It is a fast clip going down west Texas highways doing 80 mph–and not speeding. I did a double take when I saw the speed signs and realized cars were zipping around me with my piddling 70 mph. Since I somehow left my drivers license at home, I was driving carefully under the posted speed limits until the mail brings my license to our hotel in Phoenix.

West Texas still looks wonderful with its rolling hills and limestone cliffs. Driving through Texas reminded us not only of the vastness of the state but also the variety of geography and culture. Fredericksburg with its German heritage easily visible and the wineries and peach groves are not the same as Austin suburban sprawl into the Texas hills and the area around Sonora as it flattens out into the vast wilderness of far west Texas is different still. One thing remains constant however–the friendly and helpful people that give Texas a home like atmosphere wherever one travels. WEG

The Sutton County Courthouse in Sonora, Texas

We all say it: “It’s a small world.” Indeed, it is! In one day, Kathy ran into two people at our resort in Vail who are good friends with our friends. And so, we now have connections with people in Wichita, Kansas, who are Bible study partners with our friends who live in Wichita. We have visited in our Wichita friends’ mountain vacation home in Breckenridge in the past and my friend in Wichita also served with me on the Board of Regents for Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. On our way back home to Tomball in two weeks, we will stop over in Wichita so that all of us can “do lunch” together. That way, “new friends” can become “old friends.” Next, Kathy met family friends of our Tomball friends, Kevin and Betsy Schlichting. Kevin’s parents eat out regularly with these Denver area folks and Kevin attended high school with their sons. What great visits we have had!

Unfortunately, in all of this, I went swimming with my new iPhone 5. This is not the first time in my life that I have done this. I had put the phone in my swimming trunks’ pocket and, in all the visiting with new acquaintances, simply forgot. After about 20 minutes in the pool, it kind of jolted me when I remembered. The phone now resides in rice for the next few days. It may power up and it may not–such is life. You would think I would learn that iPhones and water do not mix–maybe this time that truth will impress upon my mind and maybe not–such is life. WEG

Sitting with legs lodged in different directions while balancing on the edge of a raft and rowing for three and a half hours made me aware of muscle groups I did not know I possessed. This advanced two and three level whitewater trip on the lower Eagle River outside of Vail, Colorado, was a blast. Not only was the scenery–red rock cliffs and snow capped mountain peaks–breathtaking, but the water was clear and cold and rushing rapidly. All of the trip, save one small section, was whitewater. I had the three grandgirls on this trip, Mikayla, Miranda and Aurora with me. Our guide was fantastic and we felt safe under his care. We all loved the level three rapids we encountered. Dressed in wet suits, wind breakers, life vests, helmets and water shoes, one would think we would not be cold, however, being regularly soaked in the rapids, we were quite cool. There was one rule drilled into us, “Stay in the boat!” And we did! The only real problem for me was getting out of the raft when the trip was over. My muscles did not want to respond and my feet were numb from sitting in 40 degree water for over three hours. Oh, did I mention that I sat at the very front position on the raft, the one that takes the brunt of the action? Did I mention that you do not sit in the raft on level three journeys but on the edge of the raft? You lock your feet into crevices that fill with water to secure your body for pulling the oar and to keep your body from falling backwards into the water. And in case you wondered, Aurora did not row, but held onto safety ropes to keep her safely in the raft. What a great day we enjoyed together!

While we rafted, Kathy and little Micah mountain hiked with guides. It was rated a moderate hike, but Kathy said there was a misprint. She declared it was moderately extreme. In fact, it was a five hour hike going straight up the mountains with an over 2500 foot ascent. Little Micah stayed at the front with the lead guide while Kathy and the rear guide followed. The destination was a beautiful waterfall about 11,000 feet above sea level. They actually walked over five miles on the journey and Kathy said she had a few sore muscles when finished. Micah started out in clean white shorts and tee and came back covered in dirt from head to toe. What a great day they enjoyed together! WEG

No not San Antonio but the Pueblo, Colorado Riverwalk was our surprise for the day. After driving through the dry flat lands of the upper Texas Panhandle; the near desert of far northeast New Mexico and the mountainous views of the Raton Pass into Colorado we settled into Pueblo and discovered that a riverwalk was right by our hotel. We needed exercise and a walk along a river in the cooler Colorado air was the right prescription. What a delight! The riverwalk is wonderfully laid out and clean and frankly, wonderful. Sculptures and outdoor art mix with water features and gardens. Boats ply the water as folks sit in outdoor cafes in the cool breeze under a warm sun. Who would have thought that such a great ambience was in this location, but it is and it was a fantastic find.

You can never forget the place of your birth and upbringing and going back opens the floodgates of memories. So on our month long journey with four grandkids in tow, Kathy and I happily went back to my place of origin and formation, Granite, Oklahoma. We wanted to give the grandchildren a taste of what it was like where Poppy grew up.

The area around Granite has a rugged beauty. The granite “mountains” indiscriminately pop out from the flat countryside reaching upward to about a thousand feet at the highest. The deep red soil rolls flat for as far as the eye can see, broken occasionally by red and grey clay protrusions that run along creeks and rivers. It looks like an old Wild West movie set. Somehow, growing up here, it did not look this beautiful or interesting.

