Goldsmith Bond is Golden

Another week, another family gathering. This time it was the "other side" - the Goldsmiths. And there was no wedding. Each year the Goldsmiths gather early in August. We used to get together around Thanksgiving until we figured out that we would prefer getting together when it's nice out in the midwest. We ain't no dummies!

Many of the Gsmiths headed to Dyersville on Thursday night for a rousing golf game Friday. We didn't arrive until Friday after working in the a.m., saving my dwindling vacation hours. Paul and I did get in on a tour of the Becker Woodcarving Museum - just north of town. Jack Becker was a classmate of Carol and her dear friend Roger. Jack's son Jude talks about the museum here: video.

Jack Becker's Workshop

The museum is on their organic farm, just north of town. They raise hogs there. My favorite parts of visiting the museum were Jack's workshop and being outdoors at a farm. It was peaceful there - except for those porkers. They can be a little loud. I understand their product is shipped all over the world.

Mary & Ken

Loved being on the farm

Jack's wife told me he was always drawing as a child, and he sketched his designs before carving them. The best ones are displayed in churches in the area. He was taken early by a terrible arthritis type illness.

my beloved Gsmiths

With significant others 

That night we gathered at Roger's Dyersville home. All eight remaining Goldsmith siblings were there. We miss Connie, who passed in 2007 after battling breast cancer. It was a fun night of catching up and discussion. I used my commanding Pat Bullock voice to get everyone into position for photos. Roger's neighbor kindly took a group shot that Carol has yet to share. Hint Hint! We stayed the night and had breakfast with Jean & Dave and Denny and Kelli. Our time together was brief, but we're glad everyone was able to meet. We heart them! Some year we're including the kids and grandkids. I'm thinking 2020.

On the way home, Paul and I drove through Earlville, Paul's hometown. The folks and Connie are buried there. I can't help but think how proud they'd be.

The Gsmiths Gathering

The Goldsmiths descended upon West Des Moines for the Annual Reunion/Golf Tourney this past weekend. I say descended - not because we live in HE double toothpicks (that's what we used to call hell when I was a child). But because they all seem to live north of us. Paul's seven siblings and along with spouses are a hardy bunch!

Goldsmith girls watch the Cubs win!

Gmiths on the deck

We used to get together over the weekend after Thanksgiving - kids in tow, to celebrate Christmas. Once our families "grew up" (we all know they're still our babies) and weren't often able to attend, we decided a summer date would be better. So seven or eight years ago we made early August the official fam gathering - including golf for some and shopping for others.

Some arrived Thursday evening and we attending the Iowa Cubs game. It was nice to have big sis Carol there. She missed the rest of the festivities due to a trip to Rome with family members. Yep - she picked Rome over us!

The gang began to arrive on Friday afternoon. Our little deck was overflowing with Gsmiths! We ordered pizza and ate snacks that everyone brought along.

This year golf was pretty casual - there was no passing on of the Goldsmith Green Jacket, nor trophy - as there were only six players. They had fun with playing a two team best shot at Walnut Creek, a public course south of here.

The rest of us headed down to - you guessed it, the DSM Farmer's Market. It was a gorgeous day so the place (a several block area) was packed. There were eight of us and we split into a couple groups. I took Dorie and John for a staple breakfast burrito.

smiling even before they get their burrito

I trotted them over the walking bridge on the way back to the car

You know me and selfies. Challenge accepted!

After an hour at the FM, we drove a few blocks west to the West End Architectural Salvage - a business made famous by HGTV, now on the DIY network. There are 4 floors of light fixtures, furniture, odds and ends. Kelli, Regina and I made it to the top! I must say it had been a couple years since I'd been to the store and it will much better organized now.

We met the golfers for lunch at Draught House 50 and were seated in a great party room. Perfect! Saturday evening we grilled burgers and brats at our place and Larry and Regina's son Karl with wife Lee attended. They live in Grimes and Lee is a fellow DNR employee while Karl teaches at Valley High School. Our home was filled both nights with talk and laughter. That's what family is about!

Number five got hitched

Craig, the fifth of the country cousins got hitched a couple weeks ago. Woohoo! Amy and Jud spent a lot of time with their cousins when they were young. Paul's brother Larry and family lived at the farm where Paul grew up. When we went to Earlville to visit Paul's folks, we'd stop at the farm and the kids would hang out with their "country cousins". They'd play video games and ninja turtles. It was pretty cool that Craig, Karl and Kurt (the two older guys, Brad and Chad may or may not have participated - they were a little older and may have been too cool) took Amy and Jud out and about to the creek and climbing in the barn. Good farm stuff and good memories.

