Two Birthdays Plus a Busy Week!!

It has been a busy week! The main focus has been getting Corinne's quiet book finished before we deliver it to her in Florida next week. Both Lisa and my mom have been working on it with me, and it has been an every-day project. I finished it (and the matching pillow I always make) last night just before midnight. (No pictures until after Corinne opens it. I want it to be a surprise!)

Tuesday was Kyle's 32nd birthday. I sent him a gift, but I'll take his card with us to Florida.

I love this picture of Kyle (a rare shot of him with a beard) and JC at Jessica and Andrew's wedding reception.

Tuesday I also met my dear friend, Pam, at the Beef House for lunch.

 I cannot believe that I forgot to take a picture of the two of us together! We gabbed for two hours, and then I sped home to get back to the sewing table.

Wednesday we three were back to work on the quiet book, furiously, cutting, stitching, and drawing.

 My mother doodled these whimsical fish on a scrap of fabric as she worked.

We'd work all morning, and then Lisa would grab us some lunch which we'd eat up on the overlook. Then, naptime! Really! Lisa would sleep in her room, my mother preferred the overlook couch (I have taken many a Sunday nap there myself!), and I took the twin bed in Craig's office. As we woke up, we'd get back to work even if the others slumbered.

Friday, I was finishing up the very last part of the book - stitching them into page form - in fact, I was on the LAST page. Wouldn't you know it - this happened.

 Lisa, our "Would you run to JoAnn's and get some..." girl, offered to do yet another fabric store run; luckily, I discovered that I had a second spool of white thread tucked away in different sewing box.

We also had a discussion on this year's Christmas tree. Curt has been saying since we moved into this house that he wants a tree to the ceiling. I mentioned getting a twenty foot tree, and Craig responded that he thought our ceiling was lower than that. Well, if you're going to have a tall tree, you have to know just how tall it can be, right?

So he and Lisa set off to find out.

 Lisa supported the top of the metal tape measure...

 ... while Craig manned the bottom.

 Lisa and I had guessed 20 feet, while Craig had gone more conservatively at 18 feet.

He was right - our tree can't be more than 18 feet tall this coming Christmas.

Lisa and I made a few trips out to the barn despite the heat (90s and humid all week long) and she gave Hokey a little extra time and love as she hand grazed him.

He was so happy, he ignored the treats we'd brought, instead chowing down on the fresh grass.

And... last, but certainly not least, today is Addie's 4th birthday, so we will call her tonight and sing to her.

Happy Birthday, Adelaide!! Here she and Trinity show off their finery at Jessica and Andrew's wedding.

Now that the quiet book is done, I am going to wrap up some things around here (like cleaning the garage, yay!) and enjoy summer's final huzzah. Three weeks until school starts!!

Doin' the Twist

And that's NOT a good thing.

My tailbone has twisted to the side.

Again.

For the THIRD time since we moved to West Lafayette in 2006.

And it makes riding my bicycle hurt, so needless to say, I am out of the saddle again and very frustrated about that.

Last week as I rode, I started feeling some intermittent pain during rides. Thursday I rode nine miles, and when I got home, the pain was pretty bad. I took Friday and Saturday off from riding, hoping that by Monday morning I would feel better. (I don't ride on Sundays - horses or bicycles.)

I didn't take into account the hard, metal chairs at Church. I squirmed Sunday throughout Sacrament meeting, and ended up swiping a padded chair from the Relief Society room for Sunday School. (Shades of Leda Stevenson and the lawn chairs she used to bring to Church to alleviate her own back pain flashed through my mind!)

That metal chair seemed to be the last straw for my tailbone - for the rest of Sunday it hurt to sit on anything, padded or not, and although I am on Celebrex and took two extra strength Tylenol, nothing touched the discomfort.

I have called Dr. Morris, and he sent me directly to my favorite physical therapist, Dusti, who twice now has gotten my twisted tailbone back into place. She had no open appointments until August 6, but at least I can see her before school starts and my schedule gets crazy again.

