Fifteen years ago today, March 16, 2009 Antiques Road Show pt. 5

Although it's a gorgeous day, it's a tad chilly for me to walk outside, so I've been on the exercycle watching reruns of Antiques Roadshow again. I thought of one of mine and rustled around in a cabinet and found two.

 
The first was a printed copy of my blog written 15 years ago, March 16, 2009, the day after we returned (and were recovering) from a Holy Land cruise with about 170 travelers--
members of our church, their friends, and members of 2 other churches. I must have written furiously--it runs for 65 pages (with photos) and was finished on March 18! Of course, I was much younger then.
Here's what I found written for March 16, 2009--advice from Beverly Miller Meyers who had been on a similar trip some years before. With tears, I copy it here, safe and true 15 years later.

"Bon Voyage! Have fun and be safe. I am still green with envy. Wear your support stockings on the plane and any long bus rides. In Egypt follow your guides rules but if you get a chance the people are so poor especially in Cairo that a few shekels is always appreciated. In Israel climb up to into and around everything. There is so much history there. At Bethlehem crawl under the altar under the main altar and look through the star to the dirt. If Jesus wasn't born there it had to be close by. In Greece buy some Ouzo it tastes like licorice. Drink it with ice and the same amount of Ouzo and water. At the Parthenon go into the back of the temple of Athena and see the best representation of Nike bending to tie her sandal. If you get there please take a photo for me. Nike might have been moved to the museum by now though. At Ephesus look at everything again for me. Ephesus is my new favorite ancient city. I want to go back there some day not on a tour and just wander. Check out the history of the evil eye in Greece and Turkey.
Lots of Love,
Bev"

And we did it all, but in reverse order leaving from Cairo, 31 hours back to Columbus.

My Top Gun friends

This is an AI generated explanation of a Top Gun pilot:

  "A Topgun pilot is a highly skilled fighter pilot who has completed the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, popularly known as Topgun1. The program was founded in 1968 to better train U.S. pilots in advanced dogfight tactics and to improve their combat performance2. Topgun pilots are often hired by the Dutch & American Defense for special training operations3. They are considered to be among the best in their field and are known for their flexibility, ambition, and hands-on mentality3

Steve Browning and Dwight King, friends from Lakeside, were in the Air Force, and both were Top Gun pilots.  Both are strong Christians and recently shared their stories at the evening Praise service at the Pavilion.  Steve lives in Pennsylvania and Dwight lives in Australia, or at least he did until the Pandemic caused him to extend his U.S. vacation. Both families own homes in Lakeside.

There's some good news in endurance and recovery!

There's a guy in our church I've known slightly over the years--a fantastic musician and a gourmet chef. What a combination. So we "friended" on Facebook, but a year ago his name was on the church list for prayer. I learned he had a brain tumor--so over the past year I've sent five cards since he didn't seem to be getting better. But today on Facebook he posted this, and I was so happy to see it.

"Well, friends and family, I’m still here! One year ago today, I was admitted to Riverside Methodist Hospital for a “routine” craniotomy in order to remove a tennis ball-sized brain tumor (benign, thankfully). I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid as we had no idea what to expect after it was all over. Was that indicative of my lack of faith in God? Maybe. Or perhaps it was just simply my mortal fear of the unknown and what the future would hold manifesting itself.

The tumor removal surgery went fine, but as an added bonus, I earned three subsequent trips to the ER for bladder issues, sepsis, and blood clots; two by ambulance, (one of which I don’t remember at all), along with a 10-day stint in a rehab hospital. I’m not even going to approach the question of why some people are healed and others are not - I’ll ask God about that later. The point of this is to simply give thanks.

But where to start? There were so many people involved in this journey, all of whom played various roles along the way. First and foremost, I thank God for seeing me through this, even when I doubted Him. I thank God for the tumor (I know, that sounds weird), but it serves as a reminder and affirmation that good can come out of just about anything. I thank God for the multitude of doctors, nurses, and caregivers who attended to me while I was in the hospital. They are truly His angels on Earth facilitating His work. 

