RichC | December 3, 2015
I’m not going to repost the lost message from Thanksgiving in Wayzata, MN this year, but some of the personal photos are on Facebook (I don’t post there too often, but in case you want to connect click here).
RichC | September 14, 2015
As mentioned previously, we made our annual tree purchase this weekend (Swamp White Oaks), as well as added a couple clearance Hydrangeas. Who knows, we may live long enough to see a few mature hardwood trees in our backyard? Also, I can report positively on Brenda’s recovery … she is now walking (with cane or […]
RichC | September 10, 2015
When my daughter Katelyn was home a few weeks ago, she wanted Brenda to try painting a few things with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It happens to be a fairly popular crafty decorating “thing” and a creative way to reuse old furniture. This started the process of looking for items around our house to paint. […]
RichC | September 2, 2015
Let me start off that I have been abundantly blessed and thankfully to this point I haven’t faced the need for “therapy,” as the many versions of the below tee-shirt make light of. In my case was fortunate to be born to loving parents who emulated what it was to be a great mother and […]
RichC | August 25, 2015
It has been 25 days since surgery and about a month since my wife’s fall off a ladder. The rehabilitation is actually going well when observing the healing from the outside — the incision is relatively clean. Brenda isn’t ready for photos … so I’ll just include the last photo (right) of her are pre-injury […]
RichC | August 24, 2015
It is not one of the better quality photos, but my brother Ron (right) sent me a “guess who this is” photo from a trip he took this past weekend. At first I didn’t know who was in the photo with him, but after a close look at the background I deduced that it was […]
RichC | August 20, 2015
It has been a long week already and my brother and I are already having conversations about dad’s house and contents. I know it is something we need to do, but it seems so final … and I guess it is? We did talk about this a little bit with dad, but it wasn’t the […]
RichC | August 19, 2015
Well … one of the positive things that happen at funerals (and weddings) is that families get together. Taylor took a funeral day (plus weekend) from his job and Katelyn and Drew drove home from Wayzata (Minneapolis, MN) and brought along his “new toy” … quadcopter with a camera – what a great distraction. We […]
RichC | August 18, 2015
On Monday (August 17, 2015), we held the memorial service for my dad at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sidney, Ohio. Dad died on August 12th after his “thankfully” short hospice care after suffering a stroke and brain bleed. The burial urn (above) was surrounded by flowers and a lifetime of memory photos (our families […]
RichC | August 14, 2015
As if the past couple of weeks were not challenging enough, my dad’s body finally had enough. He didn’t want any further medical miracles … or poking and tweaking to keep systems going AND had previously put in place a detailed “Living Will” in regards to what measured he did not want. After last weeks […]
RichC | August 12, 2015
Those having endured recovering and rehab know the challenges ahead for Brenda and those following my limited blog posts probably know what I’ve been pre-occupied with after my wife’s fall and my dad’s stroke … but we’re moving forward. Today (August 12th) is my wife’s birthday … hardly a “yippee” event this year … but […]
RichC | August 9, 2015
Even for life-long Christians it is challenging facing the reality of our earthly life ending and accepting “by faith” the promise of eternal life. Part could be facing the pain of death or leaving those we love behind … but we humans also question. This weekend my dad experience a major stroke, although we knew […]
RichC | August 4, 2015
It has been a whirlwind week as we hope all medical checks on Tuesday morning are a “go” for returning home. Brenda and I weighed the options and since she can’t do any weight bearing physical therapy on her left leg or left arm, there isn’t much sense to going to an in-patient rehab facility. […]
RichC | August 3, 2015
It was the weekend for visiting … both my dad who returned to Lane Park Assisted Living in Sidney, Ohio and my wife Brenda who is recovering from her fall from a ladder (previous posts: One, Two and Three with more below). Thanks to my brother Ron, decisions for my dad was something I didn’t […]
RichC | August 1, 2015
As my daughter Katelyn told me prior to Brenda’s surgery to reconstruct her damaged shoulder and upper arm … "take a deep breath." I did, but didn’t know I would be holding it for 4 hours (a few details below – also previous posts 1 and 2). When the surgery was over, Dr. Wyrick […]
RichC | July 30, 2015
