"CAN YOU GO HOME AGAIN ?"

607 Maple Street   Fostoria, Ohio

A (very) few readers will immediately recognize this address...  It was Ed's home address growing up in Ohio! However, Ed recently visited the very house in which he grew up !

Yep... last month, I (Ed) had the opportunity to travel back to my "Roots."  Thanks (again) to son Hans' generous sharing of 'flight miles,' I had the joy of flying to the Midwest for my 50th Year Reunion of Fostoria High School, Class of 1964.

And, to use a '60's expression, "What a trip...."  But: "Can you ever go home again??"   

--Well,  YES... and then again,  NO....

First:    "YES, you can go back..."

I traveled to the old home town of Fostoria in the middle of Northwest Ohio. Driving down Maple St. to number 607, I introduced myself to the present owners-occupants. Nice couple with four school-age kids!

I am SO pleased that a family with kids is once again living there! They moved in only recently after working on it themselves for months! (He's a Contractor ...no surprise.)

The present occupants: Dad (left, w/ watering hose) and the four children

Among many other things, like new siding and re-painting inside and out, they replaced all the house's wiring that our Dad had installed! He used only electrical tape to cover hand-twisted connections. (I remember once asking, "Dad, is this safe?" His only response: "...What d'ya mean? The whole house is this way!")

It was a poignant moment: Years melted away as I saw ...the front porch w/ its railings, ...the large planters, ...even the porch-light & its house-numbers...

...exactly as they were years ago when we helped our Father to build-install them!

BUT:   "NO, you can't go back..."

In so many ways, Fostoria has REALLY changed over the years! It has suffered the fate of so many "Rust Belt" manufacturing centers throughout the mid-west.

Once over 17,500 population, now it's barely 13,000.  The location of my old high school is now a "Kroger" supermarket/parking lot (new schools are out by the cemetery ...symbolic?).

So many of the downtown buildings are now either green space or parking lots. Larry's Market is now a Taco Bell location. The old Lake Erie & Western RR tracks thru downtown are gone. Whitney Drugs and Edison Drugs...gone. The State Theater... gone.   Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

AND, of course, while I was in Fostoria, I had to make the pilgrimage...

...Our Great-Great-Great Grandparents, Jacob & Agnes,

who moved to this part of Ohio back the early 1800's...

 ...our Parents, Verne and Lavonne, married for 57 yrs, 10 mo.

There is a LOT more, which I will share in upcoming Posts in the upcoming days and weeks, including a beautiful boat ride on Lake Erie, where I first learned to swim.

 So check back! 

 --Ed 

 OUR NEWEST GRANDCHILD!

It's a Boy!

 OOPS! ...The "Baby-Boy" is "incognito" here!

This, of course, shows Anne Marie and 3-yr old 'big-sister-to-be' Olive Rose,

a few short days before the birth!

Here he is!  Clay Felix Levine, new-born on September 15, with Grandmother Karen.
He is less than one-day old here.

  ...isn't he the cutest?!

Glad to report that after the (planned for) cesarean birth, Mom- Anne Marie, Papa- Aaron, and young Clay are ALL home again and doing Great!

More to Come! 

--(signed) Pleased, Proud Grandpa and Grandma Purkey

"ALTERNATIVE" MUSIC

"...Funny" maybe, but also kind of sad...

You see, for both of us (Ed & Karen), "live" music has for all our lives been a source of expressing the un-expressable: of making joy, lament, questioning, and so much, much more rise up into the skies; even to the ears of God.

We are sharing several VERY UNIQUE and wonderful music 'videos' with you! We think you might really enjoy them, hopefully, and appreciate them as we have.

First, "Organ Pipes Come Full-Circle!" You see, inspite of the claim of the guy at the opening of this video, organ pipes sound their notes in the same way as a pop-bottle does when you blow across it. ("soda-bottle" for you non mid-westerners). For the pipe organ, however, the instrument has compressed air from an air pump blowing across finely tuned pipes, instead of someone's lung-powers blowing across a partially filled bottle.

The use of a church nave for the setting in the following has to do w/ the desired acoustics...

