Better in the Sun
Last Sunday the weather was sunny and so Gary and Coconut and I took a short road trip to the northwest suburbs of Chicago to see my sister-in-law. I was once married to her brother. For a time after the divorce talking to him was done primarily through our lawyers which is an expensive way to communicate. We moved on to letters in the kid's backpacks or terse voice mail messages. Despite that I never stopped loving his family. I'm happy to say that I am once again my son's father and I are friends and I still call his family my family. It's tricky, but it happens. There was no specific reason to drive down to Illinois except that it's always fun to hang out with someone you love and respect. Mary is such a gracious hostess and she loves Coconut. She doesn't have a dog now. Still, she [...]
The Greatness of America
I posted a memory last week from 2016. This has been a brutal election season. This year I decided not to have discussions about politics. It was a horrible year for me on so many levels and I could not take losing friends or family over the presidential election. When this memory popped up I could picture their faces. It was a bucket list trip that left me in tears. A brother and sister from Kent, near London, came to my Expedia desk in Hawaii along with his wife. She had moved to Florida, he to Brisbane. He had pancreatic cancer and would likely be dead in four months. The reason they were there was to tour Pearl Harbor. He wanted the full day which his wife said was too long. He would get tired. Could he really navigate the steps on the submarine? But he was adamant. It had [...]
Being More Like Lucien
This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandson. The joy on that kid's face is such a delight. Just looking at this picture makes me happy. It makes me wonder what I can do to make something laugh and be childlike even when they are no longer a child. Days are getting shorter and the darkness and gloom can be depressing. When we were looking for houses the realtor never mentioned that this or any other house was north facing. In Hawaii, it kind of never mattered. We loved the character, that there was a first-floor bath and laundry room, that the bedrooms were large enough for king beds, sorry, the guests got a queen, and that we could walk so many places. We never considered how much sunlight we'd get. The answer? Not much. When it's sunny and the temps are okay, I am outside. I'm walking [...]
Giving
In September I went to New Jersey for my niece's wedding. My three sisters came from Houston and we all stayed at my nephew's house. I enjoyed spending time with Brandon and his wife Crystal [...]
Fifty-Three Years Later
A couple of weeks ago we decided to go to Des Moines, Iowa to see a friend and her lovely husband. Carol Vogel is one of the ladies who chose me to be an exchange [...]
I Guess That’s All That Matters
This is EAA week. For those of you not in Oshkosh, these three initials stand for experimental aircraft association. Pilots and air enthusiasts from all over the world fly or drive into Oshkosh for a [...]



