Nantong Village family home

The following is a email I wrote recently to my brothers, sisters, and niece and nephews.  The time has come to cut off another tie to China, Nantong Village and Mom and Dad -

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Doreen will be making a “pilgrimage” to the village this fall and wanted to make a few decisions about the house that still in name, belongs to Mom and Dad in Nantong Village.  She wants to give it officially to Dai Choy’s relatives who has a son.  This son is supposedly married to someone who is a village relative and this couple is “mute” according to Doreen, and translated, are probably deaf.

Anyway, she wants to hand over the property to Dai Choy’s relatives (actual relationship is Dai Choy’s nephew and his wife.)She asked me if I approved, and I told her it sounded fine to me, but the “sons” should chime in since, you guys are the ones that “own” this property now.

According to Doreen, (this house was where she lived with Mom and Dad) the house was big and well made for its time.  It was at the edge of the village, near the main gate and even had a “watchtower” type balcony to see who was approaching the village.  Grandpa Kan had it built for Mom and Dad and it was well known for withstanding the typhoons because Gpa Kan built it with a double brick wall – instead of one layer, the walls had 2 layers.

Next to the house was an open lot/field, where people came to thresh their grains and harvest the crop.  The “threshing floor” was well known and used by the villagers because it had many years of well worn cow manure mixed with grains, making it as sturdy as concrete.  At one point in Dad’s life, he wanted to buy that piece of property adjacent to the house, to build a bigger family home.  Dad even inquired into the cost and who he could buy this land from, and got back some bureaucractic mumble jumble, that the land belonged to the state, and that no one can build on it or buy it.  But someone did buy it and now there’s a newer structure on this property, according to Doreen.  The building blocks the view of those coming towards the village from Mom and Dad’s house.   I think I have a picture of this threshing floor in Mom’s collections of China pictures.  Another one of Dad’s dreams set aside.

This is as much information I can gather on the property.  Maybe you guys got to see it when you went to China with Mom and Dad.  Pauline and I have never seen it or been there.  As a result, I told Doreen, that I would contact you, Matt and Joon and have Matt make the final decision.  Then, yayyy!  you can call Doreen and tell her or you can try to email her and let her know. 

This conversation made me a little sad but I believe that Dad and Mom knew that their home would always be a place where those in need can be helped.  Pauline, you can let Doreen know your final decision also.  Please pass onto your oldest child for info only — I have Wendell’s, Jeremy’s and Brandon’s email only – let Emilio and Javier and Emily know, please — good stories to pass on.  Love, Elaine

 the threshing floor, I think

mom at the Nantong Village home

 

 

 

 

I’m getting published

Took some photos of a building near Tiffany’s in New York and Grand Central Station for one of Bruce’s friends from work.  Looks like he’s a writer or something and needed these pictures for his book.  I said whatev and snapped away for this person.  I signed the release yesterday to have it be part of his book which is being published.  I don’t get any money for it, but I do get a credit line.  So shall I call my photography business, “Mom’s National Geographic Pictures”, or “Sit down and shut up”, or “Wait, I have to take a picture,” or “8 X 10 Glossy, please”, “smile, stupid”, “stop moving”, “Crying Babies Photography Studios”…the possibilties are endless

  yup, it doesn’t get much better than this

Yayyy!!! The Phantom of the Opera…he’s here!

   Conversation — “Bruce, can we go see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at the Orpheum?” [even though we've seen it once before and me, twice before]

“What?”

“Phantom of the Opera!”

“Where?  What?  [old man hobbles closer, cocks his 'good' ear].  What did Oprah say?”

“No, Phantom of the Opera [pointing at the computer screen with images]

“Oh…yeah…do you want to go see it?”

“YEEESSSSS, can I buy the tickets?”

“Why don’t we just go buy the tickets and go?”

“OK”

Tickets bought, my blood pressure at 800 over 300, Bruce, happy as a clam and in December we get to go see Phantom – Priceless!  (not really, still pretty expensive)

Good-bye Glenn

Glenn Rose, Elder at FCC passed away yesterday.  I probably knew him for about 5 years?  Anyway, glam and nice wife, Becky, somewhat wild and crazy daughter that married Kenny, son of Annette, one of the best computer teachers at CCS – those were my connections.  Anyway, we said good-bye as Glenn quite suddenly left us in shock.  He died of a heart attack, went unconscious and never came back for us to say good-bye.  He was not old — late 50’s early 60’s?  Anyway, Glenn stands out for one specific interaction.

He was assigned to make a call to me, one of the few people who wrote a comment about cautions and affirmations for Kevin when he was up for Senior Pastor.  For my own good, I won’t go into detail of what the content of my comments were, but it couldn’t have been easy for Glenn to have to make the call.  I guess the other elders either knew me well enough and wanted to avoid the task, or Pastor Sherm in his Shogun-esque ways, asked Glenn to call me.

Glenn and I chatted and I was on one of my, what do I have to lose, let it all come out moods.  He got an earful.  Clearly he could see past my specific concerns, to some unresolved relationship issues.  He offered to accompany me to chat with the offending party (not Kevin).   I told him it wasn’t necessary, and that the confrontation had happened already, and that it was not “biblical”, nice, unemotional on the part of the other person.  So who needs the aggravation and who enjoys being a punching bag?  Glenn said that he would make sure that would not happen.  Not that I doubted his sincerity nor his ability to stand up for me, etc., but I told him that I didn’t want to go through talking to this offensive person ever again for any reason.

