Fox

I wish Dave would have had the helmet on Friday - but he was walking, not biking

George Goldsmith, Paul's dad usually called him Fox or Foxy. I'm talking about Dave Fox, our brother-in-law - Paul's sister Jean's husband. He's quite a character. Jean and Dave were the first two of Paul's family members I met when we started dating. I should have gone running to the hills!

No not really. Jean is as nice as can be. Dave is a teaser...a BSer. But under that crusty surface...a great guy. A Viet Nam veteran, he finished a long successful career with the National Guard - traveling all over the world. In his spare time he had a barber shop in Webster City and Jean had an American Family Insurance Business in town. They raised four great kids too.

Last Friday while walking on the trail in the photo - something happened to Dave. He was found laying on the trail with a head injury. His body temp was quite low - and he was wet and muddy though he wasn't found in water and mud. The Webster City Hospital sent him by Life Flight to Mercy in DSM. He had talked a bit but was mostly unconscious. Scary stuff!

Monday he got out of ICU. Jean stayed with us last night - nice to have a chance to hang out with her. I'm happy to report that today, Tuesday, Dave was sitting up eating breakfast. Just wait until his daughter Peg arrives tomorrow. That will confuse him  - I can hear him now, "what the hell are you doing here?" I look forward to hearing him giving me crap again.

Your continued thoughts and prayers are appreciated! I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, Saturday - Trophy Time.....and more help needed

We had to say goodbye to all our friends at the Eagles Club convention at the Embassy Suites Airport on Saturday. Those folks were quite friendly at breakfast and in the elevator, ya'll. We picked up Jud and Kara and headed out late that morning - Kara had an appointment for a brewery tour with her girlfriends. Jud, Paul and I were on a mission to eat some barbecue.

While we were en route to West Port to drop Kara off, we received a call from Paul's sister Jean. I was shocked and sad to hear that Jean's husband Dave had taken a fall during his walk on the beautiful trail where they live in Webster City. He'd been alone and wasn't found right away - so no one is quite sure what happened. He has a head injury and was life flighted to Mercy here in DSM. I was glad to hear that Jean's daughter Annette from Minnesota and Paul's sis Carol were both with them. Dave was not yet conscious at that time but I'm glad to report he is better today (Sunday).

It's likely he'll have some rehab ahead of him though - so again I'm asking for your thoughts and prayers. You did well with my Uncle Bill, so I'm counting on you again dear readers. Thanks. We hope Jean will stay with us during the next week or so as Dave recovers and moves out of ICU and into a regular room. Rumor has it daughter Peg may even head this way next.

So with that in mind (puts everything into perspective of course) back to the KC story...
Oklahoma Joe's already boasted a line out the door by the time we arrived at 11:45 a.m.

Good thing is was a beautiful day! We waited over an hour to eat.

Ugly...but delish

Many Cyclones fans joined us in our barbecue mission. I took a guy's recommendation for the pulled pork sannie with cole slaw on it. "Best sandwich ever" he proclaimed! Paul and Jud had burnt ends.

We headed to the Plaza next - as I'd gotten a text from Paul's brother Kenny. They were in town visiting their daughter and Katie and fam. They were at the Cheesecake Factory. We walked by there and what do you know...of course we saw the whole fam dam. Blinded by the sun when trying to take pics all I got was this crappy one...

Paul with Albert and Baby J. My pic of Kenny and Mary was a video. Argh!

Next we tried to look up my high school homey Candice at J Crew. Alas she didn't seem to be working that afternoon. Next up....pep rally. With like 8,000 of our Clone friends.

Pep Selfie

Paul had picked up a ticket for me the night before - but offered to sit "solo" so I could experience the game with Jud. It was "priceless". First of all - randomly his seat turned out to be right next to his college buddy Paul. #smallworld    I sat next to a woman who was about 10 years older than I who grew up in Exira. #swiowa    Before the game, Jud said, "no matter what, this has been really fun - thanks!" Aww.

He and I are both nervous game watchers. That first 10 minutes weren't pretty. We were happy going into halftime to be only down 5. Okay not happy but it coulda been worse. It wasn't a pretty game. But the last few minutes the shots started dropping. Paul texted. We made free throws. Sweet victory! Jud hugged me. Twice. 

We ran into Stofferahns from Creston right outside the Sprint Center. High fives. Then it started to rain on our parade. Literally. By the time we hit the road it was pouring rain and windy. The temp was dropping. Our plans to drive all the way home were dashed when we heard it was snowing in DSM. We got a room in Cameron. I was asleep in a minute.


I could get used to this championship thing.

