September 2021 - Page 2 of 2 -

What’s your name?

For my Mom and Dad’s 70th anniversary, my sons Kevin and Jeff decided to surprise them by travelling to Chicago for the weekend. Certainly the distance limits how often we are able to visit, but the pandemic stopped all the visits. So Kevin and Jeff have not had the chance to see their grandparents in person for a couple of years. Watching them talk brought me great joy.

After Jeff and Kevin left the first night to hang out with cousins Tom and Mike, my Dad said to me, “I think I asked Jeff his name.” Then he followed up with, “Jeff must think I am an idiot.” I assured my Dad that that was not the case.

I texted Jeff, and his response was, “Yeah, Grandpa did ask. First he asked what my name was and I said ‘Jeff.’ And then Grandpa asked ‘Jeff who?’ I thought he was messing with me, but I answered ‘Beatty.’ It surprised me. I could have handled it better.”

Know that my parent’s minds are in great shape, and yet when you are in your 90’s you now and then forget things. (I forget things right now. ) Also know that Jeff thought his Grandpa was messing with him, well, because his Grandpa would sometimes mess with people – joke around with them. That this misunderstanding took place was really fantastic to me. It acknowledges who each of them was and is. It shows the reality and uncertainty of aging. And it is an example of the grace that people can show each other as things change.

And when they met again the next day, they each greeted the other with, “Hi, Mr. Beatty.” Perfect.

Glamour Shot

Mary Beatty at 91, and as St. Laurence Mom

My Mom was involved. Involved in church and school at St. Bede’s Parish, and in the Mother’s Club at St. Laurence High School. Her model of service has certainly guided me to be a part of my community.

The St. Bede Altar Guild was a service/social organization for women of the parish. During my recent visit to Chicago we enjoyed pizza from Vito & Nick’s, and Mom recounted that after the St. Bede Altar Guild meetings, the “meeting after the meeting” would be held at Vito & Nicks. (Best thin crust pizza in Chicago, by the way, to this day.)

As for St. Laurence, the Mother’s Club always had schemes (events?) to raise money for the school. Among them every year there was a dinner with a talent show sort of program, and the Moms would sing and dance. The picture Mom is holding is one of the glamour shots that were taken of the performers for the program. Gotta be fun, right? What I would pay for a video of any one of those shows.

Sharpshooter

The Armed Forces drafted my Dad at age 18. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Jim, Dad enlisted in the Navy. Or my Dad tried to enlist. You see, his eyesight was poor, and he was rejected by the Navy at the recruitment center. But Dad was determined to be in the Armed Forces. So he arrived 4 days later at the same recruitment center and enlisted in the Marines. But this time he knew the process of moving from room to room with his paperwork, and he was accepted that day into the US. Marine Corps. He recounted, “I might have memorized the eye test, and there may have been a pencil with an eraser involved as I moved between rooms.”

My Dad is quite proud of his service as a Marine. He served in China and spent time in “Peking,” he believes, because he was able to type. But he is most proud of qualifying on the rifle range as a sharpshooter, despite his poor eyesight. His good right eye allowed him to shoot well enough to qualify. By the way, sharpshooters earned an extra $3 per month, so his monthly pay increased from $50 to $53. Hope he did not spend it all in one place.

A Gathering of the Vaccinated

An outside gathering for John (red check) and Mary’s (blue striped sweater) 70th Anniversary

My parent’s joy beamed from their faces as guests arrived for what started as a small informal dinner to celebrate their 70th Anniversary. Nineteen attended, most expected, but some including me from Texas and sons Kevin and Jeff were surprises. Seeing my Mom’s mouth agape when Kevin (Florida) and Jeff (Texas) walked into their home – priceless. Just I loved seeing cousins and other family members who we just have not seen in, let’s say, a pandemic.

And there it is, a pandemic. The pandemic that scuttled a 90th birthday party last year for my Mom that would have gathered the entire family, keeps us at a distance, and has us worried for our lives. And even with all the vaccinations, there is still the feeling that maybe the gathering wasn’t so smart. Why put us all at risk, even a lessened risk with our vaccinations? Maybe the answer is joy, connection, and love. For me, I hope God graces me with many more years for that joy. For Mom and Dad, their joy was palpable yesterday, and for that I am very happy.

