March 7, 2024 • 64 mins
Today in honor of International Women's Day, I want to continue to honor one of the women I admire most in this world. A woman who has lived a full life with a relaxed ease. Leading with love and connection rather than fear and avoidance, she is a beautiful picture of what Health Harmony and Happiness is.
In part 2 of my conversation with my 104-year-old friend, Christa Belknap, we dive deeper into her wisdom and perceptive insights on life. We talk about life amid historical events, her unanticipated adaptability to technology and the profound impact of education. Christa shares her adventurous side, reminiscing of her time in a motorcycle club and traveling with her husband to wistfully recounting the emotions attached to historical events like sending family off to war.
Her contagious spirit of resilience and adaptability combined with her love for others and curiosity in life instills a significant message.
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More Episodes Like This One:
#93: A Century of Wisdom: Revealing the Secrets to Living a Long Life, Part 1
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cathy (00:00):
From sending loved ones to war, to adopting
(00:02):
technological advances, thesecret to a long life might just
lie in the delicate balance ofdoing and being all the while
inviting adaptability andacceptance, knowing when to
pursue.
And when to surrender with agrateful heart and allow the
natural flow of life's events.
(01:22):
hi friends.
Welcome to episode 94.
Thank you for being here today.
Before we jump into the show, Ihaven't asked this in a while,
so I want to take a minute to doso.
If you like this show and youbenefit from the content that
I'm putting out, would you bewilling to just head over to
Apple Podcasts and rate orreview the show?
(01:44):
When you do that, it helps theshow get in front of more
listeners, which helps movealong this global health,
harmony, and happiness movementwe are spurring right along.
And it's just one little thingthat you can do to support the
show for free.
It only takes a minute or two,but is so incredibly helpful.
I've put a link in the shownotes to make this super easy
(02:04):
for you.
A little bit of a soap box for amoment.
If you've ever had to sellanything, you know that it can
be a little bit intimidating attimes to ask people to buy what
you're putting out there,especially if it's your own
content and creation.
It's vulnerable for creators toput themselves out there, so it
(02:24):
can absolutely be scary.
Guess what?
I'm no different.
Asking you to support this showisn't the easiest thing for me
to do, but it is necessary ifthe show is going to continue
on.
I don't make any money on thisshow, but I like doing it.
I will also drop a link forVenmo and PayPal in case you do
(02:44):
want to make a donation to theshow, I would greatly appreciate
it.
I like making content, but itdoes take a lot of time and
energy.
So for a small podcaster likeme, who at this time in my life
does all the production on myown.
I sometimes question whether thereturn on investment is worth
it.
But what reminds me that it is,is when I see reviews and great
(03:08):
emails from you all sharing yourinsights and reflections or just
encouragement to keep going.
So all I'm asking you to do isjust take a few moments of time
to help put this podcast infront of other people with a
rating or a review and possiblyeven sharing it with others.
And I want to thank you so muchin advance so for listening.
(03:28):
In this episode, I continue myconversation with my friend,
Christa Belknap, who startedsharing her century old wisdom
with us in the last episodetoday, she shares stories that
will help you connect with thepast and perhaps prompt you to
start asking yourself some ofthese questions that I asked her
in an effort to shift your ownlife.
Towards greater health, harmony,and happiness.
(03:50):
Christa also shares some of herbeautiful advice on how to go
about doing that.
Enjoy the show.
So we had a little bit of abreak and, um, Christa got her
hair done and she's beautiful asever.
And, uh, and now we are readyand settled and ready to get
back to some of these, some ofthese burning questions that,
(04:12):
that we have about life and thewisdom that you have, um, to
give and to offer.
And I'm so grateful that you'rehere and so grateful that you're
taking this time.
So thank you very much.
So I guess one of the thingsthat I want to know too is what
do you look forward to each day?
Christa (04:33):
Well, various things, almost like everybody else's
life, you know.
You know, tomorrow, let's see,tomorrow, uh, I have, like, I
have to make my grocery list.
And, uh, I have a load of workthat needs to be done.
And I've got a note I need tosend a birthday card to someone
(04:55):
that I know.
You know, just like everybody.
Only it takes me twice as long,or maybe four times as long when
you're in a wheelchair.
That's the thing about it, it'sso time consuming, you just
can't go fast.
Cathy (05:13):
Sure.
That makes sense.
And you know, that's okaythough.
That's okay.
Because think of how mindful youare about the things that you
do.
Um, sending birthday cards, youknow, like.
You are so thoughtful and sokind, and I loved getting that
card in the mail from you, youknow, last, I think it was last
(05:35):
week or so, and you are just sothoughtful, and I think we don't
often slow down enough and takethe time to do those sorts of
things, and so you're just agreat example of that, and if it
takes a little bit longer, well,it takes a little bit longer.
That's okay.
That's beautiful.
So you've, you've got things tolook forward to because you
(05:57):
still keep yourself busy.
Christa (06:00):
It's true.
You know, too busy.
Some days too busy.
Cathy (06:07):
Oh my goodness.
Well, it's a good, it's a goodproblem to have, I guess, at
104.
Christa (06:15):
I think the general public thinks when you're real
old that you're just sitting athome waiting for somebody to
come, you know, or call, uh,they don't think that you do
things for yourself.
And I'm sure that all, allelderly people do do most of
them, you know, do do things.
(06:37):
It's of course, one of thereasons that I work hard to stay
in my own home because it's mything.
I've always been a homemaker,you know, and I think that that
I'll be very sad if someday I dohave to go to a nursing home.
But I'll be grateful for thepeople that care for the people,
(07:01):
including me, that are in thenursing home.
But still, I won't be happy toleave my home.
Cathy (07:08):
No, it's kind of like, it's almost like it's your
career, because that's what youdid.
Christa (07:16):
I transferred.
Cathy (07:17):
Those transitions are hard when we transition away
from big things, just like I'msure it was hard when your kids
moved away too, and your kidslive far away, so you really
don't get to see them as oftenas, as I'm sure you would love
to see them or as often as youused to see them.
Yeah.
Christa (07:38):
That's true.
And during COVID, for instance,that was two years.
Oh my gosh.
Between the time that they feltsafe, you know.
Make an airplane trip.
Sure.
And they were worried aboutgiving it to me if they came
back and got sick.
Cathy (07:56):
Yeah, yeah.
That's, that's, of course.
Rightfully so.
So speaking of that, and youwere able to stay in touch with,
with technology.
You were able to use technologyin your life to stay connected
with them.
Um, and that makes me so much.
Curious about your adaptabilityand openness and willing to
(08:18):
learn, um, education has alwaysbeen something that's been very
important to you and the, theability and desire to want to
learn more.
And I think I know that justbecause I know you, and I know
some of the things that youstand for and some of the things
that you believe in and thegrowth of others is also very
important to you.
(08:39):
You use an iPad, you use acomputer.
We're having this interview.
over zoom and you're on youriPad.
And I have to think that thespirit of openness and
willingness to, um, be open tonew technologies and new changes
that you've seen over yourlifetime is because you've seen
(09:00):
so many of those technologicaladvances over your lifetime.
Do you think?
Christa (09:06):
I think that's true too, yes, for everybody, not
just me, but for everybody.
Yeah,
Cathy (09:12):
but for some it's really hard to, you know, there's a
really big struggle withadopting technology or accepting
or wanting to learn abouttechnology or learn to use it.
Um, what are some of the reasonsthat you think that you've been
able to adapt to all the changesthat you've seen over the course
of your life?
Christa (09:33):
Well, probably um, because my children are both
that way.
Like I remember when I needed, Ithought I needed a new
typewriter.
And Marjo said, Oh mom, don'tget a typewriter, get a
computer.
She and her husband were in thecomputer business at the time.
(09:55):
Aha.
Cathy (09:57):
What's a good business to be in?
Christa (10:00):
And I got a computer probably older, uh, earlier.
than some people my age,because, because she suggested
it, see.
Cathy (10:11):
You're an early adopter.
Christa (10:14):
Why not?
Yeah.
And I've never really had formaltraining on a computer.
What, what I've learned has beenfrom other people like you or
Kay, you know, or Sheldon.
But you
Cathy (10:29):
knew how to type, because you used a typewriter, it sounds
like.
So
Christa (10:33):
that's one of the.
Yeah, that was, that was thereason, that was, could be
blamed on the, uh, the times atthe time because we were in the
deep depression.
And so the high schools, uh,switched over and they taught
(10:54):
all kinds of business courses,you know, business English,
business.
This business that typingshorthand was among it, you see,
they were trying to preparegraduates for the jobs that were
going to be available.
So I had all that in highschool.
Cathy (11:15):
That makes so much sense.
That was a big turning point inyour life, probably.
Yes.
Christa (11:21):
Yes.
Cathy (11:24):
What do you think, um, what were some of the other big
turning points, in your life?
Were they, like, politicalthings?
Were they military movements?
Or were they more personal and,um, intrinsic landmarks?
Like marriage and children andso
Christa (11:38):
forth.
More personal.
Uh huh.
Yeah.
I really I don't think I wasreally terribly interested in
politics until probably when mychildren were in school and then
(11:58):
we began to notice, you know,what, what the, uh, what was
going on with people that ranthe school.
Cathy (12:06):
I wonder what, what invention or, um, technological
advance has had the biggestimpact on your life?
Like if you think back over thecourse of your life, what was
the invention or thing that youwere able to bring into your
home or that your parentsbrought into your home that was
like, you Yes, this makes lifeso much easier, so much better.
Christa (12:30):
Well, the very first one was a new automobile, uh,
that my parents bought, youknow.
And that was, and my, uh, dadworked for Ford Motor Company in
Des Moines when, when cars werea new thing, you know.
Not every family had one.
Cathy (12:49):
How old were you when your family first got a car?
Christa (12:51):
Well, the new one that I'm thinking of, which was, um,
I'm sure was purchased when Iwas about two or three years
old.
And then we took a trip toPontiac, Michigan, because some
(13:14):
of dad's buddies had gone thereand they were making more money
and making Pontiacs than Fordwas paying.
And so they talked him into.
Moving to Pontiac, which we did,and this is something that
everybody will laugh about, um,when we, we, we had the new
(13:39):
Chevrolet, and we thought, youknow, everything was hunky dory.
Well, it was April in Iowa, andthe roads were not paved, and on
the way.
We got stuck in mud two or threetimes, and a farmer would come
(14:00):
either with a horse or a tractorand pull us out of the mud.
And we only made it to Dubuquein that whole day.
We had Dubuque.
Jose, so then we had to stay ina hotel, which was the first
time I'd ever done that.
I was in third grade, Iremember.
Cathy (14:20):
Oh my goodness,
Christa (14:21):
what a treat.
And we, we stayed in a motel, ahotel, not a motel, no, no
motels, hotel in downtownDubuque.
The next morning, the carwouldn't start.
So my dad had to find arepairman, you know, and he
said, Well, I'm sorry to tellyou this, but you've lost your
(14:46):
battery in one of those holesthat they drug you out of your
batteries back there.
You have no battery.
So my.
Go out and buy a new battery.
Oh my
Cathy (14:57):
gosh.
How did you make it to thehotel?
If you didn't have a battery?
Christa (15:03):
Well, as long as the car keeps going.
See, it was
Cathy (15:06):
alright.
It would just go.
Okay.
I don't know that much about howold cars would have worked or
would have been.
Christa (15:13):
I think even new cars are that way.
I think.
