A week's worth of stories

I try to update here at least once a week, but on Sunday afternoon, when a week was up, and I knew I should sit here and do this, I got another idea instead.  You'll see what that was later.  

So I'll go back to last Monday (the 11th) when we had the most incredible sunrise!  

So this is what I look like on a day like this when I don't need to go anywhere and I have work to do at the computer, like updating this blog.  No contacts or make up.  I'm always chilly if I'm not moving around, so my cozy robe and prayer shawl feel really good.  I even have a big heat pad/massager on the back of the computer chair.  Of course I have to get up and walk around every now and then, or my hips get too stiff to stand up straight.  What an old lady I have become. 

A project I worked on last week was organizing my recipes.  I have many of them saved in my phone and computer, but I still prefer to have a printed version to look at while cooking.  I have a couple of three-ring binders in which I keep the ones I use most often, but sometimes I pull them out (like when I go to Lisa's or Jeremy's) and they never are put back in.  My recipe organization has been in complete disarray for a year or more, and sometimes I didn't have the patience to look for what I wanted, so I would just go to google or my saved online documents and print them again.  So finally I took the time to organize them all in alphabetical order.  I even discovered that I had an extra set of alphabetical tabs, which I use in my musicians' notebooks.  

In the process of doing that I discovered recipes I had forgotten about.  So on Wednesday I tried one for us and for Anthony and Lori - Baked Lentils with Cheese.  When I was pregnant with Anthony I bought the More with Less Cookbook.  It had lots of recipes with cultural variety that were new to me.  I decided to make two new recipes per week, and each week I would buy one or two new herbs and spices that I had never used before.  The lentils recipe was one that we all really liked through the years, even the kids.  So it was fun to find that recipe and make it again.  I wasn't sure Anthony and Lori's boys would like it, so I also made Chicken Nuggets, another recipe I had forgotten about.  

That evening, after taking dinner over to Anthony and Lori's, I could see a beautiful sunset in my rear view mirror, and it was driving me crazy that I couldn't get a picture of it.  I was on a narrow country road with no place to pull over.  I finally got to a gas station on hill, so i parked and got this picture before the sunset disappeared.  

In my FB memories last week was a picture I had posted of me playing piano when I was around twelve years old.  I decided to take a screen shot from one of our church videos to make this collage.  Pretty much the only thing that hasn't changed is my love for playing piano.  I think I was pounding out a Rudy Atwood arrangement of Onward Christian Soldiers when I was twelve.  My mom just loved it.  When I discovered his hymn arrangements, I was smitten and challenged, and worked on one after the next.  The arthritis in my hands now would not allow me to do all that octave playing that were in his arrangements.  But I have fun trying them once in a while.  

On Saturday Dick and I took a leisurely day trip.  He wanted to pick up something (hunting related, of course!) from his brother Fred in Manheim. That's a two-and-a-half hour trip normally.  But we mosied along like old people.  We had no schedule and it was a beautiful day.  These were the trees on Seven Mountains, the big mountain we always cross when leaving State College for Lancaster County.  (I think the glare through my window created the unusual swirly appearance in the sky.)

When we crossed the mountain we noticed that there was no more white.  I got this interesting shot of the gorge.  You can see there was white on the mountains on the north side only.  

We decided to take our good old time and take some less traveled roads.  Instead of taking the bypasses around the city of Harrisburg, we went right down Front Street.  It was a sunny day, and the Susquehanna River was absolutely beautiful.  For a while we parked at the Fort Hunter Park and Mansion, looking across the river where we knew that Riverfront Bar and Grill, the place we enjoyed eating outdoors with Sam and the kids several times, was.  How we wished for binoculars!  We had fun watching a train cross the river.

After getting through Harrisburg we took the old Route 230 all the way to Mount Joy, seeing places we hadn't seen in years.  It was so much fun.  

When we got to Manheim we stopped first of all at Fred and Deb's place, then we drove into town and passed by places of interest to us.  First of all we passed this house on Snyder Street.  When my dad married Mary in 1983 they each sold their own homes and bought this bi-level together.  My youngest sister Rose was 19, and Mary's youngest son Gary was 16, and they both lived here with Dad and Mary. There was a huge vegetable garden in the back.  I got tears as I looked at this house and remembered the many wonderful times there.

