by jphilo | Jul 8, 2013 | Family
36 years ago today, Hiram and I were…
Sitting on the second raft at the Le Mars sandpit cultivating sunburns,
Hangin’ with Hiram’s twin brother, his wife, and their baby son,
Shucking sweet corn for wedding rehearsal supper at Mom’s,
Practicing our vows and getting ready to begin our marriage,
Grateful God brought us.
Today, we are…
Toting umbrellas and wearing raincoats and sweaters to explore Kodiak, Alaska,
Hanging with Hiram’s twin brother and his wife, sharing pictures of our grandkids,
Fixing salmon for our final meal together on the island,
Ready to honor our vows for however many more years God grants to us,
More grateful than ever to have met at college all those years ago.
by jphilo | Jun 17, 2013 | Family
So glad this man was my dad.
So glad this man is our kids’ dad.
Feeling doubly blessed to have had
Harlan Stratton
and
to have Hiram Philo,
in my life.
Two of the best dads ever.
by jphilo | May 31, 2013 | Family
One year ago today, the man of steel was bedridden with back pain. About a week later, the doctor diagnosed a ruptured disk and recommended back surgery.
The next few weeks put a strain on or marriage and revealed some flaws in his character and mine. After the surgery was over, the hospital stay put more strain on our marriage.
By July the man of steel started physical therapy, he started regaining man cards one after another. Eventually, he was given the okay to start a walking and running regime. Little by little, through the summer and fall, the physical therapist increased his running time.
He followed her instructions. To. The. Letter.
He spent late winter afternoons after work running on a treadmill in the physical therapy exercise room. Come spring, he started running outside.
Run 2 miles. Walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.
Every other day.
Run 3 miles. Walk 1 minute. Repeat 2 times.
Every other day.
Run 4 miles. Walk 1 minute. Repeat 2 times.
Every other day.
Tomorrow, he’s running in the Des Moines Dam to Dam half-marathon.
He’ll run 4 miles. Walk 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.
It’ll be a great day.
His back is stronger than ever.
Our marriage is stronger than ever.
And we’re thankful, the man of steel and me.
Photo Source
by jphilo | May 17, 2013 | Family
Camp Dorothy is the place to be after a rocky start yesterday. Late Thursday morning, Mom and I thought we had the world by the tail after the doctor’s office completed her appointment and blood draw in record, painless time. We hopped in the car and headed to Ames for lunch.
Mom wanted to go to a restaurant that serves breakfast because a) she hadn’t eaten breakfast because the doc wanted a fasting blood draw, and b) she always wants to eat breakfast when we go out. Mom was practically salivating when we entered the Ames establishment, which shall remain nameless, at noon. We were seated quickly, and things went downhill from there.
- When the waitress brought our coffee, she brought only one cup and a pot full of decaf for me. Nothing for Mom because, the waitress explained, they’d just started a new pot of regular. It would be done in a jiffy.
- Then she said a different waitress was taking over our table.
- Five minutes later, when the new waitress came to take our order, she didn’t bring Mom’s coffee. Mom looked as pathetic as possible while I explained how hungry AND THIRSTY my frail, elderly mother was. Our histronics made little impression on the waitress.
- Five minutes later, Mom finally got coffee.
- Five minutes after that, our orders came, and we dug in.
- One minute later, I realized the cheese hadn’t been left off my salad as requested.
- One minute after that, the waitress took my food back to the kitchen.
- Ten minutes later, my new salad arrived just as Mom finished her meal.
- While Mom watched me eat, she decided the strawberry-rhubarb piekin pictured on the table display looked mighty tasty, so she flagged down the waitress and ordered one for each of us.
- Five minutes later, the strawberry-rhubarb piekins made us forget all about the rocky start to Camp Dororthy. While we ate them, we decided to go to breakfast at The Dutch Oven Bakery in Boone on Friday morning.
Because the camp director decided breakfast is the obvious theme for for this session of Camp Dorothy. To paraphrase what my then three-year-old son said to his daddy the first time they walked to the bottom of a roadside ditch to pee, “Camp Dorothy is gonna be fun!”
by jphilo | May 10, 2013 | Family
My mom raised 3 kids and taught school for 38 years. She’s a mom and a teacher through and through…still asking if I get enough protein and correcting my grammar during our Tuesday visits. The older I get, the more I appreciate the life lessons she taught and is still teaching me. In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m passing along some of those lessons to you.
Lesson #1: A strong family will be a constant support throughout life.
As a teenager, Mom babysat many of her nieces and nephews. Those nieces and nephews open their homes to her whenever we travel back for funerals or reunions. Their love and respect for her is a touching tribute to her influence on their lives.
Lesson #2: Every woman should get an education so she can support herself.
Mom’s 4 year college graduation
Mom’s Masters in Education Graduation
Mom went back to school to finish her 4 year degree after Dad was diagnosed with MS in the late 1950s. She went on for her Master’s Degree in the mid 1960s. Our lives would have been very different had she not pursued those degrees.
Lesson #3: Some school pictures should never see the light of day.
Thanks to this lesson, some of mine never will.
Lesson #4: Sewing = an inexpensive wardrobe
Once you know how to sew, you can also be your own polyester fashion statement. And don’t forget, some of the best buys are found in the remnant bin.
Lesson #5: The library is an excellent place to hang out
Carnegie Library from my childhood, now a Fine Arts Center.
Mom checked out a lot of books and taught her kids to love to read. This photo is a little ironic since I’m selling my books in about the same spot where we checked them out for free when I was a kid.
Lesson #6: Teaching Is More than a Job
Mom and me at the party thrown by my co-workers when I left teaching.
Teaching is not just a way to support your family. It’s a way to inspire a new generation and help them realize their own potential.
Lesson #7: True love never fails
Mom cared for Dad at home from 1959 when he was diagnosed with MS until 1983 when he required nursing home care. Once he moved to the nursing home, Mom visited him daily, unless she was visiting her kids and grandkids, from 1983 until his death in 1997.
Every now and then someone asks why I drive 45 miles to visit Mom Tuesday after Tuesday. The answer is simple. It’s what my mamma taught me.
Love bears all things, hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:7–8
