For My Next Trick . . .

I like doing portraits. Usually they're a lot of fun, and it's a chance to goof around with my camera and sometimes even get paid for it. And I've done quite a few sessions with Tasha, for confirmation or her birthday or whatever.

But now Lucas is a high school senior, and about to turn 18. Big events, which should be marked by a decent formal portrait. And I just can't seem to get one that reflects the right tone, has the right color, and generally satisfies me. Here's my first attempt:

Not bad. I like the color and the expression - but then I noticed the part where the refraction of his glasses makes a hole in his forehead. And so, I took him out to the park again last night to try again. I'll post those pictures shortly, but - what do you think? Am I being too picky?

It was wonderful

I couldn't have asked for better. The weather was perfect, the mosquitoes cooperated by staying away, Red the pig performed her role admirably, and everyone got along great.

Okay, now details:

Al Michales donated the use of his brand new stock trailer to pick up Red the pig from our neighbor's friend George, who raised her and then sold her to us at a really ridiculously low price. (I'd recommend George to anyone. Just ask me for his number.) Anyway, so there's this big red stock trailer in our yard, with a very nervous pig inside. Dan and Rick are pacing around because, obviously, we need the pig dead before we can roast her.

Dan has butchered his own sheep in the past and had figured doing a pig couldn't be too difficult. But he wanted an especially sharp knife of a particular shape, and somehow his weapon of choice didn't make it into his luggage when he left Maine. He started planning out what it would take to make one according to his design (by which impulse you can tell he has an engineering degree), but Rick went out and simply bought an appropriate blade (by which you can tell that he works with engineers).

Next, there was the question of shooting the pig. She was still in Al's brand new stock trailer, and obviously they didn't want to start shooting the trailer up. But we'd all been to the fair enough to know that if we let her out, she probably wouldn't just stand still and "smile for the camera." Finally someone had the idea of taking her over to Al's farm. He has stock fencing and all that already in place for his cattle, and he offered to let them process her there and bury the offal with his back hoe. (Have I mentioned how incredibly generous these people are?) I did not attend the actual event, because I am squeamish and have no interest in the details; but I understand that in spite of all their preparations, Red did indeed make a break for it, got through a gap in the stock fence, and turned a simple butcher job turned into a pig hunt. But things got sorted out in the end, more or less according to plan.

Meanwhile, the tent and tables had been delivered and set up, as well as the pig roaster and the port-a-john. Racer's Hall got us the two pony kegs at wholesale cost (Thank you!), and I hit-up my connections at the Port Washington Farmer's Market for rolls, flowers, and a big jar of Mango Jam for Dan (his favorite). Mom got there mid-morning, and I set her and Tasha to work sorting 3 bunches of flowers into vases for 9 tables.

The cousins got there about lunch time, which really got the party started early. It's hard not to feel festive when you've got a pile of little people bouncing around and looking excited. I feel so very honored that the whole Fremont Huisjen crew, plus the Worths & Gees, made the long trip around the lake just for our little gig. And Dale and Susie and their gang were on their way from Ypsilanti, but blew a radiator in central Michigan and had to limp on home again. (You were missed!)

By 3:00 or so all the relatives were on site, and there was a definite team of guys working on the pig. Lucas potted up some begonias in a half-round pot and hung it on the cross at the chapel, which added the perfect touch. Sybil was starting to fret about how many senior citizens would park their cars on her property and be taxied down to the chapel. And for comic relief, we all had a good time watching the toad that hopped into the tent and settled down to watch the show.

By 5:00 we had a pretty good crowd of 60 - 70, including kids. Gary H. was having a wonderful time directing cars and trying to collect parking fees, while a swarm of little kids swung on the rope and generally cavorted around the Grandmother Oak. We decided it was time to take our walk.

We wandered down the east path, with Rick and me hand in hand leading the way. (I had to drag him past the pig, which he thought he'd better check one more time.) Meanwhile, Sybil had loaded several elderly attendees in her car and was giving them the nickle tour as she drove down the west path to the chapel. She was in her glory, having so many people come to admire Meadow Valley, and I swear she was just glowing. But then again, I was in a pretty wonderful mood myself and it may have reflected on others.

RaeAnn did an absolutely wonderful job with the ceremony itself. There were vows, and stories about the early times in our marriage, and a recognition of the work as well as the joys of marriage. Sybil asked me later why Rick kept looking away from me during some of the "mushy" moments? I explained that he was right on the verge of crying the whole time and trying to hold it in.

