Snowshoeing

With this winter of polar vortexing and jet streamings and snow falling what is there to do but embrace it?  Before winter was upon us I had asked for snowshoes for Christmas and I received them. They came with trekking poles and modest directions.  After watching a video twice I sized the snowshoes to my boots and started out. 

Behind our house we have a creek that provides a wonderful path.  Someone on skis also uses it along with deer and other four legged critters. 

Quickly I’ve learned that it pays to know the wind direction and sweating is a part of the experience….even when my face is freezing.  The wind has quickly covered paths along with fresh snow.  Many days I’m first to make new trails. 

 

Sneakers was eager to accompany me the first two times but after that he’s opted not to hike along since he’s always sinking to his belly.

 

 

Sneakers

 

From our Deck

July

August

August

September

October

October

October

November...note ice on Willow Creek

November 11 - first snow

Master Gardener

This fall I signed up for Master Gardener through ISU extension.  This is a comprehensive class consisting of 40 class hours and 40 volunteer hours to complete the first year.  To say I’ve learned the content is a stretch….I’ve been taught more than I ever knew about gardening.  ISU Horticulture professors present a 3 hour segment and start by saying “I’ll be presenting tonight everything I teach in a 3 hour semester course!” 

I’ve started some of my volunteer hours at the garden surrounding an old schoolhouse located on the North Iowa Fairgrounds.  On various days I’ve worked there for 7+ hours cutting dead material, raking, discovering labels and wooden cutout whimsy.  and of course there is always litter.



Mike cutting out a volunteer (tree)

hosta clean-up

I’ve also done some exploring on the internet for some of the plants like Tabby grass which looks like it is something cats like to eat.

THE SUMMER OF MY DISCONTENT*

Our summer has been interesting to say the least.  I’ve always admired the way my Sioux City friend accepted change and dealt with all that has come her way.  In our move to Storm Lake I lived with her for nine months.  I think of her when I can’t sleep and get up to play computer games!  I think of her and her moves that she did with grace and dignity even when circumstances precipitated change. 

July and August haven’t been grace and dignity for me ---they have been awkwardness, inelegance, resentment, and also ineptness.  This has been a hard move….for a whole assortment of reasons.  I’ve also felt isolated and lonely.

Mostly our house is unpacked…although there remain several “categories” that now need to be sorted and made accessible…like sewing, office files, photographs, and travel mementos.   We’ve made numerous trips to Goodwill. And the double garage housed just one car until about a month ago. 

*With apologies to Steinbeck and Shakespeare

Bell Choir

After twelve years with no bell choir and before that playing for just 4 years - I attended bell choir practice.  When I arrived someone was playing Amazing Grace solo!  The intimidation factor soared.  Other bell choir members began arriving and I was assigned G and A above the treble staff and the necessary flats and sharps…and it was apparent that the soloist was the conductor.  Next was terminology.  Did I ever know all these terms and symbols? Thumb damp, LV, diamond-shape noteheads for chimes, shake, martellato lift and on and on.  Everyone was introduced….more to learn, performance dates announced and we read through 3 pieces.  I wonder if I even rang 50% of the time. 

Camp with the Grands

Last March or April it seemed like a good idea to invite the three perfect grandchildren to go to family camp at Lutheran Lakeside with us- Babu and Bibi/Halmoni.

Having just moved two weeks before camp I must admit that the Sunday we were to go I was questioning my sanity…and then by Monday one of the perfect grands asked “could we do this next year?”  I’m glad we went!

Our tree house cabin (no water no electricity) by choice was Abednego (as in Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego) with four sets of bunks.  The two youngest picked the top bunks and the others of us bottom bunks.  I’d gotten each grand a flashlight and headlight .  The shower house was a good hike away although we did have a port-a- potty nearby!

We were “short-termers” and stayed until Tuesday evening.  We sang, hiked, studied the Bible, enjoyed campfire, swam every day, went tubing, used the challenge course, made new friends and were reacquainted with others.  45 years ago Mike and I honeymooned there!...We worked the whole summer of 1968.  Mike for his third season and I for my second.  Lutheran Lakeside is a memory keeper!

Children's Worship Under the Tree

Igumbilo Lutheran Girls' Secondary School

After our return from Tanzania (January, 2013), I completed a history of the Igumbilo Lutheran Girls’ Secondary School (ILGSS) in Tanzania.  The title of the photo journal is From Camp to Campus 2004 – 2013.  It was a work from the heart –a joy-to follow the history from an email in January, 2001 to Bp Miller from Bp Mgeyekwa describing a plan from the Southern Diocese to start a Girls Secondary School in the area around Chimala District to increase opportunities for women in rural areas and to reduce gender imbalance of educated people along with other aims.

In May of 2004, Mike and I traveled to the Southern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania to meet our counterparts.  The Western Iowa Synod and the Southern Diocese are companion synods.  While there we traveled around the Diocese learning about their institutions, their history and their dreams.  At that time a rice plantation was being offered for sale and the Southern Diocese very much wanted to buy it and start the Igumbilo Lutheran Girls’ Secondary School.

2004

 

  Western Iowa Synod Women’s Organization heard about the need and set about to raise the money for purchase.  In the Southern Diocese they worked hard to get the school started, rehabbing the buildings and planning for the future of the school.  And since then we (WIS and the Southern Diocese) have walked Hatua Kwa Hatua (step by step) at ILGSS and in other areas of lives together.

2006

The first term Igumbilo Lutheran Girls’ Secondary School opened in 2006 with 83 students and this January (2013) has 374 enrolled.  In the four years of graduation they have graduated 285 students with an overall completion rate of 70%.

Starting Year	Form 1	Form 11	Form 111	Form IV	Completion Rate
2006	83	76	84	58	58/83 70%
2007	90	73	74	64	64/90 71%
2008	117	100	90	88	88/117 75%
2009	117	80	95	75	75/117 64%

 In the same time Igumbilo Lutheran Girls’ Secondary School has

~moved from one dorm to four dorms and from one classroom to 8 classrooms and a lab.

~endured a fire, and irregular water and electricity.

~expanded from 60 acres to 460 acres

~dreamed of a future with a library, assembly hall/chapel, dining hall and

~received and used textbooks and microscopes from WIS that improved their state examination       scores

 

 For all of its accomplishments for me it is the people I’ve met, known, and loved…the students, the staff, the teachers and their generosity and kindness.  Each time I arrived at the drive to ILGSS the sign causes tightness in my throat and my heart swells. 

 

 After staying a day or two it feels so comfortable to join the rhythm of the day: the bell, porridge, devotions, class, lunch, class, activities (choir, sports, and debate), daily cleaning, supper, study, and the girls singing at closing worship.  I’ve enjoyed the mountains standing at one end of the campus and the trail to the well at the other end of the campus.  I’ve enjoyed hiking around the nearly 460  acres of the school and also going into the town of Chimala to experience the colorful market.  Ah Igumbilo.