Celebration: 2009

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Commemorating Our Nation's Birth with a New Tradition

I am

PROFOUNDLY grateful and honored

to have been born in America.

My mother immigrated from Germany in 1958, having actively fought in the Nazi resistance as a pacifist throughout her teen years. She was naturalized as an American citizen. I remember going to Monticello with her to commemorate the event when I was very young. She raised us to reverence our opportunity to live in America. Ours was a patriotic home, which included flying the flag on every national holiday outside my bedroom window. I feel privileged to continue nourishing the seeds of patriotism my mother planted; especially by ensuring that I pause to connect with every Veteran I meet.

I've collected many found memories of 4th of July celebrations and the traditions our family has enjoyed throughout the years, including our small town parade (which always involuntarily bubbles up a few tears of joy), followed by picnics with family and great friends, and of course the fireworks.

However, just now, I am once again feeling penetrating reverence for the principles that founded our great nation. Furthermore, I am impressed with the parallel of the progress of our nation with the life of any one individual blessed to reside within her; which includes, the importance to attend to choices made, the opportunity and need for course correction at times, and the painstaking struggle to keep it on the intended course, along with the joy of privilege in enduring the process. I relish American history; and while it can be difficult to distinguish accurate accounts, I thrill in the discovery of the truth of the honorable ambition and sacrifice of our forefathers. They were statesmen. I believe we could all strive to be such in our own spheres.

This year, we will add a new tradition to our 4th of July celebration; that of fully reading the Declaration of Independence as a family. At some point I think it would be interesting to study the original draft Thomas Jefferson submitted to Congress on behalf of his committee, which included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. It took two days for the Congress to debate and remove fully 1/3 of the original draft. By the way, the vote for independence from Great Britain actually occurred on 2 July, and the final adopted document wasn't signed until 2 August.

Here is a link to the National Archives site, where one can find copies and a transcript of the Declaration of Independence, along with our other Charters of Freedom. Here's the Library of Congress' on-line exhibit of the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. And here's some more little known Declaration of Independence trivia.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Throwback Thursday

1983 Sadie Hawkins

Steve and I spent most of our dates sitting on the porch swing of Comyn Hall, the retirement home at which I worked while we were dating. Sometime in June the Single Adults held a Sadie Hawkins Dance. I knew he didn't like to dance; but I remember Steve finally asking me, "Are you going to ask me to this dance?" I think he just wanted an excuse to wear his chaps.

The First Date?

(continued from The Way We Met)

So, Spring 1983 Lucy is totally gaga over Steve, he is pursuing me, and I'm clueless to his pursuit. We three started riding together to the Single Adult Conference planning meetings, 30 miles away. At one point, on the way home Steve suggests that I sit in the middle in the front seat, instead of in the back. AWKWARD! But Lucy was insisting as well, so... On another day, I was sitting next to Vic and other Single Adults in the back row of Sacrament Meeting, and I remember Steve crawling over a few people and me, to sit between Vic and me; which I thought was a bit odd at the time, but I sloughed it off thinking that he had to visit with Vic about something. Yet another Sunday morning, my friend, Dorene, who was constantly trying to match me up with guys, noticed Steve at Stake Conference and pointed him out to me. I rolled my eyes and leaned over saying, "Not interested." I was set to put my papers in for my mission, and Lucy was still swooning. Steve and I had a few other interactions which I thought were awkward, at the time, and I was beginning to think he was a bit weird.

We were placed on the same SA Conference committee, charged with the task of soliciting rooms from local members to be used by the attendees of the conference. Which meant that I was doing all of the footwork; until the 4th of April, when I called Steve offering to walk up to the University and meet with him during his lunch hour to deliver a chart I had made with the telephone numbers of half of the Ward members who had signed up to provide housing and three quick questions to which we needed the answers: how many participants could they house? what gender would be most convenient to their family situation? and would they be available to transport the attendees in the evening/morning? All he had to do was to call the number and note the answers in the adjacent boxes. I remember that I was so put off by his thus far non-participation that I quipped my request for the meeting like this, "I know you are soooo busy with your work that you hardly have time for anything else, but we do need to make some calls...I'll walk up to the University to deliver a list of members to call during your lunch hour. You do take time for lunch, don't you?" He answered nonchalantly that he did and our meeting would be fine. To his credit, he did offer to pick me up, but I was into the new 80's exercise fad of walking 3-4 mile/day, so I declined his offer figuring that I could easily walk the 5 mile round trip.

