Meanderings of a Retiree

Blog topics. I have been researching topic ideas for days like today. I mean really, who wants to know that I did three loads of laundry while Joe worked in the yard? Or that I ate bratwurst with a kale salad on the side for dinner?

Or that I sorted forwarded mail from Woodland and deposited a check online. Maybe you are interested in knowing that I binge watched season 5 of How to Get Away with Murder on Netflix.

It was suggested that I might only write this blog once a week and use it for highlights. I thought about it and decided that there were two reasons I am going to stick with daily right now.

1.      One purpose when I started the blog was to give me a space to write each day. I wanted the discipline of writing.

2.      I would rather search for something to write daily than to get to the end of the week and discover I have nothing interesting to say.

Laugh out loud (LOL), I would rather take the risk of boring my readers daily than just once a week.

In the coming weeks, I am going to be exploring daily prompts to get writing ideas. I’d appreciate it if anyone who reads the blog would introduce questions or topics they’d like to read about here. I appreciated my cousin Joan’s blog comment that sparked me to write about my substitute teaching career and deer.

My life is an open book. You want to know the story of how Joe and I met? Or how I became friends with Ginger? Or why I chose to work in the business world as a career? Want to know about the worst boss I ever had (no names, only traits of what made them toxic for me)? Want to know why I am so darn happy almost every day? I got the happy gene, and my brain looks for life lessons in difficult situations and the good in others.

My friend Ginger has told me on more than one occasion that I give people so much rope that they tie me to the chair. Yep. That is true. In the end it doesn’t matter if I’m tied to the chair because the perpetrator must live with their ugliness, and I get to move on in my happy world. Out of sight out of mind. As my folks would tell me when I’d complain about a bully as a child, “Well, if they are busy picking on you, they are leaving someone else alone.”

It’s pretty darn hard to be a victim when your parents are making you out as some kind of a hero for being a bully’s verbal target. I was taught to ignore, girls don’t punch. Especially when the bully is an adult and you are a child.

Well for someone who started writing and had nothing to say today… I guess I was wrong.

More About Deer and Substitute Teaching

June (aka Joan) – Thanks for your comment on yesterday’s blog about deer. I was curious so I looked up deer population for the states of Ohio (680,000), Michigan (2 million), and Minnesota (950,000). So, yes, Minnesota does have deer. Last year a deer was spotted in Megan and Jeremy’s backyard. Mostly they get squirrels and chipmunks. However, I have not seen any deer during our Minnesota travels – I keep my eyes open for them!

While visiting my brothers on July 23rd, they informed me that on a recent drive up to the cottage near Coldwater, Michigan they spotted over one hundred deer on one drive near the cabin. I have never hit a deer as we did not have any in our neighborhood in Woodland, CA. [We did have wild turkey flocks].

All of this to say I became increasingly anxious as we saw an increased number of deer before we left Michigan on July 1st. Admittedly we were doing a lot of driving from Michigan to Bryan, Ohio and Defiance, Ohio so we were on the road more than normal. Come to think of it we had been on the road for over two and a half months when we got to Michigan, and we were mostly saving turtles and not fearing dear. Okay, Joe was saving turtles.

Joan’s other comment was about substitute teaching. In 2001, I decided to work as a substitute teacher because it allowed me to have the same schedule as my daughter. I subbed during her 4^th and 5^th grade years. During her sixth-grade year, we moved to Maadi, Egypt and I helped in sixth grade math. When we came back to the states, I went back to working in business for a while. Once she started ninth grade, I decided to substitute again for a couple of years. I discovered I liked K-5^th grade best. I did substitute at high school level in charter schools which was fine because class sizes were small, and the students usually committed to getting an education. My hope here is to work with K-5^th graders.

My favorite teaching was in two after-school enrichment programs. One of the programs was Poetry with 4^th through 6^th graders at Dingle Elementary in Woodland, California. Students studied poetry styles and authored their own poems. They would read aloud their poetry in class. It was fun to watch how excited they were to listen and encourage each other. I want to think we printed a booklet of poems for each of the students who were in the class to take home. It sounds like something I would do and yet I don’t have a copy of it!

The second program was a Journalism class for 4^th through 6^th graders at my daughter’s school, Prairie Elementary (also Woodland). In Journalism students did a newsletter and a yearbook. To raise money to make the yearbooks affordable to all students, we took orders and baked and decorated Christmas cookies. Adults baked and volunteers in the class helped to decorate. I look back in amazement at what we were able to accomplish. Today, I do not have the energy I did then!

Daily Stuff and Gratitude

Joe has been an early riser during the twenty-nine years we have been married. Since retirement he has slept in until 5:00 am most days. This past week he has been walking the dogs, Pan and Rufio before the pavement heats up. I caught a photo of Joe and Pan post-walk this morning.

Last night, I started the process of acquiring a Short-Call Substitute Teacher License in Minnesota. I have not substituted in about thirteen years so the system could be the same as in California. Here instead of registering with a school district you register with an agency – Teachers on Call. The Rockford School District web site states that subs are needed.

