2016 Week 10: Spring Break

Many photos this week. 

Sunday, Michael helped with the first grade Sunday School class again. This time they were focusing on some of the metal works in the Bible so he explained and illustrated the 6000 year-old lost-wax process: sculp clay figure; make a mold then a plaster mother-mold; coat with wax; parts on a tree; coat with ceramic slurry; melt wax out; fire in kiln; melt bronze and pour; break off ceramic; saw tree apart; weld parts together; chase; fix joints; texture; patina. Voilá!  I may finally have understood it, or not!

Monday.
Proud of grandson Skye who is completing high school courses online. . . with a little helper.

Speaking of Rebecca, here are a few photos that appeared on Facebook this week:

Trend setter: a new style--pant-leg arm-warmers; Budding artist; Dog-lover; Sesame Street fan.

Tuesday.

Spring break allowed me the freedom to take Mother to her six-month check-up. She had prepared a carefully written list of concerns, among them a persistent cough which kept her awake. He ordered a chest x-ray and the results sent us to the ER. After hours of waiting and more procedures, she was admitted for overnight observation and treatment for pneumonia.

I went back to Mother's apartment and took care of some things like laundry and cleaning out the fridge. I had not come prepared to spend the night, but Mother has extra toothbrushes and one can be resourceful.

Wednesday.
Soon after I arrived at the hospital, a family friend and neighbor showed up. Mother asked if he was going to sing for her. He did. She mouthed the comforting words. I was reminded of her college years when she was quite the singer herself, as her letters to her parents revealed.
Speaking of old letters. Last week I received a packet from a cousin--correspondence from Grandpa Hoyt, the grandfather I never knew, who left the family when Dad was 16. I always questioned why. I read all those letters to Mother and was comforted by this loving exchange with a granddaughter who'd taken the opportunity to reach out to him. He recognized in his lonely old age the many wrongs of his youth and expressed regret for all that was lost. He had wise words for her and spoke of faith and trust in God. I imagined him now reunited with all his children.

Mother's room was the last one on the top floor. We heard that the resident doctors had started their rounds at 7:00 a.m. on the first floor. It was closer to 7:00 p.m. when one of them made it to her room. He discharged her with a prescription for an antibiotic. It was closer to 8:30 by the time we were settled for the night in her apartment at Grace Village.

Thursday.
Mother was very glad to be able to keep her appointment with the beautician. "They washed my hair at the hospital and it's a mess," she said.
We met Aunt Margaret (as we called her when we were growing up in Argentina) for lunch in the dining room. What a dear friend she has been to all of us. To think that she was our neighbor in La Carlota when they began missionary service in Argentina, and now again lives nearby Mother in the same hall. Margaret will be 95 on May 25th!

That afternoon I drove home eager for a change of clothes after three days and ready to communicate online again. Thankfully I had been able to post a couple photos on Facebook to let people know about Mother, but my phone ran out of data so I experienced a forced semi-technology fast.

Friday

We planned to go out in the afternoon, but Michael was coming down with a serious cold so we couldn't do much. However, we couldn't miss Malachi's performance that evening! We enjoyed watching him and Lexi, his girlfriend, play two of the leading roles in the Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, as Hero and Claudio.

Meanwhile in Alaska, the World Ice Art 2016 Championship's award ceremony was taking place.

Of course, we couldn't be there, but I watched it online, and you can too if you go here. At 20:51 you can see his team receiving 4th place in the realistic category. If you hang in there, or go to the end, you will see the ice candles being lit--six huge towers of ice with wood inside. They said the ice does not melt. Really?

And if you go to Site #15 of the Multi Block sculptures you can see some of the daily photos which show Stephan at work.

The baby gorilla cannot be seen in the final view. Stephan later posted a side view that shows who papa Silverback was protecting, in the nest at his right side.

Saturday.
Michael spent another loooooong day with the robotics team despite the miserable head cold. BTW, the robot has been named Sir Plus.
I drove back to Winona Lake to check on Mother and take her some things.
I had almost forgotten that we were expecting an overnight guest--Kyle Doane, who grew up here and went to school with our older kids. He is now a traveling planetarian--one who virtually displays and explains the universe with the help of the Digitarium Planetarium System.
I arrived home in time to get the guest room and bathroom ready. I had just finished when the doorbell rang!

We had a delightful visit. Kyle has stayed in touch with Leah's family all these years. They all came over that evening and he shared some of his learning games.

Without the special dome, he lit up the guest room with numerous pictures and aspects of the mysteries of our vast universe.

Do you recognize some of the constellations? Notice the varied paths of the stars. We could even virtually fly over the earth. Can you see old lady Spain touching noses with Africa?

Sunday after breakfast, we said goodbye planning to see him come back and do a presentation in our area for a much larger audience.

After 20-some years, the red hair is almost gone. He is now the "salt and paprika" version.

A full week. A different spring break. Much to ponder. Confronted with life and death issues. A family member faces cancer. A community member passed away. A recurring thought, "How does one die well?"