Category Archives: Travel Journal
Daily journal of places I have been
Saturday August 15 2015 “DO IT! LET’S GET OFF OUR BUTS”
Saturday August 15 2015 “DO IT! LET’S GET OFF OUR BUTS”
And no! I did not misspell BUTS! My above heading is the actual title of a book by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams. The rest of the cover reads: “IMPORTANT MESSAGE—A Guide to Living Your Dreams”, Published in 1991 with a no threat copyright. The text of the book is amazing on its own and is peppered with quotes on all the pages between chapters, most from famous people which you have probably read many times throughout your life time. The topics covered are simple, basic, life enhancing topics which challenge you to be the best you can be by asking many thought provoking questions. It is a book of wisdom presented in a way to be easy reading, easy to understand, and which instigates end results of great value.
One of my favorite things to do is learn. I learn by reading. It seems when I am browsing for books in my favorite stores, (you know, like St. Vincent’s and Goodwill) that God just places the very best books on the shelves for me to buy. They are always just what I need at the time. I picked this book up at St. Vincent’s for $1.99 a couple of years ago. I read part of it before my trip in March. It was one of the books that inspired me to actually take my trip instead of just dreaming about it. Sometimes we all need a kick in the pants to see what we really need to see. I have a stack of books I am reading and read bits and pieces of some each day. Well when I came back across this one I decided to start from the beginning again because I wanted to refresh myself of the wisdom filling the pages. Something I read today that I don’t remember seeing before was a footnote on one of the pages of text. This was what the footnote read: “Those who study the Bible and would like to know the Scriptural reference for much of this book, please read Matthew, chapter 7.” The book itself is not presented as a “religious” or spiritual book. I think it is written more for the secular world with the undercurrent of Biblical values.
So I go to Matthew Chapter 7 and read it through. I wonder if any who have never had a relationship with God have looked up chapter 7. If so, they have all they need in that one chapter to be introduced to the most spectacular person who ever walked this earth and to see the benefits of walking in the way of the Lord. If you have never read that chapter you might want to do so now. It is an awesome chapter. The last couple of days I have been refreshing myself with I John. That too is an awesome book!
My dream Saturday. It didn’t happen today. But I enjoyed it immensely. Worked most of the day on working up the photo work for the last baby I photographed at the hospital this week. It is satisfying to finish a job knowing that it will be ready in time for the baby’s funeral. Other than that I went to the library to pick out some DVD’s for my two grandsons who will be deposited here tomorrow evening for two full days. And the rest of the time was just taken up in life. Life takes a lot of time to live if you make your own food.
We had some much needed rain today. We had a torrential downpour for about 20 to 25 minutes. We desperately needed rain to keep the farmer’s crops healthy in the fields. These last few weeks are crucial to the harvest. I wish you could see Wisconsin now. It is so beautiful. Fields and fields of tall corn, tasseled, just waiting for time to pass to be harvested. I’ve never seen soy beans as tall as they are this year. It is amazing. Dave said there was a lot of rain in the spring and early summer before I arrived home and everything grew speedily. Fields of hay have been harvested several times already and will probably grow for another harvest later this fall. It is all just so beautiful. This is what I drive through each day when I go exercise or go into town. Very little traffic on the country roads. It makes living here worth the winters. My soul feeds on the beauty of what my eyes see.
I think that last sentence was the beginning of a poem. Let me see if I can write one on that premise.
MY SOUL FEEDS
By Kathleen Martens
August 15 2015
My soul feeds on the beauty
Of what my eyes see.
Nature is gracious
To serve what I need.
Fields of flowers
Bowing to the wind,
Their wafting fragrance
To me they lend.
The corn so regal
Straight and tall,
Makes each road
Have its own wall.
Tossing their heads
As if in dance
The grains bow low
At their chance.
And the soy beans whisper
Their secrets soft
Like the sound of rustling
In a hay loft.
And the trees are laden
In red and green
As the apples grow
Easier they are seen.
Melons and cucumbers
In abundant supply,
Offer bounty of nourishment
On which we rely.
And the gardens grow
As with their last breath
Producing so freely
Before winter’s death.
And my soul keeps feeding
On the beauty that surrounds
For wherever I go,
It seems to abound.
But one must pause
To see all that graces
That which is around us,
Right in our faces.
Stop and look,
Take time to live.
And remember, be thankful
For what the creator gives.
The wisdom for today is from the book, “DO IT! Let’s get off our Buts” page 2:
A quote from EZRA POUND: “Properly, we should read for power. Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand.”
I just love and agree with Ezra Pound’s quote. That is how books are to me. I can never get enough reading in.
Good night. Enjoy your Sunday Sabbath. Remember, I have my 3 & 7 year old boys with me tomorrow night. Let’s see if I get a blog written too.
Saturday August 1, 2015 “ALWAYS BE WILLING TO HELP”
Saturday August 1 2015 “ALWAYS BE WILLING TO HELP”
What wonderful words to hear coming from the lips of a young man today when I asked him for his wisdom. This young man is named Nolan. His wisdom, “Always be willing to help”. He is a biker who stopped in a little cooking house to refill three water bottles. His mom and dad were also with him on their bicycles. It was a hot day, bright sunshine, little breeze, and a glorious day to be outside.
I will finish Nolan’s story and how it affected me in a bit. First I want to tell about what led up to me even meeting Nolan. I was planning to go to the Intimacy Conference to hear Dr. Daniel Hammer speak again this morning. Last’s nights presentation was very inspiring and well worth the time. I noticed yesterday I was breaking out on my neck, chest and shoulders in a red bumpy, ugly rash. Very itchy and burned. I called my Doctor’s office and was told to come in so I did. Of course it was right in the middle of Hammer’s speech time. There was no other time and I was miserable enough that I decided to go to the Doctor. I was given a cream for this undiagnosed rash and went on my way. I was already out in Oregon, about 6-8 miles away from home. So I decided to go out to St. Vincent’s and pick up a throw rug to use in our back entrance while our “normal” rug was being dry cleaned. So I drove down the country road that would take me to St. Vincent’s and then decided to just keep on going a block farther and stop at a favorite place I like to eat in a little town called Paoli, a little town in the middle of nowhere, like so many other Wisconsin towns. It is a charming place with quaint little buildings that are original to the towns beginning. Most of them being used for different purposes than originally intended. I included a couple of pictures on the road into Paoli from Oregon (our “home” town). I included a barn pic too. Also included is a picture of the little place I like to eat called the Bread and Brat Place The second building is only in part of the picture, a large two story structure that was intentionally part of the Mill house from years ago. It is now an antique store. When in town I enjoy going and look around.
It was a little bit more than just looking around today. First I had lunch at the Brat place (a vegetarian grilled sandwich) and then went over to THE COTTAGE GODDESS to look around. Low and behold, amidst all the clutter of beautifully displayed artifacts was a glass topped table with a base like I’ve never seen before. It was amazing. Since we passed down our heirloom dining room set to our son and his wife, we have been tableless in our formal eating area. I’ve had my heart set on a round glass table but didn’t like any of the styles I have seen in resale shops. I pretty much only buy resale items. I like to recycle too! Well, there it was sitting a pretty as you please, covered with dust and dirt and dishes and a stacking tray full to the top with do-dads of every unimaginable kind. Through the glass I saw a circular tray-like base that was just a bit smaller than the glass. It was old and worn and had a beautiful patina of crusty metal with chipped paint fragments. It was amazing. It stands on one pedestal with a wide base that meets the floor. I actually took a picture while in the store to send to Dave and I will post it below this blog. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Dave came over to the shop, had lunch first at the Brat house and then we bought the table. It is about 46 inches in diameter. I measured my car space and it would fit snug in the back of my little Kia. With both cars there we decided to go ahead and take it home rather than get a truck and come back. Well, one thing I didn’t take into consideration was the widest width in which to get the top into the back of my car. It would not fit. This is where Nolan comes in.
Nolan and his mom and dad were finishing up their lunch when it was time for us to carry the glass table top and metal base (fortunately they come apart) to the car. I asked Nolan if he would be up to helping my husband get the table from the shop and help put it in the trunk. No, he didn’t mind at all. His dad Steve volunteered too. God was good to us. Well, it wasn’t an easy walk to the car, with narrow sidewalks, lots of people, steps, and gravel alongside the road. Just one problem. The table would not fit through the opening of the trunk. It just would not fit! They tried to get in through the back door and it still would not fit. It just wouldn’t fit. Nolan suggested we go through the front door of the car, lean the seats back in the front, get the HEAVY table top beyond the seats, raise the seats back up and set the table top down. Sounds easy??? Maybe to an engineer. We are talking about little space and no wiggle room to lift it back there. Well, we agreed to give it a go perchance they just might do it. And they did it! It was amazing! It was easy to get the base loaded in Dave’s car because it was constructed to come apart.
The table base is actually a very old table designed to be the starter bed for tobacco plants and was made in Wisconsin many, many years ago. So end of story! WRONG! We still had to get it out once we arrived home. I can’t lift due to my recent surgery and the top is unwieldy, cumbersome, and slippery, not to mention, made of glass.
That’s when I asked Nolan what his wisdom is. I think Nolan has a heart of gold. “ALWAYS BE WILLING TO HELP” was his quick reply. His smile was full of gold too, sincere and spontaneous. That’s when I turned to his father, Steve, and asked for his wisdom. This is what his father said, “My wisdom I learned from my son. This is what my son has taught me, when you do something, do not give up, but rather look at all possibilities and continue trying until you have accomplished what you set out to do.” WOW! What a compliment for a father to give to his son. They were a lovely family and I left their presence feeling blessed for having met them. It is people like them that makes one realize that there is still good in this world and there truly are some wonderful people out there. It makes me want to be an even better person, and as Nolan said, “Always be willing to help”. Thank you Nolan for your help, both in brain and muscle. His father told us “Nolan is an engineer”. Hmmm…he is probably a very good one!
Well, half the battle was done. Now how would we get it out once we arrived home? I parked my car in the driveway pondering this dilemma. I went into the house to start dinner and remembered I needed to check my phone messages because I was expecting a call from someone I did not know who forgot to pick up her chickens (dead ones) on Thursday when the food was delivered. I had put them in the freezer because I didn’t want them to thaw out. I contacted the farm and they told me the chickens were mine if they weren’t picked up. That’s a lot of money for somebody to lose. I asked the farm if they could give my number to the person and have them call me and I would hold them here until they could come. So I checked my messages and this person had left a message.
