Memories of my Father - Part 2

   Some other special memories are of winter evenings leaning against the rocking chair and his shoulder as he read or told us stories - he usually told them as the younger ones couldn't understand English. One of my favorites was Rosanna of the Amish, The Little House or the Laura Ingalls series etc. Alone yet Not Alone was too sad. Christie's old organ was sad but has a happy enough ending and enough bright spots in it to carry me through and like it.

   One of my fondest memories is of the whole family being bundled in the buggy with Dad at the lines, talking to the horses and humming or whistling  and the sound of the buggy wheels whirring along, the harness clinking and clanging and nobody fussing because Dad was there and would not allow it. Oh precious family time - everyone together.

   One inbetween Sunday morning there was a lot of flies so I took a swatter and was killing them as they sat in the sunshine on the living room floor. After killing all the flies I could see I got the broom and started sweeping. In a little bit Dad comes in, looks at me and comes over, puts his hands over my hands on the broom and shows me how to sweep without kicking up dust - "You must not flip it up at the last which sends the dust flying, always stop while the broom is still on the floor then start another stroke."   I remembered that many times as I swept.

   Dad was always teaching and encouraging us to sing. We sang German and English songs. Quite often he'd bring a copy of a song he wanted us to memories and tack it above the sink where we'd see it while washing dishes. He would encourage us to sing as we worked in the kitchen so we'd learn songs but also to keep us from fussing among ourselves as we worked. Dad would get us to all sing together while driving. Not on the way to church though - he wouldn't even whistle, just hum a church hymn.

   Dad would take us to widows or widowers or the sick or elderly people to sing. And not just the Amish, he frequently took us to Non-Amish and even took us to sing Christmas songs and encouraged us to make homemade candy to give to people at such times. Dad was always inviting people over for a meal or a bed - even brought home a homeless tramp for the night once. After supper he got us to sing songs in English for the poor fellow.

   Dad had an English Bible and Prayer book to use if people were with us who couldn't understand German. After Mother died, Dad got us to memorize songs such as; "Mother's Grave & "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" Which we'd sing for people and they'd be smiling and we'd be smiling to cheer them up.

- Mamaw Graber

Memories of My Father - Part 1

 
   One of my earliest memories of Dad was hearing the horse & buggy arriving home and tugging, pushing, and dragging a heavy kitchen chair across the uneven floor to the door and struggling to get up on it to look out the window in the door watching for Dad to come in. Then getting so excited when he comes up the path that I forget he can't come in while my chair is against the door and having to get down and push is away and then being caught up in my Daddy's arms and being intrigued by the tiny icicles on his beard.

   After supper my sisters Lizzie & Katie wold join me as we'd untie Dad's shoes and help each other tug and pull to get his shoes off, taking many a merry tumble on the floor till we finally succeeded.

   Next would be memories of sitting on Dad's lap in church. Snuggling as close to him as possible to be safe from the big boys in the back who made faces or winked at me if I looked at them and gradually being lulled to sleep by the preacher's voice droning on and on.

   Also remember getting jealous of the little boys that came over to my Dad after church when the men sat around visiting and my Dad would talk to them and give them candy - That was my Dad and therefore my candy!

   These memories I know where when I was three years old and younger because they were of Bowling Green, MO, and we moved out of there when I was three.

- Mamaw Graber

Some Exciting News.... That y'all already know but so what? :P

Well someone has officially joined us here at our fireplace. :) As of the 20th of this month, our darling brother, Jonathan has asked the lovely Marci Merkle to be his wife.

They have not yet set a date although they did set a date to set date. :P Which would be Christmas break(it's like a pun only not....).

Yay, celebration!!! *partyyyyy* Yay them. :P

P.S.

    See I waited a few days so technically it's the past. :P And it was remembered very fondly. ;)

Dorcas: The Girl Who Gave Me Her Birthday

In 1995 she was a beautiful baby. We named her Dorcas- adorable Dorcas. Today she is seventeen. Along the way she has been many things and meant a lot to me. Among other things she has been my little Texas Star, my Bluebonnet Princess, the Apple of God's eye, A Brave Adventuress, a Seeker of Hidden Treasure,  a Beloved Daughter of the King, a Bearer of Light, a Cute Young Lady, and a someone with a unique perspective on life. On top of everything else she gave me her birthday last year for my wedding!

I love you Dorcas! And just to prove that you've been all the things I mentioned above I've included photos:

Confessions of Baking, Bakeries, Bake Goods, Anything and All things Baked under the Sun.........

   Round Top......  Through The Eyes of Dorcas Graber

   Did shivers run up your spine at the very mention of the words? What memories flashed through your mind? Did the taste of smashed cherry pie somehow form on your lips? What was the first thought that passed through your mind.......

