MY BACK CONDITION WORSENS

My back condition has worsened. I must seek medical help with a dermatologist at the VA.All other activities of today are secondary and not worth mentioning. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A COLD FEBRUARY SUNDAY

Blood glucose 88. This was a cold sunny Sunday at the end of the month. My routine laundry chores passed by the morning. The afternoon was spent watching UCONN & Georgetown battle with UCONN prevailing. My house was cleaned from stem to stern by Josh. Thanks! Gave the Cracker-Barrel gift card to Ronnie for plowing me out all season. Much appreciated.To Worcester tomorrow with my hearing aids. Will leave about 9:00 AM. 60 Minutes was interesting tonight particularly about the demise of newspapers.I'm still a buyer for $5 a day. NYT & USA Today. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

MY SETON HALL SATURDAY

Blood glucose 92 Did food shopping in NB and received a new 2022 Lincoln Cent.. the first."Johnson" arrived after a trucker tipped over. We headed for South Athol for lunch at McDonald's. The usual hamburger, french fries and drink.I questioned how far WB was and it proved to be 31 miles. The Pirates game was in Cincinatti and I didn't know what to expect? Seton Hall. The Hall came on strong and prevailed the whole game. I think Xavier was tired after playing the 2 OT game against Providence Thursday night. The Hall looked great. Jared Rhoden had 30 points, Tray Jackson 17 and Kadary Richmond 12. This was Kevin Willard's 222 win.. score 82-66 final. Georgetown on March 2 7:00 pm. Laundry tomorrow. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A CAMPFIRE FOR ONE

Today I was greeted by two cardinals..one male.. one female. The sewet block was replaced and new birds came. The snowcover found birds looking for seeds. The Legion was closed today. Josh invited me over for a campfire despite the fluffy snow cover. He made a roaring fire of oak flooring and huge stumps. I pulled the Honda up and played Apple Country radio 93.1. Maddie and Evie came out in their snowsuits and played pass with a football! Dad pitched in and the spirit was high.Xavier plays SHU tomorrow at 3:30. Will call "Johnson" in the morning.Winter has returned for couple of days. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

UKRAINE EVOKES MEMORIES OF MY VIETNAM

The storm dumped about 10 inches of snow in the Brookfields. Ronnie plowed out alowing me to get the newspapers. Banner headlines bring me back to my Vietnam experiences. Last night I began assimilating both photographs,citations and memoirs of my "One year, nine months and two days." My plan is to publish a copy beginning with the local American Legion and the NB Senior Center. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

SETON HALL DEFEATS BUTLER 66-60!

The game wasn't etched in stone until the last minute.The Pirates came back and that is good.Three pointers revealed both teams.The Pirates won! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A PAY DAY TUESDAY

I like getting my Social Security! Each month starts with my $1575 and in a few days my pensions kick in for about $600. I try to live simply and it pays off. I have no car payments and all other expenses are predictible.Today saw the dry cleaning ready and paying my rent to Josh.Saw Chase Robert who wanted me to go for a ride in his Jeep.We went to New Braintree and Barre.Chase has an eye for vintage Broncos.Saw two. The rains came in the PM as I worked on "MY GRANDFATHER'S LIFE." This raises many provocative questionss. I am now on page 115. Bill Gross called from Vancouver, Washington, acknowledging receipt of blog samples.Tomorrow NB Senior Center for lunch.It's dubious if I get to Boston for Friday as snow is in the forecast. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A TOUCH OF SPRING 2-22-2022

Weight 162 lbs . A holiday Monday proved to be a good one.I loaded up with food from Hannaford and enjoyed the brightness of the day.It got to be 50 degrees.Heidi gave me a new book "MY GRANDFATHER'S LIFE" covering 1. Early Childhood & Heritage 2. childhood 3. teenage years 4.Young adulthood 5. adulthood 6 Wisdom. Each chapter raises questions as it pertains to my life. It is introspective and will be fun to complete and return. The new exquisite kitchen is shaping up. Overhead lights now working.New flooring in the family room has begun. HAd some of Richard's Shepard's pie. My day was good. Hope to do banking tomorrow. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

