Back to Work!

This last week sure did go by fast. I was on vacation last week and of course, the holiday today, so tomorrow I will be going back to the full time job. I will say that I had a wonderful vacation. I didn’t go anywhere, just stayed home. It was great. In all my years of employment, I have never taken a vacation of a week just to "stay home". I couldn't have chosen a better week, weather-wise. I had sunny, warm, beautiful days. I sat on our back deck and read, sat out there enjoying the sun and the breeze and the beautiful scenery in our
backyard. Tonight we got a thunderstorm, it's just finishing, and I think rain is called for this week off and on...so I did pick the right week!

The worst part of going back to work tomorrow will be that I will be leaving the house alone. My husband will be able to stay home and “relax”. On Friday, my husband had his last day of work. He quit his job of 33 years, as I told you in a previous blog. He says he retired, however, he’s not old enough, or financially set that he can really “retire from work”. He retired from his 33 year job. He’s taking the summer off, but promises to look for work in the fall…work that he enjoys. He’s a great sports enthusiast, so I think he should look for sports related employment. If any of you know of anything, or have any ideas, pass them on to us please. It will be hard to go to work, knowing he can stay home, hard not to be envious. But, he has put in his time and been through a lot, so I truly am happy for him.

If you read my blog a week ago, you will see the list that I had of all I wanted to get done during the week. A lot of things on the list had to do with cleaning house. I don’t want to go back and check things off, because I wouldn’t be able to check off everything. But, I did accomplish quite a bit. For example, this morning I tackled the refrigerator, took everything out, cleaned all the shelves and drawers, and boy does it look nice now! I’m caught up on laundry, and I have all the winter clothing put away and the summer clothing out. I guess if I were honest, the thing I did the most was RELAX, and I got caught up on my sleep. But, keep in mind, that was on my list more than once. I felt I needed this vacation, because I needed relaxation, both of the mind and of the body. I needed to get recharged so that I could once again enjoy my employment. I am not a person that relaxes easily, I have to work on it. I think I did accomplish that though, I will find that out tomorrow when I put in my first day after 10 days off!

Aunts - Pennsylvania

I grew up with many Aunts, four on my Dad’s side, and 3 on my Mother’s side. I also had many great aunts, as both of my Grandma’s came from large families. Both sides of the families had annual family reunions every year, I loved those reunions, and it gave me a chance to know my extended family. Unlike my husband’s family, we in our family did not call Aunts, “aunties”, they were my “aunts”. I notice that these days, many nieces do not use the title Aunt when talking with their aunts, but we always did, and I still do call them by the title Aunt. I think it’s the honorary thing to do.

My maternal Grandmother had a lot of visits from her sisters and brothers, (my Great Aunts and Uncles), and since I spent a lot of time at Grandma’s, I was able to get to know and get close to my Great Aunts and Uncles also.

My Mother didn’t get help rocking the cradle or babysitting with her babies from the aunts on a regular basis like I did for my children, but I received a lot of love and attention from every one of them in many other ways. I was the first grandchild on my Dad’s side, so I was given a lot of attention, especially from my aunts. Three of them especially, would take me for overnight visits, and do special things with me.

Aunt Grace took my cousin and I to my very first movie, at around the age of 8 or 9, in the big
City. It was Cecil DeMilles “The Ten Commandments”. I was in such awe of that experience! To this day when I see it on TV, I remember how we sat in the movie theater to see it, my first movie. Aunt Grace and Uncle Bill would take me along with my cousins to an amusement park not far from their home. I spent a lot of time at their house,playing with my cousin, Susan, great memories!

Aunt Sara and Uncle Bob took me to my first drive in movie, along with my cousins. We played at the playground at the movie theatre until dark when the movie started. They lived in a row house in the city and it had three stories, the top story we called the “third floor” and my cousin, a few years younger than me, and I would play "house" up there, when I stayed over at their place.

Aunt Jane worked at the local soda fountain and she would buy me ice cream sundaes.
She always took extra time to talk to me when I was a teenager, and really related to me.
I appreciated that she didn’t treat me like a “little girl” when I was a teen. Since Aunt Jane was only 10 years older than me, Grandma had all Aunt Jane’s formals and fancy dresses that she wore to high school dances at her house yet. So, when I needed a gown for a choral concert or prom, guess where Mom would take me. Not to the store, but to Grandma’s third floor to look through Aunt Jane’s gowns. For my senior prom, I wanted a long gown, and the only thing close was a ballerina length, which wasn’t in style then. My Grandma G., matched the chiffon scarf on top with chiffon material and taffeta and put a piece on the bottom to make it long. No one was the wiser. Now, I wouldn’t have been as lucky as a Mother in that situation as my Mother was, because my daughter would never have let me get by with that!

Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Dick had me overnight the most often because they didn’t have their daughter until I was a teenager. They had a lot of time to devote to me, Aunt Sylvia was a first grade teacher, so she knew exactly how to entertain me when I was a little girl. She had great children’s songs on her record player, and lots of fun books that she would read to me. They took me to see Santa Claus at Christmas. She made me homemade ice cream sodas. They took me to restaurants, something us kids never had the chance to go to. When I was elementary age and stayed over, I read a lot of classics such as “Heidi”, in the mornings in bed, waiting for them to get up (you know how early kids get up!). That’s probably why I became a reader of books.

Most of my Aunts and Uncles on my Dad’s side, made a trip to Duluth to visit me. One Aunt and Uncle that didn’t make it, had good intentions one summer to come out, but their trip got canceled due to hurricane damage at the place where my uncle worked, he was an engineer and he couldn’t take his vacation due to the hurricane damage. I appreciate how each of them knew it meant a lot for me to have them visit.

Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Dick have been here many times. I can’t even keep track anymore how many times they have traveled here to visit us, but I know it was at least 6 times in these last 36 years. The last visit was in 1997, when they came out for our son’s high school graduation party. Every time I am home since then, they talk about trying to make a trip one more time. They are both over 80 now, and my Mother told me one time, “don’t insist for them to come out, they are getting where travel is hard for them”, I told her that I understood that, but was just grateful that they talk about it, and we are so grateful for all the visits that they did make.

Remember when I was writing about the farm, I told how my aunts and uncles from the city would often come up on Sat. or Sundays and visit us. That is another reason why I am so close to my aunts and uncles.

Now, my aunts and uncles on my Mother’s side meant a lot to me too, I didn’t see them as often, but when I did they showed their love. I did stay with my cousin in Lancaster quite a few times over the years; Aunt Mae was so loving and kind to me during those visits. One time she took my cousin and me to Farmer’s Market in Lancaster. It was a real experience.

