Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

There is now a wonderfully-designed walking bridge over the Missouri River that connects the cities of Omaha,NE, and Council Bluffs, IA. It opened a couple of days ago, and we decided to visit it and walk it both ways yesterday. It has twin towers with cables that hold up the structure of the walkway and is in the shape of a lazy S. It was named in honor of Bob Kerrey who had been a governor and senator for the State of Nebraska and got the federal part of the funding for this bridge started when he was a US Senator.

We called Kristy, and she rearranged her schedule and brought the grands to meet us on the Iowa side, and we began our walk to the Omaha side. Lots of people were walking the bridge and enjoying the views. The bridge connects public park areas on both sides of the river, and probably this completion will encourage more development on the river. Already there is a new baseball park scheduled on the Omaha side, which will be the new home of the College World Series.

As you walk along you can occasionally feel some vibrations and bridge movement. This reminded us of a hanging bridge in Vancouver, Canada, that we had crossed when visiting the city with good friend Phyllis. It, however, had a great deal of movement, and the trick was to walk it without hanging on, which HW2 managed.

Our bridge crossing was much fun, and we took many pictures which will get into this blog. At least this bridge goes somewhere and benefits the citizens of both cities, encouraging them to walk and get some exercise. When you visit Omaha or Council Bluffs, take time to walk the bridge. Happy travels.

Athletic Games

We have been attending several games in the two weeks that we have been in Omaha. Susannah is now playing volleyball, as is Keilah, and the twins continue to play soccer. The games are fun to watch and to cheer on the grands who are playing. They all want their team to win but do not seem to mope too much if they lose.

We also watched the Nebraska vs Virginia Tech game. I think the final score was 30 to 33 in favor of Tech. But this is Bo Pelinni's first year as Nebraska's head coach, and we have to give him some slack. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out. Living here for four years shaped us into Nebraska football fans, and we try to watch them play whenever we can. Of course, when we winter in Texas, we have to cheer on the Texas teams too.

My real love is baseball but I only seem to enjoy it when we can be in the park watching the play. There is always so much going on, including the game. Of course, you can go get a hot dog or cold beer to enjoy while watching. HW2 likes the seventh inning stretch and hopes to do the YMCA cheer or the Wave. One of the highlights was watching Texas play Cleveland and discovering that President Bush - 41, was in attendance. He happily waved to the crowd and went back to watching the game. There is so much to do at baseball games.

Now I would not turn down tickets to a Nebraska game in Lincoln. Imagine sitting there and yelling with 85,000 of your closest friends all dressed in red! Quite a spectacle I think. So far no tickets have come our way but I keep hoping.

Rachael's Birthday

Beth and Harold threw a great birthday party for Rachael. We had way too much to eat. Harold grilled steak, chicken and brots. We had hors d'oeuvres and drinks (Belgian Beer, wine, or gin and tonics). Beth had fixed corn, baked potatoes, green salad, rolls and beans. We brought home made cheesecake for dessert. Afterwards we played Pitch which Harold likes and had a wonderful evening of visiting, laughing, and card playing. We managed to miss the Presidential debates.

Today it is off to a volleyball game with Susannah's team and then later on dinner at Tim and Kristy's and maybe watch a bit of the Nebraska football game. Should be a fun day. Happy travels!

P.S. This is my 365th entry in this blog. Not too bad for 13 months. It has been great fun and I have expecially enjoyed the comments as well as a chance to comment on the happenings in our lives. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

Unexpected Gift

Yesterday we were over to see Kristy and kids and near the end of our visit Sarah brought out some sheets of colored paper. On one she had spelled out Grammy with stickers and decorated the outside with many more. Inside was a big red heart and "I love you." Grammy was just delighted.

Then she brought out two green sheets of paper taped together. This piece had Grandad spelled out in stickers and then above she had created the same letters, but much bigger, with colored sticks, colored pipe cleaners and a cut out letter. When I first looked at it I thought it spelled out Gran - N - Dad and only a little bit later realized that there was only one N so it must be Grandad. The cute touch was a small bell that really rings in the middle of the A.

