The NWS is forecasting a big storm for us starting tonight and running into Tuesday afternoon!
Not just snow, but also sleet and freezing rain. There is a possibility of a half-inch of ice on branches, plus high winds - which could result in downed power lines. So we are preparing as best we can for a power outage. We have a wood stove and lots of wood, plus a propane fireplace insert that does not require electricity, so we can keep warm. We can cook on the woodstove, plus we have a propane camp stove. We have lots of candles. Food can be stored outside on the deck unless it is either too warm or too cold. I've filled pots and pans and buckets with water, but that only lasts a short while. So we are sort of prepared for a day-long or even two-day outage, but if it goes on longer, it starts getting a bit dicey. We'll see!
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Christmas report
The rest of Sunday was quiet. Spelling Bee, sitting by the fire, listening to Says You and All the Traditions on NPR.
Monday we went out and actually found a Christmas tree. Some places were sold out. But at Allen Brother's nursery we found one - not perfect but still nice. I got it up and put on the lights. Jim and Mary arrived around 5pm and we had supper together. I also spent some time finishing my gift to Savanna, whose name I was given in the Tolles Family gift drawing.
Tuesday was Christmas Eve Day. I had rehearsed the choir the previous Friday. What I mainly did was go visiting - I visited five people/homes in the afternoon. Shut-ins, etc. Ellen went to the movies and Jim and Mary took in Brattleboro. Everyone I visited was very glad for the visit, not least because I brought each one a plate of Ellen's cookies!
Tuesday evening was Christmas Eve, and I led the choir in Dummerston at 7pm, we came home for a quick snack and then went to Guilford for a 9:30 choir rehearsal (led by Andy Davis) for an 11pm service. Both services were very nice and Jim sang in the choir at both and said he really liked the music at both.
Christmas Day we all went to Katie and Savanna's for a gathering of the Tolles/Feinland families, 16 in all. It was noisy but fun. We draw names for gifts and I had drawn Savanna. I decided to make her one of my signature "Christmas Fantasy House" origami paper montages - the fifth one I have made. I was happy with it, and I think Savanna loved it. This gathering has traditions: it always includes singing from the Tolles Family Christmas Book, it always includes MadLibs, Christmas "crackers" at the table, tourtière (a French-Canadian pork pie which is delicious) and plum pudding for dessert (made by Ellen). It was a full day and enjoyable. It also is a lot of work for Katie and Savanna and after everyone had left, we talked with them about these traditions and whether they could make changes that would make it less exhausting for them.
Thursday we had a quiet morning at home, and I did some last-minute wrapping for John and Cynthia, and then we went to their house for a late afternoon/evening supper and Christmas. Very peaceful by contrast. That was very nice. They have made significant changes in their living-room with a new stove and a new couch. it looked very elegant but also very cozy. Their tree was a white pine off their land - but unusually bushy for a white pine.
Friday was an open, quiet day. Ahh! I worked on my annual Christmas letter and making cards (I save old Christmas cards and make new ones from them).
Today we went to the Revels in Cambridge, MA - an annual event. This was a very good one - set in America in 1933 - the year I was born - in the Depression. A lot of songs about poverty and hard times. It made me wonder about my first Christmas - when I was 9 months old. We were very poor - dad was a student in seminary and his student church in Big Rock, IL was so devastated they could not even pay him his $600 annual salary. I wonder if we even had a tree?
Here are some photos from the week:
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| Animals at the Guilford Church Pageant |
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| The "Christmas Fantasy House" montage I made for Savanna (their house decked out for Christmas) |
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| John and Cynthia's white pine Christmas tree |
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| Our tree |
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| Savanna has a Christmas display of houses we made years ago - I think Ellen made the one second from left and I made the one on the right (it's a train station). |
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| Tamar with Ben |
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| Ben and Max enjoying each other |
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| Ellen's cookies |
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| Sanders Theater - site of The Revels - with the Harvard Design Center in foreground |
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Into the Silence
It is Dec. 21st, the Winter Solstice, and we are at the Dummerston Church, where John and Cynthia are setting up for their Into the Silence Solstice concert/meditation. It is done in a darkened church by candlelight. John plays cello, Irish whistle and guitar, Cynthia plays two different harps. The music is very beautiful. Some includes animal sound recordings - whale and seals. We provide candles, which Ellen is putting out below, and Ellen brought soup.
A special way to observe the solstice.
A special way to observe the solstice.
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| Setting for Into the Silence |
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Nowell revived
Monday night, there was a revival concert by Nowell Sing We Clear - after their retirement 5 years ago - with all four, including Tony, on board, but joined by an upcoming generation of young singers, two of whom - Lauren Breunig and Arthur Davis - are children of Nowell members Fred Breunig and Andy Davis. It was a wonderful even - the original Nowell four were still fantastic and the young folks were worthy successors. The Latchis Theater was full to the brim and the audience was wildly enthusiastic.
Yesterday we got more snow - about 4-5 inches. We were able to go in and out with the car before we got plowed out late last night.
Today is gorgeous - sunny and fairly mild.
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| The original four: Andy Davis, Tony Barrand, John Roberts, Fred Breunig |
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| Brian, Emma and Arthur |
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| Finale with all musicians |
Yesterday we got more snow - about 4-5 inches. We were able to go in and out with the car before we got plowed out late last night.
Today is gorgeous - sunny and fairly mild.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
A powerful service
The funeral for Pooja Meyer was one of the most powerful services I have ever attended. It was a wonderful tribute to her, starting with scores of her photographs being projected on to a screen (she was a budding professional photographer and obviously gifted in that area), and then many tributes from friends and family, very wonderful and appropriate music, and free expressions of emotion. Our pastor, Lise Sparrow, once again did a masterful job of preparing and leading the service, and she was assisted by many member volunteers - all this in Centre Church (which holds many more people), and thus not a familiar venue. It was full to overflowing.
Then in the evening we had a great River Singers concert, and another one this afternoon. Both went really well. This morning was church in Dummerston - a small choir helped with the congregational singing. Pastor Shawn did triple duty, leading the service, and playing both piano and harp. It was also the Sunday School Christmas Pageant day.
Then in the evening we had a great River Singers concert, and another one this afternoon. Both went really well. This morning was church in Dummerston - a small choir helped with the congregational singing. Pastor Shawn did triple duty, leading the service, and playing both piano and harp. It was also the Sunday School Christmas Pageant day.
