From my heart: August 2008

Aah, summer!

A summer is a terrible thing to waste...

I know I have not written very much this summer. I have posted many pictures that tell a lot of the stories. Truth is, I just haven't felt like it. I have tried to be more "in the moment" this summer and not have any regrets as summer draws to a close. Too soon, I might add.

With fully half our family living in Asia, the Singaporians and the Malysian Bonci's, and Kristin being a busy young woman in her own right, many summer activities revolved around friends, Katie's clan and just us. And I have been enjoying most of it. Probably my newest summer activity that I will miss the most as fall and winter approach, is my great orange swing/hammock thing hanging from the maple tree in our backyard. (Thank you, Pete, for getting it to just the right height and thank you, Eve and Paul, for turning our attention to the swings at the Renaissnace Faire.) I love to go out there almost every morning and last thing at night, just about daily. Even though a busy road is right behind our house I can shut out even that din and regroup, focus, pray, fret or just plan relax. I know I should start my morning walking regimen again but the swing just calls to me...

I am missing Laurie a lot lately and I have time to dwell on memories while I sway back and forth. I am pulling together ideas for the upcoming family reunion, just around the corner and I do some good thinking back there. I worry about the future and somehow God reminds me that He has it under control.

So while it's still warm and lazy out, I think I'll go and sit a spell. Ya'all come back, ya hear?

My business weekend retreat began with this beautiful sunset.

Tattoo in progress, my first and only. It hurt.

My tattoo...

Lunching and lounging at the Wesley Inn.

Friends enjoy the moonlight cruise around Lake Geneva.

The breakfast cooks.

Breakfast burritos in the making.

Alemar's, we'll miss you.

I know it's weird but we are grieving a strange loss, the closing of our favorite after church restaurant, Alemar's in Palatine. This was where we went most Sunday's after church. The waitresses all knew us and welcomed us to their tables. The hostess/owner always greeted us with "How many today?" since it varied from just Pete and I to Katie and all the kids to even more of us. Nine to eleven seats was not uncommon. They knew us; they knew our stories, we knew some of theirs. This was the restaurant my former husband ate his last breakfast, the gypsy skillet. Katie almost always ordered the same meal thinking the odds were against another family member having a heart attack after eating the same meal! I did say weird, didn't I?

One of the local TV stations even did a piece on Alemar's, bigger than coverage for Bennigan's. I did say weird, didn't I? So when Pete and I went there for lunch with some of the grandkids Wednesday, we were sad. Their flowers were always unbelievably beautiful, their Greek style food, yummy; those bloody Mary's, perfect. Things, times, economies change. People and their stories take on even more importance. Our hope is that each of those sweet people from the busboy who always gave Isaiah a little hair ruffle, to Pete the line cook to Jackie and Randy who encouraged Katie especially, each find a new spot to share their special brand of attention. We'll miss you. We hope we meet again.