Where I am from

 

In the fifties, my father took my mother to the family farm in Kjørrefjord, Norway. and showed her where his father is buried.  He said “there, that’s the hole my father is in” and he  walked away.  Almost a lifetime later I stood at the foot of that same grave and felt so alive and connected.  Here lies a piece of me, or I a piece it, the earth, of him, my father’s father. That same day, I stood in the room my grandfather was born in.  I closed my eyes and in my imagination, I heard his first cries.  I cried.  I was born in that room that day.  And at that grave on that farm in that village.   I was whole and complete and I drank wine and ate cheese and strawberries under the midnight sun.  Home.

 

 

A variety of Christmas cards and Christmas photos

 

Christmas is coming

 

 

 

 

I have been shopping online.  I made and delivered the calendar that I make every year  Christmas cards with letters have been sent off.  It's Christmas everywhere.

 

But I have not really been feeling it.  We were not going to bother decorating because we were feeling too blah.  Not sure what to do with ourselves.    I am sure that at least four of our kids will not be here for Christmas this year.  Not so sure about Chance and Jamie.

 

What a contrast to last year when all five kids were here.  Plus partners.  Plus baby Galileo's first Christmas.

 

I wonder if or when all five Sherwood "kids" will be together again?

 

I have probably posted this picture of the Sherwood 5, it was taken last year (Christmas 2024) in West Virginia on Chance's front porch 

 

 

 

I love them all so much sometimes it makes me crazy! 

This happened!

 On Tuesday, December second, I was heading out to pick up my sister so she could come have dinner with us.

As I was about to back out of the driveway, the garbage truck was blocking the driveway.  So I waited for them to leave.  And I decided to make sure the garbage had been picked up so I could put the can back into the garage.   Well, I lifted the lid on the trash can and i was still full of garbage.

I sped down the road chasing the garbage truck until I finally got the guy to stop.   I asked him why he didn't pick up out trash.  He explained that he goes down the street and circles back and then does our side of the street.  Well, I felt a little silly, but I can handle some silliness.

 Next thing, I notice a dog in the road eating trash.  A big dog- maybe a yellow lab?   I called to the dog and it ran up to my car and them acted spooked and ran off. I noticed an older woman (probably younger than me) wearing native dress (common in out neighborhood) calling to the dog with little success.  I found a dog leash in the consul of my car and offered it to the woman to use.  Between us we were able to corral the dog and get the leash onto it.   

      

 (this is NOT the dog I am writing about, but looks like it)

 

The dog was too strong for the woman to manage and guide where she wanted to go.  I offered the woman and the dog a ride home.  She spoke very little English but was able to point the way.

I am so glad I did offer a ride because her house was the farthest  from where we were of any house in the neighborhood.   Delivered the lady and the dog- who did not want to get out of the car.  The woman got her daughter on the phone/ tablet who's English was prefect.  She was very thankful.   I am just so glad I was able to help.  That poor scared dog could have gotten hit by a car or even the garbage truck.

Oh, and did I mention it was pouring down rain!

I picked up my sister and brought her to our house. We got to visit with Darcy and Jody and baby Galileo.  I made lasagna and we had a very pleasant day

 

Where to start and what to write?!

 Woke up to the first snow of the season.  I love seeing the snow.  Seeing it falling.  It's so quiet and peaceful.  I always say that my Norwegian background is why I love snow.  But my Canadian genetics must play a part too.

I remember after two years living in Norway my mother in law said "I bet you are sick of snow now".  To which I said "no".  She hated snow.  She was always cold which might have something to do with it.

 

Old man Buddy still likes the snow

 

Looking through the kitchen to see the snow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Darcy and Jody and grand-baby Galileo have been visiting this week.  We thought we would never have any grandchildren and yet, here we are!

He is indeed the prettiest baby (it's alright to say that about a boy isn't it?)

It's amazing how much energy their little bodies have.  Run run run run....he runs everywhere it seems.

Jody is a good mom and knows what she is doing.   It's crazy to see my own erstwhile  little baby boy being a father to his own baby boy.  I love how comfortable Darcy is with Galileo.  He was born to be a dad!

Darcy used to help out in the church nursery and always loved the babies.  It seems to come naturally to him.

Of course, Nick and Darcy had a very sweet, special relationship when Darcy was small.    Of all of our babies, Darcy was the most attached to Nick from a very early age.  They all love him of course, but as babies they favored me- except for Darcy.