Fast forward a few years...kids grow up and all of the country cousins have gone on to go to college, gotten jobs and four got married. There are even several adorable grand nieces and nephews involved. Karl actually teaches chemistry at Valley High School here in WDM - I wish I could have had a teacher like him. The other guys live closer to their folks - in the Waterloo/Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area.

Craig took a while to find just the right partner. Her was busy with his job at Rockwell Collins and training for and doing triathlons. And Erin was it! The wedding took place at a fancy barn venue just north of Iowa City in later January - and they really lucked out. The weather was perfect.

And as a side note, an HGTV film crew was on hand to record the couple right after the wedding. The team had been working with Craig and Erin the past few weeks as they readied Erin's fathers house for sale. He had passed away in 2015. They said they'd let us know when/if this pilot airs on the channel. Don't worry - when I find out it's airing, I'll let you know!

Goldsmith sibs

All of Paul's brothers and sisters made it. The ceremony was simple and perfect, and so they were married surrounded by family and friends. The reception afterwards was fabulous - super prime rib and a s'mores bar and pie! So good.

Time with family, experiencing the joy of a new marriage - so good! George and Laura would have been so proud. Congrats to Craig and Erin.

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.

Post turkey day Goldsmith Christmas

All too soon...our fabulous most funnest (yes, I know that isn't a word) Thanksgiving ended. Okay - it probably wasn't the most fabulous ever. Amy and Kara dislike football (except the Cyclone football..and I'm not so sure they even like watching the Cyclones play). And on Thanksgiving Day, first the Packers game was on (Paul's fave team) and then Jud's fave team was on (Cowboys). Jud did play checkers while he watched the Cowboys. That's what love will do to ya. Paul didn't even pretend to want play anything with me whilst the Packers played...

Anyway, it was great having everyone together. It was hard saying goodbye to Jud and Kara who were heading out for Sioux Center (in Northwest Iowa where Kara's parents live) Friday morning. Amy, Paul and I took off around 8 a.m. for Earlville for the Goldsmith fam gathering. We stopped briefly in Story City at the half empty outlet mall where I purchased some undies at the Vanity Fair store. Paul got some Packers sweats.

We pulled into E'ville about noon, and headed to the town mealsite - where the elderly residents meet to eat each weekday at noon. The Goldsmiths reserve the building each year for this date. Only Paul's sis Carol was there, so we grabbed her and took off for Dyersville to get a snack and watch a bit of the Iowa vs. Nebraska game in a local pub. I had a hard time keeping from cheering out loud for the Huskers - even though I'm not a fan of theirs, they are the lesser of 2 evils in my book. Carol was afraid I was going to get beat up - by the many black and gold clad fans in the pub.

We made it back to Earlville intact! And soon the rest of the Goldsmiths began to trickle in. We finally got to Matt Vorwald's wife of like 3 years - Beth. And the plethora of new Goldsmith bambinos - 4 since April! We held the usual gift exchange - draw numbers, select according to numbers and you can steal someone's gift, up to 2 times. I ended up with an indoor/outdoor thermometer. Quite functional. We ate ham sammies and cookies. It's always fun to see the Goldsmiths and get caught up on their lives.

Katie, Chad, Karen, Kurt with babies

All too soon it was time to scoot home to Creston - Amy had a bridal shower the next morning. Stormy Weis is getting married in 2 weeks! 

Goldschmidts reunion

That's what the fam started out being called here in the U.S. But during WWI, when being German wasn't so popular, somebody got the idea to "Americanize" the name. So there are Goldschmidts buried in the Earlville cemetery.

Regardless of what you call them, the Goldsmiths are fine upstanding peeps! Paul's brothers and sisters got together this weekend in Preston, MN. It was the second year we met in that town - nestled in the southeastern part of the state. Half of us stayed in the Jailhouse Bed and Breakfast. The others stayed in a nearby motel (with televisions and a pool). Our room at the Jailhouse the past two stays has been the "drunktank" - it features a great porch with rocking chairs and a great claw foot tub. The Jailhouse has wonderful breakfasts and I love the grounds around the place.

Friday night the sixteen of us met at the motel meeting/breakfast room for a meal. That's right - Paul's got 7 brothers and sisters. He's the baby. Sister Connie passed away in 2007 of breast cancer - she was just over 50 years old. We miss her! She was a bit of a rebel, never-married and moved away to New Mexico where she enjoyed showing horses. This years was a first - no kids or grandkids. We decided it was nice and low key that way.  I had a chance to have a good visit with nearly everyone.

