Memory Stones

Turn

at

the

corner

tree.






Use
the
road
passing
through
the
farm
yard.






Travel

down

the

hill

along

the

lake

shore.



Glimpse

the

yellow-headed

black bird

by

the

marsh.




Descend

the

worn

path.






Jump

into

the

water.







Search

in

the

shallows













or

the

sand.







Make memories. Take tokens – ones we call: Memory Stones.

Wishin' for Fishin'

To his his fisher-
buddy, our skipper said:

"What do you say:








we finish
this cruise,

drop
these
tourists
at
the
dock,






and
head
back
out
to
fish?"





Any doubts about this bass master's reply?

A Mimic Minnow...

helped
Aaron
lure
in
a
"lunker"
while
fishing
off
Great
Grandma's
dock.

After the storm...

comes

a

rainbow.

Designer Dan

Four years ago, Dan started remodeling our lower bathroom by gutting the room and ripping out the hallway wall.

That hall space, which led back to the furnace room, then became part of the bathroom. (He cut a new doorway in the TV room to access the furnace room.)



The result allowed us to replace the old free-standing shower with a full-size tub and shower.




He also ripped out the old vanity, paneling, toilet and flooring.

"I want to design this bathroom," Dan said
when I asked about
outfitting the room anew.

As I raised my eyebrows, he said, "Don't you trust me?"




"I'd like to see
your choices
before you
install them,"
I replied
and he agreed.

See if

you do

too.





From the
salvaged
three-way
mirror
and
sky-blue
paneling...


(He let me
pick the sink!)





to the
low-flush
toilet
and
free-
standing
toilet
paper
roll
holder...









to the
cedar ceiling
and
white-painted
door
and
trim...




to the

decoratively-

painted

sheet rock,

white-washed

wainscoting

and

ceramic tile.


An airy Swedish-sauna feel – ode all to Designer Dan's style! (And a bit of help from his dad, wife and a local plumber – on logistics, finishing work and securing the drain fits.)

Thanks HUN for a job well done – four years and one month this weekend. Alas, you can have YOUR peace and the boys' – theirs, too.

Progress

Take
a look
at the
view
from
the
crest
of our
new
road.



Now we can:

Call It Progress

from
last
fall's
project
start.

DREAM

"Keep a dream

in your pocket

and faith

in your heart.

Anything is possible"


Even stitching up a round fluffy pillow while sitting at a Little Sluggers baseball game.

Hey – some spectators chew sunflower seeds. Others take photos. I'll admit to browsing the newspaper and knitting. So – why not sew?




Especially when

it's a birthday gift

for a friend

to brighten up

the fireplace nook





in a tiny cottage –

a recent purchase that has become her family's slice of The Garden of Sweden.


All because she dared to DREAM.

And so, I dreamed too – of stitching her a pillow while watching Noah in his Field of Dreams.

Energy Boost

To gain

energy,

you must

spend

energy.





As such it came to me, while boosting serotonin levels and walking Along Life's Road.

First Wild Rose

I spied it early this morning –

the first one here of the year –

nestled in the grass near the road's bend.

Then I
r
e
m
e
m
b
e
r
e
d
her –

my father's mother – just as she had remembered her father's mother.



Both held a passion for its delicate pink petals, golden centers and leafy greens.



Maybe someday – I too will be "father's mother" who passes on this skip-a-generation passion for seeking summer's First Wild Rose.

Rhubarb Recipe

Kids remember random things.

But there's nothing random about the rhubarb dessert my aunt used to make once each summer to share at Grandma's lake house.

How I loved its fluffy meringue, custard middle and cookie crust.

Years later, Aunt Marge shared the recipe, so I could make it myself.

Now I truly appreciate the layers of her labor. I also know why this dessert is a once-a-year affair – and one worth sharing.

For those who love to bake, start with a trip to the garden for a bundle of rhubarb stalks. Then prepare for layers of love:

Preheat oven 325ºF.

Crust

1 cup flour
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup butter

Combine these ingredients. Flatten in a 9x9-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes. While waiting, mix the following ingredients:

Filling

3 egg large yolks, beaten
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cream or evaporated milk
2 heaping tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb

Pour this filling on top of the warm crust. Return pan to oven. Bake 45 minutes (or until filling sets up without jiggling.) Remove from oven.