A few minutes earlier when I arrived home Dave and I discussed how we would get these heavy objects (the base takes at least two strong men to carry) out of our cars. I told Dave we needed another strong man and so I prayed right then and there and asked God to provide a strong man who would come over our house and help us unload. Then I started dinner, remembered the phone call from the chicken lady, and gave her a call. It just popped into my mind to say to Dave, hey maybe she has a strong man that will come over and help us in our obstacle course. So I asked her. I asked her if she had a man in her life who would help us unload a heavey table from our car when she came over to pick up her chickens. She said she sure did and she would bring him. And she did. His name was Dave too. I have a lot of Dave’s in my life it seems. He was a very strong built man, very likable, and very willing to help and follow our convoluted instructions as how that table top had to be taken out of our car. If you heard me describing the possibility of doing what we had to do you would have probably thought I was crazy. Oh well, you probably already do think I’m crazy. At lease you may only THINK it, I KNOW I am. It is actually a pretty fun way to live. I just try to be crazy with wisdom.
We (I say that loosely) extracted this 46 inch glass tabletop out through a front door opening. It was amazing. We left the base out in the garage because I need to take a steel wool brush and do a little cleaning and debriding on the metal. I have some fun plans for that table. We don’t have any chairs yet but I have an idea I’m concocting. I won’t reveal it just yet.
Is it not amazing how God hears the desires of our hearts, our prayers, and answers them so swiftly. I thank God for my little chicken lady who came over and brought her strong man with her. God is so good. I invited them over to dinner when I get the table set up for use. They said yes and they live just a couple of miles away. I really do hope they will come. I look forward to meeting them again. Maybe then I’ll be able to reciprocate and do something nice for them.
So that was pretty much my day. Oh, except for one thing. I drove on into Verona (another one of those little towns), went to St. Vincent’s and bought a throw rug for my back door. I also bought 4 more books I couldn’t live without. One is a book by Zig Ziglar called “INSPIRATION 365 Days A Year”. Since it is August 1st I will give the inspiration for today’s date: “MOUNTAINTOPS INSPIRE LEADERS BUT VALLEYS MATURE THEM.” Quote by J. Philip Everson. There is a lot more wise sayings where that one comes from. You’ll probably hear a few more before I am finished with the book.
Tomorrow is Sunday. I love Sunday Sabbath. Tomorrow is extra special because my friend Betts will be here in the evening.
MOUNTAIN TOPS AND VALLEYS
By Kathleen Maratens
August 1, 2015
When we are up and looking down
The world seems to wear no frown.
But when down and can’t dig out,
And our strength is no longer stout,
Those are time times when God reaches
Beyond the chasm to do His teachings.
He picks us up, dusts off the pain
And sets us on our course again.
He calls and beckons us to step ahead.
He provides daily that we are fed.
His Holy Scriptures our strength infuse
So our way we will not lose.
It is the time we will mature,
That His strength to us insures
That once again we will be,
On the Mountaintops that we see.
And once again we will inspire
Others to climb even higher.
For it is in the valley that we learn
It is the place our wisdom earned.
Good night! It is only 10:11 p.m. A bit better than last night.
Remember to tell God you love Him. When you speak to God, he draws closer to you.
Friday July 24 2015 A DAY NOT YET DONE 2
Friday July 24 2015 A DAY NOT YET DONE 2
6:34 p.m. and my day is looking longer by the minutes. Self-expectations! Oh how I am thankful for a computer smarter than me. It shows me I have too many spaces between a word and when I should hyphenate a word. It shouts at me relentlessly with a red squiggly line should I misspell a word. And sometimes it just corrects the word I misspell without me fixing it. And sometimes I make an error so wrong the computer doesn’t pick it up and neither do I. I find those later myself after the blog has been read by the public.
So tonight I decided to write earlier in hopes of not making so many mistakes. Bear with me if I do. It has been a long week and a long day with many short nights. I NEED ANOTHER TRIP! I realized today that the reason I had so much energy and go power on the trip I took, is that there were no expectations on me by anyone. I had no deadlines to meet that were crucial, I didn’t have to do household laundry, nor did I need to cook unless someone allowed me to use their kitchen and then it was always a joy to do so. But…there were no expectations. A word of advice: Everyone needs to take a trip like that. No clocks to punch, no boss to report to. All I had to do was to arrive at the destination I set out for. The timing of the day was usually open ended. Again, no stress, no expectations. All I had to do was obey the signs of the road so I would not get a ticket. I took that very seriously and only went the speed limits posted in each state. All varied and some with no sense at all. THAT WOULD BE TEXAS! While I was in Texas I decided to start traveling all the back roads I could find. I think that made my trip so much more enjoyable. I always listened to the suggestions that hosts would give me and then find my own route if I didn’t want to take the Interstate system. Again, no expectations. I didn’t even have to drive the maximum speed limit because in a lot of places there was no one following, or coming for that matter. I remember one stretch of the road in Montana (for miles and miles) I had only two or three vehicles come up and go around me and only passed one or two coming toward me. Then I found out why. Up ahead the road turned to gravel due to construction. I saw absolutely no one working on any part of the road for hours but it was all gravel. That was interesting to say the least. But, oh so worth it. So, so beautiful. Magnificent colors in the landscape and ringed by distant mountains. The sky was so big, so beautiful, so, close. I went about 30-35 miles an hour the whole way. It took me a little extra time to get where I was going. And by the way, I didn’t even get stopped by a police officer! But…I flagged one down in Austin Texas who was on a motorcycle and asked him if I could take a picture of him for my bog! He said yes. So I did. And we had a good chat.
But now I am home and life is moving in the fast lane due to the season. FOOD! Yes, Paulette, I said FOOD!
My day started out with the cleaning lady (I don’t usually have a cleaning lady so I felt very uppity saying that). I don’t like feeling, being, acting like, or being thought of as UPPITY. But it did feel kind of nice to have “A” cleaning lady for 4 hours. I worked right along with her for the entire four hours. She could be here 24 hours and not get everything done. She was wonderful! She was worth her weight in gold. It helped me so much to reclaim control of the upper level. EVERYTHING is dusted. I did a lot of that. All four rooms that are carpeted are cleaned. My craft room carpet was not invaded. All the hardwood floors (2) were cleaned. AND MY ENTIRE TILED AREA WAS SWEPT, VACUMED, MOPPED AND SOME PARTS RINSED WITH CLEAR WATER! That was magnificent. It takes me at least two to three hours to do those floors by myself. I usually do them in stages. So you can imagine how good it felt to have them all done at the same time. (Maybe it made me feel a little bit uppity). Please SMILE, as I am teasing! Oh, by the way, it took “Jill” about 90 minutes to do the floors. I swept over half the area myself as she was doing other things. So I think that is why she finished so quickly. I’m just glad they are done.
Left to go to the Doctor for a final blood test before my surgery on Monday. Then I had my hair cut. Then I went to the gym and now I am home and my day is gone, but not yet done. I have FOOD that must be processed TODAY! I’ll tell you tomorrow how much I accomplish. I decided to write my blog first because I was concerned that if I waited until the end it might be two or three in the morning and I don’t think my smart computer could handle all my mistakes.
Overall it has been a very pleasant, tiring day. And I am getting more tired as I sit here. I always produce more when I don’t’ stop to rest. I don’t get tired until I sit down. So I better get up.
Dave is working in spurts and putting far too many expectations on himself. He is resting now. We decided to get rid of a lounge chair from out dressing room because a mechanism was broken and it was time for it to retire too. He spent some time today disassembling the recliner and found it very exhausting. Now it will fit in the trash container and he can recycle the metal. Dave is a #1 recycler. And he makes certain I tow the line.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH TODAY?
By Kathleen Martens
July 24, 2015
A day is lived but once.
How is it you will spend?
Do you start with a prayer,
Recognizing God is there?
What in your day, do you do
That will glorify the Lord?
Do you take time to give to others
Or your moments do you hoard?
There is so much to do in time
Hours squandered or frittered away.
So really take a look at yours.
What did you do with your day?
P.S. to poem:
Take some time every day to create a few moments of a Sabbath rest by doing something you enjoy doing. That is what gave me the impetus to write a poem each day. I started this several years ago. So every day when I write my poem, to me it is a “SABBATH MOMENT” to give back to the Lord the gift He blessed me with. That is my joy-offering to my God. I hope the words I write will bless you and others.
This is my goodnight as I must go into the kitchen and start peeling onions. It is 7:18 and this must yet be published.
Even though my day is not yet done I say GOODNIGHT!
Monday July 20, 2015 MOVING DAY!
Monday July 20, 2015 MOVING DAY
But we’re not going anywhere! Or, have we become hoarders? Oh God, I pray that never happens to me. As I sit here at the kitchen table, (I’ve been displaced from my kitchen counter) and I look around me, it appears that hoarders is exactly what we have become. We are having our carpets cleaned tomorrow and everything possible had to be moved from the sunroom, the formal dining room, and the living room. All the small stuff which means the things on surfaces as well. I’m here looking at two wicker chairs, a hardback chair, a small, but tall table, a humidor, lamps, a wicker shelf, a wooden plant stand, two kitchen chairs stacked on top of one another, an old rickety table that most people would probably not keep in their barn, pretty round stackable boxes, baskets, and floral arrangements, clocks, and books and more books and more books and magazines, and desk paraphernalia (that which sits on the old rickety table that I use as an antique desk), do dads and nick knacks with four months of dust on them and lots of pillows and more baskets and fake ferns and wandering Jew and a big dictionary. Lots of other places in the house are serving as temporary resting places for the rest of the stuff. We must finish emptying the living room and then do our dressing room also. All the dressing room furniture will go into the spare bedroom. We are packed up for the carpet cleaners! One good thing I am happy about. Before I left on my trip I gave all my living plants away to a friend of mine. She has a way with making plants just want to live. Mine were some pretty big ones. She told me I could have them back when I returned but I think I like the empty spaces.
Hopefully when I replace everything I will replace less than what I took out. This is the beginning! The beginning of emptying out what we don’t’ need. The only problem is…I NEED more book shelves downstairs!
After the carpets are dry I must replace (and rid the dust) what we NEED in order to get ready for the cleaning lady that I splurged on. Hey, remember I having surgery Monday, company the following Sunday, and a house that had a man living in it alone for four months. What can I say. At least I know what four months of dust looks like. And if I am truthful, it is probably six month’s worth because I don’t think I had time to dust the last two months I was at home. Now if that doesn’t taint me, I don’t know what will. Sometimes when you write a blog the truth just comes out whether you want it to or not. I stayed in some very, very clean and perfect houses on my trip. They were and probably still are beautiful and orderly and perfect. Well, if truth be known, mine isn’t that way. It is clean and livable and healthy, but it does tend to get a little out of hand in the areas I live in. My library for one, my office for the other. It is a “healthy clutter”, the kind that would drive my sister up a wall so to speak.
