Monday Memories--Golden Birthday

mimicking Fraulein Maria in Austria

Today is Ande’s golden birthday and we celebrated it in a big way: a crab pot and taking family pictures.

After eating supper and opening presents we each shared a favorite memory of Ande. Grace and Calvin’s memories both involved the chickens. The memory Abe shared was of the two of them doing homework together while visiting and listening to music. Ty’s favorite memory was them reading aloud to each other (they’re reading Great Expectations together now). Ray’s memory was the first time he saw Ande’s hair early in the morning, he fondly calls her Medusa (it really is a fright some days). Cali’s memory was a sweet one from the night before she got married and realized she would no longer be sharing a bed with Ande. We all have lots of favorite memories of Ande, because she makes so many of them. She is quick to laugh and willing to be a part of things. She is a good friend to everyone in the family.

Though I shared the memory of hearing her little feet pitter-patter across the floor when the furnace kicked on every morning, so as to be first to sit on top of the heat vent, this picture is another favorite memory:

Ande would wander out to the barn in her bare feet and pull the spare milk stool up next to me when I was milking the cow. Since the cow’s legs were hobbled, there was no harm in her being kicked, so she held the cow’s tail so it wouldn’t swish us in the face. Whenever the cow stomped her feet or tried to swing her tail free from Ande’s little hands, she’d holler, “Quit it, mama.”