What shall the new addition to the family compound be named? Anyone? Anyone?
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
What's in a Name? A Rose by Any Other Name...
What shall the new addition to the family compound be named? Anyone? Anyone?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
...at the Grocery Store- Jim's Food Center
I am reminded why I feel so blessed to live in a small town where there is one grocery store. Today, as I am in the check-out line, the mother of one of my son's friends is checking out in the other. Our carts are filled with treats for each other's son...
On the Scouting Path...
On the Scouting Path…
Our family had
always been involved in Scouting as we were moved to different places around
the country, but I knew the older our sons became, the harder it would be to
keep them involved. There were other
priorities, distractions from so much that we loved about Scouting. As parents in the modern world, we believe in
the ideals of Scouting: duty to God,
self and others. Our sons are not
perfect, but we wanted to affirm the positive as we sought to help them
eliminate the negative from all of the societal and peer pressures around
them. We believe that Scouting helped us
to actively support our sons in building good character that promotes active
and confident leadership in their Faith lives, respectful citizenship to help
make our society and world a better place by doing a good turn daily and
understanding and appreciating God’s beauty in nature. The merit badges that they earned were
examples of the skills and knowledge we felt they needed to know and be able to
do before they left us to go out into the world. As parents, we couldn’t do that on our own.
Scouting gave us
more than we can ever repay, and that is why I try to stay involved even now
after both our sons have achieved Eagle Scout and have moved away to
college. As a family who moved to a new
community in 2006- 1,500 miles away from
friends and family, we didn’t know anyone or anything except that we wanted our
boys to be involved in Scouting. God
blessed us with an active Troop 208, and it gave us an identity, a sense of
purpose and a strong network of support.
Colin and Ian now have a dozen sets of parents watching out for them
instead of just one set. These amazing
people are like family to us and to our sons even now as they are away at
college. In their college experiences
and in their lives, Scouting has given them the credentials and skills for
success. Both of our sons were accepted
into elite programs at an excellent University and their part-time jobs
flourish, I believe, because of their Scouting habits. They see themselves as citizens of the world
and seek to travel and serve others as they learn and earn their degrees. More importantly, we pray that their Scouting
experiences will empower them to continue to be successful, independent men,
who will someday be proactive fathers and leaders. As we try to be blessings to others around
us, we too have truly been blessed by Scouting in our lives.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
In Room 115
 |
| How to Build Community |
 |
| The Human Pass
When my former high school classmate Holly posted this collage about Community,
I thought of Adam. I took this picture
of my colleague Adam when he bopped into Room 115 on Friday and said that he
was a human pass (for one of the students who came late). It just hit me! A human pass… wouldn’t that be nice if we
could be that for one other.
As a teacher in a high school, it would be easy to go into my classroom and close the door... close the door on the outside world and community as a whole. Even then I could create a classroom community with my students or I could live in my own little kingdom. The higher calling, I think, is to create a classroom community that transcends any walls or barriers of space or time. Where I am weak, Adam is strong. The ancient African proverb is true... it really does take a village to raise a child. |
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
St. Johnsbury, Vermont and Randolph, Nebraska
 |
| Sign for St. Johnsbury's Farmer's Market |
 |
| So many people eating the right things! |
Sometimes, I feel like there are these forces that are converging on me. Let me explain.
Force #1: My Swedish Family: When my healthy and vibrant Swedish family came this summer, I listened to many discussions and debates about how to eat right as we shared so many meals together over the three weeks that there were here in the United States. We all want to be healthy and live well, but we have a better chance of doing that if we are fueling our engines in the right way. My cousin Katherina was concerned about how much sugar and bread we consumed as a part of our everyday diet. I vowed to eat better and get back into my exercise regimen.
Force #2: My Summer Eating habits on the road: Well, 18 pounds later into the summer, Derrick and Colin had arrived from Nebraska. As we were making our way into the latest Batman movie, we took an interesting aside into the back parking lot of the Star Theater in downtown St. Johnsbury. The old Grandpa's Cigar parking lot was now host (okay maybe it's been there for years and I just didn't know) to a Farmer's Market with tents as far as the eye could see. I was mesmerized... Check out of the youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcIZzoYnj9I&feature=em-share_video_user) about this little piece of heaven. Here there were farm fresh veggies and crafts, and it gave me hope. Not only did I know that I had to start eating better, I had in front of me the proof that I could access this healthier food, if I really wanted to make a difference in my eating habits.
