Ramona correspondent
October news:
Three people from Ramona recently celebrated notable birthdays — Cole turned 16, Lisa celebrated 40, and Jeannie joined the “wise woman” category when she turned 50.
Do you remember your 16th birthday? As a girl I just remember the adage “Sweet 16 and never been kissed.” My parents saw to it that I never had an “alone moment” with a boy until I turned 16. So the phrase certainly was true for me. I never asked Cole Svoboda if the same statement holds true for guys — I was too embarrassed to ask.
Cole’s family had a dinner in his honor at the Svoboda home in Ramona. His uncle, Tim Steinborn, who also lives in town, was there with my sister and me. Joining the party from Salina were Cole’s aunt Patty Davis (Sandra and Tim’s sister) and her husband, Daryl, and Cole’s uncle Pat Svoboda of Augusta, A.J.’s brother. Cole’s paternal grandparents, Lawrence and Delores Svoboda of Lincolnville, also were around the table. And, of course, Cole’s folks, A.J. and Sandra, hosted the event with help from Cole’s younger sister, Bryanna.
“You know it was snowing the day I went to the hospital to birth Cole,” Sandra said. “In fact, it was snowing when I had Bryanna, too, and that was in April.” But for Cole’s birthday Oct. 8, and for his party Oct. 12, there was no snow in sight — just lovely, warmish, fall weather.
The family gathered to watch Cole open his presents. His folks gave him an impressive poster-sized picture, showing Cole “in motion” at the state baseball tournament in late July at Wellington. Cole was awarded the most valuable player award in the last game. “Our team came in fourth in the competition,” Cole said.
The team, comprised primarily of Hillsboro players and young men from Centre High School, came in first in their district which allowed them to proceed to the state finals. At the state finals, they played eight or nine teams before they were eliminated from the competition.
When Cole opened the other gift from his folks, a shirt and CD of the rock band, AC/DC, Sandra laughed. “It’s funny to watch my kids like music from my era.”
I’ve never listed to AC/DC, but I believe it says something noteworthy about a band when it can span the generations. I chuckled a few days later when I walked into the post office and Steve Jirak was sorting the mail. We got on the subject of the band, AC/DC, and he admitted that he and his son, Jacob, both are fans of the band.
“We’re lobbying Vickie about going to a concert,” Steve said, laughing. I gathered from the look on Steve’s face that Vickie wasn’t a fan!
I remember when I was a teen-ager and the Beetles came on the scene. My father, being a minister, preached whole sermons about the evils of the Beetles — from song lyrics to haircuts and Nehru jackets. Now when I hear the song, “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” I just smile. It’s almost benign — almost child-like and sweet compared with today’s music. Do I sound like somebody who’s gotten old and laments: What has happened to the music of today?
But I digress — back to Cole’s birthday. Uncle Tim gave Cole a most clever gift — a billfold which held money folded in all kinds of creative ways. This gift also was sentimental because it was the billfold Cole’s maternal grandmother, Frances Buxman, had at her house and never used. Frances died in May of this year.
The billfold had jokes and other mysteries — at least I gathered this because it was one gift that didn’t get passed around for everybody to inspect. I think it was a “guy thing.” My sister and I joked and said, “Must be male bonding!”
Now when I turned 40, it was a great day. I finally felt like I’d lived long enough to gain some respect. And when Lisa Hanschu turned 40 this month, she, too, felt like she’d accomplished something grand!
She has been preparing for this hallmark birthday for several months. She had a “personal list,” where she noted things she wanted to have accomplished or experienced before turning 40.
“Most of all, just being able to celebrate my 40th was a huge blessing for me,” Lisa said, who survived critical health issues the past year years. “There was a time I thought I may not make it to 40. I am so thankful that my health is so much better and that I beat the odds! I hope to celebrate another 40 years!”
Lisa’s birthday party Oct. 18, was planned by her husband, sister, and cousin. More than 75 folks came to The Spot in Herington where Lisa’s husband, Ronnie, and her sister, Lori Moldenhauer, and cousin, Kodi Kelsey, hosted a grand affair.
“They, of course, did the Over the Hill theme, and had pictures of me throughout the building with black balloons and even T-shirts that said ‘I survived Lisa’s 40th’ with my picture on them,” Lisa reported.
Lisa took time to look back and reflect on the past 40 years and her “defining moments,” both happy and sad. She said she was thankful for the experiences because they caused her to grow.
“These events all shaped me to be the woman I am at 40,” Lisa said. “I look forward to more defining moments in my life, hoping there are more happy ones than sad, and that each of them will continue to shape the person I want to be. Not only in my eyes, but in the eyes of my children, and my husband, family, and friends who have been so special to me and supported me these first 40 years.”
Turning 50 is a milestone. One is supposed to have gained wisdom by this point in time. When I turned 50 in 2000, I moved from California to Kansas and started an adventure. My parents weren’t so sure this was a “wise move,” but it certainly has been a memorable one!
