For each new morning with its' light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
November 2008 Archives
I talked to Delaney briefly on Sunday night, and she told me that the slumber party was "soooo much fun"!! They stayed up until 2:30 am (they had to watch one of their DVD's twice in order to accomplish this feat!) and Taylor made them pancakes for breakfast on Sunday. They also decorated Delaney's pillowcase with fabric makers, ate pasta and pizza for supper, had Dairy Queen birthday cake,opened presents, listened to CD's, laughed alot and just plain had a blast!
I can remember the first slumber party I went to - it was for Shellie DeBoer's 9th birthday. She had a pink Princess Phone in her very own bedroom, and in her basement there was a genuine Wurlitzer Jukebox and a silver milkshake maker. We ate homemade pizza and chocolate milkshakes using all the Hershey sauce we wanted. I think Glor was there too and maybe one other friend, not sure. But most of all, I remember that I was homesick!! And that's a feeling you never forget no matter how many years have gone by...
Today is the big day that Delaney has been counting down to for many a moon. She is hosting her first ever slumber/birthday party and to experience the excitement through her eyes is an unbelievable blessing. Three of her girl friends will arrive at her front door today promptly at 5 pm, and the giggling and chatting and singing and dancing will be underway without any further ado. Every mention of this event has brought huge smiles, excited claps, talk of food, treats, activities and the like - and the enthusiasm is infectious! Delaney is an adorable, thoughtful, intelligent, sensitive, creative, capable, delightful, sweet and well-behaved young lady and we enjoy her more than words can say.
To observe her anticipation for this long-awaited birthday party is a reminder of the wonder of childhood and a reminder of how we ought to be living our lives even as we grow older and older...
...is all that Taylor had time to say before the air bag deployed into his face on Wednesday night. He was leaving work around 6 pm and a woman ran a red light as he was turning to go on to the freeway and caused the crash. The good news is that he is fine and the other driver admitted it was her fault. The bad news is that Taylor's car is undrivable and the woman's insurance is the impossibly shady and nasty with claims State Farm. He is determined that they will not declare his car totaled, but instead repair it no matter what. And so the hassle begins.
On Sunday we had everyone here for a family brunch which was very enjoyable. The requested menu is nearly always the same one, and I am thankful for my little assistant Delaney without whose help I would never get everything done at the same time! We served egg bake, scrambled eggs, cream cheese coffeecake, monkey bread, bran muffins, bacon, sausage, strawberries, clementines and bananas. Afterwards we were entertained with a puppet show put on by Delaney and Ella - funny to hear them using different voices with each animal puppet.
Yesterday and today have started out in the 20 degree range - brrrrrr. Can't complain, because we sure did have a nice long warm autumn up to now!!
Our new spruce tree has been planted. Fat Albert, as he has been named, is blue green in color, has soft needles and very compact branches - now all he needs is a sign for the birds saying "Open for Business". The tree will provide wonderful refuge for all the resident birds around these parts, and is even not too tall to string lights on for the Christmas season.
I can't stop gazing out the window at it - what a welcome addition to our back yard!
Both Delaney and Ella came bouncing in the house yesterday with new short "do's" - they are blessed with beautiful hair no matter what the length. In almost any light, but especially in the sun, Delaney's hair is the color of spun gold. Quite unreal. Ella's is classic brunette with a tendency to curl. The color is nearly the same as her big brown eyes.
It has always fascinated me that the hair color you are born with can change so drastically as you grow up. While Ella's has not changed, Delaney's has - she was born with dark brown hair and now she is a blond. I was born with deep auburn hair and kept that color until I was in my 40's. Now it just looks brown. Matthew had dark brown hair at birth,went through a definite auburn stage, and now mainly looks dark brown again. Taylor, dark brown, to nearly blond, then to a brownish auburn and at 28 dark brown.
Hair news...just something to write about while I am waiting for Rosie's Nursery to come and plant our new "Fat Albert" spruce!!!
Several years ago on Veteran's Day I recieved this in an email from my mother:
I also remember the Armistice Day Storm of 1940, I was in our little country school right up the road from our farm place along with my brothers and sisters and about 10 more students at District 42 at that time, and our teacher Dorothy MacGrath. It started in storming right away in the morning if I remember right. I was 11 years old at the time. It kept getting worse and worse, and about noon or so here comes my Dad with the horses and sleigh to call school off! He was the president of the school board so had the authority to do that. We, of course, were so happy to get out of school early! He had the manure wagon on the sled runners, wow did it smell, but he had it so cozy with lots of hay inside the wagon box and several of our wool quilts off our beds to cover up with! He took the neighbor kids, the Fischer's along home too as they lived a short ways from us. We went over huge snow banks, and we were scared of tipping over! Our Dad stood there in front facing the cold wind and heavy blowing snow, his face bright red and his nose dripping[ that is something I will always remember whenever he hauled us to school in cold weather! We came home to a warm wood fire burning in the stove in our dining room[which was our room to play in too], Mom in her big apron hustling to get off our heavy coats etc and getting us close to the warm stove! We had not eaten our school lunches she always sent along, so I remember that day and any other stormy day, we would sit under the dining room table on a blanket and pretend to have a picnic! It was so cozy! The snowbanks got so high we could not see out to the barn! That was some storm! So Veteran's Day always reminds me of this snowstorm, and little did I know at that time I would marry a hero who is a Veteran of WW2!
Grandma Evenson would always refer to Veteran's Day as "Armistice Day" and so when November 11 rolls around each year, I not only remember with solemn gratitude all who serve our country, but I also think of her.
For my father, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, every one of my uncles, countless ancestors and many friends - I want to say Thank You for your service to the United States of America and everyone else around the world who has felt the benefit of their bravery.
It has been harder than I thought it would be to return to posting entries here. Maybe I am still upset over the the fact that the foray into being a "self server" turned out to be an expensive failure. We could have taken a nice trip instead, or maybe had our crumbling cement patio fixed...but oh well, I guess I need to get over it and move on!
We did have a nice Sunday. At church today Taylor played drums, both girls sang in the children's choir, and Delaney also did some liturgical dancing with 4 other girls. In the afternoon we were all (except football Steve) at Matthew's for a little visit and then back here we enjoyed our first fire of the season. It was a dreary and cold November day so it really made the family room cozy. Alot to be thankful for today!!
It's all been said, historic election, changes ahead, record number voting, red to blue and on and on....so I will just say, I wish only the best for President Obama. We are all in this together, and to hope for anything less would be just plain wrong in my book.
The weather has been fantastic for the past 5 days - in the 70's and sunny. So I have been able to clean up most of the flower beds, cut back perennials, mulch leaves that have fallen so far and just generally enjoy being outside. I Iove this time of year, it is a gentle lead-in to the darker and colder days ahead.
Thanks to webguy for getting me back in business. I will be posting again probably by tonight or for sure sometime tomorrow. For now, I am enjoyng this beautiful 70 degree sunny Sunday!!
