It Runs in the Family

Camp Shamineau, Motley, MN.

There are some things that just 'get in your blood'. You could say that Camp Shamineau has done that in my family! This year two of Ms Katie's grandsons were there, moving from being a camper to camp staff; Zachary for the second summer and Noah, the first timer. Years past is was brother Glenn who made the trip back and forth to camp for several summers and before that it was me, spending summers and and a winter working at camp. All these years Ms Katie and Al were also involved, attending functions, praying and every time Dave, the director, would call and want lunch, Al took the checkbook. Camp 'gets in your blood' and Shamineau runs in the family.

I had a great day with Glenn, picking Zach up from a retreat, stopping to get the laundry done and teasing him the whole time. Yes, Zach, the machines needs many quarters and camp clothes are camp clothes and don't need to be separated! Then it was finding the elusive roll of needed duct tape in a small town on a Sunday when the hardware store is closed and holding the roll ransom so I could get the picture by the camp sign! And we can't forget finding the needed fast food fuel to sustain him for an hour or so until dinner and finally dropping him off at Shamineau for another week of counseling elementary boys.

It was wonderful for me to be able to walk around the camp looking at things I hadn't seen for years! The cabin that I lived in has been vastly improved!! The beach is still awesome. Walking in the dining hall filled with many old memories; the chapel, the amphitheater, the horses, the kids, the woods... Seeing the buildings that weren't there before, meeting the current staff, hearing and watching the camp week get started.

Ms Katie and I are really proud of the boys and grateful that camp funs in the family! Miss Rachael, when you get old enough!

Abram

Ms Katie and Abram are twins.

The story says that Ms Katie and Abram were born in a hospital in Niverville, close to the farm and the summer kitchen where the rest of the family lived. Abram was born first - a seven pound boy. Ms Katie was a tiny surprise at just over two pounds. The doctor said she wouldn't live. Oma took her home and cared for her as best she could. Ms Katie slept in a bread pan close to the oven door to stay warm. Drops of milk kept her nourished until she could nurse.

The doctor was wrong, Ms Katie is alive and well; Abram died shortly after birth. His grave on the farm was marked with a small, white picket fence.

I wonder what Abram would be like...
Would he have the glint of trouble in his eyes like Uncle Jack?
Would he have Mary's sense of humor?
John's quick laugh?
Harry's heart of kindness and compassion?
Or Ms Katie's artsy creativity?
I wonder...

Abram Penner
born and died
August 4, 1927

It is not easy...

...being an immigrant.

Ms Katie's parents, my Oma and Opa, were immigrants from Russia to Canada in the early 1920's, aound the time of the Russian civil war. I grew up hearing the stories of persecution, violence, traveling by night, family members disappearing, illness and finally freedom. Early in our journey, Ms Katie's niece handed us a bag of papers that her mom, Ms Katie's sister, had given her.

Treasures!! There are passports, immigration cards, letters and naturalization papers all with names, dates and birthplaces that I have never heard or seen before and much of it in Russian. There are many questions loudly rattling around in my brain - why did you leave when you did, how did you prepare, how many miles did you walk, how long did it take, who or how many were lost on the way and who are still in Russia...

As Ms Katie and I drove through Manitoba we saw the name signs of familiar towns and the stories of old family history began again.

Oma's brother immigrated first, several years earlier. He settled on a farm in Manitoba and raised chickens. Lots of chickens. Thousands of chickens! When Oma and Opa arrived in Canada, they and Ms Katie's five older siblings lived in the summer kitchen. A summer kitchen is a small, one room out building designed to be a kitchen and nothing else. So, here is a family of seven, with two more on the way, struggling, destitute, dependent on the grace of others, deciphering a new language and culture, grateful to be alive and working toward becoming independent once again. It takes years. It is not easy to be an immigrant.

I remember as a child playing on this farm with Ms Katie's cousins children; running, scaring chickens, eating fresh eggs and homemade sausage, listening to stories - some in English, some not and never knowing until now that this is the farm where Ms Katie and her twin brother, Abram, were born!

Catching up

It has been a long time since the last post.

