Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.  ~Ludwig van Beethoven

Kyle at his 1st piano recital, at his 1st grand piano. 5/17/09

Last night I took Kyle to his piano lessons.  I must admit, I truly love getting my little man, eating dinner together, and just plain hanging out.  He is back in the swing of school and back to a standard routine.  As with most special memories, this one was unplanned and came as a surprise.

My phone died early in the day.  Why didn’t I charge it you may ask?  Well, simply because I had no idea what I did with the plug.  I have a stock pile of cords from my last iPhone, which also charges my iPad and Kyle’s iPod Touch, but alas I only have the one plug for the iPhone 5.  I’ve been meaning to get another one, but like many people, I put it off until there’s an issue.  Guess what?  Issue!  I needed my phone to call on Greensburg businesses to get the Discovering Greensburg Scavenger Hunt ready and finalized for Seton Hill University.  Crap.

Anyway, I had to leave to pick up Kyle.  Naturally, once in my car, he reached for my phone to probably play a game and it was dead.  He looked at me in shock.  I know!  We both felt really off our game.  Almost as if we were being detoxed from an addiction.  Now that I’m thinking back on it, that’s a shame we are like that with our phones.  But we are a product of our surroundings.  Did we survive without it?  Most certainly!  Did it help that Kyle had his phone?  Yes!  Only so my parents and my sister could touch base with him, no dire emergency.

Why is this relevant?  I’m so used to getting my emails via my phone, as well as text messages and Facebook messages, it didn’t dawn on me that Kyle’s music teacher would be reaching out to me through my online communications.  Yep, he had to cancel Kyle’s piano lesson.  Well, as I found out the next day, after recovering my long lost phone cord (1 day) and juiced up the handheld addiction, his teacher did indeed cancel his lessons.  Actually, using common sense, it didn’t take a phone to tell me Kyle’s piano teacher wasn’t there.

Kyle’s music recital group. 5/17/09

While sitting in the waiting room, and as the minutes passed, Kyle became impatient and wouldn’t let me read, (he forgot his book The Lord or the Rings: Return of the King).  At that point, we both decided to get up and look around for his teacher.  His teacher, David is a Seton Hill student and who is always on time and very responsible.  Just out of curiosity, Kyle and I walked down to his piano practice room to check out the situation.  Nope no David but there was THE PIANO!

Not being able to resist a beautiful baby grand piano, I walked in, sat down and started striking the keys.  I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano but my parents didn’t have the money when I was younger and it never was a priority for me as I got older.  Maybe one day I will take the time and learn.  But for now, it’s all on Kyle.

Kyle knowing that I had no idea what notes I was hitting, and no clue how to combine them to form a single song, he sat beside me on the piano bench and started to play a few memorized tunes.  Show off!  But I loved it.

Without saying anything and almost as if by muscle memory, Kyle opened his piano book and started to play a song,  It was one he previously covered in a past lesson, totally new to me.  Kyle started to actually instruct me, showing me were to place my fingers and how to play.

It was AWESOME!  He played a few notes and I watched his little chubby fingers to mimic his actions, messing up every other time.  He was very patient and showed me the fingering a few times so I could follow along.  He even went as far as to instruct me how to play with both hands, and I did!  Now there was certainly no mistaking me for Mozart or Beethoven, but I was playing an actual song, all because of Kyle!

Close up of Kyle at his 1st piano recital. 5/17/09

Kyle sat further down on the keys to my right and played along side me.  He was too cute, even waiting for me as I slowly hit the notes.  We both enjoyed sharing in on the same song, side-by-side, in our space, just the two of us. (As I wrote that, the song, Just the Two of Us popped in my head! I crack myself up!)  We played together for at least twenty minutes or so.  Yes the same song!  I think Kyle was really enjoying playing with me, as I know I was most certainly having a great time.

Then, out of nowhere, Kyle turned to another one of his piano books and started to teach me about notes, and counts.  He was actually instructing me!  I loved it.  Sitting there attentively and taking in all his knowledge, I started to grasp the music theory.  As he reviewed the notes, it came back to me how to read music, not that I was ever very good at it but I got by.

Once Kyle started to get bored with the situation he busted out one of his standard songs, which happens to be his pappy’s favorite Ode to Joy (German: Ode an die Freude) by Ludwig van Beethoven, always a favorite of mine too and always beautifully played by Kyle.

We sat and played, mostly in silence until it was half past the hour.  Then we decided we were done for the day and headed home.  As we left I told Kyle how much I always wanted to play the piano and I asked him if he would teach me.  He smiled this grin that was almost ornery mixed with excitement and nodded his head in agreement.  Cool!

Our family is not the most musical.  My mom played the piano in her younger days and my sister played the flute for a few years.  I did learn to play the scales on the saxophone, but none of us is fluent in music.  Kyle is the closest we have and he is pretty good.  No prodigy, but I’m happy with his musical abilities and his love and appreciation for the musical arts.

We had a great night!  Before our musical performance we watched Parental Guidance, which I rented and was never able to watch.  Kyle really wanted to see it and we had just enough time to squeeze it in before his lessons, since he didn’t have homework.  It was a funny movie that we both got a kick out of.

I will admit, I enjoyed my music lesson so much more than sitting there watching a movie with Kyle.  I literally could have have stayed in that practice room all night and played and listened to the beautiful music leaving Kyle’s fingers.  Can’t wait for my first lesson!

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ~Ephesians 6:4

Kyle sporting the feature we found while in Cortland, NY setting up a tree stand. How much fan can be had from a single found feature? Those are dad’s earphones when he was running the chainsaw. 8/31/13

With my previous post, I outlined the events that led us to this moment, the reason for this trip.  What It Takes to Move a Tree Stand

As we moved forward, what did my eyes catch sight of?  Yes, the tree stand!  Positioned gloriously against a tree about ten feet off of the ground, dressed in camouflage burlap.  It was at that moment, I heard the angels sing Alleluia, while the sun shined on the stand as if revealing a pot of gold.  We have arrived at our destination.  Now, what did we need to do?  Ah, yes, we needed to take it down, move it up the hill and set it back up again.  Easy enough.  Not really.

Dad, took off up through the brush to scope out a new home for our tree stand.  Kyle took that as an opportunity to climb up and hang out in the elevated platform.   Me? I just stood there swatting mosquitoes until I joined dad to force him to make a quick decision, so we could wrap this adventure up and go take showers.

As I was walking away from Kyle, he yelled “Hey Aunt Heather where are you going?”  I told him to see what his pappy was doing, which was maybe one hundred fifty yards away.  Kyle said, “Wait!  I want to come, but I can’t get down by myself.”  I was cracking up!  He was too afraid to use the ladder to get down, even though he had no trouble getting up, nor playing around while sitting in the tree stand.  I gave him detailed instructions on how to safely exist the landing, but he insisted someone had to help him down.  I left him.  I know that sounds mean, but it was kind of funny and I knew he was probably safer up there than anywhere else.  What’s even funnier, he didn’t seem to mind.  Maybe a little quite time by himself was good for his soul, or not.

The whole time I was talking with dad and helping him pick a new location, Kyle would yell “Hey guys, what are you doing?” and “Hello?” then the eventually annoying “Echo, echo, echo”.  Kyle is seriously a funny kid and he doesn’t even know it.

Once dad found the perfect spot, he said, “Ok, let’s go get our buddy out of the tree and move this stand.”  He asked, “Did he climb up there all by himself?”  Yep.  Dad was pleased with that, that meant Kyle was not afraid and dad could count on Kyle to hunt in the tree stand during deer season.  Whatever!  Let’s get this show on the road.

Me & Kyle with victorious smiles on our exhausted faces. Tree stand it up! Cortland, NY 8/31/13

Now back to the dreaded tree stand.  I guess I never thought it through, but it dawned on me as I was sitting up, hovering over the ground, looking down into briar bushes, fallen trees and Lord knows what else, that eventually the tree stand would not be secured to the tree anymore.  That is, once I unhinge it, however to do that I needed to be in the tree stand.  What a predicament!  Dad’s reply?  “No, no, you have another one down below and you’ll be partway down the ladder when you loosen that.”  Not really encouraging dad!  Of course, dad’s response to my comment about me falling was, “Well the jagger bushes will catch your fall.”  Nice.

I did manage to loosen some of the straps, but for the life of me, I really couldn’t get them to release.  So I had to send my dad, who is in his sixties and is seriously overweight up the unstable tree stand to finish removing the supports.  I stood at the bottom holding the ladder, along with Kyle, as if that was security.  I turned to Kyle and remarked, “If pappy goes you’re catching him.”  With concern on Kyle’s face he just gave me a grunt and half grin, trying to joke along while realizing the possibility.  I think we were both holding our breath and saying big prayers at this point.

We did manage to release the tree stand from the tree and get dad down safely.  Then, came the heavy lifting.  The tree stand was metal with an attached ladder.  It was heavy!  Especially after all the walking and exertion of getting it down, not to mention the realization of hauling it up a hill about one hundred and fifty yards, through tall brush, briars, unsteady ground, over fallen trees, while being mauled by mosquitoes.  Easy enough.

Kyle snapped a picture of me getting into the tree stand. Cortland, NY 8/31/13

What was Kyle doing for the better part of this time?  I found out later he was video tapping me in the tree stand.  I’m sure, he was hoping for some action to be caught on tape.  And since that didn’t keep his interest, he continued to play with the feather.

The feature.  We found this feather while walking to get to our destination and it became the focus of our attention during down times.  I used it as a fan to help with the flying pest situation around my head, and to help get some moving air through the stuffy environment.  Kyle too found entertainment in the simple object.  That feature made it the whole way back with us.  Not just out of the woods, or to the motel, the whole way back to good old Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  It was a really neat feather.

Anyway, as we carried this beast of a stand up the hill, we almost passed up our carefully selected tree.  And let me tell you, I felt sick once we got there, as I know dad did.  Sick, as in exhaustion and dehydration.  I even sent Kyle to the quad to get us something to drink, especially dad who had to rest on a log.  That kid started to walk up the hill, (the quad was down the hill maybe fifty feet).  Kyle got lost, not lost that we didn’t know where he was, but he couldn’t find the quad at all!  Even though I pointed in the direction and I could see the lights reflecting from it through the trees.  As we watched Kyle maneuver around while resting, me and dad found that funny and called him back.

Next?  Now we had to get the tree stand up and secured, then we were told we’d be on our way.  It was a bugger getting that thing up, even to just lean it against the tree.  Dad did most of the work.  Once the tree stand was leaning, and somewhat stabilized against the tree, I climbed up in it to fully secure it.

That proved to be a bugger as well.  My arms are only so long, and trying to throw the straps around the tree, which was split, proved to be quite a tough task.  I had to lean out over the tree stand to grab the straps.  Did I mention it was only standing upright because it was leaning on the tree and we were on a light hill?  I told the old man, he better hold onto the ladder, because if I’d go flying and I can’t work, Aunt Nikki won’t be too happy.  He just laughed and said, “O you’ll be alright.  Come on, once we get the straps on, we’re done and we can leave.”  Score!

Kyle made his way up the tree stand & then couldn’t get back down. He enjoyed it up there… Cortland, NY 8/31/13

Eventually, I got the straps around the tree to give the tree stand some stability.  Naturally, I couldn’t tighten the clamps like dad, so dad had to get up there to thoroughly secure the touch points.  He also thought in advance and put another strap for an additional reinforcement.  Evidently, dad was planning on having all three of us in this tree stand. I’m not so sure about that one.  Although, I’m saving that argument for a later date.  I must say, Kyle and I fit comfortably on the seat, side-by-side.

The whole time we were there, dad stared at the newly relocated tree stand sporting a huge grin.  He did cut down a few small trees around it, one of which I thought was going to take down the new addition.  I said, “Dad if that tree would have hit the tree stand and knock it down, I was going to leave.”  Kyle busted out laughing and dad joined in saying, “Yes, I guess that would be our luck.”  Dad kept peeking up at the stand and in his head, laying out the options in which we could shoot deer, depending on how they approached us.  I know he was envisioning herds of  deer running all along the woods below are feet, while all three of us shot down.  This is dad’s candy store.  Nothing makes him happier than shooting, especially with his family.  He kept talking about the size of the deer and the racks on the local bucks.  He kept saying that’s what’s in store for us this hunting season.  Then, he would go off into, how much deer meat we were going to have this winter.  Only dad!

Done?  Not quite yet.  We had to make it back out and since dad initially made his own trail to find the tree stand that was eluding us, he wanted to stick to the established road, clearing it out for deer season.  We found the road pretty easily, but it was seriously overgrown and soggy from all the rain earlier in the week.

It took us as long to get out of the woods as it did to set up the stand, if not longer.  It was a roller coaster ride, back up the slate rock road to an almost vertical climb.  Yes, I was back on the front of the quad, like Kyle white knuckling it.  I felt like I had to seriously lean forward to avoid the whole quad from tipping backwards and crushing all its passengers.

We made it back safely and dad was in such a good mood.  As we were ready to load up the quad, dad did something odd that made me and Kyle both stop and watch.  He drove the quad back nearly a hundred yards to load it on the trailer.  What does he need such a runway for?  At that moment, dad revved the engine and gassed it toward the trailer.  I turned to Kyle and said, “What is pappy planning on doing?  Launching himself over the truck like Evel Knievel?”  Kyle was howling!  Just then dad put the breaks on right at the lip of the trailer and slowly drove it on.  Pap thought he was pretty funny too, my guess is from the look on our faces he did psych us out.

Earlier we saw a turkey and along the way, a bunch of deer tracks.  Dad couldn’t have been happier, spending time with us, especially Kyle and moving his tree stand to what he perceived as the perfect shooting spot.

Now it was my turn to play with the feature. Seriously, how much fun can 1 feature bring? Cortland, NY 8-31-13

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, granted it was around five or six o’clock at this point and we were all beat.  We found a nice little market to get sandwiches and other sustenance, got back to the motel,  showered up, played a few card games with Kyle as well as chess on my iPad, and finished out the night watching back-to-back episodes of Too Cute!

The next morning, pappy slept in till around eight o’clock, which again is unheard of, but Kyle and I played more chess.  On our way back, dad had to stop at his friend Lanny’s house to visit.  Dad hunts on his property every year too.  In fact, dad stays with the elderly gentleman, who is very cordial and hospitable.  I must say, at this point I was getting irritated over dad’s new found relaxed behavior and I wanted to get on the road.

We did make it back about fifteen minutes before we had to get ready to go to late Sunday mass, so I was happy.  Good end, to a surprisingly fun trip.  A trip that I hope we never have to repeat.

Read the first part … What It Takes to Move a Tree Stand

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
An eternity in an hour.  ~William Blake

We found this feather in the woods in Cortland, New York. It became the focus of our attention for a while. Kyle was cracking me up! 8/31/13

Dad gets his hunting license not only for Westmoreland County, but also for the surrounding counties and his New York license.  In certain areas, dad has his tree stands set up, keeping them there year-over-year.  Yes, that wasn’t a typo.  Tree stands!  As in plural, meaning more than one.

So what does all this have to do with me?  Let me tell you were I was this past weekend.  In Cortland, New York moving a tree stand.  Why?  Simply, because last year, someone hit a big buck up the hill from where dad was sitting.  Ever since then, dad has been talking about moving his tree stand up the hill.  He believes it would have been his buck if he was positioned at a higher elevation.  Is that a fact?  Not necessarily, but I do trust dad’s hunting sense and his observation.  Previous to that, Dad’s was actually talking about moving the tree stand for a while now, but since the buck incidence, that made up his mind for him.

Now don’t get me wrong.  Dad’s not bitter in any way shape or form, for the lucky hunter, not at all.  He’s happy for anyone who gets a deer, especially if it’s a prize.  But he’s had it in his head for a while now to move the stand, pretty much where Larry, a good friend of the family and my mom’s boss at Gutchess Hardwoods, suggested in the first place.  Dad said, “I should have listened to Larry, but I was being so stubborn and had my mind made up.”  Can’t imagine!

Moving a tree stand seems simple enough, not really.  First we had to drive six hours to Cortland, New York to get to the woods where the tree stand was situated.  Then, we had to drive back into the woods, only so far, before all piling on the quad and riding it another couple of miles, before getting out and hiking to the hunting spot.  Yes, somewhere in the 500 acres, was this big metal tree stand attached to a tree.  Did I mention I was the one who had to assemble the beast a few summers back?

Let’s start off with Saturday morning.   I mean morning.  We got up around 3:00 am, and we didn’t leave until 4:30 am.  There used to be a day when dad was up early and started on his day right away.  No sitting around, none of this taking his time, watching the news, finishing his coffee blah blah blah.  Nope!   Dad used to get up, make sure everyone else was up, get dressed and out the door like lightening.  Boy have times changed.  Usually Kyle does pretty good in the am, but this time was a bit different, not that I can blame him, even for me this was a bit early.

