family – Page 9 – Karla's Cottage

Farewell to Joan

By Karla Nathan / September 10, 2022

Grandma Joan has left for her final, big trip. She had a love of travel, nicknaming herself The Gypsy. After a life time of hard work (this tiny person was a juvenile probation office on the rough side of Sioux City) and showing love to a houseful of kids who desperately needed her care, she spent as much of her retirement as she could on the road.

Joan would zig zag across the country, going to stay and visit with all of her far flung family. Terry would take her on exciting trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and on a Mississippi River boat including Joan’s sisters too. No matter who she was with, she never ran out of conversations and loved to tell stories.

She always had a smile a listening ear for all of us. This woman was an ideal grandma, never forgetting a birthday, holiday, and never turning down a request go to the playground with grandkids.

Joan walked miles every day and loved to dance, especially at family get togethers when a polka was played.

Most of all, she was kind. That teeny, little person had a giant heart. When I joined her family with my two rambunctious boys, she took them under her wing and they became her family right away, no matter how much of a handful they were. She made all three of us feel like we belonged and she spent endless hours at playgrounds, bouncing on her tippy toes in the pool, and reading books to them. She took them to Sunday School and out for donuts on a stick afterwards years before I married her son.
My sons loved her and it gives me comfort to know Ryan is with her now someplace together, on her last journey.

More about the trip and some tips on pie crafting

family, Food and Drink, how to's

By Karla Nathan / September 4, 2022

One of the best parts of my trip was snuggling my sister’s new puppy and her sister-in-law’s baby from the same litter.

We got to have a junking day too. With photo ops.

Bobbie baked fresh bread that I enjoyed every single day I was there.

One night, Shelli had us over for pizza and I made some mushrooms with items I’d found while at Goodwill and antique malls. The fabrics came from an assortment of sweaters, gloves, pillows, and dresses.

It’s so much more fun to play around with ideas for making the mushroom caps than just buying a yard of velvet. Although, you’d get a lot of little schroomies from a full yard.

I’m always happy to throw in crafting time while traveling, I miss being in my studio and creating. I kinda thought some other people would want to make one some, instead I made some to give to them.

If you want to make your own, the online tutorial is found here.

And while this isn’t exactly crafting, making a pie in Sissy’s new kitchen while chatting with nieces was entertaining for me too. I like to have something to create.

In honor of her new pup, I made a tiny pie with a doodle on it for her. She needed one without cinnamon in it.

Here is how I make my pies, kinda a recipe but more of a guideline:

I use a roll out pie dough in a glass pan. Glass is important to me because I can look through to check on browning.
I flute the edges of the crust and fill it with blueberries. I like frozen ones so I can pack them in tightly. You need an even top to make the crust decorations stay in place.
In a separate bowl I mix a little flour, maybe a 1/3 cup? With 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and some cinnamon. I add lime juice until completely moistened and then pour it over the blueberries. It will be about the consistency of paint.
Then the fun part! On a cutting board, I lay out another unrolled, premade crust and start cutting shapes.
These get layered onto the berries. Think of a lattice pie, some pieces under some over, lots of over lapping. If you don’t have over lapping crust pieces, the little ones tend to sink. To create a design, it helps to have the structure and support of the vines, spirals, and other shapes.

My few days in Indy were way too short. I’m missing my sissies, nieces, and this cute guy.

Family reunion centerpiece ideas

celebrations, family, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / September 2, 2022

The night before our Downey Dinner, we hosted a Cousins’ Night and Sissy offered up her brand new, not even moved into home for the get together. I was the first person to ever use the oven!

The meal that night was Taco on a Plate, and cousins brought sides and desserts. For the reunion, the hosts provide fried chicken, mashed potatoes, drinks, the rest is pitch in. This is the pie I made for my personal contribution, and Sissy let me borrow her home to do make it in.

Oh my gosh, we had the BEST foods!

And lots of it.

After we eat there are photos of each individual family, and other group shots.

I’d made this sign to hang on the wall above photos, but when Kathleen’s group couldn’t all fit under it, I suggested they held the letters. Look how cute little Y is. She looks proud of herself for helping.

While on our sister trip to Florida this spring, we made photo flowers for centerpieces and Bobbie added sticks to use as stems. I brought hand painted pots with oasis and moss in them, but we soon realized that with our big group, there were too many blooming pictures for a handful of pots. Bobbie supplied canning jars with tea lights and I tossed some moss into those too.

