Whoa

It seems that the days, the weeks, the months are like a snow ball on a cold warm day when you can roll it down a steep hill and it gets bigger and bigger but with time it just goes faster and faster.  We are looking at September in two days.  That should mean that the dog days of summer are behind us and cooler shorter days are not far in the future.  Summer or summer where have you gone?  Actually the shorter part is here as I was up at 6 this morning and there was no sun to be seen at that time.
Some experiences in the past few days:

• Playing tennis with an 8 year old who seemed to be in another universe.
• Rehabbing old windows that have NO glaze on them.
• Repainting the inside of a window that was (in a non-thinking time) painted with exterier color.
• Tasting Terry's new dill pickles after getting 20 wide mouth jars out of the garage attic.  A year ago I was within an eyelash of recycling those jars.
• Spending time at a picnic with many people I had not talked to for a long time.
• Going on a short bike ride that was refreshing.
• Enjoying grilled summer squash with a homemake cheeseburger.
• Eating too many BLT's with home grown tomatoes.
• Winning in cribbage but then sadly being skunked the next night.
• Getting more order in the garage with the five bikes finally hanging neatly on the east wall.
• Glanceing at the two new basement windows each time I go downstairs.  I certainly like the trim that we put around them.  For some reason I so enjoy recreating old things or taking a molding or something and making a new one just like the old one.
• Washing the convertible that we so would like to sell but nobody has called yet.
• Cleaning and oiling chains on the bikes around here.

Well the list could be longer but enough.  I intend to get out kind of early this morning and prime one window and paint another one.  I have trim on one that needs to go up after the window is in again.  So it is get up and go as there are things to do, places to go, people to see and who knows what else.

A reprieve from projects for a day

Looks like fall, like fair time, like garden produce and that is all true.  These are the sweet pickles Terry made last week.  We are not taking them to the fair but I think they may win if we did. 
Today will be a reprieve from projects for a day.  The MN fair opens today and we will be there with our walking shoes, our appetite and maybe a credit card in case.  The paint brushes will stay covered, the saw will be silent and really the garage door will stay shut.  We will head out about 10:00, catch a free park and ride near home and head for fun.  We purchased 4 tickets at Cub a few days ago which saves $3 per ticket so will find another day to go as well.  For the last 3 years I was working last night as it would have been the first 12 hour night shift at the parking lot.  I admit that I did not miss it as I slept last night.  There was a lot of fun things in it but the length, 13 nights, got long, old and difficult.  Anyway not this year and it will be good.
I have had much on my mind this week about opening up to God daily.  I desire to hear his voice as he desires to direct me to do his work.  I have been spending more time listening but will need to get much much better at it.
Tomatoes are now starting to ripen faster and they are so good.  As I came into the kitchen this morning I saw there are 2 more that need to be picked.  The garden has done much more this year than last year which has been fun.  One cucumber plant is too many but what is one to do. 
We spent some time with Terry's 8 year old grandson yesterday.  Played some tennis, went on a short bike ride and then stopped at the golden arches for a delicious meal!!  So life is not all work.  We also stopped at Cynthia/Mike's for a short time.  I will never know why my grandchildren as so cute, much more than others!
With that comment it is time to go.

Picnic at Maddox Park

Yesterday we met Cynthia/Mike/Faustina and Jude for a picnic lunch at the park.  There is nothing that can compare to the thrill of an under push, the rush of a fast slide, the thrill of the soccer ball soaring high into the trees or the taste of homemade broccoli salad along side cucumber salad with a side of roast chicken.  Of course perfect MN weather helped and a fun fun park was the ideal location.  To top it off we had way too much food and I could see it going on Terry's and my body in the next couple of days so Mike/Cynthia agreed to take most of it home as their bodies at their age are much more kind to them when they eat like that. 
Terry and I have been going to Eagle Brook church.  Yesterday the message was most interesting.  Something I knew but had not really thought about.  The saying that I latched onto for the day was "Discipline is something you do in private and it shows up in public"!!  That answered the question I have always had as to why at public gatherings where we eat why is it always the over weight people who drink the diet soda?  Now I know that they try to do the discipline in public that they lack in private.  Now I am over weight so I am not pointing fingers but the quote really struck me.  Our lives reflect our relationship with God yet most of that takes place out of the eye of people but really when we meet a person who is following the Lord, hearing the Lord and loving him we know it yet we do not see how the person relates to God.  We may see someone running or biking but really the slim, in shape person does most of their discipline out of the eyes of others yet their discipline shows up in public.  Well as I read what I wrote it sounds kind of goofy but I was struck by the word and it gave me a better understanding of discipline.
It is hard to believe but today is the start of the last full work week in August and Thursday is the beginning of the MN fair.  I really need to practice discipline so I can eat more at the fair.  Will see if that happens.  For the last 3 years I looked towards this coming Wednesday as the beginning of 13 straight nights of 12 hour parking lot work.  Always the first few nights were not too bad but as the days wore on each night got to be more difficult.  In some ways I will miss it but mostly I am thankful for not doing it again.  The first time we worked the state fair was 2007 but that was in the day and it was fun the whole time.
I just saw the recycle truck go by which means it will be on our side of the street in about 20 min so must go and get those cans and bottles out.

