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Dotty Salminen The only news that I have right now is that I will be moving back to Hubbardston House Apartments the first of June. I went with Penny up to visit Lorraine today. We couldn't get there on her birthday, but she was very happy to see us today. I loved the email about Scrabble. I play often with Paul Leskinen, who has become an excellent opponent, and with all of my kids wherever and whenever. Although we have reached 800, it is quite rare. I was out in NY visiting Sally & Ernie and played several times each day, and we got so we were hitting over 700 quite often. Enjoy the Spring!! |
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Nancy Murdock This was a really interesting Mother's Day. Lots of nice messages from loved ones. ------------------ Happy Mother's Day, Mamacita! I hope you've had a great day today! It is also Larry's birthday, so we did a combination festivity today, which we worked in around the Giants' game (a victory). Lots of love! Love to Dad, too! Valerie --------------- Hi Mom! Hope your day is a great one, like the mom you've been. Darrel [This was accompanied by two nice photos: one of Darrel and one of Mary.] ---------------- Happy Mothers Day, Nancy.....I hope this day finds you with your feet up, enjoying every minute of this day on which you so richly deserve to be honored. I hope this is the best Mothers Day yet. Becky --------------- Roy Murdock has sent you a Hallmark E-Card. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You're the best! Have a great day today!! mucho love Roy -------------- The children next door brought me a Mother's Day balloon and a beautiful card: "Have a Beautiful Mother's Day. Mrs. Nancy, Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and flowers, warm, loving hearts, and bright, happy hours. Happy Mother's Day. Love you. Nathaniel & Natholy." Nathaniel finished his school report on high school dropouts (on our computer, with a tiny bit of help from me) and told us a few days later that he had received an A, his best report grade ever. -------------- Our friend Michael (who lives in a group home) invited me to a barbecue, but I had had enough excitement helping him choose the hamburger (he really wanted 10 steaks at $5 each!) and ribs! (After I couldn't steer him away from ribs, I found one rack of really good-looking ones with actual meat on them.) The roommate he was having the party for, Ali, said they were the best ribs he'd ever had, and he loved the cake I had selected the day before. We may not have any Murdock children in the vicinity here, but as you can see, we don't lack family. -------------- Other greetings (including one from Jim, who lives at a different group home) were mainly phoned in, but surprisingly, several people at church also wished me a Happy Mother's Day. Each of the mothers at the service received a carnation, too. I chose a pink one, which is still hanging in there - by the skin of its petals, probably, but it's still really beautiful! We'll miss it when all the petals hit the coffee table. ---------------- I also received a fine card that has wonderful promises. "Honey, for Mother's Day I'm going to clean the entire house from top to bottom." But oops, what does it say inside? It says, "So whatever you do tomorrow, don't open the hall closet door." In familiar hand printing below this warning, it says, "JUST KIDDING. It will be in THE PORCH CLOSET. Love, Bobbums." ---------------- Now we're eager to see what Father's Day will bring. I think we'd better make sure to cut Bob's hair in time for that holiday. Maybe in time for his birthday, June 3! We have Mer's BD June 2, Bob's June 3, and two of Rickey's daughters (Trinity and Xacara) June 4. I guess it's a Murdock thing! |
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Bob Murdock Well, Nancy gave me my semi-annual haircut in time for Father's Day. I think some of the people at church didn't recognize me. That was a gala day, because it was also Choir Sunday, the last time until fall for the musicians. Once again, they came up with a wonderful repertoire of music, and I could hear the clear tones of first soprano Nancy. There were several greetings, and you can see Darrel's in the photo on the left. Mer's greeting came by phone, and Becky's by Email. Here is Valerie's message: Happy Father's Day, Dad! I hope you were properly feted for your recent birthday as well. I was just thinking today about how much I enjoyed being your "gopher" on some of those home construction projects. In fact, it was when I was helping you paint Ian's room one Sunday while you were listening to the Twins' game on the radio that I first started taking an interest in the sport. We Giants fans are suffering through a pretty humiliating season from a W-L point-of-view, but -- frankly -- I think we're all pretty glad to be out from under the Barry