There are no traffic jams along the extra mile. (Roger Staubach)
I’ve heard it said that the goal of a business is to create customers who create customers. Such was the result of our yummy dinner tonight. Great customer service like the kind we experienced at Ristorante DaVinci during our last night Marco Island is a rare and pretty special thing! After five glorious days of sun, sand, loads of laughter and a few too many drinks this week, the six of us headed out for “the last supper” and decided to indulge in some Italian food.
Celebrating 77 years of marriage between us, Ann and Gerry Hepp, Chris and Rhys Helt, as well as Tom and myself have truly enjoyed our time in Florida.
Tonight’s dinner was the grand finale, mostly because of a beautiful and thoughtful server named Vanessa! Articulate, attentive and professional, Vanessa did not even find Ann’s signature “Meg Ryan” custom menu-ordering style challenging at all. She just smiled and said “no problem!” More than once, this Sarasota native humored Rhys with the fist bump that blows up when things went his way. If you know him, you will understand the joy this brings him.
The food at DaVinci’s was spectacular and the drinks were never empty. As the meal ended, Vanessa brought out some desserts we didn’t order to congratulate us on those 77 years and she posed with us for a picture.
Building a good experience for customers doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because terrific employees like Vanessa go the extra mile! Thanks for being “next level” amazing, Vanessa!! As for the rest of you, if you like good Italian food, check out Ristorante DaVinci the next time you are on Marco Island! You won’t regret it!
My father gave me the greatest gift anyone would give another person, he believed in me. (Jim Valvano)
Quick-witted, intelligent and kind are the words that first come to mind when I think about my brother-in-law, Chris Beck. He’s the husband to my only sibling, my younger sister, Robin, and he’s the dad to my two talented nieces, Maddie and Ellie. Robin and Chris are pictured above.
An Indiana University grad and middle school history teacher, Chris is a tall, lanky and sports-loving guy. A native of the Windy City, Chris is a big Chicago Bears and White Sox fan. He’s the one my dad blames for turning my son, Nick, against the Cubs! Grandpa Jim has definitely lost that young man forever to Uncle Chris’s beloved team from the south side. I’m pretty sure it was that trip to Comiskey when Nick was a little guy that sealed the deal.
He’s a musically gifted person too, and in fact he originally landed at IU to study music. He’s passed his fine arts talent to both of his girls, who excel in the creative and musical arts like their dad. As a father, he is incredibly loving and supportive. He’s funny, well-read guy and he owns a really genuine and contagious laugh. When he smiles, so does the whole room!
Chris is thoughtful and he’s loving, a man of both character and integrity. He genuinely enjoys helping others and it shows in the charitable and generous way he has helped to raise those two incredible girls of his. As a husband, I can’t imagine hoping for a more solid, authentic guy to be a life long partner to my sister, Robin.
His sense of humor and the genuineness that shows in his smile are his defining qualities to me. He’s a top shelf human. He’s also celebrating his birthday today, a date I always remember because it falls on “Scary month, scary day.” I hope your gaggle of gals is celebrating you in a big way today, Chris, because yours is definitely a life worth cheering! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Chris!! We love you. ❤️
Be the kind of woman who knows her identity, walks on holy ground, and that’s also unafraid to be free and silly, because life’s too short to be uptight and figured out. (Unknown)
“She has a joyful countenance.” That is what I said when I was asked by a friend if I knew Valeria Pittsford. The truth is, I wish I knew her a little better. We met as a result of being on the Gospel of Life committee together at our parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Her eyes smile. To me, that’s the impression I was immediately struck with when I first encountered her.
Articulate, thoughtful and filled with the love of Christ— those things are also true of Valeria. She is a wife and mother of two very blessed young people about whom she’s completely crazy! To work for God and for others with Him is what her life seems to be about. I have known her a short time but I respect and admire her for many reasons, chief among them her authenticity and her faithfulness. She is always willing to go out of her way for the benefit of others.
This week, at our monthly GOL meeting, Valeria did something vulnerable and generous, for instance. She shared with some of us a personal struggle. The genuine and loving way she shared her beautiful story and the knowledge she gained that might help some other folks was moving, but her motivation was truly charitable. She was trying to share with others about helpful tools she felt might prove meaningful. When someone like Valeria unselfishly offers themselves like that, admitting to moments of challenge, I find that I am always moved. It’s clear the Holy Spirit works frequently through this beautiful soul!
