2016 Week 8: Endings and Ongoings

Sunday the 21st was the anniversary of Daddy's passing. I went back to the poem I wrote, "Dear Daddy" and later reviewed the photos of the days when we gathered as a family to celebrate his life. 

 This week also marked the end of robot build-season. As always, the team worked extra long hours to meet the deadline.

Tuesday, February 23 midnight, Bag and Tag took place and they celebrated with rootbeer floats.

However, that was not the end. This year they pushed hard to build an additional robot in order to practice the game before competition season. They were also allowed to keep back a limited amount of components to continue perfecting their mechanisms.

Mike told me this morning, almost a week later, that he figured out a problem in his sleep. One of the feats the robot must accomplish to get best points, is to climb the tower at the end. They managed it off and on, and again before the bagging. A certain sound in the process clued him into a recurring problem.
It seems that his brain continues to iterate uninterrupted when he is at rest. He explained the word: an iteration is a repetition which includes a change or additional step, whereas a reiteration is an exact repetition. Anyway, two missing steps came to him as he napped.

The team needs help: this wonderfully built and muti-skilled robot remains nameless!

I learned another word this week Tsundoku--a reading pile, or the tendency to acquire and let books pile up unread. My stacks illustrate this obvious problem: top right--three books that arrived this week; middle right--audio books I have or am enjoying. . .

Wednesday, I planned to help Mother get to her follow-up visit with the surgeon, but winter storm warnings discouraged travel. I was in Marion for a hair cut when I learned that her Dr.s office was closing for the day and we'd have to reschedule her appointment. I was so grateful to make it home safely. However, I found the lane blocked, had to walk the last stretch and wait for Michael to cut and remove the fallen tree.

At that point we were only getting rain and very strong winds. Snow came later.

We woke up Thursday to the birds having a party around the bird feeders.

Friday, February 25th, remembering three years ago when we buried Dad.
Thanks to cousin Stan Hoyt and neice Tina Herschberger we have a wonderful collection of photos.

Five Hoyt siblings with Mother--the day of the viewing and the day of the funeral

Sam's family was only able to come the day of the viewing. How the young ones have changed!

Stephan and Karen came for the viewing and friend Gina. Leah and family came for the memorial service the next day.

Saturday I happened to be at the Red Barn and peeked into the Pottery room at the many pieces accumulating there--a reminder of another of Mike's weekly commitments. Wednesday he had quite a large group of kids during the after-school session.

My Spanish classes were fun, different, interesting this week. The best one was a guest speaker from Chile, who happens to be a tour guide. I asked him to share 15 or 20 minutes and the students would also have prepared questions. He extolled the wonders of his country for two hours and we were enthralled!

2015 Week 29:

Near daily rainstorms keep the outdoor plants and birds happy.
Flood warnings are frequent.
However, the hot weather is here and it feels like summer has finally arrived.

Caught drinking

This indoor plant was not happy having outgrown its special pot--the last remaining piece from my parents' tea set from when I was a very small child. It has served many purposes, bears scars and stains, has lost its bonnet, but holds many memories.

Tuesday, July 14, I realized that in six weeks I'd be teaching again at Ivy Tech--Spanish 101.

And Kayla posted the following:

Rebecca is 11 months today!

Wednesday, after tap class, I stopped by the pottery studio at the Red Barn. Mike goes in only once a week now. He manages to have fun projects going while supervising the kids. I checked out a couple of his practice pieces--one had grown hair since last I saw her, and the other, old and battered was about to be recycled.

While writing a graduation card to Savannah, I thought it would be fun to see photos from the previous time we had seen her at a family reunion. I discovered these cute second-cousin pics  with Skye, who will be a senior this year.

Thursday evening several families who have hosted Basque students came together to welcome two girls visiting this summer--Irati returning for the fourth time brought her younger cousin to have the "Upland experience."

Marta and Irati

This was my favorite group picture. I loved how the "American Moms" pointed to and claimed their Basque "daughters."
Our hosts, Dane and Laurie (far right) left two days later to visit dear friends and familiar places in the Basque Country, on their own this time.

Mike could not be with us. This week, he put in very long days (oft painful) working on the robot and preparing for the prestigious off-season competition--the Indiana Robotics Invitational, July 17-18.
"Not Yet" and the small team performed valiantly against the giants. They were privileged to be there, learned a lot, raised their average score, and rolled in Saturday night tired and happy even though ranked 58 out of 70 in the end.

Meanwhile, I was home with three grandboys and a house full of fun and fighting. I had acquired a train table and Thomas the Train sets at a garage sale.