We got up to go with our surprises in hand and Lydia said, "Wait, wait!" and ran upstairs. She reappeared shortly and said, looking at me, "I didn't get yours done." "Here, Grammy." She had made a card that spelled out Grammy and decorated the card with flowers. So, with art work in hand, we left with our unexpected gifts. What a delight all our grands can be and usually are. This day they lifted our spirits and sent us home with big smiles. Happy travels.

Student teaching

Our nephew Ira or Ike as he is called in the family, is beginning his student teaching as he works on his MAT degree at the University of North Carolina. As a teacher it is rewarding to see other members in the family go into this important if underpaid profession. You can learn about his adventures by clicking onto his blog which is listed with other blogs we enjoy reading.

Another nephew is teaching English on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and has been doing so for several years. He recently completed a teaching portfolio which is a new requirement in the state and this gave him a much appreciated raise of $10,000. Since his car just died, the raise will really come in handy.

Birthday time

Within the last several days we have been celebrating birthdays of both friends and family. Dennis turned 56 and Rachael threw him a party and invited us and Beth and Harold over for dinner and cake. Afterwards we taught Beth and Harold how to play Pitch (See Anne, the gift that keeps giving). They both seemed to enjoy the game and got good at it.

Tomorrow it is Rachael's birthday 5_. I am not sure of the exact number but ladies never tell anyway. We are celebrating this one at Beth and Harold's home and maybe watching the presidential debate or better yet, playing Pitch.

In the family, Marlene had a birthday yesterday and we called to wish her a happy day and learned they were going out for dinner at Sadie's Restaurant for excellent but very hot Mexican food. Jerry was leaving today to take his racing car to Nevada for a weekend of racing or practice.

Next, later this week, Traci is celebrating her birthday and so it continues. I always think November is the birthday month but it seems like September is quite full too.

HW2 has been making birthday gifts for this set of grands and we plan to leave them there today. They specifically requested new throws as their old ones are wearing out. If they read this they will not be surprised as they already know what is in the works. HW2 worked hard on them and was pleased to get them all finished. She left some for the Wisconsin grands too. She has been a very busy grammy.

Not to be outdone, I completed a wedding present for a young couple who got married in the spring and we took it over to them yesterday. It is a scene of their farm and was fun to create. I think we have pictures of the stained glass on this PC and will try to get them up on the blog so you can see the scene of their pretty Iowa farm. It was very foggy when we took it over yesterday, but HW2 took this picture of me holding the window in front of the house Quite a fun project!.

Catch Up

Yesterday we went to church, and after Pastor M's good sermon, stayed for Pot Providence which happens on the third Sunday of each month. It is always good food and conversation. We had a chance to catch up with our many friends and enjoyed the whole thing. When we got home, I set to work on a stained glass project that I wanted to finish and even got some of the pieces cut and ground, but there is much more to do today. HW2 was working on birthday presents for the grands.

While working outside, I could see other families enjoying this beautiful park by the Missouri River. One family had a little white dog that looked and acted just like Duffy, a Westie that we had and for which we had found a new home when we decided to go back on the road. Duffy went to a family in this area that had five children, and he was in heaven. All those kids to play and sleep with! We have recently heard that he is doing well, even taking up swimming. So, was it Duffy over there across the park? It turned out to be a different Westie, but he could have been a clone of Duffy. I miss Duffy for sure, but am glad he has a good home with a loving family and all the attention he needs.

Then we talked with Chris and family to learn that their house deal in Wisconsin had fallen through, and they were back to looking for another house. All that work moving them in and to have the deal fall through! Apparently, the appraisal came back $30,000 less than anticipated, and the bank will not lend more than the appraised amount. So they are busy looking, and we are wondering if we need to return to Wisconsin to help them move again. Who knows where the Spirit leads? Certainly, we are not in charge. We had planned to go to Denver and then Albuquerque, but that may change depending on what happens to Chris and Traci.

