First Friday five of September

 Baptist Bible Hour

Friday again, and time to recount a few blessings from my week ...

1.  Time to bake -- and the cooler temperatures to make it doable!  I made a blueberry crunch dessert and a peach coffeecake on Saturday.  That was fun!

 Peach coffeecake!  Recipe devised by me and coming soon to a blog near you.

Blueberry Crunch, from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Mom Knows Best, I think.

2.  Great fellowship and message at church on Sunday.  Our friend Rick and family are visiting from Indiana.  We always enjoy Rick's preaching and the good fellowship with him and his family.

3.  Time to list some fun items on Etsy, and a good number of Etsy sales this week!

4.  Taking supper over to our little cottage on Monday night.  We had a campfire afterward.  Mondays are a busy night for the neighbors, but one grandson joined us for the campfire.

Below is neither campfire nor grandson, just a fun sight I've seen while out walking.  You can't really tell, but the truck bed is full of growing plants.  This was taken a month or more ago -- now it's easily seen that the plants are jewelweed, as they are bedecked with pretty little orange colored blossoms!

5. Resuming a study of Psalms for the first half of September.  I'm trying to post some of my study on Instagram -- I had started this study while on vacation back in June.  Then I jogged away from it for July and August to do some of Rachel Wojo's wonderful Bible reading plans.  (I did Rest for the Weary and Certain Through Uncertainty.)  Now I've jogged back to Psalms for a couple weeks and then will be diving into 2 Corinthians with Women Living Well for their fall study.

Graphic from Women Living Well

And that's the Friday five for this week!  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

September 2nd Hodgepodge

Yes, it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, in which Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers.  It's always a lot of fun (and sometimes challenging).   If you'd like to join in,  just head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog.  Here are this week's questions:

1. The Hodgepodge lands on the second day of a brand new month. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in September.

A getaway up north with my hubby!   We'll be spending a few days at the lake above.

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or 'inherited' second hand?

 We bought property from my dad's trust -- woodland acres that included this rustic cottage.  The organ was already there, but the lamps, fan,  fruit crate and blanket chest came from the old homestead.  The couch belonged to my daughter and family and the bookcase belonged to my sister.

A darker photo, this one of the dining area shows some chairs from the homestead and a table we found in the cellar there.  Plus there are loads of other second-hand items which can't be seen in these pictures.  The rug (which I love and will keep) and the linoleum (which will eventually be replaced) were both 'inherited" with the cottage.


In addition to "shopping" in old houses, I do very much enjoy browsing second-hand shops!  It's been awhile since I shopped at one; mostly we have been donating there.

3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting online?


Let's see ... I often second-guess myself after writing a blog post.  Even though I read and reread, and Preview before hitting "Publish", I still often wonder if I've said what I meant to say.  Same with comments on others' blogs.

I've been neglecting this one...

4. What's a product or service you use that you'd rate as second to none?

Tilex Daily Shower is the only thing that keeps the soap scum produced by our very hard water at bay on a daily basis.  (It's also nearly impossible to find right now!)  For monthly cleaning of the tub and shower, I rely on this formula for  Tub and Shower Magic, which is also wonderfully effective on removing the soap scum.

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it's second nature?
This summer, I guess that might be making iced tea.  Heat water, pour over teabags; steep; add 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup agave nectar.  Voila, a half gallon of iced tea.  Read about it here if you missed it: Desperate times still call for desparate measures.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This is random indeed,  and probably shows how weird I am, but my granddaughters and I were so amazed by this packaging from the butter our hosts had placed in our apartment fridge during our time out West.  It was so very interesting that I brought it home and scanned it.

There's a poem on the inside!

Don't you find it amazing too?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Some goals for September

So it's a brand new month and I am happy to welcome September!  The verse on the calendar from September 1953 is perfect for our situation right now.  Here are some goals for this new month:

* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones
* Work on a study of Psalms
* Midmonth, begin the new fall Bible study on 2 Corinthians from Women Living Well
* Post in my blogs and on Instagram as often as possible
* Continue our discipleship study with new believers
* Have folks over for Sunday lunch a time or two
* Continue to help our widowed friend Terry with the challenges of life in general

* Get to bed by 9 pm each night  
* Pay much more attention to drinking enough water each day
* Read several books 

* Complete some estate responsibilities 

* Work on the cottage we are fixing up

 * Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

* Get back into Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Do something creative each day

* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones

* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Redouble my efforts in stocking my Etsy shop and continuing to sell vintage items

* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family

* Plan a getaway with my hubby

* Attend a ladies' retreat

* Get together with friends for breakfast 

* Meet up with my nephew and his family

* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able 

* Continue to encourage and support my hubby as he works through a pastoral search for our church

* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

 
HEALTHY HABITS FOR SEPTEMBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/walk regularly
MY WORD FOR 2020: Diligence

Friday five for August 28

Friday again, and time to count five blessings from the week just past.  Here goes:

1.  Visits with two more of my cousins, on Friday and Wednesday.  So much fun to catch up with them a little bit.  Passing on finds from the homestead has brought us into contact lately!  I got together with Wayne (next to me in the photo below) on Friday and Shirley (far left in the photo below) on Wednesday.  I met with Dale (between Shirley and Wayne) last Thursday.

