Week 26: Part 1--Uncle Dan

This time I open with blooms from Maine, not Tennessee. That is where I spent the weekend. No one guessed the airport hints from last post.

Anyway, my brother Alan and I flew from Indianapolis to Portland, Maine, rented a car and drove to Waterville to visit our one remaining uncle--Daniel Hirschy (Mother's brother) who still lives at home at age 103. His two youngest daughters live with him. Kathy grows lovely flowers, too many to photograph all of them. I chose this honeysuckle bush because the start came from Grandma Hirschy and also it reminds me of the kind we enjoyed in Argentina.

On the 21st of June, he commented that he is already two months into his 104th. He does not complain, says he's nearing heaven (but does not act like it!). Several times he spoke of longing to see the 14 martyred pastors he trained. In 1973 Dan and Eleanor Hirschy went back to Chad for their seventh term. It only lasted 4 months before they were detained and evicted for "subversive" teaching that kept the people from performing the required idolatrous initiation rites. Fourteen church leaders were arrested, shot and buried in a mass grave.

He regaled us with stories of their many years in Africa: hunting elephants (back when it was allowed and the natives made good use of every part), antelope, hippos; building their house (ant hills, best soil for making bricks) and furniture; toils and travels. 

Their home in Africa

He loves poetry, always has. I recorded several, and hope I can upload at least one. His favorite one by Robert Burns, oft quoted to his wife--A Red, Red Rose. 

He enjoyed telling us stories about his treasured things. The little swing he made for a couple's Valentine get together where each wife had to guess which one was made for her. Eleanor recognized her husband's handiwork immediately and the reference to their favorite spot.

The girls play a word game with him almost daily. I played one with him Sunday afternoon. Despite his very poor eye sight, he taught me anagrams.

Photo credit, Alan Hoyt

The girls take such good care of their father. I say that's the secret of his long life!

Sunday dinner; Linda by the sign she painted; Kathy and Pumpkin the cat.

Linda has artistic talent like her father before her, and my mother (he has several of her paintings in his room)! I learned that our grandfather Hirschy also painted some, but didn't have time with his full life as a pastor and family of six.

Painting by Uncle Dan in his youth

Both sisters have worked at the same hospital for more than 35 years. Kathy is the one who drives and helps Uncle Dan in and out of the car. He still loves to go to church. Even though he cannot hear hardly, he thrives on the fellowship.

Getting in and out of the car; Alan helping him up the ramp and into the church

You gathered, I'm sure, that it was a full and blessed weekend. The flights were smooth as well, although we were delayed five hours on our return due to weather. We were grateful it was not cancelled. 

Meanwhile back in Indiana, Michael spent most of Monday involved in the memorial service for a faithful mentor who worked with the robotics team many years.

And he continued painting the house during every spare moment.

Look for Part 2 mañana o pasado (tomorrow or the next day).

Summer's Eve

Karin has so many flowers that she made two Sunday bouquets. Do you have a preference?

I always liked calla lilies because they were abundant in Argentina, but had only ever seen white ones.

I continue to go for a walk most days.

 Monday, I was taking this picture from the bridge when Michael drove by on his way to work at Stephan's.

This is what the house looked like as I drove in that evening for the weekly dinner.

Tuesdays, my friend Jane and I walk for an hour. The daisies were everywhere.

I accomplished some bigger cleaning projects this week. One was the deck. We enjoyed a couple meals outdoors in the beautiful weather.

Michael stayed home most of the week and began tackling the big project of repainting the house.

Wednesday, I picked up Rebecca from the library. She wanted to visit Kalani, so we dropped by briefly. Later we painted rocks and went out in the neighborhood to distribute or hide them.

Thursday was like a date-day. Michael and I hiked the Taylor U cross country track, went for a swim in Dove's Crossing pool (Stephan and Karen's), did some shopping and ate dinner at Applebee's.

Saturday, my brother Alan and I flew for a weekend visit to a very special relative. 

Can you guess from where we took off and where we went?

Much more to tell about our wonderful time.

Now, I must publish this, last week's report, before it's time for another one!

Highs and Lows

The fragrant dahlia, snatched from a bush by the side of the road, and placed in Leah's colorful decoupaged vase, brought me joy this week.

I have been accused of  portraying an unrealistically positive family life in my blog. True, I may be an incorrigible optimist. However, I must admit that we lived a most difficult and painful week, the kind that one does not talk about openly. 

I thought this post would consist only of the different wildflowers I discovered on my walk each day. However, as the week unfolded, meaningful memories surfaced, and serious struggles led to major victories.  

Monday evening as I drove into the Dove Crossing lane (Stephan and Karen's), I had to stop to admire the poppies and cornflowers (?) [Please add or correct names as we go along.]

Next, of course, is to notice all the progress on the new house, the work of father and son, including some tricky laying on roof maneuvers pictured in Karen's blog post More siding.

On our Tuesday walk, Jane and I admired these azalea bushes.

Wednesday, Rebecca and I walked through the woods. She wanted to get as close as possible to the pond in the back.

Thursday, was grandson-in-law Matt's birthday, which always reminds me of our house fire, June 10th 2011, ten years ago already! 

After the house fire, a post I wrote describes the clean up that followed and includes a photo with tall Matt in the back. We had paused for a wonderful lunch our friend Dane brought us from the annual Strawberry Festival going on in Upland--tenderloin sandwiches and strawberry shortcakes.

Leah posted this memory: among the ashes a reminder that God was with us.

Leah's most recent painting also reflects the concept of a stable core amidst the dancing fighting emotions we experience.

On my walk that day on the Detamore trail I encountered so many beautiful reminders of God's hand in nature and only wish I could also post the fragrances I enjoyed along the way.

Friday, I observed how death and new life coexist all around us.

In the afternoon we attended the memorial service for a well loved woman, our former neighbor, Hope Robinson. The church was packed with some of the hundreds of people she helped and cared for over the years, especially the foreign students she welcomed and provided for. They called her Grandma Hope.

Saturday, as usual Michael left to ride his bicycle with the group from Muncie. He was wearing the jersey from eleven years ago when he attempted the very challenging French Pyrenees. This time it was the 94 degree heat that was too much. Mid afternoon he called to be picked up in the neighboring town after completing 75 of the 100 miles.

Meanwhile, I put in my monthly shift at Helping Hand and afterwards enjoyed food, music, vendors at the Strawberry Festival.

Earlier Leah's family walked her dog Zeus in the puppy parade.

Oh, and I also attended the ceremony to honor two deserving members of the Upland community.

Later at home I watched a livestreamed Celebration of Doulos, our home for five years, 1978-1983. A good end to a difficult week.

Life's Rollercoaster

The last iris

Stephan's 2020 birthday gift--the Indy 500 with Dad--was postponed due to Covid. But 5/30/21 found them enjoying the event on a perfectly beautiful day--a wonderful break from all the work on the house.

Of course they were back at it on Monday, even though it was a holiday. While they worked all day on the siding, I prepared a lot of food for a family Memorial Day/Monday Night Dinner.

Grandpa gave the younger boys a ride in the bucket of the boom lift.

My friend Petey arranged an outing with our two girls, her granddaughter Edna (4) and my great granddaughter Rebecca (6). Our plans changed a couple times due to closings and the rain, but we ended up at the Muncie Children's Museum and had a fun time. Rebecca's favorite is to pretend to shop in the grocery store or be at the cash register. In the end we almost had to drag her out of there.

The staff also prepared a magnet-coloring activity for the young visitors. On the way home the tired girls were happy to play games on their iPads.

These photos Petey captured of Rebecca are my favorites.

I still get out for a walk every day, through our woods one day, but most of the time out on the road. Only I do not like the amount of traffic.

The evenings we watch television together, sometimes I color or knit. My latest coloring speaks to a very difficult situation we faced this week. Life is like that--a mix of beauty and pain. 

 

Houses, birthdays, life

Karin's Sunday bouquet, May 23

Sunday afternoon, I drove up to Winona Lake for a very special birthday party. The missionary neighbor we called Aunt Margaret, turned 100 May 25th. Jim and Margaret Marshall moved in next to us in a big 15-room house in La Carlota, our first location in Argentina. I was only five or six. The last couple decades of their lives brought the two couples together again in the same neighborhood and during their final years they lived in the same health care residence for seniors. Margaret survived them all. She always said she wanted to make it to her 100th birthday.

It was so good to see her again after more than a year!

My friend Darlene also had a birthday this week. We don't get together very often, so it was good to share lunch and conversation at Payne's.

Michael had been coming down with a serious head cold. He rested Sunday, but Monday was back working on Stephan and Karen's house. When I went there for the weekly dinner, my phone was dying so I only managed to get one photo of the progress.

I borrowed this photo from Karen's blog to show what Michael has been doing all week. He cut the metal siding to fit and install around the nine windows. The urgency is to complete all the high work with the lift and avoid renting the expensive equipment for another week.

Michael is unstoppable, even when fighting a cold. If he was home and it wasn't raining, he found time to mow. Look closely and you will see him in this pic.

Robotics slowed down considerably, which allows him to give so much time to the house-building.

Meanwhile, I try to make the most of all the time alone, walk most days, meet with friends, write and more.

Jane and I enjoyed the rhododendrons and other blooms on our walk together Tuesday to the bridge over the Mississinewa River.

Wednesday was Michael's 50+27 birthday, as he prefers to call it,emphasis on the 50! He caught up with me, but I cannot keep up with him! He worked all day, of course. So, I invited Moriah to stop by for a quiet evening. We played an extension of Splendor, and we let him win! ;-)

We heard from our other girl, happy to be reunited with her family and enjoying her assistant editor internship job.

Kendra and little sister Katie; Kendra, Katie and Zach

When I visited Leah on Thursday, I was introduced to three new kittens. She runs a well organized cat maternity hospital!

On my daily walks, I see interesting sights. Honeysuckle always reminds me of childhood, sucking the honey from the blossom. On a rainy day, I found this interesting puddle. Best of all is the time to think and pray.

Sam has been working on his house to finish and make it PERFECT (he has very high standards!), but now it is for sale as they plan to move nearer to the Greenfield schools area where Kristie works.

House for Sale

After many weeks of fewer TV evenings (or at least ones when we were awake enough to watch an entire episode) we finally finished the Foyle's War series.

This week I also listened to Eric Metaxas' biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer--powerful warning for our times.