Cousins

My nephew Ben, son of my younger brother John, was born in February 1993, just a few months before my accident. I cherish memories of cuddling and singing to him as an infant. All their lives Ben and his younger sister, Courtney, have called my son John "Johnny." This picture shows the two cousins, who are pleased by the gangly height they have acquired during recent years. (It tickled John, obviously, when he inched past his dad last year.)

Giving Christy away

I am grateful to the officiating minister, the Rev. Dick Olson, for his suggestion at the wedding rehearsal that I kiss Christy goodbye after I had walked her down the aisle. It was a tremendously touching moment.

Shark attack!

One time when my dear cousin Mary Jane (nee Borton) visited me in the hospital during my six-month convalescence following my 5/22/93 accident, she brought me a small shark puppet. As we visited, I often gave her arm a playful "shark attack," and so was pleased when she gave me some water glasses with that phrase on them. When she sent me this picture in 2007, it brought a flood of good memories cascading back ... even though, as she understandably noted, I did not quite look 100% at that time.

Three amigos

I was fortunate to attend northern Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy for my last two years of high school, graduating in 1975. Brady Johnson, a member of the same class, was a very close friend of mine there. He is now a fine church musician (organist/choirmaster) in Vero Beach, Florida - so when he gave a solo organ recital at Interlochen on July 13, 2008, I was eager to attend. Also in attendance was my good friend Brian Baker, who works in broadcasting at Central Michigan University. It was a delight to receive from Brian shortly thereafter this photograph (taken by his son Adam) of the three of us old friends - from left to right, me, Brady, and Brian.

The BIG DAY

I am currently in Colorado for the wedding of my daughter Christy on Saturday, July 5, which went beautifully - more about it later. However, on July 4, I ran in a 5K race along with Christy and my soon-to-be son in law Reggie and several other family and members of the wedding party: a picture of Christy and Reggie after the race ran in the local newspaper.