Orange River season finale

Stan's brother, Virg, is heading back to Minnesota from Florida today, leaving behind these sunset views from his place on the Orange River. The rains are just beginning now, breaking a drought. This stunning picture shows the aftermath of a cloudy, rainy, cool (70's) day in Southwest Florida. Though there was plenty of rain yesterday, Virg managed a final round of golf for the season, taking a first place finish in his usual Sunday best ball group. We're not sure when he'll get back in town, but there's a tee time with his name on it for Friday.

A Thank You from Pam

In a spoof on his nickname, Paul "The Wall" Mathies once dropped a dime
in a Wall Drug telephone for a photograph that became one of Pam's favorites.

A week ago friends and family gathered to mourn the loss of a good friend, Paul "The Wall" Mathies at the home of Pam Vaughn. Her informal celebration of life was well-attended. Many life-long friends were there, but no guest book to gather addresses for follow-up acknowledgements. Today Pam asked us to send out the following message of appreciation to her guests and hopes readers will spread the words of gratitude. We happily oblige. Pam writes: 

To all of Paul's friends, I would like to express my gratitude for coming to our celebration of Paul's life. It is a loss to everyone and he will be missed. He was a man of few words but a friend to all who met him. His friendships were lifelong. He always loved getting together with friends. I know he would be pleased with the tribute you gave him.
I can't begin to express my gratitude to you for your thoughts, prayers and kind words. The food was wonderful and the flowers beautiful. Wayne, your gift will be used for a comfy chair in a screened porch on one of the lakes in Canada that he loved so much.
For those who were able to attend I thank you so very much. For those unable to attend I know your thoughts were present.

Thank you so very much!
Pam Vaughn

pvaughnrnc@earthlink.net

Flowering crab 2012

We thought the early spring and subsequent frosts would nip our flowering crab in the bud, but we were wrong. Here's its annual photo.

Soup and scoop

Middle daughter Marcy drove out today over lunch with a pot of homemade soup, brimming with wild rice and meat and vegetables too numerous to list. It's her own concoction and we pronounced it delicious. . . and the patient ate more than usual and soon started in on an afternoon nap.  Marcy also left behind fresh bagels and famous bacon from Kowalskis -- all part of a nefarious plot to coax a bigger breakfast appetite out of her mother. Our Uptown Girl has a big date tonight so Mom will be surreptitiously texting in hopes of getting the inside low-down.

Soap Opera

We've made some changes around the house to accommodate the rehabilitation of Katie's new knee. We positioned a convenient chair in the walk-in shower and put the shampoo and soap within easy reach of the bather. We can't think of everything.
Yesterday Birdie took full advantage of the new arrangement and ate what was left of the Dove bar. It was an act of unpardonable stupidity on her part, not confusion. We don't believe for a minute she mistook it for the popular ice cream product of the same name.
She was up all night last night -- so were we, which is not unusual these days, but we were just starting to get back to more regular sleep. Thank you very much.
About 3 a.m. she tossed her cookies, er soap, mostly onto hard surfaces, so cleanup was a breeze. Just add warm water, it made its own lather.
She's feeling just fine this morning, prancing around, acting nonchalant, home free. We'll skip her breakfast and she can nap the rest of the day. We're tired too, but that's to be expected, what with exercises twice a day, pain killers and all the other rehab rigamarole.
There will be no punishment for Birdie, of course, and there will be no after-effects, we are sure. As the information on the box makes clear: it's hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free -- and perfect for sensitive skin.

Mom 'n Pop Bar Top

John Gerken, Tom Story, Jason Moe
Only Tom actually worked on it. The others are just waiting for beer.

For years, Erin Moe has been bugging, first Stan, then her parents, about building a homemade wooden bar top for the man cave in her new Shakopee home. It needed to be like the one in our basement, she insisted. No granite, no formica, no manufactured top for her.

Like a three decker sandwich buttered with glue..
Edge to be smoothed, sanded, veneered.
Then stain, urethane.

