All posts by Sue Schuerr

I chose lifewithlarry.org because it's about my life with this remarkable and unique man named Larry. We met at Northern Illinois University in 1965 and have been married for 46 years. We have three adult children and five grandchildren. Our motto in marriage is to learn to serve one another and put God first in life. We hope through our many experiences in life that you can gain some wisdom about how to have a happier marriage or a better life as a single person. "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with-----plenty or little." Phillipians 4:12

Stepping into a new Life

“Someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree along time ago.” Warren Buffet

Stepping Into A New Life

After retiring from teaching, I finally had something I never had before—time. Time for a second cup of coffee, time to read new books, time to spend with loved ones, and time to develop new talents. The world was now my oyster. In an average lifespan, the heart beats 2.5 billion times. What was my heart beating for? I started a blog, a book club and joined Toastmasters. To be fulfilled, I had to have outlets Physically, Mentally and Socially–a new PMS without the emotional baggage.

I stepped through multiple doors of opportunity to see which ones would be the best fit for my personality and talents. The first one was Adaptive Adventures, an organization that provides an opportunity for a handicapped person to downhill ski with an able-bodied person. I peered into the sad eyes of a twenty-five year old tall man with a handsome ruddy complexion and a strong desire to communicate. “Five years ago,” Bob said, “I was in a snowmobile accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down. A few years after the accident, I lost my mother.” My eyes filled with tears as he continued to share. “You know what I miss the most,” he said, “It’s the adrenaline rush. That’s why I am here today at Wilmot Mountain, so I can use a sit-ski and ski down a mountain, again.” The following week my husband and I helped Bob fulfill his dream. He learned how to navigate a sit-ski. By the end of the day, it all clicked for him as he triumphantly cruised down maneuvering beautiful turns all the way to the lodge where he shouted for joy. “I forgot I was paralyzed.” He was ecstatic about experiencing a once unattainable dream—–an adrenaline rush!

The Blue Run!

Later that winter, I was assigned to ski with, Mary, a blind girl. Fortunately, she was not totally blind and could see shadows. We immediately bonded going up the ski lift by talking about books she was reading in her English classes and boys she liked. When we finished the day with many successful runs, a young boy about ten-years old came up to me and said, “ Can I shake your hand ?” While extending my hand, he said, “Thanks for helping that blind girl ski today.” I was so touched by his heart for Mary–a seeing boy wanting to reach out to a blind girl. “Wouldn’t you want someone to help you if you were visually impaired?” “Yes,” he said. “ “You can make a difference in this world.” He smiled thoughtfully as we parted.

Music was the next door to open. My husband, Larry, had knee surgery. While he was sleeping, I ventured out of the room to the newly renovated main lobby of Good Shepherd Hospital where I saw a grand piano. I removed the cover and started playing to the amazement of the staff who had never heard the piano played. Soon I began volunteering every Thursday. I told my book club friend, Renee, about volunteering and now she and her 90 year old mother play duets on Tuesdays. One patient remarked, “This is suppose to be a place to feel nervous and sad, but you have made it a place of joy.” Another patient before she entered the hospital greatly missed her deceased husband, and was asking God to help comfort her in her grief. As she entered the lobby, I was playing their favorite song, Moon River. She asked the staff member, “Who’s playing the piano?” I joined them at the front desk as we tearfully hugged one another—witnessing an answer to her prayer.

These experiences plus many more have helped me discover the NEW ME. The author Leo Buscaglia once said, “God’s gift to you is your talent. What you do with your talent is your gift back to God.” I continue to strive to inspire the next generation and to bless the current one.

Susan Schuerr

A Very Humorous Winter encounter

My friend, Cleora, and I have been friends for over 30 years. We call each other ‘fair-weather’ friends since neither of us liked talking on the phone too long. We would just make our plan to bike, ski, or walk and off we’d go. Cleora has been a ski instructor at Wilmot for over 20 years and she was excited to tell me about her trip to Breckenridge with her son to ski the big hills of Colorado.

Here’s Cleora with her buddy at Breckenridge and Larry in the background.