There wasn’t a lot we could do to the venue without investing too much time or money. I thought the flowers added a personal touch. Plus, it gets everyone mingling and going from table to table so that they can “pick” a bouquet of relatives to take home.

The tables were covered in white plastic and I used a sharpie to draw vines and write quotes about families.

Here are some that I used:

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” —Mother Teresa

“Nothing is better than going home to family and eating good food and relaxing.” – Irina Shayk

“I sustain myself with the love of family.”―Maya Angelou

"In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future."— Alex Haley

“We are family / I got all my sisters with me.”- Sister Sledge

Good timing, a good trip, and some things never change

family

By Karla Nathan / August 27, 2022

Well, I went for years and years with regular postings through just about everything. Then I miss over a week due to our big, family reunion blowout. And here I have gone almost a full week without a new post, and guess why?

Another family reunion!

This time it was my dad’s turn to host the annual Downey Dinner. And since he is gone, my sissies and I took his place. It wasn’t a week long bash with big events and houseguests like the Nathan party, it was more on the traditional, pitch in style meal type thing and we rented a venue for it. So not the same, and I could’ve squeezed in a blog post at some point but I was having too much fun being back in Indiana.

I figured that I’d write something, get caught up on work I’d missed while away, and go into Good Juju to spiff up my booth when I returned after my short trip. I was ready to hit the ground running since I had gone on this mini vacation during a very busy period. During my drive I was even dictating notes into my phone and making lists about what I needed to get accomplished once I returned.

Nope.

I started to feel a bit ucky about mid Illinois and by the time evening hit in Kansas, I was pretty much under the weather and have been in bed since then.

I’m improving, had some IV antibiotics and am taking some others in pill form that make me wonder if it might be better to stay sick than have the taste of those awful tablets in my mouth all day. Ugh.

Luckily, I am a planner. The “what if” sort. Before leaving, I made sure my booth at Juju looked picture ready just in case I was tied up in some way and couldn’t get back in time to have it set up before the photo day they do prior to the sales event. (There are some things I still need to add, but it looks cute as is)

If you are wondering, why yes, I am patting myself on the back now for being one of those people who looks out for bad things and bumps in the road ahead of time. Why I have been known to be called a worrier or a downer.

Honestly, I don’t see it as being negative, I see it as being prepared. Bad things, big or small do happen and I like being prepared. I give myself extra time to get somewhere, I have a cushion for most events, a padded time schedule that protects me if obstacles arise.

Usually, part of my planning includes a week or more of blog posts ready to pop up on schedule, so I guess I shouldn’t be too pleased with myself, I only posted enough to get me through the weekend, not the week.

I’m sort of out of bed now, but not out of the house. I think I’ll take my own advice and prep a few posts ahead because it looks like I’ll have a full week ahead of me once I finally do emerge from this.

Our Downey Dinner was wonderful, I loved the old photos to sift through, and hanging with my sisters and nieces was the best. Getting ill really sucked, but I am blessed that I made the 8-1/2 hour drive before I was hit full force with the worst of it. And doubly blessed that I stopped at every antique mall on I70 on the way to Indiana instead of on the way home. My arrival back in Kansas was good timing.

This is me as a kid. And yes, my eyes are closed as they are in about 75% of the photos of me.

Treasures

family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / August 21, 2022

Before school started, we tried to make up for missing out on some of our regular summer time activities and made trips to the Topeka zoo and spent some time on the lake. Along the way we met some friends.

The larakeets loved Sugarwings’ hair we decided it was because it looked a lot like one of their toys.

The zoo was pretty quiet, I think the heat kept others away. But it’s a small park with lots of shade and many indoor exhibits, so the heat didn’t bother us.

The gemstone sluice wasn’t running, but we had a treasure hunt anyway. Over the years we have discovered that you find just as many pretty rocks and fossils in the mulch under the structure. Here is our precious haul.

On the way home stopped at our neighbor’s farmer’s market for fresh sweet corn and tried to guess what animals would be on the porch to greet us. Because you just never know there. We got lucky and it was this very nice goat, who we nick named Oreo.

A sweet ending to a lovely day out. Ki Ki, Avahni, and Dewdrop are all going to be living far away, Sugarwings is 16 now.

A true treasure for me is any day with a grand fairy. I am holding each one close to my heart because I know that as they grow up and fly away, there won’t be many of these days left.

Dewdrop came to see us

Dew Drop, family

By Karla Nathan / August 10, 2022

Dewdrop came to visit and stay for the big reunion. Our time with her went too fast.

