Family Reunion - Reinert Style

Every 5 or so years we have it. The big Reinert reunion. People come from Texas, Idaho, Washington state, Virginia, Colorado and more to St. Joseph, Missouri where Emma and Henry Reinert, German Lutheran immigrants, met and began a family. They raised 7 children and one grand-daughter - my mother. The Reinert brothers were stone masons - built some of the precious few walls still standing in old St Joe today. They had a signature way to lay cement so that it looked like a neat little roll between the stones. I remember playing on this wall and above the old green garage doors as a child. Better yet so does my mom - she played cafe and pretended to put dishes between the stone pillars! Even still more significant, my Grandmother used to tell me how she played on the stone wall above the garage. It seemed to all of us quite magnificant at the time.
We watch our kids grow up, our parents grow old and feel the sting of our grandparents departing this life. Yet we gather. We eat and - well - we sing. We sing German beer drinking songs and patriotic songs. We talk about God and who looks good and what fortunes (or misfortunes) each of our lives has held since last we gathered. We want to continue to meet - even though we are worlds apart and don't write or visit. We embrace with great joy and deep memories of childhood and camaraderie of heritage. There are a few left who actually remember Henry and Emma. There are many to come who will have the joy of belonging that they created.

My dear dear Marsha.The first cousins still living with only a few missing.

Memory Chocolates

I have this special little box. It contains my memory chocolates - very delicate ones at that. My daughter Christy made them. When Emma was a baby, she made these cute little journals with her personal little flair designing them. She then thought about all the things she would find interesting to ask her grandmother, her auntie, her mother - the kind of interesting things that bring floods of memories to old minds and fires up the emotions long put to bed. They came in a little box that looked like Christy's paper garden cut into little printed question strips of delightful-as-chocolate surprises - cut with pinking sheers of course.

It was a mother's day gift to all of us older women in Emma's life. The point was to share our memories with Emma in our journal. I decided to write in it over the years. Every now and then I remember it, and sneak it from the cupboard for a moment of memory delight. I pull out a question and answer it. I think it is much more a gift to me than Emma. I saved the left side of the page for Emma - someday, I hope she can fill it with all her memories of Grandma and say I think this is much more a gift to me than Grandma.

Farewell Senator Helms

Okay - so I am blatantly pro-life. Jesse Helms died today - God rest his soul. He was a champion and a bull dog - maybe a sheep dog - if you know what I mean. Women being led to the slaughter......

When I was a young mom - about 33 years old, I spoke at a conference in Chicago with Jesse Helms and other well known pro-life figures. I spoke many places so my memory is a bit fuzzy. Could have been other famous folks there like the once Surgeon General Dr. Koop, could have been Jean Garton, and others. But I do remember the bigger than life - no holds barred Jesse Helms. We walked down the hall together from the speakers room to the guest table among paparazzi and body guards. He was towering and my pace could not keep up without a near run. A reporter bent down and asked us to stop for a photo shot. He looked at me and said, "Got a good one of the two of you." Then Senator Helms turned and winked at me as he said to the reporter," I'll take an 8x10 glossy - always want a photo with a pretty lady."

The conference went on and we all did our speaking bit. Never will forget Jesse Helms! He is one of my heros!

Old English Rose

I am generally not too girly-girl. But there are things I like. Such as tea parties - especially with little girls, and big/little girls like my daughter and daughters-in-law.When I was 4 years old we lived in west Texas just outside Santa Ana, some dusty old cowboy town with horse railings in front of the Piggly Wiggly. Once in a while there were horses hitched up. We often stayed in the car with Dad while Mom shopped. Anyway - back to the tea party.

One sweltering summer afternoon my mom called my in from baking my mud, figs and mulberriy pie on a hot rock behind the house. She had a tea party set up in the garage with a table cloth, real china cups, some cookies and my dolls. I will never forget it.

About 12 years ago, visiting my husband's parents, I saw a beautiful teacup peaking out of the overstuffed cupboard. "Mom!" I said, "Where did you get those!" I grabbed a cup as though I were 4, delighted and in awe of such a surprise find. "Oh, Vi had so many of them in her house, she gave me that set because I was admiring it." Vi was one of those odd cousins who collected stuff - good stuff - antique stuff and had it everywhere in about 4 homes from Iowa to Wisconsin to Chicago. "Have you used the set?" I asked secretly hoping the question would encourage her to put on some tea. "Oh heavens, no." There's nothing but boys around here.

