I just read on facebook that Julia Brown has died in Florida. I had been thinking about her lately, because I had heard that she went into a nursing home. I thought I would share a few memories of her. She spent quite a few years preaching in PA. I don't know the years, but it was when my kids were little.
The first thing that came to my mind was what she spoke once at convention. She always had a very emphatic way about expressing herself (as did her brother Arnold). She started out by saying that we are not responsible for where the Gospel finds us, but we ARE responsible for how the Gospel leaves us. I remember being in the dining tent when she spoke that, so it probably was about 30 years ago!
For a good number of years, she seemed to be often with us for a visit at special meeting time. She really seemed to enjoy food, and particularly enjoyed eating my homemade rye bread. "Oh, that bread" she would say in her expressive way! It made quite an impression on my young kiddoes, because for years they called that rye bread, "Julia Brown Bread"! I think I will have to make some tomorrow to honor her and we can have it for our potluck Sunday after meeting...
Yes, she was quite a lady. She always looked neat as a pin. Her face always showed lots of expression, and I am quite sure she, like Arnold, would close her eyes when she was speaking in a meeting when she was making a point.
We hate to part with these old dear workers who have meant so much to us in the past, but their memory lives on with us and we are definitely richer for having them in our lives!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Feeling almost normal again!
At yesterday's dr. visit I told him the only problem I seemed to be having was drowsiness and a foggy head, and he said I should gradually reduce the amount of antivert in my system, as long as I was not experiencing the dizziness and nausea. I took a 1/2 pill at suppertime last night, and this morning my head feels pretty clear and I feel energy, which is great! I don't feel like I am fighting drowsiness, anyways!
Tomorrow I am scheduled to work, and again on Monday. Monday will no doubt be my last day. I am certainly glad my vertigo happened when the tax office was slowing down! Ross also works there and he said the others who work there have been asking about me! I certainly worked with lots of nice people and I have enjoyed that experience very much. One tax preparer is a distant relative of Ken's and she and I have set up at craft sales side-by-side lots of times. She only works at H&R Block part-time, so I don't see her as much as I would have liked. Last April she had the horrendous experience of her 19-year-old son dying in a house fire along with about 8or 9 other people. (He was living there). I have felt buckets of sympathy for her and her husband and am glad to see her in the work place.
What are my plans for today? After working at such a fast pace at H&R Block, these days at home seem rather strange, even though I have not felt very peppy. But today is laundry day, which includes clean sheets, and I intend to give my neglected bathroom a good cleaning. I also have plans to mix up a batch of the famous Grady buns, which will likely include cinnamon rolls, too! Who wants to come to my house to visit the sparkling bathrooms and smell the wonderful aroma of bread baking, and sample a bun?
Yep, I know I am just rambling on. I may even ramble a little later on, too. There are a couple of subjects I want to write about.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to work, and again on Monday. Monday will no doubt be my last day. I am certainly glad my vertigo happened when the tax office was slowing down! Ross also works there and he said the others who work there have been asking about me! I certainly worked with lots of nice people and I have enjoyed that experience very much. One tax preparer is a distant relative of Ken's and she and I have set up at craft sales side-by-side lots of times. She only works at H&R Block part-time, so I don't see her as much as I would have liked. Last April she had the horrendous experience of her 19-year-old son dying in a house fire along with about 8or 9 other people. (He was living there). I have felt buckets of sympathy for her and her husband and am glad to see her in the work place.
What are my plans for today? After working at such a fast pace at H&R Block, these days at home seem rather strange, even though I have not felt very peppy. But today is laundry day, which includes clean sheets, and I intend to give my neglected bathroom a good cleaning. I also have plans to mix up a batch of the famous Grady buns, which will likely include cinnamon rolls, too! Who wants to come to my house to visit the sparkling bathrooms and smell the wonderful aroma of bread baking, and sample a bun?
Yep, I know I am just rambling on. I may even ramble a little later on, too. There are a couple of subjects I want to write about.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A Bump in the Road
Saturday was Valentine's Day. After a busy work week, I was enjoying getting a few things done at home. It snowed most of the day, and accumulated about 4 inches or so by evening. We had had our Valentine's Day supper the evening before at Perkin's restaurant.
I spent the morning on two applications and went to Brockway to fax one, and drop the other off at the S&T Bank, where I actually had a "mini-interview" with the bank manager. In the afternoon I decided my dear valentine deserved a pie. Since Peggy and Marie called to say they would be there for meeting and dinner the next day, I decided to make two. One was graham cracker cream and the other was coconut cream.
We had some leftovers for supper, and then had a relaxing evening while we waited for the pies to be cool enough to sample. After pie, I sat at the computer playing spider solitaire for a while. Around nine I decided I'd better get a few things done before bath and bed and got up and started picking up and putting away. I told Ken I felt a little dizzy, and walked carefully around the house, but the slight dizzines did not go away so I decided to sit down for a while, hoping it would pass. Ken suggested that I lay down and put my feet up, so I decided to just lay on the floor here in the dining room and put my feet up on the toy box. When I went to lie down, my head was all of a sudden filled with the most horrible sensations and I started to yell. I remember having the thought, "This must be what dying feels like." But I kept talking because I realized I wasn't dying and then I thought I must surely be having a stroke.
Ross was in the living room playing the piano and I remember yelling for him to come help us. Ken brought me a cool cloth for my forehead, and Ross gave me a rolled up blanket for a pillow. By that time I was shaking and shivering. I felt pressured in my upper chest area. Ken got the blood pressure kit, and they discovered it needed fresh batteries, which they replaced. My blood pressure was 180something over 90 something. They decided to call 911.
