home in Lee to visit his wife in the hospital.

Well, I hope that these trying family times end soon.
I will keep you informed. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Dad spent a second night staying with Mom in her hospital room. I am going there in a little while to bring him something to eat, and his favorite newspaper. I thought that Mom was not her chipper self on Tuesday. I think that the Morphine drip, which was used more often, was making her a bit groggy. She did eat a couple of meals with solid food, but I am not sure if she will be able to this morning. I read the Hospice Booklet which explains the sequence of events in a terminally patient.

Having my two sons here has been a good help for Linda and I with respect to our mental health. Kevin & Kyla might be going back to East Boston today for a couple of days unless the inevitable happens. They had already planned to be here for Easter Dinner.

On a happier note, our tulips are growing pretty well. They are not close to the flowering stage because the weather has been a bit cool. One flower bed might take a bit longer to burst in to its spring colors because of a little accident. One of our friends really has trouble backing her vehicle straight out of our driveway. There are no curves in the blacktop. It is a straight run whether you enter or exit the driveway. Well, this friend backed right over the flower bed. She had done so in the past several times. I used to have the flower bed boxed off with pressure treated wood. She backed into this flower bed so many times that I gave up with the wood structure. I can straightened the bricks which she knocked over, but I am not sure how sideways growing tulips growing might look.

It is also different having a full fledged Republican under our roof. Our military son Michael has my Brother-in-law to bond with when we are all together visiting Mom.

Speaking of visiting Mom, it is actually kind of nice that all the people who have been visiting Mom have been able to talk with her. To me it is like have a Wake, but you are able to talk with the person instead of making comments (while in the casket) that "She looks so good", or "She doesn't look like she is 92 years old", etc.

Well, I have to get dressed and go off to the hospital to check on Mom and Dad before the rest of the family comes to visit.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Tuesday was the best which we could hope for. Both of our sons are with us, and we all did go and visit Mom in the hospital (several times). Mom is now in the ward for the terminally ill patients (5th floor). She was very lucid through out the day on Monday as all the family members (and a Snow Bird) stopped in to see her. Dad chose to spend the night with Mom in the room, and I hope that all went well.
When you see mom and talk to her, she seems just like any other patient just waiting to get better, but we all know that this will never happen. She is on a morphine drip, but she never slept the hours that we were with her on Monday.

Dad is starting to lose it as he sees his partner of over 62 years nearing the end of her life.
We will get through this unpleasant phase of our life, but it will take time.

As I see my pregnant daughter-in-law, Kyla, I am reminded that another bundle of joy will somewhat replace the loss of Mom.
Like I said in previous emails, it is the "Cyle of Life". For every sadness, there is something joyful right around the corner.

I too realize that what we are going through, every family has gone through or will go through. Give your loved ones many hugs before it is too late. If you have family conflicts, resolve them as soon as you can. Life is too short!

I want to thank all of you for your kind words by way of the e-mails. The daily comments from all of you have helped Linda and I get through this very difficult time.

I think that I will spend a little longer time bonding with our sons this morning before going off to the hospital.

Well, I have to do some quiet chores, and catch up on some e-mails.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Monday Morning

Dear Friends,

Sunday was a long day for the Curley Family. I was so exhausted that I missed the arrival of Kevin and Kyla from East Boston. They arrived at our home at 11 PM on Sunday. Linda, the night owl, was up to greet them.
Our son who lives in Kansas, Michael, will be arriving at Albany at 4 PM today. I will be there to pick him up when he arrives.

The doctors want to take Mom off of the anticoagulants this morning, but Marie is going to see if they can hold of for a few hours so that Michael can say "Goodbye" to his grandmother.

Once the anticoagulants are stopped, the inevitable will happen soon.

Mom has struggled since Christmas Day when she went to the hospital for the first time. A series of hospital and nursing home stays has been going on for so long. We have been on every floor of the hospital except for the one which we will be on today for the terminally ill patients.
The tears for me haven't arrived yet since I have been quietly shedding them for over three months. My sister Marie has been crying since Mom's Saturday night surgery when the doctor gave us the bad news.

