Memories in the Mind

When I'm "home alone" I don't like to broadcast it to the world, but after the fact I get to share someone else's story.

Two weeks ago my dear hubby left on a motorcycle trip with his friend.  They've done trips together before, but this time it was going to be for two weeks.  They rode to Lewisburg, WVA the first day & spent the night there.  Then on to St. Clairesville, OH where they stayed for four nights.  What? You've never heard of that place?  Neither had I but Bill, (the other guy) grew up in that area, so he knew all the back roads that were great riding & beautiful scenery.  It is Amish country & they actually have more Amish there than in Pennsylvania.

  When they left there, they rode twelve (yes, that's 12!) hours in one day to arrive in Corning, NY.  If you've never been on a motorcycle, let me tell you that 12 hours is about 5 hours too long...!  They were bushed when they got there. but the Lord provided a rest day: it rained the next day, so they had to stay in at the motel & rest.
   Corning was their "home base" while they rode around the Finger Lakes for the next two days.  Though they were still "getting along" and enjoying the riding & the beauty, they decided that it was time to head back.  The journey took them through Harrisburg &  Gettysburg (PA), to Warrenton (VA) overnight; then they headed on home.  That was a total of 2750 miles of riding.

  Two weeks?  Not quite, but long enough that they sure made a memory.  God answered the prayers of many for them: not one incident or accident, no problems with any of their equipment, fun for both of them, & the baby held off... Bill's daughter was expecting her first baby (their first grandchild), & her due date is Aug.2.  Talk about cutting it close!!!

  The only thing that happened was that on the way home, Bill had his tank bag come loose & fly off the motorcycle.  It was one of the few times they were on a four lane highway, & by the time he could go back to retrieve it, someone had run over it.  He salvaged his wallet, his Advil, and his tire gauge, .... but not his camera.  It was so "smashed" that he couldn't even get his memory card out of it.  And he had taken most of the pictures during the trip.  So they have their memories in their minds and are safely back home.  I'm just thankful that I'm not encouraged, expected, or invited to go on one of these long trips!

Using the "New Technology"

"What in the world is this?"  you may ask....

"Or this?"  Why these lovely pictures on this post????

Scene 1: Friday evening - pool pump motor stops (in lower portion of this picture)
Scene 2: Saturday AM, realization that their are 25 adults & 29 children scheduled to come to a pool party on Sunday...
Scene 3: Husband is out of town & this MUST be fixed!  But HOW to describe to the salesperson at the pool store exactly what I need & which model????

Scene 4: Enter the "new technology" of digital camera!!!
Scene 5: Friends (for whom I am SO grateful!) offered to move the party to their house with a pool!!!

Epilogue: Son-in-love spent over an hour in 95+ degree heat installing the new motor... & it wouldn't start; he then brought his electrician out on Monday & it was not an electrical problem; pool store sent their serviceman out on Tuesday (heat even higher!) & he found a broken part, repaired it, & got pool up & going... so by Wednesday swimming resumed, in the "hot tub".  The pool water was so warm that the air felt cool when you got out, even though the temp was now 100!
BUT I got the right part even though I had no clue about how it worked (or didn't), how you changed it, or anything else about it.  All because "a picture is worth a thousand words"...

Phone Update

Some of you have probably not been waiting with baited breath (whoever came up with that expression?!) to find out what happened about my phone charger...
Honestly, I didn't quit blogging because of it.  It just was an incredibly busy week: my honey was on a motorcycle trip with a friend more on that on another blog (so I was hauling "stuff" out of closets, bagging it to give away, and feeding my paper shredder with years worth of paper I will never at least not until I shred it need again), & I was getting ready for a last visit from the "soon-to-be-weds" for a wedding shower being held for my future daughter-in-love.

The motorcycle trip was to last for 2 weeks, but after riding 2700 miles, they decided that was enough.  They had a great time, there were no problems or injuries or malfunctions of any kind... but one can only handle so many hours on a motorcycle before concluding it is enough!  (Two days back in the fall was enough at one time for me!)  Since they rode one day for 12 hours, I think they gave it their all on "maximizing" the joys of riding...  So the trip was cut back to 10 days - still quite an adventure!

Back to the phone issue: after giving three tries, I gave up on the dipped-in-water charger.  My DH reminded me that some friends have the same phones we do & that the Mr. had moved on to a Blackberry, so probably didn't need his charger.  Sure enough, he had one available!  So now I have my own phone charger again.  Isn't that exciting?!  Life just doesn't get much better...

