Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Weber!

Congratulations to my friends, Jimmy and Barbara Madden Weber. The photo of them, with officiant Ken Sitler, is at Johnny Cash’s farm in Tennessee. I’m just now seeing photos, as we were unable to attend. The Babe doesn’t travel well these days, and it’s ok. The photos folks are posting show a beautiful bride and groom, who I know value each other more than you can imagine. How? Why?

When we are young and marry, we marry for different reasons than when we’re older. When we’re older, we’ve experienced loss of a partner, either through death or divorce, and when we’re younger, it’s for different reasons. It’s supposed to be for life, and some of us don’t make it that far, for whatever reason.

Two people who have experienced love, loss, war, serving our country, and marrying others, children, and all the things couples endure have a different outlook than 25 year olds do. Beginnings and endings are very common in these times. It’s ok when things don’t work out; people change and we don’t need to know details. We all have them. As long as I’ve known Jimmy, he’s a gentleman with much to offer, and has just seemed a little sad, being alone.

And late last fall, when Jimmy sang at a function we attended, we talked a few minutes after I finally met Barbara. She is a stunning woman, a quintessential lady, who I feel is a very strong person on her own. She is charismatic and I think she’s just perfect for Jimmy. We had a little discussion and I knew he was pretty smitten with her. And I just felt the reverse was also true. It’s hard to have relationships when one person is a musician who travels a lot. But now, at this point in life, Barbara can travel with him. They will have many adventures together. And that’s a beautiful thing. It isn’t luck, it’s what they both deserve: happiness.

Jimmy loves big, I think. He loves him Mama, his country, his family, his friends, and now, first, is Barbara. I can see much happiness for them as they grow older together.

When you get past the ages where you marry to have children, establish careers, and live in the grown-up world, you marry for different reasons. Companionship is one of the most important reasons. I’ve wished for Jimmy the happiness the Babe and I have. Best friends, united as man and woman, husband and wife. Complete trust, one in the other. You can just see they have it.

They are both people who are grateful to God for putting them together. That is important. God knows what He’s doing here, for sure. They deserve the happiness they will continue to have. Is it all puppy dogs and rainbows? No, not at all. Sometimes, we’re not happy with each other. A lot of times, when you’re older, you learn what is worth arguing about and what isn’t. Most of it isn’t. By this age, we’ve arrived at feeling secure in ourselves, and we don’t need to be better due to ego. We can both be right and we can both be wrong. It just is’t worth cross words anymore. Be grateful and things change up right then. Sometimes, the thing that keeps my mouth shut is, “Someday, I’ll miss this.” And then I’m grateful, not angry anymore.

As they start their life together, I wish many more happy years for them. We’re up to 24 already in October, and kids, it goes so fast when you’re with the love of the rest of your life. Cherish each other for how special you both are. Cannot wait to hug you both and congratulate you in person.

Much Love,

Kathy & Dan

Another Saturday Wedding

Later today, we are going to Treynor, Iowa for the last of three weddings in my cousins family. All three girls married within about 18 months, the first delayed because of COVID. After so much disruption of lives by the pandemic, it’s encouraging when something as normal as a wedding can happen. Of course, these young women and men are experiencing their once in a lifetime event. Their lives are pledged to each other and will never be the same. It’s been wonderful to attend these events and enjoy the family growing.

Next month, one of the longer married couples will be honored at a baby shower, they are due in February. I’m so happy for them all. What a lucky baby! Speaking of a lucky baby, I won some Eddie Bauer outfits for Kayla, and that will be part of her Christmas present. I’d better mail things by the first of December. Glad they just happened to be her size and that I won!

Today has been another crazy, procrastinating (?) day for me. I actually shut my eyes for a little while for a power nap. Now I feel awake for the day. I do need to remind myself I will leave my 60s after my next birthday. I’ll get to live through the 70s again. These will be happy and still full of firsts. My first published novel, my first published children’s book, and my first book signing event. Who says retirement isn’t any fun? It’s full of unknown adventures, and I am blessed to have the Babe to explore with me.

I’m looking forward to cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. I’m trying a couple new recipes for fun. Mashed potatoes in the crock pot. They sound great. I’ll let you know how it goes. And dessert? Each of the three of us loves a different kind of pie. Minis from Walmart? Maybe.

During this time of giving and family and togetherness, many of us are not in families who can gather together. Some are far away, they make their own plans, and prefer it that way. And it’s ok. We can’t be envious of the people who have family gatherings, closeness we don’t have, and different ways of living.

