Electric or Gas

About a year ago, I installed 14 solar panels on my roof.  They do a pretty good job.  I still pay a little for electricity, but the panels produce the overwhelming majority of the electricity we use.

Right now, I have a full house.  That means we average 6 or more people in a week and about 3.5 dogs.  I say this because besides myself, there is my wife, mother-in-law and two daughters.  One lives here a bit over half time and the other half at their boyfriends parents.  Her boyfriend is here about half time.  There is a niece with a newborn that comes here to work remotely about 8 hours, five days a week.

You might wonder why I would mention dogs.  First we have three full time dogs.  2 Outdoor medium sized mutts, and one indoor psychotic mutt that is half Chihuahua and half Jack Russel Terrier.  Finally, my daughter and her boyfriend share a dog that is half Doberman.  I think the other half is Rhodesian Ridge Back.  It is a huge dog and is usually in doors cause of issues.  So why do I count them, because the remainder of my family seems to think that the big dog needs to TV running when we have to go out, so the dogs consume electricity.  Even the two outdoor dogs often have music playing to keep them calm.

At some point we will go from a full house, to an empty nest where it will be just my wife and myself and I am wondering what to do about electricity and gas.  First, we will be producing more electricity than we will be using and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is required to buy our surplus electricity and pay for it.  I can't wait for that first check from them.  I am going to get a picture of it, frame it and hang it on the wall!  I want everyone to know they finally paid me, instead of me paying them.

After that, then what?  I still pay for gas.  I buy my gas from another company, but it is sort of a joke.  PG&E still charges for using their pipes to deliver the gas and that costs more than the gas does.

So I made a list of the things I use gas for:
Wall Heater
Stove and Oven
Water Heater
Dryer

Gas is still cheap, so I always have the option to just continue using gas for these things, but I will be producing more electricity than I consume, so here are some ideas that I have come up with:

Heater - I have a pellet stove in the living room, so that may be my answer.  There is a full heat pump (Electric heating and air conditioning system that is in the Sun Room and my In-laws bedroom.  At some point, we may need to move into that bedroom cause it is not up half a flight of stairs.  If I want more heat, I already have an nice electric space heater.  It is one of those oil filled radiators.

Stove/Oven - I really don't like electric ranges, but I hear the induction ones are very nice.  My wife already uses the toaster oven more than the gas oven, so we might keep it that way.

Water Heater - Is much larger than we need.  I might get two small ones, one for the upstairs and one for the down stairs and just turn them on when we need them.  I am thinking of doing that soon for my mother-in-laws bathroom now.  I could add a solar water heater.  The technology needed is so simple, even I can design one.

Dryer - We did have an electric dryer in the past when we rented.  It was ok, but not great.  I image they have improved over the years and we are willing to set up a clothes line in the backyard and drying racks in the sun room.

I still want to improve the insulation in the two attics we have and probably put an awning over our bed room window to keep it from getting too hot in the summer.

Those are my ideas for now.

30th Anniversary - Cruise to Alaska

Day 1 (Saturday)  We flew from Oakland at 9am to Seattle.  For the first time on a vacation for us, we did not have to get up at 4am and go to San Francisco.  We arrived into Seattle, and took the hotel's shuttle to the hotel.  We Stayed at the Best Western Executel near the airport.  I thought for sure that we would have to check out luggage, so I told the clerk that we were there for our 30th anniversary.  We were able to go right to our room!

I had made reservations for a dining tour.  We took the light rail to Pikes Market.  The tour consists of visiting 6 different restaurants.  Walking to each one, while our tour guide tells us the history of the area.  You definitely walk off anything you eat.  We first discovered this type of tour when we went to Puerto Rico last year.  One exciting thing did happen.   We were at the place where they throw the first, enjoying smoked salmon.  I was right next to the guy who was catching the fish.  I noticed with each throw it was getting closer and closer to me, but I decided not to move.  Yep, I got smacked with the fish.  Right in the face.  It didn't hurt, but the guy was so worried that he had hurt me.  When we returned to our hotel room, there was a card wishing us a happy anniversary signed by the individual staff members.

Day 2 (Sunday) We take the shuttle to the cruise ship.  The process of getting on went a lot quicker than I had expected.  We took Holland America.  The only other cruise we had been on was with Carnival and that ship was huge.  It was like a city.  Our ship held less than 1,300 people.  It was much more intimate, which we liked.  It was more like a town, and we got to know people.

I am prone to sea sickness, so we started taking sea sick pills right away.  This meant that we slept more than we wanted and missed a few events that we would liked to have attended.  One of the very first things we did was take a tour of the ship.  I recommend this to anyone who takes a cruise.  It saves a lot of time not getting lost.  The ship was beautiful and funny enough, our room was very large, though the beds were not.  The food was great, the crew was great and the views were amazing.

We woke up really early by chance on the day that we visited the glaciers, so we went up to the crows nest and sat in the two lounge chairs that are right in front.  We stayed there most of the day, till we arrived at the glaciers, when the opened the bow for us so we could go outside and get an amazing view.  The place was called Tracy Arm.  There were so many icebergs, so many animals, whales, sea lions, dolphins, bald eagles ...etc.  The ice was so blue, absolutely beautiful.

Our first port of call was Juneau.  There we had two major excursions:  The first was the dog sled camp.  You could ride a sled in the snow, but it requires a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier.  This is a lot more expensive and my wife is afraid of helicopters.  At the camp, the sleds are on wheels, but the dogs are the same.  We got to meet one of the mushers that will be in the Ididitarod next year.  We got to check out the gear and play with the puppies.  They were so cute and we had a great time.

Next we went on a whale watching tour.  We saw lots of hump back whales, and bald eagles.  The problem is that I tried to take pictures, but whales are quick and the boat was rocking.  I only got a few pictures, and they weren't that great.

The second port of call was Sitka.  There is port at Sitka, so they ferry us in on small boats to the small dock.  It is a beautiful place with islands all over the place.

From there we took the local shuttle to visit the Bear Fortress.  This is where the rehabilitate bear cubs that loose their mom.  Interesting that Alaska is one of the few states that shoot bear cubs that loose their mom.  The Bear Fortress is a non-profit organization.  They are going great work, and the space they have is 17 times the average amount of space a bear would have at a zoo.  All of the bears seem so happy, so playful.

From there, we visited the Raptor Center where they help injured Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Owls ...etc.  Again, they do great work.  Those birds are amazing.