This week her parents, our neighbors, obliged. They've been working at it all week in the garage.
Tom and Sandy first ripped a four by eight sheet of cabinet grade birch veneer MDF into planks, rearranged them, then clamped and glued them to an inch and a half thick particle board base. They glued a veneer around the sanded and shaped edge, sanded everything smooth and now they are applying coats of urethane.
It won't be long now. They'll load the project on a pickup then position it on the waiting cabinet base in the man cave.
Erin's husband, Jason, is a big Packer fan and had suggested that the planks alternate between green and gold. That's not going to happen.
It's a beautiful top.
Nice work, Tom and Sandy!

The kids' bar.

Warning: Wash in cold water, fluff dry

Nothing says spring-time like freshly-washed support stockings drying in an April breeze.

Attn Mrs. Mallard: One of your eggs will never make it

We counted nine eggs -- and a mulligan.

The Abbey Point Homeowners Association Grounds Crew was busy spreading bags of cypress chips around the pond this fine Monday afternoon when the head bagman, John Gerken, startled a nesting mallard. From a safe distance, the mother duck stared down Association President Bud Osmundson as he took full charge of the situation. A cautious investigation eventually revealed a clutch of nine smooth-shelled hopefuls, plus one outsider with dimples, a Stratus logo and absolutely no chance whatsoever of hatching.
Association biologists aren't sure if the mother duck was inspired by the presence of the golf ball to make her nest in that location, or if she had carried the orphan in from the adjacent No. 14 rough out of a sense of decency.  Whatever the case, the association members backed off, to let Mrs. Mallard get back to her business.
We'll observe the progress of the nest, bid the new chicks good luck, and hope there's no disappointment over the little dimpled one who didn't make it.

Rough start.

We're Off! Like a herd of turtles.

Kathleen hopped (well, climbed) into the car today for a
spin around town. We did some rehab in Chaska, went in to
the Shakopee newspaper office, then on to Applebee's for a
nice lunch. The knee is working fine, pain is under control
and we're doing ALL our exercise as scheduled. It won't
be long before the walker gets traded for a cane, and then,
dancing under the stars!!
Laurie is bringing dinner over tonight: Stuffed Pork Chops!
Yumm. Thanks, everyone for your continued thoughts.

Remembering Paul

Friends, schoolmates, co-workers, neighbors and family gathered on a rainy afternoon at a home in South Minneapolis Saturday, to celebrate the life of a good man, gone suddenly.
Paul Mathies, 63, died March 23, 2012.

Pam and Paul

Life-mate Pam Vaughn, with the assistance of Kathy Sampson, hosted a steady stream of callers, each claiming Paul as a dear and important part of their lives, who touched them all in many different ways.
Paul's sister, Andrea, and her husband, Jim, were there from Ann Arbor; they've been closing Paul's apartment, and performing other sad but necessary duties left to the next of kin. They greeted the many guests warmly, renewing some friendships, starting others.
The hosts had laid out an assortment of memory aids: there were scrapbooks, favorite photos, CDs, fishing trip videos looping in the kitchen, keepsakes, and other reminders of Paul's life -- including a basket of his favorite munchies, featuring, of course, a nice assortment of Gummi Bears.

Paul's sister, Andrea, and husband, Jim

His pair of red Ford 150s, Paul's trademark ride, were shined and parked out front, finally idle after countless trips to construction sites, fishing holes, hunting grounds, and social events. They've seen miles of beautiful countryside --  often at blazing speeds.
But the guests really didn't need any help remembering stuff about Paul, they arrived with plenty of their own fond memories. There were Edina high grads with stories, Concordia Cobbers too. Paul served a stint in the U.S. Army. A tall, coordinated fellow, he was regularly assigned to parade the colors of his spit and polish headquarters unit in Germany during the 70s.
No one came from the Army, but many teammates from countless softball wars were there, (now a bit gray and creaky) to remember his "taters," the frequent mighty blasts that set many an outfielder back on his heels.

Andrew, Ted, Marcy

Paul was a photographer. Guests perused his notebook of contact sheets and some fading prints, looking over black and white images long past -- some of friends and events, many were simply artistic statements.
A former neighbor sat quietly and told of the frequent times Paul had helped her on a home repair, his kind, competent hands always seemed ready to pitch in. His hunting and fishing partners testified as well, veterans of so many adventures, talking about a determined, persistent outdoorsman who understood the pragmatics of the wild and carried the skills and scars earned from years of experience and a fervent love of nature.
Some of Paul's ashes will be scattered over northern lakes where he spent so many quiet, peaceful hours.
The dining table centerpiece, cleverly decked with lures and paraphernalia and lovingly put in place by Pam, a regular fishing partner, poignantly announced: "Gone Fishing!"

