CONSIDER THANKFULNESS

Try this

Your judge is your advocate

In power since day one

Hopes you will join the firm

Your wishes
Can't help but come true

Not to be thrown away

A gift
A calling

Grace, really 

Tailored to your ability

Work
The usual hassle 

Do-able?

Who else could do it as well?

It’s your call, girl

The benefits

Out of this world

But about that wishing
How good are you?

DRK

6/3/16

Interpreting “Guerric of Igny (1070 – 1157), Sermon 37”

Give Us This Day: Daily Prayer for Today’s Catholic

May, 2016, pp. 133-134

Liturgical Press

Collegeville, MN 
 

FLOWER POWER

9/6/18 – 9/14/18

Guests and luggage, DTW

In Carole’s van to Chelsea’s Common Grill

Then, East Lansing

Evening drinks on the deck

Lamb chops on the Keefe’s private grill

And a welcome from

Carole’s flowers in the yard   

“We’ve been waiting for you all year

Enjoy our view and your too-short stay.” 

Friday’s task: drive “up north”  

Ladies seemed happy enough

With our luggage in the van

And the guys in the Jag

Lunch break at Grayling’s Broken Bear Brewery

An Aaron recommendation

With local beer

And good food accommodations

The bridge in sight

Mackinaw City

Shepler’s Ferry to the right

Luggage, disposed,

Would meet us again in our rooms

At Mackinaw Island’s Grand Hotel

First impressions

From our horse-drawn taxi

Horses everywhere

For the season, several thousand

Made horse scents to me

Streets clip-clopped and horse-plopped

The hotel, truly Grand

Great weather

Sunny warm

From the straits, a cool wind

Limited Esther Williams’ pool

To photo ops

Indoors

Drinks at the Cupola Bar

And dining de rigueur

Coats, ties

Dressed up ladies

Finery for sure

Bob, our sommelier

Called up French wines

From the hotel’s cellar

Breakfast at the buffet

More than ample

Or dawdle and do

The Geranium Bar, late, continental

Football Saturday

Georgia on TV and OU streamed

Lots to cheer

MSU late night from Arizona

Spartans crying in their beer

Grocery list itemized at a ladies’ tea

Anticipating our cabin stay

Downtown

Down the hill

Walk the shops

Taxi back

Nineteenth century style

Sunday, out and about

In our two-horse carriage

We, easily persuaded, felt special

Larger tour groups required three-horses

One huge house after another

Each, pristine and colorful

One for sale

Millions multiplied

Manicured gardens everywhere

At their outdoor best

Communicating

“Summer’s peak is summer’s end

Join us in the moment

Zen

Attend to us and enjoy

We were meant for oohs and aahs.”

Halfway through the tour

The horses paused for rest and water

             

            S.O.P. for our kin

            Think about that for a min.

Sunday

Back to Grayling

And lunch at Spike’s Keg O’Nails

Not contemporary cool

But old-fashioned friendliness

And attention to detail

Over-shop for supplies

            There was “the list”

            But on vacation

We extemporized

Finally

To the cabin!

God bless our GPS

Cozy crowded

Antler kitsch

In a cabin that sleeps ten

But bathes or showers 

One at a time

Opportunities

For Bob’s vacation cigars

Plenty of fresh air

Aaron and Liz arrived

Trailering kayaks and boats

Our goal, a Pure Michigan trout river float

But first, dinner for eight at Gates’ Lodge

Good food, rustic atmosphere

And, for those who need it

Fishing gear

Back at the cabin

Surprise!

A day-old bouquet

With a message to share

A new marriage

Enthusiastically embraced

No tears spared

Liz and Aaron were wed on the sly

Yesterday

In the woods

Just a minister

A few witnesses

Three of their kids

And a bouquet

They did it their way

For the third time around

Who better to make that choice?

That’s 9/9/18 for your calendar

Monday morning fireplace greeting

Compliments of Aaron

            He who makes life in the wilderness do-able

Then the river float

From Stephan landing

To our cabin at Townline landing  

Beginning with a challenge

Spotting two trailered boats

These logistics, a piece of cake

For seasoned river fishing enthusiasts

One couple, each boat

Carole and Billy took one for the team

And opted for the kayaks

Delightful trip

Beautiful views

Until the Au Sable

Gobbled our kayaks

Luring us in with trees and weeds

Then reeling in a wedding ring

Two hats

And Billy’s glasses

Fruitful fishing day, indeed

Search and rescue

Liz in the water first

Aaron searching the bottom

3/8 of us stayed dry

Wasn’t it Steinbeck who said

Those who think they can challenge

Trout in a fast-moving stream

And fail

Deserve it . . .

Or something like that?

On Tuesday we opted for an early departure

Needing a day to recover

(and wash the river clothes)

For an appropriate Wednesday finale

We toured MSU’s horticultural gardens

One last chance to hear

What the flowers had to say

“September now, but what a summer

What will the six of you do next year?”

