And as one of my fellow actors said,

 "That's a wrap."

This year I found myself participating in another play, "Lafferty's Wake." I read in our county paper that there was going to be a casting call. And after talking it over with Joyce, we decided that this fall would be open if I actually got a part. Last year, for some reason ;-) was not a good year for me going out for long stretches at a time. But now, since that chapter was finished, we thought getting me out of her now growing hair for a while might be an okay change of pace. We  will come back to that in a few paragraphs.

The audition went well, in my humble opinion. It was humorous filling out the application. There was a part that asked if I could sing. Well, anyone who knows me knows my answer was a resounding NO!!!!!. Literally, that is how I put it on there. There was a part that asked if I could dance. Again, NO!!!!! Was my answer. As some would say, as a dancer I am a singer and as a singer I am a dancer. I can't understand why people aren't able to equate singing in tune as singing louder. Honestly, that is what I do.

Of course, being an old bald guy helps get parts written for old bald guys. So I had that going for me. And there was a part that fit those two criteria. To shorten this part of the blog, I did get offered a part as a bartender. And without reading most ( let's put that as hardly any ) of the script, I said I would take the part. After all, how much would a barkeeper be able to say in a two hour play? As it turns out, quite a bit.

Rory Finn turns out to be the Master of Ceremonies at his good friend's wake. So, for two hours of the show, I was there for all but 3 minutes. I guess I should have looked at the script a bit better. Oh, did I mention that Rory had a couple of solo singing parts? Which turned out to be kind of hilarious during our practices. I have been on stage enough to know that once you have adopted the character as your own, it is full throttle ahead. So when it came to the singing parts that is what I did. They kept asking me to sing in tune, so of course I just sang louder and louder and louder. I kept reminding the other cast members of how I had "punctuated" my application.

The play was a dinner theatre production and we were suppose to shatter the "fourth wall." In most plays, the audience is only presented with actors addressing three walls. The fourth wall is the wall that faces the audience. The audience is the fourth wall. And when that wall gets "broken" the audience is either talked to directly or becomes part of the production. In this play, they became part of the production. Did I mention this was a comedy? Needless to say, the unsuspecting audience was included in many of the lighter moments. We only had one person who did not appreciate being brought up on stage to participate. I suppose that is not too bad for the 40 or 50 people we selected over the course of the six night run.

In the end it was a fun project. It was well received. I didn't forget too many lines. I sang as loudly as I needed. And in the end, Joyce discovered that me being away that many times during the night was not as well received by The Dude as she might have thought. I guess she had to spend most of those evenings sitting beside him. And now that Joyce is well, sitting for an evening is not something that comes easily.

here is a link to a mannequin challenge that is all the rage I guess:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_iJTYTNpsrs&time_continue=27

Rest in Peace, Jacob

My heart aches today. I am crying as I write these words.

Jacob Wetterling, a former student in the teaching team where he was a student the day he was kidnapped, was finally brought home. He is not alive in body, nor has he been since the day he was kidnapped, but he is alive in spirit, and has been since that same day.

It has been a very long and arduous journey for the Wetterling family and for those who were closely involved. I had always hoped the filming we had done as a school project would be helpful in bringing Jacob home. Alas, it was not to be.

I am glad many of us now know. I have always been angry that Jacob was a victim of a predator. It is hard to work through the stages of grief when in the final stage one just does not know the final fate.

Every gathering, every large group activity always had me scanning faces to see if there was a chance that he might be one of them. There was always the chance. There was always the hope.

Rest in Peace, Jacob

Ta Da, end of treatments day!

So, what do we know after all is said and done? We know that Joyce is free from her cancer. We know that what she had to go through, I would not wish on anyone. We know that because of the advancement of medicine, she has a 97% chance of her cancer not returning. More than that, we know that we have the best support system we could ever hope to have. Starting with our immediate family, who were there at a moment's notice in case we needed anything; Our friends, who prayed, cooked, visited and offered words of encouragement throughout the process and of course, the medical staff, who held our hands throughout the process. 

We can not say enough good things about The Coborn Cancer Center and the staff. I can not imagine a job too much more difficult than meeting complete strangers to deliver the news that cancer is now a part of their lives. I can not imagine a more difficult job trying to keep the hopes and spirits of affected patients positive. I can only imagine the positive reward for their work when they see a patient "survive" against odds that were stacked against them. 

The facility itself presents a hopeful environment in which patients feel secure in the hope for the future. It has all the incremental elements necessary to answer the questions of the patients as soon as they are ready to ask them. From a pleasant architectural setting to social work outreach to the personal enhancement section where patients are given free wigs, scarves and hats. Every question had an answer that inspired hope for the future.

Our friends who prayed for us and kept us in their thoughts should know that in the darker hours, yours was the light that kept our heads high and looking ever forward. Your phone calls, your food, your gifts, your patience with Gary when he would not let you visit, and your hugs when he did. Thank all of you for being there for us.

