I like to start with special occasions, if I know about them. In my branch of the family, we have two birthdays, both on the 13th! Liz and Skyler share that day.
     Florence's branch has recently added Shoshanna, Mike Osterfeld's wife.
     Thanks to Alice, I now know of three more in brother Jack's branch: Rachel Hills, Evan Pfister, and Maureen Pfister (aka Mo).

    HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO LIZ, SKYLER, SHOSHANNA, RACHEL, EVAN, AND MO

    I wrote to Carolyn, who is always a bundle of energy, and asked her to beam some spunk up to me, if she could spare it. I am tired of this feeling so tired all the time. I think it worked! I got up this morning feeling much better than I have in a long time. Thank you Carolyn.

    Nan and I had a telephone conversation with Kermit Swartz, the gentleman Lee Stark of the Tiger Store Historical Society mentioned had told her he was born in Tiger, Washington as I was.. He's 83, and was born in Tiger in 1922. He lived next door to where Uncle John had his truck garage and remembered him as a nice, older genteman (I figure John was in his early 50s during the time he knew him) who gave him hard candy and once bought him an ice cream cone. I know so little of that time, before Uncle John moved from Tiger to Seattle, in the early '30s. it was fun to talk with him. We added a few scraps to our knowledge.
     He told us a personal story that was so funny.... Their family had a log house with a "summer kitchen" built onto the end of it as a lean-to with a steep shed roof that almost touched the ground. The family goat, a sturdy Billy, ran up that roof one day. At the top of the roof, he looked down onto the family Studebaker which, like most automobiles at that time, had a soft (canvas) top. Billy decided that was how he was going to get down, but when he jumped, all four feet punctured the canvas and he was left with his legs hanging down inside the car! The children of the family, all nine of them, thought it was hilarious. I can imagine what their Dad thought!

    Latest news from Russ, he has just completed training to be a mail carrier for the USPS. He has been commuting 1.5 hours to the west to be made ready for the job and is now doing a route. He expects to be given a longer and more difficult route in the near future. He mentioned that he is almost sold out of his boards and hasn't had time to build more.
     In response to my question, "Have you had snow there?", he replied, "Yes, the snow has fallen here. The Eastern Mountains got quite a bit more than us. Mt. Sopris, our "personal" mountain has a nice dusting and the Aspen peaks got 6 inches. It looks really beautiful right now because the leaves are still in full color and there is a blanket of white just a little higher up, so everything is really colorful. Fall is a great time out here."

    John and Nan are continuing their volunteer work with Red Cross. They are being trained as interviewers to work with people who want to volunteer. Nancy says the big push that followed the disasters in the Gulf area has tapered off and they no longer need the bank of phones that were so busy a few weeks ago. Now, the focus is on being ready for the next call for help.

    I asked Hildy to update me on what was going on with their family. Her responses:

    "Dear Senior Editor
     Jack is extremely busy with 12 credits at Shoreline Community College and a 25-30 hour work schedule at Top Foods in Woodinville. He's learning that produce has to continually "move" and he's charged as produce clerk with keeping the area fully stocked and pleasing to the eye. His classes are Philosophy, Logic, and webmaster/writer for the college paper, The Ebbtide.
     Today, he managed a day hike with a couple buddies up 3,500 feet on Mt. Snoqualmie. It was a gorgeous day for it and I'm sure he appreciated the change of scene."
     (and)
     "I wanted to tell you of the wonderful surprise Jeremy sprung on us a couple weeks ago. He'd told us he was going to play the drums in a dance production at the theatre On The Boards downtown near the Seattle Center. Of course, knowing Jeremy, he really didn't mean it to be a surprise but that's what happened.
     The late afternoon of the last showing (Aug. 9th), he called us saying he had one complimentary ticket for us, if we wanted to go. Of course, we did. We called and bought another ticket--both would be waiting for us at the will call office.
     We enter the theater lobby and about six highly placed flood lights are blasting bright light into this area. I mean, it was really annoying--enough so that everyone scooted up to stand below their "blast" to wait for entry into the theatre. Later, we found this was just the start of the unusual "effects" that were a part of the dance.
     The production, called Daylight, consisted of avante garde dancing going on in front of us and behind us in the seating area, as well. It was fascinating and all accompanied by the band, which was housed very high behind us. Jeremy kept a good beat. I was thinking at the time that his drumming was a pretty important component for the dancers.
     The last dance number was to a song called, Ice Flowers. It was a soulful song, sung with no instrument accompaniment. After a few words, I realized it was Jeremy! He sounded very confident and, most importantly, on key.
     The guy behind me asked me if I was a friend of his 'cause I'd turned around to look at Jeremy. I told him that he's my son and he said, "He's good!". I had to agree."
     (and)(I copied this one word for word so that all of us who enjoy their lovely pond can appreciate the labor that they put into keeping it so beautiful)
     "We drain the pond down to less than a foot of water, and I stayed warm 'cause I didn't go in the pond. That's Dan's job. He wears his tall boots and walks very gingerly to keep the splashing to a minimum. He rakes out this green sludge--a combination of algae and milfoil, the milfoil undoubtedly carried in by the ducks. Then we trim the stems and roots of all the potted water plants for their winter sleep cycle. Next we hose down the sides and shelves of the pond; pick up rocks that have fallen in the water and put them back around the edges of the pond; and lay the hoses to fill up the pond again.
     I'm the gofer (not goofer) so Dan doesn't have to climb in and out of the pond. It's a bit precarious. I fetch tools, dump out sludge into the compost bin (oh, the plants 'll love it), trim the perennials and shrubs edging the pond, and set up hoses.
     Next, Dan will clean up the filter and let it do its thing over the next few weeks to clean up the water a bit more. And last, we'll turn the filter off for the Winter-- probably by early November.
     Next year, we're hiring a helper. Agh!
     Hildy"

    We all enjoyed the visit Heather and Skyler made to her parents at the end of September. Skyler is a darling, and also a very busy boy, pulling himself up on table legs (or human legs), inspecting everything within reach (and reaching farther than you would think). He was fascinated by my wheelie-walker and went 'round and 'round it, patting the wheels and seat. I set the brakes, so he wasn't in danger of getting dumped as it rolled away.
     Heather is a very good Mommy... patient and watchful.. giving him every chance to explore but keeping him safe. I find it hard to accept that she is so grown up. I keep remembering her as the funny, impish child who spent one of her naptimes, when she was about 18 months old, painting her entire body with her Grandma Anne's brand new lipstick.

Or, I remember the time she ran up to the outside of their glass patio doors, pushed her mouth against the glass, and puffed out her cheeks.... looking like a comic blowfish to those of us who were inside.

    Paul and Liz actually took some time away from work and home, including visiting John-R at his apartment in Port Orchard and exploring as far north as San Juan Island. I'm sure the break from routine was good for them and Paul showed me some remarkable pictures. When they boarded the ferry at Anacortes, there was such dense fog the pilings of the dock were like ghosts sketched against a cloud. Wonderful and weird.

    I can't leave October without mentioning my Dad, Joseph Alois Pfister.

He was born in Wausaw, Wisconsin, October 28, 1883 to immigrants from Switzerland, Gregore and Josefina Pfister. Daddy was a great story teller and a wonderful companion. We were best friends and fishing partners and I loved him dearly. My greatest regret is that he didn't live long enough for any of my kids to know him. I hope the stories I have written about him and my Mom have made those two wonderful people more real to those who were not lucky enough to know them in person.

    Comforting thought for the day: The sooner you fall behind, the more time you will have to catch up.

     Dixie/Dorothea, Senior Editor

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