Then we passed  1. the nearby house where my childhood family doctor, Charles Weaver, had his office on Heintzelman Street (top left).   2. The house on the top right in on S. Linden Street.  In 1995 we put our big farmhouse up for sale so we could buy this house in town.  It needed a lot of TLC, but I was tired of hauling all my athletic teen boys back and forth to school and practices, and I thought living in town would be the perfect solution so they could walk.  We put a bid on the house, it was accepted contingent on the sale of our place, and I was already redoing that whole house in my dreams, when a rich young whippersnapper came along and offered CASH.  I was devastated.  In hindsight, it was definitely God saying "no."  We did not know that within a year Dick would be diagnosed with cancer, and our journey would have some surprises.  3. The place on the bottom left is the former Danner Home, which is now being refurbished into a much-needed women's shelter by some of the Mennonite churches in the Manheim area.  Deb had just been telling us about it when we stopped at their place.  4. And on the bottom is the little row home on S. Hazel Street which my brother Dick and his wife Nancy owned and lived in for a few years.  

Then we headed back toward home.  We wanted to see Sammy and Bianca in Duncannon on our way back.  Sam was away watching football, and the kids were at Jenn's.  But Bianca was out shopping with Jenn's sister and aunt, so when we got to her place we offered to take Sammy to Old Sledworks, the big antique/flea market place in town.  He was ecstatic!  Jenn had just taken the kids there that morning, but he did not care!  He would probably be happy to live there, haha!  He wanted to show me EVERYTHING!  

I would love to have enough time to pick out a few smaller Corningware baking dishes sometime, but Sammy kept me from lingering.  There was SO MUCH to see!   I used to have green glasses like the ones in the bottom photo.  

I had told him I would buy him something.  Out of all the stuff there, the only thing he wanted was this old Oregon license plate, haha!!  I told him he would make Jeremy and Mike proud!

Now, to the reason I did not get this blog updated on Sunday afternoon.  It was Austin's 12th birthday, and I decided to make some whoopie pies for him.  I probably had not made these in thirty years!!  I remember the one and only time I made them I had decided afterward that for all that work, and then getting only half as many cookies when pairing them together, they weren't worth my time.  But Austin loves them a lot.  And just on Saturday Sammy and I had been talking about whoopie pies, so I made some.  I didn't have time to look through all my cookbooks to find a recipe that I might have used back then, so I googled.  Martha Stewart's filling recipe called for marshmallow creme, which I never have in my house.  So I tried melting some marshmallows instead.  NOT THE SAME!  But I persisted with the sticky mess.  I hope he liked them!

We went over to their place early evening to give him his card, gift, and whoopie pies.   We had a cold, but fun porch visit.  This is the precious face I fell in love with twelve years ago, the one that wooed me to State College when offered the job of being his nanny.  And now he's TWELVE!!  One year shy of being a teenager.  I'm SO EAGER to get our COVID vaccinations so we can spend more time together.  I hope he still likes to play Scrabble.  A year ago he was beating the pants off of me in my very favorite game!

We had not been seeing any birds at all for a month or two.  A friend in this area, who had posted a picture of FOUR cardinals in one shot, told me about the bird food she gets at a local pet supply store, Wiscoys.  So last week I got some.  The lady there told me to scatter some on the ground around the birdhouse/feeder to attract birds, so I have been doing that.  Finally on Sunday and Monday I have seen this bird.  A friend told us it is a slate-colored Junko, a migratory bird from Canada.  I hope we'll soon see more.  I would so love to have some cardinals.  Well maybe not.  I remember a cardinal at our farmhouse years ago that would fly straight into the window over and over and over again, day after day after day,  till we almost went crazy.   That would not be a fun thing to hear on our sliding glass door!

This has been a very sad week in the Stauffer family.  Our nephew Jonathan Stauffer's wife Jennifer has been having severe back pain, becoming excruciating the last month.  Last Wednesday they went to get some scans done and she was immediately taken by ambulance to a bigger hospital in Duluth (they live in northwestern Minnesota).   Her back was broken in two places due to the pressure of a tumor that was growing there.  They also found a tumor on her pancreas.  She has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  They have been doing radiation on the tumor on her spine to keep her from paralysis.  Then they will start a regiment of chemo.  Due to COVID restrictions, no one was allowed to be with her in the hospital three hours from home!!!   But on Sunday Jon was granted special permission, and they were together for six hours, and it was then that the hard news of her diagnosis and grim outlook were given.  Our hearts are so broken for them.  Jon's dad is Dick's brother Bob.  This is a picture of Jon and Jen and their four children.  Please pray for them!  There is a Caring Bridge page started (Jennifer Stauffer) and also a GoFundMe page.  

