July | 2012 | Nan Harter

Quentin and Sophie at party

Sophie flew from Oregon for a Maui visit with her mom Vajra and brother Quentin for a month this summer. They celebrated her 9^th birthday with a party the first week she was here (a month early but then she had all her gifts to play with during her visit!) Neil and I attended the fun festivities which included piñata bashing, buffet browsing, candle blowing, gift opening, and swimming.

I got to spend a few mornings with them. We went swimming and played in the sand at the beach. Sophie is really a water nymph and could practically live in the water. As a special treat for the kids, Vajra took them to stay at the Wailea Marriott again as she did last December so they could play in the water park area reserved for guests.

Sophie returned to Oregon in mid July right before her birthday in time to spend it with her father. Quentin come to stay with Neil and I for two days the following weekend while Vajra and Marjorie went to Oahu for another surgery visit. Quentin brought his computer and as an early birthday present for him, we got him the computer game Minecraft as a download. He was on the computer almost solid for the entire time. As Neil said, he just resurfaced for food and went back to his nest on the couch again. Quentin starts school on Monday already! The summer goes fast for Maui school kids.

$Sophie\'s new scooter$

After the wonderful family time in Maryland, I drove to Ohio with Dad and Jane to spend more time with them and visit Ohio family. The days seemed to fill themselves very quickly. I got to see the great-aunts and cousins on dad’s side. Max and Janet hosted a Kreischer gathering and I got to see all my uncles, their wives, and many, many of my cousins and their kids.

Van Wert has a free summer concert in the park on Friday evenings. The week I visited was the first concert of the season and it was perfect weather to enjoy the outside venue.

I got to visit with both my Grandpa Harter’s remaining sisters: Great-Aunt Evelyn, 96, and Great-Aunt Ode, 102. They both still live alone in their homes but are visited each day by their kids. Dad tries to get by to see them a few times a month and I always visit when I go back. Dad usually meets his cousin Max and a group of other (semi) retired farmers for breakfast at 6 am on Saturday morning. I opted to skip the morning ritual and instead we visited Max and Ginny at their home one evening.We also had lunch with family friends Glenn and Kay LeMar in Lima one noon.

Dad puts out a bird bath and bird feeders in their yard. We could sit at the dining table and watch them drinking and bathing. The robins really seem to enjoy splashing around in it. Dad has to fill it about twice a day. The birds enjoy the feeders he puts up for them too and I tried to do a little photography of them. I especially liked the colorful Golden Finch.

Dad is active in Venedocia Lion’s Club which is very service oriented. One of their service projects is building handicap ramps for those in need. Dad got called to help with one while I was visiting. I went along to help and documented the process. It was interesting to watch the experienced hands build it up so quickly. I served as “gopher” (and photo-journalist).

My Mom is one of thirteen kids. Mom is the youngest of three girls in the family and once her sisters were married and her mom working swing shift at a factory, she felt she got stuck with lots of housework because the many brothers claimed that was woman’s work and wouldn’t help. I think the brothers have all been better educated by their wives since! I was very happy to get to see all my remaining Kreischer uncles and their wives, plus some of my other aunts, during my visit. I also appreciate my many cousins who worked in a visit with me between their vacation plans and their many children’s summer activities. It was definitely a packed week and I enjoyed seeing everyone.