Year-end Letter 2022

 The winds of change still blow through history's pages,

Each day reveals a world that's not the same.

Thrones and powers rise and fall.

Bondage reigns... then freedom calls,

But for every generation, Calvary still remains!

This song by Garment of Praise came to my mind as I thought over the past year.

So many things change. People. Events. Positions. Weather. But God! He remains a constant. His Word is a guide for our lives. So faithful. It always feels like a breath of fresh air when I sit down to read The Word! 

Thomas and I celebrated our 27th anniversary this year. We finally took a long-desired outing to celebrate. 

These gray-haired old folks are looked at a bit questioningly when there's a 3-year-old in tow. Yours? Or a grandchild? 

Thomas remains busy with all the hats he wears. The door business slowed down a bit in the month of December so some projects got done around home here. A water line and electric lines were buried out to the barn. A small shelter was added to the small barn where they milk the cow so that the cow and her hay can have a little place to be out of the weather. 

The big kitchen has been worked on some more. I'm looking forward to the day when it will be completed! A four-and-a-half-day power outage gave the guys some time to get some painting done. Thankfully a paintbrush needs no electricity. We're getting a room ready for Diana so she can move out of our room. It's high time!!

My life is filled with girls where it once was filled with boys. My sister Doris's four girls come on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday weekly. Between lessons, food, laundry, cleaning, and all the 101 things a mom does, I keep ever busy. Kilmeny Stoltzfus helps me on Wednesday and Friday and that is a huge help! I couldn't do it alone, that's for sure. Gwen spent some time in TX this fall and then Maxie did. That lightened the load to have only 3 of them at a time. 

Stephen and MaryBeth are busy in their own home. He works for Hillside Structures, painting their buildings. He has little side gigs, one of which is roasting coffee. MaryBeth worked for The Bakery Barn for part of the year. She does well at keeping her home, ministering to others, and steadying her husband. The big news at their house is... a baby is on the way! 

Austin (23) is in his second year at Allegany Boy's Camp in MD. He is really not far away from us! He is able to come home on some of his off days. Or the guys from here will run up there for an evening of basketball with him. He was able to spend a little more time with us over Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Matthew spent a lot of time this year studying and taking training to be a firefighter. He passed a number of tests to obtain his Firefighter One status. When they had the company supper this month, those who had answered 100 calls received a prize. He had just run his 100th call that morning. He recently purchased his first car. He turned 21 in November. It's hard to believe that the 3rd one is that age already. He is taking over part of the door business. 

Melvin (18) is a steady, dependable guy. He does the majority of the gardening and orchard work around here while still doing his part in the door business. He and Matthew work together as a team to install doors. Melvin also does a lot of woodworking and faithfully keeps us supplied with kombucha. He is Diana's favorite brother (although Matthew is a close second) and he will often care for her when Thomas and I need to leave. 

Christopher (17) is still a kind of floater around here. Sometimes he's here at home helping with the heavy work around here. Sometimes he's out on the job with Thomas and sometimes with his brothers. He is a writer and spends a lot of time working on his books. The last year or two have been a time of extreme physical growth for him. Now there are many giants moving around in our house.

 

Diana continues to grow in stature and knowledge. She has a unique life, living around adults. Of course, there are the few days she gets to spend with her cousins. She has learned a lot about sharing and playing nicely with other children. She and Meg are 3 months apart in age and are rivals-best friends-worst enemies. I recently started a kindergarten curriculum with her and she's just drinking up the learning. Reading a book to her is a sure way to win her heart. She uses quotes from books in her daily speech. And then, she's still just a 3-year-old and has temper tantrums and stubborn streaks. She also has a huge imagination as she plays with a whole family of dolls and teddys that she has named. I don't know where she gets the names but she remembers each of them by their strange names. Artema, Exa, Oxa and Pada, to name a few.

And so we're moving into a new year, which is really just one new day at a time. The beauty and light we are able to walk in, as we fill ourselves with light from The Word and stay connected to the Vine, are incomprehensible. How are we, as lowly worms of the dust, allowed to fellowship with the King?

Go with Jesus! 

Stephen's Wedding

 November 14 was the big day for our son Stephen and his sweetheart, MaryBeth Miller. They worked together at Penn Valley Christian Retreat and learned to know each other quite well. It didn't take them very long to decide they wanted to spend their lives together.

Photography doesn't rank high on my to-do list when I'm around people. MaryBeth's sister-in-law asked if she could get a picture of the couple before the wedding because she thought she'll not get one if she doesn't do it then. I decided that was a good idea and followed suit!

A lot of guests were missing because of corona virus making its rounds. My parents were unable to attend and we missed their presence. Thankfully I was over it myself, having been sick for over two weeks and barely back to normal before the wedding.

I'll include a few pictures from the reception and a few that Stephen sent to me. Also a link to the live-streamed service.

Bridal table (unoccupied/no flowers)

Table for the Schwartz kin

Bridal party, honorary couples and getaway vehicle

MaryBeth and her sisters (yes, she is a twin)

MaryBeth's family

You know who 😀

Click here for the link to the service. Some of the video will be silent.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mark 10:9

Tuesday Meal Planning + Family Gathering

We were traveling yesterday and I was tired today, plus I'm going to town tomorrow so I decided to sit down and plan my menus once again. It is so helpful to know what to cook! 

