Once a year, Keith brings out his grandfather’s scythe and chops down our day lilies. It is a daunting task but he cuts through them faster and better than any lawn mower. Who needs a gym and trainer when you’ve got a scythe. The photo unfortunately has a dark background, so you have to follow the handle upwards until your eye finds it. More than one reaper has lost a limb to the scythe’s blade. But it’s usually the person next to the reaper, so I was careful.

We had Parseltongue pizza with slytherin sausage for supper. You guessed it: today is Harry Potter’s birthday. I couldn’t find my trunk of Potter paraphernalia because the basement was recently rearranged. I punted and grabbed the spectacles from the Googly Eyes game. Genius! If you only have time for one movie, of course you will pick Episode 1 in which Hagrid visits Harry at a lighthouse on his 11th birthday to take him to Hogwarts for the first time. Great evening!

Keith is a man of few vices but he makes up for that by his love of the stinkiest veggie ever - KOHLRABI. If you have ever endured the torture of a loved one with this tragic addiction, your only question will be whether it stinks worse going in or coming out. I believe the gas form is regulated under most chemical weapons treaties. Once a year, Mollie manages to punish me by buying a whole head to ensure maximum bloat and psi. I am renting a motel room until it’s gone.

I dropped off some cookies and a poem (a rap, actually), for Roland at Maggie’s house. I brought lunch and hung out for awhile. A discussion ensued among family members about their fondest comedy specials. When I mentioned mine was “Lobby Baby” with Seth Myers, no one had seen it. So, we watched it. The whole thing and Maggie especially connected with the wit and delivery. Seth is a genius. Great humor, quick wit, impeccable timing, and a self-effacing tone. I just love every bit in this act. 10 out of 5 stars.

Game On! We have a new date for the Mineshaft party for Kallie and her cousins. There will be blood.

Since Kallie is the sole survivor at Artesian West, we decided we better feed her before she started foraging in the forest. Since she is spectacular, we let her pick the restaurant. She said Fat Joe’s. We drove to the restaurant and began our parking sequence when she realize she was mixed up. She meant Friar Tuck’s and enticed us there with the promise of twice-baked potato dip. So we regrouped and set off for some holy food at the monastery. When we arrived, OOPS. No. She meant Fat Joe’s all along, not Friar Tuck’s, but for penance, she would give up the tater dip and eat the Friar food. But God had bigger plans for Kallie than monk meat. Just like the Wittenburg Door, there was a writ explaining a temporary closure on Mondays at Fat Joe’s until further notice. AND - Oh, wait. Kallie had actually read her phone incorrectly. The Tater Dip is at Fat Joe’s not Friar Tuck’s! So back we go and glory be - WHAT A MENU!

Kallie picked the 12-person Mafia booth for our seating. It looked like we were waiting for the rest of the jurors to arrive. To make it even more interesting, we wedged Kallie between us and covered her bare back with paper napkins. We cuddled her to keep her warm despite the over-zealous A/C. We were so excited about the menu options, we completely forgot to order our raison d’etre: the tater dip. We also got as far as posing for a selfie, but, alas, I took too long trying to find my phone in my Hogwarts infinity purse, and my photo subjects went back to their dinners. The photo opp. was lost, but during the “on the way home chatting,” Kallie revealed a personal factoid we had never heard before: When she was younger, her friends called her “Rumble Strip” like the intentionally uneven areas on the roads designed to alert drivers to something of importance like a cow crossing. When we asked her why she had such an odd nickname, she showed us.

See why we don’t want her to move away? She brings so much unexpected fun to even the most normal parts of life. We sure love her.

Our Mineshaft Gaming Extravaganza Breakfast got postponed due to a scheduling snafoo. Since Jaspir and Roland were primed for food, Roland suggested we go to Red Cabin for a lovely Sunday family breakfast. And since we had room in the car, we invited Maggie. Yay! We had mouth-watering wonders that make Wisconsin supper clubs a legend. Roland had the country fried chicken and fixings. I had a scrambled egg and sour dough toast. (Let’s pretend I didn’t order the caramel toffee ice cream torte for dessert)! We had a fun time and snapped this cute photo of the boys and sent it her way with a promise to reschedule our Battle Royale later in the coming week. See. Just when you think your breakfast love is wrecked, you end up with two dates instead of zero. Life is perfect.

Jaspir and Roland are loving cousins. Roland came up with the idea of having a celebration with Kallie at the Mineshaft in Oshkosh. It has superb food and a multi-million dollar arcade. They can face off in cousin contests to see who really is the master gamer. I made this pretty invitation for fridges and scrapbooks. Mementos for occasions like this are always sweet.

I feel a little silly for worrying. Last month, I was thinking about cancelling the contest for the summer months. I expected participation would plummet with all the busyness of summer fun. But I was wrong. And I am oh so thankful. I really really really look forward to seeing everyone’s photos. My love for family grows every month.

It has been years - maybe ten I would guess. We’ve stayed connected through texting but this face-to-face was long overdue! Chris is such a special person, so tender-hearted, and a devout cat person. We had a nice catch-up, fabulous Caramel Crisp meal, and went deep on some things of importance. She gave me a ton of information about this National Cat Shelter/Rehab program she has been involved with for years. She volunteers there several weeks a year. She also has perfect taste in clothes and jewelry. Maybe not to ogther people’s tastes, but if I had to pick one person to dress like, it would be her. That is why I cherish her hand-me-down jewelry. And she remembered that about me and brought me some. I will cherish it and cherish her as long as I draw breath. We vowed to do this again soon.

It has been a decades long dream and the hunt has finally ended. When he spotted the beauty online, there was a whirlwind of activity to make this happen. All praises to Tom Kiser who, without hesitation, provided the use of his truck to tow the car hauler and offer his expert knowledge on the worthiness of the vehicle. They started early, departing at 6:00 in the morning. Twelve hours later, they rolled in with another red truck for Paw to love - but this time, it’s almost 100 years old, a gift to humanity from Henry Ford, and the Model A of which Keith is both fondest and most knowledgeable. It is rough, despite the polish and spit shine that took it from field car to parade car. But Keith likes it that way. He can’t wait for the paint to fall off. And now, reality: we have to make some room in the garage. But even that can’t wipe that smile off his face. P.S. Special thanks to Tom Lewis who offered his truck and car hauler months ago, but, alas, was in Detroit when we needed to fly before the other suiters grabbed her.