Monday, July 29, 2013

Thank You, Lisl


It came, Lisl! Your beautiful package made my day. Who wouldn't enjoy a package containing soft, white fabric, lace, and fun wooden buttons all done up in charming home made envelopes and handwritten notes. Lovely!
You didn't know it, I realize, but I wanted fabric for a much needed jacket for Ryan's wedding.  God knew that and what a wonder, He led you to send it now three weeks before the wedding all the way from Thailand.












Last, but certainly not least, I have a new edition of a Jube drawing.  The last whale he sent to me was much less recognizable, ie, we had to ask him what it was. No question that we have a veritable, worried whale on our hands this time. Goes on the fridge. It will stay there till he updates me.

This reminds me. I was in the bank this morning when I heard Jube (almost 4) in Thailand and Gwen  (31/2) in Nebraska start talking to each other. They had some parental coaching; but believe me, they were visiting. Gwen told Jube about her new kitten, and Jube with unmistakable longing in his voice says he wants a puppy! She replies to say that her puppy is named Mocha. They visit on a bit and then he is informed by the mom in the background that he needs to be off to bed and to say goodbye.

Is it just me, or is that kind of wonderful! Zello (smart phone 2-way radio style communication) is another one of our "gifts" in life today.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Don't Waste Your Life

Elv and I had opportunity to be in Duluth yesterday, and we grabbed at a chance to see The Rose Garden in full bloom. Garden roses were everywhere in groupings of colors and kinds. There were mowed paths and water fountains and benches to sit and look or dream or visit as you wish. The very air was permeated with the smell of roses. I took pictures and looked my eyes out. The pictures are far from adequate.

This morning Dot told me about an article they re-read this week by John Piper with commentary from a college called Don't Waste Your Cancer. I recommend this reading to anyone cancer or no. Instructions to learn to know and trust our Creator even better in the hard times. And to become more eternity conscience. That illness or trial, in this case, cancer, are not curses but a part of life designed by God to bring us closer to Him.

And lately, I have been thinking how important youth, beauty, and craft are to our society. How much we focus on these transients. We do so many things to ward off the ravages of age, especially we women do this. Because age is not desirable anymore. And that's sad.  As long as we worship youth and beauty; we block ourselves from seeing and understanding reality as God sees it. How can we learn to see what is beautiful in the old wrinkled hands of the aged?

I want to understand the real beauty of age: wisdom, kindness, and grace. Actually, I want to exhibit wisdom, kindness, and grace to the senseless world around me. What is more disappointing than a bitter, thankless old lady? I have met a few of them.

We choose about this. Life comes with hard things and unhappinesses. We grow kindness and grace from being thankful anyway. Is there anything more beautiful, really, than a graceful, kind, elderly person?

I met a cousin the other day, who isn't old, by the way, but has become a beautiful person through trial. I was so drawn to her openness through her tears as she told me about herself.  She drew kindness out of me as she talked. And she said not one bitter word, even though in the world's eyes she certainly had a right to do so. I believe I saw the real deal in her. She is a lovely lady, comfortable to be around, and a blessing to me. Thanks so much for sharing. I did not mean to be snoopy, I really admired your spirit and attitude. And hoping that I can inspire others as you did me that day. 


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Neglected Grape Arbor


   




 



    


 The wild grapes are yielding bountifully this year in spite of our ignoring them consistently for many years. We tried to make juice one  year and a couple of times we tried jam. Failure on all the tries. These grapes are wild and sour. But this year, I can ignore them no longer.  There must be bushels of fruit in the arbor: grapes and choke cherries. I am going to be good and do my research so that the
jam turns out this time.


Another project to do


People that have all day to themselves tend to play with their food.

Monday, July 22, 2013

What's Happening At Home Again

 Lance moved into his own house last weekend. He is pretty excited. 

I am posting these pictures for the part of the family away from home.  I hope this helps you all to see what you wanted to see.


   We equipped the house with lots of quick window treatments. It seemed as though God was smiling on our efforts, because we found exactly what was needed at used shops for most of the windows for the curtains.
 The men hosed down the blacktop slick and clean, picked up the decking trash and tree trash, and installed a new mailbox.





The babies helped  to make this feel like home. 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

What’s Happening At Home


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We have been living on the job in the woods. I carried the fresh picked strawberries along with jam making tools and ingredients and made jam there. Nothing to it. And there wasn’t much. By the time I finished up, I got to wondering where else I could get my hands on more fruit of some sort to make into jam while I’m at it.


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Living in the travel trailer has it’s nice parts. Like not having much to do for house keeping with everything miniature and in one spot. So housework takes a few minutes each day.  Finding plenty to do, though, so far I am not bored. DSC01282
We took a drive the other evening further into the deep woods near the job. The timber is huge and in many places the underbrush has died out and you can see into the depths. It’s awe inspiring.
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I came home today to do laundry and hide away under the AC at home since it is so warm again today. Walked into the empty house and opened windows to get rid of the stale air. It feels weird to discover that for all your efforts to lock up and leave the property secure there is hard evidence that a little Indian boy found a way to get in and take over the living room for awhile. He forgot to take his dirty socks with him. I actually have a problem with it, but am powerless to do anything about it. I guess the old stone house is God’s anyway. He can use it for neighbors who need a break on the couch if He so chooses.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Puttering with Photographs


