Hope youse had a Merry Christmas! Remember, this is just the beginning, if you play your cards right (1). Boxing Day has its own traditions, like me writing this Christmas letter.
Congratulations to you boomers out there who caught that reference in the title to Zager & Evans’ ’69 hit (2). Listening to those apocalyptic 60s songs – e.g. also Eve of Destruction (3), Time has Come Today (4), The End (5), A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (6), Bad Moon Risin’ (7), Wooden Ships (8), even What’s Goin’ On? (9) – now over half a century on, offers a certain reassurance, even comfort. Like R Crumb’s Mr. Natural said:
What songs will they be writing about these times? You can bet they’ll be no match for those our generation cranked out.
But what about this year almost past? Just like last year, we started by cheering our Wolverines on to victory. This time the victim was Alabama, and the defeat compelled their legendary coach Nick Saban to retire. We were there in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, with our friends Mark and Shellie, Mark a dorm mate of mine, where we came from the dinkiest towns of all. Tampa is near Madeira Beach, our preferred Florida hangout. Milton buried our usual house, but we found a spot down the beach, and the views were similar.
We got back in time for the Spei family Christmas celebration. This brood, from my biological father, congregates long after Christmas has passed to allow folks to celebrate individually with their families before coming together.
My dad passed to all his kids that they should approach each meal as if it were their last, and his spawn honors that legacy by cooking up a storm. I’ve finally learned the men’s dress code: flannel shirt – unbuttoned – with a plastic fork in the front pocket, ready to stab whatever goodie might present itself. Some prepare foodie gifts for distribution. From us this year was shallot paste, a handy item to have in the kitchen.
Then, January in Michigan wasn’t cold enough for us so we pushed off to Iceland. The Northern Lights were the main attraction and we were not disappointed. Since Iceland basically sits on a bed of lava, the geothermals are spectacular too, some shooting into the air and others heating many soaking pools. For more about Iceland, see (10).
Have we made contact?
On the date of the Michigan State game, Kathy delivered a talk to Aero200 as put on by her aerospace engineering department. She’d go on to deliver 5 more talks this year, three within the U and 3 in the community. Her NASA background, continuing interest in space travel, and spellbinding style make for a great show.
March found Kathy on the road. She gave a talk in Brighton and back to AA the next week for our Christian School. These would take form as a talk based on her books followed by sales of those books. This model seemed to work, as she’d end up making 10 more stops (some twice): Vicksburg, Saline, Pinckney, Brighton, Manchester, Caledonia, Indianapolis. The mid-March trip to the ‘burg, to address “Family Literacy Night” would be our first of 4 visits there this year. She addressed assemblies at all 3 elementary schools and then held forth at the evening’s book bazaar. Her hostess, head librarian Kristen Shook, is daughter-in-law to Joe, my dear friend and classmate who died young in a car crash.
April would mark our second ‘burg venture, but only after a quick trip to Chicago to see the Joffrey Ballet with the Chicago Symphony, a treat for my onetime ballerina sweetie. The pull to the ‘burg this time was mine, to participate in the SW Michigan Tournament of Writers (TOW). When my first entry won a prize last year (11), I figured I was on a roll. Not so, although all entries go into a book they publish and sell on Amazon (12). One problem with visiting the ‘burg is a lack of local lodging. Lotsa motels in Kalamazoo, 15 miles north, but that’s a lot of driving.
But, setting the dials for “Schoolcraft”, the town on Vicksburg’s east border, I stumbled on an AirBnb right on Barton Lake, the 200-acre lake SE of town where I’d lived from 8th grade through high school. The two-bedroom house might have been a little big for us, but oh the location. We’d end up staying there again for our October trip. That’s a sunrise you’re seeing.
We hung around after the Thursday event as Saturday would see rededication of Ed Knapp Memorial Field where the baseball Bulldogs would host a tournament. Mr. Knapp, who was my 8th grade basketball coach and an all-around great guy, died last year. The frigid morning did not raise enthusiasm for a baseball game, set to start later that afternoon. So we went and secured a couple chairs in front of Heather’s coffee shop to watch the parade go by. We weren’t expecting one, but this Saturday was opening day for all the kids’ teams in the area. The parade was mainly flatbeds and pickups, each with a different team of kids waving to the crowd lining Prairie Street. We sure didn’t expect what happened next. From a truckful of kids came a little voice shouting “Auntie KC”!” Others joined, and soon there was a chorus of recognition. It was the Sunset Lake Elementary team, where 5 weeks ago she had read to them from her books. “Auntie KC” is her pen name, and now we know she’s a rock star in Vicksburg!