When I arrived at his lab, Steve announced that the Challenger Space Shuttle was launching for the first time, that he really wanted to see it, and asked if "we could move our meeting to his place." I agreed, figuring he was the one with the time constraints. We drove to the Powell's house, members of our Ward who rented three rooms in their basement to college students. The renters jointly shared the use of the den in the basement. Shortly after we finished eating the lunches that we each had prepared for ourselves (I brought mine), I suggested that we discuss what needed to be done to fulfill our commitment to the Conference. That discussion lasted three minutes, tops. Steve readily agreed to calling his half of the list. We proceeded to watch the shuttle take off from every televised vantage point, with every notable aviator (including Snoopy) commenting on the historical significance of the feat. Hours went by, while I scratched my head wondering at the luxury of this day in comparison with the allusion that Steve presented of his advisor being such the task master.

Finally, at four o'clock I reminded Steve that I needed to return to Comyn Hall for my work shift, which started at four-thirty. Steve agreed and walked me to the sliding glass doors that led from the den into the back yard of the Powell's house (see picture here, click "Bird's eye" view and zoom in). After I stepped through he door, I heard it slide closed behind me. I turned to see Steve lock the door from the inside and pull the curtains shut. I let out a gaffaw, and started knocking on the door. As Steve had moved the meeting to his home, I was now at least ten miles away from Comyn Hall. Did he really expect me to walk from here? I kept knocking, telling him through the door that his joke was "really funny." No response. I sat on the patio furniture for a few minutes waiting for him, and returned to knock on the door and call out to him. No response. Sat on the patio furniture again. Knocked on the door. No response. I walked up the driveway that led from the back of the house to the street, changed my mind and walked back down to the sliding glass doors, knocked and called out my request to use the telephone to call a cab. No response. I walked around to the front of the house and knocked on the front door to ask the Powells if I could use their phone to call a cab. No one answered. I walked back around to the back of the house one more time to try to reach Steve. No response. Now I was angry. I started to walk with purpose up the driveway and up the long straight slight hill of Brookmere Rd. toward the nearby mall, where I knew I would be able to catch a bus back to Comyn Hall. I walked backwards at first, thinking I would see Steve coming after me, either out to street on foot, or in his early 1970's Impala. Nothing. When I could no longer see the house for the turn in the road, I turned around and began to walk briskly.

I had made it about a third of a mile and was just approaching a gas station, where I had planned to call Comyn Hall and explain to the day shift person that I was going to be very late, when all of a sudden Steve drove up beside me and snapped through the passenger side window, "Get in!"

I opened the door thinking, There he is! Maybe Pili (day person) won't be too mad. As I slid into the seat, Steve barked, "No girl has ever walked out on a date with me before, and no girl ever will again!"

I refused to answer him, and rode home in thought: I can't believe HE'S mad at me! He's the one who locked me out of the house. How DARE he be mad at me!... Date? What date? This wasn't a date. This was a meeting. HE thinks this was a date. Oh, NO! He thinks this was a date!

As we neared Comyn Hall, Steve had already started apologizing. I kept insisting that it was okay, thinking Just get me out of here! As we drove up to the door, Steve was pleading to take me out to lunch to make up for the misunderstanding. Realizing that we were going to have to reconvene to collect the results of the telephone calls, I relented.

Steve insists this was our first date. What do you think? (Be sure to vote in the poll at the top of the page.)

To be continued... wait until you hear about Steve's compensation date!

