Oma Sue's BlogHi – I’m Sue Reyzlik. I recently realized my life-long dream of building a writing hut in the backyard. The writing hut serves as a creative space and home office for Oma Publishing. This blog will be intermingled with family history, varied experiences and insights on being a Grandma (Oma), creating my special backyard space, as well as, my “retirement” career as a self-publisher of children’s stories. And perhaps a little bit on the 32 years I served as Executive Director for Keep Fremont Beautiful and the wonderful people who are sharing this adventure.
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I had an interesting, and in my personal interpretation… a spiritually, cosmically, and rather humorous “Randy” experience. So, to make a short story long, I hope you will join me on yet another meandering word salad journey… I’ve always wanted to take Rai out to Grand Island for her birthday to see the Cranes. This year, Sara, Gracyn, Mac, and I accompanied the birthday girl out to see the birds. We spent the night in a motel with a pool, we went shopping, ate what Rai wanted and laughed a lot. I was reminded of the time that Randy and I took Evan out to see the cranes for his birthday in March – that was a long time ago – more than three decades in the past. I interjected memories of Randy throughout our stay – it’s fun to remember those pleasant times together and the grandkids got to hear new stories about their grandfather. Back when Evan was just a little guy, I thought it was a big deal for us to travel to Grand Island just to see some migrating birds. I didn’t fully understand the significance of this massive undertaking by a particular migrating species. I simply wasn’t entirely aware of the threat to the very existence of the whooping crane at that time either. I lived my whole life in Nebraska but didn’t appreciate the spectacle and wonder of the cranes… duh. Randy, Evan and I were amazed at the vast numbers of birds visible in the fields and how near these massive creatures were to the road. It was thrilling to witness their dancing rituals and to see hundreds of them raise together in flight. As we three bird watchers continued our drive through the countryside, we came across an old bridge. We parked on the side of the gravel road and walked the short distance to the wooden bridge… It was nearing sunset and birds were starting to gather around the water. Another car pulled up and parked. I saw it was an Omaha license plate… wow they came even further than us. When the couple got to the bridge, I greeted them and said I saw that they were from Omaha. I told them we were from Fremont expecting a friendly reaction. They looked at me blankly – like they had never heard of Fremont. The lady explained… we rented the car in Omaha, we’re from California. At that moment I realized that this whole crane “thing” may be a bigger “thing” than I had realized. And they had brought binoculars – which they shared with us sad little crane amateurs from Nebraska. Over the years, Randy and I often reminisced and laughed about our inexperience in crane watching and our lack of knowledge and appreciation for this natural wonder. We both felt lucky to have met that couple from California. Now, back to our recent trip to Grand Island… After returning from our crane watch, the kids and Sara went swimming… I watched. Just as I had watched Randy play with the kids in so many pools years ago. A pool is a must – the kids had fun – Sara included! I smiled as memories of pools past played in my head… Then off for pizza and the fun-plex. Arcade games are so not my thing – it was Randy’s thing and I think he passed it down to Sara. Sara was like a big kid, just like Randy, she had a blast. That whole time in the arcade was like a warm hug from the past… The next day after another quick swim, we checked out of the motel and went shopping. Gracyn saw a “Five and Below” store as we were driving through a retail area, and we had to stop. I hadn’t been to that store before and didn’t know what to expect. I looked through the various departments and was able to resist buying most of the items priced $5.00 or less… but then I happened upon the book table!! Two big piles of the “Four Agreements”! Randy often read the “Four Agreements”. It was a book that he found enlightening and comforting. The message aligned with his faith, how he dealt with the pressures of his job and his relationships with others. It was a book he recommended and shared with others. If you got a copy of the “Four Agreements” from Randy, that meant that he cared for you deeply. It was a gift from his heart. Later when he was diagnosed with cancer, I would often find him rereading the book. The wisdom imparted in those pages helped him. He