I thank God for First Responders (I still have flashbacks when I hear sirens). I thank God that we live in a place where we have access to quality healthcare and clean hospitals. I thank God for all of the additional support people, including Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists, along with visiting nurses, who helped me re-learn everyday things that I took for granted, like walking, writing, and peeing, just to name a few. I thank God for an employer that provides good benefits along with bosses and co-workers who were understanding, accommodating, and genuinely concerned with my wellbeing and recovery. And most of all, I thank God for my wife and daughter, who, because of their diligence and attentiveness, literally kept me from dying on several occasions. 

I thank God for the Body of Believers - everyone who prayed and/or sent positive thoughts and well-wishes (too many to count!) I thank God for everyone who sent cards, provided meals, called, visited, and checked in on Connie and Alissa to see if we needed anything. I thank God for the men who provided us with a Christmas tree and decorations after we lost ours in a storage facility fire. And I thank God for everyone who otherwise contributed care and concern for us. 

“Thank you” just seems so inadequate compared to what you all provided. I am humbled and will be eternally grateful for each and every one of you. If this past year has taught me anything, it’s to take nothing for granted - every day is a gift from God and tomorrow is not guaranteed. If you’ve read this far, I honestly believe that the past year can best be summed up in the following scripture verse: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12). 

Amen! God bless all y’all!

The parental example

What life lessons did your parents teach you? We had a question like that in a group exercise at the women's club this week. I wrote a blog about this in 2007, and it's a good thing because by 2022 I would draw a blank.

Thirteen Little Things

When we are children we learn life time lessons from our parents, some by their words, others by actions. Today I'm jotting down 13 habits, techniques, behaviors, attitudes, etc. learned from my parents that are still with me, some without thinking about them, some throw aways, in no particular order. Chime in with a few of yours.

1. If you are with someone, always open the door and let your friend(s) walk through first.

2. Make a square, military corner on the bottom sheet (when I was a little girl there were no fitted sheets) to keep it from pulling loose. Stop to admire your effort. Although I don't do this now, the principle of doing something right the first time and taking pleasure in it is a good one.

3. Always wear an apron in the kitchen. Aprons certainly aren't what they used to be, and it seems to me food splashes more, so when I put one on, I often think of my dad who always reminded me, even as an adult.

4. Turn housework into a game (usually against the clock). My mother was big at trying to make "work" into "fun." This usually got an eye roll from me and a whine.

5. Respect others with your appearance. Both my parents would "fix up" for the other after their work day, and we always ate as a family with properly set table, pleasant conversation.

6. Clean up the kitchen after the meal; never leave dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. I often fail with this one--maybe this would be a good New Year's resolution.

7. Start the week right with church attendance.

8. A gentleman always comes to the door to pick up a lady for a date. First timers meet the parents.

9. Sit like a lady (this was back in the days when girls and women usually wore skirts or dresses). Corollary: don't slouch.

10. The proper way to answer the phone. We often had to take orders for my dad, so this greeting I no longer use. However, I still keep paper and pencil by the phone, and I try not to mumble. I also overheard how dad spoke to his customers and even today I expect this from business people.

11. "A soft answer turns away wrath." This is my mother's from Proverbs 15:1. Never quite grasped this one, but it worked for my mother, who lived it and often quoted it. I can't remember her ever raising her voice (but she had a look in her eye that could stop you in your tracks).

12. The person who feeds the puppy is the one who will be loved by it. Usually this was Mom, because despite all our promises to care for it, she's the one who usually took pity on the poor thing. When I was growing up the dogs and cats lived outside. If it got bitterly cold, they could stay on the porch or in the basement.

13. In your lifetime you will probably have three really good friends. I'm still thinking about this one. Life has different stages--friendships vary--but the number seems pretty accurate.

