Saying Goodbye to Wisconsin

Doug and I had breakfast at the hotel this morning with Brett and Karen before we left Green Bay.  Nathan's first mass was at 2 p.m. this afternoon, but Doug decided that we would have to skip it as it would be cutting it too close for him to catch his flight out of Chicago.  In the end, I was very glad that he made that decision as Brett said that the mass was over two hours long and that would have made Doug miss his flight completely. Brett did say that they thought the mass was beautiful as it felt like a continuation of yesterday's ceremony complete with a large number of priests in the audience.  They also had time in between breakfast and mass to take a tour of Lambeau Field which they both found fascinating.  

Although all four of us agreed that it took a lot of traveling to get to Green Bay this weekend, we were each happy that we were able to share this memorial occasion together.  I really appreciated Doug telling me that he was glad that I really pushed for him to attend.  When I first mentioned it to him, he was lukewarm to the idea because of all of the traveling that we would have to do.  After everything was over, he couldn't have been happier.  He enjoyed the ordination, reception and seeing his extended family, but most of all, Doug was glad to have shared it with Brett, Karen and I.  That was very nice to hear. 

An Inspiring Ceremony

Today, Brett, Karen, Doug and I got to attend the ordination of Nathan Budde into the priesthood. None of us had ever been to an ordination before and were amazed at what a wonderful ceremony it was.  There were over seventy priests in attendance to celebrate the event as well as the Bishop for the Green Bay Diocese.  I could never put into words how beautiful it was to witness someone give their life fully to God.  It was so inspiring to see the support that Nathan received today and to hear about his journey in the seminary.  I did tear up several times when I saw Jenny crying.  I understood what it was like to watch a child get married but could never imagine the commitment that she was witnessing one of her own undertake. If I could still see Nathan as that cute, inquisitive little five-year-old at Brett's confirmation mass, just think what she saw.  Overall, it was a wonderful morning and all four of us were glad to have been a small part of it.

Once the ordination was over, Doug picked Title Town Brewing Company for lunch.  It had changed quite a bit since we were last there twenty years ago and we really loved the new look.  We ate brats on the roof top while Doug and Brett tried several of their microbrews.  We had the perfect view of the city of Green Bay and took some wonderful pictures while we were there.  The only negative was that Karen ended up with a sunburn.  I never even thought about that happening since the weather was on the cool side.

Tonight, the four of us went to the reception celebrating Nathan.  It reminded me a lot of a wedding celebration.  There was a dinner, open bar, and a guest book for us to sign.  Although there wasn't any dancing, there was a slide show and tables set up with memorabilia of Nathan's path to Christ.  There were a few speeches as well.  Doug got to see his Aunt Barb and cousin Rob who he hadn't visited with in over twenty years.  We had wonderful conversations at our table with friends of the Petrie family and caught up with each of Nathan's four siblings before we headed out.  Everything about today was wonderful.  I was so glad that we were invited and even happier that Brett, Karen, Doug and I got to share this day together.

An Afternoon Together

Doug and I had originally planned on going to the Chicago Art Institute today but ended up having an even better time in the Windy City. Cal told us last night that he was only going to work until noon and would have the entire afternoon off. We were really excited to hear that as we would prefer hanging out with one of our children over a museum any day. This morning while Cal was working, Doug and I walked through the Lincoln Park Zoo, picking up breakfast at their café and visiting the animals. Doug’s favorite part was getting to see the wolves in action. One of them had buried a sea gull and was digging it up for a snack when we walked up to the fence. It was the first time that we had ever seen a wolf that close and were amazed at the strength of the animal.