Kyle shooting pap’s .22 rifle at the shooting range. Not a bad shot! 8/31/13

Once we were off, Kyle slept in the backseat of the truck.  He really wasn’t ready to get up and get moving, that is until we made a pit stop at Sheetz.  Naturally, he had donuts on his mind and with his pappy there, he pretty much gets what he wants.  Although as in keeping with tradition, I raced him in and out of the gas station, to and from the truck.  At one point, we both tried to wedge ourselves out of the door and practically got stuck.  Dad saw us and just shook his head and chuckled.

While on the road, once we finally got Kyle up, Kyle and I started to play a game of War.  You know the card game that goes on forever and requires little to no thought.  That game seemed like it was the longest ever played!  Seriously.  Me and Kyle were in amazement because it was never ending.  We kept joking around that we were going to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The drive was pretty uneventful.  It’s actually kind of nice to be up before dawn and watching the day unfold before my eyes.  We passed Beaver Stadium, my sister’s Alma Mater.  We joked around a little and called my mom and my sister to check in.  I was even fine with the Willy Nelson Serious XM radio station on, that is until it stayed on the entire time to and from New York.

Dad cracks me up.  When he had to pee, he just pulled the truck, which was hooked to the trailer containing the quad, onto the side of the road, peed and left.  Back in the day, when I was little, dad NEVER stopped for no one.  Not himself, not my mom and certainly not for his kids.  We had to go before we left and we learned to hold it until we got to our destination.  Granted, we never really traveled for than four or five hours, but regardless that’s how dad traveled.  Come to think of it, that’s probably why I am, the way I am, when traveling.  I never stop, I keep going till I reach my journey’s end.  Now-a-days things are different, very different.  I swear we pulled over every hour!  Every roadside pause gave me and Kyle the giggles.  Then it would start the teasing towards dad.

Dad was checking the shots with the spotting scope. Kyle was reloading, ready to go again. 8/31/13

At one point, Kyle had to use the restroom, as did I but I can hold it because I knew dad would expect me to go along side of the road.  Fat chance!  Dad pulled over for Kyle, but not just on the side of the road.  He pulled over were they were doing construction.  To reach the side of the road, dad had to weave the truck and the trailer between the cones.  Me and Kyle were dying!  For some reason we thought that was the funniest thing ever!  Keep in mind this is around ten o’clock or so in the morning, along a major highway.  I knew Kyle wouldn’t use natures facility, and I was right.  But what made the situation even funnier, dad drove down the road that was coned off, and as we progressed the cones got closer together.  We were taking bets if dad was going to knock down a row of cones.  Nope!  Didn’t even graze them!

After we checked into our motel room in no-man’s-land we headed to the woods.  The minute we got out, I was attacked by mosquitoes!  Anyone that knows me, knows I am always the first person to take fire from the blood suckers and I usually get it the worst.  My bites always swell and linger for twice as long as most.  Would you believe no one thought to bring bug spray?  Nope!  We were screwed!

After we unloaded the quad, dad had me plant my buttocks on the front rack, while Kyle was seated right behind dad, beside the chainsaw, tools, salt block and extra chainsaw gasoline.  Yes, that was my first reaction too!  What are we cutting down?  The layout of us all situated on the quad was nothing new, we rode like that before for hunting season and I suspected it was going to be that way.  But what I didn’t know is that we had to chuck wood too?  Yes, apparently we had to clear out the roadway back to the tree stand.  This just keeps getting better!

The Piper outing at the shooting range. Nicole got back into the swing, not a bad shot. Kyle was shooting pretty good & mom shot a couple, but just observed. 8/31/13

The ride to and fro was quite an adventure!  We hit a few pond size mud puddles, which at one point I thought was going to sink us all whole.  Then, let’s talk about the cliff of death.  The trail was pretty wide, wide enough for a full size vehicle.  So naturally one would think we had enough room for a quad.  Well, we did, but dad kept driving along side the brim of the edge, while looking down!  Me and Kyle were hanging on.  I stated, “Dad, they had a ton of rain this week.  You have the entire road, use it!”  Meaning, dad get away from the edge, the ground is soft and could collapse at any minute driving us down over the edge into the heart of the woods.  Even Kyle laughed about that one and was feeling the same way.  When we later recapped the story to mom, Kyle commented on that very scenario.

We did need to hack up a few logs laying across our path, to get through and I had to get off a few times to walk.  I must say it was quite the journey.  The one part of the road seemed like it was a complete vertical shot straight down and the road looked like a miniature Grand Canyon from being washed out.  I was hanging on, trying not to be projected off from the front end.  It was hard!  The road wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

Once dad had me and Kyle on foot, he instructed us to walk up the hill and he followed on the quad.  He even tried to go up a side of a bank and I swear I saw the front end of the quad lift, like it was going to flip.  Me and Kyle just gave each other the look, you know the kind that says, ‘Wow that was a close one.’ or ‘Something bad is going to happen today.’  Then I said, “And you wondered why I brought my phone?”

While on foot, in the hot, humid mosquitoes infested deep woods, we seemed to keep walking on forever.  Like our path was never going to end.  Kyle turned to me and said, “I don’t think pappy knows where he’s going.”  I laughed so hard, I was thinking the same thing!    We kept trucking and following dad on foot.  Did I mention I had a long-sleeved thick hoodie type of top on, zipped up to my neck to protect some of my skin from the pests, and jeans on while I dripped with sweat in the eighty degree weather?  Awesome!

As we zigzagged through the tall brush, dad would stop every now-and-again to cut a few fallen trees.  That is until we came upon vertically intimidating, reaching the top of dad’s head, “jagger” bushes, briars and thick brush.  He actually used the chainsaw to mow down the obstruction!  Me and Kyle watched in amazement.  Then, when he was done, I yelled over, “You didn’t tell me we needed the weed whacker!”  Dad gave me an already tired grin and nod, while me and Kyle found that comment to be pretty darn funny.

Dad even used the quad to knock down small trees and mow down tall brush.  Then, we started to have a field day with that saying, “Does pappy think he’s a bulldozer?” and “We know what to get him for Christmas.”  Kyle said, “Ya, he could use a steam press to flatten our path.”  Very true buddy!  Very true!

Almost there…

To be continued…

Some may try and tell us that this is the end of an era.  But what they overlook is that in America, every day is a new beginning, and every sunset is merely the latest milestone on a voyage that never ends.  For this is the land that has never become, but is always in the act of becoming.  Emerson was right:  America is the land of tomorrow.  ~Ronald Reagan

Kyle’s 1st Birthday. Great milestone with me & pappy! 2002

Watching Kyle grow up and being an integral part of his life has been a delight.  I mean that with all sincerity.  Some milestones have been easier to take over others.  Example, when Kyle graduated from diapers to the potty.  Score!  That was time to celebrate!  However, this most recent milestone is bittersweet, the seventh grade.

Kyle is in the junior high school!  He is twelve and he is a preteen.  Where has the time gone?  In conjunction with this milestone, we also hit another, independence.  Yes, for the last couple of years Kyle has been showing baby steps towards maturing and showing subtle hints of  independence, but this one threw me off guard.  Every year since Kyle was in kindergarten, actually I think preschool, I have watched him get on the bus.  So naturally I thought this year will be no different.  To be honest, I thought this might be the last year, of course I believe I’ve said that about the previous year too.  Regardless, I was planning on hanging out with him early in the morning and seeing him off to the seventh grade.

Boy was I wrong!  I asked Kyle what time the bus was picking him up and what time I should be there.  He just kind of gave me an awkward grunt, the kind you do when you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings yet you’re not backing down of your plan of action.  He said, “Umm that’s ok Aunt Heather, I’m good.”  What?  That’s what I say to someone when I don’t want to say ‘no’ yet say ‘no’!  It was just used on me?

My little man, trying out his new walking technique at the Planinsek Pavilion. 2003

Well, that was early on this past weekend.  I thought, surely he would think this through and change his mind.  Naturally, not letting the topic go, I said, “You sure buddy you don’t want me to be there to watch you on your first day of school?”  Then, I went into a dissertation of how his Aunt Nikki, his Gigi and me all paid for him to go to preschool for two years.  And how I’ve been a driving force for him and his grades, as well as my family, for all these years.  I also stated that it’s been tradition for me to be there to see him off for his first day of school.  I even tried to assure him that I would stand a side and not be an embarrassment.  He probably didn’t believe that, even though I meant it to the best of my ability.

Nope, Kyle would not budge.  All he replied was, “Umm that’s ok, I’m good.”  Yep, Kyle made a decision and was sticking to it.   That I can respect.  How can I not, when he is showing that he is maturing and wants to be responsible for himsel?.  Ok, buddy I get it, kinda.

But again let’s be real, I’m his Aunt Heather and the understanding is in the details.  I went down the checklist, “Who’s getting you up?”  Himself.  “Who’s seeing you onto the bus?”  Himself.  “Who’s getting you breakfast?”  He said that he can get something at the school, which I advised him to grab a banana, apple or make himself at least cereal to ensure he has something in his tummy.  That is the last thing he needs, to be hungry all the way till lunch!  Everyone knows that wouldn’t fly with me!  Not a good way to start off the day, skipping out on fueling up the body.  Kyle, being Kyle, also had to work out the details as to not break any rules or get in trouble with the breakfast situation.  He commented, “Ya I guess I can eat on the bus to school, I don’t think the bus driver cares.  I can just toss my peel out the window.  Or I can eat some of pappy’s ribs!”  That gave me a chuckle!  Only Kyle worries about such small details.  Helping to put his mind at ease, I said “Just pitch your peel in a trash can in school.  If you choose to eat the ribs that will help you go till lunch, not a bad idea!”  He thought about that and was fine with my advice.  Then the ultimate question, “Who’s planning out your outfit?”  Himself!  Now that scares me more than anything.  As much as I pride myself on my ability to dress cute, stylish and couture, Kyle does not have that knack nor does he care.  Even dad, who is strictly a jeans, under shirt and plaid shirt type of guy, always has his top tucked in, belt on and never dresses sloppy.  Kyle on the other hand, has a different style to himself all together.  One I have yet to fathom!

Maybe that will be Kyle’s next milestone.  Seriously, I can’t wait for that one!

Regardless, Kyle has a full schedule already, going into advance math, taking a language, hope it’s French, and whatever else the day brings.  I’m sure Kyle will have a great first day of school, after all he is equipped with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King book to keep him entertained throughout the downtime.  I hope to see many more milestones from Kyle!  He is a bright and caring young man with a future of possibilities.

Milestones have their place in life.  Even if they appear to be initially bad, there is always something good in them, a lesson or a pathway made for more milestones.  I guess I just need to be here to help him through any rocky paths and guide him in the right direction.  Love you buddy!  Enjoy seventh grade!

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world.  And normally he doesn’t know it.  ~Paulo Coelho

Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith
July 28, 1974 – August 27, 2013

Nicole & Jen hanging with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. c. sometime in the 80′s

Tragedy is no stranger to me and my family.  It has directly landed on us, suddenly, and with pinpoint accuracy, so I know what dealing with sorrow and confusion feels like.   We’ve been wrestling with it for nearly twelve years.  I’m not saying I understand it, and I’m not saying it’s easy, and I’m not saying I like it.  I’m just saying it’s a close friend and I certainly recognize it.

At this particular moment, I’m at a loss as to what to say.  I’ve never dealt with such a situation.  So instead of my typical format, I chose to write Jen a letter.  I’m sure it doesn’t do her justice, to her kindness, beauty inside and out, intelligence, sincerity, adventurous spirit, wit and sense of humor.  But my words are sincere and straight from the heart.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jen’s family and friends at this time and always.  We have been blessed to know such a wonderful person.  The world will not be the same.

 

Dear Jen,

If my memory serves me correct, we have known each other since I was in the first grade and you in the third, going to Sacred Heart Elementary School.  To be honest, I don’t remember when you officially joined our family because it seems like you were always there.  Who would have thought, from that moment on,  you and my sister would have become friends for so many years?

Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith eating a Twix.

Even though you were always Nicole’s best friend, you always treated me as a friend too.  I can’t believe it’s been years since those days at Sacred Heart, but we’ve always kept in touch, only due to your continued friendship and sisterhood with Nicole.

Over the years, my family would get updates on how you were doing, what was new and what was going on in your life.  Even though Facebook has been the focus of the media for negative uses and development of an anti-social society, Facebook helped us to connect again.  Prior to that, even without direct communication, you were always in my thoughts.  After all, you were very much a part of the Piper household.  I mean even dad remembered your name!

By the time I reached the seventh grade and you in ninth, in the Latrobe Junior High School, I would grin when I saw you in the halls.  You would smile and give me a friendly nod.  Actually, I think it was more of a laugh, I was always so lost, mentally and directionally.  Here I envied you because I thought you were so much more together than I ever was!  Even in junior high it seemed like your life would take a straight path to greatness.  Well, you certainly achieved greatness, in many ways.  But I was wrong, your life took a sudden and fatal sharp turn.

Nicole & Jen graduating from Greater Latrobe High School. Class of ’92! Go Wildcats!

When I joined the colorguard and you were in the band (clarinet), it was nice to know someone among the older strange faces.  You never snubbed me or anything of the sort.  Actually, you looked out for me, and over the years as we both matured, maybe you more than me, I wasn’t just “Nikki’s little sister”, I was your friend too.

When I heard you were going to school to be a doctor I was so excited for you and I remember thinking, “Yes she is one smart cookie who will have no trouble getting through her studies.  She is going to be such a success in life!”  You were always such an intelligent girl, it came so natural to you.  In that respect, I could see why you and Nicole were always such good friends, you challenged each other intellectually.  In my younger days I didn’t appreciate that, but over the years I certainly have.

Jen, you always had such patience.  Every time I asked a stupid question like “How can you be an optometrist and not have perfect vision?”, you would answer me.  Even though we were private messaging each other or communicating digitally, somehow I could see that Jen smirk.  It’s funny, Ryan had the same type of grin.

You may not have realized it at the time, but you were loved!  You had a lot of friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, patients and the list goes on and on, that relied on you in one way or another.  There were so many lives you touched, including mine!  I know my sister looked up to you and was proud to call you a friend, as was I.

Nicole’s birthday at the house. Back of Casey’s head, Mikey, Ryan, Jen, Nicole & Elizabeth. Rest-in-Peace Ryan & Jen, may you both find each other in blue skies.

In a way, I think you found me intriguing with my hyperactive nature and my adventurous and creative spirit.  You seemed to find those qualities later on in life, whereas I discovered them early.  I loved hearing about your skydiving adventures, your running accomplishments and your evenings on your porch with a beer.  You seemed to be enjoying the life you made for yourself.  I was enjoying it with you!

Did I ever mention I loved hearing about your dogs and especially your chickens!  When I heard you were building a chicken coop, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic and pride.  Not because you wanted to have fresh eggs, which I didn’t blame you, but because to me that was a sign of you hanging around my family.  You were always at the house and down my Uncle Walter’s farm.  It was almost like a piece of us up on the ridge was instilled in your very core.  You didn’t know it because I never told you, but to me that was a perfect compliment.  Now I may have been completely off base with my assumption, but I’m holding onto it.

Welcome back class of 1992! Nicole, Jen, Heather, Susan 2012. Go Latrobe Wildcats!

On a side note, I saw that Facebook post you posted about getting locked inside your chicken coop.  I was howling!  That was so terribly funny, I still think about it.  You certainly found complete humor in yourself, which was a great quality to have!

I don’t know if you remember or not when Ryan died?  I bet you do, how can anyone forget that horrible time and grief.  The same grief everyone is feeling today.  Granted that wasn’t Ryan’s choice to leave us, but it doesn’t make any death easy to accept.  I guess that’s why they call it a tragedy.  I’m not sure why someone, including you would make that choice.  Maybe you really wanted to LIVE and wanted true peace.  I’m sure I’m a part of the mix of people you left behind wondering why?  Or what could I have done?  I mean, that’s natural right?  Everyone wants to understand and have a good reason, although in my eyes there wasn’t a good one, however that wasn’t my decision.  It was your unfortunate action that cannot be reversed.  One that I still can’t fathom.

Life will go on.  It always does, but it won’t be as colorful and interesting without you here.  I didn’t find out about your passing until early evening on Wednesday and I had the very same shock and confused feeling as I did when I got the news Ryan passed.  I guess that’s understandable considering you were family.

Jen with a Lobster. This was not my pic, but taken from Jen’s Facebook page. I just loved her in it! Rest-in-Peace Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith

Jen, I never thought your days would be short.  Of course, when loosing someone, who really thinks that?  I suspect you’ve always struggled internally.  I suppose I kind of knew that, but I never made mention of it.  Perhaps it was because I didn’t understand and I couldn’t identify with it or because I thought at this point in your life  all was good.  Do I get it now?  No!  Not even close!  Especially the way you chose to leave our earthly world.  Why that way?  It was so violent.  You seemed so happy, but I guess even though pictures can say a thousand words, they don’t show the inside, the truth, just the surface.  So I guess pictures can be deceitful lies.  I just don’t understand.  I mean here I am talking about going to the shooting range this past Sunday.  Did I give you the idea?  I hope not!  You grew up in the Piper household, you knew we respected the guns.  Did you forget dad’s rule about never pointing a firearm at another person, even a toy gun?  That includes yourself Jen!