Bonds thing. It turns out that S.F. has become a baseball town in the meantime, and even though the team has a really dismal record (especially here at home), they continue to draw large crowds because there is plenty to find entertaining. In some ways, the team reminds me of the Twins when they were gathering momentum to be great. It's just so refreshing to have many different players getting the attention! I'm now officially enrolled in graduate school for my master's degree in Education with a Technology in Schools emphasis. Plus, in order to pay for it, I'm teaching summer school. One day off after our year-round school ends for the summer, then back to work teaching pre-K autistic children (3 or 4 years old). Quite the change of pace, eh? Well, hope your day has been a good one! Love to you both! Valerie And one from Roy: Happy Father's Day, Dad!! Hope you and Mom have some nice meals planned. Have a fantastic day and just know that I appreciate all you did for me in my life, all the baseball games we went to, the time on the train, going bowling, sharing baseball stats and morning sports papers. The shake and a punch goodnight. Everything! Everything! You are loved and appreciated by this your son. Roy p.s. sorry the cheese basket will be late..I am just now ordering it...lost track of time No problem. I always celebrate for a week or more, thus the cheese basket arrived on time. It seems to be an annual thing, from Igourmet, and this time it specialized in cheeses from Spain, four different ones. They ranged from semi-soft Mahon to extra-aged Manchego Reserve, which looks like a good grating cheese. |
Lizard |
Margery Aukstikalnis We were just visited and entertained by the Regal Horned Lizard. He is about 4" long and apparently liked us, because he didn't squirt blood from his eyes, like they do to attackers. He likes the hot sun when the temperatures are over 100, so we won't see him often. Note the regal crown of points around his head. He can be shades of gray or tan, according to the color of the sand. We are thrilled to have met him. |
"Mamie" |
Nancy Murdock A friend in Grenada sent me one of those roaming articles that remind us of all the good we have in our lives and the need to remember to offer God our thanks often. The subject of this one was how much time and energy we spend trying to look young, when this is really a great time in our lives. We can stay up late, lounge around in pajamas until noon if we want to, eat chocolate when we want it, etc. However, not all was roses. I think there was some mention of looking in the mirror and being horrified to see one's mother. I wrote the following response. I would be delighted to see that I look like my mother at this age; unfortunately, I am now 24 years older than my mother, who died at age 52. My beloved husband had the graciousness to be born five and a half years before me. Other than that, most of the people I spend much time with are a generation younger than I am. So I've had to rely on memories of my grandparents when I want to assess where I am in my life journey, and even at that, I am now about a decade older than my maternal grandmother, and my paternal grandfather died before I was born. My paternal grandmother, however, was a great example to follow. A retired schoolteacher, she was already in her 70s from the time I first remember her, and she lived a good life to age 92. She had her life arranged in a well-organized manner, so her house was always neat and clean, her meals were always healthful and delicious, and her clothing, mostly made by her, looked just right for the occcasion. She knitted endless pairs of perfect mittens for us grandchildren, and she was very adept at cutting down clothing to fit us, or updating it when the styles changed. When the Gibson Girl look came in after the war was over, she made all my dresses long enough by inserting fabric or cotton lace. I was lucky to know her. I remember that in the sitting room, she always had a table of neatly arranged reading material, including religious magazines she subscribed to. When my mother and Aunt Doris asked what she would like for her 90th birthday, she said she would like the next volume of Winston Churchill's "History of the English Speaking Peoples." Grandma never drove a car, at least not from the time I knew her, but there were photos on the wall in her bedroom, showing a trip she and two daughters took to the Grand Canyon (from Massachusetts) in the days when the driver had to be able to fix the car herself if it broke down. The roads were not generally paved, and gas stations were few and far between. I really don't know if I would say yes to riding with my two daughters on a long trip to an unknown area, under those conditions. But I give thanks that I had Grandma Howlett for a role model. It would be convenient if I could inquire whether this suddenly wrinkled face will get deeper furrows, but the furrows will do what they please, whether or not I am knowledgeable about my expectations. There are still things I can't ask any of my forbears about growing old, but I am certainly enjoying these years. I admit I do prefer to look at myself in our bathroom mirror, which makes me look much more alive than the fluorescent lighting in the bathroom at work. But it doesn't really affect my ability to enjoy life. I can still work fulltime, sing in the choir, make quilts and blueberry pancakes, and write down my memories. Many thanks to God each day! |
