Gratitude

I've been blown away by the number of friends who have reached out to us during this time. Your support means more than you will ever know.

We so appreciate those of you who have asked about the service for my grandpa, wanting to attend to support Randy and I. It's just going to be a very small graveside burial service with only immediate family in attendance. It's just going to be our family saying good-bye, so there will only be about 15 of us there. You are wonderful people for asking to attend, and it means so much to us that you would be there for us.

We're both doing well, and this week is much better than last week, for sure. As I write this, we're packing to head to Holland for the weekend with Randy's family. We do a weekend away with the Willett side every summer, and it's always a lot of fun. The weather is supposed to be very nice, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Our Family Loss

My grandpa, Graden Kessler, passed away on Thursday. Although it wasn't entirely unexpected, it's a difficult time for all of us in the family. My Aunt Darla wrote what is listed below, originally as an obituary, but now will be used as a tribute at the service. Her beautiful words are so fitting at this time, and I appreciate her agreeing to let me post them.

As a side note, I never knew until I read this that my grandpa spelled his last name differently than his parents. No one is quite sure why or when that started, but it's a little bit of family history that I didn't know.

Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.

_________________________________________________________

Graden C. Kessler, 87, passed away peacefully, July 24, 2008, with family members by his side.

Born September 22 in Benton PA, he was the son of Wilbert and Edith Charles Kesler. He married Jean M. Beagle, and they celebrated their 66th anniversary with cake at their most recent residence, Maple Oaks AFC, Webberville.

Graden is survived by his wife, Jean, daughter Shirley (Glenn) Stanley, son Larry (Vickie), daughter Darla Miller (John Knowles), and enjoyed the company of granddaughters Lori (Randy) Willett, Lisa (Dave) Conner, Heidi Miles, grandsons Daniel and Nicholas Kessler, great-grand daughter, Kelsey Conner, and son-in-law Kenneth Miles. Daughter Donna Miles preceded him in death in 2007.

During his lifetime, Graden worked as a lumberjack, blacksmith, and farmer before retiring as a custodian for the Pinckney School System.

He was an avid outdoorsman. Many times in early years he relied on his hunting skills to feed his family. He especially enjoyed rabbit hunting and being in the company of not only the outdoors, but his several hunting dogs. One life highlight was when he traveled to Northern Michigan bear hunting with his son and hunting buddies. He did bring home the bear he went after.

He loved the earth and most summers had 2-3 gardens growing. In the fall he sold pumpkins.

Another lifetime moment came at the age of 78 when he took his one and only plane trip to Florida. The flight was exciting, and he was fascinated by the Palm trees and enjoyed the warm Florida sunshine and fresh fruit.

Graden did not ask a lot from life. He enjoyed large family meals with a good piece of pie for dessert. He believed in God and helped build the Galilean Baptist Church, Portage Lake. He picked professions that were particularly difficult physically and did them without complaint whether sick, hurt, or just plain tired. In the 15 years he worked for the Pinckney School System, he missed only 1-1/2 days due to illness.

A private memorial service will be presented at a later date. His family would like to thank Heartland Hospice of Mason for their excellent care and concern during Graden’s difficult days. Contributions to Heartland Hospice of Mason, in honor of Graden Kessler, may be sent to 865 S. Cedar Street, Mason, MI 48854.

No One Mourns the Wicked

Last year we had tickets to see "Wicked" as part of our season tickets to the Wharton Center at MSU. We've had season tickets for a number of years, and Randy and I both saw quite a few shows even before we met. So, together, I think we pretty much know what to expect from a show. This show was unbelievable and not like anything either of us had seen before.

"Wicked" is the story of Glinda, the good witch, and Elphaba, the wicked witch, and what happens to them before the Wizard of Oz movie begins. It's funny, touching, and absolutely beautiful to watch. The songs and voices gave me chills.

As I said, we saw it last year, and we were blown away. On the way home, Randy said, "I don't care if we have to go to New York or Chicago, we have to see that show again." I felt the same way. And, as luck would have it, Wharton came through for us again. That very night that we saw "Wicked," we came home to an e-mail from Wharton that it was coming back this year, and we could buy tickets the following morning.