As long as you're running,you're okay, but as soon as you
try to start, that's when youhave trouble.
Oh my gosh.
But a car wouldn't lose abattery
Cathy (15:29):
anymore.
So did you make it to Michigan?
Yes,
Christa (15:32):
we did.
It took a couple of years.
Cathy (15:35):
They didn't take it as, he didn't, your family didn't
take it as a sign that, oh,we're not supposed to go.
We keep getting stuck.
Our car won't start.
We should still go.
You persevered.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
It was.
Christa (15:50):
What other.
Go ahead.
I would guess that it was thefurthest away from home that
either one of my parents hadbeen.
So it was an adventure and theywere young, you know.
Oh, I bet.
And I suspect that was thefurthest they had ever been from
home probably.
Cathy (16:10):
Wow.
Wow.
So what other inventions?
kind of had a memorable impacton your life.
Christa (16:20):
Oh, radio, I can remember when, uh, We just
thought radio was one man'sfamily was the common one that
everybody loved it was about afamily.
Of course, yeah, you could evensend her pictures of the people
(16:42):
that were playing the parts,and, you know, have so many
points for this or that orsomething else, and get a.
Picture, because you'd, you'dget so acquainted with those
people that you felt like theywere a part of your family and
you wished you knew what theylooked like, you know.
You like, uh, radio and then ofcourse TV, you know.
(17:07):
It hasn't been that many years.
When we moved to Knoxville in1941, just before Pearl Harbor,
and believe it or not, ourschools did not have any school
buses.
As late as 1941.
Cathy (17:27):
Wow.
Christa (17:28):
Girls, like Francis Kirkwood for instance, girls
would find a job in town andhelp with the children or the,
the household, you know, whenthey were homeless.
They would stay from Monday tillFriday with some family and, and
(17:50):
we had two girls that did that,stayed with us from, from Sunday
night till Friday.
And after school their parentswould pick them up and take them
back to the farm, keep themuntil I bet that was a huge
help.
Yes, it was.
And we loved, we just loved thegirls that stayed with us.
(18:14):
Oh, I bet.
I bet.
And I've kept in touch all theseyears with them.
Cathy (18:20):
Oh my gosh.
How wonderful.
How wonderful.
Is there one outside of theautomobile?
Is there one What othertechnological advancement or, I
don't know, some sort ofprogress that has really changed
(18:42):
the way that you do things?
Christa (18:46):
Well, I'm thinking of airplanes and of course they
haven't changed my way of doingthings.
Cathy (18:53):
Sure.
Christa (18:53):
But when my children were small, I had a mangle.
An iron is an iron.
It goes round and round andround because we, we ironed
sheets.
Pillowcases and all that sort oftablecloths, uh, and I had a
mangle, and one of my A mangle?
(19:14):
M A N G L E.
Mangle.
Oh, a mangle.
Mangle.
Okay.
I don't even know what that is.
It's an iron.
Electric iron.
Okay.
Two feet wide, maybe, and itgoes round and round and round,
and you put the flat pieces inthere, and they're ironed, you
(19:36):
know, saves you probably 50percent of your ironing at that
time.
People iron daily.
Cathy (19:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I see.
It's like a rotary iron.
Kay (19:46):
Kind of like a ringer washing machine.
Cathy (19:48):
Yeah.
Christa (19:49):
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was ironing.
Uh huh.
Cathy (19:52):
But this just, this just made it go a lot faster.
Christa (19:56):
Yeah.
Cathy (19:57):
Gotcha.
Christa (19:57):
You were sitting down, you were sitting down instead of
standing.
Cathy (20:01):
Oh, super nice.
Yeah.
Christa (20:03):
But it would save you a lot of time.
Cathy (20:06):
Sure.
I bet.
I bet.
Wow.
Incredible.
Kay (20:11):
Christa, have you always had electricity?
Christa (20:15):
Yes.
Kay (20:15):
Okay.
You're unusual place.
Yeah.
Yeah, I've always lived in ahouse that had electricity.
What about a washing machine?
Yeah.
I even remember my grandmother'swashing machine.
She lived on a farm.
Cathy (20:33):
Oh my goodness.
Christa (20:36):
But in the summer, it was kept out in a little shed,
you know, and in the summer, shewould bring it outdoors.
And if I were visiting, and itwas not electric, it was hanged
back and forth.
Yeah, forward and back, forwardand back, You operated the
(20:56):
handle.
And then I heard that you did,you operated by hand, you know,
to ring it, to ring it.
Yeah, yeah.
And it turned to make butter,you know, or you did it up and
down.
Cathy (21:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Christa (21:16):
Of course, being a teenager, I, I thought that was
great fun, you know, to make,
Cathy (21:23):
I'm sure.
So much different than teenagerstoday.
So much different.
I don't know that they wouldthink that making butter is that
fun.
Oh my goodness.
Well, what do you think is orwas the most important progress
of our country in your lifetime?
(21:46):
That's a big one.
Christa (21:48):
Yes, it is.
Cathy (21:49):
I mean, you've been through.
Two world wars, right?
You've lived through?
Christa (21:55):
Yes.
There were so many little wars,you know, my father was involved
in First World War and myhusband was involved in Second
World War.
And that made a real life changetoo.
(22:18):
We had already established thestore in Knoxville when he got
drafted because even though wewere we had not had children
yet.
So they, they got down to the,to the And the people who did
(22:39):
not have children came next.
Sure.
So, uh.
So what did that, how did thatchange your life then?
Well, gratefully, thankfully forus, Jack's parents decided they
would move to Knoxville and keepthe store open for him while he
(23:02):
was gone.
Wow.
I, and then I was able to, uh,go and follow him around as long
as he was in the United States.
You know, I could, and I did, Ileft Knoxville then, went to,
uh, Denver.
Nice place to be, Denver.
(23:25):
And he was taught to repair bombsites.
There were two different bombsites they were using.
And he was, because he was sogood with his hands, he was
taught to repair bomb sites.
When he, when his outfit wentoverseas, he was, he did not
(23:50):
pass the physical test becausehe had been in an accident and
had a badly injured leg.
And so he didn't pass thephysical, so he was lucky to not
go old.
Cathy (24:07):
No kidding.
No kidding.
Well, that's kind of cool thatyou got to travel around and
then be where he was at the sametime too.
Um, so how long were you invarious places and was Denver
the only place that you were?
Christa (24:23):
Yes, that was the only place I was.
He had been.
And how long were you there?
About a year.
Cathy (24:30):
Nice.
Nice.
Christa (24:34):
He got to come home a little bit sooner than some of
the other fellas, which wasanother advantage for us because
we were able to buy a home thenbefore inflation.
Oh, yeah.
Cathy (24:51):
Sure.
Oh my gosh.
So many things.
What's the most memorable thingthat you've witnessed in your
lifetime?
Christa (25:06):
There would be a lot of departments.
Cathy (25:09):
I bet.
I bet.
Maybe pick a few.
Christa (25:14):
The, uh, oh gee, that, that's difficult.
I'd have to think about that alittle more.
That's fine.
Maybe I'm not easily impressed.
I don't know.
Cathy (25:33):
What about the birth of your children or the, um,
putting a man on the moon or,uh, I don't know, the bombing of
Pearl Harbor, which
Christa (25:44):
Well, yes.
Cathy (25:45):
Who knows?
You know, like those things are,wow.
Christa (25:50):
Yes.
I remember where we were and howshocked we were when we heard
that news.
Same with the, uh, when theairplanes hit the New York, you
know, that was a shock.
Well, the men on the moon, thatwas really the first time that
(26:13):
anybody went to the moon.
You know, I think the wholeworld was on, looking at the TV,
you know.
And to think that we could watchthat.
Cathy (26:23):
That's pretty dang impressive.
Christa (26:26):
Yeah, yeah.
So that, I think, I mean, TV isone of the things that, That has
been a big, big impression.
And all the, all the thingsconnected, like you and I being
able to talk together.
Cathy (26:42):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Yeah.
It's pretty cool.
We, none of us reallyunderstand, I don't think.
No.
No, Kay was telling me about youused to ride the trolley in Des
Moines and I don't know if manypeople in this area even know
that there was a trolley in DesMoines.
And I, I have to say that peopleacross the world will listen to
(27:06):
this podcast.
So they might, you know, notcare too much about Des Moines,
Iowa, but, um, but I think it'sa pretty cool thing.
And you've gotten to see thaturban sprawl also the growth of.
of the cities around you and howthat's happened.
Christa (27:23):
It still amazes me, you know, when we drive out in the
western part.
Uh, when I was young, that wascalled Valley Junction.
Cathy (27:32):
Mm hmm.
Christa (27:34):
West was called Valley Junction.
Sixty years.
63rd Street was the end of DesMoines.
You know, it still amazes mewhen I see what's happening out
there, and it kind of frightensme, because I don't think our,
our farmland is too precious tobe going up in factories.
(27:59):
I, I think there should be astop, you know, where the, Are
not allowed to sell ourfarmland, you know.
Cathy (28:09):
Yeah, I don't know.
We, we feed a tough spot becausewe need space, because we, we
need, um, space for people.
So, and, you know, the, the, ah,that's another thing.
Like, you've seen this growthof, of just people.
Like, we just have so many morepeople now than we did long ago.
(28:33):
So I bet that's been aninteresting thing to observe and
watch as well.
Christa (28:38):
True.
Cathy (28:41):
With hindsight, if you could relive your life, what
would you do better?
And what would you do more of?
Christa (28:50):
I really can't think of any way that, that I could be
happier as an individual, uh,than the life that I've lived.
I'm happy with, with what I've
Cathy (29:07):
And that is a beautiful, you know, have, have you always
been like that or was there aturning point that you got to in
life that you were like, youknow what, I need to stop
worrying about this silly stuffand I'm just going to be content
with what I have?
Christa (29:21):
No, I don't remember if, if there was that kind of a,
of a change, you know?
Cathy (29:28):
Yeah, it sounds like you've had this grateful heart.
As long as you can remember andjust this appreciative heart.
And that's so beautiful.
And I think that that's what somany people in this world are
actually seeking and trying totrying to get to.
So when we have wonderful rolemodels like you to learn from,
(29:50):
um, it gives a little bit ofhope, I think.
Christa (29:54):
Well, I hope we all, you know, have some of those
values that, as you say, uh, alladults should, should have some
values that are willing to bepassed on.
(30:15):
Hopefully our children will bewise enough to choose the ones.
Cathy (30:19):
Absolutely.
We have to just trust.
We have to let go of control andtrust, right?
Christa (30:24):
Right.
Cathy (30:26):
Was there anything that you used to worry about or that
you worried about in life thatmaybe you didn't need to worry
about so much that now yourealize and you look and you get
this big picture view that'slike, Oh, it was so silly.
I used to worry about this allthe time.
And.
You know, my kids turned outfine or whatever it was.
Christa (30:50):
Well, I'm, I'm sure this is true of many parents,
but the older you get, the moreyou feel.
I hope I don't outlive eitherone of my children, you know,
that's a lot of parents havethat feeling, especially if, if
(31:13):
they live beyond their sort of.
What's the word I want?
Anyway, there's
Cathy (31:22):
the average life span.
Christa (31:24):
That's right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The average life, which I have,you know,
Cathy (31:30):
absolutely have.
Yeah.
Christa (31:34):
So that would be the hardest thing in the world for
me to have to go through wouldbe the loss of one of my
children.
Cathy (31:45):
The heartbreak that would come with that.
