The year is 1986. In my minds eye, I can see her sitting in her rocking chair in the little brick house on the side of Mole Hill, pouring over the seed catalog. Maybe it was a distraction from the care of a stroke patient. Maybe it was Papa himself who selected the packet of Indian corn.

My great grandad Franklin Good suffered a stroke in ‘85 and lived until March of ‘86. His wife Stella and daughter Edith cared for him during his Illness.

Again I see her-this time in the garden. It’s the spring of the year. I know they were missing all the things that Papa always took care of at planting time, but she bravely carried on. One small row of Indian corn. Did she think about the new life in the family as she carefully patted the seeds in the ground? Down in the Valley below, a great nephew- Reuben Swope Rhodes III was born. On the other side of Mole Hill, a great niece was added to the family- just ahead of corn planting time. Miss Juanita Evelyn.

And once more I see her, the dreary days of November are here. The corn must be harvested and put away. The garden must be cleared off. They’d survived the first garden without Papa’s advice. And that’s something to be thankful for. Also reason to be thankful-another great niece is born- a dark haired child this time- Kendra Dawn…

37 years later, the extended Good family gathered at the same little brick house on Mole Hill to disperse the last items from the Estate. It was a beautiful day filled with bright sunshine and laughter and a few tears as we remembered the lives lived.

My Grandmother Margaret beside my pile of auction goodies. I know it was a hard day for her. Parting with family is painful. Aunt Edith was her baby sister.

I paid $3 dollars for Aunt Edith’s garden box. In that box I found the partially used packet of Indian corn seed. Will they grow? I’m out of nothing to try.

And as I lovingly pat the seeds in the ground, I reflect on the cycle of life… Eccl 3:1 There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die,a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Regardless of whether I harvest 37 year old Indian Corn this fall or not, may the seeds/examples of faith, truth, and godly living inspired by my greats multiply in my own life and grow to glorify God.

Happy planting,

Kendra

My nephews are quite the little conversationalists these days. I was on the phone with Deb and suddenly a new voice joined us “Hey Aun’ Ten what you doing’?” Zander talks well and remembers everything 🤯 but “K” and “L” trip him up occasionally.

“I’m on the way to walk chickens buddy, what’s up?”

“Are the chickens big or yiddle?”

At this point we had to repeat the question about 3 times until I figured out that Alexander was asking the size of the chicken and the conversation went on from there… “they are just medium sized.”

“Aun’ Em has yiddle chickens” he told me.

They’ve packed on a few pounds in the few weeks since you were here-but yes- they were little. 😂❤️

The twins hold their own quite well when it comes to conversations. There’s still a few sounds they haven’t conquered like “H” is mostly silent and “L”. “Yook! Yook at me, Aunt Ken, I’m right ‘ere!

Isaiah was quite impressed with the fish playground on stop #17 on Aunt Em’s treasure hunt. (Expect a blog on that eventually but the hunt is still ongoing- so 😅💪🏼)

Uriah rode with me in the cutter several days ago and he kept up a constant chatter. “Me wanna talk on the radio” he announced. “Me wanna say sometin’ to Papa” so I obliged and Ria announced to the entire crew: “ I yove Papa, I yove God, I yove Zaya, and I yove Jesus.”

“And I yove you” he assured me once the radio chatter had ceased.

I love that they are so verbal about what they love. In fact, I flat yove it.

I also yove crocs on the wrong feet of a little farm boy.

And that’s not all that I “yove”:

Grandfather couldn’t stand the thought of being without a dog for the first time since 1981, so he was very happy to welcome Dandy Snickerdoodle Gildersleeve to the family. We yove you, little mutt and ‘ope you grow to be a fine young hound.

This week the cold snap has the garden kind of shivering, but I’m super excited to watch it grow again this year. I still can’t fathom how excited my garden makes me 🙈 but I can’t help it- I just yove it.

Gideon is on the move recently. He seems to realize that his big brothers have a couple years head start and he’s trying his best to keep up.

Julia sent me this. Her house is so full of laughter. I yove that too.

And Miss Maria- we’re not to the stage of chatting about chickens on the phone- but she’s just a little honey- I yove her too.