Today, I just wanted to take a moment to give Valeria a little shout out. She is a woman who to me aims to follow the example of the saints by the way she lives her life, and I find her a joyful and inspiring example of living, breathing faith. THANK YOU VALERIA!
“Follow the saints, because those who follow them will become saints” (Pope St. Clement I)
There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life more beautiful for others. (M. Hale)
Oct. 11– I’m pretty sure she and her husband, Nick, got married at Wrigley Field. These people are a little bit crazy, I’m not going to lie! They are afflicted with a disease when it comes to their Chicago Cubs mania. It’s been a few years since I have seen any member of this family in person, but I seriously doubt this condition has improved. Also, despite the years, they have made a lasting impression and an imprint on my heart. Crystal Bazan is better known to me as “Coach Ball”. She is absolutely THE BEST TEAM MOM that I have ever encountered. That is saying something. I have come into contact with just A LOT of amazing and selfless team parents over these many years with my three boys.
Coach Ball made baseball fun for boys. Period. She sent video clips to parents of their kids performances on the field. She had a smile on her face at all times. Coach Ball loved up all the children and had way too much candy available. I think she spent several years as the Queen Mom of Skiles Test. I’ve never forgotten her because of her over the top selflessness.
Here’s the thing. I’ve watched from a distance. She’s a hard worker, a loan originator if memory serves. I’ve seen her angst as she has said goodbye to loved ones. Her heart? She wears it right on her sleeve. She cheers on her team a little louder and with more passion than regular people. Bella and Dawson? They’ve seen it too. Her children are high-achieving, respectful and first rate. That doesn’t happen by accident. They’ve been loved up and shown the way. We lead by example. As a parent, she’s phenomenal and her kiddos are blessed.
From the cheap seats over here, Crystal “Ball” Bazan is getting a lot of things right. She’s a beautiful woman, inside and out! Today is her birthday, so I thought it was the perfect time to say what I’ve been thinking for a long time. YOU ARE THE REAL DEAL, MRS. BAZAN!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends. (Barbara Bush)
He was raised by a Dutchman who was partnered up with an Irish spit fire. This, I have concluded is the reason why my Uncle Don is an ornery human. Ralph and Pauline (Holladay) Dykhuizen had two children, my uncle Don and my dad, Jim. Don is the older of the two, and I am told he was quite an athlete. Grandma used to share newspaper clippings with me, and she was a story teller too. She was so incredibly proud of her sons. I have no doubt Uncle Don could throw a baseball, among other talents, because his sassy mom made sure her grandchildren knew all about it! His little brother is my Dad. These two guys are both smart-alecky, wise-cracking, and very ornery humans. It seems to be a genetic predisposition.
Don married a pretty fantastic human, Carolyn Surface, and the union endures. They are pictured above with their grandson, Connor. They had two children, Joe and Amy. My sister and I used to travel to New Castle with our parents to watch Joe play football and Amy cheer for the New Castle High School Trojans. I remember their house on Forest Drive, near the school, and the fact that they had a super cool pinball machine in the basement. Joe and his friends were friendly, but smelly, and Amy always had a drawer full of trinkets and trash and a lot of makeup that I thought was pretty much awesome! As for my aunt and uncle, I recall them smiling and laughing a lot. There were many joy-filled Christmas mornings opening presents in that tiny house of Grandma’s on Vinton St. too, where we all wondered what on earth could be inside that package Aunt Helen brought! She never failed to disappoint, am I right? Those are happy memories of times spent together and I cherish them.
When we lost Joe, way too young, to cancer…well…things changed. How could they not? I’m happy to report though that Don Dykhuizen still has his ornery little twinkle in tact. Just last week, in fact, he told me that he had called the Pope in an effort to get my husband Tom declared a saint for putting up with me these past 25 years. That was his “Dykhuizen” way of saying “Happy Anniversary”. It made me laugh. He apparently thinks I’m a stinker. I’ve got news for this guy. It takes one to know one, Uncle Don!
He’s a football, basketball, baseball sort of “old school” guy who even trudged over to Guerin Catholic a few times to watch Nick and Drew play a little football, and we always were thrilled to see him and Aunt Carolyn too. It’s true our family has grown and we have gone in different directions, but our roots are still our roots. He’s a supportive Dad and grandfather who is now having fun watching his own two youngest grandsons, Joe and Jake Strickland, do their thing, and I’d bet there’s not a lot better than that for this passionate lover of sports!