I am truly hoping that once I have finished with the remnants of photographic work I will be able to reclaim my house of yesteryear. YESTERYEAR (a mighty fine word) my house was in order, clean, decluttered, and organized and ran smoothly. I got cured! I started my own business. That took care of Miss Perfection! And happier I am if truth be known. I love my book clutter. I just love my books. If I had a bucket list it would be to read every book I own before I die.
And cookbooks are one of my favorite kind of books. The kinds with the big colored pictures. I read cookbooks like novels. They fascinate me and tell me so much about the era of which they were written just by reading the ingredients. So, even cookbooks are my friends. I brought home lots of books from my travels. I found several out of print books that I have been looking for as I foraged through Goodwill’s, St. Vincent de Pau’s, and other thrift shops. I always go to the book sections first and peruse looking for certain titles and certain authors. Well, until I get my bookshelves built I will need to stop bringing more books home because I have no place to put them. And before I get my book shelves built I must finish going through all my photo studio equipment and props and have a sale. I have lots of backdrops if anyone is interested! Just thought I get a plug in. My new library will be in one of the shooting areas of my former studio.
So you can see that things will start slowly, due to sick husband, my surgery, company coming, carpet cleaners, house cleaner coming, window guy, studio demise, and old age. And oh yes, because of all the food I have to keep making every week from my farm boxes. Summer is not the time to work on a house. We have a long winter coming and maybe then????…..
WHAT DO I DO?
By Kathleen Martens
July 20, 2015
What in this room do I need?
Chairs and lamps and books and clocks?
Can I not live without all the extra
And store them away in a box?
Life gets messier as each year ends
For old age is not your friend.
Why did I collect all these do-dads?
Because at the time it was the going fad.
It no longer serves the purpose it did.
It is forgotten and no longer even seen,
But the one thing I must always do,
If find a way to keep it all clean.
Move it around from place to face,
Because I can’t stand it in my space
When that happens, what do I do?
I go out and buy something new.
Okay, guys, this poem was written to make it all rhyme. I really don’t go out and buy something new anymore. Instead I go to the thrift shops and look for that bargain book. A USED book so it is no longer new!
I must go and empty out the dressing room of all my fine décor and accent pieces and mismatched everything. I just love my mismatched house. I actually even like my clutter, just not all in one room. Even as I sit here Dave is bringing in more. He can walk a little better now and needs to get up and walk around every little while. When His leg starts hurting he stops and elevates his foot.
We must get up early to get to his early doctor appointment. Hey, Joyce if you are reading this just know that I have not gotten up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. even once since I have been home. I listened to your advice! Before leaving on my trip my normal get up time was 5:00 a.m. or a little before. And that was without an alarm. Things have changed a bit now. First the two hour time change when I arrived home caused me to need to sleep a little later. I just don’t have a schedule anymore. I am sure that will change (I hope) but until then I am just rolling with the flow. It is sort of nice!
It is 8:45 p.m. The dryer buzzer is wooing me, my eyelids are tempting me to bed, and the work is beckoning me from afar. So what will it be?
Good night friends.
P.S. This is one of those blogs that won’t get proofread until tomorrow. Sorry folks but I am just too sleepy!
Wednesday July 15 2015 COURTLAND DO NOT READ UNTIL SATURDAY!
Wednesday July 15 2015 COURTLAND DO NOT READ UNTIL SATURDAY!
You know what the definition of INTEGRITY IS??? It is doing what is right even when no one else is looking!
Okay. So who is Courtland? He is my son. He dropped the boys by while he went to a meeting and we (the two boys and I)did a little art work. I wanted to take them to Olbrich Gardens to the butterfly release but they wanted to stay home with grandma and grandpa and create. I encourage their creativity. We had a lot of fun doing it. I did some artwork too! Friday is Courtland’s birthday and we are hosting the birthday dinner here at the house. I am trying to make it a tradition that I always have the birthday person here on their birthday and do some fun decorating and partying. The boys just love it!
So our day began with our two precious grandsons, then to the infection disease control clinic to see Doctor and have infusion. I left Dave there after the Doctor visit because the infusion takes a long time and worked out at the gym. Then time to come home and put the evening together. Food prep, dinner, clean up, make more food in order to use up everything I can in the fridge before tomorrow’s food box delivery, clean up again, and now blog and then bed. It is 8:31 p.m.
So, not much in the way of travel but I did want to sign in to let you know I am still here. NOW TOMORROW IS A DIFFERENT STORY. I almost fear writing down what I am going to record here. I don’t want to jinx myself. Tomorrow is Thursday. The delivery of food boxes will arrive but I don’t need to be home when it happens. When I am down on the lower level of the house I may as well not be home because I cannot hear anything else happening in or around the house. Our home is all brick and the downstairs level has the entire front side underground. It is a walkout level and has windows on three sides. Brick and double pained windows shield us from all exterior noise. We can hear thunder however, but not too loud. It is awesome! Tomorrow I plan to work all day on the wedding album. No phone calls for me, just bathroom and food stops and the food is already all made. How awesome is that! So the big question is… will I or won’t I accomplish what I have planned? I surely do hope so. I’ll let you know tomorrow.
No poem written yet today but I’ll see what I can come up with. Let me know if you even read the poetry. I know that poetry is not everybody’s “thing”. When you look at the title of my blog you may see that I intentionally intended it to be about poetry and photography. The poetry to conjure up mental images of what I wrote about and the photography to tell a story (translation: poem) in the visual realm. Don’t know if that makes sense to you but it does to me. I wrote poetry almost every day but only recently have I put any up on the blog due to time and late nights.
SO YOUR SEARCHING CAN COME TO AN END
By Kathleen Martens
July 15, 2015
What in life is worth living for?
Is it THINGS and always getting more?
What “under the sun” must man do,
To have enough to get him through?
To have satisfaction what does it take?
Perhaps a big boat out on the lake?
Perhaps more money for a bigger car?
Or maybe just to be a great big star?
Perhaps just another impressive degree
So you can charge a higher fee?
Parties and drugs may entice
For there is always another vice.
What makes life real? No longer hollow?
Perhaps you need someone to follow.
But who? So you search some more
But there is nothing new, that’s for sure.
Living seems empty yet so crowded.
And what you want seems so clouded.
Searching and searching under the sun,
Always trying to find more fun.
But there is a place in the heart unfilled.
A place that seems something has killed.
It is place made for the likeness of God
And to most, seems quite odd.
It was placed in man at the time of creation,
A place for joy and Godly elation.
The very place empty, was designed to be filled
With the presence of God that can never be killed.
The truth of God is all that is needed
Found in His Word, to be heeded.
He offers life and a fullness of peace,
The only kind that will never cease.
The empty hole will be assuaged
Like a weary soul being massaged.
And an intimate relationship will begin
When you ask God to forgive your sin.
So your searching can come to an end,
When you accept Christ as your friend.
Lay down you burdens at His feet,
No one else like Him will you ever meet.
This poem was inspired by a sermon by Damien Kyle from Modesto Calvary Chapel. I listened to sermon #3 of Ecclesiastes while at the gym today. It just so reminded me of that recent word of wisdom “only one life, will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”. Stop and ask yourself what have you done for God’s kingdom in the past few days. Every day counts.
I send my love to all of you! And it’s only 9:25 p.m. Less than one hour!
Friday July 3 2015 Day 121 RIP VAN WINKLE!
I AM BACK!
Back from what I am not quite certain. Today I just did what had to be done. And that something was cooking. I left cooking and I am back cooking. Yesterday was Thursday and that is an important day in my week. It is the day that I have a delivery from the organic farm that we subscribe to. Our home is a drop off site for many people. Those who subscribe in this area come and pick up their food here. Sometime a box or more is leftover because of people going on vacation and it is left for us to dispose of. We give it away or use what we can. Yesterday was delivery day. Unfortunately for my refrigerator I was not here last week to cook up what was delivered. Some of it was still usable and now I had two more boxes of food to fit in. Of course I take it out of the box but it is still a lot of food volume. So today I cooked. I made a multiple grain dish to compliment the soup I planned to make. I had a lot of greens that needed cooking so I “cooked up a mess of greens” as my mother used to say. I originally was going to make it into a soup but the greens were so delicious I couldn’t bear to put them into soup. I’ll eat them plain. Then I made the soup. Kohlrabi soup. I added beets, huge radishes, carrots, white beans, chicken broth and southwest seasoning. At the end I added Quinoa, a tiny whole grain to thicken it up a bit. It is delicious. I put 6 quarts into the freezer and one quart in the fridge. I also made a cucumber and onion salad seasoned with dill. So my fridge is stocked up for a few days. “Good pickins”. The fridge is still too crowded. And we even gave some of the food away last night.
Dave and I had a leisurely sleep in day today. It has been a long time since we have been able to do that. I’m usually up by 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. but I just waited for him to wake up. After all this was his first day after working for 50 years. And besides I needed the extra rest too. We talked about our hopes and dreams and plans and goals. Just because you get older does not mean you quit dreaming about the future. I felt like Rip Van Winkle. When I left Wisconsin there was fresh snow on the group. I had a perpetual spring. I first went south and the spring was just coming awake. As I went across the U.S. it seemed the spring was coming with me. I did go up to Denver and had a bout of snow while there but came back down to Albuquerque and spring was in the air again I go West and find that they are having a later spring than usual and I was right at the beginning of it. The weather was wonderful most of the time. I ran into very few storms. Then as I traveled further and further north spring again was just coming alive with new buds. It seemed like Butchart Gardens was in full spring/summer mode when I arrived. The flowers were exquisite and beautiful. Then on through Canada and again spring was presenting itself before me. It was an amazing trip.
Now I am home! It feels as if I have awakened from a dream and time has sped up. It is not spring anymore. Here it is full summer. Lush green growth everywhere. Trees fully opened, no new growth. My garden is already in summer bloom. I missed the peonies and Lilly of the Valley, and my bleeding hearts. It is as if I have stepped out of a time machine. Snow to summer. And all between was simply a beautiful long dream. I have tomatoes on the vine yet to ripen. Berries are in the stores and the weather is warm and friendly. Mid 70’s today. When it is past 80 degrees it is too hot.
I loved my dream. I love waking up to reality. I am back where I belong, with the man I love and who loves me and now I will have him every day, all day long. And I have my own kitchen back. I love that too. I apologize to all you guys out there who had to put up with me in your kitchen. A kitchen is like a play area to me. Yes, sometime it is work but I love handling food. I love working with it, creating new recipes, trying out recipes others give me and then eating all the food. My freezer has almost two shelves emptied. I’ll start filling it with my new soups. I don’t have much vacant space considering all the food I still have coming this summer. Both freezers are almost full. We are thinking of getting a new fridge for the garage because this fridge is on overload when I have all this food delivered. We even have people over and still can’t use it all up fast enough.