The next port of call was Ketichan.  There we bought a few souvenirs and we waited until all of the tours left.  There is an office there, where all of the tour companies have a counter.  I negotiated a really good price for us.  We were going to be there last customers of the day.   We ended up getting a private tour.  I explained that we really did not care about the stops they normally make, we wanted to see a bear in the wild.  Util then, I had never seen a bear in the wild.  It is on my bucket list and one of the things I felt entitled to.

Our tour guide brought us to a place she new where the fishery was and she showed us where to look.  During that time, she was looking around trying to find a bear.  Next thing you know, she comes over to us, white as a sheep.  While looking behind us, a bear came out to cross the road.  Apparently both our guide and the bear were very surprised.  So, our guide tells us where the bear will come out.  This time, I decided not to try and take pictures, just enjoy the view.  Sure enough, the bear appeared and we watched it cross the meadow, taking its time.  We watched till it dissipated from view.  It was magic.

We went and looked at the totem poles before returning to the ship.

The last port of call was in Victoria, BC.  Here we took the bus into the downtown.  Where we checked out the Empress Hotel. Wow, amazing.  After, we walked out of the tourist area and went to a Tim Hortons, which is a famous doughnut shop franchise.  My family loves their coffee, so we bought some.  Then we went to a regular grocery store and bought some bottles of maple syrup.  We love real maple syrup and they sell it in these beautiful bottles for so much less that we pay in California.

The final day, we returned to Seattle.  It was great because we were able to check our bags in on the ship and get our boarding passes.  We flew home and spent one day recovering before going back to work.

It was a Happy 30th Anniversary.

Eulogy of Edgardo Sing 2015

On behalf of the family, I would like to thank all of you for attending either the viewing or this service today. It means a lot that so many would take the time during a work week to attend and show your respect for this great man from another century.

Uldarico Edgardo Sing Huapaya was born in 1919.  This was one year after the end or WWI.

We was born in Mala, Peru.  In case you don't speak Spanish, that translates to "Bad Peru".  That is where I learned to speak my "Bad Spanish".

His father was from Canton China and his mother was a Peruvian Indian.  Edgardo, as he was known, did not have an easy childhood.  He lost his mother at age 5, and his father passed away when he was 15.  With only a 5th grade education, he began to work with automobiles.  Keep in mind that at this time, few people had cars, especially in Peru.  This sort of made him a geek of sorts.  Was he the Sheldon Cooper of his time?

Edgardo was determined not to repeat the mistakes of his parents.  He took an interest in a 12 year old girl that was the friend of his younger sister, Elsa.  He found the only girl completely different from himself.  Her father was from Canton China, and her mother was a Peruvian Indian .... and Chinese.  They would wait until she turned 18 to get married.

One measure of a man is the family he leaves behind.  In this case, Edgardo and Lina ... okay, mostly Lina had: Santiago, Lina, Carmen, Ceci, Martha and Juan.  Unfortunately, when you live to 95, you run the risk that you may outlive some of your children.  In this case, both Ceci and Santiago passed away before he did.  Again, Edgardo did not have an easy life, but he always worked hard to take care of his family.  

Edgardo did not have a degree, but he seemed to know about everything.  When he retired at almost 80, he focused on growing fruits and vegetables.  He raised chickens and turkeys, including Poncho.  The largest, meanest turkey I have ever known.  We eventually got even with Poncho at a Thanksgiving dinner.  

All of the animals would follow Edgardo around the garden all day long.  As Edgardo grew older, he would fall down.  When this would happen, one dog in particular, Queenie would lay down with him and protect him until help found him.  Eventually, he fell down so much that he had to retire from the garden.  

Those who know me, know that I strive to be "Green", but I was nothing compared to Edgardo.  He found ways to reuse almost anything, which he stored an a little know residence called "#4".  For those of you who do not know about #4, think of it as his version of the Western White House.

Edgardo's greatest accomplishment was the love he gave to his family and the values and wisdom he passed on to them.  He made each grandchild feel like they were the center of the universe.  He leaves behind, Aaron, Lobelly, Aranja, Nina, Adrianna, Alejandro, Lila, Ceci, Enrique as well as Carlos and Kike, who both serve in the Air Force of the United States of America.  In addition, he leaves behind one great grandson, Sam.

When it came time to retire, Lina and Edgardo chose to live with us in California.  I can never express how grateful I am, that my daughters came home every day from school to family.  They are both fluent in Spanish, to the annoying point that they like to let me know that they speak Spanish much better than I do.  In the end, when Alzheimer stuck, the children both decided to quite their jobs to take care of the grandparents full time.  

You might think that these older people of the last century, last millennium, were not technical at all.  Well, let me tell you.  They Skped and they Skpyed a lot.  They have Skyped on Laptops, tablets and Smartphones.  They Skyped In the house, with a mouse ...  Sorry, not sure how Dr Suess got in there.  During birthday parties, the family in Peru would be singing along with the rest of us, right there on Skype.  In fact, Skyped contacted us about their story.  Such techies! 

I have heard people say ... I will never put my family in a home.  It is not that easy!  My family suffered greatly dealing with the evils of Alzheimer's.  Thank God, most people will never experience how truly awful this disease is.  Break down, after break down.  Carmen, Lila, Ceci and Martha, would dust themselves off, and the very next morning, they would be back tending to the needs of Edgardo.  We lost Edgardo over a year ago, but his body finally left us this week.

Lina, our heart goes out to you.  This December you would have been married for 70 years.  Imagine that. Lina, we all know this loss is devastating to you, but remember you are surrounded by family.  Family that flew in from Panama, Peru and Turkey to be with you.  When you look at the faces of your family, you will see Edgardo and he is here in the hearts and minds of all of us.  You will be surrounded by love until it is your time to join Edgardo.  

Edgardo, may you rest in peace

New Phone

I am not one of those people that buys a new phone every year.  I don't like buying new phones, computers or cars, but every so often, it becomes necessary.  I used to have a HTC EVO 4G.  I got mine the very first day it came out.  In fact, I was the second customer in the store the day they went on sale. At the time, the EVO 4G was the most powerful phone out there.  It had a huge screen and was the only one that had 4G.  One major flaw with the phone, is that the battery was the same batter that HTC had used in all of it's phones.  This was ridiculous.  This powerful phone, using so much more electricity than any model they had ever produce before had the same battery.  Running out of battery half way through the day was a daily event.  I finally got on Amazon and found an after market battery that had twice the capacity.