I wanted to do all of our typical summer time traditions- a craft project each day, and outings to zoos, lots of movies, and more, plus boating and pool time.

With 30 some visitors coming, we had to do an abbreviated version of our summers. I asked what things she wanted to squeeze in and was happy to hear that she wasn’t too old for the activities we used to do. She chose the Children’s Discovery Zone in Topeka, eating at Culver’s, and seeing Minions at the theater.

And even wanted to ride the merry go round.

It made my heart swell up when I saw that these two grand fairies still enjoyed the carousel, and even held hands while on it.

With an acknowledgment that these sibs weren’t quite my itty bitty fairies any more, we also threw in some shopping for new clothes and make up. Even a few fireworks for the 4th.

The time zoomed by for me, and my moments were her were few and far between. One of the reasons she was here was for the reunion, so she got to spend time with cousins, and other local family members too. And since I was so busy with all the work that goes along with hosting that many people staying in my home, I was glad that she had so many other people around to keep her entertained.

And I count myself lucky that she still wanted to be my little buddy and hang with her Grammy for some nostalgic fun.

Scenes from the reunion and one from the past

family, games, Ryan, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 26, 2022

Before our big reunion began, I decided to go through old albums and pull out Nathan, Neibaur, and Nichols photos that I could slip quickly into another album to pass around. Not my typical style, usually I love making pretty albums. But I was in a hurry because it was a last minute plan. And a single, edited book was much better than stacks and stacks of books filled miscellaneous photos the guests wouldn’t be familiar with, like the kids’ old friends or our neighbors of the past.

I came across this oldie from our home in Arkansas. I don’t know the occasion, or who took it, but I felt it like a jab in the heart. It’s not a good photo, but it is a great picture. Adam is a blur because like his daughter, he is in constant motion. Ryan is wearing his tee shirt from his army man Halloween costume and has the “Footloose” haircut that he always insisted on. I have on a matching tee and shorts that my mom sewed for me, the wallpaper behind us was some my sister helped hang in this very first house we ever bought.

So many memories in one snapshot.

And so much love, too.

I love this photo and will never tuck it away in the dark again, this one goes on display. But it also started the reunion on a shaky note for me. The people coming to visit were all favorites of Ryan, he enjoyed hanging out with this group, and I sure felt his absence when I was with them.

Also, Ry died at 42, and was my good buddy, we had such fun together. But this picture reminded me- he was my baby. My little guy. The majority of my grief is about daily things I miss about my grown up son and best friend. When it hits me that I lost my baby, it’s a death blow to my heart, so I don’t dwell on that aspect of it.

When people started arriving to the party, my sister-in-law wanted to sit with me in Ryan’s apartment and reminisce about him. I have to admit, that was the highlight of the week for me. It means so much when people honor my Ry that way.

He is not forgotten.

Rainbows and Fire Dancing for Pride Night

celebrations, family, guncles, Sacred Circus, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / July 22, 2022

On Randy and Kevin’s night to cook for the family reunion, they wanted a Pride Night theme.

They had rainbow everything to go with the grilled chicken and salads. I don’t know why I didn’t get more pictures, it was quite the festival and the decorations were bright and fun.

Our Hippie Chick brought rainbow, glitter face paint and many partiers got all sparkled up.

There was even a fire dancing show.

Featuring our professionals.

And crowd members could take a quick lesson too.

There was a great view from the balcony. These two were on the lighting committee and did a spectacular job with it.

The night ended with a few 1am stragglers sticking their forks directly into the rainbow cake.

We had different events throughout the weekend, but I think pride night was the best.

I am going to leave all of those lights strung across the courtyard, and possibly add more as I find them at garage sales for a very pretty reminder. Thanks, Guncles!

A reunion

celebrations, dogs, family, Food and Drink

By Karla Nathan / July 19, 2022

It has been so busy around here. This could be the first time since I started my blog that I did not have a spare moment to post anything for this long.

I was busy getting ready for our Nathan, Neibaur, Nichols family reunion and while making up beds for 20, yes, 20 people, to sleep at our home and preparing to feed about 30, we saw our peaches were ready to harvest. And those beauties couldn’t wait, we needed to get them done before everyone arrived.

Then we realized the honey also needed to be gathered. Luckily the Guncles came early to the reunion and helped out.

I figured that I’d have time during the get together to do a couple of posts, but I was much, much busier than I had expected to be.

