My grandma, Helen Welker, age 92 went home late yesterday afternoon to be reunited with Grandpa Welker. This was completely expected as all life-supporting systems had been removed from her (and at her request). It was simply a matter of time.
She lived 11 years longer than Grandpa and really had a wonderful life during this time. She was able to live in a first-rate facility in Van Wert with all the amenities one could ever need. It was always comforting to us knowing she was well taken care of.
The last time I saw her was while she was still in the comfort of her little apartment, just a few months ago. She was feeling very tired from medication she was on but was still in great spirits. But, she was ready to move on from this earth.
These past couple weeks, she had surgery to remove fluid from her brain, and everything basically went downhill from there. She was kept from pain by constant doses of morphine and this just wasn't how she wanted to continue on living. During all this time though, my dad said she was always alert and always knew who was in the room with her.
What we didn't want to happen was for her to have to move to hospice care. But, unfortunately, that was what had to happen as Wednesday night was the last night she was allowed to stay in the hospital. However, God had other plans, and maybe even a little sense of humor about it all.
It was time to move Grandma out late yesterday afternoon. The ambulance was there, and they were moving the stretcher into the room. My dad said they were literally two minutes from moving her out when she passed away.
I think Grandpa Welker got a big kick out of that and will be teasing her about it.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Church Attendance
I recently read an article in USA Today about church hopping and how more and more people do this in search of the perfect church. The usual reasons were given, such as preaching, worship style, etc. It said that although people tend to switch to larger churches, the so-called "mega-churches" shouldn't be shouldered with the blame.
It gave this statistic: "The 1,200 or so megachurches (those with 2000 or more in attendance) are only one-half of 1% of all U.S. churches and account for only 5% of all weekend worship attenders."
So, then, why all the adulation heaped on the big churches if they are only a blip on the radar when you look at the whole picture? It seems like anything we are to learn about running a church, we have to learn from the mega-churches. All books, seminars, etc. are always authored by the mega-churches.
Churches should take a seminar from my brother Stu and his wife Joyce on how to build a kid's program bigger than the church itself (heck, maybe bigger than the town itself).
I hereby now could care less what Willow Creek does.
It gave this statistic: "The 1,200 or so megachurches (those with 2000 or more in attendance) are only one-half of 1% of all U.S. churches and account for only 5% of all weekend worship attenders."
So, then, why all the adulation heaped on the big churches if they are only a blip on the radar when you look at the whole picture? It seems like anything we are to learn about running a church, we have to learn from the mega-churches. All books, seminars, etc. are always authored by the mega-churches.
Churches should take a seminar from my brother Stu and his wife Joyce on how to build a kid's program bigger than the church itself (heck, maybe bigger than the town itself).
I hereby now could care less what Willow Creek does.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Lunch With Charlie
Earlier this week, I went to the annual Human Rights Awareness luncheon held in downtown South Bend. The Chancellor at IU South Bend had purchased a table and I was given a ticket to go. The guest speaker was Charlie Weiss, head coach at Notre Dame.
Coach Weiss is a very soft-spoken, laid back speaker. I have an inkling that he has a different persona on the football field. But as a speaker, he was really enjoyable. He spoke a lot about his wife and the work they had done with "Hannah and Friends" a group home they started for children with disabilities. Their daughter, Hannah, has severe mental and physical disabilities.
He admitted that up until a few years ago, he could really care less about charity work. He felt he had to take care of his family and that was it. He said his wife convinced him that they needed to do more. They were fortunate enough to have all they would ever need to take care of their daughter and should now give the opportunity for others in need to have such help. Thus was born "Hannah and Friends." It was nice hearing him speak, and gives a more human perspective to the guy soon to be prowling the sidelines again at Notre Dame stadium.
Coach Weiss is a very soft-spoken, laid back speaker. I have an inkling that he has a different persona on the football field. But as a speaker, he was really enjoyable. He spoke a lot about his wife and the work they had done with "Hannah and Friends" a group home they started for children with disabilities. Their daughter, Hannah, has severe mental and physical disabilities.
He admitted that up until a few years ago, he could really care less about charity work. He felt he had to take care of his family and that was it. He said his wife convinced him that they needed to do more. They were fortunate enough to have all they would ever need to take care of their daughter and should now give the opportunity for others in need to have such help. Thus was born "Hannah and Friends." It was nice hearing him speak, and gives a more human perspective to the guy soon to be prowling the sidelines again at Notre Dame stadium.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Playing Simon
Tuesday night, Dorene had her annual "Bison Idol" show at her school. This is a takeoff on "American Idol" and is at Brown Intermediate Center, home of the Bisons.
