of pears and prayers and one who cares...

Let me introduce you to Frieda...a wonderful woman that I have known almost as long as I can remember.

 
She loved to sing...and one of my earliest recollections of Frieda is of her singing in the church choir. Later I sang in that same choir with her for many years.

Jenny, Corrine, Steve, Kris and Mike ~ with Herman and Frieda

She was also a Sunday School teacher extraordinaire...and all my children had the privilege of being in her class when they were wee.

She loved children and they all loved Frieda.  Before she had grandchildren of her own...she borrowed our oldest on several occasions and babysat him while hubby and I led the youth group at church.  Later she watched our pre-school daughter many times, while I worked in the raspberry fields.  On one such occasion, I came to retrieve Heidi at the end of the day...and Frieda handed me a delicious pear loaf, fresh from the oven to take home for our dinner.  It was a pear loaf from a community church cookbook...one I also had at home, but had never tried.  The loaf was delicious!

Frieda also loved flowers and gardening...and for several years in a row she was a winner in  a local gardening contest...winning top spot in the 'most improved large garden' category. The photo above was clipped from the local paper in 1987...and waiting in my files for today!

Not one to be idle...Frieda has always been involved with the women's group at church...

...and has been one of our faithful 'blanket ladies' for many years. They give freely of their time and energy to make blankets for those in need around the world.

More significant than all the other things Frieda has done through the years...is that she is a woman of prayer!  Not only has she organized the prayer chain at church...she is always there if someone is in need of prayer.  Last week she assured me once again, that she prays for my family every day.  We should all have a Frieda in our camp!  The praying grandmas in my life have gone on to their reward...but Frieda is still here and praying faithfully.  How special is that?

Last week I pulled out the old community cookbook...the one with the pear bread that Frieda had baked for me some 30 years ago.  I decided I would bake a batch and drop off a loaf  for her. 

The loaves turned out just fine...and once they were fresh from the oven I brought Frieda a loaf.  She recalled baking the pear bread all those years ago and sharing a loaf with me..and was quite delighted to have the loaf returned after all these years.

Frieda is also a great encourager!  She reads 'My Front Porch' regularly and encourages me to keep writing.  She also follows Mennonite Girls Can Cook...and not only bought a cookbook but also came out to one of our book signings to show her support. 

Frieda has no idea I'm doing this post today.  Often in life we live with regret over the things we might have said or done and never did.  Frieda deserves to be thanked from the bottom of my heart for all she has meant to me and my family over the years.  I have an opportunity right here and now to do that...and so I am.

Thank-you, Frieda!

Edited to add: Who would have known that I chose Frieda's 87th birthday on which to publish this tribute to her?  I had no idea!

With love,