Last Day of August

Tuesday, Summer vacation ends for the children. August ends tonight. After church, I made lunch for myself and then for the kids. I started to feel a headache coming on. I was on our bed, relaxing and saw the sunlight on the trees. The kids were playing downstairs and didn't seem interested in doing much of anything.

So, I went for a long walk in the heat of the sun. I got sweaty and tired but I felt good for taking the walk. My shirt was sweaty. After I was home for about a half hour, I took a shower and then grilled the chicken for dinner.

Then during dinner, Nathan said he wanted to go the beach, and Adam and Evan said they wanted to go too. So we got there before sunset. Evan,Nathan and I went into Lake Michigan and played tag and splash tag. Then we walked on the pier and saw my pastor and his wife.

We managed to make it through summer vacation without poison ivy attacks nor major sunburns. I guess I did learn something from last years mistakes. The children learned the benefits of sunscreen. Nathan carries the bottle of sunscreen to the beach every time we go to the beach and asks me to spray it on him.

We managed to develop a routine when we swim which makes it easier for me. Everyone carries something.

Day of Wine, Birdseeds and Heavy Lifting

I haven't met a glass of wine, yet, that I haven't liked and this afternoon was no exception. It was at Megan Hunt's wedding reception. I wasn't invited to the wedding, but I made it to the reception. The appetizers were delicious and I was able to impress a few of my fellow Peace Lutheran members with my self taught chopstick skills. Megan's students made chopsticks with Chinese poetry inscribed on them. She asked that everyone take a set. I took one set but before I left I saw that many were left, so I took two more sets and brought them home for Evan and Nathan who like to use them as well. Evan really tries to use them and has some success with them. They were really happy that I gave them real, authentic Chinese chopsticks.
The wine I drank was white and chilled and tasted really good. I was teased for taking several trips to the table where the wine was and even more for pouring it myself, when Julie would have gladly poured it for me. I demonstrated my wine pouring skills by turning the bottle as I finished pouring to prevent dripping. Dave Barnett thought that I did well.
It was a good reception. I didn't dance though as I have at other wedding receptions mostly because Lori wasn't there. Megan had a laptop set up with a camera. The idea was that everyone was to write a message to them and then they could put the message in their photo album along the message. I just wrote something out to Megan and Kyle and decided to forgo the photo. I don't like getting my picture taken and I really didn't think they wanted my picture anyway. They don't have to keep my message but I hope they read it.
I left soon after Megan and Kyle left. We through bird seed at them; the bird seed was kept in red sacks with Chinese print on them.
At 9 am this morning I walked to Jennifer's trailer to help her pack up all her belongings. Jennifer has moved to Grand Rapids. It was humid and I and the other guys loaded all her worldly possessions in under two hours. I walked home hot and sweaty, took a shower and ate lunch. I made lunch for Evan and Nathan and then took a nap. I woke up around 2. I groomed myself, got dressed and then drove to Target where I purchased a gift card for Megan and Kyle.
Like I said, the wine was good.

Latest compostion

You do what you want, go where you want to go.
You can take me along for as long as you like, or can leave me here on this dry dusty road.
I will get along.
I will get along and will find my way and get there OK, even if I have to walk down this dry dusty road alone.
Sometimes it's good to be alone and lost. You need to do that to find yourself.
I know who I am and what I want and where I want to go. Weren't we getting there together?
Then again, maybe not, who knows.
Maybe we were both going the same way not together but alone.

No Church Today

Today at Peace Lutheran Megan Hunt and her finance, Kyle gave a presentation about their missionary work in China, there was an informal wedding shower for a newlywed couple who lost their belongings in a house fire, and the church picnic was today.

I wasn't there.

We are low on finances, and it has caused a lot of stress between Lori and me. What would make that stress worse it to argue about it in front of the children. Children can be aware that parents disagree and get into arguments, but the real painful matters should not be discussed when and where the children can hear that. It is important for children to know that there is security and stability, which brings me to yesterday.

Since Christmas, Nathan has been saving money, actually he has been begging change from all his relatives, including his parents. His goal was to save enough money to go Michigan's Adventures. He saved enough money and the set date to go was August 16, yesterday. In spite of low funds, Lori and I decided to keep our promise and go to Michigan's Adventure. We got to the Russel Road exit to find ourselves in a long line of cars all headed to the amusement park. Adam was driving and we insisted that he turn back to Holland.

Once we arrived at home, looked at the Michigan's Adventure website and the weather forecast we decided to try again the next day, today.

We got up early, and headed for Muskegon. I insisted that Lori drive, because she is the most determined driver in the family, that is the one who looks at the posted speed limit as a guideline not a law.

We got there shortly before the park opened and traffic was light. We were headed for a great day.

I wanted to do whatever Nathan wanted to do, which we weren't able to do. But, most of his requests were honored. We did not ride the Thunderhawk as Nathan really wanted to do. The line was too long; we should have gone to that ride first. Adam went off on his own and rode several rides by himself that I didn't. Nathan and I spent a long time standing in line to ride the Funnel of Fear, a water slide ride. It was a thrilling ride, but it wasn't worth the two hour wait. I was glad I rode it with him, because he really wanted to do it.

The Funnel of Fear is water raft ride which takes you through a dark turning tunnel and then into a sharp drop into a large funnel. Your raft slides high back and forth in the funnel. It is is thrilling, no denying that.

The ride that Nathan and Evan enjoyed the most were the wave pools there. These are large pools that gradually get deeper to simulate Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan conditions are further simulated when the wave motion begins. You feel like you are swimming in the large waves in Lake Michigan but in chlorinated water and a traditional pool floor. It was fun.

We all had a good time at the park. Lori read while the rest of us were in the water park. Nathan and I had at least another three hours left in us, but Adam and Evan were ready to call it a day.