Not one bit of unpacking was accomplished today. After getting up quite late and showering it was time to start my cooking. I cooked right up until we had to leave at 4:00 p.m. to go to dinner at my son and daughter-in-law’s place. They outdid themselves. The dinner was absolutely delicious! The best part however was being with the grandsons. What a delight it is to be around such super little boys. We all had so much fun. After dinner Courtland showed us what they have done to the house since I’ve been gone. They moved in last year and because of their schedules, law school, finishing a masters for Amy, sports and working, things having been moving slowly as far as them getting settled in their new space. Tonight we had a dance party. A WILD DANCE PARTY. Court put on music and the boys started dancing. We adults were sitting in the media room Court is working on completing, in recliners, looking at the blank wall where there will soon be a screen. So what better place to dance. A nice big room just waiting to be used. Well it wasn’t long before I joined the boys in dancing and I had on a long flowing dress that I could swish and twirl in. I felt like I was 7 years old again (instead of getting closer to 70) and before you know it Courtland was up danced with me. We danced and danced and laughed and giggled on the floor as Zach did somersaults and tried to stand on his head. Xander just kept dancing his heart out. To witness such uninhibited joy and pleasure was such a sweetness to me. They are still so innocent and protected. Oh but if I could just make these moments and hours last. I just feasted on the pleasure of their enchantment with life and fullness of their love. I was so happy to see them.
Now I am home. Must soon go to bed as we must get up early tomorrow. We have an invitation to be at our close friend and neighbor’s home through the back woods by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow for a 4th of July celebration. I don’t know what kind of 4th of July celebrations begins at 8:00 a.m. but I certainly don’t want to miss it.
Let’s see if there is a poem left in me today.
TWO SPECIAL BOYS
By Kathleen Martens
July 3, 2015
Oh to experience the beautiful joy
Of my special two little boys.
Heart of my heart, soul of my soul
To be close is always my goal.
Little boy smells inhaled deeply
Little kisses given so sweetly.
Cherub faces untouched by grief
So innocent in their belief.
Willing to love, no questions asked,
If but this hour would only last.
But time passes on and so soon grown
And no longer to be my own.
Their father did the very same,
My beloved son who shares my name
And now his boys, grandsons of my heart
Oh so beautiful and oh so smart.
Someday too soon they will be a Dad
And I’ll be the grandma who they had.
Who danced and loved and had such fun
With two special boys, her beloved grandsons.
Good night and sweet dreams.
11:25 pm
Thursday July 2 2015 DAY 120 AM I DONE?
AM I DONE? I say in my title above. Done with what? Done with my journey, done with writing my blog, done with staying up too late? And if I am not done will I ever be done? I know the one thing I am not done with yet is finishing those two weddings I photographed last year. And I will be so glad when I am done. I don’t really feel retired since I’m back home, knowing that my leftover commitments still must be accomplished. But back to my journey. When do I quit writing DAY so and so…? I had 119 days on the road. I’m not on the road anymore but I still don’t feel done. Stayed up too late writing my blog last night (I think because I love doing it) and had to get up too early to take my car in for cleaning and detailing. Perhaps bad planning on my part, but it was intentionally scheduled early so I would have to get up and get going and not get bogged down. After having a Kia scuttle back to my house I spent the entire day working around the house, unpacking, washing every item of clothing I took with me, hanging up, drying some flat in the sunshine outside, and cleaning a bits of dust pockets EVERYWHERE that had accumulated in the last four months. There were no dirty dishes in the sink but the dust just settled everywhere. I cleaned out window areas between screen and windows with vacuum and then vinegar water. And I washed some more clothes. I am out of hangers now because I hung the clothes I took with me two to three items on one hanger. Not only am I out of hangers but I do not think they will all fit in my closet. I bought several items while I was on my trip at favorite second hand stores and my friend gifted me with a couple of bags of nice clothing that had been her mother’s before she died. So I actually have much more than when I started out. And I just remembered that I have two boxes I shipped home from Sacramento that has some clothing in them. Uh Oh. I guess I’ll have to buy more hangers.
So, am I done? You tell me. I would love to continue writing my blog but I don’t know if I’ll have anything fun and exciting to tell. Do I tell about “regular” life? Do I talk about others? Shall I make it a spiritual blog, sharing about my talks with the Lord? Or perhaps make it a poetry and photo blog? Or…I could just open my other blog that I already have the domain to and get busy writing my opinions. When I asked my son what I should name my blog, without hesitation he said “THE OPINION YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR”. Hmmph! ( I told this story a few weeks back but I know there are others who are now reading my blog that didn’t read it back then.) Should I have been offended when He said that. Maybe, but then again maybe it is indicative of who I am. Especially as a mother. I guess he has heard enough of my opinions over the years as I instructed him and taught him all I could in those important growing up year. OR…perhaps I still do give him my opinion even when he doesn’t ask for it. Oh well, I checked the domain out and it was gone. So I checked out THE OPINION YOU DID NOT ASK FOR” and it was available so I scarfed it up. I think it would be fun blog to do. Opened to public forum would make it really interesting. Oh well, back to today’s life…
What I have figured out is that I am not done doing things that still pertain to my trip. Even though I spent most of the day unpacking and putting things away I realize that this is all part of the journey. I still haven’t unpacked my night bag or even opened the only suitcase I brought. I could have done without that suitcase. I think I opened it twice during my trip. Right now I can’t even remember what I packed in it. Hopefully when this weekend is over I will have gone through everything I brought back home and have it put away. But there is still a lot I want to do with the memorabilia I brought home. I wonder when I will feel “done” with my journey?
I think never! Never will I be finished with my journey as long as I am alive. Snippits of memories creep in when I lease expect it. I find myself with a big smile plastered across my face thinking about something I saw or words I heard, or people I’v met. I don’t think my journey will ever be through with me either. The memories of what I learned will change the course of where I am going. Though I may not be in my car going to a different destination everyday, what I have learned will be continuing to progress within me, making me stronger, hopefully wiser, kinder, more compassionate, more understanding and give me wisdom. No, my journey is not complete, nor do I want it to be. I will continue to write, I will continue to pray, continue to walk with the Lord and listen for His voice because it is through Christ that my journey is accomplished. Come to think of it, it is because of Jesus Christ that I am on this journey, the journey called life. There is a path set before me and it is the one that I want to follow. I am to look neither to the right or left but keep my eye on the prize and that prize is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who loved me enough to die that I might live and live abundantly. And that is exactly what I am doing. I am living abundantly everyday because I am so full of the joy and peace that comes from God.
So I say that to say this, I will continue to follow my Lord and walk the journey he has for me to walk. To go where He wants me to go and to do what He wants me to do. You are welcome to come along with me if you like.
I’ll clue you in to what is in that suitcase when I open it. It will probably be a list of things you won’t need to pack when you leave for your trip. Remember, there are usually stores along the way and you can always buy something you lose or forgot to take with you. TRAVE LIGHT is going to be my next travel mantra.
Hey, I just thought of something. I didn’t ask anyone for their wisdom today. I have several recorded that I didn’t have a place for yet but I am too tired to go get my phone. Sorry Guys.
I’ll say goodnight.
MY FAVORITE PLACE
by Kathleen Martens
July 2, 2015
The mountains the valleys
Sweet meadows of grace
Which exactly
Is my favorite place?
The ocean at sunset
The breeze in the desert
What exactly
Is the most pleasant?
A flower at dawn
Turned toward the light
Knows not this days end
Will be its plight.
Glaciers of Ice
Reaching toward heaven
Makes the heart rise
Like a pinch of leaven.
The ambers that sway
Admidst the greens
On Montana fields
Create beautiful scenes.
The roar of the ocean
That calls out my name
Is like a wonderful friend
One of such fame.
What is my favorite
Place that I’ve seen?
It’s not where I’m going
Or where I have been
Rather my favorite
Is the here and the now
What I see
Is where my heart bows.
For wherever I am
Is my favorite place to be
And that way my heart
Will always be free.
My daughter and her husband called a few minutes ago. Her husband asked me where was my favorite place. The above poem was inspired by Neil’s question. Thanks Neil
P.S. Remember the photo I logged on yesterday’s blog of the tree in the back ground and flowers in the foreground? Well, Dave and I went out to celebrate his retirement at a nice restaurant and passed by the tree. All those flowers were mowed down today. It looks totally different. It made me a little saddened for the beauty that is lost. I guess the flowers were too close to the road. We have the most beautiful wild flowers that grow all up and down our country highways and they get mowed down about two or three times during the summer. They always come back but it still makes me sad.
Friday June 26 2015 DAY DAY 114 A CAPITOL DAY!
This day will be a short short blog. Already 1:46 a.m. when I am starting. Up and out of my Airbnb by 11:00 a.m. It was such a lovely place to stay and it was great meeting another houseguest staying the same night. The other house guest was Julia who I think I mentioned last night who just graduated from Santa Barbara University. She stayed in an actual screened in porch, open to the elements. It is warm, actually quite HOT in this part of the world so I guess it wasn’t a hardship. The place we stayed was beautiful inits natural setting with nature.
I spent about 2 ½ to 3 hours at the capitol building in Billings. I took a tour and it was wonderful. The capitol has a beautiful interior. I put some photos on the blog. Met two very nice ladies who were the only other two to comprise our entire tour group. It was actually rather nice to be one of three instead of one in thirty or forty. See pictures below.
Today I drove the back roads of Montana. The secenery was so exquisitely beautiful that I could barely concentrate on my driving. A myriad of color sparkled all around me. The ground reminded me of the floor of an ocean, all curves and sways and swirls. So many shapes on the ground and beautiful grasses and flowers and weeds created a tapestry of the softest hues of lavenders, silver, beige, gold, pink and hints of soft fresh spring green.
I have left behind me a trail of uncaptured photos. I now wish I had taken the time to capture all of them. Some were impossible because there were no turnout places to allow for photos. Some I had to forego due to time. Soon they will be lost from my visual memory and I’ll probably have regrets for not taking the time to stop and create a lasting memory for me.
I am so sleepy I am falling asleep right here. I will quickly summarize my day.
After all the beautiful landscapes I have seen these past four months, this one today takes the prize. (I don’t know what the prize is for at the moment),
I won’t go into all who I met today in hopes of actually getting to bed VERY VERY SOON.
Been playing phone tag with Rebecca! Miss you darling daughter, try calling me again real soon on my cell phone.
I arrived in Billings Montana about 5:00 p.m. today. The couple I am staying with were referred to me by my nephew Brian. My hosts are Carrie and Blake who living in Billings, Montana. Billings is a beautiful little city. I had a night tour with all the city lights sparkling after Carrie and Blake treated me to a dinner at “Jake’s. The food was great! I have really enjoyed meeting them. They are a great couple.