The above is a pretty innocuous photo: pine trees, a tree trimming pole and a ladder on the ground. It was the beginning to a difficult week as my wife Brenda started to trim a couple larger white pines (as she often does with magnolias and other smaller trees and bushes around our home). She […]
RichC | July 25, 2015
After spending a lifetime working on cars and 30 years dealing with printing press wash-up chemicals and hand scrubs, one would think I would know a little bit about cleaning my hands? Well I do know a “little bit” but still haven’t figured out how to clean dried paint off my hands (in particular Miracle […]
RichC | July 24, 2015
Brenda and her sister Chris spent last weekend together at the family Farmhouse in western New York. They sorted through what was left from their mom and dad’s lifetime of “stuff” separating into garage sale, trash pick-up, donations and items they might still want. The later “group” grew far too large, in my opinion. Some […]
RichC | June 22, 2015
Taylor 2.0 … on his way to work (left). Monday, June 22, 2015, is my son’s first day as Planner for Clermont County, Ohio. Hopefully the last two years of high paced work in Williston, North Dakota have set him up well? He should be the perfect fit … but every new position has its […]
RichC | June 21, 2015
I’m looking forward to visiting with my dad today and am thankful to still be able to visit with him for another Father’s Day. It’s been a busy year for my brother and me between the concern over him living alone last year, to the hospital stay, rehab and month or so in the nursing […]
RichC | June 2, 2015
It was a busy weekend as our family was in town to celebrate my nephew David and Rachel’s wedding just south of Cincinnati in Lakeside Park, Kentucky. The beautiful ceremony was held under a tent in the backyard of their home with close friends and family. Everything was artistic and couldn’t have been nicer. One […]
RichC | May 23, 2015
Being sentimental or overly reflecting on each day really is not in my nature, but because my prayer list growing for those who have health issues, I’ve spent a little more time “trying” to appreciate “the moments.” The focus this winter/spring has primarily been on my dad (and my mother-in-law), and I’ve made a priority […]
RichC | May 21, 2015
My wife and I have been preoccupied this week with helping our son Taylor get settled into his East Walnut Hills (Cincinnati) apartment after his move back from Williston, North Dakota. Each time “I” think we are getting closer to finishing, the “mama-bear” (aka: Brenda) adds a few more items to the list … but […]
RichC | May 19, 2015
My “prodigal son” returned to Cincinnati Monday night. Taylor is only home for a day and we will be moving him into his own East Walnut Hills apartment as he gets ready for his new position as a Clermont County Planner. He is excited to be back in southwestern Ohio after nearly two years in […]
RichC | May 14, 2015
Since my daughter’s birthday falls on a Thursday this year it offers me a perfect excuse (as if I need one) to reminisce a little and post a Throw Back Thursday (#TBT) video … this one from 1996. Love you Katelyn — Happy Birthday!
RichC | May 12, 2015
It is nice to know that my son Taylor connected and is well-liked by his co-workers in Williams County, North Dakota … liked enough to receive a potluck goodbye (although I’m not so sure they know just how land-locked Cincinnati is???) It is a happy time for him to be growing in his career, but […]
RichC | May 6, 2015
Congratulations to my nephew Benjamin Skinner and his wife Emily on the birth of their son (their first child). Liev Frederick Skinner was born this morning, May 6, 2015 at 5:51AM in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s a cute little guy at 6 lbs. 13 oz and 20.5 inches … so relays his proud grandma … my […]
RichC | May 4, 2015
Besides the “lighter” personal oriented items I’ve been posting on my blog lately, I wanted to archive a few details about my dad struggling with getting older and being back in the hospital. This past Sunday the nurse at Lane Park where dad is now living told us dad had a high fever and was […]
RichC | May 3, 2015
Brenda and I knew the good news when we were on vacation last week that Taylor received an offer from Clermont County, Ohio … although Taylor didn’t yet returned to Williston North Dakota to submit his resignation properly (therefore no public blog post). On Friday, Taylor submitted his letter and verbal resignation to his superiors […]
RichC | May 1, 2015
Sharing and archiving a little left over video from our recent trip sailing on Encore with our son Taylor last week. He stretch out a week using some of his vacation time (wisely … more later) while coaxing Brenda and me to do the same for a few days. We had great spring weather (80s) […]
RichC | April 30, 2015
Since I’ve been negotiating these past couple of weeks in selling my mother-in-law’s farmhouse and property, it seemed appropriate to post a Throw Back Thursday (#TBT) photo of Dad Howard in his gardening attire. We are close to having a signed contract and are entering the inspections phase along with financing approval and wondering […]