There are worse things than AC quitting in 95 degree weather

From a blogging friend (now a Facebook friend)

"So……my dryer quit working and the repairman came today to fix it. Can’t be fixed. Wanna know why??? Well, a SNAKE crawled into the vent from outside and got caught in the fan!!! Chopped to pieces! The smell was horrible and so the dryer is now outside and a new dryer will be delivered tomorrow!!!!! This was a first!"

On vacation from Facebook--notes of farewell and good luck

  

Sue Flaherty: I will miss you and your insight. Hurry back!

Sara White Martin: I'll miss you!

Keith Fernanes: I know where to find you!

Kelly Monroe Kullberg: We'll miss learning from your research expertise. And seeing your personal posts, Norma

Anna Loska Meenan: I'll miss you.

Diane McDermott: I will miss you and your wisdom while you are absent. Take care, my friend.

Sue Noll: I don't have messenger by choice, but appreciate your updates and wisdom. Please pop in if needs for prayer occur!

Debbie Hummel Marconi: I log off everyday between 5-6. It has made a great diff in my angst. Enjoy the peace!

Jenny Seely Simoni: Enjoy your R & R.

Mame Russell Drackett: I will miss your calm wisdom! Take care!!

Beverly Miller Meyers: Happy vacation.

Mindy Stauch Newman: I will miss you so I will visit the blog. Thanks for all the wisdom. I loved reading your FB page.

Barbara Martin: I will, but I'm with you.

Rudeness is in the eye of the listener

Interesting morning at the fitness palace today. Someone described his very large dog--about 200 lbs--who ate four pounds, yes pounds, not sticks, of butter that had been put out for Christmas baking. So far, only one really bad mess (I think there will be more).

Then my friend, Joanne, and I were catching up on the treadmill after she'd been gone a few weeks. The guy on the treadmill next to her said very loudly into his phone that he couldn't hear the person he was talking to (loudly) because the people next to him were talking! Since I was saying something extremely important to my friend, I just leaned over and said to him. "And you think you're not talking too loud?"

It's not unusual to hear people on cell phones complaining about other people talking (not on their phones) talking too loud.

Lucille Snodgrass, 1919-2019

I heard this week that Lucille Snodgrass,  the mother of my high school friend Nancy Snodgrass Falzone, had passed away.  She was living at Pinecrest in Mt. Morris, and we should all have a devoted daughter like Nancy—or even a good friend like my brother who visited her there.  Nancy and I used to ride horses together as children, so I remember Lucille and husband Bill who died in 1989 from their days on the farm on Mud Creek Road between Mt. Morris and Oregon.  I’d only seen her a few times in the last 50 years, but my memory of her is a sweet, beautiful, charming, classy gal who was a lot of fun.  I think her passing is the last of the “mothers” that I knew since the 1940s-1950s. I wrote this poem over 20 years ago,  after so many of the women I knew had died, although there were some, including my own mother, who were still alive.

The Mothers of Our Childhood
by Norma J. Bruce
February 20, 1997

I have filed a report
and sounded the alarm.
We are missing the Mothers:
They're nowhere to be found.

Strong women disappeared while
I was living away.
Perhaps a moment ago,
a year or a decade.

Housewife, retailer, artist;
teacher, farmer and clerk.
Secretary, volunteer;
No doctor, lawyer, chief.

Velda, Gladys, Marian, Mildred;
Rosalie, Rita, Rose, and Ruth;
Alice, Hazel, Ada, and Esther:
Born during the century's youth.

Finish this list of Mothers
while I go look around.
No, the veil closed behind them;
they're gone. We are alone.

When I searched her name, I found her wedding announcement on a genealogy page for the Freeport Journal Standard:

“10 Sep 1938 : Miss Lucille Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Roy Moore, North Henderson road, and William Snodgrass, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Snodgrass, Mt. Morris, were united in marriage this morning at 10 o'clock at the parsonage of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Morris, the pastor, Dr. C. H. Hightower, performing the single ring ceremony.
       The bride was dressed in a boy blue dress with Alencon lace jackette, and her accessories were navy blue.She carried a bouquet of pink roses.
       The attendants were Miss Betty Peterson and Ralph Satterfield of Mt. Morris.
       After the ceremony the bride and groom left on a wedding trip to Omaha, Neb., and Denver, Colo.The bride's traveling outfit was a navy blue taffeta ensemble with rust accessories. On their return they will reside with the groom's parents on their farm home near Mt. Morris.”