Jud was glad to hear we stopped - he was fretting about us driving in bad weather. He and Kara were partying in the Power and Light District (until 3 a.m. - way to represent the Cyclone Nation!). He texted later to say a woman named Julie stopped him to say "hi". Her name is Julie Stroud Kassel, my pal Vic's first college roomie at ISU - Shilling House in Maple. She recognized Jud from pictures in this very blog. That, my friends, is small ISU world. Hello Jules!

It was quite a weekend. I'm exhausted. #worthit

Veteran's Day - and the anniversary of losing our beloved Boldie

In some ways it feels like I just saw my brother-in-law Brian "Bolder" Lefebvre last summer. In others, I feel like I've missed him for longer than the year he's been gone. Bolder passed away a year ago today. I miss him terribly - but mostly so because I know of the huge hole his loss has left in my sister Cindy's life. Their son Colby is feeling the loss too.

Terrible picture...but one of all 4 of us so couldn't resist...plus Boldie's lil legs

Paul and I were preparing to move to West Des Moines last year when we heard of Bolder's serious reoccurrence of cancer. Virulent the doctor said. Our whole family rushed out to see him and to support Colby and Cindy during this time. The Alvillar girls were there with their mom, Susi. We gathered around for just a bit - and then left the Lefebvres to deal with hospice and...the end. Their wonderful friends, especially the Pottorffs. Eric was with Cindy and Bolder at the very end.

In the past year Cindy has gone through all the tough things. She was called "widow" by the pastor doing the memorial service. Man...that's reality calling. That word sounds like it should be reserved for some spaghetti Western movie, or rich older women dressed in black, riding in a limo. Not a five year old Subaru.

Cindy took part in grief sessions early in 2013. They were set up for people who lost someone - so included those going through divorce as well as death of a loved one. She shared some of the other stories with me. When we lost our son Patrick I read everything I could about others who lived through the loss of a child - reassuring myself that it could be done! There is something to be said for connecting with others going through similar circumstances to help you see that what your doing isn't all that crazy. Crying in your breakfast cereal, no energy - no interest in the typical things you used to enjoy. I wish those sessions could have gone on...but in some ways, it's good to move on.

So Cindy did. She is an awesome inspiration to me. I know she has gone through some tough times - and she keeps those to herself. Just like Eddie Murphy's character in the movie Trading Places - he says he's a "Karate Man" they bruise on the inside. Cindo doesn't like to show her bruises to the general public...or even her family too much. It's the English background you know - stiff upper lip!

I wish I lived closer so we could help more with the physical stuff - changing light bulbs and furnace filters etc. One day I called and her toilet had backed up...to the tune of $600, thanks to a root in the yard. That's when it's nice to have a partner to help share things with - the raking, pet duties, house, financial worries.

Great pic of 3 of my fave peeps!

Then there's being half a couple. I thought about that recently. Yesterday's blog about tailgating and hanging with friends - who were all couples. What a difference it would make if I were single. I doubt I would get football tickets. The thrill would be gone without Pablo to discuss the games with! And who would pack the car and drive me back and forth? I might go to a game or two...but not the whole season. One would have to make a concerted effort to get back into a social scene. And it would be hard.

I told Cindy recently how much we miss Bolder and how proud I am of her. She is making her way in this world and surviving. She isn't retreating into a total shell. This weekend she went to Denver shopping with Bonnie - and bought boots thank you very much! There is a lot of life left for my soon (April 9th) to be 60 sissy (and what a babe at that age!). Bless you Boldie (Coast Guard Veteran) where ever you are. Love to you and the rest of the Lefebvres.

Thanks to all veterans!

Dave served our country and Jean held down the fort while he was gone

Larry and wife Regina

• Our brother-in-law Dave Fox served in Viet Nam and then in the National Guard around the world.
• Paul's brother Larry Goldsmith was injured in Viet Nam. Paul remembers his parents getting the news.
• My dad served in Korea - we loved looking at his uniforms in the closet downstairs. Paula Bacon and I wore parts of the uni's for Halloween one year - including the boots!



Dad in military school uniform with Aunt Marty

• My great, great grand-dad Adnah David Bullock was one of the last living Civil War Vets in western Iowa. A Sherbourne New York native who mustered out of the army at age 18, he died in Atlantic, Iowa in 1941. Ironically, he married a Waukee gal, Ella Fuller, and I've now settled so close to there.

In another small world thing, note where Adnah David's brother lived, listed in the Obit - Earlville - where Paul is from. Things that make you go, hmmmm. Plus I liked how they noted he only had 2 of his own teeth and didn't drink. My grandfather obviously changed that trend - with the liquor thing anyway.  Wouldn't that make today's obits more interesting?

My dad's namesake, and Judson David's too...