Oh What Fun it is to Ride...

These are some of my favorite pictures from our adventure down to Indiana.

It feels good to be a part of a family that quite clearly has so much fun when they get together. We spent a lot of the drive back and forth and the festivities laughing and just enjoying being back together as family.

The first two photos are of Julie's father (Bill) and sister (Janice) caught having a great time taking a spin on one of the kid's bikes in their driveway after graduation.

There's no way to fake that kind of joy and happiness!

The bottom one is a close neighbor of Janice and John's named Martha. Martha is 86 years old.. and still very joyful and encouraging. I only hope I will be in that good of shape (emotionally and physically!) at 86!

Congrats Arie

Congratulations Arie (Griffioen, our nephew) on your graduation from high school.

It was fun to be able to travel to Waldron High to visit you and your family and to share of bit of this experience with you. We had a great time.

We are amazed at all your incredible academic (5th in class!) and other accomplishments (Arie is also an Eagle Scout - which is no small feat). It was great to see you among your friends having a great time.

We also congratulate your parents, Janice and John, for getting you to this point in life. They are to be commended for your excellent job.

It was also a treat to see Mary (grandma) again. We were truly impressed with the imaginative quilt that she made you using many of your old, special, t-shirts. What a great way to be surrounded by some fond memories and your grandma's love. That was really cool.

Have a great summer and enjoy your transition to Rose-hulman in late August!

We look forward to hearing about your continuing adventures.

Team Henderson

Elsie: Harley Babe

Her name is Elsie. Her fame is riding hogs. That's right - Grandma Elsie is an 82 year old hard core Harley babe.

As grandma will tell you - the attraction to the machine is a physical thing. I experienced this first hand when I joined Elsie at a recent graduation ceremony she attended.

As she told me in an interview for this article "it hits me the first time I see a hog glimmering in the sunshine. I am immediately drawn to the machine. It's graceful lines. That's when I know I have to be near it. Touch it. Feel it. Sometimes I'll just slowly approach the bike - like a dance. But, eventually, I'll need to have that feel of polished steel up against me".

At first that seems to satisfy her. To quench her thirst. However, as this interviewer found out... that is only the beginning.

"From the moment I lean against one of those glorious machines - it starts a chain reaction deep within me. I know, right at that moment, that it is only a matter of time before I need to have the feel of its rumbling engine underneath me" she goes on to say - unapologetically.

"Some have called it an addiction. But I prefer to think of it as a life long love affair. A constant, smoldering, ember that from time to time flares into a burning need for speed. For the feel of unbridled horsepower beneath me. As I approach 83 - I can honestly say that that fire burns just as strongly now as it did years ago.'

As she donned a helmet before taking her most recent ride with her grandson John she confided to me, "I am very fortunate. John understands me. Accepts me. He doesn't judge me the way some people who don't understand might" she goes on to say.

John, who asked that his last name not be disclosed for fear that other older harley babes might descend on his location - explains it like this. "It's almost a religious experience to ride with Elsie. You can tell that, for her, it is a form of worship. At times she gets so lost in the moment - feeling the machine vibrating below her - the air rushing past her. It allows her to connect with a higher being in a way that is rare - and beautiful. Often, she'll just raise her arms in pure joy. I am blessed to be a part of her life. I truly appreciate those times where we get together.. strap on some leather - and just ride. It is cathartic for both of us."

As Elsie is quick to say, "Yes, feeling that horsepower below me makes me think of Glory. I believe there is a God. And, I believe there is a Heaven with streets of gold and mansions for those that believe in Him and accept Him as Savior. Just like the Bible says. And, personally, I believe that inside the garage of my mansion is a bright, gleaming hog. Just waiting for me to ride for eternity. This is a love affair that will never end."

Indiana: Do Not Enter

Last weekend Julie and I traveled back to Indiana to attend our nephew, Arie's, high school graduation. We flew into Michigan and joined the Rexford/Buckner caravan: destination Flatrock Indiana (I dare you to find Flatrock on a map).

Obviously, the people of Indiana must have heard that we where coming because they threw a big 'welcome to Indiana' party for us. Apparently, it's their tradition to greet visiting out of towners by having power polls attack.

