Turkey Trotting?

     Remember the Peanuts gang and Charlie Brown's reoccurring lament of "AARGH!!"?  I can really relate to good ol' Charlie Brown.  Pulling up this blog, I realized it's been over a month again since recording any news from Inkom . . . how the heck does that happen?!

     We celebrated Meghan's 32nd birthday (another, "AARGH!" . . . how did that happen?! moment) the weekend prior.  Then, on Friday, October 28th Glenn took off for the long, lonely trek back to Michigan for hunting season.

(10/23/2011)  Miles helps Meghan blow out the candles in celebration of her 32nd birthday.

     The period which followed found me flying solo doing daycare with the grand babies, but with a twist.  The first week, Miles and Mae came to "visit Grandma while Grandpa is gone" . .  . no loneliness for this ol' Grandma!  The second week, however, found son-in-law Joshua in Houston, TX for a work-related conference.  Consequently, I stayed with Meghan at her house.  No point in her trying to bundle up both kids in the wee, dark and cold hours of the morning all by herself.  Joshua followed up the next week with a conference in San Diego, CA.  The Jurgens' however, squeezed in a little family getaway November 11-15; Meg and kids drove to Salt Lake City where they met Josh at the airport.  Then, the whole family flew together to southern California for a long weekend together.  I must admit, it did feel a bit eerie to know that of my nuclear family, I (and the Jurgens' cat, Pearl) was the only one here in Idaho!

     Meg and kiddies returned on Tuesday, November 15 and I again drove down the hill (literally) to their house for an extended "sleepover."  On Friday, November 18  all of us, not surprisingly, were up early.  I left for my flight back to the Midwest; Joshua returned to Inkom later that day.

     Once on the shuttle bus heading to the SLC airport, my "trotting" truly began.  My first destination was a reunion with Glenn in Detroit.  We spent one night in Belleville then the next day drove to Ann Arbor for the historic UM vs Nebraska football game.  My, but it felt so good to be back in the "Big House" and especially so since our Wolverines won!

(11/19/2011)  Prior to the UM vs Nebraska game, we met up with friends Sandy and Dana Strall.  I met Sandy years ago when we found ourselves dorm-mates at a yearbook summer camp.  Ironically, Sandy graduated from the Ann Arbor campus the same year as Glenn; most likely their paths crossed way back then!  We met them for brunch at the locally famous Weber's Restaurant first.  Always good to see both of them, even if briefly!

     After the game, Glenn and I made the trip to the "Davis Deer Ranch" where we snuggled cozily in our little one-room, wood-stove-heated cabin for three nights.  A cyclone of activity followed.

     Sunday, Glenn's sister and brother-in-law Vicki and Neil Robelli invited us to dinner and Glenn's mom, Rita was there as well.  Hard to imagine that it had been a whole year since I'd seen Neil; he couldn't make it west for the family reunion in July.  A too-short visit to be sure, but at least we could reconnect for a bit.

     Monday the 21st I didn't "trot," I full-out ran through the day.  Leaving the cabin about 6:30a.m. my first destination was good ol' Reese.  I stopped first at the little library where I spent so many hours volunteering on its behalf as a member of the Board of Trustees.  It truly brought tears to my eyes to view the addition recently completed with monies from the operating levy director Carole Brown and I had worked so hard to achieve.

(11/21/2011)  Karen Kern, library clerk, me and Carole Brown, library director stand in front of the new circulations desk at Reese Unity District Library.  Prior to moving to Idaho, I spent eight years on the RUDL Board of Trustees during which time one of the major accomplishments was the passing of a one-mill operating levy for the library.  These wisely spent funds enabled the current board to enlarge the building; the new area opened the first week of December.

     The short visit with Carole and Karen complete, I drove through town for my next stop, a quick catch-up with cousin Rose Stedry.  For old times' sake, we took off right away for a walk around town . . . something we did almost daily for many years before my move.  Of course, we get extra exercise during our treks because we talk a mile-a-minute trying to get caught up with each other.  Over the many years we were walking buddies, Rose and I solved many of the country's problems, shared laughs and tears and just became very good friends as well as cousins.

(11/21/2011)  Cousin Rose Stedry and me in the living room of her home in Reese.  Our mothers were sisters and we both grew up and lived in Reese.  For many years, Rose and I were walking companions in town; in fact, we often had people comment about seeing us at our regular time along our regular route.  We both miss these saunters very much.

