The Big 4-0!

At


age


20...










And


age


40!






There's

something

to

be

said






for

A
G
I
N
G
!









Happy Birthday
on
The Big 4-0!

Another Icy Morn

My

neighbors

think

I'm

crazy,





crouching

in

the

roadside

ditch,





peering

beside

culverts,







watching

the

water

flow







on

Another

Icy

Morn.


Here's to exercising with Dan's dog Along Life's Road.
Sorry, it's not easy to wave and keep a firm grip on the leash.

Grown Up

He's so calm.


You look handsome.


He so CUTE!


These are a few responses Noah received today from a cashier, his former kindergarten teacher and two seventh-grade girls as he donned his first pair of glasses after school and at tonight's school concert.

At last week's examination, the eye doctor had said, "(Noah) looked out the window at fuzzy tree branches. I held up a couple lenses for him to look through and he smiled: It's clear! His vision is 20/70 – a no brainer. He needs glasses."



What's
Noah's
response?




I

feel

Grown Up!

1, 2, 3, Slide

"I don't want your advice," Noah whined, head down as he slumped into a chair, frustrated with the gutter ball he'd thrown for the umpteenth time.

(Mom had insisted this eight-year-
old bowl without bumpers, offering stepping and hand-
positioning lessons with some success.)

"Can I have quarter?" Noah asked looking at the vending machines for consolation. Dad dug in his wallet and pulled out a dollar, saying: "See if you can get change."

Noah returned handing back one quarter and showing off his mouthful of gum balls.


Meanwhile Aaron aired his hands, lifted out his ball and chided us to watch his

(in a very screechy, high voice)

"SWEET skills." Translation: a few strikes, some spares and several gutter balls.

Dan bent his knees, hunched with his ball close to his mouth and focused on the pins before scampering up to release his tries at speeds of 20 mph... compared to the rest of ours at 9-15 mph.

Aah... how modern-day technology brings novice bowlers into the leagues of televised professionals.

Bing! Bang! Boom! Dan shot his fingers towards the floor – "Happy Gilmore" style as he "one up-ed" the boys with a strike.

During the
manly competition
of the third game,

Isaac came
off the bench
and into his own –

showing brother Aaron

hows its done

versus

talking it all up.


At the mention
of a "Game Four,"
Mom put
her foot down.

Time to

1,2,3 Slide

into the restaurant
for supper.

Too mushy to ski. Too risky to ice fish. Too wet to hike or picnic. That's why we bowled this Spring Break!

Spring Scenes

A young bald eagle takes flight after seeking its morning meal in the marshy meadow-
land.


Trumpeter swans
seek refuge
along the
flowing creek
while waiting
for their
nesting pond
to thaw.



Sharing scene's of Spring's First official day – here Along Life's Road.

March Morning amidst Minnesota's Moorlands

Clarity of Living

Deep within my flesh
lies an inner drivenness


to connect

to create

to share.





My husband complains about that need. His qualm? The concern that with "productivity," quantity impedes quality.

Each day my mind seeks a puzzle


to ponder

to resolve

to release.


My husband grumbles about that desire. His qualm? The concern that one's time should yield something to rub between one's fingers and thumb.



How my spirit
longs to be


satisfied

content

at peace.





My husband advises: Distractedness results from too much "creativity." Pare down and find Joy, Peace and Clarity of Living.

Spring's First Gem

When the warm wind blows

and water fills the lows

and the sun shines bright

and it's warm all night,


I seek Spring's first gem

bursting from a ruddy stem

in the marshland floods

come pussy willows buds.

Spring is sprung TODAY Along Life's Road.
Many happy returns to all fellows of St. Patrick!

End-O-Winter Reflection

I love the seasons, but I'll admit: I'm tired of winter!

Yet I wouldn't trade this morning's opportunity to capture its sunrise over the creek's thin ice.



What a blessing to GET OUT and taxi my brood to baseball and track practice during the school Spring Break.

Winter Waves Wander...

...across the field
over the creek bed
up the grade –


captured


by
the
distant
cornstalks

waiting
to be rolled
into the earth.

Spring Break Starts

and the boys are up to their tricks already. Check out Aaron's latest moves on the snow quickly melting at our place.














Woo-Hoo. Nine days to burn 'til school's back in session!

Ten Commandments

of Human Relations

Alas! I stumbled across this gem today while rummaging through boxes from my past.

