January 2016

January went by quickly this year in Rudolph, with Mark and Hilde being HOME and eating at HOME (no Subway at all!) for the month except for visits to each side of the family.  They really needed the time to rest and catch up after the last hectic year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The weather in central Wisconsin was mostly mild and gloomy, ending the month with cold rain and fog…first time Hilde has used an umbrella with winter coat and gloves to go to worship services in January!  As a counter to the dark skies and winter gloom, Mark ordered vegetable seeds and Hilde treated herself to a colorful bouquet.

 

Mark has been making good progress on his latest radio project and worked half-time for the month, giving a much more leisurely tempo to everything.  He also helped Hilde identify photos from the first of several boxes of old pictures from his side of the family.  Hilde has been trying to preserve them electronically, since both old and newer color ones are deteriorating.  There was even a pair of tintypes of his Schultz great grandparents as young people.  So many are blurred, and both undatable and  unidentifiable.  That’s very sad, but many are in good shape and have Granny’s scrawled identification in pencil on the back.  There are some Bormann and Heidemann photos to deal with next month…challenging work scrutinizing them, but interesting, too.

Lori and Curt orchard getting ready for baby O

Mark and Hilde headed to Rice Lake early in the month to visit his brother Phil and Connie---always good to get together with them, even the weather cooperated with clear roads and sunshine.  Mid month there were a couple of long tramps into the back of the hunting swamp, but no success at getting a photo of the otters which slide on the Elm Creek.  For the end of the month, they headed to Oconomowoc for a baby shower with many Bormanns gathered to celebrate the coming grandbaby for Hilde’s sister Terri. Since Jim had had a plumbing incident, Mark spent that time over there, fixing plumbing and assessing the floor damage. 

Lori, Leslie, Laure, Kim, Terri, Arlene, Lisa, Hilde  and Heidi

January was a good month, restful, contemplative and not much snow.   However, if the forecasts are correct---February is going to start with a major snow and wind storm, so winter is definitely not over yet.  From Rudolph, Mark and Hilde are hoping all family and friends stay warm and safe!

 

Sunset January 31

December 2015 Busier Still

December was busy---very, very busy!  It was crammed with meetings, preparations, two weeks out of town and a wild and wonderful Christmas with both sons, both daughters-in-law, three grandchildren and two dogs….really wonderful.

Those meetings:  Hilde had a stretch of three days with six long meetings, two with someone losing temper and acting childish (not Hilde), and pages and pages of notes.  Fortunately at one meeting she was able to get most of the required signatures for her nomination papers, but the frenzy was incredible.  During the same (first) week of December, Mark was in last minute, pre-trial mode, which means he is partially in some other dimension, planning and focusing on what can/should/or might happen in court.  This state always reminds Hilde of The Absent-Minded Professor.

Hilde made some cookies, finished a pine cone wreath for herself after making four for others and partially decorated the house for Christmas and then packed up for the trial in Algona Iowa.  That is a small town, limited in shopping and fairly isolated, getting there takes 6 hours on the road.  Mark and Hilde left right after church and arrived in foggy dark, grateful to have no further to go under those conditions.  Throughout the trial, the weather was ‘mild’ and no snow, so the extra difficulties of dragging things to court every day in snow did not occur---everyone involved was grateful!  These kind of trials mean a lot of folks there:  Mark, his partner Eric, assistant Sandy, company rep, local counsel, and then all the folks which are witnesses.  One night there were 14 for dinner, usually less.

Mark celebrated his birthday by selecting a jury, but Hilde managed to get him a little chocolate cake and he heard Rhi and Ro sing happy birthday to him in the evening…that brought a big smile to his face!  On the weekend in Iowa, Hilde and Mark walked (32 degrees and gray) around Smith Lake and then visited the POW museum…interesting stuff there, as Algona was the center for POW camps.  Kind of sobering when, in the displays, they saw a HENKEL as a captive and a BORMANN as a local killed in fighting.  Those same POWs carved a 60-piece, half-life size nativity scene, complete with a flock of sheep, camels and all the rest.  The scene is housed at the fairgrounds and was the neatest thing they found there. 

Hilde did learn a lot about a Hungarian freedom fighter for whom Kossuth County is named, so history lessons in a couple of ways.  Hilde also knit a sweater, hat and sewed ornaments during the trial, plus attended county board telephonically.  Mostly her job was to make sure Mark ate and rested, so he was in good shape at end of trial

After two weeks in trial, Mark and Hilde finally headed home.  Mark was pretty happy with the result, since the plaintiffs weren’t happy.  It was a very long ride home with both so tired, but they managed and gratefully hit their own bed.  