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Mary Cosgrove See the wood storage area in bottom of the clay oven. I have the builder's book; he lives in OR. All the school kids and community enthusiasts, plus the author of the book, worked as a team. The kids stomped in the clay with their bare feet to "work the clay". The holes around the front end of the oven were poked in with a pencil by the kids, adding their signature. See second picture being sent. The oven gets up to about 700 degrees during the prep time. I told the principal about a laser temperature reader, which she's interested in. The baking is done after the wood is burned and embers are removed. Heating up the oven takes 2-4 hours, depending on the chore to be accomplished. Standing with me is the principal of the elementary school (& baker). We did not witness the pita bread bake which took place two hours later. Note the big bread peel to the right, and other tools. The builder custom-made a steel portable door to the oven, used when heating the oven up. They made a mold with sand for the clay to be formed on. The whole project was done in two days. Obviously one could make a much smaller oven. There will be an article in the SJ newspaper soon. The school staff took their own pictures to send to the Itemizer since the latter did not have staff available. They have also baked pizzas. The oven can hold two large ones and they cook in 10 minutes or less after the heat is lowered. Anyone interested in the book and author, pls. email me. I had bought the book about a year ago. I'll send a close-up of the oven in a separate email. |
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Gene Murdock June 2, 2008 I like cemeteries and have never had any qualms, fears or superstitions about them. Probably because as children we lived within about a quarter mile of one which was well within our playing and exploring area out in the country. In this particular cemetery was a Murdock lot with our great grandparents, and great-great grandparents, so we were always quite comfortable there. Up in town, behind the town common and Unitarian Church, is another cemetery with the graves of our oldest ancestors in the town, including the first, who was Robert Murdock the Minuteman. This cemetery was always fun to visit because it had a lot of wild checkerberries to pick and eat. While revisiting the homestead after I had been gone for about twenty years, my sister Dotty took my son Eric on a tour of the cemeteries and showed him the whole line of Murdocks from my generation back to Robert - a line of seven generations! This enhanced my appreciation of cemeteries and contributed to the start of a study of family genealogy. Rick, too, started an interest in visiting cemeteries, and as he traveled around in the Air Force he visited many a military cemetery looking for family links. While living here in Glenwood, Iowa, he used to visit a cemetery north of town where some of his wife’s family were buried. He loved to go there, park under a big evergreen tree, and just relax. After he died last year, we took his ashes and scattered them under the tree by the spot he loved so much. I took the opportunity to take along some of his mother’s ashes to accompany his. I have visited this spot several times, yet I never felt the peace of mind there that he did. But recently a friend told me of another cemetery where one of her children was buried, so I went there to check it out. WOW! Just driving into the parking I could see that this was a place I was going to like. And so it is, a beautiful, comfortable, welcoming spot where I immediately felt a peace of mind. It is developed on a ridge, so there are no rows of plots that you would expect to find in a flat location. Instead, the lots are placed in regard to the terrain and the existing large trees. As I looked around the approximately one-quarter mile long narrow ridge, I found a beautiful spot that Chris would have loved - sitting up on the ridge in the shade of a huge lilac bush, surrounded by trees, shrubs, and birds. This, then, will be my spot to come and sit and relax, so I scattered some of Chris’s ashes there and now we can enjoy it together. So you see, Dear Hearts, I do like cemeteries. Love, Gene/Dad/Unk/Grampy |
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