Family Patterns

Those of you who know my parental family well no doubt remember the very regular gender pattern of three girls, three boys, three girls, and three boys, in that order.

I've noticed a few other less obvious patterns. In one stretch, there are five whose children all have two Beachy preacher grandpas. One of them is my dad, of course. The other grandpas have these surnames: Yoder, Mast, Byler, Schrock, and Stutzman. They are the children of Lowell, Lois, Dorcas, Clara, and Ronald.

Some of us are still single. Of the remaining ones who are married, I am the only one who didn't marry someone whose surname starts with "H." The "H" surnames are Hass, Hodgson, and Hoover. Caleb, Carol, and Myron married those "H's."

Of those who were born to my parents, my sister Lois and my brother Lowell are the only ones who have never been a classroom teacher. Lois is a nurse, and Lowell has been in many church teaching assignments here (at Calvary Bible School) and abroad (Nicaragua and India). My brother Caleb started teaching later in life than most of us, but he is the only one who has taught every year since he started teaching--in about 1983 at Goshen College. He soon switched schools, but never left teaching.

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Tonight our children and their spouses were here for our annual tempura feast. From them I heard a new term they're using for themselves: BK--Blogger's Kid. Unbeknownst to me they've been commiserating with others of their ilk.

I survived being a PK (Preacher's Kid). I guess they'll survive being BKs.

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Hiromi has become very fond of Sadie. He especially likes her smile and couldn't resist bringing her here to live. At first he just called her "The Lady" till I said I thought she should have a proper name. So now she's Sadie, the lady.

Hiromi fell in love with Sadie at Wal-Mart, and she became his for a little less than $8.00. She is a scarecrow, and she's been manning her post next to the front door ever since he brought her home. That is, she's been manning the post when she's not lying flat on her face on the porch floor or when she's tilting a bit crazily sideways. The Kansas wind plays havoc with her balance, despite Hiromi's having tethered her with twine to the flower pot hooks on the porch wall, but the face plants, at least, are a thing of the past.

Sadie is wearing jeans and a farmerish checkered shirt. Why he thinks she's a lady is beyond me. Nothing about her is the slightest bit feminine, except perhaps that bewitching smile.

I suppose it's the same spirit that prompts Hiromi to refer to every annoying insect as a she. He hasn't quite conformed to the pattern of using masculine gender for every indefinite-gender creature. Way ahead of the feminists in this regard.

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The grandbaby's due date is four weeks away. Yay!!!

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The matter of Cedar Crest preachers is one of the late Ed and Lizzie Nisly extended family's trivia stories. One of their sons, Daniel, is a minister there. His nephew Leland (Lee) N. is the bishop. Another nephew, Donald (Don) M., is a minister. A third nephew, Brad N., was ordained just over a week ago. A niece, Janet, is married to the deacon, James S. None of them are Daniel's children, and none of them are siblings.

Six (unless I'm forgetting someone) other Nisly grandsons are ordained elsewhere. One of them is Daniel's son. Two are Janet's brothers, and one is Brad's brother. The other two have no siblings among the Cedar Crest minister's families. They come from seven different parental families. They serve in Canada, Costa Rica, New York City, Virginia, and at Center and Cornerstone in Kansas.

My uncle, Paul M., is the retired bishop at Cedar Crest. Paul and Daniel are first cousins.

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I'm getting some very welcome responses to my request for articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Thanks to Judith N., Valetta Y., and Keith T. for ideas and links. I used to teach and live with Keith's mom, Esther, and she passed along my request. He's living and serving among Muslims in a major US city. I'd still be happy for more articles.