Oh, Steve's explanation (offered at my request, once we started dating seriously):

He thought I knew that he had to lock the sliding glass doors from inside and exit through his private entrance in his bedroom; the door of which was right next to the sliding glass doors.
But first he had to rinse off his knife and plate that he used to make his peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwich, ...in the utility room, behind the den.
When he finished cleaning up, Steve couldn't find me in the back yard, so he thought I was playing hide-and-seek in the bushes behind the house.
When Steve went into the front yard to look in the bushes, he asked Brother Powell, who was sitting on the front porch , if he had seen a girl. When, Brother Powell asked, "What girl?" Steve explained, "I brought a girl home to eat lunch and now I can't find her." Brother Powell, answered, "Well, Steve, you go find that girl and bring her back here!" [Note: Brother Powell was no where to be seen while I was wandering around trying to find a phone, NOR while I was walking backward up the street! That's how long it took for Steve to 'come find me'. I'm just sayin'...]

Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Ultimate Daddy

Loving-Daddy

1990

Hydrator-Daddy

The Grove 1990

Airplane-Daddy

1991

Personal-Assistant-Daddy

First Dance Recital (Tap), with Grandpa

1994

Guarding-Daddy

Avent Park, Oxford 1994

Security-Daddy

1994

Travelin' Daddy

Arches National Park, Utah

2003

Holiday-Daddy

2003

4-Wheelin' Daddy

Outer Banks, NC with Lydia Roberts

2005

Sweet-Tooth-Daddy

Oxford, MS

2008

Happy Father's Day, Steve!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Throwback Thursday

Emilie, T-ball 1996

Emilie played years of Girl's Softball, coached by Dave McCaffery, after this initial year of girl/boy T-ball, coached by Ron Rychlak.

We've been having a lot of fun for the past few weeks watching Ole Miss and UVA advance through the College World Series' Regionals and Super Regionals (where they played each other here in Oxford); and now cheering the Cavaliers through the CWS in Omaha, NB. Even Emilie tried to pick up the games on ESPN in Rexburg. She caught a few, but she was foiled by regional cable decisions to air the Arkansas/Florida games over the Oxford games. The only thing we could figure was that Arkansas was that much further west than Mississippi. Later, Emilie told us that she had a conversation with one of her professors about his considering a possible move to the south. "If you want your daughter to like sports," she said, "move to the south. I grew up in a college town, so I like football. And I was glued to ESPN all weekend watching Ole Miss baseball."

When I was just a youngin', my mother started taking me to Waynesboro Generals games in our hometown. Charm's Blow-pops were required enjoyment during the games; but I was also an avid follower. Some of the players even sponsored me in a charity fund-raising bicycling event. I collected the most money for that event, and scored a Webster's New Secondary School Dictionary. My favorite Generals' player loaned me his cap to wear for the day. I rode my pink, with handle bar streamers and a banana seat, bike with such pride!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Throwback Thursday

Rachel Roberts and Emilie

Emilie's Second Birthday

1992

Emilie loved to swing, so we met at Avent Park for her first birthday party. This was long before the comunity built playground fantasy land that we have now. At that time there was just a large old-school swing set, a tall metal slide, an old-west stage coach, a small fiberglass/plastic jungle gym, and sandbox. The party was very casual: Cake and ice cream with a few close family-friends (Paul, Carrie, and Rachel Roberts; Janet Barnes; John, Sharrie, Lauren and Brittney Johnson, Jackie and her two boys...). It was Mississippi-muggy hot. We ate and swung, and slid, and played... We lived life so simply then.

Wow! The weeks are flying by; I cannot believe it's already time to post a Thursday reminiscence! Someone asked me this afternoon what I've been doing that's been keeping me so busy...and I stammered. I can hardly remember!???

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Throwback Thursday

I love looking at Lisa's and Cyndi's Throwback Thursday photos. So, I thought I'd try to at least keep up with blogging a reminiscence on Thursdays!

TreeHouse Warming

Emilie's 11th Birthday

May 2001

(Lydia Roberts, Rachel Roberts, Anne Nicholas, Rebbecca McCoy, with Emilie in front)

Steve built a wonderful playhouse in the treetops (if it's on stilts is it still called a treehouse?) for Emilie which was finished just in time for her birthday. The house was big enough for her friends to spend the night in it. The girls brought really clever gifts, including a welcome mat with kittens on it (which Em now has with her at BYU-I), a flower fly swatter, and a fancy floor pillow.