True to Skrivseth form, I have been thinking and talking about framing some of our photography from the late Sony camera, and not getting it done… for several years. Mom has often accused those of us in her dear family who show this good-idea-not-done thing of this: “Once you say it, you think it’s done”. Which, to her way of thinking, is worthless and wasteful. You can look at it two ways: like mom says, we are full of good ideas and no realism about doing it or that good ideas keep us happy whether or not we can do them. Some folks must see accomplished tasks before any of those good feelings start to kick in. Frankly, I feel sorry for them. Dreaming doesn’t cost a thing.
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There are ways to make dreams happen. First, you have to give up perfection because it kills initiative badly. So plan on doing your best, with what you have available and go. Anything less than that amounts to excuses, I think. For me, anyway.  And with this particular project any of the things I used could easily be replaced and improved upon, based on what I was learning along the way. The next batch of framed photography will be better in a lot of ways. At any rate, I DID it, finally!
Another way to begin on dreams is to not think about the whole job at once. Break it down into do-able steps. Home maintenance is one of the worst things to neglect because it accumulates, piling up defeat after defeat as the years go by unless someone digs in and starts on the little unseen things day after day, year by year. It is not what gets done that is noticed; it is what is NOT getting done.
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Finally, undisciplined comparison quenches creativity. If eyeing my neighbor’s “genius” and sizing it up to my lack thereof makes me feel stupid instead of inspired then I have a contentment and an initiative problem. Seriously! It’s a choice between being inspired, “ I could do that with my old windows in storage” or being defeated, “that probably costs more money than I have, and I don’t know how to do it.”
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And one more thing…
Waiting on the Lord is mostly about getting to work with what is at your elbow to do. I would put it right up there with prayer and fasting at the very least.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Current Events

 Pots of geranium bloom on our doorsteps.  We have had these very plants for five years.  This spring when they were set outside, they didn't get their usual trimming...they looked so nice already. I would advise giving plant food to get these kinds of blooms.  I am a haphazard plant person, so I can't tell you just when it was that I gave them the plant food...during winter. We are enjoying the results.



 The lupines are blooming along Lake Superior just now. Must be seen to be appreciated, properly. I would advise a family jaunt to the north shore one of these next few days.


 The cook stove is installed in the cabin. AND it works. We now have choices: we can cook without cooking ourselves while we cook, or we can open those two front doors and allow it to warm the room. This is a vast improvement over the last stove that was there.


It is a Happy Meal and rightly named. Elv replaced the rotted out fire box with one of his own making.  He made it to include the front opening as the original which makes for smokeless loading. We are so pleased. The heat thermometer works, too. I am all excited about cooking and baking with this stove. Can you tell?



Just a quick over view of Sunday afternoon at the cabin. We had 23 people in our Sunday morning circle. Singing and sharing was great. Herb led the Sunday School class discussion from Proverbs 16. One of the things he said was: Pride is thinking our ways are better. 



On our way home Monday, we stopped along the shore for a few minutes. The fog was moving inland. Lovely, water falls were all along the shore line from the rain we had over the weekend. Gorgeous.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Daisies For You

The daises came blooming right on the end of the trillium again this summer. Daisies grow anywhere: ditches, fields, woods, pastures, and along the roads here in Northwoods Beach. They grow over the graves of good men, says legend, thus the expression "pushing daisies". They are hardly ever bothered by pests and are grown world wide now-a-days.



 

  Daisies show up as the symbol of purity on paintings and in weddings. Children make daisy chains and wear them. Lovers pull the petals saying, "she loves me, she loves me not", hopefully the last petal is a cinch with, "Yes, She Loves Me!"
How silly!



 


The word daisy is Greek for 'day's eye' named this because daisies open at dawn, so they say. I think that is probably a bit romantic. Who stands by the daisy patch to prove when they open up? And I have a feeling that once they have opened, they stay open all the nights through that they last. If anyone of you has witnessed the daisies opening at dawn, I will happily acquiesce.

Take the time to pick the daisies this weekend besides enjoying the 4th of July stuff. For those who maintain Mennonite heritage; I would inform you that Mennists were staunch Loyalists. When they came off the ships to the New World, they were asked to sign a document stating same. Just a point of interest on this day in America.


Monday, July 1, 2013

Summertime

Canoe rides and water play. 


The men enjoyed loading the red and white canoes on each their Jeeps. 

Elv and I took Clark's boat and perused the Billy Boy last week one evening.
 We found the yellow flags blooming.

One of the beaver condos we pass.


 

 


 

He caught one lonely fish, but pronounced the  fishing a success since he hadn't been "skunked". 

This summer is an odd one for us. Elv and I live at the old stone house by ourselves. The boys are off to the big world to seek their fortunes so to speak.  Brad and his sisters are in Nebraska helping the two families of ours there who need extra hands for a few weeks. Of course, you know this.  So it is quiet here. A pair of yellow finches chatter and snack at the feeder by the hour with nobody running by to scare them off. I get to listen to my own style of music all day long. ( If you think I'm in a rut you ought to meet Pandora.) 
Lance and Noah each have found a house for themselves. Suddenly, these guys want recipes and advice about dishes, cutlery and cleaning stuff. This is fun! For me, anyway.
I'm not trying to be flippant about missing the children. We do miss them, but Elv and I got married so that we could spend more time together, and we have not had nearly enough of that to date and it's been nigh on to 31 years! 

I am rediscovering things about two year olds. Did you know that if you whisper to them when you want to hear birds or other critters; they catch on immediately and whisper, too? I love those babies! Benny and I whispered awhile yesterday on the canoe, listening for the bullfrogs. Priceless moments!
Frank says life is amazing. I think life is absolutely full of a lot of little things that make a big difference. Notice, count, savor, enjoy the little things today.
1. yellow finch conversation
2. toddler whisperings
3. lupines blooming in the ditches
4. daises everywhere
5. clean, freshly caulked, (vintage) windows in this old house
6. marvelous decorating ideas from a grown son. Actually, this is a big deal to me. He has a brainstorm and if we get it accomplished, I will show you one of these days.  


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