Monday, February 26, 2018

2018 Week 8: Significant Memories

A week of great reflection. I tried to replicate the colors, shapes, and tones from the tiny print of the original. 


And I was quite happy with the result, until now when I enlarged the artist's example and really understood these were cactus flowers.

So it is with life events when we look back and focus on them, we understand so much more. Going deeper also raises so many more ponderings.

I continue to sort through and file the many items rescued from Daddy's desk. I was intrigued by the sequence of passport photos that tell the story of different periods of Hoyt family.
December 20, 1963, we left Argentina as a family and a stamp verifies that we were admitted into New York City on DEC 21, 1963.

A stamp on page 7 clarifies why my face and Lynn's have been Xed out. Mother and Dad left us in the USA when they returned to Argentina. I was in college, Lynn in High School. 


After each homestay or year-long furlough (every five years) the family dwindled. So many stories accompany each era.

Another memory surfaced when a friend called to tell me he'd talked to our favorite teacher. February 18 she celebrated her 91st birthday, and still remembers us! 
I sent her a long letter along with a card and this photo of when Lynn was in her class.

Lynn next to Srta. Dina

Tuesday was the big deadline the robotics team has been working toward--the end of the six-week build season when they bag and tag their robot by midnight.


I wrote and submitted an article to our town paper, the SEGway News.


However, the deadlines do not end: 500 BattHawks to assemble and deliver by March 1st (battery testers marketed to other teams); a ThinSat to complete in various stages before launch date in the fall (Near Space satellite project in cooperation with Taylor University). That explains why I have so much time to work on memoirish stuff. I try very hard to use this gift of time wisely.

My neighbor-friend  invited me to share one of their Martha & Marley Spoon dinners to while away some of the lonely hours. A delightful meal and evening entertainment.


Our resident engineering student has no leisure time, only classes and homework from morning to night, usually after midnight.
I did catch her playing, however, with the robots provided by the Purdue Extension for a mentoring opportunity in the neighboring town elementary school  an hour every Thursday afternoon.


Moriah learning how to operate Dash (3-ball robot) and Dot (1-ball robot)
The biggest news of the week that triggered many other memories was the passing of Billy Graham, exactly five years after my father's death.
Among old correspondence, I came across a humorous birthday greeting my father received from his closest sibling, his brother Lowell two years his senior.
I must congratulate you on attaining to the grand old age of 30! It's quite a change from 29 to 30, isn't it? I felt that way. It's like gaining ten years all in one. By now, if you are ever going to be a world figure at all, you should be speaking to crowds as large as Billy Graham's. I guess you must know that he is getting crowds in evangelistic meetings that are the largest ever assembled in religious meetings in the U.S. But that is going at the hard way, I mean to attain world prominence. You might swipe the crown jewels of England, or do away with the president of the U.S. And the latter might not even bring a great deal of criticism! But even if you did get as important as Billy Graham seems to be, I am sure you could not mean any more to us. The years we spent together were sweet indeed. So, a happy birthday is my wish for you. . .
I was curious to learn more, so I researched. Where was Billy Graham at that time, 1951?
I am very moved by each memorial I read or watch. The global impact of this man totally dedicated to God's purpose for his life is incalculable. Yet I realize our grandchildren don't even know who he was.

Other historic heroes not to be forgotten are the White Rose martyrs. Michael made time Friday evening to go with me to the Taylor University Theater premier performance of "Why We Must Die So Young."

Family celebrations help us reminisce and value one another. Yesterday we celebrated Leah's 45th birthday, belatedly, 21 days late. Each ordered their favorite dessert from Ivanhoe's, hence the birthday candle in Leah's treat. Can you tell we're singing the Krazy Koch BD song?


A couple questions for you my readers:

--What makes a teacher memorable?
--What do you know or remember about Billy Graham?

I'd love to hear from you.

2 comments:

  1. Your little painting is lovely! I love cactus flowers - we have some in our neighborhood that I think will bloom around May.

    My most memorable teachers are the ones who made learning fun - and after reading Karen's blog today I'd say she was one of those teachers!

    Here in western NC, we lay claim to Billy Graham. He was undoubtedly a great man and a FABULOUS orator. However, some of the things that he did (and that his son is doing) seem very hurtful to our nation. But as you know I'm a bleeding heart liberal Episcopalian, so take me with a grain of salt! :)

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