An Update

One of the reasons I started this blog was because I had received a comment on Debbie's Caring Bridge site asking for updates on the family. It is time that I gave you an update.

​I'll start with Debbie. While she is physically gone, she is still a part of our lives. She always will be. I think she would be pleased and happy with how the rest of us are doing.

Andrew has completed his first year at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He's home for the summer. He had a good first year. I went down there a few times, including seeing him in a play and seeing him playing viola with his orchestra.

​Alicia and Carlos have been busy. They got married in March. They did a small ceremony so they could get it on the books to ease the process for Carlos to get a work permit from immigration. They'll do a more traditional ceremony in late August and are busy planning that.

The ceremony in March was beautiful. They were looking for a judge to perform a civil ceremony. Alicia was at her job as Office Manager for the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA discussing this with a co-worker one day. Her friend reminded her that there were three pastors in the office who could marry them, plus the offices share a building with a church, so they could have the ceremony there. That's what they did. They were married by Bishop Patricia Lull on March 11th. We're blessed to have added Carlos to our family and to have extended our extended family.

Which brings us to me. I've been trying to write. I discovered it to be something I enjoy doing. I was recently having a discussion with my cousin's wife. Liz has been taking banjo lessons. She noticed the link that we're both doing something creative now that our kids have grown and are more independent. I was thinking about that later and comparing what we're doing. Often when I say I'm writing, I'm asked if I'm going to be published. However, my first reaction with Liz's banjo playing wasn't that she had to be playing in a band. So I write, and it's not about if I publish, it's about what I enjoy.

​l dated someone for a time, but then we broke up. It wasn't something I was looking for, but I reconnected with someone I had known as a teenager. I was not dating her as a replacement for Debbie, she was who I was with at the time. People can never be replaced, which is why grief never completely ends.

The other thing that's going on with me is that I'm planning a trip to Tanzania this fall. This was about another reason for starting the blog, because I will want to write about my trip. Stay tuned for future details.

​I want to thank everybody who has been reading and giving me feedback. It's nice to know people are reading.