Christa (31:47):
Mm hmm.
Yes, sir.
You build yourself up to whereyou expect it from your parents,
you know, you expect them to diebefore you do, but to have your
children.
And I think that maybe is thehardest thing for any parents.
Sure.
(32:08):
Or, or even to lose a newbornchild, you know, to have a child
not live or not be normal.
Yeah.
I think that would be one of themost difficult things.
Kay (32:24):
Christa, you sent Burton, you know, to Vietnam.
You and Jack waved goodbye, youknow, as, as Burton went
overseas.
Mm hmm.
Christa (32:36):
Oh yeah.
Cathy (32:38):
Oh boy, I bet that was a scary time.
Christa (32:41):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
When I saw my son head for theairplane that was going to take
him to Vietnam, you know, thatwas fun.
Well, still, it's hard for me.
Yeah.
And I'm sure it was hard forhim.
Cathy (33:00):
And how long was he over there?
Christa (33:02):
He was there a year, but see, he was a, he had just
graduated from medical school.
So he was over there to try tosave lives.
That was the council.
And I thought.
What a blessing.
That's amazing.
He's not shooting at people andnobody's shooting at him.
He's there to help the peoplewho have been shot, you know, or
(33:24):
whatever.
And, uh, and so I think his, um,memories of Vietnam are more
pleasant than for almost anyother range of people being,
being a part of the healinginstead of the killing, you
know?
Cathy (33:45):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wow.
Wow.
That had to be hard.
That would be something thatwould be memorable for sure, for
sure.
And the worry, do you feel likeyou have any regrets or did you
earlier in your life that youdon't have anymore because you
have grown and you have justlearned to, to um, accept life
(34:07):
as it is?
Christa (34:08):
Yes.
Yeah.
I think, I think it's more thatI really can't think of anything
that.
And I feel that I just actuallymade the wrong decision and
should have done differently.
The, uh, perhaps there werelittle things that I've already
(34:29):
forgotten.
But no, no major thing, youknow, I, I never,
never.Christata,
Cathy (34:39):
I have to say that that's probably one of the reasons why
you.
Have lived as long as you'velived, is that you're not
holding on to things that, thatdon't serve you, you know,
you're able to release and tolet go.
Christa (34:55):
Well, thank you.
Cathy (34:57):
Yeah.
If you could go back, this iskind of a fun one.
If you could go back to a, um,to a particular year or a decade
or a time in your life, if youcould like time travel and just
go back for a little while, whatdecade, what year, what time in
your life would you go back to,to just visit?
Christa (35:19):
Hmm.
Well, that's interesting.
Cathy (35:21):
Yeah, I know.
This is one that, that came inand I thought, well, that's an
interesting question.
Mind you, we had people, I hadpeople, um, from across the
world that submitted questionsto, to ask you.
So we are, we are getting abroad range and, um, I hope that
there will be people from allover that will listen to this.
Christa (35:45):
Well, thank you.
Cathy (35:46):
Yeah.
Christa (35:47):
I've enjoyed doing it.
And to answer your lastquestion, I'd have to think
about that a little more too, Ithink.
Cathy (35:56):
Yeah, that's fine.
And then just consider alsomaybe how long you would want to
stay there.
You know, I don't know, it's aninteresting one for all of us to
think about because we can goback and we can revisit any time
in our lives just by going backin our mind, right?
We can close our eyes and, andgo back and revisit anything.
And who's to say that thosememories aren't actually
(36:18):
bringing us back to that placeand time and allowing us to feel
the feelings and to hear thesounds and, to actually
experience it because we havethat power in our mind.
And I think that's a beautifulthing.
So I don't know.
It's just kind of a fun littlequestion.
Christa (36:34):
Uh, well, the more I think about it, um, maybe the
first five years of my marriage.
Because that was such a change,you know, and we were having so
much fun, just enjoying eachother and doing things we wanted
to do.
And then along came the war, sowe put off having a family.
(36:57):
We thought it would be better,you know, to, uh, and as you
said, I was able to follow Jackaround and still not, you know,
not have to go through a realseparation.
Yeah.
Or a year or whatever.
So I think maybe the first fiveyears of marriage probably were.
Cathy (37:17):
Ah, that's beautiful.
Christa (37:20):
That I would enjoy going back to.
That's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
Cathy (37:28):
How long has Jack been gone?
Christa (37:31):
He died in 2001.
2001.
Uh, 22, 22 years in.
That's a long time.
Yes, it is.
Wow, wow.
And he was 85 at the time and Iwas 80.
Cathy (37:54):
And at that time you think, wow, like he's lived a
really good life, you know?
Uh huh.
And here you are 22 years later.
Christa (38:01):
Yeah.
I never would have believed itif anybody had I didn't do it on
purpose.
Cathy (38:08):
I bet you miss him.
I bet you do miss him.
Christa (38:14):
Of course.
I still dream about him.
You know?
Oh,
Cathy (38:20):
I love that.
I like to think, um, when I havedreams about special or
important people like that, whohave maybe, uh, left this earth,
I like to think that that'stheir way of visiting us.
And just being able to spendtime with us.
Christa (38:35):
Um, I think about that too, you know, what if he saw
what I was doing right now, youknow,
Cathy (38:44):
he's probably right up there cheering you along saying
you go get them girl.
Oh my goodness.
Oh my goodness.
Well, what tips do you have for.
younger people of today, for theyouth of today.
Christa (39:00):
Well, that requires a lot of thought too.
You know, a, uh, maybe as faras, uh, deportment, if you want
to call it that, uh, always bekind, try to be loving, try to
(39:21):
be helpful, make the most ofyour talents, take your time.
Seriously, work hard to dowhatever you choose to do.
Work hard.
Cathy (39:40):
I love it.
Those are beautiful tips.
Christa (39:44):
I saw one person say, or maybe it was even on TV, he
said that the best gift you cangive your children is to love
their wife.
(40:05):
And I thought that was
Cathy (40:08):
Yeah,
Christa (40:09):
and not really thought about, but yeah, maybe, maybe
some of the problems if it's aproblem family, maybe.
You don't love each otherenough, you know.
Cathy (40:26):
And I think we don't demonstrate that love enough
also.
Christa (40:31):
Mm hmm.
Yes.
Cathy (40:32):
You know, and I, and what kids see or what, how, what kids
do is what's modeled for them athome.
So, we, we have a society thatdoesn't always or hasn't until
recently.
I think this is shifting.
I think we're on the cusp ofthings shifting and changing.
Um, where it's not beenhistorically the thing for men
(40:54):
to show that affection and formen to, to show that softness
and tenderness.
And I think we're kind ofshifting the tables on that and
allowing for men to be in touchwith their emotional side and to
be okay with learning about itand, um, feeling the feelings
(41:16):
and not just being taught toshut them down and to block them
off.
So I think that's kind of a coolthing that at least I'm
observing in my.
Um, I don't know for men to beso present and available for
kids and, and their families andto support the families in a way
(41:40):
that it's not just the momsdoing all of the parenting and
all of the work.
I think that's a, that's a shiftthat at least I've observed from
the time that I was a kid too,um.
My husband does a ton for ourfamily.
He does laundry.
He cooks.
He, he helps clean.
He helps run the kids, you know,and that's like.
(42:02):
So helpful.
So wonderful.
Christa (42:09):
Very true.
Very true.
You're a lucky girl.
Cathy (42:12):
Yeah, thank you.
I like to think so too.
I like to think so.
Alright, we've got just a fewmore questions, Christa, that I
want to ask or that I want totouch on before we wrap up.
Do you like traveling?
Or did you in your life liketraveling?
We've heard of a couple ofplaces that you've been, but
Christa (42:31):
Yes and no.
Uh huh.
Cathy (42:33):
Tell me more.
Christa (42:35):
Um, we've seen, as a family, we've seen an awful lot
of the United States.
Uh, we neither one had a realdesire to go overseas.
Hmm.
And, and I guess that's a, maybeunusual, you know.
Cathy (42:58):
Yeah.
At this point in your life, doyou ever think back on that and
think, Oh, I wish I would'vegone overseas?
Christa (43:06):
Yes.
We talked about Switzerlandbecause that's where all the
watches are made.
Yeah.
When we retire, well, we'll takea trip to Switzerland.
But by the, I guess by the time,and Jack retired at 60, which is
a little earlier than most, youknow, but it was because, um, we
(43:29):
had a cabin in Minnesota that weboth love.
And so we became, you know,pretty much happy to just go to
the lake in May and come backhere in September.
And then we weren't interestedin going south.
Cathy (43:46):
Yeah.
That would be beautiful.
Christa (43:49):
So.
Yeah.
We still did things together.
Oh.
Cathy (43:53):
Sure.
Well, what was your favoriteplace to visit?
I mean, obviously the lake, butwas there any place outside of
Minnesota in that lake housethat you really loved to visit?
Christa (44:11):
In all my life you mean?
Cathy (44:12):
Yeah.
In all your life.
Christa (44:14):
Well, I, yeah.
I loved to visit my grandmotheron the farm and because, because
I was an only child, I got to goreal often, you know?
And yeah, she had a pony, youknow, and she had animals that I
love.
I was going to the farm andstudying for a couple of weeks.
Cathy (44:37):
To my listeners, go visit a farm and you helped, you got
to help take care of the animalsand you got to help do the
things on the farm, which is alot different than living in
town.
Christa (44:50):
Oh yeah.
I love, you know, gather theeggs and washing and make the
butter and all the, all thethings that you couldn't do in
the city.
Sure.
Sure.
Sure.
And maybe.
If you realize that your motherdid those things when she was a
(45:13):
young girl, which in my case wastrue, my mother had lived on a
farm as a child, and so, uh, andthere were like eight children
in the family, so you canimagine, I thought I could
imagine.
What fun they would have, youknow, of course there would be
rough times too, I'm sure, butyeah.
Cathy (45:36):
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
Christa (45:38):
I've known a family recently, uh, that still do
things together, like, uh, thegrandparents have lots of peach
trees.
I think it's wonderful the waythat family, when it's time to
can peaches, you know, there arethree generations that get
(46:02):
together and help.
Cathy (46:04):
That's incredible.
Incredible.
We, um, a couple of years ago,we had a apple cider making at
my parents house.
They have a cider press and the,so two years ago, the apple
trees were all in bloom.
So we all, everybody.
(46:24):
My sister and her family and myfamily went back and we had a
weekend of picking apples andmaking apple cider.
And that was wonderful.
And we wanted to do it againthis year, but, oh, we just, we
didn't, we, between the soccerschedules with my sister's kids
and my kids, there wasn't aweekend that we could do it.
And it was.
(46:45):
It's kind of sad because it isfun to be able to get together
and, and do things like that.
Christa (46:53):
I think our young people are, are involved in too
many things too young.
Cathy (47:02):
Well, that's probably the case.
That's probably the case forsure.
Kay (47:08):
She needs to share about the motorcycle.
You and Jack had motorcycletrips.
Cathy (47:14):
Oh my gosh.
Fill me in, Christa.
When was this?
Was this before you had kids orafter you had kids?
Christa (47:24):
It was before we were married, even.
Oh my gosh.
He had an aunt and uncle thatlived in Omaha.
So, and they didn't have anychildren.
And he was their favorite, youknow, of the family because he
And able to help them when theyneeded help, you know,
physically.
Okay, yeah.
(47:45):
So we would take off when wewere dating.
We'd take off for Omaha to spendthe weekend with Aunt Mabel and
Uncle George.
