Class reunion

I think it was the summer before my senior year in high school that the Alta Advertiser, our local paper, carried an article and picture of an Alta High School class of those attending their 10 year reunion.  My notion was something like “they are really old!”  And now I’m back from celebrating the 50^th reunion for the AHS class of 1964.  Am I really this old?

Our class of 45 is now 41. We lost four members to childbirth and cancer and all too young.  We had 30 classmates in attendance, an amazing 73% attendance.  I still smile when thinking about Ruth’s sheer joy when ISU beat UI (the football game) at the start of the dinner. Classmates drove in from Louisiana, Texas, and Kansas.  Others flew from California and Oregon.  Duane created an online dynamic scrapbook with history and updates of our lives.  Versa and I published a Scarlet & Black newsletter.  Clay and his wife “mapped” by zip code where we are all living.  Colene hosted a blog and also created a PowerPoint.  Sharon made and canned apple butter to reconnect with the girl classmates. Rita took pictures of everyone.

Mommy Zinger

Sept 3, 2014

When we first moved to Storm Lake all four of the heir apparents were adults and out of the house.  That Easter I got four shoeboxes and filled them with Easter Basket goodies – including toothbrushes and socks.  I mailed them off.  Several weeks went by and I heard nothing.  Consequently I sent an email that went something like this:

I mailed you each an Easter Basket.  In Jesus' parable of the 10 lepers at least one returned to say thanks.

I had replies of thanks and one named my email the Mommy Zinger.  Now if one of my emails is edgy I’m asked if that is a Mommy Zinger!

From Our Deck

 

December, 2013

 

January

February



March


April


 

April

May




June

 

June



June - and we had rain!

Language

Kids are amazing with language development.  Several years ago I had noticed a bilingual 5 year old named Daniel.  I observed him navigate between languages with his name….around English speakers he was Daniel and around Spanish speakers he said his name was Daniel’ (pronounced DanYELL’).  His Mom also bilingual said it wasn’t taught, it was acquired.

One set of our grandchildren, Noah and Christian, call us Babu and Bibi, Swahili for grandma and grandpa.  Marinus calls me Halmoni (Korean for grandma).  This has led to my split personality!  Mike is Babu to all three.

One time in Fort Dodge when the neighbor boy came over….Seven year old Noah  said we were his Grandma and Grandpa (not using Babu & Bibi).  When I asked him why…he looked at me perplexed and said “well he wouldn’t know!”  And in Bloomington, six year old Marinus took a Norweigian sweater to school for show and tell.  I asked her if she told them her Mor Mor and Papa (names for the other grandparents) had given it to her.  She said, "No…the other kids wouldn’t understand that – I said Grandma and Grandpa!"