A Week in Florida

Meg and Nick had so much fun in Florida in January that they talked about going back once school got out.  They weren't sure how they'd swing a second vacation, so Doug suggested that they go down in May when he was in Ocala for work.  They thought that was a great idea and started researching day trips from Ocala.  Once they figured out that there would be plenty to do, they made plans to visit the sunshine state this past week.  They were worried for a little while that gas prices would make it impossible for them to go, but both committed to working a couple of extra shifts this spring semester and saved up enough for the extra cost.  

This week while Doug was working, Meg and Nick visited Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Springs, Clearwater Beach, Magic Kingdom and Lido Key.  I know that they had a lot of fun as they texted pictures continually throughout the week.  They did get to spend some time with Doug as they went to dinner at Crazy Cucumber with him on Tuesday night and Brick City Kitchen on Friday night.  As an added bonus they got to visit with Uncle Phil as he had driven down from Atlanta to see Doug.  Nick also got to experience Buc-ee's for the first time even getting a picture with the "famous" beaver.  Overall, it was a wonderful trip for the two of them and an awesome way to celebrate the end of the semester.  

Bethany Band

Tonight was the last musical concert of the year at Bethany.  Since there haven't been very many performances over the past two years due to the pandemic, I definitely wanted to be there.  Doug wasn't able to attend due to his work schedule, but thankfully Grandma and Grandpa were available.  Even though we were only there for the band, we did enjoy the orchestra and jazz band as well.  It was also nice to listen to the teachers recognize the graduating seniors.  Cameron hung out with a lot of them and it was fun to hear what their instructors had to say about them.  

Obviously, the band was our favorite of the evening.  They played two songs from their gold winning ISMAA performance along with a medley from "How to Train Your Dragon."  The entire ensemble gathered to perform the seniors pick - High School Musical complete with Wildcat chanting during the song.  Overall, it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it very much.  I made sure to video tape the show for Doug.  I know Meg will get a kick out of the finale.  

One is the Loneliest Number . . .

Today was by far the hardest one since Doug left last Saturday.  I have tried very hard to keep busy in his absence and for the most part it has worked.  During the day, I planted flowers, sorted through the Toy Story toys, cleaned the windows, and started watching the series Better Call Saul.  At night I hung out with Cameron listening to his vinyls and watching Seinfeld with him.  I had a lot of fun with him and was definitely distracted with my to-do list, but for whatever reason today was challenging. 

Thus, I was thankful that my mom was available to take me to Menards to buy Mulch.  It was very helpful and it was nice just to get out of the house.  I was also glad that Cameron was up for playing cards tonight.  I am terrible at Euchre, but at least it kept me busy.  Doug and Meg are leaving Saturday morning, so I know that I will see them soon.  I am really looking forward to that.

Celebrating the Success

Last week was a big week in Brett's life.  On Tuesday he spent the day campaigning for Dave Hall during his successful primary election.  Brett was elated that his candidate had won as he had spent quite a bit of time making phone calls and knocking on doors for Hall.  Then on Saturday, he helped to run a very successful Tootsie Roll drive for the Bloomington Knights of Columbus.  He was in charge of finding all of the volunteers for the drive and in collecting the money after masses at both St. Paul's and St. John's.  He was happy to report tonight that they had raised almost $3000 for their cause - the Special Olympics.

Brett had decided that the best way to celebrate his success and to spend his well earned free time was to invite Grandma and Grandpa down for his "weekend."  They had asked him several times to pick a date for a visit and this worked out perfectly for both.  They arrived yesterday afternoon and everyone had a great time.  They watched a favorite movie of Brett's about a ham radio operator, played multiple games of Clue and took several walks.  They also made time for a celebration dinner at Crazy Horse complete with Hartzell's for dessert.  Overall, it was a fun way for Brett to celebrate his successful week and a nice get away for Grandma and Grandpa.  

An Impromptu Visit

Cal called Saturday from Las Vegas to let me know that he was having a lot of fun.  He had lost some money, but not enough to ruin the good time that he was having.  At the end of our conversation he mentioned that he was thinking about coming home on Sunday.  I reminded him that his Dad would be in Florida, but he said that he didn't mind.  He was hoping to be home for Mother's Day.

