Smokey

     Having an infant to care for plus a big garden can be a bit overwhelming at times for any young mother. After Aunt Susie had gone home, Grandpa Mast would bring Vernie over occasionally to help with the weeding, harvesting, and canning.
     She was a happy little helper for Mom as she would pull weeds, or break the green beans into pieces for canning, she would wash the canning jars, crank the victoria strainer to make tomato juice and applesauce.
     Her added help gave Mom a much needed boost.
     One afternoon we were canning peaches. Mom was peeling them, Vernie was washing the jars in preparation of filling them. John and I were standing on chairs by the table trying to fit the peach halves neatly into jars. In the middle of all this, Daddy came home from work. He came into the house and told us to come outside to see what he brought home.
     We all went and washed our hands and followed him outside to where he had a big friendly black dog tied to a tree. He wanted John and me to pet it but we were terrified, a dog was the last thing we would have put on our wish list.
     Daddy picked me up and carried me over to the dog to show me what a nice dog she was, but I was not impressed and started crying. Being the oldest if I set an example, John always followed, but his voice was a lot heartier than mine, he would practically bellow! So here John and I were howling away, and Vernie always hated seeing anyone cry so she had to cry too.
     Daddy looked disappointed that his surprise fell flat. We went back into the house and continued with our canning. Daddy helped with the remaining peaches and then went outside to hitch Jim to the buggy to take Vernie home. I got to go with them. After we had dropped Vernie off at Grandpa's I got to sit in the front seat with Daddy. That was the best place to be in the whole world as far as I was concerned. All the way home Daddy talked about dogs, the fun he used to have playing with his dog when he was a little boy, the benefits of having dogs that like children and how they help protect them, and how happy he is he found a fine dog for us, and that we'll grow to love her.
     We named the dog Smokey and it wasn't long before John and I tolerated her. We didn't play with her and she didn't bother us. It was something of an unspoken mutual agreement, you don't get too close and we won't cry, and with the noise we made when we cried she was happy to stay away.

The First Six Weeks

     A few days after David was born, one of Daddy's sisters, my Aunt Susie, came to help with all the work until Mom was able to manage on her own again. As tradition has it in all the older Amish settlements a single girl comes to do all the work while the mother stays in bed for a week to 10 days after her baby is born and then sits and enjoys her newborn and does light handwork etc. until the baby is six weeks old.
      Aunt Susie was a no nonsense and definitely not fun loving person. She did her work with a vengeance and had neither time nor patience for little children bothering her. It wasn't long before John and I stayed in the bedroom with Mom and played on the floor in there, rather than risking the disapproval of Aunt Susie.
      Susie took good care of the garden and the house, and when Mom could finally sit in the living room life seemed a lot better. But there was a strained atmosphere in the house until the day when Daddy and Mom paid and thanked her for helping out and sent her back home.
      That first evening alone was wonderful. Daddy and Mom laughed and talked like they used to and we were once more, a happy little family with a beautiful baby boy that made the previous six weeks worth living through after all.

Picture my Week

      We heard about the "Blue Spring" several years ago, it's somewhat of a local secret. There are no maps on how to get there, which helps keep it from becoming a spot clogged with visitors. We've searched for it a number of times, unsuccessfully. This week we finally found it. Pictures don't do it justice, the water is really clear, and really blue. I can't wait to see it next summer when everything is green, instead of dead and brown. We agree it was worth the effort it took to find it.

 

Steven spent hours playing with his cars, rolling them down a "bridge" he engineered.

The sunrises were lovely. Each uniquely different, and yet all enjoyed equally.

The girls were spending a few hours every day working on making Christmas ornaments. I think they're all turning out well, but I especially love the little "Snowman hats"

 

There was a lot happening this week, such as spending time with Amish people I hadn't seen in over twenty years, going to a Planetarium, the sewing class where I'm teaching an eager young group the joys of sewing, and much more. Those were all times when I was so involved in the moment I forgot I have a camera nearby.

Aunt Vernie

     Allow me to introduce you to my aunt Vernie. She was and is my most special aunt. She was born a Downs Syndrome child only a year younger than my Mom. She has the sweetest spirit of anyone I have ever met.
     As a child one of the perks of visiting Grandpa Masts was that I could play with Vernie. From the time I was a toddler to about 8 years old, she was my best friend. We would play with our dolls, and spend hours coloring, she would read her story books to us and give us rides on her wagon or swing, we would talk and sing and play any game we knew.
     Then the day came when I could read by myself, and discovered the books had a story completely different from what Vernie had always read to me, and tables turned a bit as I would read the books to her. She didn't seem to mind, but somehow the books got laid aside, and we focused on our dolls and coloring books.
      Time went on, and I no longer played with my dolls. I can still see her so plainly, eagerly coming to greet me with her dolls when ever I came, and I would tell her I'd rather help her color.
     She would look disappointed, but was still happy to spend time coloring together, and so it kept on. I was growing up and gradually leaving my childhood behind. And she could only stand there and watch me go where she could never join me, for she would always live in childhood.
     As one group of nieces and nephews grew up there was always another one and so the same cycle would repeat itself.
      There was always things we did together, like washing the dishes, working in the garden, cleaning house, food preparation for canning, and little odd jobs and we always had to sing a few songs.
      Some years ago I had the chance to once again spend time with her, and had to smile at how thrilled my own children were to play with her.
      Memories of her are bittersweet, sweet because, well, she was sweetness itself. But bitter because I could have made life a little nicer for her by not thinking I'm too big to play with her.
      I will always love her and have a very special place in my heart that only she can fill. I wish there was a way I could let her know.

A Gift from God

     It was still dark outside when Daddy came into our bedroom early one Saturday morning. He gently shook us to wake us up and helped us get dressed. Packed a few clothes in a small suitcase and then hurried us out through the chilly night air to where Jim was patiently by the hitching rack hitched to our top buggy.
      We climbed into the front seat beside Daddy and off we went clip clopping through the night. We were soon at Grandpa Masts and Daddy helped us off the buggy and we went up to the house, which didn't look nearly as inviting in the middle of the night as it did during the day.
      Daddy knocked on the door and in a few minutes Grandpa and Grandma were standing there. Grandma asked Daddy "How is she?" and Daddy answered "She's alright but I need to hurry back."
Grandma nodded as Daddy turned around and knelt down beside us and gave us a hug and told us to be good little children until he comes back and then hurried out into the night again.
     Grandma made cozy little nests on the living room floor for John and me and went back into bed. We lay there in the dark, the clock was ticking loudly and nothing seemed right. There must be something wrong with Mom, she hadn't even said good-bye to us. A big choking lump formed in my throat and I wanted to cry more than anything else, but knew I shouldn't because Daddy had told us to be good.
     Somehow the night finally came to an end and morning looked a lot better. We helped Vernie set the table for breakfast and then had the whole day to play. When evening came so did Daddy smiling from ear to ear. We ran to meet him and he gave us a big hug and told us "Mom has a surprise for you at home." We loved surprises and hurried into the house to get our suitcase while Daddy talked to Grandma.
      When we got home Daddy took us into their bedroom where Mom was lying in bed. Beside her was the cutest little baby boy. Mom smiled at us and said, "Say hello to your brother David."
We stroked his hair and admired his tiny hands and feet and then asked the all important question, "Where did you get him?"
      "God gave him to us" they answered.
      How I wished I could have been home for that! Here God had come and given them a baby and I didn't even get to meet Him!