With May came graduation season as those homeschooled California kids showed what they could do. Aislin, then 19, was set to graduate cum laude from Vanderbilt. That drive to Nashville and back was punctuated by stops to see Kathy’s Uncle Chuck in Cincinnati, Mark and Shellie Garman in Louisville, and June (our late friend Sam’s widow) who came over from Loudon to spend time with us in a cabin in Maryville.
With June came Orion’s turn. His time as a banana slug (UC Santa Cruz) ran into COVID followed by local rents that turned him into a commuter student, taking the 40-minute drive from Pescadaro each day whenever he had to be on campus. But it worked out. He found a concentration he liked (geology), a girlfriend who can fix his cars, and – in the campus – an appreciative performance space for his ukelele recitals. He wants to be a “Geotech consultant”, with duties which include localizing and timing the next earthquakes.
As June waned, it was time for the ‘burg again. This time it was a party for Kathy and a number of other mature attractive women whom Linda Hoard had photographed as part of her “40 over 40” project (13). She’s been at this a while but is not finished. A glossy magazine is to follow. I bought Kathy’s shoot as a birthday present 2 years ago (14). I pondered mentioning that so much beauty in one place in the ‘burg is unusual, but held my tongue. Linda had just moved her studio from Portage to Main Street in Vicksburg. Her only misstep was assuming her beauties would be big-time eaters of her hors d’ouvres, which didn’t happen. We closed out the month with an over-and-back train hop to Chicago to see Asleep at the Wheel. Big Ray Benson delivered as always. We had always competed for height, but now go for waist size and beard length. So far, I’m not winning that one on either front. Good.
Maybe that hop switched on the band chasing mode, as a week after the 4th, we were off to San Jose, thence to Petaluma, home of my Barnes buddy Dave and close to Saturday’s destination. We stayed at the Metro, a French inspired hotel right downtown. The place is compact, but they have a shiny way of making extra room. Friday in Petaluma means the “Safety Meeting” in the back room of Maselli’s hardware; at these meetings, which start promptly at 5:15 PM, Dave and like-minded locals hold forth on the issues of the day while consuming various nutrients and intoxicants. Hop Monk of Novato was just 20 minutes south on 101, and it was there on Saturday that Bill Kirchen drew the boys together, now known as “Commander Cody’s Lost Planet Airmen”. The ol’ Commander ascended to the outer ozone 4 Septembers ago, but 6 of the remaining 7 Airmen are still alive, and 5 get together and play several times a year. They even cut a new record 2 years ago (15). They were excellent, as always, and it was good to drag Dave there to see them. Kathy even sold a few books to Kirchen’s wife, Louise. Hey, she’s a grandma too!
The rest of July was quiet until August burst forth with our last graduation party. This time, my eldest’s brother’s youngest son’s older son Trey was graduating high school. Trey, who’s almost my size, greeted us in his Davenport University sweatshirt. This Grand Rapids institution has been around since 1866, under various names. In the early 40s, it was “Heaney Business School”, and my dad went there before signing on with Fisher Body. Trey and his mom liked the connection. I offered up several of the suits and sport coats I no longer use, as someday Trey will want to dress for success, too.
You can start to smell football in early August around here, even though the first game isn’t till the end of the month. This is helped along if you’re a member of the UofM Club of Ann Arbor, an organization I like to call the “geriatric advisory council to the athletic department”. Our kickoff luncheon is whenever the football head coach can break away from practice. Each luncheon, except the first, features two coaches or equivalents. The basketball and football coaches have their own handlers for scheduling. The rest are from the “Olympic sports” (formerly; “non-revenue”), and guess who’s responsible for rounding them up? Kathy’s been doing this for 3 years and sometimes reaches for non-coaches. One who turned out to be a big hit and ended up returning the favor: Michigan Marching Band director John Pasquale. He got to know Kathy and at an innocent dinner in May, he invited her to serve as guess conductor for an upcoming football game. That became the first game of the season, August 30 against the New Mexico Lobos. She’d be conducting the National Anthem. Those last 2 weeks of the month included a lot of intense time in Revelli Hall. Come gameday, she was more than ready. She got to know the drum major, Miguel Retto, well, as they’d be working closely together. We walked out the tunnel (with far less fanfare that the band would later see), circumvented the sidelines dodging football families and other hangers on and she mounted that 10-foot ladder. That ascent had her worried, as she said, “if I fall off that thing, I’ll be on Sports Center forever”. But she scrambled up, raised her arms, and her cue to Miguel, brought them down to start the anthem. Not all guest conductors get the beat, and sometimes the band has to rely on assistant conductors spread either side. But dancer Kathy has rhythm in her bones, and afterward everybody said he’d done a terrific job. She even managed to co-ordinate with the Air Force. Just as she was raising her arms for “land of the free…”, five T-34 Mentors flew over, trailing smoke. She never saw it, asking me in the 1st quarter if she’d missed the flyover.