Her colleague that was going to be Simon could not be there, so she asked me to fill in. So, I went to Target and bought a black t-shirt, put on my jeans, and was all set to play Simon.
It was actually kinda fun. I don't do British accents very well, so I didn't try very hard at that, or it would've come across very lame. I stuck to the typical things Simon would say. My Simonisms that night:
"There's a reason someone else sings that song . . .so you don't have to."
"It was a bit cabaret for me."
"It was nice seeing you dance so we didn't have to just watch Paula dance." (the teacher doing Paula did a great job)
(after a singer sang "I Believe I can Fly")- "The song says I believe I can fly, but I didn't believe that you believed that you could fly. If I don't believe that you believe you can fly, then, oh what's the point . . "
"My hope is that all of America votes off Sanjaya tomorrow night and puts you on the show instead."
As for that last one, it did happen. The Sanjaya express finally came to an end. I have to admit, I started kinda liking the strange dude. He grabbed ahold of his 15 minutes of fame and extended it way, way longer than it should have gone. He knew what he was doing and just went for it. He even didn't do too bad in the last couple weeks. But this week, nope, it was time.
My original pick of Melinda to win it all, I'll still stick with . . .but watch out for Jordin!
Her colleague that was going to be Simon could not be there, so she asked me to fill in. So, I went to Target and bought a black t-shirt, put on my jeans, and was all set to play Simon.
It was actually kinda fun. I don't do British accents very well, so I didn't try very hard at that, or it would've come across very lame. I stuck to the typical things Simon would say. My Simonisms that night:
"There's a reason someone else sings that song . . .so you don't have to."
"It was a bit cabaret for me."
"It was nice seeing you dance so we didn't have to just watch Paula dance." (the teacher doing Paula did a great job)
(after a singer sang "I Believe I can Fly")- "The song says I believe I can fly, but I didn't believe that you believed that you could fly. If I don't believe that you believe you can fly, then, oh what's the point . . "
"My hope is that all of America votes off Sanjaya tomorrow night and puts you on the show instead."
As for that last one, it did happen. The Sanjaya express finally came to an end. I have to admit, I started kinda liking the strange dude. He grabbed ahold of his 15 minutes of fame and extended it way, way longer than it should have gone. He knew what he was doing and just went for it. He even didn't do too bad in the last couple weeks. But this week, nope, it was time.
My original pick of Melinda to win it all, I'll still stick with . . .but watch out for Jordin!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I Know I Have Bad Handwriting, But . . .
Yesterday, I sent a note with Anna to give to her teacher indicating that she would be leaving early. When I got home, Anna proceeded to tell me how entertained her class was by the note. That is, by how bad her dad's handwriting is. She told me, "Dad, that 'D' on your note wasn't even right." She showed her whole class the note.
I said, "So, the point is, my writing is worse than a 2nd grader?" Anna's response was, "The point is . . .yeah!"
The point is, she is absolutely right.
I said, "So, the point is, my writing is worse than a 2nd grader?" Anna's response was, "The point is . . .yeah!"
The point is, she is absolutely right.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
No Longer Safe
Not that the situation in Iraq could get any worse, but I figured that it would only be a matter of time when the "Green Zone" would get infiltrated. Sure enough, it has and that's probably just the beginning. Because if we can't protect what is supposed to be such a heavily fortified area, then it truly never is going to get better.
Bush had this astute assessment: "It reminds us that there's an enemy willing to bomb innocent people in a symbol of democracy." Yeah, he's right, but it also reminds us that maybe we need to get out of there.
Bush had this astute assessment: "It reminds us that there's an enemy willing to bomb innocent people in a symbol of democracy." Yeah, he's right, but it also reminds us that maybe we need to get out of there.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
We Bought a House
Less than one week from when we sold our house, we have bought a house. It was kind of a quick, winding trip from when we sold our house till when we put in our offer on Monday night.
