Bittersweet

Did you click this post thinking it was going to be a thoughtful post about a bittersweet life experience?

Sorry - it's about the plant that bring beautiful color to this time of year.

Mom liked bittersweet. If my memory is correct, she took vines from their Hide-A-Way Hills lot and planted them on the back fence at Oak Street. 

Mom frequently decorated with bittersweet in the autumn. 

Mom's & Dad's cat sunning with the bittersweet 

in the kitchen table corner at their house

My sisters and I found this bittersweet when we took 

a walk in one sister's Massachusetts neighborhood. 

We took some inside - to bring a bit of Mom and autumn into their home. 

Now - for the rest of the story: Click here if you'd like to learn the difference between American bittersweet, Oriental bittersweet (one is an invasive species and the other is a protected species), true bittersweet and why it's called bittersweet. 

You don't need to know any of this to enjoy the beauty of this colorful plant. 

Aunt Dorothy - Julia's Arrival in Hamburg, Germany

Aunt Dorothy

March 8, 1933 - November 6, 2012

I arrived in Hamburg, Germany December  29, 1961. My father's brother David was posted there with the Foreign Service. Dorothy had her hands full with twins, born April 1959, and another boy born April 1960. I went over to help with children and attend Helene Lange Schule, a German girls’ school. I was a sophomore in high school. I flew home in June 1962. 

Aunt Dorothy and Uncle David wrote this letter to Mom and Dad about a week after my arrival in Hamburg. It was written probably Tuesday, January 2, 1962.

**************

Tuesday

Dear Mary and Bill,

Julie has probably told you some of the less pleasant aspects of her trip, but in spite of the nearly-missed plane and the nearly-lost luggage she came to us in remarkably good spirits and in command of the situation. She is a dear and we are so happy to have her here. A jet trip like that always leaves one in sort of the haze for a few days while catching up with time and sleep. Added to this Julie had a cold. But by yesterday after long naps, fresh air, and cold tablets forced on her by an anxious aunt (she took them very cooperatively), she seems bright and perky again.

It is heaven to have someone who will put on the peas, or set the table, or see what those kids are yelling about now. Julie is always sweet and friendly and I don't think that she feels very remote and cut off from you. I hope not - as predicted it is hard to tell. We've had two of the American teenagers over and of course she'll be meeting lots of kids in school and that will be good for her.

I hope we can make her feel how welcome she is. It's nice to have this week for us all to get acquainted in before school starts. The children, most especially John, are delighted with her. Even Stevie has walked for her and tries to say “Julie”.  more soon.

                      Much love, Do

**********

From David – written on front side panel of aerogramm

Dear Bill & Mary –

I’ve little to add – we're delighted that the children have taken to Julie so readily. Our Opel Caravan was delivered four hours before Julie's arrival. We took a short excursion in it Mon[crossed out] Sunday and proved that travel with Julie in the bigger car is much much simpler than travel in the VW without help.

 Love

            Dave

********

Julia's notes October 2013

The letter is handwritten on a one piece “aerogram,” a single sheet of lightweight paper that’s gummed and foldable; the letter and envelope are the same

re nearly-missed plane – My memory is that I was in the Paris airport and heard my name being called to get to the plane. Need to check the diary I kept to see if there’s mention of this.

re nearly-lost luggage - It took a few days for my luggage to catch up with me

David & Dorothy - January 2004

Sisters

Jan & I flew to Massachusetts for some sister time with Susan

We were standing on a slope & I ended up being the tallest for once!

More to follow on our fun adventures together ...

Fan The Flame Of Your Faith

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9: 22-24) So spoke the father who pleaded with Jesus to heal his son. 

Many of us are like this father, a mixture of belief and unbelief. Jeffrey Holland gives wise counsel for dealing with questions of faith. 

"Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes"

 "When problems come and questions arise, ... do not lead with your unbelief. Be true to the faith you do have" while exploring the areas of question or unbelief.