Money levels are still low, but the children's confidence in us his high.

Peace Lutheran can survive one Sunday without me.

Haven't done a bloody thing all day.

Well today I woke up after 11. I felt like my character Lynda in the book that I can't seem to finish who wakes up slowly and shortly before noon. As I stepped out the bedroom and into the kitchen my lovely wife greeted me with, "it's alive."

I ate lunch, made Nathan lunch. Lori and I watched The Other Boleyn Girl. Lori went grocery shopping while I watched Penelope.

I showered around 6 pm and shortly after we had dinner.

Clearly, I haven't done a bloody thing all day.

Past and Present

Telling my children about the day my mom and I got splashed by a large wave while wearing our Sunday Church clothes made me think a lot about the St. Joe Pier and Tiscornia Park.

Today, I took all three boys to the beach where I used to go when I lived in Benton Harbor. The waves were really high, the water was warm and the sky was clear. The place is called Tiscornia Park, and I have deeply fond memories of swimming, walking on the pier, playing Frisbee, walking in the beach grass covered dunes and even napping in them.

We can not relive our childhood and we can't go back into our pasts. The best we can do is to cherish the best of our memories as the priceless gifts they are, and pass on something similar to our children. I told my three sons "this is where I would swim when I was your age." They love swimming in Lake Michigan; we usually swim at the Holland State Park.

Holland State Park has a pier that we walk on and a long and wide beach, whereas, Tiscornia has a shorter and more narrow beach, but a much longer pier. The youngest didn't quite realize that I was taking him to a different beach as we left my mom's house. He said, "it's going to take too long to go to the beach."

We went to my mom's house to use my step-dads automatic coin roller. Nathan, the youngest has been saving change since Christmas. He has begged it from all his relatives and managed to get enough to take all of us to Michigan's Adventure. My plan was to go there roll the coins, go to the beach and then go back to my mom's house.

We did that, but our stay at the beach was longer than expected because the waves were great and everyone was having a fun time. St. Joe Pier is longer and more intimidating than the Holland State Park and Adam, the eldest, went swimming or more like wave jumping, which is something that he normally doesn't do.

As we left the beach, I looked around and admired the view and remembered my childhood days at the beach there. I was glad that I could show my children where I used to swim and the pier I walked on. We didn't have a blue Frisbee, but we had an afternoon of fun and adventure.

I was glad I took them.

Beach fun and loss

I took the youngest two of our three children to the beach yesterday. The red flag was flying because the wind was strong and the waves were high. I didn't let that stop of us from going in Lake Michigan. Since my childhood, I have gone into Lake Michigan with high and strong waves.

The waves knock us around. I can body surf them as well. They are a lot of fun. Nathan lost his red goggles when I wave crashed over his head, and I lost my eyeglasses. Yes, I went swimming with my glasses on. I wanted to be able to see the kids at all times.

I called Lori on my cell phone and asked her to drive Adam to the State Park. I was hoping he would swim too, but he didn't. Adam brought my safety glasses to me so I could at least drive home. We walked on the pier where Nathan and I got splashed hard by a large wave that crashed in front of us. It reminded me of the time my mom and I got hit with a wave on the St. Joe Pier while wearing our Sunday Church clothes.

We went back into the water until we were tired and hungry. My legs are a little sore today, but it was a lot fun. We didn't lose anything we can't live without, but I won't be swimming with my glasses anymore. This is my last pair.

Dehydration from Blood Loss

The American Red called me four times in the past week telling me of local blood drives and the need for blood. The blood banks are low again. It has been awhile since I gave blood and I have been wanting to. The problem is that most blood drives take place during my daytime working hours. Yesterday, there was a blood drive at my former church, Fellowship Reformed Church, RCA,

By the way, my blood type is O Positive and I am positive about my blood type.

Fellowship Church is air conditioned but central air unit is on a timer. It seems to me that someone could have overridden the timer program and provided relief for all the Red Cross workers and volunteers, especially the one who was processing me. She had put an ice pack on her back, and I fanned her with information packet on her desk. After she took my temperature, I told her that is a good way to silence someone who is annoying her. I said, "Just take their temperature and they have to shut up for a minute, and if that doesn't work say 'oops something is wrong with that one' and take it again."

She was laughing and almost lost count while taking my pulse.

I drank four glasses of water before donating which sped up blood flow so donating went well. I sat at the refreshment table and had a small cup of lemonade, a chocolate chocolate chip cookie, and as I left I had a cheese and cracker combo. While, sitting at the refreshment table I had a conversation with a former member of PLC. I remembered her name. She told me about her divorce and how she still thinks she could have done more.

I looked into her and listened to everything she was sharing with me. I could feel the pain of grief through her loss. She told me how her brother committed suicide and she was able to deal with that loss much better than she has with her divorce. I told her, your brother's death was sudden and unexpected; it was sad, but he is gone and there is nothing you can do about it. Your ex, I said, is still alive and there is that lingering hope that you two could get back together. She is carrying a heavy burden from a great loss. She lost her identity of wife. Her husband went into Her husband had taken up with another woman who also was married. The "other woman" went back to her husband and family. Now he is with a younger woman, the volunteer told me.

All I could tell her is that she has to let go. She did nothing wrong and her husband didn't trust you enough to tell you what was going on with him.

Later, I ignored all the Red Cross guide lines and went swimming in a chlorinated pool no less. Did not drink much water, but wine instead. I should have listened to Incubus and chose water over wine, but hey, it is summer dinner was delicious and the wine tasted good.

I fell asleep on the love seat and woke up at 1 am with headache from dehydration. I took ibuprofen and went to bed. I knew better, but the wine tasted good.