Easter Traditions

As a kid growing up Easter didn't mean a great deal to me. But when I went on my mission to Wisconsin as a young single adult, I understood, for the first time, it's meaning. In large part, this was because of the strong German Lutheran influence of those I was meeting in Milwaukee. I had never seen an Easter Tree, never knew what decorative beaded & meticulously hand-painted Ukranian Eggs were, had never had the elaborate Easter meal that Miriam Goetsch served, (complete with Jello eggs of different colors and flavors molded from real egg shells, drained by blowing into a pin hole at one end, the contents streaming out through a pin hole in the opposite then, thereafter, rinsed with water, then filled with a straw with liquid jello.) Ham, scalloped potatoes, homemade butter rolls, amazing desserts, 24 hour salad, etc., etc. And a Good Friday trip to Holy Hill to take in the Stations of the Cross. This year, Good Friday was marked by the funeral of our 4th grandchild, so yet again, the Easter season and the promise of the resurrection become ever more significant. I came to like the entire feeling of how these people celebrated Easter. Since that time, it has become my favorite holiday. So too, Spring has become my favorite season of the year. Long harsh Lake Michigan humidity winters came to an abrupt end when seemingly over-night, trees budded out, and yards and boulevards were adorned with tulips and daffodils. I had never seen crocus nor hyacinth plants, so again, the newness of it all set a memory. Since then, we have done our own versions of these Milwaukee Easters. Here are some shots of the interior of our home. Be Well. Do Good.

Baby Holland, our Granddaughter so Sweet!

We knew for several months that the child our eldest daughter, Brittany, was carrying, had some things wrong with her brain. Early on a name was given, Holland Rae Bartholomew, and from that point on I began to love this unknown-to-me child in a tender way. So when she was born about 5 to 6 weeks early, and then only lived for a very few short hours, we feel a keen sense of loss. And as difficult as it was to bury a grandchild, it was so much more difficult to watch our daughter and son-in-law go about doing those things that needed to be done. They did them with such finesse and grace that I am in awe of them. This little angel was given every dignity and respect that could have been given. During the viewing, when Brittany and Roger were preparing the baby, (with her soft lamb baby rattler, homemade blanket sewn just the day before by her mother, bracelet, necklace with tiny tulips as her namesake, and letters parents, sisters, and grandparents had written to be placed next to her)for the lid to the casket to be placed, and while Roger carried that casket into the Chapel for the funeral, later again, out to the vehicle and again at the cemetery, I wanted to yell out, "Stop this. This is wrong. No young parents should have to buy a casket, buy cemetery plots, dress a dead baby, prepare the funeral, carry it out, and then carry on." I could not yell this. Nor could I do anything to change the circumstances. We miss Holland. But Brittany and Roger's faith, their abiding faith, their courage and testimonies, their ability to cope, etc., give us strength. This has been, and is still, a difficult thing. But we've once again learned to be thankful for one another, our family. We appreciated being together again. Be Well. Do Good.

Swedish Grandma

I've given much tribute to my Danish heritage. With reason, I'm proud of it. However, recently I've learned of a unique person, my great great grandmother... from Sweden. HELENE SOPHIA RUNDQUIST was the 3rd of five wives married to Danish Christen Pedersen Jensen, my great great grandfather, on Mom's side. Although born in Sweden, she and her family moved to Denmark when she was between 2 and 3 years of age. While she wouldn't have memory of Sweden, her parents would. I'm learning these were poor people. The more-traditional Danish name Helene came after this move to Denmark. I have a great great grandmother from Denmark named Helene, she was married to my great great grandfather Peter Rasmussen. To avoid confusion, I'll refer to this maturnal-side grandmother as Sophia. She died of breast cancer in her mid 40's, shortly before her first grandson was born. She held none of her grandchildren in her arms, yet is a pivotal life in those of us who came after and through her. Her grave is covered with a slab of resolute cement, indicative of her resolute character. Eastdale failed not because of the people, but because of the lack of irrigation watet. I have taken cello lessons for years in nearby Jaroso, never aware until last year, that this grave and grandmother where near by. Now, more frequently, as I drive past this area twice a month, I sometimes divert my trip by going to this grave site and pondering her life. Be Well. Do Good.