That's about it. We kissed a bit, then walked back and had a party. There were plenty of potables (thanks, Dad!), an over-abundance of food, and a general atmosphere of pleasant camaraderie. The Kohler guys made a great showing, and after dinner hung out at the fire pit for quite a while. Several of Luc's and Tasha's friends came later in the evening and had a good time goofing around in the dark with the glow necklaces I'd stashed. Babies were cuddled, friends were hugged, and all was well.

A little help from my friends.

Al Michaels has volunteered the use of his farm and cattle trailer for the final hours of the pig - which will be much easier than trying to rig something up at our place. Tammy Michaels is making a cake, and bringing a vat of hot German potato salad (and a small batch of the vegetarian version for me). And Tammy actually planted an entire extra garden of corn so she could bring it to the party! (Okay, after our summer drought, the corn won't actually make it in time - but I'm in awe of the generosity and forethought.) I just had to give them a shout-out for all their help.


While cleaning the coop and burning trash yesterday - my labor on Labor Day - I had the inspiration to move the tent down to the back of the property, under the Grandmother Oak. I paced it off and am sure that we have a nice flat 40 x 30 space down there. That puts us a field's width closer to the path down to the Meadow Valley chapel, and puts us adjacent to the bonfire, and opens up the upper field for parking - which was going to be a major headache, with cars relegated to the lawns of several generous neighbors. The only catch will be electricity. We will have electric lights for the tent, and we'll need power for the Nesco roasters and coffee maker and entertainment stuff. I told Rick I wanted to move things down, and he threw up his hands at the thought of trying to get 50 amps of power down there. But I know my sweetie - he'll walk away grumbling, and then have a beautiful solution worked out two days later. :)


Meanwhile, Dan is on the train and should be here in 30 hours or so, and Alicia might just make it after all. And I've got table cloths and napkins and all that stuff staged and ready as soon as the tent & tables get here on Thursday. We've confirmed delivery of the port-a-john. I'll have to check with Rick to see when the roaster will be here. And apparently I need to pick up 8 bags of charcoal for the roaster, which somehow hadn't occurred to me. And 2 lbs of butter for the tables. And figure out what to do about salt & pepper - maybe just have a couple of them on the table by the food? And, and, and . . .


Okay, I'm going to just relax and think peaceful thoughts. It's all going to work out beautifully, because this is not a demanding group and we're all going to enjoy ourselves no matter what.

Grandma's notebook

While Dad was cleaning out some more of Grandma's stuff this summer, he came across this little notebook. In it, we found Grandma's travel diary notes from her trip to Little Rock for our wedding. As always, Grandma was meticulous about the details.


January 14, 1988 flew to Little Rock, Ark.
Left W. Palm on Delta at 2:20 P.M. and flew to Atlanta. Had 2 hrs and 40 minutes wait and ate early supper there.
Plane left half hour late and was dark. We enjoyed the lights of cities from the air. Amy was waiting for us and she & Rick took us to our Days Inn room. Jim & Louise had got in at noon. We all stayed in Days Inn and Dave & Jan came Sat morning.

Friday Amy, Rick, Louise, Jim, Noel, Harvey & I went in two cars out west of Little Rock to Petit Jean State Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a very enjoyable day. We ate dinner at night at Bennigens in Little Rock.


Saturday it was rainy but the wedding was a pretty ceremony at 4 P.M. Amy's dress and her bridesmaids' were made by a friend. We went to Jacksonville Country Club for the wedding dinner. Fourteen people were there. Wedding meal was chicken breast [tossed salad first] over wild rice, carrots & broccoli, rolls & drink. Two tiered wedding cake was spice with peach color flowers.

The left for Hot Springs for the weekend.

Sunday was cloudy and some fog. We went to Parkplace Reformed Prysberterian [sic] church and enjoyed a good message and friendly church.

Dave and Jan left soon after we got back to fly home. We snacked a little and took a nice nap.

About six Louise & Jim and us went to Bonanza for dinner and we spent the evening reading and watching TV. Monday morning we went with Louise & Jim to the Waffle house for breakfast.

They left for the airport about 10:30 AM. It was a cloudy partly foggy day.

Amy & Rick stopped by on their way back from Hot Spring at noon and asked us to come to their mobile home for supper.