I know a little bit more about Lucille and Bill than the parents of my other friends because Nancy kept a book of memories, and when she was 69, she put it all together with photos, and made a number of copies, of which I am the owner of one. It includes a wedding photo.  Nancy wrote that her mom was born September 9, 1919, so  she  almost made it to 100—which seems to be pretty common in Mt. Morris.  In addition to working alongside her husband on the farm she also worked at the Conover Cable Piano Factory in Oregon, then later at the Mt. Morris Cleaners

Christian community—a how to do list

“A good way to start loving God divinely is by generously loving your spouse, children, parents, siblings, and friends. It is doubtful that we will love anyone else if we fail to love the ones closest to us.

Love is the key, love is the secret weapon. Forget about how you feel. Love is not a feeling; it’s a decision to prefer the good of others. Make a habit of this and you will start changing things around you and your work will be amplified.”  Douglas Dewey

And then the author provides 10.5 rules for accomplishing the commandment to love God and others—forming Christian community.  Some may surprise you. https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/07/28/10½-rules-for-forming-Christian-community/

Ready for Irma

We have a lot of family in Florida--my sister Carol's children Cindy and Greg and grandchildren, my brother's children, my husband's niece Susie and her children, my cousin Janet, and my husband's cousin Norma Lou and husband. And then there's my friend Jerry and her husband Jim, who use to live in Michigan and vacation in Florida, and now it's the other way around. A few days ago they were driving south as Floridians fled north.  Now they are ready.

 

 

 

Carol's granddaughter and great granddaughter waiting out the storm

 

Metastatic breast cancer

I got a sad letter this week begging me to warn the women in my life about metastatic breast cancer. So here's her story for the women in my life.

She's a member of my church, but living out of state while she settles the estate of her deceased daughter--nothing a woman in her late 80s would expect to be doing. I remember about 5 years ago her daughter came to Columbus to help her mom recover from a stroke. My friend's daughter had had annual mammograms for years, and nothing was found--probably due to very dense breast tissue and the location under her arm. But she did have a lot of pain the last 5 years and was being treated for arthritis. By the time she was properly diagnosed the cancer had metastasized to both hips, her spine, liver and lymph system. This cancer is not curable, and no one dies from cancer that stays in the breast, but if she'd been properly diagnosed 5 years ago, she could possibly be alive. That's not a given, however. 

All women have been educated about detecting breast cancer and screening--in fact, the lion's share of that money you donate and raise in walks, runs, and selling pink stuff, goes for education and not research that could actually save your life. I've looked at several websites about this and personal stories, and this one is pretty clear. Read the comments. 

The pope wants to go out for pizza

“Speaking to the program “Noticieros Televisa,” Francis displays his usual candor, dishing details about the secret conclave that elected him, talking about how he senses his papacy will be short, how the church must get tough on sexual abuse, and how all he really wants “is to go out one day, without being recognized, and go to a pizzeria for a pizza.” “ Religion News Service

Yesterday I had a chance to visit with Annabelle who lives in San Antonio and was in town visiting her 96 year old mother.  When she was a senior in high school she was our babysitter and now has a 13 year old grand daughter although she’s just as pretty as she was then.  She asked about our daughter whom she babysat for in 1968.  She claims there are no good pizza places in her city, and they were all looking forward to going to Tommy’s last night for pizza. That’s where our family went for years, always calling the order in ahead of time because our little guy was a bit impatient and didn’t like to wait for his food.  But I must say, our children were always the best behaved in restaurants.
That sounded so good we ordered pizza from Iacono’s just up the road for dinner last night.  Usually, we have a Friday night date with neighbors or friends, but my husband’s cold that he picked up on the plane back from Haiti has been hanging on.

