Lindsey’s Birthday at Ajax Café

Our niece Lindsey Narva just had her 25th birthday, and her mom and dad, Sandra and Joel, invited us to join them last Thursday to celebrate at the Ajax Café (left) in Port Hadlock. If you live on the west side of the water (and even if you don’t) you’ve likely heard of this great eatery.









At right Linz is blowing out her candle on the special dessert (how does she get off so easy?). Her mom brought a (literal) shopping bag full of gifts; took Linz an hour to get them all opened. We all enjoyed the dinner and party immensely. Pic below is of the bunch of us, Linzz, Sandra, moi, Kay Lynne and Joel.






As an interesting sidelight, we learned that the building shown above, which houses the Ajax Café, is a true historical landmark in Port Hadlock. When it was built just before the turn of the 20th century, it served as the residence for the town’s namesake, Samuel Hadlock. Amazing what you can learn on this blog.

The Sustaining Elements of Authentic Worship

Our church service this morning put spiritual “gas” in the tank, so to speak, for the upcoming week.

What do I mean?

In a previous life I used to think that one went to church “to try and get something out of it.” Was the music good? Did I “enjoy” it? Was the sermon timely? Did it meet “my” needs?

All the wrong questions to ask, of course, as authentic worship focuses on God, not on “me.”

In our Lutheran venue, worship consists of many liturgical elements that can be grouped in a number of ways. I’ve put them in four sets here: 1) Confession and forgiveness, 2) Listening to God through the Scriptures (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Gospels) and through the sermon, 3) Giving thanks to God with our offerings and with the reciting of the the foundational creeds of our faith, and 4) Partaking in Holy Communion for spiritual strength and sustenance and then, with the benediction, being sent out to serve. Click here for a previous post which amplifies this a bit.

When our worship experience focuses on God, rather than on what we might think we need, the wonderful thing that happens is that our needs are met in ways we could not have anticipated. If you look at the elements of worship mentioned, you’ll see that authentic worship is a kind of “dialog with God” in which we confess our inadequateness to Him and He in turn fills us with what we are lacking.

It just could help explain why the Sunday “pit stop” can make the Monday through Saturday raceway that much more effectual in living out God’s grace through our vocation. Thanks be to God.

Mom Would Have Been 102 Today

If she had lived, my mom, Helen, would have been 102 years old today. Of course that’s only a fanciful wish, as she died an early death from a stroke at age 51.

The photo above, taken in 1934, the year she and my dad, Hugh, were married, shows the two of them in Chicago sitting on the running board of my dad’s relatively new Dodge coupe.

As an interesting sidebar, in this car while they were courting, they were robbed in downtown Chicago by none other than the notorious John Dillinger gang. With a gun pointing through the driver’s window, my dad was forced to turn over his gold watch, and my mom was stripped of her engagement ring during the heist.

Not a great way to get to know someone famous -- er, infamous.

Mom was born in Finland and immigrated to the U.S. through Canada and into Minnesota before she and her sister, Lina, moved to Chicago. There, both sisters met their husbands.

Happy Birthday, mom!

Aubrey Visits Her Cousin "NJ"

Today Kay Lynne and I took our granddaughter Aubrey (7) to Seattle to visit her cousin "NJ". They had a blast. I caught the two of them (above) having fun with Grandma who was standing behind me.

"NJ" loved Aubrey’s longer hair and wanted very much to get a hold of it.

In the afternoon Aubrey entertained her cousin by creating some bubbles for "NJ" to watch.

Grandma and grandpa sure enjoyed the day, and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun as well.

More Fun With Aubrey

Today Grandma and I had fun at a local park with our granddaughter Aubrey who is visiting us for a few days. Aubrey is pictured above getting the swing going pretty good. Click on the photo to see her smile.

Grandma and Aubrey stopped for a photo at the base of the enclosed tube slide. We were careful to see that no one was coming down before we shot.

Following the park stop, we headed down to the marina and walked around the boardwalk. There were lots of boats in their slips and exposed seaweed on the beach, as it was low tide, just like yesterday. Not a whole lot of days left before we’ll have to take Aubrey home. Buddy is going to be sad, as she has been his special pal while here.

Fun With Grandkids

Our seven-year-old granddaughter Aubrey is visiting us for a few days, and today we went to Illahee State Park just north of Bremerton. I think her dad had told her we were not allowed to have any fun, but we did so anyway. :-)

Aubrey is pictured above holding an interesting shell she discovered on the beach at a low, but starting-to-rise tide. That’s Bainbridge Island in the distance behind her. Below I caught another phone pic of her after she had scribed her name in the sandy beach. Of course, it’ll only last until the tide fully comes in later this evening. Tomorrow we may visit yet another of the numerous Washington recreational parks that are nearby and on the water.