I stayed there on the floor till help came. I did not want to move my head even an inch to the left or right because I would feel really woozy.
The ambulance crew came, checked me out, and found that my bp was still high. When they sat me up to get me onto the low stretcher, the room began to really tilt sideways for me and I got violently nauseated and vomited. I have to be about half-dead to vomit. Yuck! I told them I was not drunk! Through it all I wanted to keep talking, knowing that they could better evaluate me for stroke or whatever.
So, this was the first time anyone had ever called 911 on my behalf. And this was my first time to ride in the back of an ambulance. They did not hurry or use the siren. Believe you me, it was a bumpy ride, too. I did not have pain, but I sure did not feel good, and sure enough, before we got to the hospital I spewed out more of what was in my stomach.
At the hospital I had EKG, blood work, and a CT scan to rule out things. The ER dr. suggested vertigo. They gave me some medicine for the dizziness and nausea which I continued to have whenever they moved my head. Yuck! By about 2:30 AM I was admitted to a room on the second floor. I managed to corrupt those sheets, too, before settling into an uncomfortable sleep on my back with heart monitors on me.
Sunday morning I woke up feeling groggy, but with the nurse's help I made it to the bathroom and back with no dizziness or nausea. Dr. Devlin came in about 9:30 and said it was vertigo and wanted to know what I was doing when it came on me. He says it is viral in nature and asked me if I had had any respiratory symptoms, which I had not. I have a follow-up appointment with him tomorrow, so perhaps he can better answer my questions then as to what caused it and whether I have to worry about recurrence.
I was discharged Sunday afternoon and got my prescription for antivert, which is a motion sickness medicine that I am to take as needed. I have decided to take it until I see the dr. tomorrow. I sure don't want to relapse! I think it has made me drowsy, and Monday I just laid around and didn't do much. I felt like I was in slow motion. Today, I decided to push myself to do some things besides just vegging, and this afternoon I could feel my energy coming back to me. Welcome back!
I missed two days of my work, Sunday afternoon and Monday, and I wasn't scheduled to work again until Friday. I am glad to have these days at home to recover. And, I am glad to be feeling more like my old self again! I have enjoyed working at the pace and momentum that we have had at H&R Block and enjoy scurrying around again!! We can never appreciate our good health enough, right?
I spent the morning on two applications and went to Brockway to fax one, and drop the other off at the S&T Bank, where I actually had a "mini-interview" with the bank manager. In the afternoon I decided my dear valentine deserved a pie. Since Peggy and Marie called to say they would be there for meeting and dinner the next day, I decided to make two. One was graham cracker cream and the other was coconut cream.
We had some leftovers for supper, and then had a relaxing evening while we waited for the pies to be cool enough to sample. After pie, I sat at the computer playing spider solitaire for a while. Around nine I decided I'd better get a few things done before bath and bed and got up and started picking up and putting away. I told Ken I felt a little dizzy, and walked carefully around the house, but the slight dizzines did not go away so I decided to sit down for a while, hoping it would pass. Ken suggested that I lay down and put my feet up, so I decided to just lay on the floor here in the dining room and put my feet up on the toy box. When I went to lie down, my head was all of a sudden filled with the most horrible sensations and I started to yell. I remember having the thought, "This must be what dying feels like." But I kept talking because I realized I wasn't dying and then I thought I must surely be having a stroke.
Ross was in the living room playing the piano and I remember yelling for him to come help us. Ken brought me a cool cloth for my forehead, and Ross gave me a rolled up blanket for a pillow. By that time I was shaking and shivering. I felt pressured in my upper chest area. Ken got the blood pressure kit, and they discovered it needed fresh batteries, which they replaced. My blood pressure was 180something over 90 something. They decided to call 911.
I stayed there on the floor till help came. I did not want to move my head even an inch to the left or right because I would feel really woozy.
The ambulance crew came, checked me out, and found that my bp was still high. When they sat me up to get me onto the low stretcher, the room began to really tilt sideways for me and I got violently nauseated and vomited. I have to be about half-dead to vomit. Yuck! I told them I was not drunk! Through it all I wanted to keep talking, knowing that they could better evaluate me for stroke or whatever.
So, this was the first time anyone had ever called 911 on my behalf. And this was my first time to ride in the back of an ambulance. They did not hurry or use the siren. Believe you me, it was a bumpy ride, too. I did not have pain, but I sure did not feel good, and sure enough, before we got to the hospital I spewed out more of what was in my stomach.
At the hospital I had EKG, blood work, and a CT scan to rule out things. The ER dr. suggested vertigo. They gave me some medicine for the dizziness and nausea which I continued to have whenever they moved my head. Yuck! By about 2:30 AM I was admitted to a room on the second floor. I managed to corrupt those sheets, too, before settling into an uncomfortable sleep on my back with heart monitors on me.
Sunday morning I woke up feeling groggy, but with the nurse's help I made it to the bathroom and back with no dizziness or nausea. Dr. Devlin came in about 9:30 and said it was vertigo and wanted to know what I was doing when it came on me. He says it is viral in nature and asked me if I had had any respiratory symptoms, which I had not. I have a follow-up appointment with him tomorrow, so perhaps he can better answer my questions then as to what caused it and whether I have to worry about recurrence.
I was discharged Sunday afternoon and got my prescription for antivert, which is a motion sickness medicine that I am to take as needed. I have decided to take it until I see the dr. tomorrow. I sure don't want to relapse! I think it has made me drowsy, and Monday I just laid around and didn't do much. I felt like I was in slow motion. Today, I decided to push myself to do some things besides just vegging, and this afternoon I could feel my energy coming back to me. Welcome back!
