July 4th 2009, A day to remember

We decided to stay home this 4th of July, Tori and family came up for the weekend. On the morning of the 4th, Tori and hubby ran in the 5k roadrace while Nana and Baba sat with the boys and S. The rest of the O’s were helping with the organization of the race. After the race we watched the parade, headed home for lunch and then to the lake. Upon arriving at the lake, we discovered that we had left the little life jackets at home, luckily I was able to purchase some from the marina. After getting the cover off the boat, we could not start the engine. While the key turned, made a noise like it was supposed to, the engine would not even try to turn over! We tried everything including calling our son and asking him what the magic key was: his answer was “Mom, you should be able to turn the key and it will just start! “(well dah, that is what I thought too) but the truth was – it just would not. Finally Baba went up to the marina and brought back a man who quickly discovered that the clip for the engine disconnect was notin place. After finding it and putting it in and turning the key, the engine roared to life. We had a lovely afternoon on the lake, just cruising and swimming. Late in the afternoon, we made our way back to the dock only to find that we could not find the key to our daughter’s leased vehicle. A call to the leasing company on a holiday gave us a 90 minute wait, or more, for a man to come and break into the car. We were hoping to find a valet key, no such luck. While we waited, a SOS call to Michelle, got a ride for Tori, boys and Baba to our house. A huge thanks to you Michelle!  T stayed and started dinner while Baba came back to pick the rest of us up. Once we got the cover back on the boat, items transferred from their car to ours, important things like car seats, wallets, cell phones, dvd player and various cords, we headed home. T had a lovely dinner going and we ate about 8:30 pm. Needless to say we never saw the fireworks but we had a 4th of July that won’t be forgotten soon!  Oh, we will get to see the boys again this coming weekend when we swap the cars – that is assuming that either Enterprise or Saturn comes up with another key!

Der Vater-Mill

By Charles Follen Adams
(From “Yawcob Struss and Other Poems” published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, Boston.)

I reads aboudt dot vater-mill dot runs der life long day
Und how der vater don’d coom pack ven vonce it flows avat;
Und off der mill-shtream dot glides on so beacefully und shrill,
But son’t vas putting in more vork on dot same vater-mill,
Der boet says, ’twas bedher dot you holdt dis preverb fast,
“Der mill id don’d vould grind some more mit vater dat vas past.”

Dot boem it vas peautful to readt aboudt; dot’s so!
Budt eef dot vater vasn’t past how could dot mill-vheel go?
And vhy make drouble mit dot mill, vhen id vas been inclined
To dake each obbortunity dot’s gifen id to grind?
Und vhen der vater cooms along in quandidies so vast,
Id leds some oder mill daks oup der vater dot vas past.

Dhen der boet shange der subject, und she dells us vonce again;
Vell! vonce vas blenty, ain’t id? Id youldn’t peen so nice
To haf dat seeckle reaping oup der same grain ofer twice!
Why! vot’s der use of cutting oup der grass dat vonce vas mown?
Id vas best, nime moder dold me, to ledt vell enough alone.

Der Summer vinds refife no more leafs strewn o’er earth and main.”
Vell vho vants to refife dhem? Dher vas blenty more again!
Der Summer vinds dhey shtep right oup in goot dime to brepare
Dhose blants and trees for oder leafs; dhere soon vas green vous dhere.
Shust bear dis adverb on your mindt, mine frendts, und hold it fast:
Der new leafs don’d vas been aroundt undell der oldt vas past.

Dhen neffer mindt der leafs dots dead, der grain dots in der bin;
Dhey poth of dhem haf had dheir day, und ghust vas gathered in.
Und neffer mindt der vater when id vonce does droo der mill;
Id’s vork vos done! Dhere’s blendy more dot vaits, id’s blace to fill.
Let each von dake dis moral, vrom der King down to der peasant;
Don’t mind der vater dot vas past, budt der vater dot vas bresent.