Mentzer Christmas Letter 2013

Holiday greetings from Nate & Heather Mentzer!  I know it’s only been half a year or so since our last “Easter” letter, but we’re trying to get our greetings out early this year.  It’s been an eventful six months anyway, so we have plenty of news to share. 

               

In June we found a little house a few miles further out of the city and made an offer on it.  We closed on the house in mid-August and moved into it two days later.  Although not big, it is cute and snug on the inside, and has a spacious “man-cave” shop, a smaller garden shed, and even a little grain bin.  We enjoy the big trees and large lot, although it has been a workout for our push mower.  Nate thinks it is time for some new tools and a mower upgrade.  He’s been in homeowner high-gear, getting things cleaned and painted, planning future projects, and fixing minor issues around the house.  A few weeks after moving in, we added a couple of “kids”…two adorable farm kittens named Smoky and Ember, who keep us entertained with their ornery antics and irresistible cuteness.

                 We have another reason for all of the “nesting” we’ve been doing in our little home…we are expecting a little boy at the end of this year!  Our second bedroom now sports a crib and an ever-growing pile of baby supplies.  Although there are many things I’d like to accomplish before the baby arrives, ready or not we are excited to welcome our special Christmas miracle who is scheduled to make his arrival on December 24^th. 

                 Nathan continues to enjoy his work at Black & Veatch.  He recently chose to leave his consulting group and go back to the large projects systems design side of the energy department.  Four office changes later he is now working on a natural gas plant in Florida.  House projects are eating up most of his free time now, but earlier this year he crafted some amazing wood carvings and always has a steady flow of creative ideas to share.  He still serves on the K-State Acacia fraternity board of directors, and has been busy getting ready for their big centennial celebration this December.  He also helps with the church youth group, playing hacky-sack with a large group of middle school boys.  He recently put in an appearance at their Halloween party as “Gru” from Despicable Me, along with a trusty Minion side-kick (yours truly). 

I (Heather) have had a busy year teaching sewing classes at JoAnn fabrics.  This summer I often taught three to six different classes a week, with projects ranging from hand-sewn pillows, shorts, and handkerchief quilts to applique t-shirts, kid’s dresses, and even an adult class or two.  I also developed a series of “fashion-design” classes for young fashionistas, culminating with a four-day fashion camp where each student sketched and sewed a garment of her own design.  I still enjoy writing, and I still hope to achieve my long-time goal of publishing a book, but I put that dream on hold for a while when other big life events popped up.  I continue to volunteer with the church food pantry distribution, as well as church music and children’s programs.  This fall I also helped to charter a new P.E.O. chapter in Spring Hill, KS.

Although our January trip to Seattle was our “big” vacation for the year, we did sneak in a couple of other quick trips.  At the end of May we made a “cross-state” road trip to Lake Scott State Park near Scott City, KS, a prairie oasis where we enjoyed a weekend of camping, fishing, and hiking.  In July we traveled to the farms near Iola and Stockton to celebrate July 4^th and Heather’s grandmother’s 80^th birthday, AND to share our big news with our families.  In August we headed out to Ft. Collins, Colorado for a wedding and spent a relaxing day in Estes Park.  Nate and I were each involved with summer weddings here in KC, and enjoyed fun and festive times with good friends.

As Thanksgiving (and now Christmas) arrive, Nathan and I are very conscious of all we have to be thankful for!  This year has certainly been busy and more than a little crazy at times, and we couldn’t have made it through without the grace of our Heavenly Father and the love and support of our family and friends.  A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped us pack, move, unload, paint, clean, put-away, and do laundry, as well as those who offered prayers and encouragement.  Another big thank you to those who graciously offered to hostess showers, invited us for dinner and games or for a weekend, offered wisdom for the rapidly-changing road ahead, and walked with us through life’s ups and downs.  We are truly blessed by the wonderful people in our lives!  Please know you are welcome to call on us anytime you need a friend or a helping hand. J

We wish you all a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and would love to hear from you!  Whatever your 2013 has been like, we hope you find some time this season to relax, reflect and thank God for the blessings in your life, no matter how large or small.

Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices!

~ Martin Rinkart, 1663

Wishing you joy this season,

  

Nate & Heather Mentzer

Home Improvement

I seem to have a back log of blogs cached in my mind, waiting to be written out and shared.  The hard part is sitting down long enough to write about them.  Nate is constantly telling me "you should blog about that" and I often agree...but I rarely get it done.  It's not that I think our life is all that fascinating, but rather more of an outlet to share our victories, joys, and our concerns.  That being said, this blog is about our first successful major home improvement project in our new little house...giving the basement a little facelift. 

In August we bought our first home...a cute little 1960s red brick raised-ranch style house that sits on about 1.4 acres, just on the edge of a little community.  The upstairs only has five rooms (2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room), but they are neatly painted with mostly hardwood floors, a pretty open layout, and some good closet space. Oh...and there are 10 drawers in the kitchen...a big improvement from the one kitchen drawer I had at our old duplex!  There is nothing big or glamorous about the house, but it feels like the perfect little place for us, and seems to fit our personality.  I like looking out the kitchen window at a soybean field, and watching the combines drive by...it makes me feel like I'm part of fall harvest again, even if I'm not the one driving the combine!  In addition to our cute little abode, we have a spiffy shop (almost as big as the house), another little old tin-sided shed, a small grain bin, several nice mature trees, and a big back yard (where we can play football).  It's a little bit of country that feels like home. 

Basement BEFORE

As we work to adapt to our new space, however, we have identified some areas for improvements or updates.  The first of these to be tackled was the basement.  Half garage, half laundry/utility open space, the basement presents and interesting dilemma...do we try to finish part of it to gain another bedroom or a place for guests to sleep, or do we leave it as storage?  There has also been a tiny history of water coming into the basement after heavy rains, although the previous owners did try to eliminate this.  With grey poured concrete walls, wooden floor joists for a ceiling, and a collection of 30+ year old machine part shelves and bolt bins, I was hesitant to un-box too many things down there before doing some serious cleaning and spider killing.  One day while looking around, I suggested to Nate that we paint the old shelves, in an attempt to liven the space up a bit, and make it feel cleaner.  His response?  "I think we should go ahead and paint (waterproof-seal) the walls."  A good idea, I thought.  Patching cracks and using some Dry-Lock paint would help seal out the water, and if we chose a light color it would definitely brighten up the space.  Nate was determined, and judged that the best time to do it was now, so off we went.

Shelves Removed and Cracks Patched!

Nate Patching Cracks Under Windows

Me Scrubbing the Walls

The washer, dryer, and freezer had to be unhooked and rolled out to the shop so we could get to all of the walls.  We took apart and took down all of the shelves, the work bench and the yucky old shower panel in one corner, planning to KILZ paint them and then put them all back up once the walls were finished.  We swept it out multiple times.  Nate chiseled out any cracks he saw in the foundation and patched them with hydraulic cement, ground them smooth, then cleaned and etched the walls with a muriatic acid solution.  Unconvinced that they were clean enough, we went back over and scrubbed all the walls again.

Nate armed with Muriatic Acid

Then finally, on a nice day, Nate buckled down for a painting marathon.  It took him basically an entire day working (sun up to sun down) to get the first coat of Dry-Lock brushed on and stuffed into all the concrete holes.  Where was I during this time?  Wishing I could be more helpful!  With all the nasty chemicals and fumy paints, Nate said I couldn't help, so I was forced to hang out upstairs cleaning, or go push mow part of our gigantic lawn.

1st coat of Dry-Lock half way done!

With some great help from Craig & Denise Mentzer, and Lissa Manbeck, Nate was able to roll the second coat of Dry-Lock on much faster, and could stand back and survey his neat, creamy-colored basement walls with pride.  Then he turned to me and said, "I think we should go ahead and do the floor too."

That may seem silly...painting a concrete floor in a garage-ish space, but the previous owners had left three gallons of floor paint (intended for that purpose), and since we had everything emptied out of the basement, it was better to do it now, then wait and have to move stuff around again later.  So there was more sweeping, cleaning, scrubbing, degreasing, filling cracks and sanding, and even a few little plumbing leak discoveries to be patched up in readiness for floor paint.  Brett Gartrell even came and helped scrub for a day, which was great!  Temperatures started cooling off, so our good-condition times for painting were getting smaller, but Nate managed to get the primer down one weeknight, and finished rolling the top coat a few nights later.  The end result?  A shiny grey floor to go with our clean, bright walls.

All Finished!  Looks Great!

I was VERY glad to get the washer and dryer put back and running again, especially with a four week "mountain" of laundry waiting to be done.  The space certainly feels cleaner, brighter, and neater.  We are working on getting the shelves painted and put back up, but all in all it has been a good improvement, resulting in some great usable space!  Major KUDOS to my sweetie, Nathan, for all of his hard work, long hours, and dedication in tackling such a big project practically singled-handed, and getting it done!

A Day to Celebrate Nate!

We've been rather busy recently, as you could probably tell from my lack of posts.  Since the beginning of August, we closed on a house, moved, and now are working on getting everything put up or put away.  In addition, we bought furniture and a crib, brought home two adorable kittens three weeks ago who are lots of fun, and this week marks the beginning of my third trimester.  Little Man Mentzer's arrival date is getting closer all the time!  We like our new little house, which has a big grassy back yard complete with little old shed and grain bin.  The front door looks out across a soybean field.  To get to it from the highway you drive past small farmsteads and field of corn and soybeans which are changing from green to yellow-gold.  I've even seen a combine drive by on a couple of occasions, which reminds me of fall harvest going on at home.  Overall we are very happy with our little nook in the country, but it feels like we haven't stopped moving since the first of August.

At Rachel's Wedding in July

Home ownership has provided a lot of drive and motivation for Nate.  He has been like the Energizer bunny...he keeps going and going and going.  First he'd spend a nearly twelve hour day at work, then come home and stay up past midnight to help me get things packed and moved around.  Since we've moved, he comes home to spend an hour or two keeping the lawn mowed, or cleaning and painting in the basement, or tackling all kinds of projects.  I worry that he's feeling stressed out, and wish I could do more to help him, but I am very proud of him and how hard he works to provide for us and keep up our little home.  Such a great guy!

Today is a day to celebrate Nate!  Today is our fourth wedding anniversary.  Four great years of fun!

Washington State in January

 Today I woke up to a card and beautiful flowers, and a whole bag of goodies to enjoy.  I have so much to be thankful for!  Nathan is still every bit the handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, soft-spoken boy I met almost twelve years ago.  He is respected by his colleagues and peers, his is sensitive and caring and always willing to help others when needed, he goes above and beyond what is asked or expected of him, and he can chase away my blues with just a look or a smile.  There is no one I'd rather spend time with, and every new day with him is shared adventure.  I honor him and admire him for the amazing man and husband he is.

Monument Rocks in May

Last night we went to the hospital to visit some friends and their newborn.  Nate looked so natural sitting there in the rocking chair with their baby girl in his arms, holding her.  I know he's excited to finally be a dad, and I am confident he will be a wonderful father!  I am so looking forward to watching him teach our little guy to break sticks and watch animals.  I hope our little guy has the ornery "I didn't do it" look his daddy does, and grows up to be just like Nate.

I am so blessed by the man God picked out for me.  He is my best friend and my perfect partner for life.  I love him so very much, and I know that whatever life brings our way, with God's help we will make it!

I love you Nathan! :)

Worn

I'm feeling a little worn this morning. 

Do you ever feel totally exhausted and worn out, even before the new day begins?  I confess in all my perpetual busyness, I've felt that way a lot recently.  The last two months have been packed to the brim with loan legal papers, doctor's appointments, sewing classes, and volunteer stuff for church and community.  We're in the process of buying a house, and plan on moving within the next two weeks, so there are packing tape and boxes strewn all around.  We're trying to look at and register for baby things for an upcoming shower, which is fun, but time consuming.  I've had four to five days of classes each week for most of the last month.  Don't get me wrong...I love what I do, but long stretches of time on my feet running from sewing machine to sewing machine and telling kids for the bazillionth time that their stitches look just fine can get pretty exhausting.  Meanwhile there is food to be eaten or cleaned out of the freezer, sewing samples to finish, house-closing activities to schedule, and they are looking for new renters for our duplex, so a couple of times a week I try to straighten the packing mess and then disappear for a while so our landlord can do a showing.  Nate's been logging long hours on a big project again also, which means that by the time both of us make it home and manage to eat supper (usually around 8 o'clock) we're too tired to even talk to each other.  Oh, and did I mention that I caught a nasty sinus cold thingy last weekend (which I have succeeded in giving to Nate)?

I know, I know.  I'm complaining.  I also know I have perhaps the least reason of anyone on this planet to complain.  I have thousands of reasons to be thankful and grateful.  There are people who live this kind of crazy lifestyle all the time and like it.  There are people who work much longer hours doing much more physically demanding jobs, and put up with much more difficult conditions.  At some point however, everybody reaches their tired+frazzled=melt down point.  At one time or another, we all feel worn.  The question is, do we let it get to us, or do we press the STOP button and take some time to get quiet and refocus on what is really important?

As soon as Nate was out the door this morning I resolved to do just that.  I know that if I let the stress and tension build it will only get worse, and things will get ugly.  So, I headed for my quiet spot, to cast my cares up to the Heavenly Father who has always taken such good care of me in the past.  "Be still, and know that I am God!" Psalm 46:10 says (NLT).  The rest of this Psalm talks about earthquakes, tsunamis, war, and political chaos, then slips in the subtle reminder that even though the sky appears to be falling (says Chicken Little) God is still God, and his armies are on our side.  'This is what the Soverign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:  "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength."' Isaiah 30:15 NLT.  Stewing or fretting about things isn't going to get me anywhere, but taking a break from the craziness of daily life, and shifting my focus back onto Jesus will help me get my priorities straight again. 

Then I came across a golden little nugget in Exodus, chapter 14.  The Israelites have just left Egypt, upsetting their way of life and moving with only the things they could carry.  The now stand facing the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army hard upon their heels and their lives in danger.  Sounds way more intense than my house-buying, moving, over-involved issues, huh?  They are starting to quake in their sandals, thinking that all is lost and it's time to throw in the towel, when Moses gets up and says "Don't be afraid.  Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today.  The [troubles] you see today will never be seen again.  The LORD himself will fight for you.  Just stay calm." Exodus 14:13 NLT.  They probably looked at him as if he were crazy.  What a trust-filled response!  It looks hopeless, but don't worry...it will all turn out okay.  That's the kind of hope-filled confidence we can have when God is on our side, and we're looking to him!  I love what happens next...God tells Moses to get the people moving...start marching into the sea.  You probably know what happens next.  Go boldly towards the challenge, then wait and see how God's glory will be revealed.

Kind of a cool pick-me-up I thought.  It's still going to be a busy day.  I still have lots of things to get done, but they are no longer quite so scary or so important anymore.  I know whatever happens, if I'm trusting God He'll see me to the end of it all, and HE will be glorified. 

Final thought, if you're feeling worn, listen to the song Worn by Tenth Avenue North (video with lyrics below).  It's not only a heart cry to God, but a powerful reminder of the promises He has in store for us. 

Wonderful, Merciful Savior

This post is filled with mixed blessings, and is pretty personal.  Humbled and challenged by the frankness of a dear friend (read her blog here http://amileinmyredshoes.blogspot.com ) I've finally found the gumption to be a little more honest about my story, and the way I've experienced pain, followed by God's mercy and grace during the last seven months.  Disclaimer, my purpose here is not to make you feel sorry for me, but rather to be genuine about life, in hopes that someone else might read this and find comfort and/or hope from it. So, here goes...

Nathan and I started out the year with a lot of joy.  After several months of trying to conceive, we discovered a week or so before Christmas 2012 that we were expecting our first child.  Playing it on the safe side, we decided to wait at least eight if not twelve weeks before we shared this happy news with our family members.  Needless to say we were excited.  Nate bumped up the urgency of our house search, while I began plotting how to rearrange our current rental place to better accommodate a baby a few months down the road.

