The Hollow Men » Family

So, uh, what’s we doin’ tonight, boys?

Pete — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:51:36 +0000

Just dreaming out loud here for a moment. There has been far too much time between visits and get togethers over the past couple of years. Understandable, of course. I am wondering what holiday plans might look like and if we dare dream up a kid-a-palooza event for somewhere down the road. There are too many great kiddos out there now with no real knowledge of the others. Perhaps we could plan something for next summer. i know a place in the mountains that may have enough space and may be cost-effective…just sayin’

“It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all…”

Ned — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:12:32 +0000

She was defiantly independent, unbelievably loyal, tender with our kids, and territorial. She was living proof that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, as she got smarter and smarter the longer she lived, learning to communicate what she wanted more and more efficiently. She hated getting wet. She protected Eliot and Sara from a raging pitbull, and I slept sitting up with her when she couldn’t lie down from the pain of the injuries she had sustained in the fight. When I came home from the vet after learning that she had advanced lymphoma, my family was gone and she licked the tears from my face. The night before last, she couldn’t climb the stairs to go out at night to go to the bathroom, and I carried her up. Later that night, I found she had climbed the stairs to my bedroom to be beside me during a storm. She was a fighter and stubborn, and one of my best friends. Dogs are a marvel. And I miss her very much.

Agnes September 1999 – July 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Shotts — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:14:51 +0000

I hope you all have a great one. Sorry you’re not all arriving up here in the cold and snow this evening for a night of Asian food before we have the usual feast on Thanksgiving Day. Tradition looms large in memory.

Video on Education

Ned — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:14:48 +0000

“Eliot Calls Our Bluff”

Ned — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:13:11 +0000

For an amusing diversion, check out this link, provided I did it correct this time.

Adam Rex’s Blog

Thanksgiving

Shotts — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:35:44 +0000

Oh the long tradition. Much regret we are not gathering together. Many good wishes and gratitude to all of you on this Thanksgiving. A lot to be thankful for this year. A raised glass to you.

Baby Double Weekend

Pete — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:05:15 +0000

Yes, indeed, we might well have been the luckiest of all our friends this weekend.

We got a first hand Beckett sighting and Clara sighting as well. Bouncing baby Beckett, a bundle of beautiful babbling, was quite the sight. We are grateful to the Shotts-Aspengrens for hosting us and only wish we would have had more time to visit, but alas, we had a wedding to get to. On the way home we got to see Tobandsteph with Clara. Also wonderful, and thanks, to you, too for going out of your way to accomodate our travels and time constraints.

I was reminded of how fortunate we all are this week when I saw a posting on facebook. Apparently, Kori Karstetter (a year or two younger than us, if memory serves correct) was in the midst of her second child birth when they lost their child. To make matters worse, she had a heart attack a short time later and at last check was touch and go. Really brings home how fortunate we all have been.

Thanks so much to you all for sharing your families with us.

Beckett Masen Aspengren Shotts

Shotts — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:38:40 +0000

Thanks to all of you for the messages of good words and congratulations on the arrival of our new son! He is a dozen days old now, and is doing well, gaining his birth weight back and charming us completely. I look forward to introducing him to the Hollow Men. Beckett was born punctually on his due date, August 1, at 11:32 pm. He weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and measured 19 and 3/4 inches.

Jen and I are really happy, and Jen is recovering well after what was a long labor. After the weekend at the hospital, we had a great few days here at home with Beckett and my parents, who were a terrific help. Then we went to the Aspengren lake house for five restful days, to recuperate a bit, bid my parents farewell, watch some Olympics, and get some fresh air off the water. We’re now back at home and happy to be here, the three of us.

38 Weeks Plus

Shotts — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:08:41 +0000

Just a brief update from Minneapolis: The baby is now over 38 weeks, which means we are at full term, and could really go anytime! It’s exciting, as you can imagine, having the bags packed, the car seat installed, and more or less trying to be at the ready. As some of you know, the baby was in breech position for a while, and Jen and I had to try all kinds of things–tilting Jen on an ironing board, playing music, singing, Chinese medicine, seeing a chiropractor….–to try to coax the baby to go head down. Last Thursday, we went in to the hospital, and our OB and another doctor performed an external cephalic version (ECV) to manually move the baby into the correct head down position. It was really uncomfortable for Jen, but she was hugely courageous and strong through the procedure. Everything went so well, and now the baby is in the right position and remaining there, as far as we can know. It was a stressful week, but really joyous in the outcome, and we’re grateful for all the good vibes and energy we have from our friends, family, and our care providers! So it’s not long now, and we continue to appreciate that support from all of you!

