Update -- Jeff and Jessica marry in North Dakota
by Jeff and Jessica Myron Gauderman
Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Jessica & Jeff Gauderman, left; the wedding party, right.

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Photo illustration © Virginia McCorkell; photo by Mike Steinhauer
Mommy Sarah, big brother Levi & little sister Kira Steinhauer.

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Photo © Donna Johnson
Lori & Shawn were very happy to be home with their precious little daughter, McKenna Christine ... doesn't it show in their faces!

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Caity Celebrates 11th Birthday at Mall of America

Judy (Miller, Rude) Riesenberg,
Great Falls, MT

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Dear Dorothy,

Them ain't no mystery guests! Mr. & Mrs. LeRoy Dake and their 3 childerens --- Ernie, Larry and Virginia.... Great family! Glad to have know them,

Tom Miller
Madera, CA

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Photo © Whitney Johnson
A second chance for that old blue rocking chair.

The Chair
by Whitney Johnson
Acton, CA

Amongst all the moving out of our house was one thing that each of us kids wanted to save. It was the beat-up La-Z-Boy rocking chair that mom rocked us in from the day we were all born. It was the chair that we were rocked in when we were lonely, tired, sick, afraid, or just needed some rocking. We all grew to love that chair and connected it with all the comforting feelings of our childhood and young adulthood.

When we were asked by different people what we were saving from the house, we would say everything was going but the blue rocking chair. Every person we told that to would look at us like we were nuts and ask, "that?" Yup, that.

We are cramped for space but we were renting a little space that we were keeping our belongings in that wouldn't fit into the trailer. Including the rocking chair. After a while of paying rent on the space and seeing it wasn't worth it, we figured that we could find space in the trailer for everything but the rocking chair. That's when the little rocking chair was told it had to go. It would have to go to the dumpster at Dad's work.

As Mark and Dad tossed it into the dumpster, the tears started to stream down Mom's face, and I started to cry, too. We didn't shed a tear when we left the house, but leaving the rocking chair was a whole different thing. We remembered other houses in our childhood, but there would never be another rocking chair that would creak just right. We tried to believe that there would be. Trying to see through our tear-filled eyes, we tried to collect ourselves and tell ourselves it really didn't matter and that it was such a silly thing to be so tied to.

Then we went on to get a new belt for Mark in Palmdale. Tears continued to stream down our faces. It seems like such a stupid thing to be so attached to! But, if you think about it, it really wasn't. Our memories as a child revolved around that chair. We sang in it, we read in it, we napped in it; when we were sick we always felt better when we were rocked in it. It was the one piece of anything we had gotten attached to over our lives. ALL of us were attached to it.

Right then and there, we decided we needed to go back for that beat-up rocking chair. None of us could leave that behind, in the dumpster. So back to the job site we went, and pulled that worn out rocking chair back out. What a silly thing to do, we thought ... but there was no leaving that behind. You can take everything but our family and that rocking chair. Such relief when all is safe and sound!

Photo © Larry McCorkell
Morning fog.

Outer Banks, North Carolina
by Virginia McCorkell
Blaine, MN

Another stop was Fort Raleigh where 250 colonists from England first tried to settle 400 years ago. Those 250 men, women and children disappeared without a trace and are known as the Lost Colony. Historians have never been able to piece together what may have happened to them, though there is a lot of speculation. We heard yet another park ranger tell an interesting tale of these brave people.

Fort Raleigh: www.nps.gov/archive/fora/raleigh2.htm

Lost Colony: www.lost-colony.com/

We had lunch one day at a restaurant overlooking the sound. I so bravely decided to order some seafood and was delighted with the coconut shrimp that appeared on the table before me.

I love the ocean with its ever changing moods and patterns on the sand. I soon found that I didn't do too well with standing on the sand and waiting for the waves to roll in around my feet ... the motion of the water robbed me of my equilibrium and the shifting of the sand under my feet would have toppled me if Larry and Suzanne had not been there to keep me upright.

