Grouse Hollow Journal for the week of December 26, 2013 by Greg Koelker

Grouse Hollow Journal for December 26, 2013 by Greg Koelker

I got to open a Christmas present early this year. Okay, at least one other person in this house might say, I did it again this year, that is - ruined her Christmas present surprise. I have a rather long history of doing that. Let me explain; I was shopping on Amazon the other day and found a Vexilar Flasher (basically a sonar for seeing your bait and fish under the water) really cheap, so I called out to the kitchen, “Would you mind if I ordered this?” My better half came in and rolled her eyes. “Well, Merry Christmas!” She added, “I was going to wrap a box with pictures of a flasher, a Go Pro Camera, and some snow shoes in it and let you choose which one you wanted, but here you go.” As I said before, I have done this a time or two before. I once bought a top coat two weeks before Christmas and found out later that Ellen had to take back the new top coat she had already had wrapped up for me and find something else. I once showed up with a shop vac just before Christmas; she had been all over that weeks before and had to return the one she had hidden away. Once on Christmas Eve, Ellen figured she'd foiled my gift surprise spoiling when she stopped on her way home from work and purchased a Kodak instant camera for my gift thinking that there is no way he can do it again. Yup, you guessed it; I had bought a Polaroid instant camera earlier that day. I am just lucky I am not on the list for coal I guess, but you have to admit she sure knows what I like for Christmas.

Anyway, I took the flasher out on the ice at Stoddard Bay on Wednesday last week, dropping the transducer in a hole here and there to see if there were fish. I found some, and caught a dozen or so mostly small bluegills. On Friday I had a dentist appointment, so I went over to the gravel pit behind Gundersen Lutheran and tried the deep water. In the first hole I tried I found fish, so I spent an hour trying to entice them up to my world. The flasher helps one locate the depth the fish are at and put the bait in that zone. I landed three keepers and a few small ones.

Last week I used the term, “There's something you don't see every day.” With that in mind, I have to share that Ellen and I played Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Coulee Connections School in La Crosse this last week. (I was Santa.) Our young friend Eli Jackson is a teacher there and asked us if we'd do it. Anyway, Momma and I (Poppa) both fielded questions from a dozen or so elementary students like how old are you? What do reindeer eat? Did you deliver gifts during World War II? How do you get back up the chimney? Are cookies and milk all you eat? Do the elves live at the North Pole all year? and so on. We also got some gift requests and lots of hugs. I “Ho! Ho! Ho'ed!” my way through, but Ellen did an amazing reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” (When I remarked on her wonderful performance, she said she almost knew it by heart; she said, “Don't you remember when Mark was little? I had to finally tell him no in June or we would have read it together the entire year!) I read a story called “Snow” and Ellen finished with a special request for a pretty long book about some kids that had a magical transporter that allowed them to go to the North Pole and build a snowman. Anyway, doing this was something new for us, and it was pretty cool - except that the suit is probably better suited for riding in a sleigh at night or maybe ice fishing or going to a Packer game. (I have a whole new appreciation for the mall Santa.)

Anyway, Mrs. Claus, uh, Ellen and I will be married 80 years this December 29 - okay, that's 40 for her and 40 for me. We have been through some tough times, and we have had what seems like way too many tragic losses of family members and friends; however, in retrospect, I know we would both say that life has been and is, good, with much love and good fortune. We have two great sons and a very special daughter-in-law, we have wonderful families, lots of good friends and neighbors, more than enough to eat (most likely the reason I got asked to play Santa), a picturesque place to live, a long line of loyal and loving pets, our health, good careers, and lots of interests and activities and even this journal to keep us busy in retirement. I can truly say, I wouldn't change a thing.

Until next time, get out - I laughed out loud when I read the following New Years wish from pianist Margi Harrel. I think you might too:

“May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber and the I.R.S.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise.

May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night. May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your nurse, your masseuse, your hairdresser or your tennis instructor.

And may we live in a world at peace and with the awareness of God's love in every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of our heart.”

Happy New Year! Enjoy.