Oh, how fun.
Yeah, so.
That was fun.
I enjoyed motorcycles, though,or he had a motorcycle or how
was that?
How?
Where's the motorcycle comingin?
(48:05):
Well, he had it when I met him,you know, it was people around
in a car.
It was sure.
Sure.
It was a depression time and youtried to say you want gasoline
just like Yeah.
They are trying to save ongasoline.
Cathy (48:23):
For sure.
Yeah.
Christa (48:26):
So it was a lot cheaper, you know, to drive back
and forth to work on amotorcycle.
Sure.
Besides, he enjoyed it, youknow.
Cathy (48:35):
How fun.
How fun.
Christa (48:37):
Yeah, and, and they had clubs in Des Moines.
We belonged to a club, and we'dgo to hill climbs, different,
uh, social things that we wouldgo together then with all the
other people that were ridingmotorcycle.
And you sometimes seen them onthe highway.
Cathy (48:57):
You were in a biker gang?
You're telling me that you werein a biker gang, Christa?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, she does not.
I would have not picked her fora biker chick.
(49:19):
That's awesome.
Christa (49:20):
It was a mixture of some couples were already
married.
Some were still dating.
Oh my gosh, how fun.
Yeah, it was fun, yeah.
A lot better than going andsitting in a movie, you know,
letting somebody else entertainyou.
Cathy (49:38):
For sure, for sure.
Yeah, so what, do you have anyadvice on, uh, just living life
to the fullest and having, andhaving fun and enjoying life?
Christa (49:51):
I wouldn't know how to, how to encourage other people,
you know, uh, be resilientmaybe, you know.
With whoever you want to havefun with, by being reasonable
and courteous and loving, youknow?
Cathy (50:14):
Yeah.
You have such an open, openpresence, Christa.
I mean, and, and curious.
I think curious is such abeautiful word to describe you
because you're open toexperiencing things and to just
living life.
That's so cool.
It's so cool.
(50:35):
Thank you.
Yeah.
So, what person has made thebiggest impact on your life?
Person or persons?
Christa (50:48):
Well, I think teachers, both at church and, and school.
You know, the first 20 years ofyour life, you spend more time
with a teacher than you do yourparents.
Cathy (51:02):
Mm hmm.
So true.
Uh huh.
It's so true.
Christa (51:10):
And, uh, I think for me, you know, and I guess I
always.
Thought that they knew what theywere talking about, not that
parents don't, but then, um, itwas a whole different, a whole
different world when you werelearning, you know, and uh.
Cathy (51:34):
Teachers are wonderful creatures, aren't they?
They are.
My goodness.
Christa (51:42):
That's why I just don't understand the lack of authority
and the lack of, what's the wordI want?
Um, how they can not
Cathy (52:00):
Respect, maybe?
Christa (52:02):
That's right.
The word respect.
The lack of respect for teachersand the lack of authority, you
know?
Yeah.
I don't understand that.
Cathy (52:13):
I don't either.
Christa (52:14):
But I'm glad my children spent that many years
of their life with teachers thatwere trying their very best and
wanted the best for them.
Yeah.
And I don't think
Cathy (52:32):
teachers do a wonderful job.
Yeah.
I think it's, I think it's sohard on them.
Like I think it's just, Kay, youknow, so I'm also, I'm just
going to fill this in that KayJensen is also in our
conversation and she is aretired teacher.
And Kay, I know that you canspeak to this too, because you
(52:55):
were a teacher that, you know,taught some of these home
skills, these home, um, homelife skills, because you were an
FCS teacher or a family andconsumer sciences teacher, if
you're not familiar with that.
So we have seen this giant shiftin the way that we parent kids
(53:16):
in the way that kids experiencethis world.
And it is different.
It's a big difference.
But teachers play such a crucialrole in, like you said, raising
our kids and in, and doing thehard work for sure.
Kay (53:38):
Most kids are great kids and, and with a little bit of
love and guidance, they'll dowell.
Yeah.
And when people, you know, startthinking, okay, everything is
just going to the dogs.
No, not really.
It's, it's.
It's going to be okay.
I think,
Cathy (53:57):
I think it absolutely is too.
And I think the things that thekids are learning with
technology is like mind blowingand the things that they can do.
Um, but I think you hit the nailon the head there.
Kay.
It's, it's like love and leadingwith love.
And sometimes it's easier to putyour kid in front of a screen
than it is to connect with them.
And lead with love.
(54:18):
And I think that's what happensa lot today.
Mm-Hmm.
Um, because that is a whole loteasier, but you're not getting
that connection that kind of,like you said, Christa, that you
led with, that you really, um,valued with your kids in, in
that, spending the time in thatjust nurturing and guiding them
(54:39):
and being available to them.
And I think that's hard becausesociety.
Promotes a busy lifestyle.
And it can be hard to unlearn.
It can be hard to unlearn and tolearn the slowing down, like we
talked about at the beginningof, of our interview today.
Christa (54:59):
I remember a lady that came to our community and was a
part of our church for a while,who, uh, came from another
country.
I can't even tell you for surewhich country.
But, uh, she had never had ajob.
(55:19):
And she found out, she said, Youjust don't fit.
And to society here, I'm ashamedof the fact that I have not had
a job, that I've always stayedhome with my children and
thought I should, you know, andshe said, yeah, it just don't
feel a part of she came andworked in our almost free shop
(55:42):
volunteer.
She said, I've never had a job,this is the only job I've ever
had, but I, I feel ashamed whenI'm in a bunch of women because
everybody's working and talkingabout their job, you know, so
she fell out of step because shedidn't.
Cathy (56:06):
Yeah.
Well, raising kids is definitelya full time job.
That's right.
Definitely.
Right.
And it's probably, uh, one ofthe jobs where you learn the
most skills, because you've gotto be able to do all the things.
For sure.
(56:26):
For sure.
It's a beautiful job to have.
Christa, what do you, what doyou want to be remembered for?
Christa (56:34):
Because I was considered a friendly, loving,
happy person.
Cathy (56:43):
I love it.
I think you definitely will beremembered for all of those.
And then I got one finalquestion that I ask to everybody
who I invite as a guest on tothe show.
Um, and it is, what are youdoing right now in life to bring
more intention to your days?
(57:06):
So to be more mindful, to bemore intentional.
Christa (57:14):
Well, to the best of my physical ability, I try to
cooperate with my church.
And with the organizations thatI belong to, I try to be there
physically, even though I can'tdo the same jobs that I did 10
or 20 years ago.
(57:35):
But I can still feel thecompanionship and the love of
the people in that group, eventhough I'm not as active as I
was.
Cathy (57:48):
Absolutely.
And I think having that, thatspirit and that belief that you
are definitely still valuable,even though you can't do
physically all the things yourspirit brings so much to each
organization or each group orclub that you're involved with.
And you offer up the wisdom, youhave wisdom and insight, and it
(58:13):
is so valuable.
So.
I love that that's, that's a waythat you are intentional is to
not just give up on life, but tokeep living life and keep being
a part of it.
Trusting that no matter whatseason of life or what stage of
life you are in, you hold value.
We hold value no matter whatstage.
(58:37):
Because you've seen it all, youknow there are times when we are
busy with kids and chasing afterkids, kind of like I am right
now.
That maybe my responsibilitiesin some of my other groups and
clubs and organizations are notas great because there's a lot
of other stuff going on.
But that all cycles around andcomes back when we get a little
bit When we have a shift in our,in our life where we can give a
(59:01):
little bit more.
Christa (59:04):
That's understandable and true.
I think.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Cathy (59:10):
But I think it's so, so appropriate that just because
you're living into yourhundreds.
You haven't given up, you know?
You're still going.
Christa (59:23):
Oh, thank you.
I'm forever doing that.
I know.
I'll say, you know, well, nextyear this or next year that.
You know, even though I realizenext year might not come for me,
I'm still always planning whatfor next year.
Cathy (59:40):
That's a great trait.
A great trait.
I know I didn't get yourbirthday card this.
I'm going to tell this, thislittle story.
I didn't get her birthday cardto her last year, um, like on
time or near her birthday.
And I mentioned that to her oneday and she said, well, just
keep it and give it to me nextyear.
And so what did I do this year?
I sure enough, I gave her thatsame birthday card that I had
(01:00:01):
purchased last year for her.
And I gave it to her and shesaid, she told me, I didn't even
remember that I said that toyou.
I said, well, you did, you knewyou were going to be here.
So I kept it because I believedyou and here you are.
Christa (01:00:15):
I had forgotten.
Cathy (01:00:18):
I love it.
I love it.
Okay, Christa, is there anythingelse you want to share today?
Christa (01:00:25):
Well, you younger people like yourself, you know,
even though you're busy, and,and you take part in so many
more things than most youngpeople do.
And, and you're, you're veryvaluable to we older people.
You know.
Cathy (01:00:45):
Yeah.
Brings back memories.
You remember how excited our PEOgroup was when you had your
first baby?
Yes.
Because you were the only personwho'd been pregnant for years,
you know.
Kind of like with garden clubtoo.
I was in garden club then at thetime as well.
(01:01:07):
And I loved that group and I,Oh, I'm not in garden club
anymore, but someday, someday Iwould love to get back to it.
But yes, how fun.
And I think, you know, I thinkthat's one of the most important
lessons here too, Christa isthese multi generational
relationships.
Do you want to speak to that alittle bit?
Christa (01:01:30):
Well, I just think you're, you're right, very much
right about that.
Cathy (01:01:37):
It's so important to have them.
Because it helps us youngerpeople understand things a
little bit more and understandwhy things maybe are the way
they are.
And it also allows us to offerup different insight into how
things might shift or change or,I don't know.
(01:02:00):
I just love it.
I love having friendships thatare Not only the people who are
my age and I think it's sovaluable and we learn so much
from younger from older And fromwomen who are the same age as
us.
Christa (01:02:16):
I agree with you very much
Cathy (01:02:21):
Okay, Christa.
Well, I want to thank you againso much for being here today and
Gosh, for spending so much timewith me and Kay, I want to thank
you also because you, uh, Idon't know that this would have
been possible without you.
So I really, really appreciateit.
You do so much and you are sucha beautiful light and beautiful
soul in this world.
(01:02:42):
Both of you, both of you are.
And thank you for sharing all ofyour, your wisdom, your insight,
your talents with us.
So many nuggets of wisdom.
One of the things I want topoint out to you though, is
Christa's lightheartedpersonality and ease with which
she approaches life.
When we work and try so hard andoverthink life to prove that we
(01:03:05):
are enough, we will likelycontinue to feel like life is
heavy and burdensome.
And hard, but when we areresilient, adaptable, and
curious, we might just end upliving a longer life.
And this is not to say thatthere isn't a place for doing
the hard things in life and thatlife is always going to be easy
(01:03:26):
rainbows and unicorns, butmindset plays a huge role in how
we take in those hard times.
And having a like minded supportsystem, as Krista did and does
have with her church family andphilanthropic organizations, is
definitely an element of successin living in this way.
(01:03:46):
Perhaps it's a coaching group ora close group of friends, but
whatever it is, it has to besomething that will not only
cheer you on, but also show youthe icky parts of you, and walk
alongside you as you navigatethem.
This is one of the things I lovemost about the women in the
coaching group I'm a part of.
(01:04:08):
They offer up a safe place forvulnerability so I can get to
know my authentic self more andthey don't judge me when the
ickiness rears its ugly head.
