Andrea Kasiske

I wrote this eulogy for my friend, Andrea:

Back in 2007 I met Andrea (and Duane) at our first Legion Rider meeting. I instantly knew she was a force to be reckoned with. She may have only been around 5 feet tall but she had a presence that eclipsed anyone way taller. She had a lot to talk about at those meetings and people sure did listen when she spoke. 

Andrea was running catering for the American Legion Auxiliary back then. Of course, as a good recruiter, she instantly asked me to help out with a catering event and I just couldn’t say no to Andrea. That was the beginning of our long relationship working the Bike Blessing. And we both loved it no matter how stressful it felt the day of.  Andrea was in charge and she was good at running it. 

Her past experience as the Auxiliary President gave her clout and expertise. She did so much for our Legion family over the years.

Our relationship evolved rather quickly. She loved to dole out advice. She took me under her wing and wanted to make sure I would fit in with the rest of the Legion Riders. She quickly discovered that I was almost as headstrong as she was so we did argue once in a while. Actually, we argued a lot.

Andrea would see Jeff and I pull up on our Harley, I would hop off the bike wearing no helmet, and a pair of open toed high-heeled shoes. Andrea’s first words to me in a harsh tone were “You’re gonna scrape all the skin right off your toes riding like that.” My response was “if I fall off the bike, I would be more concerned with smacking my head than worrying about my feet!” She would walk away in a huff after my disrespectful response. I could count to ten and she would be back to say in a softer mother-like voice, “I only say these things to make sure you are safe, you know.” I would give her a big uncomfortable hug and watch her try to wriggle out of my embrace. I had fun messing with her and she always came back for more. I loved her and I’m pretty sure she loved me back.

We spent years riding in parades and charity rides together. But her passion was the Legacy Ride. If you don’t know about the Legacy Ride it averages about 2,000 miles once it’s all said and done. And Andrea did it on the back of a Harley that wasn’t very fancy. She rode on a hard seat without much back support unlike my Princess seat. She was tough as nails. She did that ride through rain, sleet, and relentless heat. And Andrea did it wearing a helmet covered in duct tape. It didn’t matter. She was doing it. She was proud of it. Of course, at one of the stops along the way she had to remind me that I should be wearing long sleeves to protect my skin. There was always something. And I would again give her an uncomfortable hug that made her stop talking. 

Over the years she had given me advice about canning the vegetables in my garden. Duane and Andrea are experts at that and I paid attention. I have to credit Andrea for that advice as I think I’ve become pretty good at it.

Andrea worked for H&R Block during tax season. It was a busy time for her but she still found time for the Legion Riders. And there was more than one occasion when she gave me some good tax advice. YES! More advice from Andrea. It was another reason to thank her with an uncomfortable hug and another opportunity to watch her try and wriggle out of it. I loved her and because she was always ready to help me out, I’m pretty sure she loved me back.

Unfortunately, Andrea’s health put her in a situation where she could not do the Legacy Ride any more but her goal remained to do that ride again. 

And there was Duane, always by her side and always ready to do whatever it took to help her get better. If there was ever a better love story, I have not witnessed it. Their love is apparent. It is steadfast in all things. It is an example for all of us to follow. Duane was by Andrea’s side always. If you paid close attention, you could feel the love between them when they were near.

Sadly, another Legacy Ride for Andrea never happened. But being wheelchair bound did not stop her. Andrea attended every Legion Rider meeting and event that she could muster. She was resilient in her Harley t-shirts and weathered leather vest. She wore that vest proudly and the many patches were proof of her dedication to the Veterans she served, her love of motorcycling and her love of the Legion Riders. Because she was wheelchair bound, I now had to bend down to give her one of those uncomfortable hugs. 

In her last weeks, I visited Andrea as she lay in the emergency room at Ascension with a grim diagnosis. I held her perfectly manicured hand. Andrea always had perfectly manicured nails. They were shiny, sparkly, sometimes glittery, always girly and in direct contrast to her weathered, tough exterior. A reminder of her wonderful, warm soft side. And she was styling it right to the end. I kissed her on her forehead as rolled her eyes at me, which replaced our usual uncomfortable hug. 

We talked about how she was feeling, both physically and emotionally. It was a personal and private conversation that will stick with me for a very long time. Her last words to me were “I will see you at the next Legion Rider meeting”. I told her I was counting on it. 

Andrea left Ascension and was transferred to hospice care. I sat with her there as she lay in an unresponsive state. I spent my time with her there talking to her and reading messages of love from Linda, Chickie, Marie and everyone else who knew I was sitting with her.  

Again, I held her perfectly manicured hand and kissed her on her forehead. This time she couldn’t fight or roll her eyes at me but I sure wish she could have. And after our last conversation I really did love her, I now knew for sure she really did love me back.