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| Christmas Pageant in Dummerston |
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| Pastor Shawn Bracebridge at the piano |
Friday, December 13, 2019
A not quiet week
This has been quite a week. First of all, we got news on Monday that Pooja Meyer, the adopted daughter of our beloved organist at the Guilford Church, Patty Meyer (and her husband Chris) had died in an automobile accident Sunday morning. She was nineteen. This was devastating news. Pooja had been adopted from India when she was about 8 years old, and we got to know her through the Guilford Church. Patty has always held a special place in my heart - starting with the fact that before coming to Guilford, she had lived and worked in Winchester, MA, where Betsey and her family lived before they moved to Boulder. i served on the Pastoral Relations Committee with Patty for several years as well as doing many musical things with her. Ellen and I immediately drove to Guilford with the intent of taking the family a freshly baked apple pie, but we couldn't get up the Meyer's driveway - there was fresh snow and ice - but we were able to leave it at the church with Lise Sparrow and the family got it the next day. Tuesday was River Singers and Wednesday we sang at a vigil for Pooja at GCC in the late afternoon, followed immediately by a sing for our little friend (now turned five) who is dying of brain cancer (a particularly lovely sing), followed immediately by Concert Choir (where Patty has been the accompanist !), so that was an emotional day. Today, Ellen took lunch to the Meyer family (we got up the drive ok this time - things have melted) and then went to the Vermont Country Store with Eliza. It is now awful outside - freezing rain - and I am at the pool. Tomorrow is the funeral for Pooja, where 400 or more are expected - and then River Singers concert! Dummerston Choir Sunday morning and another RS concert in the afternoon. Whew!
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| An earlier photo of Patty with Pooja, and her children Wynona and Aiden |
Saturday, December 7, 2019
A "quiet" Saturday
Today started out to be a day with nothing scheduled. I did sleep late, and enjoyed breakfast by the fire. But then we heard from Katie and Savanna and we may be meeting them later for a "Crankie Fest" at Sandglass theater.
But I did so some errands - a lamp to Brown & Roberts Hardware to get a new switch, some time in the pool (first time in over a week), ATM, drug store, etc. Saturday things.
It's a beautiful day out side - sunny and cold.
But I did so some errands - a lamp to Brown & Roberts Hardware to get a new switch, some time in the pool (first time in over a week), ATM, drug store, etc. Saturday things.
It's a beautiful day out side - sunny and cold.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Carolyn "Bunny" Hazelton
Earlier today was Bunny Hazelton's funeral at the Dummerston Church. Ellen and I sang in the choir and I gave a brief tribute. Bunny and Don were next-door neighbors 62 years ago when I became the minister in Dummerston and moved into the parsonage. Ellen and I joined with our pastor, Shawn, last Sunday and went down to Thompson House, a local nursing home, and sang for Bunny. She died later than night. My tribute will tell the story:
"My relationship with Bunny goes back 62 years. It has been one in which a great deal of love and affection has flowed back and forth. I have always been fond of Bunny, grounded in a respect for her positive attitude toward life and the way she dealt with adversity. And every time I would see her, no matter how many months or even years might have lapsed between visits, I always felt so much love and affection coming from her.
It all went back to the summer of 1957 when Shirley and I moved into the parsonage and we became next-door neighbors to. the Hazeltons. Not long after we had moved in, their little son, Michael, was in a playpen between the two houses one day and he caught his head between the slats and died. When I learned what had happened I went to the house, but I was at a total loss for words. I was twenty-four years old, freshly minted as a minister, and nothing in my seminary training had prepared me for this.
Bunny never tired of reminding me of the time. "Larry didn't know what to do," she would say, "so he just sat there in the living room with us and cried". This was my first experience with death as a minister. I had not even had a course on how to prepare a funeral service - my seminary education was strong on theology but weak on the how-to's. Somehow we got through it together. That was the beginning of a deep bond. And in some wonderful way, I think it made me a better minister.
Many years have gone by since. I have not always been very good about keeping in touch but after I became choir director here I tried to make sure we went by before Christmas to sing carols for Bunny and her family. Bunny was very musical, sometimes she played the piano with us, and she always beamed with pleasure at our being there. And she always told that story of how it all began, how we all just cried together.
Ellen, Shawn and I sang for Bunny just hours before she died. She was no longer able to tell the story but I knew it was in her heart as it was in mine. I love this family. They have all been so caring and kind and loving. I thank God for Bunny, for gift of grace to me, and I will carry her smlle and her love in my heart forever."
"My relationship with Bunny goes back 62 years. It has been one in which a great deal of love and affection has flowed back and forth. I have always been fond of Bunny, grounded in a respect for her positive attitude toward life and the way she dealt with adversity. And every time I would see her, no matter how many months or even years might have lapsed between visits, I always felt so much love and affection coming from her.
It all went back to the summer of 1957 when Shirley and I moved into the parsonage and we became next-door neighbors to. the Hazeltons. Not long after we had moved in, their little son, Michael, was in a playpen between the two houses one day and he caught his head between the slats and died. When I learned what had happened I went to the house, but I was at a total loss for words. I was twenty-four years old, freshly minted as a minister, and nothing in my seminary training had prepared me for this.
Bunny never tired of reminding me of the time. "Larry didn't know what to do," she would say, "so he just sat there in the living room with us and cried". This was my first experience with death as a minister. I had not even had a course on how to prepare a funeral service - my seminary education was strong on theology but weak on the how-to's. Somehow we got through it together. That was the beginning of a deep bond. And in some wonderful way, I think it made me a better minister.
Many years have gone by since. I have not always been very good about keeping in touch but after I became choir director here I tried to make sure we went by before Christmas to sing carols for Bunny and her family. Bunny was very musical, sometimes she played the piano with us, and she always beamed with pleasure at our being there. And she always told that story of how it all began, how we all just cried together.
Ellen, Shawn and I sang for Bunny just hours before she died. She was no longer able to tell the story but I knew it was in her heart as it was in mine. I love this family. They have all been so caring and kind and loving. I thank God for Bunny, for gift of grace to me, and I will carry her smlle and her love in my heart forever."
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| Bunny Hazelton (1930-2019) |
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Cookie time
We are in the week leading up to the Guilford Church Christmas Bazaar - and as usual, Ellen is baking cookies for the cookie platters. But that isn't all. Tomorrow, we will go to a funeral for Bunny Hazelton, where I will be speaking, briefly, and we both will be in the choir. I will post about that later. Tomorrow evening, Andy Davis hopes we can sing at the Moment for Peace at Center Church, where he is leading music. That will depend entirely on how the cookies are coming - Friday eve is when we assemble cookie platters! Last night we had a Concert Choir rehearsal, Tuesday was River Singers rehearsal (both have concerts coming up soon). Wednesday afternoon we sang again with Hallowell for the little boy who is dying of brain cancer. As you can see, this is quite a week. We also got a big storm on last Sunday and Monday - we got over 15 inches!
All this is just a fraction of the church Christmas Bazaar! It is quite an event.
