Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

The holiday, now sandwiched in between the mega holiday of Halloween and the totally secularized holiday of Christmas.

I guess I am just being dour.  And old fashioned.  And a bit nostalgic.

But I love Thanksgiving, it's meaning for our country and it's broader significance in our Christian faith.  And it seems that we, as a country, rush through Thanksgiving to get to the all important retail day of Black Friday.

I've never been.  To Black Friday shopping that is. 

I'm not a big shopper to begin with and Black Friday has just never appealed to me.

So I'm writing a bog instead of shopping today.  And I'm going to list, partially, the things I'm thankful for.  (I'm a list person)

1. so thankful that God has saved me.  that Jesus gave his life for me and salvation is mine, here and now.

2.  so thankful that He delights in me  Psalm18:19

3. thankful for Godly parents, parents who treasured their children and their extended family

4. thankful for grandparents who emigrated to America, learned English, worked hard, started businesses, became citizens but continued to love their heritage.

5. so grateful for a Godly husband of 40 years, full of integrity, honor, loyalty, kindness and devotion.
he's also a great carpenter, electricitian, plumber and general overall problem solver.

6. thankful for 4 wonderful children and all the fun, exciting, interesting adventures we had as they were growing up.

7. thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my children and that God has given each one of them different and wonderful gifts and talents

8.  thankful and grateful for a wonderful church family for the last 26 years.

9.  thankful for a home with bedrooms for all and bathrooms with great showers and a big dining room to have friends and family over for dinners.

10.  thankful for a garden where I can grow my own vegetables and flowers; and a patio where I can sit and see the wonders of God's creation.

11. thankful for a new business venture where God has enabled me to use my creativity and hospitality.

12.  thankful for an untouched 1885 barn, with original horse stalls and chicken coup so that I could venture out on my recent backyard poultry interest.

13.  gratful we live in a small community, where we have caring neighbors, wonderful village friends, where people walk the sidewalks and visit people sitting on porches.

14.  i love seeing the Amish go by the house each day in their carriages, carried along by their horse

15.  I'm thankful for the Word which I can read each day, treasure and meditate on.

16.  And I'm thankful for books and libraries in our home.  Where one can sit and reach out for words and phrases and descriptions and the feeling of pages and leather and bindings.  And where words come tumbling down, enriching our souls and minds.

17.  thankful to live in a country where we can worship, speak, develop of own sense of destiny and purpose, vote, without a fear of reprisals.  I pray that we may continue to be free.

November 4th

Thirty-six years ago, November 4th, our lives were changed forever.  Very early in the morning, before the sun came up, our beautiful daughter was born.  And we became a family. 

Once I got the hang of a schedule, we all got along very nicely.  Although she loved to be entertained.  And I loved entertaining her.  Holding, rocking, reading books to her when she was a week old, walking her in her perambulator, and taking her to her grandmother's, both who lived close by and absolutely adored her.  She even had a great grandmother who lived with my mom and Elizabeth was a great source of joy to her.

We were best friends right from the start.  She was energetic, inquisitive, smart, loving and kind.  I remember having 30 women in our living room for Bible study and she would stand beside me as we worshiped and then she would sit down and do Bible study with the rest of the ladies.

And when she was about 8 years old she developed a love of baking.  Every Saturday she would bake cookies for the family......made her brothers very happy.  And when she was 13, I had to go and help my sister who just had a mastectomy.  Elizabeth stayed home with the boys, managed the home and the schedule and cooked a dinner each night for her dad and the family.

She was and is competetive, which made her a great swimmer and a great student.  And she developed a love for animals.  We had horses, dogs, rabbits, cats and various other small animals that lived in cages.

And on November 4th, seven years ago my mom died.  I miss her terribly.  She was the best mom anyone coule have.  She modeled the role of a wife and mother to her three girls perfectly.  She loved her family, gave us each confidence in who we were, encouraged us, showed us how to love a husband, be involved in community and church, and be interested in others more than ourselves.

I think one always needs a mom.

Splendor and Sorrow

 

It's been the most magnificent fall this year.

 

Everyone has said so.  I had thought, since we did not have an abundance of rain, but certainly no drought, the leaves might have just turned brown and fallen off.

 

But no.  The colors were spectacular.  The sun streaming through the trees and sparkling off the golds and yellows of the forests made it a dazzling trip to our cottage each time I drove out there.  And the reds were bright, crimsons strong, the oranges and amber colors interspersed with the chartreuse painted a gorgeous palette through the mountains.

 

And the leaves stayed on the trees for so long.  Actually, they have just now completely come off the trees at home.  Awaiting the annual leaf raking marathon that we do each year.  This year it seems late.  I guess the unseasonably warm temperatures make it seem like summer is lingering on.