Force #3: Meanwhile back in Randolph even in horrific drought conditions, our friends the Pfanstiels were kicking off the pilot year of their foray into starting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Pfanny's Farm- Abundant Life CSA. You can read more about it at http://www.localharvest.org/pfannys-farmabundant-life-csa-M39163. Community Members can buy shares in their farm and get a heaping bin of farm fresh goodies throughout the summer. I didn't buy a share because with Colin and Ian in Omaha for most of the time now, Derrick holding down the fort in Randolph and me off in Vermont, we couldn't use a whole bin either. As soon as we returned from Vermont, there was Julie offering a sample of their farm goods online, and I jumped at the opportunity. When I started delving deeply into this bucket, I found vegetables that I hadn't even heard about since my grandmother was alive. Swiss chard really? Beets... why didn't I like those again? Those fresh vegetables brought back memories of food my Grammie Catherine used to make... priceless. The hours we spent talking in her kitchen as she canned are the foundation of any wisdom I ever had...
Force #4 Friends: My College pals eat right and they know why they do it. As I am serving up the hamburgers and hot dogs at the cabin this summer, they were sneaking off to the barbeque to grill up some ... eggplant. Excuse me? As a matter of fact, once I came into the kitchen and found my girlfriend's son, Nathan staring at all of the donuts, muffins, and cookies. When I asked him if he wanted something, he confess that he wanted to try it all because they get to eat stuff that's "bad for you" at his house. OUCH! Hey, I am glad I could give him a little life experience in the kitchen of a sugar junky who is about to go through rehabilitation!
... And last night Pfanny's Farm- Abundant Life- CSA offered a workshop about preserving food. What a gift! Not only now, can we eat better, but we can eat better year round. And have fun while learning...
 |
| Anthony Shearer stirring up some trouble in the back! |
 |
| We have a winner! Tyler Harder shows off Stephanie's potatoes. |
 |
| Julie Pfanstiel teaches as she inspires! |
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Cleveland, Ohio
As we rolled back to Nebraska
cross country this August, a bit of a family feud erupted around which side trip or excursion
we would take. We've done The Field of Dreams (http://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/) and baseball games galore, but my plea, as always, was
for Niagara Falls (http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com). Unfortunately, since
I was the only one who brought my passport, I would be the only one allowed to
walk the Nik Wallenda tightrope across to the Canadian side of the falls. Immediately this was perceived as a problem!
Now, because Ian was in Omaha, and Derrick and Colin were in the car, their
votes to stop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio overpowered
my single, yet passionate vote for Niagara Falls. Truth be told, Ian would have voted with them
anyway. Okay, so it was with the
dejected pout of a pregnant possum that I drove us in the "The Forest
City", "Metropolis of the Western Reserve", "Sixth
City", "The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World", or
"C-Town." You know, Cleveland,
Ohio (http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home).
 |
| Cleveland, OH |
Lola, the GPS, led the way. As we approached the side Boulevard for
parking near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (rockhall.com), we saw it was
beautiful. On the shores of Lake Erie,
the city was absolutely radiant. I knew
that there was something synchronistic about this visit. Not only was it Wednesday night at 6 PM, and
the Museum usually closed at 5:30 PM all summer long on every night BUT
Wednesday night, as I made my way around the corner to the front of the
triangular building, I was sure that I heard these lofty lyrics floating across
the hot humid air. “Get tired of travelin
and you want to settle down./I guess they can't revoke your soul for tryin,Get
out of the door and light out and look all around./Sometimes the lights all
shinin’ on me; Other times I can barely see.
Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been./ Truckin, Im a goin home. whoa whoa baby, back where I belong, Back home...
 |
| Special Exhibition at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
Speaking of the call of the mythical Sirens, here we were truckin’ on
our way home from Vermont to Nebraska and immediately, I was transported back to
the Summer of 1989 at Foxboro Stadium.
My BFF Kathy had convinced me that we had to attend this Grateful Dead
show. The sociological implications
alone would be worth the price of admission and implications there were. I was stunned to see how these people, some
of them even couples with children, lived following the Dead from show to show.