Dancing Penguins 1996

So wonderful to have nearby cousins, and we were blessed to live close enough to the Wenzel family to share dance classes. We lived in Wisconsin at the time, us in Waukesha and the Wenzel’s in Brookfield. It was a magical time – and also the cutest time when you see them in their little penguin costumes, doing their best to tap dance.

When my brothers and sisters and I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, with few exceptions our dozens and dozens (…and dozens ) of cousins were nearby. That meant that we were always getting together. Just imagine the Baptisms, First Holy Communion, and Confirmations for that crowd. Gatherings on the weekend with extended family was just what we did. I moved away from Chicago after college and others did the same for job opportunities, taking away some of that weekly/monthly interaction.

Bridget and Becca are the fourth child of both the Wenzel and Beatty families, and as you can see very close in age. Each child is close in age to one in the other family. Though now spread across the country, all it takes is a gathering of any kind and the years and distance melt away for the cousins. And the good news is that holds true even for my children’s cousins who we were not able to live nearby.

Bees on the Move

The hives inching toward their new locations

Bees like sun. And small hive beetles don’t. So my hives are moving to those concrete pads you see in the pic which will be in the sun all winter. This sunny location will limit the ability of small hive beetles to thrive. That I need to control pests in my hives is one of the many things I have learned since the bees arrived on May 29.

“So, John, just move them,” you might suggest. Except that you can only move hives less than 6 feet at a time or the bees cannot find their way back to the hive. Since I have 2 hives that are close together that both need to move, and mostly because I do not know any better, I am moving them about 12-18 inches per move. And since I only get into the hives every weekend, this move is taking a while. Had I only known about this small-hive-beetle-thing on May 29…

Of course, the bees needed to get to me, and that is a move longer than 6 feet, right? Move the bees more that 3 miles – their foraging range – and they realize they are somewhere new and re-orient themselves to their new location. Amazing.

Thank you to Bridget who designed my logo in homage to my new hobby. And so on this 4th post, my blogs have been about me in the 70’s, my kids in the 90’s, my parents in the 50’s, and these bees from yesterday. I am sure I will get into some sort of coherent groove at some point.

Happy 70th(!!) Anniversary

Sep 8, 1951: Bea & Joe O’Grady, Mary & John Beatty, Anne & Jim Beatty

My wonderful parents Mary and John Beatty were married on Saturday morning Sep 8, 1951 at St. Ethelreda Parish in Chicago, Illinois. After the ceremony, the family went out to breakfast, and then the reception was held that evening in the O’Grady basement at 87th and Wood, were many parties with music and singing were held over the years. My Aunt Kay Crotty was Maid of Honor and John Porter was Best Man with a wedding party full of my aunts and uncles.

Nonagenarians Mom and Dad live today at home in Palos Heights blessed with a long, happy and healthy life – though either of them might argue with me about “healthy” these past few years. That said, they are living at home, are mobile with the help of a cane, and are mentally strong.

Mary and John have a large extended family with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We love them, and they are a great model for us showing grace in aging. Happy Anniversary! (I’ll post a current pic next time I am in Chicago…)

First Day of School, 1995

The first pile of polaroids that I picked up to scan were from 1995 and 1996, and this is appropriate to show with 2021 school just recently started. The boys headed to school in Waukesha, WI. Bridget just wanted to be in the picture. We had recently moved from Racine to Waukesha to a home that could house us.

In the background hangs a sign that says “Watermelon 5 cents.” That very sign hangs outside our Texas home right now in 2021, 26 years later. So for as much stuff that I claim to throw or give away, some linger on.

These maskless first-day photos are a stark contrast from photos this year and last. The school kids really are feeling the burden of the pandemic, and I pray that we get back to whatever normal is going to be, for their sake.

Writing, finally

My MicroSoft Team’s online meeting photo when my camera is off – I think around 8th grade. Super-awesome leisure suit made of jeans material with bell-bottoms plus long hair, and of course the wide white belt. I wish I had some game, any game at all.

I have been considering how to write, somehow, some way. So with the aid of my newly acquired Epson FF-680W auto-feed photo scanner, I aim to do that via this blog. While I am writing for me, I hope others find it interesting or amusing.