RichC | April 25, 2015
We are so fortunate to have great kids, steady employment and the flexibility to escape once in a while to enjoy the fruits of our labor … AND to recharge our batteries for a few days. Taylor flew down to Florida from North Dakota and met up with Miami University friend Paul for the weekend […]
RichC | April 19, 2015
My son Taylor was home from North Dakota for a few days and besides reconnecting with a bunch of his friends in revitalized urban Cincinnati, he spent Saturday afternoon with me in Sidney visiting with my dad. Grandpa gave Taylor the tour of his new “assisted living” senior home, Lane Park, and we has some […]
RichC | April 17, 2015
I don’t think many of us are properly prepared to make the decisions that are needed to care for elderly parents. Even though my brother and I have been through medical needs, nursing and then hospice care for my mom, we were still not knowledgeable when it came to handling dad. Thankfully, if you have […]
RichC | April 8, 2015
Our family has been pretty focused lately on my dad's declining health and I know a few of my parents' friends who check my blog might appreciate a short update. After a brief hospital stay in February for two fractures in his pelvis after a fall, DadC entered rehab near my brother Ron's house in […]
RichC | April 2, 2015
One would think with a nisus to reflect on the good ol’ days more than I should … and as a long time photography buff (had my first darkroom when I was in 7th grade!) … that I would have been one of the first to participate in the Throwback Thursday trend? Nope … slow […]
RichC | March 15, 2015
The past couple of months have been filled with caring for our parents as both my wife’s mom and my dad are facing common issues associated with aging. No matter how you deal with it, having health issues in your eighties is neither easy for elderly parent or the family struggling to care for them. […]
RichC | March 7, 2015
It’s great to see your kids making the most of their situation. In the case of Taylor who often feels “stuck” in North Dakota … especially in the winter … he continues to fine interesting and new things to do. This early March weekend he went ice fishing with his northern buddies not far from […]
RichC | February 18, 2015
Taylor and his friend Nick took advantage of a long weekend to take a trip from frozen North Dakota to Boulder, Colorado and Wyoming, just as they did over Thanksgiving. They skirted just east of the Rocky Mountains and had great weather. Since there were only two guys to split the gas this trip, I’m […]
RichC | January 26, 2015
We celebrated my dad’s birthday this past weekend with pizza and conversation at my brother and sister-in-law’s in home. While it is difficult to see my dad getting older and more feeble, I’m still thankful he is able to enjoy time with his family. His spirit is good, although for the first time in my […]
RichC | January 22, 2015
My wife has been busy cleaning out our closets and getting rid of “old stuff.” One the the items dates back in 2003 and brought back memories of my “space girl.” My daughter Katelyn was inspired by science and particularly by an adventurous NASA, space exploration and astronomy. In part, her interest could have been […]
RichC | January 7, 2015
My daughter Katelyn and her husband Drew were in town to visit this week and we pretended it was still the week of Christmas and exchanged a couple gifts. Brenda had already shipped a box of presents to them, but saved back a frame and print for them. It was an artistic photo taken down […]
RichC | January 5, 2015
Posting both a test post to update MyDesultoryBlog in order to set up the 2015 photo directories and because this is a cute yoga “bunny” photo for my daughter (and because of her rabbit Pumpy Umpy). Katelyn enjoys Yoga and during our Christmas exchange and visit with them we talked about her new “hot Yoga” […]
RichC | December 22, 2014
This past weekend was a very special one for my niece Jacquelyn as she married Benjamin Wickerham in beautiful wedding ceremony in Jamestown, NY. Besides the wedding with many personal touches and a 1920-40’s themed reception in an old train station, we were able to be with our family. Her father Mark would have loved […]
RichC | December 20, 2014
Merry Christmas to those who continue to check the blog for whatever desultory thoughts I try to type daily in my computer, iPad … or occasionally my smartphone each day. It has been an enjoyable year online for me and my addiction. Although social networks have made posting text, photos, audio and video easier, I’m […]
RichC | December 18, 2014