Cole, Sharon, Kylara, Garrison, brothers and sisters have been amazing through all of this. At the drop of a hat, if needed, whatever needed to be provided was there for us. Encouragement, food, housekeeping, hair (yes, hair) and dog sitting services were there for the asking.

To all of you, thank you.

I would like to say that the time has passed by quickly, but I can not. Since all of this started in mid October time seemed to drag along. I suppose it being winter, Joyce pretty much confined to quarters and my historical dislike for the winter months made it feel that way. The brightest spot through all of this has been Joyce's eternally optimistic outlook at the outcome. Never once has she altered her opinion that she was going to get through this as a winner. Even on her most debilitated day following her chemo treatment, her mood was always looking ever positively forward. I believe she was her own best healer. I suppose that is one of the reasons I agreed to let her marry me. ;-)

For now, we are moving ahead with the plans that we had before all of this started. We are going to be camping more, golfing more, canoeing more, fishing more, bicycling more and we can do that with a fresher appreciation of life. So, there you are. This side trip on our life journey is at an end and we are back on track to many many more days regaling in life here at Peaceful Pines. By the way, I have officially opened the gates to visitors if you would like to drop by and say hi.

One of these things is not like the other....

camper

We decided that this year we would camp in a bit easier manner when we head north for our annual up north fall color foray. Every now and again, I look at the offerings of the online auctions that are taking place in Minnesota. I pay closer attention to the ones that are nearer to us. I happened to be looking at the K-bid auction site and saw one that was listed in Little Falls. There it was. It looked nice. It was close. AND, it was a "no reserve" auction. It was close enough that we actually went to look it over, so that we would be sure that it would suit our needs, and that it was in relatively good condition. It did and it was. So, between now and our trip up north, there will be a few things to work on, but it should be a little bit easier on our aging bones compared to the cots we have been using the last couple of years. It also has a few appliances that will make it more comfortable as well. The heater, the fridge and the water pump all work. Heck, even The Dude will get his own bed out of the deal.

Kidney Stone

7 and counting. Gary is in the process of passing another kidney stone as of this writing. It looks like it is going to be a go in and get it taken out kind of stone. It has been traveling since the beginning of August but has decided to park for a while. I had an MRI the other day and it showed a 4mm stone thumbing its metaphorical nose at us. So, if you see me walking funny for a while, that will be the reason.

Cancer

The other day we got the news that, from the tests that Joyce had done after she discovered a lump, that she had indeed stumbled upon a bit of Cancer. Of course that is not the news one wants to receive, but with Joyce's family history it was not totally unexpected. The course of action for her is first a lumpectomy followed by targeted radiation. The surgery was on September 17th, her recovery from that will last until October 7. The radiation is an every day excursion into St.Cloud. We have decided to include The Dude in our daily trips so he does not feel like he is getting the short end of the attention deal. He has been adjusting nicely since his return from Iowa and we want that to continue.

So, one of these things is not like the other can, you guess which one?

The Dude, the interview

The following is an excerpt taken from an article found in the DOG EARED NEWS. While there are many examples of negative stories, here is an example of humans stepping up to do the right thing.

Interviewer 

I think it may be safe to say that a few people who are reading this may be surprised that you have returned to Peaceful Pines on a full time basis.

The Dude 

yes, I think you may be right. It was not how we had planned it all out , but here I am.

Interviewer

planned it all out?

The Dude

Well, the plan, initially, was for me to settle in with Garrison while he continues his studies in Iowa. But, there were some complications that came up and a group consensus thought returning to Peaceful pines was in my best interest.

Interviewer 

group?

The Dude 

yes, I am blessed with a great group of handlers. Garrison, Kristine, Joyce and Gary are my most trusted group and I have implicit faith in their judgement. I mean after all, they rescued me from the situation I was in and have been looking out for me ever since then.

Interviewer

You mentioned some complications?

The Dude

yes, I am paraphrasing here, but there is an old saying that "you can take the dog out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the dog."

 Interviewer

How does that apply in this instance?

The Dude

Well, Garrison, at the moment, is living in a room on the second floor of a rather large house in the middle of Fairfield, Iowa. And while Fairfield is not a super large city, it does have a fair amount of traffic. The loud cars, the honking in the middle of the night and just the general "city" noises tended to make me nervous. I also had to be on a leash whenever I was outside. That is something I was not used to having to do. And to Garrison's credit, he could tell that I was not adjusting to the new environment.

Interviewer

Were there any good things that came out of your time there?

The Dude

Oh, definitely, yes. First, I got to spend the time with Garrison that we both had wanted for a long time. He and I would walk all over the place. I also met some very nice people and even made friends with a dachshund named Oz. AND I am proud to say that, with Garrison's help, I was able to go up and down the stairs relatively easily. I am sure that will help me here at Peaceful Pines if I ever need to get down to the basement and back up again.