AUSTIN CINDRIC WINS DAYTONA 500

The Daytona 500 was won by Austin Cindric! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A SETON HALL VICTORY OVER DEPAUL

The day was filled with snow squalls. "Johnson" and I traveled to the Davenport Maple Syrup Farm in Shelburne. They were not making syrup.We ate at McDonald's in Greenfield. A snow-squall hit the Brookfields before sunset. The Seton Hall basketball game in Newark was a needed victory and the Pirates won over DePaul by two points.Now they need one more victory to be .500 in the Big East. Next game will be on Wednesday night against Butler. Go Pirates. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A FRIDAY OF SUPRISES

Blood glucose 87 Weight 161.8 lbs The roaring winds prevailed throughout the day. I did the routine of Spencer then North Brookfield. A suprise came when Josh said 'We're going down to the Legion at the request of Sons Commander Richard Kemp!" It was a pleasant visit with Bill Mansfield, Jeff Nickerson, Jeff & Peggy Walker and others. As a Vietnam Veteran I would like to make a presentation of my time in the U.S. Army. Enjoyed a haddock meal. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

AN APPLE COUNTRY CAMPFIRE

This Thursday was cloudy, windy and 50 degrees.I began to pour over the more than 600 pages of blog entries from 2007. I'm finding reviewing entries serve as a reminder of the many topics covered. My initial title is THE GOOD OLD DAYS; A BLOGGER REMINISCES.Got a call from Josh saying "Wear your boots and come over at 4:30! The stage was set as he had APPLE COUNTRY radio playing 9.81 FM. We challenge each other as the songs play and we guess. The station is commercial free.He built a roaring campfire.. good for this February day.My eczema covers my back and I will have to get help as some point. Seton Hall plays DePasul Saturday at 8:00 from Newark, NJ. Dry cleaning and food tomorrow, Friday. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

BEAT SETON HALL

The shirts read "Beat Seton Hall" and they did! UCONN prevailed the entire game.Sickening...70-65 ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A PRODUCTIVE TUESDAY

My trip to Walmart-Ware was good. I used a motorized cart and found what I was looking for: Premium Bright Ink Jet white paper. I bought a ream (500) sheets and accomplished my goal: print all of the blogs.I also got a birthday card for Sister Jan who will turn 82 on the 3rd. The Honda got a wash job for $10 and I filled up the tank with $3.45/gallon gas. Upon return I began printing.I accomplished my mission with 2 paper jams...resolved. The printed pile is imposing.I don't know what my next move will be. Made an appointment with the Audiology dept on Monday Feb 28th.Tomorrow is Valentine at the NB Senior Center.Mailed the blog sample to Bill Gross.This Tuesday was very good. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A VERY COLD VALENTINE DAY

This Valentines day was excellent. I found answering correspondence fun. I worked on my printed blogs and am sending a sampling to Bill Gross in Vancouver, Washington. Bill knows me well and having his valued opinion will be helpful. I must get some quality paper at Walmart in Ware.There's much work to be done. Saw Josh briefly. Chase and I had a good discussion on deciding on a college in a year or more. Now he's leaning towards a college in Boston.He showed me his report card. Both Chase and Madeline are High Honor students.I gave both a five dollar bill!Let the critics blair! Must make an appointment with the VA Audiology dept. Both hearing aids need repair! HUH? ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

THE SUPER BOWL LVI

I watched 3/4 of the game and and the Intermission.As a 'non-football' fan I was totally disappointed. To think billions were spent on foolish ads you will not see me watching next year's game. I'll have better things to do. Bring on baseball! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

