Category Archives: personal

So Fast it’s a Blur Hodgepodge

I’m going to try to participate in Wednesday Hodgepodge this week where Joyce From This Side of the Pond has weekly questions for us to ponder. That first question was a zinger for me and my elaboration went on and on…

1. When did you most recently need to ‘think fast’? Elaborate.

On Saturday November 5th. At 1:30 in the afternoon Dear (Greg) and I were eating tacos and he spoke up and said, “My left hand doesn’t want to work”. I said, “Are you having a stroke?” I called our son and when we determined he could not walk, a couple minutes later, I called 911 and asked for help. The Fire Chief and paramedics arrived quickly and assessed him and they saw classic stroke signs. While Greg was being cared for by the professionals I made a series of fast texts to our ‘groups’ First letting all our kids know what was happening, then copy and paste to my siblings, copy and paste to Greg’s brother, copy and paste to our close friends copy and paste to our church family prayer chain. Our oldest Josh and dear Laura had just landed in Cancun when they got the news about their dad having a stroke. From the moment of the stroke until we laid our heads on our pillows that night we were thinking fast. Some of these fast thought moments, our son was on duty so he had to call his boss, get to our home, leave his work vehicle there and drive me to the hospital behind the ambulance. Our daughter in law had to call her mom to watch the kids and meet us at the hospital. Our daughter and her husband started to pack to drive to our side of the mountains but the passes were closed so they scrambled to get flights. After Greg’s condition was assessed by a neurosurgeon over a computer screen she made arrangements for him to be admitted to Sacred Heart Stroke center in Spokane. No helicopters could fly at this time because of weather so an ambulance was lined up to transport him. Dan and Jamie quickly booked a hotel room in Spokane for me. When Greg was wheeled out of the hospital Dan, Jamie and I had to think fast yet again. Dan drove me home to grab a suitcase of who knows what and to pick up his work vehicle to drop off at his station and get his own vehicle and drive home. Jamie went to their house to get ready and pack a backpack for Dan and Jamie whipped up some food for Dan and me to have on our trip to Spokane. After locking up our place and throwing the suitcase in our car I drove to Dan and Jamie’s to pick Dan up for him to drive us to Spokane. I received the sweetest long hugs from our dear Grands who sensed something out of the ordinary was happening.

I have previous posts about Greg’s stroke and care during the week of November 7th-14th.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on National Fast Food Day. What was the last fast food you ate?

Probably a pizza sometime in October…

What’s your favorite fast food?

Taco Bell Bean Burrito with extra green sauce, tomatoes and lettuce.

How often do you grab fast food? 

Not often at all.

3. Life in the fast lane, get nowhere fast, on the fast track, not so fast…pick one and tell us how it applies to your life in recent days. 

I’d like to say on the fast track for recovery for Greg. It might be more like, not so fast.

4. Are you a fast walker? NO fast talker? NO fast worker? YESISH, (depends on the task) fall asleep fast? NO! stay fast asleep without too much trouble? NO!

5. What is one ‘hard and fast rule’ in your house? 

At our country bungalow we have a NO DAIRY OR FATS down the drain because we are on a Septic System.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We posted the following on Facebook yesterday.

Greg thanks you all for your prayers and encouragement and care. He’s doing well. Starting therapy to hopefully regain use of his left hand. So grateful for all the love extended to us.

“The LORD gives and the LORD takes away, blessed be the name of the LORD”

Quote of the day from Greg “the greatest blessing through this trial to date is that I am not married to Job’s wife”

Greg never lost his wit through his whole ordeal. God gave me such a peace and calmness from the beginning. I wasn’t even shaking when I dialed 9-1-1. I praise God for that. God’s peace truly is not of this world.

Thanks again and again to all my bloggy friends who prayed and encouraged me, too.

Bear With Me…

Bear with me as we navigate the changes in our lifestyle because of Greg’s recent stroke. My Feedly was overwhelmingly full and I had to mark all of those missed posts in the last week as read although I did not read them. Slowly but surely things will become a comfortable new normal for us at Our Country Bungalow. When that happens you will probably hear from me more and more.