found solace in that book. Over the years, I have found the message contained in those pages, helpful as well. I was so excited to find a favorite book that usually costs around $15.00 on a table for $5.00. Wow – at five bucks a pop, I could afford to be generous. I have a grandkid graduating this year and I love that I found a copy for Sam!! I’ll put some money in it as a bookmark and my shopping is done! Hooray. I actually bought six of the books and plan on giving them away… Randy would have bought 10 – he loved a deal! Finding that particular book in “Five and Below” was a special little hello from Randy – the whole trip to Grand Island was one “Randy Greeting” after another. That book for Sam isn’t just from Oma Sue, it’s also from Oppa Randy – a wonderful man who desperately wanted to live along enough to hold little Samson in his arms. Sam didn’t get to meet Oppa Randy. My sweet husband died in January of 2006, a few months before Sam was born in April. I know for sure that Oppa Randy would want Sam to have a copy of that book – that big display and “good deal” price was totally a greeting from Ran. Our smidgeon of a trip to Grand Island was full of old memories, at least for me. It was also an opportunity for new family members to make their own memories of sandhill cranes, boring drives, fun games, good food, motel swimming pools, crazy yodeling pickles, and that time Oma Sue bought six copies of Oppa Randy’s favorite book! On our way back to Ceresco, I enjoyed the ride as Sara drove. Randy was a terrible driver and never knew what direction he was going. I always drove and he honestly preferred it that way. After he was gone, I didn’t have a choice, I was still the designated driver. Sara doesn’t like my old lady driving – which is fine with me. It was a treat to sit back and enjoy the scenery. When Rai and I got back to Fremont, I checked the mail. There was an envelope addressed to: The City of Dodge City Kansas. It was a handwritten address with my home address… cursive writing… blue ink… The mailwoman had drawn a question mark on the envelope… I knew what she meant… why is Sue getting The City of Dodge City, Kansas mailed to her home address… good question… it’s handwritten… in blue ink… hmmmm… WTH? I am not The City of Dodge City Kansas, but that is my address… and it is handwritten… should I open it… the mailwoman was uncertain and had put a question mark on the envelope… she had her doubts, but still she left it for me to decide… The return address was from World Kinect. Some sort of energy company in Minnesota. Thinking… thinking… thinking… I’m going to open it. It’s a check for $174,042.10. Not made out to me. Made out to The City of Dodge City, Kansas. Wow, I don’t often get checks for $174,042.10 made out to a city in another state, hand addressed to my home address. I laughed. Someone had to go out of their way to make this happen. Funny. I wonder if it is the same person who sent me the bong? I called the phone number on the check – it was Saturday, so it went to voice mail. I left a long rambling message that I had received the check, I explained that the envelope was hand addressed with blue ink… I apologized for opening it but admitted that I was curious and told the machine that the mailwoman had been curious as well. I also told the machine that I would be glad to send the check on to The City of Dodge City, Kansas or I could return the check to them. I asked the machine for an explanation on the use of my address and told of my hopes of a real conversation with a real person… I thought about the check on Easter Sunday. I told the family about the check. No one was getting into the absurdity of the check being sent to me in Fremont, NE… This thing was bugging me. As I drove home on Sunday, I remembered that Rai and I had gotten Panda Express the week before… I lamented the fact that Happy Inn, a favorite Chinese Restaurant of Randy and our family, had closed down… Panda Express was OK but it was no Happy Inn. I remembered the writing on the fortune inside the cookie… “You will soon receive great riches”. I laughed. It doesn’t count if the check is made out to The City of Dodge City Kansas! The lady from World Kinect called me back on Monday, April 1st. She had no explanation as to why the envelope had been handwritten. The correct address for The City of Dodge City Kansas was listed repeatedly in their system, however, there was one place in their system where the listed address was my home address. The check came from the office down in Florida and someone at that location had hand- written my address on the envelope. The whole thing with Chinese food and thinking about Randy and Happy Inn – a fortune cookie promising great riches – getting a sizeable check in the mail over the Easter weekend and talking/laughing with a real person on April fools, all seemed like a cosmic sized joke… OK Ran – good one! You got my attention – everything this past week was a series of reminders of the times spent with you. Happy Anniversary my love and “Thanks for the memories… and the laughs you weirdo!”