Today I updated my resume for Teachers on Call per their requirements. I have an interview scheduled for August 14^th. We will see how that goes and if I can work in this district. My plan is to work 2-3 days a week at most and to be able to travel when I want.

Today I also took time to reflect on what I appreciate about my life today. My first thoughts:

• Internet speed is consistent. During our trip, internet access could be a challenge.
• Ease of charging electronics.
• Having our own space to retreat to at the end of each day and we always have a shower!
• The distance to the bathroom, especially in the middle of the night, is close to the bedroom and I don’t have to think about alligators or bears.
• Seeing Megan regularly.
• Jeremy is so easy to be around.
• We get time with Caleb and Charlotte (our grands) each week.
• Megan’s meal planning and cooking.
• I have not seen one deer in the area so no driving anxiety (yet).

Reviewing 95-Day Road Trip Costs and Benefits

When it was all said and done, our 95-day road trip, 94 nights sleeping away from our own bed, cost us on average $138.43 per day. I tracked the money we spent by categories. The categories were fuel, food, sight-seeing, lodging costs, and miscellaneous. 

I tracked for these reasons:

• I wanted to make sure we did not exceed the budget we had set.
• By tracking what we were spending we could decide which of our lodging options we could choose from when we were not staying with friends and family. 
• Because we like knowing what we spent and where. Call it a love of numbers.
• If we ever decide to do something like this again, we will have an idea of the actual costs.

Our guest homes treated us to wonderful home cooked meals. Early on we decided we wanted to spend money on our friends and family during visits. The most common way to do that was over at least one meal, our treat, where we could enjoy having someone else cook and clean up and we could be in the moment with face-to-face time. We also opted, most days, for only two meals and days when camping we were happy to eat our trail mix, soup, and peanut butter sandwiches than to drive into a town to eat. We were not surprised that our food cost was 56.9% of our overall spending. 

 The second highest expense was lodging at 20.5% of our overall spending. Thirteen nights we slept in a hotel room, ten nights we car camped, and twenty-three nights we camped in our tent. Forty-eight nights were spent in family or friends’ homes. Percentage wise: 51.1% spent in homes; 24.5% tent camping; 13.8% hotels; 10.6% car camping.

 Fuel for the Subaru Outback accounted for 12.3% of our overall spending. We traveled a total of 12,498 miles from our doorstep in Woodland, California to Megan's doorstep in Rockford, Minnesota from March 27, 2023, to July 1, 2023. We also had three oil changes to keep the maintenance up (also tire rotations, filters, and other fluids changed out). The average cost of gas per gallon we paid on the trip was $3.68. The lowest price per gallon we paid was in South Caroline ($3.08) and the highest price we paid was in Arizona ($4.70).

The Subaru performed well for us on the trip. Averaging 28.9 miles per gallon throughout all types of terrain. The worst mileage was city driving as expected. Fuel only costs came in at $.13 per mile. The oil change costs $.018/mile.

Overall, we believe every penny we spent on the trip was well worth the reward. People along the way asked us questions like:

• To Joe: You are still talking to your wife after x days of togetherness?
• Answer: Yes.
• What is your favorite place?
• Answer: No place has been a favorite. We enjoyed each place.
• Do you have a favorite moment?
• Answer: We are appreciative of each opportunity.
• Anything you did not expect on this trip?
• Answer by Joe: I met more people on this trip than I met in the past 50 years of my life. I liked meeting them!
• Answer by Beth: Joe was a wonderful traveling companion. In addition to being kind and considerate he never once threatened to leave me alongside the road when I was being cantankerous.

From building sheds to fixing a spinning wheel or disassembling a swing glider, Joe enjoyed finding ways to give back to the folks we stayed with during the trip. Those small projects helped to keep his soul fed.

 For me, the greatest gift of this journey was how people opened their lives to us. Whether it was for two hours or ten days, we were treated with kindness and welcomed with enthusiasm. I learned more about healing on this trip. My own and others. 

The benefits of our 95-Day Road Trip far outweigh the costs. 

  

Night Off

I am taking the day off from writing. It was a quiet and peaceful day for us. 

Exploring Rockford & Chillin' with the Grandkids

Today we drove around Rockford and looked at neighborhoods. We looked at a house for sale in the heart of town. On a corner lot, built into a hillside, the four-bedroom two bath house at first glance seemed ideal. The driveway though was treacherous, uphill and a sharp turn to the right to drive into the garage. I had nightmares of an icy driveway with us sailing over the edge into the neighbor’s home or worse yet, backing up on ice, losing control, and tumbling over the six-foot rock wall that fronts the property onto the street. Of course, in this scenario there would be a passing car crushed by our Subaru. The rock wall does not extend up above the driveway which would stop us from tumbling over. Whoever designed the property was clearly not as fatalistic as me about driving in winter conditions.

We spent two hours this afternoon with Caleb and Charlotte. Charlotte read “Are You My Mother?” to me while Joe and Caleb played chess. Then we all played The Floor Is Lava. I spun the color dial while Joe and the kids jumped from color to color. Then Joe and the kids and the dogs wrestled and tumbled on the floor. I informed Joe that he better not complain later if he was sore since he is a grown adult and choosing to rough house. They all enjoyed themselves. I decided to take a nap and returned upstairs for dinner to find them playing Toss the Burrito.