Cal texted me once his flight landed on Sunday afternoon to let me know that he would be home that evening.  Cameron and I were happy to see him.  He was pretty tired from his four day weekend in Vegas, but did make time to watch a few episodes of Seinfeld.  It was a nice Mother's Day surprise.  

Cal worked from home on Monday.  It was great to eat lunch with him.  It's usually pretty quiet at home, so I appreciated the company even if I only saw him for a minute or two when he ran up to get a cup of coffee.  He got off work in time to join Grandma, Grandpa and I at the Tippy Country Club for Cameron's match against Wawasee.  He not only got to see Cameron finish as low medalist, but also visited with a bag boy and an assistant pro that he worked with several summers ago.  He even got to see his old high school golf coach.  Afterward he played Racko with Cameron, Grandma and Grandpa.

Today was a quiet day for him as he spent the majority of it working.  I did get to eat lunch and dinner with him which was very nice.  Before he left, we got the outdoor table and chairs that he wanted from our house for his new apartment into the CR-V.  I was impressed that it all fit as it wasn't overly flexible.  He was excited for his move and I couldn't wait to see his new place.  I was sad when he left tonight as I always am when any of the Heinisch children leave, but very glad that he had taken the time to visit. 

Roe v Wade

Last week it was leaked that the Supreme Court had written a draft to overturn the Roe v. Wade case.  That was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1973 in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.  When I first read the news, I thought it was a hoax.  More than one source, however, had followed up on the story and it really does look like the Court will overturn the decision this summer.  I was completely shocked.  I knew that several states had made their abortion laws stricter, but I never dreamed that in my lifetime, the decision would be overturned at the Federal level. 

My Dad asked me what I thought about the news when we were out to dinner last night.  I had given abortion a lot of thought over the years, so I was prepared with my answer right away.  In all honesty, I felt that a fetus was a baby.  We were told when I was pregnant with Cameron that once a baby in the womb reached nine weeks and had a heartbeat, there was a 95% chance of survival.  I did not think that I had the right to end that life.  In saying that I also didn't believe that I had a right to tell others what to do with their own body.  They had to make that decision for themselves.  What we all agreed on was that better education could help in preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place.  I also added that I wished that adoption was seen as a better option than abortion. 

Today, I was completely taken off guard by some related news.  It seemed that several states were considering outlawing contraception.  That made no sense to me at all.  How could the government decide that a person would not be allowed to prevent unwanted pregnancies?  I couldn't rationalize that no matter how hard I tried.  I thought that maybe it was just an over sensationalized story that one news source picked up on, but Cal had heard the story as well.  He wondered what would happen to women who already had an IUD in place.  Would they forcibly remove them?  I never even thought about that.  It sure seems the world has been turned upside down these past two years.  

Mother's Day 2022

Mother's Day 2022 looked a little different than holidays in the past.  Doug and Meg were both traveling to Florida and Brett was in Bloomington working.  Cal was returning from a fun weekend in Las Vegas and Cameron spent the afternoon playing golf with Grandpa.  We had never really made a big deal out of Mother's or Father's Day, but at first I was a little sad thinking about being alone for most of the day today.

In the end it turned out to be a very nice day.  Grandma and I spent the afternoon buying flowers for my yard and planters.  I thought while Doug was gone this week, the planting would keep me busy.  Once Cameron got home, we listened to Juice Wrld and opened my Mother's Day gift.  Cameron had picked out a pair of sunglasses for me which I absolutely loved.  I also opened Doug's card and appreciated that he left one for me before he headed to Brett's last night.

Grandma and Grandpa invited Cameron and I to dinner tonight to celebrate Mother's Day.  Cameron chose the new Mexican restaurant in town and we both enjoyed our meal and the company.  The highlight of the evening was watching Grandpa flinging his teeth on the ground.  Grandma loved the hanging basket that we got her and I enjoyed the bag of snacks that they gave me.  

Cal decided that he wanted to spend Mother's Day at home which was very nice considering that he had just flown in from Vegas.  He was tired when he arrived at 9 p.m., but made time to watch a few episodes of Seinfeld while finishing off the leftovers from dinner.  I didn't know what to expect today with half of the Heinisch home busy this year on Mother's Day .  Overall, it was a very nice day and proved that just being the Mom of the Heinisch four was enough to make the holiday special.