Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Deviled eggs and such

This last weekend Trinity had a good-bye for Sandy Oster. Pending sale of her house, she’s moving to Auckland, NZ, to teach nurse practitioners and join Travis and Brooke’s core group to begin a church in central Auckland. She’s been a close friend since 1987.

The open house was at L’Abri - Nancy did most of the work and I helped.



Prisca and Erin waiting for water to boil and tea to steep.



I thought some orange-y spray roses in teapots would be the thing for Sandy since she was an "A" student helping at Mrs Schaeffer’s high teas back in the day. I’m not so good at tea sandwiches and teeny tiny yittle goodies. More of an AR-ARRR-AR cook. Maybe I’m lazy. I decided to make deviled eggs. Easy.



Denis helped by squishing the filling through a cake decorator thing. Lots of grown-ups like them in spite of years of avoiding eggs, so do kids. They snarf them faster than you can replenish the platter. To deter the little boogers for a second or two I added a sliced olive on top of each. I could see them pause, then recalculate: “I can REMOVE that.” Lots of people dropped in to wish her well.



Here are some of the folk, and Emmaclaire, my fave baby, who dropped by. We're going to miss Sandy a whole lot.

I think there are times when being single is an especially hard, lonely business. It’s difficult enough for a couple to sort, throw, sell, store, keep when moving. Sure, two might argue over what, but when it’s just you deciding about each item and you’re closing down a home…there is something more sorrowful and isolating about the process.

I can’t be as much physical help, but we’re looking forward to the next few weeks, having Sandy join us for supper each evening, and maybe staying with us until the house sells and the remains of the day get put in a container and shipped to New Zealand.

4 comments:

Brooke said...

Hi Margie! I'm finally reading your blog again! It's been a while. Thanks for the photos of Sandy's going away party. We are very much looking forward to having her here with us. And we hope she can stay with us for a little while until she finds a place. I'm glad we will both get to enjoy her. Then you'll have to come visit all of us! :) I love and miss you and Denis.

Sember said...

Did you take that first picture? You always were into cutting peoples heads off in photos.

But, I do so enjoy reading your blog. You have a way of sharing that can't completely be described. It's like a warm blanket, a hot mug of coffee, and a crackling fire in a living room with friends on a Minnesota winter night. Or are there no friends and a great book instead? I'm not sure. But I love it.

Margie Haack said...

Hi, Brooke. We'll come soon.
Sem, awwww. I don't cut off heads.I bite them. Miss you so very much.

Sandra Oster said...

Hey, Margie,
Thanks for this and for so much more that I couldn't possibly list. Friendships like ours are rare and my life is richer by far. Thanks for your consistent love and care. Sandy