40 Questions to study friendship, character and virtue

Friendly relationships are blessings. 

The Holy Spirit trains Christians to be friendly people. God’s Word provides discernment, guidance, comfort and strength in matters of every type of relationship.

• casual acquaintance
• professional acquaintance
• childhood friend
• college friend
• distant old friend
• new found friend
• church friend
• younger friend
• elderly friend
• intimate friend
• friend found in specific, temporary circumstances
• life-long bond of matrimony between a man and woman as husband and wife

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
Proverbs 27:9 NIV

How to be a good friend and find a good friend.

Examine the kind of friend you are before you can understand the kind of friendship you seek.

Self improvement and ability to put myself in somebody else’s shoes begins with questions.

1. Am I a friend of everyone?
2. Do I test everything—hold on to good and abstain from evil?
3. Do I take time to listen, be reflective and encourage others?
4. Are people comfortable in my home?
5. Do I prioritize how to spend time with things that matter?
6. Do I work hard on priorities that are in order?
7. Am I willing to serve with a cheerful heart?
8. Do I value learning about others in order to show respect?
9. Do I seek and apply courage in uncomfortable situations?
10. Am I willing to take on leadership and responsibilities?
11. Do I trust God with every aspect of my life?
12. Is intelligence a virtue I strive for?
13. How do I rate with integrity?
14. Is my good reputation compromised by bad choices?
15. Where do I go to gain wisdom?
16. Whom do I look up to and why?
17. Do I understand my place in life?
18. Is everything clear, so I’m confident; or do I need more time to analyze things?
19. How do I discern—upon what do I base decisions? 
20. Am I seeing realistically; or blindly looking through rose-colored glasses?
21. Can others depend on me as a source of wisdom and reason?
22. Am I loyal, even in adversity?
23. Am I willing to put everything on the line to follow my heart?
24. Is my heart focused on Truth?
25. Am I fearless to declare what I believe?
26. Can I be looked on as the center, the rock, for many people in my life?
27. Am I an example of a humble and contrite person?
28. Do I understand that forgiving is essential to move forward regardless of how much success I have? 
29. Am I willing to give things up and make changes to begin a better life?
30. Do I exhibit faith and reverence that is rare in the world?
31. Have I gained tremendous wisdom with all that I’ve gone through?
32. Am I creative when it comes to enjoying entertainment with others?
33. Am I happy and positive so that I make others feel better? 
34. Do people feel safe and respected when they spend time with me?
35. Do I try to control others; or am I willing to listen with an open mind?
36. Am I disrespectfully critical; or gently honest and careful in making an effort to help others?
37. Am I patient?
38. Do I build others up?
39. Are my thoughts, words and deeds kind and thoughtful?
40. Do I pray always, with a thankful heart?

Bible verses about friendship

True friends are brothers and sisters in Christ, focusing on truth, hope and wisdom within Holy Scripture. Our Heavenly Father is the perfect picture of love, humility and grace.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 ESV

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, Proverbs 22:24 ESV

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. …Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:5-6,17 ESV

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:12-14 ESV

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 ESV

One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26 ESV

A prayer for relationships

Dear Lord,
Lead my children, as well as each person in my friends’ and relatives’ families, to safe relationships with faithful people. Help us to trust Your Word. Forgive selfishness and pride. Lead others to be gracious to me, forgiving all wrongs I have done. Guide me to value others and be a good friend with virtuous qualities.
Amen.

How to update exterior concrete steps: replace old carpet with tile

Can you use tile for a front entry makeover of worn carpet on concrete stairs?

Tile was the best solution for our front steps update. Our home was built in 1969. My husband and I bought it in 1987. Before we moved in we replaced the out dated worn out indoor flooring and painted walls. To maintain a fresh look, homeowners must keep up property on a regular basis, constantly fixing things, requiring small and large investments. We remodeled with a major addition in 1996. This stairway entrance update in 2015 taught us once again about home improvement decisions, timing, materials and labor.

Tile for front entry makeover of worn carpet on concrete steps.