Of course I MUST finish with pictures of my favorite baby boy!  He's growing up toooo fast!  He practically sits up by himself already.  Destiny and Alex are living in their rented mobile home now, but there have been issues to hurdle - electrical and plumbing issues, etc, a hole in their air mattress.  But I think things are pretty well taken care of now.   It's been so cold for Florida, but finally this week it will be warming up for them.   I have so much fun Facetiming with them.  

Elizer turned five months old yesterday!  It was nice she had off work for Martin Luther King Day.  The two pics on the right are ones I took when we were Facetiming yesterday.  He just loves to watch me on Destiny's phone!

Well, congratulations if you made it all the way to the end!  I promise I will try to update more often so it doesn't get so long.  

Praying for a peaceful inauguration ceremony tomorrow!

First week of 2021

It's a sunny Sunday afternoon. But a week ago it looked like this!  It started snowing just as our service at GBRV was over.  The snow came down in huge flakes.  It was SO beautiful!!

I relaxed, even napped a bit, on the love seat, and this was my view from there!

The snow stopped early evening and the roads were clear, so we went to Sam's Club and Walmart for a few things, and enjoyed the beauty of the snow on the trees.  

We also took a drive around town to see some other things.  One of our friends has a big pine tree that has become a neighborhood decorating project each year.  We finally went to see it.   We also saw the lighted tree at the arboretum from a distance.  

I forced myself to walk several days this week, even though I hate walking in the cold.  I desperately need to move my body!

We all know what took place on Wednesday, and I was here watching in horror, crying and praying.  I have much to say and many strong opinions and deep concerns, but I'm pretty sure they do not align with many of you readers'.  I value your friendships.  The Lord knows the cries of my heart, and yours too.  

On Thursday I took a long, luxurious bubble bath, complete with the jets, as I pondered and prayed.  I never, ever cease to be thankful for the blessing of this wonderful little house. 

Friday was Grandma Arlene's 89th birthday!  I had sent her a card and some pictures and also called her.  She said she got a number of phone calls that day.  We love her so much.  She was 50 and single when she married Dad Stauffer, becoming an instant grandmother of ten!  For most of the Stauffer kids she is the only grandma they ever knew.   The three boys in front were just one year old when Grandma Ruth died.  Nine more grandchildren were born after Dad married Arlene.  And of course we got some more boys along the way since then too.  

On Friday when I drove over to Anthony and Lori's to deliver their food, there was a beautiful sunset.  I quickly got this shot at a stop sign.

I Facetimed with Destiny several times this week.  She and Alex will be moving into their own rented mobile home this week.  They've been with Alex's mom and stepdad so far.  They'll be living with the most bare essentials until they can move their belongings from Pennsylvania.  

Elizer just LOVES Facetiming!  

The way he looks right into the phone at me just cracks me up!

She sent me this video.  If you love baby giggles, this is full of them!

This week I ordered purple hair gel for Pastor Lynn.  Her hair is coming out big time due to her chemo, and we were joking last Sunday that maybe she could add some purple hair gel to her stubble.  Of course when I got the gel I had to try it out first, haha!  Hmmm.  Maybe I like it!

My old Kuerig has been threatening to die on me for quite a while.  I always have been able to coax a little more life out of it with white vinegar treatment and jagging my paper clip thingy up into the holes of the needle.   But it has finally decided NO MORE.  Jeremy said I should get a new one and it's his belated Christmas gift to me.  So we went to Sam's Club and got the Kuerig K-Supreme.  I love it already.

Yesterday I spent a major part of the day putting all our Christmas things away.  What a job!  Dick said, "It's good Christmas only comes once a year!"  I miss all the beautiful things, but I'm glad it's done.

Two more pictures:  this morning's sunrise and this evening's striped sunset just a moment ago.

Have a great week!

Our New Years Week

Happy New Year, my friends!!  Today is 1/2/21.  Thought that was kind of fun!