I must get up early as possible tomorrow morning (depending on when I get to bed) because I have a 7 hour trip tick drive tomorrow. I always mentally add at least 2 hours because I enjoy traveling the back roads so I can experience more of the small town feel and see the sights. Today was an awesome drive because I went all back roads. The colors of the grasses and wild flowers were like I have never seen before. Pinks and purples and greens and browns were gorgeous. Just think what it would be like to see as far as the eye could behold with no trees or houses to distract or block your vista. In some parts Montana seems to be profoundly quiet and deserted. A place I loved being. I think I could move to Montana, if not for the undulating beauty that surrounded me today, but because whichever direction I looked I could see the mountains. The mountains are drawing me back. Back to a place I didn’t know I would want to be.
I have lots of wisdom from others received yesterday but too tired to share more. I must go before I drop. It is 2:18 a.m. (hey, my birthday numbers)!
Goodnight everyone. Sorry for just a short note. It was truly an awesome and inspiring day for me. I’ll tell you more when I have time.
I HEAR MY NAME
By W. Kathleen Martens
wkmartens
A Land beckons and calls out to me
My heart in rhythm reflects
That which my eyes behold
My soul longs to connect.
Subtle variance of color lost
In a sea of undulating grain
So many shades in graceful hue
Take away all my pain.
Saturday June 6, 2015 DAY 94 CLOSER TO HEAVEN
Yesterday really happened! It was awesome! Again I learned something and stretched myself. I wrote briefly about my practicing retirement yesterday morning. Well, that was awesome too.
We languidly ate breakfast, talked, enjoyed the coolness of the morning and I especially enjoyed watching the play of light as the surroundings around me changed with the shifting sun. This land is such a mysterious place. It is full of dark shadows, tall trees, and dancing light. It is as if the forest has an ever changing mood and you do not want to be caught unaware.
Well a week or so ago two of their chickens were caught unaware. When Charlene and Larry came home they noticed two areas of scattered feathers in the garden where their chickens roam and two less chickens on the roost. About that same time span Larry was outside on the lower patio where I sat yesterday morning and when he stood up he saw a large cat catch his eye and bound away across his back yard in three large bounds. His yard across the back of the house is quite a long space. He didn’t know for certain which cat family he was looking at but it was perhaps a cougar, mountain lion, or a panther. The creek Panther Creek is not named that without reason. Not a great feeling of security! I asked if they have ever seen bear. Only across the creek I was told. That’s a little too close for comfort for me. Maybe I like living where I currently live. At least I have not seen any bear in my backyard.
Back to the garden of tattered feathers. Here we are in our housecoats and Charlene says, “lets walk up to the garden”. They do live on a private lane in a secluded part of the forest, almost as far out as the government allows (the property just a ways beyond them is all government forests) so I thought why not go out in my housecoat. I do it all the time at home but we too live in quite a private area. Besides, I like being in my house coat! Their garden is a little ways from the house past a big barn, which by the way, has a large apartment at the top area of the barn. And it is beautiful. Back to the garden…it is large, completely fenced in with very high fencing and even more fencing inside. All the fencing is wire fencing inside and surrounds their strawberries, blueberries and I think one other thing. They have so many strawberries that I could’t believe my eyes. Larry had already picked and picked and picked and had a large container full of them. I asked if he was finished. He pointed to an area unpicked and I got to work (in my winter fluffy robe in 90 degree weather) and I picked and picked and picked. It was so awesome. I also ate and ate and ate. And they were good. At one point I look up and both Charlene and Larry are gone. Hmmm…sort of like Tom Sawyer and the paint brush. A little later they came back, I had two containers (about half the size each of the one Larry picked , almost full. In their hands they had three tall glasses filled with delicious fruit and veggie smoothies. It was break time! Charlene makes the absolute best smoothies which include so many vegetables that I am sure I get my entire “required” allotment of vitamins for the entire day! It felt refreshing going down. Their garden also consist of a large Blackberry patch and some other berry I can’t remember. It has been a late spring for them and many of their plants are just now being planted. The nights up here in the mountains get quite cold and the ground must warm up before planting. They have a beautiful area cleared that gets a lot of sun and their produce grows well. I saw a delicious looking row of kale that was already edible. The onions looked ample and large already but the tomatoes are not in the ground yet. Charlene starts everything from seeds so the tomatoes, peppers, and other things are in their little starting packets waiting for a bit warmer nights.
The chicken feathers lay ruffling in the wind at one end of the garden and Charlene can’t even talk about the loss of her chickens. They are young and inexperienced chickens and haven’t learned how to run for it yet. She had 6 now she has 4. They have an enclosed (top and sides) pen at the end of the garden that opens into the garden so that when they are there to watch them the chickens roam free. At night they are locked tightly in their roosting house. I think she may get fresh layers every spring.
I have no pics of the garden because I did not take my phone with me. I may go up today and pick more strawberries as hundreds more will probably be ready today as well. The plants are loaded. I’ll try to remember to take my Iphone.
In yesterday’s blog I mentioned going to late lunch and then going to climb my mountain (opps, I mean my rock). When the rock was first pointed out as a landmark to me I noticed how tall and sheer it seemed. When I was told that people climb up to the top I was imagining rock climbers on ropes and pullys. I was informed that it was that way for some but that there was also a narrow path that had been carved into the side of the rock that zig-zagged across two sides of the rock’s sheer sides. Hmmm…I wondered if I could walk that mountain trail on the side of a rock that stood 850 high? Open mouth, insert foot! “I want to climb that rock” I blurted out. That’s all it took. They took me seriously and before I knew it the time came for me to put my nerve where my mouth had plowed the way. I said to myself, “I CAN DO THIS”. I would never have attempted this two years ago when my health was so bad, I had absolutely no reliable balance, no muscles, no stamina and was so sick in so many ways. Here I was, speaking what I wanted to do (though in my heart there was trepidation), stepping out in faith that I could do it and trusting in my body enough to follow through with what I imagined. I first thought it, spoke it, believed it, took the first step and accomplished every step to the very top!
AND OH IT WAS SO AWESOME! To simply speak about it is so different that actually doing it. To read about it is but words on paper or a screen but the truth of the situation cannot be understood. So much of life I have only experienced through books, and the stories of others through them telling their story. Now I realize how much is lost in the telling versus the actual experience. I can’t even describe to you the thrill of each step, the feeling of being so alive, the joy of not experiencing pain as I took each step higher and higher, the sharpness of the wind on my sweating face as I crossed one side of the rock, (I keep wanting to call it a mountain but it is actually a rock) the awe and wonder of the delicate flowers that grow from the cracks of the rock, the sheer magnitude of the rock face in all its facets and moss and lichen covered surface, the dizzying heights as I climbed higher and higher with the drop off mere inches from my toes as I looked out over the beautiful Columbia River and mountain range beyond. How can one even imagine unless the experience is personal. Whatever your mountain is, go climb it, do it, live it, experience it. If you think you can, then you can!
I think back to all the words of wisdom I have gleaned from those I’ve met briefly and it now becomes alive and meaningful: “If you want to do something, start today”, “Don’t wait”, “If you think you can’t, you can’t”, “Don’t lose the little girl or boy inside of you”, “Live the life you only imagine you can live”, and so many other pearls of wisdom. I will never be able to express to others the true depths of my heart as to what this trip has done for me. I am living one of my dreams to reconnect with those I love, to give love to those I’ve never met, to in some small way influence others to dream bigger, to be partnered with God as your source of strength and intimacy, to give of myself that which I didn’t even realize I had to give and to be able to accept with gratitude the blessings that others have showered on me. I walk in a new sureness of God’s love and protection over my life. This entire journey has been one of learning and listening, and observing, and receiving. A journey of giving and touching and smelling and pulling someone close in an embrace that needs a hug and receiving hugs graciously when it is I that needs the touch and comfort of another. This journey has opened my heart. How do I explain that to anyone? I guess I don’t need to. This journey is designed by God for me. The beautiful thing is, that God has a journey for each and every one of us. It might not be 10,000 miles, but the journey can have just as much meaning when we open ourselves up to what the Lord has before us, if we are willing to step out and stretch our horizons and do and go wherever it is God wants us to go. It could be as close as your local grocery store or as far away as Africa, but it is your journey. Allow your heart to be teachable, spend time with God in that secret quiet place as you climb your rock. Go to the top with Him wherever he leads you. Raise your voice in praise and thanksgiving to the Creator of all the beauty and magnificence he has created for out pleasure. Do not take for granite even the smallest flower. Just be in God’s presence. That is all He asks, that you take time to know Him, acknowledge Him, praise Him.
When I arrived at the top of the mountain it was such a feeling of exhilaration and attainment. I imagined, I spoke it, I accomplished it. And I wanted to sing:
Song: SOMEBODY BIGGER THAN YOU AND I
Who made the mountains
Who made the trees
Who made the rivers
Flow to the seas
And who hung the moon in the starry sky?
Somebody bigger than you and I .
Who made the flowers
Bloom in the spring,
Who writes the song for the robin to sing
Who sends the rain
When the earth is dry?
Somebody bigger than you and I
He rights the way
When the road gets rough
Gives you company
With love to guide you
He walks beside you
Just like He walks with me
When I am weary
Filled with dispair
Who gives me courage
To go on from there
Who gives me strength
That will never die?
Somebody bigger than you and I
The words above are the words I remember from years ago so they may not be exactly right but the jest of the song is there. Before I had a chance to sing it three young men made it to the top. All three are recent graduates and all are 18 years old. Such freshness upon their faces, such hope and doubt all mingled together in their expressions. Hope for a new life opening up to them with the consternation of the unknown mingled in their brows. We had a delightful conversation, or at least I did. It wasn’t long before I got them talking about their hopes and dreams and words of wisdom. I love the words of wisdom from the freshness of the young.
The first one I spoke with was David, a fresh faced, wide eyed young man with a handsome face and countenance. Here are his words of wisdom: “Just know and realize that the pains of the past will leave and be gone and now I am entering adulthood where I won’t have those kinds of pains anymore. Just remember they will go away.” My comment: As we grow older we should never forget what it was like to grow up during our years of adolescence and to remember the intensity of how we felt and how easy our hearts could be broken. I wondered at the pains that David spoke of. I liked his attitude of hope for the future and resolution of his past.
The second young man I spoke with was Jose. Again, he was fresh and handsome, alive in his eyes. Here is his wisdom: ” Stay in school. Work hard to make good grades and learn. Even when you don’t know what you want to do in life, go to school, make good grades, and opportunities will come to you.” I agree Jose. Such sound, solid advice and wisdom coming from one so young. He told me his plans were to take classes this year at a college and if he still didn’t have direction in his life he planned to join the service to open up his door of opportunity to what he could do. Jose, you go for it! With an attitude like that you will succeed. And thank you for your willingness to serve our country. I pray God’s protection over your life.