Aunt Liz and Uncle John took me on a wonderful trip with them and my cousins, to up state Pennsylvania, through the mountains and we stayed overnight in a very rustic hunting cabin in Potters County. This is the cabin that my Dad and uncle would go to for deer hunting each fall. That trip I will never forget.

Adults, when relating to kids, keep this in mind: the smallest thing you do for children, is remembered as a big thing, even if it’s small. When I tell my aunts and uncles the things I remember so vividly as being so meaningful, they are surprised that those things made such an impact on me. They really didn’t think they were doing that much. But they loved me and they showed me their love in action.

Weren’t Bob and I lucky to have wonderful Aunts and Uncles and wonderful memories with them! They are in our hearts everyday!

Aunts - Minnesota

I realized that I didn’t finish posting all that I wanted to write about during Mother’s Day week. I wrote about Mothers, and Grandmothers, and Mother in Laws. I also wanted to write about Aunts, who are very often like Mothers, and need to be honored during Mother’s Day also. So, here is my post on “Aunts”. Today I will write about my Aunts in Duluth, who adopted me as a neice through marriage.

In my family and my husband’s family I have had a wonderful experience with Aunts.
When it came to my growing up years, my husband’s growing up years, and my children’s, the aunts in our family were like Mothers to us.

Bob had 6 aunts (he called them Aunties). Of the 6, two of them lived in the same apartment building and two lived a block away. Now, these four aunts were, indeed like Mothers to Bob. Auntie Mae never married, and she considered Bob as if he were her own. Auntie Helen married late in life and had no children, so she considered Bob the same. Auntie Rosie did have a son and two grandchildren, but I know she looked at Bob as one of her own also. He was so blessed to have the three of them. Auntie Mae took care of him when his Mother had to go to work when he was small, she really helped to raise him. Auntie Rosie worked in a pie factory, and would bring him home lots of the small pies that they baked. He spent time upstairs with her a lot. Auntie Lizzie made breakfast for him and his Mother after church every Sunday. When Auntie Lizzie was gone, Auntie Helen made the breakfast.

Auntie Mae and Auntie Helen took Bob to the movie theater every Saturday. There were many to choose from back in those days, the Lycem, Lyric, Granada and the Norshor. They watched westerns (Randolph Scott), and a lot of monster movies. In those days you could take in food to the theatre and they would take along hamburgers, hotdogs, pop and candy! They always made sure there was enough food for their boy Bobby. Interesting side comment here: this is where Auntie Helen met her future husband.

When I first came to Duluth, I was anxious to meet his “aunties”, because he always talked a lot about them, and missed them as much as he missed his Mother when he was away in the army. The first day I was there to visit, (before we were married), his Mother said that all the aunties would be over in the afternoon to visit. I felt like I was “passing inspection”, especially from Auntie Helen, who was the real talkative aunt. She asked me a million questions, really grilled me. Auntie Lizzie had passed away years before, so I didn’t meet her. I also met Aunt Mary, who lived across town, and rarely went out of the house. She was very meek and mild. I never got to know her, but know she was a sweet woman. He had another Aunt, who lived in Maryland, and when we would go to my home in PA, we went to visit her when we could. I am happy to say that all of them approved of me, even though I wasn’t Italian. They soon made it clear to me that they accepted me and loved me as a niece. And, I accepted them and loved them as my aunties.

When our children came, Auntie Mae, loved taking care of babies. She should have been married and had a big family, because she was the best mother! She was a second Mother to our children. We were so blessed to have her. She rocked them, patiently, and would patiently read the same book over and over, just to please them, and never lose patience. I never knew anyone with the patience that she had.

Auntie Mae worked during the time that I first went to work, so Auntie Helen took care of our first born daughter when she was just a baby. Auntie Mae was there in the evenings, since she just lived upstairs. After we moved to Woodland, she was offended if we hired a sitter to go out, she wanted us to bring her up to baby sit. So, there was a bed in the spare room for when she stayed over.

Our first two children remember Auntie Helen and Auntie Mae well, and Dawn remembers Auntie Rosie. Unfortunately, the morning that our second child was born, (Rob), Auntie Rosie lost her battle to cancer. We think it was the same hour. And, the summer that Scott, our third, was 9 months old, Auntie Mae had a stroke and had to be moved to a nursing home. So, Scott only remembers Aunt Helen a little, but to our first two, they were second Mother’s.

Bob and I are so thankful that we had these wonderful Aunts in ours and our children’s lives. They truly enriched our lives.

Next post I will write about my Aunts in Pennsylvania.

Hope Wranglers

While I’m on vacation, I thought it would be a good time to do my letters that I send to my family and friends to ask for support for my Relay For Life Team. I just finished them, and they will go in the mail. I am captain again this year for our church team. We call ourselves the HOPE WRANGLERS, wrangling a cure for cancer, and our church’s name is HOPE UMC. They took me longer to do because some of my friends from out of state and relatives, I felt like I couldn’t just send them a letter about the “cause”, without writing a personal note to them. It’s a good way of keeping in touch, other than at Christmas time.

We are still looking for teams of 5-15 people to walk that evening. It is not a “race” and you don’t need to run, you don’t even need to walk all night, that’s why you have team members, to take turns. If you are interested in joining this good cause by getting a team together, call Amber or myself at the ACS Office, 727-7439. If you would like to join a team, I have openings on mine.

We also want to celebrate all those that have fought cancer or are fighting cancer. We have a survivor’s lap, where we honor cancer survivors, following the opening ceremony. You do not have to be on a team to come and take part in the ceremony. Call 727-7439 to register.

Below are some details: You may also click on my web site link on the left for the site on line. You may register or donate from there also. Click on Hope Wranglers and my name, if you wish to donate on my behalf for the team. Thank you.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY - 15th Annual Duluth Community RELAY FOR LIFE EVENT

WHAT: The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is a unique celebration of life in honor and in memory of those whose lives have been touched by cancer. It has been described as a “huge compassionate support group” – a place where friends, family and loved ones join to celebrate survivorship and to honor those who have lost the battle. Relay For Life involves teams of 5-15 people who take turns walking or running around a track all night long. A party-like atmosphere prevails as team members camp out on the surrounding grounds for the duration of the event to enjoy music, food, fun, entertainment and activities while building camaraderie with fellow teammates and participants. Money is raised through team commitment fees and goal of $100 average team member, secured from family, friends, companies or corporations.

WHEN: July 14th and July 15th 2006 -- 6:00 P.M. – 6:00 A.M.

WHERE: College of St. Scholastica, Kenwood Avenue, Duluth, MN
In front of Science Building

WHO: Everyone is welcome! All interested in the cause join teams of individuals representing clubs, corporations, organizations, neighborhoods and families at this fun, community-oriented event.