TWO IMPORTANT FEB 14TH IN MY LIFE

Blood glucose 99 Weight 163.8 lbs. February 14,1964, stands out in my life. The first came with the visit of President Lyndon B. Johnson.It was the first presidential visit of LBJ upon suceeding JFK.Big red and white posters graced the campus of my college,St.Louis University. When I read this I got enthused and prepared accordingly. Johnson was to give a speech and plant a tree on campus. Secret Service ensured a tight security by having men atop building. I vowed I'd greet him and I did! I got on the site at 8:00 AM behind a snow fence. The crowd built up and built all day long. Some 10,000 students and well-wishers mad it interesting. The crowd swelled and pushed us over the fence! I was determined. After speaking LBJ moved towards us.We worked the crowd and got to me! As I shook his hand I said "Mr. President, may I have your hankerchief as a souvenir!" The president retorted "No son, I may need it later!" I was seen by friend on tv! I have a photograph showing the moment! The other February 14 came in 1968 when I was discharged from the U.S. Army! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

THE PIRATES LOSE TO VILLANOVA 73-67

It was a game of hope. For much of the game the Pirates changed leads many times.I had hope into the final 2 minutes then the inevitable happened. I give the Pirates lots of credit. Girl Scout cookies arrived from Belmont, NC. Thanks to ace salesperson Savvy! Johnson came for a tour of North Brookfield ad a lunch at SUBWAY. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

AN EXQUISITE COUNTRY KITCHEN IN THE MAKING

Blood glucose 95 Weight 163lbs The Potvins of Birch Hill have a new country kitchen in the making. Richard Kemp is now putting the finishing touches to a kitchen non-pareil.It is all white and the counter tops will be in next week.This Friday was another spring-like day.. mostly sunshine. When I went to inspect the work I was reminded we were going to Kaizen Sushi in Sturbridge for another silent celebration of Lily's 16th birthday.I had never been to Kaizen before. To say the least I wasn't prepared for food at a Sushi! I had Sea scallops and other stuff never had before. This restaurant was hopping and the service was excellent. Next time I'll try a steak! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A THURSDAY OF SUPRISES

I went about this Thursday in a routine manner.The weather was moderate, again, giving us a reprieve from snow and cold. The snow continues to melt. Saw the new kitchen shaping up on Birch Hill.Chase played a game in Tantasqua and was seen on my television. Althought the Cougars lost Chase scored 7 points in the third quarter.Eczema on my back is getting worse.No duplicate POTVIN plates yet. Should be in any day.Dry cleaning and food shopping tomorrow. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

SETON HALL - XAVIER A TOUGH GAME AND A VICTORY FOR THE HALL!

The final score was 73 - 71 Seton Hall! The Pirates never were behind and showed their mettle in the final moments! Xavier is ranked 25 so this victory for The Hall has meaning. Now it is onto Villanova on Saturday at 12:30. Today was a beautiful day in February. Ate at the NB Senior Center.Good conversation with the ladies at my table. No Josh. Saw Heidi. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

LILY POTVIN'S 16TH BIRTHDAY

It was an intimate family celebration. Lily turns 16.The gifts were meaningful including a gift card for DISNEY.Ronnie prpared a great meal of Swedish meatballs. The birthday cake was special with an amazing display of lighted candles.My day was of watching birds. The new seed tube and suet block attracted a variety of birds. I feel we are working towards attracting a good variety. This afternoon I reviewed more fancy words from my Roget Thesaurus. Weatherwise we are headed for more moderate temperatures. Tuesday was above average! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

AN EXPENSIVE MONDAY

Last month my National Grid bill was $26.34; this month's was $230.26.Obviosly "cold weather is expensive!." The new suet block and new bird seed attracted a new array of woodpeckers and even one cardinal.I like this entertainment on a dismal day.Mailed a sampling of my printed blogs to Ben in Belmont,NC. Josh reviewed the sampling I gave him and his response was "great!."Noted celebrity Steve Magnante visited me and took me to Friendly's in Palmer for lunch. I also gave Steve a random sampling of my blogs. Once I get a consensus I'll decide what to do. Weather all week looks "undesirable." Grandaughter Lily Potvin turns 16 tomorrow. A party at Ronnie & Chrissies at 5:30. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