As fate would have it, Larry found a deal to ski and stay at a lodge for free in Breckenridge if we went to the time-share meeting. We were excited to be there the same time as my dear friend, Cleora. We called each other in the morning and made plans to meet and ski. Larry and I got dressed and took the elevator down to meet our shuttle bus each morning. At night, we would meet to sit in the hot tub and share our adventures on the hill.

Skiing in beautiful CO.

Cleora mentioned that she didn’t have to take a shuttle since the slop was just outside her lodge door. I thought, “Boy, how lucky!” She doesn’t have to wait for a shuttle each morning like us. This went on for a week–we took our shuttle bus and she just went straight to the slopes where we planned to meet.

On the final day, I was in the process of taking our ski equipment to the van. As the elevator door opened, there was Cleora. We looked at each other in astonishment. “What are you doing here?” she said. “No,” I said. “What are you doing here”? My room is just down the hall to the right,” she said. “Mine is the left,” I pointed. “We laughed until we cried. The whole week we were taking the shuttle and she just walked to the slopes outside her door to the right. All we had to do was walk down the hall where she was. We had been on the same floor without knowing it. What a coincidence that we booked rooms and ended up on the same floor, without knowing it.

Once again, “Laughter is good medicine.” And it seems situations like this happen often. By the way, we did not buy the timeshare. Please tell us about your experience on www.lifewithlarry.org.

On top of the world

Happy New Year! I was on the top of the world looking down on creation being mesmerized by the beauty beneath me. As often as I fly, I still get a thrill looking at untapped, unpopulated land. While traveling from Montana, where we were with family over Christmas, I snapped this photo before landing in Denver, CO.

The picture reminds me of one of my favorite verses in the book of Psalm. “The heavens’ declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” Psalm 19: 1-3.

The language we all have in common is the language of nature. It inspires us to treasure each day as we focus on harvesting the many gifts and skills our creator has given us. What passions do you have? Is it art, music, photography, sewing, knitting, building, or helping others be a better version of themselves. Each day speaks! Are you listening? Each night reveals knowledge. Are you learning? How does the beauty of nature inspire you? Remember, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. It’s the cement that brings us together regardless of our backgrounds. Be inspired in 2020.

My grandson, August Schuerr, after a day of skiing on top of the world in Bozeman, Montana.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I was intrigued by the life of Fred Rogers after reading about him in the Tribune Magazine section. Here’s a man who drank hot cranberry juice in the morning instead of coffee, he swam, played the piano and was an ordained minister using his talents to inspire children.
I invited our neighbors to see the movie with us on Thanksgiving Friday, 2019. I expected to be somewhat bored with a children’s movie. But I was so wrong. Fred Rogers, played brilliantly by Tom Hanks, opened the door to his studio and hung up his jacket, put on his tennis shoes and sweater. Then he proceeded to open a box with a picture of a man who had been punched in the face. The topic was forgiveness.
The movie then takes us to the life of hard-nosed Equire journalist, Lloyd Vogel, who was assigned the task of writing about Fred Rogers. He’s hoping to find some dirt on his life. But Fred notices the wound on his nose and eventually finds out it was the result of a fight he had with his father at his sister’s wedding. Fred Rogers skillfully gets to the heart wound that has plagued Lloyd since his mother’s death. The movie shows us how to live life. I highly recommend seeing it. Here are a few tips..


1. Focus on the moment and the immediate person you are talking to. Show love and respect for that person. 2. Take time to just be silent. In the movie, we were silent for a minute.3. Remember what it was like to be a child. He asked Lloyd what his favorite animal was as a child. 4.Find creative ways to defuse anger. 5. Practice forgiveness.

A Lesson for life from baby emma

We have a teenage couple with an adorable baby staying with us. She is the best baby ever. She wakes up and looks out the window and coos. She rarely cries, but gets so excited when she sees her bottle. One day I waited in the car while her mother went into Aldis to get baby supplies. She was in the carrier behind me, and behold she started to cry. It was so rare to hear her fuss, I knew something had to be wrong. I hopped in the back seat to see what caused her turmoil. It was the first time she had worn a hat. It was a bit big and had slipped down covering her face. I gently pulled it up so she could see again and then she smiled with relief.

