Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this last weekend of September!  The weather?  Tuesday it was 92 degrees and felt like 98 degrees.  We were breaking records!  Yesterday the high was 56 degrees and rainy......September!!  We have noticed a few trees are turning a golden color.  I'm looking forward to the explosion of color that is coming our way as fall continues and September 22nd, the first day of Fall has come and gone making it official.  

Speaking of Fall, our mums are blooming a bright yellow/gold and an orange/yellow as they stand proudly in front of our porch.  Our red geranium is blooming again, and our fern is still full and beautiful.  All the rest of our potted flower plants we have said farewell to.  We hope to head out to a pumpkin patch soon to gather up pumpkins for our front porch steps and gourds for the house.  I have laid out a table cover that my sister-in-law gave me.  She is an excellent quilter.  Our fall pillow slip cover is out and our little pumpkin pillow, along with other fall decorations.  Not too many but enough to announce that Fall has arrived!

This past week we went to the local park and enjoyed all the plants and bushes that are still blooming. So many marigolds this time of year.   Joel got in a couple of bike rides and and I have walked daily inside or outside depending on the elements.  Doctors and a dentist were part of the equation too.  And a lot of searching for a mini fridge to replace our old fridge that now has a continually running motor.  Spendy.  Why do two people need a second fridge?  Well, we don't really except that we buy in bulk food items we cannot get in our corner of the world.  We drive nearly two hours north to pick up almonds and cashews, almond butters, organic applesauce, almond flours, etc. and we buy for 4 months at a time.  Yeah, it saves us that much money to do so.  Thus the second fridge, but what we purchased in a 4.5 cu. ft one with a designated freezer.  It will work just fine and we were happy to find it.  Used fridges?  Near impossible to find!    I will say, only in America does a couple in their 70's have a second fridge to hold the excess.

As I wrote this a visual memory popped up of two children, around ages 5 and 6, who were digging through our garbage can in The Philippines.  They were sent out looking for food....."wealthy" Americans throw away a lot of stuff they would devour if they had the chance.  They visited our garbage more than a few times. One day a garbage truck broke down on road on the side of our house.  I watched Filipino men dig through the piled garbage, then build a fire and warm up what was there and eat it,  Two men got into a fight over what they had found.  Needless to say, it was an eye opener to see this unfolding.  I think it subtly put me on a course to use up our food....eat our leftovers.....try not to waste anything we were privileged to fill our plates with.  So long ago............but such vivid memories.

Speaking of memories, our oldest and her family purchased a Christmas present for us where we answer questions given to us weekly, and it is put in a bound book.  This week's question was to ask how our country has changed in our lifetime!~!  I think a person could write a whole book on just that one question.  What has NOT changed in the past 74 years would be easier to define.  Haha  It had us both thinking about all the changes with cars, appliances, careers, TV's, phones ~especially phones~ politics, civil rights, and so much more.  One vivid thing for me that came up was the invention of cell phones.  I can remember when we had to limit our "long distance"  phone calls.  Talking to my mom, even after seven pm when it was cheaper, would cost $20.  We called home once from The Philippines in two years and talking 5 minutes was $40.  The phone bill could easily run into the hundreds if you were not careful.  So many changes in our world..............many good.........still too many bad.  It gets you thinking doesn't it?  One conference speaker I listen often asks how many people under the age of 30 are in the audience.  She will then talk about church pews and to the younger crowd explain what they were!  Ha....SO many churches have very comfortable chairs and even cup holders!  I confess, I prefer the cushy chairs!!

So today I am grateful for cushy chairs when I get them.  Grateful for cell phones that make it possible to call anytime...and receive amazing photos.  Grateful for Fall arriving. Grateful for our plates being "full", having excess for a mini fridge, for colorful mums, questions that make us remember and pause, for bike rides and walks,  for phone calls from every one of our kids last week!  Giving thanks for our oldest granddaughter's birthday, our oldest daughter's recovery going so well.  Grateful for naps, a good night's sleep, buying in bulk, waking to a new sunrise every day....and so much more.  

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Sunday to you on this partly cloudy fall day here in Iowa where we have lived for 26 1/2 years.  How did that happen?  We enjoy our neighbors and community here in Mason City, and as sojourners are settled in as much as we know how to do, but we do miss Minnesota lakes, loons, and vivid northern lights.....and a few people too (ha)!  Being ex-military and retired from ministry, we still call Minnesota "home".  There was always home to go back to when we were living out west or overseas.  Vacations were mostly spent going "home" to see family when you were moving at the military's orders.  And when Joel was a pastor, we moved about every 6 1/2 years until we were called here to northern Iowa.  Then things changed.....and even in retirement, we still live here, for a number of reasons.  