I suffer from skin cancer and have spots taken off on a regular basis. Jerry called and let me know that he had been to the dermatologist and had some spots removed. One of them was a melanoma, and he will go back soon for more day surgery in a week or so. Not good news, but he thinks they caught it early enough. We certainly hope so.

Sometimes we struggle with the challenges that life brings, but family pulls together, and we get on with it. Safe travels!

And the Answer Is??????

When we got to Kristy's house yesterday the grands were all enjoying a look at a catalogue entitled, 'Mind Ware'. This magazine/catalogue features many items that are enjoyed by kids. It is as if they were looking at a toy advertisement and trying to decide which would make the best present for Christmas. I remember pouring over such dream catalogues when I was young. It was fun but the reality seldom measured up to the wishes and dreams.

James decided he really would like a kit to build a skyscraper which might reach as high as over eight feet. We had suggested a family Christmas gift and Kristy had suggested a great game, 'Ticket to Ride - Europe'. James thought his skyscraper would make a great family gift and began soliciting his four sisters to get their support. The answers from the sisters was unaminous, NO'S. His mom also voted NO and his grandparents voted NO. So his campaign resulted in a vote of 1 - yes to 6 - NO'S. So, the answer is NO.

I neglected to tell you that this skyscraper kit cost $299. That in itself make it easier to understand all the NO votes.

Later after dinner we taught the three oldest grands to play Pitch. They quickly caught on and we had a wonderful time visiting and laughing. See, Anne, how your fame spreads????

Onward to Omaha

After a week of staying and helping Chris and Traci begin to get settled in their new home, it was time for us to leave and to continue our journey westward. We spent the first night in Des Moines, Iowa, and after a late start were in Omaha by early afternoon. We are staying at Haworth Park which is right on the Missouri River and a delightful place. We have stayed there before and were glad to return to this quiet setting. With trains and bridges nearby and flocks of Canadian Geese roaming the ground, it is not always that quiet, but we like the area. We got set up and quickly decided to go over to see Kristy and the grands. We had a great time and then were invited for dinner, too.

On the way home we stopped to see our good friends Dennis and Rachael, and we stayed a bit and played Pitch, which sister-in-law Anne had taught us while we were in New York. Rachael even began to like the game after she began to have winning hands. We never care who wins but just enjoy playing cards with these good friends. We have played Pinochle together for several years and are still speaking, so I guess that means we are, indeed, good friends.

The next day we met Beth and Harold for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and sat and ate and talked for several hours. It is a delight to get caught up in person on each other's lives. So this time here is a chance to meet again with friends and family and have a chance to rest a bit as well as doing some stained glass or HW2 - sewing. It is good to catch our breaths after a busy summer.

House Elves Are We

For the last four days we have been working hard to help Chris and Traci move into their home. The moving truck and three helpers were there for the first two days. They carried in stuff, and Traci directed them in the placement. This was a full time job in itself. HW2, Traci, and I also unpacked kitchen boxes as they arrived and put things away so that the kitchen would be a workable room. Unfortunately, in her previous home, Traci had a large closet for kitchen storage, and this was not to be in her current home. Lots of items had to be stored in the basement or set aside for a rummage or garage sale. Gradually the boxes were emptied, and the kitchen cabinets filled and arranged by HW2 and with Traci's advice.

On the third day we tackled the many boxes that had been taken to the basement. All had to be investigated since the labeling was not always accurate. We made piles of toys, Christmas decorations, clothes, office things, things to go to the garage, etc. It was a hot job. All empty boxes were taken to the porch and stashed there for later pickup by the moving company.

Today HW2 got Tyler's room unpacked, organized, and clothes sorted. This job took the entire morning. I helped with this project and also lugged boxes down to the porch and put up several stained glass pieces that we had given them yesterday evening. So many of their windows are now a bit more colorful.

