Merry Christmas!

It's been a bit crazy around the Lodge for the past, um... well, it's always crazy around here and December's no exception.  I've been on the rest of the family to get some news posted about all their varied and fun happenings and I've received assurances that new material is forthcoming!  (I will throw up a quick shot from Christmas and the family and friends that made it in for dinner.)  In the meantime, know that we send our love and best wishes to you and yours! 

Have a happy New Year!

Bodies Exhibition with Dad

"Happy Birthday" usually doesn't include a trip to see dead people without, um, skin.  However, a few years ago we all decided there's not much we need, so birthdays became opportunities for experiences instead of presents. In October, Jaime and I gave Dad a few choices of events to check out together.  His choice?  Unequivocally, the Bodies Exhibition at the St. Louis Galleria.  Suzi and I had seen the a similar show in New York a few years ago.  It's an amazing process called plastination in which tissue, whether, human, animal or vegetable, is injected with a type of plastic, allowing the tissue to then be displayed indefinitely.  This process has given a whole new dimension to the study of the human body.

The exhibits are not for the faint of heart or queasy of tummy.  These are real bodies and organs.  But the displays are tasteful and there are plenty of "white coats" in the form of med school students hovering nearby to give you a laser-pointer tour of this tendon or that artery.  I particularly like the health aspect the presenters put forward... Smoking?  There's more than a few specimens with seriously blackened lungs.  Tend to overindulge?  Check out what all that "extra" looks like under the surface.  There's even stations to check your weight, blood pressure and BMI.  At the end of the tour, visitors are encouraged to contact their local MD for a checkup.

Bodies, The Exhibition will be in St. Louis until January 2, 2011 and ticket prices have recently dropped.

Sectional Minister's & Spouse Dinner

The Christmas Gatherings have begun!  Over 20 ministers and their spouses from around northeast Missouri descended on the Lodge for an annual event full of food and carols.  Friends as far as Canton made the drive and the rafters rang with harmonies and laughter.  Vernon's brisket and ham lead the entrees along with sweet potato casserole ("Christmas Surprise!") and smorgasbord of tasty sides and deserts.  Many thanks to Carmen & Patty for all their help!

Hinge Pin: An Anniversary

A handsome, strong, Paul Bunyan-type of a man, he owned logging trucks and hauled logs out of the deep Piney Woods of Texas to the sawmills to make a living for himself and the love of his life.  On the morning of November 30, 1949, he came by his son’s house where his daughter also had an apartment for a quick visit and a cup of coffee before he started his day.  She heard his voice and thought about going in and visiting, but the comfy bed held her tight.  That afternoon, the call came.  While he was up on the logs, adjusting the load, the cant hook broke, allowing him to fall to his death with a broken neck and his last words of, “Oh, my God!”
Life in the Elias Die family would never be the same for he was the hinge pin of stalwart faith and confidence in God upon which they all hung.  He was the one who set that daughter’s arm in a wooden match box when she broke it as a young girl. He prayed in Jesus’ Name and the arm healed perfectly.  He was the one who invited anyone who needed dinner home with his large family of seven children and would assure his wife, Mary, that there would be plenty of food, and the Lord always saw to it that there was.  And when she was distraught about some issue, he would just say, “Now, Mary, stay sweet in your soul.”  And he was the man who never said an unkind word nor sued the people who tore down his country home and moved it away even as his sons begged them not to, saying, “Papa is coming back to this house someday.”

Hinge Pin—the pin that holds a joint or device on which a door, gate, lid, etc. swings.  Anything on which matters turn or depend. 

I once received a tiny plant in a Styrofoam cup several years ago called an airplane plant.  I transplanted it and watched it grow.  It now has long stems and additional plants are now growing off of each of those stems.  They hinge on that stem, staying attached to the main plant, in order to receive food and water and thrive.  They will not survive if they become disconnected from their hinge pin. 

We are all a Hinge Pin for someone.  Who is depending upon you to hold them together, to be the pin that connects them to God or to anything that is even remotely Godly in their lives?  What will happen to the people around you if you should suddenly be removed or if you should remove yourself from them?  

As you pass through the many doors in your life, may you always look at the Hinge Pin and think about how important you are in people’s lives; you are the pin upon which matters turn or depend.