We had also brought back from the family reunion a ball toss game. The balls are a very lightweight plastic and when thrown at someone do not hurt in any way. The target is supposed to be a separate netted game where the participants score points based on which hole the ball falls in. My cousin Doug sent it home with us for Caleb and Charlotte. The reason we know the balls do not hurt when they hit a person is that Doug and Joe “tested it” at the reunion. Please remember that both men are over seventy years old. Doug gleefully told me the game was safe, “I through the ball as hard as I could at Joe, and he said it didn’t hurt.” I asked Doug, “Why didn’t Joe throw the ball at you to test it?” Doug, “It was my idea.”

My cousin, Doug, is one of my all-time favorite people. He and Joe connect, and I swear the two of them could talk the other one into anything. They are both sweet souls. Well, except for the ball toss idea.

So anyway, Joe, Caleb, and Charlotte were throwing the balls at each other. Thanks, Doug.

While we were spending time with the kids, Megan and Jeremy were taking a much-needed break. We had a severe storm blow through last night. I woke up at 11:30 pm and it sounded like someone was moving all the furniture in the family room above us. It took me a moment to figure out it was thunder and not a police raid gone wrong. I texted Megan and she confirmed that there was a storm. I heard a three more loud rumbles (this is the first time I have heard one of the several storms that have occurred since we moved in to the flat). She told me this morning that it lasted until 6:30 am this morning and that she had not slept at all. The children arrive at around 7:30 am on Wednesday mornings so there was no time for her to sleep.

Charlotte and Caleb had soccer practice and a game each this evening. Usually, their games are staggered so the family is away from home for two hours (1/2-hour practice, 1/2-hour game). Tonight, there was an hour between games, so Jeremy took Charlotte and went to her soccer game. Caleb and Megan stayed home for the hour between matches. Caleb came down to our flat to build on the Lego table. He was cool with Grandma getting a photo for the blog.

Happy to Be Home

It is lovely to be back home in Minnesota. Future trips to Ohio will be split into a two-day trip each way and a bit longer of a stay. I am not as young and resilient as I used to be.

Today we managed to get our weekly shopping and laundry done. Then it was nap time!

As I sit here writing I am thinking I need a cup of coffee. Strong coffee. Yet, it is 8:25pm which is close to bedtime. I feel so tired that I don’t think the caffeine will be effective at keeping me awake.

The dogs (Rufio and Pan) were excited to see us last night when we got home. Pan elected to stay in our flat last night. I got up around three for a moment and when I went back to bed, Pan was laying in my spot. I tried to get him to move. He was not having it. Between Joe pulling him over and me pushing him toward Joe, we finally created enough space for me in the bed. There really is enough room for all three of us in the queen-sized bed if Pan will refrain from laying sideways.

The fires from Canada are impacting our air quality. Another bad air day meant lots of sneezing and irritated throat from the little bit I was outside. The temperature was in the low 90’s today with the humidity at 62%. Our flat is so cool I didn’t feel uncomfortable. It is supposed to get to 94 degrees tomorrow. Meanwhile, Woodland friends have been dealing with far warmer temperatures and would be grateful for a low 90’s day.

I checked out job ads today. I am thinking I may want a part-time work from home position this winter. Something like 10 to 20 hours a week at most. I saw ad after ad for remote payroll and human resources positions. Simply reading about the work expected made me feel tired. I think I will avoid the ads for a while! Or just any job that is human resource related.

I am grateful for my years at Hygieia. It gave me the opportunity to grow and stretch myself. The very act of continuous learning and stretching also set me up for exhaustion. I recognize it was not the job – it was my expectations that created my fatigue. Now I get tired because I try to cram too much traveling into too short of a time period.

As usual I am the one that needs to do the work to fix the problem. Especially since I am the one creating the problem. Snort.

Retirement life is good. I especially like the part where I can do what I want when I want. I also like hanging out with Joe Coehlo. Even if it is as simple as reading a book in the same room while he reads (aka naps). Given the circumstances, I cannot quite figure out why I think I need a part-time job this winter.

Wee Wee Wee All the Way Home

Long driving day. We left Archibold, Ohio at 7 :15 am this morning. We did a different route to avoid Chicago and it ended up being a more relaxing drive. 

We dropped Earl off on our way home. The total trip time was 16 hours with 2 hours for meals and at least 5 other pit stops of 15 minutes to half an hour.

Pleased to be home! Tired. Our welcoming committee was enthusiastic. Pan and Rufio got lots of pets. Pan is laying on the bed with us and Rufio was on the floor on Joe’s side of the bed. 

Off to get some sleep!

Day of Rest

We enjoyed a visit with my three brothers and two sister-in-laws today. Sauder Heritage Inn has a large sitting room near our hotel room that we took advantage of for several hours. 

We enjoyed catching up and sharing past memories.

I am planning on an early night this evening. Resting up for the drive as tomorrow morning we are headed back to Minnesota. We will return Earl to Medford.

