I enjoy surprises. I enjoy surprising folks as well. Throughout our marriage, Nina and I have delighted in perpetrating surprises on family members.

When we were transferred to Germany, we suddenly showed up in Soda Springs at my parent’s home for Christmas … a surprise. When our daughter Heather announced her engagement, we drove out from Ohio to surprise her in her dorm room so that wedding plans could be constructed between mother and daughter. Just this month our visit to our daughter Dawnmarie and family was a planned surprise for the grandkids. That surprise worked out marvelously and we’ve had a great visit with them.

There are, of course, other kinds of surprises. I love magic just because it always seems to surprise me and delight me. A few weeks ago at our weekly Rotary Club meeting, the presenter brought along two magicians who did several table-top magic tricks. They were just amazing. The Chamber of Shadows at the Mystique Theater in Pocatello is a new venue in town that consists of a fine dinner followed by about 45 minutes of table-top magic. It should open sometime in early Spring and I think we’ll go so I can be surprised once again.

Occasionally the surprise is really stupendous. One such happened on March 14th this year when our daughter Dawnmarie very nonchalantly walked up to our car in Lava Hot Springs, a very long way from her home in Pennsylvania, all the while talking with Nina on her cell phone and refusing to hang up. As far as surprises go this year, that one leads the list.

Ta ta for now!