Growing up in an Iowa farm house with a family of nine made Christmas an event. My ghost of Christmas past would first show me events full of fun with lots of family and friends while celebrating the birth of Jesus. But my ghost would also show me many Christmases with an undertone of depression which I wrestle with to a lesser degree today.
Weeks before Christmas when I was quite young, my siblings and I would go to Christmas practice at church. I loved being at church as I had many friends there. We sang and played different roles while reenacting the Christmas story about Jesus’ birth. The actual performance following these practices was usually on Christmas Eve.
I remember receiving a new dress to wear for the special Christmas Eve church service. This dress was very special as it was one of the only new pieces of clothing I had all year. This gift of a new dress added to my Christmas Eve anticipation.
Today, is the seventh anniversary of my Dad’s passing. It seems like yesterday.
My Dad was an avid Iowa State Cyclone fan and today is the Big 12 championship football game. My siblings and I will cheer them on from Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, and parts of Iowa. We will also be joined by our Dad in heaven. Here’s to you Dad and your Cyclones today! We love you and miss you!
The following is the eulogy I wrote to honor my Dad and delivered at his funeral:
Good morning.
I am Sherry, one of Jerry’s girls. Most people can still pick each one of us out of a crowd. In fact that happened again Friday as I walked across the parking lot at Brogan’s.
I’d like to start by saying that we’d all like to thank you for braving this cold, snowy day to honor our father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
I brought with me today a most precious gift Dad made for each of us many years ago. It is a wooden plant stand fashioned out of the wood from cedar trees that once stood behind the house at the farm. He cut these trees down and took them to a neighbor’s sawmill and cut them into the wood planks he would use to create this work of art.
A precious gift made by my Dad, Photo by slc
The plant stand is significant not only because it was a precious gift, but also because I believe it symbolizes our Dad.
This plant stand has a broad, sturdy base or foundation. Dad grew up knowing hard work and family values. He was a pillar of strength to many. His parents, his brothers and sisters, his daughters and son, his neighbors, his friends, and his grandchildren. He was always willing to help.
I remember one snowy day much like this one when I was young, but one with much more snow. The wind was blowing snow over the road at the top of our hill and it created a huge snow drift. We were inside the warm farmhouse watching television as a lone car approached, not knowing the drift was impassible. The driver would bury his car in the drift and Dad would go out in the wind and cold (and most of you know how much he hated the cold). He would start up the tractor and pull out the car so the traveler could be on their way. He would never accept any money for his help. That was just what you should do. Help people. Be a strong and sturdy base.
Face time, Skype, Zoom, Webex, Google Hangout. A few months ago many of us had never heard of these virtual platforms let alone used one. Who knew technology was going to play such a large roll in how we communicate with our friends and families this year? They have become an important for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to keep families connected.
Keeping families connected during the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard and often times very sad. Many people with loved ones in assisted living and nursing homes received word they were not allowed in person visits, even during an illness or prior to death. Many residents died without family around and the family was not allowed to hold a funeral to grieve with others. How much longer must nursing home phones and other devices be the only means to keep families connected?
Iowa Football Game Day, Photo by Iowa City Press-Citizen
Have you ever been tailgating? When I was in my 20s, a long time ago, I tailgated with my future husband at the Iowa Hawkeye football home games. There were lots of people, lots of food, lots of anticipation for the game, and lots of beverages. Sometimes we even tailgated just the two of us from the back of our car with our grill we brought from home. I have fond memories of those fun days in the fall.
The other day I pulled into the drive thru lane at Arby’s. In the parking lot I noticed five or six women tailgating. They had parked their SUVs so the hatches opened next to each other. They even had a couple of lawn chairs out. They happily sat in the backs of their vehicles while eating, chatting and enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather. They were tailgating at Arby’s.
What a great idea during this time when most indoor dining is closed and you can’t attend football games. Maybe these ladies have started a new trend…tailgating at Arby’s, minus the grill and the beer!
Pin on Football and Tailgating, Photo by Pinterest
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the future.”
–Jim Rohn
As you may know, I recently purchased and moved to a new home in a new town. The home I purchased was not what I was truly hunting for but it was in the right location. The night before closing I walked through the home, the “final walkthrough” they call it. I told my realtor I changed my mind and I didn’t want the house any more. The house was beat up. The trim was chipped, the overall paint job could have been done better by my grandchildren, it seemed darker than I remembered, drywall patch jobs were elementary at best, and the place was just dingy and dirty. Despite the condition, I closed on the home the next morning and got to work. I was determined to choose happiness.
