Monthly Archives: December 2025
My great grandniece, Izabella Harman is ten today, and that just shocks me. My first thought is that she is getting so big…so grown up, and she is, but when I saw the picture of Izabella with her Great Dane-Lab mix dog, Samson, who is one of four family dogs, well, it was obvious that while she is growing up, she isn’t exactly big. Izabella, whom I normally call Belle, although I don’t know if she still likes that name or not, is her mother, Melanie’s mini-me. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t realize that when she was little. Nevertheless, the older she gets, the more obvious it becomes.
Aside from looking just like her mom, Belle is very much her own person. She is always so sweet and helpful with everything! Known, at least in her own family, for her “sass” one might say that it has definitely become more noticeable as she’s gotten older. She and her sister, Alice and 
brother, Jaxx share a great bond, even though they might fight like siblings do. They’re always together playing some strange game. They have great imaginations. From the bedroom, their parents can hear their laughter, and Belle’s is always the loudest. She has a great sense of humor, but if anyone gets hurt, she’s the first to help, and the first to tell if someone does something they shouldn’t. I’m sure her siblings would say that can be good or bad, depending on who ends up in trouble.
Belle is very much a princess, but she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty when helping Dad work on cars or 
pitching in wherever needed. She’s a “girly girl” with attitude. She loves trying to prank people and every now and then pulls it off pretty well!! She’s super funny, always calling out others when they mess up their words, and laughing just as hard when she’s the one who slips up. Part of laughing at others is being able to take it when the joke is on you, and Belle does that very well. She very expressive. Every time she leaves her mom or dad, she says, “I love you, you’re my best friend,” though, according to her mom, her dad is truly her best friend. Nevertheless, she’s so sweet she makes sure to tell her mom the same. That’s the mark of a real sweetie. Today is Izabella’s 10th birthday…that most important double-digit birthday. Happy birthday Belle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Isaac Spethman has always been a bundle of energy. He was always busy from the time he was just seven years old when he talked a Grant Street Grocery into “hiring” him. He provided the needed resume, and they were so touched that they put him to work. Of course, they couldn’t pay him, so he go candy, sandwiches, or other items from the store. It was a mutually beneficial agreement, and both parties were delighted.
When Isaac was a little boy, his parents, my niece, Jenny Spethman and her husband Steve were told by a number of people that their son was ADHD. They were told he needed to be medicated to calm him down, but they chose not to do so, and not to label him. Instead, they channeled his energy in ways that helped him to focus and be productive. They never told him that he couldn’t do something that he dreamed up, unless it was dangerous, of 
course. The Grant Street Grocery job was across the street from their home, and they knew the owners. They knew he was safe and occupied. They didn’t know how long his interest would last, but it lasted a long time. The people at the store started teaching him about running the store, including cuts of meat. They just couldn’t let him cut the meat. Isaac had such a wonderful experience working at Grant Street Grocery, that he has had a job ever since, and just before he turned 18, he purchased his first home.
Success is often measured in the things we have and the accomplishments we make, but for Isaac, it was also measured in the things he didn’t do or didn’t have forced upon him. He has never taken medication for ADHD, 
nor has he ever been labeled with it. His parents raised him instead to be the best man he could be, and to focus that incredible energy he had into good things, helping others, and creating the kind of life he wanted, even if he did things at a much younger age that society would have expected. I’m not saying that people should never give their kids medication for ADHD, but rather that people should be sure of their options first, and either way, don’t label a child with things that will ultimately limit them. Today is Isaac’s 19th birthday. Happy birthday Isaac!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Most likely everyone has heard of Cleopatra. She belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty. She was a descendant of Ptolemy, who was one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Her family ruled Egypt from the city of Alexandria, which was, of course, named after Alexander the Great. A strange fact about the Ptolemaic dynasty is that every male ruler was named Ptolemy, which makes studying them pretty confusing. Cleopatra was not, of course, a male descendant, and women were often considered incapable of learning, or at least incapable of learning very well. Nevertheless, while Ancient Egyptian is known as one of the hardest languages to learn, Cleopatra mastered it…along with eight other languages, including Ancient Greek, Ancient Iranian, Ancient Parthian, Syriac, Ethiopian, Troglodyte, Hebrew, and Arabic. While she was “just a woman,” she proved herself to be very intelligent. Of course, IQ could not be measured in those days, and as we all know, women are just as intelligent as men, so for Cleopatra to master nine languages, while an amazing feat, is not unheard of among women or men.
