M is for--Missing!

Missing! I had returned to my dorm room (sophomore year) and he was missing! Fuzzy was not in his designated spot propped up on my pillow.  He wasn't accidentally under the covers. He hadn't fallen to the floor. None of the three roommates professed to know where he might be. 

Soon cryptic messages began showing up in my mail cubby. The words were formed from letters torn from magazines and newspapers then glued on plain white paper. I no longer remember how many such notes I received, but it was made clear that Fuzzy was in someone's possession. Then, the message arrived that Fuzzy would be returned safely IF the ransom was paid!

I gladly made a pan of brownies in the small dorm kitchen and took them to the designated location. I didn't see anyone around as I left them at the specified tree by the small lake at the south edge of town. Then, I returned to my room and waited. Memory doesn't let me recall how long or short the wait was, but the culprit did return Fuzzy. I found him squished in my mail cubby, with a piece of athletic tape over his mouth and his arms tied behind his back with a shoelace! I wish I had thought to take a photo, but I just quickly freed him and took him back to my room where he belonged. Whew!

My closest friend lived in a different dorm on campus, and as the story progressed I kept her up to date on what was happening. "You'll never guess what my roommates have done!" "Look at these notes!" "Now they're demanding a ransom!" Well, the joke was on me, because it turns out that SHE and her boyfriend were the ones who had Fuzzy all along!

They married and live many states away now. But whenever we are able to get together it's a pretty sure thing that Fuzzy's adventure will come up for remembrance. They visited a few months ago, and I had a preemptive plate of brownies ready for them, just in case!

L--is for Long Time Coming!

Long ago, as in April of 2006, I decided to start this hodgepodge blog. Looking back on it, I see that my first post had a comment total of one--from a dear friend from high school and college days. We have only been able to see each other a handful of times since college graduation, and she and her husband had only been to our house once. But, last week they made a trip back to Kansas and routed their travels so they could visit overnight! It was SO good to see them and catch up a bit in real time, as opposed to just through social media (though that also has its place.)

What a blessing it is to have friends with shared memories and shared values that time and distance can't separate!

Hopefully our paths will be able to cross again sooner rather than later.

(I plan to share more about the bear in the next post, which hopefully will not be such a long time coming!)

K--is for Kites

Today is much too windy for flying kites, but thought I might share some kite memories...

It was always fun when Dad would bring home a kite and a roll (spool) of kite string, probably from Shafers' variety store. It arrived as two lightweight joined sticks rolled up with the kite paper, which in my memory was always red. We would carefully unroll the paper, rotate the sticks to form a T, then hook the points of the diamond-shaped paper to the slots in the ends of the sticks. Next we tied a length of kite string to the ends of the shorter cross stick, bowing it up to just the right curve. Another length of string (maybe two feet long?) was tied to the longer stick through a couple of holes poked through the paper a few inches from the top and several inches from the bottom. The roll of kite string was securely tied toward the top of this string. A tail of old nylon stockings attached to the bottom was the finishing touch.

Then, it was time to go to a pasture at the edge of our small town and go fly a kite! If the launch was successful, the kite would soar up and up as the string unrolled in your hand! One had to watch as the string came closer to being completely unrolled, to be sure it was attached to the core of the roll. Otherwise the kite could take off on its own for parts unknown! When it was time to head home, the string was wound back up on the spool. This took considerably more time than letting it out! More than once I may or may not have been late getting home before the six o'clock whistle blew!

At some point we bought kite string winders, but even that took awhile, especially if we had combined more than one spool of string for reaching even higher heights with our simple paper kites.

Now, the kites we take out are most likely to be the two- or even four-lined stunt kites that I previously wrote about on this page. But the fun of those first kites, and the family and friends with whom I made and flew them, remains!

J--is for Joy

It's always a JOY when we're with the grandkids! Here they are at ages 6,5,4,3,2,1,0, 0. I love how their ages line up in order that way! (even though it only does that for approximately a week each year)

I wasn't sure we'd be able to get a photo this year with all the restrictions, etc., but it worked out that we could all meet for a couple of hours earlier this month.

Previously posted ABCs:

Apple, Blog, Cornflakes Candy, Cantata and Christmas, Draw This,  EEEEE, Family, Gum Ball Machine, HIE, Iris

I-is for Iris

Yes, I'm still here, living life with all of its up and downs, ever grateful for the solid rock of Jesus Christ through it all. I don't know how people manage without His strength. I know that some of the stuff we've dealt with since I last posted was only manageable through his grace. I also know that the blessings we've received during this time were also only through his grace!

The "Scribble Picnic" art cooperative I was part of came to an end last year. It did a good job of keeping me posting fairly regularly. Maybe I need to get back to using a theme. Hmm... I started going through the alphabet a few years back. Guess I'll try to continue with that. And who knows--maybe I'll pick up my colored pencils and throw in a scribble now and then!

Here's a bouquet of some of the iris, and a few roses, we gathered from around the yard last evening.