I apologize if this is TMI, but the long and short of it was I started to experience some bleeding at about seven and a half weeks pregnant.  My first appointment was just around the corner, but after a couple of days I decided to check in with the doctor.  She reassured me that a little spotting during early pregnancy wasn't uncommon, but just to be on the safe side she ordered a sonogram.  I went, and had the joy of seeing my little tiny 8 week along baby with a good strong heartbeat on the monitor, and left feeling considerably reassured.  The next Monday I had my first appointment, which went well.  Two days later I received a phone call.  The doctor wanted me to go for another sonogram...the hormone levels in my blood hadn't risen enough.  I called right away to schedule the sonogram, but as it turns out, I didn't need it.  I lost the baby that night, at 9 weeks along.  I woke Nate up to show him our picture perfect 9 week little "Baby Pollywog" as we had called him/her, then tried to go to sleep, wondering what to do and how to respond to what had just happened.  The only thing I could think of was the bible verse I had read during my devotion time the day before.  It was Psalm 139, particularly verse 16.  I wrote in my journal "You saw (this baby) before he/she was born.  Every day of his or her life was recorded in your book!  Every moment was laid out before a single day has passed. " I had read that verse that morning before with joy and excitement for the little life inside.  Now it came back to me again with a sense of peace; almost as if it were God's way of reassuring me that he knew I was going to lose the baby...that it was part of his plan.

Statistics will tell you that miscarriages are fairly common...anywhere from 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 women supposedly have at least one miscarriage.  But there is nothing common or "run-of-the-mill" about losing a baby at any stage of pregnancy.  At first I was just numb.  Then I was angry at myself.  The worst of my perfectionistic tendencies came out, and I started to berate myself for every little thing.  I didn't want to tell anyone, under the pretense of not wanting to make them sad or cause them pain when they had their own problems to deal with.  A couple at bible study whose baby was expected to arrive very soon spoke each week spoke about how thankful they were that the pregnancy had gone well.  Another close family member called us to announce that they were expecting.  I went on a visit to some cousins, two of which had infants under a month old.  I was surrounded with plenty of opportunities to feel sorry for myself, and eventually, I did.  I felt resentful.  I felt that life wasn't fair.  I also felt that I really needed to snap out of my pity party or bad things were going to happen.

I tried by telling myself that I was making too big of a deal out of it.  Surely my loss couldn't be compared to the loss of a child who had been just born, or to a family battling cancer!  Trying to downplay or minimize the pain and hurt I felt wasn't a good solution, however.  We still had lost a life, and that life, no matter how tiny or unseen was still created by God.  No matter how far along I was, our baby was still a baby, with it's own unique genetic make-up, own heartbeat.  If I truly believe that life begins at conception, and that all life is precious and created by God, then isn't a 9 week old embryo of as much value as any other human life?  Isn't the loss of an unborn child just as significant as the loss of a dearly-loved grandparent?  Isn't a life a life, no matter what stage we find it in?  In that case the baby we lost in miscarriage shouldn't be swept under the rug, but recognized, and celebrated, and grieved over as any other human life.

God has blessed me by surrounding me with wonderful people, knowing that there would be times I would need them.  I think especially of Jen and Ashley, another other friends, all of which have lost unborn children of their own.  These people we were able to draw alongside...to talk to, to share with, as part of God's healing process.  Another reminder from God that we are never alone...He is always with us, and He has given us brothers and sisters to share the journey with.  I also found comfort and healing through the music of Selah.  One of their song, Wonderful, Merciful Savior came on Pandora one morning.  By the time the song ended I had tears rolling down my face.  The song became my heart's cry...an attempt to praise God, and accepting his will even in the midst of my own pain.  I downloaded the rest of the album, and spent days listening to songs like I Need Thee Every Hour, O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus, Through It All, How Deep the Father's Love, and Press On.  The words and sincerity of the singers were like a healing balm, flooding my soul, turning my focus off of me and back onto God, restoring my joy in the Lord.

It's been a process, but eventually I got to where I could be genuinely happy for others who were expecting, and I began living with hope for another chance at pregnancy for us.  We won't ever forget Baby Pollywog...he or she impacted our lives profoundly, even in just a short amount of time. 

So that's my story.  The fun thing is that God is still faithful, especially when I least expect it.  Just when we thought we were going to give up on our house search, he provided the prefect place.  The last month has been filled with excitement.  At long last we are buying our own house, and best of all, we are expecting our own Christmas miracle at the end of this year.  :)  I've still been humming Wonderful, Merciful Savior a lot, but this time it's a song a praise rather than a heart-broken cry.  Maybe these words will bring joy or comfort to you too.

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh you rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne

Eric Wyse and Dawn Rodgers
© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Dandelion Diaries

Spring is here (or so I thought, although everything outside is covered by a couples of inches of snow again) and as usual, those resilient little yellow flowers are poking their heads through our lawn.  I'm talking about Dandelions, of course, with their cheerful, bright blooms and their 'powderball' puffs that you can blow on to scatter their seeds.  Really, they are a remarkable plant, but under 
appreciated.  Like good renters, Nathan and I were doing some work on our big 'ol lawn, and he decided to be ambitious and start digging up all the dandelions.  He actually had the lawn clean by the end of that first night, at least of the plants that were blooming.  Unfortunately they multiply and bloom too quickly for us to keep up, so once again we have a carpet of yellow.  As he was digging, however, Nate decided to investigate some of the claims he had heard about dandelions.  So instead of tossing them in the yard waste pile, he brought sacks of dandelion blooms, roots, and leaves into the house.  Then we set about the adventure of finding ways to eat, drink, and preserve our dandelions.