A few of Paul's pals attending: Bruce, Andrew, Wayne, Stan
Shel, Claude -- Glen on camera. 

"So who will I go fishing with now?," Pam wistfully wondered aloud.
A principal from the "Wooden Dreams," a successful remodeling firm that had employed Paul, was there to pay respects to a steady craftsman with a great work ethic. A well-known Minnesota political figure came in as well, offering comfort and remembrance of so many happy, boisterous days with a fellow always ready for a good time.
Paul, "The Wall," didn't say too much, didn't complain much, didn't explain much. But he was always there, ready to join and contribute to the spirit of of the moment.
The buffet table was crowded with sandwiches, ribs, cakes, salads and good cheese, much of it carried in by guests. Root beer floats, gourmet coffee, it was all there. Tears and laughter, grief and celebration. Good people remembering a very good man.
It was exactly the kind of event that Paul loved to attend.

Tulips and Beef Stew

Tom and Sandy Story brought tulips and stew
and stayed for a brief chat today.

The neighbors dropped by this afternoon with a pot of stew and the fixings and got a first hand look at the new clot buster machine, firing away on both cylinders in the porch. It was a lovely spring day out there after an early morning whirlwind of activity --  6 a.m. shower, bandage change, meds, breakfast, hair, the works. We made it to our rehab appointment on the dot... (a family tradition).
Getting in and out of the new car is a snap. Katie steps inside with her good left leg and then pulls the new one in after her. Presto! That's the advantage of a right knee job; disadvantage is that you have to wait a lot longer before you can drive the car again.
We went to our first official therapy session at the 212 Center in Chaska, met some nice helpful people who assured us that we are on a good track for recovery. Patience and hard work seem to be the key. Then a blood draw and back home. Mina dropped by with a helpful piece of furniture and some good advice. We listen to her -- she's done this joint thing before, plus she's a retired RN.
Katie's clot busting leggings, above, periodically fill with air and then release with a puff, not unlike the sensation you get from a blood pressure cuff, she says. Now we have to figure out the automatic icing machine. We fired up the Continuous Passive Motion machine yesterday, and it seems to work fine.
It's a high-tech recovery operation we have going on here, but in the end the TLC provided by friends, neighbors and daughters is most essential -- and appreciated greatly.

We're home

At 11:42 this morning, Kathleen rolled into our garage for the first time in four days. She opened the car door, pivoted neatly, stepped onto the garage floor, then deftly pushed her walker toward the steps. . . on her own. She grabbed the new railing and helped herself onto the main floor of the house.
During all this, Birdie watched from the other car. She's known to jump up on people at critical times, sometimes evening peeing on their shoes in her excitement. So she was relegated to the sidelines until Katie was securely inside.
Katie's taken a quick nap and now she's enjoying a chicken noodle soup prepared by neighbor Paula, with the assistance, of course, of husband, Bud. Katie said she had no appetite, drugs, you know, but once she got started on the bowl, she polished it off. Delicious. Sandy and Tom have promised a beef stew for Friday. . . so we're good to go in the meal plan department, thanks, so much.

Katie's SKU and warning bracelets can come off now.
We got it from here. Thanks, Waconia Ridgeview!
Great job, wonderful people.

Apparently Shakopee is a drug-free zone. We showed up at the Shakopee Target with $26 worth of pain prescriptions and were advised to look elsewhere. We found the right stuff at the Chaska Target, along with long-time Chaska resident and well-wisher, Denny Swan, loitering in the nasal remedies aisle, lamenting the fact that he wasn't on the golf course today, but wishing Katie a good one, none-the-less. When Stan and Kathleen were in business years and years ago in Chaska, Denny was a banker.
We're staying ahead of the pain now, it's all good. Didn't want to go to the street for meds.
Ol' pal M'liss called to offer her bests a few minutes ago and Birdie and the patient have settled into the big red chair to watch the DOW move south. We hope to see the Twins win the series with the Yanks tonight. We should be satisfied with two wins, but it's never enough.
Life is good, Katie got a chance to sit back, breathe and ponder what just happened during this four-day whirlwind, and it is hard to get your arms around it. Simply amazing, and what a privileged undertaking it was.
Thank you for your thoughts and good wishes. We're grateful for it all.
Got to go, time for afternoon exercises.