HISTORY: Relay For Life was the idea of Gordon Klatt, M.D. In 1985, Dr. Klatt ran and walked for 24-hours on a track in Tacoma, Washington, traveling about 81 miles and raising $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. From there, Relay For Life was born and is now held nationwide. Over $20 million was raised at 372 Relay For Life events held in the Midwest Division alone in 2000-2001.

WHY: The money raised helps support American Cancer Society programs in research, education, advocacy, and service – locally, statewide and nationally.

BENEFITS: Great community exposure. Opportunity to be a community leader. Terrific group outing. Raise money for a good cause. From the opening lap, led by the cancer survivors, to the emotional candle-lighting ceremony, through the triumphant final lap, Relay For Life is something participants will always remember!

HIGHLIGHTS: SURVIVORS VICTORY LAP:Cancer survivors from around the community are invited to take a victory lap and be cheered on by fellow participants. This is a true celebration of their courageous battle.

LUMINARIA CEREMONY: A candlelight ceremony that pays tribute to those who have been affected by cancer. Luminaries are purchased in honor of those who have survived their battle with cancer, for those still fighting, and in memory of those who have courageously battled this disease, but lost. The Luminarias are kept burning throughout the night to represent the healing power of community and the importance of funding to find a cure.

See event on line – register, donate: www.acsevents.org/relay/mn/duluth

Women Working

Changes over the years: I talked about changes in childbirth procedures. I want to also talk today about the changes I encountered over the years concerning women and work.

Last Saturday we had a brunch at my church, Hope UMC, for women. The program was titled “Working Women – Women Working”. During our time together eating, we were asked at each table to talk amongst ourselves about women and working, by discussing certain questions given us. Then after the discussions at each table we talked about the questions as a group. It was interesting and we had a good discussion. One of the questions to discuss was especially relative to me:
--Whether you have done paid work or not, have you found women supportive of your choices in work? Have women who have made other choices than you been supportive, or only women who made similar choices to you?

I told how I was in two different fields of thought when it came to women working outside of the home, at two different times in my life I found women not supportive of my choice, with two different choices. It is another example of how things change in just a few short years, once again we are talking 9 years, like the 9 years I talked about in my last posting.

When our daughter was 3 months old, I took a job, so that we could make a living. I really didn’t want to, but financially, we needed me to. Everyone I encountered during this time, thought it was just terrible. “How can you leave your baby”, they would say,(even though Bob’s aunt took care of her). They critized me and made me feel low for taking a full time job and “leaving my baby”. When she was about 1 ½ , I quit and stayed home, along with all the other women at home. By then we had our home. It was a wonderful time of my life, spending the day with my toddler and with women in the neighborhood that I became friends with. It's a time that I felt I was supported, now that I was "home" with my child.

When she was almost 3, due to the expenses of living in a home, I found myself looking for and finding full time employment once again. During this time women with children, were still in the minority in the workforce. Once again I got critized and looked down upon because I “chose” to work out of the home. (Even though I didn’t think it was a “choice”, rather a necessity.) Now, I worked at that job for almost 7 years. Guess what happened in the seven years during my work? The paradigm changed. More mothers with children went into the workforce. When I quit and stayed home to have our second child, with no intention of going back into the workforce, guess what everyone told me then, after our second child was born -- “you mean you aren’t going back to work??”, “how can you stay home?”, I was then critized for NOT going to work! Boy, I couldn’t win. Almost all the women in my neighborhood that were home previously, were now employed! Once again, I had no support. That is how things changed in 9 years! I was in the minority during both phases. As a result of my experience, I never, ever judged any Mother for the decision she made either for or against working out of the home. I would tell Mothers with young children, “do what is best for you, because you will get critized no matter what it is you choose to do!”. I stayed home for 14 years after that, raising our daughter and two sons.

I felt so lucky that financially, I was able to stay home. It was the best 14 years of my life. Fortunately, by the time I took a part time job in 1992, not one person said a word or questioned my choice. I don't think it was because the children were older, I think there was another change in thinking by 1992 and also through today, we have Mothers doing both, working, and not working, and no one thinks now, in 2006 to question anyone’s decision one way or another. Thank goodness, Mother’s are no longer being “judged”. We have made progress and I’m so glad that my daughter did not have to go through what I did. I believe her generation gets support from other women, no matter what they choose to do, or have to do. Working women … stay at home Mom’s, the choice is individual… no judgments made …. let’s keep it that way!

Sons

Earlier I wrote about our daughter’s birth. It made me think once again, about how things can change in just a few years. Giving birth is so different now than it was in the early 70’s, even different in 9 years!

My second pregnancy was 9 years later. In that time, things concerning childbirth really changed. During this pregnancy there were “Childbirth Classes” available for the pregnant Mother to be. Not just for the Mother, but for the Father! It was a class for both the Mother and the Father to be. The class was 8 or 10 sessions (can’t remember how many), but during these sessions we learned as a couple, how to breathe during labor, the Dad learned how to help his wife during labor, and the couple learned exactly what would take place during labor and delivery. They even showed a video of a birth, to further explain the process. We were so much more prepared for this birth, than we had been with our first child. Oh, how all of this information would have been helpful during my first pregnancy 9 years before! It would have eased my fears, my anxiety and I would have known exactly what was going on throughout the labor and delivery process!

I had a hard time convincing my husband that we needed to attend these classes. He didn’t understand, why when this was our second pregnancy that we should take the time for these classes. I had to explain to him how things changed and how helpful these classes would be. Afterward, he agreed that the classes were really helpful.

Another change was that the husband was allowed to be with his wife all during her labor and could also go into the delivery room and be there for the baby’s birth. My husband wasn’t real sure he wanted to go into the delivery room, but he did agree to be with me during labor. That was wonderful. When the time came for delivery, he did go in, at the encourage-ment of my doctor. He was so glad that he did. It was a real experience for him to see our son’s birth, and he was surprised when the doctor had him “cut the cord”, he said later that it was the best experience in his life. It was a real thrill for me too, as with Dawn’s birth, nothing was said to me about looking in the “mirror” to see her birth, but for our son, I knew to look in the mirror and I saw the whole miracle of birth. It was a real “high” for both of us, an experience we will never forget.

After his birth, he was wisked away to the nursery, and we didn’t see him again for hours.
This time, my husband did allow us to name our first son after him, but he was not a “junior”, his middle name was Gerald, after my Dad. Also, when our daughter was born, all mother’s were in a “maternity ward”, a room with 8 beds. Now, every Mother had her “own” room, (this was the same hospital). The ward was nice though, especially for a first time Mother, because I was with women who were having their second and third child. There was one who just had her 6th. You felt you had a support group. We also stayed in the hospital for 4 – 5 days, and their was a regular routine we each did each day.(I won’t go into detail here, but I’m sure some of you know what I’m referring to). Nine years later, we were sent home within a day or two.