JOEY LOGANO #22 WINS NASCAR RACE

It was a close race to the finish! Way to go JOEY! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

MY "TRY-ANGLE"

When you think you've solved a problem....try again! I thought I was posting on Facebook? What went wrong? ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

BOB POTVIN BLOGS ODT

The secret to solving a problem is to use the "try angle!" I like to say I'm stubborn. At the same I use the rule of three...three strikes and I'm out. The next school of thought is to get help when you need it. Such is the case with my blogs. Tonight I have a new respect for those younger than me.. those folks who are much more computer literate. In other news Richard Kemp provided a turkey dinner for the Potvin family. Kemp has always been "My Boy Wonder!" In 1987 Mr. Kemp came to my rescue when the contractor who started building 33 Birch Hill went bankrupt.Richard said with open arms 'I can help Bob!' and he did! so here we are.. a new outlook to solving problems..ASK FOR HELP! Type in 'BOB POTVIN BLOGS ODT.. SEE WHAT YOU GET! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

JOSH TO THE RESCUE

Thank God for children! Son Josh taught me how to post my blog entry on Facebook! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A BRIGHT WINTRY SATURDAY

I thought driving conditions would be worse than they were. Although my driveway had some ice on it my Honda and snowtires went over it nicely. A quiet afternoon. I did enjoy watching UCONN lose and St. John's win. There was a plethora of basketball games to be seen. Nothing met my fancy. What did amuse me was the woodpeckers enjoying the sewet block outside my kitchen window!. Traaveled to NB to buy a birthday card for my Lily who will be 16 on Tuesday, February 8th.Got her a special giftcard for Disney.The family will be going to Fla next month.Reruns of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! satisfied me tonight. Matt Amodio holds the second highest record for winning. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

SETON HALL TROUNCES CREIGHTON

It was a geat comeback by The Pirates. The best part The Hall was way ahead all the way.. way ahead. Next game Xavier on Feb 9th. Dangerous icing conditions at sunset. Joined Josh and family at The Taven with the Burgesses. A good time together. Lily Potvin turns 16 on the 8th.Gearing up for driver's ed.No Johnson tomorrow because of ice conditions. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

ICE & SLEET ON ITS WAY

Weight: 163.2 lbs. I am pleased in keeping my weight steady. I tend to eat more and enjoy it. This Thursday was a quiet one. Fog and rain kept temperatures above freezing. Tomorrow the temperature will plummet bringing about the possibility of an ice storm.Sister Janet called this morning. We keep in touch. This afternoon was spent reading more blog entries.It is amazing. I like reading these as it is a refresher of occurrences from 2007 forward.Haven't come up with a plan yet. Saw Josh briefly. He had a game with Maddie. I watched part of the game streaming from Quaboag.Dry cleaning pick up and delivery in the morning.Seton Hall - Creighton tomorrow at 7:00 FS1! ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

MORE FOUL WEATHER ON ITS WAY

The amazing weather pattern gives us several moderate days and rain in the forecast.The midwest is getting clobbered with sleet and snow. We'll get it on Friday. Had a pleasant lunch at the NB Senior Center. The conversation was good.Spent several hours reviewing my "stories of yesteryear." Then got a haircut from Josh the barber.Jeopardy! is going through new winners every night.My eczema & itch is getting worse. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN

A MAJOR DISCOVERY ON MY BLOG!

On March 3, 2007 I began to write my blog. On a daily basis I crafted 4 to 5 blog entries.I wrote about anything.. local history, family, friends.Each entry appeared on On The Common with the Worcester Telegram. It even appeared in the weekly hard copy newspaper. I had written over 4,000 entries before I struck out on my own.I don't think I've missed a day in 15 years! Today I discoverd on my PC I have access to many copies. I have printed each entry to September 10th 2007. Amazing. It will take some time to organize this. Are you interested in a copy? Boppot2002@yahoo.com. ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN