Ten years ago today, on the Fall Color Trip, we started out from Sunnyside Farm near Lomira, Wisconsin and drove up the east side of Lake Winnebago through orchard and farm county. We headed up U.S. 41, through Green Bay to the twin cities of Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan.
One of the side goals of the fall color trip was to show me the country church where I had been baptized in in the late 1940's. Dad guided us out to Center Emmanuel United Methodist Church, on Hample Road north of Appleton, to see the church. Dad has amazing built in GPS skills, so it was easy to find the church, even though so many of the landmarks had changed.
Dad served this church (and two others) while he and Mom lived in Appleton. He was attending college at Lawrence in Appleton and also at Oshkosh. He told us that his salary at this first parish was $1200 per year. We lived in a small white frame house on West Wisconsin Avenue, a house that I have no memory of whatsoever. The stop at Center church brought memories for Mom and Dad. They entertained us with stories about their early years of being parents and serving small churches around Appleton.
I also seem to remember that Dad said that I was baptized three times on that Sunday long ago, once in each church that he preached in. Thrice blessed that day, I might be wrong about this memory. Dad will have to corroborate my story sometime. It sort of makes sense -- a young pastor wanting to please three congregations, so the little head would be sprinkled three times in three places. Not a bad entry into faith life, I would think.
We got gas and went shopping for groceries, chocolates and quilt fabric (of course) in Menominee, Michigan. Our travel records show that we drove 178 miles that day, stopping at J.W. Wells State Park, north of Menominee on M-35, along the shore of Green Bay.
The cool fall air felt good so we ate supper outside. Our meal was corn chowder, toast, fresh red grapes and s'mores by the fire. My notes remind me that Val did not like burnt marshmallows. I'm recollecting that my chowder recipe of choice back then was the cheesy chicken chowder that I often make with shredded deli turkey, a bit of bacon, corn, and shredded parmesan.
A thunderstorm brought ran and wind during the night but we were comfy and cozy in our rented RV. Ed slept in the bunk above the cab. I had a pullout sofa. Mom and Dad got the bed. We had a stove and frig and good food. We were on our way to an adventure, seeking autumn leaves and wondrous sights in the Northland.
Tomorrow's blog post: Tuesday -- J.W. Wells to Tahquamenon
Copyright 2012
Wanda Hayes Eichler
Wanda, this post highlights the importance of diaries, journals, blogs, etc. to keep track of the memories. Unless, of course, you have the built-in memory bank like Dad!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Heidi. I'm finding that even a messy, ill kept, sometimes-written-in-sometimes-not log or diary is better than no records at all. I try to date everything with day, year, month and day of week.
ReplyDeleteI started a three ring binder for this trip in 2002. I had sheet protectors and thought Mom and I could put everything in order. Well, Mom enjoyed pulling the tourism flyers and maps out to look at them. She had lost the ability to organize by day, so things got scrambled quickly. So we shuffled maps and read and reread pamphlets during the drive. I knew the dementia was coming, but didn't realize the extent of it already.
But we had a good time! Just because you can't remember is no reason to claim loss.
I wonder if there are spaces in the brain/mind that become calmer when memory goes. After all, the best part of coming to forgiveness in life is forgetting what it is that you thought so important to forgive.
Maybe she was blessed to have that space back. Sort of like a hard drive that is defragged and renewed.
thanks for recounting! it's fun to hear about your trip!
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