"Magruder Family Week"

The first week of July will be very special for us. Walter and I are taking vacation from work so that we can spend time with Wes and Leah and the girls. They are in the country on a three-month furlough from Cameroon.

Tonight they arrive from Georgia at DFW. They will be staying at a lovely house in East Plano, provided just for missionaries on furlough, by the First Baptist Church, where Leah's parents are members. Anna & Sean and Wayne & Stacy will be coming to town too, so we will have one great big party! Even Walter's niece, Karen, will be coming and we will get to meet her new baby, Andreya. So there is much excitement around our house.

Wes and Leah will be speaking in various Methodist churches. On Monday, July 9, at 7 pm we will have an open house at our place for anyone who wants to be sure to see them while they are here. Everyone is welcome. Just let me know if you think you can come.

Guess Who

Here are two characters. Can you guess who they are? The clues to the first are the chicken apron and the red hat. The clues for the second are the bald head and the loud tie!

The Hall of Faith

Recently the children in my Wednesday Night Children's Church class made this portrayal of the "Hall of Faith" from Hebrews 11. This chapter is referred to as the "faith chapter" because it defines faith and gives examples of people in the Old Testament who exemplified faith. The children have made the Bible characters from yogurt shake bottles with ping pong ball heads and chenille wire arms. Their dress provides a clue as to the Bible character they represent. For examples, David has a sling-shot in his hand and five little stones in his pocket, and Noah has a dove in his hand. All of these were noted for their believing God, which was revealed by their resulting actions.

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice...." (Heb.11:4)

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death...." (Heb. 11:5)

"By faith Noah...prepared an ark for the saving of his house...." (Heb. 11:7)

"By faith Abraham...obeyed and went out, not knowing whither he went." (Heb. 11:8)

And Hebrews mentions more: Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephtha, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through their faith received from God a good report.

The end of the chapter concludes with the thought that all of these Bible characters will not receive their reward for faith without US! We too can be listed in God's Hall of Faith. All that we need to do is simply believe God. Trust Him. Make our faith an active verb in our life. Just believe what God says and act like it, period. You may not be in anyone's Hall of Fame, but you can be in God's Hall of Faith. Have you ever deliberately chosen to believe God?

Antique Tools Auction

If you follow my blog at all, you know that in April I was in Ohio for the first of several auctions of my dad's things. Dad's "stuff" filled four buildings--tools, collections, antiques, junk. Well, the first auction was of tools.

The second auction, on May 31, was the sale of antique tools. Again, Anna and I were present to help my brother--mostly we help with moral support, as he does most of the real preparatory work of sorting--he and the auctioneer workers, that is. Well, the sale began at 4:30 pm on that Thursday, estimated to take about three hours. It actually went over four hours. The auctioneers finished just before dark.

The sale had been well advertised. There were some collectors from out of state.The fellow in the orange shirt was from Tennessee. He arrived at 10 am to look things over, consult his books and "do his homework" so that he would be ready to make intelligent bids.

Anna got in on the action this time. She signed up to get her "number" so she could be a bidder. When she saw that the last of the wooden levels were going for $5 she got herself one. She chose one with Dad's initials painted on it. Most likely it was one he actually had used himself. So she took home to Oregon in her suitcase this prized memento of her grandfather.

Then she began to bid on a leather bag of leather-working tools. When the price had run up to $40, Anna said no. But when the auctioneer egged her on with "Aah, come on, Anna." she capitulated. As soon as the auctioneer said, "Sold!" the fellow against whom she had been bidding came over to her and asked to see the contents of the bag. He purchased some of the awls from Anna and both ended up happy with what they got.

The auction was a success and we felt good about it. There is more to come, to be announced.

Claridon High School Alumni Banquet

Special Speaker

Some of us from the class of 1960

Anna with her Uncle John

Claridon High School Class of 1957

The date of my high school alumni banquet fell on the same weekend that I was in Ohio for the auction, so I was delighted to attend. Here are some pictures.

The first one is of John's "Claridon Hornets" letter jacket, which he took to display together with some school trophies, memorabilia of his class, and scrapbooks my mother had carefully put together for him during high school. I well remember our football, basketball and track competitions. I can still hear "Claridon High School, Claridon High School, we will win tonight! Your success means happiness, so come on, boys, let's fight, fight, fight, fight." And yelling "Two, four, six eight, who do we appreciate? Claridon, Claridon, Claridon!" John also brought the original school alarm bell (used to announce the time to change classes) which Dad had appropriated when the school was torn down.

The second is a picture of the spunky little old lady who was the featured speaker at the banquet. She was a hoot--talking about country life and experiences as a farm wife. She kept me laughing so much that I just had to purchase one of her books!

One picture includes the members of my class of 1960, who sat at one table.

Another is a group picture of John's class of 1957, which celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. John invited Anna (and me) to tag along to their class reunion luncheon that noon so that Anna could be their photographer! I enjoyed the occasion as much as or more than anyone else in the room, as I knew all of John's classmates too.

Unloading Hay

On the Friday evening Anna and I were down at my brother John's place where there was a trailer load of hay bales ready to be unloaded into the horse barn. "We can help!" we eagerly volunteered. What fun we had ! We felt like real farm girls! We finished just as it was turning dark. We were rewarded with a bumpy "hay ride"around the barnyard on the empty hay trailer.

A Three Generation Picture

Here is a mother-daughter-granddaughter picture of Anna and me with Mom at the care center. Mom is really pleased to get company, and we were so glad to be able to see her again. It was just a month prior when we last visited her.

My favorite necktie!

Take a look at this tie. Isn't it just the best! Wayne and Stacy found it and sent it to me on Mothers Day. Walter and I fight over it. He wore it to church Sunday, but it is really mine to do with as I please! I couldn't bear to cut it up to make something from it, though, so I might as well let him wear it. Ha ha.

From dollar bill to headgear

Here is Pastor Jesse, one of our pastors at the church picnic wearing a chicken hat! I got the idea for these brown paper hats from the dollar bill chickens I like to make. I often fold a bill to give as a gift. I have included here the dollar-bill folding instructions. You can make the chicken from any size or color paper, retaining the proportions of a dollar bill.

Happy Anniversary to us!

The day after tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. (By the way, it's also Flag Day.) Forty-three years ago on a hot, humid afternoon, in the grange hall in West Jefferson, Ohio, Walter and I said "I do," and committed ourselves to one another! Here is an anniversary card we received from some precious Albuquerque friends! Ellen makes her own cards with rubber stamps, and I love this one!