Sunday Wrapup 12/5/2010
Warm and fuzzy feelings here. Last night I put all the electric "candles" in the windows, and tonight I remembered to unplug them briefly just at dark and then promptly plug them in again. This ensures that they will come on automatically every evening at the same time and burn for six hours before automatically shutting themselves off until the next evening.
I also remembered to light a candle at 7:00 in memory of all the children (and others) who have died. I unintentionally let it burn past 8:00, long after the people in the Mountain Time Zone had likely lit their candles. Compassionate Friends, an organization that provides support to families whose child has died, coordinates this yearly remembrance. This year Seth's death is fresh in our minds, but I'm also remembering Andrew and Marvin. All of these were grade-school-aged boys who died in accidents in our church community. I did not only light a candle. I prayed for the boys' families.
Whether associated with joy or grief, any light in this dark and cold season of the year seems like a good thing.
***********************
Hiromi's project of constructing a gas pottery-firing kiln moved forward a bit last week. He spent one day making clay fasteners for the insulation that goes around the "oven." Shane walked in while he was shaping rows of the little cone shaped pieces, punctured through the bottom of the cone with a hole for threading fastening wires.
"Play Dough?" he asked, taking in the scene of Hiromi at work at the dining room table.
Hiromi's project explains why two of our dining room chairs bear large disks topped with clay in the process of drying before it can be fired in the electric kiln we've had for a number of years. With Grant gone, no one sits in those chairs anyway.
We've always gotten lots of mileage out of our dining room space and furniture--which might explain why they're often not in picture-perfect condition.
**********************
On Friday evening we went to hear a group of 15 harpists play at Stutzman's Greenhouse's annual Christmas event: Evening Aglow. Hundreds of chairs are set up in the middle of one of the greenhouses, and music groups perform in a gazebo at the front of that space. All around are colorful poinsettias, lights and other sparkly or green or "snowy" things. Refreshments are offered.
We did not attend the informative meeting the same evening for the Anabaptist Financial Lending/Borrowing project. We had listed all three of the events that would have been nice to go to, and Hiromi said, "Let's go to Stutzmans. That's as far as I'll go."
While we were at Stutzmans he changed his mind and suggested we go to hear "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" too. I looked a little dubiously at his blue jeans, but we went anyway, to the Main Street Baptist church where the concert was to be held.
It was a wonderful event. The Reno Choral Society presents this every year, with variations on the selection of songs, and the featured singing groups. This year our own Lyle Stutzman was the guest conductor, and 34 of the 59 choir members were people from the Partridge area. Nearly all of these were Beachy folks, quite a few of them from our high school. Six of the Shenks participated. That was the most from one family, but there were several from each of a number of other families. Shalom Quartet was one of the featured singing groups. Three of the four male singers are from our church. Others from our churches participated as readers of the lessons (Scriptures).
The regular conductor has the reputation of being a trifle temperamental, and I think singing under Lyle's leadership rather than the regular conductor's was appealing to people who know Lyle and are used to singing with him. Hence the huge number of participants from our area.
**********************
Last week I wrote about the influx of animals on our farm. Our neighbors are getting in on the act. Across the road is a huge field of milo stubble. It is populated now by horses, and something else.
I counted at least 16 horses one day last week as some of them exited a stock trailer, but I noticed yesterday that the count had grown. Right in the middle of getting an updated number I encountered animals that looked from a quarter mile away like rodeo bulls. I really saw only thick-front bovine bodies and horns, so I'm not sure what all is out there. Horses and rodeo bulls would sound like a Rumford Rodeo set of animals, but who knows? A lot of the time they're more than 1/2 mile away. (Did I mention that it's a big field--about 320 acres?)
I'm keeping an eye on them and hope they spend some time foraging near the road that separates us. I'd like to get a better look.
***********************
If anyone out there is not properly grateful for their state extension service--well, your experience must have been very different from mine.
Last week, after scouring many seed catalogs and the internet, I could not find any seeds of the tomato that was a great success for us last year. Last year's supplier is not carrying it this year.
