4 years to the day

4 years ago on July 3rd my dad died from a massive heart attack. Even though it was very sad to say the least, God was merciful. He died the way he lived: very fast: no hospital room, no lingering suffering, etc. When it happened I was a part of a writing group and decided to write about his life. I didn't know it at the time but it ended up as a very therapeutic tool for me to work through the grief since none of us ever got to say goodbye (easy on the person, hard on those left behind). With that said I would like to share a piece from my journalistic endeavor. I hope you enjoy it.
"As a child I had an intense fear of the dark, which probably was contributed to some evil cousins, hated by the entire family, who locked me in a closet at a family gathering when I was just barely 8 years old. It was upsetting to me to have such an intense fear that I had no control over but I learned very early how to manage life around my fear. Most neighborhoods in the 50s were constructed with alleys that separated the back yards of the homes. Cars parked mostly in the front of the homes on the street so most of the kids in the neighborhood felt free to wander back and forth across the alley to each other’s back yards. My best friend lived across our alley and down a short hill. During inclement weather we would usually spend the day indoors playing board games, cards, or watching movies on TV. Sometimes I would forget about the time and would suddenly realize that it was getting dark which meant that I needed to get home. Usually I would call home and ask if someone could come outside and stand in the back yard and wave me in. Invariably it was my father who would appear in the back yard waving his hand for me to catch a glimpse of him. He was easy to see with his 6 ft. frame and his large white undershirt. I would run as if my backside were on fire but he would always wait never turning around to soon before going back inside knowing my intense fear would only heighten if he did."

87 and still kicking

My mother celebrated her birthday this past week. So far she's beat breast cancer, liver cancer (even though she still lives with both), a stroke that left no ill effects and was robbed this past year. Even though she lost her hair as well as alot of weight and wears a wig nothing seems to stop her. Her life is filled with Uno, bingo, evenings filled with card games of 500 and Hand & Foot, Farkle, Spanish Dominoes and Skipbo not to mention the Red Hats where she goes with her many friends to various functions for social outings. The last time she went to a restaurant outing with them the wattress had to use last names for the bills since most of them were named Betty. I guess it was a "hot" name back in the 20s. Two weeks ago she insisted on getting her driver's license renewed. The man at the counter told her she could get a senior ID card instead for only 11 dollars and it would last the rest of her life. I tried to head him off by telling him I had already gone down that road with her but she leaned against her walker and gave him a few choice words as to what he could do with that idea and firmly demanded that she wanted a drivers license renewal and she would be glad to pay the 25 dollars knowing full well that she would have to come back in 4 years to again renew it. He knew it was a losing battle and drew up the paperwork. When we got to the eye test I held my breath and prayed to God. She sat for the picture, wrote out the check and when we got outside she turned to me and said "we probably didn't have to put down the donor part. I doubt there will be anything left to use". What a woman!

Survivor of the Lions Den

The other day I got a phone call from Daniel. Apparently he witnessed some animal abuse at the hands of an unfortunate dog and its owner. I gave him some advice, told him to pray for the man and his anger problem and moved on to other items of the day even though his concerns and what he could do about it for the sake of the dog were the reasons he called. That in a nutshell is Daniel. Always rooting for the underdog and what he can do to remedy the situation. The eternal caregiver. The eternal peacemaker. I told him once he would make a great nurse, however the issue of blood and something about needles squelched that option. Instead he works on large inanimate objects. Unlike his brother, Daniel always has had to weigh all the options before venturing out which is a good thing in itself. Needless to say risk-taking is not one of his strong suits. In spite of that he has grown into a gentle soul surrounded by numerous friends of various backgrounds, beliefs and ways of life. He may have been my youngest child and my smallest baby weighing in at just 5lb but he stands tall in the eyes of Jesus as he invites his friends to church with him, worries about little dogs at the hands of their abusive owners and quotes some of his favorite lines from Casting Crowns on his Facebook page. May Jesus bless you this day, Daniel on your 23rd birthday!!