We both (Greg and I) so appreciate the concern, love, and outpourings of prayer and encouragement we have received.

The following will be my journal notes of our experiences as I remember them from the 5th of November through the 13th so it will be long and I don’t expect y’all to read it.

Remember, remember the 5th of November will ring true for our family and not because of Guy Fawkes and the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Saturday November 5th I took a quick trip to Wal-Mart to get some extra ingredients for the tacos we planned to have for lunch. As we sat down to enjoy those tacos at approx. 1:30 pm Greg said his left hand wouldn’t work. He couldn’t make it work and it was numb. I said, “are you having a stroke?”. Very soon after calling our son I called 911 and asked for emergency assistance. First vehicle to pull up to our door was a Steven’s County Fire Department vehicle and right on it’s tail was the paramedic vehicle. Greg was assessed and it was verified that he most likely had suffered a stroke. As they wheeled him out to the ambulance our son arrived on the scene.

I’m journaling here to remember all the things to be thankful for…

Our children rallied and made phone calls, sending texts, driving to Spokane and back, arranging hotel rooms, airport runs, food deliveries. Our oldest Josh and Laura had just landed in Cancun when they got a text from their siblings about their dad having a stroke.

The afternoon of Greg’s stroke our son Dan arrived at our door before the ambulance left and drove me to the hospital. When Greg was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane by ambulance we each went to our homes to gather what we needed for an undetermined stay in a hotel by the hospital. Dan drove me to Spokane shortly after the ambulance left for the journey.

We arrived to the ICU and were able to see the beginning of care Greg would receive. Jamie had packed a cooler for our journey with tortilla wraps and chicken wings and lots of bottles of water and other snacks. The hotel we stayed in was across the street from the hospital which meant we could walk back and forth without having to navigate the parking garages at the huge complex. Only two visitors at a time are allowed into the hospital and into the rooms with very strict 9am until 6pm visiting hours for ICU extended to 6:45 for regular rooms.

This was very encouraging to read about Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Every stroke is a medical emergency, even if symptoms go away quickly. If you know the warning signs and call 911 right away, you can help save lives and prevent or limit brain damage.

The nationally-recognized stroke team at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center provides rapid, high-level diagnosis and care at any hour. As a Primary Stroke Center, we’re certified by national leaders for meeting advanced standards of stroke care. The center is part of the Providence Neuroscience Center, a comprehensive, integrated neuroscience program that treats conditions of the brain and spine.

Our neurosurgeons and other specialists apply the latest expertise, technology and teamwork. Stroke can cause troubling symptoms, but with brain-savvy specialists on your side, you’re in good and capable hands.

We were definitely at the right place for Greg’s care. Thank you, Lord!

On Sunday morning Dan drove to Spokane International airport to pick up his sister Katie and Andrew who had taken an early morning flight from Everett, Washington to Spokane. Both mountain passes were closed the day before so they couldn’t drive over.

Sunday Jamie and our grands drove to Spokane to see us all and so that Dan would have a way to get home since he had driven my car with me to Spokane. Dan also needed to be home so he could change out their regular tires for snow tires since a good dump of snow was predicted in the early hours of Monday.

Late on Sunday, Greg was finally transferred out of ICU to the Vascular floor of the hospital to await his scheduled Tuesday afternoon surgery. Katie and I saw his new room and said our goodnights and were happy at the prospect of being able to visit on Monday with more creature comforts in the room…like chairs to sit in.

Andrew picked up Katie and me from the hospital and drove us right to Park Inn, a casual eatery behind the hotel, for a more relaxing bite to eat. That was nice.

Andrew needed to get back home for work responsibilities so Monday morning he tried to schedule an UBER to take him to the airport. He was able to get a flight which would be delayed because of the snow that fell overnight and the need to de-ice the planes. Spokane had about 3 inches of snow on the ground on Monday morning. The Uber driver cancelled so me and Katie got our big girl pants on and drove Andrew to the airport. Everyone was driving slow and easy so getting to the airport and back to the hotel was just fine. We parked the car at the hotel and walked like penguins to the hospital in time for visiting hours to begin.

