Happy Mother's Day!
ewe and lamb ewe and puppy
Photos © Larry T. Dake
Today we celebrate and appreciate mothers -- birth moms, adoptive moms, foster moms, step-moms, grandmoms, great grandmoms and "mister moms," too. To all those who nurture, succor and mentor the young -- with any title or none -- we salute you and thank you for all the good things you do. May your day be bright and beautiful. Bless you!

Updates -

sunrise over the ocean

by Ginny (Dake) McCorkell
Blaine, MN

...the sunrise over the ocean that is! It already seems so very, very long ago.

We flew out to see our daughter, Suzanne, in North Carolina last November. We stayed at a hotel right on the ocean. That hotel shines a spotlight out over the water at night. Imagine our surprise when we opened the curtains the first night to look out over the water and saw the ocean covered with seagulls as far as the eye could see out into the night. The sound of all those seagulls was memorable ... I can still hear the ocean and the gulls if I stop and listen!

We stood on the shore in the moonlight and watched the tide come in right up to our toes. The sound of walking on the sand and hearing the shells crunch underfoot is a bit unsettling. It seems such a shame to crush more shells with every step.

Since then Larry's job at ATK came to an end, an inch at a time. He was kept on to see that the buildings were cleared out after the company moved to West Virginia. He rather enjoyed his job as the "highest paid janitor in town." Every night ... or so it seemed ... he would say, "You'll never guess what I found today!" In one sense it was kind of hard to go every day and see perfectly "good stuff" dumped in the dumpster ... day after day after day. But there was the fun of bringing home lotsa "loot."

When there were only a few weeks left to work he got a phone call from a co-worker who had moved on to Northwest Airlines, telling him there was a job opening that was very much like the job that he had at ATK. It is still hard to comprehend our good fortune. Larry applied, interviewed, and was on the job at NWA, about two weeks after his last day at ATK.

His work has to do with overseeing preventive maintenance of the facilities at NWA. This week he flies to JFK airport in NY with his boss. If I understand it right, the preventive maintenance people out there will be a part of what he is responsible for. Seems to me they are giving him a lot more responsibility than they told him about when they hired him.

In the meantime I continue to collect a few more pieces of quilting fabric here and there and I actually "finished" a quilted jacket for myself this spring which included a number of machine embroidered butterflies floating around my shoulders.

We are in the process of planning our next flight to North Carolina!

I send my Thanks and Compliments to All who contribute to The Bulletin!

Suzanne, Ginny, Larry McCorkell
Suzanne, "Ginny" & Larry McCorkell

FAMILY UPDATE -- Mrs. Robin builds a nest
by Miss Kitty
Anchorage, AK

About a week ago we saw a robin sitting in a crotch in the birch tree right outside our second floor bedroom window. Miss Jerrianne said she might be sizing it up for a nest. Sure enough!

When we woke up Monday morning, a nest had been built and a robin was scooting around inside it, making a secure cup for her eggs. When the nest was finished, we think she laid an egg. She came back a day or two later and we think she laid another egg. The nest is right at eye level for Miss Jerrianne, but even sitting on her shoulder I can't see inside, so we have to guess.

Miss Jerrianne set up a camera on a tripod and poked the lens through the venetian blinds. This morning at 5:30 a.m. I woke up when the robin returned to lay another egg. I made sure Miss Jerrianne woke up, too. She said it was too dark for photography at 3:30 a.m. "sun time," even though we could see the robin on the nest. We are hoping to have more robin family news soon.


Day to Day R
With Donna Mae
Ashby, MN

Beaver, Colton feed newborn calf
Colton helps "Mr. Mom" feed a newborn calf at day care. A cow had twins and left one for Beaver to parent. NOT what he has time for, but neither do I. I have far too many to feed! :-)

Our dogs, Mindy and Reesy, made a find a week ago, sniffing out a burrow of six little bitty bunnies, at the top of our rock retaining wall, right in the play yard. Knowing that they would not be safe, now that the dogs knew where they were, Linda took them out and has been feeding and caring for them since.

They have been a lot of fun for the kids (and us). They are so used to people already that they are perfectly content being held. Linda has homes for all of them, once they are big enough to be more independent. For two of them, it will be with Caity and Jayce, as they talked us into saying yes. (Grandpa is pretty easy that way, as his dad brought home many animals over their young years.)

