Here's To Life!

Had a pleasant 24 hours in Rock Island - celebrating Marilyn's 90th birthday.  Paul, John, Sasha and I, as well as Tater and Clancy drove in one car, Kristin, Scott and Yumi came in another car.  We got to Rock Island early afternoon so had a chance to talk to Marilyn - John and Sasha showed her their pictures from their trip to China this past summer.  Chris, Marla and Mary Ellen (Marla's mother) arrived mid-afternoon so we chatted for a bit.  Logan, Jamie, Jake and Erica got there soon after that.  We made pizzas for supper - actually Chris and Marla made most of the pizzas - which were all very good.  The kids got along, played some games and everyone enjoyed themselves.  Sang happy birthday and had cake.  Marilyn was happy to have us all there.  A successful evening.  Kids slept at Marilyn's, Paul and I slept in a motel.  Came back mid-morning to have breakfast.  Kristin and Scott got going shortly after that.  John ...

The Christmas season just passed has been a very pleasant one.  I'm sorry to see it end.  We began on December 20th with a trip to the Auditorium Theater to see The Nutcracker with John and Sasha and members of Sasha's family.  Sasha's sister, Sophia, was dancing the part of the gingerbread doll.  We all enjoyed the performance and dinner afterwards at a Chinese restaurant in the UIC area.  During the week I finished my Christmas preparations and helped on Monday with the kids' practice for the family worship service on Christmas eve.  I had a chance to walk with my friend, Patty, on Tuesday, and enjoy coffee and cookies at her house afterwards.  Christmas eve day Kristin and I had lunch and finished up some last minute grocery shopping.  Picked Paul up from the train at about 4 and headed to church for the family Christmas eve worship service.  The kids all did a great job.  Paul and I had dinner afterwards at an Argentine steak house...

Christmas Greetings from the Frosts!   Click on the above link and view in full screen (works best).  Hover over the cameras for pictures and the holly berries for greetings!

Had a nice four day weekend trip to Minneapolis, MN in October.   Left on Friday morning and headed to northern Wisconsin - to check out some land owned by two Nystrand brothers - cousin of my Grandma Laurina Nystrand Swanson.  Found the graves of one brother and his wife in Ladysmith, Wisconsin - Fred Nystrand and his wife Inga.  Then we found the approximate site of the land they owned just south of Hawkins, Wisconsin. Fred and Inga Nystrand's graves Headed to Minneapolis after that - to our hotel for the weekend.  Checked in and headed to the closest restaurant (next door) for dinner.  Saturday we headed out to Fort Snelling - a fort built to protect against Indian attacks.  Very interesting visit - there were many costumed interpreters, a cannon shooting display and a musketry drill.  Learned that Dred Scott lived at Fort Snelling in the 1850s with his master, Dr. Emerson.  Also spoke with a woman from the Dakota tribe regarding Indi...

Labor Day marks the end of summer.  Since school started last week - the end of summer for me came last weekend.  However, this Saturday we did take a summer day trip - to spend some time by the water.  We drove to Winthrop Harbor and Illinois Beach State Park.  Walked along Lake Michigan - took some pictures and watched the people headed for the beach.  It wasn't as crowded as I thought it might be.  It was definitely cooler feeling by the lake.  Next we headed to Lake Geneva where we ate lunch at Popeye's where we could look at the water as we were eating.  Walked along the lakefront there, checked out some other restaurants and then wandered back to the car. Sunday I went to church - where I ended up playing the piano for worship (one hand, one note).  Kristin came in the afternoon to do laundry.  Paul and I started our pursuit of re-furnishing our living room.  We stopped at the carpet store and looked at colors and types...

Last Friday, August 28th, Paul and I took a little spur of the moment trip to a) see his mother and b) to enjoy being away from home.  Paul left work early on Friday and we hit the road to Rock Island, stopping for supper along the way.  Got to Paul's mom's house about 8:00 and spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up on things.  Saturday we took a drive to see a replica of a pier from the first railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River in 1856. We then had lunch with Marilyn at TGIFriday's in Moline where there is a great view of the Mississippi River.  Afterwards we took a few pictures on the river walk. Stopping at Whitey's on the way out of town for a shake for me, we headed a different way home on Route 80 where we stopped and spent the night in Ottawa.  Ottawa is the site of the first Lincoln Douglass debate in 1858.  They have life-size statues of Lincoln and Douglass commemorating the spot in the town square. Sunday...

Today is the last day of my summer break.  I return to work on Monday.  In some ways it has been a quiet summer, in other ways, not so much because a lot did seem to get done.  Here are some of those accomplishments - Had lunch with high school/college friend, Susan Reid Henson Helped with Vacation bible school Helped to make room in the garage for John and Sasha's belongings and car Finished reading13 books Vacationed to Chautauqua Institution and Cape Cod Spent time with Mom Had a fence installed in the backyard Saw Kristin successfully moved into her own apartment Took a weekend trip to Michigan to see Joy and Dan's new house Made reservations for vacation travel in 2016 Arranged to have some painting done in September Looking forward to going back to work - to fall - and many of the activities fall brings.

Joy and Dan bought a house in Michigan this year and spent most of the summer there.  It is just north of Elk Rapids and sits on the beach of Grand Traverse Bay.   It is an A-frame house with a great view of the bay.  Paul and I drove there on Friday afternoon - traffic was very slow going in some places and it started raining so it took longer than it should have to get there.  We did arrive about 8:30 - in time for supper with Joy, Dan, Mom and Anna.  Saturday was a much nicer day and we had a chance to see what a great place Joy and Dan have.  They have their own piece of beach to sit and watch the water, kayaks and a paddleboard to play in the water and a fire pit for the evenings.  Paul and I decided to go to Old Mission Peninsula which we could see from Joy and Dan's place across the bay - but to get to it had to drive south along the bay and then north on the peninsula.  Drove to the very end where there is a light house - stopped to look -...