Saturday, five of us shopped while the rest of the fam golfed in nearby Harmony. We hit stores in Harmony and Lanesboro - a hotbed of kayaking and biking. So we hit some cute touristy stores. There are lots of Amish in the area, so there are also some neat furniture stores. I took pics of stuff I'd like Pablo to make. (hint, hint)

When the golfers got done, right after I'd finished a really good chicken/apple/cran salad in Lanesboro, Paul headed down there to meet me. The rest of the gals headed back to Preston. Paul and I shopped the other side of the street where I found a cool "squid" paperweight rock - polished. Also picked up a Geode rock for sister-in-law Mary, as she told me a very sad story about how she'd gotten one as a child, carting it around with her for thirty years or so through her life. A few years ago someone cruelly stole it from the front of their present home in Cedar Rapids. We only got her a little one, but I thought it was cute - and so did she!

On the way to our car we discovered a splendid coffee shop with clever gifts - like rub on tattoos for old folks! Gotta have it, I said! One says "Outta Control - with a picture of Depends. Funny stuff! I'll cut them out and slip them into birthday cards for my friends. I also got myself a porcelain tall coffee cup with a sipper lid for work - to help me remember this trip!

That night we had a nice catered meal at the Jailhouse. (it wasn't usual jail slop...) Dave Fox gave Kenny a big kiss when he bestowed the Green winners double knit jacket upon him for winning low scratch at the golf tourney. It was Kenny's first time to win - very cool as he works so hard to set up the event each year. He absolutely beamed when he got the jacket! It was a nice time - can't wait to do it again next year.

Excellent long weekend!

Strapped the kayaks on the Subaru and headed NE. Stop 1 was at Fox River Mills in Osage - visited with Karla Smith, who I worked with back the the day (1984-1986) in the computer dept. there. Jeez I think they still have the same carpet and paneling at the plant! Good to see her.

Then on to the FMC Landfill about 15 miles away for some work. I like visiting sites so I can picture them when I talk to directors etc. Spent about an hour there with a short tour - you'd think Ken, the director doesn't get many visitors. He didn't want us to leave! He gave me a pint of pickles he canned himself - kinda sweet (the gesture though I'm sure the pickles are sweet too).

On to Decorah - Hotel Winneshiek. Lovely place, nice folks. Downtown Decorah is worth a visit - some nice restaurants and shops. We ended up at a hoppin' sports bar. The next a.m. I stopped at the Decorah Recycling facility and met with the manager and the landfill director there. Took about an hour then we were off to kayak - yippy!

Took off about 11 a.m. - beautiful day. River was busy but not packed like I'm sure it was all weekend. We stopped a bit after noon to eat our sandwiches on a sandbar. The river was high for August but not scary high. A couple bald eagles flew overhead. The terrain was lovely as usual - limestone peaks, exciting riffles to scoot over in my kayak. All too soon - around 2:30 PM we were done, pulling in at Hruska's Campground for our ride back to our car. Our poor Necky kayaks were dust covered from gravel when we arrived.

We got to jail around 4 PM. That's the Jailhouse Bed & Breakfast in Preston, MN for the Goldsmith reunion. Ken, Mary and Carol were there. Off to the Branding Iron at 6 PM for supper - met Foxes, Kelli and Denny, Vorwalds and Larry and Regina there. Somebody was having a 75th bday - noise level was jet engine level and not from the Goldsmiths!

Next day it was golf for some, Regina biked and I shopped with Mary. Last night's meal was catered at the Jail, followed by cards and hanging out. A couple grandkids arrived with their own children for that event - Annette with Megan/Caleb and Karen (Andy golfed) and Erik and Mark.

We took off around 10 AM and were home by 2:30 PM this afternoon - in time to go through the usual routine of laundry packing etc. Breakfast tomorrow with the homegirls - except Teacher (Deb) won't be there as she's on vaca. Another 3 day week for me as we're off to the Ozarks Thursday with friends. I like this schedule!

Gsmith

George and Laura with lil Juddy - don't know where the 49ers stuff came from ...

Carol - far right with Ken's wife Mary middle and Paul's sis Jean left.

There are Goldschmidts buried in the Earlville (pronounced Irville by locals) Cemetery. That's what the Goldsmiths were named back when they came to this country - good German stock. Then WW1 happened, and it wasn't popular to be German. Wieners became hot dogs, and many things German were Americanized.

