Carl and friends had already signed up to ride the Cottonwood 200, a three-day bicycle trip through the beautiful Flint Hills from Topeka to Council Grove, down to Cottonwood Falls, then retracing their path to Topeka. So I was left to my own devices over the long weekend. I picked up Granddaughter Aubrey on Friday afternoon and headed to McPherson to have dinner with my mom, Betty Holloway, and we spent the night with her. On Saturday we drove to Canton to do some chores and banking. Saturday night, I attended the 50th Annual Canton/Canton-Galva Alumni Banquet at the high school. I sat with Pam and Lanny Norstrom and had a wonderful evening reminiscing about our youth.
Saturday evening, our oldest son Jeremy and his family, Bryna, and Landon from Moran, KS and our daughter Chelsea and husband Jesse Anderson, Hutchinson, all met at Brandon’s in Marquette for a family weekend. Sunday, they traveled to the Wichita zoo and I went to the farm to mow. Sunday evening, we all went to the farm pond where the grandkids and their fathers fished. It was a wonderful evening by the pond, the heat of the day dissipated into the calming evening breeze, “God’s in his heaven, and all’s right with the world.”
Monday morning, Mom and I attended the Memorial Day Services at the Valley View Cemetery in Roxbury. The veterans’ graves were decorated with American flags and the grounds were freshly mowed and manicured. My father and infant twin brothers are interred there.
In the afternoon, my mother, Landon (2 year old grandson), and I spent some time at the Old Mill Museum in Lindsborg. I had not been there for years and had never visited the buildings to the north: the Log Cabin, Heritage Center, Chapel, Swedish Pavilion, Bethany Academy, Lindsborg Union Pacific Depot, Blacksmith shop, Erickson Brothers Shop, and others. For $2.00 this is one of the best museum bargains in the state. Everyone should go.
Late Monday afternoon, everyone headed home. It had been a wonderful weekend of family and friends, re-uniting and renewal, honoring and humbling.
