2018 Week 8: Significant Memories

A week of great reflection. I tried to replicate the colors, shapes, and tones from the tiny print of the original. 

And I was quite happy with the result, until now when I enlarged the artist's example and really understood these were cactus flowers.

So it is with life events when we look back and focus on them, we understand so much more. Going deeper also raises so many more ponderings.

I continue to sort through and file the many items rescued from Daddy's desk. I was intrigued by the sequence of passport photos that tell the story of different periods of Hoyt family.
December 20, 1963, we left Argentina as a family and a stamp verifies that we were admitted into New York City on DEC 21, 1963.

A stamp on page 7 clarifies why my face and Lynn's have been Xed out. Mother and Dad left us in the USA when they returned to Argentina. I was in college, Lynn in High School. 

After each homestay or year-long furlough (every five years) the family dwindled. So many stories accompany each era.

Another memory surfaced when a friend called to tell me he'd talked to our favorite teacher. February 18 she celebrated her 91st birthday, and still remembers us! 

I sent her a long letter along with a card and this photo of when Lynn was in her class.

Lynn next to Srta. Dina

Tuesday was the big deadline the robotics team has been working toward--the end of the six-week build season when they bag and tag their robot by midnight.

I wrote and submitted an article to our town paper, the SEGway News.

However, the deadlines do not end: 500 BattHawks to assemble and deliver by March 1st (battery testers marketed to other teams); a ThinSat to complete in various stages before launch date in the fall (Near Space satellite project in cooperation with Taylor University). That explains why I have so much time to work on memoirish stuff. I try very hard to use this gift of time wisely.

My neighbor-friend  invited me to share one of their Martha & Marley Spoon dinners to while away some of the lonely hours. A delightful meal and evening entertainment.

Our resident engineering student has no leisure time, only classes and homework from morning to night, usually after midnight.
I did catch her playing, however, with the robots provided by the Purdue Extension for a mentoring opportunity in the neighboring town elementary school  an hour every Thursday afternoon.

Moriah learning how to operate Dash (3-ball robot) and Dot (1-ball robot)

The biggest news of the week that triggered many other memories was the passing of Billy Graham, exactly five years after my father's death.

Among old correspondence, I came across a humorous birthday greeting my father received from his closest sibling, his brother Lowell two years his senior.

I must congratulate you on attaining to the grand old age of 30! It's quite a change from 29 to 30, isn't it? I felt that way. It's like gaining ten years all in one. By now, if you are ever going to be a world figure at all, you should be speaking to crowds as large as Billy Graham's. I guess you must know that he is getting crowds in evangelistic meetings that are the largest ever assembled in religious meetings in the U.S. But that is going at the hard way, I mean to attain world prominence. You might swipe the crown jewels of England, or do away with the president of the U.S. And the latter might not even bring a great deal of criticism! But even if you did get as important as Billy Graham seems to be, I am sure you could not mean any more to us. The years we spent together were sweet indeed. So, a happy birthday is my wish for you. . .

I was curious to learn more, so I researched. Where was Billy Graham at that time, 1951?

I am very moved by each memorial I read or watch. The global impact of this man totally dedicated to God's purpose for his life is incalculable. Yet I realize our grandchildren don't even know who he was.

Other historic heroes not to be forgotten are the White Rose martyrs. Michael made time Friday evening to go with me to the Taylor University Theater premier performance of "Why We Must Die So Young."

Family celebrations help us reminisce and value one another. Yesterday we celebrated Leah's 45th birthday, belatedly, 21 days late. Each ordered their favorite dessert from Ivanhoe's, hence the birthday candle in Leah's treat. Can you tell we're singing the Krazy Koch BD song?

A couple questions for you my readers:

--What makes a teacher memorable?

--What do you know or remember about Billy Graham?

I'd love to hear from you.

2017 Week 29: A quieter week

The Basque students were at camp all week. It rained off and on between hot spells. Robotics and work on the satellite has slowed down to two days. However, thinking about the project and the design issues is ongoing. Sort of like my writing projects, always there, slowly percolating. 

This week we discovered a nest in the wreath. Don't know how long it'd been there. We first saw two small eggs and yesterday there were four. Sometimes the mama bird is there, brooding.

I walked for only the second time this season with the little group that meets Wedensdays at 8:a.m.--beautiful weather, interesting sights.

Thursday I was very eager to find out whether the article I submitted had been published. It was!

Every day this week I checked the Miracle Camp website for glimpses of our Basque kids. This first-day photo of the three guys cracked me up!

So did the photo Krisite posted earlier in the week of the young'uns with their array of fluffy friends firmly planted in their shoes! Notice that the honored one got to wear a tie! What amazing imaginations!

Saturday afternoon after the campers returned, I drove Unai back to his "home" for the month, at Sam and Kristie's. The little guys were still playing with their "shoed" friends.

