Thanksgiving at the 4-H Camp

Close to the 4-H Camp and the right season.

While we were living in Ames, Iowa in the late 1970s and early 1980s I became pretty good friends with the Iowa State University 4-H Camp Director. He was a graduate of our program at ISU and I periodically took classes out to the camp for field trips. One year during Thanksgiving break he suggested that we “camp-sit” while he was out of town. We thought about it for a few minutes and decided what a great experience it would be. Thanksgiving at a camp in a large cabin and while not necessarily rustic, it was older and had a certain flavor to it. We had a full kitchen, more bedrooms than we knew what to do with, several hundred acres to run around on, no telephone (this was pre-cell phone days by a long time), and a chance just to be together.

Everyone was excited. We made a list of everything we needed to take, including a television (none were there and we did like some amenities - this was also pre-cable), a rug for the floor, bedding, books, food, and on and on. As you might guess, the list got quite long and before it was finished I found myself making 2 trips out to the 4-H Camp. One to take everything we needed and another to bring the family. We had an 8 passenger station wagon, which we filled. It was about 40 minutes each way to the camp and most of the time the weather was okay. It was an Iowa fall, so that meant it was cold and the chance of snow and ice was always imminent. We had 4 children, and maybe Mike (but we can’t remember - that’s a function of aging) who went with us to the camp.

It was a great time of running around outdoors, watching Thanksgiving specials on television, watching movies on the video recorder, playing games, eating - all in front of a roaring fireplace. It was about being a family. We would usually stay 3 or 4 days and have a great time. For JoAnn and I it was a special Thanksgiving with our family. We did this for 3 or 4 years in a row and had a great experience each Thanksgiving.

As I think about my memories of Thanksgiving I have many, others I will share next year and beyond, but our time at the 4-H Camp was special for us and most of the kids remember it with fondness. It was different, it was just us, and we bonded. For most of the years the children were growing our family lived far away from relatives and so almost every winter holiday were immediate family affairs, absent from the extended family.

Thanksgiving with the McLean family in Idaho. The whole family was together
for this Thanksgiving. The photo is the right season, even if not the 4-H Camp

Since we moved west our holiday seasons have changed. We have the Bradley’s with us in Las Vegas, the Dunn’s are in Sacramento, the Hansen’s & Bake’s are together in Idaho, the Allen’s are with friends in Colorado and holding together our old tradition of family time, and the McLean boys are together in Iowa. We may be spread out, but we still like to get together as often as possible, it’s just more difficult to do it in the winter. What we lose in being together we make up in blogs, phone calls, and photos. Even though we are apart we are together in spirit and love.

Wordless Wednesday

The Glass is Half Full, Half Empty, or All Over Me...

When I was a child we traveled for holidays and summer vacations. As our family got older most of that travel occurred in an International Harvester Travelall (the equivalent of today's Suburban). We could spread all over the car (seat belts were just beginning to be introduced and not many cars had them), romp, roam, occasionally get yelled at (and yes, we usually deserved it). I was usually the one who got in the most trouble and times have not changed a whole lot.

Not our Traveall, but it sure brings fond memories. JoAnn and I drove it to Oklahoma
with Donna & Jeni for the 3 months we spent at Fort Sill. We pulled a U-Haul trailer
with it for our household goods. That is another story. This is what I learned to drive on!
photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevincollins/4842741366/

One summer we were driving across the desert from Arizona to California. We did not have air conditioning in our car, so it was very hot. We had the thermos for water and that kept us hydrated. We were coming in to Yuma, AZ on this afternoon and I made a comment that was not well received by my mother. I did a lot of that. She had just poured herself a glass of ice-cold water. She turned, looked at me, said something that I don't remember, and threw the glass of water in my face. Everyone was stunned until they realized I was the only cool person in the car at that moment. We started to laugh and laugh. The tension eased, I was cool, and the drive went on.

5-Year Old Scheduling

We have family coming to town for Thanksgiving. We are delighted about that, especially since it involves three little ones. We enjoy the big ones too!

As we are getting ready for their visit there has been a flurry of emails and even a few telephone calls. One such email started a series of responses. Our daughter said, "I'll send you our schedule so you know what we have planned." JoAnn and I both responded with would you do a schedule for us so we know what we are doing? Of course it was all in fun, but it got me to thinking what would it be like if the children (ages 4, 3, and 1) put the schedule together? I decided to stick to the 4-year old, who will turn 5 while she is here. And I will just do one day, with parental interpretations.

