Week 45

Another Kathryn Hoyt acrylic

The blog title change at the beginning of the year was meant to remind me to focus on the memories I'm trying to bring back and write about.

Well, this week I received a surprise via snail mail! It is so unusual nowadays to find an envelope addressed in someone's own handwriting, let alone a cousin I hadn't seen in years. The fat little packet contained a letter and several old photographs.

My father's youngest brother's daughter wrote to let me know that her mother, Aunt Doris, had passed away in September. They were going through her things and wanted to send on photos that we would enjoy.

With Aunt Doris and visits with Uncle Bud's family

 Some photos were ones I'd seen before, but these of my paternal grandmother were very special candid shots. I wonder where and when they were taken and which grandchild is with her.

Anna Leola Darcy Hoyt

Michael went back to work full time, and overtime, refurbishing the Matthews robotic shop. I took him lunch almost every day--cleared off a spot on the entryway table, laid an old table runner down and brought out a decent meal for the overworked man. It's relaxing and fun to look out at downtown Matthews, a small town with a long interesting history.

Lunch time at the Matthews shop

Michael had left a long to-do list for when he was gone and for those who come to help out for an hour or two.

The big push this week was to finish everything that required the scissors lift before the end of the rental period.

Daily progress

Looking back over the work accomplished, Michael estimates they are 80% done.

Friday was the best day for me to get away up north to visit Mother and on the way stop by my brother Alan's shop and maybe see and talk to his new wife. Raquel was not there as they haven't moved her things from Elkhart yet (this weekend) and her foster child was ill. But Alan was there during his lunch break. We had a nice chat catching up on his life, and he kindly checked the pressure on all my tires.

Inside the Global Auto shop

 Then he gave me a tour of his auto-mechanics school above the shop. It is an impressive set-up and Alan is definitely a pioneer in that field.

Auto mechanics classroom and diagnostic bays

 Then I joined Mother for lunch. One on one direct conversation is very limited right now, but she enjoys listening in when we're in a group.
I like to take her some of my recently uncovered memories. This time it happened to be a letter she wrote in 1945 requesting membership transfer from the Baptist church she grew up in (her father the pastor) to the new Grace Brethren denomination she married into.

Mother reading old letter

After sharing Bingo Hour with Mother and the other fun ladies at her table, I headed back and was just in time to set up my table for the Matthews Marketplace craft fair the next day.

Koch -display at the Matthews Marketplace

 The event was not very profitable, considering the time and effort, however I had fun interacting with vendors and visitors, and especially watching the robotics team showing off the robot and talking to people.

Team 1720 display

After packing up pottery and paintings and tearing down tables, I had enough time to pick up Diane and go to Sam's birthday celebration. Michael just couldn't take time off.

Sam celebrating 41 years

 A favorite moment, among the many good ones, was when Elijah loved on both grandmothers, as he towered over them.

Elijah with two proud grandmas

Six weeks till Christmas, really?!

2016 Week 40: S.O.G. Days

They call us silly old grandparents when we seemingly enjoy our grandchildren more then we did our children. There may be some truth to that, perhaps it's because we attempt to do a better job the second time around. We are just grateful that our families live near and we can participate in most of the kids activities, several this week alone.

Grandson Skye has been working for grandpa several weeks now. It's fun to see him nearly every day. The huge fallen oak is nearly gone now and will fuel the furnace when winter sets in.

Tuesday, a surprise visit from a little one who excitedly exclaimed "Abuela!" as soon as she recognized our lane.  She also knows the difference between abuelo and abuela! (That's more than some of my students at this point.) Rebecca doesn't know to stay still for a photo, though!

Becca in motion

Wednesday, Kayla gave me a ride home after her birthday lunch with all the tapping ladies. I totally forgot to photograph our fun time together, but here is a later pic of the 25 year-old teacher herself!

Happy birthday, Kayla!

Zion excitedly welcomed his abuelas on Friday for Grandparents Day. There was so much he wanted to show us and we were so impressed with all that he is learning and doing.

I was especially interested in how the writing process is taught already in first grade.

Right next to that display is a wall with Wow Words. When they come across one in their reading they place the new "wow word" by the appropriate letter of the alphabet. For example he pointed out: T--thrilling.

The crowd of doting grandparents were thrilled with the music performance by the 80 some first graders.

When I arrived back home, the driveway refinishing crew was busily wrapping up their morning work.

I made the mistake of parking on the steepest side of the road. When I tried to drive out later, I discovered that I was stuck, bottomed out. Michael and the mailman, who happened by at that time, came to my rescue and towed me out.

Another proud grandparent moment was the recognition of all Delta seniors and their accomplishmnets before the Friday night football game.

Malachi accompanied by his parents

Sometimes it feels like other young folk look up to us like surrogate grandparents, friends of our grandkids or some of the robotics young folk we've gotten close to. We are blessed indeed!

2016 Week 16: Busy Bees

The robin looked at me and said, "Spring is definitely here!"

I picked the last of the daffodil/jonquil/narcissus, all the late-bloomers in that family, and enjoyed them all week.

Monday night Mike pulled an all-nighter to rendezvous in Illinois at midnight with the shipment of bees he had ordered from California. They had been delayed in Nebraska due to snow.

So Tuesday morning he was busy installing them in their new home.

 He's been closely monitoring their adjustment and progress.

Mike delivered Sam and Kristie's bees that same day and guided that transfer. Their busy bees have a lot more native wild flowers to feed on.

Robotics has slowed down considerably. Perhaps the beesiness busyness helps overcome the disappointment of not going to World Championships this year.
But it's just like Michael to keep active and exercise as much as possible.