Then it was rush, rush, rush:  to get a tree, get groceries, get tree up, clean house, prep more food, and during it all, Mark was on the phone about after verdict details.

Then it was Christmas!  Having everyone home was wonderful and the hustle and bustle invigorating.  There was no real snow (in fact adults walked the girls in rain and fog on Wednesday!), but so many happy faces as Caleb crawls very rapidly, the girls dance and sing through the days and their parents got some time off with John and Evie to “be bros” and adults away, while Grandma and Grandpa babysat.  After church (what a blessing to have all the loved ones worship

together!) the kids’ excitement level and happiness made for a joyful night for everyone.

Grandma Hilde does regret giving the girls punch balls…almost as bad as a drum set for noise makers!  The girls rode their scooters in the basement and read new books…wonderful time.  There was even a little layer of snow to belatedly make it a white Christmas!

After everyone departed on Saturday, it seemed very, very quiet, but Mark and Hilde decided it was the perfect day to go see The Force Awakens, and they were right---great time to go and it was tantalizing and enjoyable.  The month and year ended quietly as Mark and Hilde stayed home, thereby enjoying the big snow after Christmas.  It was good to have a little quiet time to rest and reflect on the many blessings of 2015.

 

November 2015

November was a swirl of feathers, flurries of snow, family time and flew by very very quickly.

Mark and Hilde spent the first day of November butchering roosters, and the feathers really flew due to the Mark 2 Clucker Plucker.  The chickens are tucked into the freezer and the fox and skunks got to feast on the innards down in the woods.

We went down to visit Jim and Kayme the next weekend, which was, as always, fun and busy.  Jim and Mark worked to get replacement sump pump in and wired properly and then Senior Master Jim led a mini class of taekwondo with his little girls.  They are so full of energy, and so enthusiastic!  Hilde got to visit her mom in the new apartment, which was very nice, and the three kids were very good for church, while Kayme was doing the playing.  Grandma melts when Rowan looks up, says “I love you Grandma” and then falls asleep on her.  Rhiannon played her little recital piece very proudly, and Caleb’s cr4awling and standing was a source of great pride to him also.

Mark returned to full time work as he prepared for the trial in Algona Iowa.  That included a trip out to Spencer IA (7 hours), a long set of motions as the snow began piling up and then a slow, slippery drive to return home.  Mark and Hilde were delighted that Jim and Kayme arrived early, made supper,  including pie, and welcomed them home with hot food, warm hugs and happy family.  It was great!  The next morning the guys were out for the opening of deer season and Hilde had play time with three active children.  The girls are really enjoying being read to, so both Grandpa and Grandma had fun with that.  On Sunday,  Jim got a nice buck, which he butchered with Mark and got right into freezer.

Hilde spent a lot of time in meetings again---seems that ad hoc committees are being formed each month!  However, as things are moving forward, some may actually finish up.  She did get to had a brunch with Donna and see her new house…taking one afternoon off felt almost wicked, but was great.  In between meetings, baking and chores, she made several pine cone wreaths as Christmas gifts.  Each was a little different, and despite her incredible sticky condition (she had some pine pitch in her hair when she got it cut!) from wiring and gluing some ten bags of cones, she really enjoyed it.  The pinch came when the large, fragile items had to be shipped.  Mark and Hilde spent considerable time and tape constructing special boxes for the wreaths and discovered that big names like UPS, are not the most cost-effective way to ship things.  Hurray for Speedee Delivery!  They cost 20% of UPS and all arrived in good shape and next day!

The retirement dinner for one of the local judges meant some  good visits with many members of the bar but best was seeing Kelly Benjamin again after many years.  Kelly worked with Mark for the first three years after law school, moved on to assistant DA and then off to Indiana.  She looks great and is running for judge herself in Indiana.  She will be a good judge.

For the first time since 1978 when Jim was born, Mark and Hilde had a very quiet Thanksgiving, just the two of them together.  They were grateful for the invites from others, but staying home and peaceful seemed just right, knowing that December was going to be VERY hectic with the trial.  It was a very good choice.  The only downer was the Packers game.  Mark and Hilde relaxed, fortified themselves for the trial and gave thanks. 

