My Way Again

2011-03-26T02:22:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year's – 2011

The Year of the City Worker

as published in the 03/22/11 issue of The Blue Island FORUM

by Jude Coyle

If you listen to the fat cats in Washington, you'll hear them refer to the fat cat union workers that saturate every part of government. They're making all this money and it's killing the American economy. It has to be stopped.

I've been searching my memory for a name I can blame as the cause of all of the discomfort America has felt of late, and frankly I can't come up with one. Instead I think of those individuals who patrol our streets, fight our fires and dig ditches in an effort to stop the flow of water main breaks. I think of the guys who fill the potholes, and the employees at City Hall who do the paperwork required in running a City the size of Blue Island. None of them are living in mansions, and if you read City Council News, you'll know that these are the same people who were asked to give up half their regular pay for the months of October and November because property tax bills went out late. They were to be repaid after Christmas.

Yet it was these people who on realizing that An Angel's Touch needed extra help this year because of the economy, dug deep to help us. For that reason, I am calling Christmas, 2010, the Year of the City Worker. To all of you, thank you so much.

An Angel's Touch is an organization that was created by friends to help other friends who ran into emergencies that threatened to wipe them out financially. We've grown from there, doing our best to help anywhere we can with emergencies of every kind. Over the nearly twenty years of operation, we've helped several hundred families with food, Christmas gifts, clothing and other necessities. This year alone we helped 43 families. What we do though, doesn't come from just us. It is because people like the City workers of Blue Island, the churches who have partnered with us, the Library, the Park District, Calumet Township Senior Center and other organizations, through their donations, allow us to help others.

This year it seemed that we would have to turn away families for the first time in our history as we just didn't have enough food. I begged at churches. I begged at City Hall. I begged on Facebook. I spoke to anyone who took the time to listen to me. At the last possible minute, Bernie Perryman donated huge stack of canned goods. So did Betty Nagle, Nancy Shultz, Raymond Guray, Charlene Finn, and John and Marsha Rauch. After that it seemed that I had to pick up canned goods every couple of days from City Hall. The very same people I referred to above, helped us out in spite of their own needs. I also picked up donations from the library, Calumet Senior Center, Lincoln, Oak Ridge and Beverly Cemeteries, Memorial Park and from various churches. Rose Rita, who has been ill, collected cereal for us. Tony from the Doubleplay Lounge, the Calumet Park Troublemakers and the Blue Island Professional Firefighters each provided five Christmas dinners. The Rickerson family made a huge donation. Again, thank you.

As I said, this year was harder than usual because of the economy, and a lot of our calls came from people living in odd situations. One woman called from a hotel room. She had two little boys, and had lost her home and her car. Could we help her? We did our best. We also helped a gentleman and his lady who were living in their car. There were too many others in similar situations. We did the best we could and we turned no one away. Better yet, we were able to pass on food to St. Benedict's Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society pantry and to the Salvation Army. As I've always said, donations end at Christmas. Hunger doesn't. We were also able to pass along coats to Reverend Rod Reinhart for veterans in need.

Our only disappointment was that we weren't able to pass along a full 240 gloves or mittens and hats to the CEDA preschool. We bought enough gloves to go around, but not hats. The boss saw mittens on sale right after Christmas this year, and purchased 200 pairs. So when next year comes along, I will be begging for 240 hats. A very big thank you to Jim Reihel who made that purchase possible because of the can shake he sponsors each year on our behalf.

Thank to the following. If I forgot your name or spelled it wrong, please accept my apology now, and know that you are in our prayers. Mayor Donald E. Peloquin, his office; City Clerk Pam Frasor and her office; City Council, particularly Aldermen Rose Rita, Leticia Vieyra, Jan Ostling, Marcia Stone; the Police and Fire Departments, and Professional Firefighters Union; the Building, Public Works and Water Departments; The 911 Center; the Chamber of Commerce; Metro South Hospital; the Blue Island Park District; the Public Library; the Calumet Township Senior Center; St. Rita High School, DDE Key and Leo Clubs; Veteran's Memorial Middle School; Paul Revere Intermediate and Primary Schools; Reverend Judy Jones, and Christ Memorial United Church of Christ; First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Grace United Methodist Church; Lori Campione and St. Walter's School; Accurate Perforating; the Kiwanis; the Calumet Park Troublemakers; Tony and the Doubleplay Lounge; The FORUM, Bob Jones and Beverly Bank, the Simborg Family, Temulac Boat Club and Windjammers Marina of Chicago, Beverly, Lincoln and Oak Ridge Cemeteries, Korbakis Liquors, T&G's, Iversen's Bakery, Blue Island Video, Carr Gardens, Harry's Long Bar, Gene's Dry Cleaners, A&R Security, Jim and Carol Reihel, American Legion Post #50, Charlene Finn, Bernie Perryman, Ron and Tracy Rickerson, John and Marsha Rauch, Betty Nagle, Nancy Schultz and Raymond Guray. Thank you to my sort crew who not only show up for me, but bring new people each year. Katherine Matthis, Chris Rondinella, Gloria Zaper, Ed and Grace Diaz, Matt Hess, Amber Sullivan, Stephen Gerez, Lisa Woodrich, Bob O'Connor, Ed, Jon and Becki Coyle. A special thank you to Bob, Roseanne and Kevin Moran and friend, Nicole. Every donor and every gift is very much appreciated, not only by the members of An Angel's Touch, but by the recipients of your love as well.

Blue Island Ghost Stories

2011-03-10T12:26:00.002-06:00

Blue Island Ghost Stories

As published in the October 21, 2009, Blue Island Forum

by Jude Coyle

Ursula Bielski has visited Blue Island several times as a guest of the Library. She is a writer and researcher of Chicago ghostlore. She has written Chicago Haunts: Ghostlore of the Windy City, More Chicago Haunts and Grave Yards of Chicago, all of which are available at the library. She

has been featured on A&E, the History Channel, The Learning Channel, The Travel Channel, PBS and on Chicago TV and radio shows. Her company, Chicago Hauntings, conducts tours and holds special events exploring Chicago’s haunted history.

On September 18th, Ursula, sponsored by the Blue Island Public Library and THE FORUM, visited Blue Island to meet with three Blue Island homeowners, and to hear of their experiences with ‘other worldly visitors.’ (For several months, THE FORUM advertised for residents willing to tell Ursula their story.) Greg Lochow of the Chamber of Commerce, Dan Carroll of the Library, sensitives Faith and Crystal, and myself followed a cameraman to each location.

Before I go any further, I need to point out a couple of things. First, this story in not about Ursula, but about the ‘sensitives’, their feelings and what happened behind the scenes. Keep in mind though, that this wouldn’t have happened if Ursula hadn’t visited us that day.

Now our sensitives, Faith and Crystal, not their real names, asked not to be identified. These women come from a long line of sensitives, and have known about their abilities since childhood. Neither have felt comfortable with them at first, and it wasn’t until the last twenty years that they have begun to use them. In casual conversation, the subject of Burr Oak Cemetery came up. Faith said she had driven by it a few years ago, when she saw images wandering about the fence. They looked displaced.

The first home we visited was a grand painted lady, complete with stained glass windows. We sat on a huge porch with the owner, who told us about an experience she shared with her granddaughter. Soon after her husband had passed, she and her grandchild were in the living room when they heard several notes sound from the piano. They were stunned as they stood within feet of it and neither had touched it. A moment later her daughter descended the stairs. She asked if her daughter had heard the notes. “Yes,” the daughter said. It was her father letting her know that he was doing well.

The on camera interview began soon after. The homeowner told of more experiences as Ursula, the homeowner and the cameraman moved about the house. Off camera, Faith and Crystal roamed about. We could see them, each traveling in a separate direction and neither conferring.

Faith calmed the dogs and Crystal took to the stairs. I came across Faith at one point. She told me that the interview should move towards the piano. I thought I would sneak in and direct them there, when they moved on their own. Faith said, “See, they’re being directed there now.”

After the interview I asked the ladies what they saw and felt. Both claimed to see activity on the stairs. They said that an older man resided there, as well as an older woman who was a family member of the owner. They also described a girl. Faith said that when she exited the car, she felt like running. That she was happy to be home, just like a young girl would feel. That let Faith know to expect the spirit of a child. In the living room Faith said she saw the girl playing the piano. She was dressed in white in the style of the ‘30’s. Not far away, visitors sat about the dining room table listening to the music. It was a Sunday afternoon, Faith said, and

the group members were enjoying themselves.

Inside the house, Faith saw a candy bowl and wanted a piece. She visited a room where she noticed the photo of a woman in a blue dress. The walls were painted the same color as the dress. She had a calming feeling. This particular room had a wicker chair where she saw the image of a woman taking comfort. In the side yard Faith came across a bench which sat next to a carved angel. The same lady also takes pleasure there.

The homeowner said that her mother preferred the type of candy in the candy dish, and it was her in the photo. After her Mom had passed, a neighbor gave the homeowner the bench that Faith described, as Mom had always admired it. Faith also described a spot in the yard where she saw the homeowner’s husband. The homeowner said that she had sprinkled some of his ashes right there.

I asked Crystal about her impressions. She said that she doesn’t see things the same way. Where Faith had feelings, like that of the girl glad to be home, or visions in her mind’s eye, Crystal saw energies, orbs, or flashes of light. She might hear a voice or come across a smell. It depended on how the entity wished her to experience it. Sometimes, she said, she might pick up a message. When she approached the first house she saw someone at an upper window watching her. She saw a great deal of energy in the home, more intensely on the stairs and the front portion of the living room, and again in the side yard. The homeowner confirmed that most of the activity occurs in those areas.

We moved on. The second house was not far from mine, so I parked at home and walked. When I met Faith next she was leaning against a tree outside the house. “There’s something wrong here,” she said. “Look. There’s no birds or squirrels. There’s something wrong with the entire block.” She was right. It was unnaturally quiet. There were no bird calls or chattering squirrels, nor was there anything in sight. Faith described how when she stepped out of the car, she felt that her legs would be knocked out from under her. Something didn’t want her there. She leaned against the tree, hoping to use it’s sturdiness as a way to ‘ground’ herself.

