Happy Saturday morning to all. This morning I am in a bit of a rush. A couple of years ago one of my coworkers passed away. The family is collecting monies for the American Cancer Society by remembering Larry in an 18 hour “Laps for Larry” walkathon. It started last night at six and will finish today at noon. So, I said I’d walk a bit starting at about eight this morning.

Here is a family update. Marcia is going nuts in the mud-pool. Planting trees – 8 so far, and several hundred Pachysandras, all that plus lots of Hosta that have been moved around from other locations – no not night transfers from the neighbors. Hosta is a bit like the Bible story of the Loaves and Fishes in that there is no end to the stuff; it just keeps multiplying and multiplying. Cathy and Jason informed me last night that the first couple in their childbirth class has delivered, so I think that their own upcoming event is becoming very real to them. Then Adrianne, what can I say, as she comes up with one surprise after another. Yesterday afternoon her elated voice came over the telephone announcing that she had just been accepted in the advanced standing 1-year Masters program in Social Work. Thinking that she’d have to get serious in the look-for-a-job department she now starts school again on June 23rd. Marcia gave me my Father’s Day gift a little early – a ticket to tomorrows 26th annual “Concours d’Elegance” here in town, I am just enough of a car nut to have a blast. Talking of cars, on Monday my new car should be prepped and ready for pickup. It is still an Acura but a smaller European style model and with a dream six-speed manual shift. This should be good. Now, before I forget, you just have to click on Vince and Kirstin’s link (on the green panel). Little Derek’s “Picture of the Day” is a keeper – is he really putting his pants on at the age of three months?

The highlight for the week was a phone call I got during the middle of the week. It proved to be my Calvin College roommate – we have not seen or spoken since about 1970. No particular reason for the long silence, just life’s normal twists and turns, that plus some huge distance since he has been pretty well settled on the shores of beautiful Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. It is amazing how much and at the same time how little catching up can be done in a one-hour phone conversation. He is getting married in August and is taking advantage of this time to also have a reunion of friends and family. Let me see, Kootenay Bay, I think I’ll need to start by heading west.

Finally, I know that there are some Martha Stewart aficionados out there, especially in Florida; here is your personal letter from the dear lady.

Have a banner week; I am getting my walking shoes on.

Cheers,

Dirk