Happy Birthday to you!

Karen turned 25 on the 10th and we celebrated with a small dinner gathering with her brothers. She didn't seem that happy to turn 25. I remember when I turned 13 and realized that I was no longer a "kid" but a teenager. I remember writing about all the things I would no longer be able to do like throw water balloons up in the air while in the backyard in my swimsuit or play games with my friends like "Annie, Annie Over!" or just lay on the grassy lawn and watch the clouds float by. Because I was no longer a "kid" I would have to start wearing nylons and get a job. I cried for most of that day because I thought I was losing my childhood. My mother thought I was crazy. LIttle did I realize that I was gaining other things that you only get because you are no longer a "kid" like a license to drive or a date to the prom, or a job that gives you more satisfaction than flipping burgers all day. Karen on the other hand has already experienced most of that but I will agree with her that it is sometimes difficult to grow older and feel like life is moving too fast, or passing you by, or just hard. Maybe we all need to stop and smell the flowers once in a while or lay on the grass and watch the clouds float by. Happy birthday, Karen and here's to many more birthdays to come.

Getting old isn't for sissies

Well, the final touches are on the move my mother has made since my dad died two years ago. She sold her house in 3 days (yes, I said 3 days) and is now residing in a lovely assisted living facility that is Christian based. She has her own apartment (2 bedroom), cable, new friends and more to do than ever before (movie night is tonight). She also gets rides from the apartment to doctor appts., grocery store and events that she chooses to participate in. She told me that she wasn't going to do any of the activities, just watch her soaps but that idea faded with the news of various card players in the building. All in all it was a very hard move physically for us and emotionally for her, but we all survived and are alive to share in her joy of finding such a lovely place with lots of new friends! I don't really have a recent picture of her (she hates having it taken) so I found one from my oldest son's wedding in June of 2007. It is a favorite of mine. Since Daniel and Karen helped with the move they can share in the spotlight for this blog.

4th of July, 2008

I took my mom, Daniel, Karen, Jordan and Patrick to look at fireworks. We go to the same site every year (the location is secret since we don't like big crowds). This yearly event tends to be bittersweet because my dad died July 3rd of 2006 and we still went over to view the fireworks because we felt he would have wanted it that way. This year as my mom and I sat in the car watching them out the front window she turned to me and said, "how could we do this the day after he died?" to which I replied "he would have wanted us to." My father lived his whole life in the fast lane. He had many "sayings". One of them was "Live every day like it's Christmas and every night like it's New Years Eve" so I can't imagine not celebrating July 4th in his honor not to mention the fact that he was a World War II veteran. I don't have any pictures of him in my collection so the picture I picked for this blog is of Karen and Daniel roasting marshmallows and eating somores at the picnic table before we headed out to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks. The picnic table they are seated at was a gift from my dad that ended up being a bone of contention between us for many years (long story). He took it back and I ended up bringing it back from his place after he died. It reminds me of how silly my argument was with my dad, how it divided us for a time, and how it has served to bring us back together after his death by seeing how much we as a family enjoy sitting, eating, and visiting around it now. Word to the wise: life is too short; forget about the small stuff.

Friends forever

Two weeks ago Daniel decided to take a road trip, I wasn't too keen on it but he's very good with cars, he wasn't going alone, and the buddy had AAA so any problems would be attended to and getting lost was pretty much the only problem they could encounter. Considering the technology today and the whole "the journey is it's own reward" he talked me out of his taking the Greyhound and him and Brian B. traveled down to Maryland to pick up his other childhood friend, James. Daniel has kept up with James since he moved to Maryland approx. 5 years ago, playing video games online, IMing him and just keeping in touch via the wonders of cell phone usage. James started out as one of my least favorite of Daniel's friends when he hit a golf ball through one of our double-paned, custom made bedroom windows, but he turned out to be a wonderful, mature young man with oodles of manners and a smile to go with it. With our house being home base he spent a week with Daniel and Brian coming and going meeting up with other friends he had made here throughout his growing up years. One of the last nights he spent here I think there were approx 7 guys sitting around trying to figure out what they would do THAT night. It was like a revolving door and the energy level was way beyond me. Even though it was tremendously fun to have all of them around, I had to admit I was missing the enjoyment of putting my nightgown on and roaming through the house as was my custom every evening. When he finally left for the airport for the return trip home, I asked him what he had planned for the rest of the summer and he told me he was going to look for a second job since he had spent his "wad" on this vacation. "Way to go James!" The picture is of Daniel, James, Wally, and Brian.

