“I wish I could relate to the people I’m related to.” -Jeff Foxworthy
The ticker at the bottom of this blog is counting down. Our cruise to Norway is no longer a distant pinprick on the horizon, but in the meantime, our busy life goes on.
We just returned from a trip to northern Iowa for my DH's family reunion. And contrary to the Foxworthy quote, I really love his family. As if he weren't prize enough, when I married him, I was lucky to be grafted into a big extended family with cousins and aunts and uncles and folks whose faces I recall but whose names escape me. But it's all good. Back when we were just dating, he abandoned me at a family gathering and I survived unscathed because everyone means extremely well.
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| We parked our camper in the DH's sister Linda's driveway. Loved her gorgeous backyard! |
It was a real pleasure to visit the DH's hometown. There's a special charm to a well-tended small town. What a joy to see some of the hundred-year-old buildings in good repair and re-purposed for new businesses.
The iconic small town newspaper office is still up and running as well! For years, the DH's uncle ran the paper and it's still in the family.
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| Main Street is lined with beautiful blooming flower baskets. |
Of course, the weekend wasn't without its sorrow mingled with the joys. The DH's brother Wayne's ashes were interred in the cemetery at the family's country church. It's a restful place that's home to the bones of several generations of them. The breeze through the pines seems to whisper "Peace."
My S-I-L Linda took me to see a new little monument in a neighboring town--the Freedom Rock. Iowa has 99 counties and the artist, Ray "Bubba" Sorensen, has already installed his creations in 50 of them. No two designs are the same.
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| What a beautiful thank you to the service men & women and their families who make our freedom possible. |
And that brings me to today. We're celebrating not only the birth of our nation, but the birth of my dad! He's 84 today and the guest of honor at an old-fashioned cookout later this evening. I'm so incredibly grateful to have him and my mom in my life.
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| Looks like God's emptying his white paintbrush on a blue canvas, huh? |
Wishing all my American friends & family a wonderful 4th! Everybody else, well... have a great Thursday!
PS to my S-I-L Linda: Thought you might like to see the little steps I bought up there so our dogs can make it up to the foot of the bed on their own. As you can see, the colors work great with our bedspread. Only trouble is...Mack and Charlie won't go near the silly thing!
PS to my S-I-L Linda: Thought you might like to see the little steps I bought up there so our dogs can make it up to the foot of the bed on their own. As you can see, the colors work great with our bedspread. Only trouble is...Mack and Charlie won't go near the silly thing!
Being an Iowa neighbor (in Minnesota) it didn't take me long to figure out your husband's hometown...or at least I think I did. If correct, I had a good friend from there and figure there was a good chance DH knew the family. She hadn't lived there for some time, but the rest of the family still resides in the community. Sadly, she passed away 3 years ago at much too young of an age.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading about your travels and excited that you will be leaving soon! Good luck with all of the final preparations and packing!
You probably know exactly where the DH is from. In fact, lots of folks can tell his family name just from seeing his face. He's the spitting image of his dad and has 4 older brothers. Needless to say, I went into this marriage with my eyes wide open! LOL
DeleteGlad to hear you were in my neck of the woods! Steve just showed me that rock a few days ago when we took back roads up to Rochester for lunch at Red Lobster. It is magnificent! Steve asks that you wish your dad a Happy Birthday for him. Enjoy your upcoming trip! Amy Aves Wendt
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy! It's so nice to hear from you. We love going back to the old stomping grounds. Lake Mills has a rock too, but they've surrounded it with so many flags it sort of disappears.
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