With smartphones and computers, after a couple of years, you really feel their age and it was time to get a new phone.  I had become so frustrated with my EVO 4G.  Naturally, I looked at what else HTC, had.  The HTC One.  Made out of steel, is something I like.  I really use my phones and they take a beating, but what I did not like, is that the screen size was almost the same as what I was already useing.  Then I found out something that made me sick.  They changed the design so that you could not replace the battery, nor could you add memory.  The two key reasons why I did not buy an iPhone.

Google, bought the cell phone portion of Motorola and they are coming out with a phone, but again, the screen was not very big.  I really love Google and Motorola and American companies, but I'm old, my eye sight is not great and I need a bigger screen.

I have noticed that Samsung, seems to really be on the cutting edge of smartphones these days.  The one thing I don't like is that their phones are made of plastic.  I got down to the Galaxy 4s and the Note 2.  I loved all of the extra neat things in the 4s, but the screen size of the Note 2, solved my problem.  I purchased a extra tough case and insurance that fixes my phone anytime it gets damaged 

Getting all of my apps and data has proven to be a lot easier than I had feared.  So, the honeymoon is on.  I love my Note2!

To My Nephew Charlie : James Bond

Recently, my nephew Charlie has been producing a series of reviews of the James Bond movies.  He has done an excellent job and I am very proud of him.  He has his own page on YouTube, which you can visit.  For those of you who are not part of our family, or who have not been paying attention for the past 21 years, Charlie's real name is David Charles Bear 2, so his Youtube page is titled David Bear.  

Charlie is not really a film critic as he is a film reviewer, which I think is more noble in that he doesn't spend most of his time complaining about movies but really enjoys them and talking about them..  Charlie's  has a very structured way about presenting his film reviews.  He states that what is presented is only his opinion, yet backs up his opinions with facts.

So, why am I writing this?  First, while I listen to Charlie's reviews and nod in agreement with his logic, I find myself disagreeing with a number of his conclusions.  I would never do a series of reviews on my own.  After all, my nephew has already done this and has done a far better job that I ever could.  What this is, is a collection of facts.  Yes, my opinions are facts.  I am his uncle and not a film reviewer who has to worry about such things as credibility  If I list any facts, that are not quite correct .... well, don't confuse me with the facts!

Let's start with some fluff.  When it comes to theme songs, there is only one clear winner; Live and Let Die.  Hello?  That is Paul "I am a Beatle" McCartney" and that song rocks!  Way further down the list there are other classics such as Goldfinger, but really.  Live and Let Die could and should be the theme song of every James Bond movie.

Bond girls?  The winner is clear, Dianna "Emma Peel" Riggs.  She was not only beautiful, but tough.  She could kick your butt before it became popular for good looking women like Sharon Stone and Angelina Jolie.  Sure there are others like Ursula Andress, but they really are not in the same league.  The only one that even got close, was Hallie Berry.  Again,  just like Live and Let Die should be the theme song of every Bond movie,  Dianna Riggs or Halle Berry should be in every Bond movie.

Favorite Felix Lighter, the original Jack Lord is hard to beat, but the current one is Jeffrey Wright is pretty good.

There have been so many great Bad Guys such as Gert Frobe as Goldfinger, Harold Sakata and Robert Shaw.  Lotte Lenya was so memorable, that she was spoofed in the Austin Powers movies as Frau Farbissina.  A lot of actors played Ernst Blofeld, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Donald Pleasance

How about those "Other Bond Movies"?  Such as Never Say Never, Casino Royale, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and the Life and Times of  Ian Fleming.

Never Say Never is a great Bond movie.  Why?  Sean Connery.  Hello?  Never Say Never came out way after Roger Moore was James Bond.  It seemed that every Roger Moore movie was sillier and sillier.  Never Say Never, is what brought me back to Bond, James Bond.  It was the only Sean Connery James Bond movie that I was old enough to buy my own ticket and see it in the theater.

Casino Royale, the first one is a classic James Bond is spoofed.  What a cast!  David Nivens, Peter Sellers, Orsen Wells, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, John Houston, Jacqueline Bissette and Ursula Andress?  It was funny as heck and deserves a special mention and yes it is a Bond movie.

I put On her Majesty's Secret Service in this special category.  In many ways it was the best and the worst Bond film ever.  If only Sean Connery had played James Bond.  Emma Peel and Telly Savalas were outstanding. It was enough to make them bring Sean Connery back for Diams are Forever!

The Life and Times of Ian Fleming is the story of the author of the James Bond series, Ian Fleming.  Ian Fleming had a very interesting life, that is what inspired him to write the James Bond series.  Ian Fleming was played by Jason Connery; the son of Sean Connery.  I'd watch this movie anytime over more than half of the other James Bond movies.

So, who was the best James Bond?  Simple, it is Sean Connery.  Next, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig and then Roger Moore. I have to stop here, because Roger Moore was actually Ian Fleming's choice of actors to play James Bond.  Fortunately, Ian passed away before he could see what Roger Moore did to James Bond.  To be fair, a lot of the problem for Roger Moore was the silly stories and poor writing.  Finally a special place in James Bond hell is reserved for Timothy Dalton.  If I were asked if I'd like to have my finger nails pulled out or watch a Timothy Dalton James Bond movie, I'd need some time to think about it.

When it comes to the movies, I tend to group them by who did them.  The worst are the Timothy Dalton movies, The Living Dayligths. and License to kill, although I find common ground with Charlie, by pushing those movies up by one and agreeing that the Quantum of Solace was the worst Bond movie of all time.

As for the best Bond movie ever, it is and will always be the first movie Dr. No. It set the tone and it broke all the rules.  My second choice is From Russia with Love.  I know a lot of people have Goldfinger as their number one choice.

All of Sean Connery's movies go right to the front of the list.  If I was ever annoyed by anything in any of his movies it was the surgery to make him look Japanese and think that they pulled it off in any way shape or form.  In general Pierce comes next.  Golden Eye, brought life back to this dieing series of films.  It went on too long, but that seems to be a trend in many action movies.  I really loved the last one he did "Die Another Day".  It was a shame that Pierce could not have enjoyed movies with better story lines.

Roger Moore brought such bad humor to the Bond series of movies.  His best were Live and Let Die, remember the "Cola or the Uncola nut".  In a View to a Kill.  Who could take their eye off of Grace Jones?