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I fully anticipated that I was going to be ok this September. I wasn’t going to lament my whole “Wake Me Up When September Ends” theme song from Green Day… You know the song I mean… Years ago, I found a picture of a group of men sitting at a long table in the greenhouse. It was pretty weird… no explanation. The long dining table was sitting atop a super long bench inside the chrysanthemum growing house. I could make out my Grandpa Joe standing at the left rear of the table, but the other 30 (or so) men peering around each other for the photo op, were unrecognizable to me. I’m not sure how much weight those growing benches were designed to carry but I don’t think it was built to hold the burden of that many men perched on a single bench. I’m sure Grandpa Joe had calculated the load and added the necessary support for the extra heft… at least I had never heard of a massive collapse involving a group of men, dressed in suits, dining in the greenhouse in the middle of the day. If I hadn’t found the picture, I wouldn’t have known such an event had even occurred. Fun picture, no idea what was going on. Fast forward to my cousin Cindy bringing over some family picture albums and scrapbooks last year. Every once in a while, I open an old album, peruse its contents and learn something new. A few weeks ago, I found an article that I believe was printed in the Fremont newspaper – the date listed above the article was January 11, 1929. It was a short little piece - the headline read “PUBLICITY FOR LOCAL KIWANIS CLUB IS GIVEN”. I knew that my grandfather was a long-time member of the local Kiwanis Club – even attending meetings when he traveled with Grandma Lil across the country. I wasn’t sure if the article would give me any insight to his life but decided to read it rather than pass onto the next page… here is what the article said. Fremont and one of its business houses, Greens Greenhouses, are receiving world-wide publicity this month as the result of a novel luncheon tendered members of the Fremont Kiwanis club in the greenhouses las November. The Greens invited the club to a luncheon in the greenhouse which proved to be a real surprise. The luncheon table was set in one of the greenhouses amid a profusion of hot-house flowers, chiefly 20 varieties of chrysanthemums. A picture of the luncheon guests seated at the table inside the greenhouse, together with a write-up of the novel stunt, appears in the January issue of F.T.D. News, official publication for members of Florists’ Telegraph Delivery. The magazine goes to more than 3,000 florists in the United States and Canada, to more than 400 members in England and the British Isles, 70 members in Germany, 25 members in France, 18 members in Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hawaiian Island, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and a number of other countries. Finding these news clippings and putting them together with a picture is so entertaining for me. Sharing the picture and the newspaper article on Oma Sue’s Blog is my attempt at preserving family anecdotes for my little family. I wish I could find the FTD News Magazine, I would love to share that… maybe it will turn up one day. Back in 1896 my Great Grandfather bought the greenhouse that had been built at 14th and Pebble streets here in Fremont. I sort of remember my Grandpa Joe Green telling me the story of Charles coming to Fremont on the train and then riding the trolley line as far as he could… Maybe at the corner of Linden and Platte, is where the trolley line ended – I’ll have to check on that. Anyway, he walked the rest of the way to the greenhouse and began his life as a business owner, grower and florist. In 1897 he married Katie Rogers, and they started their family and together they ran the business for over three decades until his death in February of1932. I have heard stories about my great grandfather from various family members and I’ve enjoyed pouring over the picture albums and scrapbooks to get a better idea of his early years, the happenings of the day, his many accomplishments, and the numerous adventures he undertook during his life. I found an article that was printed in the “Herald” on March 4, 1926. There is a picture of my Great Grandfather in the article. I will include the picture of Charles Green but the original article, is hard to read, sooo… I will type it out for you – just as