I missed two days of my work, Sunday afternoon and Monday, and I wasn't scheduled to work again until Friday. I am glad to have these days at home to recover. And, I am glad to be feeling more like my old self again! I have enjoyed working at the pace and momentum that we have had at H&R Block and enjoy scurrying around again!! We can never appreciate our good health enough, right?
My job at H&R Block
When I started my job at H&R Block on Jan. 21, I was full of questions about myself:
Could I really learn something new at my age? Yeah, I know I am "only" 56, but this was a big step for me, to get out in the working world.
Would my clothes be all right for office work?
How would my feet hold up from being on them all day?
Would I manage at home OK, even though Ken promised to help me?
What if I get exhausted and lose my cool?
Lots and lots of questions, and self-doubt. It comforted me a lot a week or so ago to hear the pilot who so heroically landed his plane in the Hudson had a time of second-guessing himself for several nights. It must be a trait of conscientious people, and I wanted to be a conscientious worker, so I guess I had that trait, anyways!
Now my "career" at H&R Block is coming to a close, and I have found my answers.
Yes, I can learn something new, even at my age. In fact I enjoy the challenge of it, and want to go on learning. I made hundreds of appointments over the telephone, and face to face, on Appointment Manager, a computer program, and it got to be VERY routine. Anything you do over and over again gets to be easy, even if you are almost a senior citizen!
Shortly after I was hired, they hired two young people to work part-time to help us out. They seemed to pick up the computer and phone stuff way faster than I did and I felt at a disadvantage--more second-guessing myself. After a few days I found out that my experience with people was an advantage I had, and I was more patient with the clients on the phone, etc. One day one of them said they were having a bad day because seven people had yelled at them over the phone so far. I thought about that and said, "I don't know if anyone has yelled at me or not!" So, what does that mean? Did they not yell at me, or did I not perceive it as such? People get very irate when they think they may not be getting their check TODAY simply because it is not in the drawer at 9:30 yet.
So, perhaps we older folks do not take things so personally...I don't know.
Yep, my clothes were ok, sort of anyways. Mainly they were too warm, because I was moving constantly and never, ever got cold.
My feet held up fine, even though I did not wear my favorite Easy Spirits except on casual Friday.
Yes, we managed fine at home. Since Ken got home first, he usually had supper about cooked by the time I got there. Nice! I would plan it and give him the instructions and how-to's. Laundry I did, here and there, with a catch-up on Saturday. It sure is a different life-style, though, being a working wife!
No, I did not get exhausted and lose my cool. I found I could maintain my enthusiasm for the job and the people without losing my cool. Some of the crazy things people do just made me laugh and laugh. Like the day a lady called wanting a phone number for the IRS. It was the first and only time anyone asked me for that number, so I ran around to find a tax preparer who was not busy, and could help me. He found the number for me. Back to the phone, and here the lady did not have a pencil, then she could not find a pencil, then she decided to write the number on a chalk board! I just laughed and laughed over that one! We have all kinds......
So, it has been a great experience for me and I have learned lots about myself, too. Now I am pursuing other opportunities for future employment. I am looking for receptionist work, and have also applied for a part-time bank teller job. We shall see what opens up. This Friday, Feb. 20th may be my last day at H&R Block.
What an experience!
Could I really learn something new at my age? Yeah, I know I am "only" 56, but this was a big step for me, to get out in the working world.
Would my clothes be all right for office work?
How would my feet hold up from being on them all day?
Would I manage at home OK, even though Ken promised to help me?
What if I get exhausted and lose my cool?
Lots and lots of questions, and self-doubt. It comforted me a lot a week or so ago to hear the pilot who so heroically landed his plane in the Hudson had a time of second-guessing himself for several nights. It must be a trait of conscientious people, and I wanted to be a conscientious worker, so I guess I had that trait, anyways!
Now my "career" at H&R Block is coming to a close, and I have found my answers.
Yes, I can learn something new, even at my age. In fact I enjoy the challenge of it, and want to go on learning. I made hundreds of appointments over the telephone, and face to face, on Appointment Manager, a computer program, and it got to be VERY routine. Anything you do over and over again gets to be easy, even if you are almost a senior citizen!
Shortly after I was hired, they hired two young people to work part-time to help us out. They seemed to pick up the computer and phone stuff way faster than I did and I felt at a disadvantage--more second-guessing myself. After a few days I found out that my experience with people was an advantage I had, and I was more patient with the clients on the phone, etc. One day one of them said they were having a bad day because seven people had yelled at them over the phone so far. I thought about that and said, "I don't know if anyone has yelled at me or not!" So, what does that mean? Did they not yell at me, or did I not perceive it as such? People get very irate when they think they may not be getting their check TODAY simply because it is not in the drawer at 9:30 yet.
So, perhaps we older folks do not take things so personally...I don't know.
Yep, my clothes were ok, sort of anyways. Mainly they were too warm, because I was moving constantly and never, ever got cold.
My feet held up fine, even though I did not wear my favorite Easy Spirits except on casual Friday.
Yes, we managed fine at home. Since Ken got home first, he usually had supper about cooked by the time I got there. Nice! I would plan it and give him the instructions and how-to's. Laundry I did, here and there, with a catch-up on Saturday. It sure is a different life-style, though, being a working wife!
No, I did not get exhausted and lose my cool. I found I could maintain my enthusiasm for the job and the people without losing my cool. Some of the crazy things people do just made me laugh and laugh. Like the day a lady called wanting a phone number for the IRS. It was the first and only time anyone asked me for that number, so I ran around to find a tax preparer who was not busy, and could help me. He found the number for me. Back to the phone, and here the lady did not have a pencil, then she could not find a pencil, then she decided to write the number on a chalk board! I just laughed and laughed over that one! We have all kinds......
