off to early family Christmas

The family got to Harrisburg in plenty of time for the Delta flight to Detroit to catch the plane to Moline, Iowa, where Ryan's family will gather.  Leah's second Christmas, but the first one she can walk around for.

funereal detour

Out of the blue, Dorcas' sister, Rachel Yoder, died suddenly, on Ascension Day. Rachel and Monroe lived in New York. On their way to Grantsville, Maryland, she took sick and died in a Harrisburg hospital.

On Wednesday the funeral was held at the Maple Glen Mennonite Church, Grantsville, and the burial was in this cemetery beside the church.

For over forty years their church was Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church. A good two dozen members and friends of that neighborhood and church and others from the Bronx attended.

sister-in-law dies

My sister-in-law, Rachel, Dorcas's next oldest sister, passed away last evening at 9:25 p.m. in the Harrisburg (Pa.) Hospital, as Monroe her husband (in photo) and Dorcas and I and the hospital chaplain attended around the bed.

There was not a clearly defined moment of the final heartbeat, but Nurse Craig quietly informed Monroe as life signs exited the stage one by one. Dorcas put her hand on her forehead as life was slipping away and prayed one of the psalms.

The chaplain offered that we hold hands circling the bed as she (the African-American chaplain in jeans) prayed.

At Monterey we all loved her and called her Aunt Rachel as the children grew up. A vibrant, faithful, creative center of energy, even as her physical limitations increased, here she is at Joel's wedding reception last November. Photo by Lois Maust.

God rest her.

take time to be a citizen

Hi Obama.

Hi Lancaster (pronounced correctly).

Saturday. A snap decision--thanks to Sarah who said the wait in line is not long--to see Obama at the train station. There's our Pennsylvania Senator Casey beside The Candidate.

The sensitive white guy over 50 thinks, which guilt do I want to assuage--civil rights or women's rights? Well, he's on the wrong track (no railroad pun intended).

Picking a leader is not about guilt.

Obama, three days before the primary, was making a whistle stop tour, Philadelphia to Harrisburg.