Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 67

Flashback Friday and Gangsters

   For whatever reason, many of us are fascinated by gangsters. I don’t know why. They were truly horrible criminals, only out for themselves, making a lot of money in whatever why they could, breaking just about every law ever made, holding no regard for human life.
My only connection to the gangsters of the twenties and thirties, is that my dad was living in Chicago in 1934 when John Dillinger was shot in front of the Biograph theater. My nineteen-year-old dad was living just a few blocks away. He always told us that he, along with everyone else in the neighborhood, ran down to the scene as soon as they heard. All they saw was Dillinger’s blood on the sidewalk.
Northern Wisconsin is filled with gangster stories. I’ve been to Little Bohemia in Manitowish Waters, the location of a botched attempt to capture Dillinger. I’ve also visited the Hideout in Couderay, reportedly the retreat of Al Capone, complete with guard towers and an eight-stall garage which had been turned into a restaurant and ice cream parlor when I was there.
Two weeks ago, when I was staying at the resort with a similar name, The Hideaway, I heard the story of that place also having once been frequented by famous gangsters, including Capone.
I can’t vouch for the validity of any of these stories. Maybe that’s why we are fascinated by gangsters – the aura of tall tales. All I know is I was more fascinated by the architecture.
The original lodge.    It certainly looks old and certainly needs some work.  But the bar upstairs is beautiful.    All that stunning wood. 

 Then our tour guide asked if we wanted to see the brothel. I was like, “what?” 
 The bed frame might be original, but not the mattress and surely not the fan. 
 There were two doors in the room. One probably led to a closet and the other to a room with a sink.  This really kind of freaked me out. Our guide said this was where the prostitute would wash up between customers. Well, how very hygienic of her! Yikes! 
 Nope, give me the view out the window. It’s the wide open spacings of the great outdoors for me, not some tavern and surely not a house of ill-repute.

(Upon further research, I’m pretty sure that Al Capone himself was never at this resort. Their website says it was built in 1938, but Capone was in prison from 1931 to 1939. Upon release from prison, he was hospitalized in Baltimore for a while, and then moved to his estate in Florida where he died in 1947. Just wanted to clarify.)

Tale of Two Weekends

   It has been such a long winter for all of us. I have hardly been able to stand not getting away for a weekend. The last time was in February, shortly after my husband had surgery on his arm and just before COVID19 hit. We went down to our son’s for a quick overnight visit.
But now that the weather is nice, I’m going to get out and go bumming when I can.   As I mentioned last week, I went away for a long weekend the first weekend in June to Hideaway Resort in Harshaw.  
 The original lodge building has a colorful history, which I will share another time. If you know me at all, you know that there is always a long story, but I have other things to write tonight, such as some of the things I do when I get away. 
 Like photographing the lodge from the Muskie Lake.
 In a kayak. So much fun.   I also took a lot of walks, around the grounds. 
 And down neighboring side roads. But what did I do this past weekend? 
 I couldn't have all the fun by myself, so . . .  . . . I went camping with Hubby and the dog at Lake of Falls County Park near Mercer. 
 Adorable little campground, where my two sisters and I had camped once twenty-four years ago.   I took several walks and way too many pictures.   Three hundred and six of them! We took a drive on Saturday, so I took a lot of shots then. 
 But still, one hundred and five of my pictures were taken just at the county park. 
Luckily only a few of them were as dumb as the one that I had to get of the pay shower.

Unwinding

 
   Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most. (Psalm 23:1-3, Living Bible)
I’m sorry that I am posting this so late in the day. Hubby and I were camping this weekend, and I didn’t have internet. Which is a sorry excuse, as I had plenty of time to still write this and then post it as soon as I got home this morning.
Instead, when we got home, around eleven, there was all the hub-hub of getting the camper unpacked, putting stuff away, washing clothes, airing out the bedding that didn’t need to be washed. It always makes me wonder if going camping for a weekend is worth it.
But then I look back at the pictures I took and think of all of the beauty I witnessed. I remember the quiet hours of relaxation, of just getting away. Of feeling my strength renewed, my faith rejuvenated.
Yes, it is worth it.
Thank You, Lord, for allowing me time to get away from it all and to unwind. Amen.