I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a person near or far, friend, foe or even complete stranger that wouldn’t have stopped everything that was going on in his or her life to help you.  You, Jen were an asset to this life!  Did you realize that?  Many knew it, I hope you did too!  I bet everyone is wishing you would have called them.  Nicole would have been at your house in a heartbeat, as would I and many others.  Maybe you didn’t know or maybe you thought you had the perfect answer.  You were very smart throughout your short life and have done things right, this time your judgement was wrong!  If you had to do it again, would you choose the same?

Since you consistently read my blog, I thought it appropriate to give you your very own day, your own story, your ever lasting memorial.  Your words were always so kind and encouraging.  You used to state how much you loved my writing style and how much you loved hearing what I had to say.  I know you were just being nice, but coming from you, that was such a compliment!  You truly loved hearing about my silly and sometimes pointless tales, and a few uncontrollable rants.  Eventually, this post will be buried by life and other stories that always seem to want to exit my brain and travel down through my fingers, to end up in black and white, but like this post, you will always remain.  Remain in the minds and memories of those you knew, and maybe by some you didn’t.  You will never be forgotten!

Jen, I hope you are flying in the beautiful blue skies you were made to, and I hope your soul finds the peace it was seeking.  God bless!

With much love,

Heather

Rest-in-Peace and God Speed Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith!

Huffington Post Article on the Skydiving Accident

Jen worked for Leading Edge Eyecare since 2005.  I took a screen shot of the website.

Here are a few screen shots I took from Jen’s Facebook page to preserve her memory.

The road to success is always under construction. ~Arnold Palmer

Nick & Kyle hanging with Brutus at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe Pa. 2013

Being a Latrobe native doesn’t just mean that I have a specific location I can point to on the map and declare, ‘I’m from here!’  Nope!  Stating this fact holds a lot more, the history, the traditions, those who have paved the way for others and also the pride of the people and surrounding areas.

Many can claim the same about their area, but we, Latrobeans are truly a special breed. I’m not saying my broad stroke, ideal perception is consistent across the board one hundred percent true for everyone, but from my observations and where my heart stands, it is.

Latrobe is one of those typical small towns. You know the kind, most everyone knows each other and in my case because I’m a Piper, somehow I’m related to everyone. Latrobe is also large enough to give a little elbow room when desired. Originally it was a borough and then made into a city. Latrobe was named after Benjamin Latrobe. It’s true, it’s not suppose to be pronounced with a long “a” sound. However, if you are from Latrobe, you use the incorrect pronunciation, that’s our badge of honor and proof that we are true Latrobeans.  Yes I know, we also have the typical Western Pennsylvania slang, and distinct accent criticized by all, but there is so much more.

Me & Kyle at the Banana Split Festival at our Thrill of the Hunt booth in Latrobe, Pa. 8/24/13

What else makes Wildcat Country truly special? Well, lets start with the accomplishments surfacing from this area and the people. Even though it’s not official because it was never really proven, Latrobe is home to the first professional football game ever played. At least, that’s how I always understood it. Incidentally, Latrobe is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp, held at Saint Vincent College every year. Latrobe, mirroring our neighbor Pittsburgh has very much the same die hard type of personality. “Pittsburghers” are known world wide for their dedication to the city, especially the Steelers. I mean, we have Steelernation! Latrobe projects the same pride and love of the city, for both Pittsburgh and Latrobe.

Me & what I thought was a Guerrilla Girl (nope). Banana Split Festival in Latrobe Pa. at the Thrill of the Hunt booth. 8/24/13

Saint Vincent College, Latrobe’s very own, unbeknownst to many has a history that impacted many around the world for different reasons. Long before the college was the Steelers training home base, Saint Vincent Church was the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, founded by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria Germany. The monks not only started the Catholic tradition and built a beautiful church that turned into the college, but they also held the recipe for Rolling Rock Beer, home grown form the fields of good old Latrobe Pennsylvania.

Growing up around the Rolling Rock Brewery, I never realized how famous the beer really was, until one trip changed all that. During one of my senior high band field trips, we went to New York City. A small town Latrobe girl in the big apple. Naturally, we did all the touristy things, but on our final day, we participated in the Saint Patrick’s Day parade. On a side note, up until that point, that was the most I’ve ever walked in one trip, ever! My feet and legs were so sore from marching miles on the New York streets I thought I would collapse. Anyway, as we marched along, and the crowds took note of our banner, ‘Greater Latrobe Marching Band’, they began to yell. It wasn’t making fun, or ridiculing us in any way, it was praise and excitement! They were yelling, “Latrobe! #33 Rolling Rock!” I’m not talking a small group of drunken individuals. I’m talking pretty much the entire city of New York! We were famous! Living in my own corner of the world being oblivious to outsiders, I had no idea that anyone knew who we were! Let alone loved us! People, cheered for our group of Latrobe natives and truly loved recognizing us. It was great! It was at that moment, I didn’t take it for granted that I was a Latrobean, a Wildcat!

Nick & Kyle making a friend (Brutus) at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe, Pa. 2013

Beer is not only our claim to fame and neither are our black and yellow footfall fans. Latrobe has birthed some inspiring people. One being Mr. Fred Rogers who graduated from Latrobe High School. Actually, my grandpap Chester went to school with him and I believe Mr. Rogers was the class president. Graduating from the freshly built Latrobe Senior High School, my mom and brother and sister all walked down the same halls and graduated from the same alma mater. Mr. Rogers lived not far from my parents house in Edgewater. Some may not know or remember the TV personality, but he had a show for children on PBS, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001). One of his sweaters is actually on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He had many more accomplishments, but he was made famous from his show and calming personality.

Ice-Cream Joe, Valley Dairy (My first job) in celebration of the Banana Split Festival in Latrobe, Pa. 8/24/13

A friend of Mr. Rogers, and matching or perhaps exceeding in popularity would be our very own golf professional, Arnold Palmer. Yep the inducted World Golf Hall of Fame Latrobean was born and breed in the area. He too doesn’t live far from my parents house, right down the road from the Greater Latrobe High School. Every once in a while, I would see him pulling out of his driveway and I heard he still flies his plane in and out of the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe. Personally, I’ve never met the man, but I’ve known many who have and have commented on what a great guy he is. He was not only known in the golf world but to presidents too. I remember when Mr. Palmer’s wife, Winny (Winifred) passed away, former president George Herbert Walker Bush came to town to pay his respects.

More recently, Latrobe made their mark again with proving they are the home of the original banana split. Yes, invented by Latrobean David Strickler came the banana split. He didn’t just stop there, he also created the banana split boat to hold the ice-cream dessert.

This past weekend was the Banana Split Festival in Latrobe. Great time by all! I represented Thrill of the Hunt as part of the local vendors. We had a perfect sunny day and I loved running into old friends and meeting some new ones. Everyone was very encouraging and supportive about our start-up company. It was inspiring!

The New Playland in Legion Keener Park, Latrobe Pa. 2013

Latrobe has produced greatness, yet remains humble and true to our roots. I love this city and what it stands for. Thrill of the Hunt is home grown in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and I hope my company will continue to bring the pride back to Latrobe like many before me.

There is a lot more to Latrobe and I just touched on a few. Everyone should take some time and visit this lovely area, nestled in at the base of the Laurel Highlands. And those who have since moved away, should stop back. It’s a great place to live and do business. I am proud to be a Latrobean through and through. Even Kyle has taken on the title of Latrobe native, well after all he was born and partially raised here. He considers himself a Wildcat and I agree, he is!

Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.  ~Hermann Hesse

Me & Kyle at the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt Event in Shadyside. Great time! 8/17/13

This past Saturday proved to hold an exciting day!  My sister was on her way home with a new bundle of puppy.  The very same day, my company, Thrill of the Hunt, was holding another scavenger hunt event in Shadyside, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, called the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt.  Not to mention a big day wouldn’t be complete without a little attitude and whining from Kyle.

Let’s start in the early afternoon with the arrival of Avery Piper.  This 20 pound cute playful puppy really turned the house inside out.  Scooby, being a grumpy old man was not too pleased to have the rambunctious visitor.  He was growling and nipping and just plain being a bully.  Pretty much everything we expected out of Scooby.  Seven on the other hand was curious and almost excited to have a new friend.  Maybe he remembered how hard it was to be the new doggie on the block.  Seven had to deal with Scooby solo and maybe Seven just wanted to be a mentor, a friend to Avery.

Nicole hanging with Avery! Don’t let her cute looks fool you! She’s a stinker! 8/17/13

Then let’s discuss, Storm, my cat.  She is a year old and is not very friendly with other people, strange places and certainly not puppies.  She was clearly the one who was the most upset.  She sat up in her perch (This is a tree house type of structure I built for her.  It stands about six feet tall and is equipped with multilevel sitting areas and carpeting.  It’s a place for her to escape the dogs.) and puffed up till she resembled a soft fluffy ball of cat.  She was hissing, and growling, and spitting and swatting her razor sharp claws (I can attest to that!) at the completely ignorant puppy.  Did I mention, as far as we know, Avery has never seen a cat before?  So this was a real treat for her.  Her Avery, not her Storm.

Avery, a.k.a. Acorn (yes I already gave her another name to instigate my sister!) was just so happy to be hanging with all of us and truly didn’t understand the disdain of Storm and Scooby.  She was jumping on the furniture and wanting to play like it was a big party.  Even though I did soak up the playful energy projected from this short haired, pig tailed eared, clumsy, teething youngster, I was still concerned for the stress levels of my Storm.

My perfect little Thrill of the Hunt assistant! He is a great businessman & he worked at the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt Event. 8/17/13

While all this was going on, Kyle and I needed to get ready for the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt in Shadyside.  It started at 3:30 pm, which means we needed to be there between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm to set up, sell any last minute tickets and hand out brochures to continue to get our name out there.  Not to mention it takes at least an hour from Latrobe to get to Pittsburgh, depending on the traffic.

Kyle and I had the car packed and everything ready.  I am not a procrastinator, I figure why give myself added stress that I can control, when there is always something unforeseen or uncontrollable that inevitably pops up.  That’s enough excitement for me, so that’s why Kyle and I packed the car and ran through our checklist the night prior.  We also went through the same list one last time before heading out, to cross our T’s and dot our i’s.

Pap & Avery taking a nap together! 8/17/13

God has really blessed us in our new adventure.  I mean it.  Recently, Thrill of the Hunt has been commissioned to develop and administer the Discovering Greensburg Scavenger Hunt for Seton Hill University, the Pittsburgh Marathon is having Thrill of the Hunt build a scavenger hunt for the race expo, Exploring Inspiration Scavenger Hunt and for their 10k, 5k, Pet Walk in North Park this October, Witches Brew Scavenger Hunt.  Did I mention thus far, for all of our scavenger hunt events we’ve had perfect weather?  Yes!  I know the weather will never cooperate one hundred percent, but to start out and get acclimated to our scavenger hunt events, it certainly does help.

I’m ready to get the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt on the way! We had a perfect day! 8/17/13

The WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt went off without a hitch!  It’s funny, Kyle was being such a kid during the day, wanted everyone to play his card game and wanted to sit on his iPod and play games and not practice his piano or read his Lord of the Rings The Two Towers book, yet when he was in the car with me and most certainly when we got to Shadyside to set up, Kyle changed his tune quickly, without being asked.  Kyle didn’t complain one bit, he went right to work helping to set up and he even started reaching out the pedestrians supplying them with brochures.  He was supporting Thrill of the Hunt in best possible manner.  When he met with people, he shook their hands confidently and truly was the perfect assistant!  I don’t know if Kyle likes the work, enjoys being part of the company or is just innately aware I would kick his butt if he misbehaved.  But he was a great business partner and the perfect assistant!

Either way, as like most times hanging with Kyle, we had a great time!  I try to be very approachable and friendly to potential clients when I’m representing Thrill of the Hunt.  I stand by my station ready to answer inquisitive looks and comments as those unknown to Thrill of the Hunt walk by.  Yes, I stand for the hours it takes to complete the scavenger hunts, unlike Kyle.  One of his weaknesses.  To keep his body from complete shock, I had him stand with me in little spurts before he would retreat to his bench to sit and relax.  I’m fine with that, for now!

Kyle cracked me up!  During the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt, the participants not only had to figure out the riddles, but they had online challenges to execute as well.  I also had to review the online activity to see if anyone was stumped or questioning a specific clue.  Yes, so while I was greeting “passerbyers”, I was also following the online activity.  During all this, Kyle was texting my sister to see the status of the mad house back home.  Then, to throw me off my concentration, Kyle began to send me funny text messages, like asking if my legs were tired and calling me a Bad Girl (inside joke within our family due to the labeling on the butt of my sisters underwear).  Kyle was cracking me up!

Side story.  The last time I was down at my sisters, we were commissioned to develop and administer to the Discover Scavenger Hunt for a five year old birthday party.  That Friday night, after I got in, I came around the corner to ask Nicole something, while she was in the kitchen and what did my eyes read?  Yep, Bad Girl written across her underwear as she stood at the sink.  Immediately, I lost it!  I could barely say, “Bad Girl” when Nicole instantly busted out laughing, while running to the bathroom.  She was laughing so hard she had to pee!  Now I couldn’t just let something like that only be shared between the two of us, so I told my family.  Mom, died laughing!  Even dad got a chuckle out of it.  But Kyle thought it was the funniest thing he’s ever heard.  Since then, everyone once in a while we just say, “Bad Girl!”.  It cracks us all up!  Especially Kyle, who loves being in on the inside joke.

Me & Kyle promoting Thrill of the Hunt & getting ready for the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt in Shadyside, Pittsburgh Pa. 8/17/13

Well, the feedback from the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt participants were very positive.  I didn’t have a huge turnout, but enough to make the event fun.  It seems like I can’t give the tickets away for my scavenge hunt events lately, at least at present day.  Although I have a feeling, that comment will be just unbelievable and silly in the future.  Especially, when it catches on that these themed scavenger hunts are challenging, interactive and just plain fun!  Not to mention, my scavenger hunts also help to support and promote small communities and local merchants.  Win, win for everyone!

When we got back to the house, it was still standing and everyone learned to calm down a bit.  Kyle was back to being my fun little man again, especially after I was praising him for his help and behavior.  We celebrated with Primanti Brothers sandwiches and we rented The Burbs.  Perfect evening to a crazy day!

Please vote for Thrill of the Hunt!  We have a chance to win a commercial during the Superbowl!  We need all the votes!  Everyone can vote daily, so keep them coming!!

Check out the pictures / videos from the WannaBe 80′s Scavenger Hunt from our Gallery page, , and !

Follow the Hunt!

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.  ~Niccolò Machiavelli

You know I saw this video posted, over and over again on Facebook.  I will admit I did watch it a few times, just being so surprised by the content, and more surprised by the commentator.  Yes it was Ashton Kutcher, correction Chris.

It seemed like he was waiting to give this speak, waiting for the perfect time, waiting for the most influential audience, the Teen Choice Awards.  Yes the teens.  It’s like he specifically and methodically chose his audience.  Wise move on his end!

But what really made me watch and listen to his carefully chosen words, was the content, the real guts of his speech.  He purposefully chose phrases to capture everyone’s attention, yet turned those preconceived catchphrases, those arresting words into his own to really drive his point home.

Never disliking, nor never really being a huge fan of Mr. Kutcher’s, (expect I loved Punked) I would have never listened heard about his speech if it were not for friends of mine who were impressed with the actors message.  The message of hard work, using your head and living life to the fullest.  Pretty heavy topics, especially for an acceptance speech.  Kudos to Ashton for taking a stand and caring about the youth of America!

What really makes his communication impactful, is that it came from him.  The movie star him who is normally a silly goofy type of guy that seems to be a screw around and not to be taken seriously.  In all reality I bet he has worked hard and recognizes it.  He seems to appreciate good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears, especially when others do the same.

Going back to his message, and rolling it over again and again in my head, I wonder, what sparked this on?  Then to take it a step further, did he really write that speech?  I’m not saying he’s an idiot, because on the contrary I think he’s anything but.  However, it just seemed a bit heavy for him.

Although,  I do truly believe he was sincere in what he was saying.  I do believe Ashton has a big heart and is a hard worker.  Not that I have anything to go off of, I mean I’ve never met the man, I’ve never even seen him in person and I’ve never really followed any of his interviews.  Yet, I do believe he meant those words wholeheartedly.  I do believe he is humble inside and he has a strong work ethic.  I do sincerely believe he is a good person.  Despite any of his public  issues.  Of course, I believe some things are private and should be handled as such, but I guess the media doesn’t listen to me.