I’m late to the Throwback Thursday social networking trend, but a “just arrived” photo of Brenda and her brother Mark before his passing is good excuse to start – they look too young for this to be 1991? (thanks for the photo Chris) Besides the smiling sister and brother photo (he was a dentist), our niece Jackie, […]
RichC | December 13, 2014
Wow … just couldn’t believe the lower gas prices this week as oil continues to tumble down under $60/barrel. The abundant supplies and inventory along with the recession in Europe and slowdown in China has really put pressure on world prices. I’ve seen news photos of gasoline selling under $2.00 out west and while driving […]
RichC | December 8, 2014
The last week or so has been busier than usual with my dad needing to make a surprise visit to the hospital after a fall. He lives alone since my mom past away (2 years ago – wow time flies) and has not been doing the best job with fixing meals for himself or monitoring […]
RichC | November 28, 2014
Our family was not together this year for Thanksgiving, but Katelyn, Drew and Taylor made the most of the holiday … well particularly Taylor and his friends Tyler (L) and Nick (R). The three buds up in Williston, ND stretched the weekend out and decided to drive up to the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Lake […]
RichC | November 10, 2014
One of the highlights for parents who have “some” technological prowess is that we can stay in touch with our children no matter where they are living and working. Between instant cellphone, emails and text messages with our kids, Taylor, Katelyn and Drew, we also enjoy sharing photos and Facetime calls even for small things. […]
RichC | November 6, 2014
After attempting to sell my mother-in-law’s western New York home by using a realtor this summer, the family has decided to forgo the continued “professional” listing and instead do a FSBO listing … handing it off to yours truly. What are they thinking??? I’ve taken on the project and will “learn as I go” (advice […]
RichC | October 8, 2014
It is nice to stay in touch with family and now with cellphones, email, text messaging and video calling, I communicate with both children often – probably more now than when they were in college? My daughter Katelyn calls regularly as she is driving (just like me) and seems to enjoy updating me on the […]
RichC | September 1, 2014
The big news this Labor Day 2014 weekend was that my niece Jackie’s boyfriend Ben proposed her while on military leave. The announcement made for big excitement and the thought of another family wedding. Long time My Desultory Blog followers (those who follow the personal and family posts) might remember Jax from events like her […]
RichC | August 12, 2014
For those of you wondering, I AM talking about my wife Brenda. Happy Birthday. We don’t generally make a fuss over birthdays like some couples, but we do try to do something thoughtful or go out to a nice restaurant. Don’t tell her, but this year I found the first three seasons of one of […]
RichC | August 5, 2014
Learning from wise parents and grandparents is a generational gift that isn’t given enough credit, especially since we ask: “What’s happening to America?” A: Families are changing. I grew up watching teenagers a decade (or less) older than me heading to Vietnam or getting lost in angry 60’s. They (we) followed those dark years of […]
RichC | July 20, 2014
After our visit with Katelyn and Drew in Minneapolis ( 7/18 & 7/19), we flew up to Williston, North Dakota to see Taylor. Flight and weather were great and after dinner our first night we stopped at Taylor’s Williams County Zoning and Planning office (below) and took an evening hike along the levy east of […]
RichC | July 19, 2014
Katelyn forwarded a few of her photos from our visit to Minneapolis. We really did have a great time visiting and KNOW that they will “enjoy” at least the next three years while in Minnesota for Drew’s hematology fellowship; at this point I can see them staying far longer … but then again, it’s […]
RichC | July 18, 2014
We’ve been having a wonderful time enjoying what Minneapolis, Minnesota has to offer “in the summertime” with Katelyn and Drew. Our couple of days has been filled with activities from picture hanging and yardwork to bike riding and fine dining (photos above from 6Smith in Wayzata). Another evening we we were off to […]
RichC | July 7, 2014
First … my son Taylor took a few days away from work in Williston, North Dakota to going backpacking with a few guys in Glacier National Park – Montana. His weather was picture perfect and besides being out of shape for the long an challenging hikes, he had a fantastic time. I’m so glad he […]
RichC | June 30, 2014
After blogging about my kids for years, it is difficult to stop archiving events in their lives, so I might as well mark another milestone for my daughter. Katelyn completed her pediatric residency at Columbus Ohio’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital (seems like she just matched) and is anxious to start her practice at Wayzata Children’s Clinic, […]