 

I think that fall is almost more beautiful than spring.  Spring brings shades of green but fall surrounds us with all the colors of the spectrum.

 

But in the midst of all the beauty, this fall has brought, sorrow.

 

The television is full of it.  A raid, a riot, an attack, confusion.

 

But still four dead.

 

And I know the heartache and pain that families are going through.  And November 8th comes racing back.  I know the agony that the wives are experiencing,  And the heartaches their mom's are suffering.  Their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers are gone.  Taken from them in a far away land.

 

And tears pour down my face, knowing the road they will have to travel.  Not only in these days and months, but years.

 

And I pray....Lord, comfort them with the comfort only you can bring.  Show them your love.  And protect them under the shadow of your wing. 

 

 

Tutorials/Fall

Fall is here! 

 

Where did September go?  For us it was a blur.

 

We have been so busy at Litengard.  All the college students arrived in late August.  Parents, students and cars, filled to the brim with dorm stuff!  We had families bringing their students early for fall sports practices, freshmen coming for orientation, and finally the upper classmen came.

 

And no sooner did the parents depart than they were back again for Family Weekend.  All 4 schools!

We've been busy.

 

 

 

The summer flowers and foliage are nice but fall is magificent.  The blossoms are off the crabapple trees, but they are now adorned with crimson and amber berries.  The dalia's have center stage and the white phlox are stunning.

 

 

 

The tomatoes grew to great heights this year.  This is Jon, 6'2" reaching up to harvest the top tomatoes.  We've had BLT's, sliced tomato sandwiches, tomato salad, and we've made loads of pasta sauce.  The beets were prolific as well as the beans, summer squash, green and red peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce,  potatoes, and kale.

 

We had a picnic for the St Lawrence students who live on Main Street.

 

And went to a wonderful wedding in Wisconsin.

 

Otis was back for a few days.  People at the Inn miss the Inn dog.  And he was happy to sleep in for a few days, no getting up at 4 o'clock when he was visiting the North Country.

 

We had two different shipments of new chicks.  A new variety, Welsummers, have been added to the group and some others who will give me blue and green eggs.  A new enclosure was developed so the "big" girls would not pick on the new ones.

 

And we are still harvesting tomatoes!

 

We have had two girls come to live with us for a bit.  It's been fun to young people in the house again.

 

But we have had lots of tutorials!

1. how to care for chickens.....feeding, watering, collecting eggs, corraling escaped hens

2. how to slice, chop and roast vegetables...mostly tomatoes to make into pasta sauce

3.  how to hand mow the lawn

4. how to care for neurotic unsocialized big black dog

5. how to iron sheets and napkins

6. how to clean the bathroom....Margaret style

7. how to entertain Inn guests, neighbors, college students and relatives

 

And they have helped me figure out my phone, add Padora, instruct me on internet things, fix things around the house, give me concerts, and let me see a friendship being developed between two girls who barely knew each other before living here.  It's been fun and they have been a big help to the daily goings on here at 42 and 44.

Saturday

It's hard to believe that it's the middle of August.   Everyone is saying, "summer is almost over".  Wow, did that go fast.  We had a magnificent summer up here in the North Country.  Lovely hot weather with little rain, so everyone enjoyed their pools and the lakes around here.  But the farmers were praying for rain.

My garden is magnicient this year.  Today Elizabeth Melville and I harvested the Purple Viking potatoes, and she dug up the residual garlic while I pulled up the onions.  Then we tackled the tomatoes.  The orange cherry tomatoes are so sweet, I've already made two pots of pasta sauce with them.  The Black Prince, Morgage Lifters, Green Zebras,Gold Medals, Paul Robesons, Amish paste, and others are prolific.  Elizabeth was wondering how I was going to collect the ones that are coming off the 7 foot branches though.  I've never had to take a ladder into the garden to get the tomatoes before, but this year the tomatoes are all reaching to great heights.  It must be the chicken manure!

While Elizabeth and I were picking eggplant, squash, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, Rob was busy building a door in the stall so that the babies could have more room to run around.  I was just going to staple up some chicken wire to the wall and somehow attach it to the other side so that I could get in and out but Rob would not allow such a sloppy affair.  So we got a lovely door on hinges and a legitimate latch.  The babies have a large area to run around in and the older chicken can view them at close range.

.

And tomorrow it's time to spend with the Lord and our church family.

Take Your Mother To Work Day

It was take your mother to work day yesterday, at least in the Nordberg family.

I got to go to work with Jon at the Belmont yesterday and it was soooo much fun.  Although I didn't get up at 4:30am to go with him, I did join him at 9:00 at the Vet Village.  I got to see the clinic, the drugs, the equipment, the digital Xray and I did bring Otis, who got to sleep an extra 4 hours that morning.  He was happy!

