Senior Night and Belated Anniversary Trip

Our oldest son blessed us with a visit for the weekend of Sean's Senior Night football game. Bryce arrived at midnight on Thursday. Despite my early-to-bed, early-to-rise nature, I'm usually the one who drives to pick him up. I enjoy the time talking with him in the car. He worked remotely on Friday (from the quiet privacy of my book desk in our guest room). A bunch of buddies from his football days invited him to tailgate with them prior to the game.

John and I made our way to the end of the stadium where the parents of seniors lined up. Is it bad to say I'm glad this is my final senior night? Ha!

Bryce sat with us during the game and regaled us with tales of his honeymoon travels (some flight delays and missed reservations - especially one for a cool pool experience near the runway of a NY airport). They had a wonderful time in the Maldives.

After the game, we waited for Sean to exit the field and snagged photos of him with Bryce and him with his girlfriend Claire.

On Saturday, Sean and Bryce drove up to Purdue to view the campus. This was far better than the campus tour I took with Bryce during his senior year. Bryce was able to show Sean all around the engineering buildings and campus hot spots. Sean hopes to attend Purdue for a degree in aeronautical engineering.

Tuesday before Senior Night, John and I finally got away for a brief trip to belatedly celebrate our August anniversary. We hiked in Turkey Run State Park the first day. John wanted to hike Trail #2 (one marked "moderate"), but I convinced him to take Trail #3 because everything on-line says it is the most scenic of the trails. Trail #3 was very rugged, just as the trail marker indicated. Not to mention, it sprinkled with rain twice during our trek, making the rocks slick. Again, following on-line advice, we went counterclockwise. This meant we had to go down (backwards, which felt very perilous) the ladders on the trail. Yikes! Although, it was fun, I ached for 3 days following our hike. (This selfie was taken at the end, when the sun finally dried things up.)

The next day, we spent walking around the Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville, Indiana. We visited some antique shops (with no intent to buy anything, as our goal is to downsize in the near future). Then, we returned to our favorite baked potato station. I also bought an order of corn fritters. It wasn't an extravagant anniversary celebration, by any means, but it was better than our 2020 celebration plans. Ha! 

September 2024 This and That

The stresses of July and August persist into September, but we have much to be grateful for. In the spring, Sean joined the high school volleyball team. The repetitive jumping did no favors for his knees and he has battled injuries to his knees and ankles ever since. He is a team captain this year, so he represents the team in those initial moments of the opponent handshakes and the coin toss. He loves the sport, but I'm always worried about possible injury. Indeed, their team has struggled this year because 5 or 6 starting players have been out on injury, including the quarterback who played so effectively for the team last year.

These photos show Sean and the seniors on the team:

Sean and his girlfriend Claire were on the Homecoming Court this year. John and I attended the game and watched from far back in the stands (we choose these seats because they have backs to the bleachers - oh, how our tired backs appreciate this support by the end of the game). I snagged some photos from others (because my attempts are always horrible - the only photo I took is the one below):

They also attended the Homecoming Dance:

Sean and Claire provide great fun for me these days as we often compete by playing the New York Times games (Connections, Wordle, and The Mini Crossword). Of course, having said that, I must acknowledge that they usually smoke me. Still, I'm glad they let me join in the games with them.

Just to make life interesting, we had a well issue again this September. John was downstairs when he heard a pop and, checking everything, found the deep freezer had no power. He called electricians and plugged the deep freezer and water heater into extension cords. We also had no water (something about the pump electrical system failing). While waiting, he brought up the portable water heater he keeps for emergencies. Alas, when he turned that on, he heard a whoosh, and it burst into flames. Since it has a propane tank on it, he immediately grabbed the thing and ran it outside, the whole time praying fervently that it would not explode. Praise God, it didn't, but it gave him quite a scare.

The electricians could not address the well issue, so we had to call the well company to come the following morning. Sean and I went to stay in the local Home 2 Suites (if you read my blog regularly, you know how much I love that hotel chain). We had a lovely experience and I came away with more fodder for my fan affections.

