Keeping Score by Walter Berg

CEF Trip

2008-04-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Child Evangelism Fellowship - Warrenton, Missouri. We just returned from Warrenton after a week of volunteering at one of the most effective mission organizations in the world. Twenty-one people from our church - McConnell Memorial Baptist - and another 19 from neighboring Grace Presbyterian enjoyed each other's fellowship and had a rewarding time at the CEF. Most of us worked in the CEF Mailbox Club which manages a Bible correspondence course with some 70,000 active students. While the focus of all activities at CEF is toward children, there are many adults in the correspondence program, many of them prisoners in various jails around the country. We processed about 3,000 lessons each day. None of that would be possible without the help of volunteers like us that come each week to help. Here's a picture of the McConnell group.

Here's another bowl completed just before leaving for CEF. This is made from red oak, trimmed with a combination of poplar and purple heart.

Most Recent Bowls

2008-04-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is warming up, I'll probably be spending more time away from my shop. So, these bowls will be the last shop output for awhile.

First bowl is black walnut with poplar trim, about 7 1/2" in diameter; second is purple heart with poplar stripe, about 5 3/4"; third is black walnut with segment pattern of walnut, maple, and poplar, about 6 1/2".

Another Bowl

2008-03-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ho-hum .... Another bowl. This one is made from South American Mbusiawood (top & bottom) with maple and walnut segments.

Wedding Pictures - Debra&David - March 1, 2008

2008-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Shop Products of February

2008-02-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of things coming out of my shop recently. First is a clock made for granddaughter Bonnie. It's made from a piece of spalted maple that came from a tree blown down in our yard last year and framed with purple heart. The inserts are a clock and two pictures for Bonnie's son and expected child. The picture on the right is son Parker, while the picture on the left is a stock baby that will have to be changed when the new one arrives. I looked for a "praying hands" emblem to indicate our prayers for Bonnie and her growing family, but couldn't find one commercially, so I tried to cut out one. Hope it is recognizable as praying hands.

The second picture is a bowl made from a scrap piece of black walnut.

Walnut Bowl

2008-01-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

I'd rather be outside working in the yard, but on these cold winter days the next best thing is to try new things in my shop. Several years ago one of our neighbors on the mountain had a dead walnut tree cut down and sawed into boards. I purchased one of those boards, thinking one day it would serve as a new mantel over the fireplace in a new home. We decided instead of building a new home, to just do some remodeling and stay put. The board (4" x 12" x 10') has been in storage since. I cut one end off yesterday and turned it into this bowl. About nine inches in diameter, it is the largest thing I've attempted on my little mini-lathe. The grain is special. It looks different from every angle.

Evolution of a Salt Mill

2008-01-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures of a newly completed 8 inch salt mill - from a rough block of maple from a tree recently blown down in our yard, to a round blank in the lathe, then completed on the lathe, to a finished mill.

Some More Bowls

2008-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple more projects completed on my lathe during the winter snows - a bowl and a vase.

A Blanket of Snow

2008-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here it is the 2d day of the new year 2008, and we are blanketed by snow - a good time for working on my little wood lathe. Here's a little "acorn" cup with lid, turned out a couple days ago.

Thanksgiving At Creighton's Bryson City Home

2007-11-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Little Ones by the river ....

At the table ----

In the kitchen ...

Fall Colors

2007-11-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

Time flies ... Has it really been four months since my last post? Anyway, here's a couple of pictures that don't really do justice to the fantastic leaf colors around us. The peak of color seems to get later each year, here it is nearly the middle of November.

Tabor-Lewis Reunion 2007

2007-07-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

These are the 30 family members that attended the reunion at the Dan Springs Baptist Church on July 14, 2007 in the Brush Creek Community near Bryson City, North Carolina.

International Airstrean Rally

2007-07-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Perry, Georgia - The rally is now winding down. Here's some pictures of the gathering at the Agriculture Center in Perry - fine facilities.

