My Sister-in-law Anita's Mother in Heaven

This is such a beautiful picture of my sister-in-law Anita [Blowers]mother Lois in younger days.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/clearfield-pa/lois-blowers

I've posted this link to her obituary and memories.

I've been able to talk to my brother Gabriel and my daughter Crystal both about the funeral. Crystal had bought a ticket and flown back to PA with my niece Amaris who had been here for a week and a half, only to have her visit cut short by the news of her grandmother's passing. They were both able to find very inexpensive tickets to fly back together the very next morning, leaving here at 3 a.m.

 

 Amaris has been battling lymes disease, and our girls (and even boys) were so happy to have helped her have a little over a week of good Colorado fresh air and sunshine, wheelchair rides around the circle, and introductions to the children's new horse, Patriot.

 Amaris got to enjoy fresh homegrown strawberries, from our very own patch.

 

 Just before the girls left for PA, we sorted our stash of fabric we've been given, and Amaris was able to choose some out for the quilts she and her mother make for Christian Aid Ministries, and other pieces we bagged to donate to CAM as well. It felt good to have our sewing supplies and fabric stash toned down and organized. It was a happy time to share with someone who will use it to bless the unfortunate in third world countries.

And then came the news of Grandma Blowers at the ER with what was first diagnosed as bilateral pneumonia, and then later as congestive heart failure. My brother Elon and Anita had been taking a 25th anniversary trip out to South Dakota for a wedding of Anita's nephew, Samuel Blowers, to Jessica. On their way home, they were stopping at my parents, but had to cut that time short when they heard about the cardiac arrest of Anita's mother. It was on their way home that the news came that Anita's mother had quickly and peacefully passed away. This was a very hard blow to Anita and many other family members who weren't able to make it in time to say goodbye.  

I couldn't make it to the funeral, though Jonathan offered that I could fly and rent a car to get to the funeral. With my exhaustion after helping with the VBS at our church the week before, and a mission trip to South Dakota coming up in a few days, I didn't feel I should try to cram a plane trip alone into our tight schedule. But I felt terrible to miss it!

So I was so thankful that Crystal could be with the family at this time, the family she has stayed with two years while attending her sophomore and junior year at Penn View. They treated her like family and Anita thanked me in tears on the phone for sending her to help care for Amaris so Anita could help her sister Becky care for her 89-year-old father who took his wife's death very hard. 

I was so thankful Crystal could be there in my place to help when family was so distracted with grief and responsibilities.

 One very precious moment that Crystal shared about with me was that an Amish lady, friend of the Blowers, had come home from shopping when she found out that Sister Blowers was in the hospital. This lady, Ellen, got her driver to take her immediately to the hospital. While Sis. Blowers' daughter Becky was gone from the room to bring in an aunt and cousin, Ellen was holding Sister Blowers' hand. Ellen said Sis. Blowers suddenly looked up as if she was seeing angels, and before Becky could return, she had slipped into the Arms of Jesus. Because I have close friends among the Amish who have been friends for over 40 years, it was so special to me to hear of this Amish friend that God sent  to hold Sis. Blowers' hand through her last moment. I don't even know her, but God bless dear Amish sister Ellen, who listened to the whisper of God calling her to the bedside of a dying friend so that she would not have to pass through the River alone.
***

I was so thankful that there was a good representation of the Morley family to be with Elon and Anita at this time. My brother Gabriel's whole family was able to go to the funeral, besides Craig and Joella, and Iva and son Kenny who had driven Anita's Aunt Wilma (age 93) all the way from Michigan for the funeral.

Crystal told me that the ENTIRE Blowers clan was there, all the children, grandchildren and the one great grand. That is really amazing, and says volumes about Grandma Blowers. The four "children" (Anita, Don, Becky, and Steve) sang "God Hath Not Promised," one of Lois's favorite hymns, and the four then with their spouses sang "Take Your Burdens to the Lord and Leave it There." Steve and Pam Blowers' eight children played "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" on violins, flute, clarinets and tuba. My sister Iva was dumbfounded at what beautiful music came out of that unusual array of instruments which the children played also at the meal again. 