And one more thing since this is turning into a life update- I really do enjoy the little random scenes I encounter with my travels. I guess these Amish children wanted to make sure their stick pony didn’t run away in their absence. 😂 I yove it when I’m feeling up to the long hours required with travel. Thank you, Jesus.

A few of the things that I yove, and definitely reasons to be thankful. What’s on your list?

Kendra

Dog’s lives are too short. Their only fault, really. -Agnes Sligh Turnbull

“Detroit died. I don’t know what happened-if he got rat poison or what, but he’s gone.” My dad’s emotional voice message this morning filled my heart with great sorrow.

Detroit Snappenbarker Mendoza was the best Ol boy. We told him often- but he truly was. He was a mutt who joined our farm by default and took over management immediately. I think it was the second day on the farm, that he disappeared and after we called and called- a little fat black blur came hustling up from the calf barn- he was working his rounds making sure everything was accounted for.

Mother says it took a year and a half until he convinced her that he had a brain-but he was a good dog pretty much straight out the gate.

Detroit loved to ride on any piece of equipment-but if riding wasn’t an option he’d just run along side and manage.

He even wrote a blog or two. 😂

He took the move from the dairy to Singers Glen in stride and took over managing Airbnb guests with the same zeal that he had policed dairy traffic.

Faithful, Dependable, Persistent (if you dared stop petting him before he decided you were done-he’d tap on you with his paw until you’d pet him again) Energetic, Friendly… He could articulate emotion and understood English quite well. Don’t you dare mention going “on the truck” if you had no intentions of a passenger.

A good dog is truly man’s best friend and Detroit loved our family perfectly.

Almost 13 years is a long time for a dog, but it was still way to soon.

Thursday evening we had family night at the pond and Detroit was “fishing” beside the dock and splashing water loudly. I jumped his case for scaring all the fish away. I’m sorry, Ol Pal. 🥹

Father and the twins dug a hole with the high hoe and we loving laid our pup to rest. Seeing us cry is hard for a 3 year old to understand. “I don’t yike it to die. I want it to stand up and say ‘woof!’” Me too Isaiah, me too.

You were the best, Ol Boy. Thanks for all the memories and for your faithful service. We sure do love you.

I’m glad that God in his wisdom created an animal that can be such a perfect companion. And even if we’re a little teary today and questioning whether it actually is worth it- being loved by a good dog is such a gift.

And our family was well gifted. Rest in Peace, Detroit Snappenbarker Mendoza.

Kendra and the rest of the Horst family

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Eccl 7: 1. A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth 2. It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man,and the living should take this to heart. 3.Sorrow is better than laughter,for a sad countenance is good for the heart. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

I stopped on the porch of the white farmhouse and took in the bright blue sky and the beautiful colors of a perfect April day… Such a perfect day but my heart can only focus on the deep pain within. “Oh death where is your sting? Oh grave where is your victory?”

Earlier this week a young husband and father was taken suddenly in a bicycle accident. The viewing was today at his well tended farm. His in-laws are Ben’s family. I have countless memories of traveling with their family as well as butcher day here at home. My heart breaks for his wife, their young son and the extended family.

We stopped to see my mom’s Aunt Edith. She suffered a major stroke 4 years ago this summer. She has suffered on and on.

She’s been unable to communicate for years now and We have prayed and prayed for her release. Recently things have changed even more for her and we think “Surely it won’t be long.” And yet she lingers. Waiting. My heart breaks again.

It’s hard to process these realities of life and death. One taken so soon and another longing to go. And It’s impossible to understand. I lift tear-filled eyes and a broken heart to the Almighty Heavenly Father and in a crazy way, my heart is drawn to worship. His Ways are so beyond what my mind can grasp. “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!”

You are God and I am not – Dennis Jernigan

I run/ You run after
I hide/ You reveal
I cry/ You bring laughter
I hurt/ You heal
I’m weak/ You are able
I lack/ You’re enough
I turn/ You’re still faithful
I need Your love

I need Your provision
I’m lost / You’re the way
I’m confused / You are wisdom
I leave/ You stay
I fear/ You fear nothing
I’m blind/ You can see
I reject/ You are loving
You just love me

You are God, You are faithful
You are strong and You are able
You are God and I am not
And Lord I need you
You are God-all I’m needing
My Redeemer come redeeming

You are God and I am not
And Lord I need you

Reverently,

Kendra

The past weeks I’ve been working on a project that I stuck on the back burner far too long.