Monday was one very long day in the hospital with very little happening in Greg’s room. He was able to take a shower which was very nice for him. He had less wires hooked up to him and that made moving easier and made him more comfortable. Katie and I had lunch in the hospital cafeteria. We advised Dan not to try to make the drive back to Spokane from Colville because the roads would not be in the best shape with the snow and ice. Besides, it was not a day that anything significant was going on. When visiting hours were over we had dinner of leftovers in our hotel room.

On Tuesday, the day of Greg’s surgery Dan wanted to see his dad before the surgery began so he and Jamie left Colville for the 90 minute + drive with their newly installed snow tires. They were detoured off of the main highway because of a fatal accident requiring two helicopter transports. Those helicopters would land on the highway. The detour delayed them and they were hoping to make it in time. They did with time to spare. Katie traded out her visiting privilege to her brother. We had many hurry up and wait moments during Greg’s stay in the hospital. Later than we thought his chariot for surgery arrived and Dan and I were able to follow him to the pre-op room outside of the surgery. Katie and Jamie would join us in the surgery waiting area as we were given permission for all 4 of us to wait there instead of just two of us. It was good to meet the surgeon, who explained what he would be doing and the risks etc., etc. The anesthesiologist also gave us a good rundown. The pre-op nurse was full of praise for the team that would be working on Greg.  They wheeled him out and Dan and I were shown to the right waiting room only to see that Katie and Jamie were not there. So the gal helping us took Dan to the other waiting room to escort Katie and Jamie to the correct one. We had snacks that Jamie had prepared for us while we waited.

I received phone calls from the nurses attending the surgery to let me know when Greg fell asleep with the help of anesthesia and another call when the surgery was over and he was being stitched up. There was still recovery time that would happen before he would be transferred to ICU for the night. The surgeon came to the waiting room with a vile to show us what he had scraped out of Greg’s carotid artery. Yuck! Our kids knew their dad would want to see that so they took a photo. The surgeon was gracious and shared that everything went well and he didn’t expect any complications. At this point it was getting close to the 6pm cut off for visitors in ICU so Dan and Jamie left to drive home. As Katie and I left the waiting room I got a call from the recovery nurse saying she was going to wheel Greg to the ICU and she would wait in the hall outside of ICU so we could see him before we left the hospital. That was very kind and we were happy to see him and give the nurse his glasses for when he woke up. He was loopy when I gave him a kiss goodnight.

Katie and I walked back to the hotel in freezing temps (we had freezing temps the whole time Greg was there) got into my car and headed back to Park Inn for a more relaxing meal before we tucked in for the night.

On Wednesday morning Dan, Jamie and the kids made the trip early to Spokane. We walked to the hospital together. Wednesday was a long and tense day as Greg expected to be released from the hospital and with good reason as the vascular surgeon gave the okay bright and early on Wednesday morning for him to be released. Come to find out the hospital wanted other boxes to be ticked for his release. We finally made it clear that we would not be fine with them keeping him for another night for all the hurry up and wait frustrations. The final doctor who came in and who mentioned a Thursday release was met with very firm stonewall on our part and she decided to make the release happen and it happened immediately. We scrambled. The nurse disconnected his leads. Katie called her brother. I helped Greg get dressed. Gathered up all the belongings and Katie stayed with Greg waiting for the wheel chair to wheel him out. I walked to the hotel and retrieved the car and headed back to the front doors of the hospital where they were just wheeling him out. Sheesh…perfect timing. We got him in the back seat on the driver’s side so the seat belt would not cut into his incision and went back to the hotel parking lot to gather up all our belongings, check out and hit the road home. We followed Dan and Jamie and the kids to the pharmacy where we would pick up Greg’s meds and continued on the road home.

When we arrived home our neighbor had cleared a path to our front door so Greg would not have to slip and slide through the snow.

