Xanga

 

 

Hawthorne Reunion

Monday Evening, August 13

 

 

Roasting Hot Dogs – my cousin Doug, my cousin Bonnie’s husband Denny, and my Uncle Norm (Orpha’s husband).

 

 

 

 

It was not a large group this year, but we had so much fun.

 

 

This is my mother’s family. Four of the eight siblings (including my mother) have gone home to the Lord. My mother’s brother Lester is on the far right.

 

 

Hazel (in blue) is Lester’s wife, and my mother’s sister Orpha is on the right. She is the one who most reminds me of Mother – especially her voice.

 

 

My cousin Bonnie talking to my niece Amy.

 

 

Uzziah riding bike.

 

 

 

The Lord your God is with you, a Powerful One Who wins the battle.

Zephaniah 3:17 (New Life Version)

 

 

 

Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Celebration

For Leon & Velma

Sunday, August 12

 

 

Cerwin talking to Leon in the reception line. Velma is Cerwin’s first cousin. Her dad and Cerwin’s mother were brother and sister. Velma’s dad, Aaron, died many years ago.

 

 

The celebration was held a New Covenant Mennonite Fellowship, New Holland, Pennsylvania.

 

 

Leon and Velma helped to plan this day, but their children surprised and honored them with a special program. One of their children pulled this couch to a spot where they could see what was happening. Seated on the right is their best man and his wife. The maid of honor could not be there.

 

 

A son-in-law played and sang a few songs from their wedding.

Some of you will recognize him as a member of a local a capella gospel group – Garment of Praise.

 

 

His family joined him for their last song.

 

 

Another of Leon and Velma’s daughters and her family honored them with a song.

 

 

A son and  his family.

 

 

The view behind Leon and Velma

 

 

Leon and Velma’s entire family – children and grandchildren.

 

 

 

 

Posing with the cake and balloons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their wedding party – minus the maid of honor. The lady seated on the left filled in for her.

 

 

 

 

This appears to have been the transportation of a local “horse and buggy Mennonite couple.”

 

 

Carriages are a common thing in this area – sometimes Amish – other times Old Order Mennonite.

 

~~~

It was a wonderful afternoon.

~~~

 

 

 

Wisdom that comes from above leads us to be

pure, friendly, gentle, sensible,

kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.

James 3:17 (Contemporary English Version)

 

 

 

A 70th Birthday Party

For Cerwin’s Sister Velda

 

 

Velda talking to a guest.

 

 

The party was held in their daughter Dorretta’s basement. That’s our daughter Deb and our grandson Ian in red shirts.

 

 

 

 

A delicious red velvet cake.

 

 

Velda’s son-in-law Dave and our son-in-law Roy. If they spent too much time together, they would surely make some trouble.

 

 

Don and Denise

This looks like a serious brother-sister discussion.

 

 

Mel and Velda’s children – Denise, Donald, and Dorretta.

Dave and Denise and their children being here for the party was the big surprise for Velda, as they live in Florida.

 

 

 

 

Parents and children

Mel and Donald in the back. Denise, Velda, and Dorretta.

 

 

Left to right: Dave & Denise, Rod & Dorretta, Donald & Gabi, and Mel & Velda.

 

 

 

 

Five of Mel and Velda’s grandchildren: Shtefan, Sami, Haley (soon to be granddaughter-in-law), Dan, and Jeremy.

The four not pictured: Justin (who is engaged to Haley), Megan (who will soon marry Eric), and Brittany.

 

~~~

 

Dorretta asked me to email her some photos of Velda for a slide show at the party. I thought you may enjoy seeing them.

Cerwin is seventeen months older than her.

Cerwin, Daddy, Velda, and Mother.

 

 

 

Velda and Cerwin

 

 

 

 

 

 

After their brother Elvin joined the family.

 

 

 

 

Velda, Mother, Doris, Daddy, Elvin, Cerwin.

Cerwin’s sister Thelma had Down syndrome and was born between Velda and Elvin. She died before she was two years old. Cerwin thought she was about eighteen months old. 

His family loves a “dream” that Daddy had a few weeks before he died.

He was walking down a street of Heaven when he met three teenage girls who were talking and laughing. One of them looked at him and said, “Hi, Daddy.”

When Daddy looked puzzled, she said, “You don’t know me do you. I’m your daughter Thelma.”

Daddy wept when he told us, “She no longer had Down syndrome.

 

 

 

Know that the LORD is God.
He made us, and we belong to him.
We are his people, the sheep he takes care of.

Psalm 100:3 (Easy-to-Read Version)

 

 

 

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

Oh What a Beautiful Day

Thursday, August 9

 

 

Those words came to my mind as I left our house…

 

 

…and traveled over our narrow country road.

 

 

I wanted to stay here and take in the delightful morning, but I had things to do and places to be.

 

 

When I got home a lone hummingbird was feeding.

 

 

They have been busy this summer.

 

~~~

 

It was a good day, and got even better by evening when…

…our daughter-in-law Kristen brought us nineteen packs of corn – ready for the freezer.

 

 

Thanks, Kristen.

 

 

 

She knows that corn for our freezer is one of my favorite gifts.

 

~~~

If we had known what a blessing it is to have daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, we would have had more children!

~~~

 

 

 

 

I know that you can do everything and that your plans are unstoppable.

Job 42:2 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

 

 

 

My View of An

Evening Primrose

In Geff & Sharyn Stoner’s Gardens

 

 

It appeared that we were going to have a repeat of the night before, so I kept on taking pictures of Sharyn’s garden handiwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geff was disappointed that I didn’t get to see and photograph a primrose opening.

He said they go from a bud to an open flower in about two minutes.

 

 

He said he was going to find out when they opened by going outside every half hour before he went to bed.

We left shortly after 9 p.m.

 

~~~

I told him that I would be back in the morning to photograph the open flowers.

~~~

 

When I went back in the morning, there were between 45 and 50 pretty flowers with a scent of citrus.

 

 

Geff said they began opening sometime after 10 p.m.

 

 

The evening primrose is one of the few native wild flowers in North America.

 

 

All parts of the evening primrose plant can be eaten.

 

 

I loved this: It is considered to have a wide array of medicinal uses from relieving headaches and inducing labor to curing baldness and as a treatment for laziness.

 

 

Maybe I should eat a few primrose plants on days when I feel lazy.

 

 

I read that bats and moths are attracted to the newly opened blossoms at night. It appears that bees like the pollen as well.

 

 

The end to my delightful, primrose saga.

 

~~~

Thanks, Geff and Sharyn for putting up with us for two evenings.

~~~

 

 

 

I want you woven into a tapestry of love,

in touch with everything there is to know of God.

Colossians 2:2 (The Message)