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Beans, rice, eggs Oranges	Leftovers Bean dip and chips Bananas	Beef Roast Baked potatoes Lettuce salad
Potato, meat, egg quiche Fruit & yogurt	Leftovers Grapes Banana bread	Chicken enchiladas Rice Cabbage
Spinach quiche Muffins	Leftovers Veggies & dip No bake bars	Sheet pan dinner Lettuce salad
Breakfast burritos Yogurt	Leftovers Hot dog sandwiches Apples or grapes	Southwest Pizza Waldorf salad
Baked oatmeal Yogurt	Rice & chicken Green beans Layered coleslaw	Apples and PB Popcorn Cheese
Waffles Sausage gravy Peaches	Leftovers Fruit	Tomato soup Potato salad
Omelet roll Yogurt	Leftovers Cookies	Steak Mashed potatoes Fried beets

Friday through Monday morning we had a surprise party for my mother who is turning 70 in December. We tried to pick a time of the year when it would work for most of us to get together. A cabin in Raphine, VA was where we gathered. A beautiful setting in the woods by the river. With a second small building to the side we had room for everyone to sleep indoors. Without having to sleep in the kitchen or dining room! Twenty-five people from TX, WV and OH.

Photo credit Sylvia Byler

And we actually managed to surprise Mama! This is not easy to do. She is a suspicious, questioning individual. Sister Rosetta took her on a trip through the New England states for the greater part of the week and she thought she would be coming home Friday. By the time she got to where we were, she was completely flummoxed. She told Rosetta, "It's a good thing I trust you! You could be abducting me!" And then her mouth dropped open as she beheld the family.

Tim grilling chicken while visiting with Mama

The sisters in Texas did an excellent job of planning the event. They assigned each sibling a meal and we all helped with the meal that was left. I brought enough leftovers home to help out with a few meals here.

Rosetta & Sylvia solving the world's problems

Chel's husband Jason kept a good campfire going

Maxie, Christopher and Gwen as we traveled to WV

My parents Noah & Mary Jane Schwartz
Photo credit Sylvia Byler

Thanksgiving With Family

Do you ever plan and look forward to something for so long that when it finally comes, you can hardly grasp its reality? The relatives came for Thanksgiving and now they've gone home and all we have left are memories. 

Thankfully we have good memories. Good food, good conversations, good singing, good coffee, good games, good times working together. Just good times. 

Joe, Verina, Melvin, Maxie, Josie, Gwn, Sylvia, Chel

Mama, Rosetta, Jean, Monica, Christopher, Carl, Joe, etc

Doris, Matthew, Tim, Keshi

Stephen, Austin, Mervin, Doris

Nick, Stephen, etc

We all sat around tables together for Thanksgiving dinner. There wasn't much wiggle room. I didn't get Daddy, Thomas and myself in the pictures. Daddy is between Mama and Keshi and Thomas and I are between Chel and Nick.

I spoke with my friend at church this morning. Her family came for Thanksgiving and stayed about 24 hrs. I'm so glad we had more time than that! 

Doris, Chel & the three girlies came Tuesday, Tim & Keshi (Kee-sha) came Wednesday evening and Rosetta & her friend Nick came Thursday. The latter four left on Sunday and the former five stayed until Tuesday.

We hosted the majority of the people at our house. Our pastor and wife so kindly lent us their camper. The boys who gave up their bedrooms and Nick made good use of it.

With our family, my parents and my sister's family who live locally, we fed two dozen people at most meals. Breakfasts were taken at our individual places. Friday and Saturday's main meals were assigned to the visitors. 

On Friday we took a hay ride. It was reasonably warm. Or tolerably cold. However you wish to term it. Nick had told Rosetta that he could hardly wait to get to WV to have a horse and buggy ride.

Prepping the baby (no, we didn't take the Kenworth)

One half of the ride

She asked him where he thought he was going? They don't have horses and buggies! Well, could he have a dump truck ride? Thus the hay ride idea was born. He said he'd take any ride he could get.

Remember that favorite aunt or uncle you had that was the youngest in the family and played with all the cousins? Well, that's kind of how Christopher is to all his little cousins.

With Gwen

Then Josie pops in

Next comes Maxie

Thomas' mother brought a puzzle over that occupied a lot of people's time. It was labeled Impossibles because it has no border and has five extra pieces. They finished it up Monday evening before everyone dispersed.

Monica and Jean

Monica, Sylvia, Stephen, Mervin, Jean

There was a giant dead oak by the field that the men cut down and cut up for some "manly time". And Thomas' mother asked for help to can some apples. Otherwise we just lived and enjoyed each other. 

Chel, Stephen and Sylvia went to Farmville, VA Wednesday evening to meet Nick and Rosetta. They had planned to do a Turkey Trot in Madison Thursday morning but gave up the idea and just partied with the Troyer side of the family until time to come our way for Thanksgiving dinner.

Sweet memories. Until next time....

Today I am thankful for...
...good drinking water.
...the truth of God's Word.
...a voice to sing with.


Correction- In the post titled Jerky, I said the boys ate most of the jerky in one day. I later discovered they had a good bit more left than I realized. They aren't quite the inhalers I believed they were.

P.S. Someday I might have a good camera. Or learn to take better photos with my phone.