Friday, July 11, 2008

Time Capsule

When the Male Child came back from camp II it was spreading some of its belongings across the dining room table and among them was a small spiral notebook.

I do like notebooks. It's that school-supply obsession probably. I don't use them as journals but I like to have them around to jot down notes or sketch ideas.

I half recognized this one and the Male Child cheerfully admitted it had found it in a box somewhere and absconded with it. It tossed it over for me to look at.

Strange.

Sketched plans for a play house made of pvc pipe and canvas.

Thumbnail designs for Child 2's Alaskan birthday party.

Wire frame of a web site design and a site organization chart.

The phone number for the hospital where our best friends were staying as the wife was being treated for the cancer that would eventually kill her.

Designs for some sculptures I never did.

Mailing address for the same friends in Texas - care package of lotion, a miniature zen garden and a hip flask for the husband.

List of things to do to the California house to make it livable - a reluctant list as we were deciding we would have to stay put for a while

List of chores

List of furniture to buy

List of things to do for friends' house and animals we had been caring for for a month while she went through surgery

Notes on how to treat an injury Kirk got just before he left for Iraq

And on the next page a set of notes for a temporary job I did after Kirk went missing.

30 or so pages.

A lifetime ago.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. It's funny how huge life events can make the past seem so surreal... like it happened to someone else.

Anonymous said...

I felt the same way upon finding the tiny & completely hand made cloth doll you'd given to my firstborn! Indeed, a lifetime ago~
Was thinking about you and yours ALOT over the July 4th weekend as we reflected on our freedoms, of which there are many, and I ached for the loss of Kirk's and how it has affected the rest of your lives forever. Thanks again for sharing your rememberances...

LT said...

Hey

Just came across this while researching an article about people missing abroad. I think the Ingrid Betancourt "and three Americans" (wtf? who knew?) story shocked many people. I know it did me. And now I know about Kirk von Ackermann.

You have quite a site here, Megan von Ackermann. I'll be reading.

Best of everything to you.

Megan said...

emily - it is in a way and at the same time it's like THIS life is the one happening to someone else.

pam - just so pleased that you found us again!

lt - welcome! And thanks, and please don't mind the often scattered nature of the whole thing. The site was primarily intended simply to tell Kirk's story but obviously it's taken on a bit more than that. If you're interested in Kirk or in others who are missing in Iraq you should definitely check out Susie Dow's blog The Missing Man

Janice Marsh said...

Grateful for you writing this blog.