Last weekend, we looked at 5 different houses either in North Liberty or just outside of town. The first was this massive, remodeled farmhouse out in the country. Lots and lots of room, and I mean lots. The remodeling was very well done and there was a big yard. However, the basement looked like the one in the closing scenes of "Silence of the Lambs," except that one was better lit. My dad even said it was creepy. I just couldn't get past that. I'd eventually have to go down there to refill the water softener, and at that point the dead bodies would rise because I swore I saw an area where seances were once held.
The next house we looked at was across the street. This one had a brand new kitchen added on that was wonderful. It also had a great back yard with lots of space for the kids. But overall, the house was too small.
We looked at a new house in a subdivision with two floors and a basement, but hated it instantly. Even the realtor said it was a bad house. So we were in and out pretty quick.
We looked at another house in this same subdivision and it was incredible. Brand new ranch style with 3 bedrooms and a massive basement. Nice deck on the back with a great back yard. A true dream house.
Last in line was a Victorian style house in town. A charming little abode, but no central air, so forget it. It utilized an old boiler system, so to install central air would be very expensive. This will be a nice house for someone, but not us.
So, we were pretty much sold on the ranch house. But there was a problem . . .the price. Yeah, we could technically afford it (and the banks certainly said we could afford it). But it seemed like too much of a stretch. But we decided to pursue it anyway. Well, no, maybe not. Lots of prayer went in to this one and we decided that we simply probably could swing it. Well, no, we can't. Back and forth it went.
At the heart of all this was a sort of indulgence factor. We just didn't feel right jumping up to this level of a house. Our church has something to do with it also. Had we still been attending upper class Trinity Evangelical Free Church, this would have fit right in. But attending a blue collar church in the city, it just didn't feel right. We weren't being all self-righteous here or meaning to denigrate those with nice houses, but we just couldn't do it. Part of the reason we sold our house was to get rid of some debt we had incurred very stupidly (with emphasis on the "stupidly"). Upgrading to such a house, while technically within our means, didn't seem like the right thing to do.
So, we decided to take a second look at the house across the street from the farmhouse, the one that was too small. Amazing how second looks can go. Yes, it's not huge, but we absolutely loved it. It will serve us just fine.
But the big selling point is the back yard. There's a detached two car garage with pavement going all the way to back to another 3 stall building that the current owner used for tinkering. So, the kids can ride their bikes and scooters on pavement without having to be on the street (and without us having to watch them all the time). It is also very quiet. We were beginning to get very annoyed at two sets of kids from the neighborhood wanting to come over and play. They were kids that were not watched very well by their parents and we didn't want to become surrogate parents. Also, they were not the best influence and even Anna didn't like playing with them (and she is as social as you can get). What I went back to was how much Stu and Joyce's kids loved growing up in their house in the Ohio countryside. They had tons of space for outdoor activities, and that's what we wanted for our kids also.
So, we put in an offer on Monday night and are now waiting for the financing and inspection stages to run their course. It's a major change in style for us. A couple years ago, had you asked us if we wanted to move to the country, we'd say NO WAY. But both our kids love the outside, and this place just accommodates that in a big way. We'll no longer have to sit outside with them to watch them in the street and such. Just open the door and let them go.
Last weekend, we looked at 5 different houses either in North Liberty or just outside of town. The first was this massive, remodeled farmhouse out in the country. Lots and lots of room, and I mean lots. The remodeling was very well done and there was a big yard. However, the basement looked like the one in the closing scenes of "Silence of the Lambs," except that one was better lit. My dad even said it was creepy. I just couldn't get past that. I'd eventually have to go down there to refill the water softener, and at that point the dead bodies would rise because I swore I saw an area where seances were once held.
The next house we looked at was across the street. This one had a brand new kitchen added on that was wonderful. It also had a great back yard with lots of space for the kids. But overall, the house was too small.
We looked at a new house in a subdivision with two floors and a basement, but hated it instantly. Even the realtor said it was a bad house. So we were in and out pretty quick.
We looked at another house in this same subdivision and it was incredible. Brand new ranch style with 3 bedrooms and a massive basement. Nice deck on the back with a great back yard. A true dream house.
Last in line was a Victorian style house in town. A charming little abode, but no central air, so forget it. It utilized an old boiler system, so to install central air would be very expensive. This will be a nice house for someone, but not us.
So, we were pretty much sold on the ranch house. But there was a problem . . .the price. Yeah, we could technically afford it (and the banks certainly said we could afford it). But it seemed like too much of a stretch. But we decided to pursue it anyway. Well, no, maybe not. Lots of prayer went in to this one and we decided that we simply probably could swing it. Well, no, we can't. Back and forth it went.