And I truly believe thatunderstanding ourselves and our
body's innate wisdom better isone of the keys to getting to
this place of lighthearted easein life, of maybe even
(01:04:31):
cultivating greater health,harmony, and happiness in life,
if you might say.
And that's why it's what I helpmy clients with every day.
Struecker and you've beenlistening to Health, Harmony,
and Happiness with Cathy.
Cheers to cultivating a globalimpact through health, harmony,
and happiness.
From sending loved ones to war, to adopting
(00:02):
technological advances, thesecret to a long life might just
lie in the delicate balance ofdoing and being all the while
inviting adaptability andacceptance, knowing when to
pursue.
And when to surrender with agrateful heart and allow the
natural flow of life's events.
(01:22):
hi friends.
Welcome to episode 94.
Thank you for being here today.
Before we jump into the show, Ihaven't asked this in a while,
so I want to take a minute to doso.
If you like this show and youbenefit from the content that
I'm putting out, would you bewilling to just head over to
Apple Podcasts and rate orreview the show?
(01:44):
When you do that, it helps theshow get in front of more
listeners, which helps movealong this global health,
harmony, and happiness movementwe are spurring right along.
And it's just one little thingthat you can do to support the
show for free.
It only takes a minute or two,but is so incredibly helpful.
I've put a link in the shownotes to make this super easy
(02:04):
for you.
A little bit of a soap box for amoment.
If you've ever had to sellanything, you know that it can
be a little bit intimidating attimes to ask people to buy what
you're putting out there,especially if it's your own
content and creation.
It's vulnerable for creators toput themselves out there, so it
(02:24):
can absolutely be scary.
Guess what?
I'm no different.
Asking you to support this showisn't the easiest thing for me
to do, but it is necessary ifthe show is going to continue
on.
I don't make any money on thisshow, but I like doing it.
I will also drop a link forVenmo and PayPal in case you do
(02:44):
want to make a donation to theshow, I would greatly appreciate
it.
I like making content, but itdoes take a lot of time and
energy.
So for a small podcaster likeme, who at this time in my life
does all the production on myown.
I sometimes question whether thereturn on investment is worth
it.
But what reminds me that it is,is when I see reviews and great
(03:08):
emails from you all sharing yourinsights and reflections or just
encouragement to keep going.
So all I'm asking you to do isjust take a few moments of time
to help put this podcast infront of other people with a
rating or a review and possiblyeven sharing it with others.
And I want to thank you so muchin advance so for listening.
(03:28):
In this episode, I continue myconversation with my friend,
Christa Belknap, who startedsharing her century old wisdom
with us in the last episodetoday, she shares stories that
will help you connect with thepast and perhaps prompt you to
start asking yourself some ofthese questions that I asked her
in an effort to shift your ownlife.
Towards greater health, harmony,and happiness.
(03:50):
Christa also shares some of herbeautiful advice on how to go
about doing that.
Enjoy the show.
So we had a little bit of abreak and, um, Christa got her
hair done and she's beautiful asever.
And, uh, and now we are readyand settled and ready to get
back to some of these, some ofthese burning questions that,
(04:12):
that we have about life and thewisdom that you have, um, to
give and to offer.
And I'm so grateful that you'rehere and so grateful that you're
taking this time.
So thank you very much.
So I guess one of the thingsthat I want to know too is what
do you look forward to each day?
Christa (04:33):
Well, various things, almost like everybody else's
life, you know.
You know, tomorrow, let's see,tomorrow, uh, I have, like, I
have to make my grocery list.
And, uh, I have a load of workthat needs to be done.
And I've got a note I need tosend a birthday card to someone
(04:55):
that I know.
You know, just like everybody.
Only it takes me twice as long,or maybe four times as long when
you're in a wheelchair.
That's the thing about it, it'sso time consuming, you just
can't go fast.
Cathy (05:13):
Sure.
That makes sense.
And you know, that's okaythough.
That's okay.
Because think of how mindful youare about the things that you
do.
Um, sending birthday cards, youknow, like.
You are so thoughtful and sokind, and I loved getting that
card in the mail from you, youknow, last, I think it was last
(05:35):
week or so, and you are just sothoughtful, and I think we don't
often slow down enough and takethe time to do those sorts of
things, and so you're just agreat example of that, and if it
takes a little bit longer, well,it takes a little bit longer.
That's okay.
That's beautiful.
So you've, you've got things tolook forward to because you
(05:57):
still keep yourself busy.
Christa (06:00):
It's true.
You know, too busy.
Some days too busy.
Cathy (06:07):
Oh my goodness.
Well, it's a good, it's a goodproblem to have, I guess, at
104.
Christa (06:15):
I think the general public thinks when you're real
old that you're just sitting athome waiting for somebody to
come, you know, or call, uh,they don't think that you do
things for yourself.
And I'm sure that all, allelderly people do do most of
them, you know, do do things.
(06:37):
It's of course, one of thereasons that I work hard to stay
in my own home because it's mything.
I've always been a homemaker,you know, and I think that that
I'll be very sad if someday I dohave to go to a nursing home.
But I'll be grateful for thepeople that care for the people,
(07:01):
including me, that are in thenursing home.
But still, I won't be happy toleave my home.
Cathy (07:08):
No, it's kind of like, it's almost like it's your
career, because that's what youdid.
Christa (07:16):
I transferred.
Cathy (07:17):
Those transitions are hard when we transition away
from big things, just like I'msure it was hard when your kids
moved away too, and your kidslive far away, so you really
don't get to see them as oftenas, as I'm sure you would love
to see them or as often as youused to see them.
Yeah.
Christa (07:38):
That's true.
And during COVID, for instance,that was two years.
Oh my gosh.
Between the time that they feltsafe, you know.
Make an airplane trip.
Sure.
And they were worried aboutgiving it to me if they came
back and got sick.
Cathy (07:56):
Yeah, yeah.
That's, that's, of course.
Rightfully so.
So speaking of that, and youwere able to stay in touch with,
with technology.
You were able to use technologyin your life to stay connected
with them.
Um, and that makes me so much.
Curious about your adaptabilityand openness and willing to
(08:18):
learn, um, education has alwaysbeen something that's been very
important to you and the, theability and desire to want to
learn more.
And I think I know that justbecause I know you, and I know
some of the things that youstand for and some of the things
that you believe in and thegrowth of others is also very
important to you.
(08:39):
You use an iPad, you use acomputer.
We're having this interview.
over zoom and you're on youriPad.
And I have to think that thespirit of openness and
willingness to, um, be open tonew technologies and new changes
that you've seen over yourlifetime is because you've seen
(09:00):
so many of those technologicaladvances over your lifetime.
Do you think?
Christa (09:06):
I think that's true too, yes, for everybody, not
just me, but for everybody.
Yeah,
Cathy (09:12):
but for some it's really hard to, you know, there's a
really big struggle withadopting technology or accepting
or wanting to learn abouttechnology or learn to use it.
Um, what are some of the reasonsthat you think that you've been
able to adapt to all the changesthat you've seen over the course
of your life?
Christa (09:33):
Well, probably um, because my children are both
that way.
Like I remember when I needed, Ithought I needed a new
typewriter.
And Marjo said, Oh mom, don'tget a typewriter, get a
computer.
She and her husband were in thecomputer business at the time.
(09:55):
Aha.
Cathy (09:57):
What's a good business to be in?
Christa (10:00):
And I got a computer probably older, uh, earlier.
than some people my age,because, because she suggested
it, see.
Cathy (10:11):
You're an early adopter.
Christa (10:14):
Why not?
Yeah.
And I've never really had formaltraining on a computer.
What, what I've learned has beenfrom other people like you or
Kay, you know, or Sheldon.
But you
Cathy (10:29):
knew how to type, because you used a typewriter, it sounds
like.
So
Christa (10:33):
that's one of the.
Yeah, that was, that was thereason, that was, could be
blamed on the, uh, the times atthe time because we were in the
deep depression.
And so the high schools, uh,switched over and they taught
(10:54):
all kinds of business courses,you know, business English,
business.
This business that typingshorthand was among it, you see,
they were trying to preparegraduates for the jobs that were
going to be available.
So I had all that in highschool.
Cathy (11:15):
That makes so much sense.
That was a big turning point inyour life, probably.
Yes.
Christa (11:21):
Yes.
Cathy (11:24):
What do you think, um, what were some of the other big
turning points, in your life?
Were they, like, politicalthings?
Were they military movements?
Or were they more personal and,um, intrinsic landmarks?
Like marriage and children andso
Christa (11:38):
forth.
More personal.
Uh huh.
Yeah.
I really I don't think I wasreally terribly interested in
politics until probably when mychildren were in school and then
(11:58):
we began to notice, you know,what, what the, uh, what was
going on with people that ranthe school.
Cathy (12:06):
I wonder what, what invention or, um, technological
advance has had the biggestimpact on your life?
Like if you think back over thecourse of your life, what was
the invention or thing that youwere able to bring into your
home or that your parentsbrought into your home that was
like, you Yes, this makes lifeso much easier, so much better.
Christa (12:30):
Well, the very first one was a new automobile, uh,
that my parents bought, youknow.
And that was, and my, uh, dadworked for Ford Motor Company in
Des Moines when, when cars werea new thing, you know.
Not every family had one.
Cathy (12:49):
How old were you when your family first got a car?
Christa (12:51):
Well, the new one that I'm thinking of, which was, um,
I'm sure was purchased when Iwas about two or three years
old.
And then we took a trip toPontiac, Michigan, because some
(13:14):
of dad's buddies had gone thereand they were making more money
and making Pontiacs than Fordwas paying.
And so they talked him into.
Moving to Pontiac, which we did,and this is something that
everybody will laugh about, um,when we, we, we had the new
(13:39):
Chevrolet, and we thought, youknow, everything was hunky dory.
Well, it was April in Iowa, andthe roads were not paved, and on
the way.
We got stuck in mud two or threetimes, and a farmer would come
(14:00):
either with a horse or a tractorand pull us out of the mud.
And we only made it to Dubuquein that whole day.
We had Dubuque.
Jose, so then we had to stay ina hotel, which was the first
time I'd ever done that.
I was in third grade, Iremember.
Cathy (14:20):
Oh my goodness,
Christa (14:21):
what a treat.
And we, we stayed in a motel, ahotel, not a motel, no, no
motels, hotel in downtownDubuque.
The next morning, the carwouldn't start.
So my dad had to find arepairman, you know, and he
said, Well, I'm sorry to tellyou this, but you've lost your
(14:46):
battery in one of those holesthat they drug you out of your
batteries back there.
You have no battery.
So my.
Go out and buy a new battery.
Oh my
Cathy (14:57):
gosh.
How did you make it to thehotel?
If you didn't have a battery?
Christa (15:03):
Well, as long as the car keeps going.
See, it was
Cathy (15:06):
alright.
It would just go.
Okay.
I don't know that much about howold cars would have worked or
would have been.
Christa (15:13):
I think even new cars are that way.
I think.
As long as you're running,you're okay, but as soon as you
try to start, that's when youhave trouble.
Oh my gosh.
But a car wouldn't lose abattery
Cathy (15:29):
anymore.
So did you make it to Michigan?
Yes,
Christa (15:32):
we did.
It took a couple of years.
Cathy (15:35):
They didn't take it as, he didn't, your family didn't
take it as a sign that, oh,we're not supposed to go.
We keep getting stuck.
Our car won't start.
We should still go.