It was an opportunity I will never forget and am so grateful (sorry about this one, really I am) that I had
a chance to experience it. So while Derrick
and Colin were captivated by the Beatles, (Jackson) Browne and Bruce displays, I
was captured by the Dead. Stay with me
here…
 |
| Summer of 1989 |
A highway is really an apt metaphor for the passage of time (Isn't it ironic that we are even leaning on our cars in these pictures) and the
different seasons of life. As we
connected with friends over the course of the summer, I was reminded of how
they continue to influence my life... in my eating (for example… high fructose
corn syrup = bad, eggplant = good), in my thinking and in my dreaming. As with my extraordinary sisters, I am
surrounded with this incredible group of inspirational women who have been
through so much in their lives, tragedy even touched our close-knit group again
this summer, but they remain principle-centered and faith-filled role models
for me. They fill me up and are signs
for me of God’s love in the world.
 |
| Summer of 2012 |
With that being said, Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” lyrics jog through my head because the song uses similar road of life imagery. “Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels/I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels/ I look around for the friends that I used to turn to pull me through/ Looking into their eyes I see them running too/ Running on-running on empty/ Running on-running blind/Running on-running into the sun /But I'm running behind …”
 |
| Running on Inspiration... |
The Inn at Essex, Vermont
We were living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and it was my
brother’s birthday. I found myself in
the public library as I do on so many important occasions, and a book literally
jumped off the shelf at me, Nicholas Sparks’ book, Three Weeks with My
Brother. I checked it out in honor
of my brother’s birthday, went home and read it through. It was nonfiction, and I hadn’t read any of
Nicholas Sparks’ nonfiction before but in this book he chronicled a trip he
took around the world with his brother, Micah. Nicholas Sparks’ website summarizes it by
saying, “Nicholas recalled their rambunctious childhood adventures and the
tragedies that tested their faith. And in the process, they discovered startling
truths about loss, love and hope…Three Weeks with my Brother reminds us
to embrace life with all its uncertainties . . . and most of all, to cherish
the joyful times, both small and momentous, and the wonderful people who make
them possible. “
Ever since I finished this inspiring book, I have been
trying to talk my siblings into spending time doing just that...having a
sibling retreat. All of us get caught up
in the busyness of everyday life that it is easy to lose touch and lose track
of the important people in our lives. In
order to prevent that from happening, families and friends have to be proactive.
For the sibling retreat, the dream or the
goal was to take some time to go away together and spend some quality time
reconnecting with one another. This
year, we came really close. With my
big brother in Florida celebrating his granddaughter’s second birthday on the 4th of July, he couldn’t
attend, but my sisters Tina and Pattie were very much in. After batting around several different
suggestions, Pattie, who was celebrating a BIG birthday on July 7th,
offered up her night’s stay at the Inn at Essex (www.vtculinaryresort.com)
that she won from the Essex Booster’s Club Raffle. Even though the main events of our retreat consisted of
dinner and a movie and lots of laughing, it was perfect. We even had my brother for a little bit during
a late night Skyping session, so technically, he was with us for part of the
retreat.
I guess I don’t have any fancy Virtual Fieldtrip links to
add to this Blog, but a plea to spend quality time with the ones you love while
you can. This beautiful idea of our
sibling retreat came from a book, but my
extraordinary sisters made it happen!
Stowe, Waterbury and Burlington, Vermont
Before
the cousins flew down to New York City for the last days of their visit to the
United States, we were going to spend some time in Burlington. Burlington is a beautiful city on Lake
Champlain, and one of my favorite places on Earth. We decided to make a couple of stops along
the way: The Von Trapp Family Lodge in
Stowe, Vermont and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream in Waterbury, Vermont. If dreams were made of delicious food, this
would be one marvelous luncheon, but it also felt like goodbye.
Everyone knows the story of the Von Trapp
Family (http://www.trappfamily.com/story) who fled the
Nazis in the 1940’s as depicted in the film, The Sound of Music. But as the VonTrapp website explains, not
many know the story behind Maria Von Trapp’s conversion story. I love conversion stories because I think
that they illustrate how God can speak to us in the most common everyday
occurrences. In the meeting of people we
have never met before or the experiencing of something new, we can discern our
call.
The Word Among Us meditation for August
2, 2012 worded it like this… “It’s easy to recognize God in grandiose events
like a dramatic conversion experience or the birth of a new child. But God is
just as present in our regular, everyday lives. Whether we are at work, sweeping
the floors, or making a meal, he stands ready to speak his message to us. He is
always looking to mold our hearts and form our minds. Through his Spirit, he is
always eager to reach right into our ordinary days and make them
extraordinary.”
So too it was with Maria Von Trapp as
described from the Lodge website.