Amy took us to the airport the next morning. It was overcast but we left on time. Had a lot of turbulance and went around a thunderstorm and arrived back at Palm Beach airport safely. Ed and Ann Van Wyk met us there. We traveled by Delta Airlines.

What Grandma and Harvey never knew was that a bunch of our friends had stopped by the trailer while we were honeymooning in Hot Springs and "decorated" the trailer for us. We got home and found yarn wrapped around doorknobs and lamps, toilet paper taped everywhere, chocolate sauce and edible undies arranged carefully on the bed, and condoms - with a little bit of dairy product - taped to the doorknobs. And Grandma was due to arrive in 45 minutes.


Luckily, I was able to get Noelle on the phone and scream for help. I think she was just leaving with the last of the incriminating evidence tucked under her arm when Grandma & Harvey pulled in.



I miss you, Grandma.

Because I wanted to.

The Grandmother Oak has towered over our back yard for much longer than we've been here - perhaps 200 years or so. She is absolutely massive, and beautiful in a weathered, experienced sort of way. She really ought to have the services of a professional tree surgeon to trim out some deadwood and offer support where necessary - but the estimates I got were all in the $8,000 range, and so we decided she was going to have to muddle through on her own.

Recently, on a beautiful clear day, she suddenly dropped a huge limb. The limb (which had held our tree swing for the last 8 years or so) appeared healthy, and we found no rot or other internal reason for it to go. It reminded me of an elderly lady who suddenly breaks her hip.

Rick got up there with his ladder and not only cleared off the splintered remains of the limb in question, but did his best to trim an equal weight of dead wood from her other side so as to keep her as balanced as possible. We'll keep our fingers crossed that it will be enough.

The party details for today:

1. The tent guy can rig for lighting, and is ready to finalize his set-up.
2. The church is not booked up on the 8th, other than a Historical Society tea in the early afternoon, so the meeting hall can stand in as "Plan B" in case of rain.
3. George, the guy raising the pig, is going to call me with an estimate. (I was going to go actually see the pig, and perhaps name him "Orville," but Tasha feels that it would be in bad taste.)
4. Tammy wants to see a picture of our wedding cake. She's already making the party cake the same flavor, but now she's also considering copying the actual style of the original.

Stop And Smell The Flowers

Thanks for the reminder, Lydia.

A week from today will be my last day in my current job - and then 10 days after that will be my first day in the new place. So, there will be office packing stress, unpacking "where-did-I-put-my-notary-stamp" stress, and "new guy" stress. But my new office has a nice East window overlooking a pond, so I feel a celebratory container garden coming on. Something textural - I wonder if you can grow lavendar as a house plant?

A Walk In The Woods

It's a beautiful day . . . okay, hot and sticky, but still the kind of bright and sunny day that we'll be wishing for in six months. So I finally did what I've been meaning to do, take a walk in the woods and photograph some of the places I'm hoping to introduce to you during our party in September.

First, Meadow Valley. Our neighbor, Sybil Winter, has owned this property since sometime in the 1970's, and has been slowly rehabilitating it from farm field to woodland. In the process she has added fire lanes and done some tree trimming, so what we have is a woodland with wide open paths, pretty in any season but largely wheelchair accessible. And at the very back of the property is a little open air chapel, looking out over the river. Sybil has very kindly agreed to let us use her chapel for our renewal ceremony, and I can't think of a more perfect venue.





The Meadow Valley chapel is about 1/4 mile walk though the woods, and (since I don't imagine we'll be back there more than 15 minutes) I was planning for us to simply stand in the clearing. But if for medical or other reasons you don't think you can make the walk there and back again, or if you need to sit while we're back there, please let me know and I'll make the necessary arrangements. Otherwise, enjoy the stroll. The path is clear and even, but I still wouldn't recommend high heels. Personally, I will probably be in sandals.






Next, Pine Ridge Campground. As you can see, Pine Ridge is within an easy crawl of our house, and although it's a private Lutheran campground they are willing to accept reservations from party guests. It's a beautiful facility, and I can't believe I never really looked it over before! They appear to have a few cabins with power and other amenities, but they also have plenty of camping spaces and pull through camper spots. For reservations or questions, you can contact the caretakers directly: Eric or Cindy can be reached at 920-528-8307.








That's it for now. I'm scratching a brand new mosquito bite on my left ankle. Did I mention that each guest will receive a souvenir bug bracelet?