Happy Birthday Grandma!

In Honor of My Grandma, Norma Einck

On Her 90^th Birthday

March 28, 2016

Ninety years have come and gone

Since my "Grandma Einck" entered the world.

The daughter of Walter and Mabel Koch,

She grew to be a beautiful young girl.

As a girl in her teens she soon fell in love

And stole my grandfather's heart

Though for three years or so, during World War II

They were many miles apart.

She said she wrote letters to him every day

That were signed with a spritz of cologne.

Her words and her fragrance, I tend to believe

Helped her soldier to feel less alone.

As war turned to peace and my grandpa came home,

My grandma was swept off her feet.

Within a few days, they were husband and wife

And each of their hearts were complete.

Soon this beautiful young girl became a fine mom

With four daughters to shower with love.

She lead by example as a hardworking wife

And a woman they’re very proud of!

As her granddaughter (myself now a wife and a mother),

That's where my story begins.

As my childhood memories, found deep in my heart

Take me back through the years once again…

Holidays and birthdays and fresh pumpkin pie,

Goulash - enough for a crowd,

Walks in the field with a long crooked stick

Past a garden that's been freshly plowed.

In the dark snuggled up to the warmth of her robe

As her hands scratched my back in the night,

The smell of fresh popcorn still hung in the air

In a room filled with soft TV light.

Recently, I stopped to visit a bit

And brought my daughter along –

A beautiful young girl, like her Great-Grandma Einck,

Proud to carry her legacy on.

The Dance of My Farmer

I hear him rising with the sun

(Most mornings long before)

To a song and dance of rituals

That send him out the door.

There’s a tempo and a rhythm

To the way he spends his days.

While the weather keeps him on his toes,

His step picks up the pace.

Spring writes poetry in motion as

His tractor makes each round.

He sews a quilted landscape

Tucking seeds into the ground.

He admires each and every row -

Shows concern for every seed.

He has hopes to grow a bumper crop

But nothing’s guaranteed.

His days are at the mercy

Of the choices made by God,

Yet he keeps a faithful outlook

Though at times it must be hard.

Soon autumn paints a picture

On his canvas made of dirt

And the sunset adds a glaze

As he harvests his art work.

Each night his eyes grow heavy

Like the setting of the sun

And he longs to waltz to dreamland

When his busy day is done.

I’m enamored of his passion.

It’s romantic - like a poem.

And he gently takes my hand

When he finally dances home.


© [Kendra Kleve] [2015] [All Rights Reserved].

They Call It Writer's Block

They call it writer’s block …

 I call it too much on my mind, too much going on, and too many emotions in my heart.

You may have noticed that I haven’t written a blog post for quite awhile.  Of course, I have had a number of thoughts and potential ideas over the past (many) months, but I have not been able to put any of them into words quite yet.

Instead of writing blogs, my thoughts have evolved into prayers – a few more than usual.  To put it into words, my prayers have consisted of the following: 

·         Usual expressions of gratitude for my many, many blessings

·         For the health and safety of my children and all my family members

·         For the happiness of my children

·         For bonding moments with my children – I love every moment!

·         For the South Winneshiek Baseball team – District Championships and State Championships

·         For guidance in changing times

·         For understanding when life may throw curve balls

·         For MIRACLES – both LARGE and small

·         And for peace, grace and strength for all.

This morning, as the sun rose amid a heated cloud of fog, I sat on my porch sipping my usual morning coffee.  I contemplated writing a blog and I managed a few words of prayer.  But then my mind went quiet.  I sat there in the peace of the morning as the prominent chirping of nearby birds crowded out any thoughts that may have arose.    

For right now I have nothing more to say. 

Peace, grace, strength, and blessings for all who need them …     

Families Are Forever

The hours of my son's senior year have been ticking by, seemingly 24 at a time, simultaneously rolling each day into a new month as graduation day looms just ahead in the coming spring.  I have to admit, I have been struggling with the realization that my eldest son is about to leap from the shelter of his childhood home, while my youngest daughter is hanging on his coat tails just three years shy of each milestone.  Recently, I framed Christian's new senior portrait and Karissa's latest school photo from her Freshman year.  Next, I needed to find a good spot to hang them...

Early this morning, as the weather was such that my husband would be spending the day in the field, and morning hadn't quite dawned enough to wake my children, I wandered around my living room, coffee cup in hand, quietly adoring the decorations and photographs already on display.  A variety of frames lining the cedar chest and end tables throughout the room caught my eye.  I picked up a photo of my grandparents and admired it with respect.  I carefully tucked it back into its place amid a variety of other frames containing random family snapshots, portraits of grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles and aunts, and even a few ancestors from longer ago.  Taking a sip of my coffee, I glanced around the room.  Many walls in my house had been rearranged, even remodeled, in recent years; but one wall in my living room had remained the same for over five years.  The arrangement still displayed an assortment of sizes and poses of my husband and I with the kids taken by a professional photographer in early 2009.  My finger tested for dust from the top of one of the frames as I reminisced of the days when my children were much younger.  Their big grins in one of the photographs reminded me of the funny comment my husband had made that day to encourage them to smile.  The assortment of frames and photos in various sizes and shapes hung in a carefully designed arrangement on the wall.  Strategically placed amid the frames were three sticky-backed, calligraphy style words stating "Families ... Are ... Forever ... "   I tenderly tipped one of the frames to assure it was straight, then I stepped back to admire the arrangement one final time.