I don’t know if Jeannie Goza’s 50th birthday heralds any big traveling adventures for her. She said she’s pretty settled in living in this area but admits this birthday party, which was Oct. 18, certainly was one of the best of her life.
“I really enjoyed having a party. I haven’t done that very much in the past,” Jeannie said, whose son, Luke, hosted a barbecue in his mother’s honor.
Jeannie’s daughter, Amber, and her two children from Dwight were at the party. Her other son, Randall, and his wife, Tabatha, and their child, Jordan, came from Emporia.
Jeannie’s older sister, Patty Hill, of Allen, came for the barbecue. A younger sister, Rebecca Chambers, of Kansas City, met up with Jeannie and others when the party continued at a pub in Herington.
“My party was the same night of Lisa’s (Hanschu) party,” Jeannie said, “but we managed to drop in on each other’s celebration.”
Jeannie is one of Ramona’s longtime city council members and a great advocate of the children in town, always thinking of ways to entertain the kids like the annual May Day flower delivery event. Jeannie buys plants and the kids make baskets for the flowers. The children then sneak around town, and try to deliver the gifts without being detected.
Jeannie also can make something out of nothing. She has a gift for that which comes in handy in a small town. She’s terrific at making scarecrows and has made several memorable ones for the Scarecrows on Parade that we’ve done in Ramona for about six years.
Jeannie even put up a scarecrow this year, although we aren’t having a competition. It’s stellar! It’s right on Main Street, east side, and it depicts what happens when Kansas winds come sailing through town. It’s quite funny — almost worth a drive to Ramona.
Pat and I didn’t put up our scarecrows this year — just wasn’t enough time for it. Instead we orchestrated a fall tea party which occurred Oct. 11 at the Lutheran parish hall. Sixty men and women came dressed in black and white in celebration of the black and white piano keyboard, the focus of the tea.
This tea was created when Mike Kutzel and his wife, Nancy, of California, were here this past April. The Kutzels bought a home here in town — one that once was owned by Nancy’s grandparents, the Conrad Schnells — and come to visit a couple of times a year.
We were preparing for the Mother’s Day tea at the time of their last visit and Mike made an off-hand comment that he’d love to entertain at one of our teas. I don’t let an offer like that just pass by so I immediately asked Mike when they’d again return. When he said October, I grabbed a calendar and said, “How about Oct. 11 for the next tea?”
It was a once-in-a-lifetime tea because a gorgeous, black piano was moved from Mike and Nancy’s Ramona vacation home to the parish hall. That’s when Tim Steinborn, Art Stroda, Billy Alcorn, and Terry McRae got into the picture. I got a piano dolly from Salina and the guys provided the muscle to move the piano to the parish hall and back home again to the house on Second Street.
All of the heavy lifting was worth it when Mike’s fingers touched the keyboard. What amazing music. How grand to hear a dream come true and have a piano concert going on while folks ate our yummy treats. Mike and Nancy even brought two of their friends from California to experience the town, the tea, and their lovely home here in Ramona, which they’ve hired Tooltime Tim to renovate from top to bottom.
So now, imagine Broadway show tunes floating through the air, and in your mind’s eye, watch the children of Ramona as they serve you tea and deliver treats.
Would you like to drool, after the fact? Then bite into a fall fruit scone studded with dried apricots and cherries, served with clotted cream, strawberry jam, and lemon curd. Then sip autumn bisque which is the essence of pumpkin and about 10 other vegetables and spices in a pureed soup. The sandwiches were chicken Parisian crostini and green olives wrapped in a rich pastry and baked, and a southwest black bean and turkey sandwich.
There even were sandwiches made to look like a piano keyboard — pumpernickel with pineapple cream cheese for the black keys, and apple butter with apples between white bread for the white piano keys. Because it was fall, I had a heyday making fall desserts like apple Bavarian tort which is like a cheesecake, along with maple pecan square, which is a mini pecan pie, pumpkin cookies, and a rich, chocolate tuxedo cake with layers of chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and cherries.
Prizes were given for the best hat and Rhea Kolling of Herington, who wore a stunning witches’ hat with fall decorations, was the winner. The guest with the greatest longevity was Norma Hannaford of Marion. She came with a jaunty hat of her era, which was priceless, so she also was awarded a prize.
I knew Norma had graced this planet for more than 100 years but she quickly informed me that she was 104! Norma came to the tea with her daughter, Wanda Burk, of Colorado, and Mary Exline of Salina. Someone suggested that our pianist, Mike, play a selection for Norma. When I asked if she had a favorite song, Norma said, “The Sheik.” When Mike heard the title, he shook his head.
“It was before his time,” Norma said with a wry look in her eye. Yes, indeed, a lot has happened in the years that Norma has observed the world!
Guests for the tea came from Marion, Hillsboro, Salina, Assaria, Wichita, Florence, Tampa, Newton, Peabody, and out-of-state guests from Colorado and California.
