Special People

When I gathered my photos for the week, I realized two things: there were only a few, and all about people. So I threw in a couple extras.

I mentioned last week that Sunday was a very full day. However, I only have one representative photo--not food related (Diane and I ate out after church), nor about the county wide driving (to Marion, then Muncie and back), but one special graduation open house, or should I say full house? There were wall to wall visitors at the other Kochs (no relation) to honor their two graduates--son Tyler (college) and daughter Karly (high school).

Happy Sibling Graduates

Karly has a wonderful spirit of praise and perseverance through pain as does her family. You can sense this in her mother's blog [http://kjkdancingthroughtherain.blogspot.com].

Monday is often the day I forget to get a photo. It was not lacking in special people, however. We had a great time with one of our missionary families before the monthly Missions Board meeting.

Tuesday I had a memorable encounter with the mother of one of the little kindergartners I met with several times a week when I was a bilingual specialist in 2008-2009.
The photo of the day, however, was of my own grandson entertaining himself during big brother Malachi's ball game.

Zion is obsessed with driving! Scary!

Wednesday, dear friends stopped by on their travels for a couple hours of sweet fellowship. They were majorly responsible for our move to Upland almost thirty years ago.

Quite often our visitors get to pick out a Klaytivity piece of unique thrown pottery!

Oops! No photo to show for Thursday, even though my journal lists good times with various ones. I think I'll throw in an older photo with a reference to an even bigger Oops!

Last week, just in time for our ladies brunch I picked up the brochures from the printer and handed some out freely.  One day this week son Sam pointed out a big mistake--an entire paragraph was copied and pasted twice! I never caught that in the proofing processes.


Notice the lovely embroidered towels one of the ladies gave me.

The trifold leaflet was prepared to explain the story of our lives as depicted in the tree sculpture son Stephan created, to hand out at our Open House, June 10th 2-5 p.m, on the anniversary of the house fire  All invited!

Friday, a few of us women friends went to lunch to celebrate the birthday of our mutual friend.

Meanwhile argentinos around the world were celebrating a national holiday to remember the May Revolution of 1810, everybody wearing the escarapela (blue and white rosette symbol of patriotism).

In my craft room I have an old map of Argentina. There is a tile in our bathroom that always reminds me of the map I traced ever so many times in school when I was growing up in Argentina. What do you think?

Notice the little poncho-vest and hand bag by the map. I used to wear them as a little girl  when we visited churches while on furlough. My mother gave them to me recently. I had forgotten those memories.

Saturday was Mike's birthday. I looked down and saw him wearing his cycling jersey, ready to ride with the bike club as usual on Saturday mornings and, in the meantime, throwing a pot on the wheel--two activities he enjoys.

I'm late again this week. It seems the weekends are too busy. Will that ever change?

Celebrations!

From Mother's Day to birthdays, end of ladies Bible study to graduations, open houses, and dance recitals--May is a busy month. Very few of these activities affected Michael, however. He took off both weekends and put in 300+ miles on the bicycle and appears nary the worse for it. (I wonder if he is training for another cycling adventure in the Pyrennees?)

Sunday, after I arrived home from visiting my mother, Leah came over with a special little cake for me for Mother's Day!

Monday is usually a catch-up day after a busy weekend. Quite often I forget to get a photo. I was already in bed when I glimpsed a photo-worthy scene--Mike practicing the latest sculpting lesson.

I invited the ladies Bible study group to have the final brunch in our new home as they were all very supportive through this unusual year and also very eager to see the house. Tuesday busy getting ready, no photos.

Wednesday was a beautiful day and we had a very enjoyable time together, some inside, others outside.

Thursday Mike and I went away for the day to mourn celebrate the last day of my 68th year. We ate a deli sandwich at the Indianapolis City Market sitting at the little empty table pictured here.

And for dessert--baklava for the road. Mmmmmmmm, delicious.

Then we went to see the popular Hunger Games movie and run some errands in the big city.
Always wonderful to get away together.

So Friday was the day I was born 68 years ago. It turned out to be a very lazy day. I didn't go anywhere, worked in the garden and even had a little siesta. Later Leah came by with another beautiful little cake.

Lately, weekends have been so full that I am unable to fit in this faithful blog post. You will understand why.
Saturday a.m. I attended the Taylor University commencement ceremony in order to connect with relatives I rarely see--my cousin's granddaughter graduated.

Sitting next to the 'tunnel' formed by the professors brought back memories of those happy times greeting and congratulating our students.

I really like the colors of this former colleague's regalia, they remind me of the Argentine flag.

I slipped out of there hastily so we could make it to Kayla's dance recital in Anderson.

That was not the end of the day, but I will spare you further details. Lucky for you, and me, Sunday's full account belongs to next week's post. Makes me tired just remembering.

Another full week

Lovely weather here. We enjoyed our first meal outdoors and tried out the deck furniture.

New flowers popped out this week--a returning and expanding clump of irises out back, the area we haven't groomed yet.