The third young man was quiet and strong and thoughtful. His name is Osvaldo. What a great unique name on the English tongue. Osvaldo told me that he works in the world of agriculture and it is a world of difficulty, hard work, and lots of struggles. Here is his wisdom: “We must have empathy for those who are struggling and working so hard and to help them through their difficulties.” My heart was crying silently as I listened to the compassionate way Osvaldo spoke. I looked at the strength his body displayed and knew he was a long time hard worker. But, he graduated! Now he wants to go on to do something for others who have suffered like he has. His empathy was real and ran deep in his heart. So much you can learn in just a few short moments with someone when you ask what it is they have learned that they wish they could share with others. I just wanted to hug him, but didn’t want to embarrass him, so I refrained. The hug came later.
About that time a group of five other newly graduated peers ascended the peak of Beacon rock. Things were a bit noisy for awhile and then I turned around and looked at all these kids and said, since you are up here I might as well tell you that I came up here to sing. If you would like to stay and listen you may but please do not leave once I start or I might get my feelings hurt. Leave now, or stay. They all stayed. I looked out over the peak of the mount to all that God had created and sang the words of the song above at the top of my voice. There was polite silence and then a burst of applause when I finished. I had tears of joy in my heart as I sang, I had reached the top. Perhaps just a small accomplishment you might think, but to me it was my Mount Everest! Though the height of the rock is 850 it is over a mile walk to climb to the top and it’s all uphill, steep hill at that. And it was worth it.
I so wanted to pray with “my three boys” but with all their friends there I felt it was not appropriate to single them out. Larry and I finally left to rejoin Charlene, who sat in the car below on her bad hip that needs replacing, thus she could not make the climb. A few moments later the three lads caught up with us and stopped to talk again, or maybe I stopped them to talk, can’t remember for certain, but anyway I asked them if I could pray for them. They seemed a bit puzzled at the suggestion, as if they had never been prayed for before, but they all agreed and joined hands with Larry and I. When the prayer was over I extended my hand to shake the first one closest to me and he said no, he wanted to hug me. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me so tight and long that I knew he meant it. I knew at that moment that I had, in some small way, touched his life. The other two quickly followed suite and I had two more awesome hugs. I loved it. And I loved giving them their hug. Isn’t God good? He gave me the desire of my heart to pray for them when I waited until the right time. Oh, how great is our God! I shall remember these faces and names and the accent of Osvaldo as he shared his heart. If I could say but one thing here I would implore you to reach out to those around you and touch each life in some way that God brings to you. When you are willing, God will bring those who need a touch. Such short contact and I may never know the outcome of our meeting, but God, in some small way has been introduced to their thinking and an adult has made them know that they are important in this world and their wisdom and advice does have meaning.
And I thank all or any of you who have not given upon on this post and actually read to the end. I think I like writing in the morning of yesterday’s events. It gives me time to digest that which happened and for me to make since of my day. We came home, Charlene made a delicious salmon dinner and we sat down to eat at 10:10 p.m. It was so delicious. I don’t have time right now but I copied the recipe and plan to put it on the blog. I have people that ask me if I have a favorite Salmon recipe. Well, now I do. I’ll share it later.
Following is the poem I wrote last night before I went to bed.
I CLIMBED MY MOUNTAIN
by Kathleen Martens
June 6, 2015
Each step I take
I am closer to God.
Each hour I live
I have less time on this sod.
Communing in nature
Draws me closer
To the heart of God
For a great big dose.
To walk my mountain
Though it be but a stone,
It was my Mt. Everest
On my way home.
I knew I could do it
For I said I could.
So I purposed my heart
And said I would.
A mile of steep angles
850 feet in the air
Put one step in front of another
To get me there.
Vistas so amazing
No camera can tell
Of the beauty God created
And presented so well.
River and Mountains
That meet the sky,
My heart seemed to soar
And wanted to fly.
Delicate flowers
On pathways of stone,
Incredible views
As I neared God’s throne.
An experience I treasure,
For I could still do
What I desired
To see God’s view.
And I thank my Father
For those He sends,
Wherever I go
He brings me friends.
I thank Him too
For the beauty prepared
That is always waiting
Before I get there.
I climbed my mountain!
My heart is unlocked,
For God is my fortress
My SOLID ROCK!
P.S. Be sure and browse down and see some of the photos I posted last night before I got out of cell service area. The first one is a picture of the strawberries Larry and I picked. Not all of them. I had fun designing my display for you. Hopefully I will get to label the photos later. Must go for now.
Have a great day!
Thursday June 4 2015 DAY 92 BROTHER COATS
It is Friday morning June 5, 2015 and I am now writing yesterday’s blog a bit late.
TWO NOTES
1. I actually finally finished Wednesday’s blog.
2. I think it is worth reading in full, especially the poem that I just wrote (again on the computer which is new for me).
That’s it. Just wanted you to know I actually filled in the blank pieces.
Now to yesterday, day 92. Charlene, my friend from my youth (we’ve known each other since diaper days) and her husband Larry have so graciously offered me a beautiful place to stay. I arrived on Wednesday evening and plan to leave on Wednesday of next week. She has prepared her entire lower level for me. In consists of one large bedroom, one bathroom, a large family room with a panoramic view of the outdoors, a small library, a closed door that leads to another bedroom which is out of service and access to her garage, which makes packing and unpacking my car quite convenient. She is supplying beautiful instrumental music that floats down through the glass encased stairway above to my level here below. My lower level has three access for to the outside. And oh my, what an outdoors. I set myself up in a beautiful spot on one of her patios. Brought my computer and book bag and journals out and sat down to enjoy the flights of the hummingbirds feeding in front of me and turned on my computer to write. The temperature is perfect this morning. Not too cold and not yet the 91 degrees that is forecast for this day. And here I planned to sit until all my blogging was finished (or until I got hungry again). But…the best laid plans do not always work. I found that WiFi does not reach to the back yard. So I am here on their comfy couch, with my feet propped on a pillow on top of the coffee table, back to the view, typing this blog with WiFi. I can hear the birds through the open walkout sliding door, the music drifting lazily downstairs, bugs hitting the glass behind me, and the ringing in my ears. I just but turn my head and I can see through my bedroom window, the side door and over my shoulder in my peripheral view all the beauty that surrounds me waiting patiently for my gaze. I think God created this entire mountain and all its surroundings just for me, just for this moment, this hour, this week. Here I am out of all the places in the world I could be. And with God’s help, I made it happen. I made it happen by living my life as I imagined it. I imagined, and then believed, and then put into motion something no one else could do for me. I made it happen. I got up one morning, packed my car, and headed out on the road on a journey of a lifetime, the one I had imagined, and I did it am still doing it. I am here because I imagined it was possible.
I have listed to a lot of wisdom from those on the road, some friends, some acquaintances, some strangers. And I have heard their words resounding in my head over and over. Some more than others. But I have heard their words. Not just listened with my ears, but heard and received in my heart. Is all of it right for me? Perhaps not, but that is for me to ponder and pray about and decide. It is for me to make the changes I want to see in my own life. And every word, every experience has some sort of influence. I am seeing for the first time what it means to live each moment unto itself, to filter out that which is good and which is not good, to take with me the truths that will define me and make me stronger, to throw out that which could harm me or cause me to doubt. I have given thought to what I speak. And I have learned that I need to given even more thought to what I speak BEFORE I SPEAK IT. Have I learned every lesson yet, no, not by a long shot. I still talk too much and wish I had been created with a quieter, gentler demeanor. But I am who I am and God is teaching me to accept myself in the way and purpose for which he has created. He has put in me a bold heart. He has put in me a compassionate heart. Those are my two greatest assets. He is opening my eyes to who I am in His kingdom of creation. I am His child, loved beyond understanding, created to love and show compassion to others, created to be bold and to reach out and pray for those that He directs me to pray for. And He gave me a great commission to do even more.
Mathew 28:18-20 says:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them (His disciples), saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
And I ask myself, do I have the boldness to do just that? And am I really to go “to all the nations”? I may not be able to go to other countries, but I am able to go to my neighbor, my friend, those I meet, and share His love. And God promises to be with me always, even to the end of the age. And that end for me is eternity. We’ll all spend eternity somewhere? Where do you want to spend yours? You get to choose.
So, I guess I said all that to say “I am learning”. I want to say thank you to all who I have stayed with. Each and every one of you have taught me something. Thank you for the lessons I have learned, the words you have spoken to me in truth and sincerity, the blessings you have bestowed upon me with your gracious hospitality, food and added expenses that made my trip possible. Every single one of you are invited to come to our home should you ever pass through Wisconsin and need a place to take rest and comfort and food. Thank you to all those whom I have met on my journey who so willingly and spontaneously contributed your words of wisdom to enhance my learning and my blog. Thank you for your permission to share your wisdom on my blog. Thanks to my family for backing me in this extension of my imagination. My husband and children have been so supportive and loving throughout my trip. Thanks for the calls. And special thanks to you who I know are following my blog as faithfully as your busy life may allow. Even my blogging has been a learning experience. Special thanks to Len for all the hours he invested in me that I might learn the rudimentary aspects of blogging. Thanks to to Sarah who also gave me a lesson. My heart is so full of gratitude to all who have shepherded me along the way.
Now, back to Thursday, Brother Coats day! A little history on who Brother Coats is. First of all he is a very special man that has walked this earth. He is also Charlene’s father and Don’s father (remember Don and Darrelyn). Brother Coats new my family at the first church in El Cerrito California after my family moved from Arkansas to California. When they moved to a church closer to home we too moved to the church because it was a lot closer to the projects where we lived. Charlene had two brothers, Ron and Don. Her mom was Lois. Lois became very significant in my life because when I turned 6 years old I graduated to her Sunday School Class at Pinole Assembly of God Church where my mother took me. I was like a sponge and loved Jesus so much that I just wanted to learn more and more about who he was. Of course I talked a lot and gave Lois a run for her money. She was my Sunday School teacher year after year. It wasn’t until years later when we were talking about it and I told her how fortunate I was to have her for so many years and wondered how that happened. She told me that she enjoyed having me in her class and each two years I moved up she moved up with me. Go figure that one out. Well, it was a compliment to a little girl who often felt lost amongst the 5 girls in her family; a sister 6 years younger, and sisters 6, 7, and 8 years older and one brother who was already married and had kids my younger sister’s age. Anyway, her comment to me was like a little flower placed within my heart to know that someone had enjoyed who I was.