Brittani is a Harry Potter fan and has read the seven books in the series many times and enjoyed all the pictures as they have been released. She labeled us the "house elves," because she could see how hard we were working to help her folks.
After a treat of lunch at Fred's, we made our goodbyes to all and started to get the motor home and car ready for travel in the morning. It has been a good week here, and the Spirit leads on but leaves a family in the middle of unpacking but in a livable house while they complete their move to Wisconsin. We wish them every good thought as they settle in to Burlington, WI. Happy travels!

Tony Romo Grew Up in Burlington, WI

Burlington, WI, is the new home for Chris and Traci's family but is also the home of Tony Romo. If you are not a pro football fan, you may not know who he is. There are pictures of Tony all over this town, and people will tell you that they coached Tony when he was a freshman or some other tale. He seems to be well thought of, and the town is very proud of their local boy who has gone on to become a football star. Of course, he also seems to be a bit of a Romeo where Jessica Simpson is concerned, as I have heard this somewhere.

I think it is nice for each town to have someone they can look up to. As for the future of Tony and Jessica, fortunately, it is not up to me. I wish them well and for this attraction to become permanent.

I just read on AOL where Tony stopped to help a couple stranded along side of the road, and that type of action on his part is very laudable. No wonder the folks in this town have such a high regard for their local hero.

Moving Daze

For the last two days we have been helping Chris and Traci unpack as the movers brought box after box into their home. It took the movers two days to unload the truck and will take C & T many more to get unpacked and to arrange things to fit the house. Mainly we concentrated on the kitchen and getting beds put together so that everyone had a place to sleep. On the first day few boxes for the kitchen appeared, as apparently they were packed into the front of the truck; but yesterday, day two, they began to appear in great numbers. C & T had a large pantry in their previous home, and so more stuff arrived than there was room to put it in. HW2 was a fighter and carried on and on, looking and fixing places to locate all the kitchen items. How she laughed when Brittani came home from school, looked for something to eat, and said, "You need to spread this stuff out more." I am sure as they eat through their food stuffs they will gradually get more room and can spread stuff out somewhat. Brittani, start eating!

Brittani is in charge of fund raising for a club at her new school, and they will be having a rummage sale soon. Traci commented, "I think I can be a big help to you there." We had been sorting and taking things to the basement when there was not enough room. Taking things to the basement was my job.

By mid-afternoon of day two, we sat down in the living room on empty couches and just looked at each other. We were exhausted but happy to generally have completed the kitchen area. There were lots of left-over food for their dinner, and HW2 and I drove back to the motor home for showers, snacks, TV, and bed. While it was hard work for two days, we feel we really did help out. Traci said, "If I had had to face the kitchen area alone, I would have gone crazy." I guess we helped keep her sane.

Today will bring more unpacking, but not at quite the frantic pace of the first two days. So far, nothing arrived broken. A great packing and moving job by the movers.

Frank Lloyd Wright House in Racine, WI.

Racine, WI, is the location of several of Frank Lloyd Wright projects. In 1939 he was hired to design the company headquarters of S.E. Johnson Company, which is best known for it's lily pads columns in its great workroom. At the time he was building this headquarters, he also began to design and build a home for Herbert Johnson called Wingspread, a 14,000 square foot building. The family lived in this home for about 20 years, and then it was turned into a conference center for foundations.

We discovered you can visit the home and get a tour of one of Mr. Wright's last Prairie style houses. It has four wings that include a wing for the children, a wing for the adults, a wing for the kitchen and servant quarters, and a wing for offices and carport. It is stunningly beautiful and a delight to visit. Our visit was short since they were in the process of re-doing the roads leading into the grounds, and we had to agree to be out by noon. The information presented was very complete. and our visit, though quick, was like being immersed into the world of F.L.Wright. What a treat! Happy travels.

America's Dairyland

We are in Burlington, WI., which is about 25 miles west of Racine which is right on the western shore of Lake Michigan and about an hour's drive North of Chicago. Yesterday we drove to Racine and to the shore of the lake which is quite beautiful. The drive eastward to Racine is through gently rolling farmland. There is corn and soy beans in abundance growing and almost ready for the harvest. Farms, farms everywhere. Most are in good condition but some are in a sad state of repair. It is sad to see barns in a decaying state. One looked like it would fall down if hit by a wind storm.