And with warmer weather comes mowing season.

 Mommy Kayla and Nanna Leah stay busy running after a 20 month-old who thinks she's in the "terrible twos" (smile).

In time-out

 My life hasn't slowed down yet either. Saturday was an interesting day. You might say I keep the Sabbath. It seems that's usually the day I do something very different and forget about teaching, the house, and the usual.
The night before I decided to sign up for a race and join Debby, my consuegra, Kristie, and Elijah who was running his very first 5K. The day was so beautiful, my time was surprisingly okay for not having run in many months, and we had a lot of fun together. We agreed that we'd like to find more opportunities like this.

It was a color run. Elijah especially insisted on covering himself with every color possible.

Then I got a surprise phone call. A friend from our time in Europe, even from before we were married, said they were on their way to Taylor University for a granddaughter's recital that very evening!!! So we were delighted to get cleaned up and meet them there. So many fond memories of 40 or 50 years ago...
Actually our Stephan was named after her first husband who passed away 25 years ago already. We enjoyed hearing the story of how Diane and Cliff met a couple years after their spouses died, and also meeting members of her new family of 22 years now.

Amazing how many of our friends from the past make their way through our little town.

2016 Week 9: Relentless Passing of Time

Sunday the 28th of February, we finally got together as a family to celebrate first-quarter birthdays--Leah 43, Stephan 45, Jimmy 42. It is getting more and more difficult to combine our busy schedules as the family grows.
This Mom barely got the house in order. No time to buy new candles. However, being very resourceful with four ones worth ten years each and a big 3 & 2, we managed. You can't see it but Stephan's was an equation: (4x10) + (3+2).

 Is Rebecca sad the candles are out, or bewildered by the crazy birthday song?

Monday I left early to take Mother to her post-op check-up. She treated me after to a great meal in the Grace Village dining room.

She is doing quite well, but noticeably slowing down, which is not to her liking.

I got back in time to eat again, at Stephan and Karen's. He had to show off his favorite toy--his recently-purchased tractor! I didn't get out there in time with my camera. He was already parking it.

Tuesday, Michael had to descend into the septic tank area and check into a lingering blockage issue, even after Lancaster Septic had made an emergency call the previous Sunday.

My job was to turn the water on and off when told. And also to listen and mark the spot where I could hear the gurgling to determine the location of the buried box.

Between orders I tended to wander off and explore. I discovered several glimpses of spring!

I'm not sure if the blossoms survived the next days' snowfall, or simply went undercover.

When Mike dug for the box, it was gone, totally disintegrated! He hired someone to replace it. You can see the darker spot after it was covered over.
It was fascinating that day to see the snow on the ground had melted, but still clung to the trees.

Thursday was the last day of the eight-week course. I like to get a funny photo to remember the fun times and their unique personalities.

Friday evening Michael offered to stay with the three grandboys and encouraged me to go to Debby (my consuegra)'s 60th birthday party. Kristie and her sister planned a wonderful celebration for their mother, who was dreading the progression into a new decade.

Saturday morning Mike was off bright and early for another long but enjoyable day of working on the robot with very eager young budding-engineers.

I had fun with the little boys who despite going to bed at 11:00 the night before, were up and and about before 7:30 a.m.

They could easily have spent the morning playing games on the computer, but I wanted to make some Grandma-memories, so we went for a walk, ventured down another lane and discovered a new path back through the woods. Can you tell who was leading the way?

Meanwhile, Stephan began his 6-day Ice Alaska adventure. This year he was invited to join another team for the Multi-block competition. You can watch them at work here creating an ice sculpture titled Protecting the Nest. The webcam updates every 30 seconds.

Looks like Stephan was caught by surprise. Hmmmm

2015 Week 9: Ice and Cold

 The week began very early for son Stephan, who after a sleepless set up an ice desk for the weather reporters of WISH TV 8 Indianapolis. Later they interviewed him-- WISH 8 TV Interview with Stephan Koch--and for two days one of them stood behind the desk for a short while during each weather report. They had fun with their new prop, but refrained from sticking their tongue to it!

As most Mondays, we went to Stephan and Karen's that evening, just as the sun was setting, and enjoyed another good meal.

A practice piece still stood out in the yard. The competition car won a second place a couple weeks ago.

Tuesday was a day of errands and visits, among them to my friend and co-in-law, just out of the hospital after a heart procedure.

Consuegras

Wednesdays we often eat with other seniors at the Lion's Club. It's fun to slowly get to know each one's story. For some 25 years this lady has been training dogs to serve as guides to the blind. Some have ended up in other countries, in fact one of them lives in the Basque Country now. Hmmm, I wonder if it had to learn Basque commands?

Later that afternoon I had a special visitor!

Can't you just see her becoming a ballerina like the little ones her mom teaches?

Thursday bright and early Stephan and Mike flew out of Indianapolis and arrived safely in Fairbanks, Alaska much later that day after three flights.

Alaska

Friday was a day to get set up on their site, make acquaintances or meet old ones, and admire the Single Block pieces.

Day 0, Site 15

 Look who came back for a longer visit! We are having record low temperatures so the Kerns came to  stay until they get their water back.

Today, Saturday, I stopped by Leah's and was impressed with all her new arrangements and decor.

A little bit of paint gives a snazzy new look to some old boots.

And a small clump of clay in Leah's gifted hands become miniature creatures with character! A turtle to add to my collection spawned a whole family of turtles. These haven't been painted yet. Wait till you see the entire collection!

Mike is missing the first robotics competition of the season, but probably has no time to think about it as their first of six days of ice carving comes to an end.

Watch the team at work on icealaska.com. It's snowing there. Here too.