At the Lake Part 7 - A Special Visit

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

One time we had special company come. It was Marion Elizabeth and she brought her daughter Kim. It was so good to see them. Vernon and Kim talked about their horses and how they trained them. Vernon took her down to see his horse and found out the horse had found his way out and into the yard of our neighbor who lived across the lake. It was a good visit for Vernon and me. Kim found out Vernon liked his cookies, and told me how to make some easy ones for him using a cake mix and a few other things. They made some good ones and some fancy ones if you added some good chocolate chips and nuts and other goodies. That was one recipe I wore out just constantly making them for him and me too.

It was the company that made our stay there so nice. Almost every weekend we would have some of my family come to visit. And if we wanted to go see them, we would let them know we were coming their way to do some shopping or just for a visit. Life was so very good to both Vernon and me.

We had aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters come. Some came for a day, as they were passing through, and others came to stay a few days. All were welcomed and wanted. Some visitors were great to have and some were just nice to see. It really seemed like all was for the best and we gave thanks for the blessing we were given.

One time we had Mickey, Charles and Jerry come together for a visit. They would stay out on the lake for hours. Even Hoy, our neighbor, would go with them so they could travel in two boats. This one time, we all watched the Winter Olympics on television and the USA Hockey team were doing everything right. When they won the games and took the gold, we had to celebrate with true fervor and were so proud of the team for winning. It was a thrilling experience for me.

BOX CAKE COOKIES
1 box cake mix (any flavor) lemon, spice, chocolate are good
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
Mix oil and eggs into dry cake mix.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 350 degrees, 8-10 minutes.

At the Lake Part 6 - First Visitors

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

Our very first company to come was my Mom and Dad. They loved the place and Dad was so pleased to go fishing with Vernon. Mom and I went for a drive to show her we had an uptown and some marinas. We even went looking at fishing gear to see if she wanted to pick out some for her to use when she went fishing. They spent the weekend with us and we celebrated because the men had good luck fishing. Enough to have a good fish fry and some for them to take home and have in their freezer till Mickey or Jerry came back from their jobs on the oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico.

Then there was Mickey, Charles and Jerry to always come and go fishing with Vernon. Our trailer was small but it did sleep six. We gave the men our king size bed and we slept on the full size bed in the dinning room. Thank goodness we were able to eat outside on the patio looking towards the lake. We made the patio on the bluff, the highest part of our land. It was the best place to be to see the sun set. Other times, it was great to sit out there and wait till the morning sun rose. It was the big red shinning sun in all it’s glory as it came over the lake. I would look at it and wish I could have had some of Marion Elizabeth’s painting supplies and the knowledge of how to use them.

At the Lake Part 5 - The Lake

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

We did settle in and found the countryside to be just beautiful. I fell in love with the dogwood trees among the pine trees. It was the pine trees that made the town grow because the lumber was needed to build houses and those buildings made for jobs which men needed to have the security to raise their families. The blossoms on the dogwood trees were so lovely to see as we traveled around the lake learning how to go in and out of the neighborhood.

Our piece of land was like a slice of a pie when you entered at the gate, the drive way made a wide curve to the pie end of the land and also it went down the hill to end at the boat landing where we could put the boat in to the lake. Vernon bought his boat with everything he needed to enjoy his fishing time. And he had a new pickup truck to launch and retrieve his boat. He even had a nice trolling motor so he did not have to use the paddle too much. Easy was better than for him to struggle. He was all for “good old easy”.

At the Lake Part 4 - Settling In

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

It took several trips to get every thing done so we could move in and let Vernon fish. The son-in-laws were a big help and our son Jr was an extra big help. He was there every time we made a trip and he saved Vernon many steps which really meant a lot. Once again, we had a family gathering at my second daughter's house and had a “bring a dish supper”. Vernon did his thing working the bar-b-q grill and the next morning we all drove up and got us settled in. Then off they went home and we were sitting outside the travel trailer in our new lawn chairs watching the sun go down. The sky had such lovely dark pink clouds and the wind was strong enough to let the clouds roll by gently. All was right in the world that night.

We had settled in on a Wednesday and by Friday we had it down about how we were going to live here. It won’t be too bad if we kept up the team work. Keeping everything in it’s place was the first and last thing done and done all day long. It did not take long to get that one rule down pat. With out fail. Otherwise, it was a lot of work. And when I could not play, neither could Vernon, so we helped to make it second nature to do “Rule Number One” every time.

