Tag Archives: grandson

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Looking Back at The 4th of July

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Dear Lincoln,

I told you I would catch up on some writing today and I just had to share some photo’s from the 4th of July parade.We had a great time.  It was just you, me and Nana because momma had to work.  We had a blast little man!  The highlight was when the horses came by.  You got so excited and wanted to pet one of them in the worst way.  One rider noticed you in all of your excitement and pulled out of formation and came over to let you pet his horse.  It made your day.  This is just another example that there are good people out there that are willing to go out of there way to brighten someones day.

I love you little man, Puppa.
4th of july parade

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I’m like an onion, let’s peel back a few layers

Dear Lincoln,

Looking back at the letters I have written you I realized that I had promised to tell you about me and so far I haven’t. I intend to fix that now. Bear with me as some of the things that I will tell you now will need further expanlation but for right now let’s keep it to brief snippits.

I was born in Saginaw Michigan

I am the oldest of three boys, my middle brother is Jack and youngest is Jeff

My parents divorced when I was 17

I held several jobs during my senior year in high school to help support the family. I drove a delivery van at 4 in the morning before school for a bakery. After school I worked on a dairy farm for a few hours, then to a little corner pharmacy as a janitor and then ended my night as a dishwasher-bus boy at a family owned restaurant, home after midnight.

My family comes first!

In school I played football, basketball, baseball, track and golf.

I had severe asthma when I was young and spent way too many nights each fall-winter in the hospital in an oxygen tent. I eventually grew out of it.

I was turned down for military service due to my medical record of asthma.

I don’t like being told I can’t do something

I pray daily

I read the bible and find comfort in it’s pages

I believe that its more important to count the life in your years and not the years in your life. Like Fluffy Guy always says, “I don’t want to die tomorrow knowing I could of had cake tonight”

I love you more than anything!

Your Nana was my high school sweetheart and still is!

I had a photography studio for 20 years

I am the family photographer, the keeper of memories through a camera lens

Over the years your momma has claimed that I have become “sappy”

I don’t hide my emotions

I make sure that the people that matter know it.

It is not uncommon for me to read 6 books at one time, I enjoy reading

Every year, when asked what I want for my birthday or Christmas, everyone knows the answer… a hot cup of coffee, a good book and a warm bosom. You’ll understand later

Integrity means a lot to me, it’s not what you do when someone is watching, it’s what you do when no ones watching.

I learned the definition of being a man from my Papa and Great Great Grandpa Buck

I know that it’s harder to do whats right then what is easy. I’ll always chose whats right

I write poetry

I have been a retail manager for over 30 years

I listen to all types of music

My favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption

I have read every Harry Potter book more than once and loved them

My favorite author is Mitch Albom

I support mom and pop establishments

I was baptized Presbyterian but changed religions when I was in 6 grade to Catholic because I wanted more out of my church. At the time my church did not allow me to attend mass because they said I was too young to understand, so I started attending St George Catholic Church in Saginaw with a friend.

I attended 3rd grade catechism while I was in 6th grade so that I could become Catholic

I can’t sing but love to, and you seem to enjoy it

I played the violin, drums and guitar when I was younger

I still play the guitar

Words are important to me, always watch how you say things, words can heal as well as hurt.

I have never smoked. My mom, your Great Grandma Luna, told me when I was entering junior high that peer pressure would force me to try smoking and she understood if I did. Like I said before I don’t like being told I can’t do something, I said I wouldn’t smoke and I never have.

I believe we all have the ability to chose, so chose wisely.

I miss Smokey the Bear commercials “Only you can prevent forest fires”

My first job was being a paperboy for the Saginaw News when I was 11 years old. 7 days a week, 300 papers a day.

During the summer I pushed an ice-cream cart around the neighborhood to earn extra money. I haven’t seen an ice-cream cart in years.

I think this is a good start. I don’t want to reveal too much at one time, mystery and suspense is sometimes a good thing and you always want to leave them wanting more.

I love you little man, Puppa

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“Into the Mystic”

Dear Lincoln,

Let’s talk about music today. Just like your momma and everyone else in our family, you truly love all types of music. When your momma was growing up Nana and I exposed her to all types of music, pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, classical, pretty much everything. You love to listen to music and when a song comes on that resonates in you you direct all your attention to the direction of where the music is coming from. Depending on the song you will get quiet, mellow, or start to dance, but always a smile appears on your face.

Now I can say that you do enjoy all types of music like your momma. Your momma has made sure that you hear a variety of music, but today I wanna talk about one particular song, “Into the Mystic”. I played this song the first time I rocked you to sleep. You were a little fussy, but as soon as you heard this song you quieted right down, snuggled your head into my neck and soon were fast asleep. Ever since then when I lay you down for a nap I play this song and you become very peaceful with a small smile on your face. I guess you could say this is our song. I think your drawn to this song for the same reason I am, it has a soothing, calm, medium-paced tempo.

“Into the Mystic” was written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album Moondance and is among the most popular songs doctors listen to while operating. The song was recorded during the Moondance sessions at A&R Recording Studios in New York City between September and November 1969.
The lyrics are about a spiritual quest, typical of Morrison’s work. Bass thrums like a boat in motion, and the song comes back to water as a means of magical transformation. Compared to “Yesterday” by The Beatles, It has been described as “another song where the music and the words seem to have been born together, at the same time, to make one perfectly formed, complete artistic element.“

In an interview Morrison said this about the song: “Originally I wrote it as ‘Into the Misty’. But later I thought that it had something of an ethereal feeling to it so I called it ‘Into the Mystic’. That song is kind of funny because when it came time to send the lyrics in WB Music, I couldn’t figure out what to send them. Because really the song has two sets of lyrics. For example, there’s ‘I was born before the wind’ and ‘I was borne before the wind’, and also ‘Also younger than the son, Ere the bonny boat was one’ and ‘All so younger than the son, Ere the bonny boat was won’ … I guess the song is just about being part of the universe.”

Here are the lyrics to the song that I have sung to you more times than I can count.

We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic

And when that fog horn blows I will be coming home
And when that fog horn blows I want to hear it
I don’t have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
Then magnificently we will float into the mystic
And when that fog horn blows you know I will be coming home
And when that fog horn whistle blows I got to hear it
I don’t have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And together we will float into the mystic
Come on girl…

As always Lincoln, I love you all the way to the moon and back, Puppa

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Cherokee Wisdom

Dear Lincoln,

An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life.

‘A fight is going on inside me’, he said to the boy. ‘It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith’.

‘The same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, ‘ Which wolf will win?’.

The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’

Lincoln always remember to feed your good wolf.  I love you little man, Puppa

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See you in a week

Dear Lincoln,

Nana and I have headed to Georgia for a week to visit your Aunt Carlee and Uncle Jesse. I’m wondering how this is going to go as it will be the longest stretch of time of not seeing you. I’ve gotten quite spoiled with you living so close that I get to see you almost everyday. Your momma said that she will send us photos of you while we are gone (thank goodness).

This photos are from the night before we left. See you in a week, be a good boy.

I love you, Puppa.

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