Homecoming

Ready or not, we depart Waconia Ridgeview this morning. Home soon.

Wednesday was a busy day

Kathleen had a busy and difficult day today. An important one. Lots of information, lots of painful therapy, but it is all in a good cause and she's trooping with the best.
We'll be coming home tomorrow (Thursday) and Birdie is anxious to have her Mom back. She's still looking all around the house for her, can't quite figure the situation out. She'll be a great companion for Kathleen soon.
We've learned a lot about this knee replacement thing. Today we had a buffet lunch and played "Discharge Jeopardy" on a big Power Point screen. The categories were "Pain" "Clots" "Activity" "Misc." and one more we can't remember. And we answered in the form of a question.
Katie's appetite isn't the best, but neither is the food. . . typical bland institutional fare. What is tops is the personnel here, friendly, qualified, useful and lots of them.
We've assembled some equipment: built a stair railing from the garage, loaded up on ice packs, got a chair with wheels, lowered the bed, and added some handy items. We'll borrow a cane from Dan. He has a few spares.
Kathleen hopes to be out shopping for her mother-in-law's May 23 birthday. :)

Amazing feat! (And knee)

Just over 24 hours after receiving her new knee, Katie walked out her hospital door and down the hall, using only a walker. . . under the watchful guidance of a wonderful therapist.
Her pain was mild, moderate. No wincing. We're surprised. . . but wary. . . and on somewhat of an emotional high. Yes, she actually walked with an artificial knee that carried all her weight. The walker and the therapist provided minimal physical support.
This success was beyond all our expectations. We're thrilled. More therapy this afternoon. Bring it on. We're on our way!

As a reward for a great trip down the hall, Katie got a visit from
Gracie the therapy dog, who greets patients every couple of weeks.

Thanks for all the good wishes

Breakfast in bed. . . then off to therapy this afternoon

Katie's grateful for all the kind thoughts sent her way. Today is Day One of her rehabilitation therapy, putting the new knee to work for her. Yesterday she began exercises in bed, working thighs and ankles. Flexion and extension of the new joint was noted; she worked her lung capacity as well.
This morning there will be an individual therapy session in her room; this afternoon we'll meet for a group training and exercise session in the activity room.
All's well, thanks for your kind words and thoughts.

Hooray! It's Supper Time!

The Patient's Evening Meal:

Tomato soup, grape juice, tea, ice cream scoop, milk -- served
by a uniformed professional.

The Coach's Evening Meal:

Fresh-caught walleye and pickled apple garnish, steaming hot Idaho baked potato 
with sour cream, fresh assorted green beans, orange slices, tomato basil soup, 
apple sauce treat cup, powder-sugar chocolate brownie and skim (diet) milk -- 
served on a bedside TV tray in Katie's room by a uniformed professional.

Resting comfortably

Katie's in her room now, she's propped up and not sleepy, which is quite remarkable since she's been up since 4 a.m.
Stan's her designated rehab coach so the dietician just came in and took HIS order for lunch and dinner. (Katie's on liquids - ) There's an official Coach Couch in the room, he's allowed to sleep over if he likes, so it's not just a title, you know.
Home on Wednesday p.m. if everything stays on course, as it is now. We're pleased.

It's All Good! Katie's surgery successful

There will be no photographs of the patient, the photographer has
been informed. This will have to do.

Stan just left a post-surgery conference with Dr. Wyard, who said everything went fine with Katie's knee job today. Katie's in recovery, Stan is waiting in her room where she will rehabilitate for three days before going home.
The nasty old joint causing so much pain has been pitched in favor of steel and plastic. What about the other knee? It's just fine, perfect condition.
"How can this be, doctor?" Stan asked our super-qualified joint guy. "I have no idea," he said, in a disarmingly honest response.
We're delighted. Some of the other folks in the joint center today will have a second knee replaced later. Once is enough, we decided.
So the doc is pretty much done, now it is up to us to get the knee working and back to normal. Training and rehab starts this afternoon. We're ready!

