The Old and the New

This was the last of Dennis Pendleton Water Color Lessons 2018 calendar. I really enjoyed trying my hand at adding watercolor to the weekly sketches and then turning them into cards. I have always preferred to follow the original as much as possible.

This week I tried something new--a lesson following a VanGogh technique using two complimentary colors, broad strokes, observing lights and darks--basically just playing. And the result looks like it!

The whole week was a mix of the old and the new--delving into the many memories from the past and making new ones. 

My goal was to settle on the direction for the next chapter, and hopefully write it. I read letters from 1946, researched the historic context, and got started. I think I will need another week to work on this one.

Among the multitude of papers rescued from my father's desk, there are decades-worth of sermon notes. Eventually I'd like to put them in order. Each one I pick up is interesting to me. I recognize Dad's handwriting. I admire his carefully planned outlines, good illustrations and great use of the Spanish language. I learn from his Bible teaching, and the fact that he never wasted paper. I also observe the different periods of his ministry and can tell how busy he was at the time.

In the mix I discovered a tattered yet valuable document--Reseña de la Iglesia de los Hermanos - Don Bosco (1952-1962)--the ten-year history of the church I grew up in during my most formative years (8 to 18). 

After their first year-long furlough, my parents were given a new assignment--to start a church in a totally new town and area. The mission was branching out to another province, into one of the suburbs of Buenos Aires, the capital.

Even though that was the period I remember best, I was struck by how little I knew or understood of the challenges and struggles my parents faced during that new beginning.

The first paragraph describes how lost they felt when they arrived in Argentina for the second time, at age 30 with three children and five suitcases. They were in the main train station and had to figure out which train line to take to get to Quilmes where they had a contact, an English woman who had one room available for the five of us in her pensión. 

Mrs. MacLeish's boardinghouse

I think we spent several winter weeks in those cramped quarters before locating a house and retrieving our furniture from storage in Río Cuarto in late September. Yet another story for some future chapter.

I decided in chapter 8 to summarize the story of the Foreign Missionary Society in Argentina, and set the geographic stage and historic background for the existing mission points at the time of our arrival on the scene.

I came across interesting tid bits. The Coche Bíblico purchased by the mission in 1913, was still playing an important role during my childhood, thirty or more years later!

A few memorable moments of the week:

Tuesday, I volunteered for the first time at Madjax, serving snacks and cleaning up after. During build-season, the team meets for four hours Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as most of Saturday.
At 7:00 o'clock they pause for snacks and sharing. Every one present stands up in turn and explains what they've been working on.

Michael surprised to see me.        Elijah describing his accomplishments.

Wednesday, we began celebrating our 49th anniversary on a leisurely afternoon/evening, knowing that the 31st is a Thursday workday for the robotics team. We enjoyed Ivanhoe's food, a special puzzle, and games--a sweet time, indeed.

Sunday, the 27th, was Elijah's 14th birthday. He is grandchild number four, grandson number three.

The growing boy

This year Elijah joined the PhyXTGears Team 1720, the robotics team that his grandpa Mike mentors. Here he is working in the woodshop area. Is he following in his father's footsteps? Son Sam is an excellent custom woodworker--Sam's Custom Woodworking.

Note: If interested in learning more about me, my writing, and to view the collection of watercolors, go to my website.

2018 Week 39: Highlights

No new flower centerpiece to open my blog post this week so I chose one of the many watercolor exercises. The yellow wild flowers and the cup of tea seemed fall-appropriate. 

 A reading list also seems fitting as we enter cooler seasons. Perhaps that thought led Lisa to ask during Stephan's dinner Monday, "Karen, what are your favorite books for young readers?" Can any of  you comment on the list we compiled?

Social media has become a primary time-consuming source of entertainment, communication, and information, which takes away from from book reading. I tell myself that I use the internet as a tool, but also realize that it robs me of precious minutes.

Most of us have grown conditioned to respond to notifications and are likely to check Facebook first thing in the morning.  Tuesday I was especially blessed to read Sam's post, although the accompanying photo is so very sad:

 18 years ago today the Lord delivered Kristie and I from a life of bondage, depravity, hopelessness, and pain. Often times when I share my story people try and give me credit for changing my life. The truth is I have no power on my own to do anything righteous. And every year that passes I become more aware of that reality. The only action I can take is to surrender to Jesus! He is my only hope. I am so grateful for the life I now have living life without drugs, without being dopesick everyday, without seeking drugs everyday, without wanting to die. I am so blessed to have Kristie by my side through it all sharing in the hope, the trials, and the victories. I am also so blessed to have 4 amazing sons that love Jesus! Life isn’t easy but it is good today, very, very good!