It was silent for a few minutes, we both realized we were alone because the "boys" had gone to the Hardware store. Without a word she put on the tea kettle, I grabbed two saucers and two cups, from the cupboard delighted at their delicate beauty, a couple of tea bags and sugar. We shoved the mail, the newspapers and a pair of gloves to the side to make room at the table.

We sat, poured our tea and admired the cups. She giggled and shared stories of her youth. Now my mother-in-law was a talker by anyone's standards and she talked the tea kettle cold! I saw her young and beautiful, full of dreams. I saw her in dispair with baby Timmy who died as an infant. I saw her a young mom, trying to work full time, cook, clean, keep house and be a mom without the conveniences we have today. It was a special moment for us.

We don't have much from Wisconsin and his parents who have both passed away. We live so far, it isn't practical to have much. But I have the tea set. Royal Albert Old English Rose.




Here is Betty Burke Bucklew at 17 years old. What a cutie she was!

Reflections

No one makes me feel safer than Daddy. No one comforts me like Mommy. After a long travel day home from vacation, he carries me into the house late at night and Mommy tucks me in as I sleepily groan to the pleasure of my own bed.

He takes me to my first day at college, making sure my dorm has all the necessities of life and my purse has enough cash for a week of snacks. Mommy hugs me extra long.

Daddy sends me cash because I hitchhiked somewhere and can't get home. Mommy waits on the couch and hears me sneak in as dawn is breaking because she wants me to be safe - not just to catch me.

I tell my new husband, "I don't want to do that without asking Dad." and I wonder will I ever trust my husband the way I trust my Dad? I fall on the floor of Mom's house as she gladly takes the baby, makes the supper, cleans up and let's me rest - free of responsibility for just one evening and I am glad she is my Mom!

Dad buys us steak and lobster. We devour the moment, my husband and I, as we spent a week eating peanut butter and jelly to buy gas to visit.

We share Christmas with them, so happy to pay for all the groceries ourselves and have nice gifts for them to. Really nice surprises. What a joy. They let us do it and we are glad.

We go out to eat on a random Saturday and my husband grabs the check at the restaurant and we insist on paying. We want to honor them. It is our turn we say.

We clean out the spare room and bring their bed over. We get an electric chair to make getting up easier. It's only temporary we say. And here we are. I know they are going back home in August when Dad's broken shoulder gets better, but I also know a part of me doesn't want them to go. I thought this would be hard. It's not. It is natural and I want my dad to feel safe and to comfort my mom.

Natalie

My grand neice and darling doing her first crawl

The Month of May

My blogability has been next to nothing these past few weeks. I am full of the stuff of life, like going to Andrew's piano recital, cooking out, cleaning the house for company and working. I have had some abnormal stuff though. Abnormalities are like the dust balls of life. Suddenly they are everywhere and you spend your time chasing them around the house on a windy day with the windows open trying to collect them with a broom and dustpan. They allude you!


So in picturama - here is my last few weeks.



Decorations for my parents' 60th anniversary party. Nine shopping days, 27 stores, 32 trips (some stores took two trips) and $101.32.

Still trying to plant the perfect flowers. Every pot in the yard has something dying in it. The impatiens were very cute - until Jack the terrier (or terror) chased lizards through the pots. But, in consolation, he did bring me part of the lizard - right to my pillow.






Ebbie, my darling little mini Schnauzer. She was spayed last month. This week she chewed an eyeball off a stuffed fish, threw up 14 times in one day, Memorial Day, when no vet is open, so we had the distinct pleasure of giving the Pet ER our business again. She had surgery to remove the eyeball which was stuck in her intestine. Not feeling too good - I would say. I am cooking chicken and rice for her for several days. Cooking only rice for me- after paying the bill!

Pool screen finally gave way. New screen goes up- but thankfully the day before company comes in. So much for our savings.

So therefore, blogging has not been on my mind. I do look forward to days of family - spending time with my brothers and their families. I think I will yodel.