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!  

Soup's On

 

My Willow Tree figurines of grandmother and grandfather are symbolic of this phase of our lives.  We have resumed family gatherings with our children and grandchildren, and are grateful. 

Otherwise, we remain as sheltered as possible as Covid continues to storm around us.  Some cases in our circle have been very mild, and some more severe. There have been several cases we know of in vaccinated people, but usually the more severe cases have been in those we suspect were unvaccinated.  However, an acquaintance suffered a miserable two-week bout of Covid and needed the monoclonal antibody treatment--and she was fully vaccinated. A neighbor who may be unvaccinated (we don't know) spent a week in ICU and is still on oxygen. And tragically, an elderly lady from our town who had remained active in community activities died earlier this week of Covid. I've been told that she had been fully vaccinated. 

We are blessed to be in a place in our lives that we can maintain relationship with family and friends and yet remain somewhat sheltered.  We invited our fully vaccinated best friends over last night for pinochle and snacks. We see our children and grandchildren often, when they are well (viruses of all sorts have made a resurgence this school year). But we avoid restaurants and public gatherings, worship online on Sunday mornings, and obtain the majority of our groceries via curbside pickup.  I've done most of my Christmas shopping online, and am grateful for the ability to do so.  

This Sunday morning I have put 3 packages of stew meat on to simmer, filling the house with the the rich scent of aromatics and braising meat.  This afternoon I will strain the cooking broth, roast some potatoes, cabbage, onions, and carrots, and combine them with the broth, meat, and some pureed tomatoes to make vegetable soup.  I have both bread machines doing my work for me and will form and bake garlic breadsticks after a bit.  If no grandchildren who appear in need of a bowl of soup and a breadstick or two appear, I will freeze the whole caboodle for the next time we gather. To paraphrase a quote from Field of Dreams, I've learned that "If I cook it, they will come!"  And how blessed we are that our children and grands enjoy being here with us. 

I've now settled in my comfortable chair, peppermint tea at my side and a Christmas afghan pulled to my chin.  I'll read my Bible and then rest a bit as I did not sleep well last night. 

I am appreciating the silence and peace of my sheltered place, but it is not a static assignment. I stay busy busy busy with what can only be described as preparation. I don't know whether I'm preparing to return to a more active community presence, or if my ministry will continue to be carried out more through my blogs and books than face-to-face, but the Lord knows.  I hold it this time of sheltering loosely rather than clinging to it as a lifeline. 

This is the place where I am called to be for this season, and I am grateful for it. I pray daily for those who are out and about, keeping the nuts and bolts of our world chugging forward; doing what they are called to do. That my call differs from theirs does not make me judgmental of them; on the contrary, I am grateful. 

Meanwhile--I'll keep my ear open to the Lord,  Day by day I keep thinking of the "feet fitted with readiness" described in Ephesians 6.  Today my call is to keep the soup pot simmering and my heart filled with God's word as I pray for His people and for our world.  

Catching Up--June 2021

June events from my calendar entries:

June 1--nice visits with friends, a Marco Polo from Cousin Pam, long phone convo with Debbie, then Melinda and the boys came out.  

June 2--Cleaned out the little flower bed, washed down front of house, John worked on combine. 

June 4 -- We attended Rebekah's first dance recital

June 5--Jon sprayed, John replanted corn and ran to Osage for a hydraulic hose. We spent time on the hill with the Rausch family. 

June 6--Went to Isaac's baseball game. Jonathan planted soybeans.

June 8--John installed new upstairs A.C.

June 10--All John's biopsies were negative but extensive surgery may still be recommended

June 11--Rausch family set up swimming pool.  

June 12--Bekah and Jon came this afternoon. Bekah went to Mel's, I made supper for all. 

June 13--Cleaned addition. John finished planting at the overpass.  

June 14--Bekah spent a.m. w/Mel and p.m. with a tired Grammy. I made lunch for all.  

June 15--John's appointment with surgeon. 

June 16--Did paperwork for John's appts. this a.m., made and froze 2 cherry pies, phone convo with Debbie.  

June 17--Bekah day. She spent the morning with Aunt Mindy and boys, p.m. with Grammy.  I made lunch for all.  John is working long hours anticipating possibility of being out of commission for a long recovery time following major surgery.  

June 18--Bekah day, same schedule as yesterday.  John began moving hay.  