I didn’t hear the stories the second homeowner had to share, only that sometimes she sees an African American child in her bedroom, and she didn‘t understand why. He seemed out of place. I asked Faith later if what the homeowner saw in the house was related to what she described on the outside. “No,” Faith said. The house had a completely different set of issues.

We moved down the street to the third house. I walked with several others while others moved their vehicles. Faith and Crystal immediately reacted as they approached the property, and both in different ways. Faith asked to see the homeowner’s dog, who was barking in the background. She walked the dog during the interview, which took place outside. Crystal exited her car, and started walking towards the yard. Three or four steps later, she turned around and returned to the car where she stayed throughout the interview. Later, Crystal told me that something in the yard bothered her so much she couldn’t be there. I’ll leave this here. To find out what happened at the third house and to talk to Ursula, the homeowners and to hear stories, please call the library. Tickets to the airing of the interviews are available at no charge. It will take place at the Historical Society, 13018 Maple, at 7PM on October 27th. The film will be broadcast later on WDDE. Watch your listings for details.

Dewey's House

2010-11-02T22:12:00.003-05:00

Dewey's Home

(as published in the Blue Island FORUM on 11/3/10)

by Jude Coyle

I love writing, history, and telling good old fashion ghost stories, and a town as old as Blue Island is a great resource. So each year I try to provide the FORUM one Blue Island ghost story at Halloween.

Last year was incredible. Ursula Bielski, in cooperation of the Library, the Historical Society, the FORUM and the Chamber, spent one September afternoon interviewing residents about activity in their homes. Ursula is the founder of Chicago Hauntings, Inc., and the author of several books about Chicago ghost lore, including Chicago Haunts, More Chicago Haunts and Chicago Haunts 3. I had the honor of tagging along and recording the behind the scenes activities for the FORUM.

I also got a chance to meet two born and bred Blue Islanders, whom I called Faith and Crystal. These ladies are sensitive to their surroundings, and were quite helpful in establishing what the homeowners were experiencing.

Candi also participated. She's taken some unusual photographs which were used in the special filmed that day for WDDE.

This year I wanted to tell another great story, but there was no way to top last year's program. After several false starts, I asked Sandy, my editor, if I could interview Faith and Crystal again. She suggested that I contact a man I'll call Dewey. He had recently hosted a paranormal group in his home.

He said, “Sure. But I'd really love to have Faith and Crystal check my home out.” So we made arrangements.

Faith, Candi and I arrived simultaneously. Where Candi and I met on the sidewalk, Faith passed us by and continued on towards the church next store. She stopped half way between the two buildings, and then waved us over. “I'm being called over this way,” she said. “There's energy here.”

“What kind of energy?” I asked as I dug in my purse for my tape recorder.

“I feel like there are a lot of people here, both Black and White. And they're trying to tell us something.” She went on to explain that they came from two eras, the 1950's and the 1800's, and they came to spread joy, as there is too much negativity in the world. I asked if this was something that the world is experiencing now, or were they addressing negativity in general. “Some are saying the negativity is of today's world and others are saying in general.”

The people wearing '50's garb were the descendents of the older people. They were members of a church community, and their love was radiating outward, towards their neighbors. They were attached to the church property, although not the church itself. They belonged to a universal, all inclusive church. In fact, Faith told me that she saw a different building on this property.

I handed Candi a camera and told her to stick with Faith. If she felt something, please take a photo.

Let me qualify my beliefs. Anyone can make claims, but that doesn't make anything true. I was skeptical upon meeting Faith and Crystal, but vowed I'd keep my mind open. I talked to Faith mostly. Without going into details, let me just say that there were two incidents that morning last year when she told me things about my life that she couldn't have known unless she lived in my house and dealt with me on a day to day basis. Both incidents were jaw dropping experiences. So I believe her when she says there are spirits standing between a church and a home, trying to spread a positive word about God.

I've had little contact with Crystal. I trust her because she and Faith are sisters. But there is something else. She radiates light and love, particularly about her eyes.

Back to the story.

Faith passed on Crystal's regrets. She couldn't attend because something came up. Then Faith took the tape recorder, and she and Candi walked to the back of the building.

Our target was not the church, but the apartment building next store. This is one of those big, brick two flats from the twenties that are situated all over Blue Island. Dewey, a tall gentleman who should be familiar to most Blue Islanders, joined me at the sidewalk. His coworker, whom I will call John, joined us as well.

At that point, Faith turned back, pointing at the rear of the building, she said. “There's a man standing up there, watching us. And I'm hearing something about Suzy and Dan. Does that sound familiar to anyone?” We said no, and she and Candi continued on.

Dewey lives on the second floor, and he hears footsteps in his hallway. Also there is a bedroom where he spends as little time in as possible. “It raises the hackles on my neck to be in there,” he said.

He has lived there for about eleven years. When he first moved in he had friends over for pizza. One of the ladies stepped into the kitchen in order to help herself to a glass of water. She saw a woman in period clothing standing at the sink. “My friend is very sensitive,” Dewey said.

He had showed me how the paranormal group had set up their instrument board outside on his porch. He escorted us into the building and up the stairs. Inside we found a wonderful example of 1920's style architecture, complete with plaster walls, crown molding and wainscoting. It was neat, and evidence of his love for reading was everywhere. Books and bookcases were pressed into every available corner and against every empty wall.

“They set up two cameras,” he explained. One was in the living room, pointing at the hall where he hears footsteps, and the other was in the kitchen, pointed at the sink.

“They didn't spend much time here.” There's a coat rack in the kitchen. Dewey wondered if his friend had mistook it for the lady. The members of the paranormal group expressed the same concern. They spent most of their time outside shining flashlights up, through his windows and into the apartment to see if they could make the coat rack look like that. In the end they said they had no evidence of a haunting. That doesn't mean there isn't one, only that if he shares his apartment with spirits, they chose not to make an appearance that night.

We sat down in the living room to wait. We talked about the neighborhood, about his experiences, and John and Dewey discussed work. A few minutes passed before Faith and Candi arrived. They wandered about the apartment, going from living room, to hall, to dining room, to the kitchen. They stopped at the center bedroom last. I saw the flash from a camera.

“There's a lot going on here,” Faith said when the pair joined us. In the backyard they came across several boys, about the ages of ten to twelve playing baseball. A man inhabits the upstairs portion of the back porch. He and the boys are related, maybe not in life, but spiritually. They aren't grounded to the property. It's just that the man feels comfort in Dewey's presence, and in fact, when Dewey cooks, he often stands by the stove. He said he really misses eating, particularly hot dogs.

Faith asked, “Do you hear running in the halls?”

“Running?” he asked. I could see it in his face. Dewey had one of those jaw dropping moments like I had when I first met Faith. “Well, no. Footsteps.” Mind you she barely talked to him when we arrived. When he explained his experiences, she and Candi had already started exploring and were well out of ear shot.

“Pitter patter?”

“Well,” he said, “Maybe that. It isn't heavy, but it's definitely there.”

“That's the boys running in the hall. They don't mean to harm anyone. They're boys. They're having fun.”

“There's someone in your pantry,” she continued. “A woman, and Candi feels like she's trapped. I agree. I don't think she can leave.” She turned towards the hall again.

“About your middle bedroom.” She had him again. “There's something in there. I can feel it.” She went on to explain that whatever it was was holding back on her as she wasn't sure even of its gender. “It's in the closet, but I feel it is attached to something in the bookcase. It came in with a book maybe.” She had told it to go into the light and it refused. “Do you have holy water?”

He picked a cruet off the mantle and handed it to her. She led the way to the middle room. She approached the far closet and Candi waited behind her. She began with a silent prayer. Then she sprinkled holy water in the closet. After that she closed the door and using holy water on the tips of her fingers, etched a cross into the wood.

I had to leave at that point because I had a City Council meeting.

I caught up with Candi later. She took seven photos, and was disappointed to find only one tiny orb located on the closet door. “That's him,” she said. “And he was pissed.” She explained that Faith wasn't able to shake the thing, so she, Faith and Crystal would return. “Crystal does a lot of cleansings.” I asked her what she felt in the bedroom. “You were in it, right?” she asked.

“No, I waited at the door.”

“There were actually two things in there. I could feel it. There are two closets, one on either side of the room. I could feel the one shrinking as Faith prayed over it. The other one though, got really sad.”

A week and a half passed before Faith and Crystal could return to Dewey's. Candi and I didn't join them, although Faith and I talked on the phone later. Asked about the entity in the closet, Faith explained that it had shrunk, and it changed in texture. It still stubbornly clung to the closet although the anger had subsided. She said the closet needed a psychic airing of sorts.

We discussed what it was that brought the creature into the apartment. “You know when I first entered the room,” she said, “And I felt him in there, my eyes went directly to the top row of books on the one bookcase in that room. There's a collection of books pertaining to UFO's. I think it came in with one of those.” I thought it odd that she brought that up simply because I had a hard time focusing on anything else in the room. In fact I never noticed the second closet.

I asked about the other entity Candi had described. “It isn't so much of a spirit as it is a memory. The energy is sad. Dewey says it feels to him as if a child had been locked in there for punishment.” She explained that often times when someone pulls an odd feeling like this out of the air, it is correct.

Crystal identified the spirit of an older man who said his name was Stephen. “He wanted us to know that he spelled his name with a ph rather than a v,” Faith said.

They talked to the neighbors. The names Dan and Suzy came up when Faith and Candi first toured the property. A neighbor told her about a man named Dan who had passed while still in his twenties. His sister's name was Suzy. Faith thought Dan might be the man on the porch.

That of course led to a discussion about the boys. “We toured the basement.” It seemed to be clear of activity, except for a path directly in line with the path in Dewey's apartment where he had heard footsteps. She said that the boys might be spending most of their time in the basement, although their movements were psychically connected to Dewey's apartment.