We got Greg settled and he was so happy to be in his own space. Dan and Jamie and the kids headed home. Greg, Katie and I put our comfy clothes on and wondered how all this was going to play out. I know we had something to eat but I can’t remember what. When it was time to crawl into bed we slept some but both were up at 2am. Now what y’all need to know about Greg is that his normal wake up time is anywhere between 2am and 4am. This first night at home he woke up at 2am and because I was still on call in my head I was up at 2am, too. Oye! Thursday would be a very long day. Food, hydration, meds and rest were the goals for the day.

We needed to get our vehicle in for an oil change since we missed that appointment while we were in Spokane. The dealer was understanding and said to drop the vehicle off any time and they would work it into their schedule. A friend texted on Thursday and I asked if they could pick me up at the dealer and bring me home. When I got to the dealer and signed the car in I realized I had left my phone at home. (A little discombobulated I am). How was I going to text my friend to tell her I was at the dealer? Katie to the rescue. She realized soon after I left that my phone was still at home. She texted my friend to let her know I did not have my phone and also told her to pick me up at Safeway instead of the dealer so I could pick up a few items that would be easy for Greg to eat. They arrived just as I was done with my shopping and taxied me home. Thank you, Lord, for friends who are willing to go out of their way to help. Home again after a few crying breakdowns on the road.

Jamie to the rescue again arrived at 12:30 with a Instant Pot full of delicious hamburger soup and freshly baked cornbread. Addy and JJ got to see their Gramps at home all dressed and looking well. We all ate together and then Jamie and the grands headed home for naps but not before dropping me back to the dealers with my car ready to go.

Our grands have co-op homeschool on Fridays so Jamie stopped by after dropping them off to spend a few minutes with us. She took Greg’s eyeglasses with her when she left.

While in the hospital Greg’s wonky left hand knocked his eye glasses off, damaging them. We had to tape them so he could still see without being poked in the eye. At home we found an older pair for him to wear. Our DIL took the broken pair to a local optometrist who repaired them lickity split and would not charge her. Our DIL also came up with a phone sleeve that slips onto Greg’s hand so he can comfortably use his phone to talk and take messages without dropping the phone. She is such a sweet blessing to our family.

On Friday, too, since our daughter was still here I felt comfortable leaving the house to catch up on a few responsibilities I have. I needed to drop off some items at church and do a little organizing. When I headed to my car to leave the church building, Jamie had arrived there with the repaired glasses. So many pieces that work together. I am very thankful for these moments. On the way home I stopped at Walmart to get Greg some new slippers (that won’t slip) and another pair of flannel bottoms.

Saturday Jamie brought the grands over to say their goodbyes to Katie who would be flying home on Sunday. She also brought ingredients for a hot chocolate bar for us all to enjoy. Our temperatures here are still below freezing for much of the day. Jamie’s mom who is our grands’ granny sent along a floor puzzle to keep those little hands busy.

We had an easier and uneventful rest of the day on Saturday with a goal to stay awake past 5pm to see if we could sleep longer into the following morning.

On Sunday morning Katie got packed up and ready for Jamie to take her to the airport to fly home where she would get a warm welcome from her hubby Andrew and Willow their cat. We are so grateful for the days she could spend with us and for Jamie driving her to the airport. Dan took Sunday off to stay with our grands so Jamie could drive Katie.

Today Sunday after Katie and Jamie left we decided to have a little ride in the car to diminish some of the cabin fever Greg was experiencing. We drove to Chewelah to enjoy lunch at El Ranchito and on the way home we stopped at Wal-Mart to make a few purchases. It was good for both of us to test the waters in this way.

And just like that it has been a full week plus a day since Greg’s stroke. Whew!

We believe in the Providence of God. We know that Greg’s stroke will result in our growth in grace and trust in Him. From the Westminster Confession of Faith:

God the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible, fore-knowledge, and the free immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, and mercy.

Hope you all have a good week.

