Elevators

I really want to talk about something else tonight, but it will have to wait because I am too tired and it is long! I am excited to share that thankful point soon.

I only have a picture looking down.  I don't have any pictures
of my building from down below looking up!

Tonight as I was coming up to my apartment in the elevator, I thought, "I am thankful for this elevator."

First of all, I am thankful for the elevator because it means I do not have to climb 9 flights of stairs to get to my apartment.  (I only have to climb one.  The elevator doesn't stop on every floor so I get out on the 8th floor and climb up to the ninth.  I don't know; I didn't design it, I just live here!)

Second, I am thankful for the elevator because it fulfills a childhood dream to live in an apartment building where I have to go up to my apartment in an elevator.  I am not kidding!  When I was a kid and we watched the Jeffersons, I always secretly wished I lived in a building with an elevator.  (We didn't watch it often because we had a limited TV viewing allowance/week and had to rotate between favorite shows.)

In fact, when I was in about second grade, I used my birthday money to buy a Barbie house, the one with the elevator, and I was jealous of Barbie getting to have an elevator.

I was raised in a small town in South Dakota.  There are not many buildings with elevators there.  I don't know where I thought I was going to live, but maybe I always knew I was not going to live there when I grew up.

Every place I have lived has had great points, but one of top points of this place for me is the elevator.

There I said it.  Now you have proof that I am just a little bit wacky!

My background

Today I am thankful for the opportunity I had to grow up in South Dakota.  The small town I grew up in was a great place to grow up!  When we were in elementary school, we rode our bikes to school, to our friends' houses, even downtown.  And, in the summer, we rode them to the swimming pool!  When it was too snowy to ride bikes we walked or our parents drove us.  It never took longer than 7 minutes to get to a friend's house, except the ones who lived out in the country.  When we went to those friends' houses, there was always adventure to be had, in the barn or the shelter belt or the grain wagon.

When I was growing up there were 4 elementary schools in town.  We had the great advantage of very small class sizes!  (Now there is one elementary school and the other schools have been completely re-vamped.  My school is now a church.  Another school is an apartment building.  And the other one is an art studio.  The fourth school is the Catholic school which is still in use!)

My friends and I started babysitting when we were in junior high school- what were those moms thinking?!  I guess since it is such a small town, they figured they or a neighbor could get there to help very quickly.  And, neighbors were always willing to help.

There are two lakes just outside of town where I learned to swim in the seaweed and skip rocks.  Our family spent hours walking or biking around the lake, picnicking, playing whiffle ball, and throwing rocks into the lake.  We even camped a couple of times.  Those were not the best experiences.  Suffice it to say, our family, tents and thunderstorms seem to make it into the same sentence when describing those experiences.

Because our school was small, we all had to participate in as many activities as we could manage so there would be enough people for each team.  I had the privilege to participate in band, basketball, track, declam, and tennis at school.  We were also involved in piano lessons, 4-H, church, and just about anything else we could find to do.

Growing up in a small town gave me the opportunity to have a huge variety of experiences in a low pressure environment which helped me make wise decisions once I left.  I didn't leave because I hated living there; I left because God had other plans for me.  Just because I left definitely does not mean that I am ungrateful or was unhappy!

Thank you, Lord, for Madison, South Dakota!

Memories

The Christmas season is filled with memories.  As I thought about putting up my tree and decorating my apartment, I wondered why I do it.  Not in a frustrated way.  Not because it is annoying or time consuming.  Just pondering as I decorated.

Then I realized, as each ornament was removed from the box, each one brought back memories.  Memories of the people who gave me the ornaments.  Memories of the time of life I was in when I received or bought the ornament.  The place where the ornament was bought.

Here are a few memories from my tree, in no particular order:
(The pictures are a little blurry.  I was in a hurry to take them!)

This is probably my oldest ornament.  I can't remember a Christmas without it on the tree!  My great grandma made it, if I remember correctly.

This ornament is from Sandy, from the year we did the children's musical, "Santa Bowed at Christmas"

I actually don't remember where this came from, but it reminds me of Delora because she collects Santas.

This is from my teaching days.  Wendy gave it to me when she was teaching 3rd grade.

This is from Grandma Reed, I think.  If it isn't, I always think of her when I put it up!

Thanks to Della I have this beautiful nativity ornament from Israel.

The bell from Shonda's and Paul's wedding!

And, a snowman ornament from Shonda and Paul!

A snowflake from Mom to remind me of the year of Shonda's wedding.

And, an angel from Mom.

Even an ornament from Aunt Karen.

HAWAII!

South Dakota!

I bought this at the Christmas Shop in Karuizawa.

Another ornament from teaching days, "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

This one is a little hard to see, but it is a snowflake.  I don't exactly remember where it came from, but for some reason it reminds me of my high school buddy, Signe.

Bought in Japan, but it reminds me of Texas!

Made by Phyllis from my home church.

Card from one of my roommates in seminary, Melodee, who is now a missionary in Europe.

And, my cute mouse from Mrs. Westall!

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around for my walk down memory lane.  Of course, for me the best memories don't have to do with Christmas trees and ornaments, but with celebrating Jesus' birth with my family and friends.  What lovely memories to ponder every year.

A Month of Love, Day 10

I love where I live. Tonight when I got home I walked up from the garage chatting with a man who lives somewhere in my building. When we got to the elevator, a lady who I haven't seen before but who apparently lives here, and a lady who I often meet in the elevator. We all chatted and wished each other well as we exited the elevator on our respective floors.

I am learning about what it means to love your neighbor as I go along this journey, and my time here at Unilife Izumi is helping in this learning. It is good to learn from my neighbors!