Meringue

3 egg whites
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat egg whites until half firm. Add sugar and beat until firm. Mix in vanilla extract. Spread meringue on top of the hot filling. Return pan to oven. Bake 10 minutes – until golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Let cool on counter top until warm. Then refrigerate. Tiny liquid beads should form on top of the meringue. Serve cool.


For a twist to this recipe, substitute half the rhubarb for an equal amount of sliced strawberries.

Then, enjoy – with a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea – like we did this Father's Day on a trip to Grammy Jan's house where our kids met up with their cousins to make their own random memories.

Little Sluggers

Fielding...












Swinging...












Sliding...

















Cheering...











Grasping Team Spirit for Little Sluggers!

Pop Quiz II

What common factor is shared by today's photos:



SNOW!

Oops...
that'd be –

cottonwood
fluff












alyssum
blooms








and...



young

wild

blueberries?








Answer:

They're all taken out our backdoor on this incredible blue-skied summer morning!

Take Care to Wonder

Rain kept us indoors all day.

Isaac wanted help looking for his clarinet music that's been packed away. I dug through two tubs of stuff with no luck for him. BUT, I surprised myself finding a piece I've wanted for months – and didn't even know was in my possession. (Click on the photo above for a closer view.)

I found it in an old folder of guitar music. My heart leaped when I opened the green folder and saw a book called "Hymnal for Young Christians" first copyrighted 1966. I felt compelled to page through the loose pages in the front.

Between page 46 and 32, I found page 148. (Yes, the pages were quite jumbled.) From its top, I read "Wonder-Full World" by James Thiem. I scanned the page recognizing the refrain and FIVE verses for the song which begins: "Take care to wonder at the world through which you wander. Never hurry by an open door, for you live in a universe, full of miracles galore."

Last September, I wrote about this song in a post called Miracles Galore. I remembered my first-grade teacher instilling this song upon my heart to teach us to love all God's creation. Unfortunately, time had erased all but the first verse from my memory.

I attempted several internet searches trying to locate the song. Quite often my search would begin after someone else had "googled" this song and checked out my blog post as a reference. (That's the beauty of a STATcounter. It allows the patron to see how people reach his/her website.) As I browsed over their inquiry selections, I realized these people's searches also seemed to dead end.

My sister helped me seek information from our parochial elementary school. Her son now attends our alma mater and some of the same teachers still work there. Unfortunately, none of them had a copy of the 1970s "orange songbook" from which I remembered singing "Wonder-Full World." Even the church office failed to find a copy in their files. (Thanks for trying, Tam!)

I had one other internet lead to follow up with at a church camp in Illinois noted in a theology student's doctorate which made mention of this song. However, other things in my life took precedence over writing to the camp headquarters. And, what was the chance they'd still have a songbook from decades years ago?

Upon finding this treasure today, I noticed guitar chords written – in red pencil – above the music. Then, another grade-school memory returned: At our children's church services, guitar song leaders stood up front playing this song.

I leafed through other music in the green folder and found a red piece of construction paper. There – in my elementary scrawl – was this song and the chords copied to practice at home. Of course! I'd been one of those guitar song leaders.

BING! (The light bulb went on.) No wonder this song stuck with me through the years.(Although I'm still uncertain how this hymnal came into my possession... picked up later at a church rummage sale?)

Today, I grabbed my guitar, strummed and sang the first verse:

"Look for God in small things: drops of rain or a grain of sand. Praise him whenever you find him in anything small."

I gave thanks for the rain. It led me to today's small miracle and allows me to hold true my promise: to post this song for others who "Take Care to Wonder."


Here are the other verses:

vs 2. Look for God in bright things: Someone's eyes or the skies at noon. Praise him whenever you find him in anything bright.

vs. 3. Look for God in black things: Storms at dusk or a brother's skin. Praise him whenever you find him in anything black.

vs. 4. Look for God in weak things: Newborn deer or a fearful child. Praise him whenever you find him in anything weak.

vs. 5. Look for God in wet things: Dewy grass or a glass of wine. Praise him whenever you find him in anything wet.






Come! Rejoice with me.

What was once lost

is now found.

Luke 15:6,9,32





Now, about Isaac's clarinet music. Hmmm?

Post Script Note:
March 2, 2011

Sonia, click This One's for You below to hear the song.