I think they call this local custom a 'tornado' - which comes from the latin 'torn' - or split.. and 'a-do' or get out. Put it together.. and I think they were trying to tell us.. 'take a hike'.

Well, being the illiterate people that we are.. our knowledge of the state is limited to what we learn watching Indiana Jones adventure flicks. We thought they were telling us 'hey - drive down this road with live power lines laying in the middle of the road to go visit your nephew with the crystal skull'.

Admittedly - a very poor effort at translating 'Indiana-eze' - on our part since, to be fair to Indiana, they also did post some DO NOT ENTER signs to make it simpler for us to understand. Alas, Grandpa Bill was driving and he can't exactly read.

Indiana, you're going to have to throw more than that at us to keep us out!

Team Henderson Vernacular

The addition of the suffix 'tard' to common words or phrases is a time-honored Team Henderson tradition. This approach is most often used to indicate the lack of awareness of or lack of specific skill surrounding or associated with a topic of interest.

For instance, if you are not aware of the rules of card playing - or lack skill in doing so.. you are a cardtard. Similarly if you have never experienced or have little skill in preparing campfire pies using a pie iron.. you are a pi-tard.

Some variations of this rule exist. The most common variation is to append the suffix to adjectives that are descriptive of a person's character. As an example, a meantard, is someone who acts both mean and retarded.

Most people are afflicted by some form of tard-ness. Fortunately, with sufficient effort, most forms of tard-ness are generally curable.

Is it Camping if it's in the Logan's Backyard?

Julie received a number of fun Julie Month gifts centered on a 'camping' theme. We are really looking forward to doing some fun camping/hiking trips this summer. So, we thought we'd try all her new stuff out with a little 'dry run' camp out.

Our destination was.. drum roll.. the Logan's backyard :) That way we suckered the Logan's into participating - which was important because Tim's got the fire pit!

You can see from the pictures all the fun stuff we've got for Julie including a new tent - with all the fixings - as well as a couple 'big bubba' camp chairs (with footrests!) and a cool camp kitchen! If you do not own a big bubba chair.. you must go check them out.

Well, we set it all up in the Logan's backyard last night and had a great camp out. We started by reminding ourselves about.. and introducing Evan (Julie Logan's boyfriend and previous 'pi-tard' - or pie iron tard) to 'Michigan Pies'. We had both pizza and cherry pies! We followed those up with smores in the fire pit (along with a hot dog for Julie H.!).

It was great to sit around the camp fire and recall stories from all our old camping trips. We loved Family Camp at Lake Tahoe - which Bill and Sharon even attended once. You might note in the second picture the site '113' marker in honor of our many weeks in that site!

We also reminisced about our old Carpenter's Union Sunday School class camp outs which Joanne and Steve attended one year down in Morrow Bay - meeting the famous Gary Beals (remember that Joanne?). I even fondly remember the drive back home. The girls (Julie and Joanne) were in the lead in our wonderful air conditioned Astro van - while the boys brought up the rear in my un-conditioned Ford pickup. And it was over 100 degrees! It was sweet when we went through McDs and you 'bought some ice cream cones for the cute guys in the truck behind you!'.

Ironically, while we were telling stories about all the interesting wildlife we would see out there... across the back fence came this huge opossom! What timing! (and just exactly where does that bad boy live during the day???)

We have extremely fond memories from camping and are looking to making many more in the months and years to come.

After a successful dry run.. we're ready to go!

Happy Birthday Julie - Part II

We had a great little get together for Julie last weekend in celebration of her birthday/Mother's Day. Hannah was able to make it back from school - which was pretty cool because finals are upcoming and so it was nice to see her before that all started.

Another 'cool' thing about the evening was the dessert. Rachel (you saw her in the pool below.. now see her on dry land - posing with Julie and her masterpiece) asked me a week or so before the party what Julie's favorite dessert is. I had told her that we had this great ice cream extravaganza when we were in Hawaii last fall. She told me 'send me a picture!'... and off she went to re-create it especially for Julie. How sweet is that?