(I also see Dr. Daluga this Thursday to have my hip prosthesis x-rayed and checked, so I may say something to him since he specializes in orthopedics.)

In the meantime, don't anyone DARE play Chubby Checkers' music around me, or mention the game of Twister!!

Curt and Vanessa - New Digs!

This weekend Curt and Vanessa moved into a new home. They're renting the bottom floor of a historic home in downtown Lafayette, and it is beautiful - full of details and accents you don't find in modern homes.

 517 Ferry Street, Lafayette, Indiana

The home has a plaque denoting its historical value. It was built in 1866.

The east side of the home has a pretty side yard with room for bocce, corn hole, and cookouts.

 As you walk in the front door, you are in a foyer with a huge staircase that leads to the upstairs apartments.

A detail of the floor in the foyer.

 There is a gorgeous fireplace in their bedroom. It's no longer in use, but it sure is lovely.

 It has decorative ceramic tiles framing the interior.

 And several gorgeous wood carvings, too.

Plus decorative ceramic tiles on the floor.

There are twelve foot ceilings throughout and large rooms. This is the kitchen. I love the arch!!

 Look at the carved hinges for the doors! Unbelievable!

Electricity will be turned on Tuesday, and with the 90 degree heat we're experiencing, it's pretty warm, but Curt and Vanessa say the high ceilings make for a cool home.

A real bonus is that there are many young married couples from their ward also renting homes in the historic district so they have lots of friends nearby.

Sewing Party!

Lisa, my mother, and I all worked much of today on Corinne's quiet book. My office is a MESS as there is fabric, appliques, buttons, velcro, googly eyes, paper, fabric paints, fusible interfacing, fake fur, ribbons, and other assorted gewgaws everywhere!

Yes, including the floor as the three of us are working at one table, coloring, cutting, stitching, and designing.

 It's a bit cramped, but we had so much fun working on the project together.

Lucky Corinne, her great grandmother designed a page just for her. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but Granny Slash drew it all herself (she is a wonderful artist and has illustrated several books) based on a couple of things about Corinne - one being that she lives in Florida. 

Here, Great Grandma works on a preliminary sketch as she figures out how the page should come together. 

Based on her designs, I cut out and stitched the pieces for it, and my mother will then add the color background using fabric paints. Lisa, my mom, and I are SOOOO excited about this unique page, and we really hope Corinne likes it!

Lunch with the Lofti Family!

Kim Loftus, mama of two of my former students, invited me to lunch last week. If you ever want the ideal person to be the parent of one of your students, it's Kim. Positive, caring, supportive, sense of humor... all rolled into one, She has become a good friend since I first had Caroline in the 2/3 Gifted/Talented class in 2006.

(And I love the way her family makes their last name plural! Such a GT thing to do!)

Last summer we met for lunch at Olive Garden; this summer we headed downtown to Serendipity. My sister-in-love, Cindie, had told me about it and we'd celebrated her birthday there, but I had not been back since. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is conducive to talking - the perfect place to go!

Caroline (a three year student) and Kathleen (two years) both were there along with their oldest sister, Julia, who is a student at the University of Minnesota. I never had Julia, but I have come to know her well over the years, so it was good to catch up with her, too.

We gabbed for two hours, stopping only because Caroline had a driver's ed class to attend. Kim snagged the check, claiming I had bought lunch last year, so we made plans to have this be an annual summer tradition and that I would pay next year.

In the excitement of catching up, I did not get any pictures. But, both Caroline and Kathleen were in a recent production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and so I will post a couple of those below.

 Kathleen, ???, and Caroline in rehearsal.

Another former three year student, Meredith Roberts, was also in the play. She looks so grown up!

Nice Kids - Wonderful Adults

I have been lucky to have taught many, many nice kids - kids who worked hard, were respectful, kind to others, and enjoyed school. Once in a while I get to see them as adults, and it is a treat to catch up and hear what they are doing.

Several were in attendance at the Follis/Hall wedding on Saturday.

Erik, Tony, and Lisa Lund and Tony's girlfriend.