Just above the coffee station, I discovered this little shelf of books available to read. Isn't that cool! Of course, we were only there overnight, and I'd already read a few of these titles (especially loved that they had a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). We were grateful to have the well back up and running by the following afternoon. So, despite injuries, stress, and home issues, we are focusing on the positives and happy to have joy amid the challenges.

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Side note: Ten years ago, my favorite read of the year was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachael Joyce. I loved his journey, his introspection, and the redemptive resolution the journey brought. The movie version recently came available on Hoopla and I watched it this past weekend. I had forgotten the specifics of the difficulties Harold had with his son. I must say, it was very difficult to watch. It brought me to tears because it hit too close to home. So, as much as I loved that novel, I now believe it should come with a trigger warning: tough content and heart-wrenching emotions addressed.

Proud of Accomplishments

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Last week's regional game versus Gibson Southern started off strong and promising. First, our quarterback, Malachi, scored an 83-yard touchdown run. After a quick set of downs by Gibson Southern, we scored again, bringing it to 14-0. But, Gibson Southern is a tough opponent. By half-time, the score was 14-10. In the 3rd and 4th quarters they dominated. As the announcers were mentioning how cold it was, I was surprised to see a handful of Gibson Southern fans running shirtless across the walkway of their bleachers (photographic evidence in the Indy Star article).

You can read an excellent recap article from the Indy Star or watch this one-minute highlights video that shows our valiant efforts scoring two touchdowns in the first few minutes of the game.

Despite this loss, I feel quite proud of our team. Monday evening, at the school awards program, they read off Malachi's impressive stats for the season. You can view footage and see stats on this MaxPreps page. He is ranked 120th in the nation (with 3441 total yards), 7th in Indiana, and 1st in Division 3A and Sagamore Conference. He received an award for Most Valuable Player. Sean received a varsity letter and an academic excellence certificate. I thought he should have won the award for the highest GPA (his 4.064 is higher than the recipient's), but Sean said they select a senior. I guess there's next year. And we're looking forward to next year's season, as well.

Here are a few photos I snagged from the Tri-West Quarterback Club (including the one above, all taken by Holly Catt):

2023 Football Sectional Champs

I've said before, I'm not a typical football mom. I'm not in the stands shouting my lungs out. Fear of injury plagues my ability to enjoy football games. However, recently I've become a stealth supporter. Thanks to live-streaming, I can view the games from the comfort of my home, enjoy closer coverage and instant replays, and listen to (mostly informative) commentary. The live-streaming also allows me to enjoy the action simultaneously with my oldest son, Bryce. My husband laughs at how vocal I get while viewing privately at home. "Go, Malachi, go! Run, run, keep going!"

Last Friday's sectional championship game was thrilling (apart from one annoying commentator I could have done without). With a minute left in the first half, we were down 21-20. One commentator (the annoying one) kept saying if he was the coach, he'd have them go for the 3 points, saying "points is points." Thankfully, he wasn't the coach, and our coach had full faith in our powerful quarterback. With only seconds to go, we scored a touchdown and 2 additional points. Here's the highlight article that originally ran in the Indy Star. The score held through the second half, securing our status as 2023 Class 3A sectional champs.

Indy Star photographer Doug McSchooler captured some excellent images of Sean (#55) protecting QB Malachi (#7):

Malachi is a powerhouse. Time after time, he plows through a host of tacklers, remaining on his feet and launching into the end-zone. The commentator said, "You told me he was impressive, but you have to see him in action to fully grasp how good he is."

(Sean is at the far left in this Doug McSchooler photo)

Two more jubilant photos taken by the Tri-West Quarterback Club photographer:

Plus, Sean sent me this photo of him with Malachi holding the trophy:

The next game holds great challenge as we lost to Gibson Southern a few years ago, in a similar scenario. But, I'm holding to the hope that Malachi and our strong offensive and defensive players can hold them off to win the regional competition. Our sights are set even higher. Bryce and his fiancée are coming for a Thanksgiving visit. It would be fantastic if our team goes all the way to state level and Bryce gets to watch the game in Lucas Oil Stadium. The last time our team went to a state final and played there, it was the year after Bryce graduated. He missed it by a hair! It would be so cool if Sean gets to live the dream that evaded Bryce.

