Snapshots from summer

 

 Last fall I was thinking back over Summer 2024 in preparation for sharing a testimony with other ladies.  I thought about how many wonderful memories have been preserved in photos that we took.  (Now, in light of the devastation to that area from Hurricane Helene, I am doubly glad we took as many pictures as we did.  And I wish we had taken more.)  It seems to me that this past summer is one of the nicest that we have had in a long time, as far as good memories go.  At that time, I began a post full of summer memories.

I found myself thinking of these memories in terms of snapshots.  Actual snapshots, as the first part of the definition below describes:

Ice cream with our friend Terry -- I'm so thankful we got to do this (and got this photo) on a day when she was feeling well and able to fully enjoy it.  That is a flight of ice cream on the table in front of her.

We had plenty of opportunities for ice cream this past summer and fall.  We always share, so the calories and sugar are not quite as bad as they might be.

Family members playing cornhole on the porch of our Airbnb farmhouse in North Carolina as the rain fell outdoors.  We had lots of time to make precious family memories on this trip.

Time with old friends at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina.  So thankful for the gift of friendship and being able to encourage one another in the Lord.

Mountains upon mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  God gave safety in travel and many opportunities to ponder His might, sovereignty, and endless creativity.

 Cousins at Cracker Barrel (plus Emily's and Julia's friend Lily).  Even though many of Emily's siblings weren't here, it was a wonderful time for these cousins to reconnect.

 A wonderful couple of days with our friends Tom and Judy in Pennsylvania.  We have been wanting to visit them for some time and are so thankful that a visit, although brief, finally happened.

Reconnecting with our precious friends Chris and Debbie in the Maritimes (we stayed in New Brunswick but also visited Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island).  We had not seen them in over ten years.  What a delight to pick up where we left off.

 As I reviewed further,  I thought more deeply -- about other memories that are recorded in the heart.  We didn't get photos of those, but some pictures are indelibly (I hope) etched upon upon hearts and minds.  These could be considered snapshots too, more like the second part of the definition.  And I frequently find myself taking out these "pictures", reviewing the blessings and sharing them with others.

A few Scripture verses came to my mind: 

"Many, O LORD, my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are toward us; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee.  If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."  (Psalm 40:5)

"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually ... the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."  (Hebrews 13:15)

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  (Psalm 34:1)

"I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings."  (Psalm 77:12)

"We will not hide them from our children, showing to the generations to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done."  (Psalm 78:4)

And so here are a few of those snapshots to share with you: 

* Sharing a meal at a restaurant with dear ministry friends -- enjoying wonderful food and a fun atmosphere, but even better, sharing from the heart as we encouraged one another in the Lord.  This happened a few times with various couples and families.

* Having a moment of prayer as various friends parted from one another, not knowing when or where we will meet again in this life.  But knowing we will meet again in heaven!

* Realizing as we reconnected (and praising God!) that some of our friends have been through very difficult times, but they have continued to walk faithfully with their Lord.

* Experiencing amazing hospitality all along the way as we were blessed by people using that spiritual gift.  Wonderful accommodations, fantastic food, and just all-round caring and sharing.

* Having opportunities to minister this summer -- Sunday School, VBS, our regular volunteer work at TWNE,  and hosting a couple of cottage prayer meetings at our little camp.

* Even better, watching three of our teen grandchildren minister in music at church and in teaching VBS.  

* Through the generous hospitality of our New Brunswick friends, getting to return to a provincial park on PEI where we'd spent many happy times camping with our children. 

* Being blessed by a memory book our daughters put together to commemorate our half-century of marriage.  The notes from far-flung family and old friends were so precious!

* Getting to have our NV granddaughter Emily with us for an overnight stay at the North Carolina Airbnb.  What a delight to have her with us around the table and to look after her needs for just a few hours.

* And maybe one of the dearest, most precious snapshots of the summer -- the seating for our Cracker Barrel meal worked out so that the four adults were at one table and all of the grandchildren, plus Lily, were at another.  At one point my daughter looked their way and whispered, "They're praying!" Yes, oldest grandson Sam took the lead and they all bowed their heads as he gave thanks for the food.  

There are more -- many more.  But I have delayed publishing this post long enough, so I'll leave you with  just this handful of snapshots from last summer.

Friday five, vacation edition

 

 Today I thought it might be fun to do a quick Friday five just sharing a few blessings from our recent vacation.  So here goes!

1.  Time in God's creation.

We met up with friends at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina, which is where the two photos above were taken.

Sunrise from the wraparound porch of our Airbnb, above.