Wonder if making the movie Jobs opened the actors eyes?  Learning about Steve Jobs and acting his role, I’m sure was quite an experience for the actor.  Even though playing roles for the big screen, I still think actors personally change with each movie.  I’m sure they learn new ways of thinking and realities that are quite the opposite of their own, at least the good ones do, and they see life differently.  Who knows maybe it was totally unrelated, something someone said to him.  I’m sure I’ll never really get my answer, unless Ashton Kutcher shows up on my doorstep to chit chat over tea or a beer or something.  Maybe it’s personal to him?  And therefore really none of my business.  But regardless, I’m still curious.

Maybe I’m just taking this to heart because he spoke words that I have always believed in and lived by.  Anyone who really knows me, knows I’m a silly, off the wall, hyperactive artsy type.  It’s true, yet I’m also a very hard working, putting myself through college, twice, and working three jobs at one time in my younger days; and I’m a structured driven entrepreneur.  I come from a family of blue collared, physically demanding hard workers.  Even to this day, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, literally, I help my dad chop and stack wood every year.  Getting dirty and breaking a sweat in places other than a gym to accomplish a job is no big deal to me.  In fact, I appreciate it.  The opportunity to build character and have a sense of accomplishment.  Something I’m trying to instill in Kyle.

Trying not to look the gift horse in the mouth, I plan on showing Kyle this video.  It may or it may not mean anything to him, but it never hurts to use a good example when it presents itself.  I will say this with all sincerity, Kyle already knows a great brain and mind is what it takes to rule the world.  I never had to tell him, he just always knew.

The Steve Jobs movie looks really good and I can’t wait to see it.  I hope it truly portrays our recently deceased Apple genius.  Reading a few books on the innovator, I am curious what they will bring to light and what will be hidden to those who don’t care, or don’t care to really read about such a unique and troubled man.

Well done Ashton, well done!  Take the time to see the clip for yourself and really hear what he has to say.  You’ll be impressed!

See below and let me know your thoughts.

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.  ~Amelia Earhart

Jenny Singer & Me at Steerlerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. 8/2/13

I’ve always loved adventure, always!  I can turn a simple trip to the local grocery store into an adventure.  And I’d be happy to write about it and tell the story over and over again, refining it and intensifying it with each pass.  That’s probably why I enjoy traveling so much!  It’s the adventure I love, the journey, the sometimes unexpected and unknown, new discoveries, the eye opening moments and the opportunity to learn first hand.  I love it all.  So I guess it’s no surprise that my sister and I embarked on a little adventure of our own, The Piper Corporation.

Mentioning it a time or two, we started The Piper Corporation, which currently has two divisions, Thrill of the Hunt (www.ThrillScavengerHunt.com) a company that develops and administers themed scavenger hunt events for the public and packages for private birthday parties, fundraisers and business functions; and SpyRing (www.SpyRing.com) the world of spies and espionage brought to life through a simple to play educational card game for children, that reinforces scholastic school subjects including reading and reading comprehension.  Yes, that’s a lot to do and a lot to take in!  Hence, why I am focusing my efforts towards Thrill of the Hunt.  It requires less resources, we have the potential to see immediate results, it’s easier to get in the hands of the public and we have the opportunity to indirectly help small businesses and local communities.

Jenny Singer helping the kids play our fishing game at Steelerfest 2013, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. 8/2/13

Recently, last Friday, I was at Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  I had a booth to promote Thrill of the Hunt.  As part of reaching out to the Steeler fans, I created a game for the kids to play as they stopped by my tent.  After all, it’s not always about making money, sometimes it’s just as important to support the community, even if it was from a magnetic fishing game standpoint.

Creating this game just for something simple and cheap for the kids to do, I personally thought it was kind of stupid and I thought no child would want to participate.  How wrong I was!  Purchasing small random items at the dollar store and gluing magnets to them, I placed the items in a small plastic kid pool for the kids to fish.  We used Kyle’s old plastic fishing pools that I “sooped” up with larger magnets.  Hence where I got the idea.  These poles were made new again when I saw them sitting with dad’s actual fishing polls in his office.  Brilliant!  To make it Thrill of the Hunt challenging, I made up riddles for each item.  Jenny Singer, my Thrill of the Hunt Team Member, who graciously helped me out all day (including setting up the tent and our table of stuff and tearing down) read the riddles to the kids and they had to first figure out the answer and then they had to fish for the item.  What did they win?  A Thrill of the Hunt stamp on their hand.  It was a hit!  Not only were the little kids lining up to join the fun, but the young-ins around Kyle’s age wanted to play too!  I was flabbergasted and excited!

Jenny Singer working the Thrill of the Hunt’s tent at Steelerfest 2013, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On a side note, Jenny was such a tremendous help!  Sincerely, with her hard work and suggestions, the day went off without a hitch.  She is a hard worker!  Never once did I hear her complain, speak negatively about anything, heck she didn’t even take a lunch break.  She was in it with me for the long haul.  Such a great little girl.  Jenny is already a success in life and over time she it’s only going to intensify.  I know it!

Jenny Singer giving the kids at Steelerfest clues to figure out for the fishing game. Steelerfest 2013 Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On another side note, I missed my Kyle terribly.  He is always at my side helping me with functions such as this one.  Kyle is, and will always be my inspiration.  He is also a busy little man with a lot going on, maybe next year!  Although we do have the Banana Split Fest coming up in Latrobe!  I’m sure I can count on his assistance.

Thinking about it, maybe entrepreneurship is in my blood.  After all my pappy started his own business, Walter Piper & Sons Lumber, his own sawmill, like many of the Piper’s before and after him.  Pap was not scholastically smart, only finishing out the fifth grade due to a lack of opportunity and support.  I mean he could barely write his own name, yet he had something, something not a lot of people have.  I’m not sure if it was vision, natural business skills, or a guardian angel.  Maybe it was all the above.  I will say, my pap was great at math!  I mean quick!  He could add and subtract simple math, figure out decimals and add and subtract fractions like he was a calculator.  That doesn’t surprise me.  He adapted to his surroundings, and working with wood in the wood industry, you need to learn measurements and to do them without thought, with one hundred percent accuracy.  I’m guessing similar to carpenters and construction workers.  I bet if pap had the opportunity he would have been able to do higher level math.

Me & Jenny Singer at Steelerfest 2013. Sporting our Thrill of the Hunt Tees. Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On the opposite, pap had certain qualities, which were not very business smart.  He was too nice.  I know what sounds mean, but he was!  He would take people on their word to pay him, or he would shake on a deal and trust that was enough.  Pap came from the old time when those practices were honored and upheld.  The world was changing around him and pap remained the same.  My brother was a lot like pap.  They both possessed the same business sense, yet their hearts were two sizes too big and they wholeheartedly trusted everyone’s word.  I can admit that I am guilty of the same, even to this day, but I’ve learned some cruel lessons over the years to not be so blind.

The sawmill sustained for quite a few years after pap’s death, the timber industry is a tough one to thrive in, let alone keep your head above the water with obstacles in the way.  But my pappy did the best he could with the resources he had.  I can only speculate what kind of businessman pap would have been if he had a formal education.  He naturally had a marketing mind.  How do I know?  Just from simple things he did without anyone telling him what to do, like giving out baseball caps and pens sporting the company name.

Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. Thrill of the Hunt was part of the vendors & had a kids fishing game! 8/2/13

Working for oneself certainly has its benefits, equal to its challenges.  Let’s start off with my day.  I love making my own hours and not having my schedule dictated by others, at least not entirely.  I wake up around 5:00 am, go to the gym come back and get started by 6:30 am or 7:00 am.  Since I am the workforce, all design, writing, PR, advertising, social marketing, website updates, scavenger hunt planning, business development and such are up to me!  I love every minute of it!  Granted sometimes it’s hard working solo, but I do have my sister and friends to kick around ideas.

The biggest perk of being an entrepreneur?  No it’s not working for myself, and that’s not a good enough reason, nor is it wanting to be the boss making me the top dog or the leader.  Putting yourself in a position of leadership, doesn’t make a leader.  The way I look at it, my customers are my bosses and a good leader can lead in any situation.  No, it’s knowing I’m filling a niche, something new, something never been done before.  It’s giving people adventure while embarking on my own adventure.  It’s falling and getting back up and learning from my mistakes.  It’s also knowing I can indirectly help small businesses and local communities by bringing awareness to these areas.

Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. Thrill of the Hunt was part of the vendors! 8/2/13

How do I do this?  Simply, when I bring a Thrill of the Hunt Scavenger Hunt Event to an area, I create my game to crisscross around the neighborhood, bringing unknown nooks and crannies of the community to light.  I also use the small businesses as part of my scavenger hunts, driving traffic directly into their doorsteps.  My heart and soul is in local merchants and quaint little towns, couple that with my love of adventure and you have Thrill of the Hunt!

Yes, there is also the negative side of being an entrepreneur, but I would prefer to stick with the positives.  Stop by the website and peruse the Events and Packages or Suggest An Event.  I’d love to hear from you!

Remember, everyone needs to …. Experience the Game!

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say  ~J.R.R. Tolkien The Fellowship of the Ring

Gigi & Kyle on his 1st Birthday! What a journey it has been… 7/30/02

I was there the minute Kyle was born, ready to help him on his journey and now he is a pre-teenager, hitting the twelve year mark!  Our little man will be in the junior high this year, the big seventh grade.  He has reached another mile marker on the road of life.  I’m going to go out on a limb and speak for Kyle, but I think he had another great birthday.  His usual month long celebration turned into a month-and-a-half long jubilee.  Only Kyle!

Giving Kyle his fist birthday gift of the year, I sent him to Lego Camp at Saint Vincent College for a week, Bricks 4 Kidz, Kyle’s Lego Camp Birthday Surprise!.  That was at the end of June, then not long after, Nicole took Kyle for a week long road trip throughout the New England states during the ‘Aunt Nikki and Kyle’s Week of Fun!’  That Saturday they got back, two Saturday’s ago on July twentieth, we celebrated Kyle’s twelfth birthday.  From what Nicole told me, Kyle laid out his cloths the night before and instructed my sister to be up by 5:00 am so they could get on the road.  He woke up that morning extremely energetic and wanted to get a move on the day to get back.  My guess, he knew he was getting more Legos and he was keeping his eye on the prize.

Kyle’s 8th Birthday at Chef Dato’s (RIP) at the Tin Lizzy. They had a cooking party of making pizza & pretzels. 2008

Kyle is certainly a leader and a visionary, even on his birthday.  He knew how he wanted it to unfold and he was not shy about giving instructions.  Example, he told my mom that he wanted each of the dogs and my cat to be wearing a balloon.  He wanted balloons at the end of the driveway and he wanted the living-room to be filled with balloons.  He got that idea from me last year.  For his Lego birthday party, besides making a Lego cake, I filled the living-room with balloons so when he woke up that morning, he was walking into an explosion of celebration.  We didn’t quite make it that far this year, but we did strategically place balloons all around the house and on the property.

Last year, I was specifically instructed to make the cake and it was to be a Lego theme, however this year he didn’t seem to be that concerned over the cake.  Instead of going to extremes, everyone agreed on a classic, ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen, since we haven’t had one in a while.  Always a favorite during the summer heat (heck I’d eat ice-cream cake all year long).

Kyle’s 9th Birthday. I got him flying lessons. Yes he actually flew the Piper plane! 7/2010

When Nicole and Kyle were heading home, he called so many times we lost track.  He wanted to follow-up on the birthday decorating and to ensure the gifts were ready for him when he walked in the door.  He was also giving us his ETA.  What a stinker, always managing and overlooking even the smallest details!

Once they made it to Derry, Kyle called and said, in the most distraught voice, “We’re in Derry!  Oooh,  I think we have another hour to go!”  I think my sister was teasing him a bit, because Derry is only about fifteen minutes away.  Although I will admit when Kyle has his mind set on a goal within his reach, he is one focused bugger!

It was a fun day, he didn’t want to do anything except build his Legos.  Naturally, since he’s on his The Lord of the Rings kick, he got The Lord of the Rings The Tower of Orthanc, which stands a couple of feet tall; and he got The Lord of the Rings The Council of Elrond; and to top it off for a little variety he got the Galaxy Squad Galactic Titan.  I should say he was all set!  Mom had the gifts wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper.  She asked me if she should get birthday themed paper and I said, “Na, he doesn’t care, as long as they’re wrapped.”  Yes, Kyle has even told us that all gifts must be wrapped!  Once I asked him, “Don’t you think you are getting too old for that?”  His response, “Umm No!”  Point taken, enough said.

After we did the traditional lighting of the birthday candles, and belted out the birthday song, we did force Kyle to give us the condensed version of his road trip with his Aunt Nikki before we lost him to the Legos.  Seeing Kyle so happy, truly makes us all happy!  He had a great trip and came back to a perfect birthday, hanging with the family and building Legos!

Happy Birthday Kyle!  I hope your day is filled with birthday fun and you have another great journey all year!

Nicole & Kyle leaving to embark on their journey of ‘Aunt Nikki & Kyle’s Week of Fun!’ 7/13/2013

I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questions and asking for accountability.  That’s the only chance we have today to a healthy and happy life.  ~Ai Weiwei

Kyle likes being held accountable for his actions, & in turn he is fine holding others accountable for their actions too! He’s going to make a great leader!

Life brings up lessons, some larger than others,  But sometimes do we need that lesson?  I mean, to me they are just common sense.  Do we really have to teach adults accountability?  Maybe I’ve lived in a hole my entire life and this has been going on since time began, but it seems like an easy fix.  I’m talking about accountability.

You know that’s one lesson I don’t ever remember my parents having to teach us.  Probably because they taught by example.  Everyone messes up in life, in one form or another, no one is perfect.  But how you handle your mistakes says a lot about a person and their character.  Also those who are directly or indirectly involved and how they handle the situation, says a lot too.  Whether they are quick to assist and find a solution, and more importantly to forgive.

Anytime we’ve messed up, as kids and adults over the years, and there was a lot, we held ourselves accountable for our mishaps.  Each of us took full responsibility for our actions and never tried to lie about anything or get out of it.  On the flip side, my parents accepted our faults, forgave us and tried to assist us in any way.  They would never rub our noses in our mistakes and hold it again us.  Seriously, sometimes it was never spoken of again, or, if the time was right they teased a little, but never lost faith in us that we couldn’t make the right decisions.  There was trust, and that was never questioned.  We might have gotten into stupid trouble, mostly me and Ryan, but it was never malicious, never disrespectful to anyone or their property, and we never tried to put another in harms way.  We were just kids.  Kids who always held themselves accountable without question.

Now as an adult, I still screw up, but again I take full responsibility for my actions and always try to make right, like most people.  Yes, I believe the majority of the population in the world strive to do good, even though sometimes they are a bit misguided in their thinking, and yes, they something don’t choose the best course of action.  Those that are opposite are smaller in number, and again I think the underlying intent is for good.

So my question is, how do you show accountability when there is so much unaccountability displayed with our leaders?  How do I explain that to Kyle?  Heck, I never knew how to explain that to my employees regarding leaders in my own work life.  It’s true, a boss who refused to be held accountable for anything and chose to finger point for his own business.  Similar to our president?  I’ll get to that in a minute.  And you have prominent positions?  With power and authority?  And you don’t feel you need to be held accountable?  Come on people, you are setting the example for our youth!  Your actions effect us all!

The entire IRS scandal still has me in a huff.  I’m sure targeting certain groups is not a new concept (they targeted conservative groups or those businesses who supported the republican party).  That’s not right either, but their actions with our tax dollars is outrageous, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on dance lessons, travel expenses, and who knows what else.  We’re talking about employees who were living high on the hog from the start with their huge salaries and Washington perks.  Seriously, I think it should be paid back to the people, because after all, it was basically theft.  Now, it seems like there is just a bunch of finger pointing.  No one wants to be held accountable, usually making the low man on the pole the scape goat.  Stand up and be a man!  Everyone who does, will feel better in the long run.

Now I heard the IRS, the very same department of the United States of America, who have been proven to abuse their authority and basically steel money from tax payers, are now in charge to say what Medicare pays!  We are putting a bunch of number crunching thieves in charge of our health?  This has got to stop!

