In many previous “4F” posts (as I have came to call this blog), I have mused upon Faith, Forests (Scouting, only once so far), and the Field (EMS). I think it is high time I turn toward family. After all this upper end of the list vocation is the sole reason why I do not exit EMS forever, grow my hair and beard and collect sea shells by the seashore.
I usually laugh inwardly at those who say “you couldn’t live without being in EMS.” They obviously do not know me very well. While EMS is a passion, vocation and focus for portions of my life, it could easily be replaced by things more important. But… EMS pays the bills, so I stay. And like any vocation, the work is definitely there to be done. And that work is testing me somewhat this week…
So, with that said (let me know if you ever get tired of that entry phrase… although it probably won’t change my usage)… let’s talk about a few members of zoo for a moment. We are going to start with the girl children (we shall discuss the boys later).
Hence the title, “Retro Ree and Kat of the Vine.”
The title is simply a paraphrasing of the descriptions to come. These two daughters, one age four, the other twenty-two are in some ways a lot alike and in others different.
“Ree” is the nickname for Rhiannon, the youngest (by 5 minutes) of the Turpen girls. She is the fraternal twin of Peter Isaac (who we will explore in a later blog unless he has taken off my fingers with a baseball by that time, relegating my typing time to nil). Rhiannon is a fearless little sprite who truly claims (and mimics) a kinship with fairies and princesses.
I don’t think Ree has gained an ounce since she was two (I am being facetious of course) and she loves to climb trees, take 2.5 mile long scooter trips, ride her bike and be generally fearless. She also has not an issue one with calling out any of her brothers when something does not match her sense of right (of course she does tend to be defensive of her twin). She is very much a Daddy’s girl and always the first one to greet me when I come home in the evening.
Her other nickname is “Piggy.” She got this from eating three times as much food as her twin
brother when they were less than a year old. She put him to shame at the dinner table. Of course now he is the chunk and she the bean pole. However, this has given her a love of all sorts of pigs… from stuffed, to banks to even a pig shaped jewelry box. It’s all about the pig.
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| Piggy (Ree) and Corky |
She likes watching music videos (and here is where the “retro” comes in). Meatloaf (I Would Do Anything For Love) and of course Stevie Nicks (Rhiannon) are at the top of her list. But she also likes the funnier stuff by Katy Perry and Psy as well.
Stevie Nicks (Landslide), Kid Rock (All Summer Long), Van Morrison (Brown Eyed Girl). As I have said before, Rhiannon is kind of a retro music kind of girl. Yes, i do think Kid Rock is sort of '70s at times...
Then it's back to Fleetwood Mac and "Silver Springs." I dont get it, but I can't say that I do not like her diversity in music.
Of course, I will not lie. Her first name comes from the Stevie Nick’s song “Rhiannon” which I really liked as a teenager and still am partial to today.
Rhiannon likes anything interactive. When she was two years old she learned the words to a common interchange between Commander Adama and Lieutenant Starbuck in the new version of the television show Battlestar Galactica. She usually likes the version from the Battle of Ragnar Anchorage:
Adama: “Good Morning Starbuck, What do you hear?”
Starbuck: “Nothing but the rain!”
Adama: “Grab your gun and bring in the cat.”
Starbuck: “Aye-Aye, Sir. Coming home!”
It is short, but she really gets a kick out of saying it back and forth and has wanted to re-watch the short video clip of one of the interchanges about a zillion times. Reference video clip at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmqdsFq9fgs
She tends to actually listen in church (you should see it when her head spins around to ask a question about something just said in the sermon… priceless!). Although for the longest time she thought Pastor Eckels was Jesus (she has since figured it out… but our Pastors are called and ordained servants of the Word so that association is logical to a young child). Of course, two of her brothers thought the same thing of Pastor Keller at an early age as well.
She is fairly particular about her clothing (appropriate to where she is going… and she usually picks it out herself too), hair (style), makeup (yes, I know… but she can be a little Diva at times).
She likes salad. I did not eat “rabbit-food” until my late twenties. She also likes Hockey too and is a huge Evansville Icemen fan.
I mentioned earlier that she is somewhat protective of her twin, but it does not stop there. She will jump in to defend in a moment anywhere where she feels someone or something is being harassed or abused (even the dog!). It is quite funny to see her through her 33 pound, four-year-old, stick-figure body in between two people with her chest out, arms thrown back, posture, stating, “You want a piece of me?”
Too funny.
She obviously likes to take up a cause.
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| Ree and Kat together... |
On that point, let’s move to the oldest of the offspring. I cannot call her a kid any more as she is 22. But “Kat” is a graduate level student at Ohio State in the Veterinary Medicine program. She was accepted for early entry into the program during her third year of undergraduate studies at Purdue.