At the Lake Part 3 - A Change in Plans

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

It was the best time together with all my children and the two grand children. Which was the good part, but then the bad part came. Vernon had to be rushed to the emergency room and from there they admitted him to a room and they did not let him go for three days. The doctor said “No traveling”. The doctor suggested Vernon find a fishing hole big enough to keep him happy. And that's he did! He found it at Toledo Bend Lake. In the parish of Sabine in the town of Many, Louisiana. It is a beautiful place and great for fishing. It’s well know for the good fishing.

Now we had to do some quick thinking. We would have to continue to live in the travel trailer, now parked at the new lake property. It would do but it did not give us room to have company. Thank goodness the butane did operate the stove and hot water and as Vernon did have power service installed to our site, we could have our air conditioner and central heat when needed. He also had to install a disposal sewage filter station. Then we started to live where Vernon needed to live.

Although I had given up all my furniture, which I did not have room for, I did manage to keep most of my crafts. These would keep me busy when Vernon would be on the lake. I had to put it away when we ate, because the trailer was sort of built in yet could be taken apart and made into beds if needed. Knowing I needed to have a place to put away the craft supplies when not working them made it difficult for me. Just getting it out or putting it away was a big job. Yes, I did have the energy to do it each time as I had nothing else to do, and staying busy is better than complaining. I was not blessed with my sister’s art painting. I did needle work: embroidery, knitting, crochet, counted cross stitch, quilting and sewing my clothes.

At the Lake Part 2 - The Travel Trailer

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

The first thing we did was look for a travel trailer. There were so many trailer lots to look at and finally, I let Vernon look for himself with my list of wants. When he did find one that looked likely, he would take me and I would either OK it or let him look further. Finally, he did find one and it was perfect for what we could be comfortable in. The next job was to outfit it and that’s when he left me to do it. Yes! He found it! ... I packed it! Guess you know how we worked together now.

I did have a lot of shopping to do, and it was so nice to be able to find what was needed and add some small items to make it our new life style: fishing and roaming everywhere.

We had to give the furniture to the children. They took what they could. From the kitchen and bathroom, I took what I could and the rest was up for grabs to who ever wanted what. I wore myself out and was glad we now had a date set to leave. We planned a nice supper out with the children at a nice restaurant. Every one wanted sea food. So we went to Don’s Sea Food House. Where we gathered to enjoy being together one more time. Then we were going to leave very early the next morning and start living on the road. All the goodbyes were said and every one left to go home.

At the Lake Part 1 - The Phone Call

[note: This is an 8 part story written by my sister Esther.]

We had a good weekend. The bar-b-que was great. There was the usual crowd and the food was ever so good. Vernon loved to cook and it was so easy to enjoy cooking out doors and having all the family together. Everyone brought covered dishes to add to the potato salad, bake beans and veggie plate. And not to mention the cakes and pies! There was always enough leftovers to help with the next day’s lunch. Vernon would take those with him to enjoy when he would take time to eat his lunch on his job. And there was enough for the children to take some home too.

I remember Mom always sent Vernon home with a fresh loaf of her homemade yeast bread or if she knew of someone coming our way she would send the loaf to us with them. And of course it was good to carry home some of her goodies to eat so I would not have to cook after the drive home.

One Monday, Vernon left for work. He serviced lifting equipment for a company out of New Orleans for the Baton Rouge area. I had just hunted up the all the morning dishes and was cleaning them up when the phone rang. It was the nurse at one of the plants telling me she had sent Vernon to the hospital in an ambulance and I needed to go see him. I got there in time to see his doctor and was told it was an apparent heart attack. He did not look like he was having a problem when I saw him. He was calm and was not in any pain that I could see. But the next day when he had a second one, they confirmed he did have a heart attack.

The doctor said he would not be able to go back to work. Vernon would now have to find something else to fill his day. It was going to take some time to know what would he do with all this free time. Just the thought put his wild imagination into overload and the things he thought of were wonderful! But, no way could we afford them. Traveling seemed like a possibility. We really did have fun thinking of all the places we could go. He wanted to fish where ever there was a nice lake and I could see some of the states I had dreamed of one day seeing.