Tonight there we were, Row B, smack dab in the center, perfect seats. It was every bit as good as we remembered. The two witches were played by different people, but surprisingly most of the rest of the cast was the same as last year. Naturally I had done a scrapbook page of it last year, so I had the playbill and was able to compare casts. Go ahead, say it, I'm a dork.

We decided that this time we paid more attention to the story and caught more of the little details than last time. The first time we were so blown away by the songs, costumes, and special effects. They were just as good this time, but when you know what's coming, you're able to pay more attention.

We really debated about whether to go tonight or whether to head up to Arcadia. I'm glad we made the choice we did. It would be nice to be up there now, but I really needed this night out to just escape and relax. We haven't done a lot this summer except hang out at home, so it was really nice to have such a good show to see.

This is just the first week of the show, and there are still tickets available. Don't let it pass you by. We talked to a lot of people around us tonight, and they were all ages, and they all loved it. You will, too!

Passages

Tonight's blog will be a little different than my other postings. Tonight I will tell a story of a very special family who made me one of their own 25 years ago.

Carol Erickson and I met when we were camp counselors in 1983. Carol had just broken up with a boyfriend, and her mother, Ruth, said, "You're not going to sit around the house all summer and sulk." So Ruth called a friend who was managing a YMCA camp, and he gladly took Carol on for the summer.

My first memory of Carol was on "Family Day," a day before the camp opened where our families could come see where we were going to be living for the summer. Ruth marched Carol around the camp and made her stand in front of just about every building so she could take a picture. At every stop, you could hear Carol whining, "Oh, Mommmmmmm...." and Ruth saying, "Oh, Carol, just get over there and stand in front of that building," using that mom staccato tone of voice where all the words kind run together.

My mom was with me as well that day, and we found it pretty darn funny to watch the two of them. In fact, we kind of shadowed them just to watch and listen. Hey, it was the 80's, and it was cheap entertainment.

Little did I know on that day that for many, many years to come, I would hear Ruth's voice, Carol's voice, and the voices of all of their family members as they laughed, fought, joked, and many times just enjoyed each other. You see, out of that camp counseling summer, Carol and I developed a friendship that has withstood time and distance.

The Ericksons bought a vacation home in Arcadia, Michigan, not long before Carol and I met. Carol began taking me there, and it wasn't long until I felt like I, too, was an Erickson. You see, her parents, Ruth and Edsel, were very welcoming to everyone, including me. For many years, Carol and I, and usually Carol's cousin Leslie, would vacation in Arcadia in July. It's on Lake Michigan, remote from the hustle and bustle of real life, and the perfect spot to just relax, have a beer, read a book, and take nap after nap. Over the years, the number of people who came to Arcadia in July grew and grew, and it wasn't unusual to have a group there that included people from Texas, Colorado, Ohio, and various other places. Ruth and Edsel made each one welcome, and everyone looked forward to their time with the Ericksons.

Ruth was a mom to everyone, making sure everyone was fed and had what they needed. Every night she would make a meal for us that was better than anything we had ever had before. We'd sit at the dining room table, all of us, making those "mmmmmm" noises and rolling our eyes because it was so good. I remember one particular meal where she served a side dish of green beans, and we went on and on and on about those beans. To this day I have no idea what she did to those beans, but I will tell you I never forgot how good they were. She never could get over how we could think green beans were that good. "They're just plain old green beans" she would say.

Usually each night we'd go for a walk around town. Ruth and her sister, Mary, would start out walking with us girls, but after a couple of blocks, they'd be left far behind. It was so cute to see the two of them talking and talking and talking and, yes, slowly walking. We'd taunt them every night, and every night they'd shoo us away.

