A Parade, A Picnic and A Birthday Brunch

This past weekend was a busy one. On Saturday, our great grand babe, Amariah rode in the parade in Madison Lake, so of course we had to go. Like all small town parades, the old fire truck was in evidence but this parade had some surprises...

I am not sure why but primates were prevalent...
And then, of course, there were politicians. I don't know who Emmer is or which party he calls home but I surely wouldn't support him if I were a Minnesotan. Why would anyone from any party running for any office put their spouse on a float holding a wild animal that needs to be kept wet to survive. I am actually surprised the animal rights activists are not after him!



And then came the best part of the parade. Little Ammer looked a little intimidated by the whole thing, but she did eventually throw a necklace my way.

After a quick stop at home, we headed over to Montgomery for Kolachy Days where our only purpose was to buy a couple dozen of those delicious fruit-filled buns.

Then we headed to Cheryl and Dick's house for dinner and a delightful evening. Cheryl is my first cousin on my dad's side; in addition to being a relative, we have been friends for many many years. She is a woman after my own heart; she appreciates double-fisted eating when necessary.

The big and little boys (grandsons) were very interested in a growth on a plant that they just knew held worms. (They gave up on it when no one had a pocket knife and Mike couldn't break it open.)

Paula is Cheryl's daughter who was visiting from Warroad. It was fun to see her again. I babysat for her when she was about the age her son is now.
And this little lovely charmed us with enchanted tales during "The Tea Party" part of the evening.

Thanks, Dick and Cheryl, it was a fun evening and just what we needed. Driving home, there was a full moon over the freshly harvested fields; a perfect end to a very fine day.

On Sunday, we celebrated the 25th birthday of our oldest grandchild, Christopher, with a brunch. He and Sara are expecting a baby in December. It will be a life-changing year for Chris.

Chris with his dad, Terry, and Grandpa Mike.

Amariah took some pictures with my camera. After I did a little cropping, this one of her Uncle Chris looks pretty pro. (Too bad we don't get to see his eyes very often.)


She even took one of herself...

And one of Grandma.

It was a relaxing few hours...

After the busy weekend, we launched into a busy week! Today, Mike mowed lawn for several properties and picked up more fallen branches from last week's storm. I went to mom's and did laundry and shopping and a little of this and a little of that. We had a quick supper and headed into church for a planning meeting and decorating for Vacation Bible School. Whew, I'm tired!

Till next time...

"Bobby Geldner Touched Many Lives"

This is what our neighbor here at the lake, Curt Tolzin, wrote in an editorial in the Mankato Free Press; I will copy his words because I could not say it any better.


"Once in awhile, during your lifetime, you witness an event that speaks for itself. Such was the tribute and the respect paid to Bobby Geldner at his wake and funeral. Bobby was not a politician or an individual who held public office or a person of great monetary wealth, but he touched many lives in his short stay on earth.


Bobby was considered a "true" friend by most individuals he knew and dealt with, always giving and smiling at the same time and you knew it was from his big heart. When an individual has more than 600 people attending his wake and another 200 jockeying for a seat in a small country church for his funeral, that in itself is a testament to his personality and stature in this community.


He will be sadly missed, not only by his family, but his friends and neighbors. We all considered it a blessing for having known Bobby, for being who he was, and for allowing us the privilege to have counted him as a true friend.

Bob's Final Ride

Goodbye Friend.

You will always live in our hearts and in our memories.

"INDEPENDENCE"

"Independence" is a concept that I have been mulling over lately. We just celebrated The Fourth of July but the independence of our nation is only one kind of independence.


Mike and I know about independence. We have a very independent life; we are independent of real estate tax and the pressures of work. But more importantly, we are free to choose where we go and when we go there and what we do when we get there. We both have freedom of movement; we can walk independently and talk and eat without assistance. In the mundane daily activities and the major life decisions, we are independent.


I have seen my mom loose her independence gradually over the last few years. The independent lady who drove others to church is now dependent on the TV for Sunday Mass. Her car keys sit in the cup by the door; a symbol of independence lost.


This past week mom got a new bracelet, a life line. With just a touch of the button, she is connected to a real person who will help her in an emergency. It is another symbol of that lost independence; she used to be the one who helped others.

Yet, mom has independence; it is just more limited. She still decides what she wants to eat and what she wants to wear and who she welcomes into her own home. Here she is with her nieces who took time to visit recently.

Since we arrived in Minnesota, we have watched our Grandson, Mac, get more independence in the form of a high school diploma. We have seen mom struggle with her restricted independence. We have seen our Great Granddaugher, Amariah, demonstrate the independence that comes with growth. (This picture of her saluting the flag during a parade was taken by Grandma Janet.)

And we have watched a very independent man, Mike's life long friend, Bob, adjust to lost independence.

Bob was diagnosed with lung cancer less than two months ago. In the last five weeks, we saw him go from a person who gave directions and got things done to a man who did as he was told and was unable to independently do even simply tasks. Today he lost his brief battle with cancer. He drew his last breath independently and now he is gone. Our sympathy goes to Corky, his partner in life for the past nine years, and to his children and grandchildren and his many friends. We will all miss his "garage parties" and his friendship.

The people who knew and loved Bob will all rely on each other for strength in the coming days and long into the future. And so, my mulling over independence leaves me with this idea: A person (or a nation) achieves true independence only when they know when they need others.