7:00 am - There are toys at this house I haven't seen for a year. I wonder where Grandma hid them? [Parent - Can't they sleep in just one day?]

7:20 am - I can't play alone, I need my brother and sister to help. [Are these really my children?]

8:00 am - Look, Grandma is up. I don't have to go check on her today. [Mom's up, I can roll over and go back to sleep.]

8:30 am - Wow, breakfast, and at our very own table. We can even watch television. If I'm lucky they have got Scooby-do! [Food, and I don't have to make it, what a good deal.]

{Editor's note - For the convenience of space I've abstracted the original schedule, which had 3.5 minute increments and a little more hysteria from the parents.}

8:45 - Time to go to the park. Can I talk Grandpa into taking all of us? [please Dad, take them to the park and preferably the one an hour away!]

10:15 - Time for a morning snack. Why does Grandpa look tired? I wonder if Mom and Dad are here? I haven't seen them all day. [They are back already?]

11:00 - It's boring, all the big people want to do is talk. Let's go somewhere, anywhere, but let's go! [It's only 11 am, it's going to be a long day!]

Okay, you get the idea. I'm of the mind this world would be a lot more fun world if we let our kids plan our schedules, at least until they became teenagers. Looking through the eyes of a 5-year old is refreshing and a little frightening, but we would all do good to spend a little time using their lens of reality once in a while.

I'm actually looking forward to the excitement, hysteria, frenzy and enthusiasm of having 3 little ones for a few days. Of course I'm thinking about taking a few days off after they leave to recover.

Wordless Wednesday

Cupcake Stories

Twice a month on Monday evening we meet with several of our friends for Family Home Evening (FHE). Since the children have left home and have FHE with their children, our FHEs have become a little more erratic. Having friends get together allows us to enjoy our company, teach, talk, have fun, and celebrate life. One of the more popular activities are the treats which always come at the end. It's like a reward for being good. It was the most popular part of our FHEs when the children were home. This group really likes McLean frosting. In fact, one of our group said we were welcome to visit him any time as long as we brought a cake with McLean frosting. He has a summer home in the Arizona mountains.

Last night JoAnn made cupcakes that were really good. One of our friends was celebrating his birthday and JoAnn called his wife to discover his favorite cake. We had a devils food cake, that was oh so moist, and THE frosting. He had seconds. Come to think of it, all 3 men had seconds and none of the women.

As we were sitting around talking I mentioned that when I was a child my mother would make cupcakes for our lunches. I explained that she would take the cupcake apart, put the frosting in the middle, put it back together again and then freeze it. The whole idea around freezing it was so that it would still be fresh for lunch. The reality is that it rarely made it to lunch. Most of the time I would eat it within minutes of when I got on the bus. I don't think anything is better than a cold chocolate cupcake with frozen white frosting in the middle. My mouth is watering for one right now.

A couple of our friends were intrigued by the whole idea, but I've come to realize we all have those kinds of stories to tell about growing up. I like to think our cupcake stories are stories we all need to remember. Do you have a cupcake story?

Wordless Wednesday

Donna with her parents and Grandma McLean

Building our Heritage

Mom as a young girl skiing.

Twenty-five years ago in December, my mother died from complications of cancer treatment. I have thought of her often over those years and over the last few months I felt a need to introduce her to a generation of grandchildren and great grandchildren who never knew her very well or not at all. Donna, our oldest, was just 15 when Mom died. Krissie, our youngest. was just a few days past her first birthday. Since we lived in the midwest and Mom and Dad lived in California we only got to see them every couple of years. They would usually get to see us on an annual basis, thankfully. Our older children have dim memories of Mom and our younger children have none at all.

From the 1980 Family Reunion

So I've contacted family members and asked them to put on their thinking caps and provide stories and photos of Mom. I'm focusing less on a biography than on capturing the essence of who she was and why she was so important to all of us. My youngest sister Marti was only 24 when Mom died and she said she was so jealous of the rest of us because we had Mom for so much longer. As I've watched my daughters bond with their Mother I really do understand that. My Mom had a significant impact on all of our lives and contributed to our heritage. I want my children and their children, and on, to know about that heritage. Waiting 25 years may have seemed too long, but everyone I've talked to is excited about it and the time is right.

Some of the collected stories and photos will appear in this blog. My goal is to have the book ready to publish by Mom's birthday in late March. That is pretty ambitious, but I think we can be close.