Backtrack nearly three decades in remembrance of the home we rented before buying this home

My husband and I moved over 500 miles from South Dakota to Kansas in 1986 and as a couple, we rented a house. Soon after, I was expecting our first child. It was a nice place. The large kitchen had a red counter top. But the green, long shag carpet hid oodles of stick pins which couldn’t be vacuumed out. I love the word oodles—it reminds me of Grandma Sonnack. As a seamstress, I understand how all those stick pins got there. During the process of working quickly to proceed to the next step on the guide sheet, pins hastily land on the floor. It wasn’t a problem in my Mom’s sewing room because the floor was sweepable. But, I’m thinking that whoever lived in this rental house before us should have been more careful. Stick pins aren’t healthy for our baby who would crawl on this dangerous floor if we don’t move. Yikes!

The home we rented was on an unpaved gravel street. Besides indoor plumbing and mid century modern appliances; open windows and electric fans were our only amenities. As a native Minnesotan, I’d expected this to be fine, but little did I know that the move south would make such a difference in temperature. Here we were at home in our new state which bragged, “Ah, Kansas!” in their promotions. I mocked claim on this slogan as I walked outdoors on a windy summer day into heat which felt like a clothes dryer set on high. The Kansas August record high of 118° is a scary thought for a woman well into the final trimester of pregnancy. Having open windows helps, but oh the dust each time a car drove by is not so lovely. Finding a place with central air and a paved street became a priority which eventually brought much joy.

We’d purchased a couch for $1.00 at an auction. It would have been called a davenport in my childhood home. Vintage 1940s fit our eclectic decor. I liked the style and color. We cleaned it well before bringing it in. It was a great place to put up my swollen ankles, but as far as comfort… well, it would have to do until we could afford a better one.

When you buy a home, it’s wise to start a savings account to allow for replacing, fixing and making improvements later

 

Professionally installed porcelain tile covers old concrete steps.

“Before” photos don’t exist, but try to imagine wear-damaged plastic green outdoor carpet on the front steps. 

The exterior steps remained the original plastic-green until 1996 when we built an addition. At that time we replaced it with a neutral gray carpet which looked great at first, but wore out its welcome in 2015. The carpet was literally worn out with frayed edges and dark spots that were probably mold. Yuck.

Coming up with a solution came about by process of elimination—by deciding what not to do after we ripped off the old carpet on the original concrete steps.

• Re-carpet—This would’ve been fairly cheap, but from experience we know how time flies and what to expect from it. Besides that, dirt and debris sticks to it, not to mention snow.
• Strip to bare original concrete—The old glue amd black stuff they used to attach the past two carpets was stuck on hard. We feared it would be impossible to remove entirely, even with a lot of chemicals and elbow grease.
• Paint over—The texture from adhesives left a tacky appearance and paint would probably wear off unattractively.
• Tear out the old steps and put new in—The existing steps are in good condition and it seemed like such a heavy-duty project for something that’s just asking for a face lift.
• Cover with stone—Even though it might have looked awesome, the idea of actually doing it seemed overwhelmingly out-of-the-box.
• Cover with slate—The slate tiles we found could flake or chip easily and cause a cut if walking on barefoot.
• Cover with cork—Fun thought, but not ideal for exterior flooring.
• Cover with wood—Wouldn’t work with the height of the threshold.
• Cover with recycled rubber gym flooring—It isn’t bendable enough.
• Cover with concrete patio brick—It’s too thick for the threshold.

Finally, our solution: Cover it with tile. 

Choosing tile for covering concrete steps was fairly easy. Instead of looking for the most appealing tile, we considered the surface first and foremost. This narrowed down our choices drastically. We chose an indoor/outdoor porcelain tile with a rough surface for walking grip so it wouldn’t be slippery when wet.

An extra single piece of tile is shown in the foliage near our front steps. FYI, cut hydrangeas (the flower in the corner) stay fresh longer in a vase which has a pinch of alum added to the water. This item is marked Nutrasand Tusk 12 x 24 887275009675

For labor and expertise, we contacted a reliable and talented person who accepted the job.

The father-daughter team used a wet cut tile saw with a diamond blade for cutting the porcelain tile. I don’t know the full details of the entire process. The tile project was reasonably expensive because of the excellent quality material and craftsmanship. Consider the factors which helped us decide to do it:

• The look.
• Easy to shovel or sweep
• Durable for longevity.
• Ability to hire the service.
• Utilize and support someone’s vocation.

What do you think? Do you have experience or ideas to share on this topic? Add a comment below.

In closing, here are Bible verses to encourage you:

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

How to organize an artist file system, upcycle cards and reap benefits of a creative life

Collecting inspiration and useful materials for art and design.

