Mothers Day Date

I took two sweet young ladies out for lunch on Mothers Day. Orchard Green was the destination, where we were treated to a special four-course luncheon they were offering for the occasion. Each of my dates wore an orchid, which someone thought they should have in honor of being such special mothers.

After the lunch, we took an old-fashioned Sunday drive, since it was such a pretty day. Mother is always saying that there just aren't any barns anymore, since it is true that barns are a threatened species out in our rural areas. So, we thought we would show her one that is quite special. The 1883 Secrest Octagonal Barn near Downey, Iowa. Click here to read a little about the barn, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. After taking a look, we looped through the big town of Downey, West Liberty, Nichols and Lone Tree before heading back home.

Happy Mothers Day to Some of the Best Moms I Know

Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful mothers who are a part of my life. Let me start with these three, each one of whom has blessed me with one or more terrific grandchildren.

Betsy always shows such an understanding and patient way with her kids. Maybe part of it is the teacher in her, but she just seems to be a natural mom. Henry and Clara are very lucky.

Granddaughter Eleanor has one of the happiest smiles and most imaginative natures. The devotion Carrie shows to Eleanor's well-being is obvious in every book she reads to her, every adoring look she gives her, and every bit of time she spends guiding her life in good directions.

There is no question that Sandy was destined to have a delightful, energetic, blond-headed boy. Anders is already showing the benefits of the guidance Sandy provides through her affectionate, loving, coaching ways. Anders is going to have a wonderful life, in no small part because of the many things Sandy will do with and for him.

Then there is the newest mom, Jessica. She walked through her pregnancy and delivery of Maia like it was no big deal. And that Maia is one of the most beautiful brand-new babies I've ever seen. We have loved watching this new mom and this new little girl interact with each other.

My Kathie has proven over and over again what a great mom she is for Jessica and Travis. The problem solver in her works on their behalf whenever and wherever needed. She is also a very giving, caring and sharing stepmom.

My mother-in-law is another wonderful woman. From our very first meeting, she has made me feel a true part of her family, and though she might occasionally urge me to slow down, I know she supports the person I am. I am very grateful for her love and caring.

She'll even go hot-tubbing with her girls.

Finally, let me not forget my own dear mother and my grandmother. Both of them have been gone far, far too long, but I think of them often and remember with great affection the boosts they gave me in my life and the love they showed me and mine.

Grandson Baseball & Fondue

We visited Betsy and her family this past weekend. Arriving on Friday, we learned that Henry would have his first youth league baseball game that night. What great timing and what a great opportunity for me! Henry dressed himself initially, and we didn't think about the fact that he had put his number on the front. That was corrected when we got to the playing field.

He allowed me to take pictures and included this pose. The boy may be a pitcher some day. He has started to work on his windup moves, as you can see.

Clara was cheering him on, saying, "Go Henry!"

I must say I admired the dedication and methods of the coaches. I recall once coaching Rob's soccer team for a season, and I know how challenging it can be to teach anything about a sport while having to constantly corral and ask for attention.

The rules of the game were quite different from the baseball rules that I know, but they make sense for beginners. There were two innings, and in each case, all players on the defensive team took positions on the field. They were mostly scattered about the infield, so there seemed to be about two third basemen, two or three short stops, ... you get the idea. Henry was assigned in the first inning to the pitcher's mound. Later, he played third base. If you saw his mother's posting about this outing, you know that involved studying stray rocks and rearranging the dirt around the base.

When on offense, each player got to bat and run to first base. An adult pitched until the batter hit the ball or had three strikes, at which point a tee was used to allow the player to hit the ball. Base running was interesting, as was fielding. Since this is probably the kids' first introduction to baseball as a team sport, there is lots to learn about where to throw the ball once fielded and how to run bases, including when to advance. There were frequently multiple runners on the same base or runners who would pass a runner ahead of them. Naturally, there were lots of side conversations and playing (not baseball) at all times between fellow fielders or between fielders and runners. This tended to distract from attention to the fact that a ball might just have been hit and that fielding or running was needed. It was great fun!

Henry hit 1000 for the evening. He had two hits in two at-bats and never had to use the tee. Here he is about to take a mighty swing at a pitch. He has a good eye for the ball. Keeping those helmets on when batting or running the bases can be difficult though.

Here he is at third base after having successfully navigated around the bases to that point. You can also get an idea about how the players are set up defensively. It would seemingly be tough to get a ball through the left side of the field, even with a good hit.

After scoring a run, Henry showed me his pride of accomplishment.

Now the fondue...on Saturday evening, we went out to Fondue Stube for dinner. There were three courses: vegetables and bread with cheese fondue, meats and vegetables with oil fondue, and fruits and angel food cake with chocolate fondue. Henry and Clara both proved to be adept at using the fondue pots and all potential accidents were avoided.

Here's the whole gang.

I'll let you guess for yourselves which course was associated with this picture.