Ms Katie and I have been busy. We spent the last weeks reconnecting with family and friends including several days in Winnipeg visiting family and friends. While it is all very good it is also very difficult.

Ms Katie has many friends in MN. She was able to see many of then at a luncheon - I have to say the lunch of senior women was loud, loud and more loud!! There was lots of conversation and laughter between women who don't get to see each other very often! It is so good to hear it all!! It is difficult because there are those who were missing because of illness and others who are already gone.

I'm reconnecting too...
Linda from gradeschool,
Dawn from junior high,
Colleen, Beth, Judy, Shelly from high school. We have shared stories from the past years - many, many of the good ones and the ones that break hearts. We have also shared the dreams and schemes for the future!!

The time in Winnipeg included meeting the next generation of family members!! More second and third cousins! All wonderfully cute and rambunctious!! And it included hospital time with family who are ill. Prayers for a cousin who faces a long and difficult recovery.

Time keeps passing...
...and more stories are being written.

Levi's Story

Every farmer has a story...

Levi, the farmer inherited the farm from his father.
Levi, the farmer sadly dropped out of school to work the farm.
Levi, the farmer brought his wife to live on the farm.
Levi, the farmer has four daughters; none of them farm; none of them want Levi to give up the farm.
Levi, the farmer says 'once a farmer, always a farmer.'
Levi, the farmer followed a dream and earned his GED after he retired.
Levi, the farmer can still identify the make and model of a tractor by its sound.
Levi, the farmer says the flooding this year is the worst he's ever seen.
Levi, the farmer is a gentle giant of a man.
Levi, the farmer, still lives in the house where he was born 93 years ago.
Levi, the farmer is ill.

Prayers for you, Ms Katie's friend.

Salty & Sweet

On the road again...

Ms Katie and I are traveling again! No, I am not tired of being in the car, looking at scenery or driving!

Rural North Dakota is really beautiful...
...rolling hills
...tall green corn
...bright yellow fields filled with the flowers that produce the seeds for Canola oil
...stands of trees that shelter farm homes
...rivers that are still too full; fields that still have too much standing water
...sharing the road with farm equipment; from corn sprayers to riding lawn mowers
...ND rest areas are wireless!
...car count at rush hour (5:00-5:30) 10!!
...and it doesn't take long to go from blue sky and fluffy white clouds to winds, dark, ominous thunder storms.

So what's salty & sweet?? Our new favorite car snack - anything crunchy and salty followed by the dark chocolate and cool, sweet mint of a peppermint patty!

Rachael-ese!

Rachael-ese is doing life with Ms Katie's five year old grandaughter, my neice!! Ms Katie and I had the treat of caring for her while her mom and dad escaped for a few days.

There were hours of cartwheels, round offs and that special little run and hop that gymnasts do!

There were hours of games and doing puzzles that are bigger than she!!

There were hours of listening to the Go Fish Guys and playing with Cifford the big, red dog!!

It really is a treat to be auntie and play with this constantly moving, non-stop talking, squirmy, wonderful, bright, beautiful, peanut-sized family member!!

Rachael-ese!!

(Whew! 5 year olds take a lot of energy!!)

"...we were rascals..."

Ms Sylvia is wife of Arne, who is brother of Al, who is husband of Ms Katie; in other words, the two are sister-in-laws!

Ms Sylvia is high on my family favorites list. She always has laughter in her eyes and is full of energy that is hard to measure. She overflows with love and is always meticulously put together!! We saw all of that again a few days ago!!

There was a big smile on her face when she opened the door, many "oh, honeys" and lots of hugs. The energy was there too as she stubbornly determined my arm was the only thing needed for walking assistance. Whew - we made it to lunch and back with no mishaps!

And the meticulousness - -

every hair was in place,

the perfect color lipstick,

eyelashes curled,

matching white bracelet, necklace, earrings and shoes,

and the awesome yellow bag!!

That has been Ms Sylvia for as long as I can remember. And there is a bonus - her favorite color is red!

The stories began in earnest when she said, "Oh my, we were rascals when we were young!" One in particular was reminiscent of something you might see Lucy and Ethel do in I Love Lucy.