We have a kennel outside with a crate that will hold them, so should be a fun addition to the daycare scene.

six baby cottontails
Daycare lunch for six baby cottontail rabbits.


The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN

May Day 2005
by Dorothy Dake Anderson

What a lovely surprise ... there came a knock on our apartment door ... Grandpa called out, "Come in! The door is unlocked." No one came in ... but in a minute, another knock.

On the third really loud -- but child like -- knock it dawned on me: Today is May Day -- so out I scooted into the hall. I looked both ways and thought I saw some shadows around the corner ... took off after the unseen visitors. I finally found Jayce, hiding with his Grandma and Linda (in the exercise room) -- so I gave him a hug and kiss. I imagined that Caity must be somewhere near -- so I took off down the hall the other way and found her hiding in the area by the stairs, so that meant a hug and kiss for her, too.

What did they bring? A pretty basket filled with goodies for everyone -- a pen light for Great Grandpa, flowers and a candle for Great Grandma, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts for each one of us... What a nice May Day! I love good surprises!!

May Day visit May Day gift
A May Basket for Grandpa & Grandma; a bouquet and a candle.


Starting with Bulletin 124, I planned to run biographical sketches of the members of our staff. Now that this has been done, I want to run sketches and pictures of the readers and subscribers who have not already done introductions. Please tell us about yourself. What is your work and what else do you do with your time? How are you related or what friend introduced you into the family? I am hoping that you can share family photos and background sketches. Send all manuscripts and pictures to me at dma49261@juno.com


Who Is This?

Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.
 
(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn.)

mystery 1 mystery 2
How many can you identify?

Answers to last week's mystery pictures (click here to review them):

My Guess: Ginny - Ernie - Lori - Becky

Steve Miller
Coral Springs, FL


That's the beautiful Miss Virginia Dake, her cute older brother, Ernie Dake (pictured at a younger age). And my two sweethearts ... Lori and Becky Chap.

Donna Anderson Johnson
Ashby, MN

Photo Editor's Note: We couldn't resist adding Levi's Great Aunt Virginia "Ginny" Dake McCorkell and Great Uncle Ernie Dake to his natal page.


I know the two cute little girls on the right picture -- Lori and Becky! I think I have that same picture in one of my books...

Janie Anderson
Dwight, ND


I see that Becky and I made the mystery pictures section this week. :-)

Lori Chap
Maple Grove, MN


My guess is Virginia and Ernie Dake and Lori and Becky Chap.

Mavis Morgan
Hope, ND


LTD Storybrooke

Photo Editor's Note: In lieu of a story this week, we have photos from Storybrooke Farm.

newborn twin lambs with ewe
Photos © Larry T. Dake
Twin lambs venture into spring sunshine at Storybrooke Farm.

Amy Dake shearing Amy Dake with fleece
Shear Poetry: Amy Dake shears a sheep & rests on shorn fleece.


Travelogue t

The Bolivian Beat
By Kjirsten Swenson

Editor's Note: Kjirsten has returned to Bolivia for a second year of independent study, prior to entering medical school at Baylor University in Houston this fall.

Morochata school
Kjirsten taught English in Morochata's school last year.

A Visit To Morochata

Happy May Day!

In Bolivia, May first is celebrated as Labor Day, but since yesterday was Sunday, the city is shut down today and most people have the day off. My Bolivian family and I spent the holiday visiting a nearby village, home to a distant uncle.

Typical of the high valley villages, it was a quiet collection of dirt streets lined with adobe houses and home to a motley assortment of farm animals. 'twas a pleasant place to spend a day snacking on potatoes and fresh cheese and trying to follow the Quechua conversation.

Last Friday I returned to Cochabamba after visiting Morochata for one last week. Hard to believe it had been five months since I left Morochata to explore! And rather painful to think of how long might pass before I return.

Since I left last November, the rainy season had come and gone; now a persistent autumn chill hangs in the air. Yellowing corn fields and fresh snow in the high peaks indicate that winter will arrive soon. The cool invited afternoons of tea and conversation, followed by furious evening basketball games to heat us up before plunging into our beds, piled with wool blankets.

I shared stories of adventures in far away places, and they filled me in on the pueblo news. It was a relief to find little changed. The mythical hospital was supposed to be reality by last January, but it isn't yet and likely won't be for at least another month or two. And the staff remains unchanged, except for a new student dentist, a nice but desperately homesick guy from a village closer to the city.

And perhaps you remember me talking about my favorite cholita and former Morochata cook, Francisca? She's married, has a four-month old son, and lives in Quillacollo!

Kjirsten

Bolivian classroom
A typical school classroom in Bolivia.

More photos: http://community.webshots.com/user/kjswenson


Lessons
by Dorothy Dake Anderson

My Mother often taught us lessons from her own experiences. One particular one came to my mind recently.

I took out my sewing machine and started to hem up some shortened sleeves on Don's shirts. I really whizzed -- but my hands stayed safely out of the reach of the needle. It is automatic; I have learned from experience that sewing machine needles can be dangerous. It was not my experience I learned from, but my mother's.

My mom was a whiz at the old treadle sewing machine that sat in the living room of our little white house that stood in my grandparents back yard. She used it to make new garments, to make over garments, to mend (she could even do the legs of the men's overalls -- you try that one), and to make pretties to give as gifts, and maybe more that I don't remember. But she learned to respect that old Singer sewing machine.

She told about the day when she was making that old machine fly, she allowed her hands to creep up close to guide the cloth in and keep the seams straight when zingo -- pow -- ouch! She ran the needle all the way through her fingernail and finger and out the other side. There it sat ... on the little metal plate. What to do? Not faint, that is certain!

She did the best thing she could think of. She turned the release knob and pulled her finger away with the needle running through it. Then she didn't have the ability, or the nerve, to pull it out. She decided the one to do it for her was her kind father-in-law, who she knew would do it without scolding her. So out she went, to the field where he was working.

And just as she thought, Grandpa looked it over, patted her shoulder, told her to take a deep breath and look the other way. Then using the pliers that he always carried in the loop on his pants leg, he pulled it out with one smooth tug. He calmly gave her back the needle -- and she took it to use another day; after all, IT wasn't to blame. Then he told her to go and use turpentine to help clean it of germs ... and he stood and watched her fondly as she walked back home.

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, I learned from listening to this account that I wanted to avoid such contact with sewing machine needles. I respect them to this day.

But I did learn more than that lesson from my mom's account. I learned by the warmth of her voice that she honored and respected her father-in-law.

Another lesson I am trying to remember and practice, is one that is well worth learning. When someone has "blown it," "broken it", "made a mess of it" ... DON'T SCOLD. Be like my grandpa: "help out," "sympathize a bit," and "watch to see that no real harm is done." Remember, the culprit has probably learned the lesson without any preaching!

Wm. & Amy Dake wedding
Father & Mother
William Benjamin Dake and Amy May Mellon Dake
on their wedding day September 3, 1919.


This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND

Mother's Day

It was in 1907 that Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, started to secure a national observance of Mother's Day. Several attempts by others preceded this, but Jarvis was officially recognized as the founder of the day. It was in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national observance.

One of the early traditions was to wear a white carnation if your mother was no longer living and a red one if she was still alive.

It has become one of the most noted holidays with the Hallmark card company and florists around the nation. It is also a day to show appreciation to others who have filled a place in our lives besides our natural mother, such as stepmother, mother-in-law, daycare providers, aunts, sisters ... anyone who has mentored us.

When I first thought of Mother's day, It brought me back to my first grade in school when we all learned this poem:

Mother
by George Cooper

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky;
Hundreds of shells on the shore together;
Hundreds of birds go singing by;
Hundreds of birds in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn;
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover;
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn;
But only one mother the wide world over.

As we grew older we learned the poem, "Which Loved Best?" Remember the little boy who said he loved his mother but went off to the garden swing, leaving her the wood to bring? We learned that it takes actions rather than words to prove our love for Mother.

And who can forget "Somebody's Mother"? the poem about the gallant boy who led the old lady across the street? ... She's somebody's mother too, he said! We learned to offer a helping hand to the elderly, as someday we will also be old.

Oftentimes, jokes are made about mothers-in-law.

He didn't like the casserole
And he didn't like my cake,
My biscuits were too hard
Not like his mother used to make.
I didn't perk the coffee right
He didn't like the stew,
I didn't mend his socks
The way his mother used to do.
I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue
Then I turned around and smacked him
Like his mother used to do.
(Anon)

One elderly lady told me years ago, "A mother never quits worrying about her children." I thought it rather strange, but the older we get, the more we understand that, too.

