Doerrway

Goodness – it’s been almost three months since the last post on here. I’m forgetful – or using Facebook – or both. Anyway, for those who prefer to see our website or do not use Facebook, I’ll try to sum up the last three months.

Dixie and I had a wonderful vacation in St. Thomas in February. We overate, swam, boated, and generally relaxed. Each time we go we remember why we like to do it – even though the weather here at home wasn’t that bad as in past years. Nonetheless we did enjoy it. I’d put pictures up, but Apple, in its wisdom, has decided to remove my ability to post photos for you to see through this website. At this juncture, I don’t know exactly what we are going to do, so I’m not putting any photos up at this point.

During the time we were there, a very good friend of our was called home to the Lord. Terry had been battling multiple myeloma for three years, even had a bone marrow transplant. She got another good year, but the cancer took her shortly after we left for St. Thomas. We did have the good fortune to visit her just before we left, and we have been out with Dick a couple of times since we got home. He’s coping – after over 40 years together.

Brian and Shannon have moved – actually, today was the move. They are in Indiana, and have been for the past year, and were renting a house. When the lease was up, the landlord wanted to raise the rent, and Shannon was getting concerned about the neighborhood (school bus actually) and so they found another house, same school district, but different area. Today was moving day, and Dixie is down in Plainfield/Avon, Indiana helping get things straight. The four grandkids are growing well and seem to be prospering in Indiana. Gillian turns 12 this year, Genevieve is 10, Gwendolyn will be 8 and Gavin, 6. We are hoping they will be able to come up north for a couple of weeks this summer – if gas prices don’t go through the roof.

Brian and Cheryl have both been to Austin for Mary’s “Dad’s weekend” and now “Mom’s weekend” at her sorority house. Mitchell will be attending Interlochen this summer, being the recipient of a couple of scholarships for his saxophone playing. We look forward to being able to see him a bit – Interlochen is only about 30 minutes from the trailer. He will be a Senior next year, and Madeline a Junior. Mason – according to photos we’ve seen – is now taller than Madeline. Mark, Matthew and Maisie are all growing up healthy and well. They may make a trip to Interlochen and we’re trying to set it up so they are here while the Stopinski clan is here as well. Nothing like 11 grandkids running around!

Mark and Loretta are surviving in LA. Mark just finished a run in his workshop/theater and got reasonably good reviews. He also had a bit part in the George Lucas film, Red Tails, which came out earlier. He played the German Commandant of the prison camp where the pilot was taken. The story is about the Tuskegee Airmen, and is part of history we don’t hear too much about. He has a new job (daytime) that I don’t understand, but apparently has something to do with technology as it is applied to film and theater.

After a week of 80s, Michigan is now more seasonable – low in the thirties, highs in the 40s and 50s. The poor trees have leafed, the tulips are up and are about to bloom, and we had frost last night. Interesting. Of course, the experts are all saying it’s global warming. So, we have to stop driving automobiles, stop burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, wood, natural gas), and perhaps the climate will go back. Yeah, right. That’s really going to happen. So, I guess we’ll just have to figure out how to live with the weird weather, wacky temperatures, wild wind (tornadoes and hurricanes), and other vagaries of nature. Not much lowly man can do about changing the climate now – the change is coming. If we had not invented all these conveniences 100 years ago, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation, but we did, and we are.

Sermon over. Hope you have a great spring, a blessed Easter, and, until I get the idea to update this website again, good health.

2012! Christmas decorations are almost down and put away for another year. Choruses will be starting up again, and Harry is preparing for this summer’s tour of Scotland, England and Wales with his men’s chorus. Should be a busy time!

Updates: Mark and Loretta were able to spend Christmas time with Cheryl and Brian in Texas. If you haven’t seen the annual movie from Doerrstop yet, you should. (Doerrstop movie) It’s a take-off on the Wizard of Oz with a cast of extras. Doesn’t seem like the holidays until we get that movie from the Texas Doerr’s. Shannon and Brian shared their home with us over Christmas, and were scheduled to reciprocate by coming up here on Tuesday, the 27th. However, Shannon decided to have a kidney stone instead, and spent most of the last week in December getting it taken care of. It appears that, for the most part, the stone is gone, thanks to lithotripsy, and hopefully it won’t return. That was not fun!

So now we settle in to the hum-drum of winter in Michigan – except we haven’t had any yet. Snow is expected tonight, but we’ve been in the 40s and 50s for the past couple of weeks – highly unusual in January. Can’t say I’m terribly disappointed, and I wouldn’t mind if it stayed this way for the rest of the time until March. I doubt that it will, but one can dream. We are off to St. Thomas for the first two weeks of February for our annual, “It’s too darn cold and grey” sojourn. We shall share photos upon our return. Apple has announced that, effective the end of June, my storage area for photos will be shut down, so I’ll have to identify another way of sharing photos with you on this website. But until then, they are still available.

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OK, guys and gals.  Here are the photos that I promised in my last post. There is also a movie that may give you some idea of the drive to Hana on Maui. Enjoy.  Click here.