Ms Katie and Ms Sylvia worked side by side in the business owned by brothers, Al and Arne. They had crushes on their bosses. No one else employed knew they were wives and husbands!

"Doesn't he look good today!"

"That shirt makes his eyes so blue!"

"We have the best bosses in the world!"

"Can't wait to take him home!"

And the wave and "Hi, Arne!" "Hi, Al!"

And then the hugs and big smooches!!

And embarassed husbands!

And laughing wives!!

Ms Sylvia is a great storyteller! Now read that with all the right inflection and flirtiness!

Rascals they were and maybe still are!

Journey

These are two of my favorite pictures.

Their meaning of journey runs deep.

A road; long, straight and narrow with light marking the end.

A path; steep, full of twists and turns with the end not yet visible.

One moment,

One thought,

One step.

One day,

One word,

One mile.

One summer,

One story,

One journey of a lifetime.

One God,

Unending love and grace,

Countless miracles and gifts.

Lord of heaven and earth,

Show the way to freedom and peace.

Amen

Reaquainting...

...on a couple levels!

First with friends. This is the longest I have been in Minneapolis since forever! Reaquainting with friends from high school has been wonderful. It has been a luxury to spend time - whole weekends, full days and blocks of hours without rushing or having pressure from the clock.

And then with the city! Since Ms Katie and I have her car we have been getting ourselves around. It has changed a bit since I lived here 30 years ago!! Nothing looks the same and is seems there are a million new roads!! I remember I94 and highway 10 but now there is 394, 494 and 694! Add to it 210 and 610! And 12 and 212; 5 and 55; 100 and 101; 35W north and south and 35E north and south. County road 88 and 8 and don't forget 169! And we have traveled ALL of them!

There are the usual right exits and the surprise left exits, merge lanes for merge lanes, cloverleafs and straight ramps and roundabouts in several configuerations. There are stoplights on main highways, stop signs where there should be lights and yes, there are straight left turns off the main highways and everyone else knows where they are going!

We have done pretty well for two people who have no clue which is right or left or east, west, north and south!! And remember, always follow Ms Katie's hand not her words!

Early Morning Worship...

...sitting on the deck,
coffee and Bible in hand,
the rising sun sparkling on the gently rippling water,
muskrats playing in the bullrushes,
flowers blooming at the water's edge,
cool breezes and
loons singing.

Dear Lord God,
Creator of the heavens and the earth,
this is Your day.

Answer this humble plea;
fill us with your love unending,
open our ears to hear your voice,
gift us with the desire to share your grace,
pour out your widsom - pressed down and overflowing
and guide us along your holy path.

Thank you
Amen

Soda Fountain Stories

Ms Katie and I took two of the grandsons out for lunch!! Their choice, Tommy's Malt Shop! We sat slurping up raspberry cream, peach delight and chocolate malts. Every so often our straws were clogged with bits of fruit or chocolate chunks!! The boys did a number on huge burgers, fries and extra onion rings! As we gobbled and slurped, Ms Katie started telling stories.

Ms Katie worked behind the counter at the soda fountain in the corner drug store while she was in high school. She spent four years making malts and serving soda's. The stories were about customers, equipment and her boss. The boss was a stickler for precision in measuring the malt ingredients; when he wasn't around - hmmmm, maybe not quite so precise!

The best story was about making Opa, Ms Katie's dad, his first ever banana split! He enjoyed every bite! He couldn't finish it - I think the precision measurements went out the window on that one!!

It was fun watching teen-age boys try to visualize Ms Katie as a teen herself. It sort of makes you wish you could see what they were imagining.

Uncles...

Ms Katie had three sisters and five brothers; I have a bunch of uncles! One of the many favorites is Johnny, the youngest brother.

Uncle Johnny was around a lot when I was a kid. Ms Katie made sure he was always welcome in our house. I'm not sure the exact reason he is a favorite - maybe because I saw him often, maybe because he always had a smile and laughed easily or maybe because he was the wild child, rebel and self-proclaimed 'black sheep' of the family!

