Memorial Day Weekend

Marilyn came to Lewiston with the intention of helping to decorate the family graves at the Cottonwood Cemetery.  It became a family reunion weekend of sorts.  But not before we spent three hours at St. Vincent dePaul sorting through hundred of VHS tapes.  Boxes and boxes of tapes!  An employee told us, "they just fly out of the store."  So we found a dozen Titanic and half a dozen Forest Gump.  I doubt they just fly out of there - who has VHS tape players anymore?  I think the people that pay a quarter for the VHS tapes at St. Vincent bring them back to us when they've watched them, so there's always going to be more tapes.  IT is a Huge problem!!!There were way too many to display on the stores shelves or the backup shelves so we devised another plan.  I offered to take several boxes to the Adult Family Homes I visit because the residents need something wholesome to watch.

 Anyone need any VHS Tapes???

 Larry came after a breakfast meeting on Friday morning and brought a treasure that he'd been storing from Mom and Dad's house.  He thought it would be perfect for Marilyn's home.

 Larry believes in taking "selfies." 

 It was a beautiful morning out on the patio.  

 Thursday evening we travelled to Moscow to enjoy Moscow Charter School's "Give My Rewards to "Vaudeville" performance.  Colin delighted us with several marimba numbers.  MCS presents an original play every year and the student often write their own lines.  I loved the kindergarten class, dressed as housekeepers, who mopped and dusted the theatre.  Colin spent most of his time in the music pit, only briefly getting on stage, out of breath and late because of the marimba commitment(which got written into the script).  After the performance we drove out to see Karen and Dale and enjoy a meal with them.  Dale hauled our Lake Havasu creations back to Moscow.

I made a little tray and the lovely planter for my special geraniums.  We hope to do more mosaic work and paint rocks during our family reunion vacation in McCall in July.  

Karen gifted me with two lovely painted rock creations.  She finds great joy in painting rocks with hundreds of small circles.  She painted the rocks in the accent colors of my newly remodeled bathroom and they look so happy on my new granite counter top.   

Marilyn and I drove to Cottonwood and decorated about a dozen graves, mostly Kopczynski relatives.  I visited briefly with Mitzi Imhoff at the cemetery and she joked, "I think I know more people here than I do in town these days."  We could certainly relate to that comment during our lunch at the Country Haus, where we recognized no one except Sally Nuxoll.  Years ago we knew the owners, the waiters, and all the diners!  Gone too long I guess.  

 Visiting the cemetery is more than just putting flowers on the grave.  It's saying prayers of gratitude that I grew up in a safe, loving community.  That my ancestors had the courage to leave Kansas and come to Idaho for a better life.  I love remembering each aunt and uncle and how their lives made an impression on me.  My Dad's siblings are all gone now except Aunt Doriene and we are fast becoming the older generation.  Marilyn and I ponder whether or not our children will ever visit our graves....or if we'll even be buried in a cemetery.  We might choose cremation and columbariums instead....

  There's a whole row of Kopczynskis, including Aunt Mary Reed and Uncle John's grandson, Patrick.  Gus and Celestine, Jake and Gertie, George and Ruth.  I'm proud to be a direct descendant of the Seubert's who donated the land  over a century ago.

 Marilyn noticed the gorgeous clouds, ever changing because of the wind.  We, who live in developed cities and towns, never see the big picture of the sky like one can see on the Camas Prairie.  It was an awesome sight!

 We also drove to Greencreek to remember my in-laws 

and to Ferdinand to remember our nephews dad, Steve Johnson

I always enjoy driving the long way back to Highway 95.  We get to see all the old homesteads.  The Wessels house and barn still stands!  We found some of our classmates homes..the Arnzens, Rieners, Baerlochers, Schmidts.  How did those people provide for all those large Catholic families years ago with just 160 acres of farm ground?  Faith and hard work, no doubt.  

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This morning Connie drove to Lewiston just because "I never see you guys."  Marilyn and I were quick to point out all the joys of retirement.  She can't imagine not being on a schedule day after day, but we'll soon show her how much fun it is to be spontaneous and be available!  Next year she can go with us to Cottonwood and we'll once again drive by Mom's house and feel the loss of our parents and life in Cottonwood as we remember it!