View from the hotel

Haleakala Crater

Sacred Pools

We are back after three glorious weeks in our 50th state. We left Sunday, September 25 and flew to Atlanta, and then on to Honolulu (9 1/2 hour flight) and to a 6-hour time shift. Arriving by shuttle to our hotel, the Ilikai, on Waikiki Beach, we enjoyed a magnificent view from the 25th floor of the harbor and the beach. We did some touristy things – like a dinner cruise and a luau – as well as renting a car for a day and driving around the island. Parking is $20/day or more, and there are 850,000 people in Honolulu (85% of the state’s population live in Honolulu) – and all of their cars were on the roads simultaneously – making for marvelous traffic jams. Once we got out of Honolulu, the scenery was gorgeous, the traffic reasonable, and the view great. Went to a ranch where a lot of films (Jurassic Park, Lost, George of the Jungle, etc.) were filmed. Went on a day sail to see dolphins and whales (not in season yet), and generally had a great time. That Saturday, October 1, we flew to Maui and spent six days at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, with a beautiful ground-floor view of the ocean and grounds. The beach front walkway allowed us to walk between hotels, condos and shopping areas, so we really didn’t need to drive too many places. Did a Polynesian Circ du Solie type show while there – included a great dinner at the Hyatt. Had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp in Lahina, and dinner at Leilani’s on the Beach as well. Took in a dinner Magic show at the hotel – very good. Sad to leave there on Friday, the 7th, but we moved to the Aston at Maui Banyan condos near Kihei. From our room, we could see the ocean, and from the other side, Mount Haleakala. So we drove up Haleakala to see the crater – didn’t make sunrise, because neither of us wanted to get up at 3!  It’s still beautiful, even at noon!  Also, finally drove the road to Hana – we had taken a tour there once before, but never had driven it since my experience in 1980. Back then, the road was in bad shape, and thirty miles of twisting, turning, climbing road had my two kids on the floor of the back seat whimpering – so we turned around. Today the road has been redone – still thirty miles of twisting, turning, climbing road with one-lane bridges, but not a bad drive. It took 2 1/2 hours to go the fifty miles, and we had lunch in Hana. Then another ten miles to the “sacred pools” before returning home. The road ends just beyond the pools, so the only way back is the way you came – unless you have a

Lost filmed here

four-wheel drive vehicle. It was a beautiful way to finish our trip. We ate in a lot while in Kihei – because we had a kitchen! Did get out to Buzz’s Wharf for a dinner – had been there a few years back when Dixie’s mom had accompanied us. Went to a couple of craft shows and wandered around. Bought the obligatory Hawaiian muumuu (short) and matching shirts at Hilo Hattie’s, and a few trinkets here and there. But mostly, just relaxed the last few days.

Once the camera gets emptied of its several hundred photos, we’ll put together a montage that will showcase the true beauty of Hawaii. We truly enjoy Maui, and even with the traffic on Oahu, the sights and history there (Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, Polynesian Cultural Center, Punchbowl Cemetery to name a few) makes it a necessary stop for any visitor. We have been to Kauai and the “big island” of Hawaii as well in the past. There is something there for anyone, and the mixture of cultures and races makes it truly a place where the world gathers. In fact, one of the major reasons for the traffic in Honolulu was the “spiffing up” of the roads in preparation for the Asian Pacific Rim Economic meeting in early November where President Obama will return to his birthplace and host the Asian leaders as they discuss global economics. In short, it is a nice place. But until those photos get up, you will have to be satisfied with the small sampling from my iPhone camera, and the stuff Dixie posted on FaceBook.

Yep. Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, and Summer is gone for another nine months. Our trailer is closed up for the winter, the boat is winterized and stored, and thoughts now turn to singing with the Farmington Community Chorus and the Langsford Men’s Chorus as they prepare for their annual holiday concerts. Our weekends are full between now and Christmas, what with singing engagements, social events, dances, etc. What else can one expect come fall?

So, although we always feel somewhat sad when we close the trailer for the year, and the leaves begin to change, we are busy enough that the time just seems to fly by. We have a trip planned to help assuage the pain from the end of summer, and once we return, we promise to post photos on this site.

Shannon, Brian and the kids seem to be thriving in Indianapolis; Brian, Cheryl and the kids survived the multiple days over 100 degrees in Dallas this year; and Mark and Loretta have weathered LA’s annual mudslides, fires, and other disasters. What more could a parent wish for?

For now, we’ll call it a post, but there will be more to come once the photos go up. Enjoy Fall!

The boat came out on Sunday. Temps have cooled down. Leaves are starting to have color. Guess that means summer is almost done and fall is not far behind. Had a great one.

Brian, Shannon and the kids spent two weeks up north with some glorious weather. Photos to come. They’re back in Indianapolis and in school now.

Brian, Cheryl and the gang seemed to have survived the great Texas heat wave with a record number of days over 100. Mark and Loretta are doing well in LA and he is doing another play. Still no breakthrough roles, but we keep hoping.

With September comes our choruses and the start of learning our Christmas music. Time flies when you are having fun. We do have a trip planned – more on that upon our return along with photos.

