My time in OH

The earlier posts from this month, was about Grandpa Morton, and the only interview I had for this month
I saw my brother a few times. He gives outt the best hugs! I spent a weekend with my sister. We went to Geagua Lake and got soaked because of the rain. The temps were cooler in OH than in TX, but at times not much cooler. Everytime it rained, I asked the Lord to send the rain down to TX.
My 35th birthday was the 25th. We did a bit of shopping that day. My birthday always falls during the week of VBS at my parent's church. On my birthday, an army helicopter landed at the church. I took a bunch of pictures. My sister took a pic of my standing by the helicopter. We got ice cream after VBS for my birthday. My sis and I got the same thing, twist dipped cone. Mine was messy!!!!!!! I had ice cream dripping onto the wood, and my niece said it looked like bird poop. I just cracked up laughing. It was so funny!
My parent's best friends, also had a death in their family, 8 days after Grandpa died. So two weekends in a row, had funerals.
Grandma and I played rummikub two different nights. First time without Grandpa. She has had more crying moments than I have had. Everybody grieves in their own way. I am going to do two dedication layouts in my scrapbook next month-Grandpa and Aunt Nancy.
The day after my b-day, we had lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse. I like having lunch with my sister at least once during the summer. Mom, Dad, Jo, Grandma, and myself. Took pics afterwards for the scrapbook.
Mom kept finding old pics, and I made two trips to Walmart to make reprints of them for the scrapbook.
I refuse to say too much about the Indians, other than the idiots enjoy loosing, and have made some surprising trades in the past week.

Headstones

Yesterday, Grandpa was buried. The funeral was Saturday, but it was $200 cheaper to open the grave during the week, than on the weekend. We went out to the cemetry today. Grandpa's grave is just a big pile of dirt heaped ontop of his casket, with flowers lying on top. Next to him are two of his kids, and next to them are is in-laws. Behind and to the right a bit are his parents, and his two baby brothers. My grandparents bought their plots back in 1948 for $40 a piece. They haven't even thought about headstones yet. My other grandfather, who died in 1993, still doesn't have a headstone. He is buried somewhere else.
I took pictures of the headstones that are in the family, and will put them into my scrapbook. We did take some of the flowers that were there and brought them home to put into vases. There are about 4 different bouquets at the house. We even got one from my sunday school class. Sympathy cards have been coming in the mail for grandma and for my parents.
Grandma has moved into my parents house. In the next few weeks, they will start cleaning out my grandparent's house to get it ready to sell. That is going to be hard for them to do. I will miss him for the rest of my life.

Funerals

Funerals are not for the dead. They are for the living. It helps them to celebrate the life of who passed away. I think it is also a way of saying goodbye, having closure. Last night was the calling hours for my grandfather. Today was his funeral. I was able to see all of my first cousins, except for one, and almost all of my second cousins. This is the second one in about 2 1/2 months for my family.
The funeral was very nice. Two ministers officated the funeral. Both family friends, who have known my grandparents for over 30, almost 40 years. Heard a few stories about how he used to be a pranskter, a joke he played on friends, while in Israel. His favorite joke he like to tell, how he graduated 8th in his class. There were only 8 in his class, when he graduated from high school. A few people stood up to share things about Grandpa.
I will miss grandpa. No more, will grandma say that, "We are praying for you." It will only be, "I am praying for you." Grandma is my only surviving grandparent. Both of my grandpas are up in Heaven.
Funerals are hard, but a necessity in life. I am very thankful for the people who came to the calling hours and/or to the funeral to pay their respects. Some came because of my mom or because of my dad. Some came because they knew grandma and grandpa.
Everybody grieves in their own way. Lord, I ask you to be with my family as they are grieving for grandpa. Please let us all feel your arms of comfort and support during this hard time of our lives. AMEN.

Interview #10

The Lord is good! I had my home line forwarded to my cellphone, because of coming home to OH for a family crisis. I had a prinicpal called me yesterday, and she was willing to interview me over the phone. That is why, I said, "God is good!".
This was interview number 10. The interview was scheduled for 11 am EST. The principal called me around 11:20 am, and the interview lasted for 20 minutes. This was the second interview for Mesquite ISD. I interviewed for a sixth grade English position. The teacher would teach writing and grammar. That would be a challange and a good growing experience for me. This teacher would have to work closely with teammates, to incorporate the other subject areas into writing. In my opinion, that would be fun and interesting. They could have a report for another teacher and work on it in their English class.
I thought it went okay. The principal had other interviews still to have. She hopes to make her decision by the end of the month, and will get back in touch with me either way, with a yes or a no.

