It's Been A Week (Almost)

Crazy busy. Something going on every day and night. I've consumed more coffee than usual, partially on purpose and partially... well... on purpose, I guess. Ha ha!

Sunday. The birthday party for Idris. It was a huge success. All of my area kids were here, and all of my local grandchildren except one. There were cupcakes, there was pie, and thanks to Abuelita, there was a Bounce House.

Monday. Work. Chiropractor appointments.

Tuesday. Work. Hannah took my car for an evening appointment. I watched the kids and made dinner.

Wednesday. Work. Therapist at 6 pm.

Thursday. Work. Grand Opening Ceremony at the Chiropractor's new office. (It was a fabulous party!)

Friday. Work. Pre High School Class Reunion gathering at the New York Beer Project. (I'm digesting this experience. Processing, processing... ) That's me and my second cousin Kathy. I haven't seen her since we were in high school forty years ago. It was a fabulous evening and I am looking forward to the dinner tomorrow night.

The week's not over yet. We still have tomorrow.

A Pocketful of Beach Glass

I go to the lake whenever I need a moment of solitude, a chance to de-stress, or when I simply hear the call. Quite often I go "just because." It wasn't until last summer that I started hunting beach glass. It's now an obsession. Ha! I can't go to Webster Park without scouring the rocky shoreline for bits of green, brown, clear/white, or even red or blue. Sometimes I find a friend, but I'm often on my own. I love it either way.

Life is never dull or settled for long when one has seven children, five of them married, and seventeen grandchildren along with a full time job in a daycare center. I have adult children who struggle with a myriad of issues. It breaks my heart because so much of it could have been prevented had I been wiser long ago... And then there are unexpected medical surprises which make me once again grateful for not only modern medicine, but intuition as well. My daughter in law will be okay thanks to her own action and the blessing of doctors who listen to valid concerns. I am also grateful for a son who is not afraid to take on caring for his infant daughter when her mommy had to make a return trip to the hospital. I think he's a super dad! (He didn't dress her in this picture.)

Being the daycare cook, requires a significant amount of time in the kitchen where I often listen to the happenings in the toddler room directly across the hall. I thought I heard my name one morning and popped my head in to see what it was all about. The toddler teacher, in making conversation with our two and almost two year olds, had asked, "What kind of animal give us milk?" and one of the toddlers piped up, "Martha!" Have I ever told you how much I love these little people?

Last Sunday afternoon I was blessed to join my sister and her sister in law for an hour or so of kayaking. This is something I could actually do alone, but have never thought to try solo. The creek is full of paddlers, so it isn't as though I'd be completely solitary if I ran into trouble. I think I'll give going alone some serious consideration.

One evening this week upon my arrival home, I found my family hanging out in the garage. As we sat and talked, something went flying through the air and bounced of Killian's head. "Hey!" cried Hannah, "a rubber band just hit my baby in the head!" After a bit of deductive reasoning, we decided it had broken and popped off a container of clay I had sitting on top of the garage refrigerator. How funny that we should all be sitting there to witness the debacle! Of course, the baby barely noticed at all.

I've been having a wonderful time with my cousins this summer, playing with clay and getting reacquainted after way too many years apart. Our children should have grown up being best friends, but they barely know each other. I am grateful for a new chance to be friends with the cousins I grew up loving. This little cup is just glazed and ready to be fired. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

PS. I signed up for another advanced class at the pottery studio. We start in September. 

Grammy Daycare

A little change of plans this afternoon. I didn't make it to the sunflower fields, but I did spend a little time with a few grandcritters. They're wild ones!

Tonight there was a different set of cousins here. Cousins with hair and eyes that match Number nine's hair and eyes. They had a campfire, played games, and made S-M-O-R-E-S. I listened to their laughter through my open bedroom window and it made me smile.

Bits and Pieces

The week has flown by. It's been a busy one. Since I haven't posted since Sunday, it's the perfect time for some Bits and Pieces.

* Sunday- Rachel and I went to visit our brother Tim, and later in the evening James and I had a bite to eat at Red Robin.

* Monday- I had a chiropractor appointment after work, and then went to the pottery studio for a bit. I played in the mud and left a few creations on my shelf when I departed. They'll be ready for the first firing by the time I return.