This whole struggle of ours is what I call, the "cycle of life." Mom well knows what a great family that she is surrounded by.

Dad Curley has been doing okay for these many long months, but things will change when his wife of 62 years is finally gone. The saga continues!

Linda and I have received so many kind words from family and friends. We "Thank You" so much.

As of this moment, we have made a family decision to not have a wake, or a funeral Mass. We are going to have a Catholic Priest preside over a graveside service at St. Mary's Cemetery in the town of Lee.

On a different note, Linda and I are so happy to have both of our sons with us at the same time even if the occasion is not a happy one. Danielle, and Isabelle won't be with Mike on this trip, but if all goes well, Linda and I will be in Kansas next week to be with them.

Have to go and do some quiet chores. This might be impossible today since Kevin and Kyla brought their two dogs with them. Dogs can very easily hear me clomping around on the first floor.

Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Saturday didn't go as planned. I headed off to Lee to visit Mom at the nursing home a little after 11 AM. I go directly to her room, and she is no where to be found. I checked in at the nurses' station, and ask where Mom is. The nurses didn't like the look of Mom's leg, which has giving been giving her all the trouble, and they made a decision to send her to Berkshire Medical Center. Marie stayed with Mom in the emergency room while I stayed in Lee with dad.
After multiple tests in the hospital, it was determined that arterial clots were causing the problem. The surgeon worked on Mom from 6 PM until close to 10 PM. After working several hours on Mom to try and remove the clots, the doctor came into the surgical waiting room to give us the results.
The news was not good! The surgeon said that every time he removed the arterial clot all the way to the heart, the clots would return. He tried the procedure four times before he gave up because he wasn't sure Mom could be under for that long. Mom had lost a good deal of blood during surgery.
Mom went from surgery to the Intensive Care Unit as we left the hospital. She is on a blood thinner which is supposed to keep the blood flowing as much as can be expected. The doctor said that unless some miracle occurred, and the clotting would continue.

There are only two options that are left for us family members if the miracle doesn't occur:
1. Amputation of Mom's leg, which could occur above the left knee, or
2. Do nothing, and the clotting would eventually kill her.

The doctor did say that our decision can be made in the next couple of days, but as you see our options aren't good.

Well, there will be nothing on our minds except Mom for the next few days. We know that Mom is in good hands at the hospital, but our next concern will be Dad.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I am going to do my best to be upbeat about the whole situation. What the Curley family is currently going through is not new or unusual for many families. It is the cycle of life!

Have a pleasant Sunday, and enjoy every moment that you are on this earth, and don't sweat the little stuff.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

The Wine & Beer Tasting, that I was so worrying about, went well. The Curley Table was lucky once again. The woman who won a pair of Red Sox Tickets last year, won the 50/50 raffle this year to a tune of $680. A couple other ladies at our table won some Chinese Auction prizes too. It does appear that the Curley Table might be full once again next year. We have to keep the lucky streak going.

I didn't visit Mom yesterday, but I will do so today after doing a couple of errands.

Sports -- I did come home in time to watch the Boston Celtic Post Game show. Yes, my team won once again. Boston Sports teams are really packing them in once again. The Boston Bruins Hockey Team are a game or so out of first place in their division. The Celtics are trying to earn a home court position as the Celtics get closer to the playoffs. The New England Patriots have made some super personnel changes this year, and they should have a great season. Finally the Boston Red Sox Baseball Team have their home season opener at Fenway on Monday. It is a great time in my life to have all these New England based teams vying to be number one. What is really amazing, is that you could squeeze all the New England States into one area, and still this region wouldn't be as large as the State of Texas or a California.

Speaking of sports, a friend of ours had a new family move into their neighborhood. The friend asked the couple if they wanted to come over to their house for a little "Welcome to the neighborhood party". The initial response was "Yes". A few minutes later, our friend received a telephone call, and their new neighbors declined the offer to get together. The new male neighbor asked if there was going to be a television on so that he watch the semifinals of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Since our friends said "No", the party was canceled. Can you have a party, and still watch a little sports?
There are some houses for sale in our neighborhood!