Glynnda

(Grand-daughter of Elias Die)

7 Months Old!

Missouri District Ladies Ministries Announces New Promotional Director

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jaime Morgans of Moberly, Missouri, as Promotional Director of Missouri District Ladies Ministries. Jaime has served as Coordinator of our EMERGE class for the past three years. Under her direction, this ministry to young girls ages 13-21 has flourished. She is very creative and has a heart for ministry. She has been an asset to Missouri District Ladies Ministries and their efforts through her willingness to be a "team player" . Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Jaime as she joins the Missouri District Ladies Ministries Committee.

Joann Thornton, President
Missouri District Ladies Ministries

Jaime Morgans has served the MO District Ladies Ministries since 2007 as the EMERGE coordinator. She also served the District from 2006-2008 as the MO Youth College and Career Director. She has a strong background in marketing and public relations (Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, currently Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Institutional Development for the seven campuses of Moberly Area Community College) and is a capable administrator (Masters of Business Administration from William Woods University, currently Moberly Area Council on the Arts Administrator and MACC Foundation Director). In addition to her professional competency, Jaime has served her local assembly, Apostolic Pentecostal Church Moberly, MO, as Youth Pastor for six years and as leader of its worship team for eight years. She has served as a writer for the teen and youth Word AFlame Sunday School literature for 10 years. Jaime loves all of the various and exciting hats she wears each day. The ones she loves to wear the most are wife to Johnathan, a substance abuse counselor and husband extraordinaire, and mommy to Princess Heidi, Diva-in-Training (8 months).

Lodge Menu: Chicken Fried Steak

One of the anchors in the Lodge menu has to be Chicken Fried Steak.  It's probably the most requested meal by returning visitors and it's always served with mashed potatoes, cream gravy, green peas, salad, hot rolls and sweet tea.
This staple entree started with Mama Die in the Piney Woods of East Texas.  We don't know where she got it from, but she taught it to Grammie.  When my Dad transplanted his yankee roots to Texas in 1979, Grammie taught him (ironically, not her daughter, aka my Mom).  Grammie also passed on Beef Stew, but that's another entry.

Originally, the recipe called for round steak, beaten and tenderized, but that didn't work for Dad. It was messy and time consuming with all the fat trimming that took the fun right out of the kitchen.  So, a few years ago, Dad migrated to cube steak.  Sure, it's so finely chopped that it tends to fall apart, but you don't have all the violence that goes along with the other stuff.

Chicken Fried Steak
3-4 lbs Cube Steak
4 eggs 1/2 cup milk
1-2 packages of saltine crackers

Heat 3/4" oil in a deep cast iron skillet
Cut the steak into individual pieces (This is not a monster tenderloin from the Truck Stop)
Mix eggs and milk into deep plate
Generously crumble (but not crushed to dust) crackers into separate plate
Batter steak pieces in egg/milk mixture on both sides
Dip into cracker crumbs
Fry in skillet




Cream Gravy
Once the meat is fried, reserve 2 tbsp oil along with 2-3 tbsp of "crumbles" from skillet
Add above to 2/3 cup milk & 1/3 cup water along with flour to desired texture/taste
Shake ingredients in an airtight bowl
Pour into hot skillet and stir over medium heat... salt & pepper to taste

Lodge Tips:
Like Mexican Cornbread, the cast iron skillet makes a reappearance in a similar role.  The oil has to be hot enough to fry immediately.  Treat the battered pieces like pancakes.  Instead of bubbling, the top & edges start to turn dark when the bottom is ready to flip.  Feeds a flock of missionaries, inlaws, or van load of youth on a Sunday afternoon.

6 Months Old!

Dinner in Hannibal

One recent Monday afternoon the Morgans/McGarvey clan convoyed up to Hannibal for dinner and time with Matthew & Becca Johnson at their new house.  If you've not had the privilege of making the Johnson's acquaintance, you're missing some quality people in your life.  They've served the Missouri District in a number of capacities, most recently as District Youth President, and have still found the time to turn out two absolute darlings, Abriah & Jace.

Delicious home-cookin' was on the menu and the conversations flew fast as four very busy families tried to squash as much quality time into a few hours as possible before we all blew off in different directions (including Scott who was flying out the next day to Jordan).  Thanks so much for hosting us!

 

A Trip to the Holy Land

Last Sunday, the church hosted a "A Night in the Holy Land."  It was story-telling time and Pastor's birthday all rolled into one.  We sent out postcards to area pastors Dad works with in the community and to those who had supported their trip.  