 Bro. Dickon, pastor of Mountain Road God's Missionary Church read the obituary. Don and Lois had watched services there online for years. Uncle Dave Blowers shared memories and gave a message, sharing how Lois Blowers lived out the fruits of the Spirit. Crystal said the funeral home was nearly packed out. There was a poster full of faculty photos taken at schools where Lois had taught in her younger years, a slide show that Anita and Elon had put together, and pictures of the many puzzles Lois had put together. She had been doing word puzzles the day before she died, still having a sharp mind! 

Afterward, Amish folk had organized a meal at a fire hall in Clearfield

At the funeral meal, Don Jr.'s wife Pam [Anita's two brothers both married Pams!] had divided a couple floral arrangements sent to the funeral into vases to adorn the tables for the meal. She had also printed and framed verses from Proverbs 31 which described her mother. These were some things my sister Iva noticed which were very unique and special.

*****

We never know when it will be the last time we see our parents or grandparents or some older person we love. Let's take time to call them, write to them, send an email, visit them, sing to them, 

value them and just love them. If your parents or grandparents don't live nearby, find someone else's to visit and cheer. Our dear friends the Goodwins so appreciated when the girls and I stopped by on our way to Missouri to see my parents a few weeks ago.

Hannah is showing Sis. Goodwin her notebook of birds she has been collecting pictures of and information about. 

Their guest book revealed that only one other person had been in to visit them in the last three months, besides perhaps a neighbor or so.

We were so glad we stopped, taking time to visit, to sing, to laugh, to show pictures and just do life with them. I asked if I could gather some wood sorrel that I saw around their yard, and the Goodwins were happy to share that herb, and I later gave them my mother's recipe for wood sorrel juice for skin cancer.

We had stopped to see this historic site a few moments before going to see Goodwins. It's right near their place.

Next time in that area, I would like to go inside. You have to pay, of course, and we didn't have time this time, but Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of my favorite authors, and I would like to visit this museum.

If my mom keeps feeling better, maybe I can take her with me and have a girls day out!

Potato Cannons and Jamming with Friends

 A few weeks ago, we were invited to some friends to "jam" and have some other outdoor fun.

The girls enjoyed "jamming," i.e. playing their strings together.

I loved the big red tractor they had there,

and holding the music pages for everyone! It was fun playing and singing together.

The boys were into more masculine things like potato cannons. 

Getting ready to shoot the potato.

All you had to do after squirting in some hair spray or some such stuff, and then screwing the lid on, 

was to push this button. 

and POW! The potato was high in the sky with a big boom!

Chickens grown from chicks Timmy sold them. I was amused at the creative nesting boxes!

A couple in the middle did have straw in them!

Fourth of July

On July Fourth, the family decided to take a hike in our "own back yard," to somewhere not even Jonathan has been before, even though it was just outside Colorado Springs, up Gold Camp Road.

We took St. Peter's Dome Trail to St. Peter's Dome, the outcropping of rock you see in the distance to the left. 

I'm not sure why it's called St. Peter's Dome, unless it refers to the meaning of Peter as "rock."

There were all colors of wild flowers.

Arriving almost to the top, we discovered that to get clear on up to the top of the "dome," you had to climb a rope with knots in it.

Everyone did it except me! I was just fine and content to remain behind at this point!

But it was a fun, short hike.

Then we had a picnic near Emerald Ranch by a creek.

Blue Colorado columbines!

Danny and Hannah playing in the creek.

Shooting star flowers.

In the evening we had been invited to friends who were having a cookout.

We took along our favorite dessert:fruit pizza with a patriotic flare!

There was a zipline at the back of the property which the children and young people enjoyed riding!

There was a round little seat like a swing. 

Even a few parents tried it out!

The field was full of yucca cactus plants!

Hannah took countless turns, and once or twice got pulled back by her big brothers.

It was a very fun day!

Krystal Hunt's Nebraska Wedding

Friday afternoon most of our family traveled over 4 hours to attend the evening wedding of our girls' friend, Krystal Hunt.

