Sum-Sum-Summertime

Dear Friends, Family, and Interested Observers,

It's the Fourth of July, and I am relaxing with a cup of tea on our sun dappled little balcony. I have decided to stay home today and study. Jim went off to Summerfest in Milwaukee -- a fun event, but draining. I can't believe that it has been two months since my last entry. I've been so busy with work, fun, and my studies that I have let the pictures accumulate into an unworkable reserve. I'll give it a try, though. (First below, Emma and Gramps; second below, Lulu and Jim)

First on the docket is that blessed event that was my birth. On May 4, 2008 I turned 34 years old. Hard to believe from the looks of me, huh? Unlike the month-long extravaganza that is Jim Houzner's birthday, I prolonged the festivities for only a week. (First below, the boys play; second below, Bill deigns to answer the phone, "Who is it?")The joyous commemoration began with a nice Italian meal at Bellini's with Jim and our good friends Tony and Mark. Jim treated me my meal as a birthday gift. The restaurant is only a block away from the condo, and I had long wanted to try a meal there. Bellini's was built into the remodeled sanctuary of the gothic-style 1897 building that used to be St. Luke's Lutheran Church. The food was good, and the atmosphere was great.

My birthday fell on a Sunday this year, so Jim and I went up north to my parents' place in Rhinelander. My visit coincided with visits from Lisa, Mikey, Emma, Lulu and the hounds. Bill was still in town in May. My dear parents, of course, were also there. (First below, Jim, Mikey, and Leila cook something up; second below, a light-as-a-feather bundle of Lei-Lei)

I was also really excited to see my parent's new little golden retriever puppy Oscar. All of those present in Rhinelander enjoyed bantering about possible names for the pup, and at last a compromise was struck. After vetoes to "Whiskey," "Hector," and "Caramel," the assembled concurred that "Oscar" was it.

But, don't let those cute pics fool you. Oscar has already developed his quirks. He bites into gross things like dried poop and dead birds. He remains, as of my last conversation with Mom, un-house broken. And, he feels compeled to overturn his water dish at every opportunity. After spilling the dish in the dirt, he growls at it and pushes it around the yard with his snout. Brilliant.

Still, Oscar has some very endearing qualities. Bill certainly seems to think so. Bill is a little older than I was when we got Aggie. Oscar has some tough paws to fill.

Of course, Mom and Dad love their new companion. Mom is willing to put up with Oscar's shenanigans because he will eventually grow up to help ward off black bears on her walks. She also loves to feed her dogs table scraps. Dad likes dogs for the petting. Romeo, the gray and white spotted cat, is indifferent to Oscar, as he is to most things.

The weather was cool that weekend, but we made the best of it. Saturday afternoon, we played a seemingly endless croquet match along an expansive version of the traditional home course. Emma was more concerned with knocking opponents than winning. (I won, by the way.) That night, we sat by a rip-roaring campfire.

What birthday would be complete without cake? Mom got me a little strawberry one and a little chocolate one. Of course, the post-cake eating sugar rushes affect us all differently. Just sit down, and have another piece, Lulu!

Things went off without a hitch that weekend until I discovered that my car battery was out of juice just as Jim and I were about to leave. I had left my key in the ignition overnight. Hah, hah, hah, everyone.

The following weekend I stayed home while Jim went off to his friends Carl and Signey's wedding in Milwaukee. I thought I would include the picture because you don't see Jim gussy up often. Also, note how Bucky waits until Jim is in a suit to rub up against his legs. He loves being naughty. I returned to Rhinelander on Memorial Weekend for a more low-key visit. I played tennis with Bill, and we grilled out. (First below, Mom puts out the spread; second below, a wild plum in bloom)

I had another ulterior motive for going north that weekend. Dad had recently purchased a new canoe for family members to use on visits north. Bill and I took it out for a test run Sunday afternoon. We went down the Jenny Webber Creek, past a waterfall, a gorge, and eight beaver dams. It was a bit hairy at first, but we found our sea legs and had a great time.
I returned for the third time in six weeks to attend my parents' 40th wedding anniversary celebration. All the Bragg children and significant others were to attend -- a rare occurence not to be missed. We had so much fun. (Below, ahh, wedded bliss)Dinner time at such gatherings has become quite the tumult. Our family has been in expansion mode for a while now, and we must have reached some critical tipping point with the additions of Stephen, Leila, and Oscar, because things started getting chaotic at times. Loved it. (First below, expressive Stephen frowns at pudding time; second below, the sunnier side of the youngest nephew)

Apart from eating, the weekend's events included a myriad of sporting activities. On Saturday, Don, Bob, Kenny, Beth, and I took some batting practice in Croner's field. Mom even took a swing and got a hit. Go Mom, go!