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| Cookie platters being assembled |
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| Ellen made this tree and all the ornaments on it - mostly felted |
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| Robin made "heart" refrigerator magnets and asked me to make a sign on the theme "take heart" from a sermon I gave on Christmas Day, 1988 which she remembered! |
Stewart Letter #18
Note: This letter is the first one Stewart has written on "official" ASTU stationery, which was
supplied to him and others free of charge.
Letter #18 Nov. 30 and Dec 5, 19441
Dear Mother,
The time has seemed to pass so quickly since I have been here that I have gotten used to the routine without realizing it, although I will never become so accustomed that I would not want to return to civilian life. The army has its representatives here: four sergeants, two first lieutenants, one captain, and, until recently, a colonel.
Today we had a turkey dinner, and Charles Bruning and I are going out to Thanksgiving dinner this evening. I was surprised to find anyone here who knew anyone that I knew. Mr. and Mrs. Ferris2 were very hospitable, even taking pictures of us and records of our voices.3 By the way, Charles Bruning is a good friend of mine from a Congregational Church in North Dakota whom I met at Ft. Leavenworth on Nov. 2. He was supposed to have arrived the day before, but his orders did not come soon enough for such a long distance. I met Raymond Flynn, the boy from Chelsea, Iowa, when I got off the train at Leavenworth. He got on the same train at Marshalltown.4
Charles goes with me to church but doesn't sing in the choir. The service is broadcast over KFAB, what kilocycles, I do not know. The weather here for about two weeks was very rainy, and then the temperature went down and snow fell in large quantities. Now we have ice everywhere, and snow on top of it. The cold is easily noticeable even on a short walk over to the student union, where we eat chow. There is a radio in the large lounge and Dayton's
Notes:
1 This letter was written in two stages. Cf. paragraph four.
Letter #18 Nov. 30 and Dec 5, 19441
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| Letterhead stationery images |
The time has seemed to pass so quickly since I have been here that I have gotten used to the routine without realizing it, although I will never become so accustomed that I would not want to return to civilian life. The army has its representatives here: four sergeants, two first lieutenants, one captain, and, until recently, a colonel.
Today we had a turkey dinner, and Charles Bruning and I are going out to Thanksgiving dinner this evening. I was surprised to find anyone here who knew anyone that I knew. Mr. and Mrs. Ferris2 were very hospitable, even taking pictures of us and records of our voices.3 By the way, Charles Bruning is a good friend of mine from a Congregational Church in North Dakota whom I met at Ft. Leavenworth on Nov. 2. He was supposed to have arrived the day before, but his orders did not come soon enough for such a long distance. I met Raymond Flynn, the boy from Chelsea, Iowa, when I got off the train at Leavenworth. He got on the same train at Marshalltown.4
Charles goes with me to church but doesn't sing in the choir. The service is broadcast over KFAB, what kilocycles, I do not know. The weather here for about two weeks was very rainy, and then the temperature went down and snow fell in large quantities. Now we have ice everywhere, and snow on top of it. The cold is easily noticeable even on a short walk over to the student union, where we eat chow. There is a radio in the large lounge and Dayton's
Notes:
1 This letter was written in two stages. Cf. paragraph four.
2 Stewart calls these hosts "Ferris" but in par. 4 the hosts are called "Harris." Since this is probably the
same family, I'm not sure which name is correct. If I went to the archives of the Congregational Church
in Lincoln (if they exist), I could probably figure this out.
3 This tells us that this family was fairly well-to-do, because any kind of home recording equipment in 1944 was expensive. I don't think cassette tape recorders existed then, so this recording was probably on a plastic disk.
4 Information about Charles Bruning and Ray Flynn is in the notes to Letter #17 in a previous blog.
3 This tells us that this family was fairly well-to-do, because any kind of home recording equipment in 1944 was expensive. I don't think cassette tape recorders existed then, so this recording was probably on a plastic disk.
4 Information about Charles Bruning and Ray Flynn is in the notes to Letter #17 in a previous blog.
Memorial Chimes5 is frequently tuned in, when the boys stretch out on the furniture at about
7:15 after breakfast.
Page 2
This part of the letter that I am now beginning is being written on Dec.5, so you can see how rushed I am. We were invited to the Harris home for Sunday dinner on Dec. 3 again, but Chuck could not go, so I went alone. They are more generous than I deserve.6
One-third of our first term is now over, and we have had our four-weeks tests. It is possible to flunk out at the end of four weeks, or twelve weeks, if one is bad enough.
I am lucky that I got in when I did, or else a month later, because beginning in the January classes, no one beginning can have more than two terms, no matter how close to seventeen. In fact, anyone not enlisted in the ERC (the ACER is closed, as is the Air Corps) by Jan 1, and unable to begin classes by March 1, cannot get into the ASTRP at all.
I will need no stationery, as this upon which I am writing was given to me by the office (Regimental Headquarters), as was to everyone else.7
I have received the bathrobe, ping-pong paddles and balls. You needn't have sent all four paddles and six balls, since I must now loan the extras to others when I am not using them to play doubles.8
Don't worry about my minding your opening my letters from Daddy. It would be different if you were not my Mother and he not my Father.
On Dec. 23, Saturday, we get off at 13:00, and we must be present at Reveille on Dec. 26, Tuesday, at 6:15. If I can find a way of getting there and back in time, and be able to stay there 24 hours, I shall do it, unless the cost, as by airplane, is prohibitive.
The church is beautiful, rather on the lines of the Capitol, which has a large base, and a single tower reaching for the sky from that, much like the Foshay Tower.9 Don't worry about my reporting for Sick Call when I feel ill, because I know that i'm not paying for it, and usually i would not miss much in the way of classes unless I had a temperature, which would send me to quarters.
Notes:
5 Dayton's was a big department store in Minneapolis - the "Macy's" of Minneapolis. I'm not sure what "Memorial Chimes" refers to, but it could have been a radio program broadcast by Dayton's. It is very possible that Dayton's had their own radio station.
6 I'm guessing that Stewart doesn't mean this personally but reflects his feeling that as a college student in the ASTRP he isn't really making a big sacrifice as a member of the military. He's actually being paid to go to college, and that might have made him feel that he doesn't deserve any special treatment. And as he implies in the next paragraphs, he feels very lucky that he got in at all, because the program is closing down - he got in just "under the wire."
7 This in one of several places in this letter where Stewart is obviously responding to something mother had said in an earlier letter sent to him. In fact, virtually every paragraph after this one seems to be referring to something she had said.
8 Knowing mother, she probably felt badly that she might have inadvertently caused Stewart some inconvenience by sending him too many paddles and balls.