Hudkins Family Reunion

We attended the Hudkins family reunion in Bryan, Ohio today. With help from cousins Doug, Karen, and Joan we had everything set up as folks started arriving. My preliminary account was thirty-two people came to visit with each other today.

Ernest and Ethel Hudkins were my mother’s parents. They had ten children (an eleventh died within a few hours of being born). The children in chronological order were Kathryn, Jane and Jean (twins and these are their middle names that they went by), Betty, Doris, Chuck, Owen, DeAnn (my mom), Judy, and Janet. Now only Doris, Judy and Janet are still with us. Ernest and Ethel’s ten offspring parented thirty-four children. Seven of my first cousins and my sister have passed on; we are down to twenty-six of our generation. I have lost count of how many 3^rd and 4^th generation children were born. Probably if I got the family tree book that April compiled, I would know…

Today I tried to spend time with everyone to chat a bit about what is going on in their lives and ask them their thoughts about future reunions. The consensus was that there was no consensus. I suspect we will continue to figure it out as we go.

The reunion, from 11 am to 3 pm, was held at the Bryan Community Center. There was a ton of food. Healthy and comfort food choices – all of it tasty from the comments around the tables. People cautioned me that other people usually started leaving early. Yet we only had two people leave before 3:00 pm. One because he had a project he was trying to complete and the second was tired. With the help of everyone still there the tables and chairs got put away by 3:10 pm. Then people stood around hanging out and chatting for another 30 minutes.

We held two contests. One was a scavenger hunt where people could find people among those present who had done certain things like served in the military or walked to school. Joan won that contest! Denise won the other challenge which was to identify as many people as possible in six pages of photos – many of the photos taken by Joan at past reunions.

After the reunion a few of us from out of town connected for a drink (coffee, beer, Irish coffee) at Kona’s in downtown Bryan. We were excited to hear about Michael’s successful apprenticeship with a gaming company recently. Michael is Jorge and Denise’s son – we stayed with them during our 95-day road trip earlier this spring and summer.

After the gathering at Kona’s, Karen, Doug, Joe, and I came back to Sauder’s Heritage Inn where we are staying and had a buffet dinner at The Barn here at Sauder’s Village.

Then I crashed! I was so tired I took a 40-minute rest break where I listened to a meditation and briefly napped.

I really enjoyed watching people connect today. In my mind that is the reason for attending a family reunion. Since I lived in California, I only attended two reunions over the past fifty years. Now that we are closer, we can attend more often if we are able to drive.

I also enjoyed talking with people and hearing their stories or listening to them talk about what is important to them right now in their lives.

Over the next several days as I process today, I may (or may not) write more about the reunion. In the meantime, enjoy photos of this fine family.

Judy - the only one of Ernest and Ethel's surviving children who could make it to the reunion this year.

Earl - this dude rode in with us from Minnsota yesterday. He is Jean's oldest son and the second oldest person at the reunion this year (Judy had the honor of being the oldest).

Gary, Roseanne, and their daughter Paula (Roseanne is one of Earl's sisters)

Left to Right: Cynthia, Linda, Debbie, and Kim. Cynthia and Linda are Earl's and Roseanne's sisters. Debbie and Kim are Doris' offspring and therefore sisters.

Third generation fun! Tom and Allan (brothers) and Allan's wife, Sue. Tom and Allan's dad was Jim (James) one of Jane's sons.

Allan shared with the group a heartfelt tribute to his brother Shawn who passed away almost a year ago. They brought a large photo of Shawn as a tribute to his memory.

Lisa and Denise. Lisa is 3rd generation (daughter of Linda in photo above). Denise is 2nd generation, daughter of Judy and sister to Dean and Dennis in photos below. Lisa hosted the 25th Family Reunion a number of years ago (maybe like 15 or 16 years ago?) on her farm. Denise has been hostessing the family reunions for many years and took a break this year. She also is the fiduciary for the family reunion funds.

Jennifer and Dean and one of their two dogs who attended the reunion today. They are the parents of three children who were all at the reunion today, see photo below. Dean is the brother of Dennis and Denise.

Cody, Mackenzie, Jimi, Allan behind Jimi, and Caleb. Mackenzie and Caleb are cildren of Jennifer and Dean above). Cody is Mackenzie's boyfriend and Jimi is Caleb's girlfriend. Aaron, the third child of Jennfer and Dean was missing in action during the photos.

Dennis with wife Dee, and Michael and Jorge. Dennis is the son of Judy and brother to Denise and Dean pictured above. Michael (son) and Jorge (spouse) belong with Denise.

 

On the Road Again - Ohio

Our road trip to Ohio started at 5:00am. We stopped in Medford, Minnesota to pick up my cousin Earl. Earl is 81 years old. His mom was one of my mom’s older sisters (Jean). I have written about two of his sisters before -Roseann and Cynthia.

The last time I remember seeing Earl I was probably around eight years old. He reminded me today that he and his wife at the time, Karen, babysit for my brother Kenny and me when we were small. It had to have been before I was four years old, or they would have babysat for my sister Jeni also.  While I don’t recall the babysitting, I do have vague memories of being in a car with Karen so that may have been part of the babysitting. By the time I was ten years old, Earl and Karen were off having their own life with their four children.