I spoke to several people about her connection to the land next store. Mike Kaliski of the Historical Society explained that the Church was built in 1956. Richard Bauer said he remembered when, but thought the land was vacant. Mike confirmed that it should have been. Prior to 1919 it was part of a dairy farm. If there were any buildings located on that plot, they would have to be outbuildings.

I mentioned earlier that Faith had provided me with two jaw dropping moments when we first met. Officially, let me say now that I have had my third at her hands. I thought there was nothing else to report or to learn about the church property, so I focused my research on finding Stephen. I returned to the library and began looking through directories from the 1900's through the 1930's for someone living at Dewey's address with the name Stephen, Stephan or even Steven. I wasn't successful again. I'd have to go elsewhere to look through later directories.

Instead I picked up the library copy of The First Hundred Years, and began thumbing through it. A section on the establishment of Blue Island churches caught my eye. I read through explanations of the beginnings of our older churches. Most of them began by meeting in residents homes, so I hoped maybe I'd find something about one group meeting in a barn. Then I came across a denomination called The Universal Church. They came to Blue Island for a short time, and met in homes. When Faith originally pointed out that space between the Church and the apartment building, she said several times, “They belong to a UNIVERSAL church.”

Happy Halloween - 2010

2010-10-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween

As printed in the 10/20/2010 Blue Island Forum

by Jude Coyle

If you read my Halloween story last year, you'll remember that I spent a day with two Blue Island born and bred sensitives, whom I called Crystal and Faith. Along with Ursula Bielski, a WDDE film crew, representatives from the FORUM, the Chamber of Commerce, the Library and the City, we visited homes that were reported to be haunted. It was an incredible experience with wonderfully perceptive individuals, and an eyeopener to say the least.

Another young lady joined us at the end of the day. Where she didn't appear in the film, she offered some insight. Her name is Candi, and I know her because she belongs to an organization that my family belongs to. At Christmas time particularly, we work to help the less fortunate enjoy a good meal, gifts and clothing at what can be a painful time of the year.

Candi was in kindergarten when she first joined her brothers during the Boy Scout Food Drives. She passed out fliers and later picked food off of porches. Over the years she's sought out volunteers and organized food drives at her schools. And now that she's out of school, she continues to help.

Candi is a psychic photographer. Both she and I have taken to carrying a digital camera, partly because I need it for work, and partly because she used it to take some really unique photos. I don't know how many times she'd point and tell me to take a photo of a bush, a door, or even a fence post. I'd do it, giving into her fancy, as I would indulge a spoiled child. Only when downloading the memory card, I'd find a shot of a huge orb. “I just felt him watching me,” she'd say as the hair follicles on my arms stood up. Other times, she would just show up at my door with creepy photos she took all over town. One is a shot of several faces constructed of mist.

I should point out that paranormal investigators use digital photos as corroborating evidence and not as the evidence itself. They will pick up dust and water vapor in the air, and unless Candi can eliminate those things, she won't declare it to be proof of anything.

Now Faith is an integral part of our group. If you haven't guessed by now, this is a story of something that happened last Christmas.

Each year, an area realtor provides us with work space. Last year we worked out of a food processing plant, which must have been empty for quite some time as our directors spent many long hours cleaning. In spite of that it was still dusty.

There was a huge factory floor, with equipment still in place. We stacked clothing and canned goods along the walls and between the equipment. There was a lunchroom, a sales office with cubicles, and a couple of executive offices. The outer offices were painted bright, lime green, and was basically empty except for some beat up office furniture. We called it Santa's Wonderland. New toys were stacked on tables, waiting to be wrapped, while the cubicles held wrapped gifts.

The big hauncho had once occupied the last office. It was still occupied by a wrap around desk and credenza. Except for a thick layer of dust, it looked as if the owner had just gotten up to refill his coffee. Framed product labels hung on the walls, and sales propaganda, photos and trophies adorned the furniture. The walls had been painted the color of orange juice.

After dropping off several food drives, I asked Candi to please organize a work crew to sort our haul into boxes by kind. She and her brothers drafted their friends, including one young man I'll call Sal. Sal is also sensitive.

We had barely started working when Candi declared, “There's someone in here.”

“Excuse me?”

“A spirit or something.” She took off with Sal at her heels.

A few minutes later Sal returned. “Candi wants you.”

I followed him into Santa's Workshop, and past stacks of wrapped and unwrapped gifts.

“There's someone here,” Candi assured me when I entered the orange juice colored room. She nudged Sal, who agreed wholeheartedly. I nodded and left to get my camera.

Once she had it, she snapped away. Finally she lowered it and turned to leave. “You know,” she said, “That desk is really cool. I wonder if anyone would notice if I figured out how to sneak it out of here. I really like it.” She stopped suddenly and turned on Sal and I. “Oh my God. Someone just kicked me in the shin!” It wasn't us. We weren't even that close.

That night I downloaded her photos, and sure enough, huge orbs saturated every photo. “It's too dusty.” she reminded me. In her eyes it wasn't enough to prove what she saw and felt.

Well, vindication comes in unusual ways. A week or so later I dropped in to visit with the Boss. We discussed our schedules, volunteers, and the amount of work still to be done. I mentioned Candi and described our experiences in the back office. “Oh, my God!” the Boss exclaimed. “That was Candi?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You know Faith, right?”

“Faith, the sensitive? Sure. Why?”

“She was wrapping presents in Santa's Wonderland. She said that there was someone in that back office. He told her that no one was going to take his desk!”

Next month I hope to bring you another story. Faith, Crystal and Candi are going to visit the home of a resident, and report on what they see. And, with luck, we'll bring you more stories in the future. Faith commented that she would enjoy spending alone time in some public buildings in town. Hopefully we'll have that to look forward to as well.

2010-09-08T05:10:00.000-05:00

Us, being us.

Summer is Over

2010-09-08T04:39:00.002-05:00

Been so busy. Work is silly at best and the kids are back to school already. The van is down, which is a real pain, because Ed is taking the bus. That means we have to scavenge up bus fare daily.

We almost didn't get him off to school this year because of his knee. As I said earlier, he blew his knee out weeks and weeks ago. It isn't healing, yet he has a good, long walk to the bus stop each morning. By the time he gets home, he's sore and he's icing it up. Ed has Philosophy, Psychology, Piano 2, Speech and Trig. He's already studying like crazy, and I would love to trash his keyboard.

Becki is also walking, although in her case, it is train station. This might be a good thing for her. Becki is taking Quantitative Composition, Art Basics and Composition. She was trying to figure out the difference between Quantitative Composition and regular Composition, and wondered if they didn't screw up giving her the same class twice. Imagine her surprise to find out Quantitative Composition was actually a math class. Ha ha. Thought she got out of that one. Becki isn't a strong student, never has been. She knows that she only has six years of grants so she has to finish her degree within that time frame. If she keeps up the way she's going, it will take a full six years.

She had a big surprise when she returned last week. There were 100 kids in her class last year. Sixty dropped out. I know when I went to parents orientation last year, they said they had only lost seven from the previous year. My bet is, the economy wiped them out big time. Becki also said that there are no classes on Friday, which leads me to believe that they were hit hard by the recession.

Sunday we had the opportunity to visit with family. Bill's mother's family that is. They come from Pennsylvania. We saw the sisters last when Becki was a baby, and they came in for Thanksgiving. We hadn't seen their mother and stepfather since the boys were babies. We spent the night at their home on the way home from Washington D.C. Ed was 3 and Jon was 1. I remember Ed studying the stepfather's guitar saying, "Botar, botar!" He even tried playing an air guitar to show him what he wanted. Anyway, maybe four years ago, Bill, Becki and I were in PA for a family reunion, his father's side, and we drove within a few miles of this family's house. We'd have to take a road coming away from this bridge. As we approached it, we both recognized it. Bill kept asking me, "Should I? What do you think?" "Go!" I told him, pointing to the side road. He did, too. We interrupted his cousin at Sunday school. She took us back to her house where her eldest daughter and her husband were. We visited with them, and we spoke to her other daughter on the phone. The second daughter was a librarian in Ohio at the time. Anyway, we made a point of keeping in touch. Every weekend Bill calls the mother and daughter in Pennsylvania, and then the second daughter in Ohio. The husband passed away since we first got together with them again. He was 95 years old. It was good to see him before it happened.

Then the second daughter was laid off. It took her quite a while to find another job, and much to all our surprises, she landed in a small town in Indiana. She's only an hour and a half away. Bill and the boys met her, her mother and sister and helped them move her into her new place. The second daughter joined us Fourth of July weekend for ribs. This past weekend, her mother and sister drove in from Pennsylvania. Bill had been teasing all of them about not knowing what real pizza tastes like. That we have a place right here in town that has killer pizza and that they had to try it. He invited them to join us. Being that he's kind of stuck in a chair for the most part, he called everyone he could think of, and asked them to join us if the Pennsylvania/Indiana cousins made it. They did, and so did a few Illinois family members. It was great having about three hours to share. What was better yet, the cousins who had moved to Arizona and were abandoned there, also joined us. It was possibly the second outing they've had since returning at Easter time.

It just goes to show you how important even extended family is. I don't think either one of us could have lived with ourselves if we hadn't taken that detour that day.

My New Favorite Writer?

2010-07-30T06:47:00.006-05:00

I don't know if I'd go that far. Chuck Palahniuk is a damned good writer. His stories are easy to read and to follow and his characters are interesting. Of course when someone begins his story by saying, "Don't read this book," you know I have to find out why.

The plots are just plain weird, and the plot twists are weirder. There's no way on earth I could have ever picked up the first book I read, Choke, and expect a man to choke on his meal so he can sponge off his rescuer, over and over and over again. It was good. It was funny. Somehow, though, I don't know how I can say this about any book that is just so weird, but as unexpected as each plot and twist is, the endings aren't. I think I figured them out about half way through each book. Go figure.....