As many of you saw on Facebook, I got a spur of the moment idea to make gingerbread men on Thursday.  I had all the ingredients, so I mixed up a batch, wrapped the dough in plastic, and put it in the fridge to chill.  THEN I discovered that my cookie cutters were completely missing!!  I searched every drawer and cupboard in my kitchen, even the compartments of the toy kitchen set!  No luck.  GRRRR.  I made a post on FB about it, simply to share another one of my predicaments that people seem to enjoy so much.  One of my friends, Jenny Summers, replied that her hubby was about to go to Walmart and she could send her cookie cutters with him if I would want to meet him.  So that's what we did!  Except we decided to meet in front of Barnes and Noble, since it would be easier to find each other.  He pulled in right beside me, I rolled down my passenger window, and he put that container of cookie cutters right on the seat.  Woohoo!!!  Smooth as a drug deal, hahaha!

I came home, cut them out, baked them, and got to decorating.  I had just red and green decorating icing, and one tube that I thought was white, but turned out to be bright blue.  Ugh!  And a few little red, white, and green round things.  I'm not a talented or experienced decorator, but I sure had fun!  You might get a few giggles if you look closely.  Sorry about the one in front without legs.  His legs were already in my mouth when I took the picture.

Dick and I had realized earlier in the week that we had not been to Manheim after dark any time this Christmas season.  Their Christmas lights on the square are our favorite ones from as long as either of us can remember.  So we headed to Manheim after I finished the gingerbread men.

My sister Mary Ellen met us there, and we had fun walking, chatting, and picture-taking around the square. 

This house needed TLC for so many years, and I would look at it and dream what we could do with it and how well it would fit our big family.   A few years ago Kami and Ben Deppen, friends of our kids, bought it for her Big Dream Creative Arts Studio, and then they moved their big family into it also.   I have had so much fun seeing her Facebook pictures of what they have done with it.  Isn't it so beautiful???

Of course we were hungry by then, and thankfully our favorite place on the square, A&M Pizza, was open for take-out.  We ordered subs.  Their rolls are the BEST!

We said our goodbyes to Mary Ellen and headed back toward home.  On the way we stopped at Sam's place to give them some gingerbread people.  

They had set up two tents in the back yard and had all kinds of fun things inside - a big battery that ran a little heater, their tablets, and of course lots and lots of blankets and sleeping bags.

Sammy wanted me to take a picture of this old cabin in the back yard, because it made it look like they were really at a campground, haha!

They also had a huge fire going.  I would not have thought it was fun, but they did!  Sam loves to do crazy, adventurous things with his kids, and they will have lots of memories and stories!   He told me the next day that they went inside at 3 am.   I was glad to hear they had not frozen to death, haha!  

We were back home by 10 pm.  Dick was ready for bed, but I wanted to stay up to watch the ball drop in NYC.   Probably the first time I've done that by myself.  I decided it was a good time to look through the notes in my "good things" jar that I had started in January.  I've never done that before, and I'm so glad I decided to do it this past year.  It would be so easy to look back and just remember all the losses and disappointments of 2020.  But here I had concrete, dated proof of the answers to prayer, the accomplishments, and the things that made me happy.  I'm definitely doing it again in 2021.

I was trying to get a picture of the ball dropping, but I guess I missed it, haha!

Destiny and I had a long FaceTime call on New Years Day.  She told me about Elizer's doctor appointment for shots on Wednesday.  He was so happy and content when they arrived,  but really cried for a while after the shots.  It broke her heart.  He had a fever the next day, so she put a cold washcloth on his head and he liked it. (bottom right photo)

I was telling her about my missing cookie cutters.  She said, "Did you check the Play-Doh?"  I had not even thought of that!!  So I went to the guest room closet where I have always kept it, but I had done a lot of cleaning out and organizing in there and I could not find it.  Would I really have thrown out the Play-Doh??   Then I found it in a dresser drawer - the big ziplock bag of Play-Doh and cookie cutters!!  Destiny and I got a good laugh out of that!!  She said, "You should have called me yesterday!"  

I did make pork and sauerkraut and mashed potatoes on New Years Day, and it was so very delicious.  We tried to go very light on the mashed potatoes.

Here's a collage of our family I made this morning.  If you would like to have one in physical form, let me know.  

Again, Happy New Year!