It was so much fun to see Jon at work.  Examining horses, passing tubes to hydrate horses, scoping horses for breathing issues, giving lameness checks, giving injections, and interacting with all the various people who are in charge of all these very important horses!

The horses are trained, either breezed, walked or galloped and then there are folks who give them a bath and get them back in the stalls.  They are immaculate!  The Belmont employs so many people at all different levels.   There are trainers, owners, barn managers, riders, jockeys, grooms, walkers and all the older men who are directing traffic so vehicles so not run into the horses.  And pay attention!!!  One must never slam the car/truck door.  It may spook the horses.

 There are sixty barns filled with horses that are in various stages of training, many of the horses were at Saratoga for August and will be back in September.

Jon kept getting calls has he was going to the various barns responding to the concerns of the trainers and barn managers.

We got to go to the back side and watch some horses that were being exercised.

The park is beautiful and huge!  Right in the middle of Long Island it take up over 450 acres of space.  It has lovely trees, flowers, barns, medical clinics, dorms for some of the 1000 employees, stores, a huge grand stand, magnificent boxes and a lovely track.  The had some of these plaques denoting the big winner different years.  This one dates back to 1935

It was a beautiful day yesterday on Long Island.  And I was priviledged to see so many beautiful horses hear about how they are taken care of and trained.  After most of Jon's rounds were done he was able to get away for a bit and go to lunch.  We drove through gorgeous neighborhoods on Long Island and had lunch at a wonder Asian restaurant. 

And then I had to take off to return to the North Country.

What a great day!

Moms

Today would have been my mom's 89th birthday.

She was a great mom,  devoted wife, loyal friend, yummy cook and outstanding housekeeper.  And she loved doing all those things.

She didn't have to be taught that being a mom was the best thing in the world and that her job was significant and more important than anything else in the world.  And that God valued what she did in the home.  She raised three girls, who knew right from wrong, had a strong work ethic (might be the Scandinavian influence kicking in), valued family and all became born again Christians.

As I look around in church these days I'm so impressed with the wonderful young families we have.  We've been here for a while so all the kids that I have had in children's church are grown, married, have families and even some of their children are now getting married themselves.  Many of them became involved with the Women's Ministry.  And now they are out, married, and having families of their own.

Our church has been a bastion of promoting the family.  That's one of the reasons we decided to plant ourselves at CFC.  That was the most important thing to us too.

And I see that all the teaching, mentoring, praying, modeling the church body has done,  has really paid off.

I see  young mom's grabbing hold of new moms and helping them with questions, issues, concerns.  Encouraging them to keep on keeping on.  They plan showers for each other.  Share books, recipes, and decorating ideas with each other.  They have a Mom's Cadre where they get together and get to talk about mom issues.  And then the young couples get together once a month and receive more encouragement from others about raising Godly families together.  They help each other with home projects, and work together on church projects.  And they promote families together.  And I see the dad's gently and quietly helping with the discipline of behavior in the young, producing some wonderful toddlers and young ones.

I guess I'm boasting.  But I'm proud of them.  I think it's a bit unusual.  I sometime wish families could be imported for a bit and be a part of our fellowship.  We're not perfect, no.  Far from perfect.  But I think we have something special here.

My mom would be proud too.

The Garden

These are Viking Red Potatoes.

I dug a few tonight.  Aren't they pretty?!?

I started growing potatoes a couple of years ago.  I love having them in my garden.  This is a new variety though and I'm excited to try them out.  They look very pretty and I think the insides are milky white.  I've also planted some fingerlings, some yellow and some different red potatoes.  They taste completely different from potatoes one buys in the store.  This year I planted 3 raised beds of potatoes and a couple of large containers.  We'll see how they come out.

The garden is prolific this year.  I can't keep up with the beans.  I've given beans to everyone that comes near me.  Today I resurrected my canning skills and "did" up a huge batch of green beans.  The beets are magnificent this year too.  I'm going to try to store some in the basement for the winter.  And hopefully, I be able to make a trip down to NYC to share the produce with my boys.  The kale is still producing, but I've pulled the buttercrunch and romaine lettuce.  I think I will plant a row of spinach for the fall in their stead.

My tomato plants are almost 7 feet tall.  I have a variety of cherry tomatoes and the larger ones are coming on strong.  The eggplants are developing nicely and I've also had to give away bags of cuccumbers.  I've rediscovered cucumber salad which my mom used to make in the summer years ago, so I'm using quite a few cucumbers.