So, it has been a great experience for me and I have learned lots about myself, too. Now I am pursuing other opportunities for future employment. I am looking for receptionist work, and have also applied for a part-time bank teller job. We shall see what opens up. This Friday, Feb. 20th may be my last day at H&R Block.
What an experience!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
I have been tagged!
I have been tagged, and thought I would answer it in my blog like daughter Jill did.
1. Because of my parents, I became aware of God early in my life.
2. I was the 6th of 7 children and my parents were in their forties when I was born.
3. My oldest brother Ben and I were the only two in the family who did not have optic atrohpy. Some of the other five are legally blind.
4. Because of #3 I deeply appreciate my eyes and my driver's license.
5. Ken first got his eye on me when I was 14 1/2. We started to "go together" when I was 15 1/2.
6. When I was 17 I found my father dead in his chair with his Bible open to John 5.
7. Ken was in Viet Nam my senior year of high school and we corresponded nearly daily.
8. He lived 25 miles away from me and we dated 2 or 3 times a week after he returned home in May 1970. There were very few surprises after we were married in May 1971.
9. We wanted 4 children and we got them!
10. I have been a stay-at-home mother, not because Ken made lots of money, but because that's the choice we made, and we scrimped to keep it that way.
11. I am obsessive-compulsive about two things: I cannot stand our bed unmade, and I have to have my washcloths folded neatly and all the same way in the stack in the bathroom closet.
12. I love to bake, especially cookies.
13. Cooking comes next to baking in my kitchen loves. I love to put a meal on the table for company. Our dining room table extends to hold about 18 people and we like to fill it up!
14. I hate kitchen clean-up! My dream would be to have someone clean up the messes I make!
15. I try to discipline myself to clean up my messes.
16. I love scents. I have lots of scented candles and I love Bath and Body Works lotions.
17. I love shoes and have way more than I can ever wear out!
18. I have enjoyed sewing, quilting, and weaving, but have kind of lost my passion for them in the last while.
19. I started doing volunteer work in the hospital last June.
20. I have spent three days now working as a receptionist for H&R Block. It is a temporary job, about 4-5 weeks, but it is full-time.
21. Ken is tired of working and would like to retire, while I am tired of being at home and want to work or do something!!!
22. I love being a woman and would like to preserve the role of womanhood in my life.
23. I love color and enjoyed putting colors together in the rugs I wove. I also like to match up colors in the clothes I wear.
24. I hate to wear plain black. I feel too morbid in it.
25. I am a nosy/interested person and love to know what's going on in the lives of my friends.
26. I enjoy the computer very much. My computer mouse and I are great friends!
27. I hate other mice, though!
1. Because of my parents, I became aware of God early in my life.
2. I was the 6th of 7 children and my parents were in their forties when I was born.
3. My oldest brother Ben and I were the only two in the family who did not have optic atrohpy. Some of the other five are legally blind.
4. Because of #3 I deeply appreciate my eyes and my driver's license.
5. Ken first got his eye on me when I was 14 1/2. We started to "go together" when I was 15 1/2.
6. When I was 17 I found my father dead in his chair with his Bible open to John 5.
7. Ken was in Viet Nam my senior year of high school and we corresponded nearly daily.
8. He lived 25 miles away from me and we dated 2 or 3 times a week after he returned home in May 1970. There were very few surprises after we were married in May 1971.
9. We wanted 4 children and we got them!
10. I have been a stay-at-home mother, not because Ken made lots of money, but because that's the choice we made, and we scrimped to keep it that way.
11. I am obsessive-compulsive about two things: I cannot stand our bed unmade, and I have to have my washcloths folded neatly and all the same way in the stack in the bathroom closet.
12. I love to bake, especially cookies.
13. Cooking comes next to baking in my kitchen loves. I love to put a meal on the table for company. Our dining room table extends to hold about 18 people and we like to fill it up!
14. I hate kitchen clean-up! My dream would be to have someone clean up the messes I make!
15. I try to discipline myself to clean up my messes.
16. I love scents. I have lots of scented candles and I love Bath and Body Works lotions.
17. I love shoes and have way more than I can ever wear out!
18. I have enjoyed sewing, quilting, and weaving, but have kind of lost my passion for them in the last while.
19. I started doing volunteer work in the hospital last June.
20. I have spent three days now working as a receptionist for H&R Block. It is a temporary job, about 4-5 weeks, but it is full-time.
21. Ken is tired of working and would like to retire, while I am tired of being at home and want to work or do something!!!
22. I love being a woman and would like to preserve the role of womanhood in my life.
23. I love color and enjoyed putting colors together in the rugs I wove. I also like to match up colors in the clothes I wear.
24. I hate to wear plain black. I feel too morbid in it.
25. I am a nosy/interested person and love to know what's going on in the lives of my friends.
26. I enjoy the computer very much. My computer mouse and I are great friends!
27. I hate other mice, though!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Lindberg Family History, January 1970
In January, 1970, I was a senior in high school. I had had my 17th birthday in December. Ken had been in Viet Nam for seven months. We were writing letter back and forth nearly daily. We had already talked about marriage and dreamed about taking that step a year or so after his safe return.
On Saturday, January 3, 1970, my mother woke me up and said, "They don't expect my dad to live and I have to go. Can you help get the house ready for meeting?" My Grandpa Joe Seyler had had surgery for bleeding ulcers in a hospital at Coudersport, PA a week or so prior to that time. He had been doing fairly well for a man of 83, but now he had taken a turn for the worse. Lois, at 23, was home for the weekend from Erie, where she was going to Gannon College. She and I worked together to try to fill the place of our mother.
