A quilter's husband

Over the last 20 years JoAnn has become more and more involved in quilting. I think it is great because she is so creative and she loves doing it. I think we have lost count of the number of quilts she has made and given away. However, if 40 years ago someone would have told me my wife was going to be a quilter I would have laughed. And yet over these years I've watched her grow, gain confidence, and serve as an inspiration and teacher for others. She is just awesome.

We are fortunate to currently live near several quilt stores, but when we lived in Terre Haute, IN we drove 20 miles to Paris, IL to her favorite quilt shop. That was when I learned to always bring a book along and to look for a Dairy Queen. Personally, I think there should be a law that all quilt shops have a DQ within 200 feet. When we are on the road we can almost always find a quilt shop. We have found them in Williams, AZ, Ventura, CA, Reno, NV, Boise, ID, St. Louis, MO, San Diego, CA and many other places. It's almost like they are a magnet for us. It's not always JoAnn that finds them. I'm as good at it as she is. Now I bring along a book, my computer, iPhone, and iPod. I can sit in the back seat of the car, listen to my kind of music (mostly classical) and get all kinds of work done. I always anticipate at least 60 minutes of quiet time.

We found this quilt store in Williams, AZ when I left the interstate to stop for gas and thought we would tour their downtown. It only took 40 minutes for gas (okay for looking at quilt material), but then, I wasn't in a hurry. I don't think I'm allowed to be in a hurry when we are within 10 miles of a quilt shop.


As I walked around the house today I realized just how much quilting has become part of our decor. Granted, the girls just left last Sunday and JoAnn has had a busy week, but we have at least 3 quilts in progress. All are from last weekend. For those who don't understand how quilting takes over I thought I would take you on a tour. That's our futon, or was until it became a quilt staging area.


The quilt shop is the hub of all of our operations. Usually the sewing machine is in here, but when she is in certain stages of construction the sewing machine goes elsewhere.


I'm told we don't have much material, but I reorganized a whole closet just for the material. It is all organized by color. I call this area the quilter's candy. Last weekend when the girls were here it seemed that every time I went by the quilt shop there were 2 or more girls in there fondling the quilt candy. Of course, as JoAnn says, that's what it is for.


We have a wrap-around couch and futon in the living room. Right now they are quilt staging areas. You will note the quilt squares all look similar. Each of the girls made a quilt square, including JoAnn (that totals 8 squares) and then most of them made their own 9th square. Here you see the whole couch and futon are converted to staging areas.


Finally, we have the dining room table, or more appropriately the large quilt sewing area. I'm pretty sure we had a meal on that table in that location at least once, but I can't be sure. In JoAnn's defense I also use it as a meeting table when I have colleagues over, so it's really a multi-use table.


Being a quilter's husband is less of a challenge than it is an opportunity. I've learned more about quilts than I ever thought that I would, or even thought I wanted to. Yet I can talk to JoAnn about a log cabin design, or color matching, etc. It's almost scary.

Daughters are special...and granddaughters too!

Last weekend we had all of our daughters in town for sisters' weekend and while I'm officially uninvited I still hung around this year. For me the joy comes from seeing how our daughters have grown and matured. I still remember them as children and while I try not to treat them that way, they are always special to a dad and always his little girls. I love each one of them individually and collectively. Individually because of their own unique and special qualities (and quirks). Collectively because of how much they love and support each other. There are still friendly competitions between the girls, but you can sense their love for one another. JoAnn and I can sit and listen to them for hours. Of course, with 5 girls all talking at the same time it can get a little loud, and always has.

When we sit back and reflect about not many years ago when they ranged from a few months to 14 and the photo below taken when Krissie must have been about 3, you can see how similar and different they are. The two older girls are in their teens and have earrings and at least one necklace (I think JoAnn would call those earrings and necklace "bling-bling"). The others are watching and developing their own personalities. Our home was never dull, not with all those girls and 2 brothers. I sometimes wonder how we survived.


And yet here we are, now almost 6 years as empty nesters and some children gone for almost 20 years. They have husbands, children, families, different friends, live apart (most of them), and yet, when they get together, they are still best friends. Better than just best friends they always invite their brother's wives because they want them to share in the fun. This year our newest daughter-in-law came and was initiated into the "sisters' weekend." This is also the first year we had babies attending (I think, but then I wasn't present last year).


As JoAnn and I have sat on the back patio and talked about our daughters we have realized, once again, what a great family we have been blessed with. They are all good kids, working hard to raise their own families, even if it is just a husband and wife, and knowing that they are never alone. Between Facebook, email, and telephone calls this has got to be the most connected our family has ever been.

Thanks for coming girls and for sharing our two youngest granddaughters. I can hardly wait until the granddaughters are old enough to join sisters' weekend.

Sunset at the Beach

It has been several weeks since JoAnn and I were at the beach in Ventura, California, but I have finally found time to sit down and work the photos so I could show them in succession. Enjoy the photos as they show the last 10 minutes or so of sunset.

and then I turned around...

Dad Is 90 Today (yesterday by the time I got this blogged)

My dad is 90-years old today. It is a major milestone. What's more he is in moderately good health - he can get around, still drives, and loves to be with his daughters, who all live close. JoAnn and I debated coming to the celebration since it is an 8 hour drive and we have to be in another city on Sunday. However, we had no compelling argument for not coming and so many compelling arguments for being where we belonged. So, at 4 AM this morning we left Las Vegas drove southwest to Barstow and then over the Techappi mountains to Bakersfield and north to Modesto. We arrived in time to surprise Dad - and surprised he was. He had no idea we would be here.