Home

We had a busy hectic day on Wednesday getting Dear home from the hospital. He is very happy to be home. We have lots of new things to learn and it is tiring for him and for me. If my blog is quiet you will know why.

We are so very grateful and thankful for all the concern, prayers and encouragement we have received. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We came home to snow on the ground at our Country Bungalow and to a freshly plowed path to our front door. Our neighbor did that for us. So thoughtful and sweet!

Thank you to our family Veteran, Andrew. We love you and are grateful for your service to our country. We especially thank you for loving our daughter.

Until my next post take care of each other, love one another.

Praizing the Lord…

…as our dear Pop would say. That’s not a typo. Dear had a successful surgery.

It was a very long day. We have to wait until 9am to be able to visit in the hospital…not a minute earlier. Katie and I got to Dear’s room at a little after 9am. He didn’t have any food or drink from midnight on so he was getting a bit dry in the mouth. We were expecting the surgical bed for his transfer to surgery at noon but it didn’t arrive until 1:15. So much in this setting is hurry up and wait. This timing worked out well because although Dan and Jamie left their home in Colville with plenty of time to make it to the hospital to see Dear before he was carted away to surgery there was a fatal crash on Hiway 395 with two Life Flight Helicopters landing on the highway to transport critical patients to the hospital we were at. Dan and Jamie had to detour off the highway which added several minutes to their journey. They made it before the transfer and we were all relieved.

In the Pre-Op room with all the preliminary things to do and a time where we got to meet the surgeon, the Anesthesiologist and the whole surgical team. The Surgeon and Anesthesiologist both took time to explain everything that would go on in surgery and we were confident with the care Dear would receive.

All set and ready to go. We prayed together before we headed to the surgical ward. Dear let the surgeon know that we and many others had prayed for him, too. He gave us a big smile.

Here’s my waiting room team. Jamie is such a gem who thinks of everything and brought some great snacks for us all. While waiting I was called 3 separate times. Once to tell me that Dear was asleep and they were ready to go with the surgery. Then they called to let us know that the surgery was successful and the surgeon was finishing with the final stitching. This was at 5:15 and it would be at least a half hour in recovery. The Surgeon then came to the Waiting Room and let us know in person that the surgery went well and showed us what he had removed from the Carotid Artery. At this point Dear would be transferred from Recovery to ICU and the visiting window was closing fast at 6pm. The recovery nurse gave us a call and asked us where we were and that we could meet her in the hall on her way to ICU so we could get a glimpse of Dear and give him his eye glasses. It was good to see him Post op before we had to leave the hospital. We will be back in the hospital on Wednesday at 9am sharp to see him in a non-loopy state.

We are so very grateful to all of you who have prayed and encouraged us during this first phase of Dear’s treatment and recovery. Prayer has been powerful. Your encouraging words are like balm to our hearts and minds. Thank you so much!

Time will tell if he gets to be released on Wednesday.

Not too Scary Hodgpodge

Time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Where Joyce asks the questions for us to answer. Join in the fun HERE.

1. In two or three sentences describe yourself to someone who has never met you. 

I’m the daughter of Russian Immigrants and was raised in the Los Angeles area with my seven siblings. God chose to save me from my sins through Jesus Christ, His Son, who is my Lord and Savior when I repented in 1963. Happily married to Dear for 48 years where in the course of those years we have enjoyed our three children, their spouses and our two grandchildren, the cherries on the top.

2. Will you celebrate Halloween this year, and if so tell us how?

We will actually be going to a Reformation Conference Halloween weekend in Sandpoint, Idaho. On Halloween Monday also known as Reformation Day we will enjoy our grandchildren coming over and trick or treating at our door. They will be the only trick or treaters since living in the country on dark country roads we don’t have the usual city trick or treaters.

Let’s play this or that-chocolate candy or fruity candy?

Chocolate

Pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Halloween party or scary movie?

Neither 🙂

Hay ride or corn maze?

We have a great corn maze here in Colville and the majority of our family enjoyed it together this past Saturday.

Carve a pumpkin or paint a pumpkin?