Both of the above photos are scenes from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

2.  Time with family.

 Scenes above from our Airbnb in North Carolina.  We were blessed to be able to have a farmhouse large enough for us, and our NH daughter's family, to all stay together comfortably.  We were even able to have Nevada granddaughter Emily with us for a short time.  Above you see cornhole on the porch on a rainy afternoon.

More grandkids posing in Mount Airy, NC.

3.  Time with friends.

In addition to our meet-up with friends in SC, Mr. T and I  spent two nights near the end of our vacation in this guest cottage where we enjoyed a visit with our good friends Judy and Tom in Pennsylvania.

4.  Time for fun.

Looks like Mayberry!

In a little town in PA, we discovered this little free greenhouse, modeled on the little free library idea.

5.  Safety traveling hundreds of miles.

This is in Greencastle, PA.

 

Where would anyone feel safer than next to Andy's squad car?

So there you have it -- a very simple Friday five.  More about our vacation next week, I hope.

A breathtaking autumn pond

 

Although I wrote a bit about our mini getaway on Columbus Day weekend, I didn't get to include these photos.  In my post about our getaway, I mentioned that we had gotten lost trying to find the right end of the dirt road where our Airbnb was located.  If you recall, a lady out walking her dog had given us better guidance.  In directing us, she noted, "You'll go by a pond ...".  What she did not mention was the breathtaking beauty of said pond.

We had stopped to snap these pictures when a mail delivery van pulled up next to us and the driver said something like, "What a picture that will make!"  He seemed as taken with the view as we were.

Here is this gorgeous pond surrounded by glorious fall trees, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a network of dirt roads. 

It was late afternoon, perhaps 5 pm, when we stopped to get these photos.  We might have gotten better pictures at a different time of day, but we were still pleased with the way these turned out.

We loved this view so much that, rather than try and find the way we should have gone to our Airbnb, we just came and went by this route every time.  I'm sure you can see why!

A mini getaway

This past Friday, my hubby and I  headed out for southwestern New Hampshire.  Our  ultimate destination was the couples retreat at The Wilds of New England, but we headed to our Airbnb first for a 3 pm check-in and hopefully a couple hours of unwinding before going over to TWNE.

Of course, we got lost.  You know how Maps directions often can be confusing.  This was complicated by the fact that the dirt road we were looking for begins in one town and ends up in another, and numbering starts from each end of the road.  When we finally found the road, we were at the wrong end of it!  Thankfully we were able to figure it out, with the help of a lady out walking her dog.  

We weren't delayed by too much, but it did cut into our relaxation time.  The cottage was adorable!

One of my favorite features was the porch.  There were rocking chairs out there, along with a little drop leaf table and chairs with a sweet stained glass lamp overhead.  We shared a quick snack before leaving, as supper would not be until 7:30.

Another wonderful feature of this cottage was its location right in the middle at a network of walking trails.  We took time for a walk on one of them and so enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine.  The photos below, as well as the one at the top of the post, were taken on that trail.

This mini getaway ended on Saturday morning after breakfast, when we headed back to TWNE for the rest of the retreat.  It was brief but refreshing.  We hope to stay at this cottage again, for a longer time and walk more of the wonderful trails... It truly is a relaxing place to get away.

Travelin' On with the Hodgepodge

 

Once again, I'm writing a Hodgepodge post and linking up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.   Recall, this is the linkup where Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's questions are all about travel.  Here goes!

 1. Last time you drove more than 100 miles from your home? Where did you go? 

Oh, let me think!   It's been awhile.  It may have been March, when we traveled to a church just over the Massachusetts border for a TWNE event.

I made these play mats for our grandkids years ago.  The two look alike, but there are subtle differences.

2. Something that drives you batty? 

Waiting at a red light and when the light turns green, the line doesn't move because the first driver in line is still looking at, or typing on, their phone.

And if I had it to do over, I would not use hot glue.  They looked so nice, but the glue didn't hold up well.

3. Do you feel like you're 'on track'? For what? 

In many ways I don't feel on "on track", but one thing I am staying on track with is  The 100-for-100 Writing Challenge I'm taking part in with two of my granddaughters, Emily and Julia.

4. Your favorite car snack(s)? 

It's not a real road trip without Dunkin' Donuts.  That said, it's been awhile since we purchased any. 

5. Something you've done recently 'on the fly'? 

Housework, laundry, computer tasks, or anything at home. We are staying at our little camp a lot where it's peaceful and cooler, but there's no internet or running water so tasks involving those must of necessity be done at home.  On the fly between one place and another.  Kind of like being suspended in midair on the tramway.

