Brats, Beer, Bread, a Board, and a Beach

As soon as I returned to Roseburg, I went to an Octoberfest on Sunday for the Umpqua Valley Brewers Guild as a guest of Diane & Peter Griffin (and at their home). It sure is great to have an in with a great beer brewer like Diane. I got to sample several good beers and was happy to help cooking the Brats which had been “marinating...like the rest of us” in beer.

Diane and her friend Rhonda had made an enormous number of sauerkraut balls...fried, delicious with homemade sauce, and filled with cheese. Next came the Brats served with two kinds of red cabbage (one vegan, one traditional), and two types of potato salad. Everyone had brought some tasty item for the meal or dessert and I tried them all...with no regrets (after all, that’s the purpose of spandex!) Sorry, no pictures...my fingers where fully occupied with plates & glasses full of tasty treats and adult beverages. I also am very fortunate that I live just down the hill from Griffins and had walked to the event so I could walk (sorta) home and burn off at least two bites of my afternoon of feasting and beer "tasting".

I spent most of the following week at home trying to catch up with my house chores, yard work, and paperwork. The weather has been too good to work on my deck consistently...it's been much more fun to do "anything else". I got the front stairs rebuilt before I went to Vancouver and Jim’s hip replacement. I had planned on only needing to replace three or four boards (on the stairs...not Jim) and figured it would just take a couple hours. Started to work on the boards and found that most of the under-structure had not used pressure treated, outside rated wood and needed serious attention (i.e. replacement). There was only one word for how I felt about the extra work I that I had to invest on the stairs and it doesn’t rhyme with fudge. I finished up in the dark the night before I left for Vancouver...and the Malicks thought I was happy just to be in B.C.

The Friday after Octoberfest, I finally got to bake bread for the first time in a month and did 23 loaves for the neighborhood + 15 craisin/apricot buns for a dinner at the Yoders. Dan & Cheryl were the home stay volunteers for a delegate from the Ukraine, Liubov. Umpqua Community College has been involved with bringing professionals from the Ukraine to study and learn from comparable jobs here in Oregon. Liubov is a really interesting person and I enjoyed meeting her and another delegate, Pavlo (sp?). I was very amused when they announced that they were leaving in a couple days and had only the time after dinner to go to the one location left on their bucket list for this trip–Walmart! So Dan loaded ‘em up in the car and off they went...I wonder if the Roseburg Walmart knows it’s internationally acclaimed?

Realizing that I planned on going to Newport for the last weekend of the month, I decided that I’d better get to baking for the Community Cancer Center staff and my doctor’s office (best to keep them all happy with me!) So on Sunday I baked 17 loaves for the CCC and on Tuesday, I baked 16 loaves for the White Oak Medical Clinic.

One load out of the oven cooling, while the next is baking.

After the bread delivery to the clinic, I arrived home and determined that I had to get at least one board replaced on the front deck. Miracle of miracles, I actually got the rotten board out and replaced it with a new one before dark. I know it may not seem like a big deal to most people, but I’ve been thinking about this job for 7-8 months now and it was a relief to actually see something in the way of progress. (At the far end of the boardwalk you can just see part of the reconstructed front steps...but I don't think anyone can appreciate what a pain in the a$$ that job was!)







That last weekend of October, I headed over to Newport to walk the beach. Sunset was stunning that evening and the wind had almost completely stopped...just a perfect autumn evening.

My primary task for this trip was to place one of Susan’s memorial glass disks at Yaquina Head Lighthouse State Park. It was one of her favorite places to visit over the last several years and I certainly believe she would heartily approve of having a “little bit of herself” in such a beautiful spot. It was a gorgeous day as I cast off my flip-flops and walked down the beach to the lighthouse.

As I climbed up the path to the viewpoint, I was pleased to note a pair of Peregrine falcons hovering in the skies above Salal Hill. I don't mean to make it seem like a spiritual event, but I do feel they were like an honor guard watching over me as I thought about our last visit here together on the 8th of November 2018...less than a year ago. I placed a glass memorial disk containing a bit of her ashes and inscribed with her initials SHS (Susan Helen Stansbury) at the Northwest corner post of the viewpoint fence.

