Gordy and the Fourth Quarter
At the urging of friends, I began a blog reflecting my views of life, various events, and milestones.
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Little Things
My dad once told me, “Gord, it’s the little things that give quality to your life. You can’t do much about major events like losing a job, health crises, or accidents but you can acknowledge the people who, in some small and seemingly insignificant way, make the road you travel through life just a little…
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Gratitude
It’s almost here again and with it a double dose of happiness for me. They arrive around the same time every year and are both worth the wait–Fall has already arrived, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Don’t get me wrong, I like every season and almost every major holiday, but this duo has…
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The Back Nine
I am sitting here looking at the screen, thinking, do I have anything worth saying today. I sit a little longer, take a walk outside and look at the leaves beginning to fall and now I am back. It dawns on me; I am lucky to be back and so are you. As I walked…
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Friendship
Friendship “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” Abraham Lincoln. We’ve all heard that phrase but I never knew it was attached to the 16th President. He obviously was a deep thinker but then he had a nation to save so suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. When…
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AL
. Sometimes I’m a little amazed, generally, in a good way, by what happens around me but not always. Life has a way of unraveling in ways we never imagined or anticipated. Take today for example. Macomb had a huge thunderstorm this morning, and as I laid there in bed with Diane (good choice on…
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Raatjes, Gabler, Clow, Marx, & Hicken
We all went to school, somewhere, at some time, for various periods of time. Among us there are high school graduates, and college graduates too many degree programs to mention—law, MD. PhD, etc. I was among the very lucky ones as I attended one of the premier high schools in the nation. That was just…
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“A Spoonful of Sugar…”
It’s been an interesting last five months for Diane and me. It started out with a left hip replacement on December 10th that worked out satisfactorily after a rough beginning. Then it was off for our annual Marco Island, Florida, adventure that turned out to be a medical marathon as I had some very serious…
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How Did This Happen?
Usually, when I write this blog, I try to be non-confrontational and avoid taking a position one way or another on any issue. I am deviating from that tradition today. It dawns on me that this is my blog, and I should pretty much say what’s on my mind, so here I go, not sure…
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Being Gracious
I was going through some old letters last week and came across one that caught my eye. It dated back to December 16, 1963, over 60 years ago. Why would I have kept a letter from so long ago? Then, I read it; it was a beauty: Dear Gordon, Our whole family admires you for…
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And Then There Were None
Diane and I are blessed with three children who have made us proud but more importantly, have lived lives that we believe make them proud. I didn’t say there haven’t been “bumps in the road” as there clearly have been, but they have been successfully navigated and all three, their spouses, and children doing just…
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The Best of Humanity
I’m in a particularly good mood this morning because I get to tell you about some dear friends who can teach us all about what it means to be “our brother’s keeper.” This 4th Quarter thing has plenty of ups and downs. Each of us has our own experiences to enrich us, teach us, and…
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Because She’s My Friend
Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year and a time to do just that, “be thankful” and for all of us lucky enough to have made it to the 4th Quarter of our lives, take a few minutes to reflect on your many blessings. Think about that for just a minute. We all have…
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The Reunion
Hinsdale Hall of Fame Dinner 2024. L to R: Gordy, Diane, & John Sandeen. Mike Mason ’64, Gordy, ’64, John Sandeen, ’64 (HOF Inductee 2024), Bill Zillman, ’63. Class of 1964 HOF attendees: Cissy Mohlman Webb, Richard Sherman, Gordy, Craig Baab, Bruce Fogarty, Richard Pavek, John Sandeen, April Holub Long, & Mike Mason. It had…
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Keys
When I put my once nimble fingers to the keys, I always hope something cogent or germane will be the result. Each time I try but some blogs “connect” better than others. And then I realized, I am not the only person facing this 4th Quarter conundrum that comes with advancing age. This week I…
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ED
Everyone in Macomb knew Ed Holzwarth. Everyone also respected, admired, liked, and revered him for the way he conducted his life. Last month, “Big Ed” all 6’3″ of him departed my train of life for the final time. He said goodbye to his wife, Sue, his son Mike, two daughters Sue and Sandy, seven grandchildren, two…
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Transitions
We’ve made it past the 4th of July, and now it’s time to really get into summer. I was out walking early one morning and had a couple of thoughts I’ve decided to pass along. The first involves that famous train of life we are all engineering, each of us looking back to see who is…
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What follows is, with some minor edits, a column I wrote for “Across the Miles” which appeared in the Western News, the alumni newsletter at Western Illinois University. As Mother’s Day is recently behind us and Father’s Day lies ahead, I felt it might be appropriate to share. Summer Edition—2004 Seize the day! Make a…
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A Nice Man
Like many of us in The Fourth Quarter, I have been mesmerized the past couple of days by the important attention given to the stories of June 6, 1944. I listened to the riveting words of President Reagan in 1984 in the cemetery in Normandy where 9,400 brave young men, who never got to experience…
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Coach
Sometimes this whole 4th Quarter thing “gets to me.” I never thought the day would come when going for a walk would make me tired and require a nap afterwards. The same goes for mowing the yard or doing yardwork. Being required to sit four times a day to consume a total of ten, eight-ounce…
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Dinner for One
Before I begin, Diane and I want to reach out and thank everyone for your kind words of love and support over the past 7 months. Please know our intent has been to educate, share, and maybe provide some food for thought as we all continue our individual journeys through the fourth quarter of our…
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Gordy and the Fourth Quarter 
Gordy and your entire family, our prayers are with you all. You have the greatest attitude towards adversity, I have ever seen. Your sense of humor and clarity of reality is an inspiration. God bless.
Hang in there, Gordy! Saying prayers for you and your family!