I Thought I was the Geek!

I got up on Sunday morning and the usual friendly face was gone! All it gave me was a blank stare . . . yes, ashen grey . . . I must say. It didn’t look good!

I know that in some instances it would be okay to call 911 – even if it is a Sunday, but I had to convince myself that this one could wait.

First thing on Monday morning I called the appropriate professional and explained. Is it a virus, I wondered? He couldn’t tell me until he could do his own examination. So the “ambulance” arrived and part of my life left the house.

A few phone calls later . . . and terminology I wouldn’t know how to repeat correctly . . . it was determined that the hard-drive had failed. Did he say “heart” drive? He explained what he needed to do and I, in turn, tried to explain what kind of care I was expecting.
Because it’s my baby . . . everything needs to be in its place. I don’t like surprise changes and I don’t want any lost toys . . . so how do I begin to explain.
“You know . . . (I’m trying to remember that face) . . . the third icon down on the second row . . . I need to scan photos . . . yes the little “e” has to be at the bottom." And so forth.

He told me that I’d need to re-install certain programs and would need to find the CDs. My heart sank.
First of all . . . where could they be? Who would have known that they would be needed again? Why didn’t anyone tell me they’re practically like birth certificates or vaccination records …. You need to hang on to them.

Secondly . . . I hate those things! You agree to contracts you don’t understand … you continue, then continue, then there's a huge warning. . . you agree to another contract . . . at this point you really need to be sure that you really, really want this, then click continue . . . oh, you need a number which you can’t find and then a password . . . how many passwords can person remember? And after all that . .. you need to remember where the CD went?

Another call . . . he asked about my deleted file . . . and about a password I never use . . . Can’t he just “hack?” (Now I sound like I’m getting desperate!)
I told him, “I’m sorry that I’m so dumb … and now you know everything about me.” I think he grinned over the phone. Maybe I should have reminded him that all those cute kids in My Pictures are my grandkids. I am a Grammy and that excuse is coming in quite handy!

The box with my life in it came back today. I had freshly baked cupcakes waiting and he installed all the programs I needed. Phew! And I think he ended up understanding exactly what I wanted. It’s a good thing the hard-drive was still under warranty!

From Riches to Refugees

One of the three factories that my great-great-grandfather started. This was part of the letterhead. I have no idea what it says. My great-grandfather was born in the Ukraine, which was part of Russia at the time, and he was very involved in the family business. His father had started a blacksmith shop that expanded into numerous factories, where they produced farm machinery, such as threshing machines, reapers and a multi-bladed plow which became very popular. My great-grandfather experienced very prosperous years in his father’s business and they employed about 600 workers, Russian as well as German Mennonites. In 1915 they were forced to sell everything for next to nothing. Inflation, anti-German feelings, and nationalizing of lands and estates, brought poverty overnight. Not only that, but the Russian government pursued those they believed to have a lot of money and so my great-grandfather, with his growing family, moved around a lot, for fear of being imprisoned, as his brother was. In 1930 he escaped to China with most of the family, being led by a guide during the night, as they crossed the Amur River on sleds. By that time my grandmother, who was the oldest, was just married and stayed behind. About seventeen years later the family met up in Paraguay. (You can read about my grandmother's experiences of when she was left behind here.)

My paternal Great-Grandparents, Gerhard & Elisabeth, before they lost all and had to flee for their lives.

How to Wear a Scarf

Ben and Kari came for dinner and after we were finished eating, I did what everyone who knows a blogger fears. I got out my camera. It was a perfect evening to get the scarf photos done. The only thing that would have made it better is if Kari had been able to wear of her own colors, but she was a good sport about donning some of my things and smiling for the camera. I always admire her great sense of fashion and especially the beautiful smile that accompanies her.

So, here I have a few photos of options for wearing a scarf. For most of them I have a photo and then a little cartoon instruction from a cute website Kari also sent me. Please check out the site as well, as I do want to give credit to Leigh & Luca for the drawings.

At the end I have two little videos that blogger would only let me post there and no where else!

(see video)

(see video)

Play around with these ideas and you will probably come up with some of your own.

To store a crinkled scarf, just twist it like a rope and loop it into a circle.

I'm Not Fond of Chocolate

Unless it's a thin layer of chocolate

overtop a lot of nuts and some gooey caramel.

I've been known to give away chocolates, still in their beautifully wrapped paper, not even checking to see if it's really chocolates inside.

But when I opened my Birthday gift from my sister-in-law . . .

I was quite excited!

And I've been savoring them . . .

one piece at a time.

It meant a lot to me that she remembered that I had enjoyed these when they were packaged up in little boxes as wedding favors a while back.

It meant something to me that she had taken the time to go to Costco across the line and get them for me.

And then, while she was watching me open the gift, just before I saw what it was, she asked,

"Have you lost weight?"

It's the little things that count.

Why do so many Mennonites come from Russia?

So, as I promised . . . a history lesson . . .

