When We Could Still Travel - 2019

 The high point of 2019 happened in March. 

My mom's overseas travels had been limited to one trip to London and various cities in Germany and Austria in 2010. (Photos from that trip are in the 2010 summer archives.) After Dad passed away, Mom made it clear that she would like to travel. So I suggested this - an Arne & Carlos trip - and Mom was game. As long as we were traveling overseas and I had vacation time, I asked where else she would like to visit. She chose the City of Light - Paris. 

We began our trip by flying to NYC, staying overnight, then flying to Paris late the next day. While in NYC, my nephew and his wife entertained us. We went to a fantastic restaurant for chinese soup dumplings and got a tour of their Brooklyn apartment. The next day, my nephew was able to take us on a driving tour of NYC (how I wish I had taken more photos I was too busy viewing the scenery), we had lunch at the famous Katz's Delicatessen, then headed to the airport to take our evening flight to Paris. 

We spent an extremely uncomfortable overnight flight. We had seats that did not recline - and in economy plus (!) on the airline named after the country we traveled to. I will never fly that airline again.  

Our day of arrival was spent getting through customs, getting out of the airport, and getting to our hotel (which was very small - I think only about a dozen guest rooms). 

The breakfast room at the hotel. 

Our room. 

The view out our window.

Our hotel was two blocks from Place Saint-Georges square where the closest Metro stop is located. 

Also on this square was a wonderful cafe where we had dinner. 

I loved the "grilled cheese" which came with an egg on it, and salad and pommes frites on the side. 

Well done thou good and faithful servant

My Dad

He was the middle child of three. Born in March, 1933 and baptized during the Sunrise Easter Service. 

He and his siblings were outrageously spoiled by cousins who were a generation older. 

He attended preparatory school and college on the same campus for eight years, then attended seminary. Back home during summers and holidays, he worked for the local post office. 

During his third year of theological seminary, while serving as a vicar in her congregation, he met the love of his life. They married in August, 1957 and were blessed to celebrated their 60th anniversary. 

His study was sacrosanct... 

to all but the grandkids.

He loved his family. 

He loved the people and congregations he served. As pastor he served congregations in the Midwest for 37 years. In addition to his parish duties, he served many years as the pastors' pastor - guiding colleagues through challenges in their congregations. His last Divine Call was as a chaplain for 13 years in numerous state prisons through the synod's institutional ministries. 

His father passed away when he was 39; his mother lived to the ripe age of 98.

His five children, nine grandchildren, their assorted spouses and partners, and two great-grandchildren were the apple of his eye. 

He loved old cars, a dry martini, and was a connoisseur of bakery and sausage. Gatherings at home meant stories told around the dinner table (after clearing myriad games off the table in order to set it for supper), good food, and lots of laughter. 

His sense of humor was legendary.  

He was called home on Easter Eve 2018 after a fantastic daylong reunion with most of his family, including his 90 year old sister.

His favorite bible passage - "Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool, or engraved in rock forever! I knot that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:23-27. 

'Til we meet again. Goodnight, Papa. 

 

The Year in Review - 2018

 

After moving between Christmas and New Year's, 2018 started with a house full of boxes. The cats settled in - finding the warmest and sunniest spot in the house - the radiator in the dining room window that faces south

In February we met my great-nephew C. 

Easter this year was a very sad time as my dad passed away on Easter Eve. He had been declining for a long time. His passing was expected, but unexpected. (Sounds crazy, doesn't it?) His passing has left a very large hole in our hearts. 

April brought a snow storm that dumped a ton of snow, but then melted and was gone within days. 

July saw us heading east to North Carolina to visit family and to Washington D.C. for a friend's 50th Birthday celebration. 

August brought heavy rains and water in our basement. 

In September, I was at Sheep and Wool with my mom who was a vendor. 

When leaving work one September evening, this was in the eastern sky. 

In September, DH started a new job which entailed 4 hours of driving (one way) to the workplace and his staying with my brother and sister-in-law in MN for all or a good portion of the work week. So after we lived apart during the work week for nine months of 2017, we basically had nine months of living together  all week in 2018 before circumstances changed that. 

We replaced the roof on the house and garage in October. (We knew prior to purchasing the house that this would need to be done and had patched the roof to get us through the previous winter.) The new roof necessitated a chimney being taken down below the roof line, which lead the purchase and installation of a new water heater and a new boiler (furnace) - each of which was about 30 years old. 

At a knitting retreat in November, we woke up to wonderful sunny skies, but with snow on the ground that fell overnight. Perfect knitting weather. 

Christmas and New Year's were pretty quiet affairs as both DH and I didn't take much time off work. But I had help in wrapping gifts. 

The Year in Review - 2017

Life has been very unsettled for the past couple of years.

In January, 2017 my position I held for the past 4 year term ended and I spent the remainder of the month at home,  job searching and trying to organize the house in anticipation of moving at some unknown future date while.

The month of February was spent working at a temporary position in a county that was a 5 hour drive from home. I lived in the Twin Cities with my brother and his family during the week, commuted one hour each way to the job and went home on weekends. Most enjoyable about this time was being able to spend time with my nieces; going to school/sporting events that would have been missed when it was a 10 hour round trip. Least enjoyable was all the driving in winter weather.

In March, I started my new position. The new position was 2 and 1/2 hours drive from home so I ended up staying with my parents because the commute from their home was 45 minutes each way. It was a win-win for all of us. My dad's health had been declining and because he was the driver (Mom didn't have a driver's license) they were getting out of the house less and less frequently. I often worked late, but when I didn't, Mom and I would run her errands. It also gave me quality time with my parents. 

I would go home on the weekends. Date night for DH and I became a steady tedium of searching for a house, which often meant a mid-week 5 hour round trip drive for him.

After the first two potential home purchases fell through after the home inspection, finally, in November, we found THE Haus!

It had everything I was looking for - wood floors, nice woodwork, older light fixtures, leaded glass windows, and even a stained glass window.

We moved between Christmas and New Year's. 

My "good weather" commute time is now only about 25 minutes.

The cats settled in nicely. (We won't discuss the car ride on moving day and the 2 1/2 hours of yowling the entire way.) They are loving the fact that we've got a back and front staircase from the main floor to the second floor; great for chasing each other.

Rome, Part 2

Roman Forum.

 

The Colosseum.

Pantheon.

Palatine Hill

Rome at night.