Envy hurts us, not them. When men are full of envy they disparage everything, whether it’s good or bad. Compared to a moth destroying the fabric of a coat or sweater, envy can destroy our lives. Envy can make us cynical. When we’re cynical, we can’t accept anything that is honest and sincere; we’re too sure it doesn’t exist.

When someone is chronically envious, they have trouble maintaining friendships. Closeness is painful. Envy makes us stay distant. There is more safety in protecting yourself. This leads to loneliness and being alone. Fear makes keeps us on the outside looking in. Learn instead to risk friendship. To have a friend, you must learn to be a friend.

This season is a great time to embark on a new adventure. Learn to be more open, less envious, more happy for others’ successes. You’ll have some, too, once you practice gratitude and being a friend. It’ll be a season to remember. One year, I chose teenagers names and wishes from a gift tree at our church. I skipped the tags that wanted iPhones or Xbox. A boy wanted tools, so I put together a basic set of tools; hammer, screwdrivers, chisel, all sorts of things, including a tape measure. A girl wanted makeup, so I chose neutrals and basic brushes, subtle colors, something that would look good on a young girl. It was actually fun. It lifted my spirits. It was before we had grandkids.

When we keep in our own lane, learn to be happy for our friends, and work on ourselves, we will see what we’ve been missing out on; friends, genuine feelings, and coming into our own. Have a beautiful day today, and we’ll see each other tomorrow.

Sunday, Sunday!

This is a day just for the Babe and me. It’s our 23rd wedding anniversary! He joked for years he should be able to add the years for all his marriages together and have it “count.” I could do that, too, but they were not the happy married years since we were both very young. He had a lot of demons from Vietnam and I didn’t know how to defend myself verbally. I protected my kids, but not myself. I lived on tranquilizers to calm my roiling stomach down. After divorcing, I had no more stomach issues. Or tranquilizers. It was always him, and the uncertainty, coupled with his selfishness.

My first conversation with the Babe was unreal. He admitted his first marriage ended because he drank. His second ended because he quit. She still suffers from addiction problems. I was stunned at the honesty. Just what I was looking for!

It’s been a good mix of love, lessons, compromise, and learning together what’s important in both of our lives; separate identities that meld together nicely. We support each other well. It’s something I needed to become the person I am. He grew into the person he is right along with me. We are separate, yet whole together. I always believed this is how loving another adult person should be. We are lucky to have meshed with each other.

The Bad/Hard things? We are both stubborn. We both want our own way. The good/easier things? We both wonder “Is it really worth arguing over?” We have learned to compromise into a solution that works for us. And we both will yield to each other, despite what the Babe says. He’s a silly man, sometimes. All part of the charm, you know.

Addison had Homecoming over the weekend, and what a smart girl! She wore a dress different than everyone else’s. What class! I think she understands what that is, too. Aunts Sharon and Kathy, along with Grandma Sandy, they all had a lot of class in dressing. All different income levels, and all were classy and appropriate. It means a lot for a young woman to be that way. I’m proud of her.

We are excited we’ll be seeing Grandson Joell over this week. They will be visiting from Wednesday night until Sunday morning, I hear. It’ll be good to see the man he’s grown into. Can’t wait for pictures! Hope it’s a short week.

As we continue to celebrate each other the rest of the day, make sure you enjoy this beautiful day outside, and touch base with someone you enjoy. Celebrate each other, and remember how important they are in your life. I’m making a list of what I need to be thinking about during October. Let’s get busy! Take care, see you tomorrow!

From left, “Where Did The Time Go?”; Kathy & Dan 10-3-1998; “This Day, I Married My Friend”; Grandpa Dan, Addison, Grandma Kathy, last week. What a life we have!

Super Saturday!

What a beautiful bride we celebrated yesterday! My cousin’s daughter Alyssa married Bryson yesterday, and it was a perfect event. Holy Ghost Church in Omaha is where the ceremony was. The bride’s family had lots of memories from there. Weddings, funerals, baptisms, confirmations, graduations. Six cousins in that family attended school and Church there for over 50 years. I still have such a happy heart today from the experience.

Part of why I feel this way has to do with the COVID-19 quarantine we have experienced. After the unrest of our lives in the first half of this year, it makes us appreciate family in a ways we haven’t yet done. The stories, the funny things that happened as kids, they all make life much more full. And sharing them with the people who helped create those stories is a joy. I’m laughing at some stories as I’m writing, and am grateful I have all the cousins we have to reminisce with.