it was written and punctuated! Charles H. Green Fremont, florist, who is just back from a two months’ sojourn in Florida, and comes laden with reports of that wondrous land, which rival one’s wildest dreams. FREMONT FLORIST BACK FROM SOJOURN IN SUNNY FLORIDA _____________________ Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Green of Green’s Greenhouse, and their daughter, Miss Rose, are back in Fremont following a two months’ winter sojourn in Florida, and they come laden with reports of conditions of that wondrous land which rival the climaxes of youth’s fondest dreams or most daring of romances. In the first place, Mr. Green tells the Herald that on the southeast coast of the peninsula they’ve fairly gone crazy over real estate sales and prices. He declares that one can buy lots in the business sections of New York or Chicago—“right on State Street, Chicago” are his very words – for less than one can buy a lot in Palm Beach or Miami. Mr. Green incidentally suggested that the time is not far distant when that part of Florida will experience something such as this middlewest farming section went through following the inflated war-time prices on farmland – only perhaps a great deal worse. Mr. Green’s twenty acres of Florida land lie just south of Lake Okeechobee. It is improved land, with a house on it and all under cultivation, thought it represents an investment on his part of not over a hundred dollars an acre. He left her about the first of January, he said, with the full intention of selling that land, if he could get $250 an acre for it, for it was his and Mrs. Green’s desire to acquire a home on the coast instead. When he arrived there, he was offered $300 an acre for his land. He hesitated. Then the offer was raised, until finally $600 an acre was named. By this time, the Fremont florist had got quite out of the notion of selling, so he came back still owner of his Florida tract. Mr. Green favors the west coast of Florida. The section lying between Bonita Springs and Tampa, he declares, is far ahead of the southeastern section which has been undergoing such exploitation of late. The soil is much better, he says, and it is his intention to buy acreage some where there within the near future, likely at Bonita Springs. It was while on a trip from their farm in the center of the lower peninsula westward that Mr. and Mrs. Green and their daughter fell in with a former Fremonter. At first Mr. Green says he did not recognize his former townsman. He says he knew the man very much resembled Mr. W.W. Lee, at one time a few years ago proprietor of a ladies’ ready-to-wear clothing and millinery business in the Lee-Haven block, on East Sixth. That’s it – a little article – a smidgeon of documentation. The article certainly makes it seem that this is a return trip to Florida, so I am not sure what year he actually bought the property. I’m guessing it was a year or two before the trip down there in January of 1926. I’m also not sure when Grandpa Charles brought two Florida alligators up to the Greenhouse. And I’m also not sure how long those two alligators lasted being caged up under the benches in the greenhouse… I just know as a child playing in the greenhouse, I always kept an eye out for anything lurking in the darkness under the benches. My cousin Cindy and I would scare ourselves silly imagining a gator grabbing at our ankles as we ran the aisles. It was great fun. Anyway – at some point Grandpa Charles did bring a few tropical plants up from Florida and that made more sense. He experimented with raising those plants in the greenhouse. I think the plants fared better than the alligators, but it took a while for them to adjust to greenhouse living. One particular plant he brought back to Fremont was a Cattleya Orchid. Now this is one of those times when I don’t think I am lying… I think I am telling the truth!! It is my understanding that the orchid plant hadn’t bloomed before Great Grandpa Charles died, from pneumonia, in 1932. My Grandpa “Carnation” Joe did however nurture the orchid plant and keep it alive. He hoped that the plant would bloom one day... On my parents wedding day, Grandpa Joe found that after patiently waiting decades, the orchid plant had finally bloomed. Grandpa Joe plucked that beautiful flower for my mom. Mom’s wedding bouquet contained the very first bloom from the orchid plant that my Great Grandfather had brought from Florida all those many years before. Great Grandpa Charles had died, never having seen the blooms of this particular plant, but he had hopes that the flowers would one day be enjoyed by family and customers! He was a businessman after all. The blooming of the orchid plant on January 14th, was an auspicious event for my mom, her father Joe and for her Grandmother