The spot where I placed the memorial disk is noted on the photo with a heart. I thought she would have an incredible view of the beaches, whales, birds, sea lions, and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse for as long as this hill existed.




On the beach, I ran across a live sand dollar--another memorable moment on this day's walk. I had forgotten how interesting they are with their little “underbelly” spines used to move through the sand. I placed it back in a little deeper water so the seagulls wouldn’t get a “free lunch” quite so easily.

 

One last look back at Salal Hill overlooking the lighthouse and I felt a surge of happiness that this was always going to be a special spot for "us". 

10/28/2019 - Susan's memorial glass rests at one of her favorite spots, Salal Hill.

The surf fishing was apparently quite good and I watched several surf perch caught while I walked back along the north beach to my motel. 

That day's walk on the sand (both North & South beaches) and then to the lighthouse registered 40,715 steps (20.45 miles) on my pedometer...my feet were tired, but my heals were soft as I headed for some dinner and a beer at The Chowder Bowl in Nye Beach.



So here’s the stats for the month of October:

548,027 Steps = 275 miles walked (85 miles while in Vancouver)
56 Loaves of bread baked
48 Castelvetrano olives (consumed with Hendricks Gin martinis)
26 Staples (removed from Jim's hip incision)
15 Craisin/Apricot buns baked
  4 Pounds gained (from Layne's fantastic cooking & cookies)
  2 Liters of Hendricks gin consumed
  1 Board (2x6) replaced in my front deck at home
  0 Lost/Damaged hip replacement patients under my temporary supervision
 ... Cookies (too many to count)

November 2018

26 Staples and a Hip-Hip Hooray

When I found out that Jim (Malick) was going to have a hip replacement, I offered to go up and help with his first couple of weeks recovery. I figured it was a win-win proposition, after all they are fun to be with, Layne is a fabulous cook, Jim has plenty of Hendricks gin, and a good supply of Dead Frog Ale. Luckily, I got through the Canadian border extremely quickly (obviously, they recognized I was on a mission of mercy and it was getting perilously close to martini time).


Weather was perfect when I arrived and unloaded the Outback, so I headed out to finish my steps for the day and to contemplate whether I should have three olives or four in my glass of clear, adult beverage reward. But then some of the buildings looked like I'd already had too much to drink...so maybe I knock back to three olives.

The plan was that I would arrive a couple of days before the surgery (scheduled on the 27th) to help with what ever I could. Although the Canadian health system has great doctors, nurses, & surgeons, apparently communications needs a bit of work. Jim didn’t find out about what time the surgery was scheduled on Friday until mid-day Thursday...and of course they wanted him there a long, long time before his pre-op “stuff”, which was way too early for any of us. We duly arrived plenty early (and bleary eyed) so we’d have enough time to read every magazine and pamphlet available in the admittance area telling us about all the incurable problems and dire medical issues we probably had...with enough time left over to truly become despondent. Jeana (Jim & Layne’s daughter) had flown up the day before for added support and to help us appear to be in complete control of the situation, if a problem should arise.

Finally, his name was called and Layne was allowed to go with him into the pre-op room. She sent us a picture of Jim when he got into his full surgical gown (even with a shower cap and booties!) Layne came out and they wheeled Jim into surgery.

Only took about an hour to complete the hip replacement and Layne had heard one of the doctors say as they were headed into surgery that they couldn’t dally since they had several of these operations scheduled today. Once we learned that Jim was in recovery and waiting to be assigned to a room, that communications issue reared its ugly head. Every time we’d ask for a status report, we’d get the same “It shouldn’t be too long...”.  Layne, Jeana, and I were getting a little frustrated with the lack of information being sent our way. We started taking turns asking so we didn’t come across as too needy...but I don’t think that strategy worked. At one point, instead of asking the station nurse (again), Layne called a hospital information number while I made sure it was not the station nurse 10 feet away from us who answered.