Flight to California

2010-07-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

My heart goes out to my kids. Jon and Gloria have been planning a trip to California for months. They got their flight months ago, with hotel room and car, and they made plans to meet up with one of Gloria's friends who lives out there. Jon even went as far as to pay his bills up a month in advance so he wouldn't have to worry about how much he had to spend.

They were scheduled to take off this morning at 6AM. Their flight was suppose to go out of Midway. Anyway, their alarms didn't go off and their ride didn't show up. They drove to her mother's house to have her mother drive. Mom took the wrong turn and wound up at the wrong terminal. It only took a few minutes to find where they were suppose to go, but those few minutes proved crucial. They arrived at 6:33, a full three minutes after they closed the gate. They weren't allowed to board.

Instead they were told they would have to fly standby. There were two more flights departing from Midway, one taking off at noon and one at 6PM. The noon flight came around and one seat became available. Rather than one taking that flight, they decided to wait until they could fly out together. The airline decided though, that their luggage would take that flight. Unfortunately there weren't any seats on the 6PM seats either.

So after waiting at the airport all day long, they are now spending the night at her brother's place, and without a change no less. We're praying that their luggage doesn't get lost, although we're betting on the idea that when they land in California, they'll learn their luggage was returned to Chicago.

A Pact

2010-07-18T23:45:00.003-05:00

I started walking in the evening of late. Sheeba is not very good on the leash, so I figured that the exercise I'd get from walking would be wonderful, but the struggle to keep the dog in line would be even more beneficial. She's either stopping to smell something, or bouncing like a fool when she sees someone she wants to visit it. Either way, I have to tug at her to get her to do what I want.

Mike usually follows us. Now he's another problem. He will stay a half of block behind us, so I stop all the time, to call out to him to catch up. Now figure cats are territorial. There are times as we walk when Mike will cross the street and walk even with us. I know for sure that at the one point he does it most often, there's a big, old tom cat that lives there. I also noticed that if he's someplace he isn't sure of, he'll catch up with us and walk step for step at Sheeba's side. Now figure that's Sheeba's best friend. Some mean old cat tries to take something up with Mike, Sheeba would bite him in half. Surprisingly we don't see many cats on our walks.

The neighbors at this point are coming out to look at us. Tonight we walked by a family who sat on their stoop as their boys played soccer on the parkway. I have to admit that we make kind of a comical procession; me, my dog and my cat. One little boy ran up to Mike, pointing at him. "Kitty! Kitty!" Mike hurried to catch up to Sheeba again.

I confess that after about four outings, I tried to blow it off.

Jon took issue with that as I dearly need all the exercise I can get. So just to make him happy, I began again after about a week's break. So last night, these two started in on me. I hadn't taken them the night before, and they weren't going to have it again. Mike moved to sit in front of my computer screen as Sheeba placed her front feet on my chair and howled. I gave in and got the leash. We did four blocks last night. Tonight after they ganged up on me again, we did six blocks. I have no doubt they won't leave me alone tomorrow. I don't get it. This dog only kind of understands my cats, and yet they both know when it's time for a walk. So, I hate tugging at Sheeba's leach and calling for Mike to catch up. But maybe this isn't such a bad thing. They can use the exercise, too.

Scrambly-poo

2010-07-16T22:36:00.006-05:00

I really think this kitten is the cutest little thing I've ever met. She's about 8 months old now, and is still not very big. Although her feet are huge. The older she gets the more adept she is at using her thumbs. I mean she really uses them like thumbs, or as close to opposable digits as physically possible.

Becki bought her a pink collar. I forgot how well pink goes with gray. It looks so feminine and dainty on her. It has a double row of rhinestones and a little bell. Becki bought matching ones for the boys. J.J. got green to go with his eyes, and Mike got purple just because the only other color in his size was pink. It took them a couple of weeks, but somehow they boys managed to lose theirs. Scrambles still has hers, and thankfully I can hear her coming.

First thing in the morning, she starts to run. If I forget to close our bedroom door, she usually cruises the bed at high speed, being sure to aim for one of our stomachs. I love her as much as I've loved other kittens, but early morning is not a good time for me without her acting like an idiot.

I allowed Becki to bring her home just because my boys, Mike and J.J., aren't good mousers. Considering they're already here, and even if Mike pisses me off from day to day, they're still my babies. There's no way I could turn them out. So when Scrambles decided that she loves to chase mice, it made my heart feel good. I hate mice. Last week alone she caught three.

She's also the loudest animal I ever met. When Becki brought her home, she had her hidden in her pocket. We couldn't see a bulge even, but we heard her. From outside, meowing at the top of her lungs, my God, it was almost deafening. Last week we were trying to tell Jon how loud she is. He didn't believe it, especially since she wouldn't get loud once we got her meowing. At least not until he left.

Anyway, there's another side to her personality that just blows my mind. She adores Sheeba. I wish I had a picture of it. Sheeba will be sitting on the floor and Scrambles will walk right up to her and rub cheeks with the dog. Sheeba isn't quite sure what to do about it, but you can tell that in spite of her confusion, she likes Scrambles, too.

Well, Becki brought home a turtle she calls Zanzibar, and damned if this thing doesn't swim to the front of the tank as if to say hi. Well Scrambles is so intrigued about this, she'll go into the bedroom and sit next to the tank for hours. We figured if the tank didn't have a lid, she'd probably go fishing. That is until the day we found her sitting on the lid, purring her butt off. Zanzi was sitting comfortably on the rock right below the kitten.

Becki brought home a rabbit next. We were suppose to be rabbit sitting while its owners went on vacation. I think Becki figured we'd just fall in love and let her keep it. I was tempted, but there's too many animals now. Chris finally took it.

We spent most of the time it was here trying to rename it. The original owners called it Hagrith (sp?), like the giant in Harry Potter. Bill and I opted for Harvey, like the 6 foot rabbit in the movie. He said Harvey Wallbanger, and I said Harvey Headcase. Becki came up with a different name everyday. We finally decided to call it someone else's rabbit when it looked like no one was going to pick it up.

Getting back to Scrambles, she decided she liked the rabbit, too. One more time, we caught her either rubbing up the cage with her cheek, or sitting on top and purring. I won't mention the unmentionable act the rabbit was involved in with the tube inside it's cage. It is a male, and it is a rabbit. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

I had enough of that behavior today. Ed, who is laid up at the moment with a wrenched knee, asked Chris to help him with the air conditioner in his room. It was leaning in and dripping on the floor. So anyway, Chris went through the garage, looking for something to use to tilt it in the other direction. He came up with a brick and a piece of wood. He found the wood worked best. Once he had it fixed, he left the brick on the chair in Ed's room. That's where I found Scrambles. Sitting next to the brick, rubbing it with her cheek and purring her ass off. I'm just thankful she isn't that sweet to the mice.

Ed has been laid up now for two weeks. I will say that it hasn't been as bad as it could be waiting on him. The thing that intrigues me is that most of the animals, with the exception of Mike and Scrambles, aren't that close to him. Since he's been hurt though, I can usually find at least two animals curled up next to him. It's like they take turn taking care of him.

The Monk In our Backyard

2010-07-10T09:51:00.003-05:00

I came across a comment after my last post. Apparently the reader was confused about what ghosts had to do with jewelry. She had a good point. I was attempting to relay Becki's, who is now selling jewelry, continuing experiences with 'other worldly' beings. Just to be sure I don't confuse anyone else, I figured I should probably add a link to the original story about the Monk in our backyard. Becki and I are still going around and around about why it took two complete strangers to get me to believe something she's been telling me since she was little. Anyway, read the story, and I hope you enjoy it.

Jewelry, Craft Shows and Ghosts

2010-07-08T02:06:00.007-05:00

I hate to make excuses, but seriously, I have a few. Work has been confusing at best. We've been busy. And I've been paying more attention to Travian, Helium and my newest blog, Politics - My Way. I can't go through life without shooting off my mouth, so let that be the place.

Ed and Becki are getting ready to return to school, which is good. Along with that, Gloria and Chris both mentioned that they want to as well. I'm thrilled. None of them have work, with the exception of Gloria, so they might as well go to school. It can't hurt to have something bigger and better to offer when the economy straightens up. As President Obama explained about the Stimulus and the Health Care Reform, there are provisions for greater education opportunities just because as the needs of the economy changes, so will the jobs. Not only will we need our younger workers to better educate themselves, but we will need our older workers from time to time to broaden their understanding and abilities as technology advances. This is a good thing.

So Becki has been busy selling jewelry, which isn't as easy as it sounds. The product is nice and it is expensive, which is the last thing anyone wants to spend money on now. Where she's finding buyers, she's not finding hostesses. We did a craft show a few weeks ago. To say we received an education here, is an understatement. We sold five pieces all together, for a decent total. A problem arose when we took a book order from a young lady who shouldn't have ordered anything. Without going into details, it proved to be a nightmare. As I told Becki yesterday when we discussed it, when we sell at craft shows for now on, it will be from the jewelry we have on display and not from the catalogs. She agreed whole heartedly.

Gloria held a party for her. She lives way out south and neither Becki nor I are familiar with the neighborhood. I was unbelievably ill that day, but I insisted I would go with Becki just because the old van is ready for the junkyard, and I was afraid she'd get lost. So we got lost together. On the way home, we got turned around, and we found ourselves further south of where we were suppose to be, and in the middle of the night at that. Not to mention we were in one of 'those' neighborhoods that the Southside is famous for. We found directions easily enough, and we were able to get home, but it took a lot longer than it took to get there. I thank God that we stayed safe, because obviously the neighborhood we were in has a bad reputation.

Becki was asked to babysit for a friend of Jon's. When she came home after having spent the day there, she said, "Mom, that house is screwed up!"

It took me a good couple of seconds before I realized what she meant. "You mean Jon didn't tell you about that place?"