Of course, I guess I shouldn’t expect anything different when we have Hillary Clinton who was the Untied States Secretary of State, who would not even take accountability for her lack of action.  At least at present, Hillary was never held accountable for the attacks in Benghazi, the second deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facility during the Obama administration.  When questioned, she became hot headed and still would never claim any accountability.  It was almost embarrassing watching her sit there and skirt around the subject at hand when questioned.  The facts remain that there were a list of some 234 security incidents in Libya, of which 50 took place in Benghazi.  These incidents including hijacking, bombing, kidnapping and assassination attempts took place between June 2011 and July 2012.  Sounds like a security issue to me.  But Hillary probably didn’t have time to actually do her job and dismissed the warning signs.  She should have absolutely, without question, been held accountable immediately for her inaction.  Yet, did president Obama step up to hold her accountable?  Nope!  Yet he’ll step in and use the government to overrule a hearing involving the Trayvon Martin – George Zimmerman case, when he has absolutely no right.  That is a direct abuse of power!  What about all those innocent people who died overseas?  Some are there under his orders, protecting the United States and its people.  We’re talking about death, not just money, but death because of a lack of accountability.  Sounds like a jail sentence to me!

According to Merriam-Webster:

Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.  ~Kevin Arnold

Kyle sitting on his bed in his room (Ryan’s old room) with the quilt I made him out of Ryan T-shirts & flannels 2002

You know it’s funny how time flies.  It might sound cliché, but it’s so very true.  I can’t believe Kyle will be twelve years old in seven days, July 30, 2001!  I was there when he was born and I pushed his dad out of the way to let me hold my perfect little nephew.  True story.  I really wanted to hold the baby and Ryan said, “I want to hold him.”  Followed by me working the bundle into my arms and Ryan giving me his ornery grin.  I think it was more of joy and happiness than irritation, but Ryan gave in to let me hang with my future buddy.

Over the years, even long before the birth or our little man “stuff” seems to get collected.  Sometimes you’re not sure why you have all this “stuff” and sometimes you know very well why it’s kept, for simple sentimental reasons.  Regardless, that “stuff” does carry a bit of history with it and me being a history buff, I love to preserve history.

Ryan passed away on October 23, 2001.  Naturally, his “stuff” was kind of pushed into closets and stacked in corners.  No one really wanted to deal with it at the moment, or even months later.  Some of the piles included Ryan’s cloths, mostly his T-shirts and flannels, the staple of his wardrobe.

The majority of his attire was purchased by yours truly as gifts for Ryan.  Every time he changed the oil in my car, rotated the tires, cut the rotors, changed the windshield wipers, (the list goes on and on), I would repay him with cloths, since Ryan never accepted money from me.  Never!  It was a win win because Ryan didn’t really purchase himself cloths,.  So I took it upon myself to dress him in exchange for all is work.  He would graciously accept the articles of clothing, especially the jeans.

Tight shot of Kyle’s quilt, while it was being made. Those are all of Ryan’s T-shirts & flannels! 2002

You see Ryan was a tall lean beanpole, a strong one at that, still thin.  His jeans, which had to be Levi’s, needed to measure 29 x 34.  Do you know how hard it was to find those?  So every time I was in the store, I would raid the men’s jeans department in search for Ryan’s jeans.  This saved him the trouble of trying to find them himself,  a real scavenger hunt!

Yes, so all my shopping for Ryan, eventually made their way to untouched sad piles of fabric with an unknown future.  No matter how simple it may sound, those pieces of clothing showed their history and was a part of Ryan, every stain, every tear, every wrinkle, every shirt logo.   I mean, the shirts literally showed Ryan’s likes and interests, almost like they were a living ghost of Ryan laid before our eyes.  Some of the T-shirts were so worn out you could tell they were his favorites.  Now what?  What do I do those these simple treasures?

I had a lot of help with the final assembly of this massive quilt. Holly (Quilts by Reese) is in the lower right corner with her back turned, hard at work! Her soon to be husband to her right. 2002

Over the months of healing after Ryan’s passing, I held onto these small memories, which I had no idea what to do with.  I mean, I wasn’t going to wear them, but on the other hand it would have broken my heart to give them away or worse, trash them.  What to do?  What to do?   Then, my friend Christina, yes the same one I would run around like a bee and press cloths with our bums, (Gotta Dance!)  came to me and presented the best idea I have EVER heard!  She said, “I know what you can do with your brothers cloths!  Turn them into a quilt!”  Brilliant!!  Sincerely, the presented solution was like gold to my ears and for a brief moment, I remembered how to be happy.   Joy filled me and I couldn’t wait to share this revelation with my family.  I knew they were going to love the idea as much as I did.  And you know what?  They DID!

At the time, I don’t think Christina knew what that idea meant to me and my family.  Being in a state of loss, confusion and grief, any small ray of light was most welcome and needed!  Now, where to begin?  You see I never made a quilt before.  In fact, at the time I didn’t even have a sewing machine.

Kyle playing on the pillow I made him out of the extra fabric from the curtains I made, sitting next to the quilt made out of his dad’s T-shirts & flannels, given for his 1st birthday. 2002

Problem solved.  That Christmas my family bought me a sewing machine.  Like I said, they were excited about the future quilt.  Now I have the equipment, what do I do with it?

Over the years, I’ve sewn Halloween costumes, hemmed pants, and such, but never a blanket and certainly not a quilt.  Well, me being me, I decided to take on the challenge and make it my spring project.  It was now a mission to complete it and give it to Kyle for his first birthday.

It took me months to cut everything out.  On a side note, to actually begin cutting into these priceless T-shirts almost made me sick, but it needed to be done to get to the final goal.  Yet, it was hard.  Once I decide how I wanted the T-shirts laid out and how I wanted to incorporate the flannel shirts, then I painstakingly sowed each piece to the next to create smaller shapes.  Then, those smaller shapes turned into larger shapes until it started resembling a quilt.

Kyle’s full quilt, gave it to him for his 1st birthday. Loved how it turned out! Kyle’s dad’s T-shirts & flannels. 2002

All along the way I will admit, it became very therapeutic.  Sitting there by myself sewing for hours, holding onto pieces of Ryan actually made me feel better.  I’m not sure if it’s because I had such an intimate relationship with some of those shirts beforehand, or I was able to put my self in a different mindset, but the hard work gave me hope that things will be fine.  Never better, just different and manageable, and more importantly Ryan would never be forgotten.  Similar to writing in my blog.  Still neither are like holding Ryan’s son, the closest most dearest part of Ryan we still have.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, this perceived small project turned into a king size quilt!  Yes I didn’t have the heart to omit certain T-shirts, they were all so dear to Ryan.  To be honest, the final quit was actually larger than a king size.  On another note, I didn’t know that until I was pretty much done.  I kind of kept going and going, deep in thought until I reached the final edges of the quilt.

Holsters, Kyle’s Aunt Hot Dogs, playing with a 6 month old Kyle. 1/2002

Throughout the process, many of my friends helped me with the assembly of the quilt and supplied their opinions and advice, especially my friend Holly (Holsters).  Ironically, she now sews quilts, specializing in T-shirt quilts, as a side job.  Her quilts are far more superior than my creation.  Maybe I should have let her help more with my project.  She really has a talent with quilting, check her creations out on Facebook .  Her quilts are even sold internationally!

The quilt was by all means not perfect, not in the slightest, but that blanket was made with all my LOVE!  It was made to give a piece of my brother to his son for his first birthday.  It was made to preserve Ryan in a visual piece for the entire family to appreciate.

During the duration of the assembly, my place looked like a sweat shop. Literally!  Sitting on a stool in front of my sewing machine for hours upon hours, trying to get all the puzzle pieces together to resemble a bed covering, while maintaining the integrity of the fabric, was not an easy task.  I had stacks upon stacks of cut fabric and piles of miscellaneous remnants.  What drove me?  Kyle’s birthday deadline.

To give me an extra challenge, the end of May that year, I went on a cruise with a bunch of friends and than two weeks before Kyle’s birthday, I was in Korea.  Yes, I was competing in the World Haidong Gumdo Championships (samurai sword).  As part of my very memorable trip, I also trained and toured sections of the peninsula.  Great experience, even though I was completely off the grid and missing my little man so much!

Close up of Kyle’s quilt that I made for his 1st Birthday out of his dad’s T-shirts & flannels. 2002

Unfortunately, because of the timing of my Korean trip, I couldn’t give the long anticipated gift to Kyle on his actual birthday.  Believe it or not, that broke my heart, even though I know he would never know or care.  If I’m recalling correctly, I think I got home the day after his official birthday, but as soon as I got off of the plane and mom picked me up, we took a detour to head straight to see Kyle before heading home.  Even before I stopped to get some American food back in my system, we made a beeline to see my little man, who was already a year old.  Officially I gave him the quilt that weekend.

Kyle’s very first birthday gift from me was a homemade king sized quit, made from my very own fingers from his dad’s wardrobe.  I guess in a way, the blanket was from his dad too!

I’m really blessed to have gone through this exercise of making a quilt.  I’ve never made one since and I never plan on it.  After all, I have  to do that!  But I certainly do cherish the work I put into it and appreciate the opportunity to clear my mind.  Plus, I hope one day, Kyle will realize just how much he meant to me from day one, for me go through all that trouble and effort to make him a quilt straight from his dad, for his very first birthday.  In a way, that blanket started the tradition of giving Kyle unconventional gifts!

I pretty much try to stay in a constant state of confusion just because of the expression it leaves on my face.  ~Johnny Depp

A few years ago, Kyle and I attended the movies and naturally while waiting for the paid entertainment of choice, we were forced to watch a slew of movie trailers, one promoting a Johnny Depp movie.  I think it was Dark Shadows but I truly can’t remember.  Anyway, what threw me for a loop, was Kyle’s response to said trailer.  After he saw it showcased the premiere actor Johnny Depp, Kyle said, “Ooooh Johnny Depp!  I like him, he’s a pretty good actor.”  I just smiled.  That was such a funny and unexpected comment to jump out of Kyle’s mouth.  I didn’t even know he knew who Johnny Depp was, let alone liked him!  Although, at this point in my life, I should be acutely aware of Kyle’s attention to detail and observation.  Not to mention he’s a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and I’m a fan of the quirky actor myself, probably commenting on Johnny Depp a time or two.

Soon after that instance, every now and again, the Johnny Depp conversation would make its appearance.  Usually, due to another movie to re-spark Kyle’s interest.  He’s always commented, “I think Johnny Depp is funny.” or “Johnny Depp’s a good actor.” or “Does Johnny Depp always wear weird make-up?”  Then, usually after making Johnny Depp new again, Kyle usually finishes the conversation with, “Umm I should watch the Pirates of the Caribbean again!”  One of his stables, along with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

As the conversation makes its usual progression, it shifts slightly and Kyle tries to recall all the Johnny Depp movies.  Like he’s ever heard of Cry Baby or Platoon, but I enjoy the direction and the challenge of our interaction.  A neat exercise that includes Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Rango.  Then, I help Kyle recall a few of my favorites like, Sleepy Hallow (the headless horseman is one of my favorite Halloween stories) and Finding Neverland.  Being slightly older than my little man, I am able to recall a few more movies he’s never seen or has even heard of such as, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,  Thrashin’, and Edward Scissorhands (another one of my favorites).  Let’s not forget the show and the movie (yes he made a cameo at the end of the movie).  There are many more, but those are the ones that stand out in my head and seem to make the list within our discussions.

So I guess to answer Kyle’s initial question, “Does Johnny Depp always wear that weird make-up?”, the answer is no, he does not and he doesn’t always play funny.  Although I think he does silly well!

Two weeks ago, before the ‘Aunt Nikki and Kyle’s Week of Fun’, I took Kyle to see Despicable Me 2.  What do you think flashed across the big screen?  Yep!  Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger.  We both agreed that, that movie was on our list of must sees.  Although that lucky little bugger went to see The Lone Ranger with my sister when they were in New Hampshire, on their road-trip tour of the New England States.   Only that kid!  When I asked him if he liked the movie, he said “Umm good.”  At least that’s as much enthusiasm I get from him for anything other than Legos. So it must been pretty good.

Kyle likes the roles Johnny Depp plays.  As do I, but I also have grown up with him on the big screen.  Once I saw an interview, well let’s face it I’ve seen many interviews involving Johnny Depp over the years, but this one brought a smile to my face.  Pretty recently he was talking about his kids.  He said he loved taking his son Jack to school, but his son was not happy about the arrangement.  I had the same situation with Kyle.  Kyle would let me drop him off, but I was no longer allowed to walk him inside and certainly not to his classroom.  Forget about giving me a hug and Lord forbid a smooch on the cheek!  Johnny Depp had the same situation.  That entire conversation cracked me up!  It brought Johnny Depp out of the spotlight and into common reality.  During the interview, he was not a superstar celebrity but a dad who enjoyed hanging out and being a part of his kids’ life.  It was refreshing!

His little boy Jack had no idea who his dad is and he certainly had no idea who his dad is to the rest of the world.  Makes you realize that you never truly know what you have.  Instead of showing off his dad or really playing up the hype, Jack was pushing him away like any other child of his age.

I read another story on how Johnny’s daughter was really sick and in the hospital.  To repay the facility and those who took care of her, besides donating a million dollars to the hospital, he also visited the sick kids.  Not as Johnny Depp, but as Captain Jack Sparrow!  He spent most of the day walking around and reading to the kids as the famous captain himself.  Too cool!  What a way to give back!

Funny story.  Once, years ago when I had Kyle up to the Foggy Goggle at Seven Springs Ski Resort while snowboarding, we passed by a larger than human sized Captain Morgan statue.  Kyle turned to me and pointed saying, “Look Aiya, Captain Jack Sparrow!”   Too cute and too funny.  I just encouraged his thought.  Besides, he doesn’t need to know about the Captain Morgan Rum Pirate, at least not yet.

Maybe one day Kyle and I would be able to meet this intriguing actor, whom we both are fans.  More than that, I’m just hoping Johnny Depp keeps his nose clean, at least in the eyes of the news.  I would hate for Kyle to be disappointed by the actions of someone he admires.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!   ~Darrell Scott

Dad in Aschaffenberg, Germany with his new pistol before him & mom came home 1971

Guns!  Guns!  Guns!  When in doubt, blame the guns.  At least that’s where the finger seems to point to first, or how the media wants us to respond.  It’s no big secret that I am pro gun, pro sport shooting, pro self protection and pro hunting, as is the rest of my family.  Many agree with me on my opposition of any kind of gun control, and many do not.  That’s fine, I will carry a firearm, while the counter does not.

Having anyone perish by the hand of another human being, while using a gun or not is tragic.  Violence in any form is not healthy and is not something to be celebrated.  Yet, there are times when it is unavoidable, especially when survival instincts take over.  Obviously, I’m referring to the George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case Who Has the Right to Judge?.

George Zimmerman’s gun was perfectly legal.  It was obtained legally, it was kept legally and it was registered legally.  It was even used legally.  When someone threatens death upon you, especially when they’re punching and striking your face and cracking your skull into the cement, resulting in a broken nose, you are within your right to protect yourself.  It’s called self defense.  It’s not a malicious intent, expect to do what our brains are wired to do and that is survive.

Now that the gun law has been brought to light again, I started thinking, ‘Would anyone have died that night on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida if there wasn’t a gun involved?’  Yes!  That’s what’s really scary.  The removal of the gun, doesn’t mean complete safety.  When Trayvon Martin was beating George Zimmerman’s head into the concrete, he could have easily killed him or gave him irreversible physical damage. (not even talking about physiological damage) Does that mean we need to get rid of all sidewalks?  Stop making cement?  Could Mr. Martin have obtained an illegal gun and used it on Mr. Zimmerman?  Sure, especially with a person known to abuse drugs, and we all know that illegal guns and drugs tend to go hand-in-hand.  That wasn’t the case in this particular incident, but it’s a strong reality.

Chad, Ryan & Jeremy deer hunting. Everyone filled their tags that year! 1989

Anything could be used to kill, a tall building, a kitchen knife, a box cutter!  Granted, guns could be used more efficiently with creating more damage, but not in every case.  A plane was used in 911, killing way more people than an automatic weapon ever was capable of, without the use of a single gun.  We as people are never going to learn unless we start looking and understanding the true source of crime, of destruction, of evil.  I mean the true source, not the easiest or the most popular, but the deepest rooted problems.  The real problems that might be tough to talk about, that might not be able to be fixed overnight and would take time and dedication to solve, the darkest corners.  Yes those problems that never seem to be brought to light.  And I believe it all starts with family and family life.

This thought was best addressed by the person responsible for my lead quote.  I specifically chose him for a reason.  I felt his words needed to be heard again and Darrell Scott really hit the nail on the head and called out the source of the violence and grief, the bottom line, the real issue.

Could be my grandpap Chester or his brother, my Uncle Frank during World War II

On April 20, 1999 fifteen students died and many more were injured during the Columbine School Massacre.  Some may not realize that Darrell Scott, the gentlemen I used to quote from, was the father of two of those children who were there that day.  His daughter Rachel Joy Scott was killed.  Did he blame the guns?  Nope!  He did not.  And you might be surprised to find out that he wasn’t a hunter, he didn’t even own a firearm.  In fact, he gave a very powerful statement to a small house subcommittee when taking about the incident.  He spoke of the nature of man,  good verses evil.

