The Magnificent Seven

That's Joanne on the left, looking on with approval at her younger siblings. I second that. What a neat bunch. The annual family Christmas party was at Willie & Tony's this year. There were 40 of us. Eleven kids, 2 teens, lots of young adults, and many elders. Every one gets along and appreciates one another. What more could one ask. We feel so blessed to be here (even though it looks like it will not be a white Christmas)!

Morning Splendor

The last day of November, gazing out the window at first light, I gasped at the beauty outdoors. Everything was blanketed in soft whiteness. We bundled up in warm clothes and walked the short distance to morning Mass. I had tucked my camera in my pocket along with my Rosary, wanting to capture the beautiful sight, knowing it would be gone in a few hours. This lovely snow was only a preview of more to come.

Sparse Beauty

This a follow up on my Fall Colors series of blogs. Not as flamboyant as the glowing leaves that adorned them the past few weeks, the tall trees emote beauty of another sort: dignity and strength. The sharp shadows they cast remind me of the far-reaching influence the senior members in our midst have over the world through their quiet prayers. Lives that may appear dull and lifeless may have very deep spiritual roots and a very warm and loving interior life. I think of my mother Phyllis and my grandmother Marjorie whose prayers sustained us throughout their waning years. My own snowy head reminds me how deep my roots have grown and how my prayerful influence must be exercised, providing strength for the next generation.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day in Canada is November 11, the same as Veteran's Day in the U.S. But I've noticed the red poppies, symbol of the day, still being worn by folks in our community. Maybe it's a good idea to think of them, the ones that gave their lives for our freedoms, more than one day a year. For many of the families, these heroes are always near in thought. One such young man is Roy E. Carter. Roy was a 23 year old RCAF navigator on a Halifax bomber that was shot down by the German's over Holland in 1944. Roy evaded capture but three other crew were imprisoned in POW camps. He ended up in the home of the Vandenbroeks a few days later. That is Roy in the photo above with my sisters-in-law Willie and Joanne, ages 3 & 4. The three other young men are Martein, Fritz, & Harrie VanLankvelt, the girls uncles. Roy had a 7-yr. old brother at home named Fred. It was this same Fred and his wife Margaret that came to our home yesterday. It was the young Fred who carried the telegram out to the field on their farm to his dad. The telegram bore the sad news that Roy was missing in action. Fred, the youngest of the Carter's 6 children, has followed and documented the saga of Roy's last days in Holland for many years. He has been to Holland twice, visited the scene where Roy was shot by gestapo henchmen several days after leaving the Vandenbroek home, and has spoken with eye witnesses of the sad event. There are many, many lives and stories that have surfaced through his inquiries. He and Margaret have made many friends along the way. We now are among those friends. Our link came about earlier this year when this old photo was found in the attic of the Vandenbroek's former home in Boekel, Holland. The current home owners were working on restorations in the old house when the photo was found. They took it to the local museum, it was posted on an online war memorial site, and was spotted by Fred Carter who then made contact with a cousin in Boekel, . Martin and his sisters were contacted by the cousin and we all saw this photo for the first time. Martin's dad had tried to contact the Carter family in the early 50's, but nothing came of that search at that time. All these years later, at last, we got to hear the rest of the story. We photographed Willie & Joanne with Roy's brother Fred 67 years after the original photo was taken. Martin was not in that old photo, he was probably hanging on dad's leg while the picture was taken, or in the house with mom. Peetra hadn't made her arrival in the world at that date. What a day it was, yesterday. Truly a Day of Remembrance for this family.
Pictured, left, is Fred Carter, Joanne, Willie, & Martin holding Roy's rucksack and his war medals. The right photo is of Fred, Martin, Peetra, Willie's husband Tony, and Willie looking at photos, memorabilia, and documents
from Fred's carefully gathered collection. Gus Vandenbroek had collected his own photos, letters, and souvenirs of the era in an album which we shared with Fred. Included was a poem written for the Vandenbroek family in Roy's own hand.

First Snow

We've gone from brilliant fall color to elegantly silhouetted bare branches. Gradually dropping temperatures and cloudy skies have signaled eminent snowfall. And then it began. Our first snow of the season. I ran outside with the camera. Falling snow is difficult to capture with still shots, but here it is. Look real close and you'll see snow settling on the back of our truck. Maybe if you squint real hard you can see the flakes falling from the sky. At least in you imagination. It always takes my breath away. Martin says, "Wait til February. See if you still feel the magic."

I ran across something while reading the book of Daniel in the Bible the other day. The three guys that had been thrown into the fiery furnace, together sang, glorifying and blessing God (read all of Chapter 3 for the whole story!). In verse 70 they sang, "Ice and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever." Somehow, that describes how the falling snow makes me feel.

More Thougts on Falling Leaves

I don't have a photo to go with these thoughts. But picture this in your mind. When trees are in full leaf throughout the summer months, they give us shade from the heat of the sun; we are cooled and sheltered. But the leaves restrict our view, as well, during this period of time.

When the seasons transition and the leaves begin to drop, the angle of the earth to the sun changes as well, and we don't need the same canopy of leaves to shade us. At the same time our vistas are expanded. Without the leafy canopy that brings our shade, yet restricts our view, we can see greater distances.

That's part of what I love about Fall & Winter. The colors become more intense and brilliant, and then they soften and become more restful, and my perspective on my surroundings is expanded. When the trees are stripped of all their leafy finery, I see things I've never noticed before.

Such are the seasons of life, as well. "There is an appointed time for everything. . ." Ecc. 3:1

The Big Picture

The photo of the handsome family was taken in 1943, in their back yard, in Boekel, Holland. Pictured are Gust & Nellie Vandenbroek and their three children, baby Martin, and his sisters, Joanne and Willie. Holland was occupied by Nazi forces at the time and possession of cameras was forbidden. Gust managed to keep one hidden, or we would not have this charming family portrait today. My husband's father was part of the Dutch resistance during those terrible times. He and his friends rescued and sheltered many Allied pilots that were shot down by Hitler's forces. Nellie helped feed them, and the presence of the children gave everyone hope for the future. The photo of the handsome American soldier is my father Sgt. Howard H. Anderson. He participated in several secret missions behind enemy lines with the Army Air Corps. He never talked about this with me until the year he died. Our dads never met, yet we have this connection of them fighting for the same cause. We remember ALL those today who sacrificed their safety for our lives.