51

Last year our family hosted an amazing, wonderful party to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary. We are still glowing from the love showered on us that day. This year we celebrated 51 years together and the family gave us a card and wished us happy anniversary. Fifty-one is just another anniversary, not a big party year. But fifty-one years is a reason to celebrate that we are still here, still healthy, and still in love. In honor of the day we took a holiday trip.

I've always wanted to see Falling Water, the home in the mountains of Pennsylvania designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. So we made a trip to the beautiful Laurel Highlands to visit the house. It truly is an amazing place. I would love to live in that house. It is not nearly as big as I had expected, no bigger than many suburban homes. It sits over a waterfall and blends beautifully into the woods that surround it. I believe I could sit in the great room or on one of terraces forever and just bask in the serenity and the beauty surrounding the house.

For a change of pace we visited Fort Necessity. As my daughter said, “What could say I love you better than a visit to a battle field?” Fort Necessity is the site of a battle lost by 21 year old George Washington. It was the first battle of the French-Indian war. That is a part of history I knew almost nothing about. The reenactors were very entertaining and very interesting. 

 

In the evening we sat on the big porch of our hotel and watched a beautiful sunset. We feel quite blessed to be able to celebrate fifty-one years together.

Fiddler On The Roof

This week-end we went to see a production of Fiddler On The Roof at our local community theater. Great story with wonderful music. Anyone who has raised children and watched them grow up and leave home for lives of their own will identify with Tevye's struggles as his daughters make decisions that cause him to reconsider his faith and traditions. There are funny scenes that makes me laugh, “Would it spoil some grand, fantastic plan if I were a wealthy man?” There are sweet scenes that are so very true, “Sunrise, sunset.”

 Two scenes always make me cry. The second daughter is in love with a dissident who has been sent to Siberia. As she is boarding the train to join him she says says to her father, “God only know when we shall see see each other again!” Tevye replies, “We shall leave it in His hands then.” Have you ever watched your child leave home, not knowing when or if you would see him again?

The scene that is almost too painful to watch comes when his third daughter runs away and marries a man of another faith. This is more than Tevye can bear. He is torn between love for his child and the faith and traditions that hold his life together. Tradition wins and he rejects his daughter. He turns away and leaves her in tears. He says she is dead to him. This scene is heart-wrenching. I cannot imagine anything that would cause me to reject my child. I would be hurt, but I don't think there is a force strong enough to turn away from one of my children. 

 

I came out of the theater singing, “Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, I don't remember growing older, When did they?”

My children have long ago grown-up and left the home of their childhood, but in my heart they will always be my precious little children.

Transit of Venus

When my husband the astronomer was twelve years old he put two dates on his calender, June 8, 2004 and June 5, 2012. He has mentioned these dates and their importance to me often over the last fifty plus years. These were the dates of the two times in his lifetime that he might be able to see the transit of Venus across sun. This rare astronomical event last happened in 1874 and 1882. It will next happen in 2117 and 2125. In 2004 the day was clear and he was able to see this great wonder. With welding glasses to shield his eyes, he watched the great event from our back yard. He was awe struck.

Tuesday was the day, the last time in his life that he would be able to watch this wondrous event. The transit was scheduled to begin in our area about six in the evening and be visible until sunset. The welding glasses were waiting so he could look at the sun. His schedule had been cleared for this event for sixty-two years. In the late afternoon thick clouds rolled in, obscuring the sun. The transit would happen without him being able to see it this time. Fortunately modern technology made his disappointment much smaller. He has his computer connected to a telescope in New Mexico that had a clear view of everything. He sat in front of his computer for more than three hours watching as the small dark dot that was Venus slowly moved across the face of the sun. He took pictures and made a time lapse video of it all. It really is fascinating to watch as he condensed the three hour event into one minute of viewing time. You can even see telephone wires appear across the the screen as the sun sets and Venus moves out of view.

For my husband the heavens really do declare the glory of God.

Where Did May Go?

It's June. Where did May go? The whole month just seems to have flown by without me noticing. I know things happened in May. Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of things that went on in my life in the merry month of May.

1. I turned 71. According to the Good Book the span of life is three score and ten. After that it's all grace. So last year was just living on grace.
   
   
2. I read some books: “Light On Snow,” by Anita Shreve, a sweet story about love, loss, and hope.”Nothing Daunted” by Dorthy Wickenden, the true tale of two high society girls who take a job teaching in a one room school in the mountains of Colorado in 1916 -a good read. “Christianity After Religion” by Diana Butler Bass, a study of sociological trends in American Christianity. Some interesting observations, but way too many words.
   
   
3. I went to eleven water aerobics classes and eight yoga classes.
   
   
4. Mother's Day lunch was eaten at my granddaughter's house. A new generation is taking over.
   
   
5. I rang bells in the bell choir and made beautiful music.
   
   
6. The Senior Chorale put on a great concert. I love singing in that group.
   
   
7. I planted red geraniums in the back yard and white petunias in the front yard.
   
   
8. For the first time in my life I saw the “ring of fire” during a lunar eclipse.
   
   
9. I listened to a friend who is going through one of life's rough spots.
   
   
10. I learned how to make playlists on my new I-pod.
    
    
11. I went out to lunch with friends several times.
    
    
12. I paid the bills and balanced the checkbook.
    
    
13. I was asked to serve as a deacon in our congregation. I start this month.
    
    
14. My tooth broke in half. The dentist fixed it.
    
    
15. I sat on my front porch rocker and counted my blessings. I like being retired.