I’ve run across a few journals that Ruth kept. Many offered up a daily question and she responded. They provide a glimpse of what she was thinking at the time. None of the journals are complete. They’re a collection of random thoughts and I’ve decided to share a few. January 1, 2015 “What is your …
Last Tuesday
Last Tuesday was Valentine’s Day. I let it pass without a lot of fanfare. When you lose your Valentine, there’s no real cause for celebration. Rememberances yes, celebration no. The big thing for me regarding Valentine’s Day is that was the day of Ruth and my first date. We attended a Plainwell Junior High School …
Tears
The first time I saw my father cry was December of 1955. Our family had been out Christmas shopping and visiting Santa Claus. We’d just walked in the door when Dad headed to the hallway. I didn’t hear the phone ring, but Dad came back through the living room after a short phone conversation and …
Anxiety
I’d heard the word but never really thought seriously about it until Ruth died. I didn’t understand how you came to be affected by such a demon, and now I am. It just crept up. I didn’t know I had it, until I did. It’s not like getting a cold or the flu. If there …
Spaghetti and Applesauce
Ruth was a waste not want not type girl. She saved a lot of things and wasted few. She repurposed objects and made the old new. She had a knack for it. We visited hundreds of craft shows and more often than not, she said, “I can make that.” Sometimes she did. Sometimes she didn’t. …
Safety First
When my grandson, Brady, was old enough to comprehend simple conversations, we stressed the concept of “safety first”. You know the drill, look both ways before crossing the street, always hold hands, watch the red, yellow, green lights, wear a life jacket near the water, don’t go with strangers, and on and on. There are …
Household Hints
I’ve learned a few things while living on my own these past four months. I picked up a few tips before Ruth passed, but I’ve thrown them in the mix just the same. Here’s some things to keep in mind. Ruth and I had a system for loading the dishwasher. If the door wasn’t closed …
Widower
When I was a kid, the first widow I learned about was a spider. I knew black widows could be deadly and for several months I thought we had one living in our fruit cellar. The fruit cellar was the former coal bin of our house at 500 N. Edgeworth. It was a repurposed spot …
Trips West
I remember how happy my father-in-law, Lou, was when David was born. He had a houseful of females and was over the moon when his grandson was born. He wasn’t the jump up in the air kind of guy, but he and Ruth’s mom stopped into our Kalamazoo home every weekend after David was born. …
California Connection
The last conversation I had with Ruth concluded around 11:00 am the morning of September 27, 2022. We agreed upon a plan to visit our California kids the weekend prior to Kate’s birthday. I overheard her speaking to Michael one evening and Elizabeth, a day or so later, about the trip. She told Mike we’d …