My Mom Passes Away

12-25-24    

        It's so great to read this after Mom's passing.  I am glad and relieved to see that we had this time together now.  She passed on the day after Thanksgiving, and I need to write about it in here.  Today is Christmas, and we came back from the funeral this past weekend.  Sigh.

Written on 10-27-24.

     I am on our bed again on a Sunday afternoon.  B is futzing around while I am relaxing.  She likes to get a few things done on Sundays.  She scrubbed her paddle board, and I just saw her bring some conditioner into our new bathroom.  Now, she is scrubbing Kody’s muddy paws in the new shower for the first time.  He got into some muddy water, but he usually doesn’t do that.

I prefer to take it easy on Sundays, thus the...

Best 18-Hole Score of the Season!

Written on 10-23-24.

     I played my best round of the season, and I broke a silent goal of mine: breaking 85.  Finally!  It felt so good, and I was glad Herman (not his real name) could see it.  He got me by one stroke on the front and two strokes on the back for his 79.  This would have been another great opportunity for me to beat Herman (another silent goal), but darned if he didn’t play better than I did on that day.  I was proud of my effort, though.  I don’t know if I ever scare him, or if he even notices, but I will continue to do my best when I play against him.  To his credit, he has switched from “giving himself putts” to holing out when he plays against me (most of the time), because he knows it doesn’t give a true account of what his scores are.  Or, he knows I don’t agree with it.  Either way.

I got two birdies, like I said above, and those helped lower my score, of course.

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #5-Birdie #8 of 2024  

I had a par, a double, a bogey, and another par when I came to this hole.  I will use my Arccos app to help me recount this hole, because it happened a while ago.

I used my 5-iron/hybrid club to launch my ball 176 yards, barely missing the fairway on the right side.  The pin was on the front, and I chose my pitching wedge for my approach.  It was only 108 yards, but the rough helped me decide to club up one club.  It didn’t help.  My ball landed short, barely clearing the canyon.  Thankfully, it didn’t roll back into it.  I used my gap wedge for the pitch, and that worked out beautifully.  I used a body swing chipping style, and my ball landed on the green and rolled and rolled.  I didn’t think it would make it, but then it rolled some more and dropped into the hole.  Hooray!

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #12-Birdie #9 of 2024  

The flagstick was on the front left side of the green, and I used my 2-hybrid this time.  It was 184 yards, but there was a breeze.  My ball came out high, and I couldn’t see it land.  I thought it might be in the bunker.  When I got up to the green, I saw my ball had landed just past the bunker and onto the green.  After it had settled, it was only seven feet away from the hole.  It was a very straight putt, and I put it right on the line.  Bravo!

I see that Herman got a par and a birdie on holes 16 and 17.  I got a bogey and a double on those same holes, and there are those three strokes.  I did manage a bogey to his double bogey on the last hole.  I was so happy with this round.  I made seven pars and two birdies.  It felt gratifying.  

Until next time…

Hit the Snooze Button Over and Over Again

Written on 10-22-24.

    B and I are relaxing in bed at 8:58 on a Tuesday night.  The trash is out on the curb, and Kody just came in after getting his “twilight bark” over with and then spending some quiet time out in the cold.  He likes that.  

B and I took our first showers in our newly remodeled bathroom, and it was glorious.  It feels like we are staying at a fancy hotel.  It has a bench, a triangular step, and a detachable shower head with a hose.  Deluxe!  The tile turned out beautifully, and Belinda didn’t cry BIG tears like she did when she saw our first shower 28 years ago.  That one turned out much more pink than the little sample showed.  

This project has lasted nine weeks so far.  Now, we only have some of the finishing touches left.  They still have some touch-up to do on the walls and ceiling and add the lights above the vanity and the mirror.  I look forward to the end of this major event, including paying for it.

James and Casey told us they were pregnant on the day of Dad’s funeral.  We NM Swopes went out for breakfast, and they told us outside of the Snooze Restaurant.  Danielle was inside looking out, and she got a view of what was going on and knew immediately what was transpiring.  Someone was trying to speak to her about our table being ready, but she wouldn’t let herself be distracted.

I cried.  Multiple times.  I thought it was a beautiful thing to hear and learn on that day of all days.  It brightened things up after that.  Life continues.

At our recent Lake Powell trip, we learned the sex of our new grandbaby, too.  Danielle said she knew something, but I thought it was that Becca and Matt were pregnant again.  Nope.  James and Casey brought little chocolates to reveal the gender.  I guessed a boy, and Belinda guessed a girl.  I was correct.  It would have made Dad so happy to know that our Swope name has a chance (a much better chance now) of continuing on.