Cal was ready for lunch when we returned and the three of us spent the next four hours walking in Old Town, stopping for lunch at an Irish pub and having drinks at several of Cal‘s favorite bars. We talked about so many things, his work, living in Chicago, his thoughts on the future and memories from the past. I had so much fun and didn’t want the afternoon to end. Although I was sad when we finally pulled out of his apartment complex, I was very happy for the quality time that we got with one of our children today. I know that Cal would like it if we lived in the Midwest, and him popping in for an afternoon visit was the one thing that I knew I would miss most when we left Syracuse. I do believe that our family has made the best of it, living so many miles away, and I am glad to be an important part of our children's life. I am also already looking forward to our next visit to Chicago in July.

Heading to Chicago

Today was a lot of fun.  First Aunt Vicky stopped by to bring tables for the garage sale.  She had Molly, Jaxson and Greyson with her.  They helped me get a few things done and did a little shopping as well.  I tried to give them whatever they wanted, but Aunt Vicky insisted on paying, so we got the four of them some great items and made enough money to purchase yard signs for the sale.  

Once Doug was done working, he and I headed to Chicago for the night.  Traffic was better than I thought it would be and we made it in plenty of time for dinner.  Once Maggie arrived home from work, we walked to one of the oldest celebrity restaurants in Chicago.  Although the wait time was way too long for us, we had fun looking at all of the pictures of the famous guests that they had hosted over the years.  

Our next stop was Marge's, which was the longest continually running bar in the city.  We got the last open table and really enjoyed our meal.  The four of us talked a lot about the Survivor finale and the old episodes that Cal and Maggie were watching now.  It was amazing to me how different the weather felt just a few blocks away from the lake.  There was no wind, so it was a beautiful night for a walk.

After dinner, we went back to Cal and Maggie's apartment.  She had to get up at 4 a.m. so we said goodnight to her early and stayed up watching basketball with Cal.  He and I had a wonderful conversation after Doug fell asleep about life, family and so much more.  I was very thankful for his openness and enjoyed the evening very much.  

Making the Best of It

Doug and I did not get to go to Michigan like we planned due to a phone call from Doug's doctor and too much to do in the garage.  We were both disappointed in skipping our favorite places to visit in Holland and Saugatuck but made the best of the change in plans. We worked on the garage quite a bit which really helped me feel a lot better about getting everything done by next Thursday.  It wasn't all manual labor, however, as we also went to Oakwood for lunch on the patio and drinks at Goshen Brewing Company in the late afternoon followed by dinner at Hacienda.  The evening was spent playing cards and watching Jeopardy.  As an added bonus, I could finish up sorting clothes for the garage sale at the same time.  Overall, the day ended up being a lot of fun and productive as well, but most of all, I was just really happy to spend it with Doug.

Garage Sale Sorting Begins

 Doug worked from my parents today, so I really appreciated him helping me set up some tables last night for the garage sale.  There was so much more in the garage than I realized and I definitely felt overwhelmed.  I was glad to see that Brett had gotten rid of a lot from his apartment in Bloomington, but it was going to take me awhile to sort through it all.  I also could not believe how much my mom had decided to part with from her holiday collection and kitchen.  We had way more Christmas than I had dreamed possible.  It will take me the entire two weeks to get everything ready, so I was glad to get a good start today.

It wasn't all work as we did order Pizza Hut, play Oh Hell and watch Jeopardy with my dad.  That made all of the work today worth it.  I know that it will get done, just a little overwhelmed thinking about it. Until then, I will just enjoy the time I have with Doug and my parents and look forward to seeing the boys all soon.

Celebrating Cal's Birthday

Last night Doug and I stayed at my parents so that we could get up early and meet Cal and Maggie in South Bend.  We arrived before they did which gave us some time to stop at Target to purchase a few things that my mom needed and to return an order from Amazon.  While we were at Kohl's, Doug found some great deals on shorts which was an added bonus to our shopping trip.

Cal and Maggie met us at Putt-Putt for a friendly game of miniature golf.  There were a lot of families there celebrating Memorial Day together.  I laughed as I realized that we were just as excited arriving with our twenty-eight-year-old son as many were with their seven-year-olds.  The match was very close between Cal and I, but he pulled away at the end to win.  In the end, it didn't matter as the four of us enjoyed it very much.