"You mean he told you?" She said that when she first arrived, she heard a lot of commotion in the kitchen, but considering it wasn't her house, she assumed it was the noises that are unique to every house. They had a cat who spent most of his time in the back room, so she assumed maybe it was him. But when she went to get a change for the baby from the baby's room, she said, she felt something in there and it didn't like her at all.

Checking around I learned that the baby's brother doesn't sleep in his room every night because he feels uncomfortable there. I was told that one sitter was holding the baby in her arms and began to fall asleep. She woke up when someone tried to take the baby from her. "That could be a good thing," I told her. "Someone is protecting the baby."

"Scared the hell out of me," the person told me. "I won't go back there."

Later Becki had a jewelry party at a home where the previous owner was a clock collector. She said she felt his presence when she walked through the door. When she mentioned it to the owner, she was told that every so often what is left of the collection winds itself up and sets off the alarms.

Then yesterday Becki invited her friends from Chris's car club over for a fire. She said it was kind of embarrassing. The monk came out for the first time in months, and it followed her around the yard. I told her she has to be firm and tell it not to bother her. "Yeah, Mom. These people already think I'm nuts. What are they going to say if the catch me talking to the invisible monk in the back yard?"

Ah, good question.

Did I mention Ed and his buddies where having a fire in the yard when he threw his knee out? Poor kid has been laid up all weekend. He spent his Fourth sitting in the emergency room at Cook County waiting for someone to come look at him. Jon, too. It was suppose to be Jon's birthday party, only Jon had to drive. My brakes went out so I couldn't. Anyway, Ed is wearing a brace and I am waiting on him hand and foot. He hasn't been so bad that I'm ready to strangle him, so I won't complain. It's hot here and he isn't. Not so bad I guess.

Been a While

2010-06-19T02:13:00.004-05:00

So, it's been a while again, since I posted anything. I started a new blog, called Politics - My Way. With all that is going on in the Gulf, I really need an outlet. It just pisses me off big time, to think of all the damage caused and the total lack of remorse.

So, we are kind of keeping busy. Ed is planning to make a film about local musicians. It seems that there are quite a few successful musicians in our town. Everyone he's talked to is excited about it. So am I. Festival in the Park starts next week, and Ed's best friend from grammar school is scheduled to appear with his band. Ed is going to film their performance. I should point out that Jon was nice enough to find a camera online and purchase it so Ed could do this. If necessary, Becki can run it for him. He'll have his friends involved, but it also seems to be becoming a family thing as well.

Becki is trying to sell jewelry. It is all very pretty, and fairly expensive. Last Sunday she and I rented a table at a yard/craft sale at the park. It cost us $15 for the table. We sold 5 pieces for about $120. It took us all of 6 hours. Even so, it was worth it. The way I figure, we can participate in regular craft shows and hopefully do better. She has three home shows coming up soon, and a brochure party. It isn't as much as she had hoped, but she is working and she is selling.

Last night I had to go to a meeting for work. A federal agency came to town to discuss their services. It was an extremely enlightening evening. I'll leave it there because I don't want to discuss it further. Instead, let me just say that I ordered a pair of hoop earrings from Becki, which I wore last night. I got more compliments on them.

So it's been stormy here, as it seems everywhere else. Today we lost power for a short while because a huge windstorm blew in. Scrambles panicked. She stood by the door and cried like a baby. The others didn't pay any attention. J.J. sat by my side throughout it all, while Mike and Sheeba slept. When it all passed, Scrambles had worked herself up so hard, she threw herself on the floor and slept for an hour. She's getting so big.

Speaking of animals, did I mention Becki brought a turtle home? Leave it to her. She finally got it through her head that we will welcome no more mammals in this house. Now we have to make her understand that reptiles aren't welcome either. Too much is too much. Oh, the turtle's name is Zanzibar.

A Crazy Weekend

2010-05-19T11:57:00.008-05:00

I mentioned to Jon that I would like to go out to lunch on Mother's Day with my family even if I had to pay for it myself. Jon and Ed agreed that they would pop for lunch. So Bill, Ed, Jon, Becki and Chris accompanied me to Tetnochtitlan for Mexican. We got there between lunch and dinner, and stayed long enough to enjoy a band from Spain. As usual dinner was great, and the Margueritas were better. The music was good, too. Although the company was best of all.

Jon promised me afterwards that he would pick me up after his game on Saturday this past weekend, and we would spend the day together. He said I should think about where I wanted to go. I suggested the Oriental Museum, which is located on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park. (Hyde Park is President Obama's Chicago neighborhood.) Ed had visited it last semester in order to complete a report on an ancient culture. I had never heard of it prior to that, which really surprised me. My Mom used to drag me all over the City to museums, which has sparked my love for museums. Anyway, Jon, who went with Ed when he went, was all for it. He couldn't wait to show me a large collection of stamps.

The Museum's collection was structured chronologically, beginning about 3000 BC with artifacts from Mesopotamia. I wasn't very impressed with the small group of findings that included hand tools like awls and needles, spoons and jewelry. The next chamber had bigger artifacts, and the next had bigger yet. We went through chambers relating to the Middle East, Iran, Anatolia, Egypt, etc. Each gallery represented a different time and a different nationality. I began to catch onto a bigger picture as we traveled along. We started with a group of people who lived in pit houses made of clay and with grass roofs, and ended with palaces with halls the size of football fields. The last gallery had artifacts from Babylon that were dated about 300 AD. Some of the artifacts were incredible. There was an 18 foot statue of King Tut, and wall reliefs that were 30 or forty feet long. Most of what they had was found between 1918 and 1921 by a group of archeologists from the University of Chicago. A lot of the exhibits were highlighted with photos from the digs and of the restoration process. There were photos from when the building was built. They left one wall down because there were huge reliefs that didn't fit through any of the doors. Once in place, they then finished the building.

About halfway through, Ed called. He and his friend, Amanda, went to a wedding. The Chicago police had called her to say her dog was found wandering the streets. Apparently he had a micro chip in his ear, which is how they tracked her down. Ed asked if Dad could go to the Morgan Park Police Station and pick up the dog? Sure, if we were home, we'd ask. So Ed called home.

I should explain at this point, that Chicago is broken into neighborhoods. I live in a town bordering Chicago. Just to my north is a neighborhood called West Beverly. Just to the east of West Beverly is a neighborhood called Morgan Park. These neighborhoods get their names usually because prior to becoming part of Chicago, they were towns with those names.

After the museum we drove around Chicago. I wanted to see the historical area around Prairie Street. This was where George Pullman, of Pullman Palace Cars, lived, along with Marshall Field, Colonel McCormick, and many other Chicago entrepreneurs of the 19th Century. We found it quite by accident. More or less, 'okay, turn here. Turn there.'

Not far away we found a park that had been dedicated to the first settlers from Fort Dearborn. In 1803, as they were attempting to make their way to Fort Vincennes in Indiana, they were attacked by Pottawatomie Indians. I should point out that this was a reaction on the part of the Natives because the settlers had promised them guns for safe passage. The settlers broke the guns up and blew up most of the reserve gunpowder before leaving Fort Dearborn. Anyway, this park, which is blocks from the current Lake Michigan shore line was sand dunes at the time of the attack.

We went on from there to find the Chicago Fire Academy, which was built on the site of Katherine O'Leary's home. It was her cow that took the blame for burning down the City in 1873. She became the scapegoat. It wasn't until later that anyone realized that Pegleg O'Sullivan was drunk when he snuck into her barn and fell asleep. He kicked over the lantern, and not the cow. The O'Leary home survived whereas every other home in an 8 block area burned. That didn't help Katherine's claim of innocence.

We also saw the Chicago Water Tower and the Pumping Station which survived the fire. We ate at the White Palace Restaurant, which was featured on Drive-ins, Diners and Dives, and we drove along the Lakefront.

From there we went home. Chris was having a birthday party in our backyard and there were a lot of people there. I wasn't warm and it was a bit damp. And I wasn't in the mood to party.

And I wanted to meet Bonkers. He was this huge black lav puppy with a fitting name. Ed mentioned before that her dog was another Sheeba, only quieter. Bill told me how when he showed up at the Police Station, he told the cop, "I always figured I'd have to bail my kids out of jail. But no, I'm bailing the dog out instead." He had no idea what this dog looked like, and only hoped the cops knew they were handing him the right dog. As it turned out Bonkers was the only dog in custody. They also commented that the name fit him.

Only when Amanda called to check on him we learned his name was actually Brody. Anyway, Bill fell in love with him. Which really pissed Sheeba off. It's one thing to bring another cat into her home, but God help another dog. Brody wanted to play and Sheeba wanted nothing to do with him. When Brody tried to play with Scrambles, Scrambles was willing. The problem was neither one knew how to play with the other, so they stood around, puppy and kitten, staring at each other, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then bed time came. Bill and I crawled into bed and Brody crawled between us. He woke me up a couple of times when he tried to find someplace more comfortable to sleep. I finally found him on the sofa come morning.

The wedding was way up North, so Ed and Amanda spent the night at Ed's friend's house. Ed said Brody was happy to see her when they arrived home on Sunday morning. Sheeba was too, especially when Brody left. It wasn't until late Monday that Sheeba decided to talk with us again.

Jewelry, Movies and Baseball

2010-04-30T05:50:00.006-05:00

Good morning. It's beautiful here in Chicago, and it looks like what promises to be another perfect day. My only complaint is that it is early Friday morning and no one needs to get up. Yet I can't sleep because I am so use to getting Ed up and driving Becki to the train station at this hour.

Speaking of Becki. We went to a fashion jewelry demonstration last night. We enjoyed ourselves. There were about 9 people there, and 3 of them decided to have parties. Becki spent time talking to the demonstrator afterwards, and decided that she wants to sell jewelry. It's a huge outlay at the beginning, which the demonstrator told her would come back almost instantly. The girl said she's brand new at this and has had 9 parties in less than a month. She's already turning a profit.

