Our Four Children

We will be taking Verlon to the Lincoln airport tomorrow morning to catch a flight back to Richmond, VA. Jon will be working in Lincoln and staying with us until he goes back to D.C. on Friday afternoon.  We have really enjoyed having both of them here to spend time with us. Of course we always appreciate Carolyn being here in town. Tim called last night so that is as close as we could come to having the four of them together. This picture was taken two years ago back in Virginia where we had most of our family  join us to help celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. Here is what they looked like some years earlier.

Family Group

We were fortunate in having this many of our family with us this evening. Verlon has been with us for the past few days and will be flying back to Richmond, VA on Thursday. Jon is working in the Federal Building in Lincoln this week with representatives from several Midwestern states. He flew in yesterday and will be going back to Washington, D.C.on Friday. Julie and John just got back to Seward this afternoon after visiting in Seattle, WA. It was a coincidence that Verlon and Jon could be here at the same time. We have really appreciated all of the home maintenance projects that Verlon has been able to do during the couple weeks he has been here. Jon was able to help me with a computer problem last night. This picture wouldn't have been possible without Ben setting my camera for a "time delayed" shot.  Tim called this evening so we got to visit with him as well. They are planning to get moved back in their house over this weekend after living in an apartment all summer following their house fire last spring. It's good to be able to have family together when it's not a major event but can just happen.

Bagworms on a Special Tree

Elaine, Verlon and I picked Bag Worms off  a Blue Spruce tree at the Seward Country Club this morning. This is one of the most attractive trees on the Golf Course and one we grew in our garden from a seedling. We moved it to its present site 11 years ago when it was 2 feet high as a memorial to a dear  friend. Bagworms survive winter as eggs inside a tear-drop shaped bag that can contain over 800 eggs. We picked nearly 2-gallons of bags this morning which we estimated to number in the 1,100-1,300 range. The eggs emerge as larvae in May and at this stage, feed on the plant's foliage and can kill it. The larvae use a combination of silken secretion and parts of the plant to create a bag around themselves. In late summer, the larvae suspend the bags during which time they transform into the pupae stage before becoming adults. The male adult emerges in early fall as a moth and fertilizes the female that is still in the bag. The male dies after the process and the female lays eggs in the bag and drops from it to her death. The eggs remain in the bag until May when they emerge as larvae and the cycle is completed. 

9/11/2001

We are watching the moving ceremony at Citi Field in New York City in recognition  of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 prior to the Mets-Cubs game. It is very impressive. In light of all the great tributes, our personal memories of that day seem rather trite but will never be forgotten. I went back to my 2001 Journal to see how I recorded our activities. 

"Elaine and I were having a usual leisure breakfast this morning when Joyce called about 8:15 to tell us to turn on our TV. Two planes from Boston had been hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center in N.Y. City. Both of the 110 storied Twin Towers collapsed soon after. Some 45 minutes after the N.Y. incident, a plane was hijacked from Dulles Airport and crashed into the Pentagon."I went on to tell  of Elaine going to the Beauty Shoppe for a Permanent and my going to coffee. All 3 boys called home to assure us they were O.K. Carolyn came down to eat with us.. I played golf with Leo (Hain) during the afternoon, went to a City Council Committee meeting, and to a meeting at the Seward Senior Center. I also mentioned that, "It is apparent that thousands of civilians were killed by the terrorist attack. Osama ben Laden is suspected behind it".

The Old Home Place

This is another picture from the CD that cousin Phil gave to me some time ago. This is the farm that our Grandparents moved to in 1903. My dad was 6 years old at the time and this is where Uncle Joe (Phil's dad) was born. Phil  was also born while his folks were living here after the Grandparents had retired and moved to Bee. My folks moved to this place in February, 1932 and it was here that I "grew up". The big barn was built in the 1916 era with Dad hauling lumber the 4 miles from Garland with horses and wagon. I assume the corn crib and granary were also built after the Grandparents bought the farm. The silo had been taken down before we moved there in 1932. It was constructed with tongue & groove 6" pine boards, 32'  long and held together with iron rods. Some of the boards were still around during my youth and used for various purposes. I have many memories associated with this place where I spent my formative years. The drought, depression, and hard work were things you don't forget. But, these were more than off-set with all the Happy Memories.

Great Visit to Crete, NE

Our agenda for the day included the 35 mile drive down to Wilber, NE, the Czech Capitol of Nebraska. Our first stop was at the Wilber Museum with Doris Ourecky serving as our host. It had been some 15-20 years since we had visited the Museum at the time, Doris' Mother-in-law, Irma was there to show us around.  Irma was one of the founders and a driving force to get it established. Doris and others are doing a great job in further developing the wonderful collection of Czech historic items which have been contributed. We had been with Doris, her husband Lloyd, his twin brother Lawrence and Roberta at a couple Hillbilly events some years ago but hadn't seen them for probably 10 years. 

Our conversation also extended to Miroslav Dumbrovsky from the Czech Republic whom we both know. He had visited in each of our homes while in the U.S. and we had both visited he and his family in Bruno. Verlon mentioned to Doris the Czech community in Virginia. She told of the number of states that send representatives to their annual Czech Queen Contest. They have never had a contestant from Virginia but sent with him information to use in encouraging a contestant.  Frank Havel's butcher shop-bakery was our next stop. We had pork-beef bologna, caraway seed rye bread, and fruit kolachies for supper. We couldn't leave Crete without stopping at a neighborhood bar where Verlon had a Pilzner, I had a draft and Elaine drank water. We came home through Crete and had a most enjoyable afternoon and supper.

Family Picture 1999

Here is another of the pictures from the CD that cousin Phil sent to us some years ago that we were not able to play until recently. Phil did an excellent joy of dating the pictures and this one was taken on October 28, 1999 which  shows Phil, Vivian and me. It is most interesting to check my journals to see what occasion may have prompted a picture. This one was taken when Phil and Jean came up to Vivian and Eddy's in Seward to check on genealogy. Elaine and I were also invited over for the get-together. They  were also looking for our memories and stories about Grandpa and Grandma. My journal entry indicates they recorded some of our discussion and that Elaine helped them with some of her genealogy information. Phil and Jean's visit was a highlight of the day but it also included some normal activities including: Having a "full table" at morning coffee; telephone discussions of City Council items; Potato Bake lunch at the Senior Center ($3.75); walked 9 holes of golf and didn't parr a single hole; tried to repair my air compressor; visited Aunt Ethel at the care facility; and, took pictures of colorful trees.