We had a great turnout.  People we didn't know came because they were interested in the region and wanted background.  Mom put together a display of various odds & ends from the trip and Woody made an appearance in traditional costume.  I was shooting for an hour or so of stories and pictures, but it turned into a two-hour marathon!  Mom & Dad got a very pleasant surprise when Mark & Margie showed up unexpectedly.  They kicked in their perspective on the trip and we all had a rollicking good time.  Afterward, there was a desert table and reception for Dad's 64th birthday.  We even picked up some basboosa and baklava from the World Market in Columbia to give the night a little more authenticity.  Ma'a salama! (Goodbye!)

Coming Soon! Holy Land Presentation

How is Your Dad Doing?

I get this question from near and far and I leave you with this picture for my answer:

Dad, wrapping up his gutter screening project as darkness falls... With mom keeping a close watch.

Granted, at the same time she was trimming bushes in the front yard, not threatening him with the shears to get off the roof!

So, the news is this: No bleeding and no serious drops in strength in September.  His 12-step program is how quickly he can get up the stairs from the basement and not have to sit down at the top.  Earlier this year, we were hoping he'd make it to the end of October... now, we just wish he'd stay off the roof!

...Grateful folks over here at the Lodge...

Scott

Visitors

 

A few weeks ago, Mom & Dad came home to the scene above.  It didn't take long for those highly evolved scavengers to figure out what the squirrels could not; they not only got past the Dome of Intrusion, but the next night, the family knocked the entire bird feeder down!  This type of activity just could not continue at the Lodge and so entered Trap 1.  The morning light revealed our first capture, obviously a bit dejected at his predicament.

The score stood at one juvenile down and 3 more, plus the Momma to go.  Dad & I took a trip out to Sugar Creek Lake an dropped our friend off in a new neighborhood.  That night, I brought Trap 2 and, predictably, we got two more.  Another trip to the Lake for a double drop and that night we got Coon Kiddie Number Four!  He was also promptly delivered to his siblings' new home.  Amazingly, the momma hasn't been tempted by a smorgasbord of birdseed a' la bacon grease on a bed of rotting strawberries.  I can't imagine why.

Cleaning Day

A few weeks ago, Grandpa & Grandma decided it was time to clean out the garage.  You have to understand, this was no ordinary garage.  For many years (and 3 or 4 retirements), it was the home of Don's Furniture Service.  The creative den where Grandpa took the mundane or mildewed and recreated antique divinity.  His skill at refinishing and repairing any manner of wooden furniture was so well known that even the Busch family had him on speed dial (yes, those Buschs).  The footprints of a vast and untold number of chair legs, inlaid table tops, upholstered footstools and Time-itself-only-knows-what-else are indelibly etched in the stained and pocked floor of that small piece of real estate.  And today it fell to all of us to pilfer our personal treasures from flotsam & jetsam of a very successful, albeit deliberately collective, career.

Aunt Helen took the helm of organizing the event, complete with a dumpster of epic proportions.  Aunt Janet journeyed from the east to get in on the party.  Unfortunately, Mom & Dad had back-to-back funerals at the last minute and couldn't make it, but J-J & H and S-S & C made an early morning commute to Bridgeton and by 9:30AM the fun had commenced.  Aunt Helen took some time to remind all of us of the work and dedication that Grandpa & Grandma had put into their lives and ours and then delegated duties.  We went through just about ever nook & cranny of the place and filled  that monster dumpster.  Yes, we kept bits and pieces of sentimental value, but 40 years or so of accumulation can, well, cause some accumulation.  You can jump over to the pictures to track our progress.  Needless to say we were pretty tuckered out and in desperate need of a good hosing off by day's end.  We missed Mom & Dad, but it was great fun to be with all the STL clan!

Cooper's Dedication

Last week, we had a short dedication service for Cooper.  Sasha, Suzi's mom was able to attend and it was a nice event.  The Pack of Three wore traditional Arabic clothes in homage to Cooper's birth country.  You can read all about it from Suzi's perspective on our blog.

A Great Weekend

It's odd the types of things that become part of your daily existence with long-term illness.  We've begun using Dad's skin color as a barometer of his strength level and by that we can tell from across a room if he's feeling a bit unsteady.  Over the past two weeks, we've commented to each other that his sallow skin tone has given way to a more lively color.  This week he said, "I just need to get out and pound some nails."  On Saturday evening I called Dad to check in and found him rehanging errant gutters.  This was after he'd worked on his bathroom sink plumbing and completed several other outdoor projects.  As the two of us sat down to some well-earned, hand-tossed Domino's, he said he wasn't winded or exhausted and hadn't felt this good since last November.  On Sunday, he did a devotion during the Sunday School Promotion service and then preached hard Sunday night.

