Family vacation 2026

I'm finally getting around to posting about our family vacation from a few weeks ago. It was basically a long weekend from July 2-6. The two of us along with the Feipel five drove to Galena, IL from Fort Wayne (right about 6 hours), and the Minnesota clan drove down in just under 5 hours. We all arrived Thursday afternoon, and left Monday around noon.

This was our third family vacation where we rented a vrbo in The Galena Territory. The other times were in 2017 and 2019. It seems to work out nice for us. It's hard to beat the beautiful views in the rolling hills of Northwest Illinois; Galena is a cool little town with a lot of quaint shops, parks, and paths; and we always put the Owner's Club to good use with their indoor and outdoor pools, game room, fitness center, and courts.

This year a number of our group went on a trail ride at the Shenandoah Riding Center. Jane, Isaac, Drew, Anna, Bennett and Caleb braved an hour ride - and discovered horseback riding uses muscles that don't often get much work! I can't remember the name of their guide, but she did an awesome job - especially considering most of the group had never been on a horse before, and even the ones who had were well out of practice.

Another outing we all did together was a tour of Ulysses S. Grant's home. It was interesting, though a few of us had seen enough before the full tour was over. There were a bit too many people in our party, and it got a little crowded. 

Most of the time we made our own meals - with different people taking turns cooking. One night we did order pizza... I think it was Cannova's Pizzaria (?). Oh my... it was sooooooo good!!!

Other than that, we hired a photographer (JennaDarcy.com) to take some family pictures. She was absolutely fantastic to work with - especially since we had to work around a nasty weather system - and we got a lot of nice pics from Grant Park in downtown Galena.

So, that's the basics. As always, it was much too short, but we do appreciate our kids/grandkids taking time out of very busy lives for the biennial (every other year) gathering.We know it may not be possible much longer, but we'll take what we can get. 

Family time

Somehow we all managed to get together this summer: my mom, the kids, grand kids, and us (we really do take awkward family pics). The boy currently has two new jobs, the daughter has one(ish), and the grands only had one week all summer with no activities... so everyone worked together to squeeze in what we could. It was a much-too-short time together, but appreciated by us old folk nonetheless.

I drove the ~500 miles (round trip) to get my mom last Tuesday/Wednesday, the Minnesota kids flew in Wednesday night, and we all hung out together as much as we could for a few days. There was a zoo trip, the Feipels had a wedding, Isaac, Ricci & Wynn went to see her family one day, and we otherwise played games, Wynn had his first swing ride, ate food, bathed a duck, and lazed around until the flight back to Minnesota in the wee hours of Monday morning. I then returned my mom to her home base, and arrived back to mine yesterday afternoon.

Now the house is quiet again.

It makes me sad that these days of all of us being able to get together are becoming fewer and farther between, but I'm doing my best to try to enjoy what little time we do have. Kids are going to grow up and be involved in things, moves will be made, and we just do what we can to appreciate what we have. Right?

Anyway, not much more to say. I'm trying to get back into some sort of groove, and reminiscing as long as I can with the pics we took. 

Until the next time... 

Trips to buda, track meets, grads, and mom

Whew... it was a week!

Last Monday, I drove to Buda, IL, to pick up my mom and bring her back here for the week. I arrived Monday afternoon, and we headed back to Fort Wayne at 7:45am Tuesday. Both ways involved rain in various parts. Monday was a mere drizzle, but Tuesday had some storm situations. Still, both trips were fairly uneventful.

Tuesday evening was the Fort Wayne grandkids' prelims and field events for their city middle school track meet (Lutheran city schools). All three kids got to participate, and it was the first time my mom had seen any of them in track. That would have been good, except it poured down rain almost the entire time and was a chilly 50°F. Ugh. Not a fun night, but we survived.

Wednesday was the oldest of our grandchildren's 8th-grade graduation. Double-ugh! It's hard not to admit that maybe A is my favorite grandchild, because she was the first and she's the only girl. It doesn't mean I love the others any less, but... there's just something special about the first. Anyway, it was a fine graduation ceremony and after-party. I simply can't comprehend that she will be in high school now. I really don't know how much more I can even say about it coherently...

Thursday was the Lutheran City Schools Track Finals. Said oldest grandchild "should have," "could have" been the 100m hurdles champion. She was clearly winning - until the second-to-last hurdle. I don't think she's ever stumbled over a hurdle, but she did in the finals. Dang. I felt so bad for her. She still ended up 3rd. But, dang. It happens. I am still super proud of her. She is such a good athlete, and athletics have been sooooooo good for her. I hope she continues in all three sports (volleyball, basketball, and track) in high school. 

Saturday we (Jane and I) took my mom back to her house and spent until Monday morning there. Jane visited her brother, who's confined to a wheelchair, and got him supper, lunch, etc., and did some other odd jobs for him. I did a couple chores for my mom. 

Sunday we had a high school graduation open house for Jane's nephew's daughter in Kewanee, IL. We saw all Jane's other brothers and some of our nieces and nephews there. It was a nice time.

Monday we headed back home around 8am. Oof. I love my mom, but it was kind of a lot for me to be around anybody for that long. Plus, I don't do well with someone asking me every five seconds what I'm doing, or what that is, or this is, or why this is this way, and on and on and on. I know I'm maybe too used to silence and being alone, but... geez... I just can't maintain conversations about nothing for very long. I'm sure my mom was glad to be back home too, though, as she now has people to talk to. ;)

Anyway, there's more I could say about last week, but that's probably enough for now...