Sunday before packing up, we played "who can build the tallest tower." Zion assumed the winner's pose. Jude's favorite piece was the magnet crane. He had a difficult time sharing.

Three popular weekend reads. Can you guess which one was the favorite?

2015 Week 23: Various Summer Scenarios

As of this week school ended for everyone in the family.
Well, except Stephan who traveled to Maine last Sunday to attend the Fox Maple School of Traditional Building. We expect his next building project, sometime in the future, to be quite a bit more sophisticated than the cute outhouse.

Monday, Karen had an emergency--no water--and imagined herself using the outhouse for a week! However, Mike and crew--Skye and his friend--came to the rescue and replaced the well water pump.

Stephan and Karen's 15th anniversary snuck up on them this week also on June 3rd.

Shutterfly photo album

Their wedding albums had become somewhat damaged by dampness and water, so last year I scanned all the photos and made a digital scrapbook.

My good friend Patryce, who for fifteen years managed The Loft Inn Bed & Breakfast, loves to entertain so she invited some of her closest friends to a very special tea, Tuesday afternoon. The excuse was to celebrate May birthdays, and for two retired teachers to reconnect.
We toured her former B & B and stopped to read one of the many articles published over the years. Patryce was aptly described as a Patrician Midwestern Princess. The afternoon was full of  surprises beyond the lovely "tea"--a beautiful poem recitation and a cello concert. Most of all we enjoyed meeting new friends.

Grace Park is a delightful young woman from South Korea and a very accomplished cellist.

We asked her what had surprised or impressed her about our culture when she first came to America. Among other things she said that our common greeting "How are you?" seemed too personal until she realized it is similar to their own, "Have you eaten?" or "Did you have breakfast/lunch?" There is no expectation of a meaningful response. Grace explained that it was an expression of concern for the other's well-being dating from times when food was scarce.

Kristie had the opportunity to travel to Florida with her sister for a week. She left Wednesday.
As a family we pitched in to cover for her on the home front.

Elijah spent three days with us and joined in the annual Fun in the Sun program at our church the first week of summer break. His first day was "Mud Day", the second "Food Day." He volunteered from his team to be covered in shaving cream and attacked with cheese balls. His team won that one.

Thursday I picked up the little guys for a few hours of fun. They enjoyed the Upland school play ground and a picnic lunch at Taylor Lake where we got to see Elijah in the crowd of Fun in the Sun kids.

Super babysitter Malachi was able to have a few hours to himself and was just coming back from a bike ride when we drove in.

One evening we watched a good movie, McFarland, the true story of a cross country team in California that had a long winning streak that totally transformed their community.
Elijah also got to play at the Red Barn while grandpa was helping kids in the pottery studio.

Friday we had overnight guests, a friend who is preparing to work with an orphan care ministry in Tanzania--Mavuno Village. Bethany came with her cousin to present her work at dessert evening.

Saturday we wrapped up our full week with a fun birthday celebration for grandson-in-law Matt. He had felt left out from the time he married into our family. The first year our house fire was on that very day. The following years we were out of the country, in Spain. At last a proper Koch party!
His brother's family joined us which made up for our two families who couldn't make it.

Last but not least, a Rebecca pic!

Note: when Nanna Leah is around, there is little chance that you will get to hold Rebecca!

A note about Mike: in spite of a steroid shot this week, he has had bouts of pain every day which limit his mobility.

2015 Week 15: Windy and Windy

A windy week. Yes, we see many toppled trees. This one, where our drive meets the lane.

Also a windy (long i) week, meaning winding, with many curves and twists. That's life.

Doesn't seem to disturb the flowers popping out to surprise us, outdoors and indoors.

Nor has it deterred us from walking (me), biking or jogging (Mike).

I was crossing a foot bridge when a very infrequent train chugged by underneath, near the Red Barn.

Decision deadline was Monday: YES, Team 1720, The PhyXTGears, is going to World Championships!

Parents, students, and mentors stepped up to raise the necessary funds and had enough by that evening to say, "Yes, we WILL go." Many details are being worked out. As I write, Mike is headed three hours away to purchase a trailer to haul their equipment.

I noticed Thursday that it was National Sibling Day, so I dug up a photo from nearly 50 years ago--all five of us with Mother after a family dinner at a German restaurant when my brother Lynn and I visited Argentina during our summer break (winter there).

Friday night late, after a very full day and leading the fun Poetry evening at the Gray Barn, I scoured old photo albums and gathered all the photos of Carol and arranged them on a picture board.