There is a definite lack of good scientific studies on the value of dandelions.  However, they are popular with herbalists as both a food and as herbal remedies.  According to a University of Maryland Medical Center website (link found at the end of this paragraph), dandelions are a good source of vitamins A, B Complex, C, and D, as well as minerals Zinc, Potassium, and Iron.  Historically the dandelion has been used for to treat liver ailments, as well as other issues.  The leaves when consumed are believed to act as a diuretic, stimulating appetite and aiding digestion.  The flowers are often attributed with antioxidant properties.  The roots are used to cleanse the liver, gall-bladder, and kidney.  http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm#axzz2SFBijkzS

So that's the basic scoop.  Now what did we do with these pretty little plants?  Well, one evening I blanched (to remove the bitter taste) then sauted the greens with garlic and onion (much like spinach) to make a side dish.  It really was pretty good.  I didn't notice much bitterness.  We haven't used them raw in a salad yet, but when the snow melts and I have time to go hunt down some more good greens, perhaps we will.  If you want to eat the leaves, look for the plants that haven't started to bloom yet.  The ones that are the least mature will have the least bitter flavor.  I also used some of the chopped greens in a soup with wild rice.  It was really good.  I found another recipe for "Cream of Dandelion Soup", as well as one that used all parts of the dandelion plant.  We haven't tried those yet. 

Nathan dried the roots, then ground them and brewed them into Dandelion Root tea.  The "tea" tasted a lot like coffee, which of course was good for him since he loves coffee.  He also dried some of the leaves and blooms.  I think he plans on combining these with ground root and a few other things to make another kind of Dandelion Tea.

As for the blooms...since we aren't wine drinkers we probably won't attempt to make Dandelion wine.  We did, however, make an attempt at Dandelion Jelly.  Picking all the fluffy little yellow flower petals out to use for the jelly is the most time consuming part.  You soak the petals overnight in boiling water, then strain off the fluff.  Stir in some pectin, add sugar, bring to a boil, then seal into jelly jars.  We didn't have much luck getting the jelly to set on the first batch.  It turned out to be a lovely yellow color, but closer to the consistency of honey then of jelly.  It still tastes good, and so we have been using it like honey.  We will, however, be making it again to try to get the jelly to set the next time around. 

So those are our Dandelion adventures.  If you're interested in recipes let me know.  Nathan wants to try out eating some other wild plants that grow in Kansas, so stay tuned for future food adventures!

Confessions of a Writer

My name is Heather Mentzer, and I am a writer.

There.  I’ve said it.  In true support group style you have my confession.  I’ve taken the first step towards doing something about it by admitting it, right?  It’s a secret I haven’t told to many people, because talking about it feels awkward.   “What do you write?” they might ask.  Here is where my answers become vague and evasive.  I write fiction:  historical, inspirational fiction, to be exact. 

 I feel like there’s some sort of stigma against writing fiction.  Perhaps it only exists in my mind and is of my own creation.  Maybe it’s because the way I am choose to occupy my time and earn a little income (by teaching sewing classes and writing) seems way outside the American culture’s career-oriented pattern of successful living.  Or perhaps I feel this way because talking to other about what I write forces me to allow them an up-close-and-personal sneak peek of the thoughts that come out of my head.  Scary.  As another author friend once put it, “[Talking about your writing or letting someone read it] is like handing them your heart and waiting for them to stab it.”  I don’t think I would feel this way if I wrote spiffy articles in scientific journals or reported on the news as a journalist.  Then I would sound smart and important.  Writing fiction, though, I am more afraid of sounding silly.  I don't think what I write is silly...but someone else might.

Needless to say it’s taken me several years to get to where I can confess this to more than my absolute closest friends.  I never thought of writing as a career.  However, looking back at my life it is easy to see the desire to write has been there all along.  I “wrote” and illustrated my first story book on the school bus in Kindergarten.  It was some “Ye Old…” western ditty complete with inch-high kindergartener printing and plenty of cow skulls, cacti, and wagon wheels.   An older girl on the bus helped me with some of the pictures.  I think I still have it in a box somewhere.  School writing assignments were always my favorite.  As you can probably tell from my blog, my papers were usually longer than the minimum length requirements.  I’ve always had plenty to write about.  I penned a couple of short story mysteries in junior high, and then started on my first novel in high school.  My sophomore and junior English teacher always wanted us to write in our journals for the first ten minutes of class.  I usually didn’t like the topic she selected, so instead I just started writing a story, with a new installment every day.  Someday I’ll dig out the folder I’ve kept all these juvenile writings in and re-read them, just for laughs.

I knew by high school that I wanted to publish a book.  Being an author wasn’t exactly on the fast-track of career plans I had, however.  It was something to save for later.  So the story sat for five or six years.  Then I got married and moved to Arkansas.  Once again, I didn’t have a full time job, so I found some extra time on my hands.  One morning I sat down at my computer and started to write.  I had a complete story synopsis sketched in an hour.  Filling out the actual dialogue and details takes a lot longer.  I think I usually write one and a half to two pages (single-spaced) in an hour.  The first draft always has room for improvement, so there’s lots editing, and editing, and more editing until I get to the point that I think the story is good enough for someone else to read it.    

I usually don’t suffer from writer’s block.  In fact, story ideas come to me so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with them.  For a while I was getting a new idea every four months.  Right now I have twelve manuscripts in various stages of completion.  That doesn’t include two or three other ideas for an older-elementary mystery series I haven’t even started yet!  Why so many ideas and where do they come from?  I get inspired by lots of things…conversations, books, history programs, events in the lives of people around me.  I play each story out in my mind, dialogue and all, like a movie before I even begin writing.  I attribute my keen story-creation skills to my childhood, when I’d pretend I was a character in some elaborate plot while I was doing my chores or spending long hours checking cows or looking for musk thistle.  Whatever task I was doing always went by quicker and seemed more fun if I made up a story to go along with it.  That’s what I do now.  I think up stories while I drive, while I wash dishes, and while I’m lying in bed trying to fall asleep. 