Not quite 3 years later, when our second son was born, another change had taken place. The nurses cleaned him up quickly, checked him over and gave him to us in my room for us to hold and cuddle and be with as long as we wanted. The two of us cuddled him and bonded with him almost immediately after his birth, something we weren’t allowed to do with the other two, we kept him in our arms for more than hour, we kept looking at him, looking at the miracle of life. We were amazed just how alert he was, he was wide awake and kept looking at us. It was wonderful. The change that took place in those 9 – 12 years made a big difference. It made me really glad that we didn’t have our 3 children so close, or we would have totally missed out on watching their birth, and really being a participant in the miracle of birth.

I'm grateful for all the changes over the years. I am also grateful that I lived in a generation that has the ability to "plan" your family, and I have no regrets how Bob and I
planned ours. I am thankful for our three Miracles of Life!

Daughter

Today is our daughter Dawn’s birthday. I won’t say her age, as she might not like that I do that, but I will say she is in her 30’s and Mom and Dad can’t believe that she could be that age!

I remember how young I was when she was born and how scared I was about the upcoming birth. I was over 1,000 miles away from home, my Mother could not be here, and I think when you are facing your first pregnancy, you want your Mother to be near, at least I did. In those days, we did not have pre-natal classes to prepare the parents for childbirth. We really didn’t know anything about childbirth, other than the tales we heard from our Mother’s when they would talk with their friends, and you would overhear their conversations. It was enough to scare us girls!

I was over 2 weeks late, so the Doctor suggested I go in to be “induced”. I was not allowed to get out of bed all day, and nothing happened until around 1 am that night.

Father’s to be, did not sit by their wives during labor, like they do these days. They continued their life as usual, going to work and when it looked like the she would be going to the delivery room, then they were called to come to the hospital, and sat in the waiting room until a nurse would come out and tell them the delivery was over and if they had a boy or a girl. So… my husband was not there. I was very fortunate though, to have a Mother in Law, who couldn’t wait to become a Grandma. She took my Mother’s place, by being with me the day I was in labor. She ran back and forth from her job at Woolworth’s to the hospital, each time thinking that the baby was ready to come. I had back labor, and she would rub my back. Dolly’s co/workers were sure it was Dolly having that baby not me, they said it was all she talked about for months. They also assigned a student nurse (in those days, St. Luke’s Hospital had a nurses program), to be with me. I don’t know what I would have done without both of them. I was scared and very naïve. I thought the baby would come that morning, not realizing I had many more hours of labor to go through.

We had a name chosen if it was a girl, a name I loved all my life. But, we didn’t have a boy’s name. I wanted him named after my husband, but he didn’t. So I was searching for boy names in the name book when I was in my first hours of labor. Since I thought the baby would come in the am, I came across the name of Dawn, a name I had never heard before, but I really liked it. Short and sweet, and a “morning” name. If we used that name, I could have Elizabeth has the middle name, which would honor my Grandmother Elizabeth. So, that is how her name came about. When I told her what the original name would have been, she said she was really glad that I changed it to Dawn! I never did find a boys name that I liked, so guess it was good we had a girl!

I was so anxious for the baby to come, I remember, how I kept saying “when can I go to the delivery room?”…I said that for hours! After delivering our beautiful baby girl, who looked exactly like her Italian Dad, my husband was called and then he came and joined me in celebrating the birth of our daughter.

Our beautiful daughter grew up to be a beautiful woman who gave us two grandchildren. I was so thankful that I was able to be by her side through her labor when she had her first child. Since I didn’t have my Mother, I wanted her to have her Mother at her side. I also took time off of work so that I could travel to the hospital in the cities to be with her for her second child.

We are thankful for our first born, beautiful, dark curly haired daughter, and the woman she has become.

May 24th - Dylan is 65

Wow, talk about making us “Baby Boomers” feel old. I just heard that it is Bob Dylan’s birthday today and that he is 65 years old. I can’t believe it! I knew he was a bit older than Bob and I, but to think that he has reached “retirement age” is something! But then, I can’t believe that we are so close to age 60 and 62. As a teen in the 60’s, I purchased one or more of his recordings.

Those of you that are not in Minnesota, you may not know that his roots are in Northern Minnesota. He was born and lived in Duluth in his early years, then the family moved north to the “range”, to the town of Hibbing where he went to school and grew up.

On Monday night the Duluth City Council voted to give honorary designation of Bob Dylan’s name to 1.8 miles of roadways in downtown Duluth, from the Depot at 5th Avenue, along Michigan Street to Superior Street and ending at London Road on 15th Avenue East. London Road is the beginning of Minnesota Highway 61, the same highway that Dylan named his “Highway 61 Revisited” after. The streets will not be re-named, but additional signs will indicate his honor.

Seeing the celebrities that we grew up with, age makes each of us realize that we are aging. Oh my….

Vacation

Vacation - Have you ever felt like you really need one? I’m at a point in my life, where I am in need of time away from my full time job.

Today is Sunday, the first day of a week’s vacation from my job. I have been back to work since 1992, after taking time off for 14 years to raise our last two children. I really enjoyed being an at home Mom since I had worked full time for 7 or our daughter’s first 9 years. I went back to work part time in 1992, in 1996 added a second job to the day,
so was working full time. In 1998, I went from two part time jobs during the day to a full time job, and that is the job I am still at, 8 years now. In all of the years since 1992, I have never taken a full week’s vacation just to be “at home”. The only weeks or two weeks I’ve taken were to go on a trip, usually to my home in Pennsylvania. Sure, I took a day or two off, here and there, but never more than 2 days in a row. Each year, I tell myself that next year I will take a week off “just to be home”. However, I never seem to plan ahead for it, and my job is busy all year long these last few years, that I have never
done it. So, the beginning of 2006 I told myself I would plan for a week. In April, I realized the work days would become more stressful in the summer, and that I’d better soon “plan” for my week. I requested this next week, the week of May 22, thinking it would be the better week, work wise to be gone. Also, it gives me an extra day, since Memorial Day Monday is a holiday!

For those of you reading this that have a full time job, you can relate, when I tell you that getting ready to be gone on vacation is very stressful. I had so many things that I needed to finish up, that I worked late a few nights, and I went into the office and worked three more hours yesterday (Saturday). But, I feel better about leaving my work and my desk for a week, by doing so.

I think that is why I am so tired today. I slept in late, and I can’t seem to get “going” on anything around the house today. I just am doggoned tired! I decided to come to the computer to write, hoping that would get me geared up. I made plans to go for a walk with a friend later this afternoon, right now the last thing I want to do is walk.