The drive was long; however, it was less tedious as Earl shared with me part of his life story. From his adventures in Central America and Mexico, to his early career days as a counselor in a halfway house in a major Ohio city, to living in San Antonio, Texas and now Medford, Minnesota.

We got into Archbold, Ohio where we are staying this weekend, to discover after we unpacked our car that we were hungry. Our local options at 10:00 pm were McDonalds, a pizza place, and a bar and grill. McDonald’s Big Macs, no fries or drinks, won the night.

Now I am ready for bed! I am beyond tired.

Hummingbird Cupcakes - Grandparenting

We mixed and baked Hummingbird cupcakes with Charlotte and Caleb this afternoon. Part of the process when we cook is the ‘littles’ gather all the supplies and ingredients before we start. The gathering involves a stepstool to get to two or three of the shelves. They take turns collecting items so that each one has an opportunity to engage in the process.

Raddish Kids has a list with photos of the items we need to prepare the recipes. While there is no right or wrong way to go about it, I find that both kids love to pick a picture and then find the item. Me, I am a let us do this in order as listed, “So I don’t have to remember what I did or did not already get out.” The first time we cooked together, I suggested they get the items in order. Ha! That lasted about two items in and then they picked randomly again.

I decided it did not matter in the whole scheme of things and so this time I just kept my thoughts to myself. I know, a bit difficult to believe. This is my year of transformation and I believe I must practice new behaviors if I want to be successful.

Back to the Hummingbird cupcakes. The cupcakes are a Jamaica dessert with pineapple and banana bites in the batter. The frosting is cream cheese. We baked twelve cupcakes and all of us except Joe had two each after dinner. The 12^th cupcake will go home with Caleb and Charlotte on Sunday morning for their mom.

Hummingbird cupcakes prepared and frosted by Charlotte and Caleb.

Another name for Hummingbird cake is doctor bird cake. It is named after Jamaica’s national bird, the scissors-tail hummingbird.

As you can see from the photos the cupcakes and the hummingbirds are each lovely in their own way.

In case you are marveling at how well I am doing since the move to Minnesota... Today, I sent birthday money to Joe's son, Nate. The fact that it is July 20th, and his birthday was on June 20th, is a big indicator that my sense of time is a bit catty wampus. Nate graciously sent the money back to me. We did remember his birthday on June 20th. 

Stressed much?? 

We will leave at 5:00am tomorrow morning for Ohio. Swinging by Medford, Minnesota to pick up my cousin and hope to be in Archbold, Ohio by 7 pm tomorrow evening at the latest. It is a long day in the car. I can use my non-driving time to come up with a plan for how to keep track of what month it is...

Storms and Stuff

We were told this morning that a major storm blew through last night around 3:00 am. A lot of thunder, lightning, wind, and rain. We did not hear the storm in our flat.

We had just finished dinner outside on the deck and cleared the table when a storm hit this evening at around 6:10 pm. Caleb and Charlotte had soccer practice and a game that got postponed. I caught a bit of the storm on video to share. The sound is rain and a low long rumble of thunder. There were also flashes of lightening I did not capture on the video.

 

We started out morning with a visit to Joe’s doctor’s appointment. The good news is the doctor feels confident Joe’s knee will be fully healed in another month.

I thought the artwork behind the check-in desk was neat so I asked if I could take a photo. The woman checking us in said, “Sure. I don’t even notice it’s there.” This made me think about what I have stopped seeing in places around me.

I spent my day downloading photos of Hudkins family members from Facebook pages. I then created an “Identify the Family Member” game to share at the reunion. Joe worked on cooking carnitas for the reunion.

Megan, Jeremy, Caleb and Charlotte met some friends and played miniature golf earlier today. They tell me Charlotte showed promise in competitive golf. 

Retirement Tuesday

 It is a good day when I can call a local clinic and make an appointment for Joe to see a doctor the next day. In Woodland he needed a temporary prescription filled and the soonest appointment was one month. They refused to see him unless he had a new patient visit first. Then it took me two months to get the billing code corrected.

I am pleased that he can get in tomorrow morning. Nothing major. Last month he fell while out for a walk (it was pouring rain) and the inside of his knee is still achy in the mornings, so he wants to get it checked out.

Tuesday mornings are our errand mornings in Maple Grove. We hit up UPS for an Amazon return, Joe got a haircut, filled the car with gas, shopped at Costco and Cub. Once back in Rockford we dropped by the bank for our new debit cards, stopped at a chiropractor and physical therapist’s office for Joe to get information, and bought ice.

Then it was home where I spent the afternoon changing our addresses on accounts – I still have more to do tomorrow. I did not realize how many accounts we had to change!!

I was happy to know that I can continue my Golden 1 Credit Union account now that we live in Minnesota. The only limitation is that I can not apply for loans as Golden 1 is not in Minnesota. Since I am not one to take out loans, we are good with that limitation.

As a treat, I finished watching Queen Charlotte on Netflix. Thank you for the recommendation, Kim.

Pan and Rufio had a visitor on the back patio today. I was not witness to the occasion; however, I guess Rufio was quite disturbed by the sight of the chipmunk. Fortunately for the chipmunk, Rufio could not get to him/her through the sliding glass door. Megan caught a photo of the visit.