Cleopatra VII was famous for her political skill and romantic ties to Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She was also a shrewd entrepreneur with a thriving perfume and cosmetics empire. Her factories near the Dead Sea produced some of the most coveted beauty products of the ancient world, like Kohl eyeliner, rouge, and luxurious fragrances. She personally experimented with ingredients and formulas, often testing them on herself. This booming beauty business brought immense wealth to Egypt and shaped cosmetic trends across the Roman Empire. Her lavish recipes featured crushed pearls, gold flakes, and rare plant extracts from Africa 
and Asia, making her creations exclusive to royalty and the wealthy elite. Cleopatra was very much ahead of her time when it came to manufacturing and business. Truly, she was lightyears ahead of many of the men in her era and even modern eras.
Cleopatra VII, born around 70/69 BCE, was the last reigning monarch of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Kingdom. The daughter of Ptolemy XII, she ascended to the throne with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, after their father’s death. Her famous ties with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony played a key role in her fight to keep Egypt free from Roman control. Though of Greek heritage, she fully embraced Egyptian culture and earned a reputation for her sharp mind and political skill. Her rule came to an end with her death in 30 BCE, marking the fall of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the start of Roman rule in Egypt.
The past year has been a hard one for my niece, Michelle Miller…probably the hardest she has ever faced. Shortly before her birthday, her mother, Alena Stevens was diagnosed with cancer, and she passed away on April 23, 2025. There is no easy way to lose your mother, no matter how young or how old she may have been. Our parents are like our anchor, and we feel their loss deeply. Michelle is the oldest of my sister and brother-in-law, Mike Stevens’ children. She and her siblings, Garrett Stevens and Lacey Killinger have done their very best to be supportive of their dad as he and they grieve Alena’s loss. They have been very strong for each other, and that is no easy task when one is hurting.
Michelle, being the eldest sibling, always seemed to be the take charge person. Siblings seem to look up to the 
eldest among them or at least look to them for leadership. Michelle has always proven herself to be a leader in her life. Michelle has always been an artist, and her work very much impresses me. I would love to have her skill, but that is definitely not to be. Michelle and her husband, Matt have been renovating the home they purchased a while back. The heavy work is being done by Matt and his dad, but the design work will be all Michelle, I’m sure. The work they have done so far, has been amazing, and I know that the rest of the house will be amazing too. Michelle comes by her design talents from her mom. Both of them could make a room or home look stunning. It is a blessing to be so capable.
Michelle, a degreed art teacher, had worked at the Nicolaysen Art Museum since graduating. Unfortunately, although she loved the Nic and her role there, being a nonprofit meant no opportunities for raises or promotions. In October, she began searching for a new job and received an offer from Phoenix Capital 
Investments, an oil and gas investment firm. Since starting there in November, she’s really been enjoying her work, earning a significant pay raise, and seeing plenty of room for advancement. Michelle is highly capable and dedicated, and she’s sure to thrive in her new role. Today is Michelle’s birthday!! Happy birthday Michelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
The survivors of the Holocaust faced many challenges upon their liberation, not the least of which was what we now call, “survivor’s guilt” but had no real name back then. It was something felt by survivors of the camps and those hidden to avoid the camps alike. Those who survived the camps, while their friends, neighbors, and especially their loved ones were slaughtered, could never understand what caused them to be among those who miraculously made it out of the Nazi death camps. They hadn’t led a necessarily purer life. They weren’t more religious or kinder than others, and in fact some felt like so many others deserved to survive more than they did, and yet those very people were chosen for death. Everyone knew that the Nazis didn’t necessarily have any rhyme or reason for the people chosen to die, but that didn’t make their survival any more sensible. So, many of them spent years feeling that they should have died in the place of others.
