A Semi in the House??

Earthquakes are not a common occurrence in the Pacific Northwest, but they do happen.. In nineteen-forty-eight we had a big one.

My mother was gone for the day and I was taking care of my 2-year-old brother. I was 17 at the time. We were in the kitchen having lunch when it started. Our old house began to creak and shudder, then the floor seemed to shift slightly. For a moment I was frozen to my chair, then I looked at my little brother and realized I had to get him out of the rickety building.

Grabbing the baby, highchair and all, I ran for the back door. Down the stairs I dashed, doing my best to handle the cumbersome chair. The Earth was moving like a sluggish sea. Trees were waving crazily and the telephone poles were leaning, first one way, then another. I was terrified, but managed to get the little guy out of the chair.

Flopping to the ground, I made an arch of my body over my brother in case something fell on us. There was a cacophony of sound around us; horns honking, people yelling, and finally the ground beneath us stopped that awful undulation. It was over.

During all of this commotion my brother hadn't made a sound. I carried him back into the house and sat down on the couch, rocking him back and forth. After a few minutes I stopped rocking and looked down at him, concerned because he was so quiet. His eyes were opened wide with uncertainty, as he said, rather tremulously, "Dat was a big twuck."

girls with peaches

Two little girls with peaches and a great-grandmother between them. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and there were only a few peaches left after Mama and Grandma put the rest of the bounty in glass jars. We were busy children with something usually hatching in our young minds. Some times it got us in trouble. One particular Sunday we nearly outdid ourselves. Actually, we thought we had embarked on a heroic enterprise. We were wrong. There was no indoor plumbing in our little house, or the grandparents either.

We were all forced to use the same old "two-holer" out at the end of the garden...way out at the end. Not a cool prospect day OR night. On top of that it was so old it had turned grey on the outside AND the inside...really yucky, dark and gloomy. We just thought we might be able to remedy that. Sooooo; Sunday morning Mama usually made pancakes. and sure enough , she didn't let us down...not that she had any idea what five-year-olds can cook up between themselves. When breakfast was over we snatched the bottle of syrup and ran for the outhouse.

Sure enough the supply of catalogue paper was abundant; just what we needed. We had seen our mother and father wallpaper a bedroom and the idea had given birth. Of course we didn't have any pretty paper, but the catalogue pages would do just fine. Well, we thought so anyway. Our unreasonable parents did not agree. Such a shame too, because the syrup was more than sticky enough to hold the catalogue pages onto the old grey walls.

Enough to say; the remainder of the day left two un-busy little girls waiting for Monday and a new start.

P.S. I'm the one in the dark red dress and that is my sister Elaine on the other side of Grandma, Allie Moore

Heading home

Living in a small apartment doesn't give much opportunity for viewing a lot of wild life, however, there is a couple of times a year I am always thrilled with an amazing event that takes place right over my head. My country town must be right on the migration highway of the marvelous geese.

Few sights evoke as much attention, and awe, as that of a large flock of Canadian geese winging their way in their V-formation to the north or south. They speak of the changing of seasons, and also of the value of teamwork.

What many don't know is that when a goose gets sick or, perhaps is wounded by a shot, it never falls from formation by itself. Two other geese also fall out of formation with it and follow the ailing goose down to the ground. One of them is very often the mate of the wounded bird, since geese mate for life and are extremely loyal to their mates. Once on the ground, the healthy birds help protect and care for him as much as possible, even to the point of throwing themselves between the weakened bird and possible predators. They stay with him until he is either able to fly, or until he is dead. Then, and only then, do they launch out on their own. In most cases, they wait for another group of geese to fly overhead and they join them, adding to the safety and flying efficiency of their numbers.

I probably haven't shared anything most of you didn't already know....it's just that the migration event is so indicative of our Creators majesty and unending beauty that He has placed all about us.

A Winter's Dream

Winter's comin'
Can you hear his approach?
He's drivin' a great big pumpkin
That fairy-tale coach

The geese took off
On a wing and a prayer
When they heard the old ice king
Had left his lair

The ruby-red leaves
Are waltzin' the hills
Up and down valleys
Through rooks and through rills

Turkeys are runnin'
While the runnin' is good
Mountains have put on a snow cape
And pulled up the hood

Barns are bulgin'
With hay by the load
Whoa! Here he comes now!
"Round November's road

He's pickin' up speed
A use'n that whip
And Jack Frost's ridin' shot-gun
On his favorite trip

So, run for shelter
And don't look back
Just make sure you have wood
By the ten-cord stack

Get out the quilts
Pile 'em on the bed
Find the raincoats
And why not the sled

The air is gettin' colder
He's right around the bend
May it be a lovely season
Happy Winter, Friend

Audrey Y.

Ignorance is Always Swift to Speak

One of the favorite stories of Arturo Toscanini, the great symphony conductor was this: An orchestra was playing

Beethoven's Lenore overture, which has two great musical climaxes. Each of these musical high points is followed

by a trumpet passage, which the composer intended to be played offstage. The first climax arrived, but no

sound came from a trumpet off stage. The conductor, annoyed, went on to the second musical high point. But,

again, --no trumpet could be heard. This time the conductor rushed into the wings, fuming and with every intent

of demanding a full explanation. There he found the trumpet player struggling with the house security man who

was insisting as he held for dear life onto the man's trumpet. "I tell you, you can't play that trumpet back here

You'll disturb the rehearsal!"

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Until you know WHY someone is acting the way they do, it's better not to criticize him. Until you know who has

told him to, it's better not to attempt to stop him!

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath James I:19

In the swim of things

If you tend to be a pessimist consider the benefits of choosing the optomistic route as described in this old poem

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl,

One was an optomistic soul;

But the other took the gloomy view,

"I shall drown," he cried, "and so will you."

So with a last despairing cry,

He closed his eyes and said, "Good-bye."

But, the other frog, with a merry grin said, "I can't get out, but I won't give in! I'll swim around till my

strength is spent. For having tried, I'll die content."Bravely, he swam until it would seem his struggles

began to churn the cream. On the top of the butter at last he stopped and out of the bowl he happily

hopped.

What is the moral? It's easilyfound.

If you can't get out--keep swimming around.