Weekend in minnesota

This is old news now, but I am attempting to retrace my steps from the past couple weeks. Most of it is a blur and, honestly, I'm not entirely sure all of it even happened. At least until I log it here. ;)

Easter Sunday was a bit unusual this year in that our daughter's family was going to be in Florida (staying at my sister's house, along with my mom), so we took the opportunity to spend some time with the boy, his wife, and their son in Minneapolis.

We took the direct Delta flight outta FW Saturday morning and were snuggling with the grandson by late morning. He is now 6 months old and we can't believe how much he's grown already. Whether he actually remembers us or not, I do not know, but he sure made like he did and he was a perfect little prince the entire time we were there (minus the couple hours we forced Isaac & Ricci to leave the boy with us so they could have some rare alone time and he cried the biggest/saddest tears, but we're not going to tell them about that because it didn't last long).

Anyway, Saturday we mostly just hung around the house with the boy and two dogs. Although they did drive us by the HOUSE THEY JUST PURCHASED!! Yes, apparently they are going to be Minnesotans (at least for awhile). They had an offer accepted on a small house in a cool-ish neighborhood in St. Paul. It's about 15 minutes from where they've been renting - just on the other side of the Mississippi river. I think they close next month sometime(?). I'm not sure they wanted to buy, but they certainly couldn't afford to pay rent any longer. It's unreal how much they've paid in rent between there and ten years in Atlanta - and they have absolutely nothing to show for it! 

A bonus was that we actually went to church on Easter Sunday too! We weren't really expecting that since they aren't really connected with any church. I think Isaac goes occasionally to see friends who work in churches and he's spoken at a few things. We attended a service at an ELCA church not far from their house. Isaac had been there before, and the pastor actually attended Emory/Candler when he was there (though I don't think he knew her). It was a very formal-looking liturgical situation with brass band, acolytes, robed people and whatnot, but there were kids everywhere and they really kept it moving and little Wynn seemed intrigued the whole time. We sat in the balcony (it was a packed house - maybe less than 200 people), but everyone went through communion and everyone was super nice too. Isaac & Ricci both ended up knowing some other people who were there (another prof from Isaac's school, and one of Ricci's students). The sermon was six minutes! :) It was nice (and not because of the short sermon).

After church we went to a little diner just down from their house and had our "Easter Brunch." Wynn was again quite good, and it was a nice day.

Ricci had to work Monday, but we all went and visited her classroom around noon. It's a Montessori school and she co-teaches middle school. I know things have changed a lot since I was in school, but this was WAY different, and cool. Afterward we headed to the Como Conservatory for a walk-around. I think I said enough about that yesterday and don't really care to think about it anymore so... that's all we'll say about that.

Then Monday evening Isaac took us back to the airport and we flew home.

It was a good trip, though it seems to be getting harder and harder to tell little Wynn goodbye. I doubt he knows what's going on... but we do. We are so aware how far away it is, and even every couple months just doesn't seem like enough time to be with him. It's so different than how it was when the older three kids were born and we could see them whenever. I'm sure it could be a lot worse though.

So, that's about all I can remember from this too-brief visit over Easter weekend. I suppose this was our last time staying at their house on 31st Ave. It too is small, but we had a nice big bathroom and bedroom to ourselves in the basement and that was always nice. Plus I liked how close they were to the river, park, and grocery store (walking distance). I'm sure the new place with have perks of its own!

 

I almost forgot... our flight there on Saturday morning was the emptiest plane we've flown on in as long as I can remember. We were the only passengers in Comfort+. It was weird. And... yes, this little White Sox cap was our Easter gift for the guy. :)

Thanksgiving in minnesota

We spent Thanksgiving week 2024 in Minneapolis with the kids and grandkids this year. It was a pretty swell time all packed into Isaac & Ricci's house on 31st Avenue. It was cold, we had a little snow, but there was plenty of food, snuggling with the dogs and new baby, and everyone lived to tell about it!

We drove up from Fort Wayne Tuesday, leaving around 8am (the Feipels drove separately a tad later). It's ~570 miles, and took us about 8 hrs, 45 minutes both going and returning. Mid-Tuesday morning was a nice time to get through Chicago, and once you're beyond that's it's a pretty easy-breezy trip. All interstate (or at least 4-lane) via Rt. 30, I-80/90, I-90, I-94, and then a couple blocks to the house. The bulk of miles are actually through Wisconsin (Janesville, Madison, Wis. Dells, Eau Claire), and I had no idea the Twin Cities are only like 25 miles inside the MN state line.

Once there we basically stuck around the house other than Wednesday night we all went to an NBA game between the Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. That was pretty fun - especially for Caleb. We also did a group afternoon visit (Friday) to this awesome place called Can Can Wonderland (with a brewery attached next door). Otherwise there were visits to the park a couple blocks away (mostly for Caleb to play basketball), and walking or running along the Mississippi River 3 blocks the other way. Wednesday morning Drew and I ran the 2 1/2 miles past the University of Minnesota right downtown to U.S. Bank Stadium where the Vikings play. 

 

As for food, we did order pizza the first night, but beyond that Jane had made some soup and chili and we had a couple breakfast casseroles (other than the morning Carrie went and bought everyone donuts!). For the meal Thursday we had all the usual fixins: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stovetop, green bean casserole, corn casserole, rolls, and canned cranberry, with pumpkin pie for dessert. We were well fed and naturally I ate too much.