You persevered.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
It was.
Christa (15:50):
What other.
Go ahead.
I would guess that it was thefurthest away from home that
either one of my parents hadbeen.
So it was an adventure and theywere young, you know.
Oh, I bet.
And I suspect that was thefurthest they had ever been from
home probably.
Cathy (16:10):
Wow.
Wow.
So what other inventions?
kind of had a memorable impacton your life.
Christa (16:20):
Oh, radio, I can remember when, uh, We just
thought radio was one man'sfamily was the common one that
everybody loved it was about afamily.
Of course, yeah, you could evensend her pictures of the people
(16:42):
that were playing the parts,and, you know, have so many
points for this or that orsomething else, and get a.
Picture, because you'd, you'dget so acquainted with those
people that you felt like theywere a part of your family and
you wished you knew what theylooked like, you know.
You like, uh, radio and then ofcourse TV, you know.
(17:07):
It hasn't been that many years.
When we moved to Knoxville in1941, just before Pearl Harbor,
and believe it or not, ourschools did not have any school
buses.
As late as 1941.
Cathy (17:27):
Wow.
Christa (17:28):
Girls, like Francis Kirkwood for instance, girls
would find a job in town andhelp with the children or the,
the household, you know, whenthey were homeless.
They would stay from Monday tillFriday with some family and, and
(17:50):
we had two girls that did that,stayed with us from, from Sunday
night till Friday.
And after school their parentswould pick them up and take them
back to the farm, keep themuntil I bet that was a huge
help.
Yes, it was.
And we loved, we just loved thegirls that stayed with us.
(18:14):
Oh, I bet.
I bet.
And I've kept in touch all theseyears with them.
Cathy (18:20):
Oh my gosh.
How wonderful.
How wonderful.
Is there one outside of theautomobile?
Is there one What othertechnological advancement or, I
don't know, some sort ofprogress that has really changed
(18:42):
the way that you do things?
Christa (18:46):
Well, I'm thinking of airplanes and of course they
haven't changed my way of doingthings.
Cathy (18:53):
Sure.
Christa (18:53):
But when my children were small, I had a mangle.
An iron is an iron.
It goes round and round andround because we, we ironed
sheets.
Pillowcases and all that sort oftablecloths, uh, and I had a
mangle, and one of my A mangle?
(19:14):
M A N G L E.
Mangle.
Oh, a mangle.
Mangle.
Okay.
I don't even know what that is.
It's an iron.
Electric iron.
Okay.
Two feet wide, maybe, and itgoes round and round and round,
and you put the flat pieces inthere, and they're ironed, you
(19:36):
know, saves you probably 50percent of your ironing at that
time.
People iron daily.
Cathy (19:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I see.
It's like a rotary iron.
Kay (19:46):
Kind of like a ringer washing machine.
Cathy (19:48):
Yeah.
Christa (19:49):
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was ironing.
Uh huh.
Cathy (19:52):
But this just, this just made it go a lot faster.
Christa (19:56):
Yeah.
Cathy (19:57):
Gotcha.
Christa (19:57):
You were sitting down, you were sitting down instead of
standing.
Cathy (20:01):
Oh, super nice.
Yeah.
Christa (20:03):
But it would save you a lot of time.
Cathy (20:06):
Sure.
I bet.
I bet.
Wow.
Incredible.
Kay (20:11):
Christa, have you always had electricity?
Christa (20:15):
Yes.
Kay (20:15):
Okay.
You're unusual place.
Yeah.
Yeah, I've always lived in ahouse that had electricity.
What about a washing machine?
Yeah.
I even remember my grandmother'swashing machine.
She lived on a farm.
Cathy (20:33):
Oh my goodness.
Christa (20:36):
But in the summer, it was kept out in a little shed,
you know, and in the summer, shewould bring it outdoors.
And if I were visiting, and itwas not electric, it was hanged
back and forth.
Yeah, forward and back, forwardand back, You operated the
(20:56):
handle.
And then I heard that you did,you operated by hand, you know,
to ring it, to ring it.
Yeah, yeah.
And it turned to make butter,you know, or you did it up and
down.
Cathy (21:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Christa (21:16):
Of course, being a teenager, I, I thought that was
great fun, you know, to make,
Cathy (21:23):
I'm sure.
So much different than teenagerstoday.
So much different.
I don't know that they wouldthink that making butter is that
fun.
Oh my goodness.
Well, what do you think is orwas the most important progress
of our country in your lifetime?
(21:46):
That's a big one.
Christa (21:48):
Yes, it is.
Cathy (21:49):
I mean, you've been through.
Two world wars, right?
You've lived through?
Christa (21:55):
Yes.
There were so many little wars,you know, my father was involved
in First World War and myhusband was involved in Second
World War.
And that made a real life changetoo.
(22:18):
We had already established thestore in Knoxville when he got
drafted because even though wewere we had not had children
yet.
So they, they got down to the,to the And the people who did
(22:39):
not have children came next.
Sure.
So, uh.
So what did that, how did thatchange your life then?
Well, gratefully, thankfully forus, Jack's parents decided they
would move to Knoxville and keepthe store open for him while he
(23:02):
was gone.
Wow.
I, and then I was able to, uh,go and follow him around as long
as he was in the United States.
You know, I could, and I did, Ileft Knoxville then, went to,
uh, Denver.
Nice place to be, Denver.
(23:25):
And he was taught to repair bombsites.
There were two different bombsites they were using.
And he was, because he was sogood with his hands, he was
taught to repair bomb sites.
When he, when his outfit wentoverseas, he was, he did not
(23:50):
pass the physical test becausehe had been in an accident and
had a badly injured leg.
And so he didn't pass thephysical, so he was lucky to not
go old.
Cathy (24:07):
No kidding.
No kidding.
Well, that's kind of cool thatyou got to travel around and
then be where he was at the sametime too.
Um, so how long were you invarious places and was Denver
the only place that you were?
Christa (24:23):
Yes, that was the only place I was.
He had been.
And how long were you there?
About a year.
Cathy (24:30):
Nice.
Nice.
Christa (24:34):
He got to come home a little bit sooner than some of
the other fellas, which wasanother advantage for us because
we were able to buy a home thenbefore inflation.
Oh, yeah.
Cathy (24:51):
Sure.
Oh my gosh.
So many things.
What's the most memorable thingthat you've witnessed in your
lifetime?
Christa (25:06):
There would be a lot of departments.
Cathy (25:09):
I bet.
I bet.
Maybe pick a few.
Christa (25:14):
The, uh, oh gee, that, that's difficult.
I'd have to think about that alittle more.
That's fine.
Maybe I'm not easily impressed.
I don't know.
Cathy (25:33):
What about the birth of your children or the, um,
putting a man on the moon or,uh, I don't know, the bombing of
Pearl Harbor, which
Christa (25:44):
Well, yes.
Cathy (25:45):
Who knows?
You know, like those things are,wow.
Christa (25:50):
Yes.
I remember where we were and howshocked we were when we heard
that news.
Same with the, uh, when theairplanes hit the New York, you
know, that was a shock.
Well, the men on the moon, thatwas really the first time that
(26:13):
anybody went to the moon.
You know, I think the wholeworld was on, looking at the TV,
you know.
And to think that we could watchthat.
Cathy (26:23):
That's pretty dang impressive.
Christa (26:26):
Yeah, yeah.
So that, I think, I mean, TV isone of the things that, That has
been a big, big impression.
And all the, all the thingsconnected, like you and I being
able to talk together.
Cathy (26:42):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Yeah.
It's pretty cool.
We, none of us reallyunderstand, I don't think.
No.
No, Kay was telling me about youused to ride the trolley in Des
Moines and I don't know if manypeople in this area even know
that there was a trolley in DesMoines.
And I, I have to say that peopleacross the world will listen to
(27:06):
this podcast.
So they might, you know, notcare too much about Des Moines,
Iowa, but, um, but I think it'sa pretty cool thing.
And you've gotten to see thaturban sprawl also the growth of.
of the cities around you and howthat's happened.
Christa (27:23):
It still amazes me, you know, when we drive out in the
western part.
Uh, when I was young, that wascalled Valley Junction.
Cathy (27:32):
Mm hmm.
Christa (27:34):
West was called Valley Junction.
Sixty years.
63rd Street was the end of DesMoines.
You know, it still amazes mewhen I see what's happening out
there, and it kind of frightensme, because I don't think our,
our farmland is too precious tobe going up in factories.
(27:59):
I, I think there should be astop, you know, where the, Are
not allowed to sell ourfarmland, you know.
Cathy (28:09):
Yeah, I don't know.
We, we feed a tough spot becausewe need space, because we, we
need, um, space for people.
So, and, you know, the, the, ah,that's another thing.
Like, you've seen this growthof, of just people.
Like, we just have so many morepeople now than we did long ago.
(28:33):
So I bet that's been aninteresting thing to observe and
watch as well.
Christa (28:38):
True.
Cathy (28:41):
With hindsight, if you could relive your life, what
would you do better?
And what would you do more of?
Christa (28:50):
I really can't think of any way that, that I could be
happier as an individual, uh,than the life that I've lived.
I'm happy with, with what I've
Cathy (29:07):
And that is a beautiful, you know, have, have you always
been like that or was there aturning point that you got to in
life that you were like, youknow what, I need to stop
worrying about this silly stuffand I'm just going to be content
with what I have?
Christa (29:21):
No, I don't remember if, if there was that kind of a,
of a change, you know?
Cathy (29:28):
Yeah, it sounds like you've had this grateful heart.
As long as you can remember andjust this appreciative heart.
And that's so beautiful.
And I think that that's what somany people in this world are
actually seeking and trying totrying to get to.
So when we have wonderful rolemodels like you to learn from,
(29:50):
um, it gives a little bit ofhope, I think.
Christa (29:54):
Well, I hope we all, you know, have some of those
values that, as you say, uh, alladults should, should have some
values that are willing to bepassed on.
(30:15):
Hopefully our children will bewise enough to choose the ones.
Cathy (30:19):
Absolutely.
We have to just trust.
We have to let go of control andtrust, right?
Christa (30:24):
Right.
Cathy (30:26):
Was there anything that you used to worry about or that
you worried about in life thatmaybe you didn't need to worry
about so much that now yourealize and you look and you get
this big picture view that'slike, Oh, it was so silly.
I used to worry about this allthe time.
And.
You know, my kids turned outfine or whatever it was.
Christa (30:50):
Well, I'm, I'm sure this is true of many parents,
but the older you get, the moreyou feel.
I hope I don't outlive eitherone of my children, you know,
that's a lot of parents havethat feeling, especially if, if
(31:13):
they live beyond their sort of.
What's the word I want?
Anyway, there's
Cathy (31:22):
the average life span.
Christa (31:24):
That's right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The average life, which I have,you know,
Cathy (31:30):
absolutely have.
Yeah.
Christa (31:34):
So that would be the hardest thing in the world for
me to have to go through wouldbe the loss of one of my
children.
Cathy (31:45):
The heartbreak that would come with that.
Christa (31:47):
Mm hmm.
Yes, sir.
You build yourself up to whereyou expect it from your parents,
you know, you expect them to diebefore you do, but to have your
children.
And I think that maybe is thehardest thing for any parents.
Sure.
(32:08):
Or, or even to lose a newbornchild, you know, to have a child
not live or not be normal.
Yeah.
I think that would be one of themost difficult things.
Kay (32:24):
Christa, you sent Burton, you know, to Vietnam.
