Its a YouTube Channel. It My YouTube Channel.
Friday, September 16, 2016
Do you do accents?
Not really. I do my own voice. Sometime I do it funny. Here is one way I have decided to expand my range:
Thursday, September 1, 2016
All it takes is a smile
My dear Friend and old Neighbor from the Monterey area, Karen, has been one of my loyal and dedicated readers for a very long time and she often responds to my posts and encourages my writing. In regards to the last few posts, she sent me a message and indicated that she would love to hear the backstory of my mom and Dunkle.
Since I didn't have a chance to sit down with her and have a true visit while we were in the states, I thought I would sit down with a cup of tea and tell her that tale just as I might have. So Karen (and whom ever else wishes to sit in) grab a cup of joe, have a seat and I will tell you the tale.
I don't have many pictures with me. For the most part, they are in storage in the States. My mom did send me this one and so here is where I will start.
Flashback ... 1979 ... a year in which -57 degrees was recorded in New York and snow was seen in the Sahara Desert. The year Saddam Hussein assumed power. The year the Iatola Komani declared the US "The Great Satan" The year walkman's were introduced. But this tale is not about the world stage. This tale, more than anything, is about family.
During the late 70's my immediate family lived in Washington state. We were surrounded by my dads parents, his siblings and their families. Together we celebrated and dined often. Such as in the photo, which I think is of my brothers 4th birthday. (In addition to my brother, my Mom, Dunkle and the back of two of my cousins heads are in the picture. Do you see the arm snaking its way around my mom in an attempt to get some cake? That is me!) Anyway, we were a very close family. And then in the early 1980's, our course change and we relocated to a small town in Northern Nevada. Population 200. Long distance calls were few and far between. It was super expensive to call and our connection to our family in Washington was stretched thin. Fortunate, in Nevada, We had my moms family nearby and they helped fill the void.
Anyway, life goes on and when I was 18 my parents split up. The reasons why are far to complicated to address in a short blog, however, it wasn't due to lack of love. Perhaps the best way to explain is that wounds of childhood traumas where ignored and festered resulting in poor choices and a little neurosis. Regardless, things between them ended just as I went off to college.
And life goes on... Until it ends. My dad passed away almost 15 years ago while sitting at home in Washington with my Dunkle who he lived with at the time.
Dunkle then went on to remarry an old childhood sweetheart who turned out to be not so sweet. They took in my elderly grandpa and my dads other brother Don who was severely crippled. When my grandpa died I make the trip North. I noticed at the funeral that his wife choose not to attend. Also, Don told me that I could not come visit at the house. Dunkles wife did not want anyone there...ever. It was left at that but it was odd and I knew that things were not right. Attempts to get in/stay in touch with Dunkle were left unanswered and Don wasn't discussing it.
Then, about a year and a half ago, Don died. Dan was away at business and returned home to find Don on the floor in his room where he had been for three days. I learned much later that, when the police came to investigate, his wife said she had heard a crash but didn't care to check on him. Nor did she care that she didn't see him for three days. Anyway, Dons ashes were placed next to his parents about three weeks before we moved to Germany and at the funeral, I learned from cousins that I was not alone in my impression that Dunkle was miserable.
Meanwhile my mom remarried. It lasted 18 years. She divorced about 5 years ago and was content being a single woman. She had made attempts to step out into the dating world and found the prospects laughable. Better to be single she said. Little did she know..
Soooo... after Dons funeral (We already had all of our things shipped and were making our rounds to say goodbye) we made our way to my moms. While there I said.. "Hey Mom, Dan is very depressed and is struggling. He has lost most of his family and he could really use a smile. Lets send him one!" So we took a selfie and I sent it to him along with moms contact info.
A few months goes by and mom Skypes me to tell me that she is spending New Years with Dan and they are taking a road trip to the town they grew up in. Apparently they laughed and laughed the whole time. She reminded him he didn't have to be miserable.
The next skype brought news of his pending divorce and retirement.
The next one brought news that he had asked my moms parents for her hand. He took my grandma slippers and chocolate and passed on an heirloom rifle to my grandpa. It was a done deal. They were getting married.
Since I didn't have a chance to sit down with her and have a true visit while we were in the states, I thought I would sit down with a cup of tea and tell her that tale just as I might have. So Karen (and whom ever else wishes to sit in) grab a cup of joe, have a seat and I will tell you the tale.
I don't have many pictures with me. For the most part, they are in storage in the States. My mom did send me this one and so here is where I will start.
Flashback ... 1979 ... a year in which -57 degrees was recorded in New York and snow was seen in the Sahara Desert. The year Saddam Hussein assumed power. The year the Iatola Komani declared the US "The Great Satan" The year walkman's were introduced. But this tale is not about the world stage. This tale, more than anything, is about family.
During the late 70's my immediate family lived in Washington state. We were surrounded by my dads parents, his siblings and their families. Together we celebrated and dined often. Such as in the photo, which I think is of my brothers 4th birthday. (In addition to my brother, my Mom, Dunkle and the back of two of my cousins heads are in the picture. Do you see the arm snaking its way around my mom in an attempt to get some cake? That is me!) Anyway, we were a very close family. And then in the early 1980's, our course change and we relocated to a small town in Northern Nevada. Population 200. Long distance calls were few and far between. It was super expensive to call and our connection to our family in Washington was stretched thin. Fortunate, in Nevada, We had my moms family nearby and they helped fill the void.
Anyway, life goes on and when I was 18 my parents split up. The reasons why are far to complicated to address in a short blog, however, it wasn't due to lack of love. Perhaps the best way to explain is that wounds of childhood traumas where ignored and festered resulting in poor choices and a little neurosis. Regardless, things between them ended just as I went off to college.
And life goes on... Until it ends. My dad passed away almost 15 years ago while sitting at home in Washington with my Dunkle who he lived with at the time.
Dunkle then went on to remarry an old childhood sweetheart who turned out to be not so sweet. They took in my elderly grandpa and my dads other brother Don who was severely crippled. When my grandpa died I make the trip North. I noticed at the funeral that his wife choose not to attend. Also, Don told me that I could not come visit at the house. Dunkles wife did not want anyone there...ever. It was left at that but it was odd and I knew that things were not right. Attempts to get in/stay in touch with Dunkle were left unanswered and Don wasn't discussing it.
Then, about a year and a half ago, Don died. Dan was away at business and returned home to find Don on the floor in his room where he had been for three days. I learned much later that, when the police came to investigate, his wife said she had heard a crash but didn't care to check on him. Nor did she care that she didn't see him for three days. Anyway, Dons ashes were placed next to his parents about three weeks before we moved to Germany and at the funeral, I learned from cousins that I was not alone in my impression that Dunkle was miserable.
Meanwhile my mom remarried. It lasted 18 years. She divorced about 5 years ago and was content being a single woman. She had made attempts to step out into the dating world and found the prospects laughable. Better to be single she said. Little did she know..
Soooo... after Dons funeral (We already had all of our things shipped and were making our rounds to say goodbye) we made our way to my moms. While there I said.. "Hey Mom, Dan is very depressed and is struggling. He has lost most of his family and he could really use a smile. Lets send him one!" So we took a selfie and I sent it to him along with moms contact info.
A few months goes by and mom Skypes me to tell me that she is spending New Years with Dan and they are taking a road trip to the town they grew up in. Apparently they laughed and laughed the whole time. She reminded him he didn't have to be miserable.
The next skype brought news of his pending divorce and retirement.
The next one brought news that he had asked my moms parents for her hand. He took my grandma slippers and chocolate and passed on an heirloom rifle to my grandpa. It was a done deal. They were getting married.
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