The Watcher
by Margaret Widdemer

She always learned to watch for us
Anxious if we were late,
In winter by the window,
In summer by the gate.
And though we mocked her tenderly,
Who had such foolish care,
The long way home would seem more safe,
Because she waited there.
Her thoughts were all so full of us,
She never could forget,
And so I think that where she is
She must be waiting yet.
Waiting till we come home to her,
Anxious if we were late,
Watching from Heaven's window,
Leaning from Heaven's gate.


Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of
5
Hetty Hooper

This Week's Special Days
May 8---Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

This Week's Birthdays:
May 10---Curt Henderson
May 12---James Dake
May 14---Ernie Dake

Happy Birthday!

More May Birthdays:
'
May 4---Beau Birkholz
May 7---Ben Johnson
May 7---Kim Mellon (Tim's wife)

May 16---Angelic Ann Freesemann (6 years)
May 17---Dwight Anderson
May 19---Ryan Hellevang
May 22---Dan Henderson
May 23---Don Pettit
May 23---David O'Brien
May 25---Amy Ellen Dake
May 26---Rick Anderson
May 28---Jason Hunt
May 28---Jazmine Jane Hill (2 years)
May 29---Kristi Kay Larson Indermark
May 31---Mavis Anderson Morgan
May Anniversaries
Z
May 16---Nathan and Brenda Anderson Hill (9 years)
May 27---Dwight and Janie Anderson (34 years)
May 31---Tom and Mavis Anderson Morgan (48 years)
May Graduations
¨
May 12---Eric Anderson, North Hennepin Community College
May 13---Ben & Heather Henderson, North Dakota State University
May 27---Rachel Henderson, Glencoe High School
May 29---Brandon Hellevang, Fargo North High School
More May graduations? Please send dates and details to Miss Hetty!

More May Special Days
May 1---May Day (hanging May baskets day)

May 15---Armed Forces Day
May 30---Memorial Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

Dear Miss Hetty,

Marian I were married June 20, 1970.

Steve Miller
Coral Springs, FL


I also have two additions for your "special days" -- Jason Hunt's birthday is May 28th. (He's Jazmine's birthday twin!) And our anniversary is May 27th (34 years this year).

Janie Anderson
Dwight, ND


Oops! My apologies to both of you ... and also to Barb Dewey whose birthday is April 4, not May 4. We missed that one by a whole month -- a belated Happy Birthday to Barb!

Miss Hetty Says

To Our Readers:

All 150 back issues of The Bulletin are now archived and readable -- and searchable! -- on the web. For those subscribers who missed out on some of the earlier issues, there are treats in store, including dozens of recipes and lots of good stories, such as Desperately Seeking Stuckeys, a series of travel stories by Doug Anderson-Jordet at age 11, and Desperately Seeking Stuckey's 2, The Pudding Pack Chronicles, which Doug co-wrote with The Editor, Dorothy Mae Anderson, on another trip a couple of years later.

Most of these stories and recipes are also available in the Collections, though a few are still being worked on. The web pages for Bulletins 54-58 (August 2003) are still undergoing reconstruction, which means the headlines are still set in body type and the stories and recipes in them haven't made it to the Collections menus yet. We'll get them all reformatted and looking spiffy -- and linked to the Collections -- in the next day or two, we hope!

Keep Us Posted!

Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?

'Many Thankse
Everyone!

Miss Hetty


+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another wonderful week's work! Everything from the first beautiful flowers, through all the stories and pictures, it's always fun.

The Portugal piece was excellent, so interestingly done!

Mom's story, the May pieces, Gert's memories and Carolyn's Depression Cake ... now I'll have to go and buy some raisins! Larry's pictures and the new baby's were so sweet. Congratulations on the darling little guy to his parents AND Grandparents!

Larry's story moved me to tears, made me walk in his shoes for that moment in his life ... amazing.

Doug's Photo Funny had me laughing out loud again. What a hoot! I laughed out loud at Kjirsten's spandex remarks too. :-)

Enjoyed going to Miss Kitty's page and reading about her birthday party ... made me feel guilty that I didn't think to do something, though! She's got a super aunt in Betty! Nice gifts, beautiful wrapping and a totally appreciative birthday girl!

Well ... as you can tell, I could go on and on and I'm sure I'm not saying anything new, that everyone else doesn't realize already!

Donna Johnson
Ashby, MN

Editor's note: Just keep on telling us what you like so we can keep encouraged! We love to know that what we do pleases you!


I just read The Bulletin ... Another great edition!