SOS to the county extension horticulture agent. She replied that she was checking with someone at Manhattan, where our state's agricultural college is. Within hours, we had a seed source. The only catch was that we had to buy 1,000 seeds. However, the state specialist was planning to buy one order of those seeds for trialing in the state, and he would be happy to sell us some of that seed. Is that great service or what?
This is one tax supported agency you won't hear me grumbling about.
**********************
The "Cancer" current events topic for the month at school is proving to require careful previewing of materials and careful explanations of relevant terms and treatment approaches. We especially wish to provide as truthful, informative, balanced, and unbiased a picture as is possible. At the same time, we're not averse to some challenging of the status quo, especially if it arises from the students' study.
The subject is understandably freighted with emotion for a lot of people. Because the stakes are high, people really want to get cancer treatment right. But what is right doesn't seem the same to everyone, and it's hard to bear when it feels like someone you love is getting it wrong. Or someone seems to be getting it right and it doesn't fit with what you thought was right.
All kinds of humility-inducing potential is present in cancer situations, as is stubbornness and pride-producing potential. God help us.
**********************
Lorne K. told us today that Dorothy Grove died recently in southern Ontario. She was the widow of Merlin, who was stabbed to death in 1962 in Somalia by a fanatical Muslim. Dorothy had come to investigate when she heard a ruckus, and the assailant was leaving just as she arrived. So he stabbed her too. She survived, however, with some lifelong aftereffects.
At the funeral recently, eight Christian Somali men came to honor Merlin and Dorothy's service. One of them was a boy in the line of children who were being processed for school admission by Merlin Grove on the day he died. Another person in the line had a knife hidden in his clothing, and when he got to the head of the line, he did his evil deed.
We're studying Job in Sunday school and, in the context of that study and with the memory of the Groves' sacrifice, Lorne reminded us that suffering in the course of doing the Lord's work is never wasted.
*********************
Jonathan Y., who has lived in Ireland with his family for about ten years gave a report of the work there on Wed. eve. He went to Ireland first with his parental family and now lives there with his wife and children.
One particularly compelling aspect of the ministry to Irish people is reaching out to troubled boys in a wilderness camp setting. This project isn't quite up and running yet, although navigating the red tape has been in progress for a very long time. Finding wilderness was one of the first challenges. Most of Ireland is cleared of forests. Then, because the remaining forest was on public land, getting permission for access and use of it was very difficult--impossible, in fact, their lawyer said. Not so, however, as has been proven by now. Doors seemed to open miraculously time after time, and things continued to progress.
In the pictures Jonathan showed, the "Emerald Isle" moniker seemed on target. Ancient castles, waterfront pictures of picturesque seagoing vessels, rugged coasts, and thatch-roofed houses were also featured.
On one group picture of the 50 or so people who attend church regularly with Jonathan's family, he pointed out William McG--- and his wife and daughter. William has Irish ancestry, and has lived there now for a number of years. Years ago, however, before he was married, he used to visit here frequently. One of his daughters lives here now, married to my cousin Arlyn. William is elderly and sometimes confused, but it was good to see his familiar face.
**********************
My nephew Andrew told me at the Stutzman's event that they had seen a Pileated Woodpecker in MO earlier in the week. They had gone there to spend some vacation time with my brother Ronald's family and Davey and LuAnn's family.
I have never seen this big woodpecker.
**********************
Lowell and Judy returned safely after more than three weeks in India. They reported good connections and safe travels. I'm eager to hear more details of their time there.
*********************
The nutrition class students at school are churning out many loaves of fresh bread in preparation for the nutrition banquet at the end of this week. The baking bread smells wonderful, but not being able to eat it promptly is a little torturous for everyone.
We hope to go shopping for ingredients on Wed. and then cook in class time on Thursday and Friday. This has required some very creative shuffling of class schedules since nutrition classes usually happen at the beginning of the week. But it looks like the schedule should be workable, especially with a lot of willingness to be flexible on the part of teachers and students who come in for individual classes.
**********************
Last week Hiromi worked a number of evenings. At first, when I got home, Shane's dogs were here to welcome me. But after Shane and Dorcas returned from their trip, I came home each evening to a quiet, forsaken house. I missed both Hiromi and the dogs.