* Tuesday- I met my good friend Shelly at Jeremiah's after work. We sat on the patio, ate our dinners, and talked until I began to wonder if the waitress thought we might stay forever. We moved ourselves from the table to some empty chair by the fire pit, and talked until we couldn't sit still and went to look for the restrooms. Once relieved, we headed next door to Panera, bought  two soft drinks, and sat on their patio until it was getting dark and time to go home.

* Wednesday- I received a text from my sister Priscilla inviting me to dinner. I accepted with a smile. :0) We took a walk through an historic neighborhood after supper. It was a nice visit, a nice walk, and a nice evening.

* Thursday- I had time to come home after work and change my clothes before heading out to my women's meeting.

* Friday- I'm spending the evening here at home. There is a Cousins Gathering here in the living room. Two of my kids, two of Priscilla's, and two of Rachel's. I am sitting on the fringes listening to them interact. It's nice to see them get together on their own. My niece will be leaving Monday for a four month stay in Italy and they wanted a cousin night before she goes away. I love that.

* Tomorrow I have an early morning appointment with my counselor. Afterward I'm meeting a friend for breakfast, and then we're going to visit the sunflower fields down the road.

I hope there are still some things left to do next week. Ha ha!

Just a Few

A few of my favorite shots from yesterday's picnic...

It's not the best place for chalk drawings, but they enjoy coloring the pavers just the same.

Clifford the Big Red Dog in Spanish. (Raul gave her just a little bit of help because even though he doesn't usually let on, he can speak and read Spanish.)

These two love each other. Cousins and best friends, just the way it should be, and Molly the scary Staffordshire as well, because the greatest kid photos always have a dog.

And there was cake and ice cram too because somebody turned two on Sunday.

And now, because I am exhausted from the weekend, I shall turn off my computer, turn on the fan, and close my eyes.

PS. My first day alone in the kitchen went pretty good even if I did have to share space with Rodney who was making a valiant attempt at fixing the leaky drain pipe. No one went hungry and I got out of work by 5 o'clock.

Nine and Ten!

A first picture together. Ha ha! Aren't those little cousins adorable?

Nine looks huge next to tiny little Ten. I'd asked Hannah how much Idris weighs and she said he was 12 something at his last appointment (He's probably 14 pounds by now...) and Wesley weighed in at 4# 8 oz at birth (he's 12 days old here so we'll give him 5 pounds maybe...) . What a size difference! I'm thinking Wes will probably catch up and one day be taller than his cousin, but only time will tell.

They're just too cute.
:0)

Baby Beans

I don't recall which one was the Year of Baby Beans, but I do recall the silly little bean filled dolls with smiling faces and bright colored pajamas. My sisters each found one under the Christmas tree that year, as did my five Plotzker cousins. Eight little girls and seven Baby Beans.

On our holiday visit to Aunt Barb's house, all eight of us girls lined the stairway to the upstairs bedrooms and the Baby Beans slid down the railing one after another while we handed them back up to the top fire brigade style, over and over again. It was a simple, yet wonderful, laughter-filled game.

When my sisters tore the wrapping paper off their Baby Beans gifts on Christmas Eve, it hadn't occurred to me that perhaps there should have been a similar package for me. I didn't feel left out until I found that every one of my cousins had also received one of the floppy little dolls. I was the only one without. Later Mom explained that they had ordered a doll for me too, a sleepy, yawning, orange clad baby, but the company had run out and mine never arrived. I think she felt bad, but needn't have. I managed okay and learned that I didn't have to have everything the others had in order to have fun.

I took it well as a child and only missed my nonexistent doll during our stairway game. As an adult I find myself looking him up on ebay after watching The Santa Claus 2 where Santa pulls all kinds of vintage gifts from his bag, and I smile at the memory of childhood games with my passel of girl cousins.

"You Gotta have Pie on the 4th of July!"

It was a great party! For the first time since September we had all our offspring (and their second halves) in one place. The cousins had a wonderful time, the grown ups had a wonderful time, even the chickens had a wonderful time!

Looking for the cousins...

Fruit pies by Michele. Strawberry rhubarb, peach, and blueberry.

 Pie sampler, because, why not?

Something Naughty going on. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla, Michele, and Bethany. It was a group effort. See cat, figure out camera, take picture.)

Uncle Joe takes a nap in a spot of shady lawn.

Little flower. Austin calls her "Jilly-a-Baby."