Interviewer

So, what are your plans for the future?

The Dude

Well, as you know, a dog's life is a day to day thing. So, I plan to just enjoy each day that I am here at Peaceful Pines. I notice that my friend ,the chipmunk, is still around, so he will let me chase him around. I know I will never catch him. and to be honest, I am not sure what I would do If I ever did. But, it gets my heart pumping when I do chase him around the yard.

Interviewer

It seems like Joyce and Gary have welcomed you back with open arms.

The Dude

I'll say. They have put things back in the places that I recognize and Gary even built me a brand new bed. I tried it out for the first time last night and there is plenty of room on this one to move around during the night. And, it is a lot easier on Gary's arms when I need to have some human contact. The other bed was too low and made it difficult for him to reach me when I needed him to wake me from my bad dreams.

Interviewer

Well, welcome back to Peaceful Pines. I have a hunch we will be reading more about your adventures in the future.

The Dude

Thank you. But now I think it is time for a nap. It is funny how the fresh air and silence of this place makes you just want to lay back and relax.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Or at least that is what some would have you believe. So, here is a picture.

I am inclined to believe there is more to it than that. I suppose it has to be a compelling picture to reach the lofty word total.

Sometimes a thousand words is worth a picture. So, here is a picture.

Do you notice the difference? Meh, probably not a thousand words worth of difference.

And now for the rest of the story...............

The new board, the second picture, replaces the old board, the first picture, in our household in honor of Joyce's and my 1000th recorded match together. But here is the story that neither of the pictures can tell at first look:

We have actually been playing scrabble against each other for over 20 years. The recorded matches only take into account the last 10 years or so.

It is usually how we start our day. Some people read a newspaper. Some people do a crossword. Some people go for a walk. We start our day with a relaxing game of Scrabble. The key word in that last sentence is relaxing. Yes, each of us would like to beat the other. Yes, we try our hardest. But, in the end, it is the time spent together, relaxing, chatting about the plan of the day, and basking in the appreciation of each other's "intelligent" side that helps to start the day off right. 

One of the greatest things I have realized about Joyce over the years is that she does not give up. She may be over 100 points behind in a game, but she always has the capacity to come from behind to snatch victory from defeat. And she has on many many occasions.

Just an aside, as far as the scoring is concerned. We feel good when we score around 350 points in a game. That is our average. Yes, you read that right. That is OUR average. As of this writing Joyce's average is 355.86. Gary's average is 355.56. 

There are times, like now where Joyce reigns supreme. And there are times when Gary shows moments of brilliance. And there are times, 7 in fact over this time period, where we have been dead even in average score.

So, I guess a picture could be worth a thousand words if you know the back story that goes along with it. Heck, this is already at about 500 words and I did not even fully describe the sunrises we experience together,

 or nature rousing from its slumber,

or how incredibly grateful I am to be a life partner with Joyce.

I suppose that will mean more pictures need to be taken.  

For now, the pictures in my mind's eye will have to suffice. And all of those pictures will give me the thousands of words I will need to be a better opponent for Joyce.  

Well, that was a little more work than I expected it to be.

a couple of years ago Cole and Sharon invited me to help take down a tree in their back yard. It was a fun project, no utilities were destroyed and there were, thankfully, no injuries to report. Perhaps a few nervous moments, but no injuries. And at the end, I told them that whenever they decided what they wanted done with the stump they should let me know.

Now, I have taken out a few stumps in the last 8 or 10 years. I love the process. Some people will use explosives, not me. Some people will put a stump dissolver in the wood, not me. Nope, I am a stump man of the earth. And up until a few years ago, the only tools I used were a shovel, an adz, and an axe.

Ironwood trees, no problem. Maple trees, no problem. Oak trees, no problem. Poplar trees, well then it gets a little more involved. The root systems on those are little more obstinate. I did have one at the bottom of the driveway that took about three days to finally finish.

I do not know what kind of tree it is/was that was in Cole's and Sharon's back yard. I do know that it was not any of the ones I had listed above. I also know it was one that did not want to be displaced. I guess I should have been a little suspicious when I started the removal project and discovered that one of the first roots I encountered was bigger than some of the trees I had removed at Peaceful Pines.

Well, to make a long story shorter to keep your attention, it turns out that this was a 6 day project that not only took my regular tools, but also needed the help of a sawzall,

block and tackle, 

and a tractor equipped with a front end loader.

It may be that I am getting older. However, the final roots that needed to be cut that were situated in the middle of the underside of the root ball still had a diameter of 4 inches. There were two of them.

But, through all of that, I realized that I still love the challenge. I love getting down and digging with my bare hands to feel the cool soil. The smell of fresh turned dirt harkens to a simpler life.

Of course, I am thinking I will turn down any more invitations to remove another stump of whatever that species was. But I do have my sights set on a couple back here at Peaceful Pines.