Multigenerational Family Dinners and Other Stuff

Meals in our multigenerational family home have been going well since we moved to Minnesota. Breakfast and lunch we do on our own. Dinners are a ‘family gathering.’  

Megan plans the dinner meals a week in advance and does one major grocery shopping each Tuesday with Jeremy. They do a Costco run once or twice a month. Joe and I do our own grocery shopping for breakfast and lunch meals. Jeremy works for a produce distributor, so he brings home fresh fruit and veggies regularly. Joe and I have been trying to contribute a salad for dinner two to four times a week. We share in the costs of dinner, food, and supplies (at least that is the plan, Megan wants to bill me monthly).

Megan usually deals with the meal prep and cooking. When the meat for the meal is grilled, she preps the food and Jeremy grills.

Cleaning up after dinner consists of everyone taking their own plates to the sink. Yes, even the children! Megan puts away any leftovers, I usually load the dishwasher. Having a dishwasher is fresh territory for me as we did not have one in our Woodland home. I then wash any pots and pans, dry them, and put them away. The following day I unload the dishwasher. Everything has a home, and I am still learning to put things in their proper place. I am proof that older people can learn new tricks.

Tonight, we had fresh pineapple, a salad, and grilled barbecue chicken breasts. It was a beautiful evening, so we sat outside on the back patio. Tonight’s dinner was prepared by Megan and Jeremy with a Costco salad of mixed greens, dried apples, pecans, and feta cheese with a light creamy balsamic dressing (Joe and I contributed and threw the salad together).

Photo by Megan

A healthy and tasty dinner outdoors helped to improve my mood. I was communicating with insurance people most of the day (not a fun task) and then got news that a family member is in the hospital and will not make it to the family reunion this coming Saturday in Bryan, Ohio. This also meant a redistribution of responsibilities for the reunion shifted. I am grateful that the prognosis for our hospitalized family member is good, he just cannot travel for about three weeks as he recovers. I am also grateful to Joan and Doug for their help with the reunion this year.

And I know once we get to the reunion, folks will gladly step in and help as needed. That is what our family does. They are solid ‘good citizens.’

We leave Friday morning for Ohio and are planning to swing down to Medford, Minnesota to pick up one of my male cousins who lives in assisted living. I have not seen him since I was about twelve years old. He will stay with his sister, Cynthia, for three nights and then return to Medford next Monday. I think it will be an interesting drive for all of us!

No camping for us on this trip. My brother Jeff had offered us his fishing cabin at the lake in Michigan. However, we will stay in a hotel about twenty minutes from Bryan. I am hoping that means less stress over deer! The cabin was great for three weeks as we had open-ended time for traveling. This trip is a short stay of two days and three nights. We get in late Friday afternoon, the reunion is Saturday, we will have a day of rest on Sunday and hope to connect with our immediate family members, and then back on the road early Monday morning.

One other thought for today. When I struggle with thoughts that are uncharitable, or I am feeling a bit out of sorts, the following poster reminds me to practice the pause. When dealing with insurance people today, I was grateful to have this reminder.

Dog Days

Pan loves to hang out in our flat. He will come to see Joe or me for pets and then stay for naps. Some naps are on the bed with Grandma. Some naps are on the rug near grandpa. Some naps are on a small rug by the stairs or on the  landing on the stairs. Some naps are on the dog bed that Megan bought for Rufio, the other dog in the family. 

Today I happened to walk by and found him like this:

According to my Google search: "Why do dogs sleep on their back with their legs in the air? A dog may sleep on their back with their legs in the air to keep cool. This way, cold air can reach their belly. This position can also mean that they're comfortable in their bed and fully trust you."*

*https://casper.com/blog/dog-sleeping-positions/#:~:text=Why%20do%20dogs%20sleep%20on,bed%20and%20fully%20trust%20you.

Non-Productive Day

With the children leaving this morning for their weekend with mom, the house is eerily quiet. The shared custody schedule means Charlotte and Caleb are here Wednesday through Sunday morning at 9:00 am one week and the following week Wednesday through Saturday morning at 9:00 am.

Joe and I drove over to St. Michaels this morning to check the town out. It is about ten miles from here and has a population of around 18,500 people. Joe’s reading glasses broke last night, and we were hoping to have the glasses repaired at a shop in St. Michaels. Unfortunately, the hours posted on the internet and their actual hours are not the same. They are only open on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. We could go to another town about 30 minutes away; however, Joe says he will be fine until Monday when there is a place in Delano.

The air quality is unhealthy today from the smoke from the Canadian fires. I feel for the people who have come to re-pave the driveway today.

Other than doing the laundry and watching cooking shows on Netflix, I have felt very unmotivated to day to do anything else. I still struggle with allowing myself to rest or to read or watch a show. When we were travelling at least we were “doing something.” Intellectually I know it is okay to rest. Getting my brain rewired to accept rest as okay will take time.

We leave next Friday to go to Ohio for the Hudkins family reunion. We are picking up one of my cousins on the way so he can go to the reunion as well.

