The weekend of happy occasions

So much to celebrate; so little time, but we managed to pack it all in between Friday and Sunday afternoons. Whew!

There was the carb-loading pre-marathon supper on Friday night (never mind that the marathon was on Sunday)...and I have no pictures of that, either from Charlie's camera or my own, so there's no proof of pasta.

But there IS proof of story time, and

Ethan trying out for the next Top Chef spot.

 

Then there was Owen being loved up by his older cousins,

 and Evan sprouting wings.

 

A while back my sweet children decided I should have a retirement party, and when I said I didn’t want one and wouldn’t show up, they complied with my grouchiness and instead modified the retirement party to a delightful dinner for twelve in the President’s Dining Room on campus. It couldn’t have been more perfect From the guest list to the background music to the delicious food served by our very own “butler”, to pictures in Adirondack chairs on the campus lawn, it was a perfect retirement party!

Thanks, Tanner, for your addition to the banner. 

You have no idea how ironically humorous it is!

Thanks also to the official color guards
who escorted me to the PDR.

 The color guards morphed into two polite and genteel
conversationalists at dinner time.

 We found out that Ethan LOVES fine dining...

 ...as does brother Owen. 
What perfect restaurant patrons they are!

The Presidents were never in finer company. Thanks, Evan, for this great shot.

 After dinner there were outdoor 
photos of the North Carolina contingent,

 a foursome representing Richfield, MN,

the O-Town ensemble,

and everyone in one shot... all eyes are open!

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Sunday's much-anticipated and hotly-debated 1^st Annual St. Peter Marathon drew twelve pre-registered runners (the retirement dinner group) and one race-day addition in the person of Grandpa “Dafe” Dave Grimmius, seen below with Miles-look-alike, Owen. Other than a few raindrops early in the race, good weather prevailed so that every age-group participated, contributing to over 26 miles of foot and wheel movement. *Hats off to Race Director C. Potts for his organizational skills and for his creativity in putting together a marathon enjoyed by all!

Grandpa Dave and Owen

*Actually, PANTS OFF to C. Potts was more like it.

A group of runner/rollers discuss strategy...

Everyone received a marathon medal, personalized no less!

The weekend wouldn't have been complete without
a Dad's Day celebration and photo! 

Thanks kids (all six of you) and grandbabies (four, with two getting ready) for a weekend of so many happy occasions that they aren't even all listed in this blog entry! Love you all, and miss you!

Happy 5th Anniversary, Angie and Charlie!

 

Here are some highlights of the day, in no particular order. I browsed through a CD with pictures taken by Evan (thanks, Evan!) so I could pick out one or two, but couldn't stop there. This is only a small sampling of the beautiful and happy day

that was June 17, 2005!  

                  

 

It's Wednesday

I changed the background on my blog again because the blue sky and sunshine seems more cheerful than raindrops. Besides, the real sky is blue and beautiful today.

Not much to say, since I've been in touch with nearly everyone about Gpa Charlie's side trip to St. Mary's Hospital for the past week. He should be on his way to Spring Valley with Mark about now, if all went as scheduled. He'll be in the Spring Valley Senior Living facility for therapy for a week? two weeks? all depending on how fast he regains strength and energy. He wasn't much of a complainer while in the hospital, even though by Monday he was itching to get out. Considering he hadn't been in a hospital as a patient since 1945, he handled the whole thing very well. In 1945, he was in a hospital in California for eye surgery-- a detached retina. He was a soldier boy then, and had finished his stint in Europe serving as the Burgermeister of the small German town where he met the lovely Maria, who could have been our mother. Well, she couldn't have been for real, but he hadn't met Irene Kirsch yet, and you know those WW II romances.... 

I need to spend the afternoon turning on the steam to get my office packed up so the next occupant can move in at the end of June. I had hopes of doing this whole packing thing in some sort of orderly way, but that idea has gone to hell the way most of my visions of sugarplums do. 