 

October 2015

Roof top consultation

This is a bookcase!

So tasty!

Lots of squash and pumpkins

Horicon egret on muskrat house

Splash of color across Lake Emily

Autumn creek view

October showed her best side this year, and Mark and Hilde got to enjoy it thoroughly, with a nice combination of being home and getting out and about.  Mark managed to do one more month of the ‘half-time’ although he handled lots of calls from home.  Meantime, the long raspberry season continued with last berries picked on the 27^th of the month! 

The month began with a trip to World Dairy Expo in Madison (where Mark and Hilde ran into various friends and relatives) and then on to Palatine to visit John and Evie.  John and Mark spent time up on the roof patching and caulking and Hilde hemmed curtains while Evie filled the spectacular full-wall bookcase which John designed and the two put together.  They have transformed their house with lots of hard work and imagination and finally solved the lighting issues of the great room also.

The garden finale included more tomato juice and ketchup, a burst of zucchini tots and choc muffins, pumpkin butter, pear-ginger jam and a few late peppers.  The majority of the pie pumpkins went to church for the pie ingredients, but many others were shared with family and friends, plus the fruit cellar has little room in it, as the harvest bounty is amazing.  The Dark Brahma rooster was given to a family with a child in 4-H---it would have been a shame to butcher such a handsome critter!   Mark and Hilde found the one snow apple tree had a very heavy yield or perfect apples, and that some of the few pears could be salvaged also.

It was fun to help out Karen Johnson this month by supervising her taekwondo classes for UWSP twice when she had conflicts.  Teaching young intelligent adults is a joy!  This month’s taekwondo testing included a special presentation to Dr. Stevens in recognition of 35 years of his teaching there.  Since the numbers were a bit smaller, and the testing panel very efficient,  Mark and Hilde made a special afternoon of it, after picking a few raspberries, driving around, looking at the wonderful colors and scenes of fall, plus enjoying dinner at China Palace.

Mark and Hilde took one lovely fall day to visit Horicon Marsh, getting lots of exercise and photos of the birds and flowers and colors.  The beautiful white egrets preened and posed, the asters were vibrant and different ducks were identified.  It was really a great day, including fish at the SilverCryst on the way home, chasing the dusk.  

The weather continued to be wonderful all month, so lots of final fall chores were FUN!  Mark and Hilde dug out the carrots, Mark cut all the corn and then disked up the garden.  They got the far west foundation bed redone and put in block edging, and did the final mowing for the year.  One afternoon while Mark was gone, Hilde spray-painted the radon removal system to match the house, leaving the final, above-the-roof section for Mark, so it no longer looks like an odd toilet back there.  The enormous tangle of morning glory vines were carefully cut off and removed and they further pruned that giant forsythia….things grow rather large in Rudolph!

Hilde has continued to meet, write and talk about the extreme opposition to farming in Wood County.  There is hope that some reasonable compromise can be reached, but it has taken many, many hours and gets a little frustrating.  It’s is a good thing that Hilde is an optimist!  She got to go on a tour of the really spectacular Sand Valley Golf development, where, unfortunately,  three vehicles got stuck in the sand.  It was a public/private collaborative effort as Wood county folks from Land conservation and Extension helped private folks push out cars.

Fall enjoyment continued with a picnic at Lake Emily just before cold and rain came in.  There were golden needles from the white pine sifting down on the table, and soft maple landing on them like golden stars.  Mark and Hilde also spent time out in the Seneca woods, checking out the hunting stands and finding some lovely late fall color on the ground.  This is the first fall in many years when they were able to get out and about often.

On a sad note, the long-time owner of  the  family, cat Coffee died at the end of the month.  He was almost 16 years old and was such a character, following folks around, facing down skunks and foxes and waiting on Tuesday and Thursday nights for folks to come home from taekwondo.  The Henkels miss him.

Jim and his lively family stopped by for a couple of nights toward the end of the month.  It is always amazing how fast the kids are growing.  Caleb wants to get moving like his sisters and is almost there, while the girls seem interested in everything with great vocabularies to discuss it all, from earrings to body parts.

Since October ended with rain, Mark and Hilde put off the scheduled chicken butchering to go go the movie “Bridge of Spies”, enjoying it very much.  They remember the times, the tensions, the fears and grittiness, all portrayed well.  Then, at the very end of the month, 11 pm on Halloween, Mother Nature played her trick with a sudden burst of thunder, lightning and HAIL.

What a full month!