This looked like something Becki and I would go around about for hours. I told her, "You're an adult. You're old enough to make your own mistakes. I can't help you with the outlay. You have to do it yourself. If it works out for you, great. If not, you're stuck with the fallout." So, I guess we wait to see at this point. If she can come up with the cash, great. If she does well at this and really does make money. Absolutely fabulous. If she loses money, she learned a hard lesson.

The other excitement around here is that Ed is working on his final project for his film appreciation class. He's making a movie. The script is pretty funny. It is about one brother who is arrested for public urination, and the second brother who tries to bail the first out of jail. This has been fun to watch. He's given all of his friends parts, and they have been loyal about showing up here for filming. That is all but Bubby. He's had to work, so bowed out early.

I'm enjoying watching this happen, and Ed has been a different creature since beginning this process. He and his best friend, Tommy, wrote the script. Luis is directing. Adam is playing the lead and Arthur the incarcerated brother. Amanda is the brother's girlfriend. There's a few smaller characters as well. Dave is filming it and Hector is the sound man.

That surprised me because Dave hasn't been here in over a year. After Jon finished his schooling, he threw a kegger. Dave got so plastered he picked a fight with Jon, although he refused to leave. I got up at 6AM and I found him and Chris sitting in the kitchen. Chris was sober but afraid to leave Dave to his own devises. Dave had his arms wrapped around the keg, saying, "But there's still beer left, Man." (Ah hem, alcoholic.)

They started filming Tuesday, and they spent most of Wednesday editing. Ed came home complaining that all of his best friends were crappy actors. They filmed some yesterday and edited some last night. "Two things went wrong," he said. First off, he said that the words they wrote sounded so good on paper. Once he had real people speaking them, they sounded so contribed. After a while, the actors were instructed to put the script in their own words.

"Big difference," he said. "You know the scene in the car?" he asked me.

"What about it?"

"Everytime we hit a bump the camera jumped." So that's something he has to work out. He has a lot more planned today.

Jon is truly disappointed he isn't here for this. He and Luis had their very own cable access show when they were in high school. It was called 'History from the Hill.' Luis was the on air talent while Jon did the camera work, directed and produced it. But then again he's disappointed too, because he joined an adult baseball league with Eric, his cousin, D, and his roommate. He couldn't be here for the first practise.

Oh, and we're all kind of disappointed. Ivan is leaving again. This time he's traveling to California where he intends to go to culinary school. He was a cook in the Navy, so I guess this is a good a thing. We'll miss him, but we are pulling for him.

Happy Easter - And Then Some

2010-04-12T23:35:00.003-05:00

Ah, it's been a weird week.

First to my heartbreak. My baby, my Jon, has decided to move in with his girlfriend. They are renting a house way out south of here. I'm not disappointed in his choice of girlfriends, not by any means. Gloria is a sweetheart, and I think she's good for him. They've been together nearly two and a half years.

It's just that he's not suppose to grow up. He's 24 now, but I still see him as my little guy in his baseball uniform, picking fly balls out of the air at second. That kid couldn't hit for crap, but when it came to fly balls. We used to call his glove 'Hoover.' He used to suck them up just like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt. It just seems to me that my boys should never grow up.

At least I know I'll have the other two for two to three years. Okay, I'll have Becki home as long as she's going to school Downtown. Ed has one more semester at UCLA, then it's off to a four year college. He's hoping to follow some of his friends to that school where they had the shooting last year. That in itself should scare me, except that the likelihood of that happening again is nil. At least I hope so. I don't want to see that happen anywhere ever again. Okay, so I'm off topic.

So we had two Easter dinners and a few surprise guests. Bill's cousins moved home from Arizona. I should explain that because seriously, we are sick about this. About four years ago Bill's other cousins decided to move. They talked the others into moving with them. They were older and neither are very intelligent. When they moved, I planned a dinner for them so we could say goodbye. At that point, I don't know what we were expecting. Maybe that all these people would live happily ever after with each other. I guess that's kind of silly considering the one cousin is extremely hard to deal with. Or maybe because she is, we were happy to see her out of our hair. I'll leave this here just because it doesn't take any imagination how their move ended. Only that it took them three and a half years to make their way home. We planned several times how we would go 'rescue' them, but was never able to afford any type of action. So, they're back in our hair, but at least we know they're safe.

So anyway, we had two Easter dinners. The first happened Easter Sunday. We invited our cousins to join us at a local restaurant so we could welcome them home. They arrived on Holy Monday. (The day after Palm Sunday.) It was kind of a come uppance that I didn't enjoy much. Considering both are in their seventies, one can only imagine what four years has done to them. When they left they were capable of doing almost anything. When they returned, he was using a walker and she had a cast on her wrist. Both of their mental faculties had slipped a lot in those years. At once I'm relieved they're here, and I'm angry with myself for not doing something to stop their leaving to begin with. Not that either one would have listened to me to begin with.

So knowing that they would join us, my kids came to me with requests. "Can Chris come?" Becki and Chris have been dating nearly a full year. I don't expect to see her unless he's by her side. So, sure. I expected him. "What about Gloria?" Sure. Only Gloria was working and couldn't come. The next request came from Ed. "Ah, Amanda just called. She's not doing anything Easter. Would you mind?" After learning that she was by herself after losing her Mom earlier this year, I couldn't say no. (I learned later that her Mom died because she DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.) Next Jon gets a call. Ivan, his friend from the Navy, is finally home. "Ah, Mom," Jon said, "Ivan's parents are in Mexico. Can he and Daisy (his sister) come?" Needless to say we had a crowd. We also had a good time.

I was so happy to see Ivan. When he returned on his first leave he brought me a newspaper that was published aboard the first ship he served on. I couldn't believe how thoughtful that was. And so cool. This time he brought me two t-shirts and a hat. The hat came from his last ship, and there was one shirt from either ship. I'm happy to say he's done. No more Navy. When he left I was confident he'd be safe until he explained policy to me. He was a cook, and cooks are needed everywhere and in every theater of operation, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. "Either you volunteer," he said, "Or you're volun-told." In other words if they decided that he should serve in either country, he would.

So who am I to pass up an opportunity to cook? I told everyone that since I didn't get to cook dinner, be here this past Sunday. I figured it would it be the seven of us: Bill and I, Ed, Jon and Gloria, and Becki and Chris. Then Becki called home that day, "Hey, Mom, can Jen and Superbaby come to dinner?" Well, you know the answer to that one. We finally sat down. We were eating. In walked Eric and Ivan. They didn't ask and I didn't say no. They picked up plates and served themselves.

I think this is God's way of telling me not to isolate myself, which is something I have a tendency to do. I'm better off for having those I care about the most around me, and a few others besides. The company last night was actually better than the food.

Yes!

2010-03-22T01:04:00.002-05:00

It's history! It's over. I might not be able to get my teeth fixed tomorrow, but I know I can someday. I also know that I won't have to pay some ungodly price that seems to rise each month when I go to the pharmacy for my husband's medicine that suppose to be covered by Medicare.

Health Care Reform

2010-03-19T03:26:00.002-05:00

Last Easter I reported here and in the newspaper how when I stopped at Aldis to buy some last minute items for our holiday dinner, I was shouted down because I attempted to allow a handicap man slip in front of me in line. I can't tell you how incensed I was then, and now. It just really blew my mind that people could be that heartless. More so, it bothered me because it was Good Friday. I had to wonder if these people would celebrate their Christianity two days later, and how could they.

The day before yesterday I saw something even more sickening. I was watching Countdown with Keith Olberman. Lawrence O'Donald subbed for Olberman because of the death of Olberman's father. My sympathies to the Olberman family. Anyway, O'Donald showed a clip of a Tea Party protest. A man moved as close to the protesters as he dared. He sat down in the street and held up a sign reading 'I have Parkinson Disease.' He was quickly assaulted by protesters, all men, demanding to know if they were to be expected to pay for the old man's medical expenses. These men took dollar bills out of their pockets and threw them at the old man. "Here, I'll pay for you." They laughed and threw more. It was a frickin' joke.

I didn't find it funny. Especially since my Mom died of Parkinson disease. It is a particularly ugly death. Along the same lines as Alzheimer, it affects the brain. It begins with a small shake in the hand, and deteriorates to the point where the victims have no control over their muscles. Most die of strangulation because they can no longer swallow. Along the way, most victims succumb to either Alzheimer or dementia. My Mom had the most horrible hallucinations at the end. They terrified her. No matter how hard we tried to assure her she was safe, she didn't believe us. She cried horribly thinking that she was caught in the middle of a fire, or that the woman in the bed next to her would kill her. When she finally passed, it was a thankful weight off our shoulders. She went to be with God. I knew she wouldn't suffer anymore.

Then there's this old man, sitting in the street, while these people protested health care reform. They laughed at him and threw money at him as if he were a bum. Not only did they wish to take away any help he might receive from a health care system that works for everyone, but they took away his dignity as well.

What makes me more angry than anything is the idea some of these people believe that those of us without insurance want a handout. I've worked all my life. I've provided for me and my family. The first time I ever had to ask for help was the most humiliating moment of my life. Most of us feel this way. Most of us have the pride of being able to support ourselves. That is until recently. It is getting harder and harder to make living. We are working harder and harder, if we can find work at all. And yet there are still people out there who think that there are enough jobs and all we have to do is get off our sofas and go look. I'm sorry, it hasn't worked that way in a long time. The very people who complain the most about people living off the government are the same people who caused the crash or sent our jobs overseas.

What I find saddest is that the men who taunted the old man will find out why we need health care reform. At least one of them will go bankrupt or will know someone who will go bankrupt because of a broken healthcare system.

Update

2010-03-17T08:29:00.002-05:00

Good morning all;

Can't say there's much happening in this neck of the woods. It's that time of the year where taxes and FAFSMA's have to be filed. I got both out of the way early. After having struggled to gather the information for the FAFSMA's and then having to wait for Social Security to confirm the information last year, I thought for sure that I had to do this early as it would take just as long. To my surprise, not only was it easier, but both Ed and Becki's Pell grants were confirmed almost instantly. I can only assume that the information I typed in last year carried over into this year's reports. I have no doubt I have the initials wrong. I'm just happy I got the information right. I don't know how either one of my kids would have made it to school without them.

