The College Grad Has A Job

Davey Boy beat the odds and landed a job with his undergrad degree. A degree that includes a double major (two business related deals) and a minor in something else (maybe it's business related too, or maybe it's random). I know, I know, you're surprised at how closely I follow my own son's academic accomplishments. Maybe his dad knows the details. I keep closer track of his social life. Want any details? No, no, no...I don't share what I know...at least not without permission!

So the week we were going to spend working in our tree nursery, traveling to visit family, having guests here, will be spent helping David move to Connecticut. Thankfully it will be a lot of work and I won't have time to be weepy about the baby boy of the family moving so far away.

He is the last fledgling to leave the nest. It's not like I don't want to see him fly. That's what we raised our boys for -- to be independent. So why is it sad? Perhaps I don't like change. Um, wait a minute, that can't be it, I love change, at least when it comes to rearranging furniture. But rearranging family is another matter altogether. Honestly, I'm happy/sad. I'm glad that David is starting his grown up life. I'm thrilled that he is setting out to do what he's called to do. Just as his brothers have done.

He is (we are) God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. So go ahead, Dave, get on it!


For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

New Experiences in Rural America

FISHING!



SHOOTING! With good instruction and supervision -- honest Mom, at no time was your boy (or anyone else) in danger.

What Summer's All About

Warm weather , sunshine, 85+temps, friends, kids, and a pool. Yep, that's what summer is all about.

Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Ben?

What are you doing, Ben? In case anyone wants to know...here's a run down on what Ben, our young friend from France, is doing. Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Ben?

Hanging out at Adam and Alicia's, after a Pittsburgh day that included the zoo

Then we got him to our house and...

He mows lawn...

He paints the porch...

And, oh yes, he has a little fun too.

The Gate Keeper

This little guy was hanging out on the big gate that allows entrance to our pool. We have an open gate policy for swimming here...if you can open the gate you can swim. ("At your own risk" we add to keep the insurance people happy.) The gate is big enough that little kids can't readily open it even if it is unlocked. But my point is we have a gate keeper... who may or may not startle the unsuspecting visitor. Doesn't he look ferocious?



Of course the little guy is only an inch and a half long. He's not scaring away anyone. The best we can hope for is startle effect.

Refrain:
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Words by C. F. Alexander (1818-95)

Lilacs, Azaleas, Rhododendrons

The spring flowers are nearly past, but weren't they gorgeous this year!?!

Flower pictures are always better with people in them.

Thank you Adam and Alicia for posing!



"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." Gen. 1:31

A Near Perfect Day

Two little girls, Maddy and Audrey, sunshine, a picnic lunch and a playground. Does it get any better than that? Not for them! And didn't I have the pure pleasure of having packed their favorite foods -- p b and j, yogurt, apple juice and freeze pops. For me, a bag of chips and a can of Pepsi. WHAT!? Hey, if they can have their favorites I can too.

I was supposed to be helping clean a dorm at our church camp. Things didn't work out quite as planned. Eight other women worked. They did a bang up job: swept and mopped floors, washed windows, wiped down walls and vacuumed mattresses. Our Bethlehem dorm smelled so clean and fresh. And it looked...well it looked like a camp dorm, so to say it sparkled would be an exaggeration. But it looked great, certainly better than before.

My contribution was that my bucket and mop got used. I also like to think the chatter, laughter and exuberant squeals from the play area was a delightful reminder to the willing workers of the importance of the task at hand. It's all about kids. It's all about the kids who will be served and ministered to through a happy camping experience this summer. God bless 'em -- and bless the counselors and workers too!

It may have made more sense for me to stay home with the children, but I'm glad I went. From watching the girls play like monkeys and being there to say, "Wow, look at you!" while they showed off, to sitting in the grass sharing sandwiches (yeah, I got the crusts -- knew that would happen, which is why I didn't go to the trouble of making my own) it was just plain fun. Part of what made it so enjoyable was that Maddy couldn't contain her gratitude for such a fine picnic. Meanwhile, little Audrey, who was equally happy and pleasant, declared every other minute, "I'n all done. Le's go back to da swings. I weawwy wike dis pwayground."

I hope everyone had a weawwy good time. It was a near perfect day.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..."
Col. 3:23

We did. Thanks ladies, for letting me be part even though I didn't add any elbow grease!

Friday Nights

I've blogged before about "Steve&DeeNight". Our week goes like this Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Steve&Dee night, Sat. and Sunday. For 28+ years we've been getting together with Steve and Dee for Bible Study/Accountability/Fun. I think it's always been on Friday night -- and yes, we have missed a night here and there. For instance, a few weeks ago Steve was in China and we missed two weeks in a row. He's back now, safe and sound, and we enjoyed looking at most of his pictures last Friday evening. Fabulous pix!
(These ones were "church" ready. Steve provides a welcome screen for Sunday mornings.)


Currently, the four of us are reading Philip Yancey's book The Jesus I Never Knew. I've dog-eared a bunch of pages because there are so many good things in this book. Today I was perusing the dog-eared pages and found a passage where Yancey says that Tolstoy raised his sights at a time when he was suffering the delayed effects of "biblical child abuse." (Isn't that an interesting turn of phrase!) About Tolstoy he says, "He was the first author who, for me, accomplished that most difficult of tasks, to make Good as believable and appealing as Evil."

Tolstoy, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Madeleine L'Engle all have that magical gift of combining the supernatural with the divine. Giants of the faith, extraordinary authors, ordinary people. Need a good read? May I suggest The Hobbit by Tolstoy, The Great Divorce (for a quick read) or The Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis, The Baronet's Song by MacDonald, and A Wrinkle in Time by L'Engle. I've got all of those on my book shelf. You want to borrow one? Let me know.