Well, I guess I can consider that I’m getting rested up to make productive use of a vacation at home, that I want to start tomorrow. I hope things go as I plan. Some things I want to accomplish from a week at home:
RELAX-- Clean the refrigerator -- clean the oven -- wash curtains -- put away winter clothes -- get out summer clothes -- straighten up the mess that is in the spare bedroom --
read -- clean closets -- do some gardening – sit on the deck in the sun –catch up with friends -- RELAX -- rest up -- walk -- exercise -- clean cupboards -- RELAX -- scrub the bathroom -- lunch with a friend – coffee with neighbors – RELAX and one really big goal: rejuvenate myself, mentally and physically, so that I can get through working full time for at least 4 more years -- If you don’t hear from me in a week, you will know why.

Do you think I will get all these things accomplished? Stay tuned. (I’m going have to get up at 5 or 6 am day to keep to my plan, so I do need to rest today!)

Changes . .

Have you heard the news? My husband gave his two weeks notice to his employer on Monday. He has been employed by the same company for 33 years. He is the “senior” there, and knows the most of any of the employees. The company was owned by one man up until 1992, when the owner retired and sold it. Since then it has been bought and sold twice. The employees never knew how good they had it when it was owned by one man, but they soon found out, when everything went down hill after. His wages were cut, and he has never reached the wage he made back then. His position changed over the years, and the last four years have been especially trying for him. The company is like so many corporate companies these days; they do not value their employees, and don’t mind pushing out the loyal employees for new employees that they can pay less. Therefore, they treat their employees shabbily, stomping on their esteem and hoping that they will leave. My husband is obliging them willingly. He decided he’s had enough. He made this decision about 9 months ago, we both talked about it a long time before the decision. He kept the decision mum to his company and co/workers, so they were very surprised. Some of them told him they were envious. Since we made the decision for him to leave the end of May ’06, I have never seen my husband so relaxed and happy. Just knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel, made a big difference in his life and his attitudes. His manager kept saying to him “are you sure you know what you are doing”, he was quite happy to tell him “yes, I do, don’t worry about me”.

We have worked hard to clean up our debt, so that we can live on my salary for awhile, until he finds another job. He will be looking for one more actively in the fall, as he wants to take the “summer off”. He will search for a job that is not like the one he left, one that will value what he brings to the table, and if he can’t find a satisfying job, there are plenty of part time jobs out there. We have our parents to thank for this opportunity, when he first talked about it I really worried, as you can imagine debts that you end up with after raising a family. I did get a small inheritance that helped us to get out of debt, so that we will not have as much to worry about. I know they would have wanted us to pay our bills, rather than use it for something else (though it was tempting). We also will be trusting in The Lord, as Mother and Dad always did, that everything will work out.

I am happy for my husband as he enters a new phase in his life.

Remembering The Mission

You haven’t heard from me a while because I spent the weekend in Hudson with our daughter and her family to celebrate Mother’s Day. I hope each of you Mother's had a great day. I know that I did.

I had a meeting to attend in our Mendota Heights ACS office yesterday (Tuesday). The office is only 1/2 drive from my daughter's. I took a day of vacation on Monday, so I could spend it with Dawn, she had the day off and the grandchildren are in school. I had a wonderful weekend with her and the family, and on Monday she, my son in law (who wasn’t flying that day) and I had a lovely lunch out at a restaurant overlooking the St. Croix River in downtown Hudson. Before the lunch, she and I shopped at Herberger’s, a store that we discovered has a large selection of women’s clothing, that she tells me “look good on me”. She said I shouldn’t shop anywhere but Herberger’s in Stillwater, so each time I visit her, we make a trip to Herberger’s. We don’t have one in Duluth, so it affords me the time in between visits to pay the credit card off before shopping again!

My son in law cooked a wonderful dinner for his Mom and Dad, Dawn and me in honor of Mother's Day. The kids and my husband got together and bought me a "kitchen aid", a piece of kitchen equipment I often thought I'd like to have, but never wanted to spend money on...so that was great.

It was good to have a day away from the office. Due to budget cuts and office closings in our region, the last two years have been much more hectic at my job than ever before, some days are really trying. Therefore, it was good to have all of us Administrative Support staff from our region together for a meeting yesterday. The CEO of our division was there to talk with us, and remind us how valuable we are to the organization and how much we are appreciated. I think that I speak for all of us in the region when I say that we needed that pep talk! She talked about our 2015 goals and how we are working as a team together toward those goals. Everything we do as an organization is toward reaching the following goals:

--50% reduction in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates by the year 2015.
--25 % reduction in age-adjusted cancer incidence rates by the Year 2015.
--Measurable improvement in the quality of life (physical, psychological,
social,and spiritual) from the time of diagnosis and for the balance
of life of all cancer survivors by the Year 2015.

Our nationwide leadership roles to accomplish these goals are in the areas of research, information, quality of life and prevention and detection.

It was good for me to be reminded of our mission and why I work for The American Cancer Society. It's a good organization with a good mission. (budget cuts and lean staff,rest assure that we are good stewards of your donor dollars!)

DOLLY

We lost Bob’s Mother, my sweet Mother-in-law in January, 2003. She was the true Italian Mother. Her name was Clara. When she had to fix her birth certificate, which wasn’t correct, she added Dolly to it as her middle name. She was the baby, and they always called her their little Dolly, so the name Dolly stuck. Her parents came to New York, through Ellis Island from Italy. Her father came first, then moved to Northern Minnesota for a job at the mines, in a town that is no longer there. Then he sent for Dolly’s Mother and her oldest sister. The other 6 girls were born in Minnesota. Eventually her parents came to Duluth, where she grew up, the youngest of seven girls. Her maiden name was Rich, and the girls were known as the Rich Sisters from “Little Italy” on the hillside. Someday I will write more about her history, but today I want to post a piece that I wrote about her and read at her funeral:

“Dolly was the heart of our family. The stroke and Alzheimer’s put her in a nursing home 4 ½ years ago, but she has remained the heart and always will!

Dolly was a loving mother, a loyal friend, a hard worker, always full of humor and kindness. Her nephew Jim, told how he loved her jokes. She was always the life of the party. In the nursing home, often a nurse would say to us “Dolly must have been a spit fire and full of spunk” and we told them, yes she sure was. We loved her spunk. She was the baby of 7, but she was the leader amongst them….she was a strong woman, she learned that from her Mother. She passed that strength on to her daughter and to me, in an age when women weren’t so strong. She was a good sister. Though she was the baby, she acted more like the big sister to her sisters that lived here in Duluth.