June 19--Father's Day at Melinda's...great food!  Jon did brisket, ribs, and pulled pork.  

June 20--It rained for about 30 seconds today but did bring temp down from 100 to 85.  

June 21--Daniel's first day weightlifting.

June 22--Need rain desperately.  

June 23--The little boys came out this pm. D had school physical and got his new phone!  

June 24--It rained .20.  Did some good housekeeping jobs.  

June 25--Melinda and the little boys brought Daniel out for a "Daniel/Grammy day" but then stayed as storms moved in.  3.5" rain!

June 26--Johnnie to ER--sent home ok.  Jon and Nic on vacation

June 28--Isaac got 5 fillings and stuffies #107 and 108.  

June 29--Cut up 6 watermelons and delivered to Evan L. Evans memorial dinner. 

June 30--John had a two hour MRI and preop interview in Topeka.  It rained hard, and we witnessed a near wreck right beside us as we left Topeka (in Pauline).  

Our Daniel is growing up.  After having received an excellent homeschool education for grades K-7, he began the public school this fall as an 8th grader.  We are so proud of how well he has adjusted and grateful to the Lord for answered prayer.  

Catching up--May 2021

Each evening I write a sentence or two about our day on a calendar I keep on my dresser. I am always confined by the 1.5 inch square space and so my daily entries are brief and don't include everything we did in a day. Here are May's entries:

May 1--Grilled hamburgers and made cinnamon rolls and iced coffee for Mel & Bri.  John putting cattle out--got kicked. 

May 2--Planted a row of beets and 3 rows flowers, 3 pots of impatiens, and planted petunias in the cast iron pot by the road.  

May 3--Jon here for lunch, made supper for Bri & Mel. John planting Jon's corn on Jim's.  

May 4--prayers for a troubled friend.  

May 5--Mindy and boys had a car accident but praise the Lord no one was hurt. So grateful. 

May 6--Nap this afternoon. Set out some plants.  John moving cattle.  

May 7--Watched boys for several hours today, fun!

May 8--Watered all 20-some tomato plants and porch flowers.  

May 9--Wonderful Mother's Day--I didn't cook, ordered pizza and the kids brought sides!  

May 10--Eye exam. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for ages 12-16. 

May 11--Grands busy with baseball.  We took the two youngest boys to practice in one town while Mel took oldest grandson to practice at a town twenty miles away.  Cold, in the 50's, windy.  

May 12--Stewed a chicken, baked a roast, browned 3 pounds of hamburger. Hemmed pants for Daniel.  John took ten cows to sale. 

May 13--Got a tetanus shot (no pertussis) -- had cut my hand on a barbed wire fence. Did some writing on my current book.  Grilled a dozen hamburgers. John applying fertilizer.  

May 14--Headache and bodyaches from tetanus shot. Jon here for lunch. He did some spraying, it rained this evening. 

May 15--Watched Bekah this morning while Jon helped Bri with bathroom remodel at Brian and Mindy's.  

May 16--Washed windows on front of house, vacuumed and dusted. Heavy rain. 

May 17--Emergency dental appointment, the dentist removed a bridge for me and replaced it with a temp, I will have to have today's work replaced with a permanent bridge.  

May 18--rested, watched My Fair Lady

May 19--Got my new glasses.  Isaac has a spider bite. 

May 20--John had a colonoscopy with a scary outcome. He will have to have surgery. 

May 21--Picked up contrast barium for John's CT scan Monday. 

May 22--Washed bedding in downstairs bedrooms and cleaned upstairs.  

May 23--Neighbors' dogs chased our cattle, stranded one cow out in a pond.  John ran them off.  

May 24--Logan got a home run! Daniel got a good hit and scored! 

May 25--John picked up his new glasses. I got a lens check and remake.  

May 26--At home day, hot and muggy out. Daniel and Rebekah had baseball games.

May 27--Made and froze a roast in broth for the weekend, John worked on swather. 

May 28--Cleaned bathrooms, made spaghetti, walked (for exercise), John installed fan in swather air conditioner. 

May 29--Time with Bekah while Jonathan went to his 15 year class reunion. 

May 30--John mowed lawn & ditch

Mother's Day

Brian hanging out with the littles.  

Mother's Day flower basket from Jon and Nic.  

Rebekah whistling for me on a Facetime call.  

Whenever we go for a walk poor John almost always gets his photo taken.  I tell him it is because he is so photogenic.