Easter

Paul and me 1982

Easter clothes - that were also used for my cousin Amy's wedding 1992

Today I've been thinking of Easters past. Thirty four years ago Paul took me to Webster City for Easter - and to meet his parents. I'd already met his sis Jean and husband Dave - but not their four kids.

Paul had told his sister Jean he was bringing a "surprise" to dinner. Argh - how embarrassing! If I knew him as well then as I do now, I'd have chewed his ass not to have let them know he was bringing an extra mouth to feed. Jean quickly put an extra plate on the table and was very gracious about it. I suppose Goldsmiths were used to lots of mouths.

Me - I was kind of in shock. It was a lot of people and I sure wasn't  used to that girlfriend role. George and Laura Goldsmith were there. "We like ham for Easter and we're pretty easy to get along with" was what I came away with. I'm sure they were all thinking "Is this the one - not what we really had pegged for Paul." He was supposed to be the priest of the family after all.

Other memorable Easters with the Goldsmiths: We usually headed to Paul's folk's place in Earlville way for that holiday because my parents were often still in sunny Florida. I recall watching The Ten Commandments in the "front room" at George and Laura's place. (once we discovered they were also getting the porn channel by mistake!) I remember driving to Earlville for Amy's first Easter. I had purchased a little mint green dress for Sunday to show her off. She looked so cute with her cap of reddish hair. It was hotter than blazes that year. We were so proud to show her off to the family.

When we went to Earlville for Easter, Laura would make sure to have tons of candy. She would dye lots of eggs or buy them from the neighbor girl across the street. After the kids went to bed, Paul and I would hide plastic eggs filled with candy around the living room. Amy and Jud would have a blast looking for them. Paul and I would also take an Easter basket for each kid - usually with some small gift - my favorites were kites and sidewalk chalk. One year we found a long lost Easter egg later that summer. Somebody was a good hider!

The Goldsmith family gathered - mostly the locals, Carol/Irv and kids, Larry/Regina and kids - sometimes Dave and Pat would come over from Freeport with Sarah and Matt. Amy and Grandma Laura would play the organ and sing. If we were there long, our kids always wanted to go out to the farm where Paul grew up. Larry and Regina lived there with their 5 sons. The two youngest, Karl and Kurt liked to play ninja turtles, video games and took the kids out and around the farm. At George and Laura's family members would play cards and Rummy K. Those are such good memories!

On Sunday we'd make the four hour drive back to Creston. One year when we got home, Fabulous Mary Faber (keeper of the kitty cat) had hidden eggs all over our yard. The kids still talk about how fun it was to find them. Easter is a joyous holiday - quiet for Paul and me this year.

Surfin' the Wave again (after the Cyclone loss)

All good eggs! Barb, Steve, Jean, Paul, Mike

Same song - different verse. It's the Wave on 47th in case anyone wonders. Pablo and I DO need to make our way to the one in Booneville one of these days. But we've grown accustomed to our University waitresses faces.

Mom and son

You know it's not really even the food - which is good but not fabulous. It's just breakfast and is priced accordingly. Unlike some of the franchise joints...

Our Brother-In-Law continues to progress in in treatment after a brain injury from a fall two weeks ago. Jean and Dave's son Steve, who lives in San Diego with wife Jen and 3 children, was here for a couple days. It was nice to hang out with Steve who was a Mass server at our wedding back in 1982. His mom played the organ.

Steve and fam don't make it back to Iowa much - busy lives raising those kids. The oldest, Will, is on the surf team. Caroline takes dance lessons at a place where Phil Mickelson's daughter does. They sat by the Mickelson family at the dance recital. Jen's mom is a Phil groupie so she got the Phil seat - right next to him. You don't get stuff like that at Leslie's Dance Emporium (Creston) recitals...where Amy was a pickle in her one and only recital. Okay - maybe she wasn't a pickle, but we did recycle the leotard she wore (those things are expensive) into a Vlassic for Halloween.

Our niece Barb (sister Carol's daughter) and husband Mike are back from their spring break trip to Tampa. So they were able to meet us at the Waveland Café for breakfast too. Daughter Mandy - a frosh at Dowling Catholic, was busy.

We're all Cyclone Fans. We had decided to meet at the Waveland at 8:30 a.m. - "crazy busy" time at that place. When I woke up this morning, I knew Pablo and I needed to get there early to stake out the one and only big table in the joint. We hovered over the fam finishing up there. That was a good plan.