The people hidden, especially those hidden in “plain sight” who had to pretend to be something they weren’t…basically gave up their faith as Jews, and pretended to be Catholic, Protestant, or even Agnostics to survive. They did what they could to look less Jewish and refused to wear the Jewish star on their clothing, as had been ordered. They carried false papers and moved around Nazi territory as “Aryan” people, even if they had dark hair. Many of the hidden or adopted children, especially those who didn’t know it until years later, felt like they had betrayed God. They felt like they had abandoned their faith to save their lives. This group couldn’t exactly go back, because they didn’t know how to be Jewish anymore. That past, along with their birth names had been erased from their lives, and they felt like they couldn’t retrieve it. Those who tried to become “Jewish” again, often found that they didn’t fit in there anymore either. They didn’t know the prayers, and they didn’t understand the holidays. They just didn’t fit anymore, and they thought God might even be mad at them now.
No one walked away from survivalship of the Holocaust unscathed. Many people were no longer in the same country, although many felt that was not a bad thing. They weren’t sure they were “wanted” in that country or even in the family they now found themselves living with. Nevertheless, they were now part of an “elite” class of people. Elite, only in that they made it through. I don’t suppose they felt like an “elite” class of people though. In many ways, they may have even felt like traitors…to their friends, family, and neighbors who didn’t survive…like they should have done something to facilitate their own demise. Still, I believe that if their friends, 
family, and neighbors could talk to them now, they would say, “No, you needed to survive!! Someone had to make it out…to tell the world what happened, to show that our people would not be destroyed…to survive!! Someone had to do it!!” Their survival was the only way to carry on for those who were lost…even though it was the hardest single act they could perform, and the one about which they felt the most guilt.
As medicine has evolved, there have been a number of “old wives’ tales” and downright dangerous “cures” for many ailments. Black Death (Bubonic Plague) was no different. The Black Death was a 19th-century term that refers to the plague epidemic that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1352 CE, killing around 30 million people there and many more worldwide as it grew into a pandemic. It gets its name from the black buboes…swollen lymph nodes…that appeared on victim’s bodies. The plague was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas on rodents, usually rats, though people of the time didn’t know that. It wasn’t discovered until 1894 CE. 
At the start of the hysteria, many blamed supernatural forces like God’s wrath, the devil’s work, or planetary alignments, along with “bad air” or imbalances in the body’s “humors,” believed to be key to good health. With no understanding of the disease’s cause, a cure was impossible, but people still tried remedies based on the era’s medical knowledge from figures like the Greek doctor Hippocrates, philosopher Aristotle, and Roman physician Galen, as well as religious beliefs, folklore, herbalism, and superstition. These cures, most ineffective and some deadly, fell into five main categories: animal-based treatments; potions, fumigations, bloodletting, and pastes; fleeing infected areas and persecuting marginalized communities; religious practices; and measures like quarantine and social distancing.
Most of these had little to no effect on the Black Death, but one “cure” that was even more outlandish than any other, was the “bacon grease” cure. Somehow, a rumor got started that the Black Death could be completely cured by drinking bacon grease!! The very thought makes me nauseous!! Maybe that was what made it seem 
like serious medicine, who knows. Nevertheless, the people, in their panicked state would jump at anything, no matter how bizarre looking it was, to cure this horrible disease. Of course, bacon grease did nothing against the plague. Basically, it was a waste of time…a disgusting waste of time. I don’t like eating the fat on meat, and for me, bacon must be extra, extra crispy…like almost burnt, in order to be eaten. I do love bacon, but not slimy, and I would never “eat” or “drink” the grease from the bacon. That is only good for one thing…the trash. I’m sure that in their panicked state, the people were open to suggestion on things, and that definitely shows in the use of bacon grease as a potential cure for the Black Death.