Helping with the event was Tooltime Tim and our cousins, Ed and Georgie (Lorei) Lehman of Lawrence. They were a gift from heaven in making all the sandwiches, keeping teapots filled, and cleaning up afterward. Our family always has been there for us for the many events we’ve done in Ramona.
Even our California guests, who minutes before had been savoring treats, went and changed clothes and came back to help us wash dishes. Mike didn’t even change from his fancy suit. Within minutes of finishing his piano performance, I saw him standing at the kitchen sink with his hands in the dishwater. He’d rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, and put his classy tie to the side, tackling the stack of dishes!
We were extremely proud of the Ramona kids who did the serving: The Thompson kids, Dallen, Terren, Cassy, and C.J., with Nathan Young, Bryanna Svoboda, Kaitlin Brunner, and newcomers to town, Sabrina and Troy Jones, and Sara Rains.
When the parish hall was all cleaned, the dishes hauled back to storage, and decorations packed away, I reviewed the day and gave a prayer of thanksgiving and pronounced, “It takes a lot of people to make a little magic!”
On Oct. 19, Pat and I were invited to a 50th wedding anniversary celebration for two people who were married in St. Paul Lutheran Church, just east of Ramona. Florine and Delmer Ayre of Salina brought friends and family together for this amazing event at the Celebration Center at Lyons. It began at 2 p.m. with a four-hour dance with the Blue Notes, a fabulous band based in Garden City.
I was lucky to be invited to this “invitation only” affair, because it was some of the best dancing I’ve ever experienced. That’s because of the fabulous band and my great dance partner, Darrell Wineger of Belleville.
I first met Florine and Delmer at the Jolly Mixers dances held every Wednesday evening at Salina. I knew they had roots in Ramona but didn’t know my own aunt played at their wedding. I discovered this when I began looking through their wedding pictures at the anniversary party. There was my Aunt Gertie Schubert, sitting at the organ, and standing beside her was the preacher’s wife, Mrs. Long.
The Ayre’s children, Terry and Diane, planned the event and it was delightful in every detail. During the afternoon dance, we enjoyed treats of fruit, cheese, veggies, and dip. Next came a yummy chocolate cake, and finally, a beautiful dinner buffet. At each place-setting, there was a tiny box containing my favorite candy — chocolate-covered Macadamia nuts — which the Ayre’s daughter, Diane, brought from Hawaii where she lives.
Al and Darleen Sondergard attended the Ayre’s wedding 50 years ago, Oct. 19, 1958. “We were already married about 16 years when they got married,” Darlene said, who’s a cousin of Florine’s. “Florine’s mother and Darlene’s dad were siblings.”
Making the connection even more fascinating is the fact that Florine’s uncle married Delmer’s sister.
“I met Delmer when he came down to my uncle’s farm to help with chores. My uncle had surgery and needed somebody to look after the animals. We went to our first dance at the Starlight Ballroom in Pilsen,” Florine said.
The Ayres are great dancers. I see them almost every Wednesday night at the Jolly Mixers where 170+ avid dancers get together to dance to live music. A couple of years ago a friend of the Ayres, Clyde, and a fellow dancer turned 100 years old, and had a big dance. Written on every tier of his cake were the words, “To live is to dance!” It’s a sentiment that we all share because dancing is one of life’s greatest joys. I know when the nearly 200 guests at the Ayre’s anniversary gala left the party, they felt the joy of being alive and grateful for one more day to dance!
My sister and I took off to Marion Oct. 26 to watch our cousin, Ken Peoples, compete at the dirt track motorcycle races held near Marion. It was a great day for the races and between competitions, Ken, Becky, Pat, and I enjoyed soaking up the sunshine while eating apple cake that I’d made that afternoon.
After the races, Pat and I went to Peabody where we were invited to experience Paris in the Park. We met Shane Marler and his wife at our October tea. They were guests of Neysa Eberhard of Newton who always reserves a table of eight. Shane is interim executive director of Peabody’s Main Street Association and has created a concert series in the park as a way to raise funds for a park bathroom.
We were very impressed with everything — from the decorated tables to the french vegetable soup and homemade french bread. I was especially impressed with Shane’s mastery of the French language which he inserted here and there in the musical program, giving the event that authentic French flair.
The finale of chocolate truffles and hot coffee especially was grand since it was a cold October evening and very windy. But that didn’t detour avid supporters. We just bundled in blankets, held onto the flowers at the table, relished steaming soup, and marveled at the impressive live music performed by The Nouveau Quintette. Shane plays rhythm guitar in this remarkable ensemble. Vocal entertainment was provided by The Cherokee Maidens.
Since Pat and I have planned many an event, we could really appreciate what Shane and the folks of Peabody had created — despite cold, gusty October winds! The concert series is taking a vacation in November and December but will return in January. If you’d like a schedule, call (620) 983-2174. It’s a fine way to spend a Sunday evening and support a neighboring, small town.
And that’s the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and dog in the road.