Glenn was cool with that and told me that he was available if ever I changed my mind.

Anyway, bottom line, Glenn could’ve written me off, in a Christian-y, subtle, “I really think you’re being stupid, but I’ll listen like I care and act like I care,” way, but he didn’t. 

He didn’t have to flowery gush  that he appreciated my candor and comments.  He just thanked me and I knew he meant it.  I liked his non-flashy, down to earth, ok, I’ll say it, Asian American ways and style.  He and Becky were so cute together – they modeled cute older couple really well.

So for no other reason, other than someone who was a genuine listener and cared, will no longer be walking this earth, making it a better place for everyone else, you will be sorely missed.  His family is in shock and Becky, if ever the underlying grace and beauty you exude will make a difference, it will be now.  Becky, you have the strength that will carry you through this most devastating part of your life.  My prayers go out to you.

And Glenn, we are all going to miss you and will look forward to the day when we have that big reunion – You, Joann, Bob, Aldo, Brian, Sandy, Mom, Dad and the Lord continues to gather those he loves around him.

Grandma Jo An Hunt

We said good-bye when we were in her hospital room.  She was sitting in her chair, holding court, giving directions, surrounded by her son, Bruce , me and her daughters.  She was talking about everyone we knew and asked about everyone, including her “grandson” Brandon and “granddaughter” Stephanie.  Jo Ann and her husband Bob were the honorary old folks in our home group for many years, and like older folks, were the most diligent in doing their homework, attending, bringing great desserts, praying, napping during prayer sometimes when it got too late at Doug and Cyndi’s home.  Bob and Jo Ann had a big recommittment ceremony at FCC for their 50th anniversary and we were all part of that.  It was fun.  The lawn sprinklers came on in the middle of the ceremony in the FCC courtyard.  It was so like them.  We disbanded our home groups – some great idea from the FCC mucky mucks, and we kind of lost contact with them.

They still attended FCC when Bob was able to drive them there (they lived in north San Jose) and when he got sick with complications from his skin cancer, they didn’t come as often.  Bob got hospitalized and in a few months, passed away.  It was hard on Jo Ann who was not 100% health wise.  She’ll be the first to tell you that her years of smoking has given her congestive heart/lung disease.  She was on oxygen in a wheel chair at her husband’s memorial service at FCC.  We missed Bob a lot.  When I saw his dress cowboy hat on display, I started tearing up bad.

Now Jo Ann started to get weaker and was hospitalized off and on, had some home care, etc.  We lost touch with her and she started attending a church closer to her home and attended her son in law’s church.  But she would call from time to time.  She heard about Mom’s passing and called with her love and support. 

And I said good-bye to her in her hospital room, after having fed her her dinner a week prior when she was looking very weak.  But she was bouncing back it seemed.  So in God’s timing, He took her home about 2 weeks after I saw her.  We went to her Memorial Service in San Jose.  I had a chance to memorialize her in writing, that Cyndi and Doug read.  She was a vital piece of our life, because Bob and Jo Ann created a link in our lives to the past that we never had with our own parents.  Mom and Dad were immigrants and Bob and Jo Ann grew up in the 30’s and 40’s and their stories were the stuff of history books, movies and images we can relate to. 

Bob and his brother coming home from college in snowbound Indiana for Thanksgiving.  They grabbed what they thought was a frozen turkey stuck near the fence by the road.  They wanted to surprise their mom.  So during the rest of the trip, they laughed and planned their T’giving break.  Soon they heard movement and saw feathers flying around.  The turkey was defrosting in their old car and was alive.  They had to wrestle it down till they got home. 

Jo Ann was sitting on the front porch when she first met Bob.  A bunch of guys were drove by in their car and wanted her to meet Bob.  She caught a glimpse and they drove off.  Since he just came back from service, and was in the sun a lot, he was a lot more tanned than those other midwestern boys.  Jo Ann thought he was a Mexican. 

Good stuff.

I’ll miss them a lot and Jo Ann in her zany-ness was like a Mom, but not really and I’ll miss her homemade lemon meringue pies.  Till we see  you again, Jo Ann — love, your other daughter

2 weeks down…

K is very different from anything I’ve tackled.  They are really still babies and it’s still a grade level where you’re suppose to give them academics.  You wedge in those little precious tidbits that mom and dad paid for, between tattling, whining, spinning around on the floor, playing with your spit, pushing, poking, talking into your friend’s ear, cutting in line, forgetting to get their lunch boxes, spilling their drinks, lunches, crying just because, falling out of their chairs, falling asleep, laying on top of their friends, whining some more, being tired, being themselves…

Got to love them, or you’ll kill yourself.  The hugs are the best and the glint in their eyes reflecting the light bulb that just turned on.  I’m getting a few of these by week 2, and so I’m blessed.  The parents have been fine so far and our back to school night was close to 100% attendance.  I spilled glitter on the carpet and the janitors didn’t make it in till after the parents left.  oh well…small price to pay for artistic genius

I think I’ll stick around for awhile longer and nap when they nap (not really).

we did shaving cream!

 

God created land and water – we played with a tub of water filled with river rocks.