Cal picked Evil Czech for lunch which was perfect as it was in the same parking lot as Putt-Putt.  It had always been one of our family's favorite restaurants and we enjoyed our meal very much.  Cal opened his birthday gifts from Doug, Cameron and I, appreciating the two new vinyls and vintage Cubs shirt.  While we were together, they told us all about their weekend in Michigan celebrating Maggie's dad's 60th birthday.  It sounded like a blast complete with a game of Amazing Race.  Cal and Maggie invited us to stay with them Thursday night on our way to Wisconsin which we really appreciated.  Saying goodbye wasn't as sad knowing that we would see the both of them very soon.   

The Art Museum and More

I got up several times last night and watched the grounds crew work to get the Mudhens field ready for their next game.  I thought a lot about all of the times that I had watched Mash with my dad and had heard Klinger talk about his beloved hometown baseball team.  I was a little in awe of the fact that I was sleeping in a room just feet from the stadium.  What a fun way to commemorate my favorite television show growing up. 

Doug and I checked out of the hotel by ten this morning so that we could pick Cameron up for today's adventure.  Our first stop was the Toledo Art Museum.  I couldn't believe how big it was.  Not all of the exhibits were open due to remodeling, but we really enjoyed those that were.  We learned a lot about the art on display and about the family that started the museum almost one hundred years ago.  It was very impressive.  

The guys wanted to find a brewery for lunch.  It took some investigating, but we finally settled on Inside the Five in a suburb of Toledo named Perrysburg.  The city of Toledo reminded us of a larger version of South Bend - industrial, several neglected neighborhoods and a renovated downtown.  Perrysburg was the exact opposite of that with lots of quaint houses, a downtown with antique shops and new apartment complexes.  It even had a disc golf course nearby.  It looked exactly like where Doug and I would have wanted to live if he had gotten a job in the Toledo area after college.  The three of us had fun exploring the town while waiting for our table at Inside the Five.  

Lunch was very good and we really enjoyed listening to Cameron talk about his thoughts on Toledo, the internship, and his senior year at IU.  It was hard to believe that next fall he would begin his final year in Bloomington.  So much has changed since we dropped him off three years ago, but it all seemed to happen very quickly. What an exciting time in his life.  I can't wait to see what he wants to do next.

Toledo

Doug and I left yesterday once he got off work to start our Midwest summer vacation. We didn’t quite get as far as we had hoped as there was a lot of traffic and rain south of Atlanta. We did make it to Tennessee, however, and this afternoon pulled into the University of Toledo parking lot around 4 PM. We were very happy to see Cameron, and he definitely seemed happy to see the both of us as well. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up on the past few months, buying a few supplies for Cameron‘s apartment, meeting his roommate, touring his dorm and checking out downtown Toledo.  I was impressed by how well Cameron had adjusted to internship life in such a short time and by how many people he already knew. 

Cameron picked the Maumee River Brewing Company for dinner, which was walkable from our hotel. On the way, we passed by Owens Corning.  I loved that it was situation right in the middle of all of the downtown action.  The food and the drinks at the brewery were fantastic. Klinger's beloved Toledo Mudhens were playing just across the street from our hotel and our room had the perfect view of the game. We watched a few innings from our hotel and then walked around the stadium to check out the action. There were also a few microbreweries for us to try, and we ended our evening in the hotel bar with a snack before Cameron headed back to his apartment. I couldn’t believe all that there was to do in downtown Toledo and sharing that with Cameron made it even more special. We have one more day to explore in the Glass City and I can’t wait to see what we find.

Hemingway's Boat

This week I finished the biography Hemingway’s Boat. This was officially, my 18th biography that I had read about the author. Because of this I wasn't surprised to see that there were several biographies referenced that I had already read, including ones by his oldest sister and youngest brother. Those excerpts made all of the new information that I gained from this particular biography even more interesting.

