Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Pictures for the 18 of April, 2018



This month found much of our family in Columbus, Mississippi visiting Ty and Michelle.  All of the men (except Joe, who couldn't make it) went to see Ty fly his last flight and see the airshow at the Air Force base.

Ty and Michelle's Family

Ty: I had a great weekend with the Payne men, minus Joe who was greatly missed.
 I had my fini flight in the T-6, took Dad and Ray in the simulator, enjoyed the air show,
and we all went flying. I had a great time with these wonderful men.

Michelle: Ty presented each of us girls with some flowers and a necklace.
 This is the awkward moment when we weren't sure if we were
supposed to kiss or not.

Afton: When Dad landed from his fini flight in the T-6,
I got to spray him down with water!

Eliza: Dad gave me some flowers and a necklace at his fini flight.
I love him!

Kathryn: I loved having Grandpa Calvin and Uncle Ray over for four days.
It meant there were two more people I could boss around.

Calvin: This is how I enjoyed the air show.

Joe and Ande's Family

Joe and Winnie
I love that where we live allows Joe to work from home some days
and be such an active role in the kids' lives.

Ezra and Zeph at a school fund-raiser.

Winnie

Ray and Cali's Family

Ray:  In Columbus Mississippi with Ty.

Ray, Atlas, and Inman playing follow the leader.

Atlas and Inman

Inman dominates Tia, the vacuum robot

Calvin and Jane's Family


Calvin:  Enjoying being with the Payne men and flying with Ty

Jane:  Tis the season for rhubarb pie


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A sense of community . . .




I like Amazon.  I like that shopping requires no trip to town or standing in a checkout line.  Shopping does not require walking down overstimulating aisles with blinking colors and blazing signs.  Amazon provides me with instant reviews so I can evaluate before I buy.  I like Amazon.

I like box stores where I know exactly what brand we like and where it's placed whether we're in Memphis or Moses Lake. I like good deals that come from buying bulk.  I like box stores.

I like gift cards.  They're money hidden in my wallet.  They justify buying a gift for myself that I wouldn't normally get.  I like gift cards.

I like the internet.  I like being able to get in touch with someone quickly without committing hours or days or weeks.  I like being able to see our grandchildren's faces and hear their voices every day.  I like being able to research things I want to know without having to buy a book.  I like the internet.

I like anonymity.  I like to shop unnoticed.  I like solitude.

I am a paradox; I like these conveniences and yet I mourn the loss of community.  All of the above contribute to that loss.

Amazon takes away from my community shops and stores.  It's been years since I've walked into the stores down on Main Street.  They won't stay open without customers.

I like unique, hometown, and homegrown.  Box stores can't provide that.

Gifts remind me of the giver and their influence in my life long after the gift was given.  Whenever I see the pewter bread plate we received 36 years ago from Isabelle Loughmiller as a wedding gift, I remember a sturdy woman with a robust character and a hearty laugh.  She was tough as nails and a strong example of endurance.  That bread plate reminds me to be strong.  Every morning when I make the bed and smooth the quilt that our daughter Cali made, I think of her eye for detail and her generous spirit.  Cali is precise and deliberate in her decisions; she craves color, light, and beauty.  Her example has helped me be more aware and less cavalier, it's inspired me to do better work.  Gift cards are quickly consumed with no lasting reminder or message like the quilt and bread plate give to me.

I like the libraries before they became internet cafes, old-fashioned visiting we did in each others' homes, and the days when the phone was hooked on the wall and didn't follow us.

I like belonging.  I like friendly faces with hugs and hellos.  I like people.

I like it all.  The new and the old.  I just don't know how to effectively combine them.

Our son-in-law Ray recently said to me, "The disease of this generation is loneliness."  I was struck at the simple truth of his statement, and the reality that stable communities help cure loneliness.  Some of my habits today don't build a sense of community.

I've got to do some more thinking on this.