I really got behind, didn’t I?  I hope I was having fun, because I honestly don’t know where the time went…..It’s like “the older I get the behinder I get”.

I like to believe it is because I have so much going on in my life……

        So, let’s start with September birthdays:

        Ryan’s September birthday found him far away from home.  He was teaching American English to the children of Daegu in South Korea…. some one hundred miles south of the Demilitarized Zone.  We have heard from him several times so far thanks to the miracle of cell phones and a thing  that makes telephone calls from his computer.

        Sister Florence’s great grandson, Kurt Kapasuzoglu shares September with Brother Jack’s son, Gordon.  Gordon and Alice have a son, Mark, and a daughter, Tammera and her husband, Jeff Hills….all of whom are September children.

Gordon Pfister, about 1936

        Sadly, Walt Crowley who was one of the major forces behind HistoryLink did not make it through his latest surgery.  Walt is the man who came up to me at History House one day and said the magic words, “Dahling… we are going to publish a chap book of your memoirs.”  What a thrill that was.  I didn’t expect to hear that…. ever

        I understand they are going ahead with the project as it was on the list of things Walt  envisioned for HistoryLink’s near future.  Priscilla Long, who is the Senior Editor for their site, is working with me to get it ready to go.  What a thing to happen for me in my 90s!  Gee Whillikins… as I used to say when I was little.
(I’m thinking in those long ago terms these days, as the time span the book will cover is from my birth in Tiger, on the homestead, to my marriage to Vern in 1944)

        Things are winding down in our garden.  My tomato plants are not going to give me much of a crop this year and I didn’t plant seeds for a late harvest of salad greens, as I usually do.  Getting lazy in my old age. Shame on me.

        Vern gave me a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure for my birthday… way back in February.  I finally got around to cashing in on it and got a big kick out of the glamour of having my toes and fingers tipped with a deep rose polish! It doesn’t take much energy to sit around admiring one’s digits (like an idgit).  Sorry… couldn’t resist it.

Quote for September:
        For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.
                                                                                  -Emerson-

Now we are almost caught up… Here’s October!

        The 13th of October is the birthday of two very special people in my life… our much loved daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, and great-grandson, Skyler. He has got to be the cutest three year old… ever! (Unless it was one of ours).

        My Dad, Joe Pfister, was born in October.  In Jack’s branch of our family, Rachel Hills, Maureen Pfister, and Evan Pfister, and  In Florence’s branch, Shoshanna Osterfeld are October born.

        October finds me busy searching out stories that I have written that “might” fit the planned book.  I have even written some new ones to fill in the gaps.  I don’t know what will be used, but want there to be plenty to choose from

Here’s a lovely, newsy note from our Grandson, Russ.  Thank you, Russ. I love knowing what is going on, as you know.

“October 4
Hi Grandma! 

Just got your recent dixie-press issue! Sounds like an eventful summer with all the get togethers and goings ons. Jana and I are slowly winding down our time and Second Nature. We have been living in Flagstaff, Arizona all summer and really enjoying it more than any place we've lived so far - 7000 feet mountains, the biggest ponderosa pine forest in the world and lots of art, music & life - its a college town. We thought about finally settling down here for awhile - its absolutely beautiful and an abundance of good people - BUT
We both just got job offers to co-lead a new program in Hawaii that deals with kids in the same boat as the ones we work with now. The whole program is a treatment center /wilderness rehab program based entirely on an organic farm near Hilo on the big island.

So we have a shift left in Saint George, a wedding in Zion, a trip to Dallas to drop off our cars and a flight to Vegas then back up to Saint George for our last full week in the Dixie National Forest. Then its back to Vegas and on a flight to Honolulu at the end of October over night where we will catch an interisland to Kona and meet my good friend Cody who has been living there for a couple years now. (He's part of the Adams State/Colorado/Hitch-hiking to Alaska era)

So that's a glimpse of our world right now. We'll be working week on week off shifts, pickup a new(ish) Toyota Tacoma when we get there and hit the job and the surf. Marley will have to stay in Texas to wait a four month rabies quarantine (Hawaii has ultra-strict dog importation laws because are as yet the only rabies-free state).

I've also got a Canadian company producing my longboards for me and they will be at the market / in stores hopefully nationwide in 3-4 months!

Love,
Russ.” 

        A fun thing happened when I needed a picture of the house at Lake Forest Park to accompany a story.  I was shocked to discover that, although we lived there for seven years, I do not have one picture of the place!  Nan took me to the King County Archives in Bellevue, and they had a very good one of the way it was when we bought it in 1944, and another of what it looked like after our remodel of it. A bonus was finding our precious pup, Dog Johnson, in one of the pictures!
        Johnson was a pup from a Springer Spaniel mother and he looked very much like her… black and white, with floppy ears and a sweet face.  His tail had not been cropped and was long and feathery.  When he was happy, which was most of the time, his tail wagging would make his back feet dance.  We loved him dearly and mourned deeply when he was hit by a car one day when we were not home.  I now have this new found picture of him to cherish.

I was amused by the salutation on the note from my nephew Gordon, so want to share it with you:

“Hi there Oh sister of mine father.  Long time no see.

You do do a mighty fine job of writing!  Bunny and I get a kick out if it and it must be a tickle for you as well.  Nice to find things in our later years that feel good and make others feel good too.”

        Oh, Gordon love… and the rest of you, too….. how true that last sentence is.  Now that I am at the “rocking chair” time of my life, but without a rocking chair, the unexpected experiences that come to me from Dixie-Press put a little bounce in my daily life which wouldn’t be there without the site.  And (hint! hint!) I am always grateful for a note, picture, or message that I can pass along for the enjoyment of the rest of you….Also, I love visitors to my Guest Book.

        On a very sad note to end October, we were notified that Ralph’s former wife, Nancy, died.  Ralph is our nephew, Vern’s brother Mel’s son.  Nancy has been fighting cancer for several years, but one is never prepared for that kind of news… especially about someone so young.  We will remember how bravely she fought.  Our condolences to Ralph and their children, Matthew and Melissa.

        My Halloween was made fun by Peter Colimo (a neighbor) bringing a group of small Trick-or-Treaters to our door.  He must have rehearsed them because, when I opened the door, they greeted me with, “Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween, Dorothea!!”, which made me all teary…

Thought for the day:  The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.

                -Abraham Lincoln-

Dixie-Dorothea, Senior Editor

Home Page: Dixie-Press.com

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