The house has a really small (I mean REALLY small kitchen), so we weren't able to sit at the table to eat, but instead we all gathered in the living room with our Thanksgiving feast. It worked out fine. And beyond that we had plenty of room. They have a nice basement with a large bedroom and even bigger area that is usually Isaac's office but was converted into the kids' sleeping area, as well as a large full bathroom. Upstairs has 3 bedrooms and a full bath too. For a fairly small house, it really did hold us all comfortably.

We returned home Saturday morning in 5°F temps and had another uneventful trip - though adding that extra hour going from the Central time zone to Eastern is not as nice as losing it on the way there.

Personally, I had a very nice and relaxing time. It was good to have everyone together, so special to see the older grandkids holding the new one, I enjoyed the basketball game and a couple chilly runs along the Mississippi, and I do have to say, I enjoy holding little Wynn. He is so peaceful, yet had already changed so much from just a month ago. I'm sure that will be even more pronounced as he gets older.

So, until Christmas, it is back to normal around here. I had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. 

We went to see the baby

We had a nice visit to Minnesota to see the newest grandchild. We flew out of Fort Wayne Friday morning (10/18) and flew back to the Fort Tuesday evening (10/22). Flying is not cheap, but it's so dang easy. We're 5 minutes from our airport, and they are 15 from theirs; plus the direct flight on Delta is only like an hour fifteen minutes. It's hard to pass up. And Grandma wanted to spend as much time as possible with Wynn!!

I do have to say, the fourth grandchild is just as special as the first three. It doesn't get any better, and certainly doesn't get old! He is the sweetest thing and allowed us to hold him and stare at him almost the entire time we were there. And, aside from a few times when he would open his eyes and try to hold his head up, he's a great sleeper!

The only downer of the trip was the old dog (Crosby) was not feeling so good. Isaac and I took him to the emergency vet after we got there Friday. They 'hope' he just had a bulging disc that was causing him pain and making it difficult to move. The vet hopped him up on Prednisone, Codeine, and Gabapentin. He had trouble standing and going from standing to sitting or laying. He was pretty wobbly and actually fell a couple times. By the time we left, the medicine seemed to be helping, but at fifteen years old he was still moving pretty slow. We were afraid he was going to die while we were there, and I'd say it won't be long. He was such a good boy though, as was Tig (the 3-legged dog). She was much more concerned about the new baby though, and making sure the humans were taking proper care of him.

Anyway, we mostly just hung around the house the whole time there. We ordered pizza one night, but otherwise Jane or Isaac cooked. We went to the store a couple times and got supplies, and Jane and I had lunch down the street one day. Fortunately there is a grocery store within walking distance (.4 miles), and there are all kinds of restaurants and such about a mile away - which could easily be walked to as well (it's all residential). It's a great neighborhood.

I did my 12-mile run Saturday along the Mississippi River. They have a great trail system, and it's only three blocks from their house. I ran 4 miles down to Minnehaha Falls Park, turned around and went back plus 2 miles to downtown Minneapolis (past the U. of Minnesota). It is really pretty, although from their house to downtown is quite a big hill. When I did my 4-mile run Monday I just went the other way to avoid the incline. 

All in all it was a pretty swell time and that baby is awesome!

For the wynn

Meet our newest grandson: Wynn Everett. Isn't he swell?! His mama looks pretty pretty too!

We were notified yesterday morning that contractions had started (apparently about 3am). It was around 6pm when we got a text that the pushing had begun. He was then born just after 9pm last night. He weighed 6 lbs, 7 oz., and is 20 inches long. 

They were using a doula and intended for everything to take place at a birthing center. It is located right next to the hospital, and at some point they moved to the hospital - apparently so they could do some additional monitoring of some sort - and that's where the birth took place. As you can perhaps guess, we have only texted with the son up to this point and don't know a lot of details. We hope to speak by phone this afternoon.

Anyway, as far as we know, everyone is doing fine. Ricci's mom is there to help, and we hope to make a quick trip to Minneapolis at some point too.

We are pretty happy and can't wait to meet Wynn, our fourth grandchild, and third grandson. He looks awesome!

Christmas 2022

Well, the holidays are now over for the foreseeable future. Christmas has come and gone and it was back to reality this morning. 

We actually had a pretty good holiday season this year. I was off work from 12/23 until today (1/2/23). Ten days was nice - and it was all paid! It's been awhile since that has happened. Jane also had all last week off (other than some remote work here and there to keep the place going).

The two of us attended the Christmas Eve service at St. Paul's Lutheran Church where all three grandkids participated. Anna even played the xylophone on one song - right out in front of everyone and everything (from the balcony).

The boy and his bride were with us from shortly after noon on Christmas Day until the morning of 12/28 when they drove back to Atlanta.

We never did have a "family meal" for Christmas, but were at least able to open presents together on Christmas night.

Mostly we did a lot of eating, drinking, and lazing around the house. We also played a few rounds of Mexican Dominoes and Farkle.

The one group activity we all did was laser tag! We intended for the nine of us to go bowling, but apparently Tuesday is a big league day, so laser tag it was. Jane and I had never done it before, and it was so much fun (at least for me). We played two rounds, and worked up quite a sweat in the process.

As for gifts: I got a bottle of Bob Dylan bourbon, Bombas socks, a tree face, and a Carter metal mug. I got Jane a necklace, her usual Ansel Adams calendar, and I got pickleball rackets for the both of us.

On Thursday we went to Buda to my mom's. The Feipels also went. We arrived Thursday afternoon and came back home Saturday late-morning. It was an okay time, but Friday found me struggling with having people around for a week. Jane was gone almost the entire day, and I got a bit moody. I needed some alone time, and actually went for a 30-minute walk, which was the most exercise I'd done since the marathon on Nov. 5.