Cards and paper ephemera have been designed to be useful or important for only a short time. Writers, artists and graphic designers are paid by card companies to create beautiful, meaningful works of art to sentimentally touch your heart. Some greeting cards are hand stamped or uniquely crafted. After they’ve been briefly cherished for the hallmark moments of life, it is acceptable to throw cards away.

How long do you keep or save greeting cards?

• minute
• day
• week
• year
• 5 years
• until I figure out a way to reuse it (often, this is me)
• forever

Why keep or save greeting cards?

• it’s handmade and so lovely
• sentimental keepsake for scrapbook or treasury box
• photo-cards for picture box, album or frame
• reminder to stay in touch or pay it forward 
• recycle or reuse it
  — tear off the signed panel
  — write a personal note on the back of the cover
  — hand deliver or find a new envelope to mail it
• upcycle or redesign cards
• use as element of collage, mixed media, altered art or assemblage art works
• cut into gift tags
• improve plain color gift wrapping, place mats, place cards
• make decorations such as ornaments, mobiles and paper chains
• frosting-glue photo cards to the inside of next year’s holiday gingerbread house before roof is added—faces show through windows

5 ways to handle used items, found objects and created artwork

1. Give it away and make someone’s day!
2. Sell it. My shop announcement at FreshRetroGallery includes this quote, “Everyone lives by selling something.”
   —Across the Plains (1892) Robert Louis Stevenson
   
3. Recycle to take responsibility in handling waste as you treat or process materials to make suitable for reuse.
4. Upcycle to honor a good, beautiful item by altering it to serve a new purpose. Create something that is often better than the original.
5. Donate to help or inspire someone who can use what you have. Find items to use in your own creative works at these places that accept donations. Donating to and supporting thrift shops such as Bethesda, Goodwill, Salvation Army and Disabled American Veterans make win-win situations. 

Creativity runs in my blood

Dad was born in 1922 and Mom in 1929, the year the stock market crashed. The Great Depression influenced their families to save things and become innovative. Hardship encouraged the practice of creativity as a necessity to make ends meet for our family of eight. Mom and Dad’s development of a seed cleaning business from the ground up is evidence of their entrepreneurial spirit.

Dad loved designing and building all sorts of things during his retirement. He’s making finishing touches on his Purple Martin house rigged with electric motor, gears, chains and cables (raise/lower/tilt) to manage the cleaning and counting of bird residents. His imagination was versatile and fun. To contrast the industrial magnitude of his works, he once made quirky little containers from plastic pudding cups riveted together to form a swivel cover… and made enough for all of his children and grandchildren. The fancy iron plant holder hanging on the garage wall, partially hidden behind the base of his elaborate bird hotel, was one of the decorative items he crafted.

Mom inspired me to make greeting cards when I was a young child. I celebrate that those little art projects influenced who I’ve become. Beyond frugality, it fueled the ability to dream, attention to detail, confidence, career focus, decision-making, motivational, structure and time management skills. Art is an important aspect of an individual’s life and should be nurtured preschool through adulthood.

Today, a printed card may cost up to $6 or more plus time to find the right one. I don’t shop for cards, instead my time is well spent in making them. The value of a handmade one-of-a-kind piece is measured by the pleasure that comes from making and sending it.

Save and organize free or inexpensive art elements in a way that makes them convenient to use in fun, quick, creative projects.

Filing system for artist

While studying Communication Art and Design at Alexandria Technical College, one class assignment was to create a “morgue file”. Graphic designers use this term to refer to a collection of reference photos and drawings for creative inspiration much like many people use Pinterest today. Artists remember that other people’s art is not to be copied, yet, it inspires us to create our own unique art. The graphic arts industry has changed over the years, but the idea of organizing and filing for creative purposes will always be useful.

Most artists have a collection of paper, text, textures, patterns, printed ephemera that’s sparked a meaningful idea or is just too cool-looking to throw away. The compilation naturally builds up from a variety of sources. We swim in a sea of “found objects” that can be glued to a card layered with colors, words, images, slipped into an envelope and sent to cheer someone up. Much better than a text, Tweet or Facebook “like” is something to physically find in a mail box, open, touch and hold.

• someone gave it to you
• you clipped it from a magazine
• prints of photos you shot
• from grandma’s closet when you helped her move
• thrift shop
• online source (bookmarks and pins)
• craft store
• old cards
• church bulletins, devotion booklets, etc.
• old paper game pieces
• band-aid, sticker, decorative tape
• picked up on a hike—feather, flower, leaf pressed in an old book
• you name it!