George  Lazenby did what any of wish we could of.  He was a model who heard that Sean Connery was out.  Went and got a hair cut so that he could look like him and got to be James Bond for one film!  I can't get angry at him at all.  It was like he won a contest on one of those reality shows.

Daniel Craig, the first half of Casino Royale is one of the best, but the end of that movie... Venice ... sigh.  The thing is that Sky Fall is a master piece.  It fixed all of the problems with the Daniel Craig series.  It brought back Q and Moneypenny. M dies in the line of action.

Timothy Dalton, ... oops just threw up.  Well, you know how I feel about him and his bond movies.  His two movies, were three too many!

Reflection:  When they next reboot the series, they should do, as my dad says, the books!  Set back in the times they were originally written.  It could be cool ... like cool jazz!

Venezuela - It's About the Middle

Those of us who live in the USA, like to call ourselves Americans.  Being an American does not just mean that you live in the United States of America.  Being an American means that we love freedom and we seek out justice and hate corruption.  We are not the only Americans.  Ask anyone from Mexico, Peru, Venezuela or Argentina.  They are Americans too.  They will point out that South America is part of the Americas and that is true, but it is not what is important.  What is important is that they share our same values.  They really are just like us.  They desire the level of freedom that we enjoy.  They want justice and hate corruption.

When Hugo Chavez first came to power, in Venezuela, he targeted the poor.  He started providing subsidised food, housing and transportation.  This sounds very noble until you realize that he was taking over and shutting down ranches and farms.  Venezuela purchases virtually all of its food from other countries.
If you said something or did not vote they want, you are off the list.  You see wasn't helping the
poor, he was controlling them through hunger and the need for housing ..etc.   If this was not bad enough, Chavez has been trying to add to be poor by attacking the middle class and this is where Chavez went wrong.  Despite their efforts to control information by taking over the media and rewriting the history books used in school, the Internet and specifically Social Media is the big leak in the damn.  With each election, the numbers continue to leave Chavez and his thugs.

It is all about the middle.  Whether it is the middle class or middle age.  It is one thing when young people, and especially students protest.  It is completely something else when their parents, uncles, aunts and even grand parents protest.  When the mid-aged take the streets to call you out, your government is in serious trouble.  You better know, that you have done wrong and in a big way.  When you have lied, cheated, stolen and wronged people so much that people in their 30's, 40's, 50's and beyond take to the street and stand up against your thugs in uniforms and and guns, you must know that your time is up.  You have crossed a line.  It is time for you to leave.

Socialism and Venezuela

I recently returned from Venezuela.  During this last trip President Hugo Chavez passed away.  I first went to Venezuela during the early 80's and have spent time there before and during the time that Chavez was in power.  Venezuela is a country that proudly claims to be a socialist country.

Venezuela is a beautiful country of mostly hardworking honest people, but the Chavez government is dreadful.  I could talk about their control over people using the food supply.  I could talk about the increase crime, especially concerning murder and kidnapping or how the senior generals in the military are lining their pockets by giving safe passage through their country to drug traffickers all of which are very serious, but I won't.

Instead, let's look at the media.  The Chavez government has taken control of most of the media, shutting down or taking over those that oppose his views.  Controlling information, re-writing history books, making outrageous claims over and over until many people don't know any better and believe the lies.  Billboards are  splattered all over the place proclaiming how great Chavez is, sometimes whole buildings are painted to achieve this purpose, but there is a hole in the dam.

It seems that Venezuelans are addicted to the Internet, especially social media.  It is amazing how many have smartphones and use them.   The truth is starting to spread and the opposition is making significant headway as the truth becomes known.

To my friends on the left.  If you think Chavez was good for Venezuela.  You don't know.  My friends in Venezuela are in what is left of the middle class,  They lived through the Chavez government each and every day.  To my friends on the right who think Obama is a socialist. You don't know.  I would take Obama or Bush any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  If you think I am wrong go visit a real socialist country like Venezuela.

So here is the lesson.  If any one posts a comment that I don't like.  I will delete it, just like Chavez deleted the press when they expressed opposing views.

Good luck to the people of Venezuela as you take back your country!

2013 New Years Resolutions

2013 Resolutions.  The results of 2012 are on the second half of this page.

Improve drainage at home.

Finish reorganizing Garage.

Finish writing family cookbook.

Go fishing

Go hunting

Travel to Margarita Island

Complete first draft of book on being green.

Visit more family back east.

Take over care of backyard from father-in-law.

Re-organize the shed

Improve disaster preparedness.

Take advantage of AARP benefits.

Play in the COHS alumni water polo game.  This will be the last year that it will be played in our original pool.

Attend the COHS Class of 78 reunion.

Get more active: Hiking or swimming.

Canning:

Trade with more people that can

Make chili beans and soup. 

Add to methods of canning such as freezing and using wax

Update Bearfamily.com/green page

Create Bearfamily.com/preparedness page

Be More Green:

Plant more ginger, herbs, lettuce ...

Increase the number of LED lights in use.

Better composting

Recap of 2012 resolutions:

Clean Garage. Mostly Done, replaced the cement in the floor of the garage and laundry room, including a drainage system.  Installed shelving, almost done going through the entire contents.

Tear out gazebo and build new deck in the back yard. Done, we also put in a new deck.

Improve disaster preparedness. Done.

Get an AARP card.  Done

Play in the COHS alumni water polo game.  Done and wore t-shirt designed by Gumby.

Seeing more COHS friends.  Done

Get more active: Hiking or swimming.  Failed

Improve our financial situation (reduce debt)  Done

Canning: Trade with more people that can; make: spaghetti sauce, soup. Add to methods of canning such as freezing and using wax.  Failed,  I made spaghetti sauce and I traded, but just a little.  Need to do more.  Did not do any freezing or canning with was.

Be More Green:

Plant more ginger, herbs, lettuce ... Fail

Increase the number of LED lights in use.  Done

Better composting  Faile

Christmas 2012

Hello Friends and Family,

2012 has been quite a year.  This year, we lost a number of  people that were near and dear to our hearts.  First was Vicki Hong, who we have known ever since I got started in the hotel industry back in the 1980's.  In fact both of our families got to know each other very well over the years.  She died while shopping for shoes, which is the way she would have wanted it, but she died way to young.

Father Larry was one of the original priests at our church when we first moved to El Sobrante.  He was Irish and had a wonderful wit.  Both of my daughters served with him when they were alter-servers.  This kind soul is now resting in heaven.