Eventually (over 5 hours later), Jim was finally assigned and moved to a room where he was to spend the night. While he was waiting for the room assignment, apparently his pain meds had not been delivered on schedule, so he was hurting pretty badly. It took them a while to get him out of pain enough so he could go to sleep and at that time we headed back home.














The next morning Jim was doing much better, but his quadriceps muscle really was bothering him. Apparently, the act of moving that muscle mass off to the side to get at the hip joint was the most traumatic event in terms of after effects. Jeana and Layne scrutinized and planned the pain med schedule once we got Jim home the next day. Jim picked out a place in the living room and got lots of reading done in the time between his hip exercises.









Jeana had to leave after the weekend and the next week Jeff (their son) came up from Seattle for several days. Jeff made tacos one night and since I had picked up some Ssamjang (spicy, Korean fermented pepper paste) at Granville Island, he fixed bulgogi the next night so we could try it out.

With all the good food, sunshine, and family care, Jim recovered fairly quickly and within the first week he was walking with minimal help from the walker and within ten days, he was walking without any assistance at all.

Jim's first walk outside after the surgery.

After a little less than two weeks, the Hendricks gin supply was getting low and the Malicks seemed to be doing just fine without my assistance, so I decided to head back to Roseburg. I had agreed to stay until Jim got his staples out. So on Friday morning, October 11th, Jim & I walked two blocks up to their doctor’s office where 26 staples were removed from his hip and the incision was proclaimed to be healing well. We walked back home and I hauled all my stuff down to the car.


We said our goodbyes and I headed south perfectly synchronized with the Seattle rush hour. During my stay, Layne had made sure that there were always cookies available to take on my afternoon walks and I truly didn’t mind working through an hour of traffic on Friday because I had a bag of fabulous triple ginger cookies.

Layne was constantly fixing something good,
this was cookie and roasted vegetable day.

Steak and Kidney pie to close the end of the week...
my favorite kind of over indulgence !!

So to recap: 1) The weather for my entire Vancouver stay was terrific and sunsets gorgeous,

2) I got lots of quality time walking along the waterfront promenades of False Creek,

3) I only gained four pounds consuming large quantities of delightful and varied dinner entrees (usually followed by cookies & milk...or port), and most importantly,

4) I had an awesome time just being with all the Malicks over those two weeks...and oh yeah, Jim’s hip operation was a great success!

P.S. After seeing a 6L bottle of Hendricks at the duty free store, I’m going to have to evaluate and probably revise my letter to Santa.

Roughing It 2019: Chicken Marbella, Martinis, Compost Pits, & Mice

This Spring when the Malicks invited me to HiHium Lake, I thought it would be a good thing to be with them for a couple of weeks. I thought a trip to HiHium would help me in my efforts to make progress towards my life reset without Susan...I needed to be Traveling On. The trip would probably be during mid-late August and unlike previous years...no big projects were scheduled. (Although that sounded really great, somehow my interpretation of “no big projects” never seemed to match up with Jim’s project plans.) After the trip, Jim had two surgeries scheduled back in Vancouver. One was for the repair of a “belly button” hernia that he’s had his entire life. The other was for a hip replacement. With that in mind, I thought this time maybe there would not be any big projects...as it turns out I guess I would be the perfect mark for any scam on the planet. (Maybe when I get the next call from Microsoft about problems with my computer I should see what they have to say.) Sam & Martha were able to schedule most of a week to come up and join the party. As it turned out, I drove up to Vancouver on August 7th and then Jim, Layne, & I hopped in the packed Suburban the next morning, headed for HiHium.

The drive from Vancouver through Kamloops, and then up to HiHium Lake was uneventful (and we celebrated with Hendricks martinis after bringing most of our “baggage” & food in with the Kubota). The next morning Jim told me that he only had two things he wanted to complete. (As you may suspect, this is where I knew I could be in trouble.) The first was to use a sealer to paint the inside timbers of the root cellar. (The Malick family had gathered at the cabin in July and noticed the root cellar had developed a really bad odor that was even being picked up by some of the stored food items. The timbers were treated with preservative and for some reason–after 3 ½ years–this new odor was really a problem. Jim had picked up a special stain and odor sealing paint to coat the root cellar timbers. Sounded so simple...paint the timbers.