On Sunday we had our meeting in the morning as usual. I remember Daddy's testimony about the parable of the talents. He spoke about the one who had received the one talent who buried it in the earth. He said, "Some people think if they can't do anything great, they are not going to do anything at all." His desire was to do the little that he could.
I was a member of the photography club at school and had the school camera home with me to take pictures over Christmas vacation. I had one picture left on the film and said, "Hey, Dad, I need to take the last picture on this film." He was sitting in the chair in the dining room in his suit, and I snapped a picture of him.
That afternoon Daddy decided to drive Lois back to Erie instead of letting her go on the bus. He decided to ask his retired buddy, Claude Zimmerman, to ride along so he would have company on the way back. Daddy loved to drive and enjoyed just "going for a ride". Snap, 19, and Glenn,13, and I spent the day at home. Glenn and I would be starting back to school the next day. Snap would be going to his work at a car garage in Johnsonburg. No doubt I wrote a letter that day to Ken, full of love and dreams and hopes.
When Daddy got back from Erie that evening we talked about our day. I asked him if he wanted a bowl of chili, and he said his stomach felt a little off and he thought he would just go to bed early. I knew he had an appointment with a chiropracter first thing on Monday morning.
I was full of the sense of New Year's resolution and set my alarm before I went to bed. I intended to get up earlier than usual, get a bath, and start the day and the year off right! It went off at 7 AM, but I decided not to get up just yet. about 7:15 I awoke again, and it seemed to me that the house was cold, and I decided I did not need that bath too badly and could catch a few more winks before I HAD to get up for school.
7:45 Honk, honk, honk! I was awakened by the honking of a horn. The man who gave Snap a ride to work was there waiting for him! We had overslept, and it would be hurry, hurry, hurry, to get to the bus on time now. I rolled out of bed on my knees, said a quick prayer, and ran to the foot of the stairs to holler up the steps to wake up Snap and Glenn. (I slept downstairs in the bedroom between the kitchen and the living room).
From the foot of the stairs, I saw into the dining room that Daddy was sitting in the dining room reading his Bible, as he always did in the morning. He was dressed in his suit, and his top coat and hat were over the bannister in preparation for his appointment with the chiro. He appeared to be sleeping, which he sometimes did in that chair at other times of the day. "Dad, wake up! We have overslept!" No response, and I looked at him a little closer. His feet were extended out in front of the chair, and the toes were pointed inward, which looked unusual. Then I noticed that one part of his false teeth had fallen our and were laying on the front of his suit. "Dad, dad, wake up!" I looked to see if he was breathing, something I had done when I had seen people sleeping. Then instinct told me to reach out and put my hand on his forehead. Then I called to my brothers, "Oh, you guys, get down here! He's cold!" Snap showed up in the typical nighttime attire of a 19-year old and I said, "Your boss is out there waiting for you, let's tell him to come in." We went to the back porch and beckoned him, and he came to the porch and we told him what happened. He told Snap he did not need to come to work that day, and off he went. I don't know if he offered to help or not, but that's the extent of his input that I remember.
In crisis, there is always someone to call. My first thought was Aunt Bertha. So, 965-4181. No answer. Later I found out she and Uncle Max were still upstairs and could not hear the phone from up there. Next choice, Gertie, their daughter who lived behind them. 9654185. "Gertie, the most awful thing has happened. I just found Daddy dead." I can still hear her saying, "Oh, darling, I will be right down." (They lived 2 or 3 miles away) She must have told me she would call Dr. Bennar (there was no 911 in those days!) I remember her telling me not to touch him. She also called Jane Grady to tell her.
Oh, I thought, how can I tell Mother? Well, I will just do it. I went to the phone, dialed the number at Grandma Maud's. Mother happened to be in the kitchen and took the call, thinking it was the hospital calling that her father had died. But, no, it was me with a different message. I cannot remember what all she said, but I do know she had the presence of mind to tell me to get Ubel Funeral Home. (Gertie later took care of that call for us.). Mother was in Port Allegany, and said she would call Ben, her oldest son, who was working there in town. Snap called Punk in Wilcox. I called Ruth in Canada. She was about 5 months pregnant with Garrett at the time. Gertie later called Lois, who was in a college class.
There we were, three teenagers in the house with our father's body. We were anxiously looking out the windows for help to come. Some one pulled in, and lo, and behold, it was the Marhoefer breadman! He came two or three mornings a week, brought in a tray of his bread, doughnuts, and other goodies, and my mother would buy from him. At first, I thought, "Go away, I cannot talk to you!" but then I thought that we would probably make good use of a loaf of bread. Mother had left money behind so I decided I would get bread from him. He came in all cheerful and happy with a "Good morning!!". I don't think I was crying, but he could tell by looking at me that something was very wrong, and he said, "Not so good, huh?" I replied, "Well, sir, I just found my father dead in the next room." He began to kind of sputter and said, "Well, I guess that's life!" "No, sir," I said, "It's death!"I am not sure where the "sir" came from, because that wasn't a word we typically used, but it just came out that way. I told him I would take a loaf of bread, and gave him the money. When I was putting the change back into the little wallet Mother left for me, I am quite sure he short-changed me a nickel, but I remember thinking, I am not going to make an issue of it, it's not important! (Bread was under 50 cents in those days) Later that morning we found out that he was one of the managers who was substituting for the regular driver. His next stop was up the road at Kay Yonker's, and he was so rattled when he came into their house that they made him sit down until he could get himself settled. Kay later showed up at our house with food and helping hands. Her daughter was my playmate.