Wonderful Wildlife

   As promised on Wednesday’s blog post, here are more of the pictures I took while staying at Hideaway Resort last weekend. I thought I’d start with the plethora of wildlife I saw.   You can make out the osprey in the lower right side above. He's a little bit better focused there than below.
 I couldn't get a good picture of the female mallard because of the light.
 The light being the setting sun.
 We actually had chosen this particular resort because of the resident pair of loons.
 The male was quite the character.
 But I had to wait until evening for him to come close enough to shore to get a better shot.
 As if I have never seen a Canadian goose before, I took probably 20 pictures of this pair. I didn't, however, get pictures of the bald eagle or the heron. Or the black garter snake which slithered through the grass way too fast for me to get a shot of.
 It's that time of year when the fawns are out. And oh, how I hoped to see one. But I was pretty excited just to see one's delicate tracks. Mom's on the left, baby's on the right.
 But during that walk that evening I did see one whitetail.
 And a second one.
 But this beauty has to be my favorite. This was near her den a few hundred yards behind my cabin. One morning I heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet and looked out the window to see a kit pop out from under my cabin.
 Before I knew it, though, it was time to leave. This little friend parked himself under my car, apparently not wanting me to go.
 The time had come, however, for me to head on down the road.

Relaxing by the Lake

 This past weekend, my sister and I had reserved a cabin at a resort a short thirty-seven minutes away from my house. Plans changed at the last minute, as plans do, but it all turned out all right. Or at least the way it was supposed to.

The funny thing is that last year I wrote a story about a woman who wanted to write a murder mystery. She was able to spend a week alone at a friend’s timeshare working on it, but of course, stumbled on somewhat of a real-life mystery. I just published it on Amazonin March.
And then there I was, three months and a pandemic later, spending an entire day and a night alone at a secluded resort myself. My sister was only able to stay on Thursday for the day, and my daughter came up Friday after work for the night and the day Saturday. Which left me with the 24 hours in between to write.
Well, that didn’t go nearly as well as I had hoped. Oh, I finished one story and edited another one. I also took a record 300 pictures of the scenery and the wildlife, which will be coming on my next blog.
But for today, let’s take a mid-week break. Relax by the lake or around the fire. If only in our minds. And dream about the summer vacations to come.  The couch where I set up my laptop for all the writing I was going to do.  View of the lake from my cabin.  Kayaks waiting to be taken out on . . . . . . Muskie Lake  

It's not up to us to judge others

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person. Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed.
 Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only. If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead. You then, who eat only vegetables—why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything—why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him. For the scripture says,
“As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord,    everyone will kneel before me,    and everyone will confess that I am God.”
 Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.Romans 14 (Good News Translation)
I just finished reading the book of Romans, and last week I had shared all of chapter 12 here. The next chapter had many valid points as well, but given the current times, I just couldn’t share it today. I try to avoid that kind of controversy.
Chapter 14 reminds us why we shouldn’t get into controversy. It is not up to us to judge others. We need to look at ourselves and our own lives. We will have to answer to God, just as the people who do things we disagree with will.

The Ideas Keep Coming

You may be asking yourself – or wanting to ask me – where I get the ideas from for my blog posts or for anything I write for that matter.

If you’ve been following The Dino Chronicles for long, you know a lot of what I share is based on current events. During March and April, I did a series of posts about the COVID19 pandemic. The reality of those posts is that I’ve been writing the “Covert Corona and How Chris is Coping Chronicles” since March 22 and have amassed 25,000 words on it.
I am still processing the most current current events. I alluded to that on my Sunday’s blog post, but as mentioned, I am still processing it. Trying to find the words.
A lot of my blog posts didn’t start with words, but with pictures instead. Over the years, those photos have spawned tales of adventures big and small, past and recent, travels near and far, family memories, family fun times 
I actually started this blog ten years ago on March 1, sharing my first really big adventure. I posted here almost every night after that for a month, and those 26 posts covered the first thirty-some years of my life. The next four months I wrote about my first trip to Kenya. Those four months’ worth of posts would eventually become my first book, “A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven”. 
When I was a kid, I never imagined writing so many blog posts, most probably because there wasn’t such a thing as a blog or even the internet. But I always wanted to be a writer. I know that I’ve told you before about my belief that everything happens for a reason and God’s got a plan for how things are going to work out. I’m convinced that when I was starting to write stories in third grade, God knew how I was going to get that first book published.
And now an additional three books by Chris Loehmer Kincaid are sitting on my shelf. 
So, back to answering the question of where I get the ideas.
My first novel, “Where the Sky Meets the Sand”, started with a dream I had one night about a Maasai boy in Kenya. My most recently published work, the novella “To Find Justice”, was also inspired by a dream.      [image error]
The idea for my latest novel, “The Truth Beyond the River”, has been in my head since watching a news story 45 years ago. I hope to publish it through Amazon by the first of July. I’ll try to post updates on my progress between now and then.
But, you never know. There are always more thoughts bouncing around in my head and in my life.