I've harvested my garlic.  I think I have enough for the whole neighborhood, but I seem to cook with garlic almost everyday.  And one clove goes in each of the chickens various water buckets.  It seems to help prevent parasites.....at least that's what I read in my Backyard Chicken magazine.

The only thing I seem to have trouble with in the garden are peas.  Everyone else can grow peas like crazy but I have the most meager pea production ever.  I think I will skip them next year.  And they are supposed to be the easiest vegetable to grow.  Oh well.

I had blueberry pancakes at the Inn this past Sunday.  And the blueberries came from my own bushes.  I managed to get out and harvest them before the birds and chipmunks could get all of them.  I've heard we are supposed to have dominion over all these creatures.....but somehow they still seem to get the best of me in the blueberry patch.

It's been unseasonably warm up here in the North Country this year.  But thank goodness we are getting rain a bit.  I went out to my neices baby shower the weekend before last and flying in we could tell that everything was just completely burned.  My friends family had a big farm in Iowa and he said all the crops are dead and they will just have to plow them under.  So sad.  Farming is not for the weak at heart.  He's optomistic next year will be better.

But we've had a wonderful summer.  Hot, but everything is still green.  And I think the corn is just about to be harvested!!

Rejoice with those, and Weep with those......

Two weeks ago we were rejoicing and celebrating.  God's goodness, his faithfulness, and hope for the future.

This weekend we are weeping over two friends who have died.  Much to early.  And looking to HIM for hope for the future.

"And that's the way it's done!!!"

The four of us were sitting quietly on the bench in the garden.

Waiting.

The plan, so far had been implemented perfectly.

Timing was crucial.

And so was the canine participation.

Then around the corner and up the path Ethan came.  Fist in the air saying..."and that's the way it's done!....that's the way it's done!!"  He was so excited.  The plan had worked perfectly....even better than they had planned.

Jon wanted the families to be involved in this special weekend.  He was going to propose, under the Brooklyn Bridge, on their way to the River Cafe.  Otis, Jon's chocolate labrador, was a big part of the plan.  Ethan was to tie with a pink ribbon, the engagement ring (Grandma Nordberg's engagement ring) to Otis's collar and have Otis tied up to one of the park benches.  They would come upon Otis and she would see the ring and say "yes!!"

Ethan, coming from work in his suit, secured Otis from the Suburban, tied the ring to the collar and Otis to the designated bench and proceeded to hide in the bushes.

People started passing by wondering out loud who this dog was and if they should call the police.  Ethan, from the bushes giving hand signals, indicated that Otis was part of an engagement strategy and that everyone should act normally.  Then everyone wanted to linger and witness the event.  One older couple got so excited that they indicated to Ethan that they would take pictures and just pretend that they were taking pictures of the scenery.  Ethan quickly reached into his breast pocket and gave them his business card, securing promises that they would send him the pictures.

Otis, of course, behaved perfectly, knowing his role in this adventure.  Jon and Jill came upon this dog sitting quietly beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.  Jon proposed, Jill said yes and the ring fit perfectly on Jill's finger.  And 75 people who just happened to be milling around the Brooklyn Bridge broke out into a round of applause.

She still did not know that her folks and we were sitting just a few hundred yards away.  They came up the path to the restaurant garden and we jumped up and shouted "surprise!!"  More tears of joy as she saw her mom and dad, Rob, Ethan and myself waiting to congratulate them on their engagement.

The folks at the restaurant joined in our celebration with champagne, wine and a special dessert of the Brooklyn Bridge made from chocolate with "congratulations" written on a square of chocolate.

It was magical from start to finish.  And then we proceeded to have a wonderful weekend filled with a trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, picnics, a swim in the waves of the Atlantic on a beach on Robert Moses State Park, a trip to Manhattan and Broadway to see Newsies, a Sunday at Redeemer and brunch on the sidewalk cafe on the upper east side.

Perfect.  We reluctantly said goodbye.  A trip back north, a new week filled with responsibilities, and dreams for the future.

The weekend was too short.  And we need to be closer.  But those are things for the future.  And plans for the upcoming event are already being made.