As a daughter in law, she was the kindest Mother in law anyone could have. Coming to Duluth as a bride from PA 33 yrs ago, I was very homesick and she was always there to support and and comfort me. She took my Mother’s place when I was in labor with our first child. (Dawn). I wanted my Mother to be here so badly for the baby’s birth, but she couldn’t, so Dolly was the best. She was there with me as much as she could be, and gave me courage. Her Woolworth friends still tell about that day, how excited she was to become Grandma, and her runs to the hospital, they were glad when Dawn arrived so that they could get her back to work! Dolly as the Grandmother…boy did she love those kids…she doted on them, spoiled them, and supported them always. All the grand-children tell about their memories of her wonderful food. She knew how to make the best Italian dishes. Saturday mornings Bob would often take the children to her house to visit, so I could clean and she made them a large breakfast. She had us for Sunday dinners. Her meals always consisted of 3 or 4 kinds of meat, plus the spaghetti and meatballs and her homemade pastas. Carmella and I have never been able to duplicate her meatballs…and we will never have as good a meatball as she made. I tried hard to learn, she helped me make them, I watched her lots of times, and they still did not turn out like hers. Her meatballs were the size of a baseball, but moist, and they never fell apart in the sauce…still can’t figure out why.

She worked hard all her life. She was a waitress, before starting at FW Woolworth’s downtown Duluth. She worked there for 39 years, and her years spent at Woolworth’s were happy ones. She started in the plant department and moved around to every dept. in the store. I heard from her friends there that she had a passion for ordering candles …and for the candy counter and the roasted cashews. They told us that she was always the life of all their parties and would glitter. One time she forgot her shoes at the Jolly Fisher and they went to Tony’s after, and she danced all evening in her stocking feet. She survived two knee surgeries, and she was back at work soon after. She was frequently heard to say at the store “I have a little boy to give away, anyone want him?”…they loved her humor.

She was supportive of her daughter, Carmella, who never took the usual route in life. Carmella became an opera singer and Dolly was very proud of her and her husband, who is also an opera singer. Dolly worried plenty when Carmella was ill with her bad heart, and gave her lots of support during her illness. As I said, she was a supportive, kind and loving Mother, Grandmother and friend, and we have all been blessed by knowing her and we will all miss her and keep her in our hearts forever!

Grandma's Too... Grandma E.

Today I want to write about my paternal Grandma. She was probably the opposite of my maternal Grandma, but gee, I owe a lot of myself to her too. Grandma E. was a good 10 years or more older than Grandma G. who I wrote about yesterday. Grandma E. was my Dad’s Mother and she raised 7 children. Her youngest was only 10 years older than me. Her name was Della Marie. She never had a nickname, she went by
Della. She was the only one with that name that I ever knew, and since I've been in Minnesota, I've only come across two Della's in 36 years. (other than Della Street from Perry Mason, of course). Not common, but it is a pretty name. Old names are coming back, some day we may hear of a new baby named Della.

I know she loved having Grandchildren, but she didn’t dote on me like my other Grandma did. But, I figured early on, it wasn’t that she loved me less than Grandma G. did, but it was because she was a different kind of person, and also, after raising 7 children, she probably was pretty tired! It had been a much longer stretch of time between when Grandma G’s youngest left home, and when Grandma E’s left. (Does that make sense?). At least, that’s the way I figured it back then. I never knew what she looked like when she was younger, except for photos. She looked like one would think a Grandma should look. She really never changed her looks in all my growing up years and my adult years, she always looked the same, she never seemed to age. But Grandma G., I remember her looking young (remember she was younger than Grandma E.), and I watched her age through the years.

I didn’t stay at her house overnight near as often as I did my other Grandma, but when I did, it was very special. She always made it a special time for the two of us at her house. She didn’t drive, so she didn’t take me places, but she spent quality time with me. She, like Grandma G., also had a lot of reading materials around, especially books. She had a lot of old “school” books that I always found interesting. She subscribed to the weekly newspaper called “The Grit”, printed in upper Pennsylvania. Is that newspaper still around? It was a wealth of information and articles of varied subjects. I always enjoyed reading “The Grit”. One time she helped me to “sew” doll clothes, from a kit that I brought along to her house. Grandma drank a decaffeinated coffee
called “Postum”. She told me because it was decaffeinated, it was a coffee that kids could drink, so she would serve it to us grandchildren, and we thought we were really something, being able to drink “coffee”. Of course, she filled half the cup with milk. It was good though. She also had a drink, like Kool-aid, but made from tablets that you would put in a glass of water and it would “fizz”, us kids always thought that was fun, and something we didn’t have at home. I think they were called “Fizzy’s”, wonder if they are still on the market?

Grandma didn’t drive, so she only could come to the farm when Grandpa would bring her. I always remember how their visits were always on Grandpa’s time schedule, not Grandma’s. He would tell her “Time to go Della”. She would often protest that she wasn’t ready, but he was insistent…and off they would go. I always thought to myself “I will never be tied to someone else’s schedule like that….I will learn to drive!”

Grandma had wonderful meals at their house for the family. We often got together with all Dad’s family, and though I was the oldest grandchild, many came after me, so I had an abundance of cousins. Since we were such a big group, the grandchildren always had to sit at a separate table, the “kids table”. When we reached age 12 or so, we could move to the big table. Since I loved listening to the adults talk, and being with the adults, that time couldn’t come fast enough for me.

Grandma and Grandpa had moved off the farm and lived in a large house in a very small town, that was nicknamed “Braggtown”, it was only one street long. They said it was called that, because there was a store at the end of the street, and when my Mother was young, she said it was a hang out for many retired men, they would sit on the porch and most of them would “brag”. I never knew till I was a teenager, what the real name of that town was!

When Grandma’s health got bad, they moved into a very small ½ house in another town nearby. After that, the family would get together to eat and celebrate holidays at one of my Aunt’s houses, they would take turns. Grandma’s heart was very weak, and at one point in her life, she became very ill, and couldn’t keep house anymore. She moved into a nursing home, and Grandpa stayed at the house, until he joined her there many years later. From what I understand, she was not expected to live long due to her weak heart, but she lived in the home, I believe I have this right, 9 years. She always said it was because she was so well taken care of there. She was very content and happy being there, her children were devoted to her, and visited her often. We grandchildren did too. She and I corresponded with letters back and forth after I moved here. She wrote me great letters. When I would go home to PA and visit her, she was always talkative and great company. She kept a journal, wrote in it every day. Often she would ask her visitors to write an entry in it. She had lots of photos that we would always look at when we visited. She always told me that she was happy and contented. She told me it was a nice place to be, and that she was thankful to The Lord for all his blessings. Her family meant a lot to her, and she meant a lot to us.

One time, she was nominated for (this was in her younger day) and awarded the Mother of the Year Award for the county.

She also, like my Mother and Grandma G., would fit the Proverbs 31 description of the “good wife”. She was a wonderful person. She and Grandma G. were two women who were led by the Spirit of God, and Trusted in God’s guidance. They taught that faith and trust to their children and to their grandchildren. It’s because of them and my parents, that I have the faith that I have.