He’s right we all have free will, that’s how God made us!  We choose to do right and we choose to do wrong.  Granted sometimes accidents happen and there are misjudgements, but we have to look into our hearts and see the intent.  That’s what makes all the difference, the intent.  A person who intentionally shows the good deeds he’s done is certainly not walking side-by-side with God as another who does good for the sake of doing it, not just for show.  Same goes for the opposite.  George Zimmerman’s intent wasn’t to just start blasting away, and it certainly was not race related.  It was self defense.

Believe it or not, there was a time in history when guns didn’t exist.  And believe it or not, there was still death at the hands of our fellow neighbors.  It’s certainly not the fault of the gun, but solely at the hand of one controlling it.

Dad turkey hunting…I guess it was a good day! This was before dad quit chewing tobacoo! I see the side chew

Recently, when we had an issue with our dogs Dog Gone Irony!, who ran off and got lost for a couple days, I went hiking through unfamiliar woods trying to locate our delinquents.  Before I set out, I packed my book bag with a few necessities, including my .22 pistol.  Not a large or extremely powerful weapon, yet if needed it would get the job done.  I felt safer, not from people, although if I did encounter a stranger, particularly one without good intentions I was glad I was packing heat, but my immediate concern was animals, specifically bears or mountain lions which have been spotted in the area.  Really my thought was a mama bear and her cubs.  A dangerous encounter that would be scary and could have ended badly.

As I was hiking along, making my way through brush, creeks and trees, I thought, what if I didn’t have access to a gun?  Or worse, what if they were totally outlawed?  Then, basically that decision would take my safety away from me.  It’s not protecting the innocent, the law abiding citizens.  It’s protecting those who turn a blind eye to the law, to what’s right and choose to do harm.

Mom said she saw an interview on TV with a Jewish gentlemen who is pro gun, yet didn’t own a gun, never owned a gun and never even shot a firearm in his life.  Seriously?  Yes!  He said he was pro gun because he was from a time that most may not remember or even know about during World War II.  He commented that one of the first actions set in motion when Hitler started to take power, was to take away all firearms from the Jews.  The Jews couldn’t protect themselves, yet millions died and not all by firearms.

So is gun elimination or even gun control really make us that much better off?  Or does it make us sitting ducks?

Below is a portion of Darrell Scott’s transcript:

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.

The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA.

I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA — because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies!

Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.

I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs
Your words are empty air
You’ve stripped away our heritage
You’ve outlawed simple prayer

Now gunshots fill our classrooms
And precious children die
You seek for answers everywhere
And ask the question “Why”?

You regulate restrictive laws
Through legislative creed
And yet you fail to understand
That God is what we need

Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.

Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence.

And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.

We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre.

The real villain lies within our own hearts.

Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers.

The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched!

We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.

We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes — He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!

I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.

Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!

Be courageous enough to do what the media did not — let the nation hear this man’s speech. Please send this out to everyone you can!!!

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”  And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?”  “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he forgave them both.  Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.”  And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”  ~Luke 7:40-43

George Zimmerman – Closing Arguments Held In Zimmerman Trial 2013

The entire human race sins!  Fact!  It is also our obligation to point out the sins of others and to have them answer for it, but it is not our place to pass judgment, especially after a court ruling.  Instead we should pray for one another and we should help our fellow brothers and sisters, getting them back on the right track.

Why the heck am I on this topic?  Simply because of the finger pointing, all the judgements and threats, and all the negativity and the violence and hate that has stemmed from this behavior.

Yep, I’m talking about the famous George Zimmerman – Trayvon Martin case.  Just to recap (since this blog is for my nephew to read later in life, I always try to give details to help him revisit history) on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed race of Hispanic American, fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American high school student.  The ruling was just announced this past Saturday that Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty, it was an act of self defense.

Just to get this clear from my point-of-view, that if someone, anyone a teenager or an old person, attacked me, pushed me down and began to beat my head off of cement, telling me that he or she was going to kill me, I would take that seriously.  Hopefully, all my survival instincts would kick in and I would have done the same, without hesitation!  I would have pulled the trigger.

Was George Zimmerman completely justifiable?  Yes he can be faulted for approaching the kid when he was instructed not to, but he did what he was suppose to do, he called the police first and reported the suspicion.  He didn’t just go guns a blazing at this suspicious kid, wearing a dark hoodie, milling around between houses in the rain, at night, appearing as if he was on drugs.  If I was George, I would have done the same, especially since the neighborhood was experiences break ins and violence thrusted upon them.  Imagine if Zimmerman would have just walked way and later found out that the kid killed or hurt someone?  That’s what would be running through my head, especially in the case of the unknown at the time.  I would feel it was my responsibility to step in and help take action to protect my family and friends.

As for caring a gun.  He was completely legal and within his rights to do so!  Apparently, he never really felt safe if he always carried the firearm with him, except to work.  Sometime before this case, he was interviewed and said that a robber fled the scene in his neighborhood, right through his property while his wife was home.  Yes!  That would mean something to me too!  And that would stick in my mind forever!

Let’s step back and really get to the heart of the matter.  First of all, what self-respecting child, calls another a cracker?  I would have never done that EVER!  I was taught to respect others and their property.  So with that out in the open, I would never have been hanging out in the rain if I wasn’t up to no good.  And what kid, who is innocent, attacks another?  Sure, kids will be kids, getting into trouble, but if that was me and my cousins, we would have set off running, even if we just wrong on the account of trespassing.  But never in a million years would we have attacked another, unless there was more to it, than kids being kids.  I can’t help but think, Mr. Martin was up to more than just passing through.  Of course, it doesn’t make a difference now, and that’s total speculation and not my place to judge.

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman verdict 2013

So now my next thought, why are people rioting?  Seriously?  Especially in California, the whole way across the United States, not even close to Florida.  Does looting and destroying private property make everything better?  Does damaging those hard working citizens’ businesses help you get your own way?  When did two wrongs EVER make a right?  My guess there are some deep seated issues residing in some individuals and they are just looking for an excuse.  Again back to respect.  Respect for our fellow neighbor and our brothers and sisters!  Those property owners weren’t involved in the crime, they weren’t even in the same time zone!  I think there are a lot of unbalanced people and I believe there are a lot of lackeys who thrive on violence and supply this anarchy to those in control, simply for a good show.  The media and some celebrities make that list of the guilty.

On a side note, if any of those rioters are on welfare, then technically they are working for the government.  Then, that means the government, Mr. Obama who is the leader, is destroying our own country from within and its hard working citizens.  Isn’t that like a dictatorship?  If the government insists on getting its own way, and disregards the decisions made by a selected jury and our courtrooms, that means the people truly don’t have a voice.  That means one of our branches of government is ruled by the other, our president.  In essence a dictatorship. I know that seems far fetched, but is it?

On the same thought, why is the government stepping in?  What, they have a say so to overrule the judge and the fair jury because they don’t like the decision?  Wake up people!  The government is already spying on us, they have controlled us through our finances with the IRS, which insistently will be controlling our healthcare decisions through the medicare audits, and now you are welcoming them in to overstep the decisions of a fair jury?  We are just handing over our freedom left and right because some want the government to control the legal system?  I’m not saying any branch of office is one hundred percent fair and unbiased, but don’t keep throwing fuel to the already blazing inferno.  The court ruled and that should be the end of it!

Do I feel bad for the Trayvon Martin family?  Absolutely!  I know first hand the pain that comes from loosing a family member too soon and so suddenly.  My heart bleeds for them, but continuing this quest for their own way, still does not make it right.  Yes it’s tragic, but instead of selling your soul to the government to get your own way, maybe everyone needs to step back and really look at the situation.  Although, I know it’s hard, with the grief and the shock of the verdict at hand, but it will help to find peace.

Blaming race is also not the answer.  How can we, as Americans ever get past racial violence and issues, if it’s always thrown out there.  I mean, how is the next generation going to learn this, which is a learned behavior, if it is not taught?  Stop the hate lesson, then the hate will stop!  After all, George Zimmerman was not even a white man, he is Hispanic.  And if I am correct, that race is a minority too.  So what idiot started to play the race card, my guess because there was nothing else, yet got their facts wrong?  Is there really a need to destroy other lives through violence?  It doesn’t change anything, doesn’t stop life from moving on, and doesn’t change the future.  It just makes us barbarians.

I didn’t see any rioting when OJ Simpson was let off.  My opinion he was as guilty as guilty can be.  Nope, that circus courtroom and all the lies was accepted and ruled on, and there were two innocent murders committed on their own property.  Again, completely innocent people do not act out of control, violent and desperate for an escape.  So why the famous high speed chase in the white broncho?  When I heard that ruling all I thought was, ‘Well, God will judge’.  And look at Mr. Simpson’s life since.  Not a healthy one, maybe the guilt is consuming him?

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman case verdict

Ok, may that was too long ago for some of us to really remember or care about, but what about the Casey Anthony trial?  Casey Anthony was on trail for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony in Orlando Florida.  Again to recap and refresh the memories of many, the maternal grandmother reported the child missing for over a month and said Casey’s car smelled like a dead body.  That was on July 15, 2008.  Casey gave many falsehoods as to the whereabouts of the child including telling the authorities that her daughter was kidnapped.  On October 2008, she was charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty.  Later the court ruled on July 5, 2011, and the jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child.  However she was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.  Using her credit for time served, she was released on July 17, 2011.

Was I mad?  Sure, but I also have faith.  I have faith that justice is always served.  I have faith still in our court systems, even though we know it’s corrupt at times.  I also have faith, that good prevails.  Never, did I ever even think of rioting or steeling from business owners.  Is looting an act of demonstrating or is it a selfish act for the personal gain of oneself?

Later that year on December 11, 2008, the little girl Caylee’s skeletal remains were found.  They were wrapped in a blanket inside a trash bag in the wooded area near the family home.  There was duct tape across the mouth on the child’s skull.  Did I mention that after all the lies, they were trying to prove the little girl drown in the pool accidentally?

Yet after all this, where people outraged?  Sure, but not like whats happening with the George Zimmerman case, with all the violence and damage and threats.  The Casey Anthony case was not in question of self defense, it was a blatant attempt of getting away with murder.  Yet she got off!  I was not in the courtroom, I was not on the jury, and I may not have agreed with the verdict, but I do agree with those who made the decision.  End of case, start moving on!

We need to continue to trust our court systems, albeit they are not perfect, but it’s better than anarchy and counter to radical thinking and radical actions of those on the streets.  That’s when the innocent are really going to get hurt, no matter their color.

Aunt
She isn’t my mother.
She isn’t my sister.
She’s one of the family
Who’s more like a friend.
Aunt
She has fun with me,
laughs with me,
listens to me, encourages me.
Aunt
She spends time with me,
believes in me,
shares with me, cheers for me.
Aunt
She understands me like a mother.
She’s there for me like a sister.
And perhaps best of all –
she loves me like a friend. ~Kimberly Rinchart

Me & Kyle at Idlewild for the Gutchess Picnic

My little man, what else can I say? I’ve reviewed how Kyle resembles my brother – his dad, my sister – his Aunt Nikki, my dad – his pappy, and my mom – his Gigi. There are a lot of cross over similarities and yet there are some traits that are distinctly a particular person.

Does Kyle resemble me at all? He sure does! Yes it’s true, Kyle is more of the engineering mind, but he is also a rare bread, complete with innovation, a strong personality, social skills and a  business visionary.

Obviously, Kyle’s physical traits don’t really resemble mine much. I will admit we do have the same type of skin, at least at this point in his life.  Also our noses.  We both have the perfect button noses.  A trait I’ve claimed as ours.  As for all other physical traits, you can’t even tell he’s related to me, our body types are different.  We don’t stand the same, or walk the same, and our outward presentations are not similar, not in the slightest.  If we talk about personality traits, now we’re getting somewhere!

As a baby just learning to walk, Kyle was always very structured.  What I mean is that everything had to be perfectly aligned.  Perfectly!  Kyle loved his Matchbox Cars, literally having hundreds of them. He would take the cars out one-by-one, examine them, and then line them up on the coffee table in rows. Every car was facing the same direction, front bumper to back, in perfect lines, until the entire coffee table was covered in Matchbox Cars.  That’s all he would do until it was time to put them away. Well, except if I was being ornery.

Me & Kyle screwing around with my sunglasses 11/18/03

Once when Kyle was nearly finished placing the cars, I waited for the perfect time for him to look away to retrieve another car.  I took my foot and pushed the coffee table over so the cars slid off and all landed on the floor. I know it sounds mean, but the look on his face was hilarious!  He was first in complete shock like he just witnessed an earthquake for his cars.  Then, as he noticed my foot still on the evidence, a complete realization of what just happened settled in.  His nose crinkled, his face soured, and he came over to me and begin to push my foot off the side of the table saying “No Aiya! No!”  Making it very clear that this was no acceptable behavior.  He looked like my sister when she gets angry with me!  I know, it’s not nice to tease, but it’s good to shake things up with these engineers.  Keeps it real.

Kyle not only aligned his cars but also his juice boxes in the refrigerator.  They had to be right side-up, facing front in a perfect line on the shelf. Let me tell you about convenience stores. If I would extract a bottle of water from inside the cooler, Kyle would realign the bottles making sure all the labels were facing out.  If the second bottle didn’t slide down to the front, then Kyle would help it along.  Bystanders that have actually witnessed this behavior, smiled at the precious narcissistic little boy.  I will admit, I tend to have the same disposition, everything orderly, tidy and aligned.  I do notice details, as does Kyle, and sometimes the smallest things drive me crazy.  Although, Kyle tends to be very selective with his details and neatness.  He is not always consistent but the natural tendencies are certainly there.

Granted as Kyle grows and as he is presented with different situations, he shows traits from all of us, including his business mind. Not everyone has the ability to be structured and think out of the box and use forward thinking.  My brother had a business mind, as does my dad and both equally have the work ethic to accompany such talents.  I do believe I possess these traits as well, similar to Kyle.  He has this unique thinking of setting and accomplishing goals and the ability to understand the idea of profit while maintaining the integrity of business.  A regular businessman.  How do I know?  I’m not just making a broad statement.  He has proved it through the interaction and assistance of my company The Piper Corporation (Thrill of the Hunt, SpyRing).  Yes with the little involvement he has had, he has shown me all these traits.  He is also a natural leader and he knows how to (and does without any quorums) delegate.  Once I teach him to properly follow up and address everyone with respect, and learn how to really utilize resources, he will be a force to reckon with.  I just hope I am able to instill a good work ethic and appropriate business practices with good moral intentions.

Me & Kyle at Idlewild… he is always a lot of fun at every age!  I love his perfectly round head!

Kyle’s people skills are pretty impressive!  He knows how to use his manners and speak directly to others.  Granted, sometimes he is a bit too direct, but like me, I love the candor and tend to steer in that direction.  Again as he matures, I can see his social skills tightening up and sharpening.  He already knows how to work a crowd to get their attention and to get what he wants, similar to his Aunt Heather.

As much as Kyle thinks, and he is a thinker, he forgets to think equally as much.  This behavior tends to get us both in sticky situations.

We both love to fish and I will admit, like Kyle, if I’m doing something I like, I want to perfect it and practice beforehand. Story time! Once when I was in elementary school, probably a little younger than Kyle is now, I decided to go outside and take advantage of the nice day and practice casting my fishing pole.  At the time mom had a dogwood tree in the middle of the yard.  Why is this relevant?  Because as I repeatedly cast my pole, I would caught a branch and have to pull my line out.  One would think that I would have just moved away from the tree, after all I had an entire yard.  But nope, I stood my ground until I cast my line in the top of the tree and couldn’t pull it out.   Yikes!  I didn’t know what to do.  Naturally the smart thing to do would have to cut the line.  Not me!  Instead I decreased the slack on the line and pulled the entire pole toward the top of the tree.  Yes, I let the fishing pole hang there in the dogwood tree.  Later that day, when dad came home from work, he noticed it instantly and asked no one in particular, in a very even toned voice, “Why is there a fishing pole in the tree?” I said, “I was practicing my casting and it got stuck.”  Nonchalantly dad replied, “Well don’t you think you better get it out?”  I knew I should, but for the life of me I didn’t realize at the time, breaking the line was an option, that is until weeks later when dad did just that.

Me & Kyle rocking the night away at Chad’s Wedding

Sometimes Kyle goes on his one track-mind and doesn’t bother to open his eyes to those around him.  I’m sure this will change as he grows, after all he is a sincere caring kid.  He is not malicious in anyway.  Although, I do the same, but it’s only because my mind is usually focused on other things, probably similar to Kyle’s.  At this point in his life, I would put my life on it, that it’s Legos!  Over the years, I can’t even tell you how many people would say they saw me, and I NEVER saw them.  Even if I walked right past them.  This happens a lot when I’m driving.  Hopefully, I’m concentrating on road, although I’m guessing my mind is wondering elsewhere, but not towards Legos.

