GL1500 Goldwing

Her townhouse was entirely her domain and organized to her comfort. The garage had room for her Cherokee. Scraping frost and brushing snow off simply didn’t happen. Even after I invaded the Cherokee spent winter evenings tucked snuggly away in the garage. That is until the Goldwing which occupied that space for the last two winters. Well this spring Janice made it understood her Cherokee was going to reclaim the garage at least for the colder months. So it became a summer long quest to find a movable shelter large enough to store and work on the bike during the winter months.

We started out looking at portable sheds at Lowes, Menards, Home Depot and a number of other places. The problems with each was the same: the ones of a size that would work either had too low a doorway or too large a price tag for my fixed income. We struck on the idea of finding a thoroughly used (beat up but serviceable in other words) travel trailer or construction office trailer. We found one office trailer that was too large for the space we have and one travel trailer that was too nice and required far more alteration than there was time or money for. Time was running out and I was feeling a bit discouraged. Then I walked into the local Mills Fleet Farm store and they had a storage tent on display. After examining closely I believed it would work and the basic frame could be used in the future to secure pole barn siding to which made it an even better concept. A plan began to gel. We returned several times and shopped other places. The local Harbor Freight store had a similar one on sale at over $100 less. The frame is a bit less sturdy but will work equally well.

The construction project should have went smoothly and been completed while weather was still mild and before fall was more than a couple weeks old. Well I said “should have”. The first day of autumn brought the death of my niece and twelve days later mom passed on. All projects got shoved back by at least a month and by then the weather had turned wet making the clay soil of the back yard greasy and. messy It’s most unpleasant working when footwear grows in both size and weight with each step. Much as I may wish to do a major gripe campaign here I have to consider it has been far less problem for me than for many farmers still trying to harvest crops as temperatures go consistently below freezing. My problems are few by comparison. Anyway the shelter is up and has withstood enough North Dakota winds (Chicago has nothing on us) to bolster confidence it will endure the winter (fingers, toes, eyes, arms and legs crossed). There are a few details still to be dealt with but I save them for future posts.

Goldwing shelter or fiasco? Time will tell.

[Translate]

powered by

Long as I remember mom said she wanted to wear out not rust out. When she passed on in the early morning of October 4, 2008 at 94 years of age there was little doubt she had overwhelmingly succeeded. She made very few requests regarding her demise except to keep the ceremonious stuff minimal including cremation and her ashes buried above the casket of her only husband, our father. We, her four offspring agreed to her wishes and proceeded in that manner.

Her public memorial was Saturday October 11, 2008, one week after her death. It was a time of tears and grieving. It was also a time of renewing acquaintances both with extended family and friends that although living not far away seems we had lost track of. Many promises of renewed keeping in touch efforts were made and who knows, with some it may happen.

The four of us siblings agreed to gather in Lidgerwood, ND on a day before winter set in for the purpose of burying moms ashes. Mom lived in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area over thirty years after dad was buried in Lidgerwood, so for our two sisters there was a couple hundred miles of travel. Our brother still lives right in Lidgerwood and I’m about 70 miles north.

Sunday November 9, 2008 we gathered at our brother’s house. In some ways it was festive, bringing back a feel of ourselves growing up. The tiny city has changed surprisingly little since we were growing up on a farm about ten miles away. It sometimes amazes me these farming towns hang on by a thread but stay alive decade after decade. Our brother’s wife prepared one of those comfort food meals of scalloped potatoes with ham, fresh hot rolls, various and sundry veggies and condiments and an ever so rich chocolate desert that added an extra inch to my belt line. Then the business at hand.

The day was cold with a biting breeze from the north and the ominous feel of inevitably approaching winter. The family plot was located, dad’s grave found, a plug of sod carefully removed and we used an old but trusty post hole digger. Each of us siblings took a turn at removing some soil while the urn with mom’s ashes was passed among us, our final farewells.

Perhaps it was by design, perhaps coincidence but most probably happenstance that I (the oldest) was holding the urn when the question if the hole was wide enough for the urn was raised. I bent down, placed the urn in the hole and let it drop to final rest. There was a fresh flow of tears before filling in the hole and replacing the chunk of sod. Shortly thereafter we returned to brother’s house to indulge in hot, warming coffee to take the bite of the November wind away.

What percentage of people ever experience actually opening the soil to receive the remains of a loved one or for that matter how many cemeteries permit such activity I have no idea. From my perspective it was the most intimately conclusive good-bye I could imagine.

Within less than the last two months we have experienced two deaths. First our brother’s oldest daughter (37 years) and less than two weeks later our mother passed. Although the death of my niece was more shocking and emotionally difficult she lives on through organ and tissue donations. There is an incredible comfort from that and knowing her desires at her death were fulfilled. With mom there was the memorial and approximately one month until her wishes were fulfilled. In the course of that time I often felt ill, had no energy and in some ways feared my life was near its end which is a contribution to family stress I really don’t wish to make. It has been nearly one week since burying mom, I feel much better and suspect I will not be adding to the family stress level in the near future (well at least not from my own demise).

[Translate]

powered by

Part of last week was going to be spent sight seeing not far from home. We planned to fasten the kennel to the luggage rack (it would have been the true test of how much Haley loves rides) and spend a couple days visiting the “International Peace Gardens” and touring a bit in Canada. Well, Read the rest of this entry »

[Translate]

powered by

Originally posted July 3rd, 2008 in another blog (mine also)

Janice’s new job isn’t quite so new any longer. When it has been over a year the new kind of wears off. Although the change was nearly a lateral, the difference between attitudes of the two companies made the current job far more desirable. Still over a year without a full week off is a stretch. We were going to do some site seeing within the state but the truth be known it was easy to discern she was feeling worn down and in need of some serious vegetating. So I suggested she do that. She didn’t argue so except for being under the weather Sunday she has mostly relaxed. Sometimes it’s the best way to spend vacation time. Read the rest of this entry »

[Translate]

powered by