We Gather Together

Sunday is almost over, and one of the most bittersweet Thanksgiving holidays I have ever experienced is drawing to a close.

Thursday was spent in Clay Center with my family. Not everyone was there - Sandy and Beth were in California, Andy and Kara were in Washington, the Howell kids were in Hutchinson, Michelle was in Wellington, Tyler was in Iraq, and Chuck, Denise and Sarah were inabsentia. But it was still a wonderful day, with my dad seeming to grow stronger as his physical therapy continues. We spent the night and Harry got the Christmas decorations up on Friday. We made it home in time for Kristy to go to work and for me to start gathering up things so Harry and I could head for Neodesha on Saturday morning.

We got to Neodesha and, after greeting Art & Jan and unloading the car, we went to Independence to the hospital to visit Thelma. We had been to see her about a week and a half previously, but during that whole time she was asleep. Saturday she was awake and trying to talk but not making herself understood, except to Dorothy and Ruth. She was sitting in a chair and looked well on her way to exiting this world. Harry was totally torn up and stated, when we left, that he did not want to come back unless she was asleep.

We went to Betty's house just as Sara was loading her car to head back home to Nashville. We were able to say "hi" and "bye" to her and to meet her dogs, Fred and Annabelle. We visited with Betty, John, and Virginia, getting to look at pictures from the girls' trip to Ireland and admire the Waterford crystal Virginia brought back.

Leaving Betty's, we headed to Dale and Evelyn's for a visit. Dale has spent a lot of time at the hospital with Thelma and was able to fill us in on some of what has happened over the last week and a half.

When we arrived back at Art and Jan's, Lorraine was there so we all piled in the van and went to Fredonia for bar-b-q. We had very good food and a great visit there.

The Mishler Thanksgiving dinner today was a smaller group than usual and concern for Thelma was ever-present, but it was still and enjoyable gathering. Harry and I left there and went to Independence for another hospital visit before coming home. Thelma looked better (not good, just better) and seemed more cognizant of what was going on, but it was still difficult to see her the way she is. It is so hard to imagine that she can improve if she cannot eat, and that she cannot or will not do.

So we had the pleasure of seeing and visiting with a lot of family, shawdowed by the poor condition of Thelma and tempered with concern for those who are spending so much of their time caring for her. Kind of the human experience encapsuled in one long weekend. And, of course, accompanied by way too much food.

In the Presence of Genius

As our country becomes dumbed down, there is an all too prevelent attitude that anyone who is intelligent is stuck-up, elitist, and untrustworthy. To those who feel this way I say "Shame on you. You are depriving yourselves of some of the most interesting and stimulating company available."

In this calendar year I have had the privilege of getting to hear Leonard Pitts and Ken Burns speak. What a joy! Although their topics were totally different, I found them so similar in their approach. Both are amazingly articulate and able to think quickly when put on the spot. The are both such humanists, forsaking any strict adherence to dogma in favor of an approach which sees everyone as a valuable human being.

I heard Ken Burns speak last night. He was in town as a part of the celebration of the 100th birthdy of Frank Lloyd Wright. I loved the fact that he looks at the people he portrays without trying to hide their warts and encourages us to do the same with life. And I love the fact that he is 51 going on 12 - his enthusiasm for what he does is so refreshing. I also love the fact that he has an absolutely amazing mind. He talked about Wright being a genius and I kept thinking "you're one also." As interesting as his talk was, it was the question and answer session where he really shone. He made it worth listening to the questioners fawn on him and try to get their 15 minutes of fame.

Leondard Pitts has that amazing ability to take what I am thinking and am unable to effectively articulate and put it into words which say what I wanted to only 100 times more eloquently.

If I stretch my calendar year by a little less than a month, I can go back to October 2003 and include Mitch Albom in my list of geniuses. Again, his underlying theme is "come together".

All three of these people (all men, but that is only coincidence) are storytellers of the highest order. If Garrison Keillor would come to town and I could go hear him I think I would be in listener heaven. There aren't that many people I can sit and listen to without getting restless, but I wasn't ready for Mitch, Leonard, or Ken to be done. And I got to hear Leonard two days in a row.

For those who think minds should be small and to be "intellectual" is almost a sin, WAKE UP! You probably have minds which could be expanded to be interested in more than who Brittney is marrying this week and who gets kicked off the island next. Start with Ken Burns's video "Horatio's Ride". It is not real long (by his standards) and is a charming story of a very minor but inspiring piece of history. And if you don't like history, try learning it from Mr. Burns. It isn't your high school history. It breathes and speaks. It is fantastic. (When you're ready for the major leagues, start on the Civil War series. It is something like 8-10 hours but every minute is amazing.)