The second project Jim wanted to address was the compost pit. In 2017, we’d dug a compost pit since the neighbors didn’t want us to continue using theirs. Not too long after we’d started using our new pit, a bear had dug in from the side and ripped the internal frame a bit. Jim was determined to “beef up” the compost pit to make it “Bear Proof”...his words, not mine.

Jim & I spent several hours clearing out the root cellar on the second day. Lots of canned goods, jars of everything possible, fresh fruits & vegetables, juices, beer, wines, etc. had to come out so Jim would have room to spray the odor sealer paint. Next was the filling of the hot tub and getting the WFO going (their wood fired oven is named “the Big O”). I had to leave & get my steps done for the day. Jim was just completing the root cellar spray job when I got back. The instructions said it only took 45 minutes to an hour to dry (apparently the company that printed the label forgot to add “in 99% of applications, the drying time will be extraordinarily longer”).  My attitude lightened up considerably when I heard the call for martinis and found Layne had prepared bacon wrapped dates stuffed with my favorite Macedonian Feta cheese. I had the WFO going and so I just popped them in until the bacon was irresistible. Layne had made a meat loaf back in Vancouver, so that made dinner pretty easy (and extremely tasty). Sleep was easy to come by that night!

Fresh out of the Big O

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Feta

Put together a batch of bread now that Chef Bill (my sourdough starter) is going well. Looks like rain in our future, so I put together a focaccia to go with our Feta salad and hearty Borscht “soup/stew” dinner (after martinis of course...after all, even off the grid, we are still civilized).

Rosemary, Asiago, Maldon salt focaccia from the WFO

After 24 hours, the odor sealing paint is still not dry in the root cellar. Now there are two propane heaters and a fan going to help the process. We also left the door open to help with the circulation. (Note: this created an unforseen issue later...) Fortunately we had some pretty good rain showers, so working on the compost pit has been postponed. Layne made an Ina Garten Outrageous Triple Chocolate Brownie...in a half-sheet pan! Wow, it’s really good (and it’s a really big brownie). The only problem was that we needed to be focused & diligent and eat a brownie at every meal for a week. (FYI: I tried to help out as much as possible by eating more than my fair share!)

On our third day waiting for the paint to dry, it appeared our prayers had been answered–the paint had dried. We put the metal shelving units back in place and returned all the food & supply items to the root cellar. Against all my prayers, the skies had cleared and Jim decided we needed to get working on the compost pit. Collected scraps of sheet metal roofing from Malick’s place and the neighbors...yes, they said we could have it.

Are we really expected to fill this compost pit?

Pretty much got the inside of the compost pit lined with two layers of the thin sheet metal and I developed an excellent feel for what it must feel like to be composted.

I think that this might be also good as a bomb shelter.

Casnes arrived from Seattle that afternoon and of course all work stopped because it immediately became martini time. Steak dinner, hot bacon spinach salad, & roasted vegetables after our prociutto wrapped asparagus appetizers (Layne’s an absolute whiz with the BBQ!) It was an early night with our tummies full, our livers taxed to the max, and a few brownie crumbs hanging on to our lips.

Blue berries, mango, & peach fruit bowl, scrambled eggs,
sausage, hash browns, melon, and Asiago toast.

Standard breakfast prepared for us daily by Jim. After that he and Sam would go fishing while Martha and I took our morning walk...and Layne got a little breather from entertaining/feeding us all before starting all over again with the afternoon & dinner plans.





The wild blue berries are really good and quite abundant this year due to above average rainfall in the early summer. I didn’t have to spend very long to get a nice bowl of them. It was also delightful to be walking down the road and catch the wonderful aroma of sun-warmed blue berries. (But then you also had to remember that bears really love blue berries and you shouldn’t hold that fruity aroma in your lungs too long...lest you be mistaken for a walking fruit cup by said bear.)