Isn’t that the way life is for us? We try to be strong and brave but then sometimes the trials of life cover our eyes and we are terrified because we cannot see. We are blinded with no direction. But if we turn to God, he makes our path clear. “The path of the just is as a shining light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18.

reflections on Family, Fall and Music

As the days grow shorter and leaves turn brilliant colors, our minds travel to the holiday season— a time to gather with family and friends. For us, music has been the glue uniting our family and friends in one accord. It began with my mother, Alice Gram, who was the only one in her family of thirteen to go to college. She became a music teacher. Her father, Anton Berge, sold four cows to send her to Milwaukee State Teachers’ College, currently University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She would play lullabies on the piano for my sister and me while we drifted off to sleep. My older brother, Bill, has a voice like Frank Sinatra. My memories are filled with mom playing the piano and Bill and his friends gathered around the piano singing the latest musicals. Our home was filled with the warmth of music. The love of music has been handed down through the generations.

Music the great connector

I grew up playing the piano and singing in various choruses at church and school. My three children all played the piano and other instruments. I gave, Deborah, my oldest child, piano lessons. Getting her to practice was like getting a fish to swim in water.  She loved playing and quickly excelled in not only piano but violin. I sat next to her on the piano bench as she was playing a beautiful classical piece. Suddenly, we were interrupted by a loud boom that shook the house. We looked at one another and  said, “Daddy’s Home”. Yes, Larry had pulled into our down-sloped driveway and missed putting it in park, being new to an automatic transmitter. Now the van was on a run away course as it quickly picked up speed. “My first instinct was to try to stop it,” said Larry.  “But I soon realized  tangling with a flying van was not going to make me the winner. I watched helplessly; but fortunately, a newly planted evergreen slowed down the van’s momentum and it clipped the side of our attached garage with a two foot gash in the wall.” Being a builder/carpenter at the time, Larry cleverly turned the gash into a plant holder. It ended up being a life lesson for the family. Turn your lemons into lemonade.

Deb took to the piano like a fish to the water.

Deb and I often laugh about this memory. She is currently a music teacher at Headwaters Academy in Bozeman, Montana, and additionally has 45 various students sitting on her piano bench at her private home studio. I sure hope some hot shot doesn’t crash into the side of her home.

My nephew, Matthew Gram, plays the violin at a Christmas gathering

Enjoy the fall and the coming holiday season. Fill you home with music, the great connector. God has wired us to enjoy music. “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing—-Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150: 3-6

Watch Out! timber

Larry’s volunteerism takes him to a friend whose husband has MS.

Dressed in his lumberjack outfit and sporting a helmet Larry comes to the aid of a wheelchair bound man with MS to cut down a dead tree that rests precariously over another tree and very close to a fence. It has to be cut down strategically. Larry surveys the situation and ties it down .

Our neighbor, his wife and I held our breath while Larry made his slice. The tree was very dry and fell immediately. “Timber” Now they don’t have to worry about it coming down in a storm, and we have more wood for our wood-burning stove.

Larry helps a neighbor by cutting down a tree and now has more wood for the winter.

Over the years, I have volunteered Larry to help our many friends and neighbors because as a former contractor and Industrial Arts teacher, he has developed so many skills. Larry has cut down dead trees in our yard and has the equipment to do it correctly. Plus, he has a heart to help others. He has an acting faith in God, and believes strongly in “Faith without Works is dead.” James 2:14. We remember what it was like to struggle financially. We never forget those who helped us while we were struggling. Another verse we try to live by is the following, “Value others above yourself, not looking to your own interests but to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4.

