Finally Found "My Look".

My blog on 5-5-10 recounts my experience unexpectedly getting an offer of a senior citizen discount.  It explains how I was pretty upset, after spending so much time to getting ready, looking fresh, happy, and what seemed to me…young.  Well, today, I found out that I was going about it all wrong.  Against my own judgement, I didn’t take a shower or do my hair.  I put on a baseball cap and minimal makeup, and wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a shirt that looked like long underwear. 

The results were surprising, leading me to believe that i have found my best look. I was doing errands and decided to drive through some place quickly to get a bite to eat and a diet coke. I had the courage to ask for the senior discount, which, I found out. entitled me to a free drink, cutting the price of my meal in half.

NOT SO FAST!  That sweet, conscientious, young man at the counter, who was obviously very astute, asked for my ID.  I’m just sure that he was thinking “Nope, not going to give a discount to this gal, she looks way too young.”  He examined my driver’s license before he would cut loose with the diet coke.   

Made my day!  Quickly, my mind reviewed anything that was different, and repeatable in the future.  Answer:  I needn’t take a shower, comb my hair, take time on my makeup, or pick special clothing.   Done, done, and Done!

…or was it something else. 

Here is how life happens.  I didn’t see at the time, the plan that God had in mind.

When Jason was just a little guy, he went to preschool like so many other little kids.  It was there that he made lots of friends and made the teachers fall in love with him.  He just had that way about him.  Precocious from the very beginning, he showed his advance abilities both mentally and socially.  

Brea Olinda Friends Christian Day Care was the school that I chose for him.  It is now part of the Heights Christian School system.  Anyway…Jason now takes care of all of their computers as one of his accounts at NumaNetworks.com. 

I can see God’s plan for Jason started way before we knew the Godly man that Jason would become.  

This is the advertisement that the school sent out to thousands of households.

Starting to Organize my Old Photos

I have an incredible drive in me to sort all of my photos, so can look back over my life in chronological order and relive the very wonderful life that I have had.  It would be great to think that after I am gone, someone might be interested in any of the photos that I have and would be thankful that they are in order.  

A couple of days ago, I received a couple of DVD's that have some of the old photos on them.  I sent my photo albums away to a place called ScanCafe and they digitalized them.  They came out OK, so I am on a mission to get all photos onto the computer.

Now, I know that there will not be too many of my heirs who will want to go through all of the photos, but I am determined to write stories of my memories so someone may feel a connection to his or her past.

We are a Christian family from back farther than I remember or know about.  Yes, we are Christians, but that doesn't make us boring.  

This is the oldest photo that I could find quickly.  

Martha "Mattie" Josephine Chappell (1888 - 1923) was my mother's mother.  She had four children (Marian, Robert, Jack, Mary Virginia), but died of diabetes when my mother, the youngest was only 2 years old.  My mother looked like her and I think that I did too.

NAME:Martha Josephine Chappell

BIRTH:1888, Lemons, Putnam, Missouri, USA

DEATH:1923, Emmetsburg, Palo Alto, Iowa, USA

Mattie married Glanton Finis Banner.  After Mattie died, Finis (as he was called) married a woman with four children and together they had one.

NAME:Glanton Finis Banner

BIRTH:1889, Pollock, Sullivan, Missouri, USA

DEATH:1962, Liberty, Clay, Missouri, USA

 This is the very handsome Finis Banner.  I didn't get his curly hair.  Did you?

I guess even way back when, people realized that people in the photos seldom smiled.  I heard that the reason for that is that the shutter speed was so slow on the cameras that one just had to "freeze".

This is Finis as a child, along with his sisters Bertha Olive Banner Smith 1996-1986 (married George Smith and had no children) and Elsye Banner (married Jack and had one child, Richard)

NAME:Bertha Olive Banner

BIRTH:1896,

DEATH:1986, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri,

Their parents were Mary Belle Smart (a nicer woman was never known), and George Grant Banner who up and left her.

NAME:Mary Belle Smart

BIRTH:1867, Indiana, USA

DEATH:1951, Lee Summit, Missouri, USA

NAME:George Grant Banner

BIRTH:1864, Sullivan, Missouri, USA

DEATH:1939, Pollock, Sullivan, Missouri, USA

O'Hare Was Only a Hiccup

Excellent Wisconsin Vacation - Day One

Should I include a travel day as vacation?  I had to ask myself why in the world I would count a tough day of travel as vacation.  The answer was so easy, because the best thing about vacation is just being with my family.  