One of my favorite memories of Ruth would happen every single year when we girls were getting ready to go to the beach. We would usually have some sort of alcoholic concoction; many times it would be those buckets that have alcohol added and then freeze in the freezer over night. Carol would always say, "I wonder how it knows that we did it at night? Would it still work if we did it in the daytime?" Yes, I do think she said that every year. Anyway, we'd be at the kitchen table discussing whether we needed more than just the tub of drinks and fighting over who was going to carry the heavy cooler. Of course we would have to sample the frozen tub, and we would offer some to Ruth. Ruth would reply that it was too early for a drink. Minutes later she would appear standing next to the table with a small juice glass, saying, "Well, just give me a taste." We would, and pretty soon she would have had several "tastes," but they didn't count because they were in such a small glass. That was Ruth!

Edsel was always so interested in everyone. He was the first "grown-up" who looked me right in the eye and asked me about myself. He truly cared about my answers. When I shared successes with him, you could see the pride in his eyes. When Carol, Leslie, and I would have our 20-year-old girl dramas, he would get a twinkle in those same eyes, and you could tell that he really did enjoy just listening to our view of the world. Only a man like Edsel would have been able to tolerate the three of us!

My favorite memories of Edsel, though, were when he'd pile all of us in the van and take us for ice cream in Frankfurt. Edsel loved his family, and Edsel loved his ice cream. We'd fight to see if we could pay before him, because he always wanted to treat. We'd sit outside the Kool Spot on the picnic tables, enjoying our nice cold ice cream, talking about what a great day it had been. And you know what, every day WAS a great day.

Along the way, all of the Erickson kids got married, and grandchildren came into the picture. Ruth and Edsel loved having the kids around and talked so much about how each one was doing this or that. Their pride was so evident. They built on to the house to accommodate the growing families, and they wanted everyone there just as much as possible.

When Randy made his first appearance, you would think he'd been coming there as long as I had. He was welcomed in as yet another member of the family, and to this day remarks at how special the Ericksons always made him feel.

I can mark history by my time in Arcadia. I was there when Greg LeMond won his first Tour de France. I learned to appreciate tennis by watching Wimbledon on the Erickson's 13-inch TV with no remote. The only times in my life that I have skied were times when I was staying in Arcadia (the world is actually probably a safer place given that I didn't take up that sport). I was in Arcadia when John Kennedy's plane was reported missing. Why can I remember that I was there for these events? Because my time in Arcadia was always special, and those times stand out in my mind. I never want to forget.

There were golf tournaments, complete with custom shirts and hats some years. There were all of the hundreds of sunsets we watched out over Lake Michigan. There were beach days, sunburns, and coolers full of ice cold drinks. There was the Airstream trailer that looked just like something Lucy and Desi would have had. There were trips to the Artesian well to fill all of those milk jugs.

There were times when we had to drive to the scenic lookout to get our cell phones to work. There were trips to the casino, including one time when the power in the casino went out. Boy those blackjack dealers can really move fast to get those chips put away when the lights go out!

There was the Arcadia song that Carol and her sister Ingrid made up, based on a song that Woody made up on "Cheers." It went like this:

Arcadia

Arcadia

You border on Lake Michigan

Your land is mostly mountainous

And your chief export is pie

There was Joey Vonk writhing around on the kitchen floor with a dead-on imitation of the Crocodile Hunter. To this day I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did that night, and I didn't even know who the Crocodile Hunter was at that time!

There was Joey's dad, John, telling us about the time that Edsel drove a new car to Florida and went on and on about what great gas mileage he got. John started sneaking out at night and putting extra gas in Edsel's car, so Edsel would keep bragging up how great his mileage was, not knowing that John was playing a prank on him. And there was Edsel, laughing along with us as John told the story, not the least bit upset at getting pranked.

There was smoked fish and always lots and lots of pie. There was the annual hot dog roast after the Arcadia Daze parade. There was the Arcadia Daze Dance, always full of some sort of teenage drama. There were all of the parties in the side yard, celebrations of life and family. There was the obligatory "everyone on the porch" picture, usually mandated by Ruth. We would moan and groan about it every year, but aren't we all so glad we have those pictures now.....