Big Day in Des Moines

"Team Carson" took its turn at the start line yesterday at the Walk for Diabetes in Des Moines. You may be able to see leader Kim Jerdee in the very front of the white shirts. For details, click here.

Whatever happened to. . .

The new Director of Operations for Red Wing Publishing joined us for dinner, congratulations, and a long overdue visit tonight. Stan and Laurie worked together at Southwest Newspapers for 30 years before Stan retired. Her recent promotion involves reponsibilities in the Hutchinson, International Falls and Shakopee units of Red Wing Publishing.
Laurie's late mother, Harriet, had numerous joint replacements, so Laurie gave Kathleen some pointers on successful joint replacement rehabilitation. Birdie's a big fan of Laurie's and is wondering when she's going to get an overnight at her Prior Lake home.

Craig Theis, ex-sales manager
turned mighty fisherman.

Big topic of conversation was our former sales manager at Southwest Newspapers, Craig Theis, (left) who made the local news this week with a 533 pound marlin he caught near Hawaii on St. Patrick's Day. Stan and Laurie worked with Craig for fifteen years and still see him occasionally. Stan and Craig have caught limits of lake trout together, but never anything quite like this.
Check out the video below of his massive catch as told on KSTP's web site.
From time to time, people ask us how Craig is doing. Judging from the video of this tanned, healthy- looking fisherman from Shorewood, he's doing just fine. Have a look.

Self-portrait -- with cat

Bugs, insects and flowers
division

Cars jammed the parking lots at Eagle Heights Elementary in Eden Prairie tonight, as excited parents and grandparents gathered for the Spring Art Extravaganza, featuring the best work of their special ones. Best work in the kindergarten division was judged (by us) to be this collage created by Emily Blethen, a self-portrait of a budding prodigy with her cat. We were struck by the intricate details, the winning expression, and the bright-eyed smile of a happy girl starting out with great expectations on her life's journey.
Good job, as they say.

Big day in the bedroom

Birdie watches closely as Mark snugs the continuous passive motion
(CPM) machine to Katie's dimensions. There's other gear too.

Apparatus for Katie's upcoming knee replacement rehabilitation program arrived this morning. Mark assembled and demonstrated three products intended to help in the knee transition program. Katie will be attending rehab sessions in Chaska every other day as well. . . accompanied at all times, of course, by her personal trainer and attendant. We're still getting our arms around the miracle of this procedure; we're assured that if we follow directions and do as we're told, a positive result is certain.
That's just fine with us, as we are natural rule followers. D-Day is Monday.

A strange man in the house, new equipment strewn everywhere,
Mom's surgery on Monday. . . there's just a whole World of Worry out there.

Classmate forwards death notice

Stan's classmate from Alexandria's Jefferson High School, Kathy Sherry, sends along this notice on the passing of an important person that otherwise may not have been noted last week. Kathy posts:

Sad News
Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

Just trying to help out. . .

We found this handsome red and black Stanley Steamer on Google Images.
Cardinal Red and Black, just like Stanley's.

Upon seeing that her brother has just acquired a new car, Sosie was quick to offer some ideas about where to drive it. . . just for fun.

She writes:

Stanley's Lincoln

Do you know about FO Stanley, the Stanley Steamer, his hotel in Estes Park, and its inspiration for The Shining (Stephen King)? Just thinking it might be a future road trip stop in your new car... supposedly a mint condition Stanley Steamer is kept at the hotel, but I am not finding verification of that on the Internet, trusty truthteller of all things.

Anyway, pictures of 1909 hotel and short story of Stanley at http://grandheritage.com/stanley.htm  See a bunch of SSs gathered in 2009 at the Stanley Hotel on this youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipSKUvWX-I

Kind of fun! Happy travels to you, Stanley!

Marilyn attended Easter Dinner!

Linda (left) and Marilyn

It was great to see Marilyn, our niece Shana's mother-in-law, in the Easter Sunday pictures Linda sent around to her siblings today. (Linda is Stan's sister and Shana's mother.) As posted earlier here, Marilyn was hospitalized with a severe head trauma from a bad fall on the ice about a month ago. She's had a tough few weeks after two surgeries, but recently came home and is making good progress toward a full recovery. Though she's still on the mend, we're cheered by her appearance with Linda and the extended family in Blaine on Sunday. Keep it up, Marilyn!