Artists often look for unique material sources as an alternative to the card rack at a common discount store. 

Wausau Paper® Astroparche® 60 lb. text stock and envelope sets make a classy neutral base for handmade cards

For special event money gifts or everyday personal notes, made-to-order hand stamped personalized monogram cards are a commendable choice

Design and print your own cards with FreshRetroGallery clipart for a variety of occasions. This example would be appropriate for graduation (handy to have a print file for many graduates), moving, big change, farewell to past, New Year, etc. Use it plain and simple or layer it with other colors and textures. Artists have a license to play!

Art material collecting can become overwhelming chaos without a plan. Treasures are efficiently useful when you start organizing with 3 simple items:

1. file cabinet or box
2. file folders
3. scissors or x-acto knife

Label folders alphabetically by topic, paper, color and art material categories.  Choose a few to get started or make a comprehensive file with this full list.

• anniversary
• announcement 
• baby, expecting
• best wishes, peace, cheer
• birthday
• black, gray, silver, white
• blue
• purchased clip art, envelopes, shelf items
• Christian confirmation, baptism, Easter
• Christmas, New Year, winter 
• congratulations
• drawings, sketches
• encouragement, comfort
• family reunion, mother, father, son, daughter
• friendship
• get well
• gift for you
• green, chartreuse, lime, hunter, olive
• graduation, school
• invitation
• just because
• let it go
• love
• metal embellishment, ornament, decoration
• miss you
• moving
• nature objects
• orange, peach, salmon
• pictures, photos
• printed postcards
• purple, violet, lavender
• red, burgundy, maroon, wine, pink
• ribbon
• Valentine
• sorry
• stationery, blank notes
• stickers, adhesive items
• string, yarn, thread
• sympathy
• text, letters, words for any occasion
• Thanksgiving, fall 
• thank you
• thinking of you
• trim, lace, zippers, fabric pieces
• wedding, engagement
• yellow, gold

Art materials morgue file index to print for quick reference—keep in front of folders. You may want to color code the index to match the folder tabs. Use a file cabinet or box that is large enough to fill with bulky items you collect over time.

Get out your glue, pencils, pens, paint, cutting and paper scoring tool. Start creating wonderful new personalized greeting card art, spontaneously, at the very moment a need arises.

You may discover that you want to spend hours at a time building up your own card stash. Handmade cards are fun to send one at a time or give as a gift set.

I threw a party for friends from church. We made cards together as a group. I send them from our local Lutheran Women in Mission organization to members celebrating baptism, dealing with health issues, those in the hospital and sympathy to families who’ve lost a loved one. I supplied the goods for this party, but you could ask everyone to bring something along such as paper, envelopes, embellishments, rubber stamps, old cards, clippings from seed magazines, tools, scissors, glue, etc.

Use your coordinated collection of art materials for more than cards. Try making an art journal, scrapbook, wall art or decorated box. Push the envelope and find out how rewarding it is to be an artist/creative/designer who is organized and always ready to make things.

Benefits of a creative life

Creativity

• pushes us to listen to ourselves and fight against unhealthy distractions that lure us
• helps make people happier—both the creator and the recipient of created works
• offers a sense of purpose—it fills the void, empty feeling
• reduces anxiety
• exercises mind, eye and hand coordination
• makes us resilient
• requires that we develop a schedule and routine
• equips us to solve problems in the face of hardship
• passion toward activity is healthy and allows us to work harder and longer rather than face boredom and struggle with work that is meaningless or less satisfying
• innovation requires spiritual discipline and inner strength
• ideas, perception, vision, dreams and imagination from within are given a voice and come to life in tangible art form
• feeds our spirit of curiosity
• honors God as we grow and use the gifts He created within us to love and serve others

Recharge with 

• church
• play and recreation
• physical work
• exercise
• nature
• music and performance arts
• reading
• travel
• study of paintings, photography and other visual art

Live life to the fullest and bring out the capabilities or possibilities of your artistic talent. Experiment with my methodized system to begin enjoying creativity at a new level of efficiency and organization. Pin (or bookmark) this reference to find it when you are ready or share it with someone you know who might enjoy it.

You might also be interested in Wording ideas for handmade cards, favorite Bible verses and Christian encouragement for 25 occasions

How a German-Norwegian American couple connected with a family in Poland

Time goes on, life changes, we move, downsize and let go of childhood gifts. 