9 See letter #17 in a previous blog for photos of the church, the capitol, and the Foshay Tower.
Page 3:
Page 2
This part of the letter that I am now beginning is being written on Dec.5, so you can see how rushed I am. We were invited to the Harris home for Sunday dinner on Dec. 3 again, but Chuck could not go, so I went alone. They are more generous than I deserve.6
One-third of our first term is now over, and we have had our four-weeks tests. It is possible to flunk out at the end of four weeks, or twelve weeks, if one is bad enough.
I am lucky that I got in when I did, or else a month later, because beginning in the January classes, no one beginning can have more than two terms, no matter how close to seventeen. In fact, anyone not enlisted in the ERC (the ACER is closed, as is the Air Corps) by Jan 1, and unable to begin classes by March 1, cannot get into the ASTRP at all.
I will need no stationery, as this upon which I am writing was given to me by the office (Regimental Headquarters), as was to everyone else.7
I have received the bathrobe, ping-pong paddles and balls. You needn't have sent all four paddles and six balls, since I must now loan the extras to others when I am not using them to play doubles.8
Don't worry about my minding your opening my letters from Daddy. It would be different if you were not my Mother and he not my Father.
On Dec. 23, Saturday, we get off at 13:00, and we must be present at Reveille on Dec. 26, Tuesday, at 6:15. If I can find a way of getting there and back in time, and be able to stay there 24 hours, I shall do it, unless the cost, as by airplane, is prohibitive.
The church is beautiful, rather on the lines of the Capitol, which has a large base, and a single tower reaching for the sky from that, much like the Foshay Tower.9 Don't worry about my reporting for Sick Call when I feel ill, because I know that i'm not paying for it, and usually i would not miss much in the way of classes unless I had a temperature, which would send me to quarters.
Notes:
5 Dayton's was a big department store in Minneapolis - the "Macy's" of Minneapolis. I'm not sure what "Memorial Chimes" refers to, but it could have been a radio program broadcast by Dayton's. It is very possible that Dayton's had their own radio station.
6 I'm guessing that Stewart doesn't mean this personally but reflects his feeling that as a college student in the ASTRP he isn't really making a big sacrifice as a member of the military. He's actually being paid to go to college, and that might have made him feel that he doesn't deserve any special treatment. And as he implies in the next paragraphs, he feels very lucky that he got in at all, because the program is closing down - he got in just "under the wire."
7 This in one of several places in this letter where Stewart is obviously responding to something mother had said in an earlier letter sent to him. In fact, virtually every paragraph after this one seems to be referring to something she had said.
8 Knowing mother, she probably felt badly that she might have inadvertently caused Stewart some inconvenience by sending him too many paddles and balls.
9 See letter #17 in a previous blog for photos of the church, the capitol, and the Foshay Tower.
Page 3:
Our teeth were given a preliminary examination here at the Library, and the examiner
mentioned my nice inlays! Last Saturday, the 2nd, I was ordered to the Lincoln Air Base to have
my teeth serviced. In fifteen minutes, a captain drilled two cavities , one porcelain, and one
amalgam. I go again tomorrow. the fellows who have some very bad teeth really suffer, but I
don't have to worry because my fillings are all in good condition, and I have merely a few little
cavities in front.10
I miss you and Larry a lot, too, although I have about forty new friends that take my mind off of the fact quite a bit. Generally, this is not a bad life, since all the necessities of life are provided, but we must work to earn it.
I do not have to miss the (Sunday) evening program entirely, for I can go after 21:00 to the church and roller skate until 22:30, when the activities cease. Bedcheck occurs every night at 23:15.
Mr. Fessler seems to be getting more than his share of bad breaks. the real issue, however, is whether he can retain himself despite all adversity.11
There are four Coca-Cola machines in the day room, which is about twenty feet from our barracks door, and several varieties of candy bars are usually on sale in the office, also on second.
I have not as yet sent my civilian clothes home, because a sergeant said not to, for what would a fellow wear if he were sent home? Several fellows, however, have gone home and they just sent home for their clothes.12 Besides, I do not intend to leave in that manner.13
Clayton Dalrymple, one of the graduates of M.H.S,14 1944, is now on furlough from here. He started in September, when I would have if I had passed my physical the first time.15
I enjoy all my classes, and feel amiable toward all the professors. We skip some of the subject matter, since we will complete 1 year of engineering in 24 weeks, whereas the college freshmen would do it in 36.
Notes:
10 Stewart is obviously feeling that all that dental work done earlier in the summer, at the Univ. of Minn. Dental College, was entirely justified.
11 The Fesslers were active in the Como Church. They had a boy my age, "Chuck," who was a friend. Mrs. Fessler and mother were fairly close friends too. I know mother stayed in touch with her over the years. I don't remember what adversities Mr.Fessler was experiencing, but Stewart's statement about "retaining himself" is another one of his remarkably mature insights for a 17-year-old.
12 Back in that day, clothes could be sent through the mail very cheaply. There were cases made for that very purpose, and they had a special postage rate. Even 6 years later, I regularly sent laundry home from college for mother to do, and it cost about 60 cents for postage to send the case.
13 I. e., he does not intend either to flunk out or be sent home because of infractions of discipline. 14 Marshall High School.
15 The name "Dalrymple" became known to us in the later forties and after: Homer Dalrymple was the minister in Anamosa just before dad arrived in 1946, and his nephew, Dean (or was it Lee?) was minister in Elgin at First Congregational Church (Stewart's church) for several years. I have not been able to find this particular "Clayton Dalrymple" on-line. There is a well-known baseball player of the same name, however.
Page 4
I miss you and Larry a lot, too, although I have about forty new friends that take my mind off of the fact quite a bit. Generally, this is not a bad life, since all the necessities of life are provided, but we must work to earn it.
I do not have to miss the (Sunday) evening program entirely, for I can go after 21:00 to the church and roller skate until 22:30, when the activities cease. Bedcheck occurs every night at 23:15.
Mr. Fessler seems to be getting more than his share of bad breaks. the real issue, however, is whether he can retain himself despite all adversity.11
There are four Coca-Cola machines in the day room, which is about twenty feet from our barracks door, and several varieties of candy bars are usually on sale in the office, also on second.
I have not as yet sent my civilian clothes home, because a sergeant said not to, for what would a fellow wear if he were sent home? Several fellows, however, have gone home and they just sent home for their clothes.12 Besides, I do not intend to leave in that manner.13
Clayton Dalrymple, one of the graduates of M.H.S,14 1944, is now on furlough from here. He started in September, when I would have if I had passed my physical the first time.15
I enjoy all my classes, and feel amiable toward all the professors. We skip some of the subject matter, since we will complete 1 year of engineering in 24 weeks, whereas the college freshmen would do it in 36.