Nobel Peace Prize

For those of us who are lucky enough to be citizens of this country that as been so blessed, we often demonstrate strange attitudes. We can be so petty and jealous of each other. At times our antagonism knows no bounds when directed at one of our own because of perceived differences in personal beliefs, life style, achievement, and even location of one’s birth and residence.

The brouhaha giving President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is a case in point. Senator John McCain made an effort to be magnanimous in his comments when being questions about the Nobel committee’s selection, but it was half hearted at best.

CNN showcased interviews questioning the reasons Obama was chosen. Instead of being pleased that an American president was the recipient, there was grousing about every conceivable woe this country is experiencing, and complaining that Obama hasn’t solved them. We have become so politically divided in our constant battle for political control at the same time we are fighting two wars that we have forgotten how to recognize the meaning of the word, PEACE.

I think people have forgotten what the Nobel Peace Prize is and what it stands for. I take the committee at its word and share their belief that Obama’s call for new diplomatic dialogues between nations to work toward achieving a non nuclear arms treaty the most important goal this country or any other could have.

Nobel prize for Peace 2009: Barack Obama
"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples"

Go Boom!

Those crazy scientists at NASA have shot the moon! Egads! Don’t we have enough spots on the planet to test our missiles and rockets without having to shoot the moon?

Looking for water is not an excuse. Those guys in Houston have all the water they need and if they think they are deprived, wait a while for the next hurricane. Besides, they might get a spring flowing and turn all the dust on the surface into mud. If that happens how will anyone drive the Rover when it gets stuck in the mud?

I like the moon the way it is. It’s not broken, so don’t fix it.

October Birthdays

My brother, Jerry is celebrating his 78th birthday today, October 6. I wished him a happy day on the telephone and we reminisced about Dad’s and brother, Mickey’s birthdays, October 3rd and October 15th respectively.

I often celebrate deceased family birthdays by having lunch at a favorite salad bar and remembering our shared days of long ago. Being the oldest of eight, I remember all my siblings from their babyhood. The oldest memory of my sister, Adeline is a fleeting moment when she was a tiny baby and Mom had just finished giving her a bath. I remember Mickey as a small baby sitting in his highchair at breakfast as Mom and Dad fed him milk from a cup and calling it coffee. My earliest memory of Charles is as a baby wrapped in a blanket being held on Mom’s lap as we rode in an automobile. I saw Elbert the morning after his birth as he was lying in a baby buggy beside Mom’s bed. I recall baby Esther lying on a pillow when Mom brought her from the bedroom to the living room to show her to a neighbor. I watched Richard as he learned to walk, and I held Jerry when he was still a newborn.

I used to remember the years each was born and their ages as they grew older, but these days, I have to re-calculate the years and age by starting with mine. I don’t remember many of the celebrations but I seem to remember occasions when someone blew out candles on a cake. My own birthday must not have been a priority for me to remember because I can only recall two, and have forgotten my birthday at least 3 or 4 times. In all honesty though, now that I’ve reached the age of 87, I take note and heave a sigh of relief that I’ve added another year to my life. As the saying goes, living is better than the alternative!!!!

Happy Birthday!

Food Bank Contributions

I have become acutely aware of the many families experiencing hard times as the country struggles to recover from the collapse of our financial system. Families are losing homes, jobs are being lost, employers are not hiring workers, and many are going out of business themselves.

In one of our Instant Message chats, I told my sister Esther about an interview I saw on CNN of a man desperately looking for work; his biggest worry was getting food for his family and he himself was hungry.

There must be many people in the same situation. Wishing we could help in some way, Esther and I decided to start using the money we planned to spend for Christmas presents and make donations to a food bank. We have told our children about our plan, and they too have decided to do the same.

This year, I would like to ask those who send me Christmas presents to make a food bank donation instead. It will be a holiday without presents ‘going to’ and ‘getting from’ but the holiday will still be cheerful knowing we have might have made a small difference in someone’s life.

There are many ways to contribute besides giving money and there are many worthy causes besides food banks. I encourage readers to make a special effort during this time of recession to help, be it a family member or a charity of their choice.

Editor's note: Here are some charities to consider:

Charity Name	What they do
Fisher House	specializes in helping vets and their families
Feeding America	food bank previous known as Second Harvest Food Bank
Just Give	clearing house for many worthy charities
Oxfam America	oxfam's usa branch - works on world wide hunger
Heifer International	works on world hunger by helping families raise animals that can be used for food and exchange