Kyle’s a dreamer too.  Not just uses his imagination, which he totally does, but he is a visionary.  He always creates these grandiose ideas of how something should be, or how it will be or how it’s going to unfold.  I tend to be that dreamer too.  But I do believe that’s a great quality to have, especially being an entrepreneur.  Dreaming big is never a bad thing, just failure to act on it is.

There are so many more comparisons including the love of snow!  We both enjoy sled-riding, snowboarding and the crisp cool days.  Neither one of us like to be hot and we certainly don’t enjoy sweating, even though he does more than me.

We both love to cook and to experiment with ingredients.  Maybe more me than Kyle, but we love to try new foods and learn and understand different culture.

And like the rest of the family, there is one trait we all posses besides believing in God.  I don’t mean to omit the big Guy because to me that’s a standard, however I’m learning it’s not the case with most people.  But this time I’m talking about TRAVELING!  We are all equally intrigued by the rest of the world, new sights and the sense of adventure.  None of us has ever been afraid to explore and my parents have always encouraged this behavior.  Which speaking of, this week is ‘Aunt Nikki and Kyle’s Week of Fun!’  They are doing a road trip tour of the New England States.  How fun!  Next trip, I’m going to sneak my way in on the action!

I guess Kyle is a little bit of each of us, making him the perfect mix!  He’s a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll.  (That’s for mom’s benefit!)

Read the complete list of comparisons

Who Does Kyle Favor More, His Dad?
Who Does Kyle Favor More, Pappy?
Who Does Kyle Favor More, Aunt Nikki?
Who Does Kyle Favor More, Gigi?

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore … ~Billy Joel

The other day I heard a song on the radio, an instant blast from the past, We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel.  It was a song that dealt with over 100 different headlining topics in the world, taking place from January 1949 up until 1989 when the song was released.

Believe it or not, I remember my teacher actually dissecting that song to teach us the meaning of the lyrics.  To this day, I still remember some of our conversations based on the catchy pop song and my overwhelming understanding of the topics sang, only when we reviewed it line by line in detail.  After all, that exercise helped me realize the complexity of the world around us, at least to my young mind at the time.  Really an eye opener!

Now jumping to present day.  Are we that much different?  More civilized?  More responsible?  Did we as people learn lessons of the past?  Personally, I don’t think so.  In fact, I believe we are worse off.  I believe we are far more removed from reality.  I believe our morals and values have been skewed and have gone astray.  However, being an optimist at heart, I also see the pockets of those trying to uphold family values, those trying to maintain the virtues of our youth, those fighting for what’s right.

Watching the news is a part of my daily routine, like many others, but lately I kind of want to omit that part of the my day.  It seems that there is something majorly tragic happening everyday, and I’m not just talking about natural disasters that are unavoidable.  Believe it or not, I am ‘The Glass is Half Full’ type of chick, I also believe there is more good in the world than evil.  However, holding onto that notion and keeping the faith can be a bit challenging, especially with the persuasion being pelted at us from every direction.  It’s hard to decipher the truth, what’s real.

But what really cracks me up, are certain subject matters and decisions being made that are blatantly wrong, yet they are debated like its a topic residing in the gray zone.  No need for discussions, no need for votes, no need to for leniency, it’s just plain wrong! It’s at this point where I get aggravated when those responsible for doing harm to others and to our country are not manning up and taking responsibility and helping to find a solution to the problem at hand.  We are all human, I get that.  And being human we were blessed with freewill and the freedom to choose between right and wrong.  Therefore, making mistakes is going to be a part of our nature, yet it is not acceptable to dodge the wrong we’ve done.  It is not acceptable to lie about it.  It is not acceptable to force others to believe it’s right, especially to justify ones own actions.

With my rant out of the way, what the heck am I talking about?  I’m talking about Benghazi, where people died because of a lack of concern and reaction from the United States; I’m talking about the IRS, and their blatant targeting of conservative business owners to financially cripple them to steer votes; I’m talking about the house of horrors from doctor abortion, Kermit Gosnell who murdered a pregnant women, many infants and performed many abortions; I’m talking about Jodi Arias, and the cold blooded murder of her boyfriend; I’m talking about Trayvon Martin and the Zimmerman case, where George Zimmerman is on trial for second degree murder.

Too much!  Not just in the United States, but all around the world!  It is our duty to look out for each other and avoid those who cause harm.  Yes!  It is absolutely wrong to support leaders of countries who perform genocide, require abortions, and just plain throw around their muscle, their desire for power.

We as a society need to get back to the basics, get back to family, get back to respect and get back to simpler way of life.  This doesn’t mean getting rid of the internet or our phones.  Nope that would be like saying eliminating our guns.  The objects are not the weapons, the user and their intent is the weapon.  Start with education, start with learning and teaching respect, it all starts with family.  After all isn’t that just plain common sense?

Think about it, our society over the years has become more free with our decisions of what’s right and what’s wrong.  We have become less “uptight” and more liberal in our thinking and our actions.  We have looked to ourselves first and satisfied selfish desires instead of thinking of our neighbor and the consequences of our actions.  We are so free to dodge responsibility and look to instant results, no matter the long-term effects.  We want the easy way and not the right way.  We may not have started the fire, the war has been going on for centuries, but are we that more civilized today than we were two thousand years ago?

Actually, I don’t think so and this war that is raging is harder to fight and harder to extinguish the fire, it’s the war from within.   Seriously, the processed food, the chemicals, the hormones, the drugs and all the garbage we put into our systems, it’s not wonder our brains are miss firing!  Are we even thinking straight?  Then add on top of that, broken homes and omittance of family structure and discipline.  Then, topping it off with greed, arrogance and selfishness.  Yep a recipe for complete destruction.

I’m running out of answers for my little man.  If society continues on this path, then what’s the world going to be like for Kyle when he’s my age?  All I hope, is that he has learned right from wrong and holds true to the Catholic teachings (I’m not saying actions because again we are all human, whether you are church goer or not, whether you are apart of the clergy or not).  Hopefully by then, family life will have been restored and we will have entered a day of light.

We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel Lyrics

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray,
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio,
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe,
Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”
Eisenhower, vaccine, England’s got a new queen,
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
[Refrain] We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc,
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron,
Dien Bien Phu falls, “Rock Around the Clock”
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team,
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland,
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev,
Princess Grace, “Peyton Place”, trouble in the Suez
[Refrain]
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac,
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, “Bridge on the River Kwai”
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball,
Starkweather homicide, children of thalidomide,
Buddy Holly, “Ben Hur”, space monkey, Mafia,
Hula hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go,
U-2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy,
Chubby Checker, “Psycho”, Belgians in the Congo,
[Refrain]
Hemingway, Eichmann, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion,
“Lawrence of Arabia”, British Beatlemania,
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson,
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex,
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?
[Refrain]
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on
[Refrain]
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire

You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.  ~Brigham Young

Kyle’s 2nd day of Lego Camp at Saint Vincent College – Bricks 4 Kidz Program 6/25/13

Most people celebrate their birthday the day of their actual birth, or sometime close.  Others take a week or so in preparation and to celebrate the anniversary of their birth.  I really do neither, I’ve never been much of a birthday person.  Seriously, I could care less about my birthday, except it also happens to be my parents wedding anniversary (I was born six years after they were hitched).  Going out to eat, or birthday cakes and such never appealed to me.  Well, cake certainly peeks my interest, but not the celebration.  Yes, as a child I loved to get presents, but it wasn’t like it is today.  Even back then, I remember asking mom to stop the birthday parties.  Just not a big fan.

Kyle on the other hand is a big supporter of birthday celebrations, specifically his own.  Literally, from December 26th up until his day of birth, July 30th, he is preparing, scheming and throwing hints left and right.  Keep in mind, Easter falls between this time and he gets more gifts, not to mention his report card money that tends to go toward more Legos.  But his birthday, day, opens his eyes and fills his head with possibilities like no other.

Keeping with tradition, I never get Kyle toys or video games, basically what he asks for.  Nope!  I get him unconventional gifts.  They are items that I believe give him skills, introduces him to thinking differently, gives him life long knowledge or interests and helps him to grow as a person.  Others, mostly my parents and my sister get him the items that make his childhood bucket list of desirables.  (Happy Lego Birthday Kyle – 11 Years Old!, Flying Back to Kyle’s Ninth Birthday, Family Time Through an ipod Touch, Happy Birthday Kyle- 10 Years Old!)  I’ve mentioned it in the past about buying him piano lessons, swimming lessons, flying lessons, books etc.  So what to do for his twelfth birthday?

Starting to mill around ideas in my head back in May, which is when Kyle started to throw out hints, I really had no clue.  I’ve been known to give him a saving bond, again another practical gift to force him to save for the near future, but I really wasn’t sure.  Then, thanks to a family friend, Lori Planinsek Rodgers, she gave me the perfect idea!  Lego Camp!

She mentioned it while we were at the 24th Annual Planinsek Fishing Derby, Gone Fishing!.  At the time I just thought it might be something fun Kyle would enjoy, so I mentioned it to him.  Naturally, anything with Legos causes the kid to jump out of his skin.  Well, that is until he found out he doesn’t get to keep the Legos he builds.  Too bad!  Looking online into the programs, the light came on in my head and bingo, his birthday present was established.

Yes, another Lego even while at Lego camp – Bricks 4 Kidz at Saint Vincent College. That was his report card money courtesy of his Aunt Nikki 6/27/13

This gift accomplished more than just his gift.  Kyle always loved going to daycare (Come and Play) every summer.  He truly looked forward to hanging out with his friends and playing.  The kids not only played, but the daycare ladies  would make them bring books to read and they would have to go outside and run around and do some schoolwork.  Kyle’s days were very planned, very organized and very structured.  All the qualities that make for an enjoyable day for Kyle, truly!  Well, this summer Kyle didn’t go to daycare.  He was seriously bummed and bored!  I wish he was sent at least a couple of days a week, but nope, his summer consisted of hanging by himself at home.  That’s when I thought to send him to camp.  Granted the kid takes more vacations then any other child I know, but it still stinks to sit at home by yourself, not being mentally or physically challenged and being socially deprived.

Originally, I was going to sign him up for the third week in July, bringing it closer to his birthday, but alas that week was the ‘Aunt Nikki and Kyle’s Week of Fun’.  No good!  So I had to work backwards deciding on the week of June 24th through June 28th, last week.

Signing Kyle up for Animal Grossology in the am session (8:30-11:30) and Space Adventure – Star Wars for the afternoon session (1:00-4:00) at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, all I could think of was how excited he was going to be.

Kyle received 2 certificates for finishing his Bricks 4 Kidz Lego Camp at Saint Vincent College. Animal Grossology & Space Adventure- Star Wars 6/28/13

Keeping the Lego camp a secret, I alerted the rest of the family and I made arrangements for us both to stay at my parents house all week, which made my parents really happy.  They were looking forward to his Lego camp too for two reasons.  One, to spend the week with Kyle and two, to share in his excitement, knowing how much he loves to build Legos and being challenged.

Leading up to the birthday present surprise, I started to prod Kyle a bit, although he never really took the bait.  Probably because he knew his gift from me wasn’t exactly what he wanted.  I did tell him he was getting his gift early and it involved animals and space.  That sparked one of our dashboard silly conversations Laughing About Nothing…Dog in Space.  Throughout Kyle’s short life, you would think he would learn to trust me.  Our activities are never items he’s thought about or thinks are fun, but he can never deny he loves the gifts I get him.

One of the hints I slipped him, was that he was going to college and it was an educational gift.  He politely smiled and gave me a grunt.  Then he said, “I can’t go to college, I’m not old enough.”  Love that kid!  I told him he’s going and he better pay attention!  I could tell he didn’t know whether to take me seriously or not.  Sometimes I can be such an instigator.

Sunday night, the eve before Kyle was going to partake in his Lego camp adventure, I told him where he was going.  His eyes lit up and excitement shot over his entire body, leaving his mouth ALL night!  To be honest, I was trilled at his enthusiasm but it was getting late and I was tired.  He kept speculating on  what he was going build and what he was going to do.  He commented, how much he loved animals and told me how much he knows about animals.  Then he went into his dissertation on space and Star Wars.  It was a long night until the sandman knocked Kyle out.

Kyle his a great little guy! Check him out helping another, at the Bricks 4 Kidz Lego Camp at Saint Vincent College! 6/24/13

The next morning and all week he was up early, got himself his breakfast and got dressed, all without incident.  The first day was a bit rough, especially at lunch.  I packed us a lunch and thought we could picnic at Saint Vincent College and then walk around a bit.  I wanted to share with Kyle, some of what I remembered Father Alred teaching us about the buildings and the history when I was in the sixth grade at Sacred Heart.  (I found out that I remember very little and need to research the college again to bring back what I knew.)  Kyle was very quiet and almost blasé about his morning and kind of complained about his lunch.  Then, he didn’t want to walk around, didn’t want to sit, didn’t really care to go back.  I was in complete shock and let’s face it, irritated.  Only because I thought Kyle didn’t appreciate this opportunity.  Keep in mind it was pretty hot and humid out.

I dropped Kyle off for his afternoon class and then picked him up at 4:00.  Same attitude, same almost lethargic demeanor.  At this point, I thought Kyle was getting sick or maybe he was tried from getting to bed so late and waking up pretty early.  That is until the next day brought me my answers.

As I dropped him off for his morning session, I spoke to the one teacher to see how Kyle was doing.  She informed me that the room was really hot and evidently since it was an old building, putting the air conditioning on cool meant they were turning on the heater!  Yikes!  Kyle was sitting in not only a hot room, but it was being heated too!  No wonder he was so miserable.  The kid HATES being hot.  Not that I can blame him.

Kyle loved the Bricks 4 Kidz Lego Camp at Saint Vincent College! 6/26/13

By the time I picked Kyle up for lunch on Tuesday, it was like he did a one eighty!  He was ecstatic, energetic and completely excited to tell me about his day and what he built!  I was so happy I didn’t make a mistake with the  Lego Camp.  I did not!  It was a hit, now that the temperature in the room was bearable.

What a great week!  Everyday, Kyle and I ate breakfast together; then I dropped him off for his morning class; picked him up for lunch, which we made and ate together; dropped him off for his afternoon session and then picked him up when his day was done.  Actually, everyday except Friday, mom picked him up for me since I was getting the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt ready for the following day.  (For my company Thrill of the Hunt)  That was the start of the Dog Gone Irony!

Kyle had a GREAT time!  He not only got to feed his addiction of  building Legos, but he fed the brain too with animal knowledge and space talk.  As much as Kyle won’t admit to it, he loves to learn and discover new things and experiences, much like the rest of my family.  Lori, who introduced me to the  Program, messaged me this:

I see you’ve been busy dog hunting the past couple days, but I’m wondering if you’ve had a chance to see any of the videos posted for Bricks 4 Kidz! Looks like Kyle loved the programs! His teacher brought their entire class (5 or 6 kids) up to our class to show us how Kyle put a motor on the kangaroo (which wasn’t in the plans) and made it move – WHAT A GENIUS! I was proud of him and he’s not even mine!

Kyle surprises me all the time and makes me proud too!  He is a bright young man, that will no doubt shine in his future endeavors, whatever they may be.

He was an absolute jewel the entire week!  Seriously, the happiest and most non-argumentative child.  Everyday he came home and practiced his piano and read in his book.  Then he would watch some of his Lord of the Rings movies, watched a little TV or played with one of his many Legos.  He never complained about dinner and ate some of his veggies.  He even showered every night with little resistance and brushed his teeth without being asked, morning and night.  He was in a routine of structure, family, and good eating habits.  Believe it or not, it made the world of difference on his attitude.

I highly recommend the Lego camp or any of the offered classes!  The teachers are really great to deal with, they have such a positive attitude and the benefits the children receive are priceless.  I’m not just talking about learning to build, but the socialization, the structure, the added knowledge and the attention are so good for the kids.  Kyle was looking into other Lego classes and wants me to sign him up for more.  If he can fit it into his busy schedule, I totally will!

Thanks Lori!  You saved my birthday gift dilemma and brought so much more to one little boy than you can imagine!  You really are a true teacher through and through.

Below is a video I took of Kyle.  I creeped into the classroom, while he was still playing with his creation of the day.  The kid was in complete glory!

My little dog
a heart-beat
at my feet  ~Edith Wharton

They always say when it rains it pours.  Sometimes that’s the case, it certainly was this past weekend, starting Friday morning.

Let me set the stage.  I’ve been developing and organizing the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt all month, getting ready to launch our first Thrill of the Hunt scavenger hunt event in Shadyside.  So if you can image, there’s a lot of details and last minute items that need addressed.  All week I was unable to take the dogs, Scooby and Seven, for their daily three mile hike.  That’s my normal lunch break now-a-days.  Plus, keep in mind, Kyle was at his at Saint Vincent College.  My lunches were consumed with Kyle, going to pick him up, getting him lunch and taking him back for his afternoon sessions.  Then, the rest of my day and evenings, I was consumed with plugging away at the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Busy, busy, busy week.

