FAst, Full February 2013

Mark hauling away elm chunks

Grandma with Rowan and rhiannon

February was a short month, but full of activities and fun  for Mark and Hilde, and the closest to ‘normal’ month in quite a while, with NO nights gone on business for the entire month.   One of the best things was normality returned for Hilde’s hearing, after three months of fighting infection and asking for repeats on what folks were saying.  Having more daylight and more energy made both Mark and Hilde happy.

It was a return to normal for winter conditions in Wisconsin also, with frequent snows, some thaws and a couple of icy events which made travel hazardous. Mark got lots of fresh air plowing, plowing and plowing.   It was also a snowy day when Mark and Hilde cut down the dead elm in the ditch, which made for some complications and delays.  However, the snow as they drove to Ripon was beautiful, making their visit to the college campus quite nostalgic.  They celebrated their 41st anniversary with this return to the place they met, and then over-nighting at the lovely Heidel House in Green Lake.

As always, there were lots of meetings, reports from meetings and special meetings for Hilde, but February included attending Lenten services, lunching and visiting with Claudette, Dr. Stevens and Irene.   Then for the end of the month, Mark and Hilde visited Jim and Kayme, enjoying time with those growing girls, attending church down in Sussex and visiting Hilde’s parents, too.  That visit was fortunately timed, so they were home before the Milwaukee area got nearly a foot of snow.    The same weekend, the other branch to the family was up north:  John and Evie participated in the Birkebeiner together again.

Finally, on the last day of February, Mark heard that the trial for which he had been intensively  preparing was adjourned, delayed at least several months.  This will allow him to be home all March…so whenever the maple sap starts flowing this year, Mark and Hilde will be out there getting lots of exercise, fresh air and a very sweet reward..

Evie and John at Birkebeiner