Carve a pumpkin.

3. What’s something that scared you when you were young? Are you still afraid? 

The movie King Kong. If I watched it today I’d probably laugh at the animation.

4. Your favorite soothing drink? 

Hendrick’s with cucumber and Fever tree elderflower tonic.

5. Are you thinking about Christmas yet?

Yes because we are planning a family trip in January which caused discussion about Christmas and reminding ourselves that we would not do ‘present overload’ and save our money for the trip.

Does this make you feel happy or stressed? 

Happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Not only is Ember the new puppy growing fast but our dear Grands are, too!

Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue!

It’s the last Wednesday in May and time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for the questions and being the hostess with the mostess.

1. It’s National Wine Day (May 25)…do you like wine? Red or white? Dry or sweet? Do you have a favorite?

Yes, mostly red and mostly dry. We aren’t regular drinkers of wine but when we had it more often we enjoyed merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle Winery in Washington State. We moved to red blends more recently.

Have you ever been to California wine country? Or any other wine region?

We’ve been to California wine country North of Napa/Sonoma, Central Coast California and in the Santa Ynez area northwest of Santa Barbara. We also used to live close to Woodinville where Ste Michelle and other wineries are located. Chateau Ste Michelle was one of the favorite places to take our out of town visitors. The grounds are gorgeous and the free tours are fun.

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Our niece and her hubby in 2016 at Chateau Ste Michelle.

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What’s a dish you make that calls for wine? 

Sangria. LOL Seriously though a yummy mushroom sauce that calls for white wine and cream. Oh and this memory popped up when I searched sauces on my blog.

Sat. July 5-Chipping Campden 016This was my proper pie with all the trimmings.  The description from the menu: Chicken, Ham and asparagus short-crust pastry pie (with top and bottom), white wine sauce, new potatoes and peas. It was delicious. We had a fun conversation with our waitress on “proper pie”. She was appalled when she ordered pie at another establishment and it came to her with no upper or lower crust but just a round piece of pastry propped up along one side of the filling. It was cute when she exclaimed “how can they call that pie?!”

This was in Chipping Campden (Cotswolds, England) at the Eight Bells.

2. What’s something you’ve whined about lately? 

Oh boy. I’m trying to eliminate whining in my life. I’ll go with our internet connection and connectivity. It’s a Country hazard!

3. Last time you were ‘wined and dined’? Tell us about it. 

I’ll go with Mother’s day when we were visiting our kids on the West side of the mountains.

4. Three cheers for_____________________.

…the Red, White and Blue!

5. This will be the last Hodgepodge in the month of May. Somehow next Wednesday the calendar rolls into June. Before we go though, sum up your May in twelve words or less. 

A little bit of travel, sunshine, good eats, rain, and loved ones.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hope you all have a good Memorial Day Weekend and that you can pause and remember those who died for our freedom and protection.

The Decades of My Life

The first decade of my life was from 1951 until 1961. Born in East Los Angeles, moved to Montebello Gardens and then at the end of this first decade we moved up to Montebello. Warning up front that these decade posts will be a photo and information overload for many of you.

Somewhere in East Los Angeles possibly on Humphreys if my memory serves me right about the street name from our Pop. My sister Vera is telling me to shush. My brother Fred is not happy about me crying.

Yikes, I’m crying again. My little babushka is standing behind my mom. My parents good friend Zena Katkov next to her and my Uncle Paul holding my cousin Valia and then my Aunt Nina with my cousin Walter beside her. The lady sitting next to mom is a friend from San Francisco (Mrs. Hamzieff) with her son. Not sure who the lady is between her and my Aunt Nina.

These next photos are from our home in Montebello Gardens/Pico Rivera, California.

My sister Vera’s birthday party with many of our cousins on our Father’s side.

Camping in Big Bear, California with our maternal cousins.

The paternal side of our family.

Our cousin Johnny’s birthday on our Pop’s side of the family.

Maternal side of the family on Easter. Our Babushka with her grandchildren.

That’s a pigeon on my head.