Heartbeat

Shotts — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:21:35 +0000

Jen and I had our twelve-week appointment this morning, and everything is looking good and healthy, I’m happy to report. We heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time–a sound I have kept hearing since.We’re very excited, and glad to be beginning the second trimester, and enjoying this time of anticipation and what it means for us.I appreciated talking with each of you earlier this month with the news–your support, your stories. Thank you.

Holidays and End of Year 2007

Shotts — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:09:25 +0000

Happy holidays to all! Be safe, merry, and joyous, and accept good intentions for the New Year and for seeing you all in 2008.

Jen and I will be at her parents’ home for a couple of days over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then will be enjoying some restful days here in Minneapolis. We have a good few inches of snow on the ground, and it’s expected to snow tomorrow an inch or two. So no need for dreaming of a white Christmas in these parts.

OUT STEALING HORSES by Per Petterson is #33 on this week’s New York Times Bestsellers list. Amazing for such an introspective, literary work of translation. Funnily enough the book is just ahead of WAR AND PEACE. So take that, Tolstoy!

Any thoughts on the past year? Predictions for the new one? Anyone care to share some of their favorite books, albums, gallery exhibits, songs, movies, etc. of 2007?

Here’s to what’s ahead…

Holidays

Shotts — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:31:05 +0000

The holidays are upon us. I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving next week, wherever you will be. Jen and I will be in the Pacific Northwest from Tuesday through Sunday. So here’s wishing you a good feast to you and yours, from there.

As it happens, I have a fairly grand holiday break set up for myself this year, due to the fact that my class ends the week of December 10, I’m three days a week at Graywolf, and I have saved up vacation days all year, apparently. I will more or less be off of a regular work schedule from December 13 to January 7.

I’m hoping that might mean I can come to Kansas for a few days somewhere in there–either before Christmas or sometime after. I will certainly be in Minnesota roughly December 23-26 for family gatherings here. I thought I would see when others of you might be around the McPherson area during the holidays, to see if I can match my schedule to yours, as it would be great to see you all, in addition to my parents, grandparents, and extended family.

I need to get my air fare set as soon as possible, so let me know what your plans may be. And of course, it’s always interesting to know what all of you are doing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s…

My Sister Meg had a Girl Named Addison Grace

Ned — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:06:19 +0000

I am an uncle again! I really like the name Mitch and Meg chose for their daughter. They’re going to call her Addie for short. It’s been deader than a tumbleweed in outer space on this blog lately. Let’s get some news up.

Congratulations Beckers!

Ned — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:04:46 +0000

Looking forward to a post with a lot more details, but thanks, Toby, for the call with the announcement! FFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSTTTT!!!!!!

Thirty-Three

Shotts — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:45:19 +0000

I have been contemplating this place and time in life–being 33. It is an interesting but hard to define stage. I have particularly been trying to explore the concept of the Jesus Year, as Jesus was supposedly 33 for the bulk of his ministry, betrayal, and death. The concept is that by the age of 33, you should have done something big–perhaps not have saved us all from sin and hell, mind you, but something large in terms of a contribution. Do we die a metaphorical death in this year? And if so, what is on the other side? What does it mean to contribute something, and something big or important, by this age? I’ve been trying to think through this a bit, and write about it in some way as a project.

What does the Jesus Year hold for you, and what do you make of this idea generally, and in terms of your own lives?

For me, I’m interested in finding larger struggles beyond myself, and maybe that’s ultimately what one can do that lives up to, in part, the example of Jesus. And yet. Here, this year, I’ve been given everything–a good life, companionship, good work, and even a more flexible schedule so that I can teach this fall (something I’ve wanted for a long time) and so that I can write (something I’ve always wanted). Why does this still seem like it falls short? Why are my struggles still primarily with myself? Is this part of the experience of being 33, as a sort of crossroads year? A year in which I know many of my peers are far more successful in terms of what the culture says is successful? Why is it that I still can’t eat right, exercise right, balance my life? Maybe the Jesus Year is the year we are supposed to compare ourselves to Jesus, yes, but really what we do is compare ourselves to everyone else?

But more generally, does this stage of life have any common or universal traits among the culture at large? Are most people already married? already married and divorced? having children? getting higher promotions? running for office? changing jobs? moving? taking up some cause?

I thought you would all be interested in this, seeing as, for a little while longer, at least, we’re all 33, our high school and college classmates are, most of them, 33, and I suspect several of our friends, cousins, and others around us are 33. And we haven’t had a larger question posed lately, so it seems like a good time. Any thoughts?

Protected: manythingsallatonce

J.E. — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:38:43 +0000

Protected: Jerry (Updated)

Liz — Thu, 24 May 2007 02:16:17 +0000

Protected: I’m an Uncle!

J.E. — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:47:03 +0000

Protected: More on the Tiring "Self-centered self" discussion

Ned — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:51:37 +0000