My Brother's Birthday

July 18 was my Brother's 76th Birthday. Well it would have been. He died in the late 70's from a cerebral hemmorage caused by a malformation of blood vessels in his brain. That malformation was brought about by a "mild" case of polio. His father died from polio in the 1930's.

He didn't even know he had caught the disease until he entered the Army during the Korean War.  It never stopped him from serving and serve he did: in the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and finally the Army, again,  where he was medically retired because of the seizures he began to have.

I didn't know my brother well because he was up and out of the house by the time I might have been influenced by him. My sister stayed around longer so we are very close (not always - but thank God now).
I remember him as brash, opinionated, sometimes argumentative. But I also remember he had an incredibly soft heart.

It nearly killed my mother to bury him. Elsie and I had to make the decision to take him off life support because she just could not do it. I don't believe my mother ever fully recovered even though she lived many many years afterward.

None of this, of course, is or should be, of any interest to those of you reading it. And I don't usually discuss things this personal, but Fred needed to be remembered - made present again.

So lift a glass to Frederick Barnard, veteran of Korea and Vietnam, but most of all my brother. May he rest in eternity and my light perpetual shine upon him.

I'm Back

Probably could have titled this "I still have a back".
Well, per usual, nothing about me is all that simple. Appears I may be having "nerve root" irritation and so they will be treating me for that next week. Appears to be a relatively common post-op issue. Pain level is better however, which means I'm not doping myself into semi-hibernation.

Back to work - except it's not really like work in some regards. Never really understand how much I miss the liturgy until I am deprived of it. Still a bit stiff and get tired more quickly than I like but at least the four walls I'm looking at are way different than what I have been staring at for these several weeks.

Nothing profound to say at this point - just wanted folks to know I am still kicking - well- breathing might be more accurate.