Paternal cousins on another Easter.

Berry picking somewhere in southern California.

Paternal grandparents.

Our brother Tim was born and he usurped me of my title of being the youngest in our family.

My seventh birthday.

Cracking up at the way I lay my hands for photos.

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I’m on the rug in front of my sister Vera, sister Kathy holding our new baby brother Tim and our brother Fred with the accordion. Love my goofy expression!

Easter 1958. We always got new clothes and shoes for Easter and Christmas.

Christmas 1958

Another photo from Christmas,1958. I’m on the left at seven years old. Our little brother Tim was 11 months old. There’s a reason I’m the only one who isn’t dressed in their Christmas clothes in this photo. I had some medical problems that I can only remember as some kind of kidney infection that I was hospitalized for. I ended up having to have a teacher come to our home for a couple months in the new year, (1959). By Valentine’s Day I still wasn’t back to school because I remember that my home school teacher brought me Valentine’s Day cards from my classmates.

Easter 1959

My birthday in 1961 and our last year in Montebello Gardens. Our next little brother, Steve is on the left barely in the photo. Cousin Vera and Johnnie on my Pop’s side of the family. Our cousin Valia, Tania and Walter on our Mom’s side of the family and my two little brothers, Tim and Steve and older brother Fred who is not quite visible.

My 5th grade photo. I sent this photo to Paul Kushnerov when he was in the service. His girlfriend at the time asked me to write him while he was serving our country in the 50’s. This little act inspired me to be more of an encourager with letters and cards. It was always a joy to receive something in the mail. Paul and Vera were married and would be our youth leaders for a time at Bethany Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Paul’s son shared this photo he found in amongst his parents keepsakes after Paul passed away a few years ago.

At the end of my first decade I was still in elementary school. We were living in Montebello and we walked to school crossing busy Whittier Blvd. There were six siblings and our parents living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. In my next decade our family increased.

Because I skipped a grade (2nd or 3rd). I’ve always thought it was 2nd grade that I skipped but now with a little detective work I think it was third grade since I do not have a school photo for the third grade nor do I remember a teacher from the third grade. Now I’m also wondering a lot about 3rd grade. What is 3rd grade known for? 4th grade you have multiplication. From 4th grade on I was a year younger than most of my classmates.

In this first decade of my life my parents socialized mostly with our relatives or Russians who we went to church with. Both of the churches we were a part of had services in the Russian language. Our pop made friends that were non-Russian at work but not lifetime friends. Work is where he picked up most of his English. My mom became friends with an Italian lady who lived across the street named Lucille. Lucille gave me simple jobs around her home and paid me. She made the best Italian cookies. She would let me have some out of the oven, delicious! She baked them for weddings and I remember them iced green and pink and stacked on every surface of the house! When I cleaned the detached room that 2 of her sons lived in she said if I found any money under their beds I could keep it. I did find some! Maybe that was a way of getting me to clean thoroughly. My mom learned a lot of her English from Soap Operas. As the World Turns. Lucille helped her, too.

There was another friend across the street who had an Avocado tree in her backyard. We learned to really enjoy Avocado on toast in the 50’s long before the current trend.

We had a lot of Hispanic neighbors. Rosie was my next door neighbor who’s dog bit me on the mouth. Not a fan of Boxers to this day! Her mom seemed to have a pot of beans simmering on the stove most days I visited inside the home. It was an aroma I had never experienced. Rosie and her cousin betrayed our friendship one day by jumping me and beating me up and ripping my favorite blouse when we were walking to the store. Our friendship ended. Needless to say I didn’t smell beans simmering after that day until high school days with my very good and faithful Hispanic friends!

Speaking of being beat up there was a day that I angered someone at school who let everyone know they were going to beat me up when we got off the bus after school. There was more than one school bus stop in our neighborhood of ‘The Jardines’ and at the last minute I jumped off the bus at the stop before our stop and ran home avoiding the fight.