I have a healthy respect for the power of those waves ... and marvel at the brave souls who venture out into the ocean. It does look like fun, but as for me and my two feet ... we will remain just out of reach of the waves.

While we were at the Independence Mine, I was sitting in the bus with my winter clothes on and a down-filled sleeping bag wrapped around me because it was cold and windy. There was a fellow working on the roof there and all he had on was short sleeves, shorts, and shoes! We saw lots of people jogging in the cold wearing shorts, which proves Alaskans are tough.

Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper

July Special Days

O
July 4---Independence Day

Miss Hetty Says:

Kyra Carson
Mill Valley, CA

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

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So THANKS for all you both do to bring us news of the "extended family" and great places to visit, wonderful pictures, and yes, even The Bulletin writers deserve a break! Have a great weekend!

Barb Dewey
Ashby, MN

Editor's comment: It has been such a whirlwind of activity getting #261 and #262 finished and sent out that the editors haven't even had time to tell about or listen to what happened on the vacation trip! I do believe we shall see and hear about it once things settle down again!

We wondered if it would ever come, but at the same time we were hoping our photo editor was enjoying a safe and eventful, much needed vacation, so we were willing to wait patiently as long as necessary.

We are anticipating great stories and pictures from your trip, Jerrianne. Be sure to let us know how Miss Kitty survived the loneliness, or was she so well taken care of by Kathlyn that she didn't even realize the computer was idle?

Could there have been a more appropriate picture for our Father's Day issue? A brand new father, and a prize expression was captured on film as he carefully stroked his very own daughter's very soft, warm arm. No caption needed on that one. These days you are welcoming McKenna into your family. What joy!

What a good picture of Auntie Becky and that tiny baby! She won't forget that she was able to quiet down her crying newborn niece with her magic touch.

Jessica Myron looks like happiness itself on every picture of her. June 8th has come and gone so she likely is already Mrs. Jeff Gauderman.

The picture of Farmer Dake must have been taken awhile ago, although the smile is the same one I saw last Sunday.

I was glad to see more of the Dake relation when Jeremiah became a Bulletin subscriber and was able to bring that happy smile to Grandma Lois.

Raspberry Coconut Cupcakes -- The closest I got to those was making Roy strawberry shortcake for his birthday. It was so funny. I lit one little candle, and he had to blow at it three times to blow it out. Maybe one gets a little weak when you reach the 86th birthday, or maybe he was laughing too hard.

It was quite interesting to see Outer Banks featured on the Internet of the most popular vacation spots. Sand dunes with the ocean in the distance is a long ways from what we see here, and what a restful vacation to wander around with not much of a time limit. I see it is to be continued. We always like that.

And then there is the next chapter of the "Incredible Journey to Alaska." I read every single word of that story with interest, as he makes it so realistic. I have had authentic sourdough pancakes, but I guess I prefer our plain ole, plain ole.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the dress and suit Tom and Mavis had on were what they had worn at their wedding 50 years ago. I wonder how many could manage that? We've only been married 14 years, but I know I have "changed a lot" since then. Now wasn't that a nice way to put that?

I read every single Miss Hetty letter, also the Letters to the Editors. I see my sister Ruth and Kenny Kitto wrote that they were taking The Bulletin to read on their trip. They have called us to tell us they were here and there, and by now they would have made their destination of close to Manhattan, Montana, to one of Kenny's five sons they will visit as they travel. They plan to be at Manhattan 1 and 2. The area where Kenny lived until he moved to Phoenix with Ruth -- was it five years ago already? I'm sure he's glad to be in Montana weather to "cool off."

What a clever CHUCKLES this time! Caity really is Super Girl, at least for the moment. That is so totally amazing how those huge rocks can balance and not topple. Of course, in this case, it's a good thing Caity was there.

We don't have to wait too long now until Saturday. This is already Thursday.

Thanks again for all the rush and push and pull you needed to do to get us this wonderful Father's Day issue. It was well worth the wait.

Betty Droel

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

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