My son Nathan asked me if I wanted this doll the other day. I said, “It’s such a cute thing, do you remember where you got it?” It evoked memories of a gift given it to him when he was 7 years old. Memories of my parents rushed back. Nathan has moved from home to college to seminary to a vicarage assignment and temporarily home again. He needed room for books, so the doll and some other things had to go. We let go of precious “things” from time to time, but, memories of the people we love—who have influenced us—remain in our hearts. This doll reminded me of the compassion and Christian generosity of my parents.

Boy doll with blue eyes and blonde hair dressed in a Krakowiak outfit from Poland available at FreshRetroGallery.

 

The story below was written by the late Dianne Johnson, published in Prairie Winds, Vol. III, Issue 38, Nov. 14, 1994.

_________________________ 

Walter and Ruth Busse entertain visitor from Poland

It was an exciting week for Walter and Ruth Busse as they entertained Hanna Witt-Pasztowa from Plock, Poland (a town of about 130,000 population) for four days. Hanna says she found it just as exciting, not only to tour a completely different part of the country and way of life, but also to, finally, meet first hand the people who had so much influence on her life and the life of her family.

A VERY special visitor at the Walter and Ruth Busse [residence] this past week was Hanna Witt-Pasztowa, of Plock, Poland, center. Hanna came to thank the Busses in person for the clothes, food and other things they sent to her family immediately following World War II and throughout the years since then.

The Busses and the Witts became acquainted because of a Lutheran World Relief clothing drive. This particular drive was held after World War II when people in Poland needed so much. Walter, who was about 24 at the time, put his name and address in a pocket. It was fortuitous that the family receiving the clothing was headed by a father who understood the need for knowing a number of languages. Bertram Witt, of Weilun, Poland, knew five languages, one of them being English, and he wrote back to the Busse family to thank them for their gift.

Hanna remembers it thus: “Poland was quite destroyed after the Second World War. Cities were 90 percent destroyed, including Warsaw and my small town. The people of Poland had to have some help. Of course, the first to help were the United States. You know, the United States is quite a strange country. From you all the world expects help. When do you say ‘stop with that, we have our own problems.’ But you do not do that. You continue to help. Thank God you helped my country.

“The protestant church here in the United States gathered clothes and sent it to the protestant church in Poland. My father knew English. English is the language for science and mathematics and culture so he felt it was important to know that language. When he found the note from Mr. Walter Busse in Appleton, he wrote to him to say thanks.

“You know, the first wonder is that Walter Busse was then about 24. My sons are now 25 and 30 and I don’t see that they are interested in helping somebody, although they know there are many people they could help. My father continued to correspond with Walter and the family from 1946 until he died in 1963. They were very nice and warm letters that we received from the Busses so that we knew all about this family. When Walter wanted to marry Ruth, he sent a picture, and asked my father, almost as a brother although my father was much older, for his opinion or blessing.

“The Busses sent us things we really needed or wanted. They sent me a part of my life, really.”

“We didn’t send that much at all,” Walter broke in. “We are overwhelmed that she wanted to come and thank us personally.”

“There were things that we did not even have in Poland, or if we had them we could not buy them. We didn’t have any money. My father was a teacher. My mother stayed at home to raise us three children. So sometimes I would have things, maybe sports equipment or food or even chocolate, and my friends would say ‘where did you possibly get that?’ Other children couldn’t have this help, because no one in their families could speak English. It was quite a wonder really, and certainly an influence on the quality of my life.

“It was important to me that these people who continued to help me throughout the years were protestant since we were a very much smaller group. Most everyone is Catholic.”

Hanna says her church cannot afford a building but rent the use of a Catholic church for their services. “You know, to know these nice people, the Busses, was a motivation for my whole family to learn English and that was a very good thing.”

Hanna is a graduate of a music academy. She is the manager of a small symphony orchestra composed of about 45 people, which means she organizes the concerts, invites soloists and conductors, and is in charge of the program. She is also a piano teacher in the high school of Plock.

She serves in the women’s commission of her Polish Evangelical Lutheran Church and is music commissioner in her church. She also plays organ for the church.

She serves on a committee of 10 people for the government, arranging Esperanto cultural events. Esperanto is an artificial language, which Hanna calls very logical. “Espero means hope,” said Hanna. “it was to be a language to gather people to be tolerant. The doctor who devised it was Jewish. The language is built on the idea that people are better off without wars.”