Happy fall! Go Blue! Go Tigers! And I thought this would never happen, but maybe even the Lions will do OK this year. Hope springs eternal. Until next time.

We have survived the big 100!! Two days ago the thermometer hit 101 with a high humidity and fortunately we had power to run the air conditioner. So now that we have two weeks off, it’s scheduled to cool off. That’s ok. It still will be mid-80s and mostly sunny. Brian, Shannon, and the four grandkids will be here for two weeks. We will beat the heat in the laments needed. Hey, it’s summer in Michigan. Photos to come.

June 9 through the 12 Dixie and I had the privilege of attending the first (and hopefully of many) “retreat” of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. This event was held in the town of Bryant, Indiana, at Bear Creek Farms. I admit I had never heard of this place, but Dixie had made reservations almost as soon as it showed up on their website. Not really knowing what to expect, we headed off Thursday afternoon while Brian and Shannon drove up from Indianapolis to stay at our place and visit friends up here. Bear Creek turned out to be a neat place. After a very good dinner, we ended up at the small theater for “orientation” – which turned out to be about an hour and a half meeting with the EHSS group, some singing and a description of what they hoped to do for the weekend. Their intent was to get to know the 185 people who had signed up to attend (a full house), let their hair down and just enjoy their families and us. A few songs, and then off to bed. During the night, the monsoons came in (and of course our rain gear was in the car). We had to wade to breakfast, and then to bible study/devotions, which turned out to be another get together with the guys, songs, and some group singing. We had free time until lunch – which was supposed to be a picnic, but because of the rain, they moved it inside. Some picnic! Steak, chicken, pasta, meat balls, salad, veggies, dessert – oh my! Then it was wander around the grounds – the rains had stopped and the sun was out – until time for more food, and then a full-blown concert. Wow! 

Off to bed after that – we just pooped out! Saturday morning was a repeat of Friday – breakfast, devotions with singing. They taught us a song that, as of yet, has not been released. Nonetheless, a simple chorus became the byword for the devotions every morning. Saturday after lunch, there was another full-blown concert, followed by a special treat – a tour of the bus that EHSS uses when they tour. Think claustrophobia – 12 guys in bunks that resemble those on a submarine, a small office, and a living area that might hold two comfortably. But the bus gets the guys and their gear from one venue to another. They tour Thursdays through Saturdays, about 120 dates a year. Much less than many other groups on the road – they want to spend time with their families. The bus is nice, but I’m not sure it would be called “elegant travel” – more like necessary transportation. Then it was dinner, and another full-blown concert. That was three full concerts – each different – each lasting two hours plus – in two days. And what I didn’t mention was that, because Dixie had reserved so early, we had front row center seats for all three concerts! So if the photos seem to look up the nostrils, that’s why!

Saturday evening, after the concert, we attended a bonfire, complete with smores. The families of the SSQ and crew were present as well, and the kids were really enjoying the sparklers, the fire, and the fellowship. A very relaxed atmosphere. These guys and their families bonded with us, and we with them. Sunday morning’s “service” turned into a question and answer session, meet the crew and families, and generally a love fest. There are two relatively new members of the quartet – Devin coming about a year ago, and Ian just in January. This was a great time for them to become part of the family. We then headed home, thoroughly uplifted and inspired. Great music, great message, great God! In short, it was a wonderful weekend. All 185 of us made it very clear we wanted to do this again, and the guys agreed. So who knows?

So now it’s back to the real world.

By the way, if any of you would like to sample the Langsford Men’s Chorus sounds, we have a video on YouTube of Kurt Bestor’s Prayer of the Children. If you would prefer to download it yourself, I have put a copy on the gallery. Enjoy.

We have just completed a very successful Farmington Chorus concert weekend celebrating the music of Richard Rodgers. Beginning with the Sound of Music and ending with A Song in My Heart, the evening was filled with singing. I even got a chance (sort of) to do a solo rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. I don’t think our version will ever make the top ten list anywhere, but it was fun. I hope you had a chance to partake. When we get some photos of the concert, we’ll post a few for you to see.

This coming weekend, the Langsford Men’s Chorus is performing in Ferndale, Waterford and Utica. Check out the LMC website (www.langsfordmenschorus.org) for details and directions to the venues. After that, if you’re in the Midland, Traverse City or Cadillac areas, LMC will be touring central Michigan the weekend of the 20th. We’ll be at the United Church of Christ in Midland, Friday, May 20th at 7:30; First Congregational Church in Traverse City Saturday, May 21st at 7:30; and First Presbyterian Church in Cadillac at 3 on Sunday the 22nd. We’d love to see you there.

Once again, singing fills the May air, and once that’s over, we can relax until the fall. Our trailer is open – no snow – and we will be ready to “play” come Memorial Day and beyond. For now, we are glad to see the sun shining, the sky blue, and the temperature in the mid-60s. That, for Michigan this year, is finally nice weather. Can’t really complain too much when we see the devastation wrought by the tornadoes in the South. Our hearts and prayers go to those folks.

Once the dust has settled, Dixie and I will be spending a fair amount of time at the trailer. If any of you are in the area on the weekends, let us know – maybe we can get together and lift a glass or two.