Christmas News Letter, 1985

Creative Christmas Letter, 1985, from friends

The Christmas "newsletter" has had its critics; however, it is a means of getting the family news out to those we don't routinely connect with and sending warm holiday greetings at the same time.




Feeling ambitious, I emptied our front-entryway buffet so that I could refinish it before the holidays.  I discovered Christmas newsletters written in 1985.  Re-reading them 25+ years later, I was reminded how unpredictable life is and how, without God's grace, we would be hopeless.  

Let me share--

We'll call this-

 From the Past

Letter 1

Holiday greetings from our home to yours!  As I watch the month race by, I realize this is the only way I reach most of you. . .  There's a special twinkle in our Christmas lights this year as we anticipate the arrival of our "new team member," hopefully no later than December 31.  (We would like a tax deduction.)  . . . Shannon is ten, in the fifth grade, and caught up in friends, the telephone, and enjoys singing in the choir at church.  Casey, seven, is in second grade and still manages to delight the rest of us with her indelible wisdom of life. . . "

Epilogue:  Signed The Wilsons, Shannon is in her middle thirties, Casey is in her early thirties.  Their "tax deduction" for that year, a new brother is in his mid twenties.  The writer of the letter, their mother, is a grandmother and alone.  Shannon's, Casey's, and little brother's dad died of cancer.

Letter 2 

 Dear Family and Friends, Merry Christmas!

We think of you always but especially this time of year we wish we were closer so we could share a little bit of Christmas love with you. . . It's been a lonely year without John at home.  The Navy has stationed him in the Mediterranean. . . I stay busy with nursing school, studying and the children.  I'll graduate in June and then we will celebrate. . . 

Epilogue:  Signed, Love the Harrises, Jan and John divorced, and Jan eventually married another.  Her new love drowned in the Mississippi River while fishing.  Jan worked as a nurse, re-married, and now struggles with MS in her retirement years.

Letter 3

Seasons greetings to all.  1985 has been a fun and exciting year.  The highlight of the year was our trip this past summer to Alaska. . .  It was an experience, camping and traveling so intensely, with a five year old and a two year old. . . JB started kindergarten this fall and has loved it.  Jeff, our two year old, is constantly moving, wanting to play "hike," and only looking like an angel when asleep.

Epilogue:  Signed The Hansons, Ann and Brad eventually built their own home in Alaska and live there six months of the year.  Their two year old is a forever toddler in heaven.  They had another son.  The Hansons are grandparents of an adorable little girl and expecting another.  

 Letter 4

It's hard to believe that Christmas is close on our heels and that 1985 is coming to an end.  Our life has been pleasantly uneventful . . . Shauney, our twelve year old dog, is still active.  We've lost two guinea pigs, two dwarf frogs, and three fish to the great animal heaven in the sky . . .

Epilogue:  Ginny was my college roommate.  We were forever friends.  However, I have no idea where she is and how she has been.  I loved her sense of humor and her candidness in every situation. 

Letter 5

At Christmas as always, we pray that God will guide you, guard you, bless you.  This year we are definitely not dreaming of a white Christmas.  Winter set in early, and we have had white ground covering since November 8th.  The adverse weather presented a lot of harvesting problems. . .  No doubt you have heard of the National Farm Crisis Rally held in Ames last February.  Nearly 20,000 attended, and it gave farm and agricultural people a feeling of a common bond.  We were fortunate to be a part of it. . .

Epilogue:  Signed "Mom and Dad," and "Come see us when you can,". . . Mom died of a rare cancer several years ago.  Dad is content in an assistive living facility and will always be a farmer at heart.

Letter 6

. . . and the short notes, "From our house to yours" with a precious picture of a little boy holding his new baby brother.

Brad with new brother, Chris

Epilogue:  Little boys that are now grown men (and with another brother added to the family).  Grown men with wives and children of their own.

Our family Christmas card, 1985

A lot has happened.

Much has changed.

 ... moving to the country, the teen-age years, a total of 16+ years of college, finding jobs, planning weddings, adjusting to in-laws and being one, grandchildren, welcoming retirement . ...

Someone said, "The only thing we can be sure of is change."

However, the ONE thing we can be sure of is God and His grace.

During this season remember that we come from God and we return to God.  Counting each day as a blessing and remembering that we are the hands and feet of God can bring us joy.

Life unpredictable?

Perhaps so.

The Old Testament, however, became predictable when the prophets fore-told the birth of Jesus.

Therefore the Lord himself

will give you a sign:

the virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son

and will call him

Immanuel.

Because of this promise, 
we can sing, 
"Joy to the World."

 

       

 

  

  

Lefse Ladies

Lefse Recipe

Lefse is a traditional
Norwegian flat bread
made with flour, lard
(or butter/
margarine),and
potatoes.

Lots of them.