Once everyone arrived, the early talk was all about the ISU vs. UCON game of course. Steve and Barb are both ISU accounting grads, Mike - logistics like Jud. So we lamented. No matter what, it sure was a magical season - one where we won many games right at the end. This team loves each other and we love them. Oh sure, if we only had Georges, our player who broke his foot a couple games ago. We mighta...but that's sports. And life. I'm encouraged about the direction of this program. Go Cyclones!

We talked about the real reason we were together - the patient - Dave. He's progressing well but he and Jean will still have struggles ahead. The medical team is trying to get his meds right - so he's not agitated but not droopy. We want to old Dave back! When he goes home he won't be able to be alone for a while, so that will be a burden. My how life can change quickly.

Seeing Steve was fun, though we'd rather do it for a good reason - not an injury! Paul and I agree - it's nice to be in DSM to be able to see family more on occasions like this.

One week until sunny Florida! #countdown.

Sisters, Chiya, Big win, big break

We met Paul's sisters at the Cheesecake Factory for a drink and a bit of supper last night. Carol came down from her home in Northwood to check on the patient, Dave who continues to improve. Jean reported that one of the fellows who found him on the walking trail after his fall called them yesterday. She knew him - he's someone who had been one of Dave's clients at the barber shop.

I'm glad the guy called. There had been a lot of speculation about just what had transpired when Dave fell. Did he fall into the creek? It doesn't sound like it. Though it was fairly warm in Des Moines that day, in Webster City the trail was still a bit icy. It was nice of the guy to call - to help clear things up.

While we were having a nice drink at "the Factory" I received a text on my cell from someone I hadn't heard from for a long time - my former Little Sis - from the Big Sis Little Sis program, Chiya. It was exactly a year ago that we had our first get together - the day ISU lost to Ohio State. I picked her up that day about halftime and brought her back to our place to bake cookies - so I really didn't even pay attention to the game. I know - hard to believe for a die-hard fan like myself!

first date

You can't believe how tickled I was to hear from Chiya. She left last summer to be in her cousin's wedding in Mississippi and went right to Boston to live with her mom for the year - and I never had a chance to say goodbye. In Des Moines she lived with her Grandma. We texted a couple times, and I heard from the Big Bro Big Sis folks - but I didn't really get in closure. They asked if I wanted to be matched up with someone else.

Chiya had told me she alternates living with her Gran and her mom. And even though she's now "aged out" of the BB=BS program I want to stick with the kid. She asked me last night if we could get together this summer when she comes back - I told her "Yes, I kinda like you kid!" She didn't say if she'd stay for the school year. I don't care though - I'm just glad I get to see her again. I felt like I was just getting to know her when she left. Her texts last night made me smile. She told me to tell Paul "Hi". And now daughter Amy has signed up to be a Big Sis in Denver. In my experience it's a very rewarding thing to do.

This morning Jean went to the hospital early because Dave started therapy, but Carol agreed to meet us at the Waveland. So we posed for the usual photo...they recently updated the window for Easter/St. Patrick's Day. Another Newbie broken into "The Wave".

Carol, Paul and me - reflection

My nephew David and wife Ashley called yesterday to thank us for the step stool Paul built for their little guy Jonah. He's adorable - and loves to say "stool" when it's time to brush his teeth and climb into bed. Great Uncle Paul really came through and it was nice of them to call to tell us in person. They live in Manhattan and we don't get to see them much. :>(

Yes he could be a baby model...

Some girls get new Easter dresses

I get Easter shoes.

They were a bargain too. I love loafers! I was admiring these at a store at The Legends Outlet Mall in Kansas City a couple weekends ago when a couple women gazed upon them longingly, sealing the deal. I had to have them. On Sale $, yeah baby.

It's been a busy weekend. Chiya and I went to Oz and Great and Powerful yesterday. We hit Sub City first, where we each got a toasted sub. She likes meatball. I had purchased candy ahead of the movie - to be thrifty. The movie was good - not great. Chiya seemed to like it, and I liked being with her. Paul took the opportunity to head down to South Central Iowa to hunt for shed antlers.

I loved the noise the Little China Girl's feet made when she walked. The characters are the best part of all Oz books - people know the most famous characters: Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and of course Dorothy. Most haven't heard of Tik Tok, the Woozy, Shaggy Man (and his brother) and Button Bright. L Frank Baum, the author of the books, did such a fantastic job of describing his characters - both reoccurring and one-time. He put the reader right in the story.