We did see herds of cows and some horses but most of these farms seem to be in the business of raising grain. Another lovely piece of the puzzle is the many lakes and ponds in this area. When we got to Lake Michigan you could see many sail boats on the water and such a contrast between the white of their sails and the blue water of the lake.

Chris and Traci arrived and we helped them unpack the few belongings that they brought. The moving van arrives on the tenth and they will camp out in their house for the intervening days. We took over camp chairs and an air mattress and some bedding to help them. Traci went grocery shopping and Chris and I went to the airport to pick up his company car which has to be turned in today. An evening meal of Pizza followed by a trip to Dairy Queen completed dinner and all headed off to bed. Today the kids get enrolled in school and life begins to develop some routine. Chris has to be at work today and Traci starts her new nursing job in about two weeks. This gives us a few days to help them get settled.

Their house was built in the 1920's and has lovely woodwork that has been recently restored. There are hardwood floors throughout. The kitchen is updated and quite adequate. The basement is useful with a large recreational area and storage areas and a laundry room with full bath. They even have a guest bedroom as well as a room for an office area on the main floor.

There are many children in this neighborhood and Tyler is busy riding his bike and making friends. He will know everyone's name by today. This is a friendly town and should make this family a good home. Happy travels!

We are in Wisconsin

We left Ann Arbor after breakfast and many hugs and went to the storage area of a nearby KOA to pick up the motor home. We loaded the car on our trailer and headed west on I 94 to Chicago and then north to Wisconsin. We finally arrived at our destination Burlington, WI. the home of Nestle Chocolate.

We arrived at an RV park and another resident told us to park where we wished as the owners had gone for a family medical emergency. After getting set up we unloaded the car and drove back into town to look it over and find the house that Chris and Traci will move into today. They had traveled yesterday from Atlanta to Louisville and should complete the rest of their trip by this afternoon.

After we looked at their house and talked to several neighborhood kids who wanted to know if we were moving in and were we really from Texas, we went looking for a Walmart and decided where we might eat dinner. We found a restaurant that was built in 1908 and is still in service today. The bar and other decorations were bought at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1890's and have been kept in beautiful condition. Our waitress Joy was a delight and gave us much information about this beautifully kept building. It is built on the corner of two streets that form a triangle and sometimes is called the triangle building. The ceilings were tin and painted, some with original colors still. Food was superb. HW2 had rack of lamb and I had tenderloin steak. As our grands say, "The plating was beautiful too!" Satiated, we drove home and called Chris to warn him about the many toll roads and construction in the Chicago area. Bed awaited. Sleep well and happy travels.

First US woman president

Last night we watched part of the Republican convention as in particular, we wanted to hear Mrs. Sarah Palin speak. Not knowing anything about this woman, except that she was currently the Governor of Alaska, we thought if McCain had chosen her as his vice presidential running mate, we should try to watch and see what she might be like. Actually this is the first time I have been interested in this presidential campaign. The Democrats spent way to much time debating each other and it just seemed to go on and on. The Republicans seemed to be boring.

About a year or so ago we watched a fictionalized version of the first US woman president played by Geena Davis. While we enjoyed the show, it didn't last very long and was canceled. Somehow the concept stuck with me and therefore I got quite interested in McCain's choice.

I felt that Ms. Palin delivered a good speech and was not afraid to take on her competition. She did not denigrate them but instead pointed out discrepancies in their rhetoric and actions. I came to believe that she will be able to hold her own in a debate against Mr. Biden.

Skipping ahead to after the November vote. What if McCain/Palin were to win this election? What if the unthinkable happens and McCain dies or becomes unable to function in his office? Then Palin becomes President. Then we would have our first woman President. How would she handle the stress of the job? If we live long enough, we may get answers to these questions. This makes this election interesting to me now. Do you have such thoughts? What is your thinking on having a woman become President?

