01/02/2010 -- Heck I can't believe I've even had this website this long.  I'm not sure I can even remember how I started it.  Interesting that I have a blogspot now.  I started this before blogging was even popular.  I really don't expect anyone to read this stuff or my blog for that matter.  It does, though, help to journal.  Carolyn, at least, does it every single day.

She is the best of me.  What a woman - loving, caring, giving....  I'm not sure that there is a good adjective that doesn't apply. 

My dad passed away last February 26.  I spent a month at mom's.  Helping to clean things up.  That time really started me thinking about getting things "cleaned up" around here.  WE've taking many boxes and made many trips to the "goodwill".  WE have many more to go.  It is amazing how much clutter we can get in our lives.  Carolyn and I still have a lot of work to do.

Today - it is a day for college football. Waiting for the Hawkeyes to play.

If you should happen to read this.  Enjoy and have a fantastic day.

05/26/2006 -- Okay It is more like a semi-annual journal.  What can I say.  After wrapping up a gazillion things before going on vacation - what else could go wrong... You don't want to ask.

Anyway, I'll be in Thunder Bay 7 hours late, I don't have a phone number for Lana.  What is a fellow to do except work on the web site a bit.  I'll call brother Mike and see if he by any chance has it. Vicki answered hooray.  She had the cell number, double hooray.  Lana answered -- fabulous.  Things are looking up. I'll be in Thunder Bay by midnight!

01/01/2006 -- So, maybe "Daily Journal" isn't quite the right phrase.  It is another new year, so Happy New Year.  May yours be filled with excitement, serendipity, joy, adventure and love.

Carolyn and I just finished a brisk morning walk.  Kind of chilly this morning and it is half raining and half snowing, forming "rime".  (Look it up.)  I think this will be one of those relaxation days, snoozing here and there and maybe a trip to Starbucks.

We had a wonderful family get together on Friday of last week.  We went to Jeremiah's home.  Everyone was there except the Missouri gang.  We sorely missed them but did chat on the telephone.  We left a lot of laughter at the house.  It was great to be with the kids and their families.  Made me even more hungry for home.

The holiday season has a way of doing that.  No matter how long I have been away, for some reason there is a longing to be home for Christmas or at least sometime during the holidays. It is not an abandoment of Carolyn and the kids so much as a recognition of Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters that I seem to particularly miss a this time of year. I wrote a new Haiku the other day in response to a friend who felt like he asked a stupid question:

Stupidity

Even in Winter

Squirrels seek nuts if hungry

To learn is to live!    Lef

12/11/2005 -- Okay, it has been a few days.  Brother Mike sent me some pictures of a cabinet dad built in the past week or so.  There is nothing, I think, a son's pride and love for his father.  At times there is so much pain and struggle -- but there is always a depth of relationship that is almost unimaginable.  I've learned as a father myself, and as a son how special fathers are.

Don Fahlenkamp - is a very special man.  He has so much talent, life, spirit, passion, energy, compassion, love, joy, inner spirituality -- and such a big heart.  Brother Mike sent some pictures of a cabinet that Dad just built ( Cabinet ) .  Mike's words introduce the pictures.  One can absolutely feel the pride and the love a son has for his father - almost an awe.  "My dad did this - he created this!"  It is truly a special thing.

I love to write!  There is a freedom when expressing one's self in words. The gift of language, of communication, of expression, and freedom of that expression releases the inner soul, thoughts and feelings of both man and woman.  It can be expressed through poetry, drama, essay, and yes, today, even dictation to your computer.  I've been away for awhile... it is good to be back and make enjoy the rewards of the written word -- with a picture thrown in now and then.  LEF - 11/26/2005

12/5/2005 -- Okay-yes, it is the 5th and it has been a few days since I made a new entry.  It is just that things have been very, very, very busy.  That really isn't an excuse though is it.  I guess there will come a point where I've got to list the topics and put links to them so that one could theoretically jump around on the page to subjects that interests them.

At work we are in the middle of going live with a major LMS upgrade.  We've been working on this thing for almost 2 years. The employees (we call 'em Learners) will see the new system for the first time next Monday.  It is an exciting time -- with a bit trepidation as well.

I really like word games -- Mom and I love to play scrabble.  Did you know there is not 1, not one, yes, not 1 two letter word that begins with the letter "c".  Somehow that surprises me.  When you play certain word games, like scramble and this new one that I downloaded and purchased from the internet, knowing 2 letter combinations is a big deal.

The most important thing today, is that this is my little sister's birthday -- that would be Lana.  My Lana Babes.  I should call her right now.  I think I will, it is definitely the right thing to do today (is that alliteration?)!   I called, she was home.  Lana said Patti actually got mom (mum) to loan her the family fridgen  pan - well, mum's anyway, and they cooked some up.  It was a rare treat when we were young -- a wonderful treat -- I've promised I'd keep a look out for a pan.  I used to travel to Solvang in California -- they actually sold the pans and mix there...... ymmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what memories. Okay - so an hour after we talk, I can't get this frijen thing off my mind.  The pan they are cooked in while called a "frijen pan" is better known as a "munk pan" -- I found this web site... I can't spell friggen (sounds like the German swear word.).  HELP!  But the history is interesting -- See this cool donut biography site: http://donut.biography.ms/  .  The closest word I could find was Poffertjes (Holland). 

, and this is the Poffertjes  or "Munk Pan", not the original cast iron type, but a modern immitation.

Happy Birthday sis!