My mom has a fairly extensive recipe book and somehow it was just way easier to text her whenever I needed a recipe rather than copying it down myself 🥴 but I’m attempting to remedy that.

What I wasn’t expecting with this project is the amount of traveling I’m doing here:

Suddenly I’m back at our Christian Day School: middleschool age. My mom and her friend Michelle concocted these treats for a hot lunch they brought to school over Easter. Mother’s hot lunches were always amazing.

Next stop I’m on Chincoteague Island with a group of girls, experiencing this incredibleness for the first time. Thankfully they shared the recipe and it’s been something we’ve pulled out for special occasions. Once being my first family vacation with the Rohrers. I still get nervous remembering 🙈 but it turned out ok- they decided to keep me 🥰

Speaking of the Rohrer’s keeping me- we served Glazed Carrots at our wedding. We got the recipe when Mother traveled along with me to an Amish wedding and somehow she got drafted onto carrot cooking detail for supper. [*note- we knew the brides family, don’t think that random people get pulled to cook at weddings lol] Mother and an Amish lady that she’d never met before were given orders to cook the carrots until done. Mother loves tendercrisp vegetables and apparently Amish Lady did not, because they made a round or two around the Carrot cooker: Mother thinking the carrots were plenty done and turning them off; Amish Lady thinking they weren’t mushy enough and turning the stove back on 😅 In the end, our team won though. Mother brought the recipe home and we’ve feasted on tender crisp carrots ever since. (Drop them in boiling water and cook them 7 minutes max)

So many memories are hidden in these pages: recipes I drug home from the field because the food the farmers wife sent was exceptional; recipes collected from Home Ec class; from all of my aunts including dear Aunt Thelma who’s now enjoying the bounty of Heaven…. Recipes from my sister’s in-laws; food from friends around the globe- this book contains a vast and varied collection. Just like the collection of experiences of my life.

As I peruse Mother’s recipes- I’m struck by several different emotions:

1. Gratitude: the bounty of the earth is ours to enjoy because of God’s graciousness towards us. I’m so thankful. Christian Aid Ministries newsletter touched on world hunger this week ( here) The delicious food we experience daily is not something to take forgranted.

2. Nostalgia: so so many incredible meals and along with that memories. My mom has spent her life faithfully pouring her love into those around her by serving delicious meal after meal. My grandmothers did the same.

If you’re in the trenches of motherhood- here’s a little encouragement to keep doing what you’re doing. Your faithfulness does not go unnoticed even if your daughter takes years until she fully appreciates it. 🙈

So thankful for my mother’s selfless giving and the influence of so many ladies like her,

Kendra

I googled “quotes about the Smoky Mountains” Our experience could be summed up well by one quote (and we visited during off season 😅):

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity. – John Muir

An ice and snow storm kept us out of the main pass, but the Smoky Mountains are beautiful!

Gatlinburg always shocks me a little. I’ve visited on several occasions, but this was the first time I’d stayed for more than a partial day and I was anxious to see if my initial perspective was my final call on the area.

Our motel was just a quick walk from the strip and we fought our way thru the crowds to be dazzled by the remaining “winterfest lights”

Howard’s Restaurant had the cozy mountain tavern vibe I was looking for. Delicious food in Gatlinburg’s oldest restaurant.

We found our way back to Pigeon Forge several times.

Paula Dean’s Family Kitchen superseded expectations.

The Dixie Stampede has been on my hit list for awhile. My major faux pas was not realizing that it had changed names. 🥴 A friendly clerk asked in passing what our evening plans were and I off-handedly said “Dixie Stampede!” She corrected me “you mean the Dolly Stampede” “No, the Dixie Stampede” “The Dolly Stampede” and so she and I stood there saying “Dixie” and “Dolly” until I realized that we both had the same place in mind. Oooops. I wasn’t trying to argue or push an agenda. Anyhow all that to say- I’m glad I got to experience the DOLLY stampede. Very memorable evening.

I love my souvenir from Smoky Mountain Knife Works. I have a collection of miniature things in my kitchen and I’m excited to add “the worlds smallest folding knife” to the collection-folded up it’s about the size of my finger nail.