And on Wednesday Aubrey gets to go with us to Seattle to spend most of the day with her cousin "NJ" (pictured below with his bib on at dinnertime earlier tonight and after his first haircut yesterday). Nothin’ but fun!

Plus, last Friday we were in Oregon and we got to watch Hayley work on some increasingly difficult ice skating moves at a rink in an adjacent town. I forgot my new camera, but at least I was able to snap her lacing up her skates (below) on my phone cam. Hayley loves to ice skate and seems to be a natural on figure skates. We shall see….

If you can tell me what's more fun than grandkids, I probably would not believe you.

Sharing and Celebrating Birthdays

My granddaughter Aubrey and I share a birthday, and yesterday it was time to party. Above Aubrey is contemplating the delicious, home-made birthday cake.

For our annual party, Aubrey always gets to pick the décor and type of cake. Grandpa is just happy to be there. Both of our birthdays this year contain a 7, and I’m a hair more than ten times older.

That’s the riddle for the day (shoulda made it harder).

Pic above shows Aubs and me blowing out our birthday cake candles. A fun day!

The Audacity of Apostolic Economics

This past Sunday in church we got a lesson in economics unlike one gets at a secular university.

Our associate Pastor, Kent Shane (photo), pointed out that “apostolic economics” (a term used and apparently coined by Dr David Tiede, former president of Luther Seminary and current Bernard M. Christensen Chair professor at Augsburg College) does not involve either “supply side” or Keynesian points of view.

Instead, the term suggests something relatively simple and easy to understand: you must give away what you have in order to gain everything.

What?

Pastor Kent’s sermon focused on our lectionary reading of 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 and reminded us that even as we give away love, our lives become rich in “meaning, purpose and promise.” Following the service, I commented on the term “apostolic economics” and he pointed me to Dr. Tiede’s commentary on these same scriptures.

“God’s distribution of the manna in the wilderness set the standard in Israel that ‘the one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little,’” says Dr. Tiede.

He goes on, “The Gospel of Apostolic Economics is about ‘our Lord Jesus Christ:’ ‘though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor’ (2 Corinthians 8:9). This is the theology of the cross in economic language, leading not to human privilege to possess our wealth, but to Christian freedom to put the well-being of the neighbor ahead of our own interests.”

For me, that’s “the audacity of apostolic economics” stated about as well as it could be expressed. If only we had the audacity to live by it.

U.N. Translator? Or Soccer Fan?

Our son Doug and his wife Jamie and our grandson Nathan went to the Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer game today at Qwest Field.

Little Nathan had his own ear phones (actually sound repressors) because the noise at Qwest can be deafening at times and also can be a bit intimidating to a little guy. Jamie phone texted above photo of Nathan from the game. Notice his Sounders jersey. Too cool.

Kay Lynne thought his intent expression made him look like a United Nations translator. Sure could be. In reality, he was just one of the younger soccer fans in attendance.

Sounders won, 3-nil.

Sequim’s Oak Table Café Opens Kingston Location

If you’ve ever traveled to or through Sequim but haven’t made a stop at the Oak Table Café at the corner of 3rd & Bell, you’ve missed out on one of the great breakfast/lunch experiences available anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. And that is not an overstatement.

Now, however, there’s good news for those of us who don’t live on the Olympic Peninsula. A second location of the Oak Table Café has opened in Kingston in the new (converted) Firehouse on Hwy 104 (top pic). The better news is that all those delicious breakfast (and lunch) delights seem to taste even better closer to home!

And you guessed it – every table top is made out of oak, to enhance their distinctive décor.

My cousin Joel Narva and his wife Sandra first introduced us to the Sequim site several years ago, and so we were anxious to try out the new eatery in Kitsap County. We finally had a chance to do so this week, and it didn’t disappoint. Owners Ross and Nikki McCurdy have succeeded in cloning the ambiance and family-friendly, delicious food presentations here on our side of the Hood Canal.

Stop by when you have a chance; if the friendly atmosphere doesn’t hook you, the food certainly will. They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hayley Leap-Frogs Intermediate Band; Goes Right To The Top

Our Middle-school granddaughter Hayley will play in her school’s Advanced Band in September, without ever spending a day in Intermediate Band class. She’s pictured at left, playing in her year-end Beginning Band concert just over a week ago.

How was she able to accomplish this?

Hayley worked very hard on her clarinet skills over the last few weeks of her sixth grade school year and then voluntarily stayed after school to take 10 consecutive performance tests. She passed with flying colors, and, as a result, she gets to go straight to Advanced Band this Fall as a seventh grader. Usually, it’s only eighth graders who play in the Advanced Band.