This reflecting all came up for me after talking to my friend Lana yesterday about our history and the plans we had as young adults.  Joel and I both wanted to be in the mission field, following in the footsteps of his second cousin David Simonson who served in Tanzania for 50 years until his death.  He is buried on land given to him and his family by the Masai tribe.   I started thinking about missions when I was around 13, long before I knew Joel.  I would look at photos of a missionary family posted on the bulletin board at our church.  They were in Brazil and I would wonder what it was like to be there.  Joel grew up hearing about his second cousin and the work he was doing in Africa.  It became our dream..............and then life shifted our plans.  Joel was drafted...........eight years of military ..............seminary...........and Montana called us.  And the idea of putting our kids in boarding schools did not fit for us.....so it never happened.  We talked of going when our kids were all grown and living their own lives but then sickness and other things interfered.  So here we are.  Still living in Iowa but missing our "home" state at times.....and thinking periodically about the "what if" of the missionary life we once desired.  Isn't life what happens when you are making other plans?  But God has blessed our lives, we have met many amazing people while livingn in 7 states and one third world country.  And Iowa is the home now where we lay our heads at night.

Speaking of home, with Fall hanging around, I have taken out our Fall decorations for inside and out.  It is my favorite time of year..........as anyone who has read my blog knows, I love the colors, smells, weather, and so much more about this season.  Could it last a little longer, Lord?  

Has anyone else watched the endless coverage of Queen Elisabeth's death and soon to be funeral?  The world over we are fascinated by her 70 years as queen.  I honestly don't think we grasp the significance of her legacy or her passing here in America.  We don't have a Monarchy, nor Kings or Queens, but I do find it all impressive and intriguing.  I wonder what their future holds.  What happens there, sends ripples across the world.  We are all connected. 

Friday Joel and I baked apple crisp from the apples Joel brings home from his bike rides.  He goes through the college campus and there are apple trees, at least one, and no one picks the apples so he brings home a few in the fall and we cook them into something good.  He has been getting in some rides again lately.  Saturday morning he rode with a few from our church to Clear Lake where they ate breakfast before heading back.  The ride was less than 20 miles and in nice weather.  After lunch that same day we headed to a town NE of us for their Fall Festival.  We walked around for an hour checking out the vendors but did not buy anything, but we got out and got some exercise.  A win, win.  Last Sunday we drove to Clear Lake for a satellite service of Lutheran Church of Hope and then headed to the lake for a walk before going to the local mercantile and purchasing two mum plants.  They have a nice variety and are quite inexpensive.  Mums, fall decorations, and soon to be pumpkins on our porch steps are sure signs of Fall!

So today I am giving thanks for Fall descending on us, for trips to the lake, worship at Hope via live stream, phone calls from our kids, our oldest's surgery and recovery going well, memories that make us smile and make us ponder, all our experiences and adventures as military and in ministry.  Grateful for our grands and how well they are all doing.  Grateful for walks and bike rides, our home state and our present home, the Queen and her legacy and all we are learning by watching the coverage.  Grateful for every sunrise and sunset that graces Joel and my lives together.  Grateful for apple trees and apple crisp. Grateful for family and friends and so much more..................

Enjoy your week!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from a rainy and cool day in northern Iowa.  Fall is showing up periodically to remind us summer is leaving us.  The animals have been more quiet, fewer bunnies or deer around right now.  It is getting time to put on long pants and I have to say, I am not ready for it!  I like the comforts of summer capri's.  Alas, we know what will be ahead, so in this moment we savor what Autumn brings. 

Speaking of weather, one of our girls asked me once why I always start with the weather on my Saturday's Scribbles.....I think it is because I am not only married to a retired pastor but to a retired Air Force meteorologist and farm kid!  Weather has always been a part of the day's observations.  

Joel gets up most mornings and takes his morning coffee out onto our front porch.  He enjoys nature, watches the animals, and takes in the fresh air....even at 32 degrees he is outside bundled up and communing with God through nature. Not too long ago someone asked the question of how we connect with God.  For me it is in the sunrise and sunsets, in music and in praise.  For Joel is in every facet of nature. Even while biking or driving he seeks it out.

Speaking of nature, on Labor Day we headed north to Pilot Knob State Park about 35 minutes away.  It is a heavily wooded 700 acre place of beauty.  Let me get out of the way that going into such a wooded area that is a home for thousands of ticks is a step of faith for me....We had a good time walking around, having a picnic, and Joel hiked up to the stone tower.  I was going to try, but the first section of the trail was too steep for me so I waited in the car while he ventured off into the "wilderness".  ( a careful tick check resulted when we arrived home).  After leaving Pilot Knob we drove down to our favorite lake and sat watching boats and of course the people.  It was a nice day.  

Pilot Knob pond

Picnic time

Path to the stone tower

"Over the river and through the woods to the

stone tower we go.........."

Stone Tower

Our grands are back in school and college now.  Such adventures they will experience, so much learning they will absorb.  And fun too!  Transitions are hard, and the journey is not always straight but this is what we raise our children to do.....become independent adults who go out into the world to forge their own path with, hopefully God's guidance.  Some stay close to home, others are out of our reach, like all of our kids.  When loneliness seeps in I try to tell myself that we raised our kids to become independent and blossom in their corners of the world and in our circumstances they are out of our reach! 

Thank heavens for texting and phone calls!