And can you go the the Smokies without dressing up for a picture? Happy early anniversary to us 🥰

Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge treated us well. If you’re going-expecting a quiet mountain getaway, where the old men and coon dogs sit on the front porch of the general store and swap stories- you’ll be like me: disappointed lol

If you’re looking for lots of good food, big crowds, and plenty of unique amusement rides, rush on down.

To quote Ben “this feels less like vacation and more like…..shopping!”

Parts of Isaiah 55: 1. Come, all you who are thirsty,come to the waters, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you…

Blessings,

Kendra

“It’s cold in here” I took a break from my phone and announced

Ben looked at me with amusement “It’s because you’re wandering around in the ice age”

And it’s true- Deborah messaged us crowing about her newly achieved favorite daughter status “Did you know that in the 1731 Father’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandad was buried at sea on the way to America leaving a wife and 3 sons? Someone shared this app the family tree and I’ve been knee deep in genealogy ever since.” (Android users, this is not your link-but don’t despair, just search “the family tree” or FamilySearch Tree in your App Store. I had a little trouble getting my family to pop up, but Deborah says it searches obituaries, so once I added info from my grandparents who have passed, it dug up all my info)

I couldn’t let Deb be the only one who was up on family history, so I set myself up a free account and followed Fathers line back as far as it went. I sorted thru all the different stories- lots of Dukes and the random couple (that lived 0586-0650 that decided to become a monk and nun after they had their second son. Grandmonk couldn’t be excused from his service for king at the time, but Grandnun became a nun at Treves. Towards the end of their life, they had to meet to settle some affairs and she was so concerned that he would fall back in love with her, that she shaved off her hair as a deterrent. It worked- he was horrified. Hmmmm

I kept going to until I came to Quintus Sulpicius de Rome 0060 BC, Roman Empire… unreal! “Romans” Nate spit in disgust when I called Deb to compare notes. My mind is just blown to imagine my grandfather a few times removed could’ve been the soldiers marching thru Jerusalem attempting to keep peace.

So that’s what I found about my dad’s family. He’s a skeptic as to the accuracy of this.

But on my mothers side of the family… I haven’t found that her pedigree (that’s what the app calls it and it makes me feel like I’m researching dairy cows or Labrador retrievers) goes back to the Roman Empire- but it’s equally as colorful. Grandpa Sir Hugh Montgomery was over in Ireland storming around in the late 1500s and got involved in the feud between Clan Montgomery and Clan Cunningham. He chased a Cunningham that had offended him clear to Holland where he combated him with a sword. A supposedly deadly blow was deflected by Cunningham’s belt buckle, and Grandpa ended up in jail until he broke out with the help of a Scottish soldier. Grandpa Montgomery “received a reprimand from King James but was soon back in favour.” Fact or fiction 🤷🏻‍♀️

And then I put a puzzle piece together that perfectly explains my nephews: Ragnar ‘Loðbrók’ Sigurdsson Danish King of Lethra, Russia Supposedly my moms family is from this well know Viking king. When I googled him I hope that the nephews don’t try out his warfare strategies, but sometimes when I’m trying to talk to my sisters on the phone I can understand what a Viking attack sounded lol Just kidding.

So is there merit perusing these stories of ancient days? I went to Scripture to be reminded again that God encouraged telling stories from generations to generations.

Joshua 22:28 Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’

Psalms 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

Psalms 22: ³⁰ Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. ³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

Conclusion: 2 things: 1. These verses are instructions for families to tell stories from generation to generation about how God had moved. I’m not sure that Viking or Clan Montgomery were the type of stories that fall into that category. Or even the nun/monk ancestors. Who raised their sons after she joined the convent? 🤔

2. Today matters! If the world stands and in 200 years someone is reading a paragraph on my life, my legacy is important and it’s up to me-today- to chose what it says.

My cousin Marj came to visit and summed my life up in a coffee cup and I love it. But I hope my life is more than my garden or our farm, or a blog that keeps my family on pins and needles about what I’m going to post next.

I pray that my life paragraph states a strong faith in the goodness of God.

Ephesians 3:²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his powerthat is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

Kendra Horst Rohrer, distant daughter of so many people; current daughter of the Everlasting King