Delbert, otherwise known as my Dad! We had a surprise 80th birthday party for him earlier this month at one of my favorite places, the Noble County Public Library main facility in Albion. The gifts, at his request: Pepsi and Snickers candy bars. Hey, he's 80, he should get whatever he wants.

( Family photos follow )

We had an opportunity over Christmas to get a five generation photo for our family:


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Happy birthday to my youngest, Jillian, who got a very special early birthday present this year:


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My grandkids are turning seven! It’s particularly hard to believe, as I’m clearly too young to be a grandfather. But time is a thief that steals from us all, as I’m sure someone said sometime.

I’ll worry about them forever as I worry about my daughters, nieces and nephews, in this world where technology brings us new ideas and possibilities ( Read more... )

I want to apologize to everyone I’ve been in contact with about photos for the “Images Of America: Albion and Noble County” project. With my daughter sick for so long and in the hospital for over a week, and the book signing to prepare for, I haven’t gotten back to people like I planned to. I’ll get back on it-as soon as I’m feeling better ( Read more... )

We bought a bathroom sink last night, and already have a newer toilet waiting, thanks to my daughter and son-in-law. This morning we spent some time trying to figure out the maze of plumbing in the basement, which has resolved itself more or less into two different but interrelated systems, installed decades ago in an already standing house by ( Read more... )

SLIGHTLY OFF THE MARK

Yeah, so, I got married.

On a related note, I’m getting married next year.

Oh, relax; I’m not taking up polygamy. I don’t have the energy for that. Can you imagine how exhausting it must be, to try and keep up with more than one wife? Even if they knew about each other … if they didn’t, it ( Read more... )

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My daughters Charis Koehl and Jillian Hunter are coming over Sunday to help Emily and I decorate for Christmas, violating my usual rule of never thinking about Christmas before Thanksiving. Might as well fudge it by feeding them a Thanksgiving dinner early, don't you think? It just so happens I had a small turkey and rolls in the deep freeze, and ( Read more... )

I was too busy most of the time to take a lot of photos at Charis' and Vince's wedding, but here are a few snapshots Emily and I took along the way:

This is just me and Emily at the reception. I wonder if the twins thought I was Mr. Conductor? Usually my dress uniform is a bit fancier than this; my badge and other "hardware" turned up missing, and ( Read more... )