You and Jack waved goodbye, youknow, as, as Burton went
overseas.
Mm hmm.
Christa (32:36):
Oh yeah.
Cathy (32:38):
Oh boy, I bet that was a scary time.
Christa (32:41):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
When I saw my son head for theairplane that was going to take
him to Vietnam, you know, thatwas fun.
Well, still, it's hard for me.
Yeah.
And I'm sure it was hard forhim.
Cathy (33:00):
And how long was he over there?
Christa (33:02):
He was there a year, but see, he was a, he had just
graduated from medical school.
So he was over there to try tosave lives.
That was the council.
And I thought.
What a blessing.
That's amazing.
He's not shooting at people andnobody's shooting at him.
He's there to help the peoplewho have been shot, you know, or
(33:24):
whatever.
And, uh, and so I think his, um,memories of Vietnam are more
pleasant than for almost anyother range of people being,
being a part of the healinginstead of the killing, you
know?
Cathy (33:45):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wow.
Wow.
That had to be hard.
That would be something thatwould be memorable for sure, for
sure.
And the worry, do you feel likeyou have any regrets or did you
earlier in your life that youdon't have anymore because you
have grown and you have justlearned to, to um, accept life
(34:07):
as it is?
Christa (34:08):
Yes.
Yeah.
I think, I think it's more thatI really can't think of anything
that.
And I feel that I just actuallymade the wrong decision and
should have done differently.
The, uh, perhaps there werelittle things that I've already
(34:29):
forgotten.
But no, no major thing, youknow, I, I never,
never.Christata,
Cathy (34:39):
I have to say that that's probably one of the reasons why
you.
Have lived as long as you'velived, is that you're not
holding on to things that, thatdon't serve you, you know,
you're able to release and tolet go.
Christa (34:55):
Well, thank you.
Cathy (34:57):
Yeah.
If you could go back, this iskind of a fun one.
If you could go back to a, um,to a particular year or a decade
or a time in your life, if youcould like time travel and just
go back for a little while, whatdecade, what year, what time in
your life would you go back to,to just visit?
Christa (35:19):
Hmm.
Well, that's interesting.
Cathy (35:21):
Yeah, I know.
This is one that, that came inand I thought, well, that's an
interesting question.
Mind you, we had people, I hadpeople, um, from across the
world that submitted questionsto, to ask you.
So we are, we are getting abroad range and, um, I hope that
there will be people from allover that will listen to this.
Christa (35:45):
Well, thank you.
Cathy (35:46):
Yeah.
Christa (35:47):
I've enjoyed doing it.
And to answer your lastquestion, I'd have to think
about that a little more too, Ithink.
Cathy (35:56):
Yeah, that's fine.
And then just consider alsomaybe how long you would want to
stay there.
You know, I don't know, it's aninteresting one for all of us to
think about because we can goback and we can revisit any time
in our lives just by going backin our mind, right?
We can close our eyes and, andgo back and revisit anything.
And who's to say that thosememories aren't actually
(36:18):
bringing us back to that placeand time and allowing us to feel
the feelings and to hear thesounds and, to actually
experience it because we havethat power in our mind.
And I think that's a beautifulthing.
So I don't know.
It's just kind of a fun littlequestion.
Christa (36:34):
Uh, well, the more I think about it, um, maybe the
first five years of my marriage.
Because that was such a change,you know, and we were having so
much fun, just enjoying eachother and doing things we wanted
to do.
And then along came the war, sowe put off having a family.
(36:57):
We thought it would be better,you know, to, uh, and as you
said, I was able to follow Jackaround and still not, you know,
not have to go through a realseparation.
Yeah.
Or a year or whatever.
So I think maybe the first fiveyears of marriage probably were.
Cathy (37:17):
Ah, that's beautiful.
Christa (37:20):
That I would enjoy going back to.
That's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
Cathy (37:28):
How long has Jack been gone?
Christa (37:31):
He died in 2001.
2001.
Uh, 22, 22 years in.
That's a long time.
Yes, it is.
Wow, wow.
And he was 85 at the time and Iwas 80.
Cathy (37:54):
And at that time you think, wow, like he's lived a
really good life, you know?
Uh huh.
And here you are 22 years later.
Christa (38:01):
Yeah.
I never would have believed itif anybody had I didn't do it on
purpose.
Cathy (38:08):
I bet you miss him.
I bet you do miss him.
Christa (38:14):
Of course.
I still dream about him.
You know?
Oh,
Cathy (38:20):
I love that.
I like to think, um, when I havedreams about special or
important people like that, whohave maybe, uh, left this earth,
I like to think that that'stheir way of visiting us.
And just being able to spendtime with us.
Christa (38:35):
Um, I think about that too, you know, what if he saw
what I was doing right now, youknow,
Cathy (38:44):
he's probably right up there cheering you along saying
you go get them girl.
Oh my goodness.
Oh my goodness.
Well, what tips do you have for.
younger people of today, for theyouth of today.
Christa (39:00):
Well, that requires a lot of thought too.
You know, a, uh, maybe as faras, uh, deportment, if you want
to call it that, uh, always bekind, try to be loving, try to
(39:21):
be helpful, make the most ofyour talents, take your time.
Seriously, work hard to dowhatever you choose to do.
Work hard.
Cathy (39:40):
I love it.
Those are beautiful tips.
Christa (39:44):
I saw one person say, or maybe it was even on TV, he
said that the best gift you cangive your children is to love
their wife.
(40:05):
And I thought that was
Cathy (40:08):
Yeah,
Christa (40:09):
and not really thought about, but yeah, maybe, maybe
some of the problems if it's aproblem family, maybe.
You don't love each otherenough, you know.
Cathy (40:26):
And I think we don't demonstrate that love enough
also.
Christa (40:31):
Mm hmm.
Yes.
Cathy (40:32):
You know, and I, and what kids see or what, how, what kids
do is what's modeled for them athome.
So, we, we have a society thatdoesn't always or hasn't until
recently.
I think this is shifting.
I think we're on the cusp ofthings shifting and changing.
Um, where it's not beenhistorically the thing for men
(40:54):
to show that affection and formen to, to show that softness
and tenderness.
And I think we're kind ofshifting the tables on that and
allowing for men to be in touchwith their emotional side and to
be okay with learning about itand, um, feeling the feelings
(41:16):
and not just being taught toshut them down and to block them
off.
So I think that's kind of a coolthing that at least I'm
observing in my.
Um, I don't know for men to beso present and available for
kids and, and their families andto support the families in a way
(41:40):
that it's not just the momsdoing all of the parenting and
all of the work.
I think that's a, that's a shiftthat at least I've observed from
the time that I was a kid too,um.
My husband does a ton for ourfamily.
He does laundry.
He cooks.
He, he helps clean.
He helps run the kids, you know,and that's like.
(42:02):
So helpful.
So wonderful.
Christa (42:09):
Very true.
Very true.
You're a lucky girl.
Cathy (42:12):
Yeah, thank you.
I like to think so too.
I like to think so.
Alright, we've got just a fewmore questions, Christa, that I
want to ask or that I want totouch on before we wrap up.
Do you like traveling?
Or did you in your life liketraveling?
We've heard of a couple ofplaces that you've been, but
Christa (42:31):
Yes and no.
Uh huh.
Cathy (42:33):
Tell me more.
Christa (42:35):
Um, we've seen, as a family, we've seen an awful lot
of the United States.
Uh, we neither one had a realdesire to go overseas.
Hmm.
And, and I guess that's a, maybeunusual, you know.
Cathy (42:58):
Yeah.
At this point in your life, doyou ever think back on that and
think, Oh, I wish I would'vegone overseas?
Christa (43:06):
Yes.
We talked about Switzerlandbecause that's where all the
watches are made.
Yeah.
When we retire, well, we'll takea trip to Switzerland.
But by the, I guess by the time,and Jack retired at 60, which is
a little earlier than most, youknow, but it was because, um, we
(43:29):
had a cabin in Minnesota that weboth love.
And so we became, you know,pretty much happy to just go to
the lake in May and come backhere in September.
And then we weren't interestedin going south.
Cathy (43:46):
Yeah.
That would be beautiful.
Christa (43:49):
So.
Yeah.
We still did things together.
Oh.
Cathy (43:53):
Sure.
Well, what was your favoriteplace to visit?
I mean, obviously the lake, butwas there any place outside of
Minnesota in that lake housethat you really loved to visit?
Christa (44:11):
In all my life you mean?
Cathy (44:12):
Yeah.
In all your life.
Christa (44:14):
Well, I, yeah.
I loved to visit my grandmotheron the farm and because, because
I was an only child, I got to goreal often, you know?
And yeah, she had a pony, youknow, and she had animals that I
love.
I was going to the farm andstudying for a couple of weeks.
Cathy (44:37):
To my listeners, go visit a farm and you helped, you got
to help take care of the animalsand you got to help do the
things on the farm, which is alot different than living in
town.
Christa (44:50):
Oh yeah.
I love, you know, gather theeggs and washing and make the
butter and all the, all thethings that you couldn't do in
the city.
Sure.
Sure.
Sure.
And maybe.
If you realize that your motherdid those things when she was a
(45:13):
young girl, which in my case wastrue, my mother had lived on a
farm as a child, and so, uh, andthere were like eight children
in the family, so you canimagine, I thought I could
imagine.
What fun they would have, youknow, of course there would be
rough times too, I'm sure, butyeah.
Cathy (45:36):
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
Christa (45:38):
I've known a family recently, uh, that still do
things together, like, uh, thegrandparents have lots of peach
trees.
I think it's wonderful the waythat family, when it's time to
can peaches, you know, there arethree generations that get
(46:02):
together and help.
Cathy (46:04):
That's incredible.
Incredible.
We, um, a couple of years ago,we had a apple cider making at
my parents house.
They have a cider press and the,so two years ago, the apple
trees were all in bloom.
So we all, everybody.
(46:24):
My sister and her family and myfamily went back and we had a
weekend of picking apples andmaking apple cider.
And that was wonderful.
And we wanted to do it againthis year, but, oh, we just, we
didn't, we, between the soccerschedules with my sister's kids
and my kids, there wasn't aweekend that we could do it.
And it was.
(46:45):
It's kind of sad because it isfun to be able to get together
and, and do things like that.
Christa (46:53):
I think our young people are, are involved in too
many things too young.
Cathy (47:02):
Well, that's probably the case.
That's probably the case forsure.
Kay (47:08):
She needs to share about the motorcycle.
You and Jack had motorcycletrips.
Cathy (47:14):
Oh my gosh.
Fill me in, Christa.
When was this?
Was this before you had kids orafter you had kids?
Christa (47:24):
It was before we were married, even.
Oh my gosh.
He had an aunt and uncle thatlived in Omaha.
So, and they didn't have anychildren.
And he was their favorite, youknow, of the family because he
And able to help them when theyneeded help, you know,
physically.
Okay, yeah.
(47:45):
So we would take off when wewere dating.
We'd take off for Omaha to spendthe weekend with Aunt Mabel and
Uncle George.
Oh, how fun.
Yeah, so.
That was fun.
I enjoyed motorcycles, though,or he had a motorcycle or how
was that?
How?
Where's the motorcycle comingin?
(48:05):
Well, he had it when I met him,you know, it was people around
in a car.
It was sure.
Sure.
It was a depression time and youtried to say you want gasoline
just like Yeah.
They are trying to save ongasoline.
Cathy (48:23):
For sure.