Now I am going back to my non-productive state of being.

Minnesota's Largest Candy Store

July 12th Post Revised

Minnesota’s largest candy store in Jordan was today’s family adventure. Grandpa Joe opted to stay home while Grandma Beth could not resist the allure of sweets.

We left shortly after lunch for the one-hour drive.

The children did not know our destination. They only knew it was a 

one-hour drive and that as a result they got to play video games during the drive.

In addition to candy, Jim’s Apple Farm also lays claim to the ‘world’s largest soda collection.’ They have a massive selection of treats from Mexico. There is a section on candy’s flavored with bacon. I grabbed a couple of photos of the candy laced with bacon.

Fruit Flavored Bacon Gummies

Peanut Butter cups with bacon.

The store is 27,000 square feet of floor space and carries meats, cheeses, fresh baked pies, pasta and pasta sauces, pickled eggs, quail eggs with assorted spices like jalapeno, ninety-one types of saltwater taffy, chips, soup mixes, puzzles, stuffed animals, sodas and loads of candies. 

A tiny area in the store!

The food products are not the only draw. Full size (and larger than life) displays of Marvel characters, Harry Potter, Dr. Who’s Telephone Booth, the Peanuts’ Psychiatric Help booth and so much more. Murals abound with characters and scenes from popular books and movies.

We spent a full two hours checking everything out and the grandkids enjoyed choosing items within their agreed upon budgets. I bought Hot Pepper Cheese Curds for Joe.

if you ever get to Jordan Minnesota visit Jim’s Apple Farm. It is a family-owned seasonal business, open mid-May through Thanksgiving weekend. They only accept cash or checks. NO CREDIT CARDS.

While waiting for Megan to take my photo I chatted with a woman working nearby on pricing incoming inventory. She answered my questions about the workforce (once in HR always in HR…). She said most of the employees are high school students and teachers. She shared that her job is perfect for her as she homeschools her children. She went on to share that the “important people” in the company work year-round. As I left, I told her she had made my day – talking with me as she price-marked the same item over and over. I said, “You are as important as the people working year-round. Thank you for talking to me about your work.”  

We have more photos from today. I hope you enjoy.

 

Caleb and Charlotte checking out Luigi and friends sidewalk mural

Me in my post-retirement office

The Harry Potter figure is on top of a ledge with a mural behind it. A model train set runs around the ledge. On the other side of this display is a larger-than-life "He Who Shall Not be Named" Figure simultaneously attempting to put a spell on Harry.

Charlotte and Caleb preparing to travel with Dr. Who inside the police box.

Caleb, Charlotte, and Me posing with Jelly Belly.

Caleb and Charlotte with Iron Man

The dome at the end of the store. This is so you can get some perspective on how large it is.

Grandchildren Time - Adventures at the Park and Cooking

Joe and I took Caleb and Charlotte to the playground at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve this morning. Megan has a standing appointment at 11:00 am on Fridays so it is quickly becoming grandparent time.

Grandpa Joe stays close by while Charlotte contemplates climbing down the wall. Caleb takes a break!

Charlotte climbed the pole with a boost from Grandpa Joe - she woud put her foot

in his hand which would then allow her to push up the pole.

They found other children to play with, so they ran around until they felt exhausted and announced they were ready for lunch. We drove to a McDonalds in Delano which is about 10 minutes away. After lunch we met up with Megan at a local bank where we were setting up a secondary bank account for quick cash and small emergencies.

This evening Joe and I helped Caleb and Charlotte prepare dinner. Our Christmas gift to the children this year was a monthly subscription to Raddish Kids. Each month they receive 3 recipe guides, a quality kitchen tool, a creative kitchen project (hands-on-craft, experiment, or food game for the family), table talk conversation starter cards, a colorful apron patch (they each got an apron in their very first month), 3 culinary skill lessons, and a complete grocery list.

Charlotte and Caleb read the guide card and assembled all the items we would need to prepare the food and then they got out all the ingredients. Caleb set the oven to pre-heat. While Grandpa Joe cut up red peppers, chicken, garlic, and ginger for the recipe, Caleb and Charlotte measured and mixed dry and liquid ingredients for the sauce with my supervision and guidance. Caleb opened the can of pineapple we needed for the recipe.

After the meat and peppers were cut to size, and the sauce mixed, the children assembled the Jerk Chicken Skewers and took turns basting the skewers with sauce they had created. Charlotte poked herself a few times; however, we made it through unscathed. Caleb put the skewers into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Grandparents and Grandkids preparing dinner (Photo by Jeremy)

Caleb, Charlotte, and Grandma Beth assembling Jerk Chicken Skewers (Photo by Jeremy)

Grandpa and Pan take a nap while waiting for dinner to cook. (Photo by Megan)

Jerk Chicken Skewers cooked! (Photo by Megan)

While dinner cooked, Charlotte and Caleb set the table.

Dinner was delicious!

P.S. To our friends who know the Joe and Martha story – Joe enjoyed the straightforward recipe for today. Cooking with kids was a hit.