My, how the time flies! Lydia and Anne graduated form OHS this past weekend, so all of these girls are "all grown up"! (sigh) Wish we could swat time still with flower fly-swatters.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

HaPpY bIrThDaY, eMiLiE!

Emilie is in Idaho at BYU-I for the summer trimester; so, this the first birthday we've been apart. (sigh) I spent hours sorting through boxes and boxes of pictures this week, looking ones of her past birthday parties to post on FaceBook today. That was a lot of fun and a bit of a chore; but they are all organized now by month and year. I'm looking forward to putting them in albums and journaling down memory lane during the hot days of this summer.

Emilie's First Birthday

Emilie opened her first gift before breakfast on her birthday, so she could use it for breakfast. Oma sent her a German toddler spoon which is crook'd for ease of mouth entry. Emilie was very anxious to try it while I made her cereal, and she took to feeding herself perfectly on the first try... of course!

Steve and I took our girl out to lunch at the Downtown Grill, which was the nicest restaurant in Oxford at the time. Emilie opened her presents from us and and delighted in a piece of cheesecake!

Grandmama sent Emilie a beautiful collectable doll, which stands proudly on a table just outside Emilie's bedroom door here at home. We've placed a portrait of our one-year-old Emilie in the picture frame. It was nice to have some collectables to mark her first birthday. If I had to pick a favorite gift from her perspective I would guess it was the Animal Sounds book because of the way her father would "caw" like a crow. She would throw fits of giggles when he did it, and she got to know the book so well you could see her anticipate the page being turned so she could hear him "caw-caw".

Happy Birthday, my precious little girl!

You have brought so much

love,

laughter,

wisdom,

solace,

perspective,

knowledge,

trust,

and wonder

into my life.

You truly take my breath away.

Friday, February 20, 2009

The Way We Met

Here's a word to the young: record everything about every relationship in your journal. The insignificant maybe an important memory one day!

Steve and I met at a Stake Single Adult planning meeting in Waynesboro, Virginia in 1983. I say we met on Sunday, 13 February, a day before Valentines Day; but Steve insists it was after, because the rest of his recollections of our first meeting would make him look silly.

We both were living in Charlottesville at the time and were serving as recently called Stake Young Single Adult Representatives; but had not yet met. The Stake was to host a Tri-State Single Adult Conference in Charlottesville on the last weekend in March, six weeks away; and the first planning meeting was to be held in the Waynesboro Stake Center. I had spent the weekend in Waynesboro, my hometown, to celebrate my father’s birthday with him. Barbara, the Senior SA Rep (wasn’t that an awful title? It was the 30 or 35+ age group. I’m glad the Church got rid of the distinction title!), offered to pick me up from my Dad’s for the meeting. I had come to Waynesboro unprepared for a sudden snowstorm that left several feet of snow; so, when Barbara drove up to my Dad’s apartment, I was standing on the cleared walk at the top of the stairs in a thin navy sweater dress and open toe sling-back navy pumps, no coat. I mention these details because Steve says his first recollection of me was that I was “really pretty; but why is she wearing that in three feet of snow?” When I reached the car, I hopped in the front seat, greeted Lucy (the SA Rep; not “Young”, not “Senior”, just straight-forward “SA Rep”…25 to 35 years???). Barbara quickly introduced Steve before she drove off, as we were late. (Not my fault this time! I was standing outside for 15+ minutes waiting on them. Fortunately, it was sunny and warm…enough, for a mountain girl use to the snowy cold.) Steve, who was sitting behind Barbara in the back seat, leaned forward and quickly chirped a “Hello.” We drove to the Stake Meetinghouse and commenced the planning meeting, with Steve on one side of the rather full room, and Lucy and I sitting together on the other side. It wasn’t long before Lucy, swooning over Steve, started passing me notes in which she explained that she had been sending him anonymous Valentines leading up to an expertly planned reveal dinner at her apartment the next day! She was soooo excited, explaining that Steve was a PhD student in chemistry and all of this and that about this guy whom I could have cared less about; because I had blinders on: I was waiting to put my papers in for my mission… (To be continued.)

ps. Years later, I asked Steve what he remembered about our first meeting, he recalled wondering whether I was his anonymous Valentine. Men. ?!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day

What a treat to have Emilie home for all of these holidays! Her dad gave her the perfect southern girl gift: a camo-cap.