Spencer still loves the chickens. He found it totally amusing that they were out of the cage.

All in one photo, Numbers Seven, One, Eight, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six!

I thought Numbers Ten and Nine should get in on the fun too so we added Sabrina and Hannah.

Our own seven and their others. Ben and Joe decided they could be a couple too...

One with Mom and Dad

Sweet rewards. They were bribed with Freeze Pops to sit for a photo. I'd offered them bubble gum, but was told by a small girl that it had "dye and modified corn starch and that's like poison"... That's okay because I like bubble gum too.

My nephew Allen brought a slack line to walk on. I had to try. I got three steps in before falling off.

I heard Sergio did pretty good, even tried running across, but I must have been down by the chickens with Spencer.

Jake and Aubrey are best buddies. Kissin' cousins even.

So much fun watching everyone together. I just don't want it to be over. Maybe we can gather them up one more time before Minnesota packs up and heads home.

Those Cousins

Almost twenty years ago both of my sisters and I had new babies. Allen (wearing the hat) arrived in early March, Michael (with the hair) in mid-April, and Hannah (She's bald...) made her appearance a little more than halfway through July. My parents gained two grandsons and a second granddaughter. (It only took them just under ten years to acquire granddaughter number two. It's taking us four...)

Mom and Dad always hosted holiday picnics when the weather was warm; Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. Everyone looked forward to family gatherings in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard. In September of 1995 we decided to take what we though might be annual photos of our newest family members.

I'm not sure what became of our plan. Maybe we couldn't get them to be still, or maybe we ended up in different places on those long weekends. Perhaps it was because I hadn't yet discovered the beauty of digital photography. Whatever the reason, I did manage to capture the three at one year old. I have pictures of both the boys "driving" the car, and several of Hannah using it for a house. She even climbed through the back window.

I never even thought of getting a picture on Saturday, but before heading out Hannah asked if I would take their picture. They couldn't remember the exact order of the infant photo, but I kind of like the variety in this collection. They're all grown up now. Well, mostly... and I love this newest picture of them. I can't believe how great they all turned out to be and I'm proud of every one.

Out to Lunch (again)

I have purposed to wear myself out this week and, with a little help from My Darling, am doing a very good job. He has been making sure I don't slack off too much while I play.

Today Priscilla and I met our cousin Kim for lunch. We went to a little Italian deli in Canandaigua where Kim and I ordered the strawberry spinach salad and Priscilla opted for a sandwich. We ate outside on the patio where the breeze whirled Kim's hair around her head, threw a feather at her, and we could hear each other talk without having to shout. I have decided I really like meeting cousins and learning more about who they are. It's too bad there aren't any grand family reunions anymore...

(The photo is a very old one from a family picnic at Kim's grandparent's house. That's me with the white hair and Priscilla is the baby sitting on the lap of my dad's cousin Patty. The little boy is Kim's cousin Larry who is now a doctor. Our grandmas are sitting behind.)

I took my camera along with me today, even had it at the restaurant, but didn't take any pictures. Bad, I know.

After lunch with Kim, Priscilla and I met Rachel in Newark, NY for a visit with our brother Tim. He is in a new residence now, one with handicap accessibility and just across the side street from his other residence.

I don't always know exactly how to communicate with this brother of mine, so I often take the "little sister" approach and try picking on him a little. He was in the front seat on our ride, Priscilla and I were in back. I put my bare foot up between the seats and gave his arm a few taps with my toes. Rachel made reference to my "stinky feet" and he laughed out loud which made us laugh too. Later she said something else, which I can't recall, and he laughed again. It's so good to hear and see those kind of things.

He seemed happy in his new home and they claim to love him already. I'm liking that.

A Cousin Visit

Yesterday was a special kind of day. My cousin Ondra came to meet me in person for the very first time. It's only been a few months since we found each other through an online memorial site to her great grandmother, and since we both love family history, we've found meeting to be a fun adventure.

Family ties, especially distant ones, can be a little confusing and I often look for ways to simplify what otherwise appears difficult to understand. Ondra and I are third cousins and share a set of great, great grandparents. We are the grandchildren of first cousins, and when I look at that in the light of my own grandchildren and my cousin's grandchildren, the connection suddenly becomes pretty simple.