So where do I go from here?  Several of my manuscripts are to the point they either need to be published (so others can read them) or I need to toss them out the window.  The publishing world is a little intimidating to me.  To self-publish or go the traditional route?  Agent or no agent?  Full-rights to the manuscript or limited rights?  Royalties?  There are lots of questions to consider and decisions to make.  It takes a lot of work just to get your foot in the door.  It’s not quite the romantic “Anne of Green Gables” submit-it-and-win-the-prize picture I’ve always hoped it would be.  The daunting thought of having to wade around in the murky muddle of publishing might be enough to make me throw in the towel here and now, except for the fact that the story ideas are still coming.  I have to do something with them, and they don’t do anyone else any good sitting on my laptop.  So here I go.  It may be frustrating and hard.  It undoubtedly will take time, but I am going to try.  I don’t know where all of this is going to go from here, but I am going to take the first step.  Who knows?  Maybe someday soon you’ll find one of my stories on your bookshelf.   

What It Means To Be A Wildcat



KSU QB Collin Klein on the cover of SI

It turned out to be a disappointing post season for the Kansas State University wildcats.  The men's basketball team, ranked in the top ten going into the NCAA tournament, lost in the first round of March Madness.  Likewise, back in January, the K-State football team, at one time ranked number one in the nation, ended up losing to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.  For many people in this country, that's all they see of good 'ol K-State, and that's what's so frustrating to me.  When the national spotlight is on, K-State sports teams don't shine as brightly as other teams who have winning down to an art.  What the people only watching those big games miss out on, however, is the true spirit of what it means to be a Wildcat.   Winning or losing...it's a thrilling ride.  GO STATE!

Rarely are K-State teams slated to be amongst the top in the early season.  The football team was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 pack this past season.  KSU athletes normally aren't a bunch of all-stars or top recruits.  They're quiet, teachable, hard-working kids who have a lot of heart.  They don't give up, even when the know-it-all sports predictors write them off.  They may not look like winners going in...but they are winners by the time they're through.  Kansas State University earned Big 12 Championship trophies in both football and men's basketball this year. 


KSU Senior Jordan Henriquez with the Big 12 Trophy

This year is Kansas State University's 150th birthday...a good time to honor a great institution.  I bleed purple.  Oh, not just at football or basketball games...but all the time.  When it comes to K-State, I'm not just a fan...I'm part of a family.  That could be taken literally, since I'm a fourth generation K-Stater and my dad, mom, and two brothers all went to K-State, as did my husband.  However, the K-State Wildcat "family" goes way beyond that too.  It's an instant connection between any two people who have walked the hallowed corridors of Anderson Hall or sat in the stands at Bill Snyder Family stadium, decked out in purple from head to toe.  Even where we live now, I smile when I see cars with "PowerCat" license plates, and feel as if I'm among friends.  Nate and I can be walking through Target wearing our purple and a complete stranger will come up and ask if we know the score of the game.  You might think that for a small town gal (high school graduating class of thirty-three) that stepping onto a campus of 20,000 plus students might be a little intimidating.  Not so for me.  Even in my biggest lecture classes I found friends and approachable professors.  The chances of running into someone I knew while walking across campus were high.  Even if I didn't see anyone familiar, there was still usually someone who'd smile and wave in that good ol' friendly K-S-U way. 


Konza Prairie, just outside Manhattan, KS

Kansas State University is part of an awesome community too.  Manhattan, Kansas, or "The Little Apple", is a picturesque city nestled down along the Kansas River in the middle of the Flint Hills.  With unique shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, as well as active, college-student friendly churches and businesses, it's an easy place to feel at home.  Large parks, miles of running and biking trails, the unique Konza Prairie Nature Trail and Tuttle Creek Reservoir make it a giant outdoor playground.  You can shop 'til you drop, sip some amazing coffee, and take in a game.  Or you can head to the lake or the Konza for some quiet relaxation. 

There's a shared spirit at Kansas State and the Manhattan community the makes it memorable.  Like any large, public university and growing community it has its share of challenges, but it adapts and pushes forward.  As legendary football coach Bill Snyder tells his players, their "goal is to get better every day."  Award-winning academic programs draw students from all over the country and world.  Big 12 NCAA sports teams at their best attract and produce outstanding athletes.  A friendly, welcoming community makes it a place you'll never want to leave.  Oh, I know college isn't all about the sports, or the environment or the experience. But why not have your cake and eat it too?  At Kansas State University...you can.

Anderson Hall, KSU Campus

 I know a spot that I love full well,
‘Tis not in forest nor yet in dell;
Ever it holds me with magic spell,
I think of thee, Alma Mater.
K-S-U, we’ll carry thy banner high.
K-S-U, long, long may thy colors fly.
Loyal to thee, thy children will swell the cry.
Hail, hail, hail, Alma Mater.

 

Kansas State University Alma Mater ~ Written in 1903 by Humphrey W. Jones (Class of 1888)

 http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/kansas-state-university-1928/photos?int=228f6c

http://www.kansas.com/2013/03/12/2712649/k-state-celebrates-their-big-12.html

http://insidesportsillustrated.com/2012/11/13/kansas-state-quarterback-collin-klein-on-the-cover-of-this-weeks-sports-illustrated/

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/geographyresults.php?id=248

The Thunder Rolls

Three-thirty in the morning, not another soul (other than the snoring one next to me) in sight, our house (with it's eerie UV growlight glow coming from the living room) looking like a haunted house on a moon-filled spring night...and the thunder rolls...dun, dun dun...the thunder rolls.