Congratulations, Hayley, for a job well done!

What makes all this even more amazing is that Hayley first picked up a clarinet last September at the beginning of the school year, and began lessons then. So, in just nine months she has progressed from a raw rookie in Beginning Band to make it all the way to Advanced Band. Remarkable!

Above, on the same day as her band concert, Hayley also performed in a drama as part of one of her class projects. She’s the one in orange. :-) And thanks, Gregg, for posting the pics where I could get at them.

Hayley Works on Ice Skating Skills

Our middle school granddaughter Hayley is turning into quite the artist on ice. Above she is pictured carefully practicing one of her drills, following her instructor's guidance.

As we may have said before, Hayley is very athletic, and she is rapidly developing some wonderful skills in ice skating. She takes lessons weekly, I believe, in neighboring Sherwood, Oregon.

Keep it up, Hayley. You're looking great!

First Piano Recital for Aubrey

Our almost seven-year-old granddaughter Aubrey performed in her first piano recital last night (above), and from all reports, she was a resounding success.

Aubrey, a first-grader, has been taking piano lessons this year and finally got a chance to show what she’s learned. Her music? “Recital Waltz.” The photo at right shows her introducing her performance piece.

Though we were not able to be at the Recital, we did have a chance earlier in the week to hear Aubrey perform at home. She’s definitely got some of her Grandma’s keyboard touch. Congratulations, Aubrey!

Grandma asked if she planned on continuing piano studies next year. “Probably not,” says Aubs. Maybe the accolades will change her mind.

Exclamation Point Added to Talli’s Outstanding Frosh Track Season

At a Track awards barbeque Tuesday evening, which we were fortunate to attend, our granddaughter, Talli, an Oregon high school freshman, received a VARSITY All-Conference Award in Track and Field – an elite accomplishment for a first year student-athlete.

She made second team All-Conference in the 3,000 meter run. What a wonderful culmination to her initial year in high school! In all, Talli was awarded THREE varsity sports letters for the year, one in Cross Country, one in Swimming, and one in Track and Field. Wow.

Congratulations, Talli, on an absolutely fabulous year, both as a top academic student and as an athlete! But even more as just a fine all-around person.

End of School Nearing for Granddaughters

Last night we enjoyed a High School Band Concert in Oregon. Granddaughter Talli played the trumpet in the freshman Band Year-End Presentation. A good part of the band is shown above; the performance was wonderful.

You can maybe pick out Talli in the top photo by looking at the photo at left (she’s on the far left); in the top photo she’s in the approximate center. In the photo above, two of Talli's childhood friends, Maressa (front) and Jared, are close by. Talli and Jared were born just a week apart, but all three have been friends for almost 15 years.

Following the band performance, (we left a while after the Freshmen had concluded) I was able to catch a softball doubleheader played by Gregg’s church team. They have what looks to be a good, competitive team; they won the first game by the 10-run rule, but unfortunately got a taste of their own medicine in the second game.

Gregg, at age 41, still looks like he can whack the ball, and he certainly did so a couple of times last night. As I look closely at his photo at left, I see some striking resemblances to his father’s batting stance some 35 years ago. But Gregg is a far better hitter and an astoundingly better fielder. Plus, he has one quality I never had: he can pick ‘em up and put ‘em down!

Baseball apparently is in the Koskela DNA. Music may not be. Talli apparently gets some of her musical gifts from her Grandma K. (a Keethler), and I’ve also heard that her Grandpa H. also plays a horn. Tonight we go to three more "year-end" events. More to come.

More Pics From Our Family Weekend

Just about all of these photos were taken this past weekend by our niece Kate Keethler who was kind enough to post them on SnapFish for us, from where I “stole” them. :-)

Some Koskelas at the Mariners - Giants game. Jamie, Nathan & Doug in front.

Hayley, Gregg, Aubrey, Elaine & Talli at Ballard Locks

Talli, Hayley & Aubrey near Ballard Locks. Are they gorgeous, or what?

Danielle, Kate & Rick Keethler at the M's game.

Kate and her friend Cameron (from Utah) at the M's game.

Aubrey gets the shot just right with Elaine's guidance. At the Ballard Locks.

Gregg and Nathan near the Ballard Locks

BFFs Kay Lynne and sister-in-law Danielle at lunch overlooking the Poulsbo harbor.

The Koskela-Keethler girls: Talli, Kate, & Hayley with Aubrey.

Nathan and Aubrey at Chinook's.

Talli and Nathan at Chinook's.

Hayley and Nathan near the Ballard Locks.

Kate at the original Starbuck's near Pike Place.