“Maria's mother died when she was two years old. Her father left her
with an elderly cousin so that he could be free to travel. She experienced a
lonely and very strict upbringing without any siblings or other children in the
household. The movie strongly portrays Maria as the epitome of religious
devotion in and out of convent life. Most people are unaware that she was
raised as a socialist and atheist and became actively cynical towards all
religions. Those beliefs quickly and dramatically changed by the chance meeting
of a visiting Jesuit priest to Maria's college.
Maria
had entered a crowded church assuming she was about to enjoy a concert by Bach.
Instead, a well-known priest, Father Kronseder has just begun preaching. Caught
in the middle of a standing-room-only crowd, Maria soon found herself caught up
in the words of this preacher. In Maria's words, ‘Now I had heard from my uncle
that all of these bible stories were inventions and old legends, and that there
wasn't a word of truth in them. But the way this man talked just swept me off
my feet. I was completely overwhelmed by it...’
When he finished his sermon and came down the pulpit stairs Maria
grabbed his elbow and loudly asked, ‘Do you believe all this?’ A meeting
between the priest and Maria changed her beliefs and the course of her life”. We all have the opportunity to do this for others each and every day, don't we? Food for thought...
Despite
all of the tempting desserts and lessons about salvation, we saved our last
course for down the road, dessert at Ben and Jerry’s (www.benjerry.com). I swear every time I have their ice cream it
gets even better than the time before, and I love that they care about making
our world a better place while they make outstanding ice cream. I got to tell the cousins all of my stories
about the old Ben and Jerry’s in downtown Burlington around the corner from my
old apartment above the bagel bakery. So
it was down to the Lakefront we went. It
felt hot today, but that didn’t stop us from hiking up to Church Street (www.churchstmarketplace.com). The Cousins perpetrated more shopping before
I had to drag them Before long, it was time to head out to meet our host Ron,
aka Ian’s Godfather! After a quick
change, we would be dining at the Black Sheep Bistro (http://blacksheepbistrovt.com/) in
Vergennes, Vermont, and it was everything that we thought it would be and more. The courses kept coming and after three
hours, I couldn’t eat one more morsel. When
I think back to the 18 pounds I gained this summer, I am fairly certain at
least 15 of them came from the Black Sheep Bistro!
….
Another day that was made extraordinary in very ordinary ways.Father's Day Up Mount Washington
 |
| ALL ABOARD! |
As if Family Reunions aren’t hair-raising enough the next day, we headed out for the Cog Railway in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire on Mount Washington. (Check out the Cog at http://www.thecog.com/.) It was Father’s Day and Katherina had wanted to ride this rail for many, many years. The website touts, “The beauty of the mountains and the thrill of ascending the Northeast's highest peak are just as enchanting today as they were in 1869, when Sylvester Marsh opened the world's first mountain-climbing railroad on New Hampshire's Mount Washington.
Nearly 150 years later, the Mount Washington Cog Railway continues to provide a sense of adventure and history as it carries passengers up a 3-mile-long trestle and the steepest railroad tracks in North America to the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington. There, visitors can take in the spectacular panoramic view, spanning the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, north into Canada, and east to the Atlantic Ocean.
Passengers may choose to ride The Cog in a car powered by a historic steam locomotive or the more modern and eco-friendly biodiesel engines.” When I look at this railroad, I am always amazed that it actually works. I am in awe of Sylvester Marsh. The website explains how adversity inspired this amazing invention. “His dream began in 1852 when, after becoming lost near the summit of Mount Washington. Sylvester Marsh knew that there had to be a better way for people to reach the highest mountain peak in the Northeast. Upon his return home, he immediately started working on a plan to build the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway.
Marsh, a native of Campton, New Hampshire, had made his fortune in Chicago's meat-packing industry and was considered by his contemporaries to be a creative and innovative thinker. However, upon first presenting his idea to members of the New Hampshire Legislature, they laughed at Sylvester Marsh and said that he ‘might as well build a railway to the Moon.’
Plymouth, Massachusetts, Lunenburg and Miles Pond, Vermont
On Friday, it was time to say
goodbye to our little Villa in New Seabury, Massachusetts and set out for
Vermont. Friday, we were going to stop
at Plymouth, Massachusetts to see Plymouth Rock and The Mayflower II before
heading north, but I thought that it was so important for my Cousin Katherina
to learn more about our family history.