Necessary utensils for making lefse include
 a rolling pin, a turning stick, and a hot griddle.



Lefse is especially popular around Thanksgiving and Christmas,
and several members of a family often gather to make it together.




Recently, ten ladies gathered at Our Savior's Lutheran one Saturday morning to make Lefse--some with experience, some not.  Having boiled, mashed and added flour, butter and a little salt to over forty pounds of potatoes on the Friday before, they put on their aprons and pulled the cold potato mixture from the refrigerator.

Do your work with enthusiasm.  

Work as if you were serving the Lord,

not as if you were serving only men and women.

Ephesians 6: 7 

Donning plastic mitts,
we rolled the conglomeration
into balls--









 --resembling snowballs--
good ammunition for a food fight?

Using a rolling pin, others took the balls,
flattened them somewhat and
rolled each out as you might a pie crust.
Nice and thin--
but not too thin
so as to fall apart
before reaching the griddle.

Using a sword-like stick, the rolled-out dough
was transferred to the hot griddle.  After
being lightly browned on one side, the
stick was used again to flip the lefse
to its other side to be lightly browned.

With the large kitchen filled
with the smell of browned potatoes,
the windows were opened on this
November day with the neighbors
(if they were Norwegian)
knowing what was going on
inside the church kitchen.

Taking a break mid-way through
 lefse making, they enjoyed hot
cider and coffee
and the "whoops" lefse.








Some of the botched pieces were spread
with butter and then sugar, rolled, and
served.




We passed it around with smiles on our faces,
our taste buds delighted.

With the finished product carefully packed and stored in a secure freezer, the Our Savior's Lutheran Ladies' Lefse will be retrieved for their annual Advent Luncheon and bake sale in December.

Whenever I taste Lefse, again, 

memories of a warm kitchen, 

the smell of browned potatoes, 

and a feeling of

  community
will fill me.

"All the believers devoted themselves to the 
apostle's teaching, and to fellowship, 
and to sharing in meals . . .  and to prayer."  Acts 2:42

Dear Lord, the Christian life can be a wonderful adventure.  Whether making lefse, decorating for the holidays, 
donating food for others less fortunate, or caroling
this season, let me be an enthusiastic participant.  
And, then, give You the glory.
   Amen.

Thanks Giving

"Thanksgiving." A painting by Doris Lee.

The first Thanksgivings were harvest festivals where families and friends gathered to enjoy the fruits of their labors.  We can imagine the women and children bustling in the kitchen and pantry areas perhaps for days to prepare a feast of pies,various sweets and breads, garden vegetables, and meats.

The thought of getting together, eating together and giving thanks together before winter weather must have exited the children for weeks before the actual event.

Today, kitchen technology has made life much easier.  We don't have to spend days preparing our family feast.  We can even order take-out with all the trimmings from Hy-Vee.  Traditional foods are still anticipated along with time off from work, visiting with family and friends and early holiday sales.  

While listening to morning Christian radio, 

an announcer encouraged listeners to call in

 and share what they were thankful for.  

Unanimous answers were--

 family, 

friends, 

work, 

community, 

church 

and God.

Although  these are typically our most-praised blessings, I'm asking you to "think outside the box."  In another words, give thanks for family, friends, work, community, your church, and especially praise God and, then, do a little creative thinking.  

What else are you thankful for?

I started thinking of the spontaneous events 
     and persons who occasionally appear in my life 
          that have brought joy in an unforgettable way.

Let me give you some examples.

While traveling to Texas last week to visit grandchildren, I boarded the plane and approached my seat, 19E, where bubble gum was smeared on the seat and in the seat belt strap.  I called the flight attendant and asked if there were an open seat elsewhere.  I was directed to the only empty seat on the plane next to a lady named Darlene.  Darlene and I talked from DesMoines to Denver non-stop.  I gained a new friend.

At a recent workshop in October on marketing and writing, I met Sharon, another writer.  We swapped books, started emailing, and I eventually lined up a speaking engagement for her in my home town.  Another friend.

Traveling home on I-35 one day, my husband spontaneously called his sister.  "Want to meet for supper in Ames?"  "Sure," she replied, "I'll bring Sydney."  A college freshman and attending ISU on track scholarship, Sydney was delightful company.  The rest of the trip home no longer seemed long.

Arriving home from an extended trip, I walked the next morning and had to shout for joy as the sun rose.  I felt the scene was created just for me! 

Give thanks for family, friends, your work, your community.

But, above all, give thanks to God for everything good in your life.

And, then, constantly seek it....

A smile from a friend

A job well done

Reconnecting with someone from the past

Meeting someone new

God's awesome creation.

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  John 10:10

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast."  Proverbs 15:15

Dear Lord, You have given me many reasons to celebrate life.  Today, help me find joy in simple and spontaneous happenings.  May my behavior and attitudes reflect your incredible love for me.  