Dinner was a combo of salmon and Mahi Mahi fillets on the BBQ. Served with hot pepper cheese zucchini casserole, and a big bleu cheese/avacado/walnut salad...I’m glad my belt has plenty of room for expansion.



Beautiful, bright, and totally captivating full moon rising over the lake in the early evening.

Layne went up to the grocery store (our name for the root cellar) and came face to face with a mouse. Literally face to face, as the mouse was on the upper shelf that held the peaches. Jim & Sam went up on a “Search & Destroy” mission. Sam saw a mouse tail hanging down from a cloth on the upper shelving rack and Jim got Sam ready with a piece of PVC pipe. Jim pulled the cloth and when the mouse hit the floor, Sam hit the mouse. If it hadn’t been the thin schedule 20 PVC, Sam would have been credited with the kill. As it was, the pipe shattered, the mouse was stunned (probably more by the air pressure wave generated by Sam’s swing than the PVC), and Jim finished him off with a shovel. (I know there must be a joke in here about who brings a piece of schedule 20 PVC to a shovel fight...). Jim had some mouse traps and they baited them with peanut butter and caught two more mice by the next morning. We’re pretty sure that by leaving the grocery store door open to let the paint dry, the mice looked down and said “Look! It’s a propane heated den with a fresh breeze...Let’s move in.” After the demise of the third mouse, there was no more flour or peach gnawing and the peanut butter baited traps remained gore free.





That day's adventure ended with martinis (I know you're surprised), my favorite dinner of Chicken Marbella, and a pleasant conversation & soak in the wood fired hot tub...and there may have also been some Angel’s Envy Bourbon as well with us in the hot tub...I don’t remember anymore...





Did I mention that Chicken Marbella is simply fabulous...if I didn’t–Chicken Marbella is really fabulous. The recipe we used came from The Silver Palate cookbook and what makes the dish so unique is the flavor combination of pitted prunes, green olives, and capers. Of course there are several other ingredients, but man oh man–it is awesome.

Chicken Marbella cooling on the inside
stove top with tomorrow's coconut cake.

Jim and Sam went fishing again on the Casne’s last day and even though Sam caught more fish than Jim, there was talk of a mysterious sabotage that happened to Jim’s fishing reel while out on the lake.

Jim & Sam put the boat and motor away, then I joined them and we pulled in the dock for the season.






Pork tenderloin, roasted Possum Korn (corn WFO roasted in husk), roasted potatoes & onions, and coconut cake last night for dinner. Flank steak with roasted potatoes and a wonderful salad tonight after a large charcuterie plate appetizer (with our martinis...after all, you shouldn't drink on an empty stomach...burp...)

Sam & Martha left the cabin early Saturday morning and then to our surprise returned shortly thereafter. Turns out their pickup would not start. Tow truck was called and instruction given as to where we could be found in the Canadian wilderness. It took three confirmation calls, each time the tow truck person needed to be corrected by Jim as to how to find us. It truly was amazing to see the tow truck show up shortly after one p.m. The tow got them into Kamloops just as the Toyota dealership was closing, so the driver took them to Canadian Tire and they stayed in Kamloops Saturday night.

For us, martinis then leftovers for dinner...Chicken Marbella!

On Sunday we got a call from Sam that the mechanic had found their fuel pump had failed and after replacing it and some rodent chewed wires they finally headed back to Seattle.

After hearing from the Casnes, Jim & I drained the hot tub and I baked 4 more baguettes (2 with Asiago and 2 with cracked wheat). Early martinis to celebrate with more prociutto wrapped asparagus for appetizers. Layne made a big batch of McCalls Mullagatawny Soup with a base rice dish containing chopped apricots, raisins, onions, mace, and cinnamon. Really tasty all together. Another couple leaving today found their pickup would not start and Jim went through the whole process again of multiple phone calls trying to get the tow truck on the right roads to find us. Got the WFO wrapped for the winter, dismantled & took the screen porch unit off the deck, brought the water line in after topping off the storage tank. Chopped wood for the inside cooking stove and the hot water stove so everything would be ready for opening up next spring. Items that will overwinter were moved into the grocery store and it was closed up. Martinis and then leftovers for dinner.