Can there ever be a day in the United States or the world when no tragedies occur? It is time for the United States to have a Suicide Forest like they do in Japan. If life's struggles seem to be too much to cope with, and mental health counseling doesn't seem to work, then just kill yourself. Don't kill or maim innocent people. The incident in western New York was the motivation for the last comment.

I still maintain that "Life is Good!".

Have a great Saturday and Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Hope that your week has been going by pretty well so far. Like I said in previous e-mails, the days seem to be flying by.

The big thing on the Curley Social calendar is tonight's UNICO Wine & Beer tasting event at Berkshire Hills Country Club. My table of 10 people is all set, and paid for which is great too. If any of my readers want to attend, you can purchase tickets at the door at $20 per person.
Linda does have body maintenance procedure this morning. I am trying to figure out if I do have time to squeeze in a visit with Mom today. I have to help out with some of the details for the Wine Tasting this evening.

The meeting at the nursing home to discuss Mom's progress went well. We decided that we are going to try and have Mom come home for one day next week. My sister has volunteered to be the care giver 24/7 for Mom next Wednesday. We are going to see how the visit works out. I am surmising that once she is home, she will never want to return to the nursing home. If my guess is correct, then we will have to work out the details of the home health care people who will be needed to help with the care giving. The saga continues!

Yard Work was postponed once again. No, we can't afford to pay someone to do it. I have to get in done before Easter because we have guests coming in for a noon time meal.

The Red Sox have their home opener on Monday. The weather could be a problem, which it always is, during Spring time in the Northeast. We have rain and snow showers predicted for several days next week. Yesterday's 65 degree weather was just a tease. I bring this up because one of my board members can't make Monday night's meeting because he was lucky enough to secure a couple of tickets. The banking business does have its perks!

Observation -- While watching the Boston Bruins Hockey team win another one last evening, I started to visualize a potential Saturday Night Live skit after watching a commercial which was repeated several times. The commercial is one for Cialis or those Viagra like drugs. I am referring to the mature couple sitting in those old fashion bath tubs sitting side by side. Yesterday, the tubs were on a small platform over looking the water. First of all just getting in one of those tubs might be a challenge for some of us. When the pill kicks in, and the male gets all excited, then what happens next? I can visualize making a 911 cell phone call to extricate some of us from the tub, or to save us from drowning as the tubs fall into the water. Maybe a hot tub would be a better place to shoot the commercial.

Politics / World News -- President Obama is making progress at the G-20 summit. The countries involved are impressed with the new President, and what he has to offer at the negotiation table.
The rest of the world, and the United States has the usual mayhem that is often too disturbing to read about. It is pretty much the same stuff at the national and the local level. Are there any happy people in the world besides Linda and me?

Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our Wednesday went as planned except for my Chicken Novena. While Linda was partying with her friends last evening, I dined on leftovers.

Yard work didn't happen because it was too cold. I had the wrong day for the nice weather. Today is supposed to be the highest temperature since winter has been over. To hit a temperature like 65 degrees will truly be a heat wave.

Yes, I did visit Mom for a couple of hours. I even had time to make a few casts with a lure "As seen on television" after visiting Mom. Laurel Lake is totally free of ice. I did hook on to a 30 inch stick, but I never did get a bite from a real fish.

Speaking of Mom, we have a family meeting today at 10:30 AM at the nursing home to discuss progress so far, and the direction which we are going in with respect to Mom's rehabilitation.
Linda and my sister are doing lunch after the meeting. I will be heading back to Pittsfield to make a dent in the yard work which I keep on postponing.

Politics -- President Obama continues to talk with the Global Leaders while the protesters continue to make a statement. Maybe if more people had jobs then there would be less protesters. The wacky world we live in are a lot like the books which I have been reading, and the movies I have been seeing. The writers must get their ideas from the reality which surrounds us.