Photo credit: Kristie Koch

Here's another favorite photo of the last week--Rebecca wearing an original Life skateboard's design shirt and showing off one of Sam's skateboards.

Photo credit: Leah Koch-Sower

Sunday we had a Kochout for the Basque students. First some played around with the zipline and the segway. And later we stuffed ourselves with wonderful food.

The students leave next Friday, the 28th. The month is almost up. May it end well!

2017 Week 19: Mother's Day and more

A photo of my favorite flowers before they fade away. I mentioned an area where I wanted to plant lillies of the valley. So Michael ordered a bunch and planted them! Next year hopefully we will have many more of these fragrant beauties.

After Monday meal at Stephan's I walked up and down the lane taking pictures.

 And on the way home  we stopped to catch this view of the sunset and a couple of geese enjoying the flooded field.

This was the last week of the semester so after final tests and speaking evaluations on Monday, I spent a day or two calculating and submitting final grades.

Michael took advantage of the good weather this week to accomplish several outdoor tasks. He cut the tall grass around the bee hives so he could monitor their activity unhindered. He replaced the old broken down steps leading down to the lower level.

And can you guess what he's installing below?

Tuesday and Thursday evening robotics meetings started up again although not many students have ventured back yet after the intense competition season.

The team press release was published in this week's local paper, a two page large spread!

Wednesday, Rebecca came to our tap clsas to "help" her Mommy teach, so a selfie with abuela was in order.

Thursday I drove up to Grace Village to visit Mother and  be there Friday for a special lunch with a retired missionary, Alice Peacock. She spoke of the current state of the work, the many new churches. So interesting to hear of the growth of the Grace Brethren mission now totally under national leadership after 100 years, while at the same time reading Aunt Margaret's fascinating letters from the early years.

My visit coincided with  an opportunity that opened up for Mother to move into the Assisted Living area. We took her up to see the apartment she will be moving into this coming week.

Pondering the move

I was glad to be home again Friday afternoon. Mike was out riding, his longest one yet, and pain-free! I suggested we start tandem-dates again. So today, Sunday was our first of the season (and my last as a 72 year-old.) We rode some 12 miles.

Kayla invited us over for a Mother's Day cookout.

Our hosts

 Rebecca insisted on going outside and took me for a  walk/run through the neighborhood.

We passed these lovely poppies and picked some other flowers on our way.

Other family updates:
--Elijah broke his wrist last Sunday and is wearing a short cast for about four weeks.
--Kristie still has some very bad days and nights. After the type of surgery she had it takes a long time for the rearranged organs and the digestive system to function normally.

2015 Week 32: Segway, snowman, submarines, school . . . surprise

Mike's In Motion R2 (smaller model segway) arrived this week, finally!
He really could have used it to get around at the robotics competitions.

Off to get the mail

Sunday afternoon I went to the dance recital for Kayla's many classes at Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie. I especially wanted to see Zion, the little snowman perform with the Early Tap group.

 

Waiting to perform; posing; "It's summer!"

 Kayla's the best and so much fun to watch as she works with these little ones, but no photos, sorry.

Monday we had visitors from Görlitz, Germany, who stopped by to admire the tree and other art.

"Görlitz, the easternmost town in Germany, is fast becoming a star of the screen. This month it features in two films released in Britain. Its unadorned streets and cobbled marketplace are the backdrop for the book-burning sequence in The Book Thief. (Residents were not happy about the profusion of Nazi insignia in their tourist season and it was dutifully removed each day.)"  

 Also the setting for The Grand Budapest.

From The Independent, March 4, 2014

 Tuesday on my morning walk I spotted Kayla's car by the house they just moved to.

Stephan must have been busy creating this underwater scene somewhere, no ice or sand this time.

Wednesday, first day of classes for Muncie schools, was also teacher Karen's birthday.

Happy 40th, Karen!

Celebrating six years ago with her favorite--tacos!

First day of Kindergarten, fifth grade, junior year, and home alone!

Thursday, the rain held off during our morning walk.

We walked around Taylor and then to one of the walker's home to admire her many flowers and garden.

For TBT I posted on Facebook an ancient photo I came across in all the sorting and filing this week.

Aldo and Ivan, two younger siblings, some 55 years ago

Thereafter followed a lengthy exchange to determine the location. Interesting stories came out. The majority agreed that it was at our church camp in Cerro San Lorenzo. Some remembered the poplar that is no more--chopped down to make crates. Several remember the blind siblings that lived in the mud and thatch hut and traveled to the city to sing and play guitar on the pedestrian walkway. They became part of the city lore, even mentioned in a folk song.

Saturday was a beautiful day and we decided to attend one of Minnetrista's Summer Stage events: Muncie Civic Theatre's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It was Mike's first real adventure using the segway, which saved him a whole lot of steps between the parking and the green.

The funnest surprise was to discover these special neighbors close to where we set up our chairs.

Overall a fun way to end the week.

Sadly, though, another post closes without a Rebecca sighting.