Dumb Things I Do

I do some pretty "dumb" things sometimes, but I may have topped my list yesterday...
I've taken to recharging my phone on my bedside table at night.  I have a surge protector plugged into the wall & it lays nicely along side the wastebasket squeezed in between the bed & the nightstand.
Mistake #1: Sunday I went to throw away the disposable cup on the nightstand & realized it had a little water in it.. just a "little" mind you.  Knowing I planned to empty the wastebasket, I put it carefully down in there so the "little" bit of water wouldn't spill.
Mistake #2: I forgot to empty the wastebasket.
Mistake #3: When I unplugged my phone yesterday to take it with me, I forgot about the "little" bit of water in the cup in the wastebasket.

So when I went to plug in my phone last night, I noticed something kind of "blue" dripping from the end of my phone cord...  which had been sitting in the cup with just a little bit of water in it.  What's going on???? Then I saw blue liquid in the cup...  I immediately unplugged the cord, dried it off as much as possible & laid it on a paper towel to "dry out".

Do I dare plug my phone into it????!!!!!

Sunday Reflections

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:8

Summer's Best

I'm having a love affair...

with these delectable little goodies!  I've always claimed peaches were my favorite summer fruit (though I love blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums,... okay, ALL of them!)

But I think peaches, though I still love them, have been replaced in my number one choice position by Bing cherries.  I've seen them this year for $1.99/lb. (of which I scoop up & buy 2 huge bags) to $4.99 (which I wistfully pass by).  How can there be such a difference from store to store?!

I am going to be sad when their season is over... What joy these beautiful little bits of scrumptious, juicy, red, flavorful, wonderful taste these have been bringing me!  Doesn't take much to get me excited...

Tasty "Fish"

We don't live this far out....

And we don't live in this charming cabin...


But we live about 10 miles from the nearest grocery, so substitution is a "main ingredient" in many of my recipes.  But this one turned out very tasty...

Rather than be confusing, I'm giving my version first, followed by the one given to me by my friend.  I look forward to trying hers because I think the taste will be totally different...
(I didn't cook the tilapia as long because it is a thinner cut).

Fish In Foil ("Boonies version")
4 tilapia filets                 enough frozen corn to cover the fish         1 bunch green onions
1 jar pimento              bottled lime juice                salt & pepper
Place the tilapia on a piece of foil; sprinkle with salt & pepper; splash with liberal amount of lime juice; toss corn, chopped onions, & pimento over the fish; seal the foil & put on grill for about 5 minutes, then flip over & cook about 5 more minutes.  Place on plate & splash with a little more lime juice.  Serve.

Fish In Foil (Original Recipe)
4 salmon filets            4 ears of corn, cut off the cob       1 red pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions     1 tsp. grated lime peel     salt & pepper
Place the salmon on foil, season & add vegetables on top.  Seal foil & cook on grill 7 minutes; flip over & cook 7 minutes on other side.  Serve with fresh lime juice squeezed over the top.

Doin' The Happy Dance!

What is peace?  It is coming to the point where I ask God for something specific, but then reach the point where I am willing to accept whatever HIS will is, even if it means His answer is "No".  And I found peace this AM on my way to the Doctor's office: the doctor who was going to give me a "second opinion."
 I've never gone that route before, but when I went back to my doctor in June because I was still having pain from my surgery in Feb. & he diagnosed a different problem that would require yet another surgery, I was devastated.  I had tried to be very patient about the healing from surgery number one on my right hand in Dec., & patient about the Feb. surgery on my left hand taking so long to heal, because there was an end in sight.  But the thought of another 12+ weeks of healing on a more complex surgery was not something I was ready to grasp.
I had asked so many people to pray that God would heal my left hand/wrist so that I would not have to have more surgery.  I know God CAN heal, I know that sometimes He chooses NOT to heal, & I wanted to come to the place of accepting either.
So when this doctor today said that he did not recommend surgery....I was doin' the happy dance!!!  He was so thorough in explaining everything & suggesting a different course of therapy, which started with a really painful shot... but I've had those shots before & they sure beat surgery!!
Thank You, God, for this blessing.  And thank You for bringing me to a place of acceptance & peace.  And thank You for all those who were praying & giving us the opportunity to "see" You work.  Once again, to God be the glory!