New Year's Eve found us finally back home by ourselves. We had supper at the 07 Pub and watched TV. I think we made it until midnight, but we weren't really paying attention. I believe we watched 'Glass Onion' (and another night watched 'The Banshees of Inisherin').

And... that's about that. It was nice having time off work and a bit of family time. It always goes too fast.

Thanksgiving 2022

I guess I never did post about Thanksgiving this year. Of course now I can barely remember it.... but I'll give it a try.

I left on Wednesday (11/23) and went to get my mom. It was a miserable trip stuck in stop-and-go traffic for half of the 6 hours it took. We headed back to the Fort Thanksgiving morning and had no trouble - making it in 4 hours on the nose.

Isaac and Ricci arrived just after we got there. They had been at her mom's in Indy for the beginning of the week. The Feipel clan came over at some point Thanksgiving day and we had turkey for supper and just lay around the house the rest of the night.

This year it was Bennett's turn to be sick. Poor guy. He did at least rebound quite nicely.

Jane and I both had Thursday and Friday off work (paid) for a change. So it was nice the whole family could be together from Thursday until Sunday morning.

I can't remember what all we did. Not a lot other than lay around, watch TV, eat, and play dominoes. We did take a trip to the new Electric Works campus (formerly GE) and the Union Street Market downtown. That's where we got this family picture. Saturday night we all went to the Feipels for supper and a game (which I can never remember the name of but it's fun).

The Atlanta crew headed out Sunday morning, and Jane drove my mom home shortly after (and returned Monday morning).

It was a nice time.

Family vacation to pigeon forge

Our family took a trip to Sevierville/Pigeon Forge, TN last week. We rented a mountainside cabin just outside Sevierville and were tucked into a little area known as Smoky Cove. Aside from some adjustment to the hilly, tree-filled terrain (for me), it was a pretty nice and relaxing week.

There was a swimming pool at the entrance. It was a mere minute drive by car, but the steep hills made it about a 7-minute walk. It was nice to have there. I think the grandkids would have been content to just swim the whole time.

Everyone pitched in on food and we only ate out one meal. There was still plenty left to bring home!

Logistically, it was about a 7 1/2-hour Sunday drive down I-75 through Cincinnati, Lexington, and Knoxville, then a jaunt on 441 and some lesser-traveled winding roads to get there. The return home on Friday took more like 8 hours. Aside from some serious wind and rain in Lexington, it was a good trip both ways.

We mostly just hung around the cabin playing games and swimming, but did try for at least one outing each day. There are soooo many things to do, and most of them cost sooooooooooo much money. I still think everyone had fun.

Our daily itinerary looked something like this:

• Sunday - arrived around 4:30 pm, got settled, kids broke in the hot tub
  
• Monday - the kids & grandkids went for a hike; in the evening we all went to The Island in Pigeon Forge where we ate pizza, the kids did a couple rides, and we just walked around
• Tuesday - we all went miniature golfing at Professor Hackers Lost Treasure Golf in PF.
• Wednesday - everyone except me went tubing at River Rat Tubing and Whitewater in Gatlinburg
• Thursday - everyone except Drew went to Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster (Drew left Thursday morning for home because he had a gig Thursday and Friday night). Everyone except Carrie and me went on the mountain coasters
• Friday - departure for home at 8:50 am

I tried to be a trooper - even jumping in the swimming pool with the kids and banging my knees on the bottom - but I had a bit of trouble adjusting to being swallowed up in the trees and mountainside. I wish I could relax and go with the flow more, but I just can't... so I'm working on accepting who I am and trying to not be so hard on myself. I didn't want to ruin anything for anyone else, so I just didn't do things I knew would possibly be too much. I think it worked out okay.

Overall, it was nice just to get away with the family. I wish we were all more well-adjusted, but we do alright, and I feel fairly blessed.

I will finish out by letting pics tell the rest of the story...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ***

Proverbs 4:23

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Ladies chicago weekend

"It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago... for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time." -Mark Twain

Boy, isn't that the truth!

Three lovelies - otherwise known as my wife, daughter and daughter-in-law - visited the city for the weekend. I'm told it was mostly a good time. 

They planned this weekend away to attend a live "The Popcast" show on Friday. Then they booked a hotel downtown and did some sightseeing the rest of the time.

It was cold and snowing when they arrived Friday. Saturday cleared off and they ventured down to Navy Pier, the Museum of Art, and various other downtown spots (walking over 8 miles). The DIL flew out Sunday morning, and J & C went to the giant multilevel Starbucks and then headed home themselves.

I'm told the hotel was nice - their room was on the 23rd floor - and they ended up getting complimentary breakfast for some reason (where they ran into James Cromwell both mornings). 

 

The only negative of the trip was someone stealing Jane's wallet Saturday afternoon. Apparently they took it right out of her purse as they sat at a bar downtown. She was pretty upset, but I was glad it was just her license and cards. The idiot scum immediately tried to make big-ticket purchases, so Jane was notified right away and shut the cards off. I tell you, though, I would consider suspending my commitment to nonviolence if I ever ran across these low-lifes! It is such a pain to file a police report, shut off and replace your cards, replace your ID and sign up for fraud protection/notifications, etc. I keep trying to remind Jane that she did not DO anything! This was not her fault... she was the victim of a crime. And it SUCKS being the victim of a crime! Grrrrr.