Probably the most difficult passing, was the passing away of Jamito Smith.  I had known his since he was a boy.  I had worked briefly with his dad at the Hotel Durant back in 1980 -81.  Jamito's dad passed away way too young and when he did, Jamito stepped up to the plate as the man of the house and the leader of his extended family.  Jamito was married less than a year when he passed away of cancer, a terrible disease that Jamito fought tooth and nail each day of the last few years of his life.  Jamito is part of a very large family, who all loved and respected him.  He was a gentle giant and is dearly missed.  He was far too young. He never made it to 40.

Just when you thought that enough, was enough, Lee O. Fisher died.  He died while working as a surveyor, a job which he loved.  Mr. Fisher was a very special man to many of us around my age who were in Boy Scouts.  We all benefited by his participation.  I can't remember him missing a camping trip, even though no one was busier, Mr Fisher always had time.  He was the father of a real life Brady Bunch.  It turns out you never really know someone until it is too late.  Mr Fisher was a true hero and accepted all as his own.  There was quite a turn out at his service, even though it was during the week. Lee Fisher will not soon be forgotten.

Fortunately, the entire year did was not filled with death and sadness.  A major branch of our family managed to find us.  We all are direct descendants of my Great, Great Grandfather John Bear.  Leona Bear and Henry Alfred Bear were brother and sister.  Many years ago, these two branches of the family lost track of each other, but this year, we were once again united thanks to my cousin Nick! I have had the pleasure of meeting a number of descendants of Leona Bear, including Larry who lives pretty close by and I am proud to call each and every one of them family.

This year, I got to play in the COHS alumni water polo match.  This was the third match that I've had the pleasure of participating in.  I consider each match a blessing.

I got to spend a lot of time with friends from school during my visits to Southern California; but once again, death struck and we lost classmate Bob Davila.  I knew Bob from swimming and water polo.  I have only seen him a couple of times after 35 years, but each time he was very kind of complimentary to me.  I enjoyed watching him play bass guitar.  He was really good.

Finally, Christmas at my house is a major event.  My wife's family celebrates on the eve and my family celebrates on Christmas day, so my kids have always been spoiled and celebrate both, but wait... there's more.  My in-laws anniversary is December 23, so Christmas really becomes a 3 day affair at our house.

I am grateful for everything I have, especially my family and friends and I have my health.  The picture at the top of this blog entry includes my in-laws, who live with us as well as my wife and two daughters.  We are especially fortunate this year to have my two nephews and sister-in-law who all immigrated to the USA about 9 years ago.  Both nephews serve in the US Air Force.  They were not born Americans, they chose to become Americans and serve in our armed forces.  They came here legally. 

I realize just how lucky I am, because I have the best friends and family in the world and the rest of you are stuck with me!

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

More Family History

Monday, February 6, 2012

Ed.

Here is some information I want to share with you, about the connection between Sweeney’s, Phillips and Bear families.

The emails are from a fellow genealogist, who has been working on the Jennings family line. Rebecca Jennings married my gg grandfather, Edward Sweeney. Rebecca had a brother named Morgan. Morgan is in Kathryns family line.

I will send my family tree as soon as I can find a little time.

From Kathryn Knewson

email address knewson@erie.net

Sent via email on

Dear Ed,

Edward and Rebecca Jennings had nine children. Of those, I have only been able to find where three of them, Mary, Juliett and Edward, married. Juliett married a Civil War veteran, Chester Phillips and had three children. The boys were Jonathan and Edward Phillips. The only girl, Sarah Phillips married John Bear. I am unsure of exactly how many children they had but they did have a son, Henry who served in the Spanish-American War. I have a copy of the pension record which states that Henry who was married and evidently had several children, was committed to a VA Mental Institute where he died more than 25 years later, never having gotten well enough to return home.

I came across the Bear family connection when I found Henry living with his grandparents, Chester and Juliett Sweeny Phillips in the 1900 census.

Mary Sweeny married a James Anderson on December 2, 1861. I believe they had at least one child, Amanda Anderson who I found living with the Sweeny's in the 1880 census. Amanda was age 15.

What does idiotic mean in the census? I am not sure. The census taker would not be a mental health professional nor was their much understanding of mental health. It is possible that they were just a little different or maybe only marginally retarded or it is possible that they had a physical handicap. Idiotic in the 1800's did not mean then what it needs know. Venango County does have an institute for mentally retarded children but I have not been able to get any records. I talked to a woman who worked there and she stated that while she was there, part of her job was burning old patient records. These orders to destroy these records means that there would be no record of any of the

patients from long ago. I do not know at what year they were to stop burning records.

1850 census - only Jonathan is listed as being idiotic

1860 census - none are listed as being idiotic

1870 census - only Jonathan is listed as being idiotic

1880 census - There parents are deceased. Sarah is listed as head of household.

Jonathan, Martha, Jemima and Rebecca are listed as being idiotic

There are many questions on this family that I do not have. I know no one to ask so I have to dig for the information.

I have never been able to find where the Sweeny's are buried. (Chester Phillips is buried at Cooperstown. There is no

stone for his wife but that doesn't mean that she's not buried there. I find no record of any of their children being

buried there or anyone with the surnames Sweeny, Phillips, or Bear). The Sweeny's lived in Cooperstown. It is

possible that Edward and Rebecca Jennings Sweeny were buried at the old Pioneer Cemetery in Cooperstown which I

have not gone through but it does not explain where their children are buried.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Newson

The following is from Kathryn Newson, sent via email on Feb 1, 2000. This is the will of Chester Phillips son in law of Edward Sweeny Sr.

I, Chester Phillps of Jackson Township, Venango County, PA being of sound mind but weak of body and believing that my departure from this life near at hand and that I may be better prepared to pass from this time to Eternity,do make this my last will and testament. Revoking or making dead all or any former wills by me made. First I, command my soul to Almighty God my Creator my body to be berried in Keas Graveyard and to my daughter Sarah Culbertson I do give and bequeath all I own or possess in personal property and real estate on the following conditions that she gives me a pleasant berrial and pay what little bills I may be owing and gives each of my boys John and Edward $5.00 and I do constitute and appoint H.A Bear, my grandson sole executor of this my last will and testament.

signed Chester Phillips May 1909.