Family Reunion

We had a family reunion today. No, not my flesh and blood family. But a family that I've spent the last 26 years with. Much beloved. As we arrived at church, I could sense the excitment and anticipation. Some we had not seen in about a year. And we had not all worshiped together since Good Friday when we gathered at the Potsdam site. Our church has a habit of growing and then dividing. Which is all very good in the eternal sense, but in the temporal, here and now, I get to see you and your children, your grandmother, the university students, every week sense, it's hard. It's just that we miss each other. And today we were excited to see one another. Plus we were all gathering for a picnic after service. The worship was wonderful, encouraging, and sensitive to the movings of the Holy Spirit. Besides, some of the most talented musicians in the country (not boasting here, they are not related to me) were leading. The children participated by doing some memorization about the Gifts of the Spirit. One of the little blond headed girl's projection and ennunciation would make even the strictest theater director proud. Right to the back of the large gymnasium her words resounded. We prayed with people who were having health problems. I looked around at my family here in this little community and was filled with love, pride and memories of so many. No, we are not perfect. Far from it. But we're family and we can count on each other. I see the "girl" who leads the childrens ministry. She was a teenager when I arrived and was leading children's church. She and her brother and future husband, helped me during that time and see.....she's still doing ministry. I saw the children when we arrived at this community all grown up, having their own children and raising the next generation for the Lord. They all know so much more than we did when we were raising our own. There were so many, as I've looked around, who I've prayed with, made dinners for and who have made dinners for me, babysat their children, ministered to while doing Women's Ministry, chatted with, cried with, rejoiced with, organized weddings with, had showers for, developed Dessert Night themes with and encouraged folks to use their talents for,  attended funerals for family members,decorated for holidays with, hired their children to mow our lawns and do odd jobs, been neighbors with, done theater with, planted gardens for and overall just loved on and they have loved me back. I think that is family. And we have it here.

Magnificent Spring Flowers in My Garden

There is nothing like spring in the North Country!!!

And I love all the wonderful friends that come out to greet me each year.  The Oriental Tree Peonies in my garden are just magnificent this year.  And with the rain drops clinging to the white fragile pedals, all I wanted to do was watch them for a few hours this afternoon as they gradually opened up to their frilly best.

But, sad to say, those few hours were not spent observing and conteplating.  Too much work to do in the spring.  We have just begun to get the flower beds in town ready for spring and summer.  Weeding, mulching, and weeding were the first priorities.  The vegetable garden needed to be tilled and when we were finally able to spend an hour or two tilling, we finally had to concede that our tiller had come to the end of it's life.  So out to the street it went only to be picked up almost immediately and brought to a new home.  Perhaps that optomistic young man has more time to tinker with it's motor and gears.

We did get the vegetable garden tiller with a borrowed tiller and a helpful young man.  So the peas are in, as well as the kale and green peppers.  The potates were in a bit ago in the raised beds which are much easier to take care of.  The onion sets are in the the lettuce is up.  And the garlic planted last fall looks like it's almost ready to harvest....mild winter.  Perhaps next week, the beets, beans, acorn squash, butternut squash, zucchini and yellow squash, and cabbage will go in.  The broccoli and brussel sprouts are still growing in the garden house.

A Litengard guest who has stayed with us a few times, brought me five wonderful looking tomato plants.  New species that I have never planted.   I hope to plant them this weekend.  We don't plant tomatoes here before June 1st usually.   I have a few guests who love gardening and especially love the different tomatoes I've grown.  We get together and compare notes and share tips and advice.

This spring all our energies were spent getting the Stuga ready for our first guests.  But now that almost everything is done on the inside of camp, we can concetrate on the landscaping and fencing.  I'm meeting with someone tomorrow who will put in the new lawn at Litengard on the Lake.  And I've dug up scads of evening primrose to be planted behind one of the back retaining walls.  Jon's lovely stone walkway and pation are surrounded with white astillibe and varigated miniature sedum.  It's all fun, but lots of work.  And in a few years it will look like it's been there forever.

April 10, 2012

It's Jon's birthday today.

And he's half way around the world so I can't get a birthday cake to him! Or even a birthday card.

We've tried to send him mail, but so far it has been unsuccessful. The mail we sent in October has still not arrived.

They can have a ski lodge and slope, luge run and indoor sledding with snow in the middle of a mall (in a country where it gets to be 120 degrees in the summer) but their postal service leaves a lot to be desired.

So I guess I will have to wait until next week when he gets home to give him a real birthday party!

He's a miracle! Really.

I was told that I could have no more children after Elizabeth, only miscarriages. Antibiodies and antigens all too high for viability. Medical science could not help but we really didn't need them. The Lord provided. "For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of him."

He has had a busy couple of weeks, flying back and forth from Dubai to England, Ireland and France, delivering sheik Mohammad's horses to their destinations.

And Ethan was up at the top of the Freedom Tower today.

I didn't think it was open yet. And I was right! It's not. Somehow, Ethan had a
VIP tour at the top of the Freedom Tower.

My children lead interesting lives!

Florida

My heart is in Florida today.

My dear Aunt Millie died on Saturday and was buried in a military cemetery today near her beloved husband, Warren.

My mom and dad each had a sister. Millie was dad's. She was 15 months younger than dad, and he watched over her.

My dad never had a bedroom of his own until he was married. His family lived in an apartment and the two bedrooms went to my grandparents and Aunt Millie. He had the couch in the living room.