Until next time…

A HUGE Fantastic Surprise Hidden in This Post

Written on 9-28-24.

     Today is Casey’s birthday.  Happy birthday, Casey!

Belinda and I just pulled weeds together.  Our new lawn looks 'jungly.'  We can see the new grass coming in, though, so we have hope.  We have pulled weeds off and on since they started coming up, and we even paid Courtney to come help as well.  She is unemployed right now, so we thought we could employ her temporarily.  She did a super job!  Very hardworking girl.

I leave for Colorado Springs again on Monday, and I am in disbelief that I am going back, but we planned this trip well in advance (before Dad had died).  Bev and Curt are going to Europe, so Guy and I are...

Greg Plays Well at Hillcrest

Written on 8-31-24.

       It’s a Saturday and the last day of August.  Belinda and I did something new this morning.  Because we now have two paddle boards (B bought a lighter version from Amazon for an upgrade), we went to Farmington Lake to go on a paddle boarding date.  It was fun!  I could alternate between sitting and getting up on my knees to be  more comfortable.  I’ve been using the new (to me) Hinge Health app, and that has helped with my flexibility.  Amanda started using it for her knees, and since we are both on New Mexico Retiree Health, I decided to try it out, too.  That and the promise of a massage gun helped get me going.  I still haven’t received it yet, though.

I just called Hinge, and they actually answered on a Saturday.  My massage gun is in the works!  I should get an e-mail with shipping info soon.  Cool.

On a bummer note, Mom and Dad are...

Bathroom Remodel = Other Expenses

Written on 8-21-24.

     I can hear drilling and banging going on inside our house.  I am out on the front porch with Kody, and it’s cool enough to sit out here today.  I just checked the temperature, and it says it’s 85º, but it feels like 83º.  We will see how long we last out here, though.  It’s starting to warm up.

Our bathroom remodel is continuing, and it has expanded to other projects that must get done.  For example, Nate wanted to avoid...

Master Bath Remodel Begins

Written on 8-18-24.

     I am lying on my back on the floor in our master bedroom looking at the gaping hole in our bathroom wall.  That hole is where our new bumped-out shower will end up.  Our bed has been moved to Danielle's room, so it feels empty and echo-y in here.  I am watching the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and that’s the reason I’m in here.  We get the best signal for free, digital TV in here.  Construction started on Friday, the 16th, and they did a bunch of demolition in a short amount of time.

James turned 31 yesterday, and it was also the sixth anniversary of Dale’s death the day before.  Danielle turns 29 a week from today.  Hopefully, they will both come here next weekend, but we are not too sure about Danielle.  James is coming for sure on Thursday.  Unfortunately, Aztec High School teacher, Don Hicks, died, so he is coming for his funeral.  James wanted to choose him for the top 10% dinner, but he was already taken, so he asked Zack (last name) instead.  I’ve heard that Zack, Grant, and Cari (last name) will join James when he goes to the service.    

Like I wrote above, I decided to go to Lakewood and Colorado Springs last weekend.  The little Alameda get-together at TJ’s was the perfect reason to go visit Mom and Dad again.

Until next time...

Well, Guess What Happened. He Chipped It In!

Written on 8-2-24.

     B, Kody, and I are hanging out in the living room at Vallecito.  We head back home in a couple of hours, and we are wringing out the last bit of freedom from this summer.  Once again, a cabin in the mountains is the best place to do that.  We plan on ordering a “take and bake” pizza on our way home at Elmore’s, and I am so excited for the traditional peach cobbler later tonight, too.  We meet with Jim and Sylvia at 7:00 to have our annual event.  It is always soooo tasty, and Sylvia always says it’s because it is made with love.

I drove back to Aztec yesterday to meet the landscapers.  We are hiring (company name) to reseed our lawn with buffalo grass.  Nick and Wilbur (not their real names) are young (mid-twenties? early thirties?) and don’t communicate in a manner I would prefer, but we hired them anyway.  Quimby (not his real name either), who had done some work for us before, recommended them.  The sod scraper they rented broke its belt, so they had to...

An Update on Mom and Dad

Written on 7-29-24.

     It’s a Monday morning, and I am watering the Edgerton’s lawn and some trees.  They hired me to do some of their irrigation, and I took the job since I have little to do before my work begins.  

