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Today, Certain Man’s pickup went to the shop.  Something in the catalytic converter blew back and messed up something in the muffler.  I don’t understand it exactly.  It was supposed to be fixed by tonight.  It isn’t done.  “Tomorrow” says the repairman.  There was more wrong than anticipated.

Certain Man took Certain Man’s Wife’s beloved mini-van to work.  Coming home, the transmission blew.  (I’ve been a little concerned about that, to be honest with you!)  Certain Man is sitting at Laws Mennonite Church where it conveniently coasted, waiting for the tow truck.  His usual optimism faileth him. 

Certain Man’s Wife is feeling quite remorseful.  About six weeks ago, she talked him into fixing the air conditioning on the van instead of trading it in.  Alas, it is another case where it appears that CM really did know best.   

But now, since there is so much money in the air conditioning, Certain Man is saying that we will have to fix the transmission.  “We can’t afford to throw a thousand dollars down the drain!” he explains patiently.  “We need to drive this van another year and half to recoup our investment!

Sometimes life just comes to fast.  I am especially thinking about the fact that Certain Man’s pickup really needs replaced and that it does not even have air conditioning.  He drives it cheerfully and enthusiastically.  It meets his needs, he says, and he sees no need to get a new (read, “Different!”)  one.  Youngest Daughter loves to drive it, though she and her sisters have affectionately named it “Stinky,” and have good cause to have chosen that name.

It will be interesting, indeed, to see how all the people get to work tomorrow from Shady Acres!

I came down to the early morning darkness of Friday with a great sense of need.  The things done this week were things that I really felt like I needed to do, but it was Friday already, and we were getting weekend company.  And I was nowhere near ready.  There was shopping left to do, food to prepare, house to clean, beds to make. 

 The first morning hours flew by as lunches were packed and ladies were bathed and dressed and fed and finally out the door to their respective centers.  Youngest Daughter needed a ride to work, and so I decided that I would take her, swing by the grocery store on the way home, and then “do my best and leave the rest” as far as housework was concerned.

I was playing a CD on my car stereo as I pulled into the parking lot.  I sat there, listening to the words as the music swirled around me.

I knew that if I thought about it too much, I would cry, so I whispered a prayer to my Heaven and said, “Lord Jesus, I don’t know how you will help me, but I believe that you can — that you WILL– see me through.”  And I gathered my coupons and purse and headed into the store. 

While I was heading down the coffee aisle, my cell phone rang.

“Where are you???”  asked a familiar voice. My Youngest Sister.

“I’m in the store.  Where are you?” 

“I’m here, at your house.  I came to help you clean, and you aren’t here.”

“I know, but I had to take Rachel to work, and now I am getting groceries . . . I can hurry straight home, though.”

“No, don’t rush, but what can I do until you get here????”

And so, I gave her some things to keep her busy until I got home, and got on with finishing my great shopping expedition.  I finished up, came out of the store, and got into my van. 

“And if He hung the moon. . .” came on all over again, and this time, I didn’t even try to not cry.  The presence and love of the Heavenly Father came crashing over me in waves.  And it was such an encouraging thing.  I came home, Younget Sister stayed to help to an amazing finish, and this whole weekend has been just way better than anticipated.  When I am tempted to forget, I am reminded of His special care over me on Friday, and trust that it will all work out for good.

What a Mighty God we serve!

Wow!  The last three weeks have been one incredible jumble of activity and joy — and sorrow!

May 24th — Middle Daughter Graduated from Nurses’ Training.

May 28th — We had a Memorial day cookout as a graduation party, and Oldest Son began his trek home from Nepal.

May 29th — Gracegiven’s sweet baby was born, my Uncle Johnny passed away, and Oldest Son arrived in Columbus, OH to begin debriefing.

May 31st — Certain Man made a decision at 10 PM to go and pick up Oldest Son  in Ohio.  We had made other plans to fetch him home, but when Certain Man learned of Oldest Son’s intense desire to have his dad come, he couldn’t bear not to go.

June 1st — Certain Man and Youngest Daughter left at 4 AM to go to Ohio and were back in Delaware before 9 PM that night.  A thousand miles later, and Oldest Son WAS HOME!

June 3rd —  The viewing and calling hours for Uncle Johnny.  So many wonderful people.  Never enough time to talk.

June 4th — The funeral for Uncle Johnny.  Uncles and Aunts and Cousins by the bushel, a cousin’ choir, and wonderful memories.

June 5th — Youngest Daughter begins her first “real” job!

June 6th — Dover appointments with my Sweet Mama.

