[Oe List ...] Judy Wiegel's 60th birthday went well

[Evelyn Philbrook]

Dear Jim and Judy and all who know them, 

 

Larry and I laughed and laughed when we read your account of the "birthday
surprise"!  I can just see Judy's face when she caught Jenny and Shanker
hiding outside.  It sounds just like Judy to be watering the plants at the
last minute and worrying about stale irrigation water while dressing for a
different event.  I remember our trips back to Nairobi for inkinding and
development when Dhondi and Shanker lived in Kamweleni with Jim,and Jenny
and Judy lived in Kamweleni because Jenny was going to school in Nairobi.
Judy trying to finish washing the boys clothes in Kamweleni after a short
visit, and then return to Kawangware.  There was always something else she
was doing besides what she said she was going to do.  She always strived for
perfection and wanted to do everything well.  Which, she always seemed to do
with amazing grace and a wonderful smile with sparkling eyes and raw
determination.  I sort of remember a quote she said, which was something
like: 

 

"I have lived so long with so little, I have discovered I can take almost
nothing and make it into something."  

 

And in a twinkle of an eye, typed proposal, a calling card, and a lot of
hard work and many inkind or development calls later. it is true!  That is
not the exact quote, but it is close.  I remember when Kenyans would not eat
fish because they had never eaten it before, or when they thought spaghetti
noodles were round worms and did not eat those either!  These types of items
were procured by Judy Wiegel's ability to envision that we all needed more
than just ugali and sukuma or kitheri and that a celebration of different
cultures could mean outside of the tribes of Kenya for food and dance.  The
Yellow Chevy Love truck. hummm that is a different set of stories.  What a
wonderful life we have had the opportunity to live, and I for one am so glad
that I had the chance work along side Judy Wiegel, a true spirit woman par
excellance.

 

Sorry I missed saying something on Friday, but after I heard the story, this
just rumbled out. Happy Belated Birthday, Judy, and many more to come!

 

Evelyn Philbrook in Taipei, Taiwan

-----Original Message-----
From: OE-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:OE-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of James Wiegel
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 1:57 AM
To: Alisa Oyler; Betty Pesek; shankerw at yahoo.com; Shirley Snelling; Jenny
Wiegel; Hazel Berrios; Winston Berrios; bladwig at ij.net; jeffrey burrows;
Whitsunday Escape Charters; Order Ecumenical Community; Cyprian D'Souza;
Mary D'Souza; Mary D'Souza; dhondiw at yahoo.com; Colleague Dialogue; The Epps;
gpackard at ica-usa.org; jknutson at ica-usa.org; Marcus Burrows Brown Karen;
Robin Lulsdorf; Paula MacDonald; Philip MacDonald; SALLY MARINI; Sue Michal;
moyler at ica-usa.org
Subject: [Oe List ...] Judy Wiegel's 60th birthday went well

 

9/25/2005  Well Judy's 60th birthday went well.  And she sends thanks and
warm regard to all.

 

STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TOO MUCH DETAIL . . .

 

The Wiegels, all of 'em.

 

THE FULL STORY.  

Unbeknownst to Judy, Dhondiram picked up Jenny and Shanker at the airport
Friday afternoon and took them to his house to prepare for the main surprise
on Saturday.  (Judy stayed at school working on a project until after 9 on
Friday.)  When she got home, I told her Jenny had called and would call back
in the morning at 8 with birthday wishes.  At 8 am, Winston called (Jenny's
husband) with best wishes and Judy talked to the grand children (Amaru and
Hazel) "No, Jenny had to go off to work, would call later" . . . Then Lisa
(Shanker's wife) called, also with wishes -- she is 7 months pregnant and
could not travel -- "Shanker had had to work and she wanted to call with
wishes"  About 9 am, Judy was reading an email from her sister when a knock
came at the door and a hello, and in walked Lariate (Dhondi's wife) with a
cake and SHANKER (not Dhondi) by her side. Judy looked at them and at the
cake:  "My, you look like your brother today".  

 

We go to the kitchen, there is a huge bowl of fruit salad, something about
they are on their way to another gathering and stopped to share breakfast.
There is more to unload from the car.  Shanker goes out, Dhondi, identically
dressed, comes in with the next cooler.  Dhondi goes out, Shanker comes in
with another cooler, all the while Lariate keeps the conversation going.
Judy gets the idea that there is going to be some sort of party and says, "I
better go change clothes", then heads to the bedroom to change and, before
we know it she is out in the back watering plants (while Judy was changing,
she remembered the 2 tubs full of smelly irrigation water in the back and
decided to water plants to get rid of it (at this point, Jenny and the other
brother are hiding out along the wall next to the garage).  Quick cell phone
call -- "Watch out!! Mom is coming,"  The warning arrives too late.  Judy
comes around the corner of the house.  "Quick, run!" they shout.  No!, too
late!, she has seen them.  

 

I have never seen such a smile on Judy's face as she comes in with her
children surrounding her.  "This is the best gift"

 

The rest of the food comes in.  Cooking starts -- waffles and French toast.
As usual in our family, we are behind schedule.  People were invited to come
between 9 and noon, it is past 9:30 (later we find out that Raul and
Angelica and their daughter Paula arrived on time and thought it must be at
another place, so called, but Judy answered so Angelica hung up.  

 

Oops!!!  We have no Gran Marnier for Shanker's famous French toast recipe.
Off go Shanker and Dhondi to buy some.  Jenny is cooking waffles, we eat.
People arrive -- Raul and Angelica and Paula (for the second time).  Shanker
and Dhondi return with Gran Marnier and a bundle of helium balloons with
messages:  "It's a girl" and "6" and "0" and "Happy Birthday", etc. mostly
pink.  They let the balloons go in the house.  "Oops!! they will get caught
in the ceiling fan!!  Shanker put them someplace where they won't get caught
in the fan."  YoYo, the yellow lab walks by.  Shanker ties them to his
collar -- now a yellow lab with a bundle of helium balloons floating just
over his head.  Someone else arrives Judy goes to the door to let them in.
YoYo comes to greet them balloons in tow.  Everyone is tangled.  This really
gets Judy laughing, not to mention the tangled guests.

 

French toast with Gran Marnier supplements Jenny's waffles and the fruit
salad and coffee that Dhondi brought.  Cook bacon, run out of bacon, orange
juice, coffee, more French toast, more waffles and cake and . . .

 

Later, after food, after the balloons are lodged in a less mobile place,
Shanker and Dhondiram bring in the cake with candles -- actually 2 carrot
cakes (Jenny's specialty, Shanker takes credit for remembering to buy the
carrots), one for the first 30 years, one for the second thirty years.  We
sing happy birthday.  Judy blows out the first 30 years, then asks
Christopher, a 4 year old who came with Edith Byers to help with the second
thirty years.  Obligatory questions are asked and answered.  We adjourn to
the living room for cake and open cards and read emails.  Phone rings.  Judy
answers, "Hi, Sandy"  everyone is wondering, Sandy who??  more phone calls,
another guest . . .

 

Conversations ensue.  Folks depart.  Judy's sister Joan arrives we clean up
and rest, then off across the Valley to Canyon lake where, as the sun goes
down we are off on a dinner cruise up the canyon to end the day

 

Oops, we get home.  More emails have arrived and, this morning, a limerick
from Malaysia.

 

 

Again, thanks, eveyone for a birthday well-celebrated.



Ol' Jim Wiegel
401 North Beverly Way Tolleson, Arizona 85353
623-936-8671 jfwiegel at yahoo.com

Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities. Wade Davis

  _____  

Yahoo! for Good
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