Saturday, November 20, 2010

Lone Tree

Yesterday my husband and I took a road trip up McPherson way. We were on our way to the Chimney Specialists to pick up the stone for our fireplace. (I'll post about that when we get that installed.)





This past month I read a book that my mother handed to me. She had gotten it at the public library. It was called "The Lone Tree" by James D. Yoder. A very compelling book about some Mennonite immigrants who came to Kansas. It followed a girl and her family, why they left Russia and decided to come to America.

They endured terrible hardships - no bathing at all for months due to lack of privacy on the boat. Smelling of urine and puke. They were sent to Hutchinson but Hutch did not want them. They were sent to Florence in cattle cars and put in a warehouse for the rest of the bitter cold winter. Of the 700 immigrants, 300 died due to smallpox. They are buried in a mass grave outside Florence. I would like to go check that out.

Finally, they moved to land close to Canton. In the area close to the Chimney Specialists (the Elyria exit). Only, instead of going west, you go east. So we had to go!




We stopped at the historical marker.



Here is what it says (it did not have correct punctuation so some of the sentences are a little mixed up): Three fourths mile north-northeast of this spot is the site of a historic cottonwood tree that became known as "the lone tree". It was already a large tree early in the mid nineteenth century with no other trees near it was visible to travelers along the santa fe trail who named it "the Lone Tree" Located in a protected bend of running Turkey Creek, it alone survived prairie fires that regularly swept the area before the European settlers arrived
in the mid and late nineteenth century when McPherson county was surveyed and platted. The thirty square mile area in which the tree was located was named the Lone Tree Township one & a half miles east of here. The Lone Tree school was opened in 1881 and closed in 1954, two miles east. The Lone Tree post office was established in 1880 and closed in 1888. Four miles east and half south. The Lone Tree Church of God in Christ Mennonite is located. It is estimated that when the tree died in the early 1930's it was at least 150 years old, between 7 and 8 feet in diameter and more than 100 feet in height.


We drove out to the church and had to get out and look at some of the old gravestones.




This one is so old you can't read it at all.






Although these aren't close relation (although maybe we are related - seems like we all are! Allen and I are related - not only are we 3rd cousins, we are also 7th cousins. Al is a 3rd cousin to himself!! His mom and dad were 2nd cousins) it was very interesting to read. We have life so easy compared to what they had to.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Cor. 16:13,14

Thursday, November 18, 2010

My "older ladies" Bible study met at the Bread Basket this week.











One little "not so old" visitor joined us this week. Wonder how much she got out of Isaiah 9?




Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Friends come to play

Lori needed someone to watch her girls today and since I was going to have Hannah and Sophia, I said it would be fun for the girls to play together!


Peeks!

Allen completed the window to our under-the-stairs playhouse. Isn't it cute?! I am going to sew some curtains yet.
Adelynn seems too little to ride this! Seriously, she's only 15 months!

Sophia is showing Makenzie the light switch to the house.





Dr. Hannah takes Sophia's blood-pressure?





I got out some "drums" for the girls. Hannah comes around the corner. "I hear some mysterious noises." She is too funny!




Thanks for coming over, Makenzie and Adelynn!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Adam's Birthday party

This evening, we went to my mom and dad's place to celebrate Adam's birthday. He will be 31 this week!


Hannah helped Grandma Lois set the table. Grandma Lois had made fall napkins, taping pressed fall leaves to the napkins.



We had waffles - waffles with egg and sausage links or

waffles with whipped cream and fruit


or both!





Sophia said "Yum spells yum-enade."

After dinner, it was time for the birthday pie (we often like to have birthday pie instead of the traditional birthday cake).


Jill made Reece's Pie for Adam.

This is the Reece's Pie recipe. I combined a couple different recipes and came up with this several years ago:



#1 layer - Mix small box of instant chocolate pudding mix per pie filling instructions on the box. (or you could make a chocolate pie filling from scratch too) Spread on the bottom of 2 graham cracker pie shells.

#2 layer -
Mix together 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or crunchy which is what I prefer)
1 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
Fold in 2 cups Cool whip (or whip 1 c. heavy cream)
Divide this mixture between the 2 pie shells on top of the chocolate layer.

#3 layer-
Top with more Cool whip or whipped cream. Add broken Reece's peanut butter cups. Drizzle in criss-cross fashion over candy with either melted chocolate chips or chocolate flavored ice-cream shell topping that hardens.

When I take this to any potlucks, I never come home with leftovers (maybe that isn't a good thing?) People rave over it. Since it makes 2 pies at once, sometimes I make one for the family and take the 2nd to a neighbor or friend.





Hannah: "Which one will you open first? The beautifullest? (which is mine, of course!)"



Eenie, meenie, minie, moe






Sophia: "We wrapped it so you can't see it is a video!"








Hannah: "It might be another shirt. Ok. It is!"








Time for a show!
The girls sang John 3:16 for us.


Then recited Psalm 1


Animal charades

(turtle)

(lion)

(a bunny!)
Name That Tune



A fun party!
Happy Birthday, son-in-law!
We love you very much!!!