Burst of Bloom

2007-06-12T15:31:00.001-07:00

Every day now there's a different array of day lilies. Guess that's why they're called day lillies. The drought broke yesterday afternoon with a thundershower giving us an inch of rain. So, at least for a day or two we won't have to water things.

Berg's Baskets

2007-06-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

These baskets have been my latest challenge in the shop. They appear to be woven, but they're really stacked layers of solid wood cut on a scroll saw to look woven. Look closely.

Season's First Day Lilies

2007-06-09T16:00:00.001-07:00

With the drought we've had it's a wonder these lilies are blooming. It's been five weeks now since any measurable rain.

Wild Day Lilies

2007-06-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Despite a serious drought - no rain in three weeks now - the wild day lilies along the driveway are blooming profusely. One of these days something will fall out of the sky, and we will be re-introduced to the wet stuff.

Mountain Laurel

2007-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

The mountain laurel has never been so profuse as it is right now. Beautiful.

Home Again

2007-05-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

After a month on the road with the Civil War In Virginia caravan we're educated on the war and happy to be home. It was a good trip. We met some new friends and renewed acquaintances with some old ones.

The landscape around home looks much as it did when we left. The trees were just budding out back on April 1st, and their just budding out again now. In between a hard freeze did a number on the tender shoots.

One thing different is the emergence of wild flame azaleas, seemingly more profuse this year than most. Here's a couple of pictures:

Visit To Rocky Hills Farm

2007-03-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Making a quick stop at John's Meherrin farm, we were pleasantly surprised to find Bonnie and Parker there to see us. Parker is quite a little man. Taking him for a ride in the farm buggy, he was far more interested in the steering wheel, gear levers, and buttons than he was in the animals - a precocious 18 month old.

We also got to meet Jordan's new horse, Flash - a beautiful horse with one blue eye. Then, John grilled a pile of T-Bone steaks - all prime Angus beef raised on the farm.

We had a good drive up from Young Harris. It was so foggy over Chunky Gal Gap, we didn't even know that we had passed through. By the time we reached Greensboro, the air had cleared, and by the time we arrived at John's place, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Tomorrow we rendezvous with the caravan at Newport News.

Complete coverage of the caravan will be on our website - www.walterberg.homestead.com.

Postings will depend on the availability of WiFi hotspots.

Cathy's Visit

2007-03-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

We had a delightful visit with Cathy - Ann's niece from Virginia - over the weekend. Cathy always brings with her an abundance of contagious energy. Ann's sister Martha Louise and her son Stan also came up from Marietta. With Dian and Don Woodruff, we had a good group for lunch on Saturday at the Brasstown Lodge. The picture below is of the four ladies.

Our Week in Missouri - CEF

2007-03-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

The picture below shows the campus of CEF - the world headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship in Warrenton, Missouri. This is a world-wide mission organization focused on children. They have over 1200 missionaries in 156 countries. In addition to administration activities, they train missionaries here, and they develop, print, and distribute all their literature here. They also have what's called The Mail Box Club where they manage a Bible correspondence program. That's where most of us spent our week. Handling 12,000 to 15,000 pieces of mail each week is a major undertaking, and it's all done by volunteers. The weather was great for mid-March.

Ann's Sister Ease at her 80th Birthday Dinner

2007-02-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

..................................................................... Sisters Ease and Ann .................................................................

We drove down to Marietta to meet others of the family on Friday evening to celebrate Ease's 80th birthday. Hosted by son Stan Hudgins, also present were Don and Dian Woodruff, Fred and Sara Creighton, Pam Gonzalez, Lydia Nelson with daughters Lilly and Lainy, Michael and Linda Creighton, Ease, Ann and me - at the House of Ming Chinese Restaurant.

Second Snow of the Season

2007-02-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

The second real snow of the season started just after dark and came down heavy for the first hour. Had it continued at that rate all night, we'd probably have had a foot or more by morning, but there was only a couple of inches on the ground. The sun came out to a cloudless sky and reflected on the snow like a thousand diamonds. Beautiful!!!

