It seems that my “Latest” posts have, of late, gone from being a quarterly/seasonal thing to a semi-annual thing. Yikes! So much to catch up on.
It was a momentous winter that began with the sale of our family’s “Playhouse” on Lake of the Ozarks. It became crystal clear to Wendy and me this past year that it was time. After 25 years in the family, and over 15 years as stewards of this thin place, we sold it to our friends Randy and Melissa from Pella. We know they will only make it better and continue to both be blessed and bless others with it as we have attempted to do these many years. Our friends Eric and Amy were gracious to drive down with us and help pack up the final load. So many memories got packed up in those boxes. We also took the opportunity to visit a couple of our favorite haunts: The Tavern at Trails End and The Branding Iron. Thank God Eric worked or United Van Lines back when he was working his way through school. I don’t know how we got it all in load!
Late fall and the holidays were special, as always. We got to enjoy football, friends, and family. We celebrated Milo’s 7th birthday with the VLs and Papa Dean. Milo especially loved having light saber fights with the VL boys, which meant that Papa enjoyed a respite from Milo’s incessant desire for “Jedi training.” Wendy and I had friends over for an en-joy-able dinner to celebrate her birthday. Our friends Matthew and Sarah treated us to dinner and an evening with C.S. Lewis in Des Moines.
We were sad that Madison, G, and MJ were unable to make the journey from South Carolina to join us for Christmas this year, but we had plenty of family including my dad, two siblings, niece Emma, as well as Taylor’s crew. I introduced Sylvie and Milo to the joy of bellying up to the bar at Vander Well Pub for a Shirley Temple. That’s become a highlight of any and every visit to Papa and Yaya’s house. We were also blessed to have a bunch of Wendy’s siblings home for Christmas at the Halls, including Suzanna and her two wee ones.
New Year’s Eve weekend began with the annual Vikings-Packers family smackdown with our nephew Sam and his burgeoning crew. So fun to have niece Emma join us again this year. It’s always fun when the Vikings win the big rivalry! 😉
New Year’s Eve itself was uneventful this year as Wendy and I delayed celebration of our 19th wedding anniversary for the early February cruise we’d been planning for almost two years.
Late last summer I was asked to step back into leadership at Union Street Players, Pella’s Community Theatre. This is my twelfth term as President. Wendy and I haven’t really been involved for the past 6-8 years. The organization is facing multiple challenges including the moving and setting up of our Costume Shop to a new location which has been a monumental task.
The challenges haven’t always been a lot of fun, but what was a lot of fun was getting back on stage in a show for the first time since 2016. I got to play Major Metcalf in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap which is one of the most legendary shows in stage history. It’s been running continuously on London’s West End for over 70 years and 70,000 performances, and Wendy and I got to see it in London the last time we were there. Rehearsals began in early January, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience with both cast and crew. It was fun to be back on stage with old theatre comrades as well as sharing the stage with some talented young actors.
When Wendy and I were engaged 20 years ago, we planned a honeymoon in New Orleans. Neither of us had been to NOLA and we were really looking forward to it. Then came hurricane Katrina which blew away our honeymoon plans along with everything else. We shifted our honeymoon to San Antonio and vowed that someday we’d make it to New Orleans.
A couple of years ago, Wendy found an incredible deal on a cruise leaving out of the Port of New Orleans. We figured it would be a fun way to celebrate our 20th Anniversary a little early. So, we planned a week in NOLA followed by a seven-day cruise to the southern Caribbean.
What we DIDN’T plan on when Wendy booked the trip almost two years before was that the SUPER BOWL would be in New Orleans the DAY AFTER our cruise pulled out of port. When our time share couldn’t guarantee us a room on the night before the ship left port we thought, “No problem! We’ll just get a hotel room that night.” We then found there was only ONE hotel with a room available in New Orleans that night and it was charging well-over $1000 a night. “WHAT?!” So, we ended up driving an hour outside of New Orleans for the final night of our week in NOLA and then got to fight the Super Bowl crowds and parade to get to our ship. Happy to say we made it.
We enjoyed NOLA, though both Wendy and I both agreed that we can check it off the bucket list. Neither of us feel a need to return. The highlights were the World War II museum which is a must-see for anyone who loves history. We breezed through it in one day, though I could have easily spent three days taking it all in. We also love, Love, LOVED Preservation Hall. We also enjoyed Schnitzel’s on Bourbon Street and felt compelled to stop at Lefitte’s Blacksmith Shop which is tabbed as the oldest pub in America, dating to the 1700s. That still can’t hold a candle to the Brazen Head in Dublin that was serving pints during Crusades, but still fun. Yes, the beignets at Cafe Du Monde were the bomb, and I got a selfie with the Oscar-Meyer wiener mobile which I can check off my bucket list, as well!
As we were walking down Bourbon Street early one afternoon we happened upon the Lombardi Trophy that was being photographed and videotaped for promotional purposes before the Super Bowl. Nabbed a selfie. Probably the closest I’ll ever get to it. It was also sobering to spend a few minutes at the impromptu street memorial for those killed by a terrorist in the wee hours this past New Year’s Day.
One of the unexpected surprises was finding out that the subject of one of Wendy’s favorite artworks (it hangs in our dining room) is actually in New Orleans. We didn’t know that until we saw some paintings of it inside a local artists’ venue. One of the only “weeping angel” monuments in the world is inside a private family mausoleum in one of NOLA’s famed above ground cemeteries. We found it, and while the mausoleum was locked, we were able to peer inside and take a photo.
The cruise was also the highlight of our vacay. Wendy and I absolutely love cruising, and we are content to simply enjoy being at sea, in our state room, and on our room’s verandah. The only time either of us got off the ship on the seven-day excursion was when I disembarked in Porto Costa Maya for a tour of some Mayan ruins, which had been a bucket list item for me since World History class in high school.
We returned home to enjoy the first Spring in 15+ years that we weren’t feeling the responsibility of getting down to the lake and getting the Playhouse ready and stocked for a busy summer season. We’ve enjoyed dinners with friends, time with family, having Milo and Sylvie spend weekends with us, and working on home projects at Vander Well Manor that we’ve been putting off for far too long. Our Sunday Evening “neighborhood” has enjoyed watching Bad Sisters together and is now enjoying Season 2 of 1923. I got to go flying a few weeks ago with our friend Eric and enjoy a gorgeous spring afternoon in Iowa which was a real treat.
The family is all doing well.
My dad celebrated his 88th birthday in March. Not bad for someone who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma over ten years ago and was told he might not make it more than another three or four years. His stained-glass work continues to be in demand and keeps him busy. He’s even taken some painting classes in his retirement community. We love having him in worship with us on Sundays and having him bring us some of his fresh baked goods.
Grandkids continue to grow like weeds and we enjoy every moment we get with them. We’re looking forward to enjoying Pella Tulip Time this year as we’ve handed-off our annual roles as Pella’s founding couple. We get to just enjoy the annual festival without responsibilities this year.