Where the Spirit leads us

In our retirement years we have gradually come to the realization that life is not completely under our control and that we go where the Spirit leads us. Frequently we have not even known that we were needed until it was practically over. The nice thing about wandering is that we get to do this in lots of interesting places. We get to meet many interesting and diverse people and hope that whatever we are called to do is indeed helpful.

Sometimes it is just being there and giving a listening ear to someone in need of expressing themselves or with a concern that is in the front of their life at that moment. Usually it is just daily living stuff like cooking, washing clothes, reading to grands, getting groceries, or running errands so that the families involved can lighten their responsibilities.

We have helped others move or pack to get ready to move. Moving is always stressful and I swear that stuff in closets breed in the dark and when brought to the light of day, tumble out and seem endless. Sometimes it is a great time to thin out our belongings and try not to move everything we have collected since the last move.

Sometimes we free up someone who has a decision to make and needs the time to do so.

Whatever the situation, we try to be helpful. The trick is to hold back and let others do what they need to do. For us the fun is to see where the Spirit leads us next. In fact we usually get as much out of the experience as do others involved. The blessing of children and grands keeps our cups overflowing. Happy travels!

Jon attends Thurston Elementary

Jon went to first grade today at Thurston Elementary School here in Ann Arbor, MI. His dad walked him to school and Mom joined them after dropping off Christian at his pre-school. Jon was a bit shy and not sure with all the new kids, although he knew some of the kids from playing soccer, and some had attended pre-school with him in earlier years. The other students at his table realized Jon was having a bit of trouble adjusting and consoled him, telling him that they were scared last year when they started Kindergarten, but that it would be all right. His friends would join him, and they could play together on the playground. They seemed to have cheered him up so that by the time we went to collect him from school in mid afternoon he was quite happy to have been in school and enjoyed his day.

I was particularly taken by the 'United Nations' nature of the school. There are students attending from more than fifty countries. You can quickly see the impact of the University of Michigan and that it draws students from all over the world, some of whom have children, and are in attendance at Thurston. What a wonderful environment in which to learn! These children come from diverse cultural backgrounds and religions, and, hopefully, they will all learn tolerance.

Christian's pre-school is similar in clientele, and he will be having the same experience. When I think of my schooling, I still think of Peaches Fishburn. I never realized that Peaches was black; she was just Peaches and a wonderful friend, too. Maybe this will happen to these boys. I hope so. Have a wonderful school year, boys.

First Day of School

It is the day after Labor Day, and in this part of the country, school begins. In other parts of the country, notably the South, school starts sometime in August. However, in Michigan, today is the big day. Here, we had two excited boys, who could barely eat breakfast or pose for pictures. They wanted to get to school. Mom took Christian to preschool at Run Like the Wind, a Montessori school and Dad walked Jon to the public school nearby where Jon starts first grade.

I rode a school bus all twelve years and really remember the excitement of beginning each grade and the concern about whether or not I would pass at the end of each school year. My older brother did not really enjoy having a younger brother around to pester him, especially when he really wanted to hang out with his older buddies. I am sure I was a big pain in his backside. Still, I loved going to school. He was delighted to go to a different school when he entered Boynton Junior High School and left his pesky brother behind in elementary school.

Christian and Jon are off to begin their school adventures today. We wish them the best ever and to thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. To those of you who started a few weeks earlier, you have it all under control by now and are probably over the excitement of the first day and the chance to see old friends again.

We have another set of grands who have started school in August and are about to move to another state. They will be leaving old friends and have to start the process over of making new ones. This is never easy, as HW2 could tell you. She went to 22 school during the twelve years of her education. That is too much moving about and difficult to endure. She says that you either become an introvert or learn how to make friends quickly. The down side is that you may soon again leave the new friends as your family moves onward.

School is a wonderful time and passes all too quickly with adulthood upon you. If you are involved in this process, take time, and enjoy the whole thing.