Congratulations to Mike and Sarah and welcome to Levi! We were at a baby shower for Levi last night and he was the perfect guest of honor!

Janie Anderson
Dwight, ND


I read The Bulletin on Sunday morning as the wind was blowing and snowflakes were flying. Congratulations to Michael and Sarah Steinhauer with their new baby boy. He's a darling, and already making eye contact with the camera!

I enjoyed your piece on May Day 1937. You actually remember 1937? I have a hard time remembering 1987! You have a good memory on you!

I got some laughs from Eric and Leona's update. Myca reminds me a bit of Arthur. The time Doug was fixing lunch and heard a cry coming from somewhere that he couldn't immediately place. He opened the fridge and out popped Arthur. Doug said he must've been in there for at least 15 minutes; snuck in when Doug must have turned his back with the fridge door left open. Cats!

I'm off to spend the day at the lake.

Brianna Anderson-Jordet
St. Cloud, MN


Congrats on The Bulletin's two milestones: the 150th edition and all 150 issues now archived and readable!! What a great accomplishment -- we appreciate all the hard work that goes into all efforts surrounding such a fabulous publication.

Lori Chap
Maple Grove, MN


Thanks for the wonderful Bulletin. I so enjoy reading it each week. I feel I've gotten to know more and more of your family as personal friends.

Just wanted to comment on the Archives. I've gone exploring a couple times, and have greatly enjoyed the journey. So much work and time has gone into setting up the pages. Wanted you to know how much the effort is appreciated.

You must get tired of people telling you to keep up the good work, but that is my wish too. How dull things would be if I didn't have a Bulletin to read each week. Thank you so much!

Donna Richards
Eden Prairie, MN


A letter from the photo editor:

One of my self-assigned jobs is trying to find the real authors and original versions of pieces we use that have made their way around the Internet on web pages and e-mail. Frequently, that results in some really good finds.

I searched again for an "anonymous" piece that we ran in Bulletin 100, the Mother's Day edition last year. I learned that the true author of the original piece, Somebody Said, was Renee Hawkley, Idaho's Mother of the Year 2000 (from her book, Don't Come In Here! Mom's Throwing Spaghetti!).

Many other pieces by Renee Hawkley can be found on the web site of The Oregon Association of Mothers, Inc. Click the links and go exploring ... warning ... you may as well prepare to spend the afternoon, but why not? It's Mother's Day, and as Annie Dillard said, you can't take it with you!

Jerrianne Lowther
Anchorage, AK


Finally got around to reading the latest edition... it was a humdinger. Your May Day story was a delight, short and sweet and full of lilac-scented imagery. How much of your detail is authentic? Can you really remember that Gert had a cold way back then on that day in 1937? Isn't memory strange?

Doug Anderson-Jordet
St. Cloud, MN

You, of all people, should know that to make a story sing you do have to invent details to cover what you don't remember... The basic memory is May baskets hung by LeRoy and me. (I don't know what kind.) at Ervin and Helen's. (Were they newly wed? I am not sure.) And they did catch us. The question remains, why wasn't Gert along? (I'm not sure -- maybe we didn't ask her??)

But does that make a good story? No. So just know that what I do not for sure remember, I fill in with possible and plausible answers. So these are not historical facts, but possibilities and real events mixed together. Is that cheating? Or entertaining?

Dorothy Dake
The Author


A letter from the editor: Both Doug and I are asking for photos to help us make interesting columns.. We use the JPEG files. They should be sent to me at dma49261@juno.com .

If you have questions about what we want, just send me a note and I will give you a personal answer.

Dorothy Anderson
Alexandria, MN


CHUCKLES

Dougfun

Click here to find out Who's Where in The Bulletin l

To search a name in Who's Who or Who's Where: click on the link to open the page, then use CONTROL F on a PC or COMMAND F on a Mac. To search for a second occurrence of the name, use CONTROL G on a PC or COMMAND G on a Mac. (This works on ANY web page with text, unless the text is converted to an image. Chances are, it works in your e-mail, too.) HINT: Search by first name only, as most entries list the family name once but do not repeat the last name for each family member. In Who's Where you can search on state or city names, too.

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QUOTATION FOR THE DAY: Sometimes the laughter in mothering is the recognition of the ironies and absurdities. Sometimes, though, it's just pure, unthinking delight. --Barbara Schapiro, writer

EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com


This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.