She served on the city council of her town for four years. “This was the first time we had local government 50 years under Russian dictatorship. I was the chairman of the culture, education and sports commission.”

Hanna came to the United States for the first time two years ago. She was invited by Plock’s sister city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, along with the president of her city and the president of the city council. Hanna was invited because she is chairman of the sister city committee. A part of her job is to prepare for the visits of people from Plock’s sister cities, which includes, in addition Fort Wayne, Darmstadt, in Germany, and Forli, Italy.

Her visit to Appleton at this time was possible because she was again invited to Fort Wayne for a week. Fort Wayne is celebrating a bi-centennial, and the committee purchased her ticket. She enjoyed her visit in Fort Wayne. “I felt like I was right at home, because I made friends on my visit two years ago, and some of them have visited in Poland since then, several have been to Poland twice,” she said. “The only thing is my English is not so good, you know. I read and study English, but this is only the third time I have spoken it. I just studied it by myself. English is not my best language.”

“Actually, she speaks English very well,” said Ruth Busse. That was obvious during the interview. She, like her father, is a linguist, and knows five languages.

Walter and Ruth were a bit surprised to find out how important Hanna and her family thought their gifts were. Walter and his mother began to periodically send more and more clothing and also food items after that first letter from Mr. Witt. They enjoyed the exchange of pictures and cards on the holidays, and most particularly the letters from the family.

Hanna’s husband, Roman, is a medical doctor. Their older son is also a doctor and the younger son is studying theology. “When I first heard that her husband was a doctor,” said Ruth, “I was very happy for her. I thought that finally things were going really well for her, but I now find out that factory workers receive more salary than a doctor in Poland. We were talking about cars one day and she said it was impossible that she could have a car. Her husband does have a car, but an older model and a very small car. They have a telephone now, but in earlier years if he was needed when he was at home someone had to come over to let him know. Hanna walks to work.”

Everywhere Hanna visited in Appleton, she invited people to come to Poland to visit. High on her list of priorities was her wish for cooperation between Poland and the people here. At the Soils Laboratory at Morris, she asked for an exchange of ideas and ventures with her city. At the University of Minnesota Music Department, she asked for an exchange between musical groups here with groups from Plock.

They toured the Pioneer Public TV station, the Appleton Press office, and did some visiting with Floyd Wojtalewicz about his visit to Poland a year ago when he was on an agricultural seminar. She met several other Appletonians of Polish descent while browsing downtown.

She also visited the city offices and talked with Roman Fidler, toured the Appleton Hospital and Clinic, the Appleton Nursing Home, and Pleasant View Apartments. She visited with Ruth’s mother at Riverview Apartments. She toured the Busse Seed Cleaning Plant and saw harvesting and drying at the Brustuen farm.

She worshiped at Trinity Lutheran on Sunday morning, eagerly joining in singing with the choir and very willingly provided piano selections at the evening fellowship meeting.

As time ran out she was only able to view the new high school and Prairie Correctional Facility at a distance, and had to give up a planned visit to a dairy farm.

“Hanna was very impressed with all the things at our disposal in a town of under 2,000 compared to her city of 130,000,” said Ruth. “It was astonishing to her that we had an airport. I think it surprised her to know we have so many churches and apartment buildings, they have no special living facilities especially for the elderly. It was kind of disappointing to have her see that we have to demolish our buildings here at such an early age. For example, part of the building in which her mother lives is from the 13th century, just one example of how different things like that are in Europe.”

While it was very important to Hanna to come here to thank the Busses, for Walter and Ruth the important thing was to meet her. “The family thanked us in the letters over the years,” said Walter. “No further thanks was necessary. This visit is a real bonus.”

“As we have been a part of this Witt family,” said Walter, “in the visit to Appleton by Hanna, we now too, have been touched in our lives.”

_________________________

A textile fiber art piece—woven wall hanging—was Hanna’s gift for Mom and Dad when she visited. She also brought many different kinds of gifts to give the rest of our family and our parents’ many grandchildren… wooden flutes, small ceramic bird whistles, sheet music and dolls in traditional costume as pictured above.

In 1995, the year after the Prairie Winds article above was written, Mom and Dad took a trip to Europe, planned specifically to visit the Witt family.