She and her Australian Shepherd “Mal” (short for Malcolm from “Firefly) live in Columbus, Ohio. She seems to be adjusting well to life on her own, but then again she has always been somewhat self-managing.
She has done well setting her own limits, adhering to her values and arguing those values as well.
“Kat” is short for Katherine. Fits well for a person who knew they wanted to be a Vet since the 2nd Grade. Kat has had an excellent GPA since around the fourth grade or so with honors classes in high school and the GPA continuing through her three years at Purdue.
I will be the first to say that I was not the most supportive parent with her decision to leave Indiana… after I love this state dearly and with there being only four other states I would like to live in (Colorado, Texas, Washington and New Mexico), Ohio still does not quite compute. But she has proven it was a very good option for Vet school.
One of my earliest memories concerning the tenacity of my oldest daughter has to be a day that I picked her up from school at what I think was her Kindergarten class. I still remember her at age 5, running to the car carrying this huge Teddy Bear (I think it was dressed in a Christmas motif kind of outfit). Here’s the set up. There had been a “Teddy Bear Tea Party” that day in the class. All of the students were supposed to bring a Teddy Bear. That is all I knew at this point… I was supposed to pick her up and make sure she brought her Teddy Bear home. She climbs into my truck, tosses the Teddy down, crosses her arms and says, “Teddy Bear tea Parties can be so annoying.” And that is a direct quote from a five year old.
So… I said, out of total astonishment: “So what was annoying about it?”
She immediately launched into a diatribe about how everyone was supposed to bring a Teddy. She then added that there were prizes for the biggest bear, the smallest bear, the best dressed bear, the fattest bear… etcetera… etcetera… never uncrossing her little arms. She was chiefly incensed over the fact that everyone got a prize.
I indicated that I still was unclear as to why the party had been annoying.
She then looked at me. The arms unfolded, straight out, palms up in the typical “why” stance and stated, “But someone brought a stuffed Rabbit. IT WASN’T A BEAR!”
Not sure if that was a “just doesn’t fit the rules argument” or a recognition of an entitlement concept, but either way it was hilarious. It took me the entire ride to get her calmed down and let the anger go (all while trying to choke down the laughter).
I guess that story serves to show that she sets lines, limits and definitions and then abides by them. She has always been that way. That said, she is now technically, by the numbers, an adult.
An example of that line drawing, not crossing thing was her waiting until she was 21 to have her first drink. We actually made it where that first outing occurred with me. That trip required a trip to West Lafayette, then to Indy to find a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant.
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| Kat at Oliver Winery in Bloomington |
Now this is where the “Kat of the Vine” title comes from… she has taught me to really like and appreciate the differences in various wines. I have learned quite a bit with her instruction and the idea that we should do a wine trail together. She has went from that first drink to wine connoisseur in less than 18 months. She also introduced me to my favorite wine: Reggae Red from Easley Winery in Indianapolis.
The Uplands wine trail was a great amount of fun. I also learned that our tastes in wine differ between father and daughter (we also have denominational differences in our faith as well). I am still learning. I like the sweeter wines, although I am learning to like Pinot Noir’s (which I hear is a logical progression). I like some whites also, but Kat is all about the white wines.
I will insert here: Please do not judge on the wine… the very first miracle of Christ was at the Wedding Feast at Cana where the water was turned to wine. Please see a sermon reference link below concerning both wine and marriage…
Another topic where I find Kat amazing is in the area of strategy. We have often in the past played a
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| St. Louis 2004 |
game called “Pirates.” It is a constructible strategy game where you collect and build small ships punched out of credit card sized plastic sheets. It is played on a large table top. It is not an easy game to win at when confronted by a diabolical mind such as that of my dear daughter’s.
Then there is her love for animals...
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| Kat & Jerad |
She currently is looking to work with a specific church ministry which helps children of divorced parents. And she is doing this while in grad school.
I love my daughters dearly. In many ways, I cannot convey this in the space given in a blog. Daughters are sources of great love. You worry about them. You always know that you have not helped them enough, but they grow and succeed anyway. I thank God for them.
Lastly, there is nothing better than that little hand on your shoulder and those little lips state, “This is a secret between us… You are the best Daddy ever.” When I heard this two nights ago, I smiled on the outside, but nearly cried on the inside.
What I give is not enough. It will never be enough. Why? It is simply because we want to give our daughters the world.
And they deserve it.
Till the next time on the “4F” trail… God Speed.
Reference (and fun) links:
One of my favorite sermon texts regarding two good gifts from God, Wine and Marriage: http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=1574
Battlestar Galactica (new): www.syfi.com/battlestar/
Uplands Wine Trail: www.indianauplands.com
Easley Winery: www.easleywinery.com
Winzerwald Winery: www.winzerwaldwinery.com
French Lick Winery: www.frenchlickwinery.com
Wine Styles Store Evansville: www.winestyles.net/burkhardt
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