We were still waiting for real help. Glenn, 13, went over and picked up the accordian in the living room and began to play. "Oh, Glenn, how can you play the accordian?" He looked at me with such a look of anguish that I said, "Oh, go ahead and play!"
Finally, here came Gertie and Elbert, and I am pretty sure Aunt Bertha was along. I don't remember Uncle Max being there. At last, we had help. Soon, Dr. Bennar came. Had he been sick, he asked me. I said, "He had high blood pressure, but I think he was over that." He said, "My dear, you never get over high blood pressure." Later we would discover that Daddy's high blood pressure testing kit was all covered with dust, so he had not been taking it. I do not know if it was a heart attack or a stroke that killed him. Dr. Bennar reached out and took the open Bible from Daddy's hands and said, "The fifth chapter of John. That's a good chapter." (John 5 was our Bible study for the upcoming Wednesday night. I often wonder how far he got in the chapter before his call came.) Dr. Bennar called the coroner for us from our phone, and I remember him saying, "No, there is no evidence of foul play, I know the family well." Mother doctored with him for herself and us children, but my dad didn't doctor with much of anybody except the chiro.
I feel that it was merciful that I knew right away when I touched my dad that he was gone, and there was nothing I could do to help him. Those were the days before CPR and EMT's.
Somewhere along the line, Don and Jane and Martha Grady came. Ben, Ethel, young David, and Mom arrived from Port Allegany, but I told them not to bring little David in, and Mother opted not to come in, so they all went up to Aunt Bertha's. Punk and Dorothy also came, but I do not remember any details about that.
We were still waiting on the undertaker, whom Gertie had called. Finally, she called him again, and he said he was waiting on some help for him. She told him there were people there who would help him, so he finally came. Don Grady and Elbert Walters helped the man. They emptied his pockets of all the things that were pertinent to this life and put them on the dining room table. I did not watch, but stayed in the bedroom with the ladies. I do remember being aware of them carrying him through the kitchen and out the door.
(Years later, when Don died at home of cancer, and we went, I watched as the loaded him on the stretcher, and followed them out to the hearse. I was remembering what he did for us, and wanted to pay him tribute for that.)
The day of January 5, 1970 went on. And, life went on. We functioned in a state of shock, supported by God and the kindness of others. My Grandpa Joe Seyler died 13 days later. Ken arrived home safely from Viet Nam on April 30. On August 13, his father, Joe Grady, was raking up apples and had a heart attack and died. The next week we went to Newry convention, and on Friday night, my Uncle Max Bumpus got sick and died.
Such was life when I was 17. All these experiences are part of who I am, and I am grateful for the help of a very present God, and others whom He used, to hold up our hands.
On Saturday, January 3, 1970, my mother woke me up and said, "They don't expect my dad to live and I have to go. Can you help get the house ready for meeting?" My Grandpa Joe Seyler had had surgery for bleeding ulcers in a hospital at Coudersport, PA a week or so prior to that time. He had been doing fairly well for a man of 83, but now he had taken a turn for the worse. Lois, at 23, was home for the weekend from Erie, where she was going to Gannon College. She and I worked together to try to fill the place of our mother.
On Sunday we had our meeting in the morning as usual. I remember Daddy's testimony about the parable of the talents. He spoke about the one who had received the one talent who buried it in the earth. He said, "Some people think if they can't do anything great, they are not going to do anything at all." His desire was to do the little that he could.
I was a member of the photography club at school and had the school camera home with me to take pictures over Christmas vacation. I had one picture left on the film and said, "Hey, Dad, I need to take the last picture on this film." He was sitting in the chair in the dining room in his suit, and I snapped a picture of him.
That afternoon Daddy decided to drive Lois back to Erie instead of letting her go on the bus. He decided to ask his retired buddy, Claude Zimmerman, to ride along so he would have company on the way back. Daddy loved to drive and enjoyed just "going for a ride". Snap, 19, and Glenn,13, and I spent the day at home. Glenn and I would be starting back to school the next day. Snap would be going to his work at a car garage in Johnsonburg. No doubt I wrote a letter that day to Ken, full of love and dreams and hopes.
When Daddy got back from Erie that evening we talked about our day. I asked him if he wanted a bowl of chili, and he said his stomach felt a little off and he thought he would just go to bed early. I knew he had an appointment with a chiropracter first thing on Monday morning.
I was full of the sense of New Year's resolution and set my alarm before I went to bed. I intended to get up earlier than usual, get a bath, and start the day and the year off right! It went off at 7 AM, but I decided not to get up just yet. about 7:15 I awoke again, and it seemed to me that the house was cold, and I decided I did not need that bath too badly and could catch a few more winks before I HAD to get up for school.
7:45 Honk, honk, honk! I was awakened by the honking of a horn. The man who gave Snap a ride to work was there waiting for him! We had overslept, and it would be hurry, hurry, hurry, to get to the bus on time now. I rolled out of bed on my knees, said a quick prayer, and ran to the foot of the stairs to holler up the steps to wake up Snap and Glenn. (I slept downstairs in the bedroom between the kitchen and the living room).
From the foot of the stairs, I saw into the dining room that Daddy was sitting in the dining room reading his Bible, as he always did in the morning. He was dressed in his suit, and his top coat and hat were over the bannister in preparation for his appointment with the chiro. He appeared to be sleeping, which he sometimes did in that chair at other times of the day. "Dad, wake up! We have overslept!" No response, and I looked at him a little closer. His feet were extended out in front of the chair, and the toes were pointed inward, which looked unusual. Then I noticed that one part of his false teeth had fallen our and were laying on the front of his suit. "Dad, dad, wake up!" I looked to see if he was breathing, something I had done when I had seen people sleeping. Then instinct told me to reach out and put my hand on his forehead. Then I called to my brothers, "Oh, you guys, get down here! He's cold!" Snap showed up in the typical nighttime attire of a 19-year old and I said, "Your boss is out there waiting for you, let's tell him to come in." We went to the back porch and beckoned him, and he came to the porch and we told him what happened. He told Snap he did not need to come to work that day, and off he went. I don't know if he offered to help or not, but that's the extent of his input that I remember.