I taught Tony my very first year of teaching in 1998. His younger brothers, Nick, and Joey, were in my class a few years later. Tony works in sales for Red Bull and is going back to school and studying IT. Lisa, is a kindergarten teacher at Leal Elementary and Erik is a professor at the University of Illinois in the School of Music and plays a fabulous trumpet. Curt and Cole are good buds with Tony.

Ann and Randy Blackman with Curt.

We were delighted to be seated for dinner with Coach Blackman and his wife, Ann. Coach said some lovely things about Curt to me and then afterward told me privately that, "You understand what it's like to see a former student and how proud you are when you see what they have become." (Do I ever, Coach! It's the best!) Brigette Kimmey made a going away video for Curt when he left on his mission to Brasil, and included Coach in it. His words of advice to Curt were very touching, and he revealed a religious side of himself that he generally kept pretty private. Curt really respects Coach Blackman (as do we all.)

The Blackmans' youngest son, Adam, was in my class. He is currently interning at a church in Louisville, Kentucky as a youth pastor. (Adam went to Wheaton College and got a degree in Christian Studies.)  That was a bit of a surprise to me - as an all-state soccer player, I always thought he would go where he got scholarship money and then perhaps study something sports-related. Adam was always a good guy and loved by everyone, but, like his father, kept his religious feelings pretty private. 

(A funny story about Adam - I had my hip replaced the year he was in my class. The very first time I felt well enough to leave home and go out into the community, I went to an Urbana High School soccer game. Naturally, Adam was there, and came over to chat. He and his friend, Kolton, asked if they could mess with my walker. I didn't mind, and they discovered that, since it had wheels, they could push it out onto the track and get it going, then hop on for a ride! I thought it was funny, but Ann was horrified that Adam would damage my walker! She and I had a good laugh at the wedding as we recalled that evening at the soccer field.)

Here's a recent picture of Adam from Facebook. He did play college soccer at Wheaton.

Gosh, he looks so grown up. Where has time gone?

Sarah Papajohn, Emma Gibbens, and Will Gibbens.

Two SUPER sweet girls who would never, ever do anything knowingly wrong as well as being completely trustworthy. Sarah and Emma were in my very first class, and since it was a multiage, I had them for two years. Sarah just finished her first year of teaching at Yankee Ridge as a first grade teacher (and former colleagues there tell me she is an excellent teacher) and Emma has a degree in therapuetic recreation from Illinois State University and is currently job searching. Will, Emma's brother, was in my class, too, and is studying at Northland College in Wisconsin while on scholarship for soccer. Like his sister, he was a true straight arrow and good guy. 

Sarah Papajohn, Emma Gibbens, the bride, Maddie Follis, and Clair McTaggart

Clair was never in my class since she went to Thomas Paine School like our kids did, but her brothers, Todd and Charlie, were friends of Curt and Cole, and her mama, Carol, was a friend of mine. McTaggarts take after their mama and are very short - I remember when Clair was three and having her first swim lesson at Crystal Lake Pool. She could not touch bottom even in the shallowest part of the pool! Her mother, pragmatic as always, turned to me and said with a laugh, "They won't let her drown. She'll be fine." And she was! (Clair is now taller than her mom.)

 Carol McTaggart and me.

My emotions really ran the gamut Saturday at that wedding. There were tears because Ian was missing, then joy and laughter (and even some more tears) as I reconnected with former students, their parents, and other old friends. 

It was lovely to catch up with some folks who are near and dear to my heart, and who I still miss very, very much.

A Ghost at the Wedding

Saturday Craig and I went back to Urbana for the wedding of Maddie Follis, the daughter of some of our closest friends from our Illinois days.

Don, Maddie's papa, is a pastor and campus minister, as is Craig so they had a lot in common. Don had great respect for our church and always asked lots of questions. He's a good man, and he pastors at Vineyard Church in Urbana and writes a religion column for the newspaper. He and Craig coached the boys in soccer together for many years and hung out together at other functions the boys attended.

