Floods

I have been trying to write and not think of it as a "to do " list thing. But, the blog gets neglected when the schedule gets full.
We came home from a great visit with Dad in New Mexico and the rain had been coming down for days. There was 10 inches one week at Steamboat Rock Iowa. All the rivers on the east side of the state were swolen and as we drove up to Steamboat to check on Sharon each river crossing showed a river way out of its banks. Some were 10 or more feet above flood stage. The hotel I stay at in Iowa City is flooded and friends in Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls are up to the second story in flood water.
That makes me think that the tiny irritations I suffer each day are so minor. It helps to put things in perspective. If you wake up breathing you have another day to get it right.

Angels Camp 2008

Angels Camp in Spring is magical. It is made more so by Tiffany, Jesus Marcos and Aunt Betty. We ate more than we should, fed Aunt Betty junk food (always fun) and talked and laughed off at least a part of the injested calories. Ok only a fraction.
JM, the cutie is almost a year old and he is quite the charmer. He does not say much but Dada and "what a gem that Aunt Shan is". I tried to teach him to say Mama but he has a stubborn streak...I wonder wher he gets that?
Mark came up and we had a great time talking about politics and religion (I say this with amazememt as we are such polar opposites...he is such an Hillary fan (she says dripping with sarcasm) and I think Obama might be the man). Still we did have a great visit. Grant came by just in time to give us a hug before we headed out.
Robert, Tiff's hubby is a sweetie. He bought a new truck and had Father Alex bless it.I want him to come here and bless my water heater. Do they do that or is that just a little petty to ask for another year aout of the old beast installed during the Nixon years?

Spring

We finally had a bit of rain in our corner of the world (that was not frozen when it hit the ground). It is clearing out some of the gunk and sand from winter. Maybe it will green things up. You cannot understand how important spring is to the psyche of a Midwesterner if you live in a place where it is green year round. We get crazy about the first green leaf that sprouts out of the ground. Sure a deer will come along before a day or so and eat the little sprout. But...it was green.
So, I sit here and dream of warmer days and have my winter clothes sitting in the front bedroom waiting to be put away and replaced by the tubs of shorts and t-shirts.
My Mom hated this time of year for other reasons (a divorce and car accident and loss of family members)...I do not hate it but I just keep waiting for the green time to come.

Friends in Paradise

We are back in the midwest and not adjusting well to the cold and wed early spring late winter weather. But, we had a wonderful St. Pats day with frields in des Moines then spent a bit of time at a golf shop MOnday evening to try to omprove our game with new drivers. I think I should just use a shotgun to blow the ball down the fairway but they say that is not legal..so I will buy a new driver and try to make peace with it and my irons. I have one club that is held together with duct tape and it is my favorite. I am getting it fixed but I am really worried that removing the duct tape will alter the clubs accuracy. What's a golfer to do?
The photos are of our golf buddies and Lavonne and Sharon on the course in Maui.

Paradise

OK, the sand is hot and the ocean is warm as a bath and the turtles and whales are playing and back home there is snow and ice and awful stuff. I think Febuary in someplac warm is a guilty pleasure. But lest you think this as been all sunny and relaxing let me tell you I am still doing the continuation f 25 days to make a difference and getting up at 4:30 AM to teach my class. I wake at 4:30 and make coffee as the computer boots. I check the class and answer any overnight e-mail then move to grade some submitted homework. By that time the coffee is ready. I pour a cup of Kona and sip and work as the sun rises in the east. The big picture window faces the sea and the west so it is a slow pastel palate from light grey to blue to vibrant pink. The clouds are covering the island to the north but to the south the green dots of Cook pines are just beginning to show up. The surf has been a bit high thanks to a good bump and probably some surfer prayers. Today I will head to town and find a special gift fot Tiffany's birthday and send it her way. Life is good and the learning continues.

25 days?

OK, so I have been a bit busy and neglected the blog big time. But, I have been keeping to the 25 days to make a difference. But I want to extend it anoother 25 days so I can blog about the amazing experiences. We helped lots of folks with stalled cars, shoveled walks, sent letters to friends we had not talked to in ages, made tons of phone calls, got more active in the political process, more carefully selected our charities, gave an amazing carload of clothing to a young mother, and a hundred other little opportunites that came along every day. I used to just roll right past those signals.
So, another 25 days starts Feb. 1 and I promise to keep posting what is going on.
What a way to start a new year!

25 Days and New Mexico

The 1st began the 25 days to make a difference. We were in New Mexico with Cooper and Kelly and Archer. These are 3 wonderful people. Muffin the wonder dog was there too. All in all a wonderful time. My first act of the 25 days was to help push a woman who had her car stuck in the icy slush of a parking lot at a local deli. She thanked Lavonne and I and then the manager of the store handed us a gift card for the Deli. I will give the gift card to a family at the shelter so that the kindness keeps going forward. My second is to get involved with the Nutrition for Life Foundation. They are working on World Hunger. So, I am off and running. I do think the biggest difference I can make in the world is to be a good gt. aunt to Archer and Jesus Marcos. I will keep working on that well beyond the 25 days.