Social Calendar -- I have to continue to deal with the Wine Tasting issues for our Friday night affair. Linda is hosting a session of Mah Jongg at our house this evening.



Sports -- I did watch the Boston Celtics win a double overtime game on their home court.


Observation -- What food will they tell us not to eat next? Pistachio's are a fun food to eat, and now the FDA says not to eat them. What do we do with all the ones which are in the stores, and in our homes. I think people in a starving third world country would be happy with any food. How about the pistachios already in the ice-cream? I would bet that you can find tainted food in almost everything which we consume. The soil which our food is grown in, and the water used for irrigation, and the chemicals put on to kill insects will kill us for sure. Maybe we all should have victory gardens like they did during the Great Depression.

Have a great Thursday!
Easter is a week away.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Happy April Fools Day!

Today is the day when some kind of computer virus is being sent so be careful, and don't open anything which you don't recognize. Watch out for offers by some outfit trying to sell you something. If you open it up, your computer will be compromised!

Bears -- I didn't listen to my friend, who lives in a neighboring hill town, telling me that the bears are back. On Tuesday night, they returned to the Curley yard, and knocked down all of my bird feeders. I thought that if I put the bird feeders up high enough (I used a ladder) that I could continue to feed the birds. Not! I am surmising that Mother bear sent her cubs up the tree to knock the feeders down. The empty bird feeders have been put away for a while.

News -- I knew that the 23 year old brother, who lived from a small town in Massachusetts, and got himself in trouble by decapitated his 5 year old sister with a kitchen knife as well as killing a 17 year old sibling, would eventually make national news. The story is too gruesome to continue.

On a happier note, how about the Ohio man who was arrested for DUI? He was driving a home made device of an actual bar stool welded to an old lawnmower. The vehicle could reach speeds up to 38 MPH. After drinking about 15 beers, he decided to drive off on his vehicle, and flipped over while taking a turn going at 20 MPH. He wants a trial by jury.

Local Politics -- My candidate did win the election yesterday, but only by a 100 vote margin. His opponent worked hard to narrow the gap considerably from the what happened in the primary. I am guessing that some of his voters assumed a victory, and didn't vote, or forgot to vote. I hope that all the voters who had my friend's lawn signs came out to vote. The two reporters, who attended the victory party, came to the table where Linda and I were sitting. Linda and I must be like magnets. We did talk to both reporters, but they didn't write anything down, or stick a microphone in our mouths, or ask for a quote or two (we hope).
There was much food, fun, and merriment at the victory party.

Politics -- The political scene has gone global, but some countries are not agreeing to our President's approach to solving the global economic crisis.

Mom -- I did squeeze in a visit to see Mom at the nursing home on Tuesday morning. All seemed well.

Mah Jongg -- Linda wasn't so lucky at her Tuesday Mah Jongg session.

Body Maintenance procedure -- Linda went off at the scheduled time for a haircut on Tuesday, and the place was closed. They didn't have a sign on the door. No one called to say that there was a problem. Linda found out that there were some plumbing problems the day before after chatting with a person in a neighboring business.

Lottery Tickets -- Linda did win a couple of hundred dollars on some scratch tickets. I think that she might have a lottery ticket addiction. Just kidding!

Social Calendar -- I have do yard work first before visiting Mom especially with the warm temperature forecast. I also have to deal with some issues related to the UNICO Wine Tasting event on Friday night.

Linda is going out with three girl friends this evening. This is an annual ritual of mothers who all had their children at the same time in the 70's. They are going to the family restaurant of the person who was defeated in yesterday's local election. When Linda made the reservations, she made it with her first name only. We hope that we (mostly me) are not banned from the restaurant because of my public, and political stance.

I am going to have a chicken novena this evening without the lighting of candles. I am going to cook a batch of those chicken leg quarters (which are on sale at a local market) on the grill while Linda is doing her thing. I hope that the eventual chicken grease in the grill doesn't bring a return of the bears on Wednesday night.

Well, I have to do some quiet chores before I do the yard work.
Have a great Wednesday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad