December, 2021

This is my 68th birthday selfie.  

We enjoyed some pretty walks during December.  The sunsets were especial beautiful this month. 

Aunt Mindy came up with a gift that delighted Bekah--wings! 

Anyone else remember the Garth Williams illustration of Almanzo eating Christmas dinner?  Logan's pose here reminds me of that!  

The three youngest grandkids did the American Sign Language signs to the poem at left, with former teacher Grammy leading them.  

Early in the month we celebrated Nicole's birthday--note the "upside down" cupcakes.  If you want to REALLY enjoy a cupcake, slice off the top, flip it, and eat it like a little cake and frosting sandwich. This culinary tip is courtesy of our lovely daughter-in-law!!  We love her.  

I took photos of the Rausch clan decked out in their Chief's gear, and since the light was good and the subjects were beautiful people, the photos turned out great!  

Everyone received sunglasses in their stockings.   

 

November, 2021

 

Amazing beauty this month.  

One sunny afternoon I rode in the combine with son Jonathan.  We both had a very good time.  John stood at the bottom of the ladder calling out warnings to me as I descended.  Really!  He made a motion as though to catch me, but thankfully, it was not necessary.  

Thanksgiving was not at our house this year so I began decorating for Christmas earlier than usual.  Each of the grandkids received a cute stuffed animal but I think the squirrel was the most realistic.  

Daniel doesn't seem to like wearing the crown Rebekah placed on his head...

And now, she is six!  Love this girl.  

Jonathan and John worked combining soybeans this month On the evening of the 9th, Jonathan was on his way home and hit a deer.  His airbag deployed, his truck sustained thousands of dollars of damage, but he was unharmed.  Grateful.  

I stayed busy driving our harvest crew from field to field and preparing and freezing food for November celebrations.  We celebrated birthdays for Melinda and Rebekah and had a nice, low key Thanksgiving at Garnett.  

I gifted meal a meal of hot chicken salad and fruit to a neighbor who had suffered a chainsaw accident. We shared breadsticks and stew one night and another evening took steak and potatoes to family members.  Our daughter loves fresh peach cobbler, so that was her birthday "cake."  

We have discovered the delights of Panda Express and ate there twice this month via curbside pickup.  

It was a busy, blessed month.  

October, 2021--Catching up

Back in 1999-2000 (I think it was) I was trained to be a Reading Recovery teacher.  The year-long training was intensive, and although I'd been a first grade teacher for years, it revolutionized my understanding of the strategies children need to become proficient readers. I taught Reading Recovery for 11 years before I retired early in order to take care of my mother, who had Alzheimer's.  Since retirement I've had the privilege to tutor a few young children in reading, and the most lovely blessing of all is that I've been able to teach all three of my grandsons to read.  Isaac, above, is doing a fantastic job.  

Granddaughter Rebekah loves to make up songs and lyrics.  When she learns to play the piano, her ability to emote will be even more impressive!  

Rebekah and I had a picnic atop the hay bales one slightly chilly October afternoon.  Bekah wrapped up in the blanket I'd brought to keep the hay from being too scratchy.  

Son Jonathan celebrates his birthday in late October, with son-in-law Brian's day of birth falling about a month earlier.  This year we celebrated them together.  

Halloween!  

Son-in-law Brian made the jack-o-lanterns above right, salvaging buckets and cans from around the farm.  Very cool!  

 

Six years old!  

This month we celebrated 3 birthdays, attended a Halloween celebration, a football game, and a couple of soccer games.  John had one last diagnostic test under anesthesia and was given the all clear--no cancer, see you in six months!  

I baked a roast, made chicken and noodles, made chili and cinnamon rolls for our Halloween gathering which doubled as Isaac's birthday party, and took a meal to a friend who'd had knee surgery.  I also took a rather unusual gift to another friend for her birthday: spinach salad.  All the components for the salad were bagged separately and placed into a gift bag along with a jar of the spicy sweet dressing.  The recipe is from daughter Melinda, and includes feta cheese, dried cranberries, red onions, and mandarin oranges.  My friend and her husband claimed to truly appreciate this gift!  

I began taking blood pressure medicine and felt better almost immediately; I am now able to walk briskly and work hard without feeling like my head is going to blow up; a good thing!  

All in all, a busy, blessed month.  

September, 2021 Catching Up

 

I just love the way the light turns golden in September.  

Our son-in-law, Brian, celebrates his birthday in September.  We are so grateful for him.  He sure loves his family and we love him.  

The boys and I made the yummy apple honey cake, (above left).  We've just tipped it out of the pan, here, and I was somewhat surprised it came out intact.  The quiche (upper right) is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini.  Lower right is John's way with okra--not much coating at all so lower fat than some fried okra.  We eat a lot of this every summer; it is the one garden crop that never fails (more dependable even than zucchini!!).  

Granddaughter Rebekah is truly her momma's "mini-me" sharing her mother's love for animals and her beautiful smile--but the side-by-side of Bekah alongside a photo of her daddy as a child shows that she is a blessed blend of both her parents!  Upper right is Daniel and his cat, Blackie.  

John and I actually took a bit of time to go to the zoo one September afternoon.  Upper right--I raised some pretty zinnias this year, and lower right is a pear tart that was made with frozen pastry sheets...but was pretty good just the same.  

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Life went on pretty much as usual for us despite the pandemic as we gathered for some yummy family meals including an elaborate and fun potato bar on the 4th. Later in the month I prepared meals of grilled chicken, baked steak, and grilled burgers.  

My friend, Myrna, celebrated her birthday September 1 and I enjoyed a visit with her when I delivered a small gift.  On the 10th my inlaws celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary.  I delivered a bouquet of zinnias to them and visited awhile.  

Lots of prayers surrounded Daniel as he played in his very first ever football game on September 2.  

I began daily reading lessons with our youngest grandson on September 8; it has been such a privilege to have taught all three grandsons to read.  

On September 3rd I recorded these words on my daily calendar: "Covid rampant. Lord protect us and protect our children, in Jesus' Name I pray.  

My annual physical and screenings yielded good results, a relief after the stress of John's health scare over the past months.  I had a dental bridge replaced; kind of stressful but better than having a gap in my smile!  

Jon and Jonathan stayed busy combining soybeans and kept me busy packing meals for them to eat on the go and transporting them from field to field.  

I am working on two writing projects: a devotional for children entering the public school for the first time after having been homeschooled, and a devotional to use for nursing home ministry.  

This was a busy, happy month as we recovered from John's health scare and were so grateful for "the beauty of ordinary days;" this is a phrase or title I've read someplace but expresses my gratitude well.  

August 2021 Catching Up...

 

August 2021 brought answered prayers as John's surgery on the 5th yielded benign results. Shortly after there were joyful (yet tearful on Grammy's part anyhow) changes for our family.  Melinda and Brian's status quo as homeschooling parents to their three boys changed as their oldest, Daniel had his braces removed, donned a football uniform, and began attending 8th grade at our public school.  Prayers surrounded him and are being answered as we watch him grow in stature and favor with God and with people!  

Our precious Rebekah went striding confidently through the doorway of the public school down the road from her house for her very first day of Kindergarten.  

Our backyard swimming pool didn't see much use this summer because all four grands stayed busy with baseball games and practices, but Bekah and her daddy found one afternoon to swim for awhile.  

We received 5.5 inches of rain on August 13th (that's the date the photo was taken anyway).  The little cat above is called "Stripes" and he lived on our deck awhile before he decided to become a Tomcat and go exploring.  We still see him from time to time.  

Melinda began her 9th year as a homeschool mom to Isaac (K) and Logan (3).  

July, 2021 Catching Up

 

Our July was fun but the shadow of John's supposed cancer dx cast a pall over our celebrations. The photo of Isaac was taken on his Great Grandma Irma's 4th of July float, which depicted an old fashioned Christmas morning.  Her first idea was for Isaac to be unwrapping a live puppy or kitten but she settled, with disappointment, for a stuffed animal when the live animal option was thoroughly nixed by Isaac's concerned momma.  The float took first prize!  Irma celebrated her 93rd birthday July 3.  

Family meals this month included a bbq chicken supper to celebrate Logan's 9th birthday, and a gathering to celebrate John Edgar's 69th birthday (roast, mashed potatoes and gravy).  I made several pints of plum jelly from the fruit on the little tree in our side yard.  Other culinary endeavors were mango chicken, grilled bbq chicken thighs, chicken noodle soup, and chicken salad (we really do still have beef in the freezer).  I made supper for Melinda's family on the 26th, 27th, and 28th as she was very sick with a summer cold (Covid test negative).  I made several freezer meals to have on hand.  

On the 30th we saw the ostomy nurse to prepare John Edgar for his worse case scenario; not a happy day.  Since I am writing these summaries after the fact, I will record the happy end to this story; John's surgery on August 5 was able to be done by the least invasive method, the biopsies were all negative and, in fact, the mass had disappeared.  The surgeon said, "I guess it probably sloughed away after the extensive biopsies I did earlier. I am positive I was in the right place."  

I replied, "Or, we had a lot of people praying so maybe that was it."  

"Maybe so," he answered.  

He did another diagnostic test 3 weeks later to be positive everything was clear, and it was.  

Blessed be the name of the Lord!