Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Family Members Gone

My uncle Bill died recently; we found out on the way to my recent Oklahoma City gig. Uncle Bill was a born-in-the-wool Hollander who moved to the States at age 3, along with his ten brothers and sisters. (The baby of the family, Bill died at 92, having outlived them all.)Their family homesteaded in South Dakota...where Uncle Bill met his bride, Wilmetta...my dad's sister. Apparently, Bill was walking by the open door of the classroom where Wilmetta was teaching. He turned and said to his friend, 'That's the girl I'm going to marry.' 
    They were together more than 60 years.  

Uncle Bill

From what The Mama said (she attended Uncle Bill's service in Michigan), their community had an interesting way for boys to ask girls out -- the girls would gather in a large circle, then the boy would hop out of his car and tap his chosen date on the shoulder. If she wanted to go out with him, she'd get in his car. This was the way, apparently, that my grandpa and grandma DeVries met! 
    The girlies' response to this was horrified: "Sounds like they're stalking, Mom." It sure wasn't the way people did in my high school. But then again, very few of them were reserved, quiet...and Dutch.
     It's hard to see family members who you knew so well as a kid, moving on. Uncle Bill was a kind man, known for his love for his kids and wife, and his work ethic. His daughters especially will miss him; he loved them dearly, and loved to tease them. 

     We lost another relative last week: our aunt, Mary Pat Brick, in Billings, MT. Pat met her darling Bill while she was in kindergarten, and had never ceased to miss him since his death from cancer decades ago. But she loved her daughter and son, and her grandson Miles. She was a wonderful, kind woman, and we loved her. Pat was a little over 90 and in poor health; daughter Jane was she was happy to go. But we will still miss her.

Yes, the New England Patriots got handed their lunch by the Denver Broncos. And don't believe all the whining about "well, they had to play in a blizzard." It wasn't snowing THAT hard. Goooo....Broncos!

A thoughtful look at how quilting mixes with faith. (Click on this link, then click again on Pomelia Wasdin's talk. Yes, she mentions some things I said -- but most of this is her take on the subject. Wonderful.)

Wearing a LIVE turtle as a decoration? Apparently, they did do it -- or were urged to, at least -- according to this 1898 magazine ad. (Ewwww -- thanks to Karen Alexander for mentioning it.)

Yoko and John -- another viewpoint. An interview with someone who knew her well. And didn't admire her that much, either, because of it.

Some of the wackiest endings in college football. LOVE this stuff. In keeping with that...

The twenty richest quarterbacks in the NFL. And they're not necessarily the famous ones, either.

A $14.99 shelf that turns industrial...thanks to IKEA, boards and a little bit of elbow grease. (From Apartment Therapy) From this:



To this:





Unsolved mysteries of the American Revolution. Also from Listverse:

Ten gutsy kids who foiled their kidnappers. 

Where's Jefferson Davis' stolen quilt? (From Civil War Quilts)

Who knows what you'll find in Colorado, if you really look...

And this graphic has more truth to it than I care to admit:  (Thanks, Chris Rock)

Have a great week.