Notes:
10 Stewart is obviously feeling that all that dental work done earlier in the summer, at the Univ. of Minn. Dental College, was entirely justified.
11 The Fesslers were active in the Como Church. They had a boy my age, "Chuck," who was a friend. Mrs. Fessler and mother were fairly close friends too. I know mother stayed in touch with her over the years. I don't remember what adversities Mr.Fessler was experiencing, but Stewart's statement about "retaining himself" is another one of his remarkably mature insights for a 17-year-old.
12 Back in that day, clothes could be sent through the mail very cheaply. There were cases made for that very purpose, and they had a special postage rate. Even 6 years later, I regularly sent laundry home from college for mother to do, and it cost about 60 cents for postage to send the case.
13 I. e., he does not intend either to flunk out or be sent home because of infractions of discipline. 14 Marshall High School.
15 The name "Dalrymple" became known to us in the later forties and after: Homer Dalrymple was the minister in Anamosa just before dad arrived in 1946, and his nephew, Dean (or was it Lee?) was minister in Elgin at First Congregational Church (Stewart's church) for several years. I have not been able to find this particular "Clayton Dalrymple" on-line. There is a well-known baseball player of the same name, however.
Page 4
Don't worry about my welfare, since I will be alright, and keep yourself well.
Your loving son, Stewart
P.S. I am also sending three pictures of myself which were taken at the PX at Ft. Leavenworth. They cost just a quarter apiece, and also they aren't very good pictures. Of course I don't photograph very well.16
Note:
Your loving son, Stewart
P.S. I am also sending three pictures of myself which were taken at the PX at Ft. Leavenworth. They cost just a quarter apiece, and also they aren't very good pictures. Of course I don't photograph very well.16
Note:
 |
| Larry, Mother, Stewart, c. 1944 (ages 11, 43 and 17 respectively) |
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Holiday Week report
Katie and I have come up to the Dummerston Church to use WiFi. She is uploading photos she took on the Putney Craft Tour with the Panasonic Lumix SiH camera she has on loan from AbelCine which she is going to enter in the Craft Tour photo competition. Grand Prize is a $50 gift certificate and a night at the fancy Four Columns Inn! Fingers crossed!
Today, Saturday, we slept fairly late, had a bit of breakfast, and then I made a trip to the landfill in anticipation of a big storm tomorrow and Monday. Our recycle bin was overflowing and it would be that much harder to get done with a foot of snow on the ground. So I did it. When I got back we sort of got organized and then went to Chelsea Royal Diner for brunch. That is always a treat. After brunch, Michael and Amy went for a hike on Wantastiquet Mtn. across the river from Brattleboro, and Ellen, Katie, Gertie and I made a shorter hike, but still a considerable one for me, to the top of Black Mountain. I used ski poles, and made it fine. It was cold - my fingers got really cold on the poles. It was about 27 degrees and very windy.But it was a nice hike.
Here is a photo album of things this week:
Today, Saturday, we slept fairly late, had a bit of breakfast, and then I made a trip to the landfill in anticipation of a big storm tomorrow and Monday. Our recycle bin was overflowing and it would be that much harder to get done with a foot of snow on the ground. So I did it. When I got back we sort of got organized and then went to Chelsea Royal Diner for brunch. That is always a treat. After brunch, Michael and Amy went for a hike on Wantastiquet Mtn. across the river from Brattleboro, and Ellen, Katie, Gertie and I made a shorter hike, but still a considerable one for me, to the top of Black Mountain. I used ski poles, and made it fine. It was cold - my fingers got really cold on the poles. It was about 27 degrees and very windy.But it was a nice hike.
Here is a photo album of things this week:
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| Katie, Michael and Amy at Chelsea Royal |
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| Katie working at the sink before Thanksgiving dinner |
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| Katie with her beautiful Lumix camera |
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| One of Katie's Craft Tour Photo Competition entries |
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| A second entry |
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| At the top of Black Mountain |
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| Cynthia, John, Katie and Angelina at our vegetarian, gluten-free, Thanksgiving dinner (and a little bit of Ellen) |
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| River Singers rehearsal Tuesday evening with band, Mary Cay at piano |
Friday, November 29, 2019
Day after Thanksgiving
We had a lovely Thanksgiving Day! More on that when I get a chance to download photos. Today we are on the Putney Craft Tour with Katie, Michael and Amy, and Katie, Savanna and Brendon - having soup at the Westminster-West Church.
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| Michael's fingers, Kate, Katie and Brendon, Ellen's fingers |
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Thanksgiving plans
It is Thanksgiving Eve. Katie arrives by train late this evening - actually, early tomorrow morning - 12:30am in Greenfield. We will meet her. John and Cynthia will join us for dinner and they are bringing a friend, Angelina. That will be late afternoon. Then Katie's cousin, Michael, and Amy, arrive at 11pm Thursday night. We'll meet Katie and Savanna for the Putney Craft tour Friday. I think Saturday is open. Lots going on!
Stewart Letter #17
Letter #17
Nov. 27, 1944 (to dad, in Normandy, France, from Lincoln, NE)
Dear Dad,
Yesterday I had a little relaxation from the routine I have been following for the past few weeks. Mrs. Pomeroy1 wrote to some of her relatives here in Lincoln, telling them that I was here. Since they go to the First Plymouth Congregational Church,2 they contacted me after the service yesterday, invited me and a friend, Charles Bruning,3 a Congregationalist from Salem, North Dakota, to dinner, and another family invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. We had a nice dinner, played ping-pong, had our pictures taken, and records made of our voices to send home. They invited us to come as often as we want to, but both our manners and our limited time will prevent us from going many times.
I'm not having any trouble with English, Math or History, but in Physics and Chemistry, I am bothered by my lack of concentration. Since from about June 1 to November 6, I had no studying to do, I am slightly out of condition in more ways than one. I haven't done much exer- cising since March, when I broke my leg, but now we have an hour of stiff calisthenics and then we may swim, play handball or basketball. The meals are sufficient, the sleep regular, but short. Lights are out at 22:00, but absolute quiet is not maintained usually until later. Also, if one needs to wash socks in the middle of the week, it has to be done after 21:00, and therefore one would probably have to get undressed in the dark. Bedcheck is at 11:15, but that is not hard to make for me.
Nov. 27, 1944 (to dad, in Normandy, France, from Lincoln, NE)
Dear Dad,
Yesterday I had a little relaxation from the routine I have been following for the past few weeks. Mrs. Pomeroy1 wrote to some of her relatives here in Lincoln, telling them that I was here. Since they go to the First Plymouth Congregational Church,2 they contacted me after the service yesterday, invited me and a friend, Charles Bruning,3 a Congregationalist from Salem, North Dakota, to dinner, and another family invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. We had a nice dinner, played ping-pong, had our pictures taken, and records made of our voices to send home. They invited us to come as often as we want to, but both our manners and our limited time will prevent us from going many times.