Live in Peace

 Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another. Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.
 Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise.
 If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, “I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.” Instead, as the scripture says: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame.” Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good. Romans 12:9-21 Good News Translation (GNT).
I’ve been reading the book of Romans during my nightly Bible reading. This was last night’s chapter. Once again, God is good. He has got things covered. We just need to turn things over to Him. He will dole out justice. It’s not up to us to judge, condemn, or take things into our own hands. Instead, we need to pray and put our trust in God. It’s tough to do, but it’s the only way to peace.  

Aunt Helen's Story

On my blog post this past Sunday, I mentioned that it was my mom’s birthday and then it dawned on me that it had been Aunt Helen’s birthday on the 22nd. She would have been 100 years old!
I’ve blogged about her before, my mom’s sister and best friend. I was just as close to my sister Pat, and when we were young, I imagined us each getting married, having kids the same age and raising them together, as Mom and her sister had. And then Pat and I growing old together. That wasn’t God’s plan at all, but I guess we have to take it as it comes.
Just as my favorite aunt did.  Her husband, my uncle Bob, was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, when I was just a kid. I don’t remember him ever not having it.

Also called Huntington's chorea, it is a debilitating disease with some similarities to Parkinson’s, the common symptom being uncontrollable movement. I could delve into the whole neuroscience of both of them, but let me just say that they are both horrible diseases that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

One bad thing about Parkinson’s is that, even if there are certain risk factors, you really don’t know if you’re going to get it. Huntington’s is totally inherited, if one of your parents had it there is an approximately 50% chance you will get it. 

Which seems like a no-brainer. If one of your parents has Huntington’s, don’t have kids of your own, right? Unless you are faced with that decision, you don’t have a clue how difficult it is to make. Life is never that easy, and you know it.

Anyway, back to my aunt’s family. Huntington’s seemed strong in her husband’s side of the family. I could look at his family tree and count the members who had it, but just let me say there were a lot. And every member’s story was as sad as the next.  My aunt and uncle had four kids, the first three right at the same time as my parents were having my brother and oldest sister. The family pictures I have of those times and the stories that have been shared down the years! 
But as those years went by, Uncle Bob’s symptoms got worse. He had to quit work, he became confined to bed, he lost weight. The constant – I mean – CONSTANT movement made it difficult to impossible for him to do much more than thrash on the couch. My dad made them a sturdy day bed that they put in their living room as no store-bought bed could stand up to the abuse.

He eventually ended up in a nursing home, passing away in 1977, at the age of 63. Wow! I hadn’t realized before how young he was; he always seemed so much older.
First one son, then another, then their daughter each started showing symptoms, were diagnosed and eventually died, at ages 59, 47, and 71. The only blessing in any of that was that my aunt only lived to bury two of her sons; her daughter managed to outlive her.
They always say that the hardest thing for a parent to endure is the death of a child. How about two?  My aunt was tough, though. So tough that in December of 2005, at age 85, she had an appointment with an agent to discuss changing something with her life insurance. And then she passed away, while sleeping in her recliner, later that day.

Reminds me a little of how my mom died, but that’s her story. This one is Aunt Helen’s.

God-incidences

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope! (Job 19:25-27, Living Bible)
Honestly, it’s any wonder I ever get anything done that I want to. As often happens, when I sat down to write this, nothing at first came to mind. Then I remembered these great verses from the book of Romans that I read a few weeks ago, which really spoke to me and I was hoping they would speak to you, too.
When I finally started writing this post, the first thing I did was type the date, and then I went, “oh, goodness, it would have been Mom’s 93 birthday.” So, I had to, just had to mention her here once again.
Her favorite hymn was “I Know that My Redeemer Lives”, by Samuel Medley.
I went back to my blog to see if I’ve written about that hymn before (sure that I had). The first time was six years ago, also Memorial Day weekend, the day after my mom’s birthday. The second time was February 11, 2017, a mere four days before my mom died.
At the end of that post, I attached a video of a church choir singing it, which always reminds me of Easter morning. I mention that, because, as you all know, not many of us got to attend church this year on Easter morning.
All of this points to one of the beliefs my mom always had – there are no coincidences, only God-incidences. Which leads me back to the very first thing I wrote on this post and the conclusion that, with God’s help, I get done what I’m supposed to. 
Thank You, God, there’s really nothing more I can say. As always, You have got it covered. Amen.   It makes me sad that I have very few decent pictures with my mom. I thought this one was appropriate though as
Mom's sister, my aunt Helen, had a birthday two days ago as well. I couldn't remember what year she was born,
so I just looked it up and was reminded of the sense of humor God has to have. Aunt Helen would have been 100!
I should have written a blog post about her!