Okay, so this post has absolutely nothing to do with a depressing and sad Garth Brooks song, other than the fact that it popped into my head when I rolled over and saw the clock on my night stand said 3:30 a.m. this morning.  Weird, because I haven't heard the song in years.  However, given the rather vivid dream I had just waken up from, the whole concept of thunder seemed remarkably apt.  I woke up with a very strong desire to tell a certain person just exactly what I thought of him/her and how he/she made me feel.  If you know me very well, you'll know that I am extremely conflict averse, so naturally my determination to tell this person off was quickly succeeded by an earnest hope that I would never have to do so.  I spent the next several wide-awake minutes fervently praying for the person and earnestly asking God to provide someone else to give this person a good shake, instead of me.  Deep in my heart, the thunder rolled.

We had some fantastic thunder and lighting while Nate and I were out at my parent's farm this past weekend.  (Sadly no, I didn't take this photo...microsoft clipart!)  Friday night, jagged flashes cut across the sky and long, low rumbles echoed in the background.  They were even calling for hail with the storm, which is unusual for western Kansas in March.  Thunder and lightning are such incredible phenomena...energizing, exciting and terrifying at the same time.  I like storms...to a point.  I'll sit out on the porch and watch for the funnel clouds like any other Kansas farm girl, until the nastiness starts to get a little too close to home.  Then, I just want to have everyone and everything I care about close by and safe so I can be comfortable during the worst of the storm.  Hmmm...kind of like my response to yucky, unpleasant confrontations.  It seems like a good idea...until it I start realize I might actually have to confront someone.   

Okay so where is this going?  Well, it all made a lot of sense when I was wide awake a 3:30 this morning, and I should've just blogged it then.  Along with the song, a bible verse that was read at small group last night also popped into my head in the wee hours of the morning.  It was almost like a response to my prayer, comforting yet convicting me at the same time in regards to my feelings and thoughts about this individual.  The verse is Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  I'm sure I've mentioned it before.  It's short (so easy to remember) and is incredibly profound in its simplicity.  It also comes out of a section of Romans Chapter 12 that is all about loving others and interacting with others.  Appropriate, huh?

BE JOYFUL IN HOPE.  It's easy to lose hope sometimes.  Thinking about my relationship with the individual in question, it's been a long, drawn-out, frustrating ordeal, and sometimes I began to doubt that anything really good could ever come out of it.  Thus, I go into it with a negative spin from the beginning.  This verse challenges me to stop dwelling on the negative, and instead focus on the good things I see; the reasons for hope.  This morning I started thinking of an Easter egg hunt, where the kids run around the yard searching eagerly in joyful anticipation of finding a hidden egg filled with goodies.  So intent are they on their excitement and joy that they usually don't notice the bugs and dirt and grime and cobwebs the eggs might be stuffed back into.  They are only concerned about the prize that's concealed within.  That's how I need to look at this.  There is still reason to hope.  God is still at work, and the diamond in the rough may yet be revealed.  That I can look forward to with joy. 

BE PATIENT IN AFFLICTION.  One summer I worked in Salina.  On my way to work I always had to cross two or three sets of active railroad tracks, so unless I timed it just right, my chances of getting trained (stopped by the train and having to wait for it to pass) were pretty good.  To get around the train I would've had to drive a mile east, or a good half a mile west in order to find an overpass that crossed above the tracks.  It wasn't worth that much trouble, so I usually just waited it out.  One day (when I was already late, of course) I got to the tracks just as the arms came down.  I stopped.  The locomotive engine approached slowly, and crossed the intersection.  When about four or five cars of the 100 car train had crossed in front of me, it slowed and stopped all together.  Super, I thought, now what?  Lo and behold, the cars started backing up.  They backed up until the engine was just about right in front of me again, then stopped once more.  A few moments later, it pulled forward a couple of cars.  Then backwards...and forwards...and backwards...you get the idea.  They must have been changing cars.  I debated pulling out and heading for the western overpass, but figured that with my luck, as soon as I left the train would get moving again, so I waited.  Finally, sometime later, the engine backed up far enough that the arms went up, and I dashed across the intersection (well...drove) before it could come back forward and set the bells off again.  Needless to say, I wasn't very patient during all this.  It just goes to show, I have my own schedule worked out for the way things should go, and waiting for a long time doesn't fit in with it very well.  I guess sometimes God decides he need to park a train in my way to slow me down a bit, before he'll let me cross and see what he's been doing on the other side.  Likewise, I haven't seen the answers to my prayers and the results I've wanted to see in this other person's life...and it's been nearly fifteen years!  Oh, I'm not saying there haven't been little things that I could regard as answered prayers, because there have.  But ultimately the situation is still not resolved, and I want it fixed NOW!  God wants me to be patient and wait...he'll move the train in his own time.

BE FAITHFUL IN PRAYER.  So here's the part of the verse that I find really convicting.  As I laid in bed praying this morning, it is almost as if I heard a voice say, "Heather, you've complained about this often enough, but have you faithfully lifted [this person] up in prayer?"  The answer, I'm ashamed to say, is no.  No...my prayers haven't been persistant, patient and hopeful.  They've been sporadic, situational, and shaky at best.  If I really believed that God could and would answer my prayers, I would be on my knees all the time petitioning for this person.  I say I believe he answers prayers.  I've experienced it in other areas of my life, but yet I can't seem to stay the course and keep praying for this person.  To me, the need for divine intervention seems urgent, yet I don't pray with much urgency about it.  God has shown himself to be faithful.  Perhaps all he asks is a little faithfulness from me...to pray faithfully...truly believing I will see his goodness unfold in the life of my troubled friend.  Praying has never come easy to me, but I hope, with another renewed effort (and a few prayers from you all, if you don't mind) that I will learn to ask and listen, and to uphold this person fervently each and every day.  Why not see what good will come of a little faithfulness in prayer?

