Karwoski Life

This past weekend was the annual Cruise to the Woods cruise and car show up near Fort Dodge. I’ve written about the cruise in years past…it is something that Matt and I always looked forward to and enjoyed for many years. Trying to think on it, I’m pretty sure we’ve never missed it since the first year we were dating…aside from the year Matt was in the hospital. I remember sitting beside him in the hospital that year and gazing at the fall colors out the window…wishing we were able to take the TA on the cruise. I know Matt has no memory of that day, and I’m glad. It was difficult for me…knowing the plans he’d had for the car that year and how much he was looking forward to it. It has been a somewhat bittersweet event each year since then. We find ourselves somewhere in the middle between wanting to go and check out the cars as usual and then just missing the TA…and driving it…and all that it represented to us. It may seem weird to be emotional about a car…but undoubtedly we will always...

Wow has fall officially arrived. Today it barely hit 50 and is drizzly and windy. It feels more like late November than the 2nd of October. It’s an unusual cold snap and has us all in the mood for soups and spaghetti and things simmering on the stove all day. In fact I already have plans to make homemade spaghetti tomorrow with tomatoes I froze from my garden this summer! Matt and I have been talking about it this week and how nice it will be to have spaghetti on ‘Football Saturday’. Oh how we love our ‘Football Saturdays’! I’ve come down with a nasty cold and after a couple of busy weeks, we’re really looking forward to a very low key tomorrow!! I can’t wait! Last weekend we traveled out to the Chicago area for a Karwoski family reunion. All of Matt’s aunts, uncles, and cousins were making the trek from here there and everyone to congregate in their old neighborhood. Matt and I thought long and hard about whether or not we’d go, but ultimately couldn’t miss out on the opportunity fo...

Well September 14th came and went without much fanfare. We both had a few moments of ‘oh yeah, it’s the 14th’…but that’s about it. Pretty much the same as last year. I think as the years move on and we get farther and farther away from 2005, the date holds less meaning to us. I also think it’s easier now that we live in our new house…not driving by the old landmarks and living in the old house, it’s easier to not be reminded so much. This past week we did take a drive by our old house, which we do from time to time when we’re in the neighborhood. Matt commented that sometimes he really misses living there…and I do too. It’s hard to put a finger on it, but I think it has less to do with how it was living there after Matt’s hemorrhage and more to do with the memories of our life before. We never knew how good we had it. Sure, we enjoyed our life and tried to live as filled with gratitude as possible…but I think I will always see it a little differently through my new eyes. We had a lot o...

So we had a Minnesota vacation. It has been four years…almost to the day that all of us Karwoski’s drove up to the lake for vacation. The thought crossed my mind that it was very near to the anniversary of Matt’s hemorrhage. That the last time I looked out over that water it was with Matt standing happily by my side. I wondered if the rush of memories would overwhelm me and stifle my usual giddy vacation mind-set. But, we went, we spent the long Labor Day weekend up there, and not once did I feel the pangs of sadness or loss that I thought I might. Matt said he definitely missed certain things; going over to the lodge for ice cream, fishing alone with his Dad, driving the boat, going down to the harbor at night. But none of these things affected his mood during the trip. I think they were more just small sighs...just a few more reminders that things are different…but acceptance quickly follows. We were talking about it just now after supper…about how this year as we approach Septembe...

It’s hard to believe we’re coming up on September already – the summer is winding down, kids are heading back to school…crazy. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks, but full of lots of good times with family and friends. We celebrated Lissa’s birthday back on the 15th with grilled steaks and all the fixin’s including homemade ice cream. It was a beautiful evening (in between showers) and the weather held off perfectly for us to get our grilling going and enjoy some time out on the deck. This past week was the Iowa State Fair – an institution around these parts. I decided to take a day off of work and take Matt through the fair just the 2 of us. Normally we go during the afternoon/evening, so it was fun to go during the day and experience it in a different way. We wandered around checking out all the usual stopping points…the horse barn, the big bull, the freebies in the Varied Industries Building. We, of course, managed to sample some of our favorite yummy fair treats…and also tried some ...

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So I went to visit my parents in Texas last weekend. With everything going on these days, I figured it would be a good chance for me to get away for a few days and enjoy some good old fashioned quality time with my folks. They’ve had their fair share of stresses and worries these past few months as Dad continues to search for his next job. I figured they could use something happy to look forward to…like a visit from…ME! I’m just so glad I went. It had been a long time since I had some time to just sit and talk with both of them…no distractions, no particular agenda, just us being together. It was so great. Mom and Dad live near a town known for their awesome water park, Schlitterbahn. A friend of mine has long wanted to go there herself and would often ask me if we were going to go there when I visit my parents. Just the other week Jenny asked me if I thought we’d go…I sort of laughed it off and said nah…but then it got me thinking…could we? Would we? I asked Mom if she thought they’d...