Six Flags Great America

Chloe enjoyed a slushie and a pretzel after a few hours of riding roller coasters.

Chloe and Grandpa enjoy some quality time while taking a break from riding the rides.

Avery learns to do a country dance move with the help of a dancer from the park.

We're Off to Switzerland!

We are headed out on our first international journey. We've been to Canada and Mexico but never across the ocean. We are so very excited. Another first is that we are taking a river cruise. I haven't had the desire to ever take a cruise until I came across this one. An ocean cruise is definitely not something that appeals to me but a much more intimate river cruise is something I don't mind trying.

We had an overnight flight which was terrible for trying to sleep. We paid extra to sit in better seats and it did not help. I don't think I would do that again. We had a layover in Munich and looked forward to going to their large brew pub but once we got there we were too tired to try. That's OK though, we are just starting our adventure so I'm looking forward to plenty of opportunities to enjoy German beer.

Once we got into Basel, Switzerland we were ready. We may have been tired but we were excited. We met our luggage in our stateroom on our ship where we unpacked and settled in for just a few minutes. Then it was off for a walking tour of Basel.

We went on the walking tour with a local guide. Our ship's program director suggested that we get some fresh air instead of doing what we really wanted to do - take a nap. He said it would help with the jet lag to just stay up until bedtime in order to have an easier time assimilating to the time change.

Basel is a city located where Switzerland, Germany ad France meet. The city is on the Rhine River and is at the furthest navigable point. There are many Gothic, Renaissance and baroque style buildings. The city is modern, just check out the transit system.

Here are some photos from the city tour:

We had some time to walk, shop and just meander on our own. Switzerland is a country where most people have much wealth. People who work here come over from France. Most of the stores were very high-end so it was fun to window shop. We don't need to overload our luggage with stuff we don't need anyway so that worked out well for us.

I fell in love with the doors on the buildings. Many of these were from the 1200's. Can you imagine?

What a city! So much wealth and so much history. I think I will be saying that a lot during this trip - ha!

A Great Thanksgiving Day

After making stuffing, stuffing the turkey and getting it in the oven this morning, we went to do the Oak Creek 7th Annual Turkey Trek at Drexel Towne Square. It is an hour long walk around the local park at 8 AM. The coordinators request that we bring non-perishable food to be collected for charity. The temperature this morning was 37 degrees and there was a light wind but on a cold day it still stung a little. We enjoyed the view of the icy ponds along the trail where we walked. It was a great way to start turkey day.

After the walk was over we went home to enjoy bloody Marys in the hot tub. It is a great way to get the chill out of our old bones and enjoy the quiet before the storm of family that will be over later this afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner.

I love all things Peanuts so  I just had to take advantage of the opportunity to use my plastic cup for my bloody Mary.

Whenever I have something big to do, like Thanksgiving dinner I've learned to make a list. This year I thought I would add some post-dinner comments in order to learn for next year. These are the lessons I learned from this year's dinner:

1. Cook the turkey way in advance, carve it and put it in a crock pot. Then all the mess can be cleaned up before guests arrive. It is a great stress relief.
2. Make turkey stock from scratch and use it to keep the sliced turkey moist in the crock pot.
3. Make less side dishes. Everyone wants the mashed potatoes. The end.
4. The cold vegetable sides were more popular than warmed vegetables.
5. Drink wine instead of making sangria. It's less fuss.

The day was very stress free since I really planned ahead. The only disappointing thing was that my granddaughter was ill and laid on the sofa while we had dinner. At least we could see her and keep her in the conversation. I hope she is better today.

Turkey Brine

I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and the best part about that is making some things my way. First of all, I love to brine the turkey overnight for the best results. I really think it makes a big difference. So here's my brine cooking on the stove. I make it today so it can cool all day then tomorrow morning it will go over the turkey. That way the turkey can soak for 24 hours before roasting. The scent of the brine while simmering is amazing.

Here's the recipe I use (it's from Pioneer Woman):

• 3 cups Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
• 2 gallons Cold Water
• 4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-1/2 cup Kosher Salt
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Peppercorns
• 5 whole Bay Leaves
• Peel Of Three Large Oranges

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. 

Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. 

When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. 

Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Cameron, MO

Our trek to start the Legacy Run began today with a long drive to Cameron, MO. Since Neil planned the route we just followed along without paying too much attention to where we were ending up. It came as quite a surprise to me when I discovered that Cameron is next to Hamilton, the home of Missouri Star Quilt Co. I can't believe I was so close to the quilt shops but was not going to get to stop in.

We all were glad to have that first long day completed without any incidents.

We hung out at the hotel in the evening enjoying some nice cold beer and each other's company.