Nick & Darcy in the snow Tromsø 1985

 

And now Darcy's the father!

 

Galileo sitting and thinking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modeling a couple of sweaters and hats I made for Galileo.

 

                                    Galileo's space station in our family room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories

 This picture of Nick's dad, Grandpa Sherwood and his granddaughter Kathy.  I am guessing that this was taken in 1983

 

 

Double take

 In my last entry to my blog I reflected on the bad side of the holiday season.    

 I have reflected on this and realized that there are good things about the holidays too.

This year we are celebrating Thanksgiving twice.    Last week, Austin was here from Maine.  We had a combination vegan and non vegan Thanksgiving dinner.  

Nick and I plus Austin, Chance and girlfriend Jamie were here as well as sister in law Janet and niece  Molly.

It was so nice to share a meal and more importantly contact with some of the important people in our lives.   I really wanted my sister, Carol to join us but she was not feeling well enough.

 

This coming weekend we are celebration again.  Darcy and Jody and their baby, our grandson, Galileo will be here.  We will be celebrating on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I am not 100% sure who will be able to make it.  I am hoping my sister and nephews Tom and Jim plus Jim's wife Catherine.   Janet and Molly say that they are planning to come.  Maybe Chance and Jamey again.

There will be another turkey and more pumpkin pie.   The main course of course will be chaos and love!

I am trying to add pictures here but keep getting an error message.  I'll try again later  

 

Hey, it worked!!! 

 

 

 

 

It's that time of the year

 I always feel somewhat melancholy at this time of the year.  If I look back to my blog in years past I bet I have written the same things every year.  I feel these things every year in various degrees.

The days get shorter and darkness comes earlier.  We set out clocks back so it gets to be night time even earlier.

And I know that the shorter periods of daylight have an effect on me.  But it's also "the holidays".   The sense of having to do things- obligations. Expectations.   Mainly my expectations.

My childhood Christmases were fraught for lack of a better word.  I was excited and couldn't wait to see what Santa put under the tree.   Finding an orange in my Christmas socking and laughing about it.   We carried that over with our kids and they always laughed too.

But my sadness comes from the tension, and anger.  At Thanksgiving I will always think of the year my dad reached across the table and punched my brother in the face.   That was the year that Carol was newly married and was having her Thanksgiving with the in-laws.  I cooked the turkey and I guess I overcooked it.  My brother looks at the dark brown turkey and said "I'm not eating that".  And my dad punched him.  And I went running out of the apartment across the street to where my sister and her in laws were having their dinner.

When we were first married and both of my parents, divorced from each other we had to make the rounds.  My dad was re-married, so we had to go to Daddy and Becky's, then my mom, then my sister and her family, than Nick's parents house and then ultimately back to our house in College park .

Last year we had all five "kids" here for Christmas plus grand-baby Galileo.   It was both wonderful and stressful.   It is a rare occasion that all five of my children are at the same place at the same time!

 This year, Courtney and Zach are staying home in Portland, OR.  Morgan and Kim are staying in Seattle.   Darcy and Jody and Galileo are staying home in North Carolina.   I am assuming Chance and his girlfriend Jamie will come here.  I hope Austin comes too- I hate to think of him alone in Maine- although who knows maybe he will meet someone he wants to spend Christmas with!

 I guess, what the kids are all young and living at home, it's not like they have a choice where they will be for the holidays.  They are part and parcel of the house and home.   But now they are all spread around the country.  They have their adult homes and their adult friends.  I know that they all love us.  But they are not ours exactly.

I have already had our Christmas cards made, and the family calendars.  Now I just have to write a Christmas letter and work on the every confusing address labels.

The hosta has gone to seed

    

Generations

 I watched an episode of the PBS show "Finding Your Roots"    It usually has celebrities who are learning about their genealogical roots.  Often with some surprises.  The particular episode I watched today had some "regular" non famous people.  Even so it was very interesting to see them learn things about their families that they had not known.

 It got me thinking about our grandson, Galileo.  I have only thought about his roots a short way back, but I still find it interesting how this little boy came about because of the people who came before.

 Bob and Mary Sherwood are Galileo's great grandparents on his dad, Darcy's side.   