Katie. I’m sure they all felt the presence of Grandpa Charles that day. It was a very special blessing for the celebration of their union as man and wife. That orchid plant continued to thrive and bloom. I’m not sure how many times it was divided… lots of times! Every January there were beautiful purple orchids lovingly arranged in vases, sitting on Mom's kitchen table and on the coffee table in the living room. Those blooms brightened the dark cold days of winter and warmed our spirits - you just couldn't help but be happy with a big purple orchid staring at you in the face... those blooms are magic mood changers. When Mom died on January 6th of 2009, the orchid plant was blooming. I brought Dad into the greenhouse so we could order the flowers. He stood at the counter and looked at Jessie and said, “I don’t care what other flowers you use, but you must have an orchid in the casket spray”. He wiped at his eye and said, “She has to have an orchid”. Oh - there were orchids. The flowers at her funeral were beautiful, absolutely stunning, and many arrangements included the massive cattleya purple orchids. The orchids held a special significance in my mom and dad’s hearts. The whole family felt that significance and that connection… this particular flower was there at the very start of my family. That orchid plant was probably in the greenhouse before my mom was ever born. That orchid plant was part of my great grandparent’s adventure, my grandparents adventure, my mom and dad's adventure, my brother Stacy’s adventure and my son Evan’s adventure. When the greenhouses were torn down, the orchid plants were brought into the conservatory. When the conservatory was to be dismantled, the orchids were sold, and several were given to family members. My brother Stacy took one to Houston and my son took one to Dallas. When my brother moved to Bonaire, he gave the Cattleya plant to a friend for safe keeping. Whenever the plant blooms, his friend sends him a picture and my brother shares the photo with me. My oldest daughter Sara gave me an orchid plant for Mother’s Day, 2022. The gift warmed my heart – it was beautiful… and a tad scary. I managed to keep the plant alive and recently that little plant bloomed. It isn’t a cattleya orchid, but it is purple! The plant bloomed this last week… On the anniversary of mom’s death, January 6th, there were two blooms, one for Mom and one for Dad. My little orchid plant bloomed in January… just as Great Grandpa Charles’s Orchid Plant bloomed in January for decades - that was significant… that was special… it warmed my heart. Special Note: The purple orchid is a symbol of seeking spiritual enlightenment and attempting to understand the deeper meaning behind the universe. If you feel a particularly strong sense of connection or affinity for the purple orchid, it could signify that you are internally seeking a spiritual guide or lesson. (Well, ya - always) A little family photo slide show... a Green past... enjoy! Nebraska City was a frequent destination when our little family needed a brief getaway. Nebraska City is a special place and holds precious memories. Here's a sampling of family, friends and a special place held firmly in my heart... I go to Facebook every day. One feature that I really like is the “Facebook Memories”. A few weeks ago, a memory popped up of a picture of me with my two dear friends, Jane Polson and Sue Smith. I reposted the memory and said something to the effect that I missed these two women. Jane Polson had been the President and CEO of Keep Nebraska Beautiful since 1991 and Sue Smith had been the Keep America Beautiful Affiliate Education Director – also since 1991. Actually, they were both hired on the same day in February 1991, and they helped each other find their footing in their respective positions. I met both of them (in person) in March of 1991 and we three became good work partners and over the years, personal friends. I retired as Executive Director in 2017 and as a Financial Assistant and Trainer for KFB in 2019. Jane retired in 2019 and Sue retired a few times… but it doesn’t seem to work very well for her, and she continues to help out frequently. It was so fun to see that memory pop up on Facebook. The three of us standing together at a KNB Conference – me in the middle – sandwiched between two of my most favorite human beings. I saw those smiling faces and I was reminded of how much I missed our times together. Retirement has taken us in different directions and the Pandemic hasn’t made it any easier to travel. Luckily, we kept in touch via social media and Jane saw my post! She thought it was time for an in person visit! I suggested Nebraska City as we had met there many times for the KNB Conferences. Vanessa (Keep Columbus Beautiful) saw