Last Saturday Joel and I watched a ridiculously fast paced, sometimes violent, and funny movie called "The Lost City" with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.  It was silly, far fetched and made us laugh until our sides hurt!  My favorite movies with Sandra B. are The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds, and Miss Congeniality.  Laughter is such good medicine and that would be the "redeeming value" of "The Lost City.  

Tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of 9-11.  It is not a date we can easily forget.  I expect just like when JFK was assassinated, we who are older know where we were and what we were doing when we first heard.  WIth JFK, our president gunned down on TV, it was a shock that resonated around the world.  I was in 10th grade history class and I can remember our teacher was called out of class.  When he came back in he told us with tears in his eyes what had just happened.  The whole school of a couple thousand kids was dismissed and sent home.  Everyone was home on the day of the funeral to watch on TV.  With 9-11, I was sitting in front of the TV watching Good Morning America when it began to unfold.  I remember shaking from head to toe when everyone realized what was going on.  Our country was under attack.  Our oldest called and we talked a bit about what was happening, and was her hubby safe because at the time he worked in a downtown Chicago industrial area. Where would they strike next?!  And where was our son, a police officer, and were our other kids all safe? Joel was at work, focused on the church, and really did not grasp what I was trying to relay to him.  Or maybe he was in denial?  He finally came home and we watched together, stunned at what was happening.  Joel and I prayed about him going into the Air Force again as a chaplain once our military was involved.  He was too old.  IF he was a Catholic priest, they needed them, but a Protestant Chaplain in his 50's was a no go.  Of which, looking back, I am grateful for.  Today gives us pause while we remember......  

And speaking of remembering, Queen Elizabeth II died this week and it has been fascinating to learn all the information about the longest reigning monarch in history.  She was certainly dedicated to serve her country and did a fine job doing so.  I loved reading one of her quotes that spoke of her faith in God helping her through all her years as Queen. 

So today I am grateful for the good times we had at Pilot Knob State Park and Clear Lake Antiques in the Square plus lake sitting.  Grateful for a picnic outside.....a first in a long while.  Grateful for the rain that is still coming down.  Grateful for all the biking Joel got in this week and all the walking for me.  Grateful for memories and moving forward through those memories, grateful for movies that make us belly laugh, grands who are moving forward in their lives, and grateful we miss our family for wouldn't be awful if we didn't!  Grateful for the reign of a Queen dedicated to her people.  Grateful for all this and so much more..........

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this first weekend of September and Labor Day Weekend 2022.  Yesterday it was hot and humid with rain coming later in the evening.  Just a few days earlier it felt like fall!!  A little tease by Mother Nature before the summer heat returned.  This time of year I am ready for all that Fall brings us.  

Last weekend Joel was up in west central Minnesota visiting his family.  He headed out Thursday and arrived home Sunday night after connecting with family, biking 20 miles on his favorite trail, deck sitting in the middle of a clear starry night, going to a "plow down" that his brother holds yearly, and then driving south to give one of our girls and her family hugs.  The plow down involves old tractors and plows that brings back the history of farming and gives those who hang on to those old tractors and plows a chance to use them, and plow the land the way their ancestors did.   

I spent Thursday night alone....I share that because it is in the first time in 11 years that I have been alone overnight in our home.  Yep.  To say that it was on the bottom of my list for accomplishments would be an understatement.  The back story is too long to share, but I just don't "do" alone anymore if I can help it.  Friday afternoon my sister J. came from Minnesota to spend two nights and my sister K. and brother-in-law D. came over for a visit too.  Saturday our brothers came with one of their spouses from Minnesota for a sibling visit which involved their favorite Godfather's Pizza.  It is well known as the best in this part of our world. 

This visit brought up childhood memories that had us laughing and remembering our early years.  I was raised by my older sister Jo ( 15 yrs older) and her family and joined the group when I was first 10 and then 12 for good.  We are close in age and enjoy a unique bond that I am forever grateful for.  These hours of reminiscing are always a good thing.

Speaking of a good thing, our bathroom reno is complete now and we are enjoying it!  A tub I can easily climb in and out of when showering, soothing gray walls and floor, with navy accents, and no NASCAR explosion in the mornings!  Yay!  Here are the before and after photos...

NASCAR explosion

Part 2

Ahhhh  Soothing subtle gray

Gray and white combo with navy accents

It is Labor Day weekend, which signifies the end of summer and beginning of the school year for most.  Oregon is the first state to recognize Labor Day as a holiday to celebrate the achievements of American  workers.  We plan to head to an antiques in the park event on Sunday in a neighboring town.  What is on your agenda?  Hope you enjoy!

So today, I am grateful for this first September weekend, Labor Day, and what it means.  Grateful for Joel's trip to visit family, bike his favorite trail, and attend his brother's "plow down".  Grateful for my time with family here at home.  Grateful for the memories and reminiscing last weekend. Grateful for our new bathroom, and it's soothing colors.  Grateful for the hint of fall that is in the air today.  Grateful for the power of prayers as grands head off or back to college, or their jobs out in the world.  Grateful for pictures that bring us "right there" with family hours away, grateful for phone calls, texts, and any and all connections to those we love and care about.  Grateful for all this and so much more.....

Enjoy your weekend!