That very evening Sam and Kristie were invited to share their story at a chapter of Brianna's Hope.

I went to hear them and see what this recovery outreach is doing. I was so impressed by the welcoming spirit and the caring volunteers. 

A good group gathered in a circle for prayer before the meal. Many do not stay for the program--music and a recovery testimony. Most who remain have been affected by addiction personally or in the life of a loved one. 

Laurie (top left) is an artist and writer, the mother of a recovering addict. She uses her talents to bless and reach out to those who come. She sits at a table with her pastels and squares of tar paper and does art with anyone so inclined. During the opening songs, I noticed she had taken her art materials and sat next to a visitor off by himself. Then I saw she was working on his portrait (top right in the red t-shirt).

Every time I hear Sam and Kristie's story, which is not often, I am struck by the progression that led to depravity, hopelessness and despair, but even more so by God's power to deliver and transform lives.

The pastor and his wife ended with a beautiful song which speaks to their story--they lost a son to drugs. 

Wednesday was the first night of our church's outreach to the children of the community. I took Rebecca to . . .

. . .and when I picked her up later, she exclaimed, "I had fun!"

The highlight Thursday was Grandparents' Day at Kiddie Kampus--the preschool Rebecca attends four days a week. 

There are some 30  four-year-olds in her class, so you can imagine how many grandparents where there. Rebecca alone had four grandparents there--"Nana" and "Grandma Cheryl", "abuela" (my own special designation as great grandma) , and "Papa" Jimmy too!

The new facility is huge and well furnished. We had a tour, snacks, photos, crafts, a music program by the little ones, a book fair, and a bikathon.

The final highlight of the week was the last robotics competition of the year--RAGE (Robotics All Girls Event) on Saturday. It appeared that Pixel the robot, acted his age, old and worn out. Nevertheless, the girls got to experience the excitement of being on the drive team.

And now we look forward to a new month, another cataract surgery (left eye) and the many good things God has prepared for us. (Ephesians 2:10)

2018 Week 31: Beginnings and Endings

 The hydrangeas, cut back to almost nothing last fall, are blooming profusely! They speak to me of God's abundant faithfulness!

Michael's steadfast dedication to the Dove's Crossing (Stephan and Karen's place) pool project, made it possible to have Skye's 21st-birthday family-celebration there. Father, son, and DIL worked very hard in hot weather. Party-day, however, was cloudy and cool. Water temperature had not yet reached optimal level, but that did not dampen the enjoyment.

The photos: masterminds of the project, father and son continue to ponder pool issues; Basque boys chat constantly in euskera; water games; back rubs; Elijah relaxing on self-designed intertwined-pool-noodle bed.

Krazy-Koch birthday-song and cake, of course.

Additional entertainment: Sam modeling the Argentine gaucho outfit discovered last week in the bin my brother Ivan passed on to me. But what are all the items in the lower right corner?

The drive home, over an hour, felt extra long to the Basque boys as we had to drop Diane off in Marion. They're not used to regularly driving longer distances in their country.
We stopped at Steak 'n' Shake for supper, and the obligatory humongous shake.

Mmmmmm. . . 

 Monday, their last day in America, the euskaldunes (Basques) wanted to relax and pack until the farewell picnic at Taylor Lake  that evening with all the families.

After-dinner entertainment: the much anticipated, planned and talked-about Xabi-leg-waxing ceremony!
At Sam and Kristie's ice-cream social last Friday, Xabi was winning and fancied himself the unbeatable ping-pong champion. He made a bet: "Anyone who can beat me can wax my legs!" Jon did! ("Pride goes before destruction a waxing" Proverbs 16:18?) Poor Xabi! He said it was more painful than he expected, and the girls took great delight in being thorough--not one hair left!

The Koch-clan and their two euskaldunak

 Tuesday was airport day, the final goodbyes for 2018.

Goodbye-gang at the church; other students from same hometown; a final crazy selfie with illoba (grandson) Jon

Wednesday, arrival day in Bilbao airport! Mila, Jon's mother, is so good about keeping me informed and sending lots of photos.

The Upland group wearing their American going-home uniform; Jon's family 

One of these days, I walked over next door to visit Moriah at her workplace. In a few sort weeks she will move back in.