Since I'd had a busy Saturday, I didn't go crazy cleaning or baking special treats ahead of time. Instead Ondra and I shared conversation and iced tea on the back porch, and put together BLT's for lunch. She arrived with gifts (which I was not expecting); a small pot of Forget-Me-Nots, a candle in a jar, and a beautiful doily she made herself. I am blessed. I was able to send her home with the old photograph of her great grandma Hattie in France.

James was kind enough to take some time away from mowing the lawn to take our picture; first with our great, great grandfather, Garrett Shafer, and then just the two of us. It was a very nice visit and I hope there will be more to come. Maybe I can even drive out to Buffalo and meet Lisa, another third cousin who loves family history. Now wouldn't that be fun?

Little Bits and Pieces (or More on Memorial Day)

Because it's still Memorial Day, and because this was shared with me, I am sharing too. What a treasure this post card must have been to Aunt Hattie. It was given to her by her son George prior to him shipping out to France to serve in WW 1. He was killed in France that same year.

This is what I think about the Flag and it is one of the principle reasons I am ready to fight today. Have no fear but what we do for God is with us forever.

                                                                  George.

Momentos. Little bits and pieces of our lives that "live" on after we are gone that bring us back and make us matter once again. Now I have a tangible Memorial Day connection through my grandma's cousin George.

Thank you to Ondra's dad, Fred, for sharing this with me.

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day weekend, a day to remember those men and women who paid the ultimate price while serving our country. Memorial Day is often confused with Veteran's Day, which is meant to honor all who serve and have served, whether they died or lived to return home again. I will admit I have often melded the two days of remembrance into one, neglecting to specifically remember the fallen. Perhaps that is because my personal circle is too small. I know many who have served, but none who died while serving our country.

Packed away in an old box in the corner of my closet is a stack of old photographs. Some are curled and faded from the years. In one box is a photograph of an old woman sitting by a white marble cross in a graveyard full of marble crosses. I recognize her face from another photo and know her to be my father's Great Aunt Hattie. Other than the fact that she was my great grandfather's older sister, I knew little of this woman. Her photos led me to believe she was a rather unhappy individual. I'd never seen a photo of her smiling, only the sad cemetery photo and two others of her squinting into the sun while standing by her brother. (He wasn't smiling either, but I knew him to be happy. I have other pictures of him.)

A month or so ago, I learned the story behind the cemetery full of crosses and the sad woman seated amongst them. Aunt Hattie Shafer Willis was a Gold Star Mother of World War I. Her son, Sergeant  George M. Willis, was killed in action during a battle in farway France.

During the first World War, a flag with a gold star identified families who had lost soldiers. Grieving women were “Gold Star” mothers and widows. Between 1930 and 1933, the United States government took 6,654 Gold Star pilgrims to visit their sons’ and husbands’ graves in American cemeteries in Belgium, England, and France...
In the 1930s, when mothers had heroic stature in the eyes of the nation, the government took thousands of them on trips across the ocean to visit cemeteries in Europe. (http://www.pilgrimageofremembrance.com/)

I was blessed to find a smiling photo of Aunt Hattie on her own memorial web page. I see a familiarity in her face now, a little bit of my own grandma looking back at me, and maybe a little bit of my dad who looked so much like Hattie's father, Garrett Shafer. I have a renewed respect and understanding for this woman. This Memorial Day I take my hat off to all the moms and dads out there who have watched their sons and daughters march off to war, never knowing if and when they will return.

Thank you, Aunt Hattie, for being one of those Gold Star Mothers. And thank you, Uncle George, for giving your life to preserve our freedom.

(And thank you, Ondra and Lisa, for sharing your great grandma's story with me.)

Ankle Art

We had the rare privilege of visiting with my nieces today. I picked them up at the school where my sister is the summer librarian and brought them back to my house for the morning. They disappeared upstairs with Hannah and came down about noon when we headed over to Rachel's for a swim in the pool.

When Alicia jumped into the pool she was sporting a fancy ladybug "tattoo" on her ankle complete with a curving ladybug trail. Hannah's gel pens had been put to good use earlier in the day as the girls practiced their drawing skills on each other's feet. Not only ladybugs, there were butterflies too!

I found this to be a pretty nifty idea. Cute and creative. I think I prefer this to the itchy face painting they do at kid's parties and carnivals. Maybe next time I'll have them put a smiling ladybug on my ankle too!