Pfoderie: BACK TO WORRY-LESS LIVING

LIFE
IS
GOOD
AGAIN

Yes, Donna and I are back from a not so pleasant year of major accidents and health problems. It's not just turned around to a regular good life, it become right out enjoyable. So far one of the great years in health, renovations, visits, sport events and new adventures.

One of the premier news came in April from Switzerland. My brother Toni, and my sister in law Andrea, finally agreed to come and visit us on their vacation here in St Louis. Only for one week, but we take what we can.

Here they are, Toni and Andrea

Of course this was speeding up some of our planned renovation starting with the laundry room, back deck, garage, kitchen, living room and front lawn.

LAUNDRY ROOM

Laundry and house plant nursery

(new sink, shelving and fresh paint)

DECK

I am working to spruce up our back deck

Very comfortable

GARAGE

The preparation is the hard work for painting

My garage really needed on overhaul

This is more like it

Like new

KITCHEN

Removing of the old stove

New oven

New pantry cabinet

Old exhaust system

New exhaust, new door hardware and wall decor

I do like the modern wall decor

LIVING ROOM

I ended up painting the living room too

Taking out the old doors

New sliding glass door with built in Blinds

all this with a brand new carpet

FRONT LAWN

After taking down this 65 foot gumball tree,

(storm damage)

the front lawn was destroyed

After a lot of TLC it's starts looking a lot better

Donna and I enjoyed putting all this projects together and we even managed to be in time before the big arrival from Switzerland. We even found some time for party's, mostly at Ackermann acres.

First outdoor barbeque party in 2014 combined

with Eric's birthday

Daniel is fixing all the great food

Grandma had her hands full all day

Home made fresh berry tart for Eric's special day

Luke decided to play basketball this year and

Donna and I attended all his games of course

Luke and his teammates after a big win!

On April 9th I had to fly to Washington DC to renew my passport at the Swiss embassy. My appointment was at 10:30 am and I had to take the first flight out of St Louis at 6 am, meaning, Donna had to drop me of at the Airport at 4:30 in the morning. Since I lost one hour and a 20 minutes Taxi ride to the embassy I was exactly on time. It took ten minutes to take a photo, give them finger prints and a signature. I payed $160 and at 10:40 local time I was back on the street of Washington. My return flight was booked at 10 pm and I was kind of a loss how to kill 9 hours here. The staff at the embassy were helpful with suggestions and I opted to go to the zoo just about 3 minutes away from the Swiss embassy.

To early in the morning, but still managed a smile when she dropped me of

at the airport

Swiss Embassy in Washington

The reception

Entrance to the Smithsonian National Zoo

Entrance was free and the exhibition was great and very enjoyable but not better than St Louis. I think St Louis has a bigger variety of Exotic animals but here at the Smithsonian the most impressive were the habitats of the Pandas, the huge wildlife of the Elephants and then the greatest attraction was the free roaming of the Orangutan apes. They been able to go over the entire Zoo on 40 foot high cables from tower to tower.

Gigantic housing of the elephants

This the tower the apes can get up and down from there secured home place

A quick glimpse of the Monument on my way back to the airport

I was only on hour at the zoo and I contacted Donna with my progress report and she suggested for me to go to the airport to try to fly home at on earlier flight. Honestly this would have not occurred to me. So I grabbed a Taxi back to the airport and 2 hour later I was boarding to fly home. Donna was happy to pick me up at 5 pm verses 11 pm.

Happy for my early arrival, she drove me to Bar Louie for cocktails and dinner

On May 15th Donna and I took a trip to North Carolina to be part of the Dedication of THE CHUCK PRIEST KITCHEN at the Sandhills Community College.

Chuck is Donna's oldest brother, he passed away in January after a brave battle of cancer. After the ceremony at the college all of Donna's siblings, family and I drove to Myrtle Beach for R and R and distribution of Chuck's ashes on the beach.

As sad and depressing the reason of this Family reunion sounds, we all had a great time, just like Chuck would have liked it.

Known forever as Chuck's Kitchen

Tim,Carol, Ben, Donna, Jane Gary

at the ceremony

Chuck's favorite team UNC -

a Carolina Blue

ceremonial cake for everybody

The Dedication

Cake served by Chuck's wife Becky and his brother Gary

Ben, Miranda and Carol

Great tasting food in Chuck's honor for the whole family and his friend's

Most the food was prepared by Becky and one of her friend's

Stressed but content after the tossing of the ashes

brother Tim and wife Carol

with the back to us is Miranda

A morning stroll at the Beach

Party time in our room

Tim, Carol, Lisa and Tye with Donna up front

Carol, Lisa, Tye and Gary

Gary, Tye Miranda and Ben

and of course Jane

Vicky, Donna's cousin and best friend came by for the day

to reminiscing about all the latest news.

There is two more event I like to share before the awesome visit of Toni and Andrea from Switzerland. Our talented grand kid Jacob was invited together with his marching band to play the national hymn before a Baseball game of the Cardinals against the San Francisco Giants. Naturally this is one event we could not miss.

Good times before the game

Jacobs other grandma Renee, Brian, Donna, Windy and Luke

I was disappointed, that the picture I took of Jacob playing didnt came out. you have to take my word, it was pretty spectacular having your grandson playing down at the playing field.

Finally before my next blog entry of our visitors from Switzerland, on June 15th we drove to Kansas city to attend the wedding of Jeff and Casandra Collier. It is the son of Nancy Collier, a co worker of Donna. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding and afterward we joined a cocktail party with hors d'oeuvre and a sit down dinner.