When you get together with family how often are we thinking “When will this end”.  We had a fun experience with a family dinner recently.  What happened.  Well, we realized that we had 4 generations together at one table.  Our patriarch was there, Aunt Betty Ann who is 98 down to the youngest, ME 3 years old.  We are lucky in that our family all lives locally.  On September 5th our family had a picnic where over 50 people showed up and many were busy and couldn’t come out. It is funny.  I am always telling people about our family and many find it hard to understand.  My generation is the really the first generation to leave Louisville.  That may be because they all worked in the family business until they were married and settled here.  My Generation moves away and almost all have returned home.  That we can think of only 1 family (at least to 2nd cousins) has moved away and been unable to return.  The best part of that is that they want to return but Occupations won’t let them.

Sent to me from another source !

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: – Knowing when to come in out of the rain; – Why the early bird gets the worm; … – Life isn’t always fair; – And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies, don’t spend more than you can earn and adults, not children, are in charge. His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility and his son Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I’m A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, do nothing

We have recently had a break down in our family history research.  I would have to guess that it has to do with the TV Show “Who do you think you are?”.  Once my wife started watching that she was in full research mode.  Now if we could just get her back into it.

We have to thank those of you who have written in.  Believe it or not some have.  We received a wonderful letter from a former employee’s daughter of my Grandfather.  Yes that was a little confusing.  The neat thing is that she found us through the Photos section of the old Klarer Plant pictures.  Please feel free to look around the pictures.  Send us a comment if you see something that looks familiar.

At a church recently we saw a video of a family that had lost their 13 year old daughter to a freak snow skiing accident.  What did that family do?  They decided that the lost of the family member was tragic but if something good was to come from it, they had to donate working organs.  The video was the reunion of the mother of the 13 year old and the recipient of her heart.  A mother of 2 received the heart after hers began to fail 5 years prior.  Just before the transplant she was sleeping 18 hours a day and was luck to leave the house due to fatigue.

While the video was moving I am glad to be a member of a family that had done just what the giving family did.  This week is difficult as I remember Smoky but at the same time I know that others are out in the world due to the giving nature of Smoky and his wife.  We are thankful for our family and the giving nature.

Monday we held our yearly picnic at Mary and Kurt Broecker’s Farm in Oldham County.  It is amazing how much everyone changes in just a matter of a year.  5 years ago we had little kids running around and now we have teenagers and youth a like.  Our Family picnic was from 11 to 2 but many didn’t arrive until after 12 as there was an accident on I-71.  Either way you have to give the kids plenty of time to run around.  The picnic ended a little after 3 as many started their way home to spend the afternoon getting ready for the busy work week.

Family pictures from the event will be uploaded but one of the best is attached here. 

THE PSYCHIATRIST AND THE PROCTOLOGIST

Best friends graduated from medical school at the same time and decided that, in spite of two different specialties, they would open a practice together to share office space and personnel.
Dr. Smith was the psychiatrist and Dr. Jones was the proctologist. They put up a sign reading “Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors.”
The town council was livid and insisted they change it.
So, the docs changed it to read: “Schizoids and Hemorrhoids.” This was also not acceptable, so they again changed the sign.
“Catatonics and High Colonics”. . .no go.
Next, they tried “Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives” . . . thumbs down.
Then came “Minds and Behinds” . . . still no good.
Another attempt resulted in “Lost Souls and Butt Holes” . . . unacceptable!
So they tried “Analysis and Anal Cysts” . . . not a chance.
“Nuts and Butts” . . . no way.
“Freaks and Cheeks” . . . still no good.
“Loons and Moons” . . . forget it.

The docs finally came up with “Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones – Odds and Ends.”
Everyone loved it!