It’s funny how people we think of as being from very different eras, can actually be from the same era. That’s because we view then from the window of accomplishments, martyrdoms, or heroics, rather than looking at the era they were actually born to. In the case of Martin Luther King Jr and Anne Frank, we view her as the Holocaust years from the opening of Dachau on March 22, 1933, to the end of her short life in February or March of 1945 in Bergen-Belsen. On the other hand, we view Martin Luther King Jr from the window of the Civil Rights Movement, of which he was leader from 1955 until his assassination on April 4, 1968. Their most recognized years seem to have nothing to do with each other, but the fact is that Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15, 1929, and Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929. These were two people from the exact same era, in fact, he was just five months older that she was.
Their lives were equally valuable, even though their causes and their situations were very different. What they had very much in common was that they were both persecuted people, and all based on their race. I don’t understand why people act that way. Would we really want everyone on Earth to be the same. Our differences are really our strengths. Nevertheless, from the dawn of time to present day, we feel the need and even the right to condemn, hate, bully, and even kill people who think differently, believe differently, and even look different than we do. People consider it their right, even though it is absolutely not their right. God created all men to be equal, and we should not try to change that.
Martin Luther King Jr tried to change the irrational views of a nation and yes, the world to understand that skin 
color has nothing to do with a person’s value, knowledge, or goodness. It’s what a person does with their life, and not how they come into it that matters. Anne Frank never really had a chance to “say” anything to that world in her lifetime. Nevertheless, in her diary, she told the world the truth of what happened to her and her family. Her voice was not silenced, as the Nazis would have liked it to be. While Anne Frank did not survive her time in Bergen-Belsen, dying just days before the camp was liberated, her diary did survive, and while her dad, who also survived didn’t really want to have his daughter’s diary published because of the painful content, he knew it was the right thing to do, so he let her story be told.
Martin Luther King Jr and Anne Frank died in different ways and at different times, but their stories have carried on for years to show the devastating effects of hatred against different races, creeds, and religions. I can’t say we as a nation have learned the lessons that their stories teach, but we certainly should have.
Flannan Isles Lighthouse is a lighthouse near the highest point on Eilean Mòr, one of the Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It’s biggest claim to fame was in 1900, when its three keepers disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The men were never found.
The first sign that something was wrong on the Flannan Isles came on December 15, 1900, when the steamer Archtor, traveling from Philadelphia to Leith, logged that the lighthouse light wasn’t working during bad weather. The lighthouse was essential to the shipping industry, as it protected the ships from crashing into the shore on the island. When the ship arrived in Leith on December 18th, the report was passed to the Northern Lighthouse Board for investigation. The relief vessel, the lighthouse tender Hesperus, couldn’t leave Breasclete, Lewis, as planned on December 20th, because of rough weather, so it didn’t reach the island until midday on December 26th. The lighthouse was staffed by three men…James Ducat, Thomas Marshall, and Donald McArthur…while a fourth man rotated time ashore.
When they arrived, the crew of the Hesperus and the relief keeper found that the flagpole was bare, the usual provision boxes for restocking were missing from the landing stage, and no lighthouse keepers were there to greet them. Captain Jim Harvie tried to make contact by sounding the ship’s whistle and firing a flare, but he got no response. A boat was sent out, and Joseph Moore, the relief keeper, went ashore alone…something I don’t think I would want to do. He found the compound’s entrance gate and the main door both shut, the beds unmade, and the clock unwound. After returning to the landing stage with this news, he headed back to the lighthouse with Hesperus’s second mate and a seaman. Their search showed the lamps had been cleaned and refilled, and a set of oilskins was left behind, hinting that one keeper had gone out without them. There was no trace of the keepers anywhere, inside the lighthouse or on the island.
At that time, Moore and three volunteer seamen were left on the island to attend the light and Hesperus returned to Lewis. Captain Harvie sent a telegram to the Northern Lighthouse Board dated December 26, 1900, stating: “A dreadful accident has happened at the Flannans. The three keepers, Ducat, Marshall and the Occasional have disappeared from the Island… The clocks were stopped and other signs indicated that the accident must have happened about a week ago. Poor fellows they must have been blown over the cliffs or drowned trying to secure a crane.” Of course, this was not what might be considered an “official” cause of death, as there never really was an official cause of death, since there were no bodies found.