Life can be tough sometimes, but a supportive and fun-loving family is so incredibly important. That’s what I remember when I think of my growing up years around my uncle and all the Dykhuizen clan. Once when I was a kid, my sister and I were playing euchre against Grandpa and Uncle Don. We weren’t very old at the time but Robin and I were trouncing them. They kept looking at each other like, “What the heck is going on here? How are we losing to two little girls?” To teach them a little lesson in humility, Dad had taught us how to send each other signals by the way we held the cards. The signals were so hard to spot because they had been employed, quite illegally, in some professional card tournament which Dad apparently read about. Eventually, we confessed to the trickery, but we still laugh about this silliness years later!!
Here’s the thing I’m overdue to say. Uncle Don has endured through what to me seems unthinkable. I have three sons so I understand better than I did earlier what that loss means. However, he continued to do his day. He walked forward. Sometimes, he was strong and sure, and other times it was more halting and stumbling. But he never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. When I saw him, he still shared his teasing and his sarcasm and gave me a big hug. He may not know it, but as he’s run his race, others around him were watching…and it helped others be brave in their lives.
I still miss Joe too. He was special, and feisty, and a big teddy bear…kind of like his dad. Uncle Don? I’m proud to be your niece and I love you. You are smart and funny and your perseverance through difficulty is inspiring. I’ve made my call to the Vatican as well, though. The real saint is your bride, ha? I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Pope Francis about Aunt Carolyn’s canonization any time now.
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness. (Paul Strand)
Oct. 9– When her daughter, Mia, was in the 8th grade, I noticed Jennifer at the Indianapolis International Airport. She was crouched in the corner of the waiting area, looking a bit sullen. It didn’t take me long to pry from her that while she was trying hard to be present for her daughter’s big field trip to DC that had been long since paid for, her mind was elsewhere in the middle of another place– a place of crisis. Her beautiful heart was revealed to me during those few days, and I have never forgotten. We rarely forget the day we encounter a grace-filled soul.
Into all our lives, God allows some chaos. Maybe it’s all just the result of our free will, or perhaps the mayhem draws us near to Him who made us. I’m not sure I’ll ever figure it out. I do know this, when we trust our cares to the God of love, He reminds us that we are above all things, His children, and we are precious. Jennifer is a woman of faith, and she knows this well. We’ve talked about it over coffee, actually.
The mother of three and grandmother of one very blessed boy named Jack, Jennifer is also a wife to a truly nice man named John. She’s a gifted photographer. So talented is Jennifer that each time I see a photo of one of her subjects posted online, I think to myself…”what an unbelievable joy that must be to those people, that family.” Oh, to have even one picture of my own family that reveals the kind of beauty and relationships her pictures always expose! I’m not kidding, y’all…she’s that good.
I’m not exactly sure how old Jennifer Driscoll is, but I’d be willing to be $100 that she’s older than she looks. The woman is a stunner. Each of her three daughters is equally so. She is plugged into her faith life and often I see her at daily mass. Maybe that’s her secret? She might post about her computer crashing or the end of her patience after a busy week, or she perhaps will share about it’s just been one of those days. However, she seems to always settle at the end on positivity and rest in the fact that God loves us, even when we are frazzled.
Supportive, funny and intelligent, Jennifer is a woman with many interests and a giving heart. I noticed recently, for instance, that she was involved in mentoring some young women, and then another day the O’Connor House in Carmel shared a big thank you to her for coming in and taking photos of their new moms and beautiful babies. She’s a generous woman who shares her time and her talents with others. Its a lovely example to the rest of us. We’ve got to get out there and do our part, be like Jennifer!
Today, Jennifer is celebrating her birthday! There’s no better day then to give her a shout out and let her know that many of us have noticed that she is pretty special! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!! Thanks for all you do to make the world a little more sparkly!
The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders. (Vince Lombardi)
Handsome, respectful, and athletic, Cole Metzger is the top tennis player at Guerin Catholic High School. He’s a junior for the Golden Eagles and to me the undisputed leader of the boys tennis team. He’s not flashy or arrogant. Cole hits the ball hard, and he leads by example.