We took the grandkids to my childhood home, the mountain lake, our farm and the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery to see the graves of many family members stretching back to their great, great, great grandparents. They were intrigued and asked many questions and, I believe, got a sense of my past and the values that drive our family thinking and acting, most especially our Christian faith and life. WEG

The cemetery filled with Graumann family members

Chicago is rightly known for its art and architecture. The mix of Gothic, Art Deco and Modern in the buildings in Chicago create a wonderful and harmonious blend. Because the skyline has many famous skyscrapers–the Willis (Sears); John Hancock; Trump; Wrigley and Tribune to name a few, one looks upward for long periods of time. Yet, the magnificent public sculptures that fill courtyards keep one looking at the beauty on street level. Parks dot the landscape and the Millennium Park and Grant Park with majestic and playful fountains and large plantings of flowers and shrubs call one to relax under the shade.

The Chicago Institute of Art is a fine museum with an awesome collection of Impressionist art. All the major painters are represented. In addition, the museum houses collections of art from antiquity and the Orient and Africa. What a wonderful day we enjoyed walking amidst the abundant art and architecture of this great American city. WEG

I got to eat my favorite pizza today in Chicago–from Lou Malnati’s. I’m not the only one who thinks it is the best pizza. It regularly gets voted the best by various rating groups. Think butter crust that is flaky and crisp and deep dish style without being thick and gooey. Think Italian sausage that is cooked and sliced length wise and chopped tomatoes and specialty cheese and roasted garlic and sweet onions. I enjoyed every last bite! What made it even better for Kathy and me was that we were joined by Chuck and Karen Mueller, our good Chicago (Roselle) friends.

We enjoyed our entire day–walking around the “loop” area of downtown Chicago. We just walked and enjoyed the weather and the stunning architecture of the city with big shoulders. Huge gargoyles adorn the city library; a Target store has an amazing ironwork facade; huge skyscrapers jut heavenward in every direction; flower plantings line sidewalks, softening the urban landscape; the Chicago River crisscrosses the city spanned by wonderful pedestrian bridges; Macy’s flagship store has a subway stop in its basement; Union Station is still a traffic hub and is wonderfully restored; magnificent sculptures pop up in front of buildings; restaurants sport comfy outdoor seating and the “el” runs around the city core on elevated tracks that are an Art Deco masterpiece. Chicago is a pedestrian city, easy to walk, although quite large, and easy to love. It is hustle and bustle, and it has a large downtown population, so it feels alive and vibrant. It was a good day in a great American city.

We trained, trammed, subwayed, ferried, taxied and walked our way across Spain, Italy and France during the past few months. We got to Chicago and immediately began to think of how to use a rent car to get around–then we thought of it, Chicago has very good public transportation, so we took the rent car back to the airport and took the train from the airport to our hotel. ( We did use the car to go to worship first.) Once at the hotel, we took the CTA (subway train) to downtown, made the transfer to another, got out and walked up to the Magnificent Mile area and had a delightful afternoon/early evening. Trees and flowers are abundant in Chicago and the streets were busy with lots of tourists out and about. We went into Bloomingdales and got no farther. We realized we had not been in a US store for quite some time and Bloomies is quite nice. Since Kathy loves coffee, we scoped out all the alternatives.

We headed over to my favorite chop house in Chicago, one I have eaten in several times–Harry Careys. Harry was the iconic sports announcer for the Chicago Cubs and popularized the 7th inning song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Amongst all that sports paraphernalia, Harry’s serves really good steaks in an Italian subway station atmosphere–white tile and dark wood. Kathy and I had a great time. We love walking in a city atmosphere and we figured if we could maneuver around Europe without a car, we could certainly do so in Chicago. WEG

You know you are in the US Midwest when you see churches like this popping up.

Ft. Wayne was in the midst of spring–lilac, pear, apple and cherry trees in full bloom and flowers everywhere. The seminary campus, designed by Eero Saarinen, was crisp and manicured. It was hard to believe that 12 years ago I began my service on the Board of Regents, the last nine as chair. Now, I was chairing my last meeting and participating my last time officially in the graduation events. Throughout the day, the old bell rang out in the campus upper plaza, as graduates who had finished all their requirements rang it out to the applause of friends and family, as is campus tradition.

My tenure has seen many advancements at the seminary. Two great presidents, Wenthe and Rast, had ably led these advancements forward–a ten year accreditation pin, the highest achievement; a new library; the complete upgrade to the infrastructure of the campus; a new curriculum; distance learning; technological advancements; hugely increased endowment fund; worldwide mission efforts and a great balance sheet. I was privileged to support them and cheer them on. And now that season of my life is over.

I was honored that a wonderful dinner was held in my honor and the after graduation faculty, staff and invited guest hors d’oeuvres fellowship was Texas themed in my honor. I also delivered the commencement address. Enough kind words were spoken to me that they will last for quite some time in my memory.

Now we are in Chicago and it is “my kind of town.” WEG

Perspective and angle are important in getting a full picture. You get a different perspective of a place by looking at it from the sea, rather than from the land. Ferries that hug the coastline are great for giving a new perspective of a historic site. We took the ferry from Lerici, Italy, to see the Cinque Terre (five lands) along the Italian Rivera. Along the way the ferry stopped in Porta Venera. It was a place of which I had never heard. It turned out to be a beautiful and wonderful place to visit. Surrounded by the Mediterranean and located at the opening of a beautiful bay, with three small but mountainous islands just off the shore, the cities pastel-colored buildings were overlooked by a large castle on one side and a historic church complex (over 1000 years) on the other. That was the magical perspective from the ferry. Once on shore, the walk along the ocean was flower-filled and refreshing. The narrow side streets were filled with shops and restaurants. Ancient rock walls and walkways led to higher streets. The church dedicated to St. Peter was all white flower bedecked in preparation for a wedding, and outer balconies offered commanding views of the majestic coastline that stretched northward toward the Cinque Terre. Porta Venera was an unexpected pleasure. WEG