   For those of you who have moved away from our home you may have easily forgotten that this weekend is Round Top. But it's very know to all members of the Graber Nuts who still reside inside the four walls of what is affectionately know as the Graber Funny Farm. (No, really it's still known as that. Congratulations whoever started it). You know the drill. The late nights, the stressful breakdowns (I try and keep mine dramatic and artistic), the breakfast tacos, the freezing A/C to keep the bake goods, the early mornings, the trading, talking to all those people, and let's not forget the memorial car rides in between where I usually made everyone's breakfast fun by throwing up. :) Didn't you just love me?

   I well remember the uneasy feeling I would wake up with and know, just know, that later in the morning my annual appearance would be made. I also remember the first year I did not throw up on the way to Round Top. Was that a time of celebration or what? It was the first year that it was just Rosemary, David, Mom, and me.

    As a young child, Round Top was one of the most exciting events of the year! Honestly, I didn't know why y'all always complained so. I thought that is was the best thing ever. And peddling too. I thought peddling was the bomb and didn't find out until later years that Jonathan disliked it very much. Or that he sent me in because the people were more adapt to buy from me then him. Aren't we a family of business geniuses?

   Another memory that is forever burned into my memory is that of Ruth baking cookies with Rush Limbaugh talking on the radio. To this day whenever I hear his show, I can taste chocolate chip cookies. Which makes it rather hard to focus on politics. :)

   Well, I hope you enjoyed my rambling about Round Top and that maybe somehow I managed to bring up some good memories in your mind. 

   Life life to the fullest!  ;)

                                                      Following His Star,

                                                                 Dorcas  (akaMadBakerGirl)

   Note:  This post was written during Round Top week but due to extreme work overload and sketchy memory was posted at a later date.  Enjoy. :)

Confessions of Dreams Come True......

   Today Mother was cleaning out her room and found my journal from 2006. I spent quite a while reading it and discovered two things. 1. My handwriting, however bad it is right now, was actually worse. 2. God has brought me so far and brought so many dreams of mine to live.

   I just wanted to take this time to say Thank You to all of y'all. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me. Thank you for never giving up on me as I've grown through the years. I know I must've been rather annoying and frustrating at times but you still believed in me and knew God had a plan.

   With God all things ARE possible. Those were just words to me before but now they're really coming to life for me. In the pages of my old journal, there is a dream and desire recorded for all to see. My dream was to one day work on movies for the glory of God. And that dream is coming true.

   This summer, I got to work on "Indescribable". "Indescribable" is the hymn history behind the song, "The Love of God". It was an amazing adventure and God taught me so much, This movie was Joseph and Stacie's first project and first of many, hopefully. Stacie was the Director and Joseph, Screenplay Writer, Producer, and 1st AD.

   Jonathan also had a part in the film as a horse wrangler and actor. He played the part of Bennie, Mama Ellie's son. Mama Ellie being played by our own very dear mother.

   I was your very own Behind The Scenes director and made a BTS video for each week of production which you will see on the DVD. The videos were donors eyes only during production but were be released to the public later. This film was a great learning experience for me. I learned basic lighting skills, how to use and operate two editing programs (Adobe Premier and Sony Vegas), and much, much more about the many wrinkles one runs into with film making. I know that this was a huge step up for me and that God has more in store for me. I am determined to use my new found skills to further His kingdom. I have already acquired a job directing and producing a small political ad for Kyle Gresinger, candidate for Speaker of the House, Patriot Academy 2013.

   To be there and see the action. To see my dream unfold before my eyes in a project that was bigger than I could ever imagine was truly breathtaking. I hope that all of y'all are will enjoy "Indescribable" when it premieres sometime next year. I know that God has already used it to change lives and I pray that more will be changed.For more pictures of "Indescribable", visit our fan page on Facebook.

   Another thing I want to add is that my handwriting is really improving. :)  I've really been working on it. God has brought some many things to my attention this summer. Things that still need working on and improving so that I will become even more affective in His great plan for my life. And He you used you guys most of all. They say that "Family is like sandpaper. It grinds you down till you're a smooth finished piece." Let us continue to storm hell's gates and ride for the King of Heaven and Earth. 

Following His Star,

            Dorcas

   

P.S.

  Keep Dreaming! God has a plan for you and one day, when we are gathered around the throne I want to hear 'Well done, good and faithful servant" not "Well, I had a plan but you just quit dreaming and stayed in your comfort zone"..... God can't use us if we don't take that first step of faith.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

Proverbs 29:18

Keep The Vision Alive!

In Memory of Mary D. (Borntreger) Borntrager

This is posted for Rebecca:

Today it is 46 years that my mother died after 9 days in the hospital. We didn't know she had cancer till she was in the hospital. She left 10 children with the oldest being 18 and the youngest 3 of which I was 10.