Showing off the mini solar panels she tested

I forgot to take pictures after that, so I resort to borrowing from other sources to fill in the story of our week.

Zion was at Miracle Camp all week, so one of my favorite daily activities was to spot him in the many online camp photos. Hard to pick a fovorite.

Experience Muncie  posted a great photo and article about son Sam last week, worth reading and sharing, says proud mother.

Thursday, Michael had his heart and mind set on a long bicycle ride, like 50 miles. The good news: the weather was good and he did it! The bad news: he hasn't felt well since and is still trying to diagnose and understand what happened.

I always look forward to Thursdays because our town paper, The SEGway, comes out. I like to read the local news, work the Sudoku, and, when I've submitted an article, see if and how it was published.

Jude spent the night. The dinner, already planned and prepared, was not kid-appropriate--egg-plant lasagna, carrot and raisin salad, and liver sticks! Fortunately we had some leftover chicken and veggies ;-) However, for breakfast he requested waffles. and enjoyed them although, "the square kind makes my brain feel different," he said. 

I still keep up with the Watercolor Lessons calendar, tho'  sometimes I play catch-up painting two at once. This latest one reminded me of Stephan and Karen's dogs Gryffin and Gracie.

Karen and I attended the third annual TU Professional Writing conference this weekend. We went in tired, overwhelmed, wondering what we'd come for and left encouraged, inspired and with clearer direction for our writing projects.

2018 Week 24: A miscellany

 I suppose that title could apply to all our weeks.

Sunday we celebrated Matt's 26th birthday.

We are always reminded of  the major housefire we had on that day in 2011. A year later, June 10th, 2012, we had an open house celebration of the rebuilt home. Stephan catered the event, complete with a spectacular ice sculpture of a phoenix rising out of the ashes, beautifully symbolic.

Monday at the dinner we got to see Stephan and Karen's latest project in progress.

Michael went to the dinner straight from a long day at Madjax where he and another mentor were helping Moriah design and make a tester to check the 1000 tiny solar panels that will go in the satellites, part of her summer job.

As very often happens, the task takes longer than it takes! Tuesday they were at it again till almost 3:00 a.m.!

I think Michael went in to Madjax again on Wednesday to work on his own ThinSat issues. It is not unusual for him to come back and say, "We have to make changes again." Countless iterations of the inner workings and mechanisms of the ThinSats, each the size of a piece of toast. He loves what he does, though.

However, I may have had more fun that day, less drudgery anyway. I attended a ladies tea in town where we learned about flower arranging

Different views of the flower arangement at our table

The presenter owns a flower and gift shop in the neighboring town--A New Leaf. She created all these arrangements from flowers and greens picked early that morning from her garden.

Becky Banks is also a professor, so had dutifully prepared a three-page handout--much to learn along with a very practical demo.

My art adventures with the Watercolor Lessons calendar have provided me with a variety of unique cards to give away this time of year for graduations, anniversaries, and birthdays. Every other day or so I enjoy a half-hour of experimenting with mixing colors and using brushes to fill in the sketches as I try to copy the artists' examples.

On Thursdays a few of us get together to do art. Here is our youngest member who comes with her "Gdad."

Friday evening Mike and I attended the preview of "Now Entering Upland." WIPB (Indiana Public Broadcasting) started a series featuring small towns. They had covered three before ours. This year Upland was the chosen destination. A call went out for storytellers, residents willing to share. The response was great and resulted in the longest production to date. We were interviewed April 21. The producers then had the formidable challenge of editing the interviews, selecting from all the materials provided--photos, videos, articles, etc., and putting it all together in a very fluid smooth sequence. 

All that to say, wherever you are in the world, and if you are interested in Upland or anyone living there, watch "Now Entering Upland." Call in to the station to relay greetings or messages, and/or to donate to the cause. As one of the storytellers, I will be at a station taking calls. I must say, however, that watching myself on the huge screen and hearing myself speak, was a rather uncomfortable experience.

Saturday was the Grand Opening of the new nail salon in little Upland. I won a T-shirt and had fun chatting with friends.

Michael was gone on another of his loooong bicycle rides, 56 miles this time.

Two photos from today, Sunday. Rebecca arriving for summer Sunday School wearing yet another cute dress that almost matches Mommy.

And, a photo that arrived via e-mail announcing Elijah's arrival at Miracle Camp.

For a special Father's Day treat we used a gift certificate to Chili's, a treat for me too!

To all the fathers reading this: God bless you for your sacrificial involvement in the lives of your children!