From Kathryn Knewson

email address knewson@erie.net

Sent via email on 1/30/2000

Ed,
I do not have that much more information on the descendants of Edward and Rebecca (Jennings) Sweeney. You always refer to him as John instead of Edward. Why? I have never found his name given as John.
Sarah Phillips who m John Bear on 16 Dec. 1875 had 3 children that I have been able to find but there may be more. 1) Henry Alfred b 9 Nov. 1878; 2) Manda E. who according to the census records was born about 1878 which either means that Henry and Manda were twins or the census record is wrong; 3) Leona b ? m ____ Nelson who is the only sibling listed in Henry's military record.
1) Henry Alfred Bear whom I found in the census records at least once to be living with the Sweeney's, d 2 Nov. 1952 at the VA Hospital at Chillecothe, Ohio, buried Franklin Cemetery, Franklin, PA., m Sara Gertrude McGruff on 12 April 1905 in Olean, NY. They had 5 children: a) Charles, b) Isabelle, possibly never married; c) Robert; d) Donald; e) Chester. Henry served in the Spanish-American War. I have a copy of Henry's pension record. The VA Hospital that he died in and where he had been a patient for many years, was a hospital that the VA used for "Mental Illness". I don't remember if the record ever gave a diagnosis or not. I have never had a military record that was so large.
As far as the Jennings family, Jacob was the youngest of 5 surviving children of Zebulon (Jr.) and Joanna/Johanna (Little) Jennings. Zebulon Jr. was b 26 Nov. 1735 in NJ, d 16 Oct. 1776, buried at Westfield, NJ. Zebulon (Jr.) served in the Revolutionary War with the 1st Regiiment of Minute men of Suffolk Co., NY. I have been told that Zebulon supposedly died as a result of injuries sustained at the Battle of Long Island but I have never been able to confirm this. Several people have entered the DAR through Zebulon Jennings (Jr.). Zebulon married 17 June 1762 in the Presbyterian Church, Westfield, NJ. Joanna/Johanna was b 15 Sept. 1746. I have seen her first name spelled both ways and I'm not sure which way is correct. In his will, Zebulon bequeathed his elder dau, Sarah, 5 pounds, & his younger dau Susannah, 3 pounds. To his 3 surviving sons, Henry, Jonathan, & Jacob, he gave 3 pounds & all of his lands. After Zebulon's death, his widow m Ephraim Woodruff & had at least 1 child, a dau. Sometime between 1785 & 1790, this family left NJ and came to Fayette Co., PA. Jacob was the only one of the children who came north. The rest went west and are found in Washington Co., Ohio (Marietta area).
Zebulon Jennings (Sr.) was b 1709 d 1777, buried at Westfield, NJ. He m 1st Sarah _____ d 31 March 1770, buried at Westfield, NJ. (I have been told that Sarah was supposedly b in 1724 but I find that difficult to believe since her son Zebulon (Jr.) was b in 1735. She would only have been 11 years old). I have only found reference to them having one child, Zebulon. Zebulon (Sr.) m 2nd Rebecca Squire. Zebulon's will was proved in Trenton, NJ in 1777. In it he bequeathed all of his property to his wife Rebecca during her lifetime & at her death it was to go to his 3 grandsons, Henry, Jonathan, & Jacob. (Zebulon Jr. was already dead). Zebulon (Sr.) was an elder in the Westfield Presbyterian Church.
Zebulon (Sr.) was one of the 7 brothers although some think that perhaps they were no closer than cousins. They were: Joseph; Zebulon b 1709; Jacob b 1711; Benjamin b 1716; Jonathan, John, and David. At least the father of Benjamin has been proven to be Benjamin. It cannot be proven who was the emigrant ancestor. Therefore the American history begins with Benjamin who was probably either a son or grandson of the emigrant.
Kathryn Newson

1880 Federal Census. Jackson Township, Venango County, PA. Enumerated June 2 &3. 1880. Sheet 3; Line 30; House 30; Family 30.

Born Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation About Born Born Born Occupation

Chester Phillips 50 Head 1830 PA PA PA Farmer

Juliet Phillips 53 Wife 1827 PA Ireland PA Keeping House

Jonathon Phillips 24 Son 1856 PA PA PA At Home

Edward Phillips 22 Son 1858 PA PA PA At Home

1880 Federal Census Notes.

1. The curse continues as both Jonathon and Edward are Idiotic (mentally Challenged), just as their

aunts Martha Sweeney (1001-2.05), Jemima (1001-2.06), and Rebecca (1001-2.08) and their uncle Jonathan Sweeney (1001-2.04) were.

Living Next to Chester in 1880, was his mother. Sheet 3; Line 19; House 28; Family 28.

Born Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation About Born Born Born Occupation

Sarah Phillips 65 Head 1815 PA PA PA Keeping House

Jacob Phillips 28 Son 1852 PA PA PA Farmer

Michael C. Baugher 62 Border 1818 PA PA PA None

Lawrence Baugher 15 Son 1865 PA PA PA Farm Labor

Living next to Sarah Phillips in 1880 was her grandaughter Sarah R. (Phillips Bear). Sheet 3; Line 15; House 27; Family 27.

Born Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation About Born Born Born Occupation

John Bear 26 Head 1854 PA PA PA Farmer

Sarah R. Bear 20 Wife 1860 PA PA PA Keeping House

Meanda Bear 2 Dau 1878 PA PA PA At Home

Henry C. Bear 7-mo. Son 1879 PA PA PA At Home

1880 Federal Census Notes.

1. Sarah R. (Phillips) Bear is the daughter and youngest child of Chester and Juliet Phillips.

2. She is living next to her grandmother Sarah Phillips, who is living next to her son Chester and his wife Juliet.

1900 Federal Census. Jackson Township. Enumerated on June 6, 1900. Sheet 10; Line 12; House 65; Family 65.

Approx.

Month Year Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation Born Born Born Born Born Occupation

Charles Phillips 71 Head Oct 1828 PA PA PA Farmer

Hanliett Phillips 73 Wife Jun 1826 PA Ireland PA None

John Phillips 35 Son Nov 1864 PA PA PA Farm Labor

Edward Phillips 32 Son Mar 1868 PA PA PA Farm labor

Sarah Sweeny 65 Servant Nov 1837 PA Ireland PA Servant

Jemima Sweeny 65 Sis in law Feb 1835 PA Ireland PA None

Henry A. Bear 20 Grand Son Nov 1880 PA PA PA Machinist on Lathe.

1900 Federal Census Notes.

1. Charles is Chester Phillips.

2. Hanliett (Should be) Juliet (Sweeney), Phillips. Census Taker did poor job of taking this census.

3. Chester and Juliett have been married for 48 years at this time.

4. Sarah Sweeny is employed as the Phillips family servant.

5. Jemima has no occupation as she is Idiotic (mentally challenged)

6. Apparently Jonathon, Martha, Rebecca have all died since the last census report of 1880. The 1890

federal census for PA was destroyed by fire.