Aunt Millie had a beautiful voice. An operatic voice. In fact she studied down in NYC with some very famous vocal instructors. My dad paid for those lessons, she was destined to be in the opera. But alas, she could not memorize the languages. So her singing career was confined to singing in my dad's band, and in the church choir.

My grandparents were musical, my grandmother played the organ at church, almost until the day she died. My grandfather directed the choir. Both Millie and my dad would sing with the choir and later would make guest appearances when they would put on a cantata.

Aunt Millie married Warren, who was a superb tenor. They had a band together and later sang in church choirs, the contralto and the tenor.

Our families actually lived on the same street for several years, in Rye. Terrace Court. I remember Aunt Millie, and mom, always wore dresses. Even when one was cleaning the house, house dresses. It was fun to live on the same street as relatives.

When Uncle Warren died, she moved to Hilton Head, to be near my folks. I saw her frequently then. She made many of our family reunions up at the lake. I remember her in her upper 70's riding the big jet ski and making us promise not to tell Peter, her son. He would be unhappy to see her in a potentially dangerous situation. She made the best scrambled eggs for us all and fried up pounds of pounds of bacon each morning. She loved Bridge and would play several times a week, even up until a few months ago.

One of our other favorite memories was when she was about my age, Rob and I were visiting her in Florida and we all went out water skiing. Rob had never tried and made a valiant effort but never got up, I skied for a bit but Aunt Millie showed us all how to really ski! She took off from the dock, skied all around and then they dropped her off at the beach. She skied onto the beach, and stepped out of the ski. I don't think her bathing suit was even wet, I know that not a hair in her recently coiffured head was out of place. We were very impressed!

I'm glad I was able to spend the week with her before she died. When she saw me in Florida the first night she sort of sat up in bed and exclaimed, "Am I dying? Oh wait, I'm dying!" How does one respond to that? Yes, and I'm here to tell you that I love you. We said that alot to each other that week.

I'll miss her and her indominable spirit. But she loved the Lord. So someday, Aunt Millie, we will all be together again!!

Love you!

I Have A Tree

I have a tree which stands on our property line. We share the tree, technically.

It's about 80 to 100 years old. And it towers above our home.

When we moved here 28 years ago it looked a bit different.

Of course a little smaller, but still a significant tree by any standard. It was beautiful in the spring and summer, a huge canopy of leaves giving shade and homes to birds and other wildlife. In the autumn it painted the sky with reds and yellows mellowing to burnt oranges and golds.

But over the years it has sustained significant trama to it's trunk and branches. During the infamous ice storm 15 years ago, it lost huge branches on many sides. And it has sustained a hole 30 feet up it's trunk where, now, many families of squirrels reside. During several of our more severe winters other limbs and branches have been lost. We have had to call in the professional tree service people to cut up the huge limbs that have come down. Our seemly large chain saws, not up to the job. My lovely tree now sports numerous large holes from woodpeckers, scars from broken off branches and holes from birds and animals making this magnificent tree their home. It actually seems a bit lopsided now. It has had a lot of life wounds and injuries.

I have called the arborist 4 times over the course of 28 years. Each time I think, this tree can not survive another injury. It has finally met it's fatal blow. This fall when I called Marcus, he said, "no, this tree is still strong and healthy. It's strength is in it's mighty roots. It's not going anywhere. These maples can sustain a lot of abuse above the ground."

Yes, that's the secret.

Survival is in the roots.

A good foundation. Scripture tells us this. It's a Biblical principle. The foundation. Make it strong. He tells us that if our delight is in the law of the Lord we will be like a "tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding our fruit in its season, its leaf does not wither; and whatever it does shall prosper."

My tree doesn't look as lovely and majestic as it did 28 years ago. But it is still flourishing, providing oxygen for the environment, giving shade to us in the summer, housing nests for birds in the spring, and wood for our fireplace with each limb that has been torn off.

We have all had some significant life wounds. Especially if we have lived beyond middle age. We have watched our loved ones die, we've had disappointments and had some of our hopes and expectations dashed. There have been times when I have just cried out to the Lord.."Not one more blow, Father. I don't think I can take one more arrow."

But I want my life to deepen, not wither because of painful life experiences. I don't want to be a victim but a survivor. And not only a survivor but someone filled with grace and peace. I don't want to be like the beautiful white birches I see in the woods. Lovely white trunks with swaying graceful branches. They are the beauties of the woods. But one good wind, and a whole stand of birches goes down. Strewn all over the forest floor. No roots to sustain them though trials and tribulations.

I want to be like my mighty maple. We may not look real good to some on the outside, maybe some scars from battles and disappointments are visible, but inside we are strong and committed to quality living on every level.