The thing about it, is it leaves you feeling so vulnerable. I suppose it's only fitting for Easter week. We should probably all feel a bit like that during this historical time of 'passion.' One never knows when the cock may crow...

***

Matthew 26:31-35

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Five things friday

One exercise I somewhat enjoy are these 'Five Things Friday' posts. When there's too much to say and not enough time, or too many things to say... it helps to just jot down the basics. So, here are some things today:

1. My nephew is a ninja warrior

My sister's son posted on social media last night that he finally got called to be on the American Ninja Warrior TV show. He's been at this ninja stuff for years, and was actually supposed to be on the show in 2020 until covid cut the field down. Apparently he will compete this Spring and the shows will hopefully air in the summer.

2. Baby, it's cold outside

The temps were in single digits (fahrenheit) this morning. Brrrr. We have this crazy exercise class where I work that meets outside year-round on M-W-F from 6-7 AM. They've been doing it ever since we re-opened following the covid shutdown of Spring 2020. Just recently they started having it inside on Fridays, but with the numbers spiking due to Omicron they decided to move Fridays back outside starting today. One poor soul didn't get the memo, and she showed up this morning not at all dressed for 9F. She decided to brave it anyway in her leggings and pink fleece jacket. I loaned her my gloves since they do a lot of burpees and such. Man... those people are either dedicated, or nuts. The funny thing is, it's actually the most consistently popular class we have! There were half a dozen of them this morning.

3. Working with 20-year-olds

It dawned on me yesterday that there are now six of us employed at my workplace: Me, and five 20-year-olds. And we have no supervisor or "boss" on-site. And I'm not real sure who our boss is supposed to be, but the two most likely are also in their 20s (one might be in her 30s). I have nothing against young people, but some are honestly a little too immature to work without any supervision. Naturally, since I am waaaaaay older than the rest, they usually turn to me with most problems... even though I am equal on the part-time peon scale with them, and I know for a fact that at least one of them gets paid more than I do! The two off-site supervisors are actually paid probably close to TWICE what I make! It's starting to move beyond clown-car-chaos to near dumpster-fire mode. Yet no one understands why I'm so frustrated.

4. Responsibility without authority

THIS is what #3 is about to me. I've been going to write about the 'responsibility without authority' struggle for some time but it's difficult to put into words. This article 'Accountability Without Authority: How To Drive Employees Crazy' comes pretty close. Especially this little snippet:

"The manager becomes a total pain in the rear - if he/she continues to take his/her mission seriously. That's the unfairness of it: only pseudo-managers who take their tasks seriously are most affected by the NAG syndrome..."

Since I am the "pseuod-manager" - because I'm the one who has most of the day-to-day responsibility (and experience) at the place, but no actual authority - and I continue to take my job seriously, most everyone who does have some authority (but takes little-to-no responsibility) thinks I'm nothing but a grumpy old man who just complains all the time. Which I probably am, but I don't want to be! Yeah, it's fun. Not.

5. 10k today

Anyway, I am hoping it warms up a little today (maybe all the way to 20F) so I can go for my daily run outside and not die of frostbite. Last week I decided I'd like to try to do at least a 10k on Fridays. I'd also like to start doing some speed interval work one day a week too. This past week it was Tuesday. And, I'm thinking of signing up for a half marathon in April. I've never done one that early before, but I'd like to do an event with this group (I think).

So, that's all for this Friday. Number 5 is how I've been dealing with numbers 3-4 lately. I shudder to think what I'd do without it.

***

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” -Galatians 6:7-8

 

Christmas 2021

(missing A)

Even though the season of Christmas is still going strong, our family celebration is now in the past.

THE FACTS

I drove the Illinois after work on Thursday the 23rd to get my mom. We headed East to Fort Wayne early Christmas Eve morn. It was an uneventful trip and we made it in 4 hours exactly. Not sure why my mom and I never have to stop, but with someone else we always seem to have to. ;) 

Yes, it was 58F and raining on Christmas Day. Ho ho ho! 

The three of us went to the Feipel farm Christmas morning and had breakfast, then we headed back to our house. The boy and his bride arrived around noon (they'd flown in earlier in the week to spend time with her mom). We had lasagna for lunch, then opened presents. We pretty much just laid around after that.

Sunday we all went to Headwaters Park for ice skating. The Feipels and grandma Jane took to the ice and the rest of us watched (and laughed a time or two). I think Jane regretted it the next day, but I love that she's a trouper!

Monday we went out for supper to our current favorite place to eat: Nawa. Sort of an Asian-fusion on 'The Landing' in the Fort (picture at the top).

Tuesday (28th) we actually had snow!!! The pic doesn't do it justice, but they were absolutely THE BIGGEST snow flakes I have ever seen. It was pretty pretty watching it while we had a smashing game of Mexican Dominoes.

 

Fortunately Ricci received a text that they could check in for their Wednesday flight home on Tuesday afternoon.... because she thought they weren't leaving until THURSDAY! Oops. I felt bad, because even though it meant they only left our house a few hours earlier, it meant they couldn't connect with her mom again and some other friends. Anyway, they left around noon Wednesday to head back to Indy (airport), and Jane and my mom left shortly after so Jane could take her back to Illinois.

THE PRESENTS

I actually had a 'wish list' this year, and no one ever asked for it. I finally did tell Jane, but she said no one needed it. Call me crazy, but I had an inkling I knew what they were getting me then. I did get two Hickory Farms meat/cheese things, some chocolate covered nuts, and...... tickets to the University of Illiniois/Northwest basketball game in the middle of February in Champaign!