The Koskela brothers: Gregg & Doug at the Ballard Locks.

Shilshole Marina near Doug & Jamie's home with Bainbridge Island in the distance.

Fabulous Weekend With Extended Family

This past weekend could not have been better for Kay Lynne and me. The Keethlers were here from Chicago, Gregg, Elaine, Talli, Hayley and Aubrey were here from Oregon, and Doug, Jamie and Nathan completed the group on Saturday to watch the M’s lose to the Giants with one bad inning. Plus, it was Nathan’s first Major League baseball game, and he’s pictured above with mom and dad (pic “stolen” from Jamie’s blog). Below is most of the group at the game. All 13 of us were seated in one long row overlooking the left field line. You can see Aubrey, Nathan and Talli at the far left, and that's Jamie, Doug, Hayley and Kate K. continuing from left to right. Only wish the M’s could have won, as they did win the two games in the series that we did not see.

On Sunday we had brunch at Chinook’s at Seattle’s Fisherman’s Terminal where the SeaStar, one of the boats on the popular TV series “Deadliest Catch,” was holding walk-on tours. Gregg took the photo above, so he’s the only one not in it. It was a fabulous weekend!

Our Extended Family Is Getting Together This Weekend, And It Involves Major League Baseball – What Else?

We’re looking forward to a wonderful weekend with our extended family on my wife’s side.

Kay Lynne’s brother Rick and family (wife, Danielle & daughter, Kate) are flying out from Chicago tomorrow to enjoy the Pacific Northwest for a day or two before R & D leave Sunday for a cruise to Alaska. Kate will stay with us till Monday.

Gregg, Elaine, Talli, Hayley and Aubrey will arrive Saturday afternoon from Oregon just in time to join Doug, Jamie and Nathan, the three Keethlers and Kay Lynne and me at the Mariners-Giants game at Safeco Field. The gathering is all due to Kate K’s creative planning and generosity, for which we are all very grateful.

This will be 8-1/2 month-old Nathan’s first Major League Baseball game. That isn’t exactly a bat in his hand in the photo above, but he’s ready for baseball action, nevertheless. It’s never too soon for a kid’s first game. He’s already been to a Major League Soccer game to see the Sounders.

All 12 of us will just enjoy a rare opportunity to be together as an extended family. And the weather looks like it should be perfect all weekend, including for the game. We’re all looking forward to a time of great enjoyment. I’ll maybe have a report early next week.

Nine Seconds From Going To State As A Freshman

Our Frosh granddaughter Talli, in the District meet last Thursday, ran her best 3,000 meters ever, and she ended up just nine seconds short of making it to the State Track meet of Oregon.

As a Freshman.

Above photo shows how close she came to second place, which would have qualified her for the State Meet. Talli's third place time was 11:15, culminating a remarkable track season.

The next day she ran another PR in the 1,500 meters, finishing fifth with a time of 5:14.

Talli has had a fabulous track season and has shown steady, strong improvement throughout the year. Her 3,000 meter race on Thursday was full of drama, as she closed very strong by overtaking two Tualatin girls, one a sophomore and one a senior, who previously had faster times. She is a very determined competitor!

Congratulations, Talli, on an incredible season!

Talli Finishes Regular Varsity Track Season With a Win and a 2nd

Our high school Frosh granddaughter Talli (pictured above in a meet last month nearing the finish line for a win) completed her first varsity track season Tuesday with a win in the 3,000 meters after coming in second in the 1500 just an hour before.

It was a fitting finish for her fabulous season.

Talli ran a winning time of 11:50 in the 3,000, the only freshman in the meet to outright win a varsity distance running event. Her second place time in the 1500 meters was a very fine 5:27.60.

The only thing left now are District and State events, and I do not know yet if Talli will go to either. In any case, she’s had an incredibly great track season. Congrats, Talli, on a superb effort!

There’s An Empty Chair in Our Circle of Friends

Our beloved friend Sharon Petersen (pictured above with husband, Ted, a little over two years ago in Mt. Hermon, CA), left this earth on Wednesday, gaining freedom at last from the devastating effects of a terrible disease.

Our circle of friends has an empty chair, and we grieve her departure.

Sharon was one of the sweetest ladies you could ever meet, and she fought hard in her more than a decade-long battle with breast cancer. In spite of its ravages, she pretty much lived above it until just the last few months.

Kay Lynne and I have been friends with Ted and Sharon for probably more years than we’d like to admit, but they’ve been wonderful years sharing mutual interests, consistently focused on our respective families and rooted in a common faith. We look forward to continuing that bond with Ted.

Sharon’s memorial service will be Tuesday at their church, Twin Cities, in Grass Valley, California.