One last look at what I enjoyed most in 2016

Before we get too deep into 2017, I wanted to take a few minutes to identify some of the people, places and things I enjoyed during 2016.

It’s a humble list, but here goes.

• I enjoyed a road trip Lori and I took in June to visit Lori’s sister and her family in Austin, Texas. We saw a lot of Texas, a fair amount of Missouri, and portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma. I enjoyed every aspect of the journey, most particularly the time we spent with Lori’s family.
  

• I enjoyed bringing Otto into our home. We adopted Otto, a minature Pinscher, in December. The Kane County Department of Animal Control took custody of Otto in late September, after a he was found in western Kane County, apparently abandoned by his previous owner. The department’s staff took excellent care of Otto, and he has been a wonderful addition to our family.

• I enjoyed watching the Cubs win the World Series. I have followed the Cubs for nearly all of my 55 years and enjoyed the team’s play throughout the 2016 season and its post-season run to the championship. All along the way, right through Game 7, I was aware that I was witnessing something my grandfather, my father, my uncle, two of brothers and countless other Cubs fans never saw during their lifetimes. And that made the experience all the more meaningful for me.

• Family Weekend in September at Easter Illinois University. Lori and I drove to EIU on a warm and sunny Saturday, arriving just in time for the start of the tailgate party before the football game. We met many of my daughter’s sorority sisters and their parents. We enjoyed taking to dinner a few of the girls whose parents could not attend, and we toured a few of the bars popular with the students. The visit was too short, but we enjoyed the time spent with my daughter and her friends, and had safe journey home.

• I enjoyed following Western Michigan University’s 13-1 football season, including the team's  win in the conference championship and its subsequent appearance in the Cotton Bowl, where WMU suffered its only loss of the season. As I write this, P.J. Fleck, who coached the Broncos, is settling in to his new role as head coach at the University of Minnesota. Good luck in the new job, coach.

• I enjoyed reading several good books, including “Target Tokyo” by James Scott, “The Gentleman from Illinois” by the late Alan Dixon, and “My Antonia” by Willa Cather.

• I enjoyed serving as one of the two aldermen representing the Fifth Ward on the Batavia City Council. I enjoyed the privilege of representing my neighbors and voting on measures in good faith and in what I believed was in the city’s best interest. I am particularly proud of my votes in opposition to the proposed Shodeen project and the purchases made in connection to it.

• I enjoyed walking my little dog, Betty, at Batavia’s Engstrom Park. We’re not sure of Betty’s age. She was a rescue, and her doctor can only estimate her age, which he supposes might be 12 or 13, making her a senior citizen in dog years. Despite her years, Betty still has a lot of energy and pep in her. She showed it during every visit to the park. I always enjoy watching her run and often imagine the kind of puppy she might have been had her life circumstances been better during her early years. Of course, if her circumstances had been better, she probably wouldn’t be in my life today.

• I enjoyed good health and the opportunity it provides to complete a variety of routine but pleasant activities, including shopping at the local Woodman’s store, preparing meals with my wife, evening walks, bike rides and trimming trees on the grounds of the church I attend. All of these simple things made my life more enjoyable in 2016. And they are some of the memories I carry as I walk my westward road.

— Thank you for reading. Email comments to kbotterman@gmail.com.

Putting 2016 in the rearview mirror

We celebrate Christmas through the epiphany at my house, so we spent January 8 taking down and packing away our Christmas decorations.

Boxing up ornaments and holidays can be something of a depressing task, particularly if its done alone. I know this from previous experience. Lori joined me in the task this year, and we completed the work in about two hours.

The project provided an opportunity for Lori and I to reflect on the holiday season and the year that was 2016. We inventoried the many blessings we enjoyed, large and small, and concluded 2016 really was a pretty good year for us. 

We worked, we traveled to visit relatives, we enjoyed some TV shows, we liked the movies we saw at the theater, we read several good books, shared savory meals with family and friends, and expanded our family of dogs from one to two when we adopted Otto in December.

We had more victories than setbacks during the year. We welcomed some new friends and offered a final goodbye to a few others. We ended the year  with the same number of family members we had at the beginning of 2016, and having experienced the loss of loved ones in years past, we are grateful for that accomplishment.

Our wins outnumbered our losses, and the Cubs won the World Series. It was a good year. We enter 2017 with a sincere appreciation for the things we believe are essential — family, health, food, shelter, faith and hope.

These are the things I thought about as I packed away the holiday decorations and pondered what might await us in 2017. And the adventure continues on my westward road.


— Thank you for reading. Email comments to kbotterman@gmail.com.