Hemingway's Boat focused mainly on his relationship with the Pilar, the famed yacht that he bought while living in Key West. I loved learning about the history of his beloved boat and the countless trips he took on it during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. He not only went fishing on it but used it as a research vessel for the science museum in New York, hosted parties on it with a multitude of celebrities, moved it with him to Cuba when he divorced from his second wife and even used it to help the US government look for Nazi submarine ships during World War II.

Like all Hemingway biographies there was a dark undertone to it. Besides the Pilar, this boat also featured everything else that he loved and lost from 1934 to 1961 including his own suicide. The last twenty-five percent of the book focused mostly on his son Gigi, who became a woman named Gloria later in life. That part was a lot harder to read as Gigi's life was an even more sad and tragic story than Hemingway's. I was glad, however, to have read the biography.  It reminded me of why I found Hemingway‘s life so incredibly fascinating. I don’t know if this will be my last biography on Hemingway, but I will take a break for a while. Either way, I am super proud of myself for finishing this long, detailed book and was glad that my family at least pretended to be interested in it when I talked non-stop about it.

Celebrating Number 33

Today Doug and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. There wasn’t any fan fair or big presents, but I did have dessert for us and we each gave her each other a beautiful handwritten card. It seemed very fitting for where we are in life right now.

The last five years have by far been some of the most challenging times in our marriage due to no fault of our own. Doug’s health issues, the stress that Champion put him under and his dad’s refusal to fulfill the promises that were made to us so many years ago have made life really hard. Throw in a few other specific incidents that happened to the rest of our family, and I’m surprised that we made it through. But the good news is we did persevere. I wasn’t surprised because we always have. We didn’t need to celebrate our anniversary tonight because every day is a celebration of life. We’ve made it a long way together and God willing we will make it even further.

I hope the next year brings an easier path for both of us, but if it doesn’t, I know that we’ll get through it together. That’s the best part about being married to Doug, his perseverance, strength and optimism make life so much easier. I couldn’t imagine being married to anyone else.

Happy Birthday Cal

Cal turned 28 today and I appreciated his early morning phone call so that I could wish him Happy Birthday first thing.  He was walking back to his apartment from the BMV as he had finally made an appointment to get an Illinois' driver's license.  He was supposed to get one within thirty days of moving to the windy city, but Cal just couldn't bring himself to do it.  His heart was still in Indiana and part of him would always be a Hoosier.  

As Cal talked about how horrible the picture on his license looked, I laughed to myself.  I didn't think it was funny that he hated his photo.  I laughed because I knew that his statement, "I will never show it to anyone" just wasn't true.  Cal had the confidence to show people a "terrible" picture of himself and laugh at it with them.  Deep down he really didn't care.  That was the part that I don't know if everyone understood about him.  He didn't spend a lot of time in deep thought.  He enjoyed the moment too much.  The part of Cal that I knew was obvious to everyone was that he was the most loyal person that most people would ever meet.  When you were part of his inner circle, you were there for life.  I wasn't surprised that he met friends that were just as loyal as he starting with Jacye in seventh grade leading up to his current group of friends, mostly from IU.  It has been fun to watch and to be a small part of it through phone calls and conversations.

So much of Cal's personality reminds me of my own, but I believe that the best part of him came from Doug.  Not just the loyalty, but the hard work ethic as well.  I have enjoyed hearing about his success at work and am proud that he has embraced life in Chicago to the fullest.  I was thankful for the phone call today and am looking forward to celebrating Cal this coming weekend in person.  Until then I will appreciate browsing through all the pictures I have saved from his childhood.  As much as I loved being a mom then, I think that I enjoy being a mom of adult children even more now.

