Progress and the Lack Thereof

Fall scene from the road along Lake Superior in the UP

Colorful Fall

Fall has arrived again and is spectacular in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as can be seen from the attached photo.

For 56 years of my life the fall season has meant the beginning and return to school.  There is something wonderful about the excitement of a new school year, fresh learning experiences, and brilliant autumn colors.

 Signs of Kindergarten

Stairs

Hall

Kitchen & Bree's Kitchen

This fall my grandson Felix began kindergarten.  He seems to enjoy it and in fact, wants to continue the experience at home.  After arriving home the first week, he immediately began making and posting signs around the house such as: Stairs, Hall, Front Door, etc.  This of course is extremely helpful and makes one wonder how did we ever get along for so long without these aids?

Bree's Chair

Wayne's Room

I am amazed at the progress and growth occurring in the lives of my grandsons.  Felix has only started kindergarten, but he is well beyond reading Dick and Jane books.  He has been moved up to read with the first grade students and I would not be surprised if he is one of their better readers. Fortunately he does not take after his grandfather Goates who wondered in the first grade what was the big deal and why were people so fixated on learning the ABC's - as if they had any importance.

Food for Thought

Theo has started eating solid food, but as this video indicates he has not been completely happy with some of the items on the menu.

Theo is definitely a chick magnet.  He usually is quite content, but as soon as someone pays any attention to him, he starts smiling and becomes more animated.  People at church or in the store are immediately drawn to this and want to pick him up.

 

Little or No Progress is Welcome

While progress can be a wonderful thing, I am happy to report that seemingly during the past year Kristie's Alzheimer's has not progressed.  She appears to have maintained her current level since being placed in assisted living last September.  This is in stark contrast to how quickly things were changing during the first year after moving to Michigan.  Of course, this will not always be the case, but it certainly is wonderful to continue enjoying her wonderful laugh and infectious smile.  The video shows her fooling around in the morning while waiting for breakfast by sticking out her tongue and winking at me.

 

Nice Fall Tan

Upper Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a remarkable natural phenomena.  With a 48' drop it is not as high or spectacular as waterfalls in in the Cascades, but it certainly stands out with the beautiful fall colors and its vivid golden brown water.  It is 200' across and by volume of water is the second or third largest waterfall east of the Mississippi.  It certainly is well worth observing as shown in the two videos below, particularly when the leaves are changing.  The water is naturally golden brown from the tannins leached from the cedar swamps that the river drains.  Wood tannins from oak was used in the tanning of animal hides into leather; hence the word "tan" and "tanning" for the treatment of leather.  (From Wikipedia - Tannin)

 The trees in Michigan don't seem to tan very well in the fall.  They sunburn as this photo shows.

Superior Shipping

This is a view of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior as referenced in the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald":
 Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.



The locks at Sault Ste. Marie are quite impressive.  There is a 21 foot drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  The first two photos show a freighter that is 740' long' being lowered in the locks.  It is amazing to see a ship drop or rise 21 feet as the locks release or fill with water.  The last three photos show a tug boat that literally disappeared from view as it dropped 21 feet in the locks before sailing on into Lake Huron.

The 740' long CSL Niagara at Lake Superior level

The CSL Niagara at Lake Huron level

Tug boat at Lake Superior level

Tug boat before disappearing at Lake Huron level

Heading out to Lake Huron

Spring Has Sprung

100' Wide Ice Shelf on Lake Michigan

Mini Icebergs in Dry Dock

I was starting to wonder if spring would arrive in Michigan.  As the photos show it's not like western Oregon where daffodils bloom in early March. The 35' icebergs were behind about 50 feet of the ice shelf.

Our Front Yard the first week of March

Our Front Yard on March 19

 Instead of daffodils, I took a picture of the 3 foot of snow that was piled up by our driveway and mailbox.  I really started to wonder about spring coming when it was still snowing on April 25.

Collin Introducing Theo to the Internet

Three Generations of Bradfords

Theo was born on February 7.  I realize he needs to be introduced to technology, but I worry that Collin is starting a little too early. He was blessed on April 28 with Collin's parents present.

Spring Time on the Beach

What We Watched on the Beach

We enjoyed the kite festival on the beach at Grand Haven on May 18.  This was the same location for the iceberg photos above.  I believe they must have put the mini icebergs in cold storage until next winter.



While very limited, Kristie doesn't seem to have much anxiety and generally seems happy as the videos of her with Bree and Theo show.  Felix is responsible for the original background piano music.

 
I have been in contact with Kristie's college roommates this winter while writing her life story and was honestly surprised at their description of how much Kristie liked me.  Kristie was a very private person, but with Alzheimer's there is no pretense.  She always smiles and generally starts laughing when I arrive to be with her every morning and evening.  We spend time together walking in the hall.  She likes to be hugged, and will blush and laugh when I kiss her.

Oh, I almost forgot the quick trip to be with Bryn and Zac in Chicago land.  We arrived in Millennium Park right before an Indian wedding (and I don't mean like Tonto and Pocahontas).