European trip itinerary was tucked into a decorative box that Mom and Dad brought back for my niece Jessica. Gifts were brought for everyone in our family. Their Trans-Atlantic Tour took them from Minneapolis to Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany. They were in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Czeck. They enjoyed it! The high point of the tour was their visit with the Witt family. Photo credit: Karen Meyer

The Gift of Jesus Christ in my parents’ lives and the fruit of the Spirit brought them joy in giving, not only material things, but as they often shared their faith through reading the Word of God at family gatherings.

Vintage recipes from Mom’s and Grandma’s little black books

Meals I grew up on were served with genuine love.

Parents can pray and take an active role in their children’s physical and spiritual growth.

Mom was an excellent business woman, planner, shopper, baker, gardener, cook, seamstress, bookkeeper, chauffeur and homemaker. She had Biblical-Martha virtues, but her true Spirit was like Mary in chapter 10 of Luke. Eleven years after my parents’ 1950 wedding, I was was given life—their fifth child (out of six made our family of eight). Mother had been baptized into Christ’s self-sacrificing love. She focused on Christ as she graciously placed my father and us as her priority. Her goal seemed to be to encourage us, to bond our family to our Savior. As a child, I took her nourishing, delicious meals for granted and often didn’t appreciate her religious guidance in preparing me for life as I, thankfully, do as an adult. Sharing good food and Good News has been passed on from generations before me.

4 Generations before me
Children pictured: Uncle Robert Olson and my mother Ruth Margaret Olson Busse, 1929–2011. Back, left to right: my Grandma Ida Marie Bjornjeld Olson, 1904–1994 and Great Grandmother Rebecca Sophia Hagen-Bjornjeld, 1875–1963. My Great-great-grandmother Martha Austaraa (Ostra)-Hagen, seated, was born in Suldal, Norway, June 1836. In 1864 she came to Waseca, Minnesota, USA, where she had a cousin. The trip took 13 weeks on the ocean. That year, she met and married her husband Ole. Ole was born in Roldal, Norway, nine years before her. He came to Waseca 12 years before meeting Martha. In 1866 they resided in Swift/Chippewa County. A few years ago while waiting in Benson, MN, with my mom while her car was being fixed, during a visit with my mom’s cousin and my late great aunt, I heard a story that Big Bend-Hagen was named after my Great-great-grandfather Ole. As I recall, he started the town with a mill there where Graham flour was invented (or made). Ole died in 1898. Martha died in April 1939, at nearly 103 years.

I was blessed by my parents example in their Christ-centered everyday living. I cherish Mother’s culinary wisdom and creativity during days with a tight budget and only a few convenient foods emerging. Memories…

• No fast food restaurants in the area we lived. There was a drive-in and a family-owned cafe or two. Eating at these places was a very rare treat, maybe to try a pizza burger or stop for an ice cream cone. 
• Pizza was made from scratch and there was frozen pizza when that became readily available, but, there was no delivery, carry out or eat-in. 
• So many comfort foods like Tater Tot Hotdish
• Norwegian ethnic foods—see How to make Lefse, a delicious Norwegian tradition 
• Apples and garden produce—raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, onions, peas, corn, radishes, carrots, potatoes, green beans, dill…
• Pigs on the farm eventually filled the kitchen with aromas of basil-seasoned pork roasts or sweet and savory country style ribs cooked so tender, the meat fell off the bones.
• Our table was adorned with special china for Christian holidays. See How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner—A Comprehensive Pictorial Guide
• To enjoy God’s creation, sometimes we ate outside on the picnic table Dad built
• Serving guests with special attention to menu and visually appealing foods is an art. My mother enjoyed entertaining as a highlight of her hard-working lifestyle. Our company varied from cousins and other relatives to couples card parties (triple-decked sandwiches) and Mom’s intimate bridge club table of four (desserts).
• Free refills of The Spirit, confession, absolution and praise at church every Sunday was often followed by a fried chicken “dinner” at noon, a nap, rice pudding with cinnamon and butter for the evening meal.
• Ice cream and cake were sweet staples throughout the week.
• Contributing to potluck dinners and smorgasbords were common in the Appleton, Minnesota community for 4-H, church and school events.
• Family meals (together) were preceded with a prayer. Relaxation and gentle teaching came afterward as mom read a daily reading and Psalm from the Bible, plus, an inspirational story from the Portals of Prayer devotion book. We closed by reciting The Lord’s Prayer.
• During my teen years I sometimes strayed away from the Word and into the world. Home from Alexandria Technical & Community College some weekends, Mom sent healthy home-canned soup and other foods back with me. I’m sure my parents were constant in prayer while I was “gone”, perhaps even more than when I was “home”. By grace, the free refills of Spirit kept the spark in me through those years. Still, it convicts me and supplies daily forgiveness when I admit that I mess up and don’t measure up. The Holy Spirit moves me to fess up and comforts me to look toward heavenly eternal promises with confidence.