Then, Friday morning rolled around.  Naturally, I was up early with my head in my work, trying to wrap some items up before having to drop Kyle off at his Lego Camp.  I knew I had to make a trip to Shadyside and meet with the participating business owners before the work day ended, and I had to send brochures to the printers, pick them up and assemble all the Thrill of the Hunt bags for the participants before the day came to a close.  Needless to say, there was a lot on my mind and I was completely pre-occupied.  I’m not making excuses, just outlining the events of the day.

Roughly around 7:00 am, mom emailed me telling me to change Seven’s tracker, the battery was really low.  We use Tagg, which is a great service for tracking our freedom seeking dogs.  Only keeping a tracker on Seven, we’ve found that the buddies travel together so no need to weigh Scooby down.  My response to mom’s email?  “I don’t have time and I’m not planning on taking the dogs for a walk today, I have too much to do!”  Mistake number one!  Then around 7:30 am, Kyle was playing with my cat, Storm, on the porch and he had the front door wide open, without putting up the baby gate.  I was also going back and forth to my car loading it up with needed Thrill of the Hunt paraphernalia.

Then by 8:00 am, we both noticed we were two dogs short!  Around that time, I had to hurry up and update the Piper Reunion postcard and send it to press, since that was sneaking up on us; my friend Holly wanted to run hills and was calling; and mom called to ask me to bring her a large bowl to work.   Yikes!  Too much to do!  Not to mention I had to get Kyle over to his last day of Lego camp by 8:30 am and now the boys are missing.

Seven & Scooby getting some rest after the rescue mission was a success! Poor Seven still had those porcupine quills in his face. Tired pups after 3 days missing. 6/30/13

Right around this very hectic time, mom emailed me giving me the update on the already known missing dogs.  She saw his last check-in was in Ridilliatown, not far from our house, but his tracker died so we really had no idea where their actual whereabouts were.  My response?  They’ll come back.  Did I mention this was when I was in route, between Saint Vincent, to Latrobe and mom’s work?

You see the dogs have a track record of taking off, running through the woods for a few hours and then making their way back home after they are good and tired and completely muddy (Dog Gone).  So who would have thought they would have deviated off of the norm?  Certainly none of us did!  In fact, we thought they would show up on the porch before dark, ready to sit out there punishment under the kitchen table.  That’s were they go when they’re in trouble.  The thinner, crappy doggie beds reside under there, making them really suffer their punishments out. (sarcasm)

Well, needless to say nightfall came and left and no signs of the dogs!  I woke up Saturday morning around 5:00 am to get ready for the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt to find the house still a little empty.  I hate to say it, but when I talked to mom, who incidentally slept on the couch so she could hear are late night arrivals, I said, “I bet someone shot them!”  Mom agreed.  I know what a horrible thought!  I didn’t say I wanted that to happen, I was just trying to be realistic and prepare myself for the worst.  That’s what happened to my cousin’s dog when we were little, it was terrible!  Jack the dog, came back with half of his jaw shot off!

Speaking of shooting dogs.  That might sound like an over active imagination and not a present day reality, guess again!  When we were going around to the local neighbors where the dogs were once spotted, a lady told us that someone in Youngstown, near Latrobe Pennsylvania is known to shoot stray dogs.  She said they shot one before and wounded another!  Can you believe it?  I understand dog owners have to be in control of their dog at all times, but come on, things happen.  There is no reason to shoot a dog!  Maybe if it was bringing direct harm to another animal or person, sure for self defense, but just because they are loose and running around?  Even if they were on your property, shoo them away!  Don’t just shoot them!  What is wrong with some people?  Apparently, they have no heart and we need to say prayers for them.

Wishing I could have stayed to help with the rescue mission Saturday morning, Kyle and I headed into Pittsburgh for the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Before I left I had time to make a missing poster and I distributed it to my social sites far and wide.  While we were in Shadyside, the irony of the situation hit me!  I was running a scavenger hunt for dogs, when ours ran away and were lost, called Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Not funny at the time, but has brought new humor.

My poor Seven. Did he put his face directly up a porcupine’s butt? At least he’s home! 6/30/13

The scavenger hunt went really smoothly and was well received by all the participants and business owners.  During the hunt, besides reaching out to our participants via social sites along with my sister, we were  also helping to spread the word, on our very own missing four legged pals.  I was taking calls, and checking Facebook, keeping in touch with my friend Tree who was following up on leads and touching base with my family.  Talk about a lot going on!

As soon as I got back to the area, I joined the search and rescue team.  Getting in the car with mom, we rechecked the the last areas the dogs were spotted, and a few areas we thought they might have gone through.  What made this so difficult was the location of our runaways.  They were running through mostly woods, even worse, mostly unfamiliar woods to me, making their appearance every now-and-again near someones house or a main road.  Even though it was extremely frustrating, each report brought a bit of hope.  At the start of this all, the last place we knew the dogs were located in Ridilliatown, early Friday morning.  Keep in mind it is now Saturday afternoon.

The sightings included:  Someone saw them together off of route 30 near Sleepy Hallow at 6:00 pm on Friday.  Someone saw them near Kingston on Friday around 5:30 pm.  Someone almost hit them with their car off of route 30 near Ligonier around 6:30 pm on Friday.  What?  How did they make it that far coming from Youngstown?

Well, later on Sunday when I hiked the woods in that area, I found out it didn’t take me long to cross the ridges through the woods, only traveling about four miles.  Piece of cake for a couple of four legged travelers.

Then God gave us another bit of hope, Dave Planinsek saw them off his property Saturday morning around 6:15 am.  Great!  They made the night.  He did say it looked like the black one, Seven was foaming at the mouth.  That would explain why the others who spotted our pups said the one looked like he had porcupine quills in his mouth.  My poor Seven!

Seven in the car after we found him, he was lost for 3 days & apparently met a porcupine on the his travels. 6/30/13

Saturday night was fast approaching and nothing, no sign, no word.  I even walked back in unfamiliar woods of Sugarbush, calling the entire mile in and mile out.  Once darkness completely took away my sense of sight, I reluctantly left the woods.  I will admit, it was pitch black and I had about three quarters of a mile to go just to get out of the woods and meet up with dad, who was on the quad.

We arrived at my parents house Saturday night, feeling completely defeated!  Especially knowing the dogs were going to have to spend another night in the woods and knowing that Seven was hurt and possibly Scooby.

That did it!  I had a new game plan.  I woke up early Sunday morning, we went to church the night before because Kyle had to serve mass, and packed my book bag.  I was going to hike all the woods in the area to try and find them.  Our logic, since no one had seen them since Saturday morning, they were hanging out in the woods.  They were injured, tired, hungry, scared and lost.

I packed up my .22 pistol, some food and water, first aide kit and a few other essentials.  I made sure my phone was completely charged so I could check my location on my GPS.  Mom was nervous since I have a track record of getting lost, (Directionally Challenged) but I had no qualms about walking around the woods.  I knew I’d pop out somewhere.  To play it safe, as long as my phone was on, Kyle could find me on Find Friends apps.  Not to mention I was using my RunKeeper app, which Tree and mom had my login information to track my last checked in status.

Breaking some of my RunKeeper records I continued on foot, while dad was on the quad and mom and Kyle were in the car driving around and checking with neighbors and putting up more posters.

This went on for hours on Sunday, it seemed like a lifetime.  When I would make my way to a main road, I would have mom and Kyle come and get me, to drop me off closer to start again.  By Sunday at 1:30 pm, I was with mom and Kyle in the car.  We decided to call dad to see how his progress was going.  When mom was talking to dad trying to outline our next plan of attack, possibly take a break for the time being, dad spotted Scooby!  We were in complete shock!  He called Scooby, and after Scooby recognized dad, he came running over to the quad, leaping up in his lap.  All dad was saying was, “Bring the car around and get him!”  I said, “Where are you?”  His vague reply was, “By the woods.”  Really?  Is this a joke?  “What woods?” I said.  Again, vaguely dad replied, “The ones we were by last night.”  Really?  Again, we were all over the ridge on Saturday.

Scooby just woke up from hours of sleep after being lost for 3 days. He was looking for his buddy who still was not found at this point. 6/30/13

Trying to get dad’s exact location proved to be as difficult as trying to find the dogs because he just wanted to talk to Scooby.  He was even asking our blond pal where his pal Seven was.

Once we picked up Scooby, who had a few porcupine quills in his face, that I plucked out, Scooby fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Then back we went to track down number two doggie delinquent.  Apparently, the one house saw them, just before dad got to their house while he was on the quad, and they tried to call the dogs over.  Scooby came to our good Samaritans, (to my complete surprise)  but Seven was scared and took off (even more of a shock, I thought the opposite).  Now for the first time in days, the dogs are separated.

We looked and looked, to no avail.  Finally, as we were ready to make another pass at the ridge in the car, we got a call from the same house who found Scooby.  Seven was in their yard!  Mom drove like lightening to get there.  Once I saw my obviously distraught, disoriented and in pain pup, I welcomed him with open arms.  He reluctantly came to me, but eventually made his way into the car, for our ride home.

Seven and Scooby are safe back home!  Seven spent Monday at the vets getting those darn porcupine needles out of his face.  I was going to try and remove them like I did once for Scooby (Scooby Meets a Porcupine), but Scooby’s weren’t in for three days.  Seven was also really dehydrated and starving.  I thought it be best to wait out the night and take Seven to the vet first thing in the am.  They weighed him and it seems he lost nearly ten pounds!  Poor pup couldn’t eat or drink or even sleep for that matter, for three days.

The boys were gone from Friday at 7:30 am and Scooby was brought home around Sunday at 2:00 pm, while Seven didn’t make it home till Sunday at 8:00 pm.  He also had to endure another night with the quills in his face before we could take him to the vet on Monday at 8:30 am.  He’s still not quite himself, but he is coming around, at least physically.  Scooby’s really stiff and his paw is proving to be hard to walk on, but he bounced right back.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to call in the sightings of the dogs, and those that tried to help completely strange dogs and unknowns owners!   Your efforts made the world of difference!

While everyone was extremely helpful, I want to give a big thanks to specific people.  One being my friend Tree.  She gave me all the updates of the reported sightings, posted on Action for Animals Facebook, responded back to posts and inquiries, tracked me as I walked through the woods so I didn’t get lost, sent us phone numbers and helped to remind me to keep the faith and reach out to my inner Wonder Woman!  Thanks Tree, you rock!  She was saying prayers and asking for Saint Francis and Saint Anthony to pray for us too.  Then there was mom’s friend Mary, who called all the police departments, local and state and reached out to specific key individuals in the area to spread the word and retrieve updates.  All of the Planinsek’s were most certainly helpful and patient with us driving around their property yelling for our delinquents, and walking and driving our quad through their woods.  The Seminsky’s went out riding around looking for beasts.  Renee Yazvec Hall’s husband and son drove around after seeing the posts on Renee’s Facebook page.  They also offered their services if we needed them, and truly meant it!  And not to mention the fellows from Frowen’s garage went looking with trucks and quads.  Thanks everyone, and those who I did not mention, some taking it upon yourselves to make calls and assist.  Thank you!

Although everyone in the surrounding areas were more than helpful, a big kudos goes to PJ Self and his family.  That young man, saw the dogs and let us know.  Then joined our rescue team on foot and ran through the woods and made a huge circle to look for Seven.  He actually ran.  Seriously, I mean he actually ran!  He even kicked up some deer, I saw them leaping like gazelles through Steiner’s field, while PJ ran along the tree line, miles from his house!  We never asked, he just wanted to help out.  Thank you so very  much!

Thinking about it now, I wonder if our boys learned a lesson?  Somehow I doubt it!  But for now they are safe and sound!

I think careful cooking is love, don’t you?  The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give.  ~Julia Child

Kyle hanging with the Star Wars Boba Fett or Janko Fett at LegoKidsFest 2012 in Pittsburgh

My family is like many who enjoy cooking and cooking together.  We really don’t eat out a lot, hence the congregation in the kitchen when hunger pains arrive.  Seriously, we don’t even really eat fast food.  In fact, the only fast food joints I support when I am in a pinch, or if the graving takes is Chick-fil-a, their service and friendly demeanor is always awesome and contagious, not to mention I love their chicken; or SubWay, when I need serious food and I want to control what is put on my sandwich; or Panera, when I’m looking for better tasting quality food, quickly; or Jioio’s when I want my thin, slightly sweet crust pizza; or any other pizza joint for that matter.  Every now-and-again I will make my appearance at a 5 Guys Burger & Fries or a Sonic or a Dairy Queen, but again that’s rare.  Nope, eating out is a rarity not a daily choice.  I was raised that way, and so I continue to keep the tradition.

I’ve said it before and the same still holds true, I enjoy cooking, especially with Kyle!  No matter if we are talking about breakfast, lunch, dinner or a simple snack, cooking together always makes it more fun!  Kyle really likes being in the kitchen, but he prefers to develop his food with the assistance of others.  Not that I can blame him, cooking together is way more fun and sometimes exciting when we start experimenting with ingredients.

In the past, cooking was a way for me to reinforce Kyle’s reading and his math by making him read the recipes to me and forcing him to figure out the measurements himself.  (Inner Conflict, Egg Sandwich Spectacular, Healthy Smoothie Sunday) Not to mention it was a great way to introduce him to different dishes, expanding his pallet and to teach him about the health benefits of specific foods, or lack there of in some cases.  Yes, I don’t always make the healthiest of dishes, but at least I am aware of what goes into the items I consume.

Kyle & his pappy getting ready to mentor deer hunt. We eat a lot of deer meat throughout the year. 2012

Same goes for Kyle.  I have always stressed the importance of eating healthy, however I have also demonstrated the moments of weakness and giving in to temptation.  When I splurge and steer clear of nutritious foods and swap them with junk food, I am also aware of how much I consume and how often.  Not to mention I have always lived by example to burn off the food through various exercise.  I’m not saying I am the poster child for physical fitness, but I do try and make a conscientious effort to demonstrate good healthy behaviors to Kyle.  I’m not saying he completely listens to me, but I know the information is being stored up in his cranium cavity…somewhere.  It’s my job to guide him in the right direction, even if I’m pushing him up a very steep hill.

This week has been wonderful, spending every day with Kyle.  For his birthday, I bought him two Bricks 4 Kidz Lego Camps at Saint Vincent College.  He’s been going all week with a morning session and an afternoon session, allowing us to hang out together for lunch.

A rare treat at IHOP. Kyle wanted caramel hot chocolate. He was reading the Hunger Games while enjoying his dessert drink! c. 2011

All week we’ve been doing breakfast, lunch and dinner together!  And you what?  He has been eating healthier.  I’ve seen his improvement over these few short days.  When we cook together and eat together, Kyle is making better choices with his nutrition.  Plus, having the right foods on hand is a big part of it.

Everyday, he gets to help pick out what he wants for lunch and every day we make the meal together!  Like I said he loves being in the kitchen, helping to prepare the food, cut, stir and flip.  When we’re done, he is truly proud of what he’s made and knows I approve of his eating choices.  This situation just makes everyone happy!

Speaking of happy, Kyle has been seriously energetic and upbeat!  Keep in mind he’s been building Lego’s every morning and night, and this week, one of his rewards for his great report card came in the mail, in the form of another Lego.  So those certainly can sway a child’s attitude, but it also has to do with what is digesting in his gut.  When y0u eat right, you feel right!

Example, Kyle used to like vegetables when he was little.  Then all of a sudden he refuses to eat them, even though I know he doesn’t hate certain veggies.  One day this week, Kyle and I made a huge salad, per both of our suggestions.  He helped me chop up the salad stuff including the carrots and mushrooms.  More importantly, he was excited to make the salad large enough so his Gigi and pappy would have some for dinner.  He not only ate one salad for lunch, but he ate two and then one for dinner!  Granted it was coated in French dressing (low fat), but it wasn’t covered in cheese and no croutons made their appearance.  Just good old fashioned vegetables.  He LOVED the salad and was proud of what he made and his choice for consumption.

I am still amazed over what a difference a few days make, when choosing to eat correctly!  Granted, he does eat pretty good on the weekends, but a lot of the time, that’s our cheat days, which unfortunately is just a continuation of Kyle’s normal week.

Sometimes Kyle tells me what he’s had during the week, and although it sounds fine, the food items he eats are all processed crap.  Full of fat, sodium, not to mention the extra junk they throw into food bought off the shelves that alter our natural body’s chemistry.

The more I learn, the more I’ll continue to teach Kyle and try to live by example.  After all, it’s my job to fight for his health as much as it is for his spiritual well-being and his brain development.

Wander what he wants to eat for lunch today?  I can’t wait to pick him up!