**********************
I checked five books out of the church library collection today. Three of them were books of Christmas stories and writings. I wished I could read everything that was placed on the "library focus" table in the foyer. Books by Michael Card, Joe Wheeler, and Patricia St. John caught my eye.
I decided to go downstairs then and checked out several of the St. John books.
I also welcomed the opportunity to make suggestions for books the library might purchase. I wrote down books by Ralph Moody and G. A. Henty. The books are the kind my boys did or would have enjoyed as adolescents--almost as much as I would have or did enjoy reading them aloud to them. You know books are good if adults and children enjoy them equally.
********************
This past weekend I've been on a search again for some good drama scripts for high schoolers. The search was not very successful.
I concluded for the second time that being able to write a script from a good story would be a valuable skill and might be the best way to get a doable and suitable drama.
I am not solely responsible to find something, but I would be glad for suggestions. Authors? Stories? Ready-made plays?
I also remembered to light a candle at 7:00 in memory of all the children (and others) who have died. I unintentionally let it burn past 8:00, long after the people in the Mountain Time Zone had likely lit their candles. Compassionate Friends, an organization that provides support to families whose child has died, coordinates this yearly remembrance. This year Seth's death is fresh in our minds, but I'm also remembering Andrew and Marvin. All of these were grade-school-aged boys who died in accidents in our church community. I did not only light a candle. I prayed for the boys' families.
Whether associated with joy or grief, any light in this dark and cold season of the year seems like a good thing.
***********************
Hiromi's project of constructing a gas pottery-firing kiln moved forward a bit last week. He spent one day making clay fasteners for the insulation that goes around the "oven." Shane walked in while he was shaping rows of the little cone shaped pieces, punctured through the bottom of the cone with a hole for threading fastening wires.
"Play Dough?" he asked, taking in the scene of Hiromi at work at the dining room table.
Hiromi's project explains why two of our dining room chairs bear large disks topped with clay in the process of drying before it can be fired in the electric kiln we've had for a number of years. With Grant gone, no one sits in those chairs anyway.
We've always gotten lots of mileage out of our dining room space and furniture--which might explain why they're often not in picture-perfect condition.
**********************
On Friday evening we went to hear a group of 15 harpists play at Stutzman's Greenhouse's annual Christmas event: Evening Aglow. Hundreds of chairs are set up in the middle of one of the greenhouses, and music groups perform in a gazebo at the front of that space. All around are colorful poinsettias, lights and other sparkly or green or "snowy" things. Refreshments are offered.
We did not attend the informative meeting the same evening for the Anabaptist Financial Lending/Borrowing project. We had listed all three of the events that would have been nice to go to, and Hiromi said, "Let's go to Stutzmans. That's as far as I'll go."
While we were at Stutzmans he changed his mind and suggested we go to hear "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" too. I looked a little dubiously at his blue jeans, but we went anyway, to the Main Street Baptist church where the concert was to be held.
It was a wonderful event. The Reno Choral Society presents this every year, with variations on the selection of songs, and the featured singing groups. This year our own Lyle Stutzman was the guest conductor, and 34 of the 59 choir members were people from the Partridge area. Nearly all of these were Beachy folks, quite a few of them from our high school. Six of the Shenks participated. That was the most from one family, but there were several from each of a number of other families. Shalom Quartet was one of the featured singing groups. Three of the four male singers are from our church. Others from our churches participated as readers of the lessons (Scriptures).
The regular conductor has the reputation of being a trifle temperamental, and I think singing under Lyle's leadership rather than the regular conductor's was appealing to people who know Lyle and are used to singing with him. Hence the huge number of participants from our area.
**********************
Last week I wrote about the influx of animals on our farm. Our neighbors are getting in on the act. Across the road is a huge field of milo stubble. It is populated now by horses, and something else.