There is nothing better than a lemon cake - at least according to Dad!

One of the great blessings of moving west 3 years ago is the opportunity we have to see our children, my sisters and their families, and my dad and his wife on a more regular basis. It means a lot to us to have the opportunity to see all of them. We have reduced the 2 to 3 day drive time from Indiana to not more than 12 hours. The end result is our ability to spend more quality time with each family. Okay, we still have family in the midwest and may soon have 2 families back there, so our travels east are not over.

You realize of course it is not an official McLean function without food!

I never thought I would see my Dad turn 90, much less that I would be 64. I recognize the influence he has had on my life over those years. I think over the last 15 years I have come to appreciate that influence more and more. All too often we don't apprecite those we love until they have passed, in part because we need to see our own famliies grow in order to truly appreciate the impact our parents have on us. I wish my mother could have lived to see how all of our families have grown, although I know she knows.

We had a light lunch, games of dominos, lemon and chocolate cakes, and more dominos. I also found time for a nap. Even at 90 my Dad is still sharp enough to beat us at dominos and cribbage.

Enjoy the photos from today. There will be more on flickr later.

Dad & Marti looking over the birthday cards.

Checkers & cribbage is the official family game.

Dad & Linzie enjoying the moment.

Dad's Going to be 90!!!

In just a few days my Dad is going to be 90. It seems like just yesterday we were all kids living at home. How life changes. Just 9 days after he turns 90 I will turn 64. When my grandparents were 65 I thought they were really old. I don't feel old and I don't think of Dad as old.

Today I wanted to post a presentation we 5 children made for Dad 10 years ago on his 80th birthday. We had a wonderful get together and families came from all across the United States to get to the reunion. Enjoy the video.

Happy Birthday Mike

It seem like just yesterday I was holding our brand new son, Michael. Yet it has been 28 years since that cold and icy day in Ames, Iowa. We remember how excited we were that we were finally going to have a baby that was not born in the dead of winter. He wasn't, just during an ice storm. And we shouldn't have been clueless when he seemed to take forever to deliver. Mom was in labor for hours and in those days labor rooms were little more than an after thought - small, uncomfortable, and sometimes forgotten by the staff. Most of the time fathers were not even allowed in the birthing room. I don't remember if I was allowed in for Mike or not. However, in spite of all of the pioneer (by today's standards) medical technology, he was born and has become a wonderful young man.

And Mike, I'm sorry that I'm a couple of days late this time, but we didn't pick a very good time for you to be born. We are "super busy" right now as my blog attests to only weekend work and then not every weekend. I hope everyone enjoys this long set of photos of our youngest son.

What is not to love in a little baby, and like all of our children (no bias here) they were all beautiful.


Mike has always had a smile on his face and even at this age was still a little short of hair.


When you grow up in a house full of girls you always have to be a little wary since you don't know what they are going to do to you next. And no girls, I don't want to know how you tormented your little brothers.


But there is always time for sleep and when it's on our favorite couch (the one we all still miss) you take full advantage of it.


And when your great grandpa Merriam comes to town you must have a photo of the event. It was the last time all of the kids saw their Great Grandpa Merriam. Grandpa was 90 in this photo.


Mike does love his sisters and in this photo with Sally and Krissie you can see that love.


But there is a bit of a funny side to Mike. Like any good boy/man he likes to have a little fun and always has. There is nothing better than a good laugh.


Or a new pose.


Or color coding a new dress code.


And time with Mom in the pool.


Mike has a soft spot for his dog - Strider. We all enjoyed her and had lots of fun with her.


And of course he has turned into a wonderful uncle (okay, some of the nieces may not think that, but even here he is softening). Calvin was his first nephew and was and is special to him. [I think they both just woke up.] He can always be counted on to take care of Suzanne's children, or just to play with them. Note how comfortable Chas is with Mike and vice versa in the 2nd photo.



Then he came home from his mission on a late evening. There were no banners, no large crowds, just Mom and Dad, but that was what was important to all of us. He was beaming and such a missionary.


And while there were other photos I could add these last two are probably the most important to Mike and for us one our proudest moments. There is nothing like the marriage of your children to excite and reward a parent. We are so proud of all of our children, but on this day we were most proud of Mike and Allison. Love ya Mike and happy belated birthday! Dad...



Even a little rain didn't dampen this special day!

And I almost forgot Mike's self portrait he sent us several years ago. This may be our best representation of the complexity of our young man.

Cruising on the Pier

On last Sunday afternoon JoAnn and I were walking on the Ventura Pier. It's been a long time since we had walked on a pier on the Pacific Ocean. It was a wonderful walk. It's about 200 yards out to the end of the pier and we were enjoying the vista and the people when a bicycle cruised by us ever so slowly. I glanced at it as it went by, then did a double take as I saw a beautiful bicycle. This custom bicycle caught my curiosity and I wanted to take a photo of it. As we continued walking down the pier we caught up with the now parked bicycle. I talked to the owner and asked about the bicycle. He had built it and he was awfully proud of the bicycle and bashful. I couldn't get a photo of him with his bicycle.

I call it an "art bicycle" because like all good sculpture it is a masterpiece. There might be those who would argue with me, but take time to look at the craftsmanship, the care and love that was taken in sculpting this bicycle. There was obvious pride in workmanship. It is a classic and was made to be ridden and admired.



Our walk down the pier turned into an adventure because it was enhanced by the beauty of a craftsman and artist.