In the 16th century, the European state and religious structure, namely the authority of the Pope, was being challenged by the Protestant movement headed by Luther. If you have seen the movie, you will remember the agony this monk went through as he searched the scriptures for truth and courageously stood up against the false doctrines of the church. Upon being demanded to retract his teachings, he declared, "Unless I am being convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures ... I cannot and will not retract anything." Other priests followed suit in their search and complicated matters even more when they found that it was adults who were baptised on the confession of their faith. As this teaching and practice spread, King Charles V ordered these people to be put to death by torturing, drowning, burning or imprisonment. Many gave their lives or fled, leaving homes, property and farms. These people were called Anabaptists (re-baptizers) and were a threat to the social structure, because it was through infant baptism that an individual became a member, not only of the church, but of the state. It was during this time that a priest by the name of Menno Simons began to struggle with his belief and couldn’t help but be impressed by the lives of those who were willing to die for their faith. After his own brother was killed by government troops in 1535, he decided to make a public declaration and he renounced the priesthood.

For the next 25 years Menno ran from authorities while serving as an evangelist and strengthening believers with his writings. Having studied as a priest, he could understand the Latin scriptures and explain them to the average person. One of his favorite Bible verses was, “For no one can build a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11) Menno Simons died in 1561, but his biblical beliefs lived on in these people who were by now being called Mennonites. Persecution eventually forced them to move to Prussia where they were allowed to stay because they were hardworking farmers who knew how to work the swampy land. Eventually, however, their religious convictions were threatened by increased pressure on their young men to join the army (something they resisted) and they began to look for a new place to live.

In 1786 two Mennonite delegates left Danzig by invitation from Catherine the Great to come and farm land that had opened up in the Ukraine. After this many followed in large groups, setting up colonies and villages, with their own schools, hospitals, banks, shops and churches. For more than 100 years, Mennonites were able to make a peaceful living in this area. They farmed and built mills and factories that produced bricks and machinery to be sent throughout the land. They were good for Russia’s economy but, because they were not allowed to proselytize, they remained a group to themselves, possibly growing more in number than in faith. However, considering the challenges of their day, they did not let go of their strong fundamental convictions and backed them up with practical Christian living.

It was about 1870 when, due to pressure from Russian peasants who became increasingly critical of the special privileges granted to the colonists, Russia revamped their military structure and the fear of mandatory military conscription caused many Mennonites to leave Russia for Canada and the United States. Those who remained negotiated a mutual agreement with the government, whereby their young men could serve their time in forestry camps. During World War I the service was expanded to include medical work and road building.

In 1918, Russia lost control of the Baltics, Poland and the Ukraine (which included many of the Mennonite colonies) to German forces. When Allied Forces made the German troops withdraw the Mennonite colonies were left undefended in the struggles that came up after that. While revolution and civil war raged in the land, they tried defending themselves, but this only made matters worse for them. It was during this time that Mennonites appealed to Canada and United States for help, and MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) was organized, bringing food and other supplies into Russia. Again, many emigrated to North America.

In 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics was established and, after a lengthy struggle for leadership, Stalin became the Dictator in 1929. Small farms were combined into large collective farms to be controlled by the government. Many citizens opposed Stalin’s policies and were sent to labor camps. This not being enough, Stalin began a program in which secret police snuck around and arrested people, often for unknown reasons shooting them or sending them to prison. Many Christians, including the Mennonites, became the targets of these atrocities. It was under these circumstances that those who could find a way fled the country to Canada and to South America. This time, the ones who stayed, did so against their own choosing.

In the coming months, I will tell some of the personal stories of my great-grandparents and grandparents as they lived through these times. Maybe you have a grandparent who could tell you some of your own history as well. I would encourage you to take the time to ask questions while you can.

Credits: Map above reproduced from the Mennonite Historical Atlas by William Schroeder and Helmut T. Huebert. The atlas is available on line and at Mennonite Historical Societies.
I gathered most of the historical information from several sources a number of years ago, for personal use.

On Being Mennonite

When I was a little girl, growing up in South America, my grandmother, who was born in Russia lived with us. She loved telling me stories about when she was a girl living in a mansion with all kinds of luxuries and how the wars came and changed her life. Mostly I got the feeling that her life had been very hard, and I didn’t always want to listen to the repetition of the sorrows she’d gone through. It wasn't until years after she died, that I became much more interested in the history of our family and I began to investigate. I wanted to finally be able to explain my very confusing background. I’m a Canadian by choice, born in Uruguay, and my first language was German because my grandparents came to South America from Russia!

The only way this makes sense is because we are Mennonite and Mennonites tend to stick together. We have been known to live conservatively and carry a whole bunch of culture with us. Because the name Mennonite is not only a religious but also an ethnic term, it is possible to be a Mennonite by name and not have any religious affiliation to a church. It is possible to be a Mennonite belonging to any other faith. It is also possible to not have the ethnic background and be a member of a Mennonite Church.

Mennonite congregations around the world generally have the same belief system, but they vary in their views as to how this is lived out, ranging from old order (plain people) to very conservative to moderate ways of life and worship. The core beliefs are centered on the teachings of Jesus and the authority of the Bible as the written and inspired Word of God. We believe in salvation by acknowledging the sacrifice of Jesus, believer’s baptism, and the taking the Lord’s supper in memory of His death for the forgiveness of our sins.

I have experienced the life in a church where what defines you is what you don't do. A place where our elders and parents tried hard to raise us in the best way they knew, not realizing that legalism was at the core. I have no bitterness about it, since it kept me out of trouble. But, I have also come to know more about grace . . . and that our faith could possibly be better defined by what we do do. Asking and allowing God's Spirit to work in us and through us to help us keep the right balance.

In another post I will go back to the beginning of the Mennonites