Installation

Tonight, I went to my third CCW meeting of the year.  I had planned on going to more even though I had resigned as treasurer last summer, but the first one in September left a bad taste in my mouth.  The president accused me of being incompetent and screwing up the accounts.  According to her they were so bad that it would take a lot of work to fix it all.  I was taken off guard when she said it so I didn't confront her, but it wouldn't have mattered.  It wasn't the first time that she had lied or bad mouthed someone to the group.  I decided that I just wouldn't have much to do with CCW for the rest of the year.  I didn't have the time or energy to put into a group being led by someone who had treated me poorly and I do not regret that decision. I did attend one more meeting in March.  I was surprised to see that the treasurer's report started with the exact account balance that I have given them in August. Even with that validation of my competence, I still had no desire to be a part of the group until there was a new leader.

Thankfully, tonight there was an installation of officers and Robbi would be taking over as president.  I was happy for her and knew that she would work hard to make the group a positive experience for all members.  It was nice to sit with friends and know that I was valued.  That is what I believe most people want from a philanthropic group.

Owens Corning

Yesterday, Cameron packed up his Pilot and drove to Toledo.  He was excited about his summer internship with Owens Corning, but very nervous as well.  He hadn't moved anywhere where he knew absolutely no one or anything about the town that he would be living in for the next twelve weeks.  Even when he went to IU three and a half years ago, he was extremely familiar with Bloomington and Brett lived only a mile away from campus.  I was very glad to hear that he really liked the three roommates that he was paired with and that their apartment was nice.  The only problem he had was that he expected a twin bed and didn't bring full size sheets.  He could remedy that easily with a stop at Walmart later in the week.

Cameron called this evening to let us know that his internship had started off well.  There was a lot of getting to know everyone and the company that gave him an internship. I am sure that today foreshadowed the rest of his summer as it will be filled with a lot of learning since Cameron is new to working in the field of supply chain.  I believe that is what he is looking forward to the most as well as the extra spending money.  Although I will miss having him in Florida this summer, it is nice to know that Cameron will be getting a break from Bloomington for a few months and will get a taste of what life could look like after college. I can't wait to hear all about his first week when we visit Toledo next weekend.  

One More Added to the Beer Making Crew

Last night, while Meg and I were at the Jason Mraz concert, Phil showed Nick how to make beer.  Nick really enjoyed the lesson, Doug had a great time watching, and I was glad that the three of them were able to hang out together.  Nick was impressed by the operation and by Phil's knowledge of the beer making process.  He said that Phil talked the entire time that they were together, which is a rarity.  I don't think that Nick will be here to bottle the beer as he has to attend training in Ohio, but at least he got a taste of it, and we will save a few bottles for him to try when he returns. 

By moving to Florida, Nick gave up the quick trips to see his own family in the Midwest.  I don't know if he minds living over a thousand miles away from them as each family has their own dynamics to work through, but I am glad that we can step in at times and fill the void.  I would never want to take over being his parents, but I am very happy that we get along so well with our one and only son-in-law.  It makes everyone's lives a lot easier and brings a new perspective to the Heinisch family.

Jason Mraz

Several months ago, I noticed that Jason Mraz was going to be playing in Orlando and Clearwater this weekend. I said something to Meg and she seemed interested in going with me, but we didn’t spend a lot of time talking about it at the time. As the date grew closer, we both realize that Orlando wouldn’t work. The venue was closer to Meg’s apartment, but the tickets were a lot more expensive and it was on a Sunday night, which would mess up Meg‘s Monday morning work schedule. Thus, we focused on Clearwater instead. I wasn’t sure if it would work as it was a Saturday night and the venue was about an hour 45 from our house, but with Meg’s encouraging I went ahead and bought two tickets for us for tonight performance.