Of course, there were many, many walks given the pack of dogs that had been assembled over the weekend. Dad had the trails freshly mowed. Saturday was sunny and gorgeous.

We also enjoyed a goofy wrap-around toss game. Some more than others. Watch out for that tree, Bob!
The kids got into it, too, although Beth took to simply wrapping the projectile around the target. We had a full complement of onlookers, although Leila wasn't that interested.The signature event of the weekend was a river cruise along the Wisconsin River that Laurie had booked for us. The two-hour trip featured an onboard meal and a cash bar. We loved seeing bald eagles, their nests, and other water fowl along the river. (First below, Captain Emma; second below, Captain Kenny; third below, the dark waters of the Wisconsin)
Rainy weather approached from the west as we bore down the river, but we were rewarded for the early inclement weather with ...
a RAINBOW! HAPPY 40TH!

Of course, with all of us together, we had to get all the obligatory group photos. Grandparents and grandkids ...

Parents and kids ...I guess we only got pictures of everyone -- family and significant others -- on Lulu's camera. Sorry. We all were a little tired after a long day. Right, Kenny?A week after the anniversary rendezvouz in Rhinelander, Jim and I had a fun weekend at home in Madison. We went to his company's event at the local minor league team, the Madison Mallards. (First below, the Madison Mallards in throwback Madison Muskies uniforms; friend Jim Panella gets ducky; third below, a Pabst, anyone?)The final major event on our busy June social calendar was a wedding. Jim's nephew Rusty Chute, a industrial ed. teacher at Wonewoc Center High School (near Elroy), married Shannon, his colleague in the Foreign Languages Department at Hillsboro High School (also near Elroy), on June 28. The wedding and reception were held in Bloomer near Eau Claire, the supposed jump roping capital of Wisconsin. (First below, the lovely newlyweds; second below, the parents of the groom, Jim's brother-in-law John and sister Linda; third below, the Houzner siblings, left to right, Carol, Amber, and Linda, Rich, Jim, Dave, and Joe)

Jim and I spent the night and morning before the wedding in Colfax with the Hurlburts. We had a brief chat with Jon, Lisa, and David on Friday evening before bed, and enjoyed a nice tour of the property with everyone on Saturday morning. Jon Hurlburt has been cutting a series of trails through his 10-acre woods. Lisa has been getting into making stain glass art pieces. A very creative family. (First below, an off-center portrait of the Hurlburt homesteaders; second below, Jon's decorative row of corn; third below, Lei-Lei in polka dots)Back to the wedding. The wedding itself was held in a Catholic church, although the pastor belonged to a Protestant denomination. (Sorry, I'm not sure which.) (First below, row to left, Morgan, Kari, Brian, Adam, row to right, Brandon, Cortney, Kyla, and Carol; second below, Trystan; third below, "aw shucks," Amber and Jim)

After the service, Rusty and Shannon dismissed each row of pews individually, which Jim and I thought was a nice touch. The couple also had produced great photo montages for the reception. The maid of honor and best man (Brian, Rusty's brother) had great speeches. Very well done. (First below, Jim's brother-in-law Walt and nephew Mitch; second below, Jim's great-nephew Dougie with his father Jason; Note the Houzners' irresistable attraction to popcorn)Of course, the best part of the reception was the dance. With the Leinie's Light freely flowing from the tappers, the reception quickly devolved into an old-fashioned Wisconsin hootenany. Get down, get DOWN! (First below, Jim's niece Kyla, great niece Morgan and great nephew Dougie; second below, Bloomer lies squarely in the land of Leinenkugel's)

On a different note, I need to make an apology to Rich, Mary, Trystan, Lance, and Grizzly for not bringing my digital camera to the Brewer game on June 1. Next time. Sometimes the memories have to be good enough.

Wow, what an a month! Hopefully it won't be too long until the next update. Keep in touch. Until then, Jo-Jo and Lei-Lei say "Bye-bye!"

jkb in turkey / madison