The sunshine has been welcome and I've been gardening up a storm. I said to LK last night, well, it's just the two of us and we've got the yard pretty much whipped into shape, good for us! I must say that kids, even in spurts of time available, can make a huge contribution to the labor of running a house and taking care of a big yard. Yes, it is big. I've been noticing this more and more since the trend of building big houses on regular sized lots gets more prevelant.

I usually only grow flowers these days - variety - this and that - what ever strikes my fancy and also whatever perenials multiply - not a very formal plan at all but I like it. Yesterday I went to a perennial flower exchange. What a delight. The yard of the person who had the party was so beautifully developed - an adventure to explore - big trees and lots of interesting beds of flowers in different places around the property. My back yard is one big rectangle. This yard had more - areas I'll call them. I came home with 7 new plants 4 kinds I never had before.

Oh, back to I usually only grow flowers - except for the rhubarb. This year Andy gave me a package of oriental greens seeds. I cleared out a little triangle for them and got them planted. I was thinking, how am I going to keep the neighbor cats from digging up these seeds. I was on my hands and knees planting them when Mr. Silky Whiskers peeked under the bush and looked right at me. I told him to just stay put, no digging, and I rushed across the yard with a grate to lay over the seeds. Later, his friend Fluffy came by proving again the wisdom of the grate.

Fluffy trying to look innocent and nonchallant - ha. The seed bed is directly in front of her. She may be friendly, but she's not innocent. Mr. Silky Whiskers peeked at me twice right under the right side of the holly bush - between the holly bush and the spirea with his little face just above the grate. Funny little guy. That's for Sarah - She knows these cats, in fact she used to crawl after Fluffy to pat him. (Cat's names have been changed because...well because I forget what their owners call them and I like the names I've given them - their names are not changed to 'protect the innocent' as the saying goes :> )

I've been moving many plants, especially hostas and ferns. Here is a photo of some headway I've made under my cedar trees. I want to pick up a few more really large hostas and call it a season on that stretch. To my knowledge I've never planted geraniums before but I thought I'd give it a shot and I do like the bold red under the trees. I hope they get enough light - they are at the outer most curves so the do get a little dappeled sunshine.

Today is Mother's Day. I am particularly thoughtful today about the priviledge I enjoy in being a mother. The great honor I had to raise children, and to know them as adults, Cara, Aimee, and Steve S. married and raising their children, and Steven *researching. Thanks kids for all the memories stored and memories to come. I also want to say what a privilege it is to love, like a mother, many people who are not my children, but are certainly mine to love. Thank you too - you enrich my life.

*researching is what I call Steven's dating.

Surgery Update

I just talked to my dad and he told me the surgery has been cancelled and they are coming home. I'm sure they have mixed feelings about this. Mom was dreading the surgery and yet hopeful for pain relief in the end. They both had worked hard at all the arrangements - even getting their first ever cell phone. Maybe in a month it will be re-booked. Apparently another surgery was complex using more time than anticipated so my mom is bumped. God will advance the prayers to another day in the future and apply the peace and strength requested to today as well.

Jill and Marsha - notes for you in "Sarah's Art" post comments.

Please Pray

Please pray for my parents today - for the next while actually. My mom is having her second shoulder replacement Friday. She is very fragile physically and very worn in spirit. Tonight we went over and LK read Psalm 91 and we prayed for her. Our hope is that the surgery relieves the pain in her shoulder, which has been severe. I also pray that the Lord protects her from any falls during her hospital and recovery time. Thank you.

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
Psalm 91 - NLT

Sarah's Art and Visiting Anna

I just love children's art. Sarah's drawing of people is becoming more detailed by the week! Here is the welcome poster that she made for us. It was hanging in the guestroom. I was so excited. Some folks are just starting to get arms and mouths. Excellent fun.

Yesterday I had a lovely little visit with Anna while her parents worked. We went for a long hilly walk, which was really good for me, and we played toys. Anna was a little uncertain as she doesn't see me as often as her Grandma Alice - but she is very good natured. Anna is enjoying walking around furniture and she is also pictured kissing her bunny (biting) and clapping her blocks together. Cutie - and her shirt said so.