Chocolates and

Fun Dip!

...and a Valentine that speaks to her!

The UnValentine, by Sam Beeson

Steve and I enjoyed lunch at our long time favorite restaurant, Marie's Lebanese Cuisine. We reminisced about how we met just before Valentine's Day, 26 years ago; and how we'd pretty much raised younger Emilie with weekly lunches at Marie's.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

81 Years
Wisdom Through Example
Generosity
Annual Three-Day Romps Through the Smithsonian
Blackberry Pickin' for Blackberry Jam
Haven
Historical Sites and Natural Attractions
Car-Trip Sing-Alongs ("My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"...)
Excursions to West Augusta Cemetery
Courage to Let Me Choose to Be Me
Annual Beach Vacations
Board Games, Card Games, Games!
Yummy, Yummy Meals
Que Sera, Sera

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Steve's New Man Purse...aka "The Murse"

Steve is thrilled with his recent acquisition, purchased with the money his mom sent him for his birthday. Today, he was excited to show us this video, which illustrates the versatility of his new Murse... ahem, Jumbo Versipack "tactical bag", in which he carries his lunch and gym clothes to work.

ps. you don't have to watch this whole video to appreciate the value of Steve's purchase...or of our enjoyment of his purchase.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Fig and Goat Cheese Appetizers

Our Relief Society Book Group met in our home last night to discuss Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale. I found this recipe to serve in honor of Pa; who in chapter one left his home for the marble quarry early in the morning with an "onion..." and a "slice of brown goat cheese". For some reason that meal just really stuck in my mind as an awful way to start your day, or an awful lunch to have to look forward to. This is much tastier!

Ingredients

8 oz Goat Cheese
8 oz Fig Preservers
1 Large Yellow Onion (sliced)
2 Loafs of French Bread

Directions

In a large non-stick pan caramelize your onion slices until translucent and dark in color.
Pre-Heat Oven to 350 Degrees
Cut your French Break into ½ slices and arrange in one layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake until golden brown but not burnt.
Top each cristini with a layer of goat cheese, fig preserves and the caramelized onions

I cut and paste this recipe directly from the website. I love the way they spelled loaves; it's the way my German mother would probably list it, which makes me smile.

Monday, January 26, 2009

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A GREAT read!

I don't get to read much and I rarely finish books. It's a credit to the author if I do. I loved this one! Thank you, Susan Nicholas, for suggesting it for our Relief Society Book Group.

A Fun New Blog!

I just found a darling blog, called Bookie Wookie, that I can't wait to keep up with weekly. "A father reads the same book with his three children (ages 10, 8, and 5), records them all discussing it, and transcribes the discussion. An utter delight." So says Shannon Hale, author of The Princess Academy; which is the book we are reading for our February RS book group meeting. I wholeheartedly agree! Bookie Wookie reviewed Shannon Hale's Repunzel's Revenge.

I love youth and children's books. Maybe I'll be a children's librarian when I grow up.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Mortgage Free!

Woo-hooo!!

On 6 January 2009 we paid our final mortgage payment! This oddly shaped, almost re-roofed, paint peeled house is all ours!

Huzzzah!!!

Home Sweet Home

Monday, January 5, 2009

The 11th Day of Christmas

Wow! Where did that month go? Luckily I grabbed the camera a couple of times in the past four weeks and I'll post our happenings soon. We leave our Christmas decorations up until the 6th of January, the 12th day of Christmas; so, perhaps I'll get a chance to post some memories tonight. The short story: We stayed in Oxford this Christmas because Steve needed to replace our roof during his break from school. It was nice to be able to stay home for the holidays and "relax". All is well here: Emilie is working at Newks, I'm finally letting go of my month-long cough and trying to slow the pace down a bit now that we are into the New Year, Steve is achy from roofing, and Grandpa still needs a 12 hour/day sitter to help him to remember to keep his diabetic induced, neuropathy numb, wounded feet of the floor so they will heal. He's almost healed and then I can stay home a bit more and keep up with my blog.