The Last of Augusta's Letters

2007-02-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

Publishing these letters of my grandmother has been a pleasant experience for me. She was a prolific letter writer. In the fifteen years from September, 1920 until her death, she wrote 194 letters to her son Albert, and he saved them all. There's no telling how many more she wrote to others that were not saved. She had a unique way of expressing herself. The excerpts demonstrate the intense love she had for her family and give a vivid insight into what life was life in that era.

To reread them in order, scroll back to the posting of January 16, 2007.

The response I've received has been a pleasant surprise. While most have been from family members who knew the people she wrote about, others have enjoyed reading them too. If anyone would like to see the full text of any letter, let me know the date, and I'll either publish it or send a copy via email. Thanks for your interest.

Here now is the last batch...

14 Mar 1935 - "... it's been so long since I wrote you ... I almost feel like I'm out of the picture already ... it was a hard winter ..."

26 Mar 1935 - "... I am feeling better since it is warm ... reading is hard for me ... writing is easier ... I surely appreciate everything my children do for me ... I would rather though serve than be served ... but my time of serving is over ... time now hangs heavy on my hands ... Walter has been working steady at O'Berry's since Christmas ..."

23 Apr 1935 - "... we were at Martin's last Sunday ... Walter and family came in the afternoon ... "Aitchy" had the time of his life hunting Easter eggs ... he runs through the house calling Betty and 'Bakki' ... even Bunny calls (little Martin) 'Bakki' sometime. Nobody could guess the origin of 'Bakki' ... the children play nice together ... Aitchy feels perfectly at home there ..."

18 Jun 1935 - "... How well Papa holds out ... and what a poor number I am! ... mind and body a wreck ... can't remember anything ..."

Jun 1935 - "... Little Martin and Betty were our visitors over the weekend ... they are lovely children now ... and do they like to come! ... they are both on the honor roll at school ... Little W.H. watches all their movements and does all their stunts as good as they do ... Lyddi is not feeling so well ... all her teeth must come out ... there is always trouble somewhere ... a heart full of love I'm sending to my darling ... it's all I have ... May God bless you ..."

Augusta (Jox) Berg died on 26 July 1935 after a massive stroke. The following letter from her husband, Rev. Fred Berg, was written to Augusta’s sister, Mary, describing her last few hours.

Tampa, Florida
July 30, 1935

Dear Mary,

Just a few lines in answer to your dear letter ... we all thank you for your loving words of sympathy and comfort.

Last Wednesday morning Gusta got up at 6:30, had her breakfast, washed the dishes, brushed floors, made up the beds, got things ready for lunch, and after Lydia got home from summer school, partook of the lunch with appetite. After lunch she wrote a letter to Dora. Towards evening she sewed on a rug for Clemmie. She was called in to supper, ate heartily.

I was the first to get up from the table, then Madge got up to go to Walter's. Lydie also got up, but standing in the doorway noticed a queer expression on Gusta's face. Returning after a minute, Lydia saw Gusta's face drawn up and asked her what was the matter. She called Madge back who was just crossing the front yard and called me from the front porch. When we got there we saw that she had had a stroke and procured help to get her to bed. She mumbled that there was nothing the matter, (but) her left arm and left side were limp. She (tossed) all night, conscious at moments. Thursday we had more hope, but Thursday night she had a hemorrhage in the brain. Friday morning she began dying, but lingered till one o'clock. Her body was taken to a funeral home.

Theodore arrived Saturday, Albert came Sunday. The funeral was held at the funeral home yesterday. A simple service was held in accordance with Gusta's oft expressed wish ... How fortunate it was that Madge had last week off, also Martin had a few days off at weekend. And Albert's school was out. The coffin was loaded with flowers. The four sons, Mac, and a neighbor were the pallbearers.

Our hearts are heavy with sorrow, but we know that she is at home and at rest. She now has what she hoped for and sees what she has believed. We miss her at every turn in the house and the tears flow. My poor girls are thinking of what they might have done for Mother but did not do. But I know they did their best, and you know it too.

God will help us bear this affliction. With our love to you and all of yours,

Sorrowfully,
Fred