Paul and I flew out to Boston a couple of weeks ago, took the bus to Cape Cod and spent a week plus a few days with my mother - both on the Cape and at Chautauqua Institution on Lake Chautauqua, New York.  We drove with Mom to Chautauqua and stayed with her cousin, Miriam on the grounds of the institution.  The theme for the week was Immigration - and there were several very interesting speakers on the subject.  We also saw the opera, MacBeth, heard the Chautauqua symphony and listened to the lively music of Pink Martini.  It was a very interesting week.  Chautauqua is kind of like a gated community - it took a little getting used to having to show passes to get in and off the grounds.  Also, Miriam does not lock her condo, so leaving the door shut but not locked took a little getting used to.  Being a community with few cars though made it a wonderful place to walk and Paul and I did a lot of that.  Paul and I had the added bonus of having friend...

Well, June is just about over - one more day left after today - June 30th - which just happens to be my sister's birthday.  Happy Birthday, Joy!  It is like one third of the summer is gone - and we haven't even had much summer like weather so far.  Too much rain for one thing, and maybe one hot day and then some not so hot days.  When it is not raining it has been alright weather wise - as long as one doesn't want to swim in an outdoor pool.  Of course, kids are probably enjoying the water. We finished Vacation Bible School last week - 3 hours of food, fun, kids and Bible stories Monday through Friday.  We talked about Mt. Everest and God's power and raised money for earthquake victims in Nepal.  Had about 60 kids signed up, not as many as the last few years, but a good number.  I participated as an adult leader overseeing three groups of kids led by a middle or high schooler.  There were 5 or 6 kids in each group - all grade schoolers. ...

It was my birthday this week and it is Father's Day today!  These are markers as we go through the summer.  Had lunch with two friends on Tuesday who also have June birthdays which was very nice.  Got a manicure and pedicure on Wednesday.  My birthday was Thursday and I watched the Blackhawks celebration on tv and had dinner with Paul when he got home from work.  We ate at Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park which was very nice - we have been there before and have always liked the food.  Today is Father's Day and we are having a cookout at John's place to celebrate.  It will be one of the last few times we can use his deck.  We helped move boxes out of his place yesterday and took some of our garden decorations back.  We shall see what we come home with today.  The rest of the week I spent going through papers, reading my books and watching tv.  Not too exciting but it is enough.  I have decided that I would also like to listen to s...

Here it is - almost the end of the first week of no school, i.e. summer vacation.  The week started out on two high notes with Joy visiting Sunday night into Monday morning being the first.  Joy was in Chicago for her 35th college reunion from the University of Chicago and when that was finished she came out to Elmwood Park to see us.  The day threatened rain all afternoon - but we managed to sit on the deck for awhile, get in a walk and then walked to the restaurant where we ate dinner.   Had ice cream at home and watched the end of the Tony awards and played on our Ipads.  Took Joy to Midway Airport on Monday morning for her flight home.  Looking forward to visiting her in Michigan later this summer. Late Monday morning was the second high note of the week - having lunch and visiting with Susan Reid Henson and her mom.  Susan and I were best friends in high school in Jersey City and we both went to Augustana College - where we ran around in differe...

Paul and I were grateful that we could attend the funeral for Aunt Sis in April.  My Aunt Sis was over 90 when she died, she lived a full life.  It was nice to gather with so many of my cousins for two days to share stories of our childhood when we would visit Sis and family in Bemus Point.  Aunt Sis had a house on Lake Chautauqua for many years so visiting Grandma and Grandpa always included time at the lake - swimming and playing with cousin Nancy and any other cousins who were there when we were.   We gathered at Nancy's house in Warren, PA on Sunday night and Monday after the service.  The weather was warm and it was pleasant to sit outside and enjoy everyone's company. Nancy, Joy and me  Mom and Kristen Joy and Beth 

Both Joy and I traveled to Cape Cod to visit Mom over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.  We had a great time - just being there - doing some fun things and spending time together.  We visited with Aunt Carolyn at the nursing home a couple of times to see how she is doing.   We went to the movies, saw Wild which we liked and enjoyed dinner at the Belfry Bistro Inn which is in an old church building.  Went to church on Sunday at First Lutheran where they were celebrating their 100th anniversary.  We also had a chance to walk around Eagle Pond on Monday before we both headed home.   A great weekend!     

Merry Christmas!  We had a quiet holiday at home this year - with some fun family events thrown in.   Christmas eve - I went to the family worship on my own - and helped out with the kids and the program.  It was a fun worship service and the kids did a good job with their singing and setting up the Christmas story.  We had take out for dinner - Paul, Kristin and me - a first for this family.  Paul and I went to the late service - the choir sang - and stayed afterwards for a little gluhwein and cookies.  Christmas morning we slept in and enjoyed just being at home.  John and Sasha came over in the early afternoon - we opened gifts and had our meatballs and rice pudding along with ham and mashed potatoes in the early afternoon.   Went to the movies altogether and saw "Into the Woods" which we enjoyed.  Came home afterwards for cookies and more fun. Unfortunately, Kristin had to work the day after Christmas but Paul did not.  Paul and ...