I give B. credit for getting them planted years ago. In fact, it looks like I did a post about all the varieties we had back in 2008. This link will take you there if you're interested in seeing them. Iris from 2008

Previously posted ABCs:

Apple, Blog, Cornflakes Candy, Cantata and Christmas, Draw This,  EEEEE, Family, Gum Ball Machine, HIE

H–is for HIE

     In a few months our first granddaughter will reach her second birthday, which will be a great day of celebration, as was her first birthday.  Her actual day of birth, those many months ago, was a time that should also have been full of smiles and joy, but instead filled with worries and questions.  She had HIE–hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Hypoxic–lack of oxygen. Ischemic–restricting blood flow. Encephalopathy–affecting the brain. Simply put–oxygen deprivation that affects the brain at birth.

    The medical staff took immediate action, but it still took hours to stabilize, make preparations, and transport her to the NICU in the larger city. They couldn’t use the life-flight helicopter because of there being such bad thunderstorms going on that night. Instead she was taken by ambulance, with one of the first actions taken being to cool her body, which slowed blood flow to prevent further brain damage. It was a month later that she was able to go home. Her parents quickly learned and gave the day by day care needed, one of the biggest of which was getting used to feeding her via a gastronomy tube. They were fast learners, and Samantha thrives physically. In the next photo you can see her "button" for feeding.

Samantha with her beloved Grampa

     One of the HIE effects was that she was never able to cry. One doesn't usually think of a crying baby as a blessing, but it truly is. How thrilled we were when Samantha first started making some vocalizations!

Samantha having a meal via tube with the help of the orange feeding pump.

     Because of a “default mode” of mostly keeping her head turned to the left (which she still does), her head was getting flat on that side.  So, until her skull fused, she had several months of wearing a helmet, which did its reshaping job.

Helmet "graduation day"

     Samantha has a variety of specialists and therapists who help with different developmental aspects. Even though she has always received her main nutrition through a gastronomy tube, she is also undergoing therapy to strengthen her face and mouth muscles to be able to eat by mouth. A wonderful by-product is that those same stronger muscles help her be able to vocalize more, and to smile. It’s such a blessing to see her eyes light up during an interaction; and now to see an occasional added smile just makes my heart rejoice!

     One always expects and hopes the best with a new baby. And you know, that’s just what the family got with Samantha. No, she isn’t developing at a “normal” rate, but she is making progress and developing at her own normal rate, just as God knew she would.  She reminds us all not to take anything for granted, and is such a sweet joy!

The biggest smile I've seen–looking forward to many more!

     (If you want to know more about HIE, you can read here. Our friend Kacy writes about her own daughter here and here. Of course each child affected by HIE has different diagnoses, but some of Hudsyn’s–the GERD, the gastronomy tube–are similar to those of Samantha.)    

G–is for Gum Ball Machine

     As mentioned a few posts back, I decided it was time to start putting pencil to paper again. Through Wanda I found Creative Tuesdays, where this week's theme is–you guessed it–Bubble Gum Machine! So, just for the fun of it, here's my attempt. Guess I was so intent on making it recognizable that I forgot to get creative with the contents. Oh well, maybe next time! Since this will be linked, I suppose I might see a few new visitors, to whom I say, "Welcome!"

F–is for Family

     Family.  What does one do without it?

     I’ve been blessed all my life with an amazing family.  I have SO MANY great memories of family time when I was growing up.  My dad loved the Lord, was the kindest man you could ever hope to know, and absolutely adored my mom.  They were college sweethearts and had over 50 years of married life together.  Mom was the best anyone could ask for, and I’ll forever miss her love, encouragement, and support in my life.  My older brothers put up with their younger sister, and still do for that matter!  I just wish we could get together more often.

     My next level of family began with the answer to my prayers that I found in Benny.  We were late twenties and mid-thirties when we met and married, and both agree it was worth the wait!  Raising a son and two daughters was not without its challenges of course, but those were far outweighed by the good times!  What a joy and privilege to see them develop into such fine young people and find their own loving spouses to continue on with.

     This may have been taken a dozen or so years ago!

     Grandchildren.  Did I mention grandchildren?  :-)  We have four now–ages 3 1/2, almost 2, almost 1, and just over one week!  All the clichés are true–there’s nothing like it, why didn’t we have them first, etc.  With their different ages and abilities, each one is a unique delight!

#4 (#1, #2, and#3 are a few posts down)

     Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins… None ever lived in the same town I was in, which made each time we were together all that much more special.  Of the older generation, I’ve only two aunts remaining. 

     Of course marriage expanded family immediately.  In-laws and their families brought another good dimension to family that I can't imagine not having.

     I can’t leave the subject of family without including my spiritual family.  These fellow believers have taught and been with me through all kinds of joys, frustrations, and sorrows.  Some I’ve known for decades and some for just a few years, but we all have eternity to look forward to because of accepting Jesus Christ into our lives as Lord and Savior.

     Family.

     I think family should be spelled b l e s s i n g!

