Saturday, September 18, 2010

Cousin is Comin'!


Thank you so much for all of your care and prayer. It is deeply felt and appreciated. It is such a privilege to "know" all of you. The road will be long and tiresome, but two good things have happened, and we know we'll persevere and make it through.

The picture of the dahlia the other day didn't do it justice - it continued to get more beautiful, so I had to update you -




My only rose bush produces the most lovely blooms all summer and into the fall - and they all look a bit different. So gorgeous.





We thought our two hibiscus plants were gone, but the white one came back and bloomed, and the red one is coming up, too - just not in time to bloom this year.




When I went to the Annual Trial Flower Garden, we spotted flowers like these - I can't recall the name, but they feel like paper. I came home and discovered we had some in our yard. Anybody know what they are?






I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my cousin who is a missionary in Mali, Africa will be coming to visit - Monday. It will be her first visit to Colorado ever. We've been trying to coordinate this visit for many years of furloughs (now called home leave).

If you've been with me since the beginning of blog time, you may remember this story and these pictures. I can't find the earlier post, or I would just re-run it. Ann grew up in Africa, the daughter of my uncle who just died in July. We only saw our cousins every four years, but it never seemed like that much time had elapsed when they came home. We usually didn't get to see them very much during their year home, because we lived far away from Minnesota, where they always stayed. Christmas was always very special at Grandma Swanson's house.

When we were all in high school, my sister and I had a great time getting better acquainted with Ann. Someone had sent her a subscription for Co-Ed Magazine way over there in Africa. Does anybody remember this magazine? I remember getting it through home ec. class and really enjoying it. Ann had written a letter to the editor, asking for some fashion advice for her year in America. She wanted to fit in at school. Unbelievably, they met her at the airport in NYC and did a makeover and did lovely story about her for the September, 1965 issue. I loved showing it off at school!

I think you'll be able to read the article and see the pictures better if you double click.







After this furlough, we rather lost touch with each other. I'm not sure why - we all went to college, got married, had kids, and got very involved in our adult lives. We never did correspond by mail for some reason, and that didn't change, unfortunately. It must have been about 15 years ago when Vicki and I took a trip to Minnesota to visit her while she was home, and to meet her husband and children. It was amazing how at home we felt with each other - as if we had seen each other regularly over these many years.

We finally began keeping in touch at least once in awhile, by e-mail of course. Then she got a good phone plan and we talked over the many miles and it sounded as if she were next door. We still didn't get together often, but we felt so close. We had things in common, not specifically, but generally - the fact that we had children going through rough stuff.

I shared recently about our time together in Minnesota after her dad's funeral. We sat in Chili's eating and talking, totally oblivious to the fact that we were in the path of a tornado - until we looked up and saw the rain going horizontally outside the restaurant window. Our families had been frantically trying to reach us, but we didn't hear our phones ringing in our purses. When it settled down outside, we asked a waitress to take our picture, then we headed for our respective places - she took me to her brother's house, where I was staying, and she headed to her apartment, home for the few months she's in the U.S.




Ann and her husband, Larry, are out most week-ends sharing their message with churches all over the country. We feel so privileged that she has carved out some time for us. I'll let you know what we did after I know!


16 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

First...love the Autumn decor you have on your blog 'dress'!!

And the flowers?! Wow, so very very pretty. Ours are not so well right now because of the intense heat but they should be perking up again in about another two weeks or so.

I just KNOW you'll have a time of your life with your cousin! And I look forward to reading all about it when the time comes you post about it.

Have a glorious Sunday Dawn. Sunday Dawn.....I like the sound of that. LOL

Karen H. said...

Good Morning Dawn, I love all of your flowers. They are just so beautiful. My favorite flower is a Rose and then Tulips. I have a miniature Rose bush my Mom gave me earlier this year and it bloomed for a while, but after the hot and dry summer we have had, i think it may have died. I hope you will have a great time with your Cousin and I am looking forward to reading about it and seeing pictures also. Hope you have a most wonderful and blessed Sunday dear friend. Take care and GOD Bless.

XOXOXOXO
Karen H.

Gigi said...

Always love your flower photos!!

Enjoy your time with your cousin...I wish I was closer to my family, but we just never have been.

Midlife Mom said...

