Sweet Lorane Community News, November 28, 2019
Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
November 28, 2019
By Pat Edwards
The holiday season seemed to come swooping in this year. It seems that once I passed 50 or so, the days, weeks, months and years seem to have taken on the speed of an express train. Once the 4th of July is over, summer seems to fly by and before we have time to complete summer projects and take the trips we hope to go on, fall has arrived and right on its heels, winter.
This year was no exception—in fact it seems to have taken on more urgency. But, for some reason—maybe the fact that I am feeling so much better physically since my recent surgery, or maybe because I decided to forego sharing a booth at the Holiday Market this year with Joe Blakely—I have felt more relaxed and less stressed. I signed up for tables at the Creswell and Fern Ridge Holiday Bazaars to sell my books on two different days; I’m still rehearsing with the Fern Ridge Community Choir each Tuesday night; and Jim’s last epidural injection seems to be working (knock-on-wood!) and his back and leg pain has diminished considerably. So, I have much to be thankful for this year.
I was able to prepare for Thanksgiving in small increments this year. Our family is quite large and we usually host a gathering of 20-plus family and friends to feast on turkey, ham and all of the salads, sides and desserts that go with it. I was really looking forward to seeing our two little one-year-old great-grandchildren toddling around the house. Both Sawyer Scott Haxby and Shiloh Kate Furlong, who are only 2 months apart in age, have just learned to walk. Our two older great-granddaughters, Harper Lorane and Hayden Rae Furlong were going to be there, too. Harper and I have a special bond whenever she visits, putting together her jigsaw puzzles which she loves as much as I do. I had new puzzles and activity books ready for both girls and we were able to sneak off and work on them during the day.
The most exciting part of our Thanksgiving, however, was the news, at 5:00 a.m. that morning, that our newest little great-granddaughter, Calliope Jean Stevens, was on her way. Our grandson Kevin and his partner Jazmine were at RiverBend, ready to deliver this beautiful new addition to our family. I wasn’t able to greet her in person that day, but my heart was with with her mom, dad, and grandmas, Gloria and Karen, when she arrived that afternoon.
The next morning, instead of joining the hoards at Black Friday events, Gloria picked up Jim and me and we headed to the hospital to meet our little girl. She’s beautiful and healthy and will be the one toddling around our house next Thanksgiving. There’s so much to look forward to.
Before I get back to writing my column for Lorane, I want—need—to announce the arrival of Jim’s and my newest great-grandbaby. Our granddaughter, Linsey Kau Haxby and her husband Brent announce the birth of Sawyer Scott Haxby who was born on October 2, at 8:04 p.m., weighing 7lbs 4oz. and 21 3/4 inches long. Of course, he’s perfect! Sawyer is an anomaly in our family—he’s male. We have populated our family with a large number of strong, beautiful, bright and caring fe
males through three generations now, but the males of the family, while equally strong, bright, handsome and caring, are a rarity. We’ve averaged one for each of the three generations that Jim and I spawned. Sawyer is the first of his generation, joining our son Rob Edwards and grandson Kevin Stevens, and it will be interesting to see if others will follow. He has a little cousin on the way, due in early December. Whatever the gender, she or he will be cherished.
We’ve just completed the 2018 Groundwaters anthology. We are doing the last proofing at this time and hope to publish it by early next week. We will once again launch it at a special program called Groundwaters LIVE! to be held on Sunday, October 21 , tentatively at 3:00 p.m., at the Applegate Regional Theater on the corner of Central and Fleck Roads, north of Crow. Ten of our 70+ contributing authors will give 5-minute readings from their works. Refreshments will be served and anthologies from all four years will be available for purchase.
All Things Lorane 