A good start to the New Year

What a fabulous way to end the old and start the new.  UALC had its 12th New Year's Eve Jazz Worship service, and as I looked around, the sanctuary at Mill Run appeared nearly full (seats about 700).  We enjoyed some TV theme song favorites with audience participation, then some great jazzed up hymns, a sermon from Pastor TJ, a moving communion service with all our pastors and their wives serving, and final closing. Then we went out to eat with Bill and Joyce, got turned away at Houlihan's so we migrated to our old stand-by Rusty Bucket on Lane and had a lovely meal and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Beginning the New Year with God and friends--you can't beat that.

September, always a favorite month

When I was in school, September was always special—I loved getting back into the routine—seeing old friends, new books, fresh pencils and paper.  Now it’s a little different.  We come home from Lakeside Labor Day week-end and get everything unpacked, laundered, and put away, then begin with fall routine at church , committees, aerobics class and volunteering.  And because our anniversary and my birthday are within 8 days of each other there seems to a flurry of fun things to do. So that I don’t forget, and can bring the memories out like beads to admire, here is my September summary:

3rd: First aerobics class begins for the fall. Back to PDHC to volunteer after a summer off.

4th:  New class on Thursday nights at UALC Lytham taught by Pastor Eric Waters, The Divine Drama

5th:  Watching our old deck come down and our new deck go up.

7th:  New series in Sunday School class Lytham, UALC, with Steve Bruns

11th:  Trip to Blennerhassett Island in West Virginia with our Conestoga group.

12th:  Dinner at Rusty Bucket with our daughter.

17th: Dinner for PDHC at Villa Milano

19th:  Dinner with members of the UALC Visual Arts Ministry at Rusty Bucket with Ken and Connie, Steve and Tamra, Mary, and us. Free decadent dessert (for me) passed around the group.

20th: Trip to Mansfield, Ohio for Ohio Watercolor Society travelling show with Ned and Rosalie.

21st: Sunday brunch at our daughter’s home—with wonderful left overs for Monday—egg and potato/cheese casserole with ham, fresh fruit mix, biscuits, Irish coffee.

22nd: Lunch with Nancy at Old Bag of Nails.

25th: Emerson Burkhart show at Ohio History Connection with our Conestoga group with Joan and Jerry

26th: Dinner at Rusty Bucket (looks like we’re in a rut) with Joan and Jerry. Shopping for new kitchen appliances—double wall oven, microwave and dishwasher. Sticker shock, but needs to be done.

Update: The appliances at Best Buy came to right around $3600 with 5 year warranties. I wish we had 5 year warranties. New microwave, new double wall ovens, and new dishwasher. Now we have to shop for some wall tile for a back splash and new fixtures for the sink.

And of course, some spectacular weather, cool in the morning, high 70s by evening, perfect for walking our lovely grounds.

Having lunch today with a good friend of 40 years.

 

July 2014 at Lakeside

 

1986 in aerobics class

Monday Memories—lunch with an old friend

We met in 1958 when we lived in McKinley Hall on Wright St. at the University of Illinois. Saturday we had lunch together at Panera’s and it was like no time had passed. Marie and her husband were passing through Columbus on their way to Florida.  But there's always something new to learn, like her parents were Swedish immigrants and she can speak Swedish. She also told me our old friend Anita, an art teacher in the Chicago suburban area, had died. Praise God for long time friends.

Deanna, Marie and Anita ready for the I.F. Ball, 1959 standing in McKinley Hall.

Balls at the University of Illinois were usually sponsored by a campus wide or large organization and held in more public places like the Armory or the Athletic building; dances were for the individual fraternity, sorority or independent residence. Balls always had a nice dance band or small orchestra; dances usually a combo. But it was always live music.  Balls during that era were St. Pat’s Ball, Sno-Ball, Beaux-Arts Ball, Military Ball, Interfraternity Ball and Panhellenic Ball.