June 7th — Church picnic at the Browns Branch County park for a 16th birthday party

June 9th — A trip to New York City for a graduation.  A fun side trip into Chinatown. While on the subway, Certain Man’s Wife’s cell phone rang. It was Youngest Son calling from the beach.  He had news.  Girl With The Beautiful Heart said “YES!!!”   Certain Man and His Wife give thankful praise.

June 10th — Birthday brunch for Friend June.  Church at Followers of Jesus Mennonite Church.  Lunch at 51 Logan Street — Then home to Delaware.

June 12th — Case Manager visit, and Our Girl Nettie’s yearly physical.

June 13 — Morning at my Sweet Mama’s house, and then to Lewes for an afternoon psychiatrist visit for Our Girl Nettie.  Small group tonight.

Whew!!! Believe me, I have hardly had a spare minute on my computer.  And I am trying to be better at controlling it, too, since Certain Man gently indicated last week that he thinks I spend too much time in here.  Well, I guess he just might have a point.  And with company coming this weekend — this house is in serious need of  some concentrated domesticated activity.

Today we said “good-bye” to another Yoder Boy.  There were eight of them, by the time the last one came in 1932.  The funeral had the flavor of the other one.  My Daddy’s.  There were alot of the same people.  It was at the same place.  We ate almost exactly the same things.  The Cousins’ Choir sang.

The nieces and nephews have become better friends in the last decade.  We’ve gotten older.  Family ties mean more.  But also, thanks to the internet and a strange family group named “Yodelings”  (I don’t know how we came up with that — I wanted “Yoderlings.”) we KNOW each other.  And for the Yoder funerals, it has become a tradition that the cousins who can make it, sing together in a  “Cousins’ Choir.”  We sing our Grandpa Dave’s favorite song, “If On A Quiet Sea” and also a song that is picked by the family of our loved one that we are laying to rest.

The service today was full of song.  Meaningful Song interspersed between meaningful words.  “Praise to God, Immortal Praise”  and “There’s a City of light” sung by the congregation.  Then,  “Hand and Hand With Jesus” and “The Lord is Coming, Are You Ready” by the male quartet of which Beloved Son in Law is a member.  (I like all four fellows in that quartet, but I really do like our son in law the best!)  Then our Cousins’ Choir sang, “The Hem of His Garment” and “If On A Quiet Sea.”  The congregation had another song, “Lift Your Glad Voices” and then, in a different twist, there was a “canned’ song at Aunt Dottie’s request.  “Leave Me a Message” by Kirk Talley. 

It was an altogether fitting and proper meeting.  From the graveside service (held before the memorial service) ’till the very last of the food was erased from the premises.  It was a most rewarding and special day, and I am quite grateful for the opportunity to be there and to be a part. 

EDIT

The Greenwood Community did what it does best today.  Incredible working together;  good friends, good help, good food, good support, good, good people.  I really don’t think there is another community that is quite like this one when it comes to the different churches working together.

I was specifially thinking about all the hands involved in making things go so smoothly today.  Hands that set up for the funeral, then the ones that took down chairs and set up tables and covered them and set the chairs back in the space of less than a half hour, and then cleaned everything up afterwards.  There were hands that were small, big, rough from working in chicken houses, chapped from dishwather, wrinkled with age, smooth, young and strong.  Everyone did what they could.  We had dads and grandpas and sons and brothers and moms and grandmas and daughters and sisters all working together to make the work light.  When I looked at the clock tonight and realized that it was barely six o’clock and everything was pretty much finished up, I was so proud of the Body of Christ and the tangible way they spoke love today.

And Yes, Eldest Son is HOME.  I hope that I can post some photos later.  After some time to recuperate a bit!

TAKE CARE

AND GOD’S BEST TO EACH OF YOU~

Tonight, I had a few words with Oldest Son.  He is back on American soil.  He is very weary from a trip that lasted 36 hours.  My heart can barely contain the joy of knowing that he is “home” again.

This afternoon, my Uncle John, my precious Daddy’s brother, quietly went home to Heaven.  He has had a long journey.  And the days were getting more and more difficult.  I was sitting here tonight, thinking about my joy at Oldest Son’s homecoming, and my heart is suddenly alive with the thought of our Heavenly Father, welcoming Uncle John HOME.  Home:  Where there is no more pain, no more sorrow, no more crying.  He’s left the oxygen tubes, the difficult breathing, the body that has become increasingly unreliable, and he is HOME.  And I believe the Father’s heart is full of joy, so glad to have him HOME.