LIBRARIES: My "Third" Place

A sociologist coined the term "Third Place" a decade or more ago. Reference is made to a place other than home (presumably our "First" Place), and the 2nd being, the Work Place. This 3rd place was to be identified and sought as a place of refuge and enrichment. I readily knew then, as well as now, where my "Third" Place is: Libraries. As a kid, recovering with bandages from a series of recurring ear plastic surgeries after a dog bit my left ear off at age 5, and with all kinds of summer allergies, books became a source of contentment. My Aunt Doris read to me a great deal, and I noted that she always read her own books. She died at age 46, much too young, but because my own Mom was often institutionalized during we 3 kids childhoods, I was farmed out to both grandmothers as well as Aunt Doris. I credit her for my love of reading. (NOTE: This is a photo of an art rendering of a favorite library, I refer to it later.) . . . . . . . As a college kid, I worked first at Adams State College Book Store, my first year. Thereafter, and for the rest of my undergraduate work, I worked at the College Library, periodicals first, and the because of my meticulous nature, I was assigned to work alone in Archives. I loved being there. I grew to develop a love for the texture and smell of books. Sometime in the recent past, I found this "Did You Know". I don't know the author, but I like it very much: "Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanilla. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us." Later, during Graduate and Post graduate work, I also spent much time at Adams State's fine regional library. Our 2nd daughter likewise worked at this library, all four years, able to earn enough for her meager existence while also allowing her to graduate debt-free. She and friends painted a mural in one of the rooms, then a children's book room, now a classroom. Usually locked, I now request that it be unlocked for me to read in when I'm there, just because I like being near her signature. While I wasn't a member of the college track nor Cross Country teams, still, I was always allowed access to run the track, as seen in this photo from the 3rd floor. My memories are just as alive and warm as any runner, if not more so, because unlike the others, my experience on this track now exceeds 4 decades. During brutal cold winters, I often ran/run the back stairwells of the library: great cardiovascular workout without the bitter sub zero temperatures. While the Library bans this for others, my history there & those that know me, turn a blind eye to such workouts. I have a current active membership in the Library of Congress in DC. I love being there. I attend a bi-monthly writers group in our own small local library. And when in Provo I always enjoy being at their city Library: once the original Brigham Young Academy, it was slated to be tore down. But actor Robert Redford who lives in Sundance Canyon not far away, was among many to lend support in insuring that it be restored. The restored Oak wood and tiled floors may not be of any significance to others, but to me it attests to the respect of a one time fine building and the role it played in education. So yes, I love libraries. And not just because of the Vanilla aroma. Be Well. Do Good.

Lighthouse Keeper, ROSE ISLAND LIGHT, Dec. 2013

From the first time we were in Rhode Island, thru the subsequent times I've been there alone, Rose Island Lighthouse off the coast of Newport, had, for me, held a strong appeal. And so, having spend a week there the 2nd week of December, as the sole lighthouse keeper, was the realization of a goal long held. Having done it now begs the question, would I do it again? Yes and No. No: December was way to humid and cold. I was always very, very cold. Chilled to the bone, inside and out. I did not care for that aspect. Yes, I wanted an authentic North Atlantic Lighthouse Keeper winter experience, and I got it, but I did not enjoy constantly being so very cold. 2 nights in fact, I had no heat at all, either the pilot light went out or the apartment ran out of heating fuel. I awake to bitter cold. Yes: I enjoyed being on the island once again. And I enjoyed doing work, although menial to some, I felt my contributions were helpful in the restoration efforts of a French ally designed barracks building dating back to 1797. I really enjoyed being a part of that history, as well as finding and being in ammunition bunkers used during WWI and WWII. And, of course, it goes without saying, I really enjoyed being in Newport again. I like it there very much. Having said that, I now reflect back on these Atlantic experiences where I learned to sail the Mary Day in Maine, and raced a schooner in the Chesapeake of Rhode Island, as well as this Lighthouse Keeper experience in Rhode Island: all gave me new experiences that I would never have had if I had not risked and done them, had not spent money and done them. However, I found all of them to be, first and foremost, money-making propositions for the 3 businesses/foundation that sponsored these opportunities. Their intent was to glean money, not to insure that the optimal learning experience was had for the learner. In that regard, I would not do these things again I don't think. In all 3, I gave my very best, both physically and with a positive attitude, and so I have no regrets about my part. But I resent Captain King and his side kick Jane, on the Mary Day. They failed to give proper attention to landlubbers like me, and had, instead, a kind of Good Ol' Boys Club reunion with others that had sailing experience, those that lived near large bodies of water. That which I got the most from, i.e., sailor knots, sailing vocabulary, etc., is based upon my own efforts, not theirs. The Gilded Age of the 1900 era provided for the coal, banking, railroad Barons of New York City to build those fabulous summer "cottages" known as The Newport Mansions. I enjoyed being back inside of some of them, this time during the holiday season. It's good to learn history, to experience it. Hence, my time at seamanship related experiences of the past. Be Well. Do Good.