I'm not having any trouble with English, Math or History, but in Physics and Chemistry, I am bothered by my lack of concentration. Since from about June 1 to November 6, I had no studying to do, I am slightly out of condition in more ways than one. I haven't done much exer- cising since March, when I broke my leg, but now we have an hour of stiff calisthenics and then we may swim, play handball or basketball. The meals are sufficient, the sleep regular, but short. Lights are out at 22:00, but absolute quiet is not maintained usually until later. Also, if one needs to wash socks in the middle of the week, it has to be done after 21:00, and therefore one would probably have to get undressed in the dark. Bedcheck is at 11:15, but that is not hard to make for me.
Notes:
1 I remember the name Pomeroy, but I don't remember whether the connection is with Marshall High,
First Congregational, or possibly Como Church (or just someone in the neighborhood). I have a copy of.
the Marshall High Yearbook for 1945 (the year after Stewart graduated - my seventh grade) and there is
no Pomeroy mentioned there on the faculty, but that is not conclusive as to whether there was a Mrs.
Pomeroy there when Stewart was a student.
2 First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln is one of the largest (if not the largest) Congregational Churches in Nebraska. The building it occupied in 1944 (and still does) was then fairly new. It is impres- sive!
3 My ears pricked up when I saw this name because I knew a Charles Breunig on the faculty at Lawrence, who would be the right age, and who also just happens to be a cousin to Fred Breunig who we know in the Guilford Church. I asked Fred if his cousin was from North Dakota, but he wasn't - he was from Indiana. Then I realized that Breunig is not the same name as Bruning (although Stewart might be spelling his friend's name wrong, but probably not). The town Charles Bruning was from in North Dakota is actually New Salem, about 30 miles west of Bismarck.
Page 2
I shall set down my schedule here in case you might be interested.
2 First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln is one of the largest (if not the largest) Congregational Churches in Nebraska. The building it occupied in 1944 (and still does) was then fairly new. It is impres- sive!
3 My ears pricked up when I saw this name because I knew a Charles Breunig on the faculty at Lawrence, who would be the right age, and who also just happens to be a cousin to Fred Breunig who we know in the Guilford Church. I asked Fred if his cousin was from North Dakota, but he wasn't - he was from Indiana. Then I realized that Breunig is not the same name as Bruning (although Stewart might be spelling his friend's name wrong, but probably not). The town Charles Bruning was from in North Dakota is actually New Salem, about 30 miles west of Bismarck.
Page 2
I shall set down my schedule here in case you might be interested.
Hour Mon
Tues. Wed Thu. Fri Sat. Sun
0800 Phys Phys Phys Phys Study Phys. 0800-0900 Bfst
0900 Lab. Stdy. Hist Stdy Hist Trig
1000 " " PT " PT PT
1100 Stdy. Chem. " Chem. " "
1200 Lunch ---------------------------------------------- 1230-1330 Lunch
1300 Alg Trig Alg Trig Alg MT = Military Training
1400 Eng. Hist Chem Hist Eng MT
1500 Hist Stdy Lab Stdy Stdy MT
1600 Stdy. Eng " " "
0800 Phys Phys Phys Phys Study Phys. 0800-0900 Bfst
0900 Lab. Stdy. Hist Stdy Hist Trig
1000 " " PT " PT PT
1100 Stdy. Chem. " Chem. " "
1200 Lunch ---------------------------------------------- 1230-1330 Lunch
1300 Alg Trig Alg Trig Alg MT = Military Training
1400 Eng. Hist Chem Hist Eng MT
1500 Hist Stdy Lab Stdy Stdy MT
1600 Stdy. Eng " " "
1715 Retreat --------------------------------------
1720 Supper ---------------------------------------
1900 Study ------------------------------------------
2200 Lights Out --------------------------- 2300 LO
2315 Bed Check ---------------------------
0130 Bed Check
In Military Training, we have learned the ? and loop slings for a rifle, and the correct prone, squatting, sitting and standing positions. Eventually everyone will get to shoot .30 caliber rifles on a range in the basement of one of the campus buildings.
There are about 350 fellows here, including the ASTP premeds. About a year ago there were three thousand stationed on this campus, indicating, perhaps, that the Army's needs are grow- ing very small, since only replacements are needed.
All the rooms in the library are lighted with fluorescent lamps, and I never fail to wake up about six o' clock with the combined noise and brightness. frequently I wake up thinking I am home, and suddenly I realize I shall not be home for two months yet. There is a boy here who was a classmate of mine at M. H. S., and graduated at the same time. He is in the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve, as are most of the fellows in my platoon. He, however, started in September, and gets a furlough at the end of this week.
Raymond Flynn4 and Charles Bruning were at Fort Leavenworth at the same time as I was, to get their uniforms. The rest of our platoon came to Lincoln on Nov. 2, the day before we did, so I know Ray and Chuck a little bit better, and pal around with them more, since they are pretty nice fellows, than I do with the rest. But, however, the rest are also buddies now, because it is very nearly impossible to live so close together all the time and not become close friends. Much discussion is carried on as to the relative merits of the various home states, the food, the mail, the classes, and so forth. It is a rapidly moving life, although at times February 1, my first furlough, looks rather far away. Having to become adjusted to a regular schedule, severe phys- ical workouts, college studies, and army discipline all at once is not too much for any of us, I believe, but it is not the easiest thing to overcome, considering that as seventeen-year-olds, we are not completely mature physically, spiritually and mentally.
Rev. Hyslop of Boston, younger brother of Fred Hyslop,5 preached a sermon at First Church last year and he had a bull session for the Protestant boys here at Love Library recently.
The personnel here consists of seven platoons, two companies, or one battalion. A captain is in command of the post since the colonel formerly presiding was promoted to a position at Omaha.
Notes:
4 Ancestry has records on over 54,000 Raymond Flynns! Nevertheless, in Letter #18, Stewart mentions that Raymond Flynn is from Chelsea, Iowa, and I found a Raymond James Flynn, born in 1895, who is buried in Chelsea, IA - that could well be the father of Stewart's friend (dad was born in 1896- same generation). Chelsea is located in central Iowa not far from Grinnell. Stewart had no way of knowing that a few years later he would be in college in Grinnell.
5 Fred Hyslop was a Congregational minister who was a friend of dad's. I believe they met at Chicago Theological Seminary, where Hyslop was a senior when dad entered in 1930. He served churches in Wisconsin, Colorado and Hawaii. His younger brother, Ralph Hyslop, was on the staff of the Congrega- tional Board of Home Missions in Boston at the time of this letter. He later taught at both Pacific School of Religion and Union Theological Seminary.