Apparently the kids and my mom pitched in on the tickets. They also went together and got my favorite cook a KitchenAid Deluxe Tilt-Head Stand Mixer. Now m'Lady can put all that watching of baking shows to good use!

ALL IN ALL

As per usual, I had hoped to not be so much of a grump. Maybe next year. It's just a lot going on. I was glad to not have to get up and go to work each day. I ate too much, drank too much, and slept way late each and every day. It was nice having both kids and their spouses, the grandkids, and my mom all together.

For some stupid reason I did have to go to work today though. I had Friday off (closed), and Saturday through Wednesday. I guess I wasn't sure I could even get that much time off, so it never occurred to me to take Thursday off too (since we are closed again this Friday-Sunday). I didn't sleep well last night worrying about getting up in time. It was rough. I'm getting a little tired of this going to bed and getting up early every weekday. Oh well.

Now come the long dreary days of January and February. At least I've been able to keep my running streak going still.

Aloha!

(missing Drew)

***

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

 

Isaac's first solo class

The boy started school last week - for the first time as a teacher! He was hired as an adjunct professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. His first class is 'Christian Ethics in Conflict.' Here is the course description:

"CHRISTIAN ETHICS IN CONFLICT (Columbia Theological Seminary): Christian ethics is born out of conflict. This statement refers to both the history of Christian ethics as an academic discipline and the ongoing call to pursue a faithful Christian life. Christian ethics thus brings us face to face with the conflicts and crises that inform our very being. In this course, we will examine issues such as climate change, violence, capitalism, racism, and sexism with the belief that they present challenging opportunities for critical engagement and transformation. We will reflect on what it means to respond to these challenges faithfully as practicing Christian ethicists and how we might account for those responses."

This actually brought back memories from my first ethics class. My eyes were certainly opened to so many things I'd never even considered. It was such a breath of fresh air from the conservative evangelical teaching I'd received up to that point. It truly was a transformational experience for me, and one I am so thankful for. Hopefully it can be for the 20 or so students in his class as well.

I believe today is also Isaac and Ricci's 8th wedding anniversary. My how time flies. That was such a fun time. Looking back through the pictures on Facebook makes it seem so long ago though.

***

Romans 12:1-2

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

 

Weekend visitors: here and there and back

I used to say we went "home" when we took a trip to Buda. I guess it's now a "there." 

ISAAC & RICCI

The boy and his wife flew in from Georgia last Thursday. We met Ricci's mom at Payne's in Gas City and picked them up (they flew into Indy). It was the first time they had been here in a year. It was good to see them. They stayed until today (and flew out of Fort Wayne).
 

VISIT TO BUDA

Our entire crew went to Buda last Friday. The Feipels in their vehicle, and Isaac & Ricci with us in ours. We all stayed at my moms. The tent pictured above is where Jane and I slept both nights we were there. The grandsons also slept with us the first night but not the second. They claim I snored too loud. Either way, I kind of like sleeping in the tent (in the back yard anyway). It's plenty big, and we have a queen air mattress which is pretty comfy. I forgot to take a pic until I had it halfway torn down. We were there from Friday evening until early Sunday afternoon.

PRATT FAMILY REUNION

On Saturday, July 3, we attended Jane's family's family reunion (of sorts). All her brothers except the one in Colorado, and most of their kids and grandkids were present. I think I heard there were 59 in attendance. Doctor Tim and his lovely wife hosted the event. It was a beautiful day, and everything was very nice, but I was pretty seriously stressed the entire time and have since been pretty depressed. Maybe I was imagining things, but it seemed I was being shunned by most of the people there. My family are probably the only 'non-conservatives' of the bunch, and I suppose my opinions shared on Facebook about politics and the pandemic and whatnot just don't set well with some. I tried to speak to a couple people and they pretty much just outright ignored me. So I spent most of the time sitting with Carrie other than the visits I had with Tim, Joe and David. It was pretty humbling, humiliating, and sad. This was also the eve of the 40th anniversary of the death of Jane's dad.

BACK 'HOME'

When we came back to Fort Wayne, we still had several days to spend with Isaac & Ricci (and, of course, the Feipels). Sunday night (the 4th) we hung out at the Feipel farm and watched various fireworks light up the skies over the Fort. 

Monday we kept the kids (along with Isaac & Ricci) and experienced Science Central. It was a fun time, and a good thing to do in air conditioning since it was extremely hot and humid outside. The pic below is of them in the F1 wind tunnel. We then made a stop at Sweets On Main for a treat.

 

Monday night all nine of us went to The Club Room for supper. It was also the weekly blues jam night of live music. Aside from dropping a couple hundred on food and drinks, it was a very nice time.

 

On Tuesday the Feipels all went their own way while we took Isaac and Ricci to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. It's not something I would do on my own, but it's a neat place to visit occasionally. After that we stopped in at the Hyde Brothers bookstore on Wells Street. It's a very cool old place that has all kinds of used books. From there we had a snack at Welch's Ale House, then connected back with Carrie and the kids back at our house.

Today (Wednesday) I had to go back to work. Jane was off all week until tomorrow, so she took Isaac & Ricci to Utopian Coffee+Kitchen for breakfast, then they stopped off at my work before heading to the airport.

 

All in all, it was quite the weekend. It was so nice having the other Horwedels around for so long. I believe this is the longest they've spent with us for as long as I can remember, maybe ever. There were some tears that they had to go - especially from poor little Anna. She loves her aunt and uncle so. I always appreciate how Ricci dignifies her and doesn't belittle her feelings. She's a class act.