I believe she was 92 when she passed away. I was not able to go home for her funeral, and again, I felt bad. I guess I am to remember my Grandma’s as they were, and not remember them in the funeral home.

My Aunts gave me some of her journals, and I loved reading them. Some day I am going to do something with them, because she often wrote of her childhood days. At one time, before I worked full time, I started putting them together, but I got side-tracked. Now I am thinking of those journals again, and I think I will be getting them back out soon and reading them again, and I will do something with them!

I am the person I am, because of two wonderful Grandmothers, who were great role models, and two wonderful parents, raised by those role models. Thank you Grandma G. and Grandma E. for what you gave our parents and what you gave your granddaughter! I think of both of you so often! You live on in my heart.

And Grandma's Too... Grandma E.

This is a photo of Grandma E.

I have this scanned photo of Grandma E., my Dad’s Mother. Unfortunately, I don’t have a scanned photo of Grandma G.. I will be looking up some, so that I can post one later
of Grandma G.

And Grandma's Too . . .Grandma G.

I wrote about my Mother. I want to also write about and honor my Grandmothers, in honor of Mother's Day coming up this weekend. Tonight I will write about my maternal Grandmother, and tomorrow I will write about my paternal Grandmother.

My Mother was the good person she was, because of her Mother. Grandmother, Elizabeth (I called her Grandma G.), was the oldest daughter of a family of 8. Grandma lost her husband at a young age, leaving her with four young children. Grandpa died while helping a neighbor during a thunderstorm. It was at the home he grew up at, and his brother’s car went off the road during a bad thunderstorm, into a ditch. Grandpa Livingston was helping him to get the car out of the ditch. Electrical lines from above had fallen, and they didn’t realize it. Grandpa stepped on a live wire that was under water, and was electrocuted. It was a tragedy. He was too young to die. My Mother was 9 years old.

My Grandmother was strong though and went on, she took jobs housecleaning for people, and made a living that way. She and the children moved to the “big farm” and lived with Grandpa’s parents. I don’t know too much about them. I know I have met a lot of Grandpa’s family over the years, because each year we went to the “Livingston Reunion”, picnic held every summer. I did get close over my growing up years to two of Mother’s uncles that lived close by, and one of her cousins. They are all gone now, and I wish I had talked to them more about their brother.

Grandma worked in a sewing factory, I’m sure, because Mom would talk about working at the sewing factory with her Mother, she told me that was how she put herself through Nurses training.

Many years later, after her children were grown, she married a widower, who had the farm next to her parents farm. His name was Maurice, so we always knew them as Grandma and Maurice, rather than Grandma and Grandpa. I didn’t know much about my Grandpa, because Mom was not one to talk about her past. I found out more information about his death after I was grown up and read some newspaper clippings about the accident that I found tucked away at the house.

Mom and my Grandmother were never ones to complain about anything, or about their lots in life. You never heard them complain about losing their husband/father at a young age, or the hard life they had after. Grandma was a real jewel, she was kind, considerate, compassionate and a friend to everyone. She lived trusting her life to The Lord, and so did my Mother. Both of them instilled those values to me.

I think I told you how Grandma would take me overnight on weekends to her house, many times. I loved being with her. She opened my world to books, magazines, and to music. Her house was filled with wonderful things to read and she had a record player with great records, mostly religious records, but sometimes she bought some that were on the hit parade, like "Davy Crockett" and “Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes” (Perry Como…who remembers that one?). My favorites were the album of 4 – 45’s of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing hymns. I especially loved them, because I would watch their tv show every Saturday morning! I listened to them over and over, learned every song by heart. They are still my favorite hymns!

Grandma was a great seamstress; I told you before that she sewed clothes for me all the time. She tried so hard to teach me to sew, but it just wasn’t something that came easy for me, no matter how she tried!

She was such a good housekeeper; her house was always spotless and neat as a pin. It was a relaxing place for me to be, a totally different atmosphere than the farm.

Grandma also was the best cook. We had great family gatherings at her house, holidays, and often after church, if Uncle John's family was in church, she would say, come up for dinner (after church)...(lunch..but in PA we called lunch dinner)
The evening meal was supper. Of course, I was with Grandma so much on weekends, I'd be in church with her, so I would be part of the dinner gathering. I sure loved those get togethers.

Grandma took care of her Father, he lived with her. He died when I was 7. It was
my first funeral. I still can smell the carnations that were on top of his casket in the cemetary, they gave each grandchild and great grandchild a carnation to take home. Grandpa was a real character, he was big and heavy, like the photos you see of King Henry VIII. He always had a cigar in his mouth. He sat in a rocking chair in the corner of her big kitchen, and used a cane. He would take the cane and try to grab us by the neck with the neck of the cane. These are things you don't ever forget. He fixed steam engines for a living, or something like that. I asked
one of my uncles one time what Great Grandpa did for a living and he said "as little
as possible". So... I know that my Grandma G. took after her Mother not her Father!
Because, you could never ever say that about Grandma. She was always busy doing something. Over the years, my Mother's youngest brother, looked more and more like
Great Grandpa.

Because Grandma was the oldest daughter, her brothers and sisters would come around to her home often on Sunday afternoons (and as I said, I was often there). Because of this, I got to know all of my great aunts and uncles. Not every child has this opportunity. Even my siblings didn't have this opportunity. I felt everybit as close to my Great Aunts and Uncles as I did to my Aunts and Uncles. I believe it's due to my two Grandma's and their closeness to their children and siblings, that I am as family oriented as I am. I can say the same about my Dad's Aunts and Uncles...I was close to them also. Grandma G. has one sibling left, my Great Aunt
Dot. She was 10 years younger than my Mother. So, she is now 90. I visited with
her the last time I was home. I found a family photo taken at Grandma's First family reunion, Great Grandpa G. is in it, and I'm in it, sitting with the other cousins, I was young. The family has an annual reunion, celebrating their 50th last year! I framed the photo and had it in my Mother's room at the nursing home.
It's one of the photos I brought back to Duluth with me. I have it hanging in my home now.

Grandma did a lot of volunteer work, was a tireless worker for the church, and was always helping people. When she was past 60, she took a course at one of the city hospitals, and became a “Gray Lady” volunteer and put in many hours helping there.

She was very close to one of her sisters, my Great Aunt Ellen and her grown daughter, Glenda. Grandma would take me along with Aunt Ellen and Glenda to so many places, her Women’s Club teas, luncheons, and visits to other relatives. More than once I went with them to Phila-delphia at Christmas time to see all the store decorations, which were so much more elaborate in those days. Stores don’t do much decorating anymore. One time we went to Maryland to a very large shopping mall, which was before we had any malls in our area.

