Retreat

Photo from scottriverlodge.com

Today, Daryl and I are arriving at this beautiful place in northern California.  

In his early 20's a man named Gene Johnson made a promise to God that if He would provide the resources, Gene would invest them in a way that would have eternal value.  This beautiful place is the fulfillment of that promise. Scott River Lodge is a retreat for husbands and wives set in the Klamath National Forest on the Scott River.  The Lodge is an extension of the JH Ranch which has been a retreat ministering to parents and children since 1980.    You can go to Scottriverlodge.com to see all of the details.

We are looking forward to whatever the week brings....

Bath time for Della

Yes, this picture is fuzzy, dark and just low-down not very good.  But, it was the only way to snap one of a chicken taking a bath.  Miss Della here doesn't want me to take a picture of her taking a bath, a sentiment I can totally understand.

A chicken bath can be a long, drawn out process.  First she digs a shallow tub in the coolest dirt she can find.  In this case she is under the trampoline.  Then she sits down in her bath tub and uses her feathers to throw dirt all over herself, in and around every little feather.  Then comes the soaking.  She just sits and enjoys the peace and quiet.  After her little soak she stands up and fluffs her feathers up until she is a round ball of a chicken.  Then comes the shaking off of the dirt.  This process makes a little dust storm that surrounds her whole body in cool, dry cleanliness.

Aaahhhh......

Tea Party Girls

I love having granddaughters.

They like to dress up, put on makeup, play with dolls, giggle, and take naps together in the "Princess Room".  They give me advice on what to wear, and what not to wear.  They like to hold hands -- with me and with each other.

 They pretend to be mommies, nurses, and teachers.  They are bossy.  They are snuggly.

And they love tea parties.

Thankful Thursday

This is how I feel about cutting grass:

Somebody has to clean all this away.

somebody, SOMEBODY

has to, you see

Then she picked out a somebody 

and it was me.

        (paraphrase from The Cat In The Hat)

I have been a grass cutter since I was in the second grade.  Some years other people have had the primary responsibility to keep the yard mowed, but for most years since I was eight, I have been the lawn mowing queen.  Many times I have quoted those lines from Dr. Suess's book.  SOMEBODY has to do it.  Why not me?

I've had some great machines to work with, but none better than the Kubota with the 6 foot deck we use now.  If you don't mind the bumpy parts of the yard and keep the speed pretty high, all of the grass around here can be cut in about 3 1/2 hours.  That's not bad for the several acres that we try to keep well-groomed.

But, just because it is my responsibility to cut the grass and just because I have a great mower, it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy some help.

This week Daryl changed the blades, changed the oil, and did some other mechanical things I don't know a thing about.

Today he cut the grass.

That feels like love to me.  And I am so thankful.

If not for summer...

My favorite season has always been Fall.

I love everything about it:  crispy leaves, fire pits, football, cool weather, October.

And if my favorite season is fall, I'd have to say that my least favorite is Summer.  I feel bad to say that, really.  Summer is full of happiness, sun, water, flowers, warmth, no school, vacations.  It's just that I never enjoy the summer as much as the other three seasons.

Last week, though, I was walking through the yard, feeling the heat beating down, noticing all of the grass that needed to be cut when I realized something....

The reason I love Fall so much is because of the contrast it brings to the summer.

Without summer, I wouldn't know how to appreciate fall.  Without the oppressive heat and humidity I wouldn't know the joy of a cool, crisp morning.

When this thought entered my mind, I realized that so much of my life is that way.  Without some poverty, I can't fully appreciate some wealth.  Without some sickness, I can't be fully grateful for my health.  Without pain, my muscles don't get strong.

Without summer, there is no fall.

God's plan is perfect in all its ways.  I love it when I can see it so clearly.

My boys of summer

Summer

boys

sprinkler

horse swing

shirts off

sunshine

popsicles

laughter

cousins

Summer