Rosh Hashana 2011

Rosh Hashana, 9/28/2011 

Stan looks at the bed,

 “That’s what I sleep on top of?” he asks me

“Yes, Dad, I’ve pulled the other sheet and blankets over,

I’m going to tuck you in. Just like you used to tuck me in,

just like Micah will tuck me in one day .”

I cover him with the sheet and blankets,

kiss him on the forehead

Stan looks up at me with a big silly grin

“I used to come home from work and

lay down on the couch and you used to come over to me

to play doctor, you’d say, “take two cookies and call me in the morning. 

My little Markie.”

He sighs, “I have to get up.

I have to go to the bathroom.”

After a bit I go and check on him.

He’s on his way back to bed.

Stan gets into the bed

the left side of his head on his pillow

in the fetal position

feet falling off the side of the bed

he scoots over bit by bit

until his feet

are pretty much on the bed

I cover him up and tuck him in

“It’s cold in here,

is there another blanket?”

I put another blanket over him.

“How’s that?”

He closes his eyes, falls asleep

Pine Creek to Carter's Bridge

Yesterday, Dan, Christian and I floated the Yellowstone River from Pine Creek to Carter's Bridge in the Paradise Valley.  It was a beautiful warm early day of autumn, the golden leaves blowing off the cottonwood trees imitating rising rainbow trout as I fished crystal clear water from the banks of the river.  Dan rowed, I fished the front of the boat and Christian fished from the back.  An eagle flew overhead and perched on a tree near a good fishing hole.  Towards the end of the float a blue heron or a crane hit the water hard as it accidentally hit a power line.  I caught a few small rainbow trout all on dry flies, Christian caught a couple and Dan rowed. It was a beautiful beautiful day in which we talked about Jackson's new word "smartecules" and I felt extreme gratitude towards Dan and Christian, my friends, my wife, my father, my sons, my family, my employees, my customers, my life. I spent most of the day focused on the ripples in the water, fishing the eddies, waiting for strikes.  What a wonderful day.  It definitely energized me for today and hopefully longer.  It's the fall, the jewish holidays are arriving, Rosh Hashana (the New Year) begins on Wednesday night, it is the fall, it is my annual time for contemplation, reflection, reading and writing.  I was just looking at my Yom Kippur blog entry from last year and it so matches me in the now...

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Dan's view as he rowed and rowed

My view when I turned around

Dan says this should be my screen saver

9/24/11

Micah's shared birthday party with his friend Karlie at the Whitewater Inn on Saturday night was a huge success with almost their entire freshman high school class attending... It was kind of like a retro party, all these kids used to have the same swim party when they were in elementary school....like check out this picture of Micah's 5th birthday party....

ten years later:

a great bunch of kids, there are 7 kids that are in both pics...

The party was just lots of fun.  They swam, they went up and down the slide, all together at the same time, they hot tubbed, they ate pizza, they swam, they went up and down the slide, all together at the same time, they laughed, they ate ice cream cake, they laughed, they played, they had fun:

My 2 favorite photos were some behind the scenes shots of the 2 birthday moms taking the group shots:

Now check out this link to our local Big Sky newspaper and see Micah and his football team practicing and playing in their inaugural season!!!  The game action was from their first win at home...
Lone Peak Big Horn Football Video

I had this dream the other night: 

I was in the car, Jackie driving, boys with us, Andrew as well, we were parked outside the house in Hewlett, everyone getting in, we were heading to Pennsylvania because Andrew's professor had told him that he could turn his paper in late if he got it to him personally in Pennsylvania, so we were all going to help Andrew turn his college paper in to his professor in Pennsylvania.  I was in the back seat, behind Jackie. The phone rang, it was Uncle Howie, who I hadn't spoke to in a really long time (and I can't remember the last time I dreamt about him - probably years ago).  Uncle Howie had cancer which I knew about and I was asking him about.  Meanwhile Jackie is driving, the boys are talking, playing, it's very noisy. I ask him how he's doing, if he has to have chemo, how is he feeling, stuff like that.  He tells me, "Everything is just like you said it is."  He asks me when can we come and see him.  I'm trying to ask Jackie, but she is busy driving, or maybe now we are walking into a building looking for Andrew's professor. She answers me, maybe right now, as soon as we get this done.  I can't really get her attention, so I continue talking to Uncle Howie as we walk into this party of people and Andrew looks for his professor. I tell him maybe right now, but I'm not sure. We don't really have much to say to each other. I try to give the phone to Jackie, but just end up saying goodbye.  At the party everyone says they know Uncle Howie, but when I ask them questions about him, like where he grew up, no one knows... 

I guess that's about it.  It woke me up.  The part that kept reverberating in my head was the short conversation, and Uncle Howie telling me that everything was just the way I thought it was, that everything is just the way I say it is... some kind of reassurance that I'm doing things right... that things are the way I think they are, that things are going well, I'm doing O.K. despite the fact  that life around me is extremely busy and hectic...

Almost 3 weeks since I've blogged. Lots of daily activities, too much to report, too tired to report, but here is a short summary and some photos...

The Lone Peak Big Horns are now 2 - 2, winning their next 2 games,  and then losing tonight.  They are actually ranked 10th in the State!  The Ophir Miners middle school 6 man football team is 1 - 1.  Last Friday they won their first game 47 - 12!  Howie didn't play much, but on his first career play from scrimmage he carried the ball about 30 yards, breaking 3 tackles and scoring a touchdown!  Later on Howie told me, "that last guy who tried tackling me, all he did was push me forward and I just kept running!"  It was an exciting day, the boys played great!  Last Wednesday was their 2nd game in Twin Bridges and they lost 25 - 0. As it turns out, the Twin Bridges coach said Ophir was their toughest competition so far this year, and they are an 8 man football team that had one player over 6 feet tall!  Go Miners!

On Sunday Howie had soccer in town, and we bought Micah a memory foam mattress pad for his birthday..... 

Last Monday was Micah's 15th birthday and we had a great sushi and tempura dinner at home with Grandpa Stan and Patty.  I think Micah is now officially taller than me...  First days of autumn have been gorgeous.  We are still working a lot, planning for winter and working with the staff.  I have been able to do a bit of fishing, relaxing a bit and enjoying the outdoors.....

Howie, 3rd from the left stretching before the game...

Miners on the move. Howie in the middle...

 

The Lone Peak Big Horns! Recognize the waterboy?!

On their way to a touchdown and a victory!

Micah's birthday celebration!

YUM!

At the game today, first football game in the history of Big Sky.  It's class C 6-man football, a fun sport all its own.  Curly and I worked the scoreboard and watched the boys play.  It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky! The boys played well  scoring 4 touchdowns on their way to lose 71 - 25.  

 

at the pep rally the night before...

First day of high school for Micah, first day of middle school for Howie

 Micah at football practice working on his place kicking...

Stan taking a nap with Buddy on his lap...

Howie in his new football pads getting ready to play middle school 6 man football!

Pictures tell a thousand words... Buddy and I went fishing tonight and we caught one fish on a hopper and missed the big one.  Buddy sits on the new island watching me fish...