And the thunder rolls...the thunder rolls.

A Brief ReCap...Mentzer 2013

Some of you will find this post before your copy of it finds you via snail mail.  That's okay...I'm old fashioned and I still think it's fun getting letters, but if you find yourself doubling up, feel free to recycle, etc.  Oh, and if you're looking for the Haiti Photo Book I mentioned...go back to the post before this one.  Cheerio!

 March 24, 2013  

Spring greetings from a snowy Stilwell, Kansas!  As I am writing this we are getting our third 6+” snow storm of the year, so instead of green grass and daffodils outside, I look out to see a winter wonderland.  Lots of snow, however, makes me much more appreciative of the sunshine, gentle rainstorms, and brave flowers I hope to see by this time next week.  So why all this spring-y-ness?  Well, when last Christmas rolled around, I quickly abandoned all hope of getting Christmas letters out.  Nate still wanted to send something, so I said “How about an Easter letter?”  Thus this letter was born.  I know sending an Easter letter is a bit unconventional, but hey…we’re a little odd ourselves.  Besides, Christmas isn’t the only time for love, joy, and hope.  The way I see it, if we are Christians the events of holy week and Easter Sunday really illustrate the ultimate act of love (Jesus dying for us), a true source of joy (He’s Risen!), and the best reason to hope (Sin and death are defeated…God ultimately wins!  Who doesn’t want to be on the winning team?).  Like Christmas, Jesus is also the Reason for the Easter Season! 

So that’s the rationale behind all this…now for the “New Year” newscast.  Yup…Nathan and I are still living in our same little place in Stilwell, KS.  We like the community hereabouts, and have recently started seriously looking for a home to purchase, so that will probably provide some more excitement for 2013. 



Nate with Haitian Co-Workers

Nate is still working for Black & Veatch in the Power Generation Services group; it keeps him pretty busy. This group works on several small studies and projects for power plants across the U.S. As such, he travels to different sites from time to time.  In his free time, he helps out with the youth group at our church, and has responsibilities on K-State’s Acacia Fraternity Board of Directors.  He’s dabbled with a little wood-carving, and enjoys being out of doors as much as possible either hunting, biking, hiking, or gardening and especially getting back to the farm.  He also is an unquenchable bookworm, and has already set (and so far is achieving) a goal to read one book every week this year. 

Heather and DiMarco

I started out the year working for Research Concepts, Inc., a company that makes satellite antennae controllers, as a bookkeeper.  In addition to keeping the books, I had a few other responsibilities, including helping with the remodeling of the new office building the company purchased.  I also took up teaching sewing classes for kids at JoAnn Fabrics last march.  In September I left RCI to pursue some other personal goals, but am still teaching at JoAnn’s.  I love teaching my enthusiastic and talented students, and have enjoyed creating a few new classes to add to the corporate mix.  Only recently I’ve implemented a series of Fashion Design classes for kids, including a week-long “Fashion Camp” this summer.  Bring on Project Runway!  On the side I’ve made a couple of customized quilts, two sets of banners for our church, and a few other things.  In my spare time, I volunteer with our church’s Caring Ministry helping to distribute food to needy families, and I also make trips to Manhattan as a member of Clovia’s Alumni Board.  Otherwise I keep busy reading, writing, blogging, and visiting friends. 

Last year was filled with both joy and sadness; weddings (including both of Nate’s sisters!), funerals, and two 50^th anniversary celebrations.  We also snuck in a twenty-five mile backpacking trip to the Missouri Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend, and flew out to Washington State for another wedding in January 2013.  Our big adventure for the past year was our mission trip to Haiti in June 2012. After nearly two years of saving, fundraising, supply-gathering, planning, and even a little Creole-learning, Nathan and I, along with eleven other friends from church spent a week in Bercy, Haiti.  While there we helped in the construction of a much-needed addition on to the village school.  We also held a Vacation Bible School day and played with the children that reside in the orphanage and the village.  My favorite part was worshipping at a little mountain church a few miles from our village.  We also experienced the noisy and colorful market scene, and a swam at a nearby beach.  It was a moving and eye-opening adventure, and already plans are being made to go back in January 2014.  If you’d like to see the picture book of our trip I put together, I’ve shared it on my blog http://walkwhileyouhavethelight.blogspot.com/ .  Also, to learn more about Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home, the orphanage where we stayed and helped, you can see them on Facebook, just search for Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home.

Heather & Nate in Seattle, January 2013

Well, that is the last fifteen months in a nutshell.  Life, much like hiking trips, is often full of ups and downs, but after all the scrambling, sliding, rock-hopping, sore feet, lack of oxygen, cold air and unpredictable thunderstorms that roll-in, the amazing panoramic view from the peak is always worth it.  So on we climb in 2013, to see what new adventures God has in store for us.  And even if we end up having to do some technical climbing up a sheer rock face with plummeting drops on both sides…or, um…maybe let’s just say no matter what life throws our way we can keep on climbing because of the hope we have in our Risen Savior.

 Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.†

Hope you have a Happy Easter, and a fabulous 2013!

  J Nathan & Heather Mentzer