I've written a few times about a family in France who adopted me as Aunt Alice over 20 years ago. As most international families, they are scattered around the world and it's been several years since they were all together. Greg is married and lives in Dallas with their 1 year old son. Heather and her husband from Tahiti live in Minot ND. Geoffrey and his bride live in France and Jeremy, the youngest who just received his baccalaureate (i.e. finished French high school) still lives with Mom and Dad in France. All 10 of them gathered for several days of fun at Grandpa's house on the lake. The blessing for me is that Grandpa lives about an hour away from the Twin Cities so I was able to join them for a day.
None of what we did together really makes for a very good story. We just ate too much, took a snooze on the couch, told stories, were completely entertained by a one year old who can't talk, dropped Greg and his family off at the airport, spent several hours at the Mall of America where the main attraction was a few rides in Nickelodeon Universe. Then we ate some more with at least 3 conversations going on at once around the table. It was just an ordinary day (except for Jeremy getting sick from a lack of sleep combined with a Red Bull and too many amusement park rides). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed it and willingly stayed up past my bedtime to make it last a bit longer. Sometimes it's good to just catch up with what is happening in the lives of those we love, to hear where progress has been made and of future plans and dreams. I am currently in a situation where I'm meeting lots of new people and it was wonderful to spend a day with friends with a long history and nothing needs to be explained.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Reading to Audrey
For the last couple of months I've been volunteering at a nearby nursing home. I was matched up with Audrey (not her real name), a 97 year old woman who is in bed all the time except for the evening meal. She wasn't very talkative at the beginning. My questions seemed to frustrate her. When I found she played the piano I tried to find out what kind of music she had played but she didn't remember. My question about who her favorite authors were was met with a similar response as if I was making her think too hard. The 2nd or 3rd time I stopped to visit she asked if I would read to her. I was glad to so I started in on a book chosen by her daughter. We are nearing the end of that book and have settled into a routine. I try to get there around 4 on Tuesday afternoon when she is awake after a nap. I ask how she is to which she usually responds, "Oh, about the same." I tell her a bit about my week and she usually remembers what I have told her before. Soon she asks if I'm going to read so I get the book and read until someone comes to get her up for dinner.
Once I thought Audrey had fallen asleep so I stopped reading. Her eyes popped open and she told me she was listening even though her eyes were closed. A few weeks ago she really did fall asleep as there was no response when I reached the end of a chapter. A few minutes later she woke up and felt bad for falling asleep. I asked her what was the last thing she remembered and picked it up from there. That reassured me that she really was listening and understanding. Since she is rather hard of hearing sometimes when we are talking she asks me to repeat something several times. Though she has never stopped me when I'm reading, I've wondered how much she actually understands. That little episode told me that she is at least getting the gist of the story.
This past week she declared that it was too hot to read. She'd fall asleep for sure. It was warmer in her room than usual and we discovered later that the AC had been turned off on her side of the room. Instead of reading we watched a TV game show and then the news together. She always has her TV on mute but her roommate on the other side of the curtain had hers tuned to the same channel so I could hear what was going on and fill in some of the details for Audrey.
Once I thought Audrey had fallen asleep so I stopped reading. Her eyes popped open and she told me she was listening even though her eyes were closed. A few weeks ago she really did fall asleep as there was no response when I reached the end of a chapter. A few minutes later she woke up and felt bad for falling asleep. I asked her what was the last thing she remembered and picked it up from there. That reassured me that she really was listening and understanding. Since she is rather hard of hearing sometimes when we are talking she asks me to repeat something several times. Though she has never stopped me when I'm reading, I've wondered how much she actually understands. That little episode told me that she is at least getting the gist of the story.
This past week she declared that it was too hot to read. She'd fall asleep for sure. It was warmer in her room than usual and we discovered later that the AC had been turned off on her side of the room. Instead of reading we watched a TV game show and then the news together. She always has her TV on mute but her roommate on the other side of the curtain had hers tuned to the same channel so I could hear what was going on and fill in some of the details for Audrey.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Estate Sale
(This blog is late since I do not yet have internet in my new home. It should be working by Thursday evening.)
I spent Friday and much of Saturday helping a friend with an
estate sale she was doing for Vicky, a relative who had moved to assisted
living. Vicky had been in the diplomatic corps so had lived in several
different countries including India, China, Turkey and at least one North
African country. As a result furniture, brass, clocks, artwork, linens, clothes, lead crystal dishes and much more from all over the world were for sale. I had a hard time imagining how all of the items displayed had actually
fit in her 2-bedroom condo. Most of the time I kept an eye on the jewelry and
helped with the cash box.