Sheets and laundry packed up the last morning for transport back to Vancouver and the washing machine in the penthouse. Cabin cleaned up, refrigerators unloaded and turned off, empty adult beverage bottles taken up to the neighbors, outhouse door closed, and everything locked. Now, if only the suburban will start when we get it loaded up. (At least if it didn’t start, the tow service knows where we were...I think...and there is still some Hendricks gin left in the cabin.)

Mike (with Susan's spirit), Martha, Sam, Layne, & Jim

So my questions are; Should I enjoy killing mosquitoes with a battery powered racket so much?; After seeing pictures of bears ripping off car doors in Yosemite National Park, do I really believe the sheet metal in the HiHium Lake compost pit will pose any sort of a barrier to a Canadian bear?; How many mice would there be in the grocery store if we left the door open during “business hours”?; Will my liver recover in time for my next trip to HiHium?; Why did I gain 5 pounds on this trip?; Would I lose weight if I only had two olives in my daily martini instead of three (olives, not martinis).; Was Carla lonely at the cabin without her traveling companion pigs?; Why did I have to spend 5 hours waiting to cross the border to get back into the good 'ol USA?;

and finally...
                                  Did you know I really like Chicken Marbella?

Some Special Individuals and Couples that Enriched Our Lives

When you reflect on your life’s journey, the larger groups of friends you make are very important, but the individuals and couples that float through our life experiences are no less important…and often make life even more interesting. Like umami (savory, the 5th taste perception) in the culinary world, we can richly enhance our lives when we appreciate those individuals and couples that dance and weave their way through our life’s journey. Reflect on those people and what they have added to the spice of your life. I’ve already introduced you to several groups of friends that helped create “the tasty and hearty soup stock base” of Susan’s and my life, so here’s a few of those many individuals and couples (in no particular order) who have further enriched us with their unique additions.

Diana Circle with flowers for Susan, May 2019

Diana Circle – Diana was one of Susan’s first friends in Roseburg. Susan met Diana when they both enrolled at UCC and the two of them became quite close. Although we faded in & out of contact with Diana, she was always there for Susan. When Susan was diagnosed with cancer, the two of them would play cards during chemo sessions and often at our house. Diana had both Respite and Hospice Care experience and Susan requested that only Diana and I be at the hospital when she went into Comfort Care. I will be forever thankful to Diana for helping ease Susan through those final weeks into her passing, bringing flowers and a constant, bright smile into the hospital room every day. Also Diana was instrumental in keeping me sane & focused (on Susan’s needs and comforting) during that difficult time.



Dan & Cheryl Yoder – Susan was on both Dan & Cheryl’s hiring committees at UCC and they bought a house just a mile away from us up the North Umpqua. Over the years we became much closer and made several vacation/adventure trips with them. Cheryl & Susan played cards together often during Susan’s last two years and Dan & I worked together on several “house/yard” projects. We both thoroughly enjoyed the Yoder’s company and they became really close family members to us. Susan’s & my last trip together (out of state) was with the Yoders to Kaua’i and the big island of Hawai’i in the fall of 2018. Dan & Cheryl have been very helpful and attentive to keeping my spirits up after Susan’s passing. I am extremely fortunate & grateful to have them as such an important part of Susan’s and my life.

The Yoders with us at the most southern point of the U.S. (on the Big Island, Hawai'i) Sept. 2018

Susan and Kari on the Pacaya volcano in Guatemala Nov. 2016

Kari Kroll – Susan always referred to Kari as her favorite niece (Jerry & Barb’s daughter). Over the years the two of them were always close and just enjoyed being together. Kari has recently become very interested in baking breads so, of course, she & I have become baking buds online. Kari has been with us and her folks on several long trips and was always great company (as well as very entertaining with her entertaining stories and positive outlook on life). On our cruise through the Panama Canal in 2016, Kari proved herself to be enthusiastic, willing to take on challenges, and able to deal with difficult situations (and people). All the while, she actively enjoyed and reveled in every moment of her life–always looking for (and finding) the positive component of any situation. Although we had often seen glimpses of these qualities in her, that cruise really proved to me that these were all solid components of Kari’s core personality.