In crisis, there is always someone to call. My first thought was Aunt Bertha. So, 965-4181. No answer. Later I found out she and Uncle Max were still upstairs and could not hear the phone from up there. Next choice, Gertie, their daughter who lived behind them. 9654185. "Gertie, the most awful thing has happened. I just found Daddy dead." I can still hear her saying, "Oh, darling, I will be right down." (They lived 2 or 3 miles away) She must have told me she would call Dr. Bennar (there was no 911 in those days!) I remember her telling me not to touch him. She also called Jane Grady to tell her.
Oh, I thought, how can I tell Mother? Well, I will just do it. I went to the phone, dialed the number at Grandma Maud's. Mother happened to be in the kitchen and took the call, thinking it was the hospital calling that her father had died. But, no, it was me with a different message. I cannot remember what all she said, but I do know she had the presence of mind to tell me to get Ubel Funeral Home. (Gertie later took care of that call for us.). Mother was in Port Allegany, and said she would call Ben, her oldest son, who was working there in town. Snap called Punk in Wilcox. I called Ruth in Canada. She was about 5 months pregnant with Garrett at the time. Gertie later called Lois, who was in a college class.
There we were, three teenagers in the house with our father's body. We were anxiously looking out the windows for help to come. Some one pulled in, and lo, and behold, it was the Marhoefer breadman! He came two or three mornings a week, brought in a tray of his bread, doughnuts, and other goodies, and my mother would buy from him. At first, I thought, "Go away, I cannot talk to you!" but then I thought that we would probably make good use of a loaf of bread. Mother had left money behind so I decided I would get bread from him. He came in all cheerful and happy with a "Good morning!!". I don't think I was crying, but he could tell by looking at me that something was very wrong, and he said, "Not so good, huh?" I replied, "Well, sir, I just found my father dead in the next room." He began to kind of sputter and said, "Well, I guess that's life!" "No, sir," I said, "It's death!"I am not sure where the "sir" came from, because that wasn't a word we typically used, but it just came out that way. I told him I would take a loaf of bread, and gave him the money. When I was putting the change back into the little wallet Mother left for me, I am quite sure he short-changed me a nickel, but I remember thinking, I am not going to make an issue of it, it's not important! (Bread was under 50 cents in those days) Later that morning we found out that he was one of the managers who was substituting for the regular driver. His next stop was up the road at Kay Yonker's, and he was so rattled when he came into their house that they made him sit down until he could get himself settled. Kay later showed up at our house with food and helping hands. Her daughter was my playmate.
We were still waiting for real help. Glenn, 13, went over and picked up the accordian in the living room and began to play. "Oh, Glenn, how can you play the accordian?" He looked at me with such a look of anguish that I said, "Oh, go ahead and play!"
Finally, here came Gertie and Elbert, and I am pretty sure Aunt Bertha was along. I don't remember Uncle Max being there. At last, we had help. Soon, Dr. Bennar came. Had he been sick, he asked me. I said, "He had high blood pressure, but I think he was over that." He said, "My dear, you never get over high blood pressure." Later we would discover that Daddy's high blood pressure testing kit was all covered with dust, so he had not been taking it. I do not know if it was a heart attack or a stroke that killed him. Dr. Bennar reached out and took the open Bible from Daddy's hands and said, "The fifth chapter of John. That's a good chapter." (John 5 was our Bible study for the upcoming Wednesday night. I often wonder how far he got in the chapter before his call came.) Dr. Bennar called the coroner for us from our phone, and I remember him saying, "No, there is no evidence of foul play, I know the family well." Mother doctored with him for herself and us children, but my dad didn't doctor with much of anybody except the chiro.
I feel that it was merciful that I knew right away when I touched my dad that he was gone, and there was nothing I could do to help him. Those were the days before CPR and EMT's.
Somewhere along the line, Don and Jane and Martha Grady came. Ben, Ethel, young David, and Mom arrived from Port Allegany, but I told them not to bring little David in, and Mother opted not to come in, so they all went up to Aunt Bertha's. Punk and Dorothy also came, but I do not remember any details about that.
We were still waiting on the undertaker, whom Gertie had called. Finally, she called him again, and he said he was waiting on some help for him. She told him there were people there who would help him, so he finally came. Don Grady and Elbert Walters helped the man. They emptied his pockets of all the things that were pertinent to this life and put them on the dining room table. I did not watch, but stayed in the bedroom with the ladies. I do remember being aware of them carrying him through the kitchen and out the door.
(Years later, when Don died at home of cancer, and we went, I watched as the loaded him on the stretcher, and followed them out to the hearse. I was remembering what he did for us, and wanted to pay him tribute for that.)
The day of January 5, 1970 went on. And, life went on. We functioned in a state of shock, supported by God and the kindness of others. My Grandpa Joe Seyler died 13 days later. Ken arrived home safely from Viet Nam on April 30. On August 13, his father, Joe Grady, was raking up apples and had a heart attack and died. The next week we went to Newry convention, and on Friday night, my Uncle Max Bumpus got sick and died.