 

 

Nick and Nancy Sherwood are the paternal grandparents.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Darcy Sherwood and Jody Vasquez are Galileo's parents

 

 

 

 And, here's the little man, a Halloween Pumpkin, Galileo B. Sherwood!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Leche League friends

Friends for life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many, if not all of us La Leche League Leaders feel that we have made some of our most endearing and enduring friendships though LLL.

In 1986, after returning to Virginia after a Foreign Service posting (my husband is now a retired Foreign Service Officer). Since I was already an accredited LLL Leader I was asked to take over for the LLL Group in Sterling, Virginia.

I made some lifelong friends there. A few of whom became LLL Leaders themselves. We all had small children or babies when we first met in 1986. I was pregnant with my fourth baby.

These ladies have not only been dear friends over the years, but helped me though the difficulties of having my fifth child two months early while living in China.

I came back to Virginia with the baby and my three year old. They helped me take care of the older child so I could take care of my baby. One of these moms was a milk donor when I was not able to make enough milk to feed my baby.

Today, the four of us had lunch together. We shared memories and laughs. And all of us are now grandmothers! Yes we shared pictures of our grand babies too.

I am grateful to La Leche League for too many reasons to list. Having such wonderful, lifelong friends is certainly one of the reasons!

 

 

 

 

 

No Kings Day #2

 In June we attended a demonstration called "No Kings Day"  Then, this month there was another "No Kings Day".  We attended this one today.   There were probably twice as many people as the last one.   

The rhetoric from the Republicans had me a bit worried that there might be some safety/   security concerns.  I considered leaving all jewelry at home.  I wore my medic alert bracelet.  But alas, all was calm.  There was energy, but it peaceful energy.  

There was music starting off with the Star Spangled Banner.  What a great way to start everything. We were/ are a peaceful bunch of people who just want to see our country turn around and stop the corruption of the current administration before he (Trump) destroys our democracy.

Nick and I went to Michael's and bought blank white t-shirts and some iron-on transfer sheets.  Then we had to figure out how to print the things we wanted and make them come out the right way instead of backward.   They came out pretty nice, I think! 

 

Back of Nick's shirt

 

 

Nancy with Charlie to my right

Nick

Charlie and Martha Wheeler

Front graphic of my shirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A dream is a wish your heart makes

The dream song is a song from the Disney movie Cinderella.   

But I think it works as a sort of bucket/ wish list song too.

I am so often dreaming- day dreaming that is, about what I wish I could do.  Or want to do.   

When we had a houseful of kids my life was full of laundry, cleaning house, taking someone/ everyone somewhere.  Dentist appointments and later the orthodontist.  Doctor appointments for well visits sometimes and more likely sick visits.   School activities.  Band.  Sports. Friends houses.   Visiting my friends for coffee and play groups

Easter egg hunts! And visits to the zoo!

 

 

The kid's friends were often at our house and we would have a mob at the dinner table.   And honestly, I mostly enjoyed it.  Sometimes, at least in my memories, I loved it.   

All five kids accompanied me to La Leche League meetings when they were young and still nursing.

 

 

But I am guessing that at least once a day I would wish for some down time.  Time to sew or knit or read a book, or watch TV alone.  It was a lot!  

I am glad that when I remember and when I write about it I am not feeling overwhelmed, but wistful and happy.   

All those kids.  Busy, bored, unhappy, dirty, demanding and rewarding.  All rolled up in one.   I wished for kids.  Babies.  Children who challenged my patience and endurance and intellect too.

 I credit La Leche League (LLL) with helping me raise my family, not go crazy, have friends to vent to.  And wonderful lifetime friends to grow old with.  Besides my husband and my sister, the most meaningful relationships I have are with women I have met through LLL 

And now all of the kids are grown and independent and it's just me and Nick and Carol (my sister)

 

 

 

And what do I dream about now?  I dream about visiting all of the places in the world where we have lived.   I have friends in some of those places who I would love to see and visit with for a while.

I wonder which of the houses we lived in are still standing?  I know that our house in Tromsø is still there and the one in Perth, Western Australia.  I think that the house we lived in when we were in Poland is still there.  The two homes we had in Thailand, one in Bangkok and actually 2 in Chiang Mai, Thailand are most likely gone.  Taiwan and China?   Somehow I don't feel the same emotional pull to those homes.

I also, more realistically, want to visit each of the kids in their homes!

 Of course the biggest dream, to be a grandmother, did come true!