Cannon Mountain tramway, 1980s or 1990s

Cannon Mountain Tramway 1940s

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Where, oh where, has July gone?  The month is 2/3 over already!  We recently learned that our Nevada family plans to visit in early September.  LOTS to do between now and then!  This photo of NH's Cog Railway reminds me of this: all uphill, and I'd better put on the steam.

10 Questions to Reflect on 2020

 

 

These ten questions, from Holley Gerth, have been a part of my new-year reflections for awhile now.  As to why I'm posting about them now, in mid-April?   I've mentioned a few times recently that I've been really slow musing on the year just past and am trying to do so before it's really too late.  (Pretty sad, isn't it?  It's already "really too late" in most people's thinking.)  Again, if you don't want to hear even one more word about 2020, feel free to skip this post.  I won't blame you one bit -- I'm just writing these posts for my own information and remembrance.  Here we go:

1.  What went well this year?

This was 2020, after all -- the year of the coronavirus, during which nothing went as expected.  And yet we were still able to accomplish a lot in spite of it.  While churches were closed, we developed a new Sunday routine which included a special, leisurely breakfast;  Sunday School and worship service online and an afternoon routinely spent with family.

We also managed to fulfill some responsibilities (selling land for my dad's trust and getting his home completely emptied).  We took a trip to national parks out West with family; did a lot toward making our little cottage livable; did two sugar fasts and a lot of walking; and took several lovely getaways here in New Hampshire, even including a couples' retreat.

 

From our trip to some western national and state parks in summer 2020

I was thrilled to be able to make a number of handmade gifts for birthdays and Christmas this year.  I read  over a dozen books (that's a lot for me!), kept up somewhat with my blogs, and stayed current with my Sunday School lessons and Bible study in addition to doing several Scripture writing challenges throughout the year.

From our getaway to Deering, New Hampshire in October

Cleaning and then painting the kitchen cabinets at the cottage

Kids in the rafters as we worked at renovating our little cottage

From our getaway to Pittsburg, New Hampshire in September

2.  What did not go well?

Everyday life was somewhat frustrating, with coronavirus restrictions at every turn.  Dental needs went by the wayside.  For much of the year, thrift stores were not accepting donations; transfer stations (aka town dumps) had reduced hours; hazardous waste collections and document-shredding events were canceled.  All of these factors complicated the cleaning out of my childhood home, but we were eventually able to do most of what we needed to do.  I had also thought this might be the year we would declutter our own home once and for all, and be able to get the housework on a schedule, but with all of the complications mentioned above that didn't happen.  Hopefully in 2021!  We have a good start!

3.  What do I want to do the same this year? 

 I need to sell a final piece of property for the trust.  We want to do a lot of work on our cottage and we also hope to make fasting from sugar a more regular part of our lives.  I hope to continue walking a lot.  We had planned another trip out West to see family, and have in fact already completed that trip as of April 6.

The main reason for this visit: baby Rosemary!

Family pic from the last night: local granddaughter Julia, who went with us, is at right

4.  What do I want to do differently?

I want to do more crafting and more reading.  Completely declutter the house and get the housework on a workable schedule.  Do much more blogging.  Get much more serious with my Etsy shop.  It takes time, but must be done.

5.  When did I feel most in my "sweet spot"?

Sunday School lesson preparation  and teaching; getaways with my hubby; time with family and friends; crafting, blogging, journaling, planning.

 

Getaway to Back Lake, Pittsburg, NH

View from a covered bridge while visiting friends in Vermont

 

 

Another from our getaway to Deering, NH

6.  When did I feel the most exhausted and drained?

Dealing with difficult people and restrictions concerning the virus; coping with difficulties resulting from political fallout.

7.  What did I say "yes" to that I wish I had said "no" to?

At first I couldn't think of anything.  But then I remembered that photo shoot my son-in-law talked me and my hubby into, at Coral Pink Sand Dunes.  I'm just not photogenic.  Enough said.  But the sand dunes, seen below, definitely are.

8.  What did I say "no" to that I wish I had said "yes" to?

I couldn't think of anything in that category.

9.  What helped me to stay close to God this year?

Having a consistent quiet time and prayer life.  Relying on Him for wisdom and strength to handle the "pandemic".

10.  What did God teach me that I want to live out in the coming year?

He reminded me that He is always in control -- that even when things look out of control, they never have been, and never will be, out of His control.  I can trust Him through everything.  I feel that He also taught me -- or maybe reminded me -- that relationships with Him, with my family and church family, and my friendships with fellow believers are incredibly important and take precedence over any government orders to the contrary.

 

So there you have it .. a few reflections on 2020.  I do have one more post that I'd like to write on this topic, but we will see.