Susan’s siblings – Joe & Elsie Graf were the proud parents of 5 children. Two older brothers and a younger sister & brother were together on the dairy farm with Susan as they all grew up outside of Shell Lake, Wisconsin.

(L to R) Mark, Mary, Jerry, Susan, Dale at Shell Lake in Dec. 2005

     Dale was the eldest and set a high bar for the Graf children’s academic standards. Unfortunately Dale also was not too interested in the hard work/tedious chores involved with life on the dairy farm. According to Jerry, Dale would intentionally botch various chores or do them so poorly that Joe would have Jerry do them. Dale eventually moved to Chicago, married Lee and among other things became heavily involved with the German club…I think it was because he collected and cataloged beer memorabilia. Although Dale died of diabetes at too young an age, he relished every day, was a master at the quick quip or retort,  and never sat around wondering what to do next. I’m glad I got to know him at least a little bit before he passed away.

       Jerry – Susan’s immediate older brother took an early retirement from teaching high school mathematics and became an avid golfer and fly fisherman. He married his high school sweetheart Barb and she worked with special needs children in the Minneapolis school system until she retired a few years after Jerry. They have been out to the West Coast several times to visit and travel with us and we always stayed with them while visiting family in the mid-west. They are great traveling companions and we made several “trips of a lifetime” with them. Jerry was instrumental in the construction of the Dragonfly Den (and we were both always under Susan’s direct supervision during that project). Both Jerry and Barb are “can do” personalities and I am always in awe of their goals and accomplishments. They both truly embrace the concept of living every moment to its fullest.

     Mary – Susan’s younger sister became a dental hygienist and married Gene Harrington who has just recently retired from serving as a judge in the Wisconsin Judiciary system. Mary took an early retirement from the dental health industry and since then has consistently volunteered with several organizations to provide care and services to people and areas with limited health and human resources. Her easy laugh and dedication to helping others is a tremendous inspiration to those around her and those receiving help. Gene’s knowledge of the law, appreciation of fairness, respect (for those deserving it), and excellent common sense has been a bright star in the in the Wisconsin court system. Those great attributes, plus the willingness to smile and enjoy the moment will be sorely missed in the judiciary realm of the Badger State.

     Mark – Susan’s younger brother and his wife Lee Ann live in Burlington Wisconsin. Mark was instrumental getting me started with the WFO (he was a master mason and instructor with the Wisconsin Masonry union). Both Mark & Lee Ann are very relaxed and although we didn’t see them very often, whenever we got together it always seemed that we hadn’t missed a day. Both of them love to ride motorcycles...specifically Harley-Davidson bikes. It was always amazing to me to hear of their efforts to locate & rent a Harley on their vacations. Mark was diagnosed with Celiac disease a few years ago, which keeps me from sending them loaves of bread over the holidays. On an upbeat note there, Mark had introduced me to several very tasty gluten free beers and they are both doing very well with all the gluten free products on the market right now. Mark and Lee Ann are definitely the kind of people you would want as close neighbors and friends. I am lucky that I’m now family with them through my marriage to Susan.

June 2008, all the siblings (True Grafs) and spouses

Shore excursion in Costa Rica, Dec. 2016 on our Panama Cruise.

Grant & Sandy Thurston – We first met Grant & Sandy in Seattle just before we moved to Oregon. They moved to Portland and we continued on to Roseburg. Grant got a job that brought him through Roseburg several times a year and he’d stop by to play cards. When The Ten Friends started having our Christmas Dinner in Portland, Grant & Sandy would join in the Friday night pre-event. Susan & I also enjoyed spending long weekends at their shared cabin above Cougar, WA on Swiftwater Reservoir by Mt. Saint Helens. Their kids Geoff & Stacy always treated us like their aunt & uncle and made us feel like part of the family.