I am amazed at how much time some people can spend looking and re-looking at everything being sure not to miss anything. I identified more with the practical folk who looked through the kitchen things for something they needed and made a quick tour through the other rooms. At the end of the first day I spotted a couscousière on the floor in the dining room. I told the women in charge that if it didn’t sell I would take it. They responded that since I knew what it was, I could take it right then as long as I promised to invite them over some cous-cous. The fulfillment of that promise will have to wait until the weather cools down
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A Lesson Learned From Moving
A couple of months ago my flatmate told me she wanted to get a place on her own. I couldn't afford to live by myself and didn't really want to either so I faced the task of finding not only a place to live but also someone to live with. At times it seemed rather daunting. The first person suggested to me graduated from HS last year. There's nothing wrong with being 19 but I go to school with people in their 20s and the same is true for most people in my church. I really wanted some maturity in my life but it seemed that everyone who wanted/needed to live with someone else was under the age of 25, young enough to be my daughter. I checked out a couple of places I found on craigslist but I didn't like the idea of moving in with strangers. On the days I was anxious God would remind me that he would take care of me.
For about a month I thought I had found a solution. It was somewhat open ended since it depended on a couple from my church being able to buy a duplex. In the end that didn't work out and I was back to worrying again and being reminded that I'm to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer make my requests known to God. As I did that I put an "ad" up at a large church. Within a couple of days I got an email from Jan. Long story short, she is a few years older than myself, has spent time living overseas, is back in school and wants to rent out two of the three extra bedrooms in her home that just happens to be across the street from two good friends of mine. Once we learned that we have some mutual friends, it didn't really feel like we were strangers. I am very thankful for the place and the people God provided in this great situation.
This past week as moving day approached God had to remind me once again that he is taking care of me. I was anxious about the actual moving process. My church talks a lot about being family to one another but it felt like my appeal for help in moving was falling on deaf ears. There was no need to be anxious about it. I should have remembered that I don't have lot of stuff (some of which is going back to my parents). And the help God provided was just what was needed: a family with their horse trailer and 3 hard working kids, a young man who is like a little brother to me and looked at it as his workout for the day and the two friends from across the street. Despite breaking the glass that covers the vegetable crisper in the fridge and spilling fruit salad in my car, I had a few minutes to put my feet up before everyone arrived a little after 6 yesterday evening. We had everything unloaded, the bed put together and were finished eating by 8:45.
I now have a guestroom and a housemate who is glad for the company so come visit!
For about a month I thought I had found a solution. It was somewhat open ended since it depended on a couple from my church being able to buy a duplex. In the end that didn't work out and I was back to worrying again and being reminded that I'm to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer make my requests known to God. As I did that I put an "ad" up at a large church. Within a couple of days I got an email from Jan. Long story short, she is a few years older than myself, has spent time living overseas, is back in school and wants to rent out two of the three extra bedrooms in her home that just happens to be across the street from two good friends of mine. Once we learned that we have some mutual friends, it didn't really feel like we were strangers. I am very thankful for the place and the people God provided in this great situation.
This past week as moving day approached God had to remind me once again that he is taking care of me. I was anxious about the actual moving process. My church talks a lot about being family to one another but it felt like my appeal for help in moving was falling on deaf ears. There was no need to be anxious about it. I should have remembered that I don't have lot of stuff (some of which is going back to my parents). And the help God provided was just what was needed: a family with their horse trailer and 3 hard working kids, a young man who is like a little brother to me and looked at it as his workout for the day and the two friends from across the street. Despite breaking the glass that covers the vegetable crisper in the fridge and spilling fruit salad in my car, I had a few minutes to put my feet up before everyone arrived a little after 6 yesterday evening. We had everything unloaded, the bed put together and were finished eating by 8:45.
I now have a guestroom and a housemate who is glad for the company so come visit!
Monday, June 18, 2012
HS class reunion
This past weekend as full of family events. Friday evening I attended the third wedding in four weeks where the toasts were done with milk and cookies. Saturday I played with my niece who still doesn't like it when I win. Sunday I attended an aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. My aunt had saved all the cards she had received and one of her granddaughters modeled the pink bride's maid dress. My uncle remembers being on time to the rehearsal while bride showed up late. At that time on the farm, it was impossible to start the wedding before 8 pm. The farmers had to have time to finish their chores. Uncle Wes remembers looking up at the clock as they cut the cake and seeing that it was already after 10 pm.