Tuesday was election day. I sighted yet another county Garfield statue at a former school building in the neighboring town, my voting precinct.

Garfield gone fishin'

It was only blocks away from where Kayla and Matt live, so I had to swing by and snap a photo in the daylight.

Matt and Kayla's cute rental

Wednesday we went to the Senior Center for lunch. Good food for only $3 and 130+ interesting people. The program included some Mother's Day poems and a fun sing-along. The pianist was excellent. What I found revealing was that I hardly knew any of the American folk songs.

Finally the front garden plot is taking shape. I removed leftover chunks and pebbles from the spot where the builders mixed cement. We are amazed to see how many of our perennials survived: hostas; the jack-in-the-pulpit; others are still coming. I marked the border with some rocks and planted some annuals purchased from the FFA greenhouse at the high school.
Can you see the angel garden ornament and the flower-laden bicycle?

Flower Garden in Spring

Now I must work on the landscaping below the house, on the south side.

I traveled to Winona Lake to spend time with my parents over the weekend and arrived in time to attend the ladies luncheon Saturday.

Mother

Sunday, Mother and I went to church early so she could practice the hymns for the morning. She was having a little trouble and insisted I play the organ prelude and she would take over after that. I joked to the few early arrivals about being roped into playing. They said, "Do you still have to obey your mother?" ;-)
Others commented on the younger version of Kathryn at the organ!

 Hmmmm...I wonder how long Mother will keep on playing for church? At 90 years of age she shows no signs of slowing down.

Back Home

Sunday we lingered over the last meal and our goodbyes to many dear friends, old and new. I was pleased to see the Argentine flag on this final table.

Most of my photos are symbolic, hints of many memories. Like this one of Michael reading on the flight back on Monday.



It speaks to me of his absolute focus on whatever project he is working on. Currently he is teaching himself how to sculp faces, heads. He wasted no time as we traveled. After reading one or more books and watching YouTube videos, he took three days only to complete a bust.

Tuesday I was utterly focused on writing the weekly missionary report. The view from the wall of windows in my writing center, the loft with a long L-shaped desk, is amazing! On this day I sighted two hawks.

Would you believe, in a mere few days the green foliage has grown so I can no longer see the neighbor's house. (Do you see the hawk?)

Wednesday we were invited to an annual memorial chapel and luncheon for the late Rick Seaman, always a very meaningful event as we share with his family and friends.

Thursday, the first tandem ride of the season, hopefully first of many tandem dates.

I try to spend mornings working in what I call my writing center. When I walked up, I was delighted to see a special touch added by my thoughtful husband--a hummingbird feeder. It is, however, nigh unto impossible to get a photo of the fluttering creatures which invariably flit away before I can pick up the camera.



Can you see the hummingbird?


Three grandsons spent the night and today we went to Elijah's game. Here are a few favorite pics of our time together.

"More bubbles!"

Zion cacooned

Elijah at bat

Malachi and Elijah took home copies of a page from their great great grandfather's diary the day the Titanic sank.

Grandpa was twenty years old at the time, a student at Fort Wayne Bible College.
It was my librarian cousin's idea to look through his diaries for what he may have recorded on the fateful day one hundred years ago when the 'unsinkable' Titanic sank.

Off to Florida...

...but not to see Mickey Mouse in Disney World as some assumed when we landed in Orlando. We were there to see and hear people who had a far greater impact on our lives than any Disney character ever could. Wednesday and Sunday we stayed overnight with cousin Beth. Thursday through Sunday we attended an OM Ships' event for friends and partners of the ministry. Oh, so many memories and stories!
Here are the daily representative photos.

Sunday, 22nd
Finally, after many failed attempts, we were able to get together with dear friends Dane and Laurie. They came over for dinner and I only remembered to get a photo as they were about to leave.

Monday and Tuesday were spent catching up from the intense weekend and getting ready for our time away.

I picked as many lillies of the valley as possible. Oh, the fragrance!

Two Blog2Print books had arrived a few days earlier.
I had gone back to the first full year of blogging and made two books. One is about our family happenings that year and the other chronicles my visit to Argentina the year before.

On my To Do list: Send Flat Elijah back to school. He came to live with us for a week or so. I had to record interesting things he saw while he was here.

Wednesday was our travel day. Everything went smoothly. We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon and evening with cousin Beth. We walked around the Pioneers campus, talked and talked, played scrabble, and got her started on Words With Friends.

Thursday we got to see Jimmy, Beth's youngest, who is manager of the grounds crew.

By evening, and for the next three days at the retreat center near Fort Lauderdale, we were meeting many old and new friends and enjoying the views.

Lantern from LOGOS 2

 We left Sunday afternoon with very full hearts after connecting with so many and hearing amazing stories of how God's love is shared around the world by means of a community of 60 different nationalities working together on a ship.
LOGOS HOPE is the fourth ship. We were privileged to visit it two years ago. Our family served on the second OM ship, the M/V Doulos from 1978 to 1983.