Page 3
In Military Training, we have learned the ? and loop slings for a rifle, and the correct prone, squatting, sitting and standing positions. Eventually everyone will get to shoot .30 caliber rifles on a range in the basement of one of the campus buildings.
There are about 350 fellows here, including the ASTP premeds. About a year ago there were three thousand stationed on this campus, indicating, perhaps, that the Army's needs are grow- ing very small, since only replacements are needed.
All the rooms in the library are lighted with fluorescent lamps, and I never fail to wake up about six o' clock with the combined noise and brightness. frequently I wake up thinking I am home, and suddenly I realize I shall not be home for two months yet. There is a boy here who was a classmate of mine at M. H. S., and graduated at the same time. He is in the Air Corps Enlisted Reserve, as are most of the fellows in my platoon. He, however, started in September, and gets a furlough at the end of this week.
Raymond Flynn4 and Charles Bruning were at Fort Leavenworth at the same time as I was, to get their uniforms. The rest of our platoon came to Lincoln on Nov. 2, the day before we did, so I know Ray and Chuck a little bit better, and pal around with them more, since they are pretty nice fellows, than I do with the rest. But, however, the rest are also buddies now, because it is very nearly impossible to live so close together all the time and not become close friends. Much discussion is carried on as to the relative merits of the various home states, the food, the mail, the classes, and so forth. It is a rapidly moving life, although at times February 1, my first furlough, looks rather far away. Having to become adjusted to a regular schedule, severe phys- ical workouts, college studies, and army discipline all at once is not too much for any of us, I believe, but it is not the easiest thing to overcome, considering that as seventeen-year-olds, we are not completely mature physically, spiritually and mentally.
Rev. Hyslop of Boston, younger brother of Fred Hyslop,5 preached a sermon at First Church last year and he had a bull session for the Protestant boys here at Love Library recently.
The personnel here consists of seven platoons, two companies, or one battalion. A captain is in command of the post since the colonel formerly presiding was promoted to a position at Omaha.
Notes:
4 Ancestry has records on over 54,000 Raymond Flynns! Nevertheless, in Letter #18, Stewart mentions that Raymond Flynn is from Chelsea, Iowa, and I found a Raymond James Flynn, born in 1895, who is buried in Chelsea, IA - that could well be the father of Stewart's friend (dad was born in 1896- same generation). Chelsea is located in central Iowa not far from Grinnell. Stewart had no way of knowing that a few years later he would be in college in Grinnell.
5 Fred Hyslop was a Congregational minister who was a friend of dad's. I believe they met at Chicago Theological Seminary, where Hyslop was a senior when dad entered in 1930. He served churches in Wisconsin, Colorado and Hawaii. His younger brother, Ralph Hyslop, was on the staff of the Congrega- tional Board of Home Missions in Boston at the time of this letter. He later taught at both Pacific School of Religion and Union Theological Seminary.
Page 3
The capital building6 is a unique structure, having a wide base and tall tower in the middle, al-
most as much a landmark as the Foshay Tower.7
Study hall is almost over now. I must get my sleep tonight because I am having a four weeks
(test) in Physics tomorrow, and tonight is shower night so I must close.
With love,
Stewart
Notes
With love,
Stewart
Notes
6 The Nebraska State Capital building was completed in 1932 and includes a 400-foot tower, the first
state capital to incorporate a tower into its design.
7 The Foshay Tower was an iconic structure when we lived in Minneapolis. It has an interesting story be- hind it: It's tower is a bit higher than the Nebraska capital tower.
"Inspired by a visit to the Washington Monument, Wilbur B. Foshay returned to Minneapolis with a vision for a grandiose office tower. Amassing his $22 million fortune from the utility business in less than ten years, Foshay dreamed of building a tower that would not only promote his business, but display his enormous suc- cess. In 1927 construction on the 32-story tower with a gradually tapering obelisk pyramidal roof began. The tower, standing on a two-story base, rose 447 feet above the street level, making it the tallest building in Min- neapolis. The structure, made from fabricated steel and reinforced concrete, dominated the skyline for several decades. After construction was complete in 1929, the doors were opened to the public for a three-day cele- bration. For the first time the public was able to see the main lobby arcade with Italian marble walls, terrazzo floors, ornamental bronze wrought iron grillework, and elaborate light fixtures. High-speed elevators, travel- ing 750 feet per minute, carried passengers up to the 31 st floor observation deck. The 27 th and 28 th floors were not open to the public; instead, they housed Foshay’s personal office and living quarters. No expense was spared in his suite – African mahogany wood, Italian marble and engravings of Foshay’s personal crest. Less than two months after the grand opening of the Foshay Tower, the stock market crashed, spiraling the country into the Great Depression. The crash left Foshay broke and charged with 15 counts of fraud. He lost his tower and was sentenced to 15 years in Leavenworth Prison. Released from prison in 1947, he returned to Minnesota until his death in 1957. While many interior design elements were altered and the interior court- yard has been filled in, the Foshay Tower remains an expression of "conspicuous consumption" that swept through the United States during the economic boom of the 1920s. While Foshay himself did not benefit from the construction of the Tower, it has remained a distinctive architectural statement, bringing prestige to the City of Minneapolis"
7 The Foshay Tower was an iconic structure when we lived in Minneapolis. It has an interesting story be- hind it: It's tower is a bit higher than the Nebraska capital tower.
"Inspired by a visit to the Washington Monument, Wilbur B. Foshay returned to Minneapolis with a vision for a grandiose office tower. Amassing his $22 million fortune from the utility business in less than ten years, Foshay dreamed of building a tower that would not only promote his business, but display his enormous suc- cess. In 1927 construction on the 32-story tower with a gradually tapering obelisk pyramidal roof began. The tower, standing on a two-story base, rose 447 feet above the street level, making it the tallest building in Min- neapolis. The structure, made from fabricated steel and reinforced concrete, dominated the skyline for several decades. After construction was complete in 1929, the doors were opened to the public for a three-day cele- bration. For the first time the public was able to see the main lobby arcade with Italian marble walls, terrazzo floors, ornamental bronze wrought iron grillework, and elaborate light fixtures. High-speed elevators, travel- ing 750 feet per minute, carried passengers up to the 31 st floor observation deck. The 27 th and 28 th floors were not open to the public; instead, they housed Foshay’s personal office and living quarters. No expense was spared in his suite – African mahogany wood, Italian marble and engravings of Foshay’s personal crest. Less than two months after the grand opening of the Foshay Tower, the stock market crashed, spiraling the country into the Great Depression. The crash left Foshay broke and charged with 15 counts of fraud. He lost his tower and was sentenced to 15 years in Leavenworth Prison. Released from prison in 1947, he returned to Minnesota until his death in 1957. While many interior design elements were altered and the interior court- yard has been filled in, the Foshay Tower remains an expression of "conspicuous consumption" that swept through the United States during the economic boom of the 1920s. While Foshay himself did not benefit from the construction of the Tower, it has remained a distinctive architectural statement, bringing prestige to the City of Minneapolis"
 |
| First Congregational Church, Lincoln, NE |
 |
| State Capitol, Nebraska |
 |
| Foshay Tower, Minneapolis, MN |
Monday, November 25, 2019
Catching up again
For some reason, I have not been able to post things very much lately. Right at the moment, I am at the Guilford Church, using WiFi here while Ellen is upstairs at a prayer-shawl knitting session. So this is a chance to catch up a bit.