I married and had a family of my own. My husband and children sometimes help with meals, but for the most part, I kept the traditional role of chief chef. I had a career outside home so I often served less healthy, more convenient, processed foods. Items like Rhodes frozen bread dough satisfy my cravings for homemade bread and hints of the past. I often called Mom for recipes, advice and companionship. When I moved to Kansas, over 500 miles from “home”, the phone became our best friend until Mom became ill and lost her voice.

Good Hot Dish and Fruit Salad—ha, such clever titles for simple recipes to serve a large family or a large crowd, right?

These inherited little black books remind me of my roots. Recipes are named after the women who introduced them to my grandma and mom. One of the books contains items I cannot imagine making such as blood sausage, head cheese and tea for 50 (3/4 cup leaves)—although I would like to try the tea.

Grandma’s and Mom’s “little black books” have handwritten and typed with red ribbon recipes. One cookbook is marked with a hot pink note, “Lutefisk in this book”. My parents often went to an annual lutefisk dinner hosted by a Lutheran church in our neighborhood. I vaguely remember going along one time when I was very young—many people were in a line to the church basement and there was a distinct scent, but I don’t remember eating it. Mom made it once when I brought my fiancé home for a visit. I remember that she claimed it didn’t turn out quite right. I don’t remember ever having courage to eat more than a taste of lutefisk. I believe I opted for the entrée options she served such as ham or meatballs. I appreciate that she offered my young gentleman, of German descent, a taste of our Norwegian heritage.

Good Hot Dish below is Grandma Bjornjeld-Olson-Thuras Sonnack’s handwriting. 

Many of the recipes in sketched these books are not fully descriptive because they were personally demonstrated or discussed from one generation to the next. Since I’m publishing them for the world, I’ll add [my thoughts].

Good Hot Dish
Brown: 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion (chopped)
1 cup celery
Add 1 can chicken rice soup
1 can cream of mushroom [or] chicken soup
[small condensed variety of soups above]
1 can mixed vegetables (with liquid)
1 box frozen peas [about 10 ounces]
1/4 lb. chow mein noodles
Bake 45 min. to 1 hr. in 350° oven or store in refrig & bake next day one hour.

Note added 1/9/15: We tried the Good Hot Dish. It’s not bad, so it must be good! The chow mein noodles came in a 5 oz. can (close enough) so I tested a few and mixed them all in. They saturate the flavors, get soft while baking except those that poke out the top get crispy. I didn’t have cream of mushroom on hand so I used low-fat cream of chicken. I tweaked the recipe by adding 4 oz. of sliced fresh mushrooms and a drained 8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts. Nathan garnished his plate with deli-sliced jalapeño peppers and sriracha chili sauce. I added black pepper and soy sauce to mine. Stan ate his “as is”.

The fruit salad below (Mom’s handwriting) was a favorite for church luncheons and wedding receptions. 

After you mix things up and refrigerate it for several hours, the marshmallows dissolve in the sour cream to make a yummy, fluffy white coating on the fruit. Hey, sisters, if you have more details about this recipe, please let me know. I must have been playing while she made this.

Fruit Salad (one ice cream pail)
577 [I’m guessing this has something to do with number of invited guests for an event Mom may have been planning. I just checked our 5 quart ice cream pail and it contains 40 half cup servings. Wow, I never knew a serving size of ice cream was only a half cup!]
1 sour cream [1 what? cup? container? if so, what size? ha! I guess 12 oz., but your guess is as good as mine]
1 miniature marshmallows [probably a bag, but I don’t know what size. My guess is about 6 cups?]
More or less of the following: [how forgiving!]
3 chunk pineapple
2 fruit cocktail
2 mandarin oranges
[common size cans of above, well drained]
4 bananas [sliced]
4 apples [chopped]
[I imagine the bananas and apples should be stirred in just before serving]

Verses for you: Do Not Be Anxious

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV)

Thanks for reading my blog post.
Elizabeth B. Knaus