Stop 11 - Jim and JoAnne

 I am now at the home of a man I've known for about 57 years. We can hardly believe it. Jim and his wife JoAnne live in Cincinatti. We met him when he was a teen in Bible Quizzing. We also went to the same college.

We've mostly been visiting, but Jim and I took a 2.5 mile walk through his neighborhood. There is a nice view across the golf course.

One of the fun things about urban neighborhoods are pocket parks. This is a tiny one we passed.

Tomorrow I will move again.

Total miles hiked in 2024: 61.7 of which 1.2 is North Country Trail.

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One Half Cake, One Whole Birthday

 
Omer turned 80 today. Yeah, it's pretty difficult to imagine. He asked for one thing. This used to be the every-birthday tradition, but I'll bet we haven't had this since 1989. He wanted German chocolate cake. This cake used more sugar than I've used in total in the past six months. Wowser! I frosted half and froze the other half. It HAS to be three layers, so here you go, half a cake.



Did it turn out? Yup. This will last us several days. We've cut down on the sugar so much that I almost didn't like it. Almost.



The best part of the whole day was that the Impossibles (remember them- see link below for a reminder) had set it up with me to surprise Om with a Zoom party. Attendance was 100%. Om and me.



Ron



Jim



Chris



Ellen



I did a really good job of getting screen captures when people were looking down. I'm sure they just look like a bunch of older people to you, but I still see us all like this.



These four people have come to mean a lot to me over the years.

In other news: Well, this took nearly all day, but I did finish the data book for the hike, and got the lawnmower going, and got my Christmas gift air compressor fired up and the tires on the lawnmower filled. Tomorrow I should be able to mow!

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Impossibles 2

 
The second day of our reunion was equally as good as the first. Ron's wife Shirley had to head out early, but we got everyone else and spouses in the picture.



We decided to try an activity that was just plain fun-- Duckpin Bowling.



This was supposedly invented in the East in the early 1900s, but I'd never heard of it. The pins are short and are set up by strings or wires fastened to the top.



The ball is about the size of an oversize softball and is made of wood (no holes). You get three rolls instead of two as in regular bowling.



Sometimes you do really well.



Sometimes, not so much.

Had to do more singing.



And there had to be a picture with just the team and the coach.



Special day. Lots more sharing and prayers.

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50 Years of Impossibilites!

 
50 years ago this summer, Omer coached the World Champion Bible Quiz Team. The name of the team was The Impossibles! We are having a 50 year reunion (how did 50 years happen?). Here's how the group looked back then. Let me be clear, I was not part of the quiz team. This was four high school kids. Om and I were in college. He was the coach. I was pretty much just along for the ride.



I promise to get better pictures tomorrow. We were starting to get tired when I took these, but wanted to get some from this first day. The "kids" are not all that much younger than we are! (Spouses to be included in tomorrow's pictures)

Ron was a senior.



Jim was a junior.



Chris a sophomore.



And Ellen was the baby freshman.



As you can see, the first thing we did (after eating together) was to pull out the guitar and sing. We actually remembered most of the words of the songs that meant (still do) so much to us. Lots of reminiscing and funny and life-lesson stories followed. I'm sure there will be more of the same. Very special times and people.

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