What does all this mean?  As we've said before, it means he's stable.  He's not bleeding.  And for the first time in many months, we can say he's finally getting stronger.

God's good!

A Great Night

When Pastor Vic Comstock at Family Life Fellowship wanted to bring in pastors from the community to preach to his church, he picked ministers from a wide-ranging group of denominations.  To wrap up their "Psalms 133 Summer Lineup," Pastor Vic called on Dad to fill his pulpit.  A great group from APC came to support their pastor and hear a challenge to be "Filled to Flow (Ephesians 5.18)."  The Spirit of the Lord moved and the altar filled as we answered the call to move up... it was a great night.

Wednesday August 25th, 2010! from Family Life Fellowship on Vimeo.

Visitors!

Over the past few weeks, there's been a steady buzz of visitors at the Lodge.  Ted swung by for a few days and got to hang with his great-niece & nephew.  He also contributed some more kiddie gadgets to the menagerie that's become the Lodge!

 

Rudy & Kim Hennigan made a quick trip up from LA for a two night sleepover and gab fest, as well.  (Any time Rudy is in the area, computers seem to work faster & more efficient... thanks to his little black bag of tricks.)  Dennis & Vivian Lake were in town for an event at the church they once pastored and stopped by to catch up on stories.

You never know who might be at the door when the bell rings and a few days ago it was JW & Linda Ballinger.  Long-time Moberly friends, the Ballinger's dropped off a beautiful prayer shawl from Coats Street Presbyterian Church.

Four Month's Old

Four Generations

One of the top priorities we've had since returning home has been a photo shoot with all four generations of the McGarvey men.  Our Pack of Three loaded up with Dad and made a St. Louis run to have lunch and pictures with the Grandparents.  We had a lovely time at Picadilly's, just behind the hulking remains of Northwest Plaza, and then headed back to munch on Grandma's snacks and shoot pix.

Cooper held his own for the afternoon and Grandpa did great, in spite of the bright lights and racing about I had to do in order to set up and be in the shot.  

It was so wonderful to have this opportunity and to have Grandpa pray a blessing over Cooper.  With all the talk of mortality in the air, we're trying to capture and cherish every moment we can.  These times are what makes us a family.  While there's plenty of business and paperwork to keep us occupied, we're grateful to be home for events just like these.

Two Worlds Collide

For those of you who may not have heard. On July 15, while Mama, Daddy and Heidi were at Missouri District Conference, we found out that another tumor in Daddy's colon had begun bleeding. Daddy had tried to keep it quiet for a few days but it worsened to the point that they came home early. After a call to the doctor, we learned what we already knew; there would be no more surgeries or procedures or scans. Dr. Peters reminded us that this would continue to happen as Daddy's condition deteriorates. So we made phone calls and quick decisions not knowing what to expect next. Scott, Suzi and Cooper arrived back home on Wednesday, July 21 for the duration of whatever happens next. We are so happy to have them here. You can imagine that Grammie and Papa and just in heaven! Daddy is enjoying his "sugar treatment".

The bleed is sealed off late last week, and he is now regaining some strength. He even preached a short message on Sunday night. We are enjoying spending time together as a family and, of course, working as hard and as fast as we can to get things in order.....just like we always do!

And so it was that on Thursday evening, the McGarvey family was once again gathered...this time a little more complete than the last time. Heidi Suzanne and Cooper Alexander finally joined their two little worlds. Princess Heidi chatted with Pirate Cooper while he chewed on her fingers, the two of them completely oblivious to the adults gazing on in rapt attention. Scott and Jaime grinned and held their kids while flash bulbs went off like strobes. It was definitely a night for the books. The kids are getting along adorably. There's no longer any need for conversation or any other form of entertainment. We all just sit around watching Cooper and Heidi!

Thank you for all of your prayers and cards and kind words. We feel so safe knowing that we are completely held in His arms and that He is in charge of our lives.

Jaime

First Family Shot

MidEast Reunion

So, Mom can run through a detailed itinerary of what all we saw and did, but the miles are taking their toll on me and I can't do it right now.  What I can give you is a stack of pix from our various side trips and Jerusalem.  Having my family here was an absolute dream come true.  I've wanted to share this world with them and this being my mom's first trip overseas was just bonus.  We ran all over the country (granted, it's a small one) and covered a lot of ground in Jerusalem & Palestine.  We've the bruises, blisters and Bedouin cell numbers to prove it!

Scott

Good Bye

Cooper's first bottle