Ruth passed away suddenly two years ago, and it was heart breaking to all of us. We had a beautiful memorial service at the house, a celebration of her life and the wonderful person she was. And now, another memorial is being planned. Edsel passed away last night. Next Wednesday we will all again meet in Arcadia to say good-bye to this wonderful man, friend to all. As difficult as it is to think of Arcadia without Ruth and Edsel, the wonderful thing is that now they are together again, where they belong. Ruth and Edsel shared a love for life, a love for their family and friends, a love for each other, and a love for God. I know that they're dancing and hugging and loving each other, happy knowing that they lived full lives. I hope they know that their lives touched many others, changed many others, and we are all better people for knowing them. Edsel and Ruth, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten.

Our Next President!!!

Thanks to my Aunt Darla for sending this link to me!

Busy, Busy, Busy

We had a great weekend, with a good balance of having fun/being lazy and also getting some things done around the house. Friday night we went out to eat at Bravo, one of our favorite places. Randy kept saying he couldn't believe we went to a movie AND went out to eat in the same week. I guess we don't get out much anymore!

Saturday we visited with my grandparents for a while and ran some errands. I'm not really sure where the day went. Our friend Kathy stopped by to show us her new Acadia - very nice! I should have taken a picture for the blog.

We're going camping next weekend, so today we set up the camper to start getting that ready to go. What a mess. We didn't use it at all last year, and the previous year ended with us loaning it to some friends who seem to have left it quite trashed. We're getting it in shape, and we'll be ready to go on Friday. Our camper is one that the Willett family used when Randy was a kid. It's all green and gold inside, very Brady Bunch. It's so cool. We even have the original lamp they used in there. I think it has a hippo or something on it.

So why am I camping? Me, the girl who thinks ruffing it is staying somewhere with no room service? Well, I have quite a few cute things related to camping for some scrapbook pages, so we need to camp so I can scrapbook the pages. I know, it's a sickness. Randy just shakes his head. But at least he gets to go camping.

Randy painted our front steps today, using paint mixed with grit. Hopefully that will help them from getting so slippery when it rains or snows. The brown looks really nice. He also installed lighting on them, which will go well with the other lights we have out front now. He's really into this lighting phase, and I love it.

Here are some pictures I took this morning of flowers we have in the front bed.

And finally, look at how huge our tomato plants have grown! In the past week, they've grown more than a foot. I couldn't believe how big they were. I made Randy stand next to them to show their height. Doesn't he look thrilled to have to do this???

Best Show You've Never Seen

Sometime last year, I started getting really tired of the same old TV shows. I've actually cut back a lot from the number of shows I used watch, and I've changed what I watch. Last summer AMC came out with a new series called "Mad Men." I read about it somewhere, so I watched it when it started. I was hooked from the beginning.

"Mad Men" is the story of an advertising agency in the 1960's. They really try to be authentic. The men are executives, and they all have "girls" who are their secretaries. Everyone smokes and drinks in the office. They even show pregnant wives who smoke and drink! It's kind of a soap opera, with affairs going on, wives at home longing for their husbands, back stabbing.....all the good stuff we love in a TV drama.

The second season is going to start in a couple of weeks, and AMC is showing last season now. I also just saw that on our Comcast's OnDemand channel, they have the entire first season, free for viewing. If you've never heard of it or never watched it, give it a try. It's addictive. Each show got better and better, and the finale was really something.

Something To Consider

As we move towards the election this fall, I'm one of the millions of people who really struggle with both candidates. I can't look at either one and say, "That's the man I want to lead us forward." I'm so disappointed that these are the two choices we are left with. At the beginning, it seemed like we had so many promising candidates. I still can't believe this is where we are, but so be it.

I'm sure I'll go back and forth a million times before I cast my ballot. One thing that's important to me is how each candidate deals with the economic issues, including their opinions on unions and businesses. In a Human Resources newsletter I received today, an article appeared about Barack Obama's support for the "Employee Free Choice Act." Among other things, this Act would replace secret ballot union elections currently conducted by the National Labor Relations Board with a "card check" procedure. An employer would be legally obligated to recognize and bargain with a union if a simple majority of employees sign union authorization cards.