The son of Todd and Terri Metzger, Cole comes from a tennis loving family of boys. I’ve only known him a short time, but what is defining about him in my eyes is his work ethic. This is a young man who knows all about sweat equity. His positive temperament and natural ability to encourage and coach up the younger guys truly impressed me this season.
Last night, GCHS Boys Tennis Coach, Chris Sciaudone, recognized Cole’s efforts and named him the Golden Eagle Award recipient for boys tennis this season. It was the right choice for a lot of reasons but primarily it was this one. As the top player for GCHS, Cole earned the right by his hard work to play #1 singles this year. When the coach asked him to move to play #1 doubles instead, in an effort to help the team, he was willing. The most powerful tool that leaders have at their disposal is in my opinion their personal example. Cole said yes and he played doubles. End of discussion. I have no idea what conversations he might have had in the privacy of his own home, but when he showed up at the GC tennis courts, he was ready to work no matter where the coaches placed him in the lineup.
I respect this talented kid, and I was impressed all season with his welcoming attitude towards younger teammates like my son, Zach, as well as his example of work ethic, and his terrific leadership. He’s a character-filled kid, and I will be court side cheering him on to victory next year as a senior! CONGRATS, COLE!! That Golden Eagle Award is in the right hands for sure in 2019…a well deserved honor.
Her name is NOT Sara. Nope. She’s SaraH. I capitalized the H for her today, because I know how attached she is to the very important letter at the end of her name. It makes me laugh, so that’s how I entered her contact in my phone. SaraH Funk. She’s pictured above with her handsome husband. Also, she’s a Jesus girl. They are my favorite kind of girls, and today I shared my God wink with her. You, my dear readers, are the next victims.
The Mother of God is our mother. -St. Anselm
I shared with SaraH that I was telling my long time friend this morning about how I have in recent months become quite the rosary girl. I walk everyday and I move the beads at a pretty fair clip, usually inserting the names of folks I am praying for at the end of each Hail Mary. Also, I shared how bugged I am that I can never remember the darn mysteries of the rosary or the particular day upon which they should be said. Nevertheless, I assured her, I am praying one for her each day. Sometimes, I do so incorrectly but I trust Our Blessed Mother knows how to sort it out. At that moment, my friend pulled from her purse the most beautiful rosary that was made for her by Katie Sahm. The mysteries are right there behind Mary on these round little medallions. I found it spectacular, and quite frankly I had a moment. I was so excited about this beautiful rosary, I really didn’t even hesitate much when she handed it to me as a gift. I really was enamored. What made this day even better is that a few hours later I learned that TODAY is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary! What?! I was utterly gotten. The amount “happy” this made me cannot be overstated. It was one of those “you are so loved” moments from the Lord who knows how to give His children good gifts.
I promptly shared my BVM moment and glorious God wink with everyone…because well…I have been known to be an overly dramatic force of nature when provoked? Beautiful, energetic, big-hearted SaraH? She’s in Florida on vacation today, but right away, she got it. She responded with appropriate and timely enthusiasm.
She texted me today, “I’m glad we’re becoming friends. Unusual circumstances really, but I’m glad for it.” I couldn’t agree with you more, SaraH. Friendships that begin over love for others are destined for greatness though? That’s what I think!
Sarah is a Catholic school educator at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis, and we have a mutual friend, Janet, who introduced us. A mother of three, she’s a stunningly beautiful woman exteriorly, but her soul magnifies the Lord too. That’s why I just needed to write about her today. I’ve only known her a short time and yet I am certain without a doubt that she tries to trust in the God who loves us all. She is an authentic woman who genuinely wants the best for the others in her path as they deal with the challenges life throws our way. Her two daughters and her young son are incredibly blessed to have such a positive, intelligent and life-affirming woman as their momma!
Sarah has eyes that twinkle and the love she shares with others is an epic, powerful thing to witness. She’s an encourager and a lover of people. SaraH is funny. Honestly? She’s the sauce. The world is a much better place because this faith-filled woman of character inhabits it with us!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for SaraH, now and at the hour of death. Amen.