Around the table: Shana, Anja, Marilyn, Karl, Erik, Ron, Paul, Milla

The good-looking one was named after Honest Abe

Photos by Katie Rolfsrud

He's the hardest working man on the Apple Valley Ford car lot -- ask him. Keith, a ranch hand from Cleburne, Texas, sold Stan a new sport utility crossover and Stan picked it up today, personally washed, shined and programmed by the sweet-talking Texan. There's a steep learning curve on some of the operational gimmicks, but Stan will crack the owner's manual  tonight and call Keith with questions. The old blue Rendezvous is still in our garage: Jennifer will pick up that nine-year-old beauty soon and keep it all in the family.

The Next Door News

Here's what next door neighbor Sandy made for her family this year. Probably gone by now.

Little tiger

Landon Jerdee enjoyed a cupcake at his cousin Rece's birthday, celebrated in Guthrie Center, Iowa, this weekend.

Landon will get his own cake on May 13 when he turns two. His parents are Adam and Kim Jerdee of West Des Moines. Rece is Kim's brother's son. 

Adam is Stan and Kathleen's nephew. . . so Landon is their absolutely adorable grand nephew.

Melissa and Co.

Melissa and Emily brought Matt and Alex over for breakfast today. . . just missing an early Easter Bunny visit, but not the baskets. Matt is Melissa's special friend. Alex is ten and in fourth grade. Guess what we had for breakfast? Waffles. Oh. But you knew that.

Good Friday -- four generations

We see the puzzle pieces on the table, but here's a fair question:
What's that on Anja's shoulder?

Linda Letnes (Stan's sister) observed Good Friday with her mother, Beverly Rolfsrud, yesterday, along with Linda's daughter and granddaughter. Highlight was a visit from Mom's pal, LaVina Martinson, below. Above are Anja, Shana and Linda with Beverly. Linda reports a cheerful and sunny day.
By the way, Bev's YouTube video has received 12,777 hits. Check it out.

Meet Keith, a Texan from Apple Valley Ford

We met Keith at Apple Valley Ford today (They have a Ford Store in Shakopee near our nephew Ford's house) and after we got done talking about his homestate, Texas, wrassling calves, making fence and comparing notes about the Army and the Marines (Keith is still active and has been deployed four times) we got down to business and talked about a new car for Stan.

Results are pending. Stay tuned.

Big bite

Overheard in a Chaska Dental Office today:

Patient: I am here for the extraction.
Dr. M: Extraction? I thought we were installing your crown today.
Patient: I wasn't talking about my mouth, doctor, I was referring to my bank account.

Pachyderms on Parade

Kathleen's elephant collection got a beautiful addition this afternoon when Hai Dang presented her with an entire parade of elephants crossing an ornate bridge, hand-carved and polished from a single stone mined from Marble Mountain in Da Nang, Vietnam. Hai purchased Katie's keepsake during his recent two-week visit to his birthplace, where he stayed with his aunt, Yen, and other family members.

Easily the earliest

Everyone agreed it could have been done much sooner, but yesterday afternoon the first tarmac gathering of the season was called to order, thereby shattering all previously established land records.
Earliest opener had been April 16, 2008, according to the tarmac historian. That year the date coincided with the Tom Story Boxing Day, celebrated after he was observed removing the last of his Christmas decorations.

Here's Pam's memory photo

The late Paul Matthies loved to fish and he loved to go with his fishing, and life, partner Pam. She sends along this photo of Paul with a huge northern pike he caught in Canada last summer. She writes:
"This photo is from Bow Lake. I made him shower after catching that big slimer!!!
"Every time either one of us got hooked it was because of a slimer. I once ended up with two treble hooks in my hands . . . one in each!!"

Palm Sunday weekend with Grandma

Tweaking her Grandson Adam's ear

Kim, with Great Grandson Landon

Adam, Kim and Landon motored up from West Des Moines for a resort weekend with Grandma Bev in Alexandria. 

Today they attended services at Shalom Lutheran where Mom was reported to have an enjoyable time greeting parishioners and participating in traditional Palm Sunday activity.