September 2023 This and That

Want a good chuckle? Stayed tuned to the end of this post for my "September Silly."

Sean loves football. Me, not so much. Ever since Trevor's leg injury at the outset of his 8th grade season, my heart shudders with fear for safety in this violent sport. Still, it is fun to watch them win! Here are photos of Sean (#55) exuberantly rejoicing in touchdowns by his team:

Protecting the quarterback and ball from the opponent:

They were thrilled to win against long-time rival, Danville, the first shut-out (21-0) against this team in twenty years. Here they are with the coveted winning helmet trophy:

Sean is to the left of the bear (hard to make out his 55).

Here's a better shot of the twenty-year rivalry helmet trophy:

And a shot of Sean with some football buddies:

As more and more people move onto property near us, our once isolated and private area is changed. We've lived here, on my husband's family land, for 17 years. For the first whole decade, I hated living here. In the past, I've considered myself a city girl. I loved walking the streets of Chicago, popping into all the antiquarian bookshops. I loved having access to culture, variety, and people. This rural town did not welcome or embrace me. I was stuck at home with two infants and no connections to support or assist.

Indeed, I ached to move back to Illinois, where I was fully plugged in, had an identity tied to education, and access to the city of Chicago without being right in the city. Yet, in the past 17 years, I've morphed into a different person. I would no longer consider myself a city girl. If and when we move from this location (possible as soon as our youngest graduates from high school), I'm more likely to desire another isolated location. The pandemic didn't help things. Moreover, the future looks threatening.

Of course, Facebook is onto my idle dreams of new housing. My feed is flooded with videos of tiny homes (while I fantasize about living tiny, I'm all too aware that my hoarding tendencies make such dreams futile). I also receive alerts about adorable, old houses. Now that we've faced multiple problems in this old house (air-conditioning/heating system had to be completely replaced in June at great personal cost and well pump replaced in mid-September), I'm trying to swipe past those old house advertisement.

This one, however, caught my eye and I'm smitten. It says it has been well-maintained. The external and internal photos are appealing. But, the real draw? This house is only an hour and a half away from my favorite cousin, Karin. I'm pretty sure my husband won't go for it. It is in Pennsylvania and he has his heart set on moving to an isolated, artsy community in Southern Indiana. But, I can dream, can't I?

I love this little alcove area between the garage and house. Can't you just imagine hours of outdoor reading?

I love this roomy kitchen. Even the wood paneling on the wall appeals to me, although with the flooring seems a bit too busy.

Some setbacks to this idea: 1) We don't have that kind of money at this point. 2) We are not in the market yet. 3) Talk about isolated - this is like our current rural town on steroids - not even a Walmart nearby - wow! 4) WINTER - snow, ugh! 5) SUMMER - Did it really say window a/c? Okay, dream bubble effectively burst! Sorry, Karin.

If I could sell 5 million copies of my book (HA), we could move into this over-the-top house in nearby Carmel, Indiana:

The twenty-some photos at that link are awe-inspiring, but no, no, no - the Meadowview estate is not my dream house! Future grandkids might love the indoor wooden slide, the elaborate movie theater room, the Titanic-esque staircase in the billiards room, and the inground pool. 

I would loathe the responsibility of decorating, outfitting, and especially CLEANING 14 bathrooms (yikes) and over 20 thousand square feet of house! Nice to visit; not so nice to maintain.

Finally, I leave you with a hilarious story. John and I went out for lunch. Where he parked in the lot, we were surrounded by various work trucks. After exiting the restaurant, we approached our car. John noticed something odd dangling from below the car, near the back tire. We both squatted down to inspect this damage we had never noticed before on my car. Suddenly, the passenger window rolled down and the driver in the front seat looked at us dubiously. Doh! It wasn't our car! Our black car was parked just beyond her black car (almost identical, but for the unrecognized damage - ha!). Thankfully, she was good-natured about it. I couldn't stop laughing about it for the rest of the day. When I texted my friend, Beth, about it, she said, "Double win! A good hearted laugh and the good news that the repair belongs to someone else. 😂" She also sent this hilarious gif that captured my response:

Kitty Forman Debra Jo Rupp GIFfrom Kitty Forman GIFs