The other event of the weekend was my 26th high school class reunion on Saturday evening. I guess we weren't organized enough to do it last year and in the end it grew to include the classes of '85 to '88. There were 11 in my class and 19 in the '87 class so even though four classes were included we all knew each other. Most of us haven't changed a whole lot. I recognized all but two people, though I must admit that the name tags helped remind me of the name that went with the face. A few weeks ago I dug out a paper I had written as a senior for English class that described our class. Reading through it brought back memories of events and personalities I had long since forgotten. And I noticed the other night that though we may be a little grayer or a little rounder, our personalities haven't changed. I also noticed that thankfully, my writing has gotten better over the years.
Here's the opening paragraph to my paper describing the class of 1986.
During the last four years our class has developed its own personality. As a class we tend to be on the lazy side when it comes to school work. We would just as soon not have to take notes. We would rather sit around and talk which is something we are very good at. Since we are such good talkers we can get into good discussions if the subject seems to interest us. If not then we just get the teachers off the subject. We are just an average class in most areas. We are average students, musicians, and athletes. We have different individuals who are stronger in one area than another, but on the whole we are just an average bunch of kids. If we put our minds to it we can do just about anything. One of the reasons is we get along fairly well. It helps when there is more girls than guys. That means the girls can overrule the guys which of course makes everything work more smoothly. There are times when “majority rules.” We are also very good at having a good time. We had all-night parties our freshman and senior years and had a great time. We were just a little tired the next day. We are also a rather creative bunch. We were a wedding party our junior year during homecoming week. As seniors we came up with the awesome idea of dressing up like crayons. Our one problem is we forgot to bring a color camera to record the event. Only our class could think of something as interesting as those two ideas.
The other event of the weekend was my 26th high school class reunion on Saturday evening. I guess we weren't organized enough to do it last year and in the end it grew to include the classes of '85 to '88. There were 11 in my class and 19 in the '87 class so even though four classes were included we all knew each other. Most of us haven't changed a whole lot. I recognized all but two people, though I must admit that the name tags helped remind me of the name that went with the face. A few weeks ago I dug out a paper I had written as a senior for English class that described our class. Reading through it brought back memories of events and personalities I had long since forgotten. And I noticed the other night that though we may be a little grayer or a little rounder, our personalities haven't changed. I also noticed that thankfully, my writing has gotten better over the years.
Here's the opening paragraph to my paper describing the class of 1986.
During the last four years our class has developed its own personality. As a class we tend to be on the lazy side when it comes to school work. We would just as soon not have to take notes. We would rather sit around and talk which is something we are very good at. Since we are such good talkers we can get into good discussions if the subject seems to interest us. If not then we just get the teachers off the subject. We are just an average class in most areas. We are average students, musicians, and athletes. We have different individuals who are stronger in one area than another, but on the whole we are just an average bunch of kids. If we put our minds to it we can do just about anything. One of the reasons is we get along fairly well. It helps when there is more girls than guys. That means the girls can overrule the guys which of course makes everything work more smoothly. There are times when “majority rules.” We are also very good at having a good time. We had all-night parties our freshman and senior years and had a great time. We were just a little tired the next day. We are also a rather creative bunch. We were a wedding party our junior year during homecoming week. As seniors we came up with the awesome idea of dressing up like crayons. Our one problem is we forgot to bring a color camera to record the event. Only our class could think of something as interesting as those two ideas.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Rugby fun
One of the things I missed when I moved to France was American football. There was plenty of soccer and some basketball but I missed football on those perfect fall Saturday and Sunday afternoons. To help compensate, I discovered rugby. It's a team sport that France is actually pretty good at and games were often televised. It is a rather simple game. The basic rules include: stay on your side of the ball; pass backwards; kick forwards; and the ball carrier must let go of the ball when tackled. But as with most games, there are plenty of other rules and strategies are far more in depth than I could understand from my armchair. But thanks to come good commentators who explained the nuances of the game, I learned to enjoy it and missed it when I returned to the US.