Well, Brother Coats was married to Lois. He didn’t really hold great significance to me when I was a kid. I knew my parents especially liked him and he was always busy. Charlene and I weren’t really all that close as we grew up but we liked each other but lived too far apart to have much contact. But somehow we always seemed to connect. Over the years I kept in contact with Brother and Sister Coats, went to visit them a few times in California, Portland and Washington and got to know them from my adult point of view. I highly respected them and loved them from my child’s heart. Sister Coats had been a great influence in my formative years of learning about the Lord. For that I am forever grateful. Brother Coats I realized was a gifted and talented gentle soul. He was giving, worked hard and diligently and whatever he did, he did to perfection. And as far as I know he still does it to perfection. He may be a little slower, a bit more bent, and not as strong, but in my eyes he is one of the strongest men I have ever know and still know. Yesterday afternoon and evening we spent our day with Brother Coats. He lives about an hour away. He lives alone now because Lois went to be with the Lord in December of this past year. Her presence was still felt when I entered the Coats’ home. Beautiful decor, everything so neat and tidy and matching. Work impeccably done, with Brother Coats’ smiling face, bright eyes, and quick wit greeting me. He is 89 years old and would have been married 68 years this past January after Lois died in December.
What a wonderful time of memories and stories as we talked and looked at old photo albums. The spirit of Brother Coats’ heart emanated from his presence. I could tell that he walks in close communion to our loving Lord. He is like love personified. Charlene and Don are blessed to have such a father on this earth. I was blessed to be with him for this day. He is extremely alert and communicative and spry in walk and movement. His life source runs deep and true. He is truly a blessed man of God. So much I could tell you but due to time I must end with his words of wisdom. One sentence he spoke without my asking him if he had any wisdom was this “Never lose the little boy or girl in you”. I asked him if I could quote him on that. He said yes, but was quick to point out that he had more wisdom that he would like to share. Here it is:
“Life is short.
Death is sure.
Sin the cause.
Christ the cure.”
Brother Coats I sure do love you!
After a time of visiting we went to the Country Buffet for dinner. It was delicious! Especially the coconut pie!!!!!! Here is the wisdom Charlene gave me at the buffet table: “Don’t get the old age mentality. If you think you can’t do something, you can’t”.
We returned to Brother Coats’ home, had another long visit and Charlene wanted me to go through her mom’s clothing to see if there were things I might enjoy having. Something of the things in her closet I could actually remember her wearing. It was a time of memories and nostalgia. There were several nice things that fit me and I accepted them. I shall think of her when I wear them. I’ll tell her about it when I get to heave. I think she would like me to have them. Thanks for Charlene’s thoughtful gesture in giving them to me. I also accepted a bag full of books that her mom had on her library shelf. Most of them books for me to learn from or give away. Several by Sarah Young to add to those I love to give to others. I asked Charlene if she minded if I gave them away and she said she is delighted that I wanted to take them and do so. I felt so blessed when we drove away from that house, Brother Coats standing in the driveway for one last wave, tears streaming down my face know that it was likely my last goodbye on this earth. I’ll see him too when I get to heaven, and who knows, maybe I’ll get there first.
We had a quick Costco stop, then the trip home, unloading all the groceries and all eating a 9:30 snack and then story time for way too late. So it was a quiet morning with all of us sleeping in. A wonderful quiet, tranquil, peaceful, morning. How blessed I am to be living in this moment.
God bless this day for you!
Wednesday June 3, 2015 DAY 91 OREGON GARDENS IN SILVERTON
I forgot to ask my host for the WiFi connection so I can’t connect with the internet. I do want to do a summary of my day so thought I would just write it on the Word document and upload tomorrow. I know some of you are early readers so I am sorry that it won’t be available for you.
It was actually a very fun day on the road. I hope someday to take a trip when time does not matter. I think that would be even more fun that my current trip. Time does matter to me because I don’t want to be traveling after dark. I must plan my driving time accordingly. Today was one of those days. I have so much planned to pack into one day and still get to my destination before dark. Well, I did it!
I actually got up when my alarm clock went off at 6:30. I was almost ready to leave by 8:00 am as planned but I got busy talking too much and snapping a tripod photo, which means me being included in the photo. I had not yet taken a photo of Don and Darrelyn with me. So we did that in the morning and that took a little extra time. Of course I forgot to take one with my cell phone so I have no photo of them to share. I actually did take off in the morning but was an hour late. I enjoyed my stay in Eugene with Don and Darrelyn and their little four legged family members but the road beckoned me. And oh what a beautiful road!
OREGON IS MAJESTICALLY BEAUTIFUL! I remember driving through Oregon once before on the interstate freeway system. I do not remember enjoying it nearly as much as I did today traveling the back roads. The trees here are so tall that they seem to make a tunnel of the two lane highway as you drive through them. The first part of my trip was getting from place A, Eugene, to place B, The State Capitol. Don mentioned the State Capitol being in Salem and I would be going right by there. I hadn’t been certain I’d have enough time to go there but the closer I got, the more I knew I wanted to see it. Don said it wasn’t very impressive or much to see. Well, I told Bossy where to go and she took me there! I was impressed. From the first time I looked at the capitol building I was impressed. I loved the architecture.
THIS IS WHERE I FELL ASLEEP ON THE COUCH WRITING MY BLOG.
So this is now Thursday morning, writing about my Wednesday.
I spent one hour and 20 minutes exploring the capitol in Salem Washington and enjoyed every moment of it. Took a few pictures which I will send later as I have no service on my phone to transfer them. I will not have service for at least a week while I am here except when I leave for visits to other places. I am on WiFi so hope this will publish. The pictures won’t be with the right day but I’ll send them when we go into Portland later today.
After I left the capitol I drove to the little town of Silverton Oregon.
And this is where the story will continue. My morning has already been amazing and I will not go there until I finish yesterday. Must leave again in a few minutes. I will finish this later. To be continued. I don’t want to lose it so I will publish as is.
Write more later! 12:08 p.m. Thursday June 4.
CONTINUATION OF WEDNESDAY JUNE 30.
When I left Eugene I purposely wanted to drive the back roads. After visiting the capitol in Salem Oregon I headed out to the little road that would lead me to Silverton. What a wonderful little city. It is one I wouldn’t mind exploring more closely. I think it would be a great little community to retire in.
The reason I wanted to come to Silverton was because in my Olbrich Garden Book it is listed as a reciprocal garden. A reciprocal garden is one that will honor my Olbrich Botanical Garden Membership. When you join Olbrich Gardens you have privileges to go to a great list of other gardens across the U.S. with free admittance and free parking. I have tried to make it a point to see as many of the gardens as possible. There are so many gardens I did not get to see. My pass has saved me quite a bit of money and my guests also have free admittance. Silverton garden is actually Oregon Gardens. It was well worth the drive to explore them. They are amazing and actually quite new as far as gardens go There is still a lot of land that is being readied for additional plantings. Oregon gardens are on very hilly terrain which creates amazing aesthetic views of the botanical design and growth. Again, I wish I could put photos on with this entry but without my phone I cannot do so.
Ultimately I was driving to my next destination with Silverton just being a couple of hour layover to enjoy the gardens. My hostess gave me free reign to come any time and to even change my mind if I should do so. Well, I did so. I was actually going to my car, quite reluctantly, to forward my trip and I just had to call her and cancel plans for the evening. I turned back around, checked back into the gardens and quickly went to the places I had not yet seen. It was truly an amazing adventure.
While at the gardens I just had to share one of the most beautiful visual displays with someone else. I saw two ladies down a path and felt drawn to bring them to my visual paradise. I noticed they did not have any kind of cameras so I just knew I needed to point out some of the visual aspects. Besides, I think I just needed to share the beauty with someone else. They treated me graciously, came with me and agreed that it was spectacular. I enjoyed our conversation. I am never lonely as I travel but sometimes I just need to share time and conversation with others. I asked both ladies what their wisdom for the world is. CJ’s wisdom is: “Get heath back; reconnect with friends and family; learn to live going less than 100 miles per hour.” I think she was referencing after you retire. Her friend Karen’s wisdom is: “Don’t wait; learn something new everyday; avoid loud and aggressive people.” Both ladies were a bit younger than I am but both retired.
I am actually learning a lot on this trip about being retired. Several places I’ve stayed are places of those who are now retired. And every place has its own ideas of what retirement is about. My cousin’s mantra is “I’ll do it when I want, how I want, IF I want.” Some just want to hibernate. Others are desiring to reconnect with past relationships and friends (maybe that is where I am), others live very disciplined and regimented days, others give themselves the freedom to go with the flow and do as opportunity arises. Some are spontaneous enjoyers of life, others have strict and demanding terms that go with their retirement. I find that retirement is a really big life change for everyone involved. So much I could expound on but must go forward with my Wednesday. It is now Friday morning, and of course I am late with yesterday’s blog and want to catch up on that this morning also.
Back to the gardens. I finally left and had about a three hour drive left before I reached the Columbia River. Oh how uneducated I am in so many areas. I was totally unaware of how huge and important and beautiful the Columbia River is. Some widths of it appear to be lakes. The Columbia River has more dams than any other River in the United States. I have been told that there are 13 total dams. Below are a few facts copied from the Internet:
Columbia River Facts
- The Columbia River basin comprises some 260,000 square miles, from its headwaters in British Columbia, Canada, to its mouth at Astoria, Ore., bordering Washington and Oregon.
- The basin includes parts of seven states, 13 federally recognized Indian reservations, and one Canadian province. Nineteen percent of the watershed is in Washington.
- The average annual flow for the Columbia River at The Dalles, Oregon is approximately 190,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) (1 cfs = 448.8 gallons per minute).
- The river’s annual discharge rate fluctuates with precipitation and ranges from 120,000 cfs in a low water year to 260,000 cfs in a high water year.
- After dams were constructed along the river for flood control and power production, the flow regime of the river changed. Records kept since 1878 show that flows were much higher in the spring and lower in winter before dam construction. In addition, the velocity of the water moving down the river was significantly greater before dam construction began in the 1930s.In 1917, Washington adopted a water code to help manage water allocations from surface water bodies in the state, including the Columbia River.
I also looked up some info on the dams. I counted 14 in the article and then another article seemed to have even more accounted for. So, I will say that I don’t really know for certain how many dams are on the river but will say that the river is the most impressive river I have ever experienced. I MAY have a chance to go on a River Cruise.