"Why are you downcast, O my soul?
why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God" Psalm 42

Free At Last...Free At Last

Yes, I had my cast cut off today.

Freedom!!

But as they say with freedom, it comes with a price. My wrist hurts when I bend it certain ways, my thumb is so stiff from being in one position for 6 1/2 weeks, my grip is still very weak and I still can't open jars or lift anything with much weight, but NO CAST!!!

The X-ray showed everything was still in place, a callus is forming and things look really good, especially since the fracture was so severe. And I am typing with two hands now!!

Two hands and arms are very important. I found that out when I lost the use of one for 6 1/2 weeks. How to get dressed....now that was really funny to watch. Thank goodness no one had to see the slow frustrating progress of dressing each morning. How do you cut onions, or the meat on your plate? How do you eat a sandwich with only one one hand because the other one doesn't come anywhere near your mouth! Or wash your hands or your hair, with only one hand. Make a bed, or drive a car or clap? Try putting on knee high socks with one hand, or zipping up jeans and jackets. Zippers can be a big problem and very frustrating! How about going outside with only one glove on in -10 degrees because the other hand has a big cast in between the thumb and fingers. Everything, and I mean everything takes twice as long to do with only one hand. Try to read a book using only one hand...turning pages is an interesting proposition...I can see where a Kindle would have been useful.

But gradually one learns how to do things one handed.

I only had to experience being one handed for 6 weeks. And I knew that at the end of the prescribed time I would get the arm and hand back. There are plenty of soldiers that are coming home permanently with a limb missing, for ever.

We take our many blessings for granted here. I never thought about how blessed I was to have two functioning arms and hands. They were always there. They served me well, pursuing my occupation, raising my family, cleaning my home, preparing so many meals, planting my gardens, reading my Bible and taking notes, caring for my elderly parents, playing the piano, holding babies!

God is good and his blessings overwhelm us here in this country. We've all got plenty of food, warm houses, wonderful families and friends, music and church families, books to read, pets to play with, creative abilities to explore, projects to engage in and memories to hold dear.

Two hands. They are a blessing!

Nostalgia

I'm cleaning out the old china cabinet that has lived on the second floor, in the hallway for 27 years.

It's filled with books, photo albums, baby books and the children's old school memorabilia. Not china.

We must have done a poetry unit in homeschool. I had a cassette tape of 6th grade poetry I showed Carol last night. She actually knew what a "tape" was and mentioned that she might like it for when she home schools Warren, but she wouldn't be able to play it.

At least she didn't say we were ancient! But, neither did she didn't jump at the offer that Rob made that she could take one of our many tape decks residing downstairs!

After looking through Ethan's poetry journal I was was really moved by some of his entries. I thought I would share a few selections from a 10 year old.

The ice covers the window
Like the current of a river
Held still in time


Through the woods they trudged,
the two boys walked together;
Close, as though not to get lost
whereas, seperation could be worse.
Together in a world
unknown to them.
Yet tried everyday by the common person.

I think this one is really profound.

"We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends"

Or a lot of help!

My family and friends have been just wonderful this week! Calls, notes, visits, cards, dinners, trips to the orthopedic surgeon and a much needed visit to the Carina's, a wonderful young lady serving as Innkeeper this week, and a big package filled with yoga pants and valentine pj's from my girl in Atlanta!!

And it culminated in a call from two dear friends wanting to come over and play games with us, and keep us company on Friday night! So much fun!



We decided to play Scrabble. Rob and I needing to get our brain waves going, after not being able to bring up a word that we knew from 6th grade! The finger covering some of the board is hiding a word that I put on. I had certain letters and asked if that particular selection was a word. Colin looked it up and assured us it was a word. Unbeknowns to the rest of us, it was a very offensive word, and he suggested that we cover it before we took the picture. I still don't know the definition!



And Colin, who had never played SCRABBLE before, trounced us all!

And then it was on to speed Scrabble. Ann suggested we all play with one hand, so has not to have an unfair advantage over me. But I've been practicing all week doing things one handed, so I think the advantage was mine.

Then the three of them trooped over to 44 to set up for today's breakfast.

I think it's more than getting by......

WE'RE BORED

NOT ME!!
I'm never bored. I have enough projects, ideas, books to read, notes to write, people to visit and places to go to keep me busy for years to come1

But the other 11 beings that share the space are completely bored.

You see we have had inches of ice recently, and layers of snow the last few weeks and it is seriously impeding activity around here.

We have forbidden Otis to play ball fearing that he might fall on the ice and break his hip. The only speed he knows is all out, full speed ahead and I want to return him to Jon in the spring in one piece. So he definitely has cabin fever!