On Eilean Mòr, the men searched every inch of the island for clues about the keepers’ fate. While the east landing was untouched, the west landing showed clear signs of storm damage. A box 108 feet above sea level was broken open with its contents scattered. Also, iron railings were bent, the iron railway along the path had been torn from its concrete, and a rock weighing over a ton had been shifted. At the cliff’s top, more than 200 feet above sea level, turf had been ripped away up to 33 feet from the edge.
On December 29, 1900, Robert Muirhead, superintendent for the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB), arrived to investigate the incident. Having personally recruited the three missing men, he knew them well. After inspecting the clothing left behind, he concluded that Ducat and Marshall had gone to the western landing stage, while McArthur, the “Occasional,” had stepped out into heavy rain wearing only his shirt sleeves. He noted that leaving the light unattended was a clear violation of NLB rules and remarked that some of the damage to the west landing was “hard to believe unless you saw it yourself.”
“From the evidence I gathered, I was convinced the men had been on duty until dinner time on Saturday, December 15th. They had gone down to secure a box containing mooring ropes, landing ropes, and other gear, stored in a crevice in the rock about 110 feet above sea level. Then, an unusually large wave surged up the face of the rock, rose above them, and came crashing down with such immense force that it swept them away entirely. Ducat left a wife and four children, while McArthur a wife and two children. The disappearances tarnished the lighthouse’s reputation for many years after the incident.”
No bodies were ever found, but strange sightings sparked “fascinated national speculation” in newspapers and magazines of the time. Outlandish theories followed…perhaps a sea serpent carried the men away, they secretly boarded a ship to start new lives, they were kidnapped by foreign spies, or they fell victim to a ghostly vessel 
known locally as the “Phantom of the Seven Hunters.” Even more than a decade later, the mystery was still being remembered and embellished. Some suggest that there were signs of a struggle and meals left uneaten or interrupted, but neither was the case. In a first-hand account, Moore, the relief keeper, mentioned, “The kitchen utensils were all very clean, suggesting they must have left sometime after dinner.” Speculation continues to this day.
My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak was born on December 14, 2017. She was a preemie born at 30 weeks, but this miracle girl was a fighter. She persevered through those early days, and 60 days later, Reece was ready to go home. While she was a fighter, it was only in things that are important. Other than that, she is an easy-going fun girl, that everyone wants to be around. While Reece is very popular, she is also the kind of person who feels a deep sense of kindness, fairness, and inclusion. She doesn’t want anyone to be left out of the fun. No wonder everyone wants to be her friend.
Reece has a smiley face that lights up a room, and her personality make everyone want to be her friend. Reece is also a very smart girl. Reece is in second grade now and doing very well. She loves school and learning. She is a curious girl and enjoys each new year very much. Reece doesn’t remember her traumatic beginning, of course, but if she did, she still wouldn’t let it slow her down. I’m sure she has heard about her early start, but that just isn’t the same as what her parents, Keifer and Katie Balcerzak, went through. Her birth is something they will never forget. It was the kind of thing no young parent wants to go through. Still, when the trauma was over and their girl was going home, they felt like the most blessed parents in the world.
For a while, Reece was an only child, but then, just went it seemed like she would always be an only child, 
Reece got a little brother named Asa. She was so happy to have a sibling, and she is such a great big sister. She is a great role model for Asa, and he wants to just like her is so many ways. Reece is the kind of kid that makes her brother look up to her. The latest news is that Reece made her theatre debut in November when she was cast as an orphan girl in the musical Annie!! She auditioned in August after her mom happened to spot the signup sheet, leaving her with less than 24 hours to pick and prepare a song to perform in front of a group of strangers. I’m not sure who was more nervous, Reece or her mom. Nevertheless, Reece got the part and had a great time with her acting debut. She did great which doesn’t surprise me at all. Today is Reece’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