Here's something for you all to read...decadence has a place in the world, but a $33,000 mattress?

ADDENDUM

At last we -- well, Dad actually did it-- assembled the toddler dining table for Hannah and Miles to christen this weekend. 

Here's Dad/Larry/Paco enjoying a pretend hamburger sandwich that Hannah put together while she was here and left in the cupboard set for him.

 

And, for dessert, a triple-decker made of the finest plastic helado money can buy! 

We'll get the other two chairs put together so they're ready for Ethan and Owen in the near future. When Hannah's baby sister and Miles' baby sibling arrive, it will be time for E and O to try out being big boys!

Hmmm... the table looks square in the photos, but it isn't. It's a rectangle.

Helados en los pies y Cheerios de colores

There's more to the story of this fun day with 15 family members eating brunch on the patio at Patrick's Bakery and Cafe in Edina (Thanks Mary for letting me know about this great place!). There were 11 adults (we miss you, Evan), 2 toddlers and 2 nearly-toddlers. Included in the adult contingency were 3 pregnant women carrying a total of 4 future grandchildren. A crowd indeed. Until I get some photos from Janet, you'll just get the scoop on what's been going on since Grandpappy, Hannah, and I returned to St. Peter.

Some things you might have overheard if you'd been with us this evening...

At the gas station: "Mommy and Daddy do that (pump gas). I'm only 3. I'm too little to do that."

"Why is everybody not here eatin' dinner?" I asked her who should be here, and Hannah named everyone else that would normally be at the table if our entire family were present.

Trying to figure out what "dominocitos" are. The most we could find out about this mystery treat is that they have it at school. She settled for Cheerios de colores.

"I'll do it." (repeated about 50 times)

"We have a lot of stools at my house."

"I need some privacy."

Here are some pics to show you the actividades so far...

Grandpappy reads the classic Pigs Love Potatoes while Hannah 

wears plastic scoops of ice cream (helados) on her feet.

Hannah, sporting a Cheerio de color on her nariz

She trained Grandpa to put Cheerios on his nose, too.

Hannah and Ira took a peek at the little eggs in the bird's nest that an enterprising birdie built in the hanging plant outside the front door.

Something just isn't right here. We're trying to decide if 

the mama birdie is a promiscuous type or whether

a second mama bird stopped by to lay one of her eggs.

Speaking of nests, Ira is cozy in the nest of a cradle that Sandy gave to Hannah and Miles to use for their animal friends. Melanie was the original owner of the cradle, which means Elisabeth played with it when she was a little girl. So fun to have a special place for Ira and Rosie to take naps!

That's all for now... time to read, brush teeth, read some more, and snuggle in for the night.

Preview of Coming Attractions: A schedule by committee

Thursday, June 10

6:42 p.m. Don and Janet arrive Mpls. Will stay with us on Thursday night and go back to Mpls.  environs on Friday. Mike and Amber will be in Mkto for Amber’s team’s softball tourney. I hate the word tourney, but am using it anyway.

From Annie: Go softball chicks!

Friday, June 11

Sometime in the a.m.? Don, Janet, Mike (?) go to Amber and Mike’s. Time depends on teamwinning/losing or whatever.

8:00-ish p.m. ESPD & Hannah arrive Mpls  

CP says: I can pick up and they can definitely stay at our house that night. 

From Annie: Just don't let Hannah see the dog next door. Or the naked lesbians. 

Saturday, June 12

In the a.m.: Jill and Larry to Richfield

From Annie: Annie and Miles, too (maybe Tanner). Can we fit in your car, or should we plan to go separately?

Brunch or lunch with Don, Janet, Amber, Mike?

CP thoughtfully adds: I'm working on the possible brunch place. I have a few ideas.

From Annie: Miles and I never pass on the opportunity to brunch. Count us in! Can we avoid Perkins though? Maybe Good Earth? Do they take reservations?