When Uncle Johnny was around you just expected to be teased; that still holds true based on our dinner together! There was a glint in his eye and a smile at the corners of his mouth when we greeted. In his softspoken voice the teasing starts. If you respond in kind, there is a low, quiet gutteral laugh, the glint becomes a sparkle and with his eyes already laughing the floodgate opens!! It still takes work to verbally keep up with Johnny; the bantering back and forth is only interrupted when his head tilts back and the gutteral laugh is not longer quiet but loud and infectious! When I was a kid I was sure the whole world could hear him laugh!

Johnny is a little stooped, thinner than I remember, tires easily and just like the other uncles, his health is in decline. What a treat to share a meal, be teased unmercilessly and hear him laugh again!

3, 2, 1...FIRE!

Meet Noah. Noah is Ms Katie's grandson, my nephew and 15 year old inventor extraordinaire! We got to witness an exhibition of his latest project - a compressed air powered water balloon canon!

The parts list includes PVC pipe, a 24 volt sprinkler valve, three 9 volt batteries, wiring from an overtired weed eater, a switch from somewhere, an air tank with his dad's air compressor close at hand, duct tape in all the appropriate places and G'pa Al's old golf bag cart to haul it around and adjust the aim.

It was pretty impressive. First a water bottle cut in half, secured with twine to the canon was plunged to the bottom of the PVC pipe tube. The purpose - to create a seal and hold one or more water balloons. Next, water balloons were loaded, aim checked, air tank filled and the area cleared of innocent bystanders. Then 3, 2, 1..FIRE, the switch thrown, a loud WHUMP and the balloons launched!

The red and orange balloons were the easiest to see as they flew over the tree in the middle of the yard, crashing on the driveway across the cul-de-sac, narrowly missing the parked car and of course the older brother trying to get hit!

All watching decided that G'pa Al would be proud!!

Hey, all you reunion cousins, look out!! This is no marshmellow shooter!

Dinner on the Road

Ms Katie and I spent most of four weeks 'camping out' in hotels. One was awesome, some great and a couple not-so-great. Our efforts at frugality included taking advantage of the hotel's complimentary breakfast and then our favorite dinner of choice, right out of the cooler - cheese and crackers!

"Ms Katie, may I surprise you with dinner tonight?"

Whatever table was in the room became our dining table; dressed with a clean white towel and usually adorned with a fresh bucket of ice, just unwrapped, clear plastic cups and a bottle of green tea. The two knives, one purple plastic for spreading soft cheese, and the sharp, stainless for cutting cheese were strategically placed within easy reach. Then came the feast - several different cheeses neatly wrapped and stored in an amazing ziplock container with a red lid and another ziplock, this time a bag, filled with crackers for every palate. With the background music of doors slamming and footsteps in the hall, we ate well and enjoyed every bite. Our conversation included laughter and silly stories from the day. Clean up was a breeze!

Our dinners became of source of fun and jokes...
It's my turn to cook tonight!
What can I tempt you with today - cheese, cheese or cheese?
Be careful now, don't let the cracker crumbs stain your shirt!
I worked so hard to tempt you with a fabulous dinner!
It will take hours to clean up this mess!

While Ms Katie and I really do like cheese and crackers it was great to arrive at sister Terri's to enjoy her cuisine. Our first day Terri says at lunch, "Can I get you some cheese and crackers?"

No, she did not know our dinner story.
Much laughter was had by all - along with the cheese and crackers!

Water Everywhere!

Ms Katie and I drove across Alberta, Saskatchewan and into North Dakota to return the US. There was water everywhere!


The fields looked like lakes;
The rivers looked like reservoirs;
The tree tops looked like bushes.

Water crept up to the roof lines;
Water covered the rail road bed;
Water filled the medians and lapped at the edges of the highway;
Water covered the highway and made lesser roads impassable.

On the left was a dry rise just large enough for a barn.
On the right was another rise with standing horses and nowhere for them to go.
In the gas station, two women lamented the loss of their homes, their livelihood and their independence.

Prayers for these women, their families and others who have lost their homes.
Prayers for the loss of jobs, income and security.
Prayers that the needed aid will come quickly and be enough.
Prayers for the people who must decide when to hold and when to release the abundance of water.

Fields, oil wells and farm stories...

Ms Katie was worried she would be bored driving through Alberta after the mountains!