Thursday Thirteen—where our friends are traveling according to their Christmas letters

Our Christmas card for 2013 was a painting by my husband of Colorado in the snow.  His card paintings are always so lovely, some people collect them. However, I can’t find this year’s card, so here’s last year’s, the little museum at Lakeside, Ohio which used to be a Methodist church.

I always enjoy hearing from friends and family at Christmas—cards and letters on paper, some actually handwritten. E-cards are OK, but don’t excite me too much.  That’s the direction many are going—it saves time and money.  Many of our friends are retired, so they carefully plan their resources and time around travel. This isn’t all, but they were on the top of the pile.

1.  John and Sue in Washington went to the hospital, both of them, he in January and she in December—hoping for a healthier 2014 with possibly a trip to Ohio in May.

2.  Gayle and Bill’s grandchildren went off to college in Colorado and South Carolina.

3.  Howard and Betty went to Istanbul and other interesting places in Turkey to be awestruck by ancient ruins. Also New Hampshire and Maryland for family visits.

4.  Martti and Riitta of Helsinki probably hit the jackpot with Copenhagen, Thailand, Rome, Kuusamo (Finland), Sardinia, Spain (liked it so much they bought a home there), London, Nashville, and finally traveled here to Columbus to visit us in December. And we’re so glad they did—we had a wonderful visit.

4.  Jim and Jerry were in Michigan, Lake Wales, Tampa, Sarasota, North Carolina, and had some time in the hospital.

5.  Sandy and Alec went to Scotland and Charlotte NC.

6.  Rich and MaryAnn were commuting between Lakeside, OH and Bloomington, IL,  with visits to Piqua and Cincinnati, Ohio.

7. Bob and Janet went to Springfield, IL and visited the Lincoln Library and Museum, also Florida, a cruise to the Greek Islands with a stop in Turkey, then Rome, 8 Mediterranean Islands, then to Columbus, Ohio, and Pasadena, California for family visits.

8.  Sylvia and Dave clocked some time in Reno, NV, and Amarillo, TX.

9. Frank and Dianne also went to Springfield, IL to see the sites, and South Carolina as well as local trips to festivals in Illinois.

10. Linda visited Zion National Park in Utah, Catawba Is. in Lake Erie, Hilton Head,  and The Cove in Ashville, NC which she says was the highlight of the year.

11. Helen went to New York City and said the Christmas decorations were outstanding.

12. Eleanor’s plans to travel to South America were cancelled, but she’s thinking perhaps a vacation place in a warmer part of the country may be in her future.

13.  Jan is planning a trip to France, with 3 days in Paris and a river cruise.

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Thirteen, check here.

It’s no wonder

Breakfast with Ron and Nancy at the Patio on Sunday; lunch on Monday with Kate at Houlihan’s; breakfast at the Idlewyld with Joan and Dan on Tuesday; picnic in the park with other Lakesiders on Wednesday; breakfast at the Tin Goose on Thursday with Wes and Sue; and lunch at the hotel with Rod and Lynn on Friday. It’s just hard to control weight in the summer even with all the extra walking.

Patio Restaurant, Lakeside, Ohio, 2013 paintings

Our generation, not so much . . .

This is never a problem for us because of the age of most of the people with whom we socialize, but I sure wish the people at the next table would try it!

Grieving

for friends and family who refuse to see the evil going on right under our noses.  They cling, not to guns and religion, but to old habits and behaviors.  They don’t want to be wrong, so they declare they are not wrong. They only watch or read news carefully filtered through the administration and are just as naïve as were the people of the USSR or the Chinese under Mao. Unless CNN or Dave Letterman suddenly see the light, I think they are close in culpability and no returning from the edge.  They disliked Bush for almost the exact things Obama is doing on steroids—out of control spending and interfering in civil wars in the middle east for our benefit.  They can’t see beyond the R or D after a candidate’s name.