We got back from visiting Mom and Dad, the Gerbers, and all the Lamberts yesterday.  It was a wonderful visit, but I have a dreadful feeling that I won’t see my father alive again.  He is showing more symptoms, although they are few, of his kidney failure.  He is more bloated around his midsection.  He is sleeping more and more, and that is saying a lot for him.  I just texted Guy and Bev to have one of our sib chats about this.  I don’t think Guy knows the extent of it all.

Mom is not doing too well either.  We had a few days where she wouldn’t get out of bed before our visit.  Bev had a heart-to-heart with her, though, and it has been better since.  Her knees, however, are much worse.  She is getting OT and PT sessions, but when we were there, she never straightened her knees or stood on her own.  She never walked on her own with her walker either, and she was able to do that at our last visit.  We set up the little pedal thingy beneath her recliner, but she only did it for a couple of minutes before she complained of more pain.  We spoke with Erin, the new Erica, and we are working on getting the pain medication right and more movement, but it looks grim.

We did, however, like I wrote above, have a fantastic visit.  It wasn’t all bad.  We took them up to the Country Kitchen and wheeled them out to the deck while we were there.  They loved the sunshine and fresh air.  Then we played one game of Sequence.  It was Mom and I taking on Dad and B.  Mom struggled at first, but then she rallied and made some really good moves.  We won!  

On Sunday, we took them out to the courtyard.  Dad slept quite a bit out there, but Mom loved it.  We wondered why we hadn’t done it before; it’s closer to their apartment.  Emily and family came for lunch, and we ordered Jersey Mike’s.  Before they came, Bev brought Mom communion, and I snapped a picture to share with the family.  I think Bev really appreciated getting that.    

Guy is in Costa Rica for ShyShay’s marine biology course and a vacation.  She is taking a college course that is super hands-on.  What a great way to start her college career!  He sent pictures of her and her crew resting on a boat (sounds like they have long days), playing volleyball with some locals, and enjoying a stunning sunset on the beach.  She will remember this time for the rest of her life.

The Conclusion of the Ely/White Pine Experience

Written on 7-21-24.

     On the back, I won the most points I could possibly get on the first two holes with a longer drive, two greens in regulation, and two pars.  We figured out during this round that the most you could get on a par four was six points, a par three was seven, and a par five was eight.  Then Eric won the next three holes, and the momentum switched to his favor.  I grappled it right back for the final four holes, however, scoring four pars in a row.

Everything clicked.  I was in the zone.  Drives were long and straight.  Approaches landed and rolled up onto the greens.  Pitches landed close to the hole.  Putts for par were solid, confident, and smooth.  It felt wonderful.  I’ve played so many bad rounds to get to that feeling and that kind of a performance.

If I go back to where the controversy happened, and I give him those nine points, it would...

White Pine Controversy and Dueling Three-Foot Putts

Written on 7-20-24.

     B is resting next to me on our bed.  It’s 12:06 on a Saturday, and we drove home from Kanab yesterday.  B cleaned out the camper on the inside this morning while I slept.  I plan on washing the outside after watching The Open and getting some writing done.

We had a fantastic trip while launching the Edgertons on their six week adventure to British Columbia.  We went to the Great Basin in Nevada.  Then we went a little farther to Ely (ee lee), Nevada to stay at the Cave Lake Campground and play golf at White Pine.  

We went our separate ways a couple of days ago after having a final lunch together in Ely.  We had so much fun with them, and we felt satisfied knowing our last big trip of the summer was a winner.

On to golf…

I played with Herman (not his real name) twice before the trip. I am determined to play at Pinon Hills as much as possible to earn my money’s worth from my membership again.  I did really well getting rounds in last season, and I hope to do it again this season.  I am about halfway with my rounds now.

Three of the four nine hole rounds went the way they typically go.  Even on nine holes, Herman can beat me by as many as ten strokes.  He makes pars and I make bogeys.  On one round, however, I was able to tie him.  I actually beat him once before on the front with a score of 44 to his 46.  For this round, I finished with a par on hole #9 to match his 43.  It was marvelous.

Not only did I tie him, but I was able to...

Fun Abounds in Midsummer

Written on 7-7-24.

     I didn’t play better.  I shot a 99.  Eric left after the first nine holes, but Herman (not his real name) and I played all 18.  I did one stroke better on the back, but it was an unmemorable round.  Herman and I both got two birdies on the same hole, though.  That was one memorable piece.  

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #6 of 2024  

Herman didn’t use his driver.  I did.  We ended up on the fairway with similar distances.  I chose a 7-iron.  He didn’t.  It was something with more loft.  Typical.  I know I am much taller than he is, but he usually outdrives me.  He just has great mechanics.