E–is for EEEEE

     EEEEE!!!!!  I finally made it to 200 published posts!  (Yes, I know that's hardly any for most bloggers, but obviously I don't publish daily, and sometimes I've even gone months at a time without posting.)

     In case you happen to wonder what it is with all the Es on this blog, our last name begins with the letter E.  Five in the family.  Five Es.  There you have it!  Now wasn’t that EEEEExciting?

     In the EEEEExtra miscellaneous information category, the KS instead of X in my blog title has to do with the spelling of our last name.

D–is for Draw This

     Once upon a time (at least 2007-2012, but I don't know for sure when it began) there was a blog entitled "Draw This". It was a place where a few people who had an interest in art could share their artistic endeavors, whether painting or drawing or crafting or photography.  "Sticky", "animal", "sharp", "insect", and "bumpy" are just a few of the weekly topics posted by the moderator and left open to interpretation by the artists.

     I'm pretty sure that "insect" was the first topic I posted under.  I shared a photo I took of a baby praying mantis, one of dozens and dozens that had hatched out from our pasture-cut Christmas tree one year, after being in our warm living room for the season!

     I finally got up the nerve to post a pencil drawing.

     That whale, and many of the subsequent drawings, were rather coloring book style with their dark outlines and one-tone, if any, shading.  I kept trying, though, and in 2009 I took a drawing class, which helped quite a bit if I do say so!  I never got it posted on the "Draw This" blog, but here's one of the drawings I did for that class.

     Sadly, interest and time to keep up dwindled, so that eventually no one was posting, and finally the entire blog was removed.

     But, in addition to encouraging me to keep working at my hobby, another good thing about that blog was the connections from it.  I feel like I would know Wanda, Priscilla, Rachel and "New York Martha" if I saw them on the street, just from keeping up with their own blogs.  I only wish a few more (Oregon, Minnesota) had kept their blogs going.

     Time will tell if I ever get back to drawing on my own.  Here's hoping!

C–is for Corn Flakes Candy, Cantata and Christmas

Mixed up some Corn Flakes Candy this afternoon.  So simple!

Combine 1 cup corn syrup and 1 cup brown sugar in a 3-quart saucepan.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 cup peanut butter and 6 cups corn flakes until well coated.  Drop by teaspoons on waxed paper.  Or, press into well-buttered 9 x 13 pan and cool until firm before cutting.

I usually make some for Christmas, but we had plenty of other sweets around, so didn't this time.

Christmas–that's my second favorite holiday (after Easter).

In a way, Christmas always begins in October for me, as that is when rehearsals for the community Christmas cantata begin.  I’ve missed a few years, maybe more than a few, but have usually sung in it over the past thirty-eight years!  I had an uncle who taught music here one year in the early 1960s, and apparently he was instrumental in getting the annual event started.  What a joy it is to sing about the birth of Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas!

Our traditional Christmas Eve soup and gifts with Benny’s side of the family was at his sister’s, just up the road.

Usually we go to a Christmas Eve candlelight service, but since Christmas was on Sunday, the Lutheran church (which we attended until a few years ago) had a Julotta (Christmas, just before dawn) candlelight service we went to instead.  Then we went to our Berean church's Christmas Day service.  Had a non-tradtional Christmas Day dinner here of crockpot BBQ pork ribs, followed by a relaxing day of nothing in particular.

Midweek my side of the family gathered for our WWW Christmas, always fun and filled with laughter, food, games (always Nerts), gifts, traditions and memories.

This would be our three (so far) grandkids!

Some of the immediate family was able to stay the entire week. Then we celebrated Christmas again with all the immediate family on New Year's Day!

Blessed, blessed, blessed!

B–is for Blog

     I started this Blog over ten years ago, but have yet to publish my 200th post.  I know, I know!  That's not much of an average, but like I said Back in 2006, it's always Been "A POSSIBILITY..... IF I COME UP WITH THE TIME AND INCLINATION TO ADD ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE OF THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST TO ANYONE."  So, hopefully, there are a few of you out there who will still Be slightly interested as I continue on!

     It took until my fourth post to include a picture.  This was the first one, Back when we had chickens.  That seems forever ago!

     I enjoy posting my Bits and pieces of life, but it seems I've always spent more time reading other Blogs (Janet, Martha, Karen, Linny, Priscilla, Christine, Rachel, CiCi, Wanda, Renee, ...) than working on my own.  Oops!  Thank you to those of you who have not given up on me.

     I'll Be Back, hopefully soon, and I hope you will Be Back too!

A–is for Apple, of course!

A new year.  A fresh start.  A different approach (at least for today!) Chances are good that forthcoming topics will be random, and they may or may not relate to the current day or season.

Our Apple tree didn't do so good this past year.  This is the beginning of last year's Apple harvest.  

Alas, it is also the end of last year's Apple harvest!  Can't complain though–it produced much good fruit for us for many years.

Apple fritter bread

 

Still have some Applesauce and pie filling in the freezer.  Guess I'd better work on getting that used up!