Family Time

I'd said to Cara that we might be able to pop out for the weekend, but the trip wasn't really finalized until Friday morning. What a happy voice greeted me on the phone when I called to say we were coming. Ah - welcomes - always welcome.

When driving through wilderness areas our family always keeps an animal count. This started when I was a child and we would go out driving in the evenings in Wisconsin, searching for deer and keeping count, or vacationing in Jasper and keeping count of elk, bear, deer, whatever animals we could find. I'm pretty sure both of our girls still keep count. I know Aimee keeps her eyes peeled. She once told me she had prayed see a deer near her home - this surprising her husband as he never thought to pray to see a deer! All this to say we had an excellent animal count on the way to Princeton. Four deer on a bluff with sunset sky behind, about 10 elk, two eagles, and one bear eating grass by the highway

We arrived at camp early evening. Cara had been telling Sarah her grandparents would arrive when it got dark. She kept asking if it was dark yet - and then we came before it was even dark! Sarah stood in the middle of her hallway, very straight, feet together, hands at sides, head tilted upwards, eyes twinkling, smiling. This was our greeting from her. Then hugs. Sweet.

Here are some of the things we did at Abrahams. We went to town on Saturday - to the quilt store where the quilts from Cara's course were on display. There we got some quilting thread and needles and Sarah enjoyed looking at fabric. Doesn't she look like a serious little shopper?

After the quilt store we went to the playground with Sarah while Cara picked up some chicken food. Actually, we went to two playgrounds. The first was taken over by the little furry guy and his friends. I want to call him a groundhog or a marmot - but I don't think that's right. Who knows?
In town also I picked up a red scissors for Sarah (she said "ONE" when I said scissors with an 's' on the end). What an enthralling thing a first pair of scissors is (or maybe it was when I said a 'pair' of scissors?). Anyway literally hours were spent cutting and cutting, after which we made a craft of people with cut up paper for hair.
Another highlight was going to Abrahams' church for the first time. The building was on a bluff and had a series of windows along the side that I could see trees and sky out of - wonderful for light hungry me. The pastor totally reminded me of my brother(also a pastor) in appearance and speaking style. He had very kind eyes and reminded people to pray for one another. In fact, in the bulletin there was a place to write down prayer requests that people shared during the service - that impressed me. It's a strength of a small church that everyone knows your name and can keep track of what concerns each other. I liked the image he used in his sermon of moving from the tidal pools, that are technically ocean, to diving into the ocean, discovering the largeness and incredible awesomeness of God, which then inspires us to want to follow - to trust - to obey as a natural response.
Andy actually had his weekend after we left but we enjoyed his coming and going and caught a little visiting in the evenings, and a relaxed breakfast on Monday.
LK and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit. It was a gift of family - a gift of time just fit in before the weeks ahead that will be filled with hospital visits to my mom following shoulder replacement surgery this Friday.

Road Trip

LK was away in Grand Rapids for a week. When he came back, it was time for me to have another CT scan which went pretty well. That was Friday. My heart raced at the IV contrast that they 'push' really fast at St. Pauls. I don't think I want to do that again if it can be helped. Pretty fast and some strange rhythm - but not for very long. I won't have results for a while yet.

Right after the scan we drove home, quickly packed our things, picked up some groceries and headed out to visit Andy, Cara and Sarah for three nights. It's a beautiful time of year for a road trip! Here we are enjoying supper together one night - salmon that Andy barbecued. Sarah was so pleased to have us visit her on her turf. She delighted in showing us around and loved playing with us, telling us about things.

Thanks for all the visits. More stories and pics tomorrow.

Did You Take My Laundry Basket?

The other night LK was doing his laundry - yes we each do our own. I was in the living room. This is what I think I hear. I hear him collect his laundry and take it downstairs. Then I hear him yell "OUCH" as he passes through the zig and zag that is the somewhat narrow and inconvenient entrance to our laundry room. I yell to ask what happened - he scraped his hand going through - and he has sore hands with arthritis in the fingers. He's then upstairs and down again. There is another yelp for some reason. Who thought doing laundry could be so dangerous. Some time has passed when he calls to me, "Did you take my laundry basket?" Well no I did not.

