June 2012

Mark checking brickwork and windows

June started with a bang as Hilde and Mark became house pre-viewers for Jim and Kayme as the deadline for getting a house loomed.  Although the housing market is said to be so good for buyers, the returning couple had nothing but troubles as they had three offers that fell through (one because of a history of troubled wells only brought to light by Jim’s aunt Terri!).  However, finally, the search was successful and Jim and Kayme officially closed on a home in the Town of Lisbon (just a couple miles from where Hilde grew up!) just at the end of June.  Jim, family and furniture will apparently arrive on three separate dates, but it will work out and soon they will be here in Wisconsin.  (the underline will NOT go away!)
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2012 chicks arrived!

Rhi's refinished bed

Mark has been spending a lot of time catching up at the office after the long time gone to trial, but he has been busy at home also.  This year he fenced the corn immediately upon planting, flushed all our home-brew watering systems and helped Hilde pick strawberries one morning.  He has been more of a mother cluck to the new chicks than Hilde, who was pretty limp with a cold/allergy/ear & sinus infection, now cleared up.  The assortment of chicks includes some Aracanas because Hilde wants green eggs for  Rhiannon.

Radio propagation has been especially strong in June, so Mark got to contact folks in several new states.  It is great to hear him talking to a staticky-drawl from Tennessee or  to guys in Oklahoma or Pennsylvania.  Mark continues to call an 2-meter activity net on Wednesday night with regulars and some  interesting surprises checking in some nights. some nights.

Despite the ‘foggy head’, Hilde made strawberry jam, froze a good supply of peas and managed to, very regretfully, retire from the Aging and Disability Resource Center Board.  After seven years, five as chair, and excitement like having two successive directors take other jobs, having nutrition and IT service need to be changed and then expanding from two counties to four, Hilde feels the agency is stable and successful.  Having just a little less on her plate will be nice.  The lovely vase of roses and kind parting words were  wonderful.

In the end of the month, while Mark assisted Jim with the complicated paperwork for a long-distance purchase, Hilde stripped and refinished the nearly 100 year-old bed that Jim inherited from his grandmother Hazel.  The bed was originally Granny Scheid’s and purchased around 1916.  Both Mark and his brother Phil slept in it in their childhoods.  Now Rhiannon will be sleeping in it as she transitions to her own room and her own bed…five generations!

Other family news for the month:  Hilde’s Dad did NOT have any more falls and his rib and wrist seem to be healing well.  Nephew Curt Orchard passed his board exams and is now a licensed pharmacist, while his sister Heidi is having a great time with her internship in Jacksonville Florida.  And THREE young relatives attended the WELS Youth Rally in Tennessee: niece Leslie Bormann, and nephews Erich Bormann and Adam Henkel.  Nephew Joel Henkel bought a house in Rice Lake and niece Alana Henkel is traveling the Midwest with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra.  The family  activities are so varied and interesting lately!

Jim noted yesterday that he completed his post doc and bought a house on the same day and wondered what tomorrow would bring.  Well, overnight he and much of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and DC got blasted with a nasty storm.  Thank God, he and his family are safe, and they actually have power unlike many out there.  This really has been a month of blessings.

May 2012: Mostly Missouri

The lovely month of May was rushed and mostly away from home for the Henkels.  The  first part of the month, Mark

Douglas County Courthouse, Ava MO

Beautiful Mo Sunset

was in the usual pre-trial intense focus, getting things set up and copied and prepared.  Hilde had extra meetings and three public hearings to run, trying to get everything done before the departure.  It was bittersweet for Hilde to attend the staff recognition luncheon for the McMillan Library as her last activity.  After ten great years including time as the board president, it is hard to step down, but one person can’t do everything.  The farewells and plaque were lovely.

The early warmth tricked many fruit trees into flowering early, but frosts were hard on them.  However, the little peach tree waited until mid-May and was just beautiful.  Part of the prep for leaving was trying to get lawn all tidied and failing to get in the gardens as Rudolph got over 3 inches of rain and in the heavy soil, things were too wet to disk things.

On Saturday, May 12th, Mark and Hilde completely filled the car with four document boxes ( the other 8 boxes were already in Missouri!), a dolly, and all the clothes and books needed for up to three weeks in trial.  Mark’s case was venued in AVA MO, a small town on the edge of the Ozarks.  The cell reception there was poor outside and non-existent in the only motel, meaning if either phone rang, Hilde or Mark would grab it and rush outside to try to make contact.  Even the land line in the room cut off a couple times.  Hilde did find that the park on the hill was good for phone reception and spent a couple afternoons keeping in touch while getting some sun.

The trial was very intense with court running until 6 pm most evenings, and the plaintiff s attorney spending several days READING depositions of persons not at the trial…tough for the jury.  He also called Mark once at nearly midnight—the only discourteous action of the entire stay in the very polite South.  The dining choices were very limited, but eating salad and pizza many evenings worked out, and the views around the area were so very lovely.  On Saturday afternoon, Mark and Hilde drove along a scenic Ozarks road, Glade Top, enjoying flowers and views.  Then Sunday they drove to Mountain Home AR for church and enjoyed those vistas before a nice hot hike along a lake.  The jury came back late on the 24th with a win for Mark, so it was all worth it.  By getting up very early on Friday, most of the holiday traffic was avoided on the 13 hours driving back.  It was very good to be back in Wisconsin.

The final week of May was spent at HOME with Mark and Hilde working hard to catch up on mowing, and planting.  Both gardens are now fully planted, including the 30 tomato and 18 pepper plants which the office gals watered and cared for during the trial.  It was a real joy to be working together out there and relaxing from the long hours of the trial.  Better yet is knowing that no out-of-state trials are scheduled for the rest of the year!

Family news is mixed for the month:  John and Evie are doing great; but with the time for Jim and Kayme’s return approaching (mid July) they have been frustrated in several attempts to buy a house.  However, they now know they are adding another daughter to the family in October and have named her Rowan Emilie.  Hilde’s father had another nasty fall and broke a bone in his right wrist.  The extended family celebrated four graduations (all nephews:  Curt Orchard in pharmacy, Joel Henkel in business management, and Adam Henkel and Erich Bormann from high school) as that next generation continues to grow up and make us proud.  May has been a very full month!
          Note that formatting this blog has changed and I apologize for the lack of order.!!