" The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue - it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

"Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith ..."            Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe”

listen to "Lord, I Believe"

Different Landscaping

This part of Kirkland is very built up with apartment buildings and condominiums. Many of the trees and shrubs used in landscaping are tall and narrow. You don't see many trees with branches spreading wide horizontally. It's a very different look than the landscaping used in less densely built areas. 

Arbor vitae are used quite a bit. It's not unusual to see long, long hedges 

of the tree/shrub. They are often more than one story tall.   

Life - Experiencing, Recording & Reflecting

“… my life is constantly being hit by a barrage of experiences. In fact, so many things are always happening that I run the risk of forgetting to “observe”—to think about, talk about, write about—in short, to reflect on—what’s going on. And if I fail to reflect on my experiences, they never become truly real. If I want to live the fullest kind of life, I must find time for reflection.

"Of course, finding time to reflect is easier said than done. The most reflection-worthy experiences are also usually the most energy- consuming—thus my frustration with journal-writing. And all of us face this dichotomy—between living life, and reflecting on it—all the time. ….. So, I’m convinced, there must be a balance. If I give myself totally over to the moment, and never record or reflect on anything, then I’ll either forget it all or it won’t mean anything to me. But if I’m too busy reflecting on life, I’m not really living it, either, and pretty soon I won’t even have done anything worth reflecting about.”  Marilyn Nielson*

Journaling is a great way to gain more from life’s experiences. When I journal, I step away from what’s going on in my life, whether it’s a busy period or a time of everyday routine. When I pause and write in my journal, I am often more receptive to communication from the Spirit than I am when involved in the busyness of the day.

Each time I journal I have the choice of simply recording what happened that day. Or, I can go deeper and record what I saw, heard, and felt. No matter at what level I choose to record experiences, I’m saving and enhancing the experience and its memory. I’m saving details. I often see connections with past experiences or get insights that didn’t come to me until I sat down to record and reflect.

For several years I’ve been scanning pictures from Mom’s and Dad’s photo albums and our predigital scrapbooks. Pictures bring back many wonderful memories. In addition they preserve details like clothes, dishes, furniture - the things that were part of our lives. Lately I started scanning a scrapbook that includes the family journal we started in 1982. In addition we saved all the letters we received from various family members. Letters are a form of journaling, as are blog posts. I’m amazed at the richness there is when letters, journal entries, and pictures combine to bring back memories of life’s experiences. The personal journals I have stored in the garage would add even more depth and details.

For now, I will continue to record and reflect on my life’s experiences and share some of those thoughts through our letters and blog posts. As I read the letters Mom and Dad wrote, I am reminded of cherished family memories as well as the routine of our lives. I am glad they made the time to record, reflect, and share. I will do the same and hope there is a positive ripple effect.

*Marilyn Nielson wrote these thoughts in her essay “Reality Through Reflection.” Over the years I’ve come across several poems by Nielson. (See blog posts here and here.)  In the essay quoted above she mentions that her father was a physicist. That might help explain where she got her love of science that crops up in her essays, poems, and blog posts. When I looked her up I discovered she is the mother of six children. (The essay was written when she had one child – and she was finding it difficult to find time to journal.) Nielson blogs at Light in Leaves. 

first photo - Jake - "Behold"

picture -Profound pauses 

Birthday Celebrations

Michael came over for a birthday lunch in late August. 

In lieu of cake, we had Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, Michael's favorite. 

These candle holders have been around a LONG time. 

Somewhere along the line, the giraffe went missing. 

Candle holders at Michael's 5th birthday 

Late in September we got together to celebrate three birthdays 

dinner cooked in pumpkins

top - before going into the oven

bottom - after

The grandchildren wanted to know if I got the idea from Pinterest. 

I told them I'd been doing this before the inventors of Pinterest were even born! 

(Well, maybe not quite that long.)

The checkerboard birthday cake - loaded with traditions - 

animal candle holders & music box that plays "Happy Birthday."

Our family has been using such music boxes since I was very young.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!