those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer ...

Yes, it's long past time to dust off the computer keyboard and hit some of those buttons w/characters on them! I hope you can forgive my blogging laxity as I've been using my time rather selfishly so far this summer. Like the heading says: lazy days. Finally, after more than a month without adding anything new to this blog, guilt has overtaken me in that I have not reciprocated your desire for my well-being. Shame on me.

Anyway, I am having a fabulous summer. I saw my oncologist Friday and started the last of three cycles of oral chemo yesterday. I will be swallowing 10 Xeloda® pills a day for the next 14 days and suffering some mild side effects. Thankfully, so far they are mild and manageable. I'm still going to work full time.

I am scheduled to have a CTscan August 24 and am anxious to know how what the mass on the pancreas is doing. Hopefully, it will stay sleeping, allowing me more time here on top of earth — as opposed to six feet under the earth — 'cause... so far.. I like it here.

I had a great bucket list weekend July-6-8 in Boston w/friend and fellow cancer fighter (prostate) H.A. Penner. We both agreed that we should spend some of our wive's money and take in a major league baseball game at Fenway Park. H.A. is a Phillies fan and I follow the Minnesota Twinkies, so we didn't have anything big at stake at a Boston vs Yankees game. We both favored the home team of course, and wearing the authentic Dustin Pedroia (second base, on DL) jersey, generously given to me by the office manager at Smilebuilderz where I work, I fit in nicely except for my Midwestern accent!!

It was a very nice day. No rain. Not too hot. The game itself was a bit lackluster. The RedSox played rather poorly, fell behind early in the game, and lost to the Yankees. But the stadium, ambience and community feeling were great! We did witness an historic event when during the pre-game activities a plaque was presented by the National Park Service big wigs from Washington designating Fenway Park on the list of National Register of Historic Places. The park ball park opened April 1912, and commemorated its 100th anniversary in April. H.A. and I we wondering if Fenway would be torn down like so many other stadiums, but after this honor it should be around for many decades to come.
I was very impressed with its condition. Owners, or whoever, have done a fabulous job keeping it in great shape. Crowd flows, restrooms and overall space was pretty amazing considering how much more room we seem to need than they did in 1912!

We had excellent seats about 20 rows up.

This iPhone photo makes the game appear much farther away than it was to my eyes.

H.A. and I soaking it in.

Self-portrait. Notice the special "first game" button.

The commemorative patch on my jersey.

H.A. Penner is released from Lancaster County Prison???

Other highlights of the Boston trip include:

   • Dinner at the Union Oyster House — America's oldest continuously open restaurant, established 1826.

   • Asking Siri on my iPhone for eating and parking places and some other challenging questions like "how many prime numbers between 1 and 100?" and getting dumb answers.

   • Looking for public toilets in Boston city.

   • Walking around Harvard Square and visiting the Harvard Bookstore.

   • Late afternoon unplanned snack at Boehringer’s Drive-in in Adamstown, Pennsylvania on the way home.

OTHER SUMMER FUN:

We have been privileged to have some visitors this summer with more coming to visit in the next few weeks.

-- Over July 4 my first cousin Don Harkcom and his wife Kay came from Hudson, Wisc. We had a great time just hanging out, preparing home-cooked meals and playing board games.

-- July 10-12 we were honored to have Renee Neufeld of Hurley, SD, take time off her incredible thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Barb picked her up and dropped her off the trail at Port Clinton, PA. What a remarkable woman hiking an amazing trail! I, most likely as most of you, can not fully appreciate and get a grasp of this tremendous challenge. This trail is 2184 miles long! It stretches from Georgia to Maine. And it is nothing like the terrain we flatlanders of eastern South Dakota know.  I recommend all of you to follow her awe-inspiring journey here.

-- We also visited with Amy Kaufman, a Marion, SD, native who was here for orientation at Mennonite Central Committee, here in Akron. She has accepted a 3-year term serving w/MCC in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

-- The week of July 18 we had the honor of taking three returning SALTers (Serving and Learning Together) with common North Church (Salem-Zion Mennonite, Freeman, SD) connections out for dessert at Café Chocolate in Lititz. All three have or had grandparents and parents who attended North Church, which is also my home church. They are:

• Neah Ortman of Seattle, WA, returned from a year in Burkina Faso. She is the granddaughter of Delmar and Maxine Ortman of Marion, SD.

• Ben Stucky of near Pittsburgh, PA, returned from a year in Kenya, is the grandson of LaNae and Laverne Waltner (rest in peace) of Freeman, SD.

• Michael Linscheid of Reedley, CA, returned from Honduras, He is the grandson of Hilbert and Erna Graber (both rest in peace) of Freeman, SD.

These are very mature, bright young people. We were impressed hearing about some of their experiences and are very proud of them. We wish them the very best in whatever their future holds. 

-- Last Sunday Torrie Martin, Jim King, Barb and I took a fun, relaxing and enjoyable road trip to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA. They had a special large and impressive display of works by Renaissance artists that was remarkable, especially the condition of the works was hard to believe.

-- This past week we had a delightful evening in Gretna, including eating at the Jigger shop and relaxing in rockers on a veranda with Leroy and Janette Epp of Marion, SD, and H.A. and Barb Penner. It was valuable time together catching up on the South Dakota news and each others lives.

-- This coming week we look forward to having my brother, Reed and wife, Susan, from Marion, SD, visit us. I think it will be their first time to Lancaster County and we anticipate exploring the area together.

 -- The following week Barb's sister, Becky and husband, Steve, will be visiting from Bemidji, Minn. Again, looking forward to good times.

And of course I am in heaven with all this fresh garden produce. Especially fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, watermelon, muskmelons, etc. I have Barb to thank for some of it as she has kept a nice couple of garden patches here on MCC grounds. What a great time of the year! I hope all of you are able to enjoy it as much as I am.