Truly, I don’t know if I have ever been busier. I was up by six every morning and then stayed up late for our parties. We had a dance party, a Pride Night fire show, karaoke, boating, ax throwing, BB gun competition, tie dying shirts, plus all of the cooking.

So much cooking!

Individual families took turns with meals. Did I mention there were lots of meals? Three big ones each day along with snacks and desserts.

It was all quite special.

And fancy.

I’d set up tables outside, but we were in a heat wave, so seating for 30 was squeezed into the cottage.

We made it work.

There were plenty of hugs too. My dogs were happy to have extra people around for lots of petting.

In their opinion, there is never enough petting. A crew of twenty sets of hands almost satisfied them, though.

Now that the festivities have ended, I hope to get caught up soon. But first, we will be disassembling all the extra beds and putting the house back together.

And before that? We have to deal with a issue I am calling Adventures in Sewage..

See the waterfall? Well, actually, there were a few waterfalls.

It required a weekend, emergency plumber. We thought the clog that caused the flooding was fixed and all was well.

Uhm, not quite. Adventures in Sewage, Part Two, was a second clog that caused an even bigger flood.

Wish us luck, this one is a bit more complicated. We will be tackling it tomorrow, and then, the resting up will begin. And I need that rest. I think that the weekend finale of fighting floods put me over the edge.

Grandfairy Time

Dew Drop, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / July 7, 2022

It’s after the 4th and we just got our boat out on the water for the first time this season.

Partially because Rich has been traveling. He has been vacationing as well as shuttling kids across country for family visits. And look what we got in return! Yep, he brought Dewdrop to be here with us for a bit.

Between her time split up with other family in the area, I’m making the most of her being with us and getting out to go to our favorite places.

I always wonder if it is my last year to do our traditional activities, if they have out grown them or are heading towards that stage where they might be too cool for silly outings.

But then I think, hey, I enjoy this stuff and I’m 50 years older than they are! There is no reason to ever outgrow it.

We’ve filled carts with craft supplies at Hobby Lobby, and our stomach with popcorn at a 3D movie. We’ve shopped for clothes and for fireworks, and headed toward the zoo.

Before going into the Topeka Zoo, we stop at the 100 plus year old carousel, and I had a moment of thinking that the time I’d been dreading had come.

Had Sugarwings turned into a moody teen and was not enjoying our day? There was a very unhappy look on her face halfway through their ride and when they got off the ponies, I was asked to take them home and not go to the zoo!

Oh no!

Was it wrong of me to be relieved that the poor kid simply was feeling a bit ill, not bored? (Sugarwings feels better now, nothing major).

We followed our typical 4th of July habits of watching the neighborhood spend thousands of dollars on fireworks while we had a few snakes and sparklers. Then, Fin, who worked at a firework stand this year came by with rockets and set a few off.

Surprisingly, the dogs were fine with the never ending booms coming from surrounding homes for days. Poor little Twinkle used to be terrified, but without her this year, there was no need to comfort any dogs.

The kiddos and I have limited time to make plans and do our regular excursions, so I hope to make it back to finish our zoo day. Soon, we will have even more fun coming, though. We are hosting a family reunion starting next week and will have a houseful staying here with us.

Before they all arrive, I am trying to take advantage of having my little ones here together. Because I know how fast things can change. I have been blessed with so much fun with them and am enjoying seeing how they grow and change. Whenever I try to choose a “favorite age” I always go back to right now, because they just get better and better as they get older.

I am lucky they still like to go on adventures with their Grams, but am also enjoying watching them grow up and change their perspectives. Like after all those years of going to this merry go round, they just now noticed this extremely odd thing on the back of this wooden horse.

WTF?

And I appreciate them still enjoying an outing, but in a more grown up way like discussing the movie together after leaving it, looking at make up together while shopping, not just toys. Laughing about things that would’ve been over their heads when they were younger.

With Adam and Dewdrop both moving to North Carolina, we have limited time together. Kia has moved to Oregon. And now Fin, who I have been so happy to have back in our lives and living nearby, is moving away too and his adorable sister, Clover, is heading to college. There are rumors of Avahni leaving.

It isn’t easy to be grown up about other people growing up. And to be happy for them to move on and find their own happiness. The trick is to appreciate the time I do have with them. After losing Ryan, I understand how fleeting it could be. And watching them all grow and change becomes a delight when viewed properly.

But please, please, little grandfairies- always remember to look for the fun, don’t outgrow the ability to enjoy silly outings!