Hello from just over the hilltop in Norwood where the people who dwell there have been extremely occupied and sometimes not even home. It’s hard to believe that two weeks have gone by since I last wrote you and so much has gone over the dam as the saying goes. And it’s all good!
Backing up to the eclipse I had wanted to share that Dick took two pieces of paper, put a pin hole in one, and we went out in the driveway to “view” our own little model of this magnificent display. It wasn’t the same as those who traveled to see it, but we saw it never the less and how gloriously it speaks of God’s sustaining order and the beauty of His creation.
Visits with friends
We had dear friends of our children come to visit for an afternoon from the Boston area and had a wonderful time catching up on life on our front porch with Carl and Emily. Carl had lived with us when he was a college student at Clarkson and met Emily at our weekly hymn sing and Bible study. Watching them begin a relationship was special and I remember hearing the song “The Way You Look Tonight” played over and over and over while Carl was studying. I smiled because I was sure he was thinking of her. They have been married about twelve years or so and have two daughters. What an honor it was they wanted to spend an afternoon with us!
Dick has finished the porch with his friend Mark, worked at the church getting it ready for fall and winter, found a new doctor and really liked him, and has built me bookshelves in my little corner of the closet. We have gone to baptisms at Higley in Colton, had lunch with friends Hughie and Sharon at Hometown, supper with our son Eric at Hometown, and have a new driveway. I think there has been other things going on but I didn’t write them down and thus they have left my mind.
Family Fun
One of the most special outings was going downstate to meet our newest granddaughter, Emma. She looks so much like Kate as a baby and was beginning to focus and seemingly smile at me whenever I would sing to her. One of the songs I sang to all of my babies and many of the grandchildren was “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” She would just stare at me and smile a little which is so precious a memory.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.
Papa Dick and Sam, two and a half, played and laughed and played and laughed. I guess Papa found a grandchild that actually laughs at his antics instead of staring at him, and then joins in with him. The two of them were hilarious. One of the days while there, we took Sam for a ride to visit his cousins, Garrett, Heidi, and Elsa. We had lunch with them and a hectic but lovely visit. Karen and Jami were good sports for having us on short notice as I wanted to let Kate have a few hours of quiet and rest while we had a great time with Sam. The only problem with trips and such young grandchildren….is it takes us longer to recover when home. But recover we do and it’s all worth the while.
I’ve been thinking about ……the Proverb that says “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Isn’t it interesting that so many people seem to have an opinion on matters before all the facts are available? I learned that in trying to parent effectively, I needed to know facts about the situation or problem, ask questions, and then have each child take full responsibility for their part in the quarrel or problem. It didn’t matter who started it. It mattered how it finished. My goal was to work out problems and have each child look at their role and response in each situation. It is hard work parenting. A full time position that should be taken seriously and professionally. I say that because homemaking and parenting has taken a bad rap by many professionals and yet it is the oldest profession in history. Out of it springs all other occupations, such as nursing, interior decorating, bakeries and diners, secretaries, counselors, etc. Oops, I got sidetracked so back to my thought on emotional responses instead of waiting patiently for the facts and complete information before we speak our mind. Let’s not allow our tongue become a folly and shame to us.
I saw the unknown quote this morning and will end with hopefully an encouragement to check ourselves in the use of our thoughts and tongue. “The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.” May we always be on guard and very careful to build one another up. Love, Sharon