Our New Normal
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| back row: Rachel Sam Norm Candy middle row: Leanne Elizabeth David Hannah front row: Jon Isaac Erik |
Last year we reported Candy’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the impending curve in our life journey. Not that we are exactly on a straightaway, but we are settling into our new normal, but the route had many more curves than we anticipated at this time last year.
The house in
Dallas that had been our home for 17 years sold more quickly than we
anticipated, even with major issues such a cracked foundation. So we packed
quickly and loaded two PODS (with amazing help from Northway Christian Church)
and departed Texas the end of January. The PODS went into storage, and we
didn’t see our possessions again until August.
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| Candy with her Aunt Vonnie and Uncle Roger |
The duplex
that we now share with David and Rachel, Sam and Elizabeth had been selected
but the sale was not yet closed. We took a leisurely trip north, visiting with
Candy’s Aunt Vonnie and Uncle Roger in Grand Island, Nebraska, Countryside
Chapel friends Neal and Carol Brokaw, Dick and Marj Gibson and Marleen Beck in
Burlington, Iowa. As we passed through Illinois, we were able to have dinner
with my sister, Elaine, and her husband, Max, before visiting Wheaton, Illinois
friends Bill and Linda Cates (who opened their home to us before they returned
from out of state) and Don and Judy Shutters.
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| Candy and Norm with his sister Elaine and her husband Max |
After a few
flex days in a B&B in Milwaukee, a ways into February we were welcomed into
the home of Matthew and Mandy Bailey, and their girls Izzy (7) and Emma (4) and
Marquette University PhD student Chris Gooding. These friends of Rachel and
David’s from Milwaukee Mennonite Church have become our friends too and gave us
a home until we could move into the duplex.
When we asked
Dr. Diana Kerwin, the memory disorders specialist who worked with us in Texas,
if she could refer us to someone in Milwaukee, she smiled and told us she had
been at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee before coming to Dallas and suggested
Dr. Joseph Govius, who is now handling Candy’s memory care.
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| Candy with Izzy and Emma Bailey and Erik's dog Isis who now lives with us and is called Icee |
Thursdays From 10 am to 2 pm Candy goes to “Mind Effects” at the Lutheran Home, just minutes from our house. It is a program for people with early memory loss to help keep their brains working. Candy loves it! Though she has holes in her memory, she still beats me at Scrabble 3 or 4 to 1. We play several nights each week.
In March we
celebrated Candy’s Dad’s 90th birthday in Minneapolis. In June he
fell and broke a hip, so we spent June and July helping him with transitions
from hospital to rehab back to his own home, where his former renter, Sue
Brooks, is now his caregiver.
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| family music Friday after Thanksgiving |
The sale of
the duplex closed in April, and David and Rachel moved in upstairs. But tenants
with a lease stayed through July, and we move in downstairs in August.
Milwaukee Mennonite Church has welcomed us warmly and helped us with our
transition. They worship at 4:00 pm on Sundays, and especially now with
northern autumn and back to standard time, it is dark. You may know about
sundowners and Alzheimer’s, so Candy doesn’t always get there, but we have been
walking the four blocks to Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church in the mornings.
They are a small congregation able to cope with our quirks, and we receive much
joy from them.
Thanksgiving
was a major milestone marking the climax of this leg of our journey. Jon and
Leanne, Hannah and Isaac drove from Pennsylvania. Erik flew from Texas. Our
niece Helen came down from Madison, Wisconsin with her son Andrew on Friday.
The talking and music and eating confirmed our path. What a wonderful time we
had with all three of our sons and all four of our grandchildren!
With all of
the twists and turns of our 2017 journey, we have been acutely aware of God
going ahead of us and guiding us when we couldn’t see around the corners. Yes,
“Emmanuel” God is with us.
Merry
Christmas!
Norm for
Candy too
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| Isaac's Eagle Scout Court of Honor |
Erik On His Own
Of course,
Erik had to find housing. He has sequentially shared space with two men from
Central Christian Church. The first in his 80s and now with one in his 70s. Erik
worships with Central Christian Church, where I was the pastor for eleven years.
He contributes to their music ministry
by singing in the choir and playing piano, guitar, and bass for worship and
their dog park outreach service.
He has been
promoted to Assistant Music Director for the School of Rock where he teaches. His
performing with Troy Cartwright has taken him many places, as far afield as
Idaho and Oregon. He’s had other performing opportunities as well.
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| Candy and Icee at Lake Michigan in early spring |
The Wisconsin Stolpes
Rachel and
David rented out their other house when they moved into the duplex. So they are
double landlords.
David has a new role at Lane Intermediate School in West Allis,
Wisconsin as an impact teacher developing a new program for at risk students.
Besides being
fully engaged with Sam and Elizabeth’s school, swimming, and music lives,
Rachel nannies a few days a week and evenings too. She plays a significant leader
role in Milwaukee Mennonite Church.
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| Sam with his varsity letter for swimming as a freshman |
Sam continues
to swim, earning a varsity letter as a freshman. His life features music: cello
and mandolin. He has also started driving. Grandpa Kent helps him get lots of
road hours.
Elizabeth
also swims and is adding flute to her violin music. She and Grandma Candy have
connected well and share the joy of a new kitten, River Song.
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| The Fifty Ninth Street Bridge (check out Simon and Garfunkel ) |
The Pennsylvania Stolpes
Jon has
written a book with his observations from their 2016 time in Guatemala and the
goal of building 100 homes for widows. The title is Rooftop Reflections and will have been released before you get this.
It can be ordered through Amazon or at Rooftopreflections.com.
This year Leanne is teaching kindergarten. Leanne and Jon worked
together leading a marriage group.
Hannah is a
sophomore at Messiah College. She will be studying abroad in Chile in the
spring and in Paris next school year for her double major of Spanish and French
education.
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| Stolpe Cousins |
Isaac is a
high school senior looking at colleges for music (piano and trumpet). He achieved
Eagle Scout in November.
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| Norm with his niece Helen |
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| panorama of Thanksgiving dinner, Leanne and Jon are to right of frame |