     An all-too-short visit with cousin Rose and her hubby Herb complete, I stopped briefly to pay my regards to my parents . . . they are buried in Eastlawn Memorial Gardens on my route to Saginaw.  Once in the city, I caught up with the other side of my family when I had lunch with cousins Karen Valeck, Bonnie Clark, Becky Dietrich, Audrey Victor and Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill Valeck.  We ate at Patty Fleming's Pub, owned by cousin Gerald Valeck and his wife Patty, so I got to see them as well.  And for a few brief moments, cousin Jim Valeck who just happened to be there when I arrived.

     As the self-appointed family historian, I was able to give Uncle Bill a notebook of items I've collected about his parents and maternal grandmother.  It was soooo  good to see family again!

(11/21/2011)  Uncle Bill Valeck and me in Patty Fleming's Pub.  Uncle Bill is the youngest of my dad's three brothers.  The Valeck family lived just down the lane from my mother's family near Owendale/Gagetown, MI.  Consequently, Uncle Bill knew my mom long before she became his sister-in-law.

     After lunch, I zipped across town making short stops at JC Penney and Meijer's before joining my very good friends and former Birch Run colleagues Deanna Vale and Jenni Snider for dinner at Damon's restaurant.  Again, it was comforting to fall into conversation with these two pals and former school lunch mates as if we'd been seeing each other daily, as we did many years ago.  Unfortunately, my camera mis-fired and I don't have a pic of them to share here.

     Back on the road to the cabin was the beginning of back on the road again.  Tuesday morning we met Glenn's mom Rita and sister Vicki for breakfast in West Branch before heading west.  En route to Plainfield, IL where we would spend the rest of the week with sister Brenda and her family, we stopped for lunch in Portage, MI.  There, long-time friend (we met in kindergarten!) Mary Jo Weessies made quiche, salad and dessert for us at her home.  Mary Jo had visited us in Idaho in September 2010 and is tentatively planning a return trip in 2012.

(11/23/2011) Niece Layne Hillesland and I work preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  Layne baked corn muffins while I made the pumpkin pies and two kinds of cranberries.

     Thanksgiving Day felt familiar in a comforting sort of way when we spent it with the Hilleslands.  We were joined by Eric's sister Annette and family sans son Dan who is attending law school in New York State.  Also sharing the day with us, Eric's sister Marie from Valpraiso, IN.  Friday, Layne, Seth, Brenda, Glenn and I took in a rather mediocre movie (Tower Heist) then returned to their house for Scrabble, Euchre and just time together.

     Saturday morning Glenn and I were up out and early for a return drive to Ann Arbor.  Yes, it was a long drive to and fro in one day, but so worth it.  We returned to Michigan Stadium for the UM vs Ohio State game where thankfully our team won in front of a crowd of 114,142 fans.  What a game it was!  The finaly score 40-34, no one left the stadium early and the entire crowd -- alums, too, not just the students -- had the place rockin' and rollin'.

     That evening, dinner with the Hilleslands and Brenda's friend, Susan.  Then, all too soon, the night ended and early morning arrived . . . and with it our return drive to Idaho.  Although sad to say good-bye, Glenn particularly looked forward to his reward at the end of our marathon journey -- seeing the grandbabies again after more than four weeks.

      The drive was the best kind -- uneventful with weather and traffic conditions conspiring to give us smooth sailing.  We arrived in Inkom on Monday, November 28 around 4:30 p.m.  Supper with the Jurgens' and Josh's folks before driving back up the hill to our house.  I'm still not sure if I feel like Inkom is "coming home" or if I feel more like that in the Midwest, but I do know home is family and they are here.

(11/29/2011)  As the self-appointed family historian and a person who has no photos with any of my grandparents, I make it a point to snap such a picture each time the opportunity arises.  We invited Josh's folks and the Jurgens for dinner on Tuesday.  Here, Miles Lee and Mae Elizabeth sit on our hearth with us and Marsha and Curt Waite.

     Temporarily my "trotting" during turkey time has wound down and we've returned to a regular schedule of daycare for our precious babies and preparations for the winter holidays.  Who knows the next time I'll be traveling or to where.  Stay tuned!