Then we both...

The Rest of the Pagosa Springs Round

Continued from 6-30-24. 

        On the next hole, I got up and down again with my gap wedge and a confident putt from farther away than the previous hole.

        For the third hole, hole #6, I missed the fairway out to the right (we all did), and then I hit the green with my 6-iron from just outside of 150 yards.

      For the final par, I did it the boring way.  I hit the fairway, hit the green, and I used only two putts.  It was fantastic!

Eric, wanting to keep the game going, asked Tommy if we could make up the holes we missed due to the rain yesterday.  Tommy let us go play holes #1 and #9 on Pinon again.  Sweet!  Thanks, Eric and Tommy!

Grant and I hit the fairway for one more point on hole #1.  Eric and I tied the hole with bogeys, so the points pushed again.  Eric and I had also tied hole #18 on Ponderosa with bogeys.  Eric asked for every possible bonus on the last hole to be able to come back and win it all.  Long drive.  Closest to the pin on approaches, etc.  We agreed.  

I won the long drive for three more points, which secured second place.  My approach with my 5-iron, however, was pulled left and sailed over a hill and out of bounds.  I ended with a seven.  Eric won the last hole with a double, but because the points were pushed for the last three holes, he earned nine points.  The final score was Eric: 24, Pat: 22, and Grant: 19.  

I was so focused on catching Grant that Eric passed me at the finish line.  The funny thing is he didn’t think he had won.  He thought he only got six more points for the final two holes, which would have landed his score at 21.  Back at the campground, I told him that I thought he had won, because of the three extra points we had pushed from the final hole on Ponderosa.  He was thrilled when he heard that.  He said something like, “Did you hear that?  I am the champion of the 2024 Pagosa trip.”

Driving home, I asked Belinda who would have won the entire weekend of golf considering we had both won twice.  Would you look at the lowest score?  Or, would you look at who had earned the most points?  She said either one of those would determine the tie-breaker.  I had the lowest combined score for both rounds.  I also earned 75 total points to Eric’s 60, so I think we all know who the champion of the 2024 Pagosa camping trip is.

What a child I am.  I’m just like Trump or Biden talking about their handicaps in the recent debate.  It doesn’t matter.  We all had a great time.  Like I said, what is better than playing golf on a mountain course with buddies?

But, I won (wink, wink).

I played nine holes on my birthday (the anniversary of my brain surgery birthday).  I could have replicated my four pars in a row, but I triple-putted #4, and I missed another similar par putt on #6.  I missed two three-footers!  Ugh.

Next, I will play on Wednesday, July 3rd, with Eric and Herman (not his real name).  Hopefully, I will play better.  

Until next time…

A Peek Into June This Past Summer

Written on 6-30-24.

      Here I am at the end of June, and I am a bit anxious.  It’s because I know that when July is over, Belinda will begin to act differently.  It’s at that time when she begins to gear up for another school year, so I/we will enjoy July as much as I/we can.  I prefer June Belinda to September Belinda, but I love them both, of course.

We are talking about visiting Mom and Dad soon after July 4th.  Dad’s recent bloodwork revealed that his kidney function went down to a record low: 16%.  I’m no doctor, but I know that’s bad.  He can’t tell a difference, though.  He feels the same, so that’s a good thing.  Either way, it will be great to go visit while we have the time this summer.  Hurry, August is coming!

On to golf…

I have been putting this off, but today is the day.  I am going to write about the Pagosa Springs trip…finally.  

Eric proposed to go play an extra nine holes on Friday, the bad weather day.  Grant said why not go play 18 holes, and who was I to argue with either of them?  We ended up playing...

This is No Fun-My Father's Death

Written on 9-17-24.

        This is no fun, but it’s a fact of life.  My father, Robert Gerard Swope, died on September 6th, 2024.  Since that time, it’s been a whirlwind of dealing with funeral arrangements, notifying friends and family, and, of course, having moments of utter sadness and loss.

Like my buddy Troy said, “You only have one father.”         

        I was blessed to be in the room when he breathed his last.  Belinda, Mom, and I were all there, and it was peaceful.  Honestly, it took us by surprise.  He was breathing in a raspy way, so it was obvious when he stopped.  I had just finished praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Mom, and we were visiting as I was eating some oatmeal.  I looked over at the time right after he died, and I was hoping it would be something I could remember.  It was.  It read 12:34.  I can remember that.  The date will be easy to remember, too.  It was on 9-06.  Our address is 906 Anasazi Drive.