I counted at least 16 horses one day last week as some of them exited a stock trailer, but I noticed yesterday that the count had grown. Right in the middle of getting an updated number I encountered animals that looked from a quarter mile away like rodeo bulls. I really saw only thick-front bovine bodies and horns, so I'm not sure what all is out there. Horses and rodeo bulls would sound like a Rumford Rodeo set of animals, but who knows? A lot of the time they're more than 1/2 mile away. (Did I mention that it's a big field--about 320 acres?)
I'm keeping an eye on them and hope they spend some time foraging near the road that separates us. I'd like to get a better look.
***********************
If anyone out there is not properly grateful for their state extension service--well, your experience must have been very different from mine.
Last week, after scouring many seed catalogs and the internet, I could not find any seeds of the tomato that was a great success for us last year. Last year's supplier is not carrying it this year.
SOS to the county extension horticulture agent. She replied that she was checking with someone at Manhattan, where our state's agricultural college is. Within hours, we had a seed source. The only catch was that we had to buy 1,000 seeds. However, the state specialist was planning to buy one order of those seeds for trialing in the state, and he would be happy to sell us some of that seed. Is that great service or what?
This is one tax supported agency you won't hear me grumbling about.
**********************
The "Cancer" current events topic for the month at school is proving to require careful previewing of materials and careful explanations of relevant terms and treatment approaches. We especially wish to provide as truthful, informative, balanced, and unbiased a picture as is possible. At the same time, we're not averse to some challenging of the status quo, especially if it arises from the students' study.
The subject is understandably freighted with emotion for a lot of people. Because the stakes are high, people really want to get cancer treatment right. But what is right doesn't seem the same to everyone, and it's hard to bear when it feels like someone you love is getting it wrong. Or someone seems to be getting it right and it doesn't fit with what you thought was right.
All kinds of humility-inducing potential is present in cancer situations, as is stubbornness and pride-producing potential. God help us.
**********************
Lorne K. told us today that Dorothy Grove died recently in southern Ontario. She was the widow of Merlin, who was stabbed to death in 1962 in Somalia by a fanatical Muslim. Dorothy had come to investigate when she heard a ruckus, and the assailant was leaving just as she arrived. So he stabbed her too. She survived, however, with some lifelong aftereffects.
At the funeral recently, eight Christian Somali men came to honor Merlin and Dorothy's service. One of them was a boy in the line of children who were being processed for school admission by Merlin Grove on the day he died. Another person in the line had a knife hidden in his clothing, and when he got to the head of the line, he did his evil deed.
We're studying Job in Sunday school and, in the context of that study and with the memory of the Groves' sacrifice, Lorne reminded us that suffering in the course of doing the Lord's work is never wasted.
*********************
Jonathan Y., who has lived in Ireland with his family for about ten years gave a report of the work there on Wed. eve. He went to Ireland first with his parental family and now lives there with his wife and children.
One particularly compelling aspect of the ministry to Irish people is reaching out to troubled boys in a wilderness camp setting. This project isn't quite up and running yet, although navigating the red tape has been in progress for a very long time. Finding wilderness was one of the first challenges. Most of Ireland is cleared of forests. Then, because the remaining forest was on public land, getting permission for access and use of it was very difficult--impossible, in fact, their lawyer said. Not so, however, as has been proven by now. Doors seemed to open miraculously time after time, and things continued to progress.
In the pictures Jonathan showed, the "Emerald Isle" moniker seemed on target. Ancient castles, waterfront pictures of picturesque seagoing vessels, rugged coasts, and thatch-roofed houses were also featured.
On one group picture of the 50 or so people who attend church regularly with Jonathan's family, he pointed out William McG--- and his wife and daughter. William has Irish ancestry, and has lived there now for a number of years. Years ago, however, before he was married, he used to visit here frequently. One of his daughters lives here now, married to my cousin Arlyn. William is elderly and sometimes confused, but it was good to see his familiar face.
**********************
My nephew Andrew told me at the Stutzman's event that they had seen a Pileated Woodpecker in MO earlier in the week. They had gone there to spend some vacation time with my brother Ronald's family and Davey and LuAnn's family.
I have never seen this big woodpecker.
**********************
Lowell and Judy returned safely after more than three weeks in India. They reported good connections and safe travels. I'm eager to hear more details of their time there.
