Brady graduates tomorrow. It’s going to be a bittersweet day. I’m happy for him, but I know I’ll be emotional because Ruth won’t be sitting next to me. She loved her three grandchildren with her whole heart. If she was here, she might be tempted to let out one of her classic WHOOOOP, WHOOOOP cheers. …
Author: Robert
Our Wanderer
Elizabeth was about eighteen months old when she took her first solo road trip. We’d been to visit my mom and dad to show off our two-month-old addition, Michael. My Uncle Harry and Aunt Phyllis dropped by and, as they were leaving, asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go home with them. She did. That …
Just a Heads Up
I’m going to change my Facebook profile photo in a few days. I thought I’d give you a heads up. I had a picture of the Grand Canyon for a while. I moved it to become the backdrop of my home page. I followed that with a family photo of our clan and updated it …
Track Talk
When David played basketball in both high school and college, he talked trash. Brady has a bit of the same gene in his system, but nothing like David. The Bad Boy Pistons were a great team during David’s high school years. I suggested he follow Joe Dumars’ example. Dumars spoke little and let his game …
Thanks for Letting Me Know
I wrote the following blog over five years ago. It was the thirty-third of the five hundred and seventy blogs I’ve posted. I recalled it last Wednesday during David and my trip to Addison to award our first scholarships. Several people, former students and teachers, spoke to us when we arrived. At the conclusion of …
Our First Award
We awarded our first Tebo Family Scholarship last Wednesday. I’m going to Adrian this afternoon to make a second presentation to the same winners. Yes, I said winners. Today’s presentation is just a formality. Here’s what David and I said Wednesday evening in Addison. My wife, Ruth, and I decided we wanted to set up …
The Red Plate
If you’re a long-time blog reader, or one of our many friends, you know that Ruth and I eloped. Once we were married, our parents planned after the fact receptions. The Van Bruggens held a low-key cake and coffee gathering in their home in Plainwell, and my parents through an all-out Detroit style bash. There …
Heading North
I’m going back to Michigan tomorrow. I spent about a month at the condo after Ruth’s death last September. This time I’m there for several months alone. That’s new territory for me. I wouldn’t be heading back now, but we’re awarding the first Tebo Family Scholarship on Wednesday in Addison. I follow that up with …
Just A Number?
I’ve been on my own for one day short of seven months. I try not to keep track, but it’s difficult. I’ve learned some things. I get along with myself most of the time. I seldom question my motives, but understanding and accepting are too different things. I can get by with one bath towel …
Grand Rapids to Denver
I’m planning to take the train from Grand Rapids to Denver this summer. That’s way outside my comfort zone. I’ve taken the train before but never alone. When I was a kid my sister, Sharron, and I took one from Royal Oak to Detroit with Mom on several Friday afternoons. Grandma Barner picked us up …