Meanwhile, the "ladies" of the barn are refusing to go outside in their yard. At first the 8 inches of snow probably would have buried them, and when I opened the door they all just backed away. None of that cold, white stuff was going to touch their skinny, bare feet and legs! Then the -20 degrees demanded that we close all doors and windows and turn the heat lamp on. Now they look at the sheer ice outside their door and have decided that they probably could not get enough traction needed to hop up the 18 inches to their door.

They're bored. Chickens are naturally inquisitive, but very skittish. The only interesting thing these days is to watch Otis' shadow as he walks back and forth across the outside barn door waiting for me to come out. I had grown large sunflowers this summer hopping to hang them from the ceiling of the coop to keep them occupied this winter, but silly me, I left them laying in the barn and in 2 days time the mice, squirrels and chipmunks devoured them. Live and learn!




These are the 4 new "girls". The white ones are just standard leghorns. While the brown ones are Ameracunas. One is laying the most beautiful blue eggs.
They haven't been named yet so I thought we might have some fun and name them now. For those who still follow this blog you know that the original 6 all are named after my Norwegian relatives. I've researched the family tree for more names which include:
Turid
Bente
Else
Solveig
Gun
Grete
Marit
Trude
Frida
Any suggestions welcome.

Although I an not bored, I have been sidelined. After navigating the ice successfully for over a week, I slipped and fell on Friday, fracturing my left wrist. I asked for a small cast in the ER but thet gave me a LARGE cast in the OR. My request was definately not granted. My friends have brought me flowers and dinners, and Rob has constructed this contraption to hold my arm up 90 degrees, night and day. I have taken my two arms and hands for granted for too long. One needs two hands for almost everything, including washing ones hands.

But I'm blessed. I get to have my hand and arm back in six weeks.

And as one of my friends reminded me....... it could have been my HIP!!!

Diamonds in the Trees

This was our street as I was leaving home to go to church.

Winter finally has arrived, initiating us into the season by dumping 6 inches of snow after coating the trees with ice. It's like a winter wonderland here.

But driving home from church, on a back road lined with twenty huge hundred year old maple trees, I was treated to a spectaular show of glittering diamonds in the trees. The sun was out, the skies were clear, only a few wispy clouds on the horizon and the vista was sparkling. As the light fell on the thousands of branches the effect was breathtaking. I was entering a tunnel encrusted with sparkling jewels; diamonds. And around the edges were willows whose long thin branches were ribbons of silver, just waiting to be woven into some fine tapestry.

This past year as been the most difficult of my life. But driving home yesterday was a wonderful reminder of God's beauty and love. His creativity and joy in His creation. And His constant abiding love and faithfulness to me.

Fireworks...New Years Eve 2011

I've seen fireworks before.

But nothing like this.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI4TTcbOK3g

We were in Dubai for Christmas and New Years. Jon is working there this year at the Meydan stables and race track. The royal family's stable of thoroughbreds for racing.

His apartment is right across the street from the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, and also the sight of the worlds 2nd best fireworks for New Years Eve. I understand Sydney, Australia has #1.

We decided to walk over to the park and find a spot to enjoy the evening. So glad we got the car in it's parking spot early, the highways became one big parking lot and people were pouring in from every street. New Years Eve seems like more of a family event in Dubai. As we got situated in our spot we were surrounded by groups of families, multigenerational, including infants and older grandparents.

Our information said the fireworks would start at 11:00pm but that obviously was wrong. We were kept entertained though by the fountain shows every 15 minutes. Dancing streams of water in perfect harmony with the wonderful variety of music that was broadcast.

But at midnight everything stopped, darkened and then exploded.

And as I watched, I felt like crying. It was strange. As the fireworks exploded from the top downward, and off from the sides and around the ground, and the music rang in my ears and the water fountain danced with joy; scriptures started exploding in my spirit.

And I sensed God's very real presence in that country so far from anything that was familiar, at a very secular event.

Zephaniah 3:17, a scripture that I had been meditating on, became living and real. "The Lord thy God in the midst of you is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing". The music combined with the flashes of light and booming sounds overwhelmed me with a consciousness of how much God loves us and rejoices over us.

Scriptures from Revelation flooded into my mind......"out of his throne prodeeded lightnings and thunderings and voices", "worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor and glory and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".

The fireworks in Dubai were just man's awesome show of power, engineering, inspiration and creativity. I don't think you can hear the music that was being played on utube, but it was beautiful. And this is just what man can do. We get a little glimpse of God in His power. He gave us just a little, after all we are made in His image, but it shows us how majestic He is. How powerful, mighty, awesome, holy and strong He is. He is over all!

And He gave that all up so He could save us. So He could redeem us.

It's incomprehensible.

To God be the glory.