We would watch TV as a family. Shows like Art Linkletter, Micky Mouse Club, I remember Chucko the Birthday Clown (popular in L.A.) because I went on the show for Victor Katkov’s birthday party. I would like to have footage from that show. I ended up winning a prize on the show, too. Can’t remember what it was. Other L.A. based shows like Engineer Bill were popular, too. “On the green light you go, on the red light you stop because no engineer would ever run a red light” They used that to get kids to drink a glass of milk. Sheriff John was another popular show and here’s his birthday song!

We were able to go to Disneyland shortly after it opened. We also would get in our jammies and load up in the car to go to the Drive-in to see all the latest Disney releases. Bambie was sooo sad. I couldn’t keep my eyes open for the sad parts.  Falling asleep in the car on the way home was a regular occurrence. Knott’s Berry Farm was another experience we enjoyed. If my memory serves me right the first time I ever ate in a restaurant was at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Chicken Dinner restaurant.

Many families that we knew had a story about one of their kids falling out of a car from leaning on the door or from the door opening going round a corner. No seat belts and no car seats in those days.

This post is an ‘all about me’ historical post and if you made it all the way to the end congratulations. Maybe my grandkids will enjoy reading about their Baba in the future when I’m not around to answer all the questions.

Happy Birthday to me and I thank the God who loves me and called me, Jesus who saved me from my sins and the Holy Spirit who indwells me, Three in One, that I have made it to my 7th decade 8th decade and to my 71st year. Thank you to Anneliese for noticing I’ve entered my 8th decade!!

Speaking of Yellow Hodgepodge

Sisters wknd 076

My sisters in a field of daffodils in Mount Vernon, Washington State. We enjoyed a sister weekend back in March of 2016. I think it’s high time we had another sister weekend!!

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you Jo for the questions and the link-up!

1. It’s National Popcorn Day-my favorite! Are you a fan?

Yes

Sweet or salty?

Both. Give me some good Garrett Chicago Blend, cheddar and caramel!

A good or great movie you’ve seen recently (at home or in a theater, either one)? 

We haven’t watched many movies recently. I can’t remember the last time I was in a theater. We did watch ‘The Blind Side’ recently and it was good.

Some ‘great’ movies we’ve watched in the past: Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Lord of the Rings.

2. What’s something you didn’t realize was going to take so much of your time as an adult? 

Preparing all the things for the Tax man! We are now at a stage of life that this is not daunting anymore.

3. Your favorite yellow something? 

Daffodils, the flower that makes me smile because it heralds Spring!

4. Why do you write? 

I write to bring clarity to my jumbled thoughts. Things become clearer to me as I write. My thoughts can be so unorganized but when I write them out they make better sense. Writing out prayers is a good exercise for me.

5. Share a favorite memory associated with snow.

Christmas 2020 we had snow that was just right for building a snowman. Our whole family enjoyed creating Ami the Amish Snowman!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy Birthday to our firstborn son! He is God’s unique creation. He’s a great son, husband, brother, uncle, friend and boss. A great encourager who is giving, kind, dependable and hardworking.  We are so thankful to God that He gave you to us and that He saved you and continues to lead and guide you. We love you Joshie!

Weekend Wrap-up

The little ones are camouflaged and so cute!

They keep coming back for visits and we can see that they have grown.

Not the clearest photos of the little ones. I have to take the photos from the inside through glass without moving much or they all fly away.

On Saturday we mowed and weed wacked. We were in the 80’s over the weekend and this coming week we have a mix of 80’s and 70’s. On Sunday we drove to Spokane to pick up my glasses. No prescription except for a bifocal section for reading. I am a happy camper. No shifting back and forth to readers and that is my preference.

We are still in prayer about the disaster in Afghanistan, aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, and for those in the path of Ida.

We are studying 2 Timothy and listening to expository preaching (John MacArthur) while mowing and driving back and forth to Spokane. This last letter by the Apostle Paul to his beloved Timothy is so rich. This resource, Grace to You, is one where you can access expository preaching on every book of the Bible. Dear and I highly recommend it.

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Hoping for a week with some good news for all of us.