At the heart of all this was a sort of indulgence factor. We just didn't feel right jumping up to this level of a house. Our church has something to do with it also. Had we still been attending upper class Trinity Evangelical Free Church, this would have fit right in. But attending a blue collar church in the city, it just didn't feel right. We weren't being all self-righteous here or meaning to denigrate those with nice houses, but we just couldn't do it. Part of the reason we sold our house was to get rid of some debt we had incurred very stupidly (with emphasis on the "stupidly"). Upgrading to such a house, while technically within our means, didn't seem like the right thing to do.
So, we decided to take a second look at the house across the street from the farmhouse, the one that was too small. Amazing how second looks can go. Yes, it's not huge, but we absolutely loved it. It will serve us just fine.
But the big selling point is the back yard. There's a detached two car garage with pavement going all the way to back to another 3 stall building that the current owner used for tinkering. So, the kids can ride their bikes and scooters on pavement without having to be on the street (and without us having to watch them all the time). It is also very quiet. We were beginning to get very annoyed at two sets of kids from the neighborhood wanting to come over and play. They were kids that were not watched very well by their parents and we didn't want to become surrogate parents. Also, they were not the best influence and even Anna didn't like playing with them (and she is as social as you can get). What I went back to was how much Stu and Joyce's kids loved growing up in their house in the Ohio countryside. They had tons of space for outdoor activities, and that's what we wanted for our kids also.
So, we put in an offer on Monday night and are now waiting for the financing and inspection stages to run their course. It's a major change in style for us. A couple years ago, had you asked us if we wanted to move to the country, we'd say NO WAY. But both our kids love the outside, and this place just accommodates that in a big way. We'll no longer have to sit outside with them to watch them in the street and such. Just open the door and let them go.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter in December
This past Saturday, we had a community Easter egg hunt that we had to move inside because of the snow. Three weeks into spring, and an event was changed due to snow. Let's hear it for Indiana weather and global warming!
The previous weekend I mowed my lawn for the first time this year and was about ready to put my sweaters away. Any delay in having to mow is a good thing.
The previous weekend I mowed my lawn for the first time this year and was about ready to put my sweaters away. Any delay in having to mow is a good thing.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
No Defenses Left
In a recent staff meeting, my colleague and Democrat adversary made a crack about the "last two stolen presidential elections." My boss then asked me, "Rick, are you going to take that?" My response? I told her I had no ammo left. It's just flat out impossible to defend the Republicans right now. I just have to sit back and let them fire away.
Thank you ever so kindly Mr. Bush.
Thank you ever so kindly Mr. Bush.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
SOLD!!!!!!!!!
We sold our house! It is a done deal. No more showings, no more having to clean the house every 5 minutes. We are outta there.
Things transpired very fast. Over the weekend, we had an open house which we spent a lot of time preparing for. We decided that this week we'd take a break and not even think about the house.
Well, yesterday afternoon, Dorene gets a call from our realtor. She has someone that needs to look at the house now. So, she scrambles to get clean what she can, but doesn't get too far. Dirty dishes are in the sink, the bathrooms aren't very clear. Furthermore, Anna is running a high fever and is home from school and Dorene is feeling sick too. Nonetheless, she gets things ready and as the potential buyer visits, Anna is sitting on the driveway totally lethargic while Dorene and Cameron walk the neighborhood with one of the dogs.
Within a couple hours of the showing, Dorene gets a call back that they are writing up an offer. Whoa, that's good news! We are to come by on Wednesday afternoon and sign papers. Later in the evening, we get a call. Let's move things a little faster. The realtor and buyer are coming to the house tonight to sign the papers so Dorene doesn't have to haul a sick child around. The realtor is worried that it'll be too late to still come by. We say, NO WAY, come on over.
So, at about 11:30 p.m., we sign the papers and the house is sold. Yeah, we still have to have an inspection, but we think everything will be fine.
We sold to a couple that is moving from California. She is a new graduate student at Notre Dame and he is an Episcopalian priest. We met her and she was really nice. She hopped on a plane this morning back to California. The plan is for them to move in the first week in June.
So, I guess we kinda need to start looking at houses now to move into.