Heart Warmer

Your life will be richer
if on this day
you will make
an effort to:

Mend a quarrel

Search for
a forgotten friend

Dismiss a suspicion and

Replace it with trust.



As I flipped my daily devotional calendar this morning and read these words, my Heart grew Warmer. Here's praying yours does too.

Hardy Buggers

Our brief stop at our pond place produced a day's worth of crawling.

On the drive home, I picked off a handful of ticks. Dan reaped more than two dozen. I cringed, "You must have stepped into a nest." We threw them into a water cup. Some sank. Others floated. Dan said, "I wonder if they even breathe?"

Before bed, I advised Dan to strip down, throw his clothes directly in the washing machine and jump into the shower. I did the same and ran a load of laundry. The next morning, I lifted the washer lid to shift the clothes into the dryer and found a woodtick still clinging to Dan's T-shirt. I thought: Surely, it's dead.

Moments later, the tick began to move. I ran to Dan with this survivor. He said, "See, I told you. I don't think those things breathe."

Whether ticks breather or not, they certainly are Hardy Buggers.

From These Shores

of our pond place, I hear a loon call. I echo his. And he mine. We chat until he disappears beneath the surface.

More than five years has passed since we first called this spot ours and dreamed of building a little cabin – a getaway not far from home. Someday... maybe those dreams will be realized. Until then, this big stone waits for its chance to become the front step.

And I wait for my chance to commune with the loons that nest here – regularly – From These Shores.

Inclement Weather

Spotty storms and overcast intervals typified the elements this entire week. It's been a tough test of character for our three boys fresh out of school on Summer Vacation.

To break up the monotony of staying indoors at home, I offered to drive them into school to eat breakfast and visit with friends who also chose to take part in the "free meals" summer grant program.

On our drive home, we noticed standing puddles from the heavy overnight rains. A closer look at the gravel road revealed worms on its surface.

"Hey guys!" I said stopping the truck. "Jump out and take a look at the ground."

"Worms!" Aaron shouted. "Will you – "

"Take you fishing?" I finished his question with a nod. "You'll need something to hold the worms."

"Do you want this?" Aaron asked lifting up an orange juice cup. "I was going to save it for Isaac since he didn't come for breakfast. But..."

"We've got OJ at home," I said. "You don't want it?" Aaron shook his head. I drank the juice, put the foil wrapper on the cup bottom and handed it back. Within minutes, Aaron and Noah filled the cup with enough worms for a heavy day of fishing.

Back home, we convinced Isaac to join us by offering to stop back at school for lunch – a hot ham and cheese sandwich with trimmings.

Out on the fishing pier, Aaron and Noah baited their hooks and wet their lines. Each lost a couple worms, but failed to hook a fish.

Wind rustled across the lake. An occasional gray cloud blew overhead sprinkling us with rain drops. Moments later, sun rays peered through the sky.

About 45 minutes into our fishing trip, heavy rain pelted us and bounced off the water.

Waves of wind swirled the lake's surface as the raindrops danced drenching us in their amazing warmth.

"Hurry! Jump in the truck," I hollered to the boys as I pulled out my camera to capture the inclement view from under the oak tree.

Inside the truck, I asked, "What time is it?"

"10:30," Isaac said consulting his watch. I replied, "Should we wait to see if this passes? There's still a half hour before lunch is served."

Mixed reactions met my question. While waiting for a consensus, the rain quit. Aaron and Noah grabbed their rods and bait. Isaac snatched my camera.

At the end of the dock, Isaac snapped a self portrait.

I retrieved my camera before he started shooting video of Aaron's wishful attempts to lure a bass.

A bus from the local group home stopped, unloaded and walked out to the dock's end. Their leader asked about the boys' luck.

"Nothing but the fun of trying," I said. "After a week of rain and staying indoors, it's enough."

She nodded adding: "You know, the whole area is under a tornado warning until 4 PM today?" I raised my eyebrows and said, "Well, that explains the weather."

The group loaded the bus. I pondered loading up too. "Come on guys! It's gotta be lunch time now."

At that moment – Aaron landed the season's first catch: a sunfish.

The damp weather caused my camera shutter to jam and open only partially. Attempting to focus, I said, "I don't think this will work."

I snapped. Aaron moved in for a look.

"Hey that's a cool effect!" he said.

Yes! Cool for Inclement Weather.