My Cousin John had worked tirelessly to trace our Grammie Catherine’s
family back to John and Priscilla Alden (take a virtual field trip http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm#)
from the Mayflower, and watching Katherina take in all of the sights and sounds
of Plymouth’s Pilgrims with such joy and curiosity overwhelmed me with emotion. This trip to the United States was a
pilgrimage for Cousin Katherina and Mia too.
It seems like this recurring theme of dreams came around yet again. Our ancestors had gumption… courage, strength
and audacity might still be characteristics seen in the family even up to this
generation. This wasn’t a vacation
really; it was a journey of our hearts,
history and heritage. And sixteen days
were not enough!
The next morning dawned brightly,
and I swear it was the nicest day of the summer- perfect for a couple of family
gatherings. First we drove to my Cousin
Harold’s house to look over our Kenney family genealogy as narrated by our
family historian Henrietta. Her life’s
work has been to collect the Kenney family history along with
documentation. We owe so much to her for
all of the work that she has selflessly done through the years. The most amazing part is that she knows it
all off the top of her head. My goal now
is to take this information and put it into a book along with an updated
directory, pictures, recipes and stories.
This is my mission. This is my
dream.
In the afternoon, we went back to
the Pond where I had reserved the Pavilion for part II of our family reunion
day- more cousins, additional food, new stories
and just reconnecting for those who could come.
Katherina was so grateful for everyone who came out to meet her. I am sure that her mind was swimming in the
newfound layers of family, but so happy and very proud, I think. Much like, I pray, all of our grandparents must
have felt looking down on us there. Saturday, August 4, 2012
Martha's Vineyard
I don’t want my title to mislead
you here that I had a chance to go to Martha’s Vineyard, because, although I
guess I had the opportunity, I couldn’t go to Martha’s Vineyard. I sent Katherina and Mia on the Ferry to
Martha’s Vineyard, and I knew that they would really enjoy their day. (Here... Take a virtual tour and see some of things that they may have done... http://www.mvol.com/virtualtours) Not only did I think that it was time to give
them a break from their obsessive compulsive tour guide, but I, in all of my
tour guide-ity had broken a tooth. Since
I was 300 miles from my favorite cosmetic dentist (http://www.shoresmiles.com), I knew that I would need to
improvise. I also knew that I should not stop at the
storefront by the Ferry… You know the one… The one with the sign that read, “Walk-ins
Welcome J.” But desperate times call for desperate
measures, and I would need to get this tooth fixed before those girls returned
on the evening ferry. This gnarled and
jagged porcelain dagger would not do, and there would be no other time. Summoning
all of the courage I had left, I walked into that makeshift dental facility,
and after giving them all of my pertinent insurance information they lusted for,
they took me right in. (This should have
been a red flag perhaps…)
I started to protest, but with a
tilt on her head, and a boink of her eyebrow, she hypnotized me, drew me from
my chair and into the black abyss of the backroom. She led me to the first examining room on the
right. It was always the first one on
the right; I wondered why. I jumped up into the long, blue chair with
the hard plastic covers. In one swift
movement, the chair’s arm swooped down from behind me as the chair began to
rise. I felt the drool bib being placed
on my chest and the ball bearing chain/clip combo being roped behind my neck
and then gracefully clipped into my hair.
creepy.)
“Open wide!” was the command from
the cavernous smile. “Wider, wider,
okay. Here we go.” A bevy of pain overrode my senses, but before
I knew it, a plastic cup was being hoisted toward my mouth. Although it must have been 2 ½ hours, I heard
the enthusiastic and fresh, “Swish and
spit.” Working as a high school English
teacher for many years now, my gut told me to respond with a feisty, “Swish and
spit, yourself”, but I refrained. I wasn’t
out of the clear yet! As they pointed to
the mechanized spittoon to my left, they had a devilish twinkle in their
eyes. It was almost like they could read
my terrorized mind. “All done. Just like new…” They touted.
“Ya right,” I thought. Now it was all like a movie being played in
reverse. Down came the chair, up went
the arm, off came the clip bib, out came my hair by its roots. I wriggled my face muscles back into shape as
I leapt out of the chair and out to the front desk. The only thing missing on this dental
emergency expedition was a trip to the treasure drawer where I could have
grabbed a glow-in-the-dark puppy ring. No puppy ring aside, I raced outside, threw myself against the
railing of the front porch and drew in the salty ocean air. I’m not sure, but as I was leaving I could
have sworn that I heard all of the staff members gathered in the office calling
out in unison, “You all come back now, ya hear?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)