 

Paperwork Blues, Soccer, and More Flat Photos

Over the past couple of days I have been researching the legal requirements for living in Minnesota. Car insurance, medical insurance, banking, Minnesota drivers’ licenses, and car registration have been using chunks of time. We have about 60 days to take care of everything on the car side. First is establishing proof of residency that so many of the institutions require. It is a bit more complicated establishing proof of residency when you are not having utilities put in one’s name to use as proof of residency.

We will of course get it all figured out. One good thing is that effective August 1, 2023, we can get Minnesota drivers licenses without taking an exam. However, to get a Real ID we need to show proof of residency with two documents showing our new address and that is the complex part. The two documents must be along the lines of utility bills, credit card statements, mortgage statements, and so forth.

I did manage to get the car insurance lined up for August. I will not do the car registration itself until we get our drivers’ license in early August.

I am curious how snowbirds handle going to a secondary state for longer than 60 days. I am guessing it is obvious to the snowbirds.

Meanwhile, last night, Caleb and Charlotte played soccer. I was worn out from the candy store visit, so Joe and I opted for a quiet evening at home. I have photos though!

Caleb (Age 9) during soccer game of 7.12.2023

Charlotte (Age 7) warming up for soccer game of 7.12.2023

I am not ready to take photos of our flat because I am not satisfied that I have items in the places I want them. It is just a feeling - I will know when it is right.

I do have photos of the bedroom. Megan furnished and designed the bedroom and then we came along and added our own two dressers that do not match in anyway and we also hung curtains for privacy. I also added one piece of artwork of Lavender fields above the bed. Here are photos of the bedroom from different angles.

The closet doors are sliding glass doors and you can see the window. If we ever have to escape we can climb on the chair to go through the window. There is a ladder up to the backyard! I hope this never happens as I am not in any shape to be climbing in or out of windows...

This is looking from the foot of the bed to the bedroom door. The open door on the right is the door to the bathroom. Straight ahead from the bedroom door would be our 'living room.'

The bed and nightstand are the original pieces of furniture selected by Megan (as is the bedspread and pillows) before we came along with our antique dressers.

This photo was taken as a reflection in the glass sliding closet doors. So it's a bit turned around but you can see the dresser that matches the nightstands and bed frame. Joe's dresser is tucked away in the corner.

Shopping Day & Planning Another Trip

 Our refrigerator was ready for groceries, so Joe and I went to Maple Grove to Costco and Cubs to shop. A stop at Lowe’s for materials Joe needed to repair a door.

It took the better part of the morning to shop, unload the car and put our groceries away. After lunch, I treated myself to one show of Season 2 of The Lincoln Lawyer series on Netflix. After I felt aggravated with the story line, I decided to read a book on Kindle. Whereupon I promptly fell asleep for an hour and a half.

This is what retirement in Minnesota looks like for me on the days the grandkids are at their biological mom’s home. Having had a blended family, Joe and I are accustomed to flexible schedules.

I have been spending time looking at a trip to Bend, Oregon and then on to Woodland, California for a week in September. It would be a 4,059-mile round trip. Having just traveled 12,500 miles on our Road Trip the thought of more travels is not high on my list of ‘fun things to do.’ We are also going to Ohio on July 21^st and returning on July 24^th which is another 1285-mile round trip.

The Bend trip would be to attend a celebration of the marriage of our friends Debbie and Steve. They were married at the end of May. We enjoyed a visit with them this past March for four days.

Then we are so close to California! We want to see our Woodland/Sacramento friends. It looks like we would get to Woodland the late afternoon or evening of September 18^th and leave September 25^th. We want to be back in Rockford by September 29^th.

Once we firm up plans, I will be reaching out to friends to schedule visits.

Full Service

My cousin Cynthia came by to visit today. She is an independent small load driver. We had lunch at an interesting bar and grill in Buffalo, Minnesota. Interesting because when we walked in there were about thirty people standing around with seven to ten people at the bar and five people sitting in the booths.

The restaurant located at the back of a bowling alley – hey, it had good ratings! When asked, the bartender confirmed we were at Bison Creek Bar & Grill. I asked about the people standing around. Her response, “Oh, they will be moving into the back room shortly. They are here for a funeral. I am short-handed but have a seat and I’ll send the cook over for your drink order.”

Yes, it seems that the bowling alley and the bar and grill are all part of an event center that includes a room attached to the bar-restaurant area for all kinds of community events.

The cook came out and took our drink order and the bartender delivered the iced tea, coffee, and soda. The bartender then took our food order, and the cook delivered our food. Meanwhile, the room eventually cleared.

We were all tickled by the contrast in services offered. One stop shopping. Bowl, drink, eat, and attend a funeral.

Cynthia and I spent the afternoon and late into the evening sitting on the back deck visiting. She is ten years older than me so by the time I was old enough to remember anything she was already a teenager. Still, I remember her as one of my cool ‘older’ cousins. Today, she was gracious and forthcoming about her life and experiences. I enjoyed getting to know her a bit better.

This morning Joe finished hanging the artwork we wanted to get up. The refrigerator got plugged in – it needed to sit for two days because it was transported on its side – and appears to be working fine. We hope to get groceries to fill it tomorrow.

Megan gifted me my first ‘living’ plant for our flat.