the Facebook post and called Jane to tell her the KNB Conference would be held at the end of September in Nebraska City. Vanessa thought it would be a great idea if we three could arrange our visit to coincide with the conference – she missed us too – that was so sweet. And just like that, Sue scheduled a flight from Chicago, Jane arranged to pick Sue up in Kansas City and I made plans with my daughter for her to take the night off her job so she could care for her daughter! Wow – we would all meet up at the Lied Conference Center – just like old times. I couldn’t wait. On the day of the getaway, I had to deliver a painting to my other daughter Sara – she lives down in Ceresco. So, I started out early – well early for me… around nine or so and took off for Sara’s. Stopped for just a few minutes, hung the painting and then took off via county roads to Nebraska City. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day. Perfect for driving through the Nebraska countryside. I was reminded of all the fall days that Randy and I would drive back and forth to Omaha during Septembers in 2004 and 2005. In September of 2004 he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He had surgery then chemo and then radiation. The doctors had given him 6 months to a year. We felt gratitude that he was doing so well and keeping the tumor under control. In September of 2005, the tumor began to grow, and he started experimental chemotherapy and more radiation. Frequent trips to Omaha were a constant for the month of September and October. Randy would sit quietly in his seat and watch the scenery as I drove. He commented every day, on how lucky we were to travel during such a beautiful season. The colorful fall leaves were putting on a show just for us, to make our drive more pleasant - he marveled at our luck to make these travels at such a wonderful time of year. The route I traveled cross country from Ceresco to Nebraska City was not familiar but obviously I had a sense of where I was going. I felt more confident as I passed through Ashland and saw the Aero Space Museum, the Wildlife Safari and Mahoney State Park – I was traveling in the right direction. The two-lane roads were clogged at intervals with semi-trucks exiting the harvested fields - loaded to the brim with corn. Farm machinery slowed the traffic on the rolling hills, but it was a most pleasant drive during a beautiful season here in Nebraska. I arrived in Nebraska City a little before lunch and met up with Sue and Jane at a marvelous shop and restaurant in the downtown area – The Keeping Room. The business and restaurant are housed in a two-story historic downtown building. It’s a really cool space. The gifts and products offered in the shop are unique and fun. The food is delicious. I had a haddock salad croissant, and it was delicious! The owner of the business had caught the haddock herself – so that was a fun little fact! So glad she would share! Randy would have loved it. It was so fun to see Jane and Sue – our friendship is one where you pick up right where you left off. We spent time getting caught up on the last few years and talking about all the great times we had together. We talked about what we missed from our jobs. Sue and I talked about adjusting to widowhood and losing our biggest fans… it had been two years since Jim had died and over 16 years since Randy had passed. Lunch finished, we headed for the Lied Conference Center. The newly hired Keep America Beautiful President, Jenny Lawson was scheduled to present her vision for KAB and the affiliate organizations. I didn’t really care if I sat in on the presentation or not but, because Jane and Sue were so interested, I decided I should make an effort. I have to admit, I was a little confused. Since, I’ve been retired, things have happened with the National organization – it took me a while to get caught up. At the end of the presentation, she asked if there were any questions… no one raised their hands… I had a shit ton of questions. I remained quiet and sat on my hands. I kept reminding myself I’m retired. After Jenny was done with her bit, Sue, Jane and I went to see if we could check in. My room was ready, but Sue and Jane’s room wasn’t. We decided to change in my room and go for a walk on the grounds. The place has amazing walking trails, and we were looking forward to stretching our legs. We met in the lobby and ended up talking to a few affiliates – eventually we found our way outside… we oooooed and aaaaaed at how the trees had grown and we reminisced about the times we spent on the veranda – sipping adult beverages and meeting with old associates. Peaking over the high stone edge, I spotted a fire pit that had been placed in what had formerly been a grassy area… Oooo let’s