2.  Some days at home this week.  It was such a blessing to be able to get a few household tasks done.  Seeing my desk piled high with papers and other stuff has been really demoralizing.  I've also listed some items on Etsy and made a few sales this week.

A recently listed note card

3.  A fun get-together at the cottage we're fixing up.  Even though there is still a lot of work to do, and several amenities are missing,  things were good enough to have a suppertime hot dog roast and potluck on Sunday night.

 A corner of the living room

 New fire pit built by my hubby and two grandsons

Doesn't it look welcoming all lighted up?

4.  A campfire in our own back yard on Monday night.  Such a blessing to have a nice stone fire ring back there.  The past couple years we have not even gotten a campfire permit to use the metal ring that we had.  Now we're kicking ourselves for not having done that.  But my hubby was so busy working, it was a whole different season of life.  He had no time for things like this in the evening on weekdays.

5.  Eating outdoors as often as we can to soak up the summer.  We got a nice patio table and chairs a couple years ago for our back deck.  So thankful.  Eating outdoors -- and in fact, spending as much time outdoors as possible -- has been so helpful in this difficult time of Covid.  Below you see a typical supper -- wrap sandwiches, a salad, and iced tea!

And that's this week's Friday five!  Happy weekend, everyone!

Dog days of summer Hodgepodge

Yes, it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, in which Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers.  It's always a lot of fun (and sometimes challenging).   If you'd like to join in,  just head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog.  Here are this week's questions:

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Dog Day this year (August 26th). Do you own a dog? Did you have a dog when you were growing up, or maybe some other kind of pet? Would you say you're more of a dog person or a cat person? Neither is okay too : )

We don't own a dog, although we once did, and also had a granddog living with us for a time.  I don't miss either one.  Our family did have a dog as I was growing up.  She was a German Shepherd/Husky cross with a dash of wolf.  Queenie was technically my brother's dog but we all loved her.  She had quite a personality.  I've hunted for pictures of her, as I know I have one of us together somewhere.

I'm definitely not a cat person at all.  I much prefer dogs,  but not small yappy ones. 

Since I can't locate a picture of Queenie, I will substitute one of my hubby with one of his boyhood canine pals.

2. Last time you felt 'dog tired'?

Probably after a weekend a month or so ago when we had guests for supper (Saturday night), lunch (Sunday) and breakfast Sunday and Monday.  And went for a hike on Sunday too.  It was a wonderful time, and we loved their company, but I tend to feel my age after a marathon like that one.  That said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

3. It's said you can't teach an old dog new tricks. When did you last prove this idiom true or prove it wrong?

I proved it true trying out the new Blogger.  I much prefer the Legacy interface.  I don't even like the way the page looks when one is trying to write a new post in the new version.  I tried it for a week or two and decided to go back to the old for as long as I can.

4. A favorite book, television show, or movie featuring a dog. Why did you love it?

You know, I loved dog and horse stories as a kid, but reading them (as well as watching TV shows like Lassie or movies like Old Yeller) invariably moved me to tears.  I can't even tell you why I loved such stories.  I seldom read them anymore.  That said, however, the book below, found at the homestead, is in my to-be-read pile.  It's about a dog and two mules.

5. Last time you had reason to (literally or figuratively) exclaim 'hot diggity dog'?

We roasted hot dogs over a campfire at our cottage on Sunday night.  So much fun!

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  

We had such a fun time at our little cottage/camp on Sunday evening.  Although there is a ton of work still to do,  and we still have no plumbing, water, or a kitchen stove, our daughter, son-in-law and family joined us for a hot dog roast and potluck meal.   I'll try and write a post about it this week, for I want to share info about the food we had and how we made it all work.

And that's it for this week's Hodgepodge!  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

About our recently acquired cottage ...

This is the back of the cottage.  Left to right you see the living area, the bedroom/sitting area, and the kitchen.

Readers have been asking, so I wanted to take just a minute and quickly explain about the cottage we're working on.  It's my parents' camp from back in the day.  We often spent my dad's vacation times there.  It's very rustic -- no water or plumbing, and, until recently, no electricity either.

To look back at its beginnings, this cottage is a piece of New England history -- the two small rooms (a kitchen and a sitting area/bedroom) were portable camps that would have been hauled to logging/lumbering jobs.  Upon arrival at the job site, the two rooms were bolted together!  The wheel wells may still be seen in one of the rooms, and the wheels are still in place under it.  Little platforms were neatly built over the wheel wells.  One held a Franklin woodstove and the other a dresser.   

