Tales of the Ordinary Days

Not quite sure what the sign means. I will sure miss Ben this fall. A year ago I blew my ACL. On a mountain. In Vail. A year ago I flew home with a brace and crutches and minus the band needed to hold my knee in place. A year ago I took the boys to Chicago on our annual mom/sons trip. A disbanded ACL wasn't going to stop our fun. So I maneuvered airports and stairs at a slower pace, with a braced knee, but with just as much fun. The surgery came two weeks later. And the recovery; that took a solid six months. And now a year has passed. What a difference a year can make. 365 days. Sounds like a a lot of time, but it really flew. An anniversary of any type creates a rehash of what transpired within the year post-noted-event. In my case, a lot has happened. This reflection has also caused me to look into the future. It has created the realization that no matter how well scripted one thinks their life is, there will be surprises. Hopefully pleasant, but unexpected occurrenc...

My view at departure from my last Jays game of the season This Sunday we were in Lincoln during a Creighton home game. It felt wrong. Completely wrong. I had convinced myself that missing a occasional game of my beloved Bluejays wasn't a big deal. My head had thoughts of exploring the new Pinnacle arena and yelling a post-football season "Go Big Red". My heart didn't bite. I tried to be excited, but I only felt like I was missing something. Do note that the new Husker home court is very nice with an enthusiastic and fun crowd. Also note that no alcohol is served and the crowd was not my blue and white comrades. The familiar faces and surroundings that I have come to love at the Century Link were absent. The final tally of the day? Two wins. The Husker game was a blow-out and the Bluejays, a nail-biter. Garrett and I had planned some time back to attend the Lincoln venue this past weekend. His Alma mater of Purdue was taking on their Big Ten rival in Nebras...

This week has me feeling like a grade school student again. And I mean this literally. Grant and I have been attached at the hip as it relates to his school work. I am watching his every assignment like a hawk. The long and short is that I gave Grant too long of a leash in school. The result was a fail in the personal accountability category. So now, to Grant's chagrin, he and I are working to correct this in tandem. And, unfortunately, bad habits are hard to break. Although mentally drained with my own work by day and grade school work by night, our combined efforts are appearing to pay off. Grant's poor study habits are breaking down under pressure. And believe me, he has resisted. I told one of Grant's teachers that it feels like I'm breaking a wild horse. One that flails and bucks to it's own exhaustion with nothing gained but the exhaustion. Today the bucking stopped. After minimal resistance, he finished an essay early. The first win was that the c...

Contributed by Mary (Pick) Wagner Everyone loved the Clay County Fair and our kids were no exception. This photo helped capture the fond memories of that afternoon. Mark remembers Rich driving and Kathy taking the picture, and the fair being fun and thinking it was huge; Matt recalls Rich really liking the silver White tractors with CAT engines; Kathy bought incense and polished rocks for Sandy who was feeling special to have an aunt and uncle take them to the fair. But there’s more to this story.  Unknowingly, my mother scared the daylights out of me when she left a message at the Omaha NE motel where Jim & I were staying for the weekend, to call her.  Much to their liking, our kids were staying on the Pick grandparent’s farm on Sunday and in town with the Wagner grandparents on Monday.  Always in good hands with never a worry, I thought to myself “This can’t be good.” Mom, sensing anxiety in my voice, reassured me nothing was wrong; she only wanted ou...

My house at 6 a.m. on a Thursday (note the extra child who is not mine) And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street. Dr. Suess was a smart man. Entertaining, yes. But smart? Absolutely. He understood life. And not just with the ten-and-under crowd. We adults reading these fanciful literary creations relate as well. I am often reminded of Mulberry Street during my daily adventures. The theme began on our runs many years ago. Awaking to run at 5:30 a.m. would elicit visions to an outsider of lonely roads and peaceful surroundings. On most days this is true. On other occasions, this is not the case. Running our route through the neighborhood of Harvey Oaks has brought on many Mulberry Street stories. On one particular run, we met a man kicking a soccer ball down the street at this peculiar hour. Minutes later, a mad man flew by us on a lighted bike. Although traveling on pavement at record speed, it was as though he hoped to launch into the darkened skies. We completed our s...

Gift bag treats from Aunt Kathy (Pick) Valentino This blog should be entitled "My Fun Valentine's Day", but I thought the title used was more catchy. I went with catchy. Sometimes it's interesting to tell a story by starting with the end. Since I am feeling quite pleased right now and the day is done, I'll start with my current setting. A glass of wine sits to my left, a computer is situated on my lap, and a purring cat is nestled by a crackling fire. It's almost midnight. Another Valentine's Day in the books. A stone's throw away in the kitchen are two pairs of newly purchased earrings in a Gunderson's box, homemade cupcakes, a bouquet of flowers, and a stunning picture of my Aunt Kathy. Upstairs, a dog lies content on my bed next to a new outfit, of which I am gloating. Pride and ego. My closet welcomes these new additions. A good night. And to think that just hours prior, my only concern was my need to run an endless list of errands. T...

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." ~ John Lennon I love this quote. I referred to it often, back in the days of divorce and family life changes for the Lane's. I had plans; one month, one year, five years. And then life happened. My great plans were out the window. I am a forever planner. Although I can take a mean curve ball here and there, the steady flow of following the Outlook calendar is a necessary balance in my structured mind. Today was no exception. With a look ahead for the week, food packed to get me through a busy day, and a myriad of to-do's anxiously awaiting a highlighter by the close of the night; I made my way to the office. The schedule was tight, but achievable. Ben and Grant were communicated their supportive roles as well. And then my phone rang. "This is St. Wenceslaus. We have Grant in the nurse's office. He is sick with a fever and headache. We need you to come and pick him ...

Freshman year of college with my roommate, Julie Today I woke up in a foul mood. I hate to admit this, but nonetheless; it's the truth. I was crabby for reasons I will avoid pointing out. Just trust me that if you knew the story, you would give me a bye. With sleepy boys and a snow day, I decided it was time to conquer the snow-covered streets of Omaha at 8:00 a.m. Still frowning while pulling out of my neighborhood, the best thing to conquer a bad attitude occurred. A favorite song, full of teenage memories, came through my Sirius radio. The "80's on 8" station rarely lets me down. " I was working part time in a five-and-dime. My boss was Mr. McGee. He told me several times that he didn't like my kind. Cause I was a bit too leisurely. Seems that I was busy doing something close to nothing. But different from the day before. That's when I saw her, ooh, I saw her. She walked in through the out door, out door. She wore a raspberry beret. The ki...