Me again

Today looks like another nice day. I was just reminiscing while listening to wonderful Easter ,taped music, playing in the living room.

My dad was a great April fool prankster. Not a year went by that he didn't get us some way or another. That's one thing I tried to continue in our family, but I was a failure compared to daddy.

April 1-1997 Cindy called Evonne and said--Mom broke her neck and Evonne said- "April Fools.". No-she really did, replied Cindy. Sometimes I wish it had been an April Fools joke. That little accident made a lot of changes in my life.

The most hurting thing of the whole thing was learning to do some little things again that my grandchildren had no trouble with. Ex. Turning nuts on bolts-putting pegs in holes-moving rings on dowels-etc.

Not really having physical pain really helps when it come to having a burden placed upon you -or having a stint put in- or burning yourself. Anyway- I'm still here and having new challenges every day and thankful for it all. GOD is so good. And that's not April Fools.

Dena and C Van Zee

This Blog has nothing to do with the nice spring weather outside we are some time going to enjoy.
Some times my mind wonders. Many times I think of my wonderful grandpa and grandma. You see I only had one set of grandparents. Dad's parents both died before he was 12. His oldest brother married and kept the 9 children all together until they spread there wings--got married--went off to war--died of influenza or what ever. Uncle Hubert and Aunt Gertrude did a great job. We always had family reunions -visited a lot-and still the cousins get together at least once a year. The number has really gotten smaller, but 12 of us did get together again this past Sept. None of dad's family lived to be very old or married long. Uncle Ben 's did celebrate their 50th tho. They complained of sickness their whole life and dad used to say--always sick and never dead. Dad and mom celebrated their 35th in Feb. and dad past away Mar. 1 the next month.


Back to grandpa and grandma. Grandma lost her husband when she was about 35. She stayed alone until 1927. Then she married C Van Zee from Zeeland, Mi. Uncle Garrett actually got them together. He was in Holland ,Mi going to school to become a pastor and missionary. They came to Iowa Jan. 13-1928---Yep-the day we were born. They stepped off the train and the first thing they heard was that Anna had twins.
They lived in Orange City in the same home until after grandma died and grandpa went to the Pioneer Home. Lois and I cleaned house for grandma in June and she past away a few weeks latter. She gave us each an elephant book end that Uncle Garrett had sent home from Arabia. She also gave us each $20.00 and said that would probably be the last gift to us from her. The Sunday after she died, Leona, Lois and I sang "In the Time Of Roses " at her church in memory of her. Sher always liked rose, but was very allergic to lilacs. She and mom would call each other every day. Grandma would call us in the morning about 9 am and mom would call her about 4 pm. I still remember her telephone # - 210 J. We would call the operator and she would connect us.


Grandpa was an intelligent man. He had a large library on the second floor. He had an orchard in Mi. and really new how to prune fruit trees and grape vines. He loved to garden and always kept record of the sun length--longest and shortest day by putting a stake in the garden on various days. They would come to the farm every Sat. Grandpa would always tinker with something in dad's workshop while mom visited with grandma. Grandpa could fix anything with wire and nails He was a long , lanky man who did so much for grandma, like put on her shoe rubbers. He would kneel on one leg and that would stick out half way in the kitchen. At lunch time he would always have hot milk and rusk. Doesn't that sound great? What is so amazing though is that he came to Iowa on our birthday and he lift his earthly home on our birthday. He was 85-just one wonderful man. He had a favorite poem, and I only remember one line "Around the corner I have a friend." It was about a friend he was going to visit-put it off until it was to late. His friend past away. And I think about how that's true today. One thing I didn't like about him tho, was his mustache , especially in the winter when the ice cycles would hang from it.

Church house cleaning

Our church is going to have a cleaning day next Saturday. Should I go or not? Maybe I can polish the pews. They are terribly dirty--need nail holes filled with colored putty and greatly in need of some Old English on the many scratches. Maybe I should not--I am questioning my sanity.

Me--I have a lovely lady, named Vicky, who comes in and helps me two days a week for three hours. I don't tell her what to do anymore. She just does things the way she wants to do them and when she wants to do them.. She rakes the leaves from the lawn--sweeps the drive way--vacuum's the garage--mops the kitchen and bath--vacuum's the carpet--dusts or polishes the furniture--changes the bedding and washes the dirty stuff--cleans the bathroom every time--Windex's the windows--wipes down the kitchen cupboards and appliance's and still has time to pay her bills--watch the soaps on TV--drink a 10 cup pot of coffee and of course runs to the bath at least five times while she is here.

I don't know how she does everything in such a short time. When it all started I asked her to change the bedding every other week and also mop the floor every other week. Do you think I should complain? I will think about the church all this week. Do you think I should? Hope you all agree on my decision that I will be making but right now playing games on the computer sure sound more interesting to me.

Latest News

It finally happened. We had some big stuff to watch yesterday. Our area hired some firm from Al. to clean up all our trees and branches, and yesterday about 1 p.m. was our day.

A huge tandem truck pulled up. A man was sitting high, between the two truck, and soon was skillfully handling a very long armed crane. He was good, and did an excellent job of picking up all the debris. We had a lot.

Latter I went out and raked four piles of the little twigs that remained. It sure looks better. Next week when the trash man comes I will fill up the dumpster and we will be ready to mow. They did pick up a little grass in three places, so I just leveled it and replanted some grass seed. It is suppose to rain today, so grow man, grow.

To Everything there is a season

You may not believe it-but my crocus are about 4" high. Just last week they were covered with inches of ice and this week are ready to get the 2009 spring season off and running. Eccl. 3-1 says--FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN. God sure was smart. Today it is 71 degrees with rain predicted latter this week with possible tornado's.

At Christmas in 1977, Cindy and Mike gave Grandma M. a Helen Steiner Rice--Loving Promises Poem book. It is full of very good poems. Here is one I'd like to share with you folks.

THE SEASONS OF THE SOUL

Why am I cast down and despondently sad
When I long to be happy and joyous and glad?
Why is my heart heavy with unfathomable weight
As I try to escape this soul-saddened state?
I ask myself often--"What makes life this way,
Why is the song silenced in the heart that was gay"?
And then with God's help it all becomes clear,
The SOUL has its SEASONS just the same as the year--
I too must pass through life's autumn dying,
A desolate period of heart-hurt and crying,
Followed by winter in whose frostbitten hand
My heart is as frozen as the snow-covered land--
Yes, man too must pass through the seasons God sends,
Content in the knowledge that everything ends,
And oh what a blessing to know there are reasons
And to find that our soul must, too, have its seasons--
BOUNTEOUS SEASONS and BARREN ONES, too,
Times for rejoicing and times to be blue,
But meeting these seasons of dark desolation
With strength that is born of anticipation
That comes from knowing that Autumn-time sadness"
Will surely be followed by a "SPRINGTIME FOR GLADNESS."

Taking Care of the old people

Some times I feel I'm living in a nursing home. Rubber grips under all the throw rugs to prevent falling----a walker-----a chair in the shower-----sit down shower head-----grips on the tub floor---risers under the bed---extension shoe horns----electric lift chair----heavy armed chair by the kitchen table---canes---aprons-----a batch of wash every day-----looking for misplaced articles----setting out the pills---etc. etc.

But today is going to be different. Some one is coming to put a riser on the stool. That's not all--we don't need it. So today Ladene is getting a riser, just for herself, put on the stool and that will be so great.

No it's really not that bad. I just needed to change the blog and this is the most interesting thing that is going to happen to us today.

Ice Storm 2009

Enjoy We are ok-didn't go without electricity too long while others have it a lot worse.