We ALL arrived at John Wayne Airport in Orange County on time, healthy, forgetting nothing.  That was quite a feat, because Jennifer came from Indio and met us at Jason’s, Gregory was transported to Sun Lakes, driven to San Marcos (for Comic con) and returned to John Wayne with the Big Bergs, and Tom and I picked up Jason, Sandra, and Jennifer and drove them to John Wayne.  I worried about how many things could have gone wrong, but nothing did.  

Three generations of family in a fantastic mood, left Orange County and arrived at O’Hare in Chicago exactly on time...but oops, they won’t let us off of the tarmac!  There had been a thunder storm in the afternoon and they had to close the airport.  Planes were backed up waiting to leave and to park.  We were way down the list so they kept us parked for about 90 minutes, while our connecting flight to Madison left without us.  

Jeff tried everything -- bus, taxi, rental cars, and then...the longest stretch limo you have ever seen.  We were so excited to ride in it.  Thanks, Jeff for the adventure that we didn’t know we would have.  Jeff turned a hugh problem into a hiccup.

Isaac is Ready to Go

We All are Happy to Be Traveling to Wisconsin

Shannon got Isaac Contained, but He Doesn't Mind

A Two-Year-Old's Wonder

Hmmm...We Have Another Photo Just Like This
From Our Last Trip to Wisconsin

HannaH was Very Busy Giving
Instructions, Requests, and Demands
to the Captain.

Oops...Our Connecting Flight Left
Before We Got Off of our Plane

Nothing Can Get Jennifer Down

I'm Not Worried Either

Got My Isaac

Got My HannaH

Oooo...Grandpa Loves This Kid

Grandpa and Isaac

Waiting for the Limo

Wow!

Tom Thinks This is Great

Shannon Can Enjoy This Limo

Inside the Limo

The Limo With Lots of Bling

We Are Leaving Tomorrow for Wisconsin

It has been a whirlwind of activity since Jeff gave us the fantastic gift of a trip for the whole family to Wisconsin.  This is my dream come true and to tell you the truth, I didn't think that it would every happen.  Then, Jeff and Shannon said that they would gift us all the trip of a lifetime.  Really?  I guess if you want something bad enough for long enough, someone that you love just may give it to you.

We have two cars converging on Orange County airport in the morning.  One car arriving from San Marcos will have Jeff, Shannon, HannaH, Isaac, and GREGORY!  What is Gregory doing in San Marcos.  Well, his Uncle Jeff made another dream come true -- Gregory's dream of going to a Comic-Con Convention.  Geek paradise!  Uncle Jeff bought the tickets and Shannon drove to Sun Lakes to pick up Gregory, while Jennifer and I drove to Sun Lakes to drop off Gregory.

Gregory has already posted his excitement on Facebook this morning.  Can't wait for updates from the two of them.

Jennifer is going to meet Tom and Denise at Jason and Sandra's house, so Tom can drive the five of us to the airport.  None of us can check in until all of us are there, because we are traveling as a group.

Lots of errands and loose ends to finish up today.  Shannon and Jeff have Dee and Steve James staying at their house, Jennifer has Lilly Vargas staying at her house, and Tom and Denise have Missy checking on Chewbacca twice a day.  The pregnant Baby Bergs are just taking off, not realizing how complicated their lives are going to get when my new grand baby arrives.

My Grandma

Here is my Grandma, who I loved so much.  She was born in 1901, so she is 57 in this picture.  It was taken in back of the Reads Landing grocery store/post office/gas station that they owned.  it is now kept up as as historical site!  See that little house in the back on the right?  My cousins and I used to get to play in it all by ourselves.  It was exciting.

 

Thelma Louise Hestitune Stevling.  For Gregory, HannaH and Isaac, she is Jennifer, Jeff & Jason's mother's father's mother -- their great grandmother.  Her parents were born in Norway, but came to America, where she was born.  She married Adolph Stevling, a full Norwegian.  My dad Adolph (called Bud as a boy and Steve as a man)Walter Stevling was a full Norwegian.  

She had three children.  MaryLou is the oldest and the only child still living.  My dad, Steve, was the next oldest and he died in a plane crash is 1948 when I was 4 months old.  Baby Thelma died at home as a baby of hydrocephalus.   

On July 13, 2012, we are going to Wisconsin to have a family reunion of all of her surviving relatives, including 6 grandchildren with their spouses, and over 20 great grandchildren.

Day To Day Every Day Love

A couple of days ago, I picked HannaH up after school.  Well, I was already there, because I work at the same place that she goes to school, not at the school, but at the ministry.  We were so excited to spend the afternoon and evening together.  