     To God be the glory.  

          Amen

Mary Meier: Where Are You?

. . . I don't know why it is, but somehow in every man and in every normal woman, the Master and Maker of us all has implanted in us all passions that ought to be the most sacred of anything on earth, but somehow in this day and world, somehow or other, these passions where they ought to be sacred so often are the means of downfall of men and women . . . 

                                          the Honorable W.L. Eaton, April, 1899

                                                 (taken from newspaper account of trial)




It was 1996 when an area farmer began tilling the ground with intentions to build a small playground in the area next to the David Community Church, Mitchell County, Iowa.  What he found had more to do with the past than a future play area for children attending Bible School at the church.  Concrete remains of the foundations of buildings which used to line the main street of the little village of David were unveiled--along with a story that was the "talk of the town" for decades.

David Community Church

David's official plat was filed in January of 1893.  Soon after, Mary and Henry Meier opened the Meier Hotel to accommodate those coming and going on the Great Western Railroad and seasonal workers. 

Mary Meier attended the community church along with a man of the name DeForest Fairbanks.  A man who also boarded at the Meier Hotel.  Due to circumstances in their lives, Mary and DeForest began a relationship which ended with dire consequences. 
I
After reading, studying, and taking notes on dozens of pages of news copy from this time, Thou Shalt Not has been written--but not published.

Historical fiction tells a story

set in the past

with characters 

tending to be fictional.

Thou Shalt Not*

is the exception.

The characters existed,

 the setting was real, 

and many of the incidents 

written in the book

 are authentic.

Mary Meier left for Milwaukee in 1899.

She was married to Henry.

She had three children:  Ella, Eddie, and another boy.

If you have information on Mary Meier,

 please email me at kathystauffer@hotmail.com  

with Mary Meier typed on the subject line.  

*
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. . . thy neighbor's wife. . .
Thou shalt not bear false witness. . .
Thou shalt not steal . . .
Thou shalt not commit adultery. . .

Thou shalt not kill . . .

Thou shalt honor thy father and mother . . .

Remember the Sabbath Day . . .

Thou shalt not take the name of the lord, thy God in vain . . .

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

The law is like a picture

One line drawn through it

spoils the picture.

Catechetical Helps, pg 60

Heavenly Father, you have instructed us to seek truth and to live righteously.  Help us always to live according to Your commandments.  May we give You the glory with our thoughts and behavior. 
              Amen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Baby Boomers, it's what they called our generation.  Feeling in the way while the staff dressed my mom in a gown and placed her in a make-shift bed next to the elevator, Dad prepared to leave the hospital.  Mom kissed him goodbye, told him to get something to eat.  She would be fine.  . . . When Dad returned a couple of hours later, she told him they had a baby girl (from her bed--still beside the elevator).

                                    (Taken from All The Rivers Run Into The Sea, WestBow Press, 2011)

The story of Karen in "All The Rivers. . . " 

was also the story of my very beginning.  

(The rest of the story is fiction.)

One year old.  1947

Birthdays were big occasions in my childhood home. 


There was always a nicely decorated, home-made cake, candles, pictures, and singing.

Two years old with three-year-old brother.  1948

Sometimes, friends celebrated with us.

1950

A birthday friend, 1955.

When school started, one might celebrate with friends.

My best friend, Donna, even convinced her mother to make a birthday cake for me so we could celebrate at her house.

A birthday smile, 1958.

Another cake, another year.

Looking back, I do not remember any particular present that I received.  I do not remember any particular meal served on my birthday or a special cake.  Although I received all of the above lovingly and
tenderly from family and friends.
What I do remember is how I felt on my birthday
--loved and cared for.







       Hopefully, as our own children have grown and celebrated birthdays, we have passed this tradition on to them.  The idea that we are each unique in God's universe and that he created us to spend eternal life with him is amazing.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you

(The Lord speaking to Jeremiah. . . in Jeremiah 1:5)

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. . .

you are worth more than many sparrows.

(Matthew 10:30)

With each passing year,
I have realized that life is truly a gift and
each new year offers new wonder.

New life, 1974

Another birthday, 2009.

Whether you celebrate with family or friends or are fortunate enough to celebrate with both, rejoice!
Whether you are celebrating your birthday or another's, rejoice!
God created each of us for a purpose.

A prayer for today:                                                                    

Lord, You loved me before I was ever born.  

You sent Your Son Jesus to redeem me
from my sins.  

You have given me the gift of eternal life.  

Today, I will share the priceless blessings 

I have received.  I will share my joy,

my possessions, and  my faith with others. 

                                         Amen  

(Taken from Day 153, 365 Daily Devotions For Women, 2009, Freeman-Smith)

Psalm 139

O Lord you have searched me

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord.

. . .

I praise you

because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.