Sheeba and I take Becki to the train every morning. Becki is usually dragging while Sheeba is clamboring to get out of the door. Damn dog actually talks to me about it. I mean it, too. She doesn't just bark. She actually moves her mouth as if she's trying to form words and tells me, 'Woo, woo, woo.' It makes my morning. Usually Becki leaves in a decent mood because of the dog. As she tries to exit the van, Sheeba moves to the front seat. Becki usually gives her a big hug and says goodbye. I kind of get a wave and a growl. That's fine. I used to look at people who smiled in the morning and demand they take that smile back. No one should be allowed to be that happy at that ungodly hour.

Anyway, we take Becki early four days a week, and then in the early afternoon on Friday. Last Friday I dropped her off and started home. When the train left the crossing, I took the tracks and rounded the corner. As I came upon the next block, I came across something furry in the middle of the street. I wondered if it were a cat or a raccoon. The coloring was a close call. Then as I watched, this thing stood up and shook itself off. It was a raccoon and it looked injured. That scared me. It was about 1:20 and school would be out soon. There has to be more little kids in that area of town than in any other. Anyway, I got home and called the cops. The dispatcher told me that they had cops all over that neighborhood looking for it. I guess I wasn't the only one concerned about the little kids.

Whether they picked it up or not, I don't know. I brought it up only because it amazes me the amount of wild life live in this area. I mean the Forest Preserves are within a couple of miles, but this is an extension of the City and unrelenting urban life. How they survive, I don't know. It is a concern, especially since wildlife does carry a number of diseases that can be passed on to pets, like rabies.

On that cheerful note, I bid you a great morning. Just don't smile in my direction.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T08:01:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Chicago, the place where we really dye the River green. Early this morning someone from the Plumbers Union would have been out, in a boat, just west of the locks entering Lake Michigan, pouring a environmentally friendly green food coloring in the water to make it appear an unnatural shade of green. This is a tradition going all the way back to when the old Mayor Richard J. Daley resided in City Hall. That would be about 50 years ago.

I've read quite a bit about Ireland and St. Patrick. Apparently, if there was a St. Patrick, and the Mother Church tells us that there wasn't, he would have come to Ireland first as a Spanish slave, having been kidnapped and sold in his youth. He was classically trained by Spanish monks who mourned for his situation. He was brought to Ireland then as a child, and returned later, after his liberation, and after having been ordained a priest. He was said to have converted the last hold out to Christianity, who just happened to be the greatest king of Ireland. Off hand, I can't remember his name. Anyway, St. Patrick was credited for chasing the snakes from Ireland and into the sea.

St. Patrick is the saint we hear the most about, but he isn't the only saint revered as part of Ireland's history and culture. There's St. Brendan, St. Bridget and St. Columba as well. Not one of them, though, is credited with wielding that big stick and driving the serphant's of hell from the land.

Here's a little known fact. The leprechaun is indeed a part of Irish folklore. The thing is, it's a little known part. We here in America has made it bigger than it ever was in Ireland. More than anything else, he was a pest that hid in the grasses and played tricks on passerby.

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
And may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.

General Complaints

2010-03-09T07:51:00.002-06:00

Good Morning All.

It's been nasty here in Chicago. The fog settled in late the night before last and has been with us for two days. It is finally burning off. Thank God.

Life has been relatively quiet here. Scrambles is growing like a weed. She's now five months old. Becki swears she hates the kitten because she got scratched. In spite of that, she found a hot pink collar with fake diamonds. It really looks pretty against Scrambles gray and white fur. Because she got a new collar the other two each got one as well. I had to laugh the other day when I caught Mike and Scrambles play fighting in the middle of my bed. Both pushed up as tall as they were capable of, and damn it if Scrambles wasn't as big as Mike. I always said he was critter size. Give Scrambles a couple more months and I'll be able to slap a saddle on her back and ride her around the block.

The other day Mike and J.J. got in a huge fight, worse than usual. I should have expected it as it's been a while. It spilled out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Fur flew like leaves in the fall. I started screaming! Suddenly Scrambles charged out of the kitchen and into the front room, and right into the back of the sofa. She was terrified! I swore I would get down and dirty with these cats if I had to. How dare they upset my baby!. I threw Mike's a** out right away, and I tried to comfort J.J. My black cat isn't very aggressive and Mike is. Truthfully, my black cat is passive aggressive. Even if I sympathize with him, my guess is he started it. Anyway, I was concerned more about Scrambles. Every so often she peeked out of the sofa to check the hallway. It looked like Mike really frightened her. At least an hour passed and I had to finally let him. She saw him and she ran out of the sofa and jumped on his back. Looking back now, I have to think that if she was frightened of anything, it had to be my screaming.

I'm happy we got her. J.J. was beginning to act like an old man. It seemed once he lost his mom and grandmother, he aged. He is 11, but he's always been so playful. When Scrambles first came, and she wanted to play, it irritated him. Now suddenly they're chasing each other back and forth. It's like he has a renewed vigor, and for that I'm glad.

I've had a lot of feedback on my thank you from our Angel group. Most of it has been in the neighborhood of 'You forgot my name." Ah, sorry. What I don't get is why people I've known most of my adult life suddenly have to call me Judy. Not just once either. I've gotten emails with the name spread across each paragraph. Judy this and Judy that. Damn it, people, I don't answer to that. Not since childhood when I had no other choice.

I have to go to Social Security today. We filed our income taxes online. It was rejected because Bill's birthday doesn't match up with their records. I'd like to know how that happened. My God, he just renewed his driver's license. The Secretary of State's office has a direct line to Social Security. I know because they caught a discrepancy in my birthday. I had to have it changed two years ago before they would renew my license. Bill, though, got his without a problem. Not to mention he's on Medicare and collects his Social Security. We didn't have a problem then either.

E-Mail Funny

2010-02-27T18:17:00.001-06:00

These are from a book called 'Disorder in the American Courts' and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place .

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
_________________________ ___________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: getting laid
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law..

Health Care Reform

2010-02-27T01:20:00.005-06:00

Anyone reading this regularly knows where I stand on the issue of health care reform. I've complained about my teeth long enough.

That isn't my only reason. My friends started our Angel group a few years back. It was way back at the beginning when Bill got sick the first time. They were there for us. Because of they were kind enough to help us, we got involved. I think it's been 15 years. This work is so all consuming and so necessary, I've lost track of time.

Bill didn't get sick again for several years. Then suddenly, he lost three months of work. It seemed he took sick every year after that right at Christmas time. He'd lose another month or two. After about three years of this, he was fired. I was knocked off my feet, not only with worry, but because it used to be illegal for an employer to fire an employee because of illness. From what I was told, the Family Leave Act of the '90's has made this allowable.

Bill was let go at the end of January. By that time we were far enough back on our bills, that we were days away from foreclosure. My boys just barely kept us alive with their combined salaries. We made it because our 401K came in just when we needed it the most. That lasted until just before Bill's second attempt at Disability was approved. I swear, I cleaned out our checking account in early October. I didn't have enough to buy a loaf of bread. Again, the boys were there for us. The first SS check came in November. By that time every one of our appliances were shot. The refrigerator didn't freeze anymore. I washed clothes by hand and hung them up to dry. Three burners and the broiler on my electric stove just quit operating. The water heater had to be shut off between uses because it leaked. The roof had a huge hole in it and it rained directly into the living room. We needed coats. We needed four tires. We needed everything. We needed another car. We were lucky.

While working with our Angel group, I became aware of the father of one of my children's friends. The man made a damned good living. He had just bought his family a huge house in what we call our Silk Stocking District. This is where huge, old mansions are located. They're beautiful, and his house was one of the finest. He contracted a painful, crippling condition that caused him to lose a lot of work. He lost his job. We tried to help him, although his pride wouldn't allow it. Since then he's lost his home and he is working at a minimum wage job. I don't know where he's living or how he's surviving. I wonder about the amount of pain he's in.

I can only guess that he applied for Disability once and was turned down. Let me assure everyone that it isn't easy to qualify for disability. They automatically turn down 75% of the people who apply the first time. They make it very hard for malingerers to get it.

There was a man who fell down a flight of metal stairs at the warehouse where he worked. He couldn't move. He was sent to the hospital via an ambulance. Rods where used to straighten his back so he could walk again. The workers' compensation insurance company denied his claim because they said he did it at home and not on the job. Never mind he couldn't move after it happened, no one saw him fall.

I have a cousin with MS. She learned about it after her husband had gotten a new job. Once his employer found out, they discharged him. The insurance company advised them to do it because he hadn't fulfilled the 90 day trial period every employer has after hiring. Luckily he expanded a business he ran on the side. It is very successful, although I doubt they have health care insurance with her preexisting condition.

I can't tell you how many families I've come across that has been through the same hell. Most people wind up like my friend who lost his home rather than like us.

I'm thinking about all of this because of yesterday's health care reform meeting at Admiralty House. Ed and I sat up all night to watch it from beginning to end. Yes, I'm that engaged. I honestly don't think much was accomplished. The Republicans are still saying, 'Tear up the bill and start over.' The Democrats are trying to say, 'We agree on so much.' The only thing I could see that they agreed on was that both parties will stick to their talking points. With the exception of one incident, I don't think either party gained any political capitol. I don't remember the man's name, other than to say he's a doctor and a Republican. He spoke about taking care of all his patients no matter what insurance they did or didn't have, and how he was told by his instructor in medical school to 'listen to his patients.' He made sense until someone disagreed with him. He responded by saying that those people without insurance need to get off their couch, go on a diet and quit smoking. Needless to say, that pissed me off.