First, we went to Tutti Fruti where grandma lets her get anything she wants.  She picked pineapple non-fat yogurt and then went on to pick out her toppings.  She picked a cherry, some strawberry slices, and some big blackberries.  What a healthy pick.  Good job HannaH.  Yogurt and fruit.  Oh...then we put on some gummy bears (two helpings), some gummy worms (in every color), rainbow sprinkles (of course), white chocolate morsels and maybe some other wonderful delights.  That is what grandma calls a balance meal, 1/2 healthy, 1/2 junk.  Perfectly healthy.

We drove home and HannaH used the clickers to open the community gate and the garage door.  It is fun for her to do it and fun for Grandma to see her have fun.  She chucked knowingly when I told her how her daddy and her uncle Jason fought over who would get to use the openers when they were little.  After Jeff and Jason had grown too old for such things, I realized that they made the whole experience magical.  Without them then, and without HannaH now, opening gates and doors with remote controls is just another annoying thing to deal with.  That’s the difference between raising kids, and enjoying grandkids.  I now realize that some of the routine things that I took for granted with my kids are now some of my very favorite memories.  This time around, with my grandkids, I realize that God has given me the very special gift of appreciating the joy of all things childish.  Seems like every little thing grandkids do, thrill me no end.

Anyway then we went to drive the golf cart.  That’s when the magic really kicked in.  HannaH, being 5 now, can underhand, and is getting quite good at driving the golf cart.  She can put this in her little repertory of things to tell her friends, as most of them don’t get a chance to actually drive a motor vehicle like she does.  Oh, she was scared, she knew that she was unleashing some sort of power heretofore denied her.  She sat in my lap making me assure her that I would take control whenever needed, and that we would not be hitting a tree, or car, or driving into a lake.  I was her protector.  She is a better driver every time she drives.  She’s growing and maturing and I get to watch.  Sigh.

HannaH Driving the Golf Cart

Then we went to the bridge where we go to feed the fish, ducks, and birds.  HannaH and I have been coming to the bridge for almost four years now, since she was a baby.  Now we sometimes get to bring Isaac who adds happiness and excitement to our joy.   HannaH gets to teach him how to throw the bread, and he does it just the same way that she did.  He squeals with delight.  He throws some, eats some.  Some gets to the animals, some lands at his feet.  Yes, Isaac does the same things as HannaH used to do, but he was not with us today.

HannaH Feeding the Fish and Ducks

We sat on the bank and looked for anything to feed.  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  We brought a couple of bagels and tore off some small pieces and threw them in the water.  Nothing.  Wait!  Here comes a couple of blue gills.  They take the bread with a big splash, splash.  Hmmm, the other fish must have heard them, because here they come.  Scores and scores of blue gills.  They’ve grown.  Last time we were here they were just about two inches long and now they are about eight inches long.  We were so surprised  (Note to self:  Don’t let so much time go by without doing this.  She is moving to San Marcos, you know.)  HannaH wondered where the catfish were and just as soon as the question came out of her mouth the catfish appeared.  There weren’t as many as before, but I told her that this is a fishing lake and catfish is good.  She seemed to take that in stride.  Look over there.  The gorgeous birds are coming with there shiny gold chests.  I wonder what kind of birds those are.   No ducks came.  We saw them, but they were “busy” sleeping.  

We each had a bagel that were tore from.  Soon HannaH had a better idea.  Grandma should tear the bread and put it in a pile in front of HannaH.  That’s exactly what I did.  When her pile was big enough, she would tell me to throw some of my own.  She does like to give the orders these days, and that is just fine with Grandma.  The bread ran out just as she tired of the whole thing and wanted to drive the golf cart again.  I knew that was going to happen.  I take just the right amount of bread.  I love knowing my granddaughter so well.  It’s in the day to day activities, the repetition, the time spent together that we learn about each other and strengthen our bonds.  

Off to drive the golf cart we went.  She got tired of that too and asked to turn towards home.  I had already done that.  I know her.  i took the controls and we drove fast with the wind in our hair and smiles on our faces.

It was during this time together, the golf cart ride and the fish feeding that she shared with me some of her feelings about moving to San Marcos.  She is looking forward to Sea World.  She knows that her mom has to unpack for a day, or maybe even one or two weeks before they go there.  She likes the new house.  She’s looking forward to the beach.  I told her that she was a very lucky girl.  I didn’t tell her how desperately I will miss her.

Isaac Feeding the Fish and Ducks