I wish we could have spent more time with my mom. I always feel bad that we can't visit more often, or stay longer when we do. That area is just not "home" anymore. We don't feel overly welcome and it seems we are strangers in a strange land. Sunday and Monday morning were two of my bluest in a long time. I didn't want to get out of bed. I suppose it's some kind of Karmic joke that someone who wants to be liked so much has to be so off-putting to others. I tried, but I can't really change who I am. 

It was difficult going back to work today. I have grown to hate that place too. I'm afraid Jane feels about the same towards her job. We don't have a lot to celebrate at the moment... but at least we had a really good visit from our kids, and for that I am thankful. 

***

Habakkuk 3:17-18

"Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior."

 

Fathers day and ribfest

Father's Day has come and gone once more. I actually had a pretty good one this year.

For starters, we kept the grandkids Saturday night and enjoyed the first evening under our new backyard lights. By the time I dragged my bones out of bed Sunday around 9:30 their mother was already there to pick them up. Then Jane made me a grand breakfast.

I was surprised with some swell gifts this year too. Jane got me the pictured Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Speaker. For something so small it works really well and will be put to good use! She also got me a box of chocolates.

The Feipel clan gave me a box full of nuts, sausage, cheese, and crackers. I could take gifts like this for just about any occasion! These are some of my favorite things. Plus we then hung out together at Ribfest in the afternoon.

Isaac and Ricci got me Jason Ringenberg's newest CD 'Rhinestoned.' Jason stuck a note in with it that we've been friends and supporters of his music for 45 years now! There's a little ditty here about how he put the album together. It's a little country for my tastes, but he's an amazing person. Isaac also called Sunday evening.

RIBFEST

The annual blues, brews, and bbq celebration is perhaps one of the few traditions we have. At least it had been. I wasn't even concerned about going this year. The past few have just not been that good. They seemed to struggle to find legitimate bands, and the sound quality had been SOOOOOOO BAD. Perhaps having to take last year off was good for them, because it seemed better this year. The band lineup was still kind of iffy, but the sound was so much better this year!

Just the two of us went for a bit Friday night, then we returned Sunday and stayed later than we planned to. It was nice to see live outdoor music again, run into some friends, and we appreciated all the bands we saw.

A FIRST

I suppose it's worth noting this was the first Father's Day without my dad. We never had a very good relationship, which was mostly because I was never a very good son. I always hated that he was the high school principal; I probably resented him for it even. Yet it occurred to me this weekend that I didn't necessarily dislike my dad. I think I wanted to like him, and respect him... But when so many of my friends and others I knew seemingly DIDN'T like him, I I felt like I couldn't like him or I would risk them not liking me. It sounds pretty silly now, but I'm sure it's one of the reasons I'm as messed up as I am. Plus, our family has just never done relationships and emotions and stuff like that very well.

Anyway, there ya have it. June is almost over, the summer if flying by, and it will be snowing before you know it.

***

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord." - Jeremiah 17:7

 

Carrie is 36; oh my!

Our lovely daughter turned 36 years old today. What in the world?!? I think I was 36 when I got done with seminary - in a program for "older" students - and started pastoring a church. I hope she's ready for the next 20-ish years to fly by!!! ;)

Actually, she's better poised to face it than I was, and I have no doubt that when she is my age she will be in a much better place.

Anyway, she has adapted well to life on the "farm" just outside Fort Wayne. They don't do any actual farming per se (I mean, you can spit to the city limits), but they are raising up the three munchkins almost to the teens, and the dog and cat, and seem pretty content where they are.

She's still working full-time as Administrative Assistant for a branch of the Y. I won't say it's the worst one in town, but it has more than it's fair share of dysfunction. Fortunately she gets to pop into my location now and then on her way to the bank or the main office!

Carrie has always carried a full heart for those in need, as well as those around her, and there's no one I would rather have on my side. I suppose she gets her intensity and sense of justice from yours truly, but fortunately gets a big dose of grace and compassion from her beautiful mother.

I'm glad she lives close by, and can't wait to see what year 36 brings for her!

***

1 Peter 3:3-4

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

Isaac's birthday and a three-legged dog

I've got some posts to catch up with. We've been on vacation all week (more on that later), and the most notable thing to occur was son Isaac's 33rd birthday Tuesday.

I really wish we could have been there this year more than most. It sounds like it was quite the time - and not in a good way.

First off though... the boy and his bride are still living in Atlanta. He is in the process of writing his doctoral dissertation. He hopes to be done sometime this summer/fall, and then begin looking for a teaching job. I think he's mostly been busy writing chapters, trying to get some articles/papers published, applying for grants, as well as TA-ing a class at Emory here and there. Most recently I believe he TA-d a Pastoral Care class. He does have one class lined up to teach at Columbia Theological Seminary this fall (Intro to Ethics).

We continue to be quite proud of his work and accomplishments, and look forward to his book. You probably want to know what all the excitement was around his birthday though, don't you??

Well, we called the boy on his birthday, and he was in somewhat of a panic. Apparently one of their dogs (Tig) blew out it's achilles tendon. Ricci was gone, and Isaac was there by himself to try to find an emergency care facility and take the dog there. At first they were considering surgery to repair the tendon, but they were finally advised it would be best to simply amputate. I guess the recovery is much better/faster/easier and after a few days most dogs completely adapt. There's also not a great success rate with repair. So they had that done and Tig is home struggling more with the cone than the missing leg.

Anyway, I'm sure the dog will be fine, but I felt bad for Isaac because he has always been so tender-hearted, and I imagine it was a difficult time for him. So, I'm missing the Georgia Horwedels this year more than most. We seem to see them less and less anymore. I hope we can see them some this summer.