Last Friday, we had an unwanted "adventure" - we went about 20 hours without our cell phone, having left it somewhere, we knew not where. That might seem pretty minor, but our cell phone has become a lifeline. It is our only phone - we have not had a landline for years - and so it is our only link with the outside world. Being without it makes one feel vulnerable, especially in case of an emergency. Obviously, for much of the history of the human race, people did not have this convenience, but it has come to feel like a necessity. Also, people text us, send emails or leave voice mail messages, expecting a response. So we feel sort of an obligation to have it handy.
At first, Ellen and I were not sure who had the phone last. Ellen thought she probably had it last and had a mental image of its being on the dining table. It wasn't there. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed likely that it was I. I took Ellen to Eliza's house at 1pm on Friday, and she met up with Eliza and Robin there for an excursion to the King Arthur Flour outlet up in Norwich, VT - sort of a baker's paradise trip. She did not have the phone with her. I came home briefly after dropping her off, and then went to a Hallowell sing at the Valley Cares Assisted Living Facility up in Townshend, VT. I did not use the phone during that time. But as I thought about it, I remembered calling Keene Gas to find out when we were going to get a propane gas delivery, and that was just before I took Ellen to Eliza's. So that made it seem likely that I had it. But it wasn't in any pocket, or any place it usually is. So that was our situation Friday into Saturday morning. We spent quite a bit of time checking again and again in places it might be, but no luck. So we had to go to bed without it. I did do one thing, though - I went up to the church in Dummerston Center, where there is WiFi, and sent John an email with the computer just to let him know our situation. While I was there, I went to the Consumer Cellular website, and found our call record. That confirmed a call to Keene Gas at 12:42pm on Friday- indeed just before we left for Eliza's. But, it also recorded two calls after that! One was a 4-minute call at about 3:50pm. It took a while for that to register, but I finally remembered that I had talked with Nancy T about the Women's Chorus she wanted us to come to. And then I remembered that I was up in the "museum" at the church (where choir music is stored) when that call happened. So maybe that is where the phone was, and Saturday morning, first thing, I checked that out and sure-'nuf there it was. It's discouraging to realize that I had forgotten that, but there it is. We also have decided that we need to get a second phone.
Yesterday, we had choir at the Dummerston Church, and I was leading. We had a rehearsal Friday evening and it went well. Sunday morning, it snowed and then turned to freezing rain, and I wondered if I would have a choir. But they all came, and three more besides, making a choir of twelve! It was great. The congregation was not much bigger than the choir, because of weather, but we sang well and were much appreciated. The theme for the service was based on I Corinthians 12 - the famous "one body and many members," passage, with the additional theme of a series Shawn has been doing on the UCC "Love Your Neighbor .. no matter their ......." program (fill in the blank - faith, nationality, gender, sexual preference, etc.). This week it was "race." "Love your neighbor, no matter their race." I chose music which reflected both the "one body" theme, plus a variety of sources: Scotland, Korea and African American. It all went really well.
Last Friday, we had an unwanted "adventure" - we went about 20 hours without our cell phone, having left it somewhere, we knew not where. That might seem pretty minor, but our cell phone has become a lifeline. It is our only phone - we have not had a landline for years - and so it is our only link with the outside world. Being without it makes one feel vulnerable, especially in case of an emergency. Obviously, for much of the history of the human race, people did not have this convenience, but it has come to feel like a necessity. Also, people text us, send emails or leave voice mail messages, expecting a response. So we feel sort of an obligation to have it handy.
At first, Ellen and I were not sure who had the phone last. Ellen thought she probably had it last and had a mental image of its being on the dining table. It wasn't there. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed likely that it was I. I took Ellen to Eliza's house at 1pm on Friday, and she met up with Eliza and Robin there for an excursion to the King Arthur Flour outlet up in Norwich, VT - sort of a baker's paradise trip. She did not have the phone with her. I came home briefly after dropping her off, and then went to a Hallowell sing at the Valley Cares Assisted Living Facility up in Townshend, VT. I did not use the phone during that time. But as I thought about it, I remembered calling Keene Gas to find out when we were going to get a propane gas delivery, and that was just before I took Ellen to Eliza's. So that made it seem likely that I had it. But it wasn't in any pocket, or any place it usually is. So that was our situation Friday into Saturday morning. We spent quite a bit of time checking again and again in places it might be, but no luck. So we had to go to bed without it. I did do one thing, though - I went up to the church in Dummerston Center, where there is WiFi, and sent John an email with the computer just to let him know our situation. While I was there, I went to the Consumer Cellular website, and found our call record. That confirmed a call to Keene Gas at 12:42pm on Friday- indeed just before we left for Eliza's. But, it also recorded two calls after that! One was a 4-minute call at about 3:50pm. It took a while for that to register, but I finally remembered that I had talked with Nancy T about the Women's Chorus she wanted us to come to. And then I remembered that I was up in the "museum" at the church (where choir music is stored) when that call happened. So maybe that is where the phone was, and Saturday morning, first thing, I checked that out and sure-'nuf there it was. It's discouraging to realize that I had forgotten that, but there it is. We also have decided that we need to get a second phone.
Yesterday, we had choir at the Dummerston Church, and I was leading. We had a rehearsal Friday evening and it went well. Sunday morning, it snowed and then turned to freezing rain, and I wondered if I would have a choir. But they all came, and three more besides, making a choir of twelve! It was great. The congregation was not much bigger than the choir, because of weather, but we sang well and were much appreciated. The theme for the service was based on I Corinthians 12 - the famous "one body and many members," passage, with the additional theme of a series Shawn has been doing on the UCC "Love Your Neighbor .. no matter their ......." program (fill in the blank - faith, nationality, gender, sexual preference, etc.). This week it was "race." "Love your neighbor, no matter their race." I chose music which reflected both the "one body" theme, plus a variety of sources: Scotland, Korea and African American. It all went really well.
 |
| The Dummerston Choir, Sunday morning |
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