A Wonderful Surprise

I often pinch myself while thanking God for putting us in such a wonderful spot. We are three blocks from the Fox River and right across the street from Barrington Hills. I was like the Proverbs 31 woman in the late 70’s looking for a lot to build our first home. I made it to Algonquin on Route 31 and saw a real estate building. I stopped in and they took me up North River road to a vacant lot that slopped down. It was on a dirt road. The woman selling the lot was in her 90’s and was selling it dirt cheap. When I told my lawyer brother about it, he said, “Is it under water?” So with his help, we bought the lot and after two years put up a wonderful house. Little did we know at that time how strategic it would be to our future jobs and how close it was to enjoying our favorite sport, biking and hiking through Barrington Hills, just across the street. Yesterday, I hopped on my bike and 15 minutes into my ride came across a field of sunflowers. I stopped and pulled my bike over and met a couple who had traveled a distance to see this field they learned about on google. The flowers filled the field as far as the eye could see.

On Springhill Rd and Haegers Bend in Barrington Hills.
On Springhill Rd North of Haeger’s Bend in Barrington Hills. Can google for Information.

I took pictures of the married couple who had a bouquet they picked for their daughter and they took my picture. I recommended they have coffee at Ambrosia in Barrington Hills. The owner, Debbie, is a friend and they have delicious coffee with whip cream and a free refill plus they have wonderful award winning french pastry.

Here’s a closeup!

The moral of the story—–hop on a bike or take a hike and wonderful things will be in store for you. Enjoy the end of summer and take time to smell and be engulfed by flowers. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the the skies declare his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech.” Psalm 19:1- Make this your day!

I stopped to enjoy the beauty of a moment.

what’s been left behind?

Have you ever left something important behind while traveling? How did you handle your problem? It was the 5th Anniversary of our book club’s summertime get-away. I meticulously packed my suitcase for our two night escape to beautiful Lake Arrowhead in Central Wisconsin, 4 hours away. I had all my bags ready to pack in my van. I stopped by Michele’s house to pick her up and put her things in the back of the van. We excitedly made our way to Renee’s house where we transferred our things. Renee loves to drive and she is like Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rainman—–an excellent driver. After our 4 hour drive talking non-stop, we finally made it to Chris’s summer home at Lake Arrowhead. I ran into her house to use the bathroom while they unpacked the car. Renee said that’s it—everything is out of the car. “What,” I said. “It can’t be. My suitcase is not here.” “It’s all out of the car,” she said again. My glee at having arrived quickly evaporated to depression. How could I have left my suitcase behind? Yes, I put it behind the passenger seat not the normal place. As I was figuring out how I could live in my current clothes for two days. My friends quickly piped up. “Sue,” we will take care of you. ” That is exactly what they did. I got night clothes and a tennis skirt and top from Chris. I got a lovely blouse to wear on our evening out from Michele. Then there were jeans and a necklace from Annette. I got two pairs of shoes, toothpaste/brush and most importantly makeup from Cleora. With a sigh of relief, I could enjoy the two day extravaganza planned for us. At least, I had my food contribution and I gave the book club sisters a chance for a hearty laugh. Never have I loved them more as they offered me more clothes than I ever could have worn. “A true friend is always loyal, and a brother/sister is born to help in times of need.” Proverbs 17:17. Now I don’t recommend leaving your suitcase home, but I didn’t miss the lack of clothes to wash when I got home. This is not a lifewithlarry.org story, it’s life with Sue! See the next entry of another lifewithlarry.org blog that happened when I got back home.

Getting ready to go out for dinner. I put little heels on.

Will We Ever Get Home, No We’ll Never get Home

Will we be home today? Maybe once I get Larry up and moving. But Larry deserves much rest. We went to a wedding in Colorado Springs on our way home from visiting our kids and grandkids in Montana. We met a sweet Hispanic couple who flew into Denver for the wedding instead of Colorado Springs. They took a train and then a taxi which cost them $160. When they told us of their dilemma, Larry offered to take them from Colorado Springs to the Denver airport, an hour away. But not only did Larry drive them to the airport to return to Chicago, but he had to get up at 4:45 AM to get them to their flight. Now Larry is not a fan of early mornings. So sleep Larry, sleep and get us home today. In addition, he changed a flat tire for a young boy while instructing him about how to change a tire, and just as we finished helping the boy, we see another elderly gentleman on the campus of the Air Force Academy where we were camping, examining his flat tire. We ended up taking him home. We may never make it to our house today if he sees others in distress. But I do love the man I married years ago on July 6th.