The Kraby's 50th anniversary Alaskan cruise

Jim & Pat Kraby – We met the Kraby’s at the first Wok party. They lived just across the street from Lynn & Tony Kuhn. Jim had been hired as president at the college (UCC) recently and they both were good at making new friends. They became close to the Engles and traveled several times with them. Susan & I had both worked at the college on the faculty and when there was an issue with a CIS instructor leaving, Jim asked if Susan & I would come and fill in. We agreed and became the first and only job share faculty “member” at UCC. We retired in that shared position and over the years enjoyed traveling with the Kraby’s on several cruises (one being their 50th wedding anniversary with the family). We also celebrated their 60th anniversary at the Moose Lake Resort just a few miles NE of Bemidji, MN.






Pat & Patty Boyd – Pat was the instructor at UCC that developed the Microcomputer Specialist degree program. I was in the first class group for that program and since Susan was also teaching several classes in the program, we started getting together socially. With Pat & Patty, we joined a small gourmet group and always had EOT (end of term) parties together with the Kuhns.


All the Staff at Community Cancer Center – Our appreciation and respect for these people can barely be expressed properly with the English language. Everyone was very professional, yet attentive to us at a very personal level. They always greeted us with a smile and made us feel very comfortable being in the “chemo lounge” for Susan’s treatments. Thanks especially to Dr. Stephen Williams, Mandi, Nicole, Betsy, Cassandra, Kylie, Shawna, Heather, Sarah, Teri, & Sam. I am in awe of the entire community of fantastic professionals that work at the CCC. I didn’t think there was any way to ease the pain of a loved one and those close to them going through diagnosis and treatment for cancer...I was wrong! Although it’s difficult to say (and may seem very odd), I actually looked forward to going in with Susan for her treatments. It was essentially like a comfortable visit with family for an experience that was always uplifting with joy and hope for a better tomorrow. The attitude of many of the patients was positive and we always were met with smiles and heartfelt greetings from all of the staff and those other patients we’d come to know.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you all! I’m pretty sure that all the positive vibes in that chemo lounge did as much to slow down Susan’s cancer as the chemo drugs themselves.

Sable Drive neighbors – I volunteered to be on the Sable Drive Road District committee and got to know a lot of the people who live in our little community. When I retired and we started to build our WFO, I borrowed vehicles & tools from many of them. As I started making bread in the oven, their generosity and friendship was rewarded with a weekly baguette or loaf of bread when we weren’t traveling. It’s really awesome to walk or drive the road and have a friendly wave or conversation with everybody we met on Sable & Impala drive. (...and a little bit amusing to have someone say “Are you leaving again? Who’s going to bake me a loaf of bread for next week?)

Francis & Pat Engle – Lynn Kuhn’s parents welcomed us into their circle of friends when Lynn and Tony introduced us at the Wok parties. As we started getting invited to more events, Francis & Pat became pretty close. We traveled on a Princess cruise to SE Asia with the Kuhns & Engles in the late 1980s and had a fabulous time. Francis always said that was one of his favorite trips. They also gave us a loan to travel to Africa with them and some other friends in 1998. Susan & I both did computer work for Starfire Lumber (Francis’ mill). Francis loved that the database program Susan created for him gave him production and inventory data that no one else in the industry had. We were very sad when they passed away after their long and happy lives together. A more generous and caring couple I can’t imagine...knowing them certainly changed (for the better) how I looked at those around me.

Francis & Pat with Marilyn Barnhart in 2002

Frank & Barbara Hart with us in 2002 (Wildlife Safari event)

Frank & Barbara Hart – Frank was a big game hunter in Africa before coming to understand the importance of all these animals and turning to their conservation. He started taking groups of people to Africa on picture safaris to show them the wonders of the continent. We went with the Harts, the Engles, the Kuhns, the Krabys, and the Barnharts in 1998 to South Africa (on another one of our trips of a lifetime). Frank had lots of terrific stories and Barbara was always the life of the camp party, able to find humor and have a great laugh out of every situation…and she loved to wear very, very bright red lipstick! Founding Wildlife Safari in Winston was Frank & Barbara’s pride and joy. What an awesome legacy to leave to future generations!