So Goldschmidt became Goldsmith. Not Jewish Goldsmith - evidently there are a lot of Jewish folks with that name. So I was introduced at my cousin's wedding in San Francisco as Leslie Goldsmith "not Jewish". I guess that was important since David and Lisa were married at a beautiful Catholic Church.

Anyways back to the Goldsmiths. You can't swing a cat in Delaware County without hitting a Goldsmith. Most are Paul's immediate relatives. Paul's dad George had 11 brothers and sisters. His mom Laura Nefzger Goldsmith had four? Paul has 2 sets of double cousins - George's sister and brother married Laura's brother and sister. Jim and Bertha had 9 kids just like Geo and Laura. Double cousins! Paul's fam isn't super close to the cousins - guess we have enough to keep track of with the immediate fam!

We (Jud, Odie, Paul and I) traveled to Earlville Friday for the traditional fam get-together. We used to do this at George and Laura's home - in the basement. But they got up there in years and in 2000 they moved into an assisted living facility in Manchester. So we started renting the Eville mealsite. It's worked out pretty well. We have lots of goodies and this year went with sloppy joes.

Moki the Wonder Dog used to always go. Everyone loved him and viceversa. So much so that now Dorie has had 3 Westies. Odie got to go this year - I was nervous having her around little kids and other pets but she was great around them. So was Jud - at least he left them alone...

Who attended? All the sibs made it, except Connie of course - Paul's sister, next oldest from him, who passed away in 2007 after battling breast cancer for years. Connie never married, and was so good to all the 23 nieces and nephews - passing on her 401k to them.

Carol - the Matriarch. Carol is 18 years older than Paul - on her way out the door when Paul was born. Off to nursing school. She met Irvin "Hap" Meyer when she was a nurse in Dubuque and their first child, Joseph was born with water on the brain and lived only a few days. The church ladies whisked in and removed all vestiges of baby - what they did back then, pretending it never happened. When our Patrick was born and died in 1991, Carol went through grieving with us - the grief she'd never been allowed back then. She had son Tom a year after Joseph, then Terry and daughter Barb who just turned 40.

Irv got early onset Alzheimer's - fading away before he was even 50, in a nursing home for a few years so Carol was a widow of a living man. And so young! He died suddenly - in the mid 90's. Carol had been trying to get on with her life. She completed her BSN at Dubuque University - we attended her graduation. Her kids grew up and are all married and successful.

Carol began to bike, and went on RAGBRAI with Paul's sis Jean, hubby Dave, Paul and (no not me...I don't do biking in crowds) Steve our buddy here. A doc Carol worked with in Dubuque set up an overnight during the route in Northwood, Iowa at his widowed father's place. True love bloomed in short order and Carol married Bud Kragenbrink in 1996? Not sure on that year. She sold the farm and moved to Northwood. She and Bud bought a 2nd home in Park Rapids, MN on a lake. Bud's 5 kids and Carol's 3 got along great!

Bud and Carol lived happily for some 10 years - he was a wonderful, kind man who owned a construction firm. Since he was getting up there - early 70's he talked to trying to sell the biz, but it never happened. Bud and Carol started building their dream condo in Northwood. Then, just after Christmas in 2006, I was home after Dad died, before the funeral. A little confused on the timing - it was a busy exhausted time. I got out of the shower, I was home from Atlantic to get clothes for the funeral. Paul told me he'd just gotten a call - Bud and dropped dead during the night. Heart. How much can one woman take? Paul left for Bud's funeral right after Dad's.

Carol found out - after the funeral, the creditors swept in, informing Carol that Bud was swimming in debt. They had kept their money separate, but lived in fine style. Much to Carol's surprise it was all a shell game - Bud had paid for one job with the next and owed on everything. The bank was okay with it as long as he was still in business. The stress must have taken its toll on him. Bud's kids and Carol's kids were very supportive and with their help, she has gotten through it. One tough cookie!

Carol let the dream condo go, and eventually sold the Northwood place (relief). She lives way up north in the Park Rapids home all by herself. She winters in Northwood, house sitting for some friends who really go south for the winter. Jud and Paul visited her this summer - fishing and boating - had a great time.

Carol is a strong person - fun to be around and interesting. I admire her strength and perseverance. I like to hear her stories of growing up Goldsmith - so different from baby Paul's version. They're all pretty close-mouthed about their childhood, unlike my sissies and myself. Stoic Germans. She is the glue of the family. Love you Carol.