The Pride of Berea!

Friday night, September 11, 2009, Karen's family joins her at Tressel Field before the football game. Her induction into the Berea High School Athletic Hall of Fame was announced a few months ago, and we all wanted to support her in that honor...she asked me to be her presenter at the induction ceremony, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Our brother, David, was inducted in 1985. I didn't get to be there for him, so I knew I had to make it to Karen's. She was a national champion synchronized swimmer, and represented the USA at the Rome Olympics in 1960...demonstrating as an exhibition sport before it was officially accepted in 1984. She also coached for 25 years, and one of her daughters was an All American at Ohio State, and another went on to be named national developmental coach of the year.

My sister, Karen, is introduced on the field at the Berea/ Parma football game.

Karen and I (both BHS cheerleaders, class of '58 and '67) joined the current cheerleaders for a rousing rendition of the fight song! Fight that team, boys, fight that team, show them Berea's in...

What a show! The stands were full at the stadium at Baldwin Wallace College...for the football game...or rather, I think, the band performance!! Outstanding!!

Before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, we gathered at the cemetary to take flowers to Mom and Dad...then drove back past 70 Baker and Danny decided to ask if we could come in to see our old home...the new owner allowed a tour, and then surprised us with a piece of our Mom's handiwork, still displayed inside.

This is one of Mom's scherrenschnittes...she had given it to her next-door neighbor, who, in turn, gave it to the owner of our old house...she enclosed a note within the frame stating that it was part of the history of the house and should stay with it...the new owner keeps it on the mantle in the living room, and shared the story with us. Karen, her family and I were taken aback, and it touched us deeply.

I also had the pleasure of reconnecting with old friends...I hadn't seen Karen for 33 years...it didn't matter...we picked up where we left off!
Carol, Karen, Bruce and I...hanging out at Panera...reminiscing...Karen had brought some photos, yellow with age(!) We were so cute back then...prom, church camp, graduation parties...fun!

A Perfect Day September 5, 2009

The day began with a complete surprise...Reed had told me he was making me something...I couldn't have guessed this! A lighthouse that really lights up! My very own! I LOVE lighthouses! We always try to see a new one every time we go to the coast. Now, I can just look out my window. A great beginning to my 60th birthday. We went downtown and wandered through the Capital City Market...fun!

The first of three "Happy Birthday" serenades...all beautiful in their own way!

Flowers!

MMMMM...cake!! Eden hosted dinner, Kanak Attack and my girls provided their specialties...YUMMY!
Brooklyn, Cache, and McKena take time out from dress-up to have a "toast" to Grandma

Cache Camp '09

We scheduled Cache's camp for a Thursday in August...one would think that we could rely on beautiful summer weather for all the outdoor, boy-type activities I had planned. It RAINED all day! Quick revamp of the activities...and many additional activities to fill in the time. We had a GREAT time! Cache loved the "Transformer" and "Cars" books that we read in the reading tent. He used "magic" paper (tracing paper) to trace his favorite part of each story in his camp journal. He designed and built his very own Transformer (boxes, paper tubes, and duct tape) and spray painted it GOLD! We made chocolate dipped pretzels in the shape of race cars, using special candy molds...very cool! And we made enough to share...purple deliciousness! I think his favorite activity was shaving cream sprayed ALL OVER the bathroom counter to mold into ocean waves, squish between fingers, and make a "mess" without making a MESS! I loved it too!

Going, Going, Gone!

Whitney Elementary School has been on the corner of Overland Road and Owyhee Street for over 75 years...thankfully, the school board decided to reinvest in our old neighborhood and build a new school (plus community center) on the property. Construction began last summer, the kids adapted pretty well to the commotion during the school year, AND having no playground! I sub at Whitney regularly...all my children spent their entire elementary years there...fond memories are all that's left...the new school will open August 31, 2009...we are very excited!

The Sevens, or Grandma's Fancy Camp

It took a while to find a 2day/1night date for all three of my 7 year-old granddaughters, but Monday was the big day. The campers arrived...bade farewell to the moms...and sat down to a chocolate milk "tea" party. We erected our reading tent and began reading the first of 3 Fancy Nancy books...then we wrote our favorite "fancy" words in our camp journals. We spray-painted our golden camp treasure boxes, decorated them with jewels, ribbons, flowers and stickers. All in the first 2 hours!





We had fun in the park, but were simply disgusted that the fountain wasn't spraying!!


