Hertzler Doings-June 28-July 4, 2010

Mon.-Gathered a few green beans, cucs, and squash from garden. In dire need of rain. Phil and Freeman picked 60 dozen ears of corn and put it in the Abbey fridge. Did odd jobs in morning and went to river with Susan in the afternoon. Mike was hired by Cutco knives today. They were impressed that he had questions for them and hired him at the end of his second interview. Gilliam job started today for Phil, Philip, and Freeman. It began to rain this eve. and we ran in it and screamed and I am still wet several hours later. We got 2 tenths of an inch. Margaret and Clarissa came to pick up corn and we had a nice visit with them. Phil, Susan, and I watched a grizzly bear movie in the eve. Mike ran over Sampson today with his car and he got several cuts. Susan, our resident veterinarian took care of him. He's a tough old coot and is eating up the extra attention. *Thankful that Sampson is still around to love and be loved. Thankful for the Hublers friendship. Thankful for the RAIN!!!

Tues.-Car didn't start this morning. Took Mike's car to Farmville to go to a meeting and run errands. Came home and we all worked on freezing corn. John and Jeanne came over for corn and a visit in the eve. and we enjoyed their company. Susan and Michael went to Amber's birthday party at Billy's and learned some new dances. *Thankful for the fun they both had. Thankful for the Grunerts friendship. Thankful for my temperapedic bed. Thankful for Michael's generous offer to use his car. (Gilliam job on hold because trusses are not ready.)

Wed.-Freezing corn. Made sloppy joe mix and tortilla meat and beans in the morning and then worked on corn most of the rest of the day. Went out to Farmville in eve. and picked up my car, got pulled over and received a warning for going 50 in a 40 mph and ran some errands while Mike and Susan were at church. *Thankful for the conversation of the three youngest regarding homeschooling. They want me to home school their kids. :) Thankful that every time I second guess something I did recently that called for some bravery and honesty on my part, that God sends someone to tell me something good about it, or I read something that affirms what I did. Thankful for Hugh's huge tomatoes growing in my garden. I am thankful for Psalms 84, Johnny's favorite psalm, and the way it makes me homesick for God.

Thurs.-Michael at Cutco training. Guys working at Abbey. Said that they felt like Joseph of Arimathea. They had to take down and put up a 400 pound statue of Jesus on the cross, They had to nail Him up and everything! It was hard on them. Phil kept telling Jesus that he was sorry. sob. Susan and I started getting things ready to go to Pa and got a call from our neighbor, Bob Mck~~~~. So, Susan and I went over to pick a bushel or more of green beans and we spent the greater part of the day processing them. I made Freeman a Chocolate Marvel birthday cake for tomorrow and I also made a banana nut cake that had dark choc. chips in it. It's almost gone. Packed in the eve. Mickey brought Orin down after supper. He is such a nice 5 year old little boy. Susan showed him her rabbits and calves and he asked me for a gator ride. I took him back up to his grandma's after she left. He gave me a long hug and I told him that he is going to be a great man because he is a great little boy and that he had the most wonderful grandmother in the world. He just hugged and hugged me. He comes and sees us each time he visits her and he loves our family. *I am thankful for good neighbors. I am thankful for Phil's good friend who has a good heart and is married to one of my favorite people. I am thankful for Michael's hug this morning and the way he understood that sometimes I have to cry because he is growing up so fast.

Friday-Happy 26th Birthday Freeman! Left around 7:30 for Pa and arrived around 4:30, stopping and shopping and stretching. Listened to mystery stories on tape. Hertzler gathering in eve. with Janelle's parents there as well. Enjoyed Karalee's pics of Spain, Logan's pigs, the new tree house, Brandon's new hair, Katie's injured knee recovering, gifts of Arbonne from Anne, and Joe and Karen's wonderful news! * Grateful for wonderful supper of sloppy joes, chicken salad sandwiches, chili, pot. salad, fruit salad, Klondike bars, homemade sour cherry ice cream. Grateful for Anne's gift of Arbonne, and grateful that Annie and Karen's blessed blessings will make me an aunt again soon after Christmas. Grateful for safe travels and my wonderful daughter. Susan stayed with Brads and I stayed at Joe's. Tom's stayed at Mom and Dad's.

Sat.-Up to Mother's with Susan. Nice visit with Rosalee and lunch as well. Stopped at thrift store and BB's on way back. Up to Boyer's in eve. for their annual fourth of July picnic. Had a painfully hysterical time with Brandon, Janelle, and Katie. We got the uncontrollable giggles just during the reverent time when Uncle Bubba was reciting 'Paul Revere's Ride'. It was my fault. We were squirming in our seats, hiding our faces under our shirts, breathless from laughing too hard, shaking quietly with little high noises, snorting, - well, it was all just so wonderful and terrible at the same time and as soon as the end came and everyone clapped, we burst out with relieved laughter. Janelle said, "That was right up there with Hong Kong." The kids asked, 'What happened in Hong Kong?' and I said, "We can't tell you but my shoes got wet." "Oh," they said. I won't say what happened here either but it rates as one of my top ten serotonin infusion experiences.
Don had patriotic music playing on the record player while the deep south illegal fire works were going off. Joey slept through some of them. Debra and I jumped when the last one started and grabbed each others hands and didn't let go until it was over. Micah said, "Boy, that scared me a little bit." I said, "Me too. Aunt Deb and I had to hold hands because we were so scared."

*I am thankful for love and acceptance and trust and the joy of being with people who believe the best about me. I am thankful for freedom in our country and the freedom to pray that our freedoms will not be taken from us. I am thankful for the wisdom of man that figured out how to make such amazing fireworks.

Sunday-Karen played hymns on the piano. The blessed life within her will love those hymns. Most of the family went to the Geigertown pancake breakfast. Jim payed Susan's way and she thought that was nice. I went up to Mother's and had church with her in her home. I liked that. I drank a cup of hot tea during our sofa service. Susan stayed with Jim and Deb, swimming and playing all day. I went with Mother and Rosalee to Marie and Galen's home to enjoy the Landis Reunion. I saw cousins I hadn't seen for 28 years. It was a wonderful time. My grandparents, Miles and Anna, would have felt gratified to look over this group of people. Among their posterity and their posterity's spouses were represented teachers, artists, musicians, composers, videogaphers, nurses, lawyers, a financial counsellor/stock broker, auctioneers, good mothers, good fathers, an engineer, pastors, global missions traveler, photographers, writers, public speakers and a published author or two. There was not one person that they couldn't be proud of. I couldn't sleep that night. I was overwhelmed with the joy of seeing my closest friends in childhood. I held my cousin's baby, Beulah. She was named after my mother. There was another Miles and an Anna represented as well. It's always a good thing when people want to name their offspring after their relatives.

Mother and I went back to Rosalee's and had a high time with Annika and Katrina and two of their friends, Natalie and Christi. I played the piano and we sang hymns. We got into hysterical laughing over teasing Annika. It's been so good to laugh so much.

*I am thankful for my rich heritage. I am thankful for all my nieces and nephews and for the blessing of aunt-hood and for the opportunity to be one again. And again. I am thankful for the gift of teaching that is prevalent in the Landis family. I am thankful for the signed copy of Dwight's book about fly fishing and fishing streams in Pa.