In the end, I was so glad that Meg kept encouraging me to go. I had really liked Jason Mraz‘s music ever since he was on Dancing with the Stars two years ago. My kids make fun of me for saying that his music is peppy when it’s really just a bunch of love songs, but I think it’s his personality that makes the music so much fun and that really came through at tonight's show. It started off a little strange as he had an opening act filled with folk music. Neither Meg nor I were sure why that was about until she read that the performer was the one who gave Jason Mraz his big break. We did enjoy the music and were thankful for a small intermission before the main show to change seats as there was an entire row open closer towards the stage and away from the crowds of people that we were sitting with. It made the show so much more enjoyable and gave us a minute to relax before the night really started.

Jason Mraz played for almost 2 hours showcasing every one of his songs that I knew by heart and even a few that I had never listened to before this evening. He had a new album out full of gospel music that he made for his grandma 20 years ago. He played a few of those as well.  They were very fun songs, and they fit his set list very well. Meg and I sang along to the ones we knew and clapped along to the rest. He made the crowd laugh, he made me cry, and I had such a good time that I was sad when the night ended. I couldn't believe that someone who I had never really heard of two years ago was now one of my favorite performers and that I got to see him on stage in person.  

The drive home was a little precarious because of a torrential rainstorm, but we safely made it before midnight. We were shocked to see Doug still awake, but it gave me a great opportunity to show him all of the video and pictures that I had taken tonight. It was the perfect way to end such a wonderful evening with Meg. One that I will not forget for a very long time.

A Different Kind of Summer

Yesterday, I went to lunch with Robbi and Robin at Chicken Salad Chick.  It has become one of our favorite places to meet and I really enjoy our luncheons.  It gives everyone a time to catch up, ask questions or find out what is going on with CCW.  This week there was a lot to discuss about the women's Catholic group as Robbi was voted in as president at the last general meeting.  Robin and I both have positions on her board and I was very glad to help Robbi get started on the agenda for her first board meeting in June.

There is another reason that I am very glad to be a part of CCW's leadership this year.  For the first time in thirty-one years, I will not have anyone home with me during the summer months.  It didn't really dawn on me how much I really looked forward to summer and having at least one child at home on break until we got back from California.  I cried then and could cry now thinking about it.  Thus, I am glad that I will have friends here to meet for lunch and involvement in a group.  I also thought about attending daily mass more, reading a few books on my list, and planning our next could of trips.  There are several indoor projects that I could work on as well.  The boys text or call often and Meg is close by as well, which I appreciate very much.

Most importantly, I realize that Cameron really needs a job this summer.  Therefore, I will make the best of my situation alone so that he can grow as a person (and make some much needed money.)  Being supportive is one thing that I can offer my adult children, and I am always happy to do that.  

Remote Work

The biggest adjustment for me to Doug's current job is that they frown upon working from home.  I hated the number of hours that Doug put in at Champion, but it was nice that he could decide when he would work remotely.  That allowed us to travel and to go to appointments easily as he would just work around our schedule.  One of the biggest draws to our current home was that it had a built-in desk space near the living room for Doug.  

Thankfully, Doug was able to get approval to work remotely two days during the last week of May.  That will allow him to travel with me to the Midwest to see the boys.  He will also be available at night to help with any projects that we need to do at my parents' home that week.  I really appreciate him asking as it makes our life a lot easier.  I hope that something will change and he will be able to work from home more often, but for now, I am just glad for the days that he did get approval.  

Off to Michigan

Cameron and Cora spent the past three days in Michigan traveling to various cities throughout the state.  I enjoyed listening to them talk about their trip on their way back to Fishers this afternoon.  While the two of them were there they were able to eat at several of our favorite restaurants including New Holland Brewing Company and Founders Brewery.  They also went wine tasting in Traverse City and hiked an impossible dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes.  I thought that it was awesome that Cora ordered a drink named The Hemingway while I was reading about the famed author’s boyhood summers in the same area.  While in Michigan, they even visited the Grand Rapids high school that Cora’s mom graduated from in the 1990s.  Overall, their trip sounded like the perfect end to a challenging semester and I was very happy to hear that they had a lot of fun and felt that they could officially put their junior year behind them.