I was delighted when some friends of mine, told me that their son plays on the JV rugby team at Edina high school. I made it to one game during this spring season which actually ended up being a scrimmage since it is hard to find teams that want to play a JV team. But yesterday I was able to watch Esteban and his team play in the state semi-finals. They were playing a team from Duluth that had beat them badly in the first game of the season when (to quote one father) "we didn't know what we were doing." The boys have figured it out since then and on a windy hot day the teams played a hard fought game. Edina scored the first time they got their hands on the ball. Then Duluth took the ball and marched the length of the field into the wind completely dominating the rugby equivalent of the line of scrimmage. They continued to dominate in ball possession and it looked like it might be a long afternoon for Edina. But their defense stiffened and they got more serious about protecting the ball in the rucks. And Esteban, from his fullback position (similar to a safety in football), stuck his nose in there and helped turned the tide of the momentum. In the end Edina's defense stiffened and they pulled away in the 2nd half. It helped to have a strong and fast runner who gave some viscious stiff arms to break away for some tries and who was able to chase down one of the Duluth break-aways right at the goal line. I had other obligations today so I didn't see the finals today but they won and Esteban was named the MVP. Well done! I look forward to watching Esteban play varsity next season.
I was delighted when some friends of mine, told me that their son plays on the JV rugby team at Edina high school. I made it to one game during this spring season which actually ended up being a scrimmage since it is hard to find teams that want to play a JV team. But yesterday I was able to watch Esteban and his team play in the state semi-finals. They were playing a team from Duluth that had beat them badly in the first game of the season when (to quote one father) "we didn't know what we were doing." The boys have figured it out since then and on a windy hot day the teams played a hard fought game. Edina scored the first time they got their hands on the ball. Then Duluth took the ball and marched the length of the field into the wind completely dominating the rugby equivalent of the line of scrimmage. They continued to dominate in ball possession and it looked like it might be a long afternoon for Edina. But their defense stiffened and they got more serious about protecting the ball in the rucks. And Esteban, from his fullback position (similar to a safety in football), stuck his nose in there and helped turned the tide of the momentum. In the end Edina's defense stiffened and they pulled away in the 2nd half. It helped to have a strong and fast runner who gave some viscious stiff arms to break away for some tries and who was able to chase down one of the Duluth break-aways right at the goal line. I had other obligations today so I didn't see the finals today but they won and Esteban was named the MVP. Well done! I look forward to watching Esteban play varsity next season.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Wedding Fun
Weddings are all pretty much the same. A joyful bride and groom say their vows, exchange their rings and a pastor says a few things that nobody really listens to - least of all the bride and groom. Top it all off with some cake and voilà, you have an American wedding. There is more to the ceremony than that and most people serve more than cake but there really isn't a lot of room for variation. Yet somehow the personalities of the bride and groom show through.
Last weekend I attended Janelle and Jared's wedding and there were plenty of things that showed their personalities (and that of their mothers). Jared and his groomsmen entered to Star Wars music led by his pastor who fought really hard to keep a straight face. Janelle grew up in France so there was some French thrown into the ceremony. But the thing that stood out to me was the obvious joy on Janelle's father's face. I have never seen a more happy father of the bride. I think his smile was bigger than Janelle's as he walked her down the aisle to give his precious daughter to Jared. And if you know Steve and weren't there, you missed your one chance to see him dance.
A great side benefit for me was getting to see my "French nieces and nephews." When I arrived in France over 20 years ago I worked with 2 families whose children called me Aunt Alice. Actually those first few years it was Aunt Allie since the younger ones couldn't quite get out "Alice." Janelle was one of those little ones along with her two brothers, Stephen & Nathan and their four "cousins" from the other family, Greg, Heather, Geoffrey & Jeremy. The love they showered on me helped make my adjustment to France go more smoothly. Over the years they gave me the excuse to decorate cookies, play games, attend all kinds of sporting events, go to the circus, River Dance and a live performance of Beauty and the Beast. I don't have many opportunities to see them any more so it was a special treat to catch up with Janelle's two brothers and meet Greg's 11-month-old son as well as Heather's husband. For this aunt, it will be too long before we are together again.
A great side benefit for me was getting to see my "French nieces and nephews." When I arrived in France over 20 years ago I worked with 2 families whose children called me Aunt Alice. Actually those first few years it was Aunt Allie since the younger ones couldn't quite get out "Alice." Janelle was one of those little ones along with her two brothers, Stephen & Nathan and their four "cousins" from the other family, Greg, Heather, Geoffrey & Jeremy. The love they showered on me helped make my adjustment to France go more smoothly. Over the years they gave me the excuse to decorate cookies, play games, attend all kinds of sporting events, go to the circus, River Dance and a live performance of Beauty and the Beast. I don't have many opportunities to see them any more so it was a special treat to catch up with Janelle's two brothers and meet Greg's 11-month-old son as well as Heather's husband. For this aunt, it will be too long before we are together again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)