Not so!

Alberta is farm land, beautiful fields, blue skies, warm sun, puffy clowds, rolling hills, oil wells (yes! Oil wells scattered on the hills and in the middle of the fields) and cows! Ms Katie knows her cows! The light colored ones, Guernseys, are the best for milk; the black ones, Black Angus, are best for steak; then there are the Holsteins, the Herefords and the White-faced somethings and the farm stories began...

At age 9 and 10 Ms Katie was responsible for bringing the cows home to milk. Every afternoon someone would help her mount the favorite family horse, Star. She would ride a mile and a half or so, round up the cows, bring them home and help milk. She had to be careful - if she fell off Star, she walked - she couldn't get on by herself.

Opa and brother Ike, broke wild horses. Opa loved horses and would win their hearts with bits of carrots and sugar. Eventually, Ike would mount and get bucked off, mount and get bucked off again and again. Opa had patience and Ike was young enough to not get broken himself.

At 14, brother Jack drove a team of horses home from cutting wood 20 miles north of the farm. The farm itself was on the north edge of the north! It was winter, cold and snowing. Really snowing! The farm dogs found him and led him home.

Sister Anne learned to drive in a model T! She drove it into a water filled ditch. Opa had to team up the horses to pull it out!

Sister Mary, the quiet, shy one was the first to move to the States.

Sister Theresa died at 35. She was much too young.

Brothers Harry and John, the youngest, did what the youngest of a large family on the farm do best - all the leftovers!! The chores no one else wanted to do!

There were stories of picking berries, feeding animals, walking to school and wearing home spun and knitted woolen stockings that itched and itched and itched; two story farm houses with only a wood stove and floor grates to warm the bedrooms, and traipsing out the door, down the path, through the cold and sometimes dark and wondering why it was a two holer when only one person used it at a time!

Wonderful, precious stories of a childhood and family life long past.

Yup!

There is an art to saying Yup!

Start slow and add two y's - yyyup!

Now add a slight rise in pitch and clip the p off short. Yyyup!

Slow and low, rise and cut off quick - yyyup! Yyyup! It may take a little practise.

Uncle Jack is a man of few words but you know it is all good when he says, "Yyyup!"

Jack is Ms Katie's older brother.

"Jack, would like to play cribbage?"

"Yyyup!" He beat us twice! Jack has played many hands of cribbage during his 86 years.

"Jack, would you like us to make lunch?"

"Yyyup!" Meatballs, mashed potatoes and Ms Katie's special cream gravy and life is good.

"Jack, are you making coffee for us in the morning?"

"Yyyup! I make it strong!" And it was strong!

Jack drove a truck, a dark green Peterbuilt cabover. For years he and the truck covered miles and miles, crossing both Canada and the United States numerous times. As he told stories of different places, crazy loads, driving partners and close calls, his eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth lifted in a not too common smile.

As we got ready to get back on the road, Ms Katie hugged Jack, her brother; hard of hearing, with eyesight dimming, slight of stature, feeling every bone and with whispered I love yous they said goodby.

This is My Father's World

For days the hymn, This is My Father's World, has been playing in my head. It is so fitting!

This is my Father's world,

and to my listening ears,

all nature sings...

Thank you, Father, for the world you have created. Thank you for this gift; the earth, your Son, your love and life. Amen

Happy Father's Day!

Ice and cold toes!

This is one of the glaciers that are part of the Columbia Ice Fields. It is mammoth and yet much smaller than in years past. As we drove in to the base of the glacier there were markers that showed where the end of the glacier was in a specific year. The earliest marker I saw was 1850. From there it was at least a mile drive to the glacier viewing area and another mile walk to get on the ice.

The terrain where the glacier had been was starkly different than the terrain Ms Katie and I had just driven through. There were no shades of green, there was no vegitation; just barren rock and mounds of stones and dirt. There were random cuts in the earth, made either from receeding ice or flowing water. It reminded me of a strip mine - how powerful water can be, in any of it's forms. It was odd to drive around a bend, turn left onto a dirt road and look like you were in a different world.

Wouldn't ya know, the only other person wandering around on the ice fields in flip flops was from Tempe!!