Speaking of characters. My lil sis Chiya is a great kid. She texted me yesterday a.m. to ask what time I'd pick her up? (I had talked to her grandmother the day before to make arrangements) Then right away she texted again and said sorry - I forgot to say good morning. How cute is that? I will be going on vaca next Saturday so I won't be able to hang out with her for a while. I told her I'd text her some pics. I'm glad she has a cell phone. I'm looking forward to nicer weather so we can do some outside stuff!

Paul and I went to sunrise Mass at 7 a.m. We were surprised that our former priest in Creston - Father Pins was the celebrant. Small world! He is now in charge of recruiting new priests and religious. His sermon was good and he was very gracious when we said hello after mass. A mob of people were already waiting for the 8:30 a.m. mass as we left - there are 9,000 people in our parish.

Mom would have been proud that I used my China and Crystal

Later, we entertained family (not county the kids and Kara) for the holiday - a first in our new home. Paul cooked his famous prime rib and I did party potatoes in the crock pot. I got a couple desserts at Whole Foods. Paul's sis Carol brought the makings of stuffed mushrooms - they were very rich and yummy. Jean and Dave brought 7 layer salad and Barb brought a delish spiral ham along with her husband Mike and daughter Mandy. There was wine. Everything was good.

Mike and Mandy

Mandy, Jean and Carol

Barb trims the ham. Mandy is a ham.

Card sharks showed up after the meal

It was nice to get together with the fam after a long winter. (Let's hope winter is over!) Jean and Dave just found out that their granddaughter Ellie broke her leg skateboarding - the same type of break her dad had in 1979 (Steve was 13 and a headstone fell on him) when Paul and I first started dating. That was when I met Jean and Dave for the first time. They were in Ames visiting Steve in the hospital. I met Carol the next year. Wow...I've known them 30+ years. Goldsmiths are good Peeps - and not the marshmallow kind. Heal quickly Ellie.

Lately

I'm so bad at remembering to take pics of people! Paul's sis Jean and husband Dave were here Tuesday night. We walked over the river on the ped bridge for a bite at High Life. Why can't I remember to get a photo I shot of people? I'm taking photos all the other times I walk around. I guess I get so busy chatting that my photo taking gene takes a back seat. Result - no photos of Dave and Jean. ;>(

The weather this week is fantastico. I took a nice walks Monday and Tuesday after work. Wednesday, I dragged Paul in to donate blood at the Life Serve Blood Center. His first time!

Here are a few photos I took.

Cool Building on court

Iowa Supreme Court building

Our building is in the background of where Yugo to get your Yugo serviced...

Sitting on our deck when my man comes home

Out back at the Des Moines Police Department - where bad bikes are jailed

Des Moines downtown YMCA

John Ruan statue

Norman Borlaug - of World Food prize fame

Working on the bike trail by Court Avenue



Calmly reading his smartphone while the tech pump his lifeblood from his veins...

Forget Kevin Bacon

Jane Buck and me

A couple degrees of separation from...me! Monday night Pablo the Poolboy and I dined with an old A-town (Atlantic, Iowa) pal, Jane Buck. Jane and fam lived in our neighborhood when I was growing up. I liked hanging out at their house so I could play with her son Tommy's army men and other boy toys. We reconnected on Facebook a couple years ago since she lives here in Des Moines...I kinda do.

Monday night we chatted about a lot of stuff. The subject of Southwest Iowa came up. (I know - scintillating topic!) I'd forgotten that her beloved spouse Bill, who passed away in 1982, grew up in Mount Ayr, Iowa. That's not too far from Creston, our home.

• Mount Ayr happens to be the home territory of our dentist Dr. Dave Buck.

Hmmm same last name.

• Dr. Dave and lovely wife Gwen (now the Director of Nursing at Greater Community Regional Health Center) were two of the first people we met when we moved to Creston 25 years ago.
• I asked Jane if she happened to know Dick (now deceased) and Phyllis Buck - Dave's folks. Nice people - just like Dave and Gwen.
• Yes, she said, they're relatives of Bill's! (I don't quite remember the connection, I must admit when Jane said she knew them I was reveling in the coincidence of the whole thing and forgot to listen...) She said something like their dads were brothers? Cousins?
• I didn't think of it until later - but Joan McFee Bentley, my Des Moines roomie, is married to Billy Bentley from Diagonal. Billy is also related to Bucks - through Billy's mom, Barb, who I think, who may be Dick's sister. (Okay I didn't listen that well to that information either)
• It's a big circle and everyone's related-
• I'm listening baby - okay maybe not that well.