My husband doesn't smoke. He has diabetes. Granted it is a condition caused by over eating and lack of exercise. It is also inherent. His mother died of it. And he was skinny and working his ass off when he first got sick.

I heard something today that pissed me off more. Senator Jim Bunning (R) of Kentucky is single handedly holding up a continuation of unemployment insurance that was due to expire on Friday. He did it when most of the members of his party were on their way to the airport. They were going home to enjoy a long weekend and wouldn't be back until Tuesday. When Mr. Bunning was told how there are Americans who will suffer without this money, he responded, "I am suffering, too. I'm missing the Kentucky/South Carolina game. And Kentucky has a chance to beat them."

Excuse me, but what are these people missing? A heart maybe? Do they have no idea what their constituents are going through? Where is their common sense? If something isn't done to correct this situation it will drag down the entire economy. As President Obama tried to explain, 4500 Americans are losing their coverage everyday. When they get sick, the former middle class are going bankrupt because the bills are so substantial. And it is not a solution to send the uninsured to hospital emergency rooms when they're ill. Who the hell do you think pays their bills?

Thank you - Christmas 2009

2010-02-27T01:09:00.003-06:00

As I promised, here is our Happy New Year's from An Angel's Touch

by Jude Coyle

*To be published in the 02/24/2010 edition of the Blue Island Forum.

First I want to offer Jim Reihel and the Freedom Riders from American Legion Post #50 a big thank you for again organizing and sponsoring our annual can shake in September. Without them we wouldn't have finished Christmas as well as we had. Anyone wishing to participate should contact Jim.

I began my Christmas activities as I do each year by addressing City Council. After some discussions earlier in the year about what we do, I thought it would be a good idea to make that part of my talk. I said, "We don't do 'baskets.'" We do not have a food pantry, and we are not equipped to help people who are at the lower end of the economic ladder and need constant help. There are organizations that do that. We also don't pay utilities, rent or mortgages for our clients. There are organizations that do that as well.

We are equipped to help people through emergencies, like illness and job loss. We keep a small amount of food on hand and we use gift cards to provide our clients with enough food to last a few weeks. Where we won't pay bills, we will allow money that was to be spent on food to be spent elsewhere. We have helped relocate families after burn outs, and we have relocated families who are returning to the world after spending time in abused women's shelters. We have also helped at least two young people finish high school, as well as many other things.

What do we do with the money we collect? First off, we buy meat for our families. We also buy items our clients need that haven't been donated from the community. In one case we bought a pair of special shoes needed by a child. This year we bought Food-4-Less gift cards when we ran low on canned and boxed foods. We have a very small overhead, and we plan to keep it that way.

I asked City Council for three things. First, I needed canned and boxed goods. Once we have serviced all of our clients, we pass the surplus onto the Salvation Army and St. Benedict's Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry. I asked for 240 pairs of mittens or gloves and hats as well. They would go to the CEDA preschool, which is attended by poor children. I asked for new places to locate penny jars this year, too.

I was concerned about how much food we would collect, and rightly so. The economy proved to be a driving force in everything we did this year. I became more concerned when one by one my usual schools dropped their food drives. I shouldn't have worried though, Blue Islanders stepped up as they always do.

Right after speaking before City Council, a lady waved me down as I walked down Western Avenue. She introduced herself as Maria Alverez. She had seen me speak on WDDE, and she wanted to know if her small office could put together a food drive for us. Ah, YES!

After that I was contacted by the office personnel at Beverly Cemetery. The three cemeteries on Kedzie, Lincoln, Oak Ridge and Beverly, hoped to hold canned food drives. One of the staff asked Reverend Judy Jones who they should donate to, and Reverend Jones recommended An Angel's Touch. They didn't collect a thing. The office staff felt so bad, they collected funds between them and bought us large several boxes.

St. Rita High School came in as usual with about one third of what we usually collected. Gym teacher Raeann Zillman asked her students to donate their Halloween candy while Bob Jones at Beverly Bank conducted a hygiene product drive. Rose Rita collected food at the Calumet Township Senior Center, Deb Beasley, Children's Librarian, called to say that the Library would again hold a food drive, and the Park District collected baby items, again. The Blue Island Kiwanis donated cash. Charlene Finn and then John and Marsha Rauch arrived at my house with their trunks loaded with food. I made several pickups from Betty Nagle. Nancy Schultz and Raymond Garay dropped off a huge amount of food and mittens at the Senior Center. Tony from Doubleplay Lounge called to say that Troublemakers wanted to donate five turkey dinners, including apple pie for desert. In the end they donated 7. Aldermen Jan Ostling, Marsha Stone and Leticia Vieyra donated three gift certificates from D'Mastis for complete Christmas dinners. Several church communities held drives. First Evangelical Christian donated gloves and hats, while First Lutheran provided us with Jewel gift certificates. Then one by one, almost all of my schools called me to say, 'yes, we will have a food drive after all.' Metro South held a toy drive, as did the Police and 911 Center employees. Everything looked as if we would finish very well, and that we would have plenty to pass on after Christmas.

We received more calls for help than usual, and most stories were so much worse because of the economy. Our feelings of accomplishment was squelched by the time the second wave of requests came through. By then we had only corn and beans to give out, and very few toys. Temulac Boat Club and Windjammer Marina stepped in with a toy drive, solving the second problem. (A huge thank you to Mary Poulsen for help in organizing this.) We solved the food problem by giving out Food-4-Less gift cards.

As I said, the stories were sadder this year. We helped a family my daughter recommended. Becki had recently befriended a young lady who is expecting her second child. She is living with her son, her boy friend, her parents, her little brother and an aunt and uncle in a two bedroom apartment. Apparently most had been laid off from the same company, and only she and her boyfriend were able to find part time jobs. We also helped a couple who both suffer from diabetes. He had lost both his legs and she lost one.

Where we were able to pass along some food to St. Vincent de Paul at St.Benedict's, and to the Salvation Army, it wasn't nearly as much as I had hoped. I am asking that fraternal groups, community service groups, churches, Boy and Girl Scout troops please to help our pantries. Donations usually stop at Christmas. Hunger doesn't. This month and next will be tough for both places as more than the usual amount of people will be seeking help from already over stressed pantries.

In the end we serviced nearly 70 families. We donated to Guildhaus, The Lighthouse Church, and other organizations. We are also donating bed sheets and pillow cases to St. Elizabeth Seaton Parish. They are making the linens into burial bags so that the victims of the Haiti earthquake can be buried in dignity.

Please visit our blog athttp://anangelstouchblueisland.blogspot.com/

A very special thank you to everyone who made this year happen, particularly Mayor Donald E. Peloquin and his office, City Clerk Pam Frasor and her office, City Council, particularly Aldermen Rose Rita, Marsha Stone, Jan Ostling, Leticia Vieyra and Mike Janko, State Representative Bob Rita; the Police Department, Fire Department, and 911 Center; the Chamber of Commerce; the Blue Island Park District, Deb Beasley, Director James Dieters, Jr., the Library; The Calumet Township Senior Center, St. Rita High School, DDE Key and Leo Clubs, Kerr and Veteran's Memorial Middle Schools, Teacher Raeann Zillman, Paul Revere Intermediate and Primary Schools; Reverend Judy Jones, St. Philip Lutheran Church, First Evangelical Lutheran Church, First Evangelical Christian Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Accurate Perferating, the Gerry Goodwrench Foundation, the Kiwanis, The Troublemakers, Tony and Doubleplay Lounge, The FORUM, Bob Jones and Beverly Bank, Metro South Hospital, the Simborg Family, Temulac Boat Club and Windjammers Marina of Chicago, Beverly, Lincoln and Oak Ridge Cemeteries, Maria Alverez and the AT&T Harvey Office, Korbakis Liquors, T&G's, Iversen's Bakery, Blue Island Video, Carr Gardens, Harry's Long Bar, Jim and Carol Riehel, American Legion Post #50, Charlene and Eric Finn, John and Marsha Rauch, Betty Nagle, Nancy Schultz and Raymond Garay, Thank you to my sort crew who not only show up for me, but bring new people each year. Melanie Rickerson, Katherine Matthis, Chris Rondenella, Sara Karis, Jenica and Matt Schultz-Taylor, Gloria Zaper, Leo Rivera, Mike Zbonski, Vicki Parsino, Ed and Grace Diaz, Matt Hess, Amber Sullivan, Stephen Gerez, Luis Estrada, Ed, Jon and Becki Coyle. If I have forgotten anyone I apologize for the oversight. Every donor and every gift is very much appreciated, not only by the members of An Angel's Touch, but by the recipients of your love as well.

AT 1:09 AM Group thank you.

Paranormal Cops

2010-02-21T03:34:00.005-06:00

I'm tired of bitching about politics. Politicians needs to grow up and lead. There are too many parasites and followers in Congress and very few leaders. That's unfortunate because we certainly need someone now who can and will take the lead.

Instead I want to talk about a new show on A&E called Paranormal Cops. This is suppose to be several Chicago cops who have come across paranormal activity while on the job, and put together a group to study other paranormal activity. Let me just say that I'm enjoying this show more than several of the other shows concerning paranormal activity or ghost hunting. One of the reasons is because there is only one type of person on this earth who can possibly be a Chicago cop. I don't care how they dress, or what physical features they own, it's in their stance and in their detachment. No matter how hard suburban cops try, they just can't imitate the attitude. Don't take that wrong. I come from a long line of Chicago cops and firefighters. These people, how they talk, how they stand, their very glow, is something that only a Chicago cop can give off.

I also enjoy that they try to find a cause for a haunting rather than say, "Come and get me!" I hate Ghost Adventures from the Travel Channel. The lead in that show is an idiot and constantly challenging whatever it is to do their worst. The times I've seen the show is as many times I had hoped someone or something would.

I should point out that where I will never deny that there is a possibility that the paranormal exists, because I've seen some fairly weird things. Just because someone says something is haunted doesn't mean it is. Someone says to me 'give me money,' is the day I'm looking for an on duty cop.