WORK--CHANGE--FUN

Of the 28 shirts we had when I was doing Servant Camp this has to be my all time favorite.  The SOL stood for Servants of the Lord which at that that time was the name of the Christian Community we were a part of.  In 1982 I was 35, Allen Saunders 32? and Deb younger yet.  We had no idea that SOL actually is in the dictionary and has another meaning.  So why was it my favorite?   It was our first, it was there for all to see how young and naive we were and the colors were nice!!!  I post the shirt as camp is now only in my memory bank in many ways.  It took place this summer with me on the sidelines and it was wonderful.  How great is that when a  person does something for 33 years, steps back and it goes on as if nothing changed.  God is good.  We took in closing ceremonies, the staff party and the community time towards camp.  I was so thankful that God still is so alive, so present, so powerful in Servant Camp.  I can now rest easy that what I invested so much in, time-money-heart, will live on and young people will continue to see God, hear God, taste God, feel God and know how loving and present he is when we invite him in.
Also here is Henry, the birthday boy today.
The weather this past week has been to die for.  Better than deviled eggs, better than potato salad, better than a burger--better than one could ask for.  The temps have been high 70's to 80 or so.  The humidity has been low, the sun has been out, a breeze has been present and all has been perfect for a MN summer.  One could almost forget that we probably will have hot and humid weather to come yet.
We had Terry's friend Norma and her husband Wayne over on Thursday night.  We attempted to go for a bike ride alone the river but as we started out the chain on Terry's bike broke so we came home, changed bikes and went on a shorter one around the neighborhood.  After that we took them to Luci Ancor's, which is a short walk away, and that was fun.
Travis invited us over to his place Friday for lunch.  We ate outside in the cool shade of a large tree on their weed free lawn.  After we ate we walked to the lake , maybe 50 steps!, and sat in the breeze coming off the lake and talked.  It was a good time.
I finished trimming out the 2 basement windows, changed the washer dryer around so the doors open to each other but actually the highlight of the week was the garbage disposal!!  I put it in about 2 months ago but the electrical underneath the sink did not work.  Each time Terry wanted to use it she had to reach down, take out a cord and plug it in.  Any time I would see her do that I would cringe because my history of projects not totally completed is long and painful.  Yesterday I climbed under the sink and took out wires etc.  Then Terry helped me find out which circuit breaker was for those wires.  I then took out the fuse box that was there and attempted to go without it but no luck.  Finally I dug out an electoral book from the 50's and in picture it showed me what I needed to do.  Presto all we need to do now is flip the switch on the wall and it works.  Finished, done, complete, in the past, all sound good to me.
I have discontinued my daily times with Jerry Wind as he has come so far in his rehab.  We still want to stay connected weekly so yesterday I picked him up and we went out to lunch.  As always the food was good and the fellowship was better.
We continue to work on things in the house.  Terry has the kitchen cleared out and we will paint the walls and the cupboards.  It almost is a waste of time because things are so so so bad and all needs to be redone but that is not in the cards, in the budget or whatever one wants to say so paint it is and later will come changes.
I ordered a new french press coffee maker.  Ours has a broken spout but it can still be used.  Amazon.com has good deals on metal ones that I could not resist.  It will come this week.  Perhaps life is getting shorter and I am getting older when a new french press coffee maker is so important!!!
We brought chocolate and coffee over to the Adkin household Thursday as Jude turned 2.  He is just the happiest, funniest cutest guy at this time.  He is a little boy, a clown, an actor all in one. 
Today our oldest grandchild on the Lee side, Henry, turns 8.  Wow he is getting so big, so mature and so handsome as he grows.  Of course with grandparents and parents like his how could he miss!!   I know that humor is perhaps over the edge.  It was hard when John/Mary decided to move.  It certainly was a Godly move, one that they needed to make but it is difficult to have the grand kids so far away.  As Terry and I were talking about what to get Henry I said I was not sure as kids grow and change so fast I was not sure where his interests are now.  I e-mailed John/Mary and it sounded like he still likes tools--my kind of guy.  Really my kind of person is anyone who is a grand kid in the family.
Some time ago we planted one cucumber plant and I would say we have gotten at least 4 dozen cucumbers so far.  Terry is in the middle of making pickles and has another batch in mind.  Also have enjoyed Zu (spell?), squash and kohlrabi (spell). 
We have a picnic planned for 11:30 with Cynthia/Mike and kids.  Should be fun.  I think we may take the pickup and bring Wallace. 
The MN fair begins this week and we plan to take in 2 days.  NO 13 nights of work from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM this year.  Of course that means no free tickets either but the trade off is more than worth it.
Enough for now as it is time to shower, shave and get ready for church. 