7. Henry went on to fight in WWI. After the war he suffered from Post Tramatic Stress Diorder and ended up living out his final years in a Veteran's home, where he died.

8. Chester was a veteran of the Civil War.

9. Jonathon and Edward are both idiotic (mentally challenged).

1910 Federal Census. For Connellsville Township, Ward -5, Fayette County, PA, Taken On 1910 that On Page , at House ; and Family Shows: Approx. Approx.

Month Year Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation Born Born Born Born Occupation

Sarah G, Bear 31 Wife 1879

Charles M. Bear 3 Son 1907

Mary Isabel Bear 2 Dau 1908

Catherine Gales 23

1910 Federal Census Notes.

1. Sarah is shown as a wife.

2. They are renting this house.

3. Henry A. Bear, husband was a Railroad Engineer and was probably on a run somewhere.

1920 Federal Census: West Newton (Ward 1) Township, Westmoreland County, PA, Taken On that On Page , at House ; and Family Shows: Approx. Approx.

Month Year Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation Born Born Born Born Born Occupation

Henry A. Bear 40 Head 1880 PA PA PA Railroad Engineer

Sarah Bear 39 Wife 1881 PA PA PA Keeping House

Charles Bear 13 Son 1907 PA PA PA Not Working

Isabel 12 Dau 1908 PA PA PA Not Working

Robert Bear 9 Son 1911 PA PA PA

Donald Bear 7 Son 1913 PA PA PA

Chester Bear 5 Son 1915 PA PA PA

1920 Federal Census Notes.

1. Sometime after this Census, Henry was committed to the VA hospital for Mental issues. He was in hospital for 25 years before he died. He died at VA Hospital.

1930 Federal Census: Franklin (3rd Ward) Township, Venango County, PA, Taken On April 10, 1930 that On Page 11-A and 11-B, at House ; and Family Shows:

Year Where Father Mother

Name Age Relation Born Born Born Born Occupation

Sarah Bear 52 Wife 1881 PA PA PA Keeping House

Isabel 22 Dau 1908 PA PA PA Teaching School

Robert Bear 19 Son 1911 PA PA PA

Donald Bear 17 Son 1913 PA PA PA

Chester Bear 16 Son 1915 PA PA PA

1920 Federal Census Notes.

1. Sometime after this Census, Henry was committed to the VA hospital for mental issues. He was in hospital for 25 years before he died. He died at VA Hospital.

Finding More Family (Bear - Sweeny)

We received this email. It is so exciting to connect with family that we assumed was lost forever! Will keep you posted.

Ed

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Dear Ed.

My name is Duane Edward Sweeny, III, I too, go by "Ed". I saw the Bear Family Web page and found some of my family members named on the Bear Family Tree., I am sending this email to let you know that you and I, are distantly related. My Juliet Sweeney married Chester Arthur Phillips and they had three children, one of which was Sarah Phillips. Sarah married John Bear and they had at least two children: 1. Meanda? born in 1878 2. Henry Alfred Bear, born in Nov. 1879 and I believe he died on February 10, 1922. Henry had served in the Spanish American War, and sometime after spent many years in a Veteran's hospital. He ended up committing suicide.

I have attached a copy of a genealogy report that shows my Sweeney/Sweeny blood line. I don't know if you are the genealogist for the Bear family or not, but I would like to contact the family genealogist so we can compare notes and share other information about our families.

I, am so happy to have finally foud the connection of the Bear and Sweeney/Sweeny families. Please contact me or let the family genealogist contact me.

Thank you, for your time.

Ed Sweeny.

Email: familyresearcher98@yahoo.com

2012 New Years Resolutions

The first portion is my resolutions for 2012. Below that is a recap of how I did in 2011.

Clean Garage.

Tear out gazebo and build new deck in the back yard.

Improve disaster preparedness.

Get an AARP card.

Play in the COHS alumni waterpolo game.

Seeing more COHS friends.

Get more active: Hiking or swimming.

Improve our financial situation (reduce debt)

Canning: Trade with more people that can; make: speghetti sauce, soup. Add to methods of canning such as freezing and using wax


Be More Green:

Plant more ginger, herbs, lettuce ...

Increase the number of LED lights in use.

Better composting

So, here is how I did in 2011:

2011

Get an AARP card and use it. I did not do this. I guess getting an AARP card would make me feel really old!

Read a book that is not related to work. Done. Cobra by Frederick Forsyth, my favorite living author.

Play in the COHS alumni waterpolo game. Done So glad that I did! This year, I got the coaches phone number and registered my email address when I was at the game, so I hope finding out when it is for 2012 will not be a problem like it has been in the past.

Seeing more COHS friends. Done. This continues to be one of the most rewarding things I do.

Get more active: Hiking or swimming. Nope. I better do a better job in 2012.

Improve our financial situation (reduce debt). Yes, but still have a long way to go.

Canning: Trade with more people that can; make: speghetti sauce, soup. Add to methods of canning such as freezing and using wax. Yes and no. Pam McKovich is big into canning and food storage. We are doing a lot together. I did no make spaghetti sauce, but traded with a friend that made some. I did not make soup and did not pursue freezing (in jars) or using wax.

Be More Green: Yes, but there is always room for improvement. This year, we bought another Hybrid car and increased the number lights in use.

Plant more ginger, herbs and lettuce. No, but I did plant two banana trees and a blueberry bush.

Increase the number of LED lights in use. Yes. Very pleased with our progress.

Better composting. Not really.

Let fruit we grow not go to waste. Did better. Will never be perfect.

Merry Christmas 2011

Christmas time is here once again. I want to let you, my friends and family know, just how much I appreciate and love you.

A special note of appreciation to my nephews Carlos and Kike, who are serving in the Air Force of the United States of America. Carlos is in Okinawa and Kike is going through basic training near San Antonio Texas. Carlos is now a citizen of the US and Kike is on the fast track to becoming a citizen. There is something to be said for someone who chooses to be an American. Carlos and Kike, we are very proud of you.

Lila finished her first year at the University and hopes to graduate in about a year. Ceci finished her certification as a medical assistant and will return to school so that she may become a nurse.

My brother Bob and got married to his girl friend Reva of 20 years. This year our extended family did a much better job of spending time together.