Back in 1949, my parents used this tiny place as a home after they first married and lived in it while their permanent house was being built.  In the photo below, it is the little white building.  The one to the left is the kitchen, and the the part to the right is the bedroom/sitting area.    The window you can see in that part is the bedroom window.  I think they may have had a chemical toilet in the little brown building, which many years later became our playhouse.  In the driveway you see my Dad's lumber truck. 

After the house was finished, the camps were moved to property owned by the family in the woods of a nearby town.  So the tiny home became a little two-room camp out in the woods, to which my dad eventually added a large room to serve as living room, dining area, and bunkroom.  As mentioned, the other two rooms were a kitchen and a bedroom with a separate, tiny curtained-off sitting area containing the aforementioned dresser and a little Franklin stove, along with a rocking chair.  

My dad had a gravity-feed arrangement for cold running water only, and we had an outhouse.  In the living room was a couch, a couple of chairs, a television, a shelf with a telephone, a number of rollaway cots, an old pump organ someone had given us (none of  us knew how to play it!) and a picnic table with benches.  There were also some boxes full of books (bought at auction) and old magazines.  It sounds disorganized, but it really didn't feel it.  The dining area was in one corner, beside the large screened windows that were covered with wooden shutters when we weren't in residence.  The living room area was in the adjacent corner, and the bunks filled up the remaining side.  The organ was tucked in next to the door to this room.  There was electricity back then, but my parents disconnected it when they stopped using the camp.

My dad also added a screened porch off the kitchen (you can see the deck of the porch in the photo below, which must have been taken before he completed the porch and screened it in.   My brothers and I are in the picture with him.  Eventually, a regular peaked roof was also added to the cottage.

 
As a family, we often went over to the camp in summer, often for days at a time.  I guess, now that I think about it, there must have been times when we just went over to the camp for supper and the evening.  I know that we didn't always stay overnight, though we would often go there for a week at a time when my dad had some time off from work.  

My brother Tim and I outdoors at the camp

 On the way to the camp, there was a wonderful farm stand where my parents would often stop to pick up some fresh produce.  And my mother would then cook much of what they bought.  Often there would be peas to shell, green beans to trim and cut,  or corn to husk.   Sliced tomatoes were a must.  I don't actually remember what was served for meat with these fresh meals; my guess is that we just made a meal of those good vegetables.  Salt and pepper, and some margarine for the corn,  would have been the only seasonings.

So I have some great memories of the camp, but it really wasn't my favorite place because I didn't like the outhouse and the lack of a tub or shower.  As children, my siblings and I loved roaming around outside.  The woodsy surroundings were quite different from the farm fields we were used to at home.  We would often discover tiny orange salamanders, wild raspberries, unusual wildflowers, and other finds.  A tiny fern-edged woodland pool replaced the brook we played in at home.

We were able to buy the property from the trust in 2019 and are fixing the cottage up as a little retreat and a place to spend time with grandkids.  An Incinolet toilet will be a must, along with a sleeping loft for the kids.  I've mentioned before how our daughter and son-in-law (who live next door, a five-minute trek along a woodsy path) did a great deal of painting of walls and cabinets and replacing of flooring as a lovely Father's Day surprise for my hubby.  Hopefully, I can put together an entire post about our renovations as time goes on.

The revamped kitchen, courtesy of Jim and Carrie

One of my readers, Pamela, knowing that a place on the water has been a long-held dream of ours, had asked about a lake and no, sadly, it's not on a lake. 🌲🌲 There's a lake in the distance though, and it can be glimpsed in winter and spring. 😁  This spring photo from a few years ago shows the lake in the center of the picture, just to the right of the porch.

In fact, just the other day I noticed that, while sitting in a certain spot in the living room, the lake can be seen through the trees.  That is fun!  As I mentioned to Mr. T, this is the closest we're likely to get to waterfront property!

Friday five for August 21

Time for the Friday five!  There have been many blessings this week, but here are just a few:

1.  Cooler weather for walking this week!  It's been such a blessing not to be dripping sweat as I walk.

2.  A great day with our friend Terry last Friday.  We went out for breakfast, then for a lovely walk in the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery where her husband is buried.  Later, we went out for ice cream.  Just a wonderful day with a dear, dear friend and sister in the Lord.

3.  This is a huge blessing!  Yesterday, the power got hooked up at the little cottage we are renovating.  We started the process in June and it's been a long time coming.  So very thankful to have lights and electricity!

4.  Getting to see several of my cousins this week.  We visited one at our extended family's cottage on a quiet pond; the other two stopped by the homestead to pick up some things I'd set aside for them.  

5.  As of today, we have FINISHED cleaning out the homestead!  Hallelujah!!!!!  We still have outbuildings to finish, but the huge task of the house is done! (And incidentally, all of the photos here  -- except for the Veterans Cemetery one -- were taken around the homestead.)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!