An American Airlines adjusted schedule

Sent Roxy and Bob on a mid-night scramble

And Uber ride to DTW

But not until Bob displayed an athletic

Broken handrail tumble

Billy and Jo made their way home

In Friday’s fog

On schedule

We hope for a return visit someday

To let these guests test

The new Bob Roland Memorial handrail

We will alert

The flowers nearby

                            

DRK

10/27/18

THE OLDEST MEMBER 

I first encountered him
And you may have too
On a visit to Bertie Wooster's gentleman's club
Where a certain esteem is assigned
To being

"The Oldest Member"

Wodehouse's words, of course, were fiction
Even Jeeves, Bertie's  valet
But, to me, the stories were real

My mother, our grand matriarch
Held court with her grandchildren 
And great grandchildren
For the last thirty of her 97 years

Her brother, ten years her junior
Outlived his generation
And was celebrated until he passed at 95

We loved it when they joined our events
Irreplaceable sources of family lore

 Regrettably, the inevitable generational loss
So much mine-able ore
Left untapped

 A few gems I keep
Deep where my psyche tweaks 
Me and what I do

Discussions of "getting old" were taboo
Walking and aerobics were pursued
As was mom's curiosity about our lives as teens
Keeping us at the dinner table
Long after dad had headed to the living room

Her brother read the New York Times
Saw the latest Broadway shows
And loved hosting our visits
To The Big Apple

They may have acquired their persistent youth 
From their mother
Who, it was said, loved a good party
And died in her sleep
After a long day of celebrating
 My Master of Science graduation

With her boots on, so to speak

Nor can I forget the teasing

     Our advanced degrees
     Did they really provide us with daily life expertise?

On my father's side it was "family"
When it mattered the most
We could depend on their presence

How sad to lose those uncles and aunts
The ones who would play catch with me as a kid
Or nudge me at Thanksgiving  
     "More bird?"

They communicated, at least  to me

A good humored approach to life

With a certain elan

Now I sense from the members of my clan

Unaccustomed civility and patience

     "Take your time"

     "Here, let me help with that"

     "How you doing, young man?
 

I wonder what I convey

Possibly it will show up

When I read my obituary

In the meantime
To our young
Aging out and due to step up

Excuse me
If I show some concern
About ceding this position

To take my place

     "The oldest member"

You'll have to wait your turn

DRK
8/10/18

HOT TIMES, COOL PEOPLE

Mama, I left my cap

We have to go back

No!  Don’t turn here!

Melt down

Cool mom

Daddy!  Daddy!

Come here!

            What is it?

Just come here!

            Honey, daddy just got home

            Let him relax a minute

No!  No!

Cool daddy

Meme!  Papa!  Let me carry your bags

Cool kid

Ninety degree dusty T-ball

At the park

Won again

Team picture then race for the snacks

Hot team

Ninety-five at Wrigleyville

Hot afternoon

Hot Cubs

Cool moments

Security lady with spritzer

            Take off your glasses

Fifth inning third baseline shade

 

Meme!  Papa!  Let me get the door

Dancing, tumbling

Sequined makeup

Hot chick

Big recital

Same chick teaching the youngest 

Paying off

Literally

Banking it

Hot prospect

31^st Street Beach

Not a cloud in the sky

Near nineties

Lake front cooled

Beautiful beach with playground

Hot ideas for the future

Mikeski:  Please pass the hot sauce

Really cool at the hockey game

DRK

6/9/17 –6/13/17

SISTER MARY

Ellen

Waited on

And on

Bedded bodies

Imprisoned minds

Memory Care freedom

From

But not for

Where is that young woman

That pretty girl

So full of it?

The one Jeremiah and I used to love to tease

She re-emerged from time to time

When her son, Noah

Or others came to care

To brush her hair

Feed her peas, ice cream

Take in some sun, fresh air

Read her a card

Or watch with her

The Twins or Vikings on TV

On and on

Last year I was able

To witness a special emissary

New sister-in-law, Moira

Sent her bridal bouquet

And a generous piece

Of gooey wedding cake

Mary Ellen, too, could celebrate

Her brother Jim’s and Moira’s marriage

This cake was especially potent

            A real break from nutrition through a straw

It managed to creep through the bars of her cage

And triggered associations and requests

Throughout the week for real food

Sandwiches, cheeseburgers

Sweet Moira

Ultimately we could not fix Mary Ellen

We could not bring back that youthful beauty

Or perky spirit and zest for living

But as long as she remained

Hope remained

In Noah’s words

She was in a good place

Soft flannel pajamas

Comfy bed

Pain free

Hands being held

Her favorite classical music playing

But now our hopes turn

To a new Mary Ellen

Not repaired

But brand new

Cosmic, maybe

Like her mother’s shooting star

Soaring over Lake Sisseton

(Did you see that at Mother’s wake?)

Or mom’s Christmas parade

Trailing down Albion Avenue through town

Bringing news of a new spirit in the air

There will be no Christmas parade for Mary Ellen

But I am looking for some of June’s summer magic

One of my favorites . . . fireflies

They are due to return

This year they will carry a special message to me

Mary Ellen’s spirit continuing to rise

That spunk, that spirit cannot be buried

Watch them rise and disappear

Night after night

Year after year

On and on

She died last Saturday

Let me close with a part of the readings from Sunday’s Lectionary

This is part of St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapters 4 and 5

“Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.  For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”    

Amen, my sister

Amen, my friends

DRK

6/12/18