In about another month, some of those cousins will again gather to lay another cousin to rest. We have lost one to cancer. He fought it for years, and it finally took him. It will be a sad day for his brother, sister, kids, and other closer family members. All of these descendents of the Fab Four Bobell Sisters will love and support each other through this event as well. We are now the elders of the tribes. Our moms were stubborn women, yet we knew they loved us in their own special ways. My mom is the only one left of the Bobell Sisters, and we know someday, she too will be gone. More stories, more love shared.

Yesterday, the Omaha Public Schools released a change (already) to the school year. Instead of starting next week and being in person, it will be delayed another week and be all online. No, it wasn’t something the Superintendent did on purpose, I’m sure if the cases in Omaha/Douglas County had not skyrocketed in the past week or so, the school year would not have had any changes. I would think there will be other districts in the area who follow suit, but if not, carry on. The kids are very important, and we must teach them how to cooperate with the way things are even though we don’t agree. We all learned that very important thing growing up, it helps society be more cohesive. Give and take is in order. From all of us, not just kids/teachers/parents. Let’s be a good example.

Yes, there is.

For today? I’m listening to some tunes and writing. Updating Chapter One. I think once the missing component is found (within me), it will go smoother and quicker. I don’t want to do a poor job. I want to be proud of what I produce. Just like practicing years and years to quilt, yes, here I have to practice writing until I get it. Won’t give up!

Thank you all for reading today. Go hug a cousin today. Or at least call them and catch up. It’ll do both your hearts good! I’ll see you again tomorrow. Stay safe. Distanced. Masked Up. Washed Up. All of it. Let’s show COVID who’s boss!

Photo by Cecu00edlia Tommasini on Pexels.com

A Toast to Cousin’s Today!

Sunny Sunday!

Greetings from the Home Office Studio in Gretna, Nebraska! It is a scrumptious day out there, a bit chilly, but the sun is shining. That makes all the difference in the world. As you know, with all this social distancing going on we are not able to go out to movies, shopping, stop off and have a beverage, and go see our favorite musical entertainment. I shared yesterday about our friend, Jimmy Weber, who did a gig last night from his home. It was so good to hear him sing live again! The seating was great, no lines at the ladies room, and they stocked our favorite beverages! There were a couple technical issues, but that stuff is even happening to Netflix these days. (Buffering is still alive and annoying while watching your favorite series’ new season!). That aside, he sang a lot of his new songs that will be recorded later this year in Nashville. Hope they’re ready for you, Jimmy! Stay well.

Today, our friend Rick Tiger and a friend are on FB Live from 4 to 6 p.m. Tune in, you’ll know you’ve heard Rick’s songs before. He’s written a treasure trove of them. He’s a good guy, and you’ll feel you’ve known him forever. Thanks in advance for supporting our friends!

While high school athletes and seniors mourn the loss of their time in the sun, there are couples all over the world who are having to postpone the most important day of their lives together – their weddings. I truly feel sorry for them as weddings are something they look forward to for months and even years. How disappointing to have quarantines in place, where no more than ten people can gather together. Some can’t even include their entire families!

Which brings me to the point of this story. My cousins Mike and Mary have four grown kids, three girls and a boy. The son is in college, so they’re all grown for the most part. Their oldest had a wedding scheduled for yesterday, April 4. After much discussion, they went forward with the ceremony, in the groom’s parents yard. They were so blessed to have such a pretty day. From the photos, it was a beautiful wedding. They adjusted. They got through it. They didn’t like having to change their plans, but they did. They were grateful and everything went well. That’s what being married is about. Things don’t always go the way you want, but a compromise is found, and you go on, being grateful for the gift of each other. It’s a testament to their parents and to Marc and Katelynn too, for picking out the important part and going with it. You kids are off to a great start.

In addition to adjusting, you also need to keep your sense of humor in marriage. The Babe and I have found it to be our most important and most used tool in the arsenal. While going through the photos online, we were blessed with this one. It was the groom’s idea, and it truly speaks to their sense of humor and grace, and will be a story to tell their grandkids about. I absolutely love this!!

What a great way to start a (COVID-19) marriage.
With laughter!

Do me a favor? If you get down in the dumps over all this staying at home, come back to this blog post, and have a good laugh on Katelynne and Marc! Congratulations to them!

It ought to be interesting, my cousins Mike and Mary have another daughter getting married in August, 2020. I wish them the best of luck in keeping their schedule amidst this looming crisis. This is a family who believes in their faith, the goodness of God, and the kindness of people. They will all be ok. I hope the same for all of us.