New Personal Best: St. George Marathon

4:30 a.m., Provo Canyon, early June. Limited campfires to stay warm before 6 a.m. race. But just as we started the announcer yelled, "You've Trained for This. No Go Do Your Best." Fact: I had NOT trained as well for that race as I could have. So I decided that for the Fall Marathon in St. George, I would be able to tell myself, "I trained hard for this race. I'm ready. Go do your best." 4:30 a.m., 26.2 miles north of St. George. 7,400+ runners. WINDY, COLD. Plenty of fires, yes, BUT, they didn't stay lit long, the winds exhausted the wood. Still, NO ONE does a race like St. George does: hot chocolate, disposible silver thermal blankets.... I was warm enough. What a fun race. I mean, at mile 18 I noticed my pace was slowing. "What's with people passing me all of the sudden?" Even my daughter Chelsi, back in Colorado, following my run via the internet, a new app for family of runners, called my wife and said, "I've lost Dad, and his pace has slowed down some the last I saw him." I didn't really hit the wall this time, but I did start out too fast. Still, I stuck with my goal of getting across that finish line in under 4 hours, and well.... I did it. 3:56. Yeah. Felt really great. I'm pleased with how things turned out. Recovery.... well, I've tighter calves then I've ever had after a race. I usually am back to my old run, maybe the pace is slower, but at least still able to get in 4 or 5 miles a day. This is taken me a bit longer this time. Age? More time needed to recover from a much harder ran race? Probably both. And we had snow yesterday, winter came early, so running in the cold doesn't do much for me. But run I will, I have a new race I've registered for, next May. More about it later. But here's a hint: it's far, far from here, and it involves a lot of stairs. :) We stayed in a great condo in St. George. Friends let us stay there. My running buddy Harman and his wife Diane joined me and Genia, and our daughter Brittany and their two girls Lexie and Riley came as well. It was very nice overall. I fell in love with St. George again. Usually when I go places I'm anxious and ready to come home, but this condo had me hooked: I wanted to stay. Be Well. Do Good.

Summer 2013 Comes to an End...

It's been a very busy summer, a good one, but man, we were busy. I retired from teaching after 30 years, my favorite friends, and family, gave me an outstanding retirement party, I so appreciated them doing this for me. Literally, the first day of my retirement we began refurbishing the interior of our home. "Spanish Lace" or "knock-down" wall texture is what we wanted to replace what he had. We hired a nice guy to help us, and we did as much of the prep work and finish work as we could on our own. It took a lot of time, 6 weeks. Then we re-floored our entire home. Again, that took more time than anticipated because we live in a somewhat landlocked valley. Early Summer fires in the mountains around us prevented traffic, hence trucks with our carpet, from getting here. There then was the schedule of the carpet layer to work around, etc. It's taken most of our summer. We refurbished the backyard patio as well as the playground for our grandkids and neighbor kids. We traveled to see all 3 of our children at their homes, and we had a "grand-dog" for one week. Enjoyable summer, but it passed all too quickly. Some of the photos in this section deal with my return trip to Annapolis & Washington DC in early spring. In Denmark, I loved the Votive Ships - model ships hanging from the nave of their Lutheran Churches. In the U.S. there are two that do the same: Danish Seaman's Church in Brooklyn, and the US Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis. I'd been below the Chapel before to the tomb of John Paul Jones, which I paid honor to yet again, but this time I was able to spend time in the Naval Chapel, a remarkable structure in its own right. Another first: I crewed on a schooner in the Chesapeake Bay in a race. Our team didn't win, but we had a great time. It had been a few years since I sailed the Mary Day into the whaling waters of the North Atlantic on a working vacation, so I enjoyed being on a sailing craft, this time much smaller and with an engine, again. We spend time at a large parade, where I "nested" the night before saving a place for the family. 3 a.m. sprinklers drenched me, my sleeping bag, and our chairs, but over~all, it was worth it. WATERWORLD WaterPark in Denver was a great spot to spend time with the other 2 kids and their families. I did some hiking alone in New Mexico and again, took in the Annual Taos Home and Garden Show, something I always enjoy. Every year I take in 2 new Botanical Gardens, this year it was a fabulous multi-acre roof-top garden above a theater that seats 21,000 people, and also a formal garden in an urban office buildings area. Both were amazing! So what's in store for the next chapter, now that I've retired from teaching? I'm taking correspondence courses on how to become a Piano Tuner. Yeah. For real. I think it's a lucrative self-business with very little over-head, yet allows me to be about as busy as I want to be. I'll soon have a new, albeit small, art studio here to work in as well. Work on that begins the end of this month. People ask me if I'm bored. Ha ha. Too busy to be bored. I just ran 23 miles yesterday as part of my training for my next Marathon in 6 weeks. I still take cello lessons, and want to begin doing some stained-glass work and wood-working as well. And I've taken an intense interest in PBS's MASTERPIECE THEATER and most all British Detective/Mysteries on Netflix. I read when I can catch a minute or two as well. I have some upcoming trips planned for fall and winter, so I'm working to complete those plans as well. Be well. Do Good.