A busy week--A look ahead

As we enter a new week for sure one must also look back at the past week.  But looking forward two birthdays are coming.  Jude turns 2 on Thursday, August 18 and Henry turns 8 on Sunday, August 21.  Can't say that this is my favorite picture of Henry with his crazy haircut but then at one time LONG ago grandpa had a double haircut like that so can I complain??
This last week was busy but in terms of history it was quiet.  Meaning that years ago if I would have had a week like this past week I would have thought that was quiet but now----it seemed busy.  We had Travis over for lunch on Wednesday, John krause for dinner on Wednesday, men's group over Wednesday night, a conference all day Thursday, closing ceremonies for camp on Thursday night, conference all day on Friday, camp staff party Friday night, breakfast out with Jerry Wind Saturday morning and Terry's brother and his wife Carol over for dinner last night.  Also yesterday we did some shopping to get a backpack of school supplies for kids who can not afford to buy.  We also did get some work done on the house as little by little some things are coming to completion at 2094!  When will the projects be complete??--perhaps never but then the fun is in the doing and not in the finished product.  As I wrote that I said that may not be totally true.
Today we will be gone all morning to church and to have a friend look at a car we have.  Maybe a stop at Costco too.
We enjoyed 3/4" of rain Friday night and the lawn continues to look green and lush until you walk on it and then you say maybe something needs to be done like sodding or reseeding this fall.  The front lawn never has been nice so while it is rainy and cool it looks OK from afar but as the heat arrives and rain stops it looks like it could us a LOT of help. 
No it is time to shave and dress for the morning.  Here we are almost at the half way point of August, unbelievable.

Kind of the same

I got a big laugh out of the way Henry helped his dad pack for the trip home.  As you can see he is working very hard :).  Really I know what he is doing.  He loves his dad so much he wanted to be close to him as he worked.  Some kids sure are blessed!  I did not intend to blog this morning but as I read the last paragraph of Jerry Wind's Caring Bridge Site I felt I should.  Jerry writes about what he has gone through after his accident and how it has changed the way he thinks, acts and lives.
As I cared for Gail and lived with her as she became more and more ill she changed in mind and body greatly but I did too.  As she entered heaven I too entered a new life but it was here on earth.  Some examples are:

• I wanted to slow down and enjoy more of God
• Sports on TV became not important
• I became more compassionate and less judgemental
• I became more emotional in a good way
• Many things that were important in the past now seemed so not important
• Life seemed more fragile, more important, more close to my heart
• I desired to pray for the sick and I had an intense heart for those who suffer

Those are a few of the changes I saw in myself.  I suppose that a person has some basic character and personality traits that are always with us and in those I hope most are good but I know that the way I think, the way I act and the things I desire to do changed a lot.  Of course I have and probably always will have so many things that I desire and need to change in my life but my prayer is that God will grant me a life long enough to see and change those things.
My only other thought this morning is I hope God serves good quality french press coffee in heaven!

An old time--A new time

Here are the Lawrence and Ruby Lee kids minus Ronald and Janet who died in their 20's.  From left to right is Dave, Helen, Joan and myself.  Terry claims that brother Dave has that kind of boy look with no age lines in his face any place--but I KNOW he is 2 1/2 years older than I and looks every day of it!!!!  Why do I post them today?  Most of my blog is going to be about moving on so I thought that this picture would represent that.  In families things always change.   Marriage takes place, parents get older, in our family we lost 2 way way too young, little kids come, siblings often grow apart by activities and time and then maybe grow closer again but in short CHANGE is always present. 
In one's life that is also true.  We may say the only thing you can't avoid is death and taxes well you would also be accurate if you said you can not avoid death, taxes and change. 
This morning I woke up in my own be--but last year today I was at camp, two years ago I was at camp, five years ago I was at camp, 10 years ago I was at camp, 20 years ago I was at camp and 30+ years ago I was at camp!!!!  Yesterday as Terry and I attended church, stopped at Costco, stopped at REI, stopped at the Farmer's Market and spent 2 hours on a pontoon boat enjoying Circle Lake my thoughts went like this:

• the staff meeting is starting now
• they should be having lunch
• the scouts are clearing the sites for us and letting us know by radio
• the gates are now open
• they are filing in for opening ceremonies
• the directors are sitting in the cabin discussing how things went

I was not melancholy nor was I sad. As we slowly cruised around the lake I would look up at the sky, on to the tranquil peaceful water and I felt I was in the right place.  In all we do in life there is always a time to change, to move on and my time to move on from camp was this year.  BUT the memories were so there, so near, so present and would one expect anything different after 33 years???  I think not.  I am so excited for God to visit camp this year in a powerful way and touch the young lives of those campers.  I am so honored that I was able to be involved for so long in God's work and I pray that it not only will continue but will be more powerful than ever.
For me, for us, it will be a busy week but that has become normal.  I will spend time with Jerry Wind, we will have at least 2 people over for a meal, we will be at a conference all day Thursday and Friday, the appliance guy will show up on Wednesday to fix the washer, we will get in some walks and that is the short list!  I am sure there will be more.
As I sit at the computer with my french press coffee and feel the breeze coming though the open window I am reminded how great a God we have.  As he protects us, guides us, showers us with love I need to remember always to praise him and love him in return.
I am planning and hoping to finish the trimming of the two basement windows today and then move on to getting 2 storms on that I made last week.  I may try to take off the back of the washer and see if there is a simple fix.  Should I try that??!!I think nothing is lost if I am careful.
God, I ask that you protect everyone at camp, give them cool dry weather and touch each person with you hand in a way that they are changed forever.

Pictures tell the story

Here is proof that pictures are more important than words.  In order from top to bottom:

1. Aaron/Amy and family stayed at a ranch.  Here is Aaron and Ruby on the mule rabbit that was so tame!!!!!
2. Liam and his fancy hair cut
3. Jude wandering around at Crazy Horse and FYI Audrey knows that Crazy Horse died in South Bend
4. Glorine (Jade shirt) has always been a part of our family.  She was married to brother Lawrence (Red) (Ronald) who died in the fall of 1964.  Much of the reunion took place at Glorine's home in Rapid City.  With Glorine is Marlys, Dave's wife.
5. Faustina is maybe looking for grandpa!!!
6. Helen's step daughter and her family.  They were a delight to have at the reunion
7. Glorine's grand daughter Hanna is being helped by sister Joan.  Joan has a big heart for those who have special needs.
8. John and Judi--John was married to sister Janet who died in the winter of 1966.  John too remained a big part of family and the list would be long if I started writing all the things John has done for me and for family.  (a note to Judi-I will never forget the i !!  Terry has the same issue as her name ends with a Y and often people put a i there)

Terry came up with the idea of different color T's for each family and it was a super idea.  I think everyone enjoyed the shirts and for those who did not know some people the colors helped a lot plus it made the picture interesting.
There you have SOME of the stars of the Lee reunion of July 2011.  It was fun, exciting, delicious, sad, nostalgic and much more.  It is kind of funny that family ties change as one gets older (not that I am getting old) and of course one also has more time to relate, think and enjoy.
I put the finishing touches on the deck yesterday.  It was a challenge to do some of the things that needed to be done but it seems now that this is a time when I can come up with ideas to make things work.  It has been a joy to get back into my wood shop and hear the sounds, smell the wood and take up the challenge of making something that in the end looks nice.  (a side note I will not say when the deck was made but for sure the finishing touches were long long long over due.)
Terry and I have decided that 5 of the storms what need to be redone will not get the overhaul but rather will hit the dumpster and new ones will come out of Carmen's Creative Woods.  That reduces the number of storms and screens to be redone to 8.  That means that last fall there were 27 to do and now only 8.  Kind of like the monkeys jumping on the bed and then there was less but here there are 19 less. 
Next week is Servant Camp.  For the first time since 1978 I will not be there.  I have had it on my mind a lot this week.  Throughout the summer I have not really thought about it a lot but now I find myself checking off things like the tents, the golf carts, staff assignments, tent assignments, T shirts, coffee house, night watch, staff party, weather reports, late campers, trippers etc. etc. etc.  Then I stop and say "wait a minute, God is in it and camp will be just as wonderful and perhaps better this year than any other time--thank you God".
Time to get some things done.