My Grandfather

Last Thursday, I recieved a call from my sister that my grandfather was taken to the hospital. Turns out my 87 year grandfather had a stroke. He had major bleeding on the brain. He was put on a ventilater on Friday, thinking the extra oxygen would help his brain. A second cat scan on his brain was done on Saturday, and saw that the bleeding was worse. The doctor talked about taking the breathing tube out on Saturday, but wasn't sure if he would last the night, and with me making the drive up from TX to OH, they kept it in. I got home to my parents, Sunday afternoon. We went to the hospital for visiting hours, About six pm that evening, the breathing tube was taken out. We stayed longer, talking and visiting, til about 7:30 pm.
Sunday night, he was moved to another room. Yesterday afternoon, he was moved to a hospice. The hospice wasn't far from my parent's house. His breathing was shallow, and making noise while breathing. The hospice was a very nice place. We were there this afternoon.
My mom and I went back after supper. My mom felt this feeling to go back to the hospice. I talked through my family scrapbook to grandpa. We were watching tv, and talking. I kept looking over at Grandpa. I noticed that he got quiet, and told mom. She went out to get the nurses. One nurse listened to his breathing, and twice said, there is still a slight pulse. I think about five minutes after noticing that he got quiet, he had his final breath here on this Earth, and went home to be with his Lord.
I am so thankful, mom and I were there when he took his final breath, and that he wasn't alone. It is hard. He just didn't look like my grandpa. He took his final breath about 7:30 pm tonight, July 11.
The calling hours are this Friday evening, his 88th birthday. The funeral will be on Saturday. I alreay know that I will do a layout of dedication in my scrapbook about Grandpa. I am so glad that I was able to make it home for my grandfather's last days here on this Earth.

stories about grandpa

I had to make an emergency trip to OH. I made good time. Really only one construction area that caused problems. It is a two day drive for me, 21 hours, 1,150 miles. Went to the hospital for the evening visiting hours to see my grandfather. Was very weird to see my grandfather in a coma and connected to a ventilater. I've heard stories of what happened the two other times he was in the hospital. Very soon, I will only have my grandma left. The stroke he had caused major bleeding on his brain. The bleeding has gotten worse since he arrived at the hospital. My grandmother's sister, my great-aunt, also had a stroke on Thursday. My great-aunt, doesn't know that her brother-in-law had a stroke.
Grandpa planted a garden this spring, basically first good one in five years. The previous ones were much smaller and not very good. This year, he went with a neighbor. The neighbor told us this evening, that he had to do the planting just the way my grandpa told me too. We laughed about that. Both Grandpa Morton and my late Grandpa Sanyo, were into growing things and having gardens.
Grandpa Morton would give the whole plan of salvation when he would pray. He wants his funeral to include the message of salvation, for any nonchristians who might show up. We have already started planning his funeral. Grandpa's 88th birthday is this Friday.
My next post I will talk about more about Grandpa and his funeral. As of this writing, he is still alive.

Family

This is hard for me to write about. My aunt died of cancer at the end of April, just a couple of weeks after turning 60. Both my grandfather and a great-aunt had a stroke yesterday. My grandfather will be 88 years old on the 14th of this month. My great-aunt is just a year or two past 80. I do not know how my great-aunt is doing. But my grandfather, is on death's door. I am going home to be with my family, and it will take me two days to drive. I am praying that I will be able to tell hime goodbye. I even told my mom, that I will go see my brother to tell him about Grandpa. My grandfather is on a breathing tube and a feeding tube.
I asked God this morning, if my other grandfather could be there to welcome this grandpa to Heaven when God takes him home. My other grandfather died 13 1/2 years ago. I have fond memories of my grandparents. When it comes time to scrapbook the last pictures of grandpa later this summer, it will be hard for me to do.
No matter how old you are, and how old your family members are, it is always rought to loose them. God knows what he is doing, but it is hard to see his goodness in what is going on in your life and theirs during the rough times.

Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is an important holiday for the United States of America. I wonder how many people really know why this day is important to us? I wonder how many people really know what were the events that led up to this special day in our history? The sad thing is, people in other countries know our history better than Americans know our history.
The second permament colony founded, Plymouth, was started for religious freedom. The Thirteen Orginial Colonies, all in their constitutions, (back in the 1600-1700's) said that colony either had regilous freedom, or you had worship a certain way. There were other freedoms stated, that they did not have over in Europe, not at that time. All the people who argue and fight over the Constitution today, in my opinion, need to go back and actually study our history, nad if they did, then they would stop these ridiculous lawsuits, saying, "blah, blah, blah" was unconstitutinal.
July 4, is the day we celebrate, The Declaration of Indpendence was signed in Philadelphi, PA in 1776. We spend time with our families, enjoy watching really cool fireworks at night.
I thank all of the soldiers out there who are fighting for freedom over in the Middle East, "A Great Big Giant Thank You" for putting your life on the line, so we can continue to celebrate our freedom, and the right to forget about our history.