FROZEN!

On front page of today's paper with headlines:
WINTER'S WRATH
Region sees more snow than in a decade!

So, what do you do on a snowed-in morning while the
brave doctors are seeing patients?

 You do magic tricks..."Abracadabra!"

 Ta-Dah

He's quite good. Of course, he always
says, "Okay, Emmy, close your eyes," before
the magic happens.

You squeeze yourself into your age-3 fire engine,
and make Batman and Iron Man hand signals:

Again...and again...and again...

 You look out the windows and name all the things
that Elsa has frozen overnight.

You let Daisy out for an ever-so-brief 

potty-break.

You adore this sweet baby-boy,
Weston!

You read several silly Seuss stories...

 and say, "Awww..." when we see PapaRob's note
to Caleb seven Christmases ago.
So sweet!

You get out there and PLAY in it!

 And later, you get two little "Woof-Notes"
from Molly...

Sweet girl!

Brrrrrrrrrr

 Another frozen day on the Plains...

But it's spring inside!

Belated Birthday Wish

While cleaning out Rob's study a few weeks ago,

I came across some unused greeting cards.

I brought them home and put them with my stash,

never really looking closely at them.

This morning, I was looking for a card to send a friend,

and I saw this one:

I think it was going

to be my birthday card this year,

January 19, 2015.

When I read the little note enclosed on the back,

I knew it was.

Now, how about that!

"Do not be too timid and squeamish 

about your actions.

All life is an experiment.

The more experiments you make the better.

What if they are a little coarse, 

and you may get your coat soiled or torn?

What if you fail, 

get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice?

Up again;

you shall never be so afraid of a tumble."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Babes' mouths...

In a recent conversation Sawyer and I were having about

PapaRob not being here anymore, he asked me,

"Has PapaRob been cancelled?"

Later when he was struggling to understand 

why we couldn't "see him dead",

he asked,

"Is PapaRob invisible?"

I found it perfectly honest to answer

"Yes"

to both questions.

Sawyer's conclusions seem as good and sweet and true 

as any I could begin to come up with.

Those little wheels are constantly turning, 

and he's missing his PapaRob and trying to make sense 

of his world without him in it.

I cannot begin to wrap my head around 
the reality that Rob is gone.

Sometimes the simplest answers 

are the best.

At least for now...

Maxine's Wisdom on Winter

I'm snowed in again today...a great excuse to stay in

my PJ's and "just piddle" around the apartment.

Thanks to my dear friend, Bella...Bella Rose,

Maxine has provided lots of chuckles 

on this "Shut-In-Day".

ENJOY!

Old Men & the Sea

In honor of Rob's birthday 

and the good ole boys who loved him dearly,

I'm doing a mini-retrospective, representative of the

nearly 30 years of annual retreats they shared.

Let's hear it for the boys!

 Port Aransas

1991

Later that night...

Sidetrip to Jerry's lakehouse, where Rob installs

one of his famous hand-crafted swings.

Back to the seashore - 1992

 (Why didn't one of you guys buy Rob a new shirt?!)

 Who suggested deep-sea fishing?

Side-trip one year to do some cow-poking...

 Deliverance?

City Slickers

And then, some years later...

 Oh, no!  They've grown sedentary,

cerebral, 

 and crotchety!!

 But they've still got it in 'em...

 high rolling

 and good eating!!

 Hang in there, old men (& the sea)...

Roberto would want you to!!

With so much love and gratitude for
your friendship,
Sarah
2/24/15

From Bob:

Dear Lovely Sarah,

The greatest gift you and Robert could have given!  A thousand memories and more!  I will look at this from time to time for the rest of my life and remember when we thought the days together would never end, each time together marking the passage of another year that went by so fast--5 years, 10 years, and now 30 years.  God's presence deeply felt by all of us through the Love we shared!  My sadness of knowing Robert will not be there in the flesh this year will be somewhat softened by the knowledge that the spirit, memory, vision and sound of Robert will be everywhere.  

Thank you Sarah from the bottom of my heart!

Bob

From Jerry:

Dear Sarah,

I just saw your email this evening, and I am speechless!  I just don't know how really to say thank you for such a tribute to the years, tears, and laughter captured in the way you did.  I will treasure this, and look back on it regularly with fondness, nostalgia, and appreciation for real life experiences with the most important male friends in my life.  Thank you Sarah.  Bless you in the next steps of your life.  I love you!

Jerry    

From Tim:

Sarah,  

Three times in the past day I have sat before this computer, viewed the pictures, heard the music and then tried to write... choking with tears I find I am speechless...or is it frozen if one is before a keyboard. Each picture brings back memories of a sacred place, time, season and of Robert being in our midst. We are in for some soul conversation, tears, stories, grief and laughter this next May. Though physically not present, Robert will break into our thoughts as if he is again saying, "well boys, let me say this about that!".

This gathering of pictures of our annual togetherness is a labor of love...thank you! The song truly captures Robert as the man I know and knew...sometimes this...sometimes that...but always a man of love, integrity and authenticity.

I look forward to being with you April 11...celebrating Robert. I continue to feel that nothing I plan to say can capture what I want to say...and what I want to say I cannot weave together from heart to head.  

With Gratitude! By the way, my memory is that Robert was the only one of us that brought a camera.

Tim