The wedding took place outdoors at a park. I loved the huge fallen log you can see in the distance. It formed a sort of "wall" for the event. Here we are entering the park between two Nebraska fenceposts decorated with lanterns and greenery.

One of the girls got this picture of me signing the guest book. Crystal helped make my hair a little different on the way as we drove through Nebraska.

Would love to have taken gobs of photos and I wish I had the data and time to upload the ones I did get, but at least here are a few. Brian Welch, Krystal's groom, is one of the maintenance men at Penn View.  He brought the mothers and grandmothers in.

Also, as you can see, there were citronella lamps lit to keep the insects at bay. They did a good job!

I didn't get a single bite. 

Becky Hunt and Brian.

 "Here comes the bride."

The bridal party was hidden out of sight behind a row of leafy trees and bushes. 

 Krystal's father, Gary Hunt, bringing the bride down the aisle.

 Mother and father of the bride give her away. There were three bridesmaids (Krystal's three sisters) and three groomsmen (Brian's cousin was best man, and two of Krystal's brothers-in-law.)

Brian and Krystal singing to each other.

 Brian's father prayed the wedding prayer.

 A photo from behind. Our friends, Stuart and Tammy Hallam, sat right ahead of us. They brought at umbrella to shade them from the bright sunlight. Thankfully, just as the ceremony began, the sun sank just below the tops of the trees.

Instead of lighting a unity candle, Brian and Krystal braided a three-fold cord.

Here it is.

 The newly married couple!

 Heading to the reception a few blocks away--Nebraska style!

Notice the tall grain elevator in the background.

The reception was cool and candlelit. Hannah is standing admiring the beautiful cake and cupcakes.

The happy couple.

Wood Sorrel Skin Cancer Remedy

Well, I had wanted to post how Mom made her skin cancer remedy that worked for her so many years ago. Two other people who had serious skin cancer on their face or head also have successfully used this humble plant. It grows almost everywhere. Look for a trio of perfectly heart-shaped leaves with little yellow flowers.

These directions are the original directions my mother received from a friend who had a recipe for skin cancer that an old Indian lady used to use to help people. I have added a few comments in parentheses.

1. Pull out wood sorrel ("sour grass") plants, roots and all. Rinse off dirt and bugs.

2. Put it ALL through a meat grinder to make juice.

 (We used a blender for one batch, adding just enough water to get it to grind up. We blended a cup or two of sorrel at a time, using about 2 qts of loose plants. For a second batch, we also gathered about 2 qts of loose plants, not packed, and then used a meat grinder, not adding any water. My dad thought he remembered that we strained the ground product through a strainer or cheesecloth, leaving only juice and discarding the pulp, but a person could experiment. Last week, I went ahead and mashed the juicy pulp through a fine, large tea strainer and kept the juice, and discarded the pulp. But another time, I might try leaving the pulp in. A person can experiment.)

3. Spread juice to shallow depth in clear glass baking containers. Cover with screening material (we used a sort of netting) to keep out bugs. Place in closed auto in direct sunlight or some other such hot place to dry for two or three days or so.

4. Take up the dried material. Break it up into flakes or powder. Put it in a tightly closed container. Will keep for months or years.

                          To Use for Skin Cancer

1. Mix a drop or so of apple cider vinegar with a small amount of powder (maybe 1/8 tsp.?) to form a paste. Spread carefully on skin cancer. Keep it on for 24 hours, using a bandaid to protect it from being rubbed off.

2. Carefully wipe off the paste. Add a fresh  mixture. It will cause a burning sensation. You may use an aspirin for discomfort. Keep on 24 hours; use a fresh bandaid again.

3. Carefully wipe off the paste. Add a fresh mixture. DO NOT remove this application; let it work. It will reach down to the roots. (My mom says, "My skin cancer just under my eye pulled on roots down near my mouth, making me feel as though I had a bad toothache!" Mom took aspirin to control the pain and did fine. ) The area around the skin cancer will turn red, and the skin cancer itself will become black. Keep it covered with a fresh bandaid again.