I arrived to my destination, Carson Washington in a daze of awe and wonder as to what was surrounding me. The location of the home is in the back hills, a bit from the Columbia River. My friend’s property is 20 acres and very mountainous. Not hills. MOUNTAINS! A fast flowing, wide creek, Panther Creek, winds it’s way through the property. When a window or door is open it actually sounds like the distant roar of a waterfall. The sound is peaceful and lulling, like a song coming from heaven. I cried as I looked out over the evening light and the thousands of trees I could see from my parallax. No matter what view I have it is one of trees and trees and more trees. All kinds of trees, young ones, stately tall elegant old growth trees, just trees and more trees. Because of the rise and fall of the land the view is astounding. The house is built with walls filled with glass. It sets high above the creek’s journey below. Even a yard such as this must be managed. Charlene and Larry live here. Larry manages the land by using a zip-line to traverse from one mountain side to the next. I can see the lines hundreds of feet over my head. A zip-line is high. He said I could go on it. I think I will. Dave has sent me some papers that must be signed for legal documents. I am waiting to receive them. His request was that I sign the papers first, get them posted, and THEN go on the zip-line. So that is what I plan to do. I get a little flutter inside me when I think about it. Will I have the courage to do it is the question I ask myself. I think I would like to do so. I contemplated going on a zip line over a canyon when I was in Canyon Texas but I was concerned I might cause an injury early in my trip and so wanted to continue on my journey. I still want to continue on this journey so I will give due consideration and investigation before making the final decision.
More about Charlene and Larry in a later blog. “They” are keeping me up to late every night so blame it on them that my blogs are not ready on time.
This is goodbye for Wednesday’s blog. Now I will start on Thursday! (And it is already 11:04 a.m. on Friday). This has been designated as a day of rest.
Oh, one more thing. Charlene and Larry are a bad influence on my writing. I can’t remember when I have gone TWO DAY IN A ROW without writing a poem. So I shall write one here for Wednesday though the date will be today. And I can never recapture the true moment of Wednesday.
Memory of a Garden
by Kathleen Martens
Written June 5 2015 in memory of
Wednesday June 3, 2015 “Oregon Garden”
A misty moment lingers
In the mind from days past.
Emotions of the moment
Are later hard to grasp.
But I do remember
The beauty of the day
The stroll through a garden
On a warm summer day.
The sun dappling
In reflection pools of light
Upon the water’s surface
Create a gentle sight.
The hush of wonder
Floods my heart
I cling to the moment
That shall not depart.
Flowers so delicate
Exquisitely designed
Only the hand of God
Could create so refined.
And the majesty of trees
Each standing alone
Adding beauty to the world
That I have never known.
How do I grasp
Such beauty so exquisite?
I will simply go again
For another visit.
The visit of my memory
That gently stroked a flower
The hours that I lingered
In the garden by the hour.
Thank you God for the gifts
Of your magnificent creation
That floods my heart with such peace,
And gives me such elation.
Sunday Sabbath May 17 2015 DAY 71 THE LARGEST SUNDIAL IN THE WORLD
Oh man! What a great day. It is Sunday! My favorite day of the week. The day set aside to worship God and the day God set aside so man could rest! Rest from the normal activities of work and life. And so I love this day. My first reason to to think this was such a great day, was because of my experience of worshiping the Lord in the presence of so many others with like minds and hearts. It was amazing. I was a first time guest at Bethel Redding. It is a church body well spoken of and known for their ministry to equip the body of Christ to go out into the world to serve others. On the Welcome card this is what is written:
“Our house is your house, and we’re glad you’re here. We are a big family who loves Jesus, and we have committed our lives to serving Him. We aim to love extravagantly, hope contagiously and serve joyfully. Enjoy your time with us, and we look forward to seeing you again!”
One thing they left out was the fact that they worship with their whole heart and that you better be ready to enter into the presence of God when you lift your hands in praise and worship! I could just feel the power of the Lord in that place. It was awesome!
Tomorrow is the first day of the class I will be taking. I will be taking a ministry class for healing. Can’t say what it will be like as I haven’t started the class yet. All I know is that if the Lord should use me to lay hands on others and pray for healing, I want to be equipped to understand and know what it is He wants me to do. When we continually seek the Lord I do not think that we ever cease searching for more to do for God. Will I be used in this area? I do not know. But, if I choose not to learn or discover my potential for the calling God has for me, how will I ever know? I am the child of the King and I long to do His will. It was just so amazing to be in the house of worship this day.
Today’s sermon was about worship. Why do we worship? Why do we do what we do? It was the third sermon in a series on worship. I think another sequel to the sermon comes next Sunday. It was very interesting and caused me to have a greater understanding of what worship is and can be. Several key points that stayed with me are: “Any act, thought, or deed, done for the Lord that brings pleasure to the heart of God is an act of worship. To impact someone deeply you must know that person deeply! We must learn God’s love language in order to worship Him. We must know Him intimately to know what moves the heart of God. We are aware of how we love to be loved. Are we aware of how God loves to be loved.”
I recommend listening to this series online if you have opportunity to do so. I certainly hope to do so. Many excellent scripture references were given and would make a great study topic.
For those who are reading this blog you may remember my friends Lana and Tim from Albuquerque where I stayed a few nights on two different occasions. They have also come to take the class this week. I am excited to see what God has planned for our lives. I’ll keep you posted.
It is late tonight so I hope to make this short but I would like to tell you about an interesting place Lana discovered, and she and Tim took me there. It is called the SUNDIAL BRIDGE located in Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding. It was designed as a work of art and that is exactly how I saw it. I saw it as a beautiful miraculous piece of intricate, graceful art.
Here is a little excerpt that I copied off a webpage for you to give you some facts:
“The Sundial Bridge is beautiful because of its aqua green, opaque glass deck; strips of granite; and smooth, white imported Spanish tile. The bridge is unique because of its design. The 217-foot pylon acts as a sundial, telling time on a tile covered garden border on the north side of the bridge. The designer of the bridge, world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, has said that, to him, the bridge resembles a bird in flight, and symbolizes the overcoming of adversity. The bridge is also environmentally sensitive to its river setting. The tall pylon and cable stays allow this unique suspension bridge to avoid the nearby salmon-spawning habitat. Several fly fishing publications and professional guides have rated this area of the Sacramento River as being in the top 10 tail water fisheries in the world!”
Words cannot make it beautiful enough. It must be seen and experienced to comprehend the size and architectural design. I had no camera with me so I only have images on my Iphone. That’s re reason I have so many photos to send.
I must make my apologies to the little dog who lives here and her people. I misspelled HER name last night. First of all, I thought Nikki was a boy. She is a girl. Secondly the spelling of her name is not Nickie but NIKKI. She is a SCHIPPERKE (pronounced “skipper key”). She is a breed of dog bred to catch the rats aboard ships. She has powerful jaws, strong short legs, bushy hair like a cat, and no tail due to having it bobbed (OUCH). From the rear she appears to be part monkey or miniature baboon (no disrespect Nikki). And…she is totally lovable and affectionate to me and melts my heart. She is a bit heavy and is going through a slow process of eating less than she is used to in order to reduce. She is always acting like she is hungry (but what dog doesn’t do that?). Her diet is working because she is weighing down 2 pounds since her portions have been cut. I’m with you Nikki girl. I know what that is like! The best part is, Nikki likes me! It seems like all the dogs like me, what can I say!
At church today I met a young man named Parker. He was an astounding young man, a junior in high school who came up for prayer while I was there for the same thing. Daneece knew his parents and so I was introduced to him also. I felt like I was to pray for him for specific protection from all the bombardment that the universities now teach our young people in persuading them that there is no God and that the Bible is not real. He has been accepted into Harvard and will be starting in a year. I asked him what wisdom he had and it came quickly to his lips: “Anything is possible if you believe and that you can do all things through Christ, and to never give up believing. Just continue believing. Nothing is impossible”
Parker was at the last minute accepted into Harvard University and needed $12,000 for tuition fees to hold the position. He trusted God, put himself on “Go Fund Me” (I have no clue what that actually is) and money came in. From what I garnered from listening to the conversation he still needs a bit more but it seems it is doable. We need young men like this with a strong faith in God to be our Harvard graduates of tomorrow. You go Parker! There will be prayer warriors standing behind you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, just like Philippeans 4:13 says! I just love the wisdom of a well grounded young person. It doesn’t matter how young you are, God gives wisdom to those who seek wisdom.
It is 10:30 p.m. and I still want to write a poem so I guess I’ll sign off. Have a great tomorrow when it becomes today. It is always so fun to see what poem God gives me each day. Like a present I haven’t unwrapped yet. I shall go and unwrap the words that fall into my brain and see what sense they become.
The poem is written and now it is 11:19 p.m. I’ll type it below for those interested.
Goodnight.
THE ACT OF WORSHIP
By Kathleen Martens
May 17, 2015
When everything we do
Is an act of worship to our King,
Our will is surrendered
That to God, joy we bring.
Sometimes our lives are get complicated
And our focus may be lost.
We forget that all we do
Should be simply done before the cross.
When what we do is worship
Only truth is what is said
For the opposite is always false
It is through acts of worship we are fed.
When you completely surrender
The selfish in you has died,
And it becomes your desire to worship
The one who was crucified.
Goodnight again.
P.S. Please notice the blueberries I picked today from Daneece’s back yard. They were delicious!
Friday May 15 2015 DAY 69 I THINK I GOT A LEMON
Sometime days are just down days. Not down in spirit but just a day to slow down, stay close to home, revel in the quiet, no hustle and no bustle. Just a great “down” day. That was today, for the most part. And I loved it. Paulette had several suggestions as to where we could go, things we could see, etc., but instead we chose to stay close to home until we thought of a movie we’d like to see.
I did go to the gym and when I came home I braved the post rain back yard and tackled picking lemons. Yes, I said lemons. If I had to guess I would say her Meyer lemon tree probably had 500 lemons on it. And let me tell you, this lemon tree fought back. It had great big, long, sharply pointed, strong, THORNS. I mean they were like weapons and extremely sharp! Ask me how I know! “Ouch”! I wore long sleeves which helped but still had a few pricks elsewhere. I picked lemons for a half hour or more. After they were washed and dried and laid out I counted 80 lemons on the counter and in a bowl was about another dozen or so.
So, the photographer in me just knew there was a picture waiting to happen. Paulette pulled down her beautiful baskets from the pantry and we loaded the lemons into them. I arranged them in what I thought a was nice display and we not only took pictures, but, we did a talking video. We had fun doing it. I took some to the gym this morning, which I had picked yesterday, and gave them away to the people I spoke with yesterday. Tomorrow I will take more. I also plan to take them with me as I leave and hand them out to wherever I go to whomever wants them. They are quite sweet lemons or could be mistaken for a very sour orange. They look more like oranges, both outside skin and inside flesh. This is a very forlorn tree. It is sad because it is neglected and left to its own devices. I heard the lemons calling out to me to please pick them so they could fulfill the destiny that God had intended for them. That destiny was to be picked, eaten, and enjoyed, while giving rich nutrients to to those who ate them. The picked lemons are happy lemons! And I am quite happy for picking them, as well as helping them fulfill their destiny! I called ahead and told Joyce I would be bringing lemons. She said she had two lemon trees and