Such was life when I was 17. All these experiences are part of who I am, and I am grateful for the help of a very present God, and others whom He used, to hold up our hands.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Ripples of Change
"Life is one changing scene." This statement was made at convention by Johnny Richards a long time ago, and it has often come to me since. Now that the calender year has changed (Happy New Year, everyone!) I have been thinking about the little changes that are rippling through our family.
Ken turned 60 last September and is getting closer to his retirement-hopeful age of 62. About a year-and-a-half ago, the powdered metal company that he works for was bought out by a holding company, and there have been lots of changes there. Last month they announced that they are closing their plant in Clearfield and merging it into the plant here in Falls Creek. We feel that his job security diminishes every day, but we do not worry about it. We realize that there is a strong possibility for change in our future with his job situation.
Roy, our oldest son, is working for Coca-Cola, and has been part of an auctioneering business on the side. Just recently, there has been a change in that business--the lady auctioneer got married and wants to pursue a few other things in life, so now Roy is looking for auctioneering opportunities.
Todd, our second son, is now an expectant father! He and Sue have two adorable girls, aged 6 and almost 2, and now we are looking for a new grandbaby in August! That change will not be hard at all to accept!
Next comes, Jill, who has been working very hard as a nurse. Leigh has been helping his dad, and they have a dream of having a dairy farm. He has also worked occasionally for Coke, where he worked full-time until Jill started her job. Now his boss there says that he can come back there full-time anytime! Should they do that? How would they manage child care? What shift will they work? Etc., etc.! So many decisions!
Ross, our youngest, is in his second year at Penn State DuBois, working on a degree in business. In the last two semesters, he has gotten a 4.0. His advisors have encouraged him to look into the possibility of going to the main campus of Penn State for more challenging classes towards his degree. He looked into housing over there this past week, and it looks like he will probably be fleeing the nest again come August!
I started with Ken, and will end with me! I am looking forward to a big change in my life--I have gotten a job working as a receptionist for H&R Block in DuBois! It will be a full-time temporary job starting Jan. 26 and lasting for about 4 weeks. I have already had some job training. Their term for the job is "client service coordinator"--pretty fancy, right? I will be answering the phone, making appointments for tax work, checking in people, filing, etc. I am certainly looking forward to it.
After being at home for many years, I have gotten bored, restless, and unchallenged. I have enjoyed my creative pursuits of sewing, weaving, quilting, and lots of other things, but somehow I feel like I was about 125% fulfilled with those things. The last year or so I have felt the need to get out amongst people to interact more. I started volunteer work at the hospital in June and enjoy my time escorting cancer patients for their treatments. I have an application in at the hospital, and was interviewed for a job driving a van to pick up the patients, but I did not get the job.
Ross also works at H&R Block, and told me about the job, and I went in and got to talk to the head man there! A week of so later, he called and offered me the job. I am excited to be getting some "credentials" for future job possibilities.
Every change produces ripples, and change means opportunities for growth.
Tomorrow I will probably write about the first big major change in my life. It was not just a ripple, but more like the tidal wave of a tsunami.......
Ken turned 60 last September and is getting closer to his retirement-hopeful age of 62. About a year-and-a-half ago, the powdered metal company that he works for was bought out by a holding company, and there have been lots of changes there. Last month they announced that they are closing their plant in Clearfield and merging it into the plant here in Falls Creek. We feel that his job security diminishes every day, but we do not worry about it. We realize that there is a strong possibility for change in our future with his job situation.
Roy, our oldest son, is working for Coca-Cola, and has been part of an auctioneering business on the side. Just recently, there has been a change in that business--the lady auctioneer got married and wants to pursue a few other things in life, so now Roy is looking for auctioneering opportunities.
Todd, our second son, is now an expectant father! He and Sue have two adorable girls, aged 6 and almost 2, and now we are looking for a new grandbaby in August! That change will not be hard at all to accept!
Next comes, Jill, who has been working very hard as a nurse. Leigh has been helping his dad, and they have a dream of having a dairy farm. He has also worked occasionally for Coke, where he worked full-time until Jill started her job. Now his boss there says that he can come back there full-time anytime! Should they do that? How would they manage child care? What shift will they work? Etc., etc.! So many decisions!
Ross, our youngest, is in his second year at Penn State DuBois, working on a degree in business. In the last two semesters, he has gotten a 4.0. His advisors have encouraged him to look into the possibility of going to the main campus of Penn State for more challenging classes towards his degree. He looked into housing over there this past week, and it looks like he will probably be fleeing the nest again come August!
I started with Ken, and will end with me! I am looking forward to a big change in my life--I have gotten a job working as a receptionist for H&R Block in DuBois! It will be a full-time temporary job starting Jan. 26 and lasting for about 4 weeks. I have already had some job training. Their term for the job is "client service coordinator"--pretty fancy, right? I will be answering the phone, making appointments for tax work, checking in people, filing, etc. I am certainly looking forward to it.
After being at home for many years, I have gotten bored, restless, and unchallenged. I have enjoyed my creative pursuits of sewing, weaving, quilting, and lots of other things, but somehow I feel like I was about 125% fulfilled with those things. The last year or so I have felt the need to get out amongst people to interact more. I started volunteer work at the hospital in June and enjoy my time escorting cancer patients for their treatments. I have an application in at the hospital, and was interviewed for a job driving a van to pick up the patients, but I did not get the job.
Ross also works at H&R Block, and told me about the job, and I went in and got to talk to the head man there! A week of so later, he called and offered me the job. I am excited to be getting some "credentials" for future job possibilities.
Every change produces ripples, and change means opportunities for growth.
Tomorrow I will probably write about the first big major change in my life. It was not just a ripple, but more like the tidal wave of a tsunami.......
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