*********************
The nutrition class students at school are churning out many loaves of fresh bread in preparation for the nutrition banquet at the end of this week. The baking bread smells wonderful, but not being able to eat it promptly is a little torturous for everyone.
We hope to go shopping for ingredients on Wed. and then cook in class time on Thursday and Friday. This has required some very creative shuffling of class schedules since nutrition classes usually happen at the beginning of the week. But it looks like the schedule should be workable, especially with a lot of willingness to be flexible on the part of teachers and students who come in for individual classes.
**********************
Last week Hiromi worked a number of evenings. At first, when I got home, Shane's dogs were here to welcome me. But after Shane and Dorcas returned from their trip, I came home each evening to a quiet, forsaken house. I missed both Hiromi and the dogs.
**********************
I checked five books out of the church library collection today. Three of them were books of Christmas stories and writings. I wished I could read everything that was placed on the "library focus" table in the foyer. Books by Michael Card, Joe Wheeler, and Patricia St. John caught my eye.
I decided to go downstairs then and checked out several of the St. John books.
I also welcomed the opportunity to make suggestions for books the library might purchase. I wrote down books by Ralph Moody and G. A. Henty. The books are the kind my boys did or would have enjoyed as adolescents--almost as much as I would have or did enjoy reading them aloud to them. You know books are good if adults and children enjoy them equally.
********************
This past weekend I've been on a search again for some good drama scripts for high schoolers. The search was not very successful.
I concluded for the second time that being able to write a script from a good story would be a valuable skill and might be the best way to get a doable and suitable drama.
I am not solely responsible to find something, but I would be glad for suggestions. Authors? Stories? Ready-made plays?
posted by Mrs. I at
6:33 PM
7 Comments:
In case your eldest didn't tell you already, you might be interested to know that the entire (to my knowledge) Center Church library is available at the library project he's been working on.
-His accomplice
By
Anonymous, at 12/06/2010
You asked for suggestions for drama scripts. Whenever I need a skit script, I go searching through our A Beka Literature books. They have interesting and fun skits-- I especially like "The Ugly Duckling", "Drama on the High Seas" and a few others. Their stories are adaptable to skit form as well. You remember that I adapted Tolstoy's "What Men Live By" for the youth group parents' evening at Retreat.
We have these books, and the resource center would have them as well.
By
Jewel, at 12/06/2010
Need to come see us! We see pileated woodpeckers quite regularly in the woods behind the house in the winter. They come to the suet feeder on the deck. Saw at least three at one time already.
By
Dorcas Byler, at 12/06/2010
The Masts are a close second to the Shenks. All five of the Willard Mast family participated in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
See this link for an article and a picture of one of the rehearsals for this presentation--Linda Rose
http://www.hutchnews.com/Preview/PREVIEW-Reno-Choral-Society
By
Anonymous, at 12/07/2010
What was the name of the tomato variety that you liked? What did you like about it? More info, please.
By
Rosina, at 12/12/2010
Fabulous. It has the "good flavor" gene that results in high levels of furaneol, which corresponds to what is often present in tomatoes that win taste contests.
The flavor was outstanding, the fruit was large and beautiful, the plants were fairly blight resistant. It is a determinate variety, but these kept producing some fruit all summer long. Ask us if you'd like to buy some seed or plants. I don't think you'll readily find either one available elsewhere. The Hort. agent said other people also had good reports and she doesn't know why the seed is not more readily available this year.
We also grew Mountain Glory and were far less favorably impressed with it than with Fabulous. Mt. Glory is part of the "Mountain" series. This one had the gene inserted by traditional breeding. Scarlet Red, Red Defender, and SecuriTY are other varieties with the gene--acquired also by traditional breeding. Harris Seeds has some of these. We haven't tried them.
By
Mrs. I, at 12/12/2010
I would love to buy a few seeds to try next year. I enjoy experimenting with plants, and I'm always looking for varieties that work well in Kansas. I'd be very interested in a post of the different vegetable varieties you have tried with the results you've had. Can't you tell I have spring fever already?:)
By
Rosina, at 12/15/2010
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