Saturday, June 30, 2012

At the Drop of a Hat

Our family likes to get together. We visit the children and grandchildren - they visit us - sometimes in groups - we have Sister's Weekend annually - family reunion every 2 years - we get together on holidays - and more. It's not always all of us, but it may be 2 or more families. We all wish we could make all of these events, but the beauty of smaller get togethers is that we still have a great time and enjoy each other all the more.

Today we have 4 families in San Diego. Krissie and David live there - thanks the the U.S. Marine Corps - and Jeni and Donna decided to come and visit together with their families. That adds 10 additional people to David & Krissie's little 3 bedroom condo (a nice term for military housing). Then Sally and her family (6 more) had their scooter rally in Colorado Springs, CO cancelled, so it was off to San Diego - and at least they brought a tent. That means there are 18 people at Krissie and David's house through tomorrow when they leave for Sacramento and visit David's family for the 4th; Donna, Chris  and family go home; Jeni, Craig and the kids come back to our place for the 4th; and who know's what the Bradley clan has up their sleeve. As I've said more than once, "Our family will get together at the drop of a hat!" and this weekend proves it remains true.

The photo below, which I just received via email from the families in San Diego includes front to back and left to right: Front row: Meagan, Charlotte, Chas, and Bonnie. Middle row: Sydney, Cole, and Alyssa. Back row: Clayton, David & Sammy, Krissie, and Mac.


Sunday, June 24, 2012

A day at the beach - Las Vegas Style

When you live in Las Vegas and you want a little water - beach style water - you can either go to Lake Mead, which doesn't have real sand on their beaches, or to the local splash park. When you have young children and you don't want to spend all-day in the car the splash park makes a perfect beach. Centennial Hills park is about 30 minutes from our house and there are 2 water playgrounds on site (only 1 of which is featured here) plus there are 2 great playgrounds - and lots of shade. It is the favorite playground of 2 of our families with young children. I'll let the photos tell the story.


The entrance to the playground is spectacular. It makes the kids want to come in. Our grandchildren could see if from a distance and were so excited. Once they got out of the car it was a straight line run to the playground. Note the variety of slides and other play devices. They are all fun and creative.

The playground also has lots of shade structures that are unique - representing flowers and butterflies.


This is all warmup stuff so that when you get hot you will run over to the water playground (or splash park). It is very inviting and the water rotates among the different devices with several being on at the same time.


Of course it's not really a beach unless you have a place to sit, shades (sun glasses), drinks, a shade hat, and a telephone. It looks good to me and now everyone can have fun.

That's right - she has everything the well prepared beach
grandma needs.

But the real fun is for the kids while they are playing in the water, even if they are a little reticent to get too wet - they are still young, but will learn.

Chas hard at work redirecting the water.
The frogs are just too cute not to climb on. Bonnie thinks so, at least.
Sally is trying to show Charlotte how to get wet without
getting wet herself. It almost worked.
And when it's all done we do what we do best - stop at Dairy Queen for a little light (okay, heavy) refreshment. It was sure fun and good and a great morning. The kids crashed all afternoon.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Seasonal Time


We have lived in Las Vegas for five years. There are many benefits to living in Las Vegas, not the least of which are mild winters and early springs. One of the downsides is the absence of a changing of seasons. We have color out our backdoor all winter long. Spring comes in early to mid-February and the Bradford Pears are good for about 10 days. We do have flowers that bloom for the next 3 months and many of them last all summer and well into the fall.


Cedar Rapids, IA - Donna and Sally
However, I have noticed over the last two springs and winters there has been a change in how I perceive time. After living in the Midwest for almost 40 years I became very acclimated to 4 seasons and constructed part of my feelings and expectations of time based on the expectation of 4 seasons. 


Those of us who have four seasons know they are considerably different. They each make contributions to our lives, both in perceptions, attitudes, and activities. Consciously or unconsciously we schedule ourselves within the context of our seasons. In many ways we consciously and unconsciously schedule ourselves around those seasons/ Just as sport is seasonally based, we too are seasonally based. Most of us are only indirectly aware of our linkage to seasons. When you lose the seasons you struggle to gain a new sense of seasonal time. 


For example, as we came to the end of the spring semester at the university, I have found myself thinking it can't possibly be the end of the academic year. We had missed fall and winter. I felt a sense of incompleteness, or emptiness, as we moved into our summer. Absent from my Las Vegas experiences are extended periods of fall, spring, and winter. We have all four seasons in Las Vegas, but to a much lesser degree. We have the colors year-round as well as similar weather, just varying degrees temperature with an occasional (and I use the term occassional loosely) rain shower or snow shower.
Fall in Terre Haute, IN - One of the prettiest places for fall
that we ever lived in.

What I'm feeling as we come to the end of the academic year is a lack of closure in my seasonal time. Intellectually I know that May signals the start of spring, the end of winter and the school year, but in the absence of easily definable seasons I feel incomplete. There is an absence that I stuggled to understand until I realized I'm still a product of midwestern seasonal time. It's unsettling, even after you understand it. I suspect that if I stay in Las Vegas long enough I will ultimately change my personal conception of seasonal time.

I always took seasonal time for granted. I suspect that if I had lived in Las Vegas my entire life I wouldn't be influenced by the lack of seasons. But since I have spent the bulk of my life living through the 4 seasons I find the absence of the seasons creating a dissonance of how I perceive closure. I am not even sure that "closure" is the proper term, but that's the feeling I get in the spring. "It can't be spring when we have missed fall and winter." But interesting side note is that these feelings didn't occur in the first three years that we were here. But this year I have noticed it more than ever. Even spending 2 1/2 weeks in cold in wintery Idaho didn't make up for a full winter season. Don't get me wrong, I'm not missing winter - just the seasonal time winter creates for me.
Denver, CO while we were visiting the Allen family

Seasonal time is as real as clock time. With a clock we can monitor the time of day. With the change in seasons we can monitor the change in temperature, daylight, color, clothing, and the like. When we change our seasonal time we lose a part of what has been ourselves. I don't think that is negative, but I've never seen anyone write about seasonal time - although I know they have. For those of you with 4 seasons, enjoy them. For those of us without 4 seasons we will just adapt.

Taken at a county park south of Terre Haute, IN. This represents the king
of summer and green that we miss in Las Vegas. It is also one of my
favorite photos.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A Granddaughter's Photo of Grandpa & Grandma

The following photo was posted on Facebook back in April, but since JoAnn and I don't get on Facebook as often as maybe we should, so we didn't see it right away. Alyssa, our oldest granddaughter, took this photo while we were at Red Rock Park and Amphitheater in Denver for spring break. We really like the photo and wanted everyone to know how much we appreciate Alyssa taking this photo and sharing it with us and others. Grandchildren are great and we love all 18 of them.


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Letter from the President

I was going through some of my Dad's items that he had given me and organizing and scanning them. I came across a letter from President Truman thanking him for his service in World War II. He told me last week it was the Marine Corps that trained him to be successful in the Air Force.

I realize that millions of Americans received this letter, but since I had never seen it before I thought that you might also enjoy reading the letter. It was a different time and different situation from what we face today, but what remains the same are individuals answering the call to arms. Click on the letter to see it in a larger size.