Little by little, I am working to design this shell of a house into a happy home, a home with some class. One of the many things I learned from my past moves is not to wait until you sell a home to spruce it up. The sooner you make it yours the better. One major aesthetic change I made was the main floor lighting.
Many of us have put up our Christmas tree and decorated our homes looking for happier times ahead. But what about our loved ones in assisted living or nursing homes? They probably are not able to join you or be close to family this time of year. Their tree and decorations are put up by staff members mostly. How about making the 12 days of Christmas brighter for them this year? Here are 12 ideas:
Outlined the hands of my 3 grandchildren to make branches and youngest grandson’s foot for trunk. Photo by slc
Buy or make 12 cards to send each day until Christmas. Your loved ones will know you are thinking about them every day during this holiday season.
Have your children and/or grandchildren, or even you, create some crafts. Pinterest has lots of ideas like the one I created with my three grandkids three years ago pictured on the right. Everyone loves handmade gifts, plus it’s fun making them!
Take a picture of the family or make a collage if the family isn’t able to get together. Have a canvas print made at Walgreens or Walmart. These prints look like a painting and will be treasured.
Have a special treat such as a favorite meal or dessert delivered to them.
Remember, during this time your loved one may not be able to get out to shop. Last year, I sent my Mom some black bootie socks as she is wheelchair bound and she doesn’t wear shoes. The white ones she had were pretty dingy looking. Small gift but easy to mail and useful.
Send copies of old photos along with a short note of remembrance of the time.
Order a book online and have it mailed to your loved one directly to save yourself shipping costs.
Purchase a coloring book and colored pencils for them. I love coloring in mine on lonely nights.
My Mom always liked doing word searches but is no longer able to. If your parents can still do them buy a couple and send one a week along with a card.
Send a small poinsettia, small tree or Christmas bouquet for them to enjoy during the season. Don’t wait until Christmas.
Write and send a poem or a story about something joyful that happened in your childhood. Maybe describe your happiest holiday memory which included your loved one.
Ask them if you could send Christmas cards out for them this year. Again, they may not be able to get out to pick any up or to get stamps. They could dictate a small note for you to include in the card. Relatives and friends would probably love hearing from them.
No partridge in a pear tree needed, just your love and a daily prayer too. Do you have an idea to share?
Today is December 1, 2020. So what? you might ask. Well this is the day my luck is going to change. This morning when I woke I said, “Rabbit rabbit.” Now, I will have good luck for the month.
I first heard this saying years ago when my daughter, grade school at the time, told me that if you say rabbit, rabbit on the first day of the month it will bring you good luck. She said she heard of it on television. I think it was Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse, a Saturday morning show.
Dictionary.com reports, “…the phrase rabbit rabbit is a long-held superstition thought to bring about good luck. But it’s not to be uttered just any old random day. Rather, if you say it on the first day of the month before any other words come out of your mouth, then luck is thought to be coaxed your way. If you get your rabbits in, luck is yours for 30 days … or so goes the folklore.” Even the Farmer’s Almanac states the saying, “can be traced back to a 1909 British periodical called Notes And Queries.”
Aftermath of neighbors Halloween party, Photo by slc
In the past 30 days I have had two unlucky events occur. One, my fence was broken when underaged drinking teenagers climbed over it as the cops knocked on the neighbor’s door. The kids were having a large, and loud, Halloween party. About 40-50 kids climbed the fence into my backyard and broke the side gate to get out. I just finished the repairs last week. Now, I need to try to get compensated for the expenses.
The second event occurred after the Cameron Peak wildfire restriction was lifted. I drove up to my cabin property to find a large slash pile in my parking area. I am thankful the fire did not reach our area of Glen Haven and I understand the need to put the pile somewhere in the open. That was not the real bad luck event.
Slash pile is in the foreground, Photo by slc
This slash pile did not come from my property. I spent the last three years and $800 to clear debris and limbs on my property. The unlucky event came after it took me an hour to move the pile to an out of the way place, thinking no one would be back to get it until spring or summer. However, someone did come back.
The next day they returned and chipped the entire pile onto a grassy area on my property. When I saw this I was livid. The debris covered shrubs I planted for erosion control as well as the grass around my new shed. This once beautiful area is now buried in 3-4 inches of cedar and pine tree bark and needles. All I could see was more restoration work. This should not have been my work to do.
I contacted the county Office of Emergency Management and they said they were sorry but there was nothing they could do about it.
So, today starts a new month and better luck; I hope and pray. Rabbit rabbit.
