Through Wenner’s Window: Sandwiches

Her column in The Valley Log · September 1983

The sandwich is the greatest "self-help" food available. Any one from a three-year-old to the person 103 can take delight in the sandwich they create.

Each individual has their own idea of "the best" sandwich possible. This idea is usually an outgrowth of our childhood eating habits. On the other hand there are many types of sandwiches available today that weren't here 50 years ago. Our favorite one may have just been "invented" several years ago.

My favorite sandwich is lebanon baloney (Pa. Dutch) with onions.

My husband's is peanut butter (he is very easy to please).

My youngest son ate only lettuce sandwiches when in second grade.

The other two teens like anything from "dogwood" to pickle sandwiches.

The making and eating of a sandwich serves several kinds of needs:

1) the emotional need to be creative—providing there is more then one ingredient in the house.

2) the emotional need to do something by yourself, without taking anyone else's suggestions.

3) the emotional need to be different—your sandwich is never quite the same as someone else's.

4) and of course eating the sandwich gives the physical pleasure of filling the hunger pangs and giving you energy for your next activity.

Sandwiches are good for every occasion: breakfast, lunch, supper, dinner, picnics, sport events, outdoor concerts, cocktail parties, teas, wedding receptions, funeral dinners, church suppers, hiking, camping, traveling and every other occasion that calls for finger foods.

Sandwiches can be as simple as a slice of cheese between two slices of bread or as ornate as pink bread with green spread with a radish on top. It all tastes good.

I wonder if the space persons had the joy of eating any kind of sandwich while in orbit. If not, this should be on the list of necessities for the next trip. They can then say "this sandwich is out of this world.""

Thunder Storms

Children’s story · published January 1980 by Professional Associates, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The lightening flashed! The Thunder crashed!

I pulled my sleeping bag up over my head as fast as I could. Why do we always have thunder storms when I'm at camp? I like camp, I don't even mind thunder storms in the day time, but at night time it's different.

I remember someone said to count slowly after you see the lightening and you can tell how far away the storm is. So I stuck my head out of my sleeping bag, opened my eyes and immediately saw another flash of lightening. I counted as far as five and then the thunder crashed. The storm must be five miles away. Good, I feel better.

But as soon as I felt better another flash of lightening went through the trees and I forgot to count because Gretchen and Tammy sat up in bed.

Our counselor, Susan, whispered, "You can turn on your flash lights, but point them to the ceiling so you don't wake anyone else."

Well, as soon as she finished saying that, eight flashlights pointed to the ceiling and everyone laughted — because everyone in the cabin was awake and scared.

Susan then gave us her "counselor-mother lecture" and reminded us that it is okey to be afraid of lightening, because sometimes it can be dangerous — especially if you are outside under a tree. She tried to reassure us we would be safe in the cabin.

Tammy said, "What if the lightening strikes our cabin? What if it strikes and burns down a tree next to our cabin? What would be do?"

Susan said, "Then we would quickly grab our flashlights and go up to the main lodge where it is dry.

"Would we have time to put on our shoes and jackets?" asked Tammy, because she was really scared.

Our counselor said, "Yes, I think so."

Tammy said, "I'm not goin to wait, I'm going to put on my shoes and jacket now."

Susan said, "Okey if that makes you feel fetter, you can do it."

While we talked it continued to rain. I counted again and it seemed the storm was only one mile away. That seemed awful close.

Susan got out her guitar and started to play very softly. Then she said, "Sometimes when we are afraid of something that we cannot change, it's good to get our mind off the fear and think about something pleasant. So lets sing softly and maybe the storm will be over by the time we are done singing."

She was right. By the time we sang everyons favorite song, the lightening and thunder had moved on down the vally even though it was still raining.

Tammy took off her shoes and jacket. We all turned off our flashlights.

I crawled way down into my sleeping bags and listened while Susan put me to sleep with her guitar music.

From a Teacher’s Guide

Curriculum work, undated · “Value of story telling for children with fears”

1. A child can sometimes solve his own problems if he hears about a character in a story whom he can relate to with the same type of fear.

2. Open ended stories give children the opportunity to think through how they would solve a proble. An open ended story helps children realize that there may be several solutions to a problem, and that different people cope in different ways.

The following stories can be used with: 1. individual children 2. small groups of children 3. class rooms — summer camps—church schools—other children's groups.

Read the stories carefully before using them. You may want to change an adult or character in the story to meet the needs of the child or group you are working with. Use the stories and questions as stimuli activities to help children deal with their fears. The discussion questions are just suggestions. You know your group and the age you are working with, so gear the questions accordingly, to relate to your specific situation.

Conclusion:

Know that when you are dealing with the topic of fear you cannot expect "immediate cures" but that your interest and openess towards the fear will provide an atmosphere for the child to grow and mature in this area of his emotional life. You are the adult to provide support and encouragemet. Be creative, understanding and enjoy the stories and the discussions with your child and group.

Page two of a guide she wrote to go with her children's stories. Thunder Storms is one of them.

Listen

First Congregational Church, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire · 1980s

Talk! Talk! Talk!

We all have the need to talk. But sometimes we must learn to stop talking and listen.

We need to remember to listen! Listen! Listen!

The same is true with our prayer life. If we do all the talking, we are just telling God what he already knows. We need to think out our prayers and really learn to communicate with God. However, communication is a two-way street, which means — after we say AMEN, we had better wait and listen. The answer may not come right away. The answer may not even come when or as we expect. Again, we must remind ourselves not to do all the talking, especially where God is concerned. Always be a patient listener in your private and public prayer life.

