Saturday, April 4, 2015

I Didn’t Know She Had It In Her . . .

Talked with Mom and Dad last night on my way home from the bowling alley – Dad spent much of the time adding details to some pictures he texted to Blake and me during the week.

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Mom has started hiking with him.  Not the “All-Day-20-Mile-Hikes-With-4,000-Feet-In-Elevation-Changes” kind of hikes that he subjects us to – but much more challenging than I expected.  You need to understand – my mom loves to walk and often walks several miles at a time, but she prefers her walking paths to be paved.  So she has rarely joined Dad on the trails – until now.

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Dad, Blake and I walked past these rocks about a month ago, going and coming from “The Dome”.  This is one of my favorite spots around Tucson . . .

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I have climbed up on those rocks several times over the years (this one was taken last year).  It’s not an overly strenuous hike to this spot, so I assumed that Mom was just humoring Dad with short stints on the trails.

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And then he sent me this . . . and I went into shock.

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Blake and I stood between these rocks in a howling wind five years ago.  This is the Bug Springs Trail off Mount Lemmon Highway well above Tucson . . .

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And getting to that spot involves doing stuff like this!  When we hiked this trail, Dad hadn’t discovered hiking poles yet.

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Thankfully, Mom was able to take advantage of them – Blake and I have seen those rocks as well.  But she said her thighs were really sore the next day. 

I really wish we had been there to see this in person – the words I have typed here really don’t express my astonishment (and pride).

Friday, April 3, 2015

Hello and Goodbye . . .

This is the hello – to the April Distress Color of the Month . . .

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I guessed purple . . . again . . . and it wasn’t . . . again.  But Fossilized Amber will be coming soon – order yours now!  The complete set is 20% off the MSRP with free shipping in the Continental U.S.

And this is the goodbye – today, we gathered in the classroom at our store to celebrate a life.

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David’s family put together a display board filled with photos from his life.

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From where I was standing, I could get only about half of the people who gathered.  It was a memorial that David would have enjoyed – we swapped stories, laughed and cried, and shared good food.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Arrangements . . .

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Memorial Gathering for David Ihle

A Memorial Gathering in honor of David Ihle will be held at Marco’s Paper, 25 West Whipp Road, Centerville, OH 45459 on Friday, April 3, 2015 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

After a Prayer and Scripture Reading, his family will share memories and thoughts of David.  They also invite any other family and friends to share their memories and stories. 

One of the things David enjoyed most was Marco’s potluck luncheons with our customers.  If you’d like to bring a favorite dish to share, please feel free.

In lieu of flowers, to help the family with medical expenses and funeral costs, donations may be made to:

http://www.youcaring.com/memorial-fundraiser/david-ihle-memorial/330648