Saturday we left around 7:00 a.m. and traveled to Winneconne, Wisconsin, for her Celebration of Life. We were just in time, even after taking a detour down "memory lane" revisiting the old haunts where Carol and Mike ventured together.
Three hours of interacting with so many friends and family members cannot be condensed into one paragraph. I took many pictures and heard so many stories. I plan to share all of that in a future post.

As a preview, and in honor of National Sibling Day this week, I will share two of my photos here.

From the many photos displayed, this was my favorite of Mike's three step sisters.

Nancy, Judy, and Carol

Their mother, Rose, passed away at age 70 in 1993. Only three younger sisters still live. 

I managed to get them together for a photo!  

Loretta, Sandra, Yvonne

We drove back home the very same day and crawled into our own bed around 2:00 a.m.
I've been in recovery mode ever since.

2015 Week 4: A somber week

The death of a young person shook our community this week and brought to the forefront a serious and pervasive drug problem in our little town. We pray for our youth and seek ways to help them out of their hopelessness.

The funeral on Friday was packed, standing room only. I was offered the last seat.

There were many other commitments, even accomplishments throughout the week, but not many photos.

Mike and the robotics Team 1720 The PhyXTGears, meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday and spend some 16 hours per week working together. They've been streaming live so I get occasional glimpses of them scurrying about. Here, a few screenshots I captured.

Only one afternoon, Wednesdays, he goes to the Red Barn and supervises kids creating with clay. He makes good use of the time playing with clay as well. This day he was performing brain surgery.

Thursday I walked over from one barn to the other, after my exercise for the elderly, to watch Kayla teaching ballet moves to Matt's twin nieces.

That night I tuned in to an e-concert by former colleague Win Corduan. It was fun to interact with him and others online.

Saturday Kristie planned a family birthday party for Elijah. Rebecca stole the show, again!

This photo is a bit blurry but I love the expressions.

Kayla's photos are my favorite!

And here is my favorite ten year-old!

He may have been disappointed that not many were able to attend. But more birthday events were yet to come.

2014 Week 50: Varied forms of art

A whole week without seeing this cutie! Had to borrow a pic from Facebook again--"Tummy time."

"I'm 4 months old today!"

 I'll try to fill you in on Michael. He gets in some form of exercise almost daily, preferably cycling: indoors, on rollers; or outdoors, a bit more challenging. Little by little (poco a poco) he sees improvement--can go a little further before feeling pain and even then it is not intense like before.

He works very diligently on the bronze piece now in the polishing stage. His 'other woman' is very beautiful!

One afternoon a week, Wednesdays, he spends time making 'art' with the youth at the Red Barn. After our tap dance class, Kayla and I both had the same idea, we stopped by to see how it was going.

Stephan was away for a few days making ice art at a competition in Ithaca, New York.
His piece was very difficult to photograph. Can you see the face, two hands and the bass?

All About That Bass

Thursday was my last class so I took a quick snapshot, only one. Then I enhanced it using http://www.picmonkey.com/. I am delighted with the result and amazed at how it represents the different personalities and the fun we had together. Their final exam is on Thursday. We still do not know about next semester's enrollment.

Saturday was an errand and shopping day for me. I went to a craft fair to purchase a couple gifts from the Heavy Metal lady. She takes antique silverware and makes a great variety of jewelry from parts and pieces.

Diane and I had lunch there--wonderful homemade soups and sandwiches.

Again this week, I focused each morning on the Verse of the Day, preparing my heart for Christmas.

Day 8: John 14:6--JESUS: the only Way to the Father; the Truth; the Life.

Day 9: John 15:5,8--the Vine, we are the branches, if we stay connected, we naturally bear fruit.
But if we don't, we can't do anything. So, much fruit proves that we are His followers.

Day 10: Deuteronomy 18:15--the Prophet, the one we must listen to.

Day 11: Isaiah 7:14--Immanuel (God with us) the promised son to be born of a virgin.

Day 12: Galatians 4:4-5--the promised sign was fulfilled in due time, he was born under the Law in order to redeem us from the requirements of the Law, so that we could be adopted as children of God!

Day 13: Matthew 2:4-6--King Herod heard about the prophecies from the Magi and wanted to learn more. His motives were evil. He inquired where the child was to be born so he could eliminate the threat of being replaced as ruler.

I heard an astounding fact this week. A math expert had his students do a study of the probability of all the prophecies concerning the Christ being fulfilled. The result was one in a hundred billion, Only Jesus matched up perfectly!