Karate Courage

Last Friday, at the Regional Qualifying Tournament, Jane Jasperson put on another in a series of courageous performances. Jane competed strongly in the women's kata. That she practices karate at all, much less performs so well, is amazing. Jane is battling cancer and has been for a number of years; because of the numerous tumors, she now can only compete in kata and practice in non-contact drills. Yet, during class, I sneak admiring glances at her strong stances and love watching her side thrust kicks and reverse punches, both accompanied by that crisp snap of the gi. Jane exemplifies living each day fully with intensity, determination, and grace.

I wrote the above paragraph over a year ago in April of 2011 but never posted it. Jane passed away this past July. Tonight, many friends and family gathered for a celebration of her life. The video slide show of Jane's life was beautiful and touching; the remembrances shared so heartfelt and eloquent. Friends spoke from her different circles of activities- the Sturdy Girls who canoed and camped with Jane, the Pilot Knob group who immersed themselves in Dakota language and culture together, the women of the Catholic church group who brought Jane into their fold and enriched themselves by doing so, the karate practitioners who taught, competed with, and learned from Jane, the support group of women with cancer who, like the geese flying in formation, lift each other up, and her family who shared in Jane's life and love.

I was not one of Jane's friends, only an acquaintance through karate, but I admired her greatly both for her friendly and humble demeanor and for the zest she had for life. After attending tonight's celebration, I realize that what I saw of Jane in her gi, practicing karate, was both a small slice of the woman and also the essence of her in all her endeavors.

I pray that Jane not rest in peace but that she find new rapids to run, new katas to practice, and old friends to greet.

Like Carrying Coals to Newcastle (or Heliconia to Hawaii)

This morning, Mom and I visited the Como Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. We briefly saw a portion of the zoo, then moved on to the Conservatory which I knew she would enjoy more. It was quite nice walking through pathways of greenery, and Mom had an enjoyable visit, remarking on the different plants and flowers. But it struck me that half the plants were familiar to her because they are grown in her yard or at a neighbor's house or in a friend's garden. Just off the top of my head, we saw banana, papaya, lime, breadfruit, coconut, orange, Surinam cherry, pineapple, sugarcane, kukui nut, mango, and macadamia nut plants and trees. And that's just listing the fruit and nut bearing plants. Oh, well, we had a good time seeing it all anyway, even if much of it wasn't new. The familiar is enjoyable to recognize so far from home.

Which is older? Hint: the bonsai is 300 years old.

Elizabeth Graduates from Eagan High

Sandy the Corn Snake

Our corn snake Sandy just shed her skin last night. She has grown so much in the 14 months that we have had her (March 1, 2011 blog entry). Back then, she was about 2 feet in length and her body was about as wide as my little finger. Now, she's over 3 1/2 feet long with a girth that is wider than my thumb. And she's not even two years old yet.
Photos of Sandy

Trout Fishing at Forestville

Trout Fishing Forestville photos

Andrew and I had a great time trout fishing on the Root River and Forestville Creek. On Saturday, we drove the 120 miles to Maple Springs Campground (right outside of Forestville State Park) and joined friends Bee and Robbie who had had been camping and fishing there since Friday. They had already caught a few trout earlier in the morning. We headed to the nearby Root River and had a great time catching brown trout. Andrew caught one on his second cast; he ended up catching 10 trout including a nice 14 incher that he released (the protective slot for this area is to release all trout 12"-16" in length). I caught 6 fish and the two us brought nine home for eating. Robbie fly-fished and also caught 6 fish. Bee found a great spot where he landed 3 fish in the protected slot length. Not only was the fishing great but the scenery was beautiful. Though the morning was overcast, it was so enjoyable to walk along the small river, look for areas in which to cast, and wade through the chilly waters (I wore my dependable Teva sandals while Robbie had waders and Bee and Andrew wore rubber boots).

We came back to camp and fried up 8 delicious trout for lunch, then headed to fish Forestville Creek which runs alongside the campgrounds. We didn't fish too long because the weather was turning stormy. Bee, Robbie, and Andrew each caught a trout in the small pools of the creek. We walked upstream to see where the creek flowed out of a small cave in the surrounding hills, then headed back as it started to rain and thunder. As we trudged through the forested area, a long flash of lightning lit up the woods and the thunderclap shook the ground, making us all jump (and quicken our pace back to camp).

Andrew and I headed back home a while after that. Andrew considers this one of his best days fishing. Next time, we'll camp in the area also, probably at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park which is just down the road. Maybe we'll even take time to visit Mystery Cave if Andrew can give up a couple hours of fishing time.