Yeah.
Christa (48:26):
So it was a lot cheaper, you know, to drive back
and forth to work on amotorcycle.
Sure.
Besides, he enjoyed it, youknow.
Cathy (48:35):
How fun.
How fun.
Christa (48:37):
Yeah, and, and they had clubs in Des Moines.
We belonged to a club, and we'dgo to hill climbs, different,
uh, social things that we wouldgo together then with all the
other people that were ridingmotorcycle.
And you sometimes seen them onthe highway.
Cathy (48:57):
You were in a biker gang?
You're telling me that you werein a biker gang, Christa?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, she does not.
I would have not picked her fora biker chick.
(49:19):
That's awesome.
Christa (49:20):
It was a mixture of some couples were already
married.
Some were still dating.
Oh my gosh, how fun.
Yeah, it was fun, yeah.
A lot better than going andsitting in a movie, you know,
letting somebody else entertainyou.
Cathy (49:38):
For sure, for sure.
Yeah, so what, do you have anyadvice on, uh, just living life
to the fullest and having, andhaving fun and enjoying life?
Christa (49:51):
I wouldn't know how to, how to encourage other people,
you know, uh, be resilientmaybe, you know.
With whoever you want to havefun with, by being reasonable
and courteous and loving, youknow?
Cathy (50:14):
Yeah.
You have such an open, openpresence, Christa.
I mean, and, and curious.
I think curious is such abeautiful word to describe you
because you're open toexperiencing things and to just
living life.
That's so cool.
It's so cool.
(50:35):
Thank you.
Yeah.
So, what person has made thebiggest impact on your life?
Person or persons?
Christa (50:48):
Well, I think teachers, both at church and, and school.
You know, the first 20 years ofyour life, you spend more time
with a teacher than you do yourparents.
Cathy (51:02):
Mm hmm.
So true.
Uh huh.
It's so true.
Christa (51:10):
And, uh, I think for me, you know, and I guess I
always.
Thought that they knew what theywere talking about, not that
parents don't, but then, um, itwas a whole different, a whole
different world when you werelearning, you know, and uh.
Cathy (51:34):
Teachers are wonderful creatures, aren't they?
They are.
My goodness.
Christa (51:42):
That's why I just don't understand the lack of authority
and the lack of, what's the wordI want?
Um, how they can not
Cathy (52:00):
Respect, maybe?
Christa (52:02):
That's right.
The word respect.
The lack of respect for teachersand the lack of authority, you
know?
Yeah.
I don't understand that.
Cathy (52:13):
I don't either.
Christa (52:14):
But I'm glad my children spent that many years
of their life with teachers thatwere trying their very best and
wanted the best for them.
Yeah.
And I don't think
Cathy (52:32):
teachers do a wonderful job.
Yeah.
I think it's, I think it's sohard on them.
Like I think it's just, Kay, youknow, so I'm also, I'm just
going to fill this in that KayJensen is also in our
conversation and she is aretired teacher.
And Kay, I know that you canspeak to this too, because you
(52:55):
were a teacher that, you know,taught some of these home
skills, these home, um, homelife skills, because you were an
FCS teacher or a family andconsumer sciences teacher, if
you're not familiar with that.
So we have seen this giant shiftin the way that we parent kids
(53:16):
in the way that kids experiencethis world.
And it is different.
It's a big difference.
But teachers play such a crucialrole in, like you said, raising
our kids and in, and doing thehard work for sure.
Kay (53:38):
Most kids are great kids and, and with a little bit of
love and guidance, they'll dowell.
Yeah.
And when people, you know, startthinking, okay, everything is
just going to the dogs.
No, not really.
It's, it's.
It's going to be okay.
I think,
Cathy (53:57):
I think it absolutely is too.
And I think the things that thekids are learning with
technology is like mind blowingand the things that they can do.
Um, but I think you hit the nailon the head there.
Kay.
It's, it's like love and leadingwith love.
And sometimes it's easier to putyour kid in front of a screen
than it is to connect with them.
And lead with love.
(54:18):
And I think that's what happensa lot today.
Mm-Hmm.
Um, because that is a whole loteasier, but you're not getting
that connection that kind of,like you said, Christa, that you
led with, that you really, um,valued with your kids in, in
that, spending the time in thatjust nurturing and guiding them
(54:39):
and being available to them.
And I think that's hard becausesociety.
Promotes a busy lifestyle.
And it can be hard to unlearn.
It can be hard to unlearn and tolearn the slowing down, like we
talked about at the beginningof, of our interview today.
Christa (54:59):
I remember a lady that came to our community and was a
part of our church for a while,who, uh, came from another
country.
I can't even tell you for surewhich country.
But, uh, she had never had ajob.
(55:19):
And she found out, she said, Youjust don't fit.
And to society here, I'm ashamedof the fact that I have not had
a job, that I've always stayedhome with my children and
thought I should, you know, andshe said, yeah, it just don't
feel a part of she came andworked in our almost free shop
(55:42):
volunteer.
She said, I've never had a job,this is the only job I've ever
had, but I, I feel ashamed whenI'm in a bunch of women because
everybody's working and talkingabout their job, you know, so
she fell out of step because shedidn't.
Cathy (56:06):
Yeah.
Well, raising kids is definitelya full time job.
That's right.
Definitely.
Right.
And it's probably, uh, one ofthe jobs where you learn the
most skills, because you've gotto be able to do all the things.
For sure.
(56:26):
For sure.
It's a beautiful job to have.
Christa, what do you, what doyou want to be remembered for?
Christa (56:34):
Because I was considered a friendly, loving,
happy person.
Cathy (56:43):
I love it.
I think you definitely will beremembered for all of those.
And then I got one finalquestion that I ask to everybody
who I invite as a guest on tothe show.
Um, and it is, what are youdoing right now in life to bring
more intention to your days?
(57:06):
So to be more mindful, to bemore intentional.
Christa (57:14):
Well, to the best of my physical ability, I try to
cooperate with my church.
And with the organizations thatI belong to, I try to be there
physically, even though I can'tdo the same jobs that I did 10
or 20 years ago.
(57:35):
But I can still feel thecompanionship and the love of
the people in that group, eventhough I'm not as active as I
was.
Cathy (57:48):
Absolutely.
And I think having that, thatspirit and that belief that you
are definitely still valuable,even though you can't do
physically all the things yourspirit brings so much to each
organization or each group orclub that you're involved with.
And you offer up the wisdom, youhave wisdom and insight, and it
(58:13):
is so valuable.
So.
I love that that's, that's a waythat you are intentional is to
not just give up on life, but tokeep living life and keep being
a part of it.
Trusting that no matter whatseason of life or what stage of
life you are in, you hold value.
We hold value no matter whatstage.
(58:37):
Because you've seen it all, youknow there are times when we are
busy with kids and chasing afterkids, kind of like I am right
now.
That maybe my responsibilitiesin some of my other groups and
clubs and organizations are notas great because there's a lot
of other stuff going on.
But that all cycles around andcomes back when we get a little
bit When we have a shift in our,in our life where we can give a
(59:01):
little bit more.
Christa (59:04):
That's understandable and true.
I think.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Cathy (59:10):
But I think it's so, so appropriate that just because
you're living into yourhundreds.
You haven't given up, you know?
You're still going.
Christa (59:23):
Oh, thank you.
I'm forever doing that.
I know.
I'll say, you know, well, nextyear this or next year that.
You know, even though I realizenext year might not come for me,
I'm still always planning whatfor next year.
Cathy (59:40):
That's a great trait.
A great trait.
I know I didn't get yourbirthday card this.
I'm going to tell this, thislittle story.
I didn't get her birthday cardto her last year, um, like on
time or near her birthday.
And I mentioned that to her oneday and she said, well, just
keep it and give it to me nextyear.
And so what did I do this year?
I sure enough, I gave her thatsame birthday card that I had
(01:00:01):
purchased last year for her.
And I gave it to her and shesaid, she told me, I didn't even
remember that I said that toyou.
I said, well, you did, you knewyou were going to be here.
So I kept it because I believedyou and here you are.
Christa (01:00:15):
I had forgotten.
Cathy (01:00:18):
I love it.
I love it.
Okay, Christa, is there anythingelse you want to share today?
Christa (01:00:25):
Well, you younger people like yourself, you know,
even though you're busy, and,and you take part in so many
more things than most youngpeople do.
And, and you're, you're veryvaluable to we older people.
You know.
Cathy (01:00:45):
Yeah.
Brings back memories.
You remember how excited our PEOgroup was when you had your
first baby?
Yes.
Because you were the only personwho'd been pregnant for years,
you know.
Kind of like with garden clubtoo.
I was in garden club then at thetime as well.
(01:01:07):
And I loved that group and I,Oh, I'm not in garden club
anymore, but someday, someday Iwould love to get back to it.
But yes, how fun.
And I think, you know, I thinkthat's one of the most important
lessons here too, Christa isthese multi generational
relationships.
Do you want to speak to that alittle bit?
Christa (01:01:30):
Well, I just think you're, you're right, very much
right about that.
Cathy (01:01:37):
It's so important to have them.
Because it helps us youngerpeople understand things a
little bit more and understandwhy things maybe are the way
they are.
And it also allows us to offerup different insight into how
things might shift or change or,I don't know.
(01:02:00):
I just love it.
I love having friendships thatare Not only the people who are
my age and I think it's sovaluable and we learn so much
from younger from older And fromwomen who are the same age as
us.
Christa (01:02:16):
I agree with you very much
Cathy (01:02:21):
Okay, Christa.
Well, I want to thank you againso much for being here today and
Gosh, for spending so much timewith me and Kay, I want to thank
you also because you, uh, Idon't know that this would have
been possible without you.
So I really, really appreciateit.
You do so much and you are sucha beautiful light and beautiful
soul in this world.
(01:02:42):
Both of you, both of you are.
And thank you for sharing all ofyour, your wisdom, your insight,
your talents with us.
So many nuggets of wisdom.
One of the things I want topoint out to you though, is
Christa's lightheartedpersonality and ease with which
she approaches life.
When we work and try so hard andoverthink life to prove that we
(01:03:05):
are enough, we will likelycontinue to feel like life is
heavy and burdensome.
And hard, but when we areresilient, adaptable, and
curious, we might just end upliving a longer life.
And this is not to say thatthere isn't a place for doing
the hard things in life and thatlife is always going to be easy
(01:03:26):
rainbows and unicorns, butmindset plays a huge role in how
we take in those hard times.
And having a like minded supportsystem, as Krista did and does
have with her church family andphilanthropic organizations, is
definitely an element of successin living in this way.
(01:03:46):
Perhaps it's a coaching group ora close group of friends, but
whatever it is, it has to besomething that will not only
cheer you on, but also show youthe icky parts of you, and walk
alongside you as you navigatethem.
This is one of the things I lovemost about the women in the
coaching group I'm a part of.
(01:04:08):
They offer up a safe place forvulnerability so I can get to
know my authentic self more andthey don't judge me when the
ickiness rears its ugly head.
And I truly believe thatunderstanding ourselves and our
body's innate wisdom better isone of the keys to getting to
this place of lighthearted easein life, of maybe even
(01:04:31):
cultivating greater health,harmony, and happiness in life,
if you might say.
And that's why it's what I helpmy clients with every day.
Struecker and you've beenlistening to Health, Harmony,
and Happiness with Cathy.
Cheers to cultivating a globalimpact through health, harmony,
and happiness.
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