Jennifer, Maddie's mom, and I are long time friends as well. Whether it was serving in the PTA, cheering at soccer and swim meets, or carpooling the guys to various events, we spent a lot of time together over the years. She's a journalism professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the kindest, most positive people I know. I love her dearly.

Maddie's brother, Ian, and Curt were close friends from kindergarten on up until Ian died in 2007 at twenty-one. Ian always reminded me of a big, lovable puppy, full of enthusiasm and with a big heart.
Unfortunately, he did not always make wise decisions and began taking drugs in high school. He went to Arizona to a treatment facility and stopped using, but when he returned to Urbana, he was unable to stay clean and died of an overdose in November, 2007, shortly after Curt returned home from his mission.

Needless to say, that was an awful time. The Follises were devastated, and I still cry when I think about it. (I am crying as I type.) At Ian's visitation, Curt, Cole, and some other friends of Ian's took it upon themselves to take care of Jennifer. They made sure she had a chair, got her water, and stood behind her, the nine of them staying in the background, protectively encircling Jennifer and the jar with Ian's ashes. Jennifer called them her "Band of Brothers" and was deeply moved by their care and attention. It was a beautiful sight.

When Don saw us arrive at the church, he stepped out of the crowd, came over, and hugged me, shaking Craig's hand vigorously, and talking a blue streak about how glad he was we had come. Despite the press, he took time to chat, and then asked if Curt was coming. That was my first clue to how important it was to them to have Curt there.

Likewise, when she saw me, Jennifer hurried over and gave me an extended hug, clinging to me, and whispering how glad she was that we had made it over to be with them.

 We had not seen each other since Curt and Vanessa's wedding reception in 2010.

Dear friends back together again.

The wedding was beautiful. Maddie and her new husband, Drew Hall (a youth minister), seem well suited and their wedding reflected their love of God and family. A notice in the program stated, "The candle on the front table on the altar is in memory of Maddie's brother, Ian."

That was all it took for the waterworks to begin. Every parent's worst nightmare is to lose a child, and that candle brought those feelings to the surface. I cried for Ian, and I cried for Jennifer, Don, and Maddie and the things that would never be for their family.

But... I almost felt as though Ian was there, in spirit. That he was watching his sister get married. And smiling in joy at her happiness. This feeling continued, although not as strong at the reception, but Ian was definitely on my mind and in my heart all evening. 

Like a ghost at the wedding.

After dinner, a video was shown with pictures of the bride and groom from birth to present day. Many of Maddie's photos included Ian, pictures I remembered because I was either there at the time, had seen them before, or because they were included in Christmas cards. My tears began flowing freely again.

To my astonishment, a photo of Curt, Maddie, and me flashed up. It had been taken at the Urbana High School soccer field, and Curt and I were congratulating Maddie after a game. Why on earth was that in there?

Then it hit me. 

Curt. 

Curt was their connection to Ian - Ian's best friend, and certainly the only friend who remained true even when Ian was abusing drugs. Curt was always there for him, through thick and thin. Including Curt was a way to bring Ian a little closer. 

That ghost at the wedding suddenly seemed even more present.

Curt had come to a similar conclusion. After the reception, he told me that Jennifer especially had wanted to spend time with him, and had fiercely hugged him several times, shedding a few tears, as she spoke with him, repeatedly thanking him for coming. And we realized that, for whatever reason, Curt was the only one of the "Band of Brothers" in attendance. Still that best friend, still there for his buddy, Ian, and Ian's family.

I cried some more as I drove home, thinking of all the good times with the Follis family, the tragedy of Ian's death, and how glad I was we had made it to the wedding. 

I thought of Ian and how I had felt that feeling that he was there with us. I didn't see or feel anything tangible but I did feel something. Joy. Happiness. A smile.

I hope Don, Jennifer, and Maddie felt that, too.

Ian and Curt, 2003, as sophomores at the UHS swim team banquet. (Their hair is still growing out after having shaved it for the conference swim meet, and they are wearing their fathers' suits! Bunch o' goofs!!)