One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man’s laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man. (F. Dostoevsky)
I dragged my cranky husband a few weeks back to a Guerin Catholic football game at Heritage Christian High School on a Friday night. His work week had been long and he was downright grumpy. What I’ve learned over the course of time is that the only chance we have to shake off a week like that is to do something to distract Tom. I value harmony and am a much bigger fan of “happy Tom” so off we went to the game. My saviors that night included a great guy named Jeff Tabor who owns a glorious, infectious laugh! It was that evening that I decided we have definitely not spent enough time with Jeff and Karen. They make me grin!
Jeff is the husband of a phenomenal woman named Karen and he’s the dad to two terrific boys– Luke and Sam. Both Luke and Sam Tabor are members of the Golden Eagle football team this fall. When we arrived at Heritage Christian for the game, Jeff was standing next to our mutual friend Steve Ferrucci in the top row, and there was just enough room to squeeze in beside them.
His sarcastic wit and genuine smile are my favorite things about Jeff, and I like him despite the fact that he’s a confused man when it comes to college sports. He’s a real, transparent and very funny guy who seems to like the cream and crimson? It’s sad to me, but then no one can be perfect, ha? He wins me over with his kindness. For instance, that night at HC, he tried numerous times to give me his jacket as he noticed I was a little underprepared for the conditions. Needless to say, it was only a few minutes and Tom’s frown was turning the opposite direction after his exposure to the two clowns in the back row. I laughed when Jeff escaped at halftime for a few minutes to go for a beverage and to smoke a cigar. People who don’t try to be anyone they aren’t, who are perfectly comfortable in their own skin like Jeff are rare and wonderful!
I respect Jeff as a father. He’s extremely supportive and I always see him at his sons events, cheering them on. He’s also a charitable guy whose successful law firm has allowed him a lot of choices but who so often chooses to be generous to others with his resources. He’s an Evansville native if my memory serves, but he has lived for some time now in Hamilton County where his sons went to the same grade school (and now high school) as my guys. His youngest son, Sam, is the kiddo I know best and he’s a character-filled young man who is full of personality just like his Dad.
As he celebrates his birthday tomorrow, I just wanted to give Jeff Tabor a little shout out! Happy Birthday to this IU, Colts, Pacers and St. Louis Cardinals fan who knows how to work hard and still be present in a very real way to his family! He’s got a great twinkle in his eye and he’s quick with a smile and a hug. Jeff is flat out authentic and filled with warmth, and he makes the world more joyful! Thanks for sharing your sunshine, Jeff. We’re big fans here at the Thieme house. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEFF!!
Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you; be not afraid! (St. Pope John Paul II)
Panera makes a darn fine cup of latte. I had already finished one before 6:30 am today on my travels across town to pick up six dozen donuts and a couple big boxes full of bagels. A morning of reflection was held today at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. Intimately, I knew the plans and details for this event, because I am involved in the ministry that organized the event– down to the flavors of cream cheese. Still, despite having read a bit about her background and her story, I was unprepared for the powerful witness of one Mary Lenaburg (pictured above).
Humorous, fierce and irreverant, Mary is nevertheless a passionate woman of God. A wife and mother of two, she shared in a brutally honest way about the mentally and physically exhausting work of caring for her severely disabled daughter. There was a profoundly moving story about their trip to Lourdes that had me laughing audibly and also brought me to tears. I’m not going to tell you more about the story because she tells it better herself, so you should buy her book, “Be Brave in the Scared”.
Here’s what I do want to acknowledge today. I was pretty sure I already believed strongly in the sanctity of all life. I mean, I’m the darn chairperson for the Gospel of Life ministry at my parish for gosh sakes. However, as Mary found her full voice at the end of her talk and passionately pled with all of us to understand how important her daughter Courtney’s life was, an imprint was made on my heart. When we pray those prayers for the sanctity of life from conception until natural death, THIS young woman who was utterly dependent on others for literally everything is who we’re talking about. However overwhelmed we are by our circumstances and no matter how exhausted we might be, I knew walking out of OLMC today a truth I wasn’t convicted of previously. Every one of us needs to trust God, who loves each of us, to be in charge of how long we’re all here and what gifts we are given. We need to live that trust completely and with all the aspects of our lives. He’s not cruel. He loves us.
Today, I sense that a young woman I never met, who was non-verbal, and who died at the age of 23 tried to convince me to surrender to LOVE. Thanks, Courtney, for sending your sassy, beautiful, tough momma to do the talking for you. Love always wins.
“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3: 20-21)
He Never Misses 