[On Helping Someone Over Eighty Clean Out]

Draft for The Valley Log · October 1985

Did you ever help a person over 80 clean oit closets and try to dispose of things? My experience is "there are no unwanted items." Each paper and magazine has been saved in order to "look over when I have time." Each greeting card is saved because they are "too pretty to throw away." Each box and plastic bag is saved because "someone might be able to use it."

In trying to help a person this age, clean out, we must first remember what it was like when they grew up. "We had to save everything, because we didn't have money to buy new things."

If you are hleping an 80 year old person who does not have to move, do you really have to throw things away? Everything in the house/apartment is part of their past life. Present life is limited and the future is unknown, so the past is very important. You can always just rearrange and mark piles — so that when the time comes to dispose of items it can be done more quickly.

To look through a pile of newspaper clippings or photographs provides the opportunity to relive exciting and meaningful times. It may take three hours to go through a small pil as each person is discribed and fitted into the past and related to the present as to where and if they are still living. Let them go through this. Sit with them patiently. They are in no hurry (even though you may be). Each day is the same in most cases. Get up — make a meal, eat, find some project to do, get another meal, watch TV (rather fall asleep while TV is on) Go to bed and repeat the same daily cycle.

Goin through photographs and newspaper clippings help the elderly realize the passing of time a nd where they fit in. As my mother said "I guss I must be old if I have children 65 years!" When the elderly are in good health, they do not feel their chronological age. They may begin to accept their limitations, but they are not ready to throw away their life savings of memenotes.

After helping my mother try to trow things away I came home to try to figure out the situation. I decided to start to clean out my cupboards and go through my photoes and newspaper clippings. By golly it does take three hours to go through a small pile. What will I be like when I am my mothers age.

She wrote “didn’t mail” across the top, and beside it “I lived in Wolfeboro N.H. from 1982–’88 (I was about 55).” She underlined the last sentence. Forty years later her own piles of papers became a poem.

Dear Friends

Seven Mountains Boy Scout Camp, Spring Mills, Pennsylvania · Summer 1968

This letter is to bring you up to date in case you haven't heard from us for a long time!

We are spending the summer at Boy Scout camp, which Nelson is directing. He took the job of District Scout Executive in the fall of 1966, and is finding the work satisfying as he works with his 300 leaders and 2,000 boys in the county. We bought a home in State College right across from Penn State University and had lived there since we left Huntingdon. Now this July we bought a new home outside of town so our new address is Box 1072, State College.

The children are all fine. Mark will go into 7th grade and his main hobby is teasing Karen & Jim. He does excellent in his school work and this summer attended both church camp and Scout camp (here) with his troop. Karen goes into third grade is just learning to swim and play the piano. Dolls take up most of her play time plus her bicycle. Jimmy (who is a calon copy of Nelson) will go to kindergaten this fall. His big job this summer was that each week he "took" the 150 Campers on a "Bear Hunt" at camp fire. He did it like a pro-story teller!

I have been teaching nursery school 5 mornings a week at a mother's cooperative and really enjoy it. Nelson and I also teach the Sr. Hi group at church school — when Nelson isn't supply preaching.

Good to take the time to write and think about you — and in case you don't hear for another five years — Merry Christmas and Many Happy New Years.

Marie and Nelson Wenner

Jems

About 1970, retyped June 1986

Mom: How does my hair look better Jim: You're the beauty queen. You're one of the first. There are others, like Mrs. Formeka Mom: You think she is pretty Jim: Yes, so are all the other mothers I know. Mrs. Fisher she's pretty.    * * * Jim: Who made God? Mom: God always was. People like to think about a beginning and end. But God's spirit always was. It's kind of a mystery, we'll never really understand. We just believe. Jim: Some people say there is no God. No one can prove it?    * * * (when playing monopoly) Jim: You wouldn't have to lower your price Karen: Well, I didn't want to make you cry. Jim: Was I going to cry? Karen: Well, you had tears in your eyes Jim: Well, you know I cry very easily.    * * * Jim: (after I had yelled at Mark and Karen for fighting) Do you like being a mother? Mom: Yes — but I don't like to have to yell and scream at Karen and Mark when they don't listen to me. Jim: I never heard you scream — just yell!

Her own note at the foot of the page: “just a sampling of the scraps of paper with these ‘jems’ written down.”

[Sunday Morning Church School]

Notes · 1975

Scott: I'm not going to play today — Because I don't want to pick up any toys — at clean up time Scott: I don't have to put any toys away, because I didn't play with anything. Mrs. Wenner: okey. You can put the chairs around the table —   Jim — age 12 — you know what I was thinking the other day Me — what Jim — when I was reading the Bible maybe I'll be a minister. Me — well you have lots of time to decide Jim — yeh — I know

Christmas Notes

Undated · written around a son’s drawing

Before Christmas we decorate the house & appreciate it very much. Christmas Sunday we love to go to Sunday school to learn about Jesus when he had his birthday. Christmas Day We love to play Christmas Eve We love to get presents Christmas Sundays We love the lillies in church. How we like our christmas tree with its blinking light & shining star.

Life Is OK at 85

From a letter to her granddaughter Olivia · 2015

But AS LONG AS I CAN PLAY WATER Volley BALL AND TALK ON The PHONE — AND WRITE LETTERS — — Life is OK at 85 — I'm sTill re writing and writing New Poems (too MANY About "OLD AGE") HAVE fun in Your Young LiFE Love ALWAYS Honey

The second page of the letter. The first has not survived.