My word, one month gone already! We still don't have snow to speak of, but you can keep the frigid temps up north!! I did not leave the house yesterday; it's just too easy to “do”church on YouTube.
When you reach a certain age, all the senior living facilities in town are after you! Actually, the one I would consider moving to used to have a waiting list, but since COVID, they have some empty apartments. They ALL have lunches, brunches, entertainment, you name it, we get invited to.
Last week, I had lunch with three folks from my church; one was 94, one 90, and the third, a youngster at 88. ALL were clicking mentally, and kept me hopping.
I had visited with the oldest after church on Christmas day because I knew he must be from Gresham originally. (I could tell from his last name. I can still do that, even in northeast Nebraska.) When I told him mine, he asked if I had sung in the York Area Lutheran Choral Union; I said I had, and he informed me he and his wife did, too. Then, he asked if I had a photo from then I said I did.
So, when I knew I would be having lunch with him, I wondered if I could find the picture. I took a couple albums down from a shelf and there they were, in the first one; there were two because I sang in the group two consecutive years. The amazing thing about the second picture is my brother is on it! He did have a great voice, but I had NO recollection of his singing in this group! (He must not have done anything to embarrass me, or I would have remembered. He had a way of doing that!)
So, I was really pleased I could show them to Ray and the facility personnel made a copy for him. I had met this fellow's wife at a previous function at our church and I knew she had died. It turns out she collected teapots! Two hundred fifty of them I probably have that many angels, but some are quite small and they are easier to box up. But, speaking of small, I guess she had child size tea sets, also. After a while, I surmised, it becomes the joy of the hunt.
Well, he did have to get rid of some in order to move into a two room apartment! I should think so; but he did bring forty with him. I'm sure it's a good reminder of her, and the fun they had pursuing them.
The gal who had just turned ninety had scrapbooks and photo albums, it turns out. Two hundred fifty of them! I thought I was bad; mine are nothing in comparison. But, get this: she is originally from Scotia. I knew that; we had talked about the Langes from Ord; one of my good friends from nurses training grew up there.
However, the fellow who arranged this lunch is also from Scotia. And when he shared that information with Nita, she asked for his last name, and when he gave it, she said, you lost an aunt in a fire. Stuart had, indeed, lost an aunt like that, and his grandfather, her father, was injured in that same fire. Nita invited Stuart to her apartment where she proceeded to haul out a scrapbook labeled with that year - the year she had been in kindergarten..
Here, also, was a photo, of the children in this country school, and her classmate in kindergarten was Stuart's aunt! Her mother had written the names of each child in the composite, so she was able to say to Stuart, this was your aunt! He cried, and I had tears just hearing that story. What are the chances?
As you can imagine, this was a very special lunch with very special folks. I was blessed to be with them. And I hope to share more stories with them; that's what we do, share stories, and memories.