go down there! So, single file, using the hand railing, three little old ladies moved slowly down the massive steps, three abreast we walked the short distance on the wide sidewalk to the firepit. It was about a hundred steps – maybe not that far. Our hike was off to a great start – couldn’t wait to see the total on my Fitbit! This fire pit area was new. This outside fire feature consisted of a large concrete circle with a stone wall around the edge of the circle. There were openings in the circle where the sidewalks entered from different directions… many paths led to the fire feature. A single young woman was seated at the far side of the circle – in one of the largest and heaviest Adirondack chairs I had ever seen or tried to scooch over just a bit…uh – not budging. That’s alright I faced the sun. The firepit wasn’t a firepit after all – it was a massive and might I add, well-constructed raised stone fireplace. We three ignored the young woman and continued our chatting and hysterical laughing. Even chatting about the trials and tribulations of running a national non-profit organization during a pandemic. We three had been associated with KAB for decades. We had been true devotees to the organization and were dedicated to the success of the national organization and to the affiliates. We talked about what was important in our day and what should be important now. We talked about the challenges, and we talked about what Jenny had said to the affiliates during her presentation. We may have retired but we still very much care about our shared environment and making our communities cleaner, healthier and more beautiful. Before we knew it, hours had passed, and we needed to get ready for the awards dinner. Our big hike was in the 190-210 step range; however, we did have to walk back up the stairs so that was kind of a big deal… And - yes, we were invited to the dinner, but it felt like we were crashing it. The awards highlighted some very special projects that had been completed in the last year here in Nebraska. Projects that beautified our communities, increased recycling and helped manage our wastes in best possible practices. The awards also highlighted how difficult it had been for some affiliates to maintain the Presidential Circle Award Criteria during the Pandemic. I was proud that Keep Fremont Beautiful was one of two Nebraska Affiliates to manage that level of achievement during a trying time. I had overseen the Keep Fremont Beautiful program for 32 years… it was my baby. I’m glad that my baby is in good hands and is still thriving. Casey and Alicia are doing an amazing job and I felt fortunate to be sitting in the audience as they received the award. The evening finished off with more talking in the lounge at the lodge. The new CEO of KAB sat down next to me, giving me a ring side seat to a less formal discussion of recent struggles and plans for improving the National Organization and relationships with the affiliates. It’s kind of funny – but over the years I’ve had any number of ring side seats to these types of discussions. One thing is for sure… change. Shit happens and things change. More change is in the making and all any of us can do is hang on and adapt to the changes that have been thrust upon us. Luckily for Keep America Beautiful, and our shared environment, they have hired a most qualified person to lead the organization. I truly am grateful that I had an opportunity to meet with Jenny and get to know her and learn more about her vision for KAB. I am grateful that I had such a fulfilling career – I truly enjoyed my job at KFB. I am also grateful that Sue, Jane and I were able to clear our schedules and have some quality time to get caught up at one of our favorite places in the whole world. After a late breakfast the next morning, I took off for home. I traveled the familiar route and thought of Randy once again. It was another clear day and Nebraska showed off its lovely fall colors. He would have enjoyed the drive… he would have enjoyed visiting with Sue and Jane, but he would have enjoyed spending time with Ramie in Nebraska City the most. He and Ramie would go to the conferences with me, and they would keep themselves busy while I was in meetings. The memories of them in the swimming pool came to mind. The memories of eating together in the dining room came as well… visiting John Brown’s Cave, going to the movies, visiting Arbor Day Farm and Arbor Lodge all came pouring back – just like that old Facebook memory of Sue, Jane and I… it was comforting to think about those precious moments we shared in Nebraska City. Thanks to my old friends for our time together… Thanks for the best memories… Thanks for the NEW memories.... |
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