Janet's Blog

Mom and I shared more than one eye disease. Because of our eye conditions and the resulting surgeries, we were both destined to wear ugly sunglasses for the rest of our lives. We both needed the kind that fit over our regular glasses and blocked out the light from the side as well as the front. We used to wear the really ugly, oversized kind that was distributed by ophthalmologists everywhere, because that's all that was available. In recent years, though, Walmart and a few other stores have carried a larger variety for the people like us who need specific sunglasses. My grandkids love the "jewels" that often adorn every available pair. Because the light really hurt her eyes when she wasn't wearing sunglasses outside, Mom always had multiple pairs: one pair in the car, one in her purse, one on the counter near the back door, and a spare for when she couldn't find the pair she was looking for. All of hers were black, without any extra adornment, but in recent year...

It's been fifteen years since my middle daughter, Meagan, married Andy. Fifteen years of living and working in and around Gering, and five, almost six, children later, everyone they know would say that they are happily married. Their wedding was big and formal, and held in our church, like many weddings were then, at least here in Gering, with a sit-down dinner and dance afterward at the Civic Center. They both grew up here, and were well-known in the community, so many local people attended their wedding. In addition, they each had large extended families who were willing to travel quite a distance to be present for their big day. It was a memorable day, for sure. Fifteen years ago, our family was quite small. They both settled in to teaching, living in an old house on Andy's family's farm before building a house at the same location about ten years ago. Now, Andy continues to teach at Gering High School, while Meagan has been focusing her teaching skills on her own childr...