Grandma lived just a bit past her 75th birthday. She had to move off her beautiful farm and farmhouse about 5 years or so before that. She moved into town. She had a weak heart, and that is what took her. My Mother was with her the night that she died. Grandma hadn’t been feeling good, and so Mom stayed with her that evening. Mom was awake all evening, until once, she dozed off, and when she woke up, Grandma was gone. I was so upset that I was not able to go home for her funeral. My best friend Nancy and her husband were in route to Minnesota to visit us. It was Memorial Day weekend, 1975. My Mother told me I was to not feel badly about not coming home, that Grandma would understand, and that it was better that I remembered her the last time I had seen her (which was the autumn of 74). I guess she was right, but I still wish I could have been there.

My Mother always told me that her best friend was her Mother. I think that when Mom didn’t have time to go places with Grandma anymore, I was the one that Grandma took. I looked at Grandma as one of my best friends and a mentor.

Yes, Grandma opened up many horizons to her granddaughter, that I would not have had the opportunity for, if not for her. She was the best Grandmother anyone could have. I feel badly that my Granddaughter doesn’t live close by, if she did, I would have her every weekend. I hope someday my Madelyn will feel as close to me, as I felt to my Grandma. How can I make that happen when she’s not in the same town? I shall continue to try my best.

To honor Grandma, we named our daughter's middle name Elizabeth, my sister named her daughter's middle name Elizabeth, my Mother's middle name was Elizabeth and Dawn named her daughter (our granddaughter's) middle name Elizabeth. Her name lives on, as she lives on in our hearts.

I know that my Grandmother would fit the “Good Wife” spoken about in Proverbs 31. She also had all the fruits of the Spirit. She passed all of this on to her daughter. If the two of them passed even half of their good traits on to me, I consider myself fortunate. What a heritage!

May 9, 2005 - MOTHER

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth

My Mother passed away in the early morning hours of May 9, 2005. It was the morning after Mother’s Day. When I called her Mother’s Day to talk with her, she was too ill to talk with me. She had congestive heart failure and had recently been hospitalized for an intestinal infection. She was not well after returning from the hospital. You will remember me writing about her 80th Birthday party in February, and how good she seemed to be at that time. It was soon after her birthday celebration that she started to take a turn. It was just like with Daddy, it seemed after she came back from the hospital, her health just wasn’t the same. She had trouble breathing and her heart was giving out.

This coming Sunday will be Mother’s Day. It will be hard. I know I’m a Mother, but really, each Mother’s Day. it’s your own Mother that you concentrate on celebrating on Mother’s Day, not yourself. Now I don’t have my Mother or my Mother in Law to physically be with this Mother’s Day. I will instead, be thinking of each of them and wishing that they were here.

The pastor at Mother’s funeral service was my Uncle Gilbert, a retired pastor. He is my Mother’s brother. She had three brothers, and Uncle Gilbert is the only brother she had left. She asked him to do her service when her time came. He reminded her that he is two years older than she, but she was confident that he would be there for her. We children were honored that he did both our parents service. How nice that a brother, who has known you all your life can give your eulogy!

He spoke about how God used her, even as a child, as a companion to her mother when she experienced the death of her husband, and her father, in the prime of his life. (Mom was 9 years old when she lost her Dad). She had been used of God, as a nurse to comfort and be a part of the healing of many, many people (she was a nurse). He used her to be a wife and companion to our Dad, Gerald, for many years. God used her to bring into the world 6 wonderful children. She was as an example to grandchildren and great grandchildren. God used her to be an example spoken of by Solomon in Proverbs 31, of what a mother should be. My mother showed evidence of her response to the Spirit of God by the fruits of the Spirit displayed in her life, even to the very end. Anyone could see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control in my Mother’s life, no matter what the circumstances she was experiencing at the moment. This was because she was comforted by the Holy Spirit with the revelation that although she die, yet shall she live.

Because her brother knew her so well, he was able to choose the scripture that really fit her. Proverbs 31:0-31. He compared her life to that of the “good wife” spoken about in Proverbs 31:
--If you can find a truly good wife, she is worth more than precious gems!
--Her husband can trust her, and she will richly satisfy his needs. She will not hinder him but help him all her life
--She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plans the day’s work
--She is energetic, a hard worker, and watchs for bargains.
--She works far into the night! She sews for the poor and generously helps those in need. --She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age.
--When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says.
-- She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy.
-- Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband.
-- God praises her with these words: There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them al!” Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.

Mother, your children couldn’t have said it better. You were a shining example for us. You were a good wife and a good Mother. We thank you for everything you did for us, and we thank The Lord for giving you to us.

We think of you everyday, we miss you and we love you! - --Your children

No Life Jackets

How can someone supervising youth at a camp-out, not be sure that there are life jackets, if not worn by those on the boat, as least be on the boat? Oh, I shouldn’t judge, because I am talking about teenage boys, and I know that teenagers don’t have any fear, and even if the jackets were on the boat, they probably wouldn’t have had them on.

<Volunteers from St. Louis Co. Volunteer Rescue Squad drag lake - photo by Amanda Odeski, Duluth News Tribune (for full story go to Duluth News Tribune website)

A fishing boat with 5 teenage boys on it capsized on a lake north of Duluth on Saturday. They were coming back from an island in the lake where they had stayed overnight. A man from the shore by his cabin saw the boat turn over. He and his 10 year old and 5 year old sons were able to save two of the boys.

The rescue squad has been searching and dragging the lake ever since looking for the other three, even through today. The weather was windy on Saturday, making for dangerous waves. Authorities said the small boat couldn’t safely transport five teenagers on the lake’s choppy waters and waves.

The man who saved the two boys said the real tragedy is that if they had their life jackets on, they would have been able to save all five. Of course, if he hadn't seen that boat, they would be looking for 5 instead of 3, so we are thankful for that.

The teenagers are all part of a church family, and thankfully the families have a lot of support from their church family. May we add our support and prayers to the families of the three boys. And… remember to wear our life jackets.

Rainy Days and Massages

I was way too busy this weekend and last week. I don’t like when I don’t have time to write my blog.

We had a rainy weekend off and on. Today was rainy too. I’m glad to see the rain, because it brings the green grass and the buds on the trees. Sure enough, on the way home tonight I saw a lot more trees with buds and the lawns are greening up very nicely.

The idea of going out in the rain after work didn’t bother me because all day I was looking forward to the massage that I knew I would get from my lady chiropractor. I had a stiff neck all weekend, and I know it was from a week of being very tense. Last week was one of those bad weeks that can give you tense muscles!

I have a wonderful chiropractor that I don’t go to, until I’m real bad off. That was today. I knew she would massage the neck and shoulders and I was right. She did a great job. Tomorrow morning I will feel less tense and I’m sure the stiff neck will be gone. (Ask if you want to know who I go to).

Thank goodness for rainy days and good chiropractors!