Amazing Grace ...that saved a wretch like me

Those of you that believe in the goodness of man will love this story. Two weeks ago I left my camera on a bus in Moline, Ill. It all started when Michael and I took a Saturday and flew down in hopes of meeting up with a relative but ended up spending the day at the downtown mall and hanging out. After taking in the sights we tried to catch the bus to take us back to the airport and the driver breezed by us. We ran through the parking lot to catch him. By the time we reached the bus I was fuming. I chewed the driver out by making some reference to some glasses that he probably should have worn and took my seat mumbling something about how glad I was that I didn't live in that crummy town. Anyway, on our way back to the airport via the bus I didn't miss the camera until I went through security. Realizing my situation Michael generously offered to go back to the mall. I thought I had left it outside Younkers Dept. Store when I had sat down waiting for the bus or lost it running after the stupid bus. He never found the camera, missed the bus coming back and had to walk three miles back to the airport in order to make the flight back to the TC. I never thought I would see it again but took a shot in the dark and posted an email to MetroLink in Moline and also the Southgate Mall lost and found in hopes that it would turn up. Last week MetroLink informed me that they had found a camera. Not having any ID in the carry case, I told them that I could identify the camera by ID'ing the pictures. We went back this past Saturday to retrieve the camera. Anyone guess who was driving the bus that took us to the Central Station in downtown Moline to retrieve the camera? You guessed it, the very same guy I had chewed on the week before. When we told him where we needed to go he asked us if we had lost a camera and that he remembered us from the week before. He said one of his customers had found it and turned it in and he had taken it to Central Station.He made no reference to my comments, showed us where to go, and took us right to the door where we got the camera. We then got back on the bus and returned to the airport for the flight back. I learned a valuable lesson in confessing my sins and asking for forgiveness, patience with those around me, the goodness of my fellow man, God's tremendous unending love for me even when I act unchristianlike, and my need to seek a humble and contrite heart. Only then can we see the bigger picture. Btw, the photo I selected for this blog is the one that I identified in order to claim the camera back. It's of Michael standing in front of Whitey's Ice Cream Shop at the Mall in Moline, now one of my favorite cities of all time!

Dogs, Dogs, Everywhere!

The other day I decided to put in some flowers since spring has finally sprung. I noticed my next door neighbor, Ellen outside brushing her dog. Her dog named Star is a German Shepherd and is quite a nice dog. Very friendly and gentle. She also is my dog's best friend. My dog named Comet, pictured on the "Easter Musings" blog is a very intelligent (which in a dog isn't always a good thing due to constant power struggles) but gentle English Setter. Star is Comet's best friend. So after seeing Ellen out with her dog I ran in and got Comet. I was able to snap some pics of the two of them. As you can see Comet also loves Ellen. I practically have to pay for the dog kisses I get.

Daughters are Divine

Before I get started I want everyone especially my sons to know that I hold no favoritism toward Karen. In fact your day will come be assured. I was just thinking of her tonight after returning from a visit with her today at UWEC. We went to see her sing in the Symphonic Choir as they were performing Elijah the Oratorio by Mendelssohn. I remember when I gave birth to her I was so elated esp. when the little pink outfits started coming and all I could think of was how fun it was going to be to dress her up and fix her hair and teach her about make-up, etc. That didn't last long since kids grow soooo fast and she has definitely become her own person with her own ideas about life. We worried as her parents because she was so quiet and unassuming as a child and we thought life and all it's horrors would eat her up and spit her out. But she turned out to be a very focused, thoughtful person, up to any task that the world or any of us including her brothers decided to throw at her. When I thought I'd never get pregnant and have kids, God not only handed me David and Daniel but gentle, unassuming, focused, thoughtful Karen! The picture I chose is from her harp jury which is a test on the instrument being taught for that class. Since it was a test I couldn't get any closer for fear of distracting her from playing. She did a great job playing her selections and we had a marvelous time!