March 2015

Set the spout

March has been a busy, variable and  challenging month for Mark and Hilde.  Wisconsin weather went up and down, with thaws followed by bitter cold, laced with icing and a very short season for sap run.  Mark did all the heavy work this year, allowing Hilde’s back to finally get back to near normal.

March started down in Palatine with Mark helping John on a dry-walling project.  Those two always enjoy working together and have skills in many areas of home repair, while Hilde takes pictures and Evie cooks up great meals despite the kitchen being rearranged.  The younger Henkels are getting lovely new cabinets, so the walls, paints and flooring needed to be prepped.  With the work on I90 finally finished, the trip back to Rudolph goes more smoothly and quickly!

Mark was exceptionally busy throughout the month as he and the trial team prepared for both 2 weeks in trial in Iowa and a re-try of one in Buffalo MN to follow that.  They had everything about ready to ship when, only a week before start date, the judge postponed the Iowa case.  That is a big let-down for them all, and who knows how long things will be delayed, as finding two weeks that fit the schedules of the courtroom and four attorneys  is always challenging.  However, this means the grandparents will not be out of state when Caleb arrives, so the delay has positive aspects.

5 of his senior masters with Grandmaster Stevens

Beautiful dawn for end of the month

Hilde got into a super-crafting mood for spring and made baskets, doilies, and wall art and  baked up some new recipes (and tested them on committee members!).  With more light, more energy and less back trouble,  things moved along very well for the month.  She got a multitude of minor tasks done, and seems to be getting the hang of one problematic print program.  There was a flurry of extra meetings for her, bracketed by lots of phone calls and the issues seem to continue, but eventually all the extras will finish and she will be able to relax more.

At the end of the month, Mark and Hilde assisted with an early taekwondo testing (shifted due to Easter schedules) where Dr. Locascio was promoted to sixth dan black belt.  Stevens Taekwondo Academy has 13 people who have been promoted to that senior master level by Dr. Stevens, which is almost 5% of the persons in USA reaching that rank.   In between the other activities, they have been pruning fruit trees and considering what they will do for the summer, after the other two trials are completed and things quiet down.  Chicks will be ordered for late in June and perhaps a dog to  join the family if Mark decides that way.  It has been over a year since Freddy the Great left us.  The month was a transition from snow to spring, and the last day of March was just lovely.  All but tiny remnants of snow are gone, the light has shifted to the north and the birds are returning and filling the air with song.

February 2015 Fast and Frosty

Fast and frosty-- February really flew past for the Henkels.  It was special to celebrate 43 years together and give thanks for the many blessings in those years and then fun to recognize Jim’s birthday with some old photos of him as a real cutie.  Mark and Hilde worked to drag the last of the elm out of the field with lots of challenges:  the truck got stuck in the snow, the tractor ran out of gas while pulling said truck and then the truck slid into the ditch while being towed, but eventually all was well and a nice pile of wood is awaiting cutting later in spring, since right after that the temperatures went sub zero..

When it is cold outside, that’s not unusual, but when awaking to cold inside, the problem is often the furnace.  When the control unit corroded (causing yet another chilly awakening), Mark and Hilde decided a new, efficient and reliable furnace was necessary.  There were a few bumps and complications, but all is toasty in Rudolph now—and this year the keep-fill folks have been showing up before the LP runs out, thank goodness.

Hilde had a some persistent back issues during the month, but things have improved quite a bit and she is planning on regular taekwondo in March.  She taught an introduction to self-defense toward the end of the month at UW-Stevens Point and had a great time…very enthusiastic gals attending.  She did a lot of baking, from goodies for Valentines day sent to Rhiannon and Rowan to desserts for church and some treats for meetings she anticipated (correctly) might be confrontational.  Mark and Hilde both got some time to work on hobbies this month, with Hilde converting lots of yarn remnants to pieces for an afghan and making some baskets;  Mark got some electrical work in, too.

The truly enjoyable part of the month came towards the end.  While John and Evie were up at the Birkebeiner, Mark and Hilde went to visit Jim and Kayme and had a great time playing with the girls (mostly Hilde) and helping Jim regularize some of the stuff in the basement (Mark).  Those girls move fast and light up the room---happiness and crawling around on the floor with them seemed therapeutic for Hilde’s lingering aches and pains, too.  The following weekend, the senior Henkels headed down to Palatine and had a great time with John and Evie.  Mark and John enjoy working together, even when it includes half dissembling a dryer to remove stray hardware!  Hilde has been enjoying the cooking talents of both couples on these visits—she appreciates their tasty meals and seeing the cooperative efforts!

Now Mark and Hilde are looking forward to the turning of seasons and despite a looming snow storm, are getting ready for starting seeds, tapping trees and thinking spring.  March started with two mild days but….this is Wisconsin and storms are inevitable in March.  Stay warm and safe, folks!