We are going to miss him here.  His presence and his personality could fill a room with laughter or gloom depending on his orientation.  I loved to hear him pray.  One of the last times he prayed in church, he prayed for a neighborhood child who has been coming to Sunday School, and the prayer was full of love and concern and understanding and hope. 

He was so supportive of church activities.  I took this picture on a cold November night in 2005, when our church came for a hot dog roast on the back pasture followed by a hay ride.  He loved hot dog roasts, and he always came with his sticks sharpened and ready.  He could make a mean hot dog!

The thing he loved to eat almost better than anything else was crabs.  At the last Fourth of July Picnic, Freeman and Loretta Beachy came with two bushels of crabs, fresh that very morning, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on them.  Picking out crabs takes practice, and this man had it down to a science

And then, last fall, we had another late season hot dog roast and hay ride, and we knew it would be too cold for some of our older people.  So some of us made soup in addition to the usual hot dog fare, and my Sweet Mama, Aunt Dottie and Uncle John, and Uncle Eli and Aunt Ruth stayed by the fire in the house, and we brought Shrimp Chowder and Chicken Corn Noodle Soup and Taco Soup and whatever else they thought would be good.  Here the “house crew” is, sitting around the table and enjoying eachother’s company as well as keeping warm. 

Soldier won the battle,
He’s in Gloryland somewhere.
Soldier won the battle,
No more aging there.
Living now with Jesus
Waiting ’till we come.
Busy for the Master,
Forever, always young.
~Joel Hemphill

Tomorrow is a momentous day in the life of our family.

We are celebrating Deborah’s Graduation with a cookout here at Shady Acres in the early evening.  (If you want to come, and missed out on getting invited, come anyway!  Call or message me for details)

Oldest Son, Lord Willing, begins his homeward journey.  I am so thankful, I can hardly contain myself.  (And why are all those tears I couldn’t cry when he left catching me flat-footed at every turn???)

Son, if you are somewhere reading this — I was told today that the whole community is glad you are coming home.  God Speed, my Son.  It’s been a long six months!

Beeba’s Flowers

So often at Graduation, it seems like Roses are the thing that is given, and Certain Man and I had discussed just what kind of flowers we should get for our girl.  Deborah is our yard and garden girl.  She loves the peonies that grow prolifically in the fence row and just this week, they have burst into color.  On impulse, yesterday morning, I asked Certain Man if he thought we could get someone to do an arrangement of peonies for Deborah’s flowers.  He was enthusiastic in his support.  So I called Violet — the best arranger of flowers there is (private or otherwise) — and asked if she could do a last minute favor for us.   She was very accommodating– even to the point of coming down and picking the flowers.  She followed me down into my dungeon where I keep old vases and such, and there we found an antique chicken waterer that I have found can be inverted to make a perfect “bowl” vase, and she was certain that she could make good use of that.  The result was extravagantly exquisite.  We could not have asked for anything more appropriate for our farm/flower/nurse girl.  She was speechless when she saw it, and then effusive in her appreciation for something “home grown.”  We are all enjoying it immensely today.  I wish I had taken a picture when it first was delivered, but this will still give you an idea of how beautiful it was.

Violet, if you are reading this, Thank you again!  This arrangement was literally perfect in every way!

Graduation is over — This post is especially for far away family who have asked to see the pictures of this evening!

The 2007 Graduating Class of Beebe School of Nursing.  Deborah is second from left in the front row.

This is Deborah and Teresa, her traveling companion and friend.  They have logged alot of miles together in thes last two years.  For you locals who have gone past our house and wondered who in the Shady Acres Crew has bought a red PT Cruiser — Wonder no more.  Teresa is the owner of that pretty little car.  And the weeks that Deborah drove her bug to school, the Cruiser sat in our yard.

Because Deborah knew more about bobby pins and keeping things on her head than many of the girls did, she was called upon to help make sure the nurses hats stayed where they belong.  Not a simple task, to be sure, but no one lost their cap during the ceremony.

Deborah and her Grandma Yoder.  These occasions certainly make us miss Deborah’s Grandpa.  I think it is especially difficult tonight for Deborah.  She and her Grandpa not only shared a birthday (fifty years apart) but he was always such an encourager, and quiet source of joy.  If he is looking down, I know that he is pleased.  “How ’bout that!” he’d say with his proud grin.  “I don’t know what to say about ‘cha!”

Deborah Yutzy, Graduate Nurse
Valedictorian of the Class of 2007

Graduation Day!!!

Congratulations, Deborah-Girl!!!