Monday, September 29, 2014



 The Stonehouse roof was in bad shape. For several years the shingles have been disintegrating and washing down onto the patio when it rains. "Greeny" shingles were a mistake. So Elv requested a work day to have a reshingling.  It was Elv's first ever request for a work day on something of his own. There is no way that you would be as impressed about that as I am... because I know him. But I can assure you, this is big.

 The traditional American "work day" should never die if we can help it. I'll leave it at that.
  The little boys must have been prepped about ladders and falling objects because they stayed back nicely.  Next time the roof needs to be done, in thirty years, they can do it.



 


 Meanwhile the ladies visited and worked on

juicing ten boxes of grapes.



 

  And the children played: across the road at the playground and underfoot and on this old stump.



And we got 60 quart of concentrate and lots and jam stock from our day's work.

 



Thank you, all of you who came that day and gave of your time and effort to help. 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Just Sayin'





   Old is an attitude. I am not old. But being fifty is another matter, entirely. It's one of those between ages, like 17, when you don't really belong to any category. I am not a senior! But neither am I forty and frantic about either getting pregnant or not, as the case may be, thank God.
I am looking forward to learning how to act the age of my hair, gracefully, I hope, someday. Someday when I am finally all grown up, like my mom. Change is too big a deal where I am right now.
   On the other hand some of the changes are good. Like finally getting around to finishing undone projects on our house. And Elv having clearer vision about our own dreams again. And "repurposed" wood made into a lovely patio bench.
   And grown up children. I LOVE that our children are all adults. I guess it only gets better from here?
   And the lovely fall season.  It is so easy to be thankful when color is everywhere with the blue sky overhead.



 
 

Friday, September 19, 2014

Fleeting Days of Summer/Childhood

 Summer is gone. We had good times. But it did fly by too quickly, as good times always do. I kept thinking that I was doing well at savoring. Used my camera a lot and spent as much time as possible with Lisl who is moving back to Thailand next week. We had the usual, regular patio suppers and Sunday afternoons of visiting and children refereeing.  But it is all kind of a blur.

                           It's a happy blur, of course.  Jube and Lisl planted my garden for Jube's education and Lisl and my enjoyment this spring before the wedding. The garden grew and produced and is tilled away already. Jube dug potatoes, gathered tomatoes and found cucumbers among the vines. So he truly had the education they wanted for him.
    We went camping. Elv took some of them fishing a couple of times.
   The heat of summer is past. The awesome color and coolness of fall is here. While we mourn the loss of summer we welcome fall with delight. These two are not dichotomous.
     Forward we go, facing the changes in life either to enjoy them or to dread them. Since God is in control we should not waste our energy mourning what is gone. Besides we do not want to miss out on the joys ahead by getting stuck in a rut of what is past. Cannot live in yesterday or tomorrow. Must do today with all that we are.
    There are four new babies on the way at church. More happy changes. God keeps us sufficiently supplied in responsibility and joys. And we are grateful to Him. 
 

Monday, September 8, 2014

Jumblings

Rain and more rain. Wind that knocks trees helter-skelter. Mugginess, then a cool wind and back to muggy a few times a day. Blue sky one minute, gray heavy clouds the next. Brad is filling the wood box with wood that has been thoroughly rained upon all morning, all week for that matter. This house feels damp and icky, chilly. A fire should dry things out temporarily. It's September and I'm afraid Indian summer will never get a chance.  We came into the month with very little fall color. At the moment there is a stiff breeze blowing. That should scuttle the clouds away.

A year ago I wrote in a post about grace and forgiveness being integral in our marriage and how good it is.  Still is good. Here I am needing to relearn, again. How frustratingly slow is my growing up!

I am always "preaching" about being kind to others no matter who they are or what they've done. And that everyone deserves kindness in the sense that none of us does, really. And we are instructed/beseeched to love one another by the Apostle John of the early church. The other thing I thought I had learned was to not let rumors and wrong impressions about us ruin our joy.
It seems God has been testing all those beliefs. Knowing what is the right thing to do and actually being able to DO the right thing are two different things. It has been a very daily duty of hard going fraught with yawning ditches of discouragement.

What if, what really happened never comes to light? Am I so insecure in my relationship/identity with Jesus that I must charge around trying to take care of my own reputation? But this is hard work. Each of us has his own "take" and to prove anything as more true than any other thing in this muddle is a mistake. Finally, we will each have to take our baggage to Jesus.

I don't have a clue about the song, but hearing "Let It Go" from the lips of a grandchild from the back seat about 15 times in a row did good things for me. I don't think Jube has a clue about the song either. God uses the strangest things sometimes, doesn't He?  I mean the song, not the boy.

And one more thing. Nobody is always right or always wrong. So the sooner we realize that we're all just people in need of a Savior, the sooner we can decide to trust Him and live, happy.

 I'm praying, "Here Jesus, You carry this thing for me, It's so heavy and I'm tired of it." Jesus invited his disciples to do this as His last word to their doubt about His validity. They kept asking, "Is this the One?"
It is the same question we're asking, really. All of our fears and elbowing are rooted in that question. Such folly, when we know the answer!

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
                                                                                               -Jesus

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Labor Day 2014

 

We took off right after church Sunday in Lance's pickup for the cabin: the dog, our overnight bags, a cooler of food, and the camera. Due to Amy's diligence and skillful home keeping we found the cabin "pretty" and nice.
We also spent the afternoon/evening with the Lattin family at their house while we were at it. Lovely visit time while the  young people and Elv played the new matching/sequence game of Quirkle.
Monday, we lolly-gagged with coffee and breakfast till midmorning.  Then Lance mowed the lawn, Brad did the weed-whacking, Elv installed a ceiling fan/light in the living room, Amy and I hung a wall of wallpaper in the master bedroom, and then we did up the dishes.
After all that we hiked up to the top of Buck Mt. We had sun and clouds but the air was very clear so that we could see Lake Superior nicely all the way to the other shore. It's an awesome view from three miles away.



  

 Susan has a new rasp of guineas. Watch dog, bug catcher, and homestead interest all rolled into one for you. I was out with her looking over the gardens, new apple trees and yard with the camera. The hens were all getting ready to roost for the night.



 68 degrees after our humid and warm weather here at home was a relief.  Sweater weather is the best.












The wallpaper looks crooked to me. I think I know now
why it was on sale. But I was excited about it because it is all about trees and logging. Maps and leaf sketches. Perfect for my logger man.





 I think it is going to look just fine once we get the room finished and furnished as per our dreams fulfilled.

Ceiling light and fan installed on an unfinished ceiling. But it makes lovely lighting and will distribute the stove heat wonderfully come winter. And it looks funny for now, but someday...
So we consider it accomplishment. The light and the fan can be operated off the inverter from the battery. In other words, you don't have to have the generator running (roaring and rumbling and ruining the quiet).

 Lake Superior, three miles distant. We always take pictures knowing they're completely inadequate. But we can't seem to stop trying.



There is a monkey in the tree there. He in the tops of a spruce tree to get a better . 





Some people play with worms, while others take pictures of the clouds. We sat up there on the rocky knob and sunned and rested for awhile. And climbed trees and threw rocks down Brad's boot tops, and took more pictures and speculated on the thunderclouds sailing over head if it would rain again or not. Which is to say we were on vacation for real and talked about nothing much or not at all.


Highbush cranberries hanging full up there along the trails.  Another year, sometime, I am going to harvest them for jelly.


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