Remember, the man who can read and doesn't is no better off than the man who cannot read. (Mark Twain, I believe)

Love and Marriage

I have been married almost 31 years. I love my husband. I even like him. But if anyone ever said it is easy, well, he/she hasn't been married much.

It seems that some people think wedding vows should give you esp. I quite often haven't even made up my mind on something at any given time, let alone being able to know what my dear husband might think.

Case in point: My co-worker offered us tickets for the WSU basketball game tonight. I thought it would be fun to go, but then, I am the sports fan in the family. I asked my dear husband and he gave me one of his very lukewarm "I guess" answers. Then came the new wrinkle: my sister-in-law who had a broken hip repaired on Wednesday is not doing so well so we talked about going to see her tomorrow. Thinking that a basketball game tonight would be a nuisance, especially for one who doesn't really like basketball, I told my co-worker thanks but maybe some other time. Now it seems that I misjudged and the spouse is upset that we are not going to the game!?! Do I guess wrong or would any decision be wrong? I'll probably never know.

They say communication is the most important thing in a marriage but men are notoriously reluctant to "talk". I think it is a conspiracy. As long as they don't tell us what they are thinking, we can keep making decisions that are contrary to what they wanted.

And I would have enjoyed that bb game too.

Schoolhouse Rock

The building where I attended 2nd through 7th grades is for sale. It is in Timken, Kansas, a community of about 80 people. The school has been closed for 12 years and the building has had several uses - warehouse, etc. Now it is up for auction and could go for as little as $100.

Stupid as it may sound, there is a small part of me that wishes I could afford to spend money on buying a schoolhouse. Not just any schoolhouse. This one. I was very happy in Timken and remember my school days there with affection. When I started to school there in 1953 there were two classrooms. Later a third was added. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grades were all in one room, meaning a person basically took all three grades in one year. In fact, my report cards were not very impressive because I would sit through my 6th grade classes and then, instead of doing my assignments, I would listen in on the 7th and 8th grade lessons. I sincerely doubt I was the only one of us 4 6th graders who did that. When we moved on, 7th and 8th grade were a breeze for me.

Timken is a town whose population was primarily Bohemian immigrants, and pretty much first and second generation. They had a unique way of talking and were the best cooks I have ever known. The community was almost exclusively Roman Catholic; I think there was one other family besides us who went to Bison to the Methodist Church. There was not, however, any stigma attached to being non-Catholic or, if there was, my friends and I were not aware of it. If any time in my childhood was idyllic, it was at Timken. I guess that is why I can't quite shake the idea of saving the schoolhouse from demolition.

The schoolhouse was built in 1937 as a WPA project and is constructed of native limestone. It is about 10,000 square feet, has a kitchen and a gymnasium in addition to the classrooms and lunchroom. I don't think the giant stride is still there but other than that it looks about like it did when we were in school there.

Maybe I should save the ebay pictures and try to create a miniature. Ha!

It's What You Do

I just didn't have time to write this yesterday, so it is a little out of date. I still want to say it, however.

Although I am a Kansas Democrat, I do not miss an opportunity to vote. I chose not to vote in the 1972 Presidential election and I have regretted it ever since. I was not wise enough then to know that I could go ahead and vote for George McGovern, do my civic duty, and not worry about him becomming president. God, how I wish he had!

Voting is just what you do. There are other things which fall into the same category:

1. Graduating from high school.
2. Using your turn signals.
3. Obeying the laws of your city, state, country.
4. Saying "please" and "thank you".
5. Treating other people with the respect they deserve as human beings.
6. Teaching your children appropriate behavior.

I know there are more, but now I am going to expand on some of these.
1. Graduating is what you do. Additionally, what you should do along the way is learn.
3. I don't care how many gd flags you fly on your car, if you don't obey the law you are not a good citizen, and how can you be a patriot if you cannot even be a good citizen!
5. Everyone deserves a certain level of respect. I think this is also called using good manners. Actually, this makes life much more pleasant for all parties involved. I don't understand why it is so archaic.
6. Running is for playgrounds, not Cracker Barrell or Wal-Mart or Intrust Bank. Screaming is fine on the soccer field but not in Pizza Hut. You get the idea. (Actually, it appears that very few people do.)

If you have been waiting for the dumbing of America, it has officially occurred. Wouldn't James Madison turn over in his grave?