Before 1:00 ESPD to Marquette Hotel

Hannah, Jill, Larry to St. Peter  Annie adds:  Miles and I ride with you, then we'll ride home with you too. If Tanner comes and we take a separate car, then we might head back to Owatonna (although we'll probably want to keep H&M together to play. Unless you guys want to come over Sunday morning and play at our house until it's time to go to the airport?)

Sunday, June 13

Charlie-St. Peter for bball camp

Hannah, Jill, Larry pick up ESPD

4:00-ish: Anyone available meet Evan at airport

Take Evan & Hannah to airport for 7:00 departure

Take ESPD to Marquette Hotel

Monday, June 14

Afternoon sometime: Don & Janet fly to Buffalo to see Dan and Camille.  CP comments (I presume): Hasta la vista, Donny.

CP says: Angie does have to work. She's going up to the lake Monday night with some teachers... Darla is staying at our house with the boys Monday night and Tuesday morning until Angie gets home. Angie and the boys will come down to St. Peter at some point while I'm at camp - probably Wednesday. I'm done by early afternoon Wed and we will all hang out in St.Peter for the afternoon...

APP says: Looks good to me!  Except on Monday, June 14 the calendar should read - Angie will be celebrating the start of summer!! 

Annie’s remark: Grimmius crew will be resuming to life in Owatonna.

Friday, June 18

ESPD finishes class

2:00 Hannah & Evan arrive. Jill and Larry will pick up.

CP quips: I’ll be home from work by then and can help with pick up or we can use our house as HQ for the day. Angie, the boys and I will head to St.Peter Friday night and spend the weekend at home - for the VIP family dinner at GAC and the local marathon.

Annie adds: Tanner has his Federated picnic, so just Miles and I will be in St. Peter Friday night (Tanner will join us Saturday late morning/early afternoon). I need to pick up our first share of the CSA farm goodies at 4pm, so we will hit the road to St.P immediately afterward - should get there by 6pm for sure.

Sunday, June 20

7:00 ESPD, Evan, Hannah return to NC

Annie gets the last word: We'll stay and play in St.P until nobody is left to play with (a**hole).

E-gadgets. E-gads!

Just this minute I realized I've entered a retirement crisis that has sent me on a spending spree. Nope, not a convertible like a friend who is retiring thinks he should buy to use as the family car, even though that would be fun. Here's the story of my e-spree...

A few weeks ago I purchased a Flip Ultra HD camcorder, which I love. I saved 50 bucks by being a smart shopper. By the way, little kids are adorable on video!

Tonight I loaded my virtual shopping cart with a 13" MacBook Pro, which has an aluminum uni-body enclosure, back-lit keyboard, 10 hour battery, and the other other computer stuff like a hard drive and an operating system and details best left to people with techier brains than I have. 

 

In addition to the cool computer and an education discount, I had the option of buying an 8gb iPodtouch and getting a 100% rebate on it. The limited gigabyte level tells me I'll have to keep my music selections down around 1750 songs and put on no more than 10,000 photos. By comparison, if I were to invest in the 64 gb version ($200 more out of my own pocket), I could upgrade to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos, and 80 hours of video. I'd have to be the Library of Congress to need that much space. By the way, Apple refers to this device as "the funnest iPod ever". Like, that's just the goodest news I've had in ages!

 

My all-time favorite electronic device, one that seemed impossible ten years ago when I first heard about the concept, is the Kindle. My Kindle in particular. Ten years ago I scoffed (yes, scoffed!) at the idea of an electronic book. I'd be the last one on the planet to fall victim to futuristic book devises, by gum. Oops, I scoffed too soon. Wouldn't be without it now! I've had it for about a year, so it doesn't actually qualify for the e-spree I've been on, but it counts from a "never thought I'd own one of these" perspective.

I feel a little like George Jetson. 

What??? She's THREE???

Happy Birthday, Hannah! 

Monkeys around the world join in wishing you a Happy #3!