I am working with the 11-year old Boy Scouts and made a presentation on first aid and poisonous plants last week.  I gathered up samples that looked like poison sumac and poison ivy, but I really didn't think they were the real thing.  Fortunately, I put the samples in plastic bags for the scouts to observe.  Three days later I broke out with a terrible rash on my face and arms.  It was actually worse than the photo shows.  Wow, what an object lesson for the scouts about staying away from poisonous plants.

"Life Everlasting" by Duane S. Crowther

 This book is outstanding for the following reasons:

• The inclusion and reference to approximately 200 Near Death Experiences (NDE).  
• The efficient topical organization, ie - "The Amazing Capabilities of Spirit World Beings".
•  The excellent summary, analysis, and combination of NDE, scriptures and statements from Church Leaders.

While I found the entire book to be fascinating and informative, it was the last chapter regarding Exaltation that provided such a powerful epiphany for me.  From previous NDE readings I was already aware that righteous individuals are very engaged and busy in the spirit world.  Often those who have a NDE report that family members in the spirit world are delayed or in a hurry when they meet.  This initially was surprising to me because somehow I expected paradise would be a place of serenity and rest.

Crowther's chapter on "Exaltation", however has really altered my view regarding Eternal Life and the importance and absolute necessity of making the best use of our time, both on earth and in the spirit world.  Somehow it had never registered with me what it means to receive "all that the Father has".  For that to occur an individual must be perfect; knowing all things.  I fully expect that compared with mortality, we will learn a hundred times faster in the spirit world.  But even with an incredible increase in the speed of learning, it will take a very long time and remarkable dedication to learn all the Father knows; which is essentially everything.

Somehow my words are weak in conveying this concept, but reading this book, and particularly the last chapter, has forcibly impressed upon me the gargantuan magnitude of the responsibility before us if we are to receive all that the Father has.  We really do need to be "anxiously engage in a good cause, and do many things of our own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness" (D&C 58:27) if we are to have even a prayer or hope of obtaining Eternal Life.  I realize that it is impossible for us to comprehend the things of eternity with our rudimentary mortal minds, but Crowther has at least pulled back the curtains so I am more aware of the immensity and the grandeur of these concepts.

Life is Good When ...

An individual's definition of "life is good" changes over time and is determined not only by what is happening in his/her own life, but also what is happening in the lives of loved ones. 
When dealing with Alzheimer's, the definition of "life is good" simply means no one is in pain or totally overwhelmed with anxiety related to the disease.  I question whether anyone would purposefully choose or desire our situation, but Kristie turned 62 today and in our milieu, I must confess that life is good.  

I have posted three short videos depicting "life is good".  The first perspective is from our four year old grandson - just enjoying some balloons in a wind chamber.  The other two videos are of Kristie - one showing her agility using a wheelchair to get around, and another video of us just walking.  They call her "Speedy" at the assisted living facility because of how quickly she can get around in her wheelchair.  And the walking - that may not seem like a big deal, but it is to us; and therefore life is good.

Not bad for a woman who didn't or couldn't walk for 7 months.

The Seasons of Life

It's autumn again in Michigan and nature does her best to impress with brilliant colors that warm one's spirit with the chilly approach of winter.  Fall brings a poignant combination of feelings.  The cool temperatures are refreshing, even energizing; but there is also a sense of melancholy with the realization that the exuberance of spring is only a memory, the summer growing season is past, and the mild weather will soon be replaced by the arctic winter winds.  



The attached photos are a poor sampling and really do not capture the gorgeous bouquet that the multicolored fall landscape present in Michigan.  But at least they provide some reference for what greets mid-westerners during this season.

The changing seasons help me recognize that I am in the autumn of my life; and during this interval I have the sacred opportunity to observe the springtime of my grandson, my daughters' productive summer seasons, and the winter of my wife. 


Few things denote springtime enthusiasm more than watching a 4-year old who has just learned to ride a bike.  It's the next best thing to getting your driver's license - as the attached video of my grandson Felix demonstrates.

Bryn and Bree are busily engaged in the peak production time of their earthly sojourn.  Their lives are beyond full in terms of responsibilities and challenges related to family, work, demanding church callings, college classes, and running a home on the side.  Not that they aren't handling it all with aplomb, but it is obvious that they both are occupied in grueling races with little chance to catch their breaths.  I must confess on reflection that there was a great deal wanting in the parenting that Kristie and I provided them (and which they are not shy to point out); but somehow they appear confident and resilient in dealing with the complexities and vicissitudes of their lives.  They make life better for those around them, including Kristie and me.  They, like our grandson, bring a wonderful sense of joy and satisfaction to us; and a feeling that our marriage may have blessed more than just the two of us.  

There is no question in my mind that Alzheimer's descends as the winter time in one's life.  I watch as Kristie bravely navigates through the blizzards and whiteout conditions of this season.  What surprises me is how cheerful she can be through all this.  While she is only a small fraction of her former self, the part that remains - the very essence of her personality - her disarming smile, laughter and ability to joke with others, continues to bring joy and endear her to others.  I marvel at how well she has taken to assisted living, where even as a shadow of herself, she is happy and raises the spirits of those around her - as the video shows.