Oh, so fancy!!!!!!!!

MMMM..S'Mores

This is a total fakeout...there was NO sleeping for a long, long time!

The culminating croquet tournament!

In Honor of Emil Drzayich

Dallin was invited back to play in the Eagle High School first annual Alumni Baseball Game in honor of Coach Drzayich, who passed away last year. Scholarship money was raised and 30+ alumni players showed up. They played the current Eagle Vipers (Legion Team). 10 alumni pitchers were each scheduled to pitch one inning...D pitched in the 8th. By that time the alumni team was down 11-4...oops! Dallin hadn't pitched in about 2 years and was a little nervous. After Reed watched him warm up, he was a little nervous too. D had asked me if I had any stomach "crunchies." NONE WHATSOEVER!!! SO, Dallin took the mound...first pitch, a strike! That was good...D struck out the first batter, and the second batter, and the third batter flew out. 3 up, 3 down...11 pitches in all. He's still got it!

A Special Group!

We celebrate our wedding anniversary with a group of friends who were all married the same year (4 couples within a 2 week span in May-June of 1970)...we have been celebrating together since year 10 when we discovered this interesting fact! Some have moved away, some have missed a few years here and there, but, THIS year we were ALL together again! What a wonderful evening!

Bailey's "Grandma Camp"

Bailey fortified herself with the cheesiest pizza ever!



Cut, sew, ta-da!! Cute apron, Bails!


Bailey made a special poppy seed cake for Reed's mom's birthday...from scratch!
I decided to hold "Grandma Camps" this summer for the grands. Bailey, the oldest, had her very own camp with me. I planned activities that I hoped would be entertaining as well as allow us to just enjoy each other! These were just the first of many activities...we hiked, gathered leaves for leaf rubbing pictures, crafted a camp journal with photos, attended Dallin's alumni baseball game, tried to eat Chinese food (couldn't find the place!) settled for American, and delved into the world of jewelry-making at a specialty bead store...Bailey just got her ears pierced and made some beautiful beaded earrings for the future. (They hang down from the ear...must be 12 for those!) Our time together flew by too fast...plans for next year are already in the works!

To Steve

I remember standing in my driveway, when I was 3 years old, and watching as a new family moved in 4 doors down...they had a little boy...a playmate...who turned out to be a wonderful, life-long friend. Steve passed away on July 1, 2009. The first of our "group" of friends who grew up together, went through all of elementary school, junior high and high school together. I am including a photo (fuzzy old black and white of Steve and me on my driveway...a photo from jr. high (maybe you can see his broken tooth-he knocked it out on my hard head during a game of ghost in his basement...he never let me forget my role in his pain!)...and a photo from our senior year when I was Track Queen and Steve was my escort. Steve was the happiest guy I've ever known...always finding the humor in situations...he had a way with words, was so very smart, graduated from Duke University, and we were planning to get together in September when I will be in Berea. I am so sad. I am also so grateful for memories, which have flooded back into my mind: Saturday mornings at his house watching The Lone Ranger on TV; having him read me the poem, "I Had But 50 Cents" from The Best Loved Poems of the American People...we just loved that crazy poem! building forts out of his building blocks, apportioned exactly equally, so we could each build our own fort for our plastic cowboys and Indians; Steve playing the ACCORDIAN(!); writing the funniest entry in my high school yearbook EVERY YEAR!; Steve and Trip Davis bouncing the basketball all the way down Baker Street between their 2 houses and past mine, so they could play basketball with their self-made team, The Continentals...they were inspired by Ohio State's glory days of John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas. Still playing basketball at Fairwood, while the girls played tennis on the adjoining tennis courts, every summer through junior high and high school. We grew up, moved on, but remained forever friends. I am so glad we got together one more time at our 40th class reunion. I will miss him.
Sorry...the scans wouldn't (I COULDN'T) resize, and for some reason the photo of the broken tooth kept failing to post...

Vacation Time

We love the beach at Seaside...looking for sand dollars and dipping our toes in the chilly water!

Shipwreck! At Fort Stevens National Park...December storms of 2007 uncovered more of the ship...alas, no treasure!


Cache explores Fort Clatsop...Lewis and Clark's first winter encampment.

Brooklyn takes the oath to become a junior National Park Ranger, after fulfilling 7 important requirements.



School is out...summer has not quite arrived weather-wise, but Eden and Dan invited us to accompany them to the Oregon Coast for a week of fun and relaxation...