1. Speak to People.
There is nothing so nice as a cheerful word of greeting.

2. Smile at People.
It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.

3. Call People by Name.
The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of his/her name.

4. Be Friendly and Helpful.
If you would have friends, be a friend.

5. Be Cordial.
Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6. Be Genuinely Interested in People.
You can like almost everybody if you try.

7. Be Generous with Praise – Cautious with criticism.

8. Be Considerate with the Feelings of Others.
There is usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other fellow's and the right side.

9. Be Alert to Give Service.
What counts most in life is what we do for others.

10. Add to this a Good Sense of Humor, a Big Dose of Patience and a Dash of Humility and you will be rewarded many fold.


Passing the Peace Along Life's Road.

Common Sense

"Well, I've got the most common sense," our 12-year-10-month-
and-21-day-old son snorted. "At school, we learned between the ages of 13 and 21 people lose their common sense. That means (14-year-old) Isaac's got none. And Noah – pppff! – He may be eight but..." Aaron rolled his eyes trying to "one up" his brothers.

"If that's the case, you've got a month before yours goes too," I countered. "Now keep it down. Dad's trying to drive."

For the past 15 minutes, our wily sons had been teasing and poking each other in the backseat of the truck. The behavior began weeks ago with rotten weather and sickness keeping us cooped up in the house.

Dan and I decided to combat this restlessness by packing up the family for a winter outing.

I stuffed a couple shopping bags with hot dogs, brats, buns, chips, apples, oranges, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate chips, water bottles, paper plates and napkins.

Dan threw in the ax, a shovel, kindling, newspapers and matches. The idea was to hold an evening meal over a campfire at our pond place.

We pulled up to the property,
parked on the roadside,
carried our supplies
over the frozen snow
and set up camp
in an opening
overlooking the lake.



Dan split
a few logs
and started
the fire.



The
boys
followed
suit




putting
their

pent-up
energy



to

productive

use







before

wandering

off




to


e
x
p
l
o
r
e






the

t
r
a
i
l
s






and
other

icy
wonders.





Today
was

the
official
start

of

Daylight's
Saving's
Time.





Dusk



would
last



past
7 PM.




We
sought
signs

of

pond
life:




tracks

in
the

snow

and channels of thin ice around the beaver lodge.

Noah's curiosity drew him closer. I warned: "Stay back! Open water is NOT safe."

I explained how the beaver's swimming motion keeps the ice thin so they can surface. I pointed to the heavy foot-and-tail prints.

Isaac loped up to another channel closer to the shore. "Get back!" I warned wondering no more about his lack of common sense. He stomped his shoe (No boots!) to assure me that all was solid.

Then he inserted a long stick, measured the depth to the murky bottom and pointed to the level at chest height. I heard a crackling underfoot, moved back and said: "You hear that? Clear out."

"I didn't hear anything," Isaac said as we headed back to the campfire. We saw Aaron wandering along the far shore. I puttered through the wooded trail and cringed upon hearing Mr. Common Sense holler: "That's freaking cold Mr. Biglesworth!"



Back at the fire,

our avid fisherman

showed his

barehanded catch...


...and

bared his feet
to warm them
by the fire.

"You know when there's water, I HAVE to fish!" Aaron said. "I fell in, but it was WORTH it."

Imitating British adventurer Bear Grylls, Aaron explained,"I saw minnows in the open water, bent down and scooped them out onto the land."

"They're protein!" he said poking a stick into one and casting it over the fire to roast. Dan roasted the soaked socks – plunging sticks into the snow and hanging them near the flame along with Aaron's boots turned upside down to dry.

Meanwhile I attempted to roast supper – poking a couple brats onto the campfire fork. Dan did the buns.

Halfway through the meal, Aaron complained about his wet pants and sweatshirt. I asked, "You mean you fell all the way in?"

"Yeah. After I got the minnows, the ice cracked and I hit bottom right away," he said. "I tried jumping up on the other side, but it broke too. So I got out where I went through."

"How deep was it?" I asked. He said, "Chest deep."

I heaved, "Just like Isaac showed us with the stick."

To Isaac, I said, "You see! I did hear the ice crack."

"I saw it," Aaron said.

"Then where's your common sense?" I sighed.

"You know – your ability to resist impulsive-
ness?

I'd say: it's gone already!"

And so were we – on our way home – wondering about our parental Common Sense.