New Refrigerator

Well ... after 37 years, we decided to buy a new refrigerator.  The old one was purchased in 1974 and has been true blue and loyal.  Yes, I still have the original owner's manual and bill of sale.  Come to think of it, I've had this baby longer than I've had Helen.

Over the decades, it gathered some colorful refrigerator art ... including some interesting poetry.

Goodbye old friend.  Thank you for your service.

The new refrigerator (just like this blog post) isn't really very exciting. 

But it does have a functioning ice maker and multiple inside lights that actually work.

Geesh ... what next?  A new stove?  

No, not a chance.

Samantha and Jake visit

On their way to see the Springfield Crows ... Jake and Samantha stopped by last Friday for a quickie visit.  

We celebrated.

Jorge - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Jorge, who is doing a summer internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City,

invited us to join him for Intern Family Day last Friday.   We were welcomed by President Thomas M. Hoenig, got to see Jorge's office

as well as the Executive Floor and Board Room.

We also enjoyed an interesting tour of the bank which included the Money Museum and a glimpse of the cash vault where robotic fork lifts (Huey, Dewey and Louie) move millions of dollars around every day.

It was a blast!  Thanks Jorge, for inviting us.

Next stop for him ... New York City.

Jonas returns to Germany

After almost 11 months with us, Jonas returned to Germany last Wednesday.  We will miss him.  

He dove into Kansas with gusto.  Upon his arrival, he couldn't wait to buy cowboy boots, some Levi's and a giant cowboy hat.

Everything he did, he did with enthusiasm.  His generous heart, infectious smile, and unfailing optimism made friends instantly.  He balanced life here in the most graceful and beautiful way ... maybe aptly shown by this Jonas creation given to us before he left.

One of his good buddies, Jake, and I took him to the airport Wednesday morning.  

In typical Jonas style, he made a fun moment by taking his longboard for a little ride through the airport.

You can stay in touch with Jonas by following his adventures on Jonas' Blog.  Thank you Jonas for sharing a part of your life with us.  We are better for it.

See you later.

4th of July weekend

Our 4th of July started on the 1st.  Some neighbors organized the Potwin Place Porch and Patio Cocktail Taster Party.  It's a progressive dinner without the dinner.  We visited 6 porches and I sampled Infused Vodka, Martinis, Gin Cocktails, Sangria, Summer Brew, Margaritas, Long Beach Iced Tea and Limoncellos.  Helen drank water.  Even so, at the end of the night who was getting in the pool with her clothes on?

On Saturday the 2nd we played Bocce Ball ...

attended the neighborhood rock concert (courtesy of 4th and Inches) and enjoyed the evening outdoor movie.

Sunday the 3rd saw the revival of Potwin Plays Golf.  In Tom Woltkamp's honor, all participants received some sort of "hardware."  Here is a team proudly displaying their women's tennis medals ...

and another team wearing their baseball medals.

Hardware was everywhere.  It was fun.  People smiled. 

Sunday night was Jonas' goodbye party.  Also known as the "See You Later" party, Nancy stopped by for a hug ...

as did a whole bunch (maybe 35) of his friends. 

For more about Jonas' adventures, see Jonas' Blog.

At the same time, the Potwin street dance was a block away.  The band played as ice cream was served.

And, Annie and Kenton, who were traveling from New Hampshire to California, showed up for the 4th.

How cool is that?!

The 4th was a blur.  First was the Potwin parade.  It included Jake, Jonas, Elisabeth and Tommy.

It also included kids on bikes ...

Sheriff's Deputies on horses ...

and odd-ball vehicles.

Lunchtime inspired Helen's fruit plate creation ...

to contribute to Dan and Joni's pool and grillin' party ...

followed by an old fashion ice cream churning party in Westboro.  Then home to prepare for our back yard Potwin pot luck dinner.

We got to see good friends 

terrific neighbors

and visitors from around the world.

As evening fell, Jonas and his buddies headed to the Spirit of Kansas Fireworks at Lake Shawnee ...

and then home for some late night explosions of their own on 3rd Street.  

My 7 AM Tuesday morning firm meeting came very early.

Happy 4th to all.

Windows to the Soul

Last weekend Helen helped host a fund raiser for our neighborhood church.  Although we are not members, we appreciate all they do for our community.  From hosting Potwin HOA meetings to hosting AA meetings ... they are terrific neighbors.  So, when they needed help raising money to restore their stained glass windows, Helen stepped up.

Stained and leaded glass needs to be restored every 75 years or so.  The lead breaks down and the weight of the glass can cause the window to buckle or in some instances, completely collapse.  Unfortunately, the restoration process is expensive.  In this case, the Potwin Presbyterian Church has 38 windows that need restoration.  In the spirit of putting our money where our mouth is, we bought a window restoration.  Here is Helen with "our" window.

Good job Helen.  

The Church, the neighborhood and art lovers everywhere appreciate your efforts.

Mother's Birthday, Robins' Birthday, Father's Day

On June 13th, Mother turned 86 years old.  A few of us got together for dinner and hugs.  We love you Mother.

Several weeks ago Mr. and Mrs. Robin built a fancy nest on a downspout a mere 3 feet outside the Crow Family Room window. We've been watching the diligent parents sit on the eggs.

Presto ... babies are born.  Mom and Dad scurry around gathering bugs and worms. 

The babies grow super fast and now ... they are gone.  The nest is empty.  No more Robins at the Crow house.

Last weekend was Father's Day weekend.  Helen's work schedule was slammed so Jonas and I joined the Gs who were hanging out with SACII & Cheryl at their wonderful vacation condo on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri.  The condo is super comfortable and the view from their deck is wonderful.

Donna, Anthony and Andy joined the fun too.

We toured Branson Landing, enjoyed a fancy dinner 

and breathtaking views on an excursion train,

shot some Zombies at The Castle of Chaos, rode go-carts (I'm the blur in front ... that's SACII behind me in the Hawaiian print shirt),

got Jonas a real Banana Split,

spent part of Father's Day on a boat

and got to spend some fun time with people we love.

Happy Mother's Birthday, Happy Robin's Birthday and Happy Father's Day.

Helen serves me ... and 9 others

Tonight Helen volunteered to serve as a celebrity waitress at Via's Pizza and donate all of her tips to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Topeka.   Not willing to miss the opportunity to be waited on by Helen, I gathered family and friends to witness the event.

Everybody had a blast!

Unfortunately, we found big ugly flies in all of our drinks ... food, too.

Even so, it was great having Helen wait on me.

Helen did a really good job, too.

We tipped her very (very) well.