Some fateful, serendipitous things happened following his death, too.  I will start with my iMissal app.  Every day, I read the Daily Bread bible verse in that app.  On the day he died, it was Matthew 5:6-Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  

A day or so later, Bev shared what Dad had wanted for his service.  At the top of the paper were the readings.  The first one was…Matthew 5-12, the Beatitudes.

Then while getting lunch in the Springs at Jimmy John’s, I stayed in the car with Weston and Andrew while Bev went inside.  Grandpa Swope, during what Belinda and I call the “summer of the grandparents,” told me he enjoyed Tsing Tao beer.  I believe he said it was his favorite, so we enjoyed a couple of bottles together.  I remember he was just beginning to lose his memory that summer, too.  He would become frustrated and angry at forgetting certain words he knew he should have remembered.  I also remember it was a great tasting beer.

When I noticed the restaurant next door to Jimmy John’s, I was shocked when I saw the name.  It is called Tsing Tao House.  That is something very specific to what I would remember about my grandpa.  Sigh.

As I drove over Wolf Creek on the day after we had made arrangements with the funeral home, I played music I had bought on iTunes.  There is really only one song that would make me think explicitly of Dad.  Seriously.  What are the odds?  I have many songs, and it was just shuffling through.  We bought some of songs for Mom and Dad’s 50th anniversary celebration, and this was one of those songs.  One song stands out as a song for both of them: My Girl.  They also had a song similar to that one, and that’s the one that came on: My Guy.  I listen to my own music quite a bit, and that one rarely, if ever, comes on.  As I type this, these all seem a little less sensational, but at those moments, there was no mistaking what was going on.  I felt Dad was speaking to me.  Or, Grandpa.  Or, probably God.  It was comforting, and I also had the reaction of, “Really!?” each time.

The visitation is this Thursday at the Swan Law Funeral Home from 5:00-8:00.  The funeral will be at Corpus Christi Parish, where Carter and Emily were married, on Friday at noon.  His burial will be on Saturday at the Eckley Cemetery at 1:00.  It’s going to be a long, exhausting weekend.  Kyle texted me to share his sympathy, and I replied that it was rough...but beautiful.  That’s what I think this weekend will be like.  Rough, but also beautiful.

Free and True

Written on 6-19-24.

      I just finished a Rypstick workout after warming up with a 20-minute treadmill run.  I didn’t know that I would run out of “free” trainings on the Rypstick app, so I had to start over again at the beginning.  At least, they kept all of my data.  I was still able to swing it at 101 m.p.h., thankfully.  

I wanted to get in Erika Larkin’s five steps for her “true swing” in here.  She shared them in a YouTube video, so I don’t feel like I am cheating.  Here they are…

1. The Heave

2. The Tipping Point

3. The Fall (into the lead leg)

4. The Pivot (no forcing)

5. The Release

Using the “heave” has really helped my swing lately, and I have stuck with this looser, freer swing.  I used it in Dallas when I played with Eric and when I shot my recent 88 with Greg.  I know that I shouldn’t use things from different types of programs, but I have now taken various parts from from Todd Graves, Tom Saguto, and Erika Larkin.

I got a Dick’s GC from Belinda for Father’s Day (thanks, B!), and I spent it already yesterday.  I got a new Nike white baseball glove, because the black one was ripping.  I shifted the black one into the practice glove spot.  I also bought a new grip for my 58º wedge and had it double-wrapped.  It felt so skinny in my hands, and I want to take my hands out of my short game a bit more.  We’ll see how it works out when I play in Pagosa Springs this Saturday.  I moved our tee time to that day, because it looks like thunderstorms and rain on Friday.

Until next time…

My First Puttshack Experience

Written on 6-17-24.

     Ah, a Monday in the summertime.  Glorious.  We leave for Capote on Thursday, and we will play golf on Friday at Pagosa Springs.  I have already set the tee time, and it will be just Grant, Eric, and me this year.  Let me check the weather that day.  It shows a 50% chance of storms, but the high will be 71º.  Better take our rain gear.

Back to more golf…

The Puttshack was fun.  It had a “meat market/bar/younger people” feel to it, but we went there right as it opened, so it wasn’t crowded.  I could see how it could house many people, though.  Many drunk people.  It had three well-stocked bars.  We spoke to our server about its popularity, and she said they were very successful.  Another worker said that the expense was all done up front, but after that, it was just money, money, money.

I won the game, but I also had two holes-in-one.  I got one of them on a ‘bowling’ style hole.  I rolled it right into the front pin.  It keeps track of...