Noerenberg Gardens

This past weekend Michael and I did our weekend biking up at Lake Minnetonka area including Wayzata and Orono. WOW, how some people live! I try to keep it in perspective while asking God to show me once again how blessed I am and to be thankful for all He has given me, esp. not in material ways. Anyway we were to meet our biking friends at the Noerenberg Gardens. They were running alittle late so we walked through some of the garden areas. They are located on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka's Crystal Bay in Orono. Noerenberg Gardens are among the most beautiful and prestigious gardens in the state. This former Lake Minnetonka estate of Grain Belt Brewery founder Frederick Noerenberg, was donated by the family to the Park District in 1972.

"Noerenberg is a reminder of the quiet elegance and grace of days gone by." The gardens include a wide variety of unusual annuals and perennials, an assortment of grasses and a large daylily collection.

The park features accessible brick pathways and an ornamental boathouse/gazebo overlooking the lake." After walking through the garden I was not disappointed and was once again reminded that He created all the color and beauty just for us and it doesn't cost us a single dime! Enjoy!

Fiddle-de-de

Went to Lanesboro, Mn.(about a two hour drive)for the weekend. Every year the town hosts an old-time music festival complete with a barn dance on Saturday night and tons of fiddle and banjo groups that come from all over the midwest to share their talents on a Friday night concert experience. Michael and I have some friends from our church who camp there each year and bike the Root River State Bike Trail and attend the festival.

The group that led the barn dance on Saturday night also taught us some square dance numbers. They were from North Carolina (can't remember the name) and they were incredible. There even was an elderly gentleman who played Danish folk songs on his concertina and also did some fiddle music as well Very talented man!

We also biked with our friends covering approximately 18 miles overall. I ran into a gentleman who said he had lived there for 78 years and always looks forward to the campers and bikers coming into town. They describe their 788 population town as a quiet place with no stoplights or franchises which is very true. The Amish come in from Harmony and sell their wares on Saturday afternoon along with a small Farmers Market group from around the area. I bought some pineapple honey from them and a small plant. All in all we had a wonderful time and plan to return next year for more of the same.

Gateway to the Nordeast!

Michael and I spent Saturday at an art show where one of our friends is taking classes in art. We enjoyed seeing his work and the joy he receives from it. Then we went over to the Polonaise Room in northeast Minneapolis and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner before the rush. I had never been there before but Michael knew about the place. A little history: the building was built in the late 1880s and it was a working man's bar called Hefron's. Al Nye bought it in the late 40s. It has a curved piano bar, curved paneling and gold flecked booths.
Oh and I almost forgot, the Worlds Most Dangerous Polka Band in a separate bar off of the dining room area. They play on Friday and Saturday nights. Quite a place! The food was "to die for" including the prime rib sandwiches we had.

Thanks For The Memories My Dear Boy

28 years ago today after 25 hours of labor I became a mom for the first time. No other pregnancy was as long or as hard but the benefit was the miracle of David. All our children are special in their own way. David was no exception. Being my first born child was his gift to me. He came with more colic, ear infections and busy-ness than any other child that came after him. He also brought out of me songs like "All Night, All Day, Angels Watching Over Me, My Lord" which I also sang to his subsequent brother and sister. I learned all the names of the dinosaurs, trucks and trains in the world. I read "The Little Engine that Could" about 1,000 times. As he grew I then learned where every baseball field and basketball court was located in the entire Twin City area. I experienced being a Cub Scout den leader and overdrew the bank account, finally replenishing it again with the Christmas wreath sales (what a year THAT was). One day he put the sports aside and picked up a guitar and the rest is "Between Two Skies". After baseball and basketball, homework and tons of his buddies "crashing" overnight on my living room floor he decided to grow up, marry a lovely girl named Venessa and continue to warm my heart with just being himself. Happy birthday, my dear David.