Papa's Walking Stick

Well, I finished it! I made a walking cane for myself. I've been making canes and walking sticks since I was a young man of 28. I made one for my beautiful dad years ago. He died in 1986. Then Julie's dad suffered a severe stroke in 1976. I made him a wonderful cane, then went to a German engraver who put a rosebud and the name "Bud" on a gold plate that I fixed to the cane. I've made a lot of walking sticks for whomever wanted them, but my special one was made for my dear, twin sister (she's a SSND).
On Thursday, while I was putting those scary faces on trees with two of Laura's dollies. My knee went out again and I fell headfirst on to the lawn! Julie and the kids helped me get up. Last week, my big son (6'4", 274 lbs) took me fishing. He had to help me in the boat, but my knee gave out and I fell again. Last fall, while hunting deer on Nick's land, I saw two sticks that were perfect to make in to walking sticks. I brought them home but left them in my suburban. After these three falling incidents, I knew it was time to make a walking stick for myself. Well, I did.
I guess I'm officially an old man.

A Bit About Papa

I was a young, strong farmboy born in the 40's and worked hard on our big farm. I played football and basketball in high school, did my time in the army (tanker), then went to the U of M to get a degree in history.

Fr. Corapi Says:

Do you know that during the week of 911 there was not ONE abortion in the city of New York and that they broke the record for the most confessions in a single week?

Papa's Mind is at Ease

We are soon getting a German archbishop for the archdiocese of St. Paul MN. Three cheers! Hopefully he'll obey our wonderful Pope Benedict XVI and the magisterium. I was talking to some seminarians who were so enthralled when Cardinal Ratzinger was elected to carry on the work of saintly JPII that they had a "German Party" on the roof of one of the seminary buildings. He said they had bratwurst and beer. But the beer was root beer. Nearly all of these young men are full of love for the Eucharist and the Church. My dear seminarian friend said that they are all solid, good Catholics. All of these young men are going to the seminary right after the insidious scandal by some bishops and priests. How brave and gracious they are. These new seminarians and the young, conservative priests that we have now put my mind and heart at ease knowing that Christ was right, the Church will go on until the end of time. I worry about my grandkids a lot, but the new priests and seminarians give me hope. My wife and I still pray for the seminarians and young priests every day to maintain the wonderful traditions of the Church of Rome.