80th Birthday Party

Last year I started to tell about our trip to Alberta for Norma's 80th birthday party.
I have more to write about that fabulous occasion. But now this summer we have
celebrated another 80th birthday - my Mom's.

Dad would have been 80 this summer - July 9th. Mom's birthday comes July 25th.

My sisters planned a big birthday party for Mom up north. All of her siblings were invited
and Dad's siblings, too. . . and cousins by the dozens.

Mom and I drove north in the middle of the week. Ellis came later with Evan and Chelsea.
In between jobs we cooled off in the lake at the edge of Jerry and Trenda's yard.
This reminded me of Flag Island so much. (The island we used to visit every summer
where our aunt and uncle and cousins lived.) I almost expected to turn around and see
little girls of yesterday running and splashing into the lake.

On Saturday relatives began arriving.
All of Dad's sisters were able to come.
The last one arrived Sunday around noon.
Two of Mom's brothers came as well.

Mom and Trenda went on a trip last December to visit six of her siblings.
Many of them weren't able to come to MN this summer so I'm glad she got
to visit them in their homes.

Jerry and Doug grilled hamburgers. There was a gigantic salad and veggies with dip,
and to top it off - birthday cake and ice cream. We visited in the shade of a big tent
and watched second cousins get acquainted and form friendships.

Sunday, we had a time for sharing stories and memories at a nearby township hall.
Lunch was a fabulous cheesy potato hot dish with chunks of ham, another gigantic
salad and home made pie for dessert. My niece, Janine, knows how to make yummy pies!
                                                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sometimes when I am chattering on and on about events  that have happened I begin to feel
like this is the most boring drivel and who really cares anyway. Then I know I need some
writing exercises to get back on track. Earlier this summer I found just such an adventure in
Shari Zook's blog. I know there is a way to give you the link to her blog. For now I will just
give you the name to type in Google   Confessions of a woman learning to live.

In her blog, Shari described an imaginary house … going into great detail about each room.
This made me think - what could I come up with for this writing assignment? I remember
many of the houses I lived in as a child. Then there are other houses I've read about - like
Anne Morrow Lindbergh's house where she vacations by the sea. Could I come up with
something describing a house by a lake? It would end up sounding like the house where
my aunt and uncle lived near Graceton Beach . . .  and this is what I wrote July 6th:

        A House By the Lake

     A gravel road to drive on
Crunching stones under the car tires
 Trees on either side of the road
      are they pine trees?
Evergreens with needles carpeting
   the ground under them?
         Ahead is the lake
viewed through the opening
         the road makes
On the right hand side a driveway
      leads to a small house.
Soft winds blow through the trees
    sunshine warms my skin
  when I climb out of the car.
  Rocks edge flower gardens
    Drift wood edges other gardens
White puffy clouds float in a sea of blue
               overhead
I hear the waves washing in to shore
I picture the sandy beach strewn with
   gigantic boulders and drift wood
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Well, well, well, that is all. I got interrupted and never described the house. But I found
that journal entry after our trip up north and our visit to Graceton Beach. Just because I felt very
lazy I didn't edit this letter and type it up . . .  instead just shared it as is . . .

Norma

Graceton Church

Williams School

Norma graduated from this school

Graceton Beach