This query is so curious I go down to see if I can find his lost laundry basket. How does one lose their laundry? Of course we all know about lost socks - but this was the whole basket before it got into the sock stealing machines. After looking around the laundry room I see that the basket of linens that I had placed at the top of the steps, for myself to take down, was now sitting by the machines. AH - LK - "perhaps you carried this basket down". Says he, "Where was this basket?" Says me, "At the top of the stairs." Says he, "Well, OK, but where is my laundry basket?"

I go upstairs to look about and there sitting in the middle of our bed is his laundry basket. I point this out to him - he's mystified and asks, "Did you put this here?" By this time I was laughing pretty much hysterically - not at him but because I KNEW the feeling of being so absolutely positive about something that you cannot figure out what happened.

It all made sense. He gathered his laundry, left the room for a moment, saw my basket, carried it down (thank you very much) smashed his hand, maybe dealt with that, went back to start the load - and WHERE was that basket. As I laughed my head off, hugging him and feeling really connected and that all was right with the world, and that YES we are well matched, he started laughing with me. The laughter was so good.

I have a confession to make. I do these things more often than he does and we both know it.

Like today. I knew I had to stop at church today to drop off a receipt. In my mind it was Wednesday. So I dressed nicely before I went out because I was going out for breakfast with my Believing God group. As I was driving along I doubted myself. Hey - I only remember one day after Sunday. Maybe it is Tuesday. I bet it IS Tuesday. There is no quick way to check the day in the car - no calender - no computer. I reach for my cell phone - it has a calender - rats no cell phone. I stop by the restaurant and casually ask to see the menu to scope out ahead of time what I might be able to eat. IF it would turn out that today WAS Wednesday - I would see my friends and join them. Of course they were not there - but I know what I will order in the morning. Then I stopped at church, came home, checked the computer. Tuesday indeed. Well, what a gift an extra day is. These things happen in quiet weeks when there is not so much rhythm. I'm enjoying my quiet week and my extra day. Tomorrow I will enjoy my breakfast out. I'm having toast, soft boiled egg, fresh fruit and one of the very many delicious teas they specialize in. Happy Wednesday.

A Sweet Favorite - Rhubarb Roly-Poly

I discovered this recipe in the Vancouver Sun in 1988. It's yellow, ripped, and stained, scotch taped to a sheet of notebook paper. Nearly every spring we enjoy this treat warm with whipped cream, or this year non-fat sour cream, as a main dish with bacon, or ham on the side. I know - what kind of main dish is that! Crazy - but it's the same kind of crazy that makes people think a corn boil is a meal - well - if you're crazy about corn or crazy for rhubarb you understand. That's my kind of crazy.

(Corrected since yesterday - water to sugar ratio)

Rhubarb and Strawberry Roly-Poly
Syrup:
2 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
Combine in a 9 x 13 pan, heat on element on low until sugar is melted.

Dough:
2 3/4 cups flour (I use at least half whole wheat - often all)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use 1)
2/3 cups shortening
1 cup of milk
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk (I add an egg and reduce the milk a tad)
Mix and dump onto floured surface kneading about 20 times. Roll into 10 x 12 inch rectangle.

Filling:
2 cups of rhubarb cut up small
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
(I tell you three cups total of any fruit is fine. I normally use three cups of rhubarb. If it's a sweet fruit - reduce the sugar a little)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or a little more :) I always add more cinnamon than the recipe calls for)
1 Tablespoon butter (I always skip this)
Mix together and spread over dough - oh yes if you're adding the butter dot over all now - Roll up lengthwise, pressing to seal. Cut into 1 inch pieces with floured serrated knife. Place cut side down in hot syrup in pan. Looks weird - not to worry.

Bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 12 servings. As a main dish - each person may eat two or three easily.