I thoughtfully recalled the day that I hung them.  My mother had come over to help me eyeball the inches and move them by "tishes" to the left or right before pounding each nail into the wall.  As my mother and I hung each frame, I hid a secret from her, that the reason I needed to get the photos hung “asap” was because my brothers were both coming home (and bringing my soon-to-be-future-sister-in-law).  We had been planning a surprise 60th birthday party in her honor and she couldn't know that they were going to be spending the entire day at my house before we surprised her at the golf course that night.  Little did I know that it would turn out to be the last time I would host both of my brothers at my house for a Bohr-sibling gathering.

With that memory, I timidly gathered the photos off the wall, leaving only random nails and a variety of scuffs, scratches and marks giving proof to the length of time the arrangement had been displayed.  In the morning light, I stared at the now glaringly empty wall.  The words  "Families ... Are ... Forever" suddenly stood out even more distinctly, and the stark emptiness gave me an eerie feeling as it screamed out into the quiet of the living room.  Tightening my robe in a bit of a hug, I pondered the method I should use to remove the nails, fill the holes, and erase the marks and words from the wall.  I wondered if I would have to repaint.

In the meantime, I took a moment to admire the newly framed portraits of the kids that I was hoping to display.  Amazement and pride overwhelmed me as I noticed how Christian's once baby face had been replaced by handsome manly features, and Karissa's bright blue eyes, perfectly adorned with makeup, made her a woman of striking beauty.  Gazing at each portrait, I finally decided to hang them on a couple of the old nails that remained in the wall, just to get a feel for how I would possibly want to arrange the new display.  Once I hung them on the wall, I was astonished to find that with just a few nail adjustments, the new photographs of my children would fit perfectly amid those original, small but prominent words "Families ... Are ... Forever".

As I studied the new, still haphazard arrangement, a sense of peace came over me.  I was suddenly filled with metaphors on the grand design of life.  I realized that just as the arrangement of photographs will be replaced by newer, even better photographs of the very same family members, so our family lives are only primed to get better.  The scuffs, scratches and marks that we acquired through the years, will always remain as subtle reminders of where our experiences have taken us.  Just as some photos are eventually taken down and stowed away in special cedar chests or drawers, so the days of Christian’s and Karissa's childhoods will always be found in my memories, along with those of my own early years, tucked tenderly inside my heart.  

As my thoughts and the memories carried me away, I found myself  intrigued by the fact that the new frames happened to fit excellently among the words that had originally been cut to fit the earlier and much different design.  That was when it hit me.  As my children make their way toward adulthood, it is true, our daily lives will never be quite the same -- but our lives will not be ending and my job as their mother will never be complete.  The arrangement of our day-to-day will definitely be taking on a new form in coming years, as each member sets out to follow their own path in life.   However, it is comforting to know that, no matter how we may arrange it, despite the paths, miles and sunsets that may separate us, the grand design of our family, like those perfectly stated words, will always remain.  I know in my heart, that "Families ... REALLY Are .... and ALWAYS WILL BE .... Forever!" 

It Takes Teamwork to Win Championships

I recently read a quote from a fellow baseball mom that went something like this:  "It takes talent to win games, but it takes teamwork and determination to win championships!"  And that is just what the South Winneshiek Warriors' Baseball Team is accomplishing this year.  As the mom of one of the members of the team (the catcher) I couldn't be more proud.

 

The Warriors definitely have a number of talented players!  Every position is filled by at least one talented player with qualified skills.   But talent alone, can not win championships.  It takes a team -- a team with spirit, heart and dedication!  This group of guys has all of those things!  They share a history and a friendship filled with memories and even a few superstitions.  They have been playing together since they were very young.  They know each others' talents (and weaknesses) and they know how to work together and motivate each other with their friendship.  As children, they competed against each other in little league, learned to work together during their early year's of travel teams, and even enjoyed getting a glimpse of how far they could go by competing  in the Iowa Games a number of years ago.  These boys really WANT to play baseball - and truly love the game.  They even practice during the off-season -- not because they are told to, but because they are eager to play the game!  The team has a unique depth of players on the bench -- a smaller group than many, but the bench is lined with special teammates with years of dedication and loyalty, a few with up and coming talent, and even those who just want to be part of the team! 

 

The Warriors are blessed with the opportunity to learn from talented and open minded coaches who guide the boys with experience, knowledge and skill while allowing them to lead themselves when the time is just right.  And then there are the team's devoted fans -- fellow classmates, dedicated family members, loyal community members and even a group of girls who "love their baseball guys"!     

 

As one of the devoted fans, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching each and every one of these boys grow from wide-eyed, inexperienced little leaguers with big hearts and big dreams to become seasoned high school athletes achieving their goals one at a time to become Conference Champions, District Champions and State Qualifiers, taking on the challenge to make their mark on the history of South Winneshiek baseball! 

 

On-to-State Boys!  You make us all proud!!