Organ Pipes Come Full-Circle

In the following, Lithuanian composer and conductor, Mindaugas Piecaitis edited a few videos that showed a cat 'pawing' a piano. He then composed a wonderful and restful piece of music, in the Modern genre, to accompany parts of the cat video. Enjoy his “Catcerto."

"Catcerto" by M. Piecaitis

Finally, Karen recently came a Praise Song that has moved her heart. Entitled "Overwelmed" by Big Daddy Weave. ("Where do they ever find these names?")

"Overwhelmed" by Big Daddy Weave 

 (By the way, "Big Daddy Weave" is the 'big' guy in the video w/ a little beard.)

 

ED's NEW JOB!

or:  "Let us Break Bread Together..."

Ed in front of his Van

This past Spring, I (Ed) was walking into our favorite Bakery across the street from the Sonoma Plaza. ...And saw the printed sign in the window:  

"Wanted - Bread Delivery Drivers. Apply Within."

...and to my own surprise, I Inquired within!

Inside, the only thing they first said was, 

"You need to 'shadow' one of our present drivers. Can you come in Monday at 4AM...?"

Well, to make a long story short (and to my own amazement): I rise at 3AM(!) 2-3 days/week
and head to the Bakery, passing Manuel busily working the ovens (below, so busy he's a blur!)

 Out into the front room, where my load awaits me- -     

All those bags/boxes are full of 30+ varieties of bread 

for me to sort for the each of my 17 possible delivery destinations.

 After 90 min(+/-) of organizing, boxing, and loading my van, I drive off 

into the sunrise...  over the hills and into the beautiful Napa Valley.  

...see Blog Heading Photo, above...

(Full disclosure: In the picture, the sun is setting, not rising)

Some of my stops are at Retail Markets, where I stock the shelves--

Others involve delivering to Restaurant Kitchens, numerous in Wine Country--

And still other deliveries go directly to one or more of the wineries hosting a special event--

Of the seven separate delivery routes that the Bakery runs,

...I think I 'scored' !

--Ed

PS: At the end of the shift, I get a free loaf of fresh bread to take home.
...another 'score'!

...For more about the Bakery, Check out this WEB SITE

Ed in Europe - Part 10

Colorful Burano ...Some Personal Reflections

On Burano Island (across the bay from Venice-proper)

We really enjoyed a side trip to one of the more colorful villages in Italy.  Our Competitour Challenge was to find the house in town w/ the most colors, which is --

 ...really now, would coming home to this ...be restful?

 And if Burano's Church Spire looks a little tilted left, it's not an illusion, because it is!

The whole area of Venice is slowly sinking ...due to high water table.

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This whole adventure was like crossing a variety of "bridges" in my life...

 ...me on a bridge in Butano, Italy
 

** First of course, is crossing Seeing Europe off my 'Bucket List.'  

I was the only one of the 20 on this tour who had not seen Europe before (including the 3 teenagers). Most were surprised that I made this as my first trip. You see, while we did travel to some of the traditional Grand Tour sights, this obviously was not a traditional European sight-seeing tour.

But for me, it nevertheless was excellent! I got to experience the places, not just see them. (Note: I have received no remuneration from "Competitours, nor was I asked to write about them. By the way, check out another Competitours' group member has to say about the experience:  CLICK HERE )

** A "Bridge" I crossed was the golden opportunity to travel w/ our son, Hans; more fully knowing him as an adult, not just a grown-up version of the kid whose diapers I once changed.

... a 'selfie' in Ghent, Belgium

Our weeks together went beyond just 'male bonding.'  We both experienced a care, even a respect for one another as mature men. This is a Father-Son happening too rare in our our world.

** Another significant 'Bridge' that I crossed was the capability to go outside of my comfort zone: far beyond navigating in a foreign culture.

 

Hans, in blue hat on right, is not in a door. The Venetian street continues on thru the tunnel behind him!

For instance, at the Via Ferrata in the Swiss Alps: to cope with the fear of heights, while searching where my next footstep would be on the face of a sheer cliff; to appreciate the spectacular views, and not the fact that only two carabiners kept me from death. 