I got to visit many long time friends, especially from school and Boy Scouts.

I want to wish all of you, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

Apple versus Android

I often get asked, especially by my family, what phone they should get, or what computer. I am waiting for someone to ask me what tablet to get. I wrote this blog entry to try and get ahead of curve for just once.

When selecting a smartphone, one of the most important questions is what network will you be using. Where you are makes a big difference in the coverage you will experience. We live in East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. In this area the major choices are:

AT&T - I hear a lot of complaints from people on this network.

Metro PCS - Cheap, but we had lots of trouble with coverage.

Nextel - Great technology, but not being kept up.

T-Mobile - Lots of complaints

Sprint - Great coverage

Verizon - Great coverage

I have the EVO 4G. About a year and a half after it was released, it is still one of the most powerful phones out there. It uses the Sprint network, which means that my data plan is truly unlimited. This phone uses the Android operating system and is made by HTC. I would have preferred an American company like Motorola, but one was not available without changing networks, which can be a real pain. The Evo 4g is a great phone. Verizon has an equvilant phones such as the Thunderbolt or Droid Incredible 2.

The android phones are high powered, but not nearly as intuitive as the iphone. If you are a novice, but want a cool phone, pick the iphone via Sprint or Verizon. All the people that work for me and have iphones with At&t do nothing but complain about their service.

Here are things reasons I like my Evo 4G over the iphone:

I have had 4G right from the start and the slowest my phone goes is 3G.

I can replace my battery and buy an after market battery to increase the amount of time between charges.

I don't have to use itunes.

I can run flash.
I can upgrade the amount of storage space I have anytime I like.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about tablets. I use an ASUS netbook. Asus is the company credited with inventing the concept of a netbook. It is basically a small laptop, with no DVD/CD drive. The Asus has a solid state hard drive, which makes it more durable and uses less power. Because it is so small it will run on battery power for over five hours and it fits easily, in my backpack and is easy to operate in tight spots like the middle seat of an airplane.

Small size and long battery life are qualities that tablets are known for. I find that wow my Evo 4G has one of the largest screens on the market (4.3 inches), I am 50 years old and find it is often still too small.

I want something larger, but I want it to be my phone too. I want it to fit into a shoulder harness so that it is out of the way, but easily accessible. A belt holster just won't do with a tablet.

There are two camps when it comes to tablets: the Ipad and Android tablets such as the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy.

Currently the ipad has over 70% percent of the market. They must be doing something really right and it is difficult to overlook this. The battery life is amazing compared to the Android tablets. The ipad is one beautiful machine. Still, the ipad has many of the limitations that the iphone does such as having to use itunes, it can't run Flash and you can't upgrade the amount of storage ...etc.

Tablets come in two flavors: Wireless only and wireless plus a cell account such as Verizon running 3G. The difference means additional cost upfront, plus an ongoing cost just for using the tablet. Wireless only means it will only work when you are somewhere with wireless access unless you have what you want loaded on the tablet and that gets back to storage.

Some people say the ipad is too big and too heavy, but I'm not so sure. The older I get, the worse my eyes are, I start to think that it can never be too big.

Still it is a pain that when you want to type that you loose half of the screen. If I carry a tablet, do I still need to carry around my netbook? If so, what is the point and why do I still want one? I want one that I can make phone calls with. I want to replace my smartphone and my laptop with one device.

I should mention that the HP Web OS (Palm) is really great software, but I have the feeling that it is too little, too late.

Microsoft gets a lot of praise for their Windows Phone 7, but they just don't have market share. Windows 7 is available on some tablets, in fact I have an ASUS tablet running Windows 7. I use it only for work. It doesn't need a wireless or 3G (4G) connection. Again Windows does not have a significant share of the tablet market, but you can never count Microsoft out.

The above are just my opinions.

Wedding for a Special Friend

Today Jaime married Autumn and became Mr & Mrs Smith. We were invited to their wedding. I really don't know much about Autumn. The few times I have seen her, she has stayed close to Jamie and taken great care of him. It doesn't matter, because if Jamie has chosen her, then she must be pretty special.

I have known Jaime since he was a small boy. Jamie, his brother Pedro (aka Shuman) and sister Mariemilia are the celebration of two great families, the Smith and Manrique families. When I first met Jaime, he was called Jaimeto. His brother Shuman was still breastfeeding and his sister would not be born for years to come. Jaimeto's father was called Jaime. Jaime was a very generous man. He helped many of family members (both on his side and his wife's) to have a place to live and find a job. Jaime was one of the most generous people I have ever known. He never had a lot, but what he had was yours. Jaime was always the life of the party. He loved to laugh and share that laughter with others. Sadly Jaime left us too early.

Even though Jaime and his wife Rebecca were divorced, Rebecca made sure that all of Jaime's friends and family where with him in his final hours. One thing about this amazing family is that when one falls or needs help, there is always one or more to step forward to offer support, or step in their place to move forward. Rebecca was never the life of the party, but she was always strong and loving. She kept her family moving forward and provided the love and support her children needed, but it didn't stop there. She is one amazing woman. This family is very big and very close. It is made up with many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.

So back to the wedding... Jaime and Autumn got married and there was not one dry eye anywhere. Jaimeto has cancer. He has been battling cancer for some time now. He has been in a wheel chair for years. This is a marriage made of the purest love.

When it came time to speak about the newlyweds, and propose a toast. One family member stepped up to the plate, each to be overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment. First was Jamie's younger brother Shuman. He mention that his brother has had a rough time. He broke down, but immediately, his sister came to him to support him. She expressed her love to the couple. She mentioned how after her father passed away, that it was Jaimeto that stepped into that role for her, but it was too much for her as well and she broke down. Jaimeto took the mic to express his gratitude and love for his friends and family too, but the emotion overwhelmed him as well. Their mother Rebecca took the mic, followed by their grandmother. "This is not a time for tears ...". This family does not know the meaning of defeat, but they do know the meaning of the word "family".

Over thirty years ago, I was first invited to this family's house for Christmas eve. Only two people in this huge family knew me and they did not know me that well but we worked together at a hotel. They brought out a huge bag with one present in for each person, including me. I was shocked. This family took me in to their home and treated me like one of their own. To this day, I feel a special connection with them. They are part of my family. Jaimeto, I am grateful to you and your family in ways you can never know. I love you very much and am grateful that you included us in our wedding. You are a shining example of what family means.

May God bless each and every one of you.