Better days are coming again.
Be aware and receive them fully.

At the present moment, I have to say, this isn’t the worst bad time I’ve had – yet. Sometimes, as a single mom, I thought we might go bankrupt, but that worst never happened. Sometimes, as a single mom, I prayed my kids would have enough of a teacher in me that they would break the stereotype of “bad kids come from broken homes,” and they grew up good, responsible citizens. (I still hate the term “broken homes”to this day). Sometimes, as a breast cancer patient, I was afraid the cancer would have a mind of it’s own, destroying my life and taking me from this earth, but it didn’t. The list goes on and on of the things that would qualify as my worst hard/bad time. Yes, many could have happened, but by the grace of God, they did not. I am praying for all of us, that this global pandemic, is not any of our worst hard times.

Thank you for reading today. I hope it made your heart a bit lighter. I appreciate you very much, and hope to see you again tomorrow. Who knows what fun we’ll have then? I’ll be here.

Hump Daaaaay!

A pessimist would say, “Why bother? Hump Day? Every day is the same as another when you’re stuck at home.” An optimist would say, “Wednesday is just a great as any other day! You woke up today, the sun is shining AGAIN!” And aren’t we lucky we have some place, whatever it is, to self-distance/quarantine ourselves? Yes, we are. When you look at countries like China, India, the Middle East, Africa, they don’t even have basic sanitation and clean water to drink. How on earth would we survive that? We need to count our blessings and be grateful.

Even if you are diagnosed with Corona Virus (COVID-19) chances are, you will survive with little damage to your lungs. People like myself, who have asthma or any other underlying health issue, will have a harder time if they have the lung damage associated with the virus. This IS different than the flu. The mucous is extra thick once it settles into your lungs. It causes permanent damage to the lungs where it sets up house, so to speak. I’d hate like hell to have my lungs compromised because some person decided they were bored and gathered with a crowd, playing a game of soccer, went shopping to Target to get their Starbuck’s and just browse the racks, or sent their kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa because they needed a break from home-schooling. Please, don’t do it!

Even though we need to be vigilant, we can still keep occupied and not go stir crazy. If you are a person who is still working, maybe enjoy how your home (apartment or house) looks all day long. You’re usually at work and don’t often get to enjoy it during the day. It makes you have a different perspective of your abode. You may (safely) have a little talk over the fence with the neighbor. The Babe is out doing that all the time. He knows everyone by first name. I love that about him. Everyone loves him. I’m lucky. And so is he!

A cousin’s daughter scheduled her wedding for April 4, 2020. They have had to cancel the reception. They will still have the ceremony, reduced to 7 people, them, the officiant, and have rescheduled the reception for later this year. Her younger sister is set to marry in August, along with another cousin’s son, also in August. Hoping these young people get started on their lives together and all brides and grooms get to have their time. I can imagine how devastated they all feel, and at the same time, they’re all very responsible people who know they must follow these new rules for living. They’re temporary restrictions, not permanent ones. God Bless all of you!

As a fund-raiser for their tip wage staff, Union Pizzaria and Sports Bar in Omaha, NE, printed some t-shirts with their various businesses on it and is donating all the proceeds to a fund for their impacted workers. What a great employer in the food and beverage business! My son works at Union, along with his room-mate. When they lost everything in an apartment fire last fall, these guys were right there, making sure they were getting what they needed, time off, whatever needed to be done. So grateful my son is associated with people like this. God Bless you guys! Go to their Facebook post for more info!

A great way to feel better? Help someone else. There are many, many restaurants who have gone to pick-up food to keep their doors open. Try ordering out! I don’t know about you, I’m a bit tired of cooking, but I do like it’s healthier than what we eat out. I just need to get back to salads and the like. It just all takes time. I’ve probably had quite enough comfort food for awhile. I truthfully don’t even like french fries that aren’t done to a certain degree of crispness. Nothing soggy, thank you very much.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate it. Union’s tip wage staff would appreciate it greatly if you’d stop by 156 & Maple for a t-shirt or two. Order their daily special before you go and you can solve the dinner problem. They appreciate it greatly. I’ll be here tomorrow, and hope you come back. Have a happy, safe day.

Ahhhh Sunday!

Today is a special day for my cousin’s family. We gathered at a local winery to have a wedding shower for his oldest daughter. What a happy family. They have two daughters getting married this year! Mike and his wife Mary are taking it in stride. They are one of the best couples you could ever find. They are very devoted to the Knights of Colombus, and have traveled well with the group. Mike has been blessed to kiss the ring of the Pope during a special audience. What an honor!