One of our travel group members, Laura, is a professional writer and vidoeographer. I highly encourage you to check out a Web Page she put together with a great video. Click on this link   VIA FERRATA

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Near the end of our time, Hans & I visited St. Marks Cathedral in Venice.  It was wonderful to discover a chapel there reserved for only "For  Prayer, not Sightseeing" (as the sign at the entrance stated).

After some prayers, we climbed up into a loft where the cathedral's mosaics had been constructed and where artisans still perform repairs. There we viewed some mosaic sections; though the section has survived, the entire mosaic of which it was part is unrepairable (the church is 1,000 years old).

Having already seen so many crucifixes and similar brutal portrayals of our Savior, so typical of medieval artists; a centuries-old mosaic in a corner transfixed me! 

It was entitled:  "Christus Emmanual"  (in Latin:  "Christ:  God-Who-Is-With-Us")

Note the expression of Christ portrayed here:  A sympathetic, smiling Man with large, clear eyes and somewhat exaggerated ears...  Someone who would sit and listen to you as you pour out your soul.

One who fulfills the Messianic descriptions in the Word:

He will be gentle-- he will not shout or raise his voice in public.   He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth.  (Isaiah 42: 2-4)

For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us, but has been put to the test in exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin.  Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.  (Hebrews 4: 15-16)

And this trip reinforced one important insight of my Christian Faith: That God is not one "who lives 'way out there, who doesn't care..." That regardless of where we are, what we've done:  "GOD IS WITH US. ..ALWAYS".

 
Thank you for letting me share about my trip to Europe in June, 2014. 

It was a life changer for me!

--Ed

Ed in Europe - Part 9

Venice -- "Behind the Tourist Spots"

Many folks from all over the world visit Venice, its canals, gondolas, etc. etc.  Thanks to our "Competitour," we had the unique opportunities to go over to "other side of the rope" at several spots.  

E.G. Instead of just seeing /buying some Venetian glass, we got to blow /sculpt some glassware under the tutelage of an expert glass-maker.

Here I am at the entrance to Vetreria Artistica Colleon --

The same family has been making glass for 400+ yrs(!) on Venice's Murano Island. Inside are many galleries of their magnificent glass works. Here is Hans w/ some of our group in one of the galleries --

But unlike all other visitors, we received instruction from a master and had the chance to "sculpt" some molten glass for ourselves. Here I am working under the signor's direction (he's on the right), attempting to sculpt a 'fish.'

 Note the orange glow of the molten glass balls on end of rods. The open glass-furnace is on far right.  The place was hot! (By the way, my 'fish' was a mess. We now really appreciated the skill as well as the artistry involved!)

Here are some glass mosaics that Hans and I hand-crafted while there --

ANOTHER unique opportuity was not only to learn about the centuries-old tradition of fashionable-face masks in Venice, but to go into a workshop and learn how to make them!  Here are the fruits of Hans' and my efforts --

Hans' facial cut he received while 'Alpine Coasting' in Switzerland earlier in the trip had caused some of the folks to call him "Harry (Potter)". That explains the mask he made (lower left). About mine? (lower right)  While I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dog, it had more to do with the fact that in general, I just love dogs.

Well Folks, That's all for now.

In the the next and last Post about my special trip w/ Son Hans to Europe, I'll finish up Venice and share a few reflections... especially what I learned about myself... and life...

--Ed

 Ed in Europe - Part 8

Next Stop: Rome !

Hans at the Tiber River Bridge in Rome

We traveled next to the "Eternal City" where we not only saw some sights, but got caught up in some actual gladiator training!  Again, this was a Challenge on our "Competitour."

You can see that I am so intent on catching that gladiator with my net,

that I've lost my blue hat!

We did have some time to see St. Peter's in Vatican City...

...throw a coin into a Roman Fountain...

...stop by the Pantheon... 

(For a perspective, that's Hans in the red shirt.  ...It is absolutely amazing the scale of the engineering that they did in the ancient world, w/ only hand labor.)

...AND, of course, the Coliseum...

Our next, and final stop on our Competitour is Venice...

Our Hotel in Venice is on the Left side of the canal, behind the man in the light blue shirt.

We'll be wrapping it up in the next Blog or two...

Check Back!

--Ed