I've been in HR a long time, and I've been involved in a number of union drives. Some were successful for the union, and some where not. The way it works now is the union desiring to represent employees approaches the employees and asks them to sign cards. Once they have enough cards (30 percent of the employees they want to represent), they can petition the National Labor Relations Board for an election. In my experience, unions don't petition for an election unless they have at least 50 percent of the cards, since they don't want to take a chance on losing the election.

An employer CANNOT block the election. If the union has the cards, they WILL be granted an election. During the time prior to the election, a lot of education takes place, both on the part of the union and the employer. Both sides want the employees to have all the information available to make an informed decision.

Then the election is held, and the union wins if they get 50% plus 1 vote of all those who vote in the election.

The proposed Act, supported by Mr. Obama, does away with those elections. It allows the unions to approach employees, have them sign cards, and, if they get 50 percent plus 1 cards signed, then they're now the union representing those employees.

What's so bad about that? Let me tell you the reality. During card signing, a lot of peer pressure is placed on employees. Employees are harassed and intimidated into signing. They do it knowing that they can vote however they want when they have the secret ballot. If the actual card signing means a vote for the union, instead of a secret ballot, many union organizers will work even harder, and use even stronger tactics, to get those signatures.

Union organizing in an organization is a stressful time for all. Managers are mad, organizers are sneaky, and it's an "us against them" time. What falls out of that, however, is that employers DO have a chance to educate employees so they can make an informed choice. They get to hear BOTH sides, not just what some union organizer promises them. Did you know that many times union organizers work full time for the unions and don't even work at the place they're trying to organize? They don't know the workplace or environment. They don't know the people. They'll promise the moon to get that signature.

In a state where so many of the unions are out of touch with the economy, it's hard to believe that this Act would help our employees. As I said, I've been involved in any number of union drives. Some brought the union in, and some turned down the union. In one place, they've turned down the union more than once, even though enough cards were signed to generate an election. Under this Act, those elections wouldn't have taken place. The cards would have dictated that they were unionized. Think about it.....if there was no peer pressure, no misleading comments, then why would someone sign a card but vote against the union? Shouldn't employees have that right?

This Act is bad. It's going to lead employees down a path they don't want to go, and they won't know what hit them until it's too late.

Hubba Hubba Movie

Randy and I met our friends Mark and Kathy after work to see "Ironman." The guys wanted to see it because of the storyline.

Here's why Kathy and I wanted to see it.

We all loved the movie.....what's not to love??

Family BBQ

We had my mom, dad, sister (Lisa), and niece(Kelsey) over today, along with our friend Sue (who used to live next door) and our current neighbor, Vi. Randy fired up the grill, I made some side dishes, and we enjoyed good food and great company. We haven't seen Sue in so long, and we just loved having her over. Here are some pictures of our day.....

We're all pretty tired. Jack is asleep on the floor, and Cloe already went to bed (at 6:30!). I think it will be an early night here at Castle Willett. We taped the men's Wimbledon finals this afternoon, and as I write this, we're watching the second set. It's a great way to end a great day. I like both Federer and Nadal, so I don't even really care who wins. It's just nice to see such talent on the court. And the fact that they're both little cuties doesn't hurt, either.

Go Nuts....Lugnuts!

Our friends Deb and Rob invited us to go to the Lugnuts last night. That's the minor league baseball team here in Lansing. We haven't been to a game all year. The place was PACKED. I've never seen it so full. I'm not sure that they were expecting such a crowd because they were understaffed at the food lines, and they seem to have run out of a lot of things before the game was even half over. People were a little cranky. I think the gas prices kept a lot of people home, and what a great way to spend an evening. It was just $9 each to go, and it really was a lot of fun.

4th of July - Willett Style

We decided to hang out at home this weekend. We really don't like fighting the crowds up north or on a lake, and the $4/gallon gas keeps us close to home these days. So, we're doing what we like to do, hanging out and and puttering around the house. We just got a new camera, so here are some pictures I took this morning of some of our flowers.