Well - you be the judge on how she did (we think she did fab-u-lous!!). The top picture is the dessert we had at the Hula Grill on Maui. A macademia nut brownie ice cream sandwich slathered with yummy raspberry sauce and topped with whipped cream and a mint leaf. The bottom picture is Rachel's version! It amazed and thrilled us all.

And.. Julie got some great gifts.. which will be mentioned again in my next post!

A Question

Do you ever have thoughts that come to you and then keep recurring? Keep rattling around in your brain? Popping up at random times? Pestering you?

For the last few months I have had a recurring thought - a question really - that started as a visitor inside my brain - but seems to have put down roots and taken up residence.

Here's the question: "if not YOU. who?"

The first time I can distinctly remember being confronted with the thought was when I was out for a walk. I recall being distracted by some garbage on the ground; disturbed at the person who had so thoughtlessly littered. I wondered 'just WHO did they think was going to clean up after them?'. And then the thought came percolating up... 'if not YOU, who?'.

Perhaps, in some simple way - that person had created an opportunity for me to do something. Give something. Provide some small act of kindness to a world that desperately could use it. And in that moment, the question demanded a response; me? or someone else? So, I reached down, picked it up and carried it along until I passed the next garbage can - where I unceremoniously deposited it. In that one moment I chose me. And I thought that was the end of it.

Instead - the thought started popping into my head all too often. Who was going to make the pot of coffee at work? or phone someone with encouragement? or say hello to the stranger on the street? or show interest in someone's day? or put gas in the car? or talk to a co-worker who seems distracted by worry? or make the date plans?

If not me? who?

So, over the last few months my mindset has slowly transformed from expecting that others would be the one... to acknowledging that I am provided these opportunities to give something of myself to others - and acting on it.

I admit - Santa Clara does not appear any different to the naked eye - I assure you. But, while thinking about the imperceptible impact I was having.. another question popped into my head.

What would be the accumulated impact of many people asking themselves the same question?

And the answer I gave myself was .. I don't know.. but it's an interesting question!

So.. I ask you. If not YOU? who?

Is there something that has come to your attention today? That perhaps has escaped anyone else's attention? Except yours? That would require only modest effort on your part to do? If so.. would you consider responding? acting on it?

I don't know if that question will haunt you like it has me - and lead to any changes. But - I figure it was worth asking. After all.. if I didn't ask you the question.. who was going to?

If, on the off chance this question impacts your life.. I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to comment on this entry to share your story.

Happy Birthday Julie!

Hey cutie! Happy Birthday!

Thank God for the Rexford clan that brought me Julie! I am so lucky to have her and be a part of your family!

I'll post more pictures later.. but couldn't start my day out without wishing you love, joy and happiness on this.. your day!

Love ya!

In the immortal words of Bob Dylan. And, explicitly, NOT to be sung by Jason Castro - who couldn't possibly remember all these words after a long day on the pipe.. :)

If not for you,
Babe, I couldn't find the door,
Couldn't even see the floor,
I'd be sad and blue,
If not for you.

If not for you,
Babe, I'd lay awake all night,
Wait for the mornin' light
To shine in through,
But it would not be new,
If not for you.

If not for you
My sky would fall,
Rain would gather too.
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all,
I'd be lost if not for you,
And you know it's true.

If not for you
My sky would fall,
Rain would gather too.
Without your love I'd be nowhere at all,
Oh! What would I do
If not for you.

If not for you,
Winter would have no spring,
Couldn't hear the robin sing,
I just wouldn't have a clue,
Anyway it wouldn't ring true,
If not for you.

Julie Month

Yay! It's Julie Month!

What is Julie Month you ask?

We used to celebrate Julie's birthday on May 7th. Then, once we had kids she realized that Mother's Day was the same week as her birthday. So, she expanded the celebration into Julie Week!

That lasted a few years.. until she realized she could 'work us' for the entire month of May - and announced that May would now be known as 'Julie Month'.

Just so you know - Julie jumped out of bed this morning with a beaming smile on her face. Yes - it's Julie Month. Let the festivities begin.