Things transpired very fast. Over the weekend, we had an open house which we spent a lot of time preparing for. We decided that this week we'd take a break and not even think about the house.
Well, yesterday afternoon, Dorene gets a call from our realtor. She has someone that needs to look at the house now. So, she scrambles to get clean what she can, but doesn't get too far. Dirty dishes are in the sink, the bathrooms aren't very clear. Furthermore, Anna is running a high fever and is home from school and Dorene is feeling sick too. Nonetheless, she gets things ready and as the potential buyer visits, Anna is sitting on the driveway totally lethargic while Dorene and Cameron walk the neighborhood with one of the dogs.
Within a couple hours of the showing, Dorene gets a call back that they are writing up an offer. Whoa, that's good news! We are to come by on Wednesday afternoon and sign papers. Later in the evening, we get a call. Let's move things a little faster. The realtor and buyer are coming to the house tonight to sign the papers so Dorene doesn't have to haul a sick child around. The realtor is worried that it'll be too late to still come by. We say, NO WAY, come on over.
So, at about 11:30 p.m., we sign the papers and the house is sold. Yeah, we still have to have an inspection, but we think everything will be fine.
We sold to a couple that is moving from California. She is a new graduate student at Notre Dame and he is an Episcopalian priest. We met her and she was really nice. She hopped on a plane this morning back to California. The plan is for them to move in the first week in June.
So, I guess we kinda need to start looking at houses now to move into.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Rick Dennie . . .Ping Pong Conqueror
Late last month, I competed in the intramural table tennis tournament at IU South Bend. This was my 4th year in a row and each year I have come up short, finishing 4th, 2nd, and 3rd respectively. Ah, but like my colleague Peyton Manning, I was destined to get that monkey off my back. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch.
My competition was all students. As you can see from the picture, I'm looking a little like Taylor Hicks next to all the students half my age. I think I kinda intimidated them when I walked in with my nice paddle in the nice case, then got out the spray cleaner, wiped it down, kissed it . . .okay, scratch that last part. Kinda funny watching their reactions thinking I was this table tennis ace, when I'm far from that.
The competition wasn't as tough this year. I won all my matches and only lost one actual game the entire night. I stress "night" because we played old school in that we played games to 21. After getting used to playing games to 11, going all the way to 21 seemed like an eternity. We didn't finish until about 10:30 p.m.
My great reward was the t-shirt in the picture to the right which has "champion" on the back in big letters. Lucky for me, two students by the names of Jared and Duc chose not to play, because they would have absolutely smoked me.
It was a lot of fun. I love working with students and having the opportunities like this to take a break from my professional persona and interact with them in a more laid back fashion.
On Hiatus
Last week was Anna's spring break, so I took the week off too. No work, no blogging, no worries, just shut off everything I normally do and had fun with my kids. Dorene still had to work (her spring break is this week).
We spent a couple days in Fort Wayne with mom and dad. I visited the Three Rivers Table Tennis Club in Fort Wayne and didn't do too bad. I also was fighting a cold for a few days, so that kinda kept me down a bit.
For the latter part of the week, it was all focused on our house. We had an open house on Sunday so we were getting ready for it. We made a couple major changes in our house. We repainted and placed new carpet in our extra room that formerly housed a piano and now served as a playroom. Again, we were blessed with the assistance of Mike and Marcie. Mike laid the carpet for us, which saved us a bundle. Marcie helped us in cleaning out our workroom so that it looks much, much better. Essentially, we added two new rooms to our house. For the one we recarpeted, we bought a day bed, which essentially adds a new bedroom.
Now, would someone just please buy the house!
We spent a couple days in Fort Wayne with mom and dad. I visited the Three Rivers Table Tennis Club in Fort Wayne and didn't do too bad. I also was fighting a cold for a few days, so that kinda kept me down a bit.
For the latter part of the week, it was all focused on our house. We had an open house on Sunday so we were getting ready for it. We made a couple major changes in our house. We repainted and placed new carpet in our extra room that formerly housed a piano and now served as a playroom. Again, we were blessed with the assistance of Mike and Marcie. Mike laid the carpet for us, which saved us a bundle. Marcie helped us in cleaning out our workroom so that it looks much, much better. Essentially, we added two new rooms to our house. For the one we recarpeted, we bought a day bed, which essentially adds a new bedroom.
Now, would someone just please buy the house!
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