***

Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”

 

Five things friday

1. BIKE TUNE-UP

I took my Scott SubCross 30 bicycle in for a tune-up yesterday. I bought it on June 5th of last year, and with the purchase of a new bike you get one free tune-up within the first year. There is a bike shop inside my place of employ (literally right across from my desk) and Emily is a fantastic mechanic. She adjusted the brakes, derailleurs, lubed the chain, checked cables, tightened spokes, and tried like the dickens to get rid of the squeal in my rear disc break. All for $0! Well, actually I gave her a $10 tip because she spent nearly 3 hours on it. The squeal is better, but she reminded me there is a 2-year warranty on the brakes, so if it doesn't clear up eventually I should maybe have them replaced. She also said to tell any other mechanics that it helps to sand the disc slightly.

2. AIRPOD PROS

I had told Jane I would get her some noise-cancelling headphones for Mother's Day - because she works by a sometimes loudly annoying coworker. First I ordered her some ~$50-ish earbuds online. I started to feel like maybe it was a scam though, so the next day I cancelled - and they actually gave my money back! Finally I decided to just splurge and get her the Airpod Pro earbuds. She is more than worth the $197 they cost, and hopefully this will help with her work situation - at least some. I do have to say, they are pretty nice.

3. VISIT WITH ISAAC

The boy was back in Indiana for a few days this week. One of his professors from undergrad passed away, and they asked him to help with the eulogy. They also said they wanted him to have his books and papers and whatnot. Isaac stayed in Indy and the funeral was south of there, so we met up in Anderson last night for a quick bite to eat. The Feipels also went. It was nice to see him, but I was the usual jerk. We ate at this little pizza place we used to love (Arts on Broadway). The pizza was still really good, but the service was a little lacking - as I'm sure it is at most places nowadays. I had ordered a second drink when our food arrived, and by the time I was done eating it still hadn't arrived, nor had the waitress been back. So not only was I annoyed, but I was mostly just REALLY thirsty. I tried not to make a total scene, but I'm sure I embarrassed everyone else. As usual.

4. WEDDING ANNIVERSARY #38

Today is our 38th wedding anniversary. In some ways it seems weird, but mostly it's not registering with me much this year. I should probably make a post just about this. Actually, I probably could have made a separate post about all these things. Anyway, I have the day off and Jane is taking a half day. We are planning to go out for lunch, then at 2 we get to see our granddaughter in a choral group. Tonight we actually work our first concert in over a year. I'll be curious to see how that goes.

5. OTHERWISE...

I really don't have much else to say. I've been in sort of a funk and not feeling the best for awhile. I'm still trying to run, but can barely make the first mile at a 12-minute pace before having to walk. The other day I finally did the third mile under 11 but that was it. It's not looking like it's going to be a stellar year. We'll see.

***

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:13-14 

 

Serenity, suicide, son gets a job (and Brueggemann again)

 

"Serenity is no longer wishing you had a different past."

That's a line from the movie 'Sound of Metal' we watched last week. I am still processing it. Great movie.

I'll come back to that in a bit, but first there's a continuation to the 'Brueggemann thing'. If you recall, last week I started reading an old book I had from Walter Brueggemann ("The Message of the Psalms"). I opened it on April 7, and stuck inside was the receipt from the day I'd bought it (and when we heard Brueggemann speak) on... April 7, 1997. Like that wasn't crazy enough...

Yesterday we were talking to our son. He informed us he'd recently gotten hired as an adjunct professor for the fall semester at Columbia Theological Seminary. Guess who was the long-time professor of Old Testament there? Yep, Walter B.! I didn't have the nerve to ask if he found this out on April 7th. :) By the way, the boy will be teaching Intro. to Ethics, while he continues to work on his Phd. At the moment he is TA-ing a course in Pastoral Care at Emory/Candler.

While we are extremely proud of both our kids, there was a bit of sadness this weekend. One of my cousins kids took his life. His mom found him in his apartment where he'd hung himself. I can't imagine the horror. Although, when I hear of a suicide I usually feel a sense of relief on behalf of the deceased. Their suffering has ended. Of this I am glad.

--

So, back to the movie...

A main premise of the movie, and the deaf community where it takes place, is that deafness is not something to be fixed; it's not a handicap. As the counselor says, "We're looking for a solution to this (pointing to his head), not this (pointing to his ears)."

The counselor in the movie is trying to help Ruben come to grips with himself, by finding peace within. He challenges him to stop trying to fix himself... To be able to just sit, and be. At one point he says,

"I wonder, uh, all these mornings you've been sitting in my study, sitting, have you had any moments of stillness? Because you're right, Ruben. The world does keep moving, and it can be a damn cruel place. But for me, those moments of stillness, that place, that's the kingdom of God."

When I think about all the work my son is putting into his schooling, and all the work my daughter puts into raising her kids... Stuff like that makes me super proud as a parent... not because of what they've achieved, but because of who they are. That makes me feel good.

In contrast, I can only imagine how many times my cousin's son heard, "Why don't you get a job"... or "Why don't you do something with your life"... or "Why don't you make something of yourself"... And it's not that I knew him, but I've heard those things insinuated by others. And you wonder: did he know?

...

Sometimes we can spend so much time and effort searching for inner peace, when all the time it is right here within us. It's not something we can achieve, but only something we can realize. Can you "Be still"?

[to be continued... and it may or may not include Brueggemann]

***

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:15