What fun you will have with your cousin!!! You will pick up as if you didn't miss a beat! I had not heard of that magazine, I guess Seventeen Magazine was what we all read way back then.

My dahlias did absolutely nothing this summer. It was just too hot and dry for them. I planted about 10 bags of bulbs and have had only a few blossoms which immediately turn brown. Oh well, there's always next year.

Will keep praying for you unspoken request. I do hope things resolve themselves soon.

Glad that fire wasn't near your home. How frightening!! One reason we are putting in more roads on our property is so that we have good fire protection. If we hadn't had the main carriage road in a couple years ago when that man started a fire out back we would have lost a lot more on our property.

We must get our plan together soon. I don't blame you for not wanting to go to Freeport, it is just shopping outlets and of course LL Bean. Are you planning to spend any nights at Baxter? It is quite cool here now and the leaves are starting to change. At Baxter there should be more color then here. Are you planning to climb any of the mountain?

Well my granddaughter and a friend are coming over to play with the horses so I guess I should change out of my church clothes!

Linda said...

Your blog looks so beautiful Dawn. It makes me long for cooler days.
I'm so glad your cousin is going to have time to spend with you. I know you will enjoy every minute of it.
Praying for you dear friend and asking that you pray for an unspoken request from me as well.

someone else said...

If you go to the top of your blog bar and search the words Ann in Africa, you'll find your posts about her.

nancygrayce said...

OH, dear.....everyone is changing their blogs for fall....everyone except me that is. Your's is so pretty.

It's a privilege to pray for you and your family I feel sure you'll see more and more good come.

What a story about your cousin. I guess it pays to write letters to magazines....although these days, I'd be afraid of a makeover! :)

Hope your week is great!

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

That was such a wonderful post to read! Enjoy visiting with your cousin.

Needled Mom said...

Your flowers are just lovely, Dawn. That dahlia has to be my favorite!!!

What an interesting article that was. That was such a special gift. I do not remember the magazine.

You will have a fabulous time with your cousin. I can't wait to read what you guys did. You mentioned a Grandma Swanson in MN. My husband's family were Swedish immigrants to MN and were Svensons who became Swansons here in America. Since everyone in the small town was a Swanson (and loggers)they changed it to what we are now. Interesting. I wonder if there is some relation there.

Glenda said...

Beautiful dahlias! Love those colors! I'm trying to catch up with my blogger friends and just read of your unspoken prayer request. I will be praying. I sense your deep trust in God - the God who has brought you through so many trials. He will not fail you now - but you KNOW that already! Hope you enjoy your visit with your cousin and make lots of good memories!

Sam said...

I'm going to got back now and read that article about fashion. I love things like that! So fun!

I hope you have a wonderful visit. Sounds like you two have an amazing connection, no matter how much time passes between visits. I hope you'll write a bit about the work she does in Africa. It must be so interesting and fulfilling.

grammy said...

Such great pictures of flowers...so pretty.
I love that you got to visit with your cousin... how great that must have been to visit with her. I wanted to go to Africa so bad when I was a kid. Never knew it would be my kids that would travel the world (though no one has made it there). Now I think it would just be to hot to even enjoy. Hope things are better in your life.

Carole Burant said...

Your flowers are so beautiful. I have four rose bushes and only 2 actually produced a few roses and then nothing when they usually bloom all summer long. I think the lack of snow this past winter affected them, usually they're covered in snow and that protects them from the cold weather.

I can well imagine how excited you are about Ann's upcoming visit! No doubt there will be a lot of catching up on news until the wee hours of the morning! lol I thought that was so neat how she had written to that magazine and got a makeover because of it when she was younger:-)

I'm loving your blog's Fall decor, beautiful!! xoxo

Hootin Anni said...

I'm back...didn't want y'all to miss this post today.....

My Watery photos are about the 'disaster area' in town during a day long rainstorm. Click Here if you'd care to join me today with your visit when time allows.

Ms. Kathleen said...

How wonderful to meet up with your cousin after all this time. I know you will have a blast catching up.

Your flowers are so gorgeous. They are such a gift from Heaven aren't they.

HUGS!

Sharon Lynne said...

Have fun with your cousin!

Sorry to hear about the long road you must take. I will keep you in my prayers.

Its been hard here too. I haven't had the time or emotion to post.

I think I'll put in a little note tonight tho.