The long-range weather forecast for the weather for Easter Sunday included many things that could or might happen. Temperatures should be normal, there could be light rain or snow showers and of course the wind could blow! When Easter arrived it was not a bright, sunny day and if you had planned on an Easter sunrise service you would not have seen the sun. We did have a few light snow flurries and a few drops of rain but not enough to interfere with anyone going elsewhere for Easter. Everyone should have gotten to their destination on time. Easter is such a pretty time of the year. The lawns are a brilliant green and many, many perennial flowers are coming up. There is also rhubarb, hollyhocks and even my strawberries are looking great. So, it looks like I will be spending a few hours in the strawberry patch. I was so hoping we would have a rainy day so everything could catch up as even my cistern has gone dry. We really haven’t had a nice rainy day when we had a measurable amount of precipitation. The showers that we have been receiving help but we could use an all day rain that would come down nice and easy so it wouldn’t all run off. I guess we can dream and share our wishes with others but the weatherman has the final say and it is up to us to make the best of it. We need to have a positive attitude that most farmers seem to have. When things are not going well they always maintain that next year will be better. We shouldn’t complain as Mother Nature is taking really good care of us no matter what happens. The growing season is sort of like a ballgame that is never over until the last play is done. The farmer’s growing season is never over until Jack Frost puts his foot down and says, "That’s all folks! You will have to wait until next year!Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra, David and Dorothy Tilstra and family were Easter Sunday dinner guest in the Norm and Donna Sjaarda home. There was no school in the Hills-Beaver Creek schools this weekend as it was spring break. However, they went back to school on Monday to make up for one of their snow days. Easter Sunday dinner guests in the Henrietta Huenink home were Norma and Wayne VanWyhe and family, and Dan and Jessica Grems, Lester, Iowa. The Orrin Aukes family enjoyed Easter dinner together at Hills Christian School on Sunday. There were 22 Aukes family members present. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. Paul and Carole Aykens, Orange City, Iowa, and Joyce Aykens, Worthington, spent Wednesday at the home of their mother, Jo Aykens. They enjoyed dinner together at Luverne Pizza Ranch. On March 30, 68 relatives attended the Elbers cousins’ family reunion at Buellton, Calif., at the Jake and Jennie Willemson home. Easter Sunday dinner guests in the Melba Boeve home were her children Bryon Boeve and family, Sioux Falls, and Ron and Cheryl Hup, Hills.Steven Bosch, Minneapolis, spent Easter weekend in the home of his parents, Dries and Laura May Bosch. He returned to his home on Sunday afternoon.Lori Scholten was able to return to her home from Luverne Community Hospital on Thursday. Ken and Gwen Bodewitz, Valley Springs, were Saturday afternoon callers in the home of his mother, Henrietta Huenink. Wednesday afternoon callers in the Winnie Scholten home were her three cousins from Sioux Center, Iowa. They were Mina Maru, Katherine DenHerder and Dorothy Van Voorst. Arvin and Cena Mae Tilstra and David and Dorothy Tilstra and family were Easter Sunday dinner guests in the Norm and Donna Sjaarda home in Hills.Congratulations to Jason Bonnema and Jamie Aguilera who were united in marriage on Saturday, April 3, at Mason City, Iowa. Gregg and Michelle VanWyhe’s twin babies were baptized at the Sunday morning worship service in Steen Reformed Church. Their names are Rex Arthur and Regan Marie. As I was looking through some old magazines the other day this caption "The Gift of Memory" caught my eye. My first thought was, well they missed me on that one! I can still hear mother saying, "Did you forget to do that again?" and a scolding would follow. However, as I read a little of the article I began to understand how memory could be a gift when shared with others. Especially if it was something they could both relate to. Elderly people are especially fond of talking about old times, probably things they have done together. That is when I began to understand the memory as "remembering" can be a gift. I began to think, "Is there any hope for me and for my memory? Then I ran across another article titled "Hope Helps." I began to read and I will share some of the wisdom I gained from the article. "Hope regards problems, small and large, as opportunities.Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit. Hope pursues misunderstandings as a price for serving the greater good of others. Hope puts up with modest gains, realizing that the longest journey starts with one step."After reading these things I may not have the gift of memory but perhaps I can work on it and cultivate one!
