30 on the 30th!

Happy Birthday, Dear Sister!  Happy Golden Birthday.  30 on the 30th.  I do hope the rest of your life is more Golden than the short 30 years you've logged in so far.  But, for memory's sake, let us recall some adventures, like the game Kitten, that may entertain and delight us.

I remember the announcement of your gestation, when we referred to you as Sibling, and we shouted and danced with glee and sang about goody goody gumdrops and spelled out H-A-P-P-Y.  Or maybe this was when Telcia was on the way--maybe our mother can confirm.  But Trent and I were happy to have another playmate, to be sure.

In the little rock house where you and I first lived we were oftentimes chided to "leave the baby be!" by Mrs Musgrave who nannied us.  I don't remember much from those early years until we got to the Jerome farmhouse.  There I remember the classic game of tying a bathrobe belt or regular belt into a lariat and convincing you to step into the portal to an exciting new world.  Cinching the belt around your ankles and trapping you never got old, even though we had to always think of new ways to convince you to step into the rope.

Unfortunately we also would tell you that the perpetrators of those childish pranks were monsters who had taken our places, and in this way we exonerated our trespasses in your eyes, so that new trust would be given, in order to be exploited later.  Sometimes I wonder about the effects of sibling abuse but love you all the more for managing to survive your young years and not hold against us the transgressions of our wicked ways.

Didn't the car door get slammed on your fingers at church one morning?  Didn't we leave you at church another day?  Other memories of our youngest years have faded into the fog of nostalgia.  Although I do remember when you and Telcia started getting matching wedge haircuts, and I remember lots of softball practices and also how you became in charge of washing dishes eventually.  Didn't we also have lots of after school snacks together like frosting on graham crackers and apples and peanut butter and chocolate chips.

When I was away in college you were awesome in everything at school, and still in charge of all the dishwashing.  There were lots of Banbury's trips by now, and then also you were working with Lisa, and making your way in the world.  And then when you went away to college.  Working at the summer camps had gotten big for you, and then you became a Harley girl and then there was Eddie and little Jade to sweep you off your feet.  Then there were the early years of that.  Before you got married I also remember our last hurrah as siblings in Island Park.  Snow.  Siblings.  Sweet Potatoes.  Oh my.

I remember being at the hospital just after Malee was born, and holding her when she was so tiny.  Then I remember meeting you with Bonnie in American Falls when Malee was just standing up.  Now all of my kids are older than that, and you've got a handful more!  We had a good time when you all came down to our wedding, and we've had good times at your older place in Boise as well as visiting you at your recent place.
We've also been able to catch you in the magic valley and had a good walk with you just last month.

I love you Tawna!  Happy Birthday!

Knute Heldner again

I do believe I will be able to keep you more current, these days.

I cut my hair yesterday.  I find that while losing my hair, it takes more maintenance to look better than it did back in the day when almost anything looked good or stylish or both.  I need to cut the sides of my hair more often now, for they far outgrow the hair on top.  And while I was at it I trimmed the sides of my face as well, so that I have a face not unlike some of your conjured images of the devil.

And if you need to know what I mean, just google images of the devil and you'll see that long pointy chin.  But it is not that mysterious why Satan has such a long pointy chin or often comes with a beard, because that beard comes from the devilish caprine animal and is otherwise known as a goatee.  Now, goats can be mischievous rascals, but western civilization has borrowed much from mythologies where Pan and Bacchus (or their ilk) and their carnal and celebratory ways are identified with the lustful ungodliness of the devil.

Now, to clarify, I do not have a goatee.  Just a beard trimmed kind of triangular.  But it makes me look sort of like I have a long sharp face.  I once again have that Knute Heldner look:

And if your curious not only about what I look like on the outside, but also what I look like on the inside, let me paint that picture for you as well.  That looks like this:

Or perhaps:

minus the Presenter Media part.

Anyway, maybe you get the picture and maybe not.  But the cryptic meaning is that I just don't know for sure about my future at present.  I actually wrote a lot out but then saved the goodies for a later date when I can write more freely.

The best things in my life right now are the things easily taken for granted.  The kids, the wife, the home-cooking.  And no hangnails or fungal itches.

Thank you for reading!

giving blood

Happy new year.  Here it is: 2012.

On Sunday I gave blood for the first time in 2012.  Then I went to church and "gave blood" as a chalicer.  It was my first time doing that in a regular church service.  To be honest, I was a little nervous.  But it went just fine and I look forward to doing it again on February 5th, when I will have been breathing 78% nitrogen for 34 complete years.  And a day.