Mom will be in her glory, since she is the elder of this tribe. She loves to see the kids, their kids, and grandkids. All of her sisters will be watching from heaven. Aunt Lois will play jokes on everyone. Aunt Carol will be in the food line four times, claiming each trip is for another person each time. Aunt Judy will be making funny faces at any babies present. I miss my aunts, and am glad for all the good memories with each of them. Aunt Lois and Uncle Joe in particular would have been so proud of the events of the day. Cousin Mike is the host with the most, just in line behind his dad, who was the quintessential host of all time. Such good memories.

Brides are so happy at their showers. Katelynn look stunning! She had the most beautiful off white lace dress on, I loved it. Can’t wait to see her wedding dress. My late Aunt Carol told me about her granddaughter in Rapid City, who is getting married at a later date, and said, “It’s so nice to see a young couple so in love and working together, when they are just starting out.” She was right. Sometimes you get jaded or forget the thrill or just don’t think about the spark anymore. My cousins are happy people and happy couples. The men married to the girls were all present in another room. They jumped into action when it came time to clean up the room and carry stuff to the cars. I know Lois and Joe were smiling down from heaven. Their six noisy, crazy, good people kids, are all doing fine. You can tell they had good teachers of good values, caring, and taking care of each other. We didn’t get to meet the new baby in the family, but her mama was wise to stay home, she doesn’t want to expose the baby to any flu or strange germs. I don’t blame her, babies are too precious, and that’s a parents job, protect those babies! We’ll meet her later. Stay safe, sweet baby!

I realized yesterday, I’ve hit a milestone of sorts with my novel re-write. I’ve got 40K words now! That’s up about 6K, so it seems I’m making more progress than I thought. Love when that happens! Tomorrow is a morning with the house cleaning crew, so I’ll be entertaining the pups while the girls clean the house up and down. So fortunate to be able to afford this service. It helps me so much.

More novel work tomorrow, hoping time permits. And I’m seriously behind on the I Create Daily Art Challenge for February, 2020. I need some serious catching up. Need to locate the jean jacket pattern I bought to make a dusty pink jean jacket from. There is enough for pants, too. The fabric is a yummy soft draping stretchy denim. Hope to at least get it cut out during February. Folks, it’s a problem when you like a lot of different creative things. Hope to coordinate them someday. Soon.

In the meantime, if you live in town or close to family, plan an event like a pot luck where everyone brings a dish and gets together. The sooner the better. Life is so scattered anymore, keep in touch with the people who came from where you came. Who came from the same folks you did. Their kids and grandkids will have a rich history, and lots of memories to fall back on.

Thanks for reading today, I appreciate it so much. Have a great Sunday evening, and I’ll see you here tomorrow. Good Evening!

A Wedding Kind of Friday

Looking forward to going to a wedding later today. My nephew Don Kraft is marrying Carrie Grinnell. I would be correct in saying she is the love of his life. They have known each other since high school.

When Don’s mother died of oral cancer, it was a few days before Don’s birthday. She didn’t make it to his high school graduation because she had a terrible bout of being very ill that day. Don never complained, or acted out because of that. He just made his life plans, and set about completing them. And boy, did he have plans. And perfect execution. He deserves all the great things that come to him.

After starting at UNO, Don entered the USAF shortly thereafter. Talk about a man with a plan! He has always been a fabulous student, every teacher’s dream I would think. He planned to commit to the Air Force and planned to have them pay for his schooling later on. And after leaving the service of our country, he went to nursing school. He excelled at all of it. He had a very good reason and inspiration to go into nursing. His mother, Laura. His mom fought hard against a cancer that plagued her family. There is no better profession for a man like Don. He is very caring, attentive, and acts purposely. He gathers information, assesses, and makes a plan of action.

Don (right), what a great experience for him.

And so today, after waiting for each other since high school, after each becoming successful people in their own areas of expertise, after getting a house, planning their future, and working together, he is going to marry Carrie. After all, he proposed in Italy last year, where they went on holiday. You can bet he had it all planned out.

Carrie and Don. Congratulations!

Don and Carrie, Dan and I wish you every wonderful thing in life that you can imagine, and plan for. You will weather the bad things, you already have. The whole family is happy for you, and know you will be best friends forever, and an example for young or old people. Seriously. Keep loving each other more every day. The rest will come in it’s due time.

Much love,

Aunt Kathy