Sunday Reflections

"He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust..."

Psalm 40:2-4

Over 100

As I "turn another page" in the process of life here on earth, & add another number to my age tomorrow, I thought of how aging affects people and things.  This house is over 100 years old, has been renovated, & is lived in.  It stands stately & beautiful, and it is registered in the National Registry of Historic Homes.
Some of us get "renovated" through modern technology (via "facelifts", surgery to repair things, exercise & healthy eating, etc.)
More importantly, some of us are "registered" in the Lamb's Book of Life, so we have no doubt where we will spend eternity.  I am so thankful to have that assurance!
But only one thing will stand forever: the Word of God.  Jesus said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
When I am tempted to not believe every single word of the Bible (preferring to "give a little space" for error), I am reminded that either it is ALL true or none of it is true.  And I  KNOW that Jesus is not a liar...
So once again I have His all encompassing love showered down on me as I celebrate my life here on earth as His child, thankful for all the friends & family He has given me.  To God be the glory!

How Hot is Hot?

Isn't it amazing how diversified our country is when it comes to weather?!  I just read that my blog friend in Washington state (jewelsinmycrownsomeday) has cherries that are about two weeks behind in ripening because they have had "such a COOL summer"!  Are you kidding me????!!!!  Here in NC it has been the hottest June on record & July is starting the same way!
So I am thankful for... fans.  Yes, fans.  Since our mountain home is ... in the mountains where it is always usually cool in the summer, we do not have air conditioning.  Well today it was 92 degrees!  Now up until about 2 PM it is decently cool in the house, but come 2 PM when it is that hot... we are on our way to the mall!  Did you know that you can actually spend 5 hours in a mall "moseying around"?  DH took his book & found a spot on a bench while I perused tried on 15 tops... to find ONE that fit!  Now I know why I don't like to shop much anymore.
So after a leisurely dinner meal at Panera, a little more "shopping", & a leisurely drive home, we are sitting in front of the fan while the house cools down.
But by the time we are sleeping, we will have a sheet, two blankets, & a quilt over us for the night.
Ah, the coolness of the mountains...

Birthday Breakfast

Since everyone needed to go home yesterday, before they left we celebrated Corey's (33rd) birthday with breakfast at Sweet Aromas in Jefferson, NC.

It has something for everyone: eggs, bacon, toast, "panpakes", homemade coffee cakes & pastries, muffins, & even little eggs-in-a puff pastry.  They were a little overwhelmed when our group of 9 came in (it's a small place in a small town....)

                Subtitle for this Post:  "I Miss My Eyes"

While eating a few bites of the yummy pecan roll (at the bottom of this picture), I thought I bit down on a pecan shell.  I took it out & laid it beside my plate.  A few minutes later I ran my tongue over my back teeth & realized I had lost my crown!  Since I didn't have my glasses on, I didn't know that what I thought was a shell was actually the crown from my tooth!  My sweet daughter-in-love-to-be said, "When you laid that down, I thought it was a tooth..."  Sure glad I didn't put it in a napkin (which would have been the more polite thing to do...) & throw it away!

Oh well, Happy Birthday, my dear sweet son!

Up Into the Hills

Our annual trip "up into the hills" over Independence Day weekend includes blueberry picking at our favorite place: Old Orchard Creek.

Not just a place to pick berries, this place is beautiful (here's where you pay for the berries, hang out, get a soft drink, swap stories with other visitors & the owners, & just relax).

It puts a smile on our faces (& a little "blue stain" too...)

It is a family affair, but even more special this year having "Uncle Corey" with us... and...

his lovely "bride-to-be"...

who has captured our hearts!

We ALL picked berries this year (even Papa, since he forgot his book... yay, more blueberries for the year!)

A beautiful place, a beautiful day, a great way to observe God's beautiful creation.

What can be more beautiful?

Continuing the MM Post

Last year I painted everything outside black, giving them some new life for the season...

This year's color is a tan/creme lighten-things-up hue...  I found this metal sign on sale earlier this spring & didn't like the color, but knew that was no "biggie".  It was just a matter of choosing the color of spray paint!  The sign is over 3 feet long, so it shows up well from the street.

I found this one at the same time & it was a dull white with "rust' on the edges.  So I "creamed" it!  Since I hang a wreath here at Christmas, the nail was already in the brick, just begging for something to hang on it...

And it all started with this pot...