September saw a bunch of local events, mostly related to Kathy’s books or talks. If you wondered what I was doing, check out October’s events. I’d taken on two reunions to organize: dorm mates with whom I’d shared space in West Quad Chicago House ’70-2 and my Vicksburg High class of 70’s 55th reunion. Here’s the gang for Chicago House.
As organizer, I took the liberty of moving the 55th VHS reunion from the summer to the fall. Not all cared for the change, and some said they’d have to leave the celebration early as it was getting dark. Here see a random shot of the gathering.
In mid-November, an invitation to read at a school in Caledonia turned into an excuse for a Grand Rapids trip. We squeezed in a dinner with my first friend Chuckie and wife Mary Jo and another with my two sisters (Mom’s side) Jolene GR resident and Di from Lansing. Chuckie pursued a career as a patents and copyrights lawyer, which has been a great help as I try to get my Commander Cody book published.
Next week was a big road trip to Indianapolis and back, Kathy’s first out-of-state gig!
Since then, it’s been surprisingly quiet. The Ohio State game was in there, but not a source of joy this year. Of course, we’ve been following the coaching drama. As I type this, word is Kyle Willingham is the guy. As the playoffs approached, we thought we might have a dog in the fight, after all. My mom’s brother settled in Arlington and had 10 kids. Several went to James Madison, and some still live in Harrisonburg. Their mascot, Duke, is a bulldog! So bulldogs from a ‘burg sure sound like my teen years! They drew the Oregon Ducks first round. Kathy and I demonstrated what the Dukes should do to the Ducks.
Alas, no, but Kathy does love her new purple t-shirt! Should talk of her books have your interest piqued, check out “Auntie KC’s” (her pen name) web page (16).
Here’s our wishes for a fine, prosperous, and healthy New Year!
Bob & Kathy
References
1. Ike B. Party on. YouTube https://theviewfromharbal.com/2023/12/23/party-on/
2. Dumišić S. Zager & Evans – In the Year 2525. YouTube https://youtu.be/zKQfxi8V5FA?si=i2xKlIgDVagCTr7z
3. John1948OneB. Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction (Hullabaloo – Sep 20, 1965). YouTube https://youtu.be/RdARD9Qi8w0?si=rwCg6WG0AvnWnfYj
4. jawright3030. Time Has Come Today (Chambers Brothers-Long Version) with no cuts to song. YouTube https://youtu.be/_zfgoJzOCgg?si=ro6Ai0HdVNoNOEjV
5. Shinobi Tobi. The Doors The End. YouTube https://youtu.be/ZeMlQEWEg2Q?si=sMemCyo3wbQtrmbu
6. Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (official audio). YouTube https://youtu.be/T5al0HmR4to?si=R8cIluo1HsVAOH_M
7. Creedence Clearwater Revival. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising (Official Lyric Video). YouTube https://youtu.be/zUQiUFZ5RDw?si=QGJno-2w-2bmMKL2
8. Wolfgang’s Classic Rock. Jefferson Airplane – Wooden Ships – 2/4/1970 – Wally Heider Studios. YouTube https://youtu.be/bp7yB0JCn_I?si=TNpR1Wolf64zCb89
9. SuperWhoopass. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On? YouTube https://youtu.be/H-kA3UtBj4M?si=5sR13XEYflkjrNAq
10. Ike B. Land of Ice. WordPress 2/12/25. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2025/02/12/land-of-ice/
11. Ike B. Speilberg ’70? 4 ‘burg boys go to the moon, 8 mm style. In: Vicksburg Cultural Center. Small Town Anthology X: Southwest Michigan’s Tournament of Writers 2024, pp76-81. Published 4/8/2024. https://a.co/d/dwPfFxf. Text of entry is in blog: https://wp.me/pbBaof-1xF
12. Ike B. Head in Tree Town, Heart in the ‘burg. Vicksburg Arts. Tournament of Writers 2025: Adult Edition:11th Annual Edition. pp123-32. 4/25/25 https://a.co/d/cAqp03p Text of entry is in blog https://theviewfromharbal.com/2025/12/27/head-in-tree-town-heart-in-the-burg/
13. Linda Hoard Photography. Capturing the Beauty and Strength of Women Over 40: An Empowering Photoshoot Experience. https://www.lindahoardphotography.com/40over40
14. Ike B. glamour. WordPress 11/17/22. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2022/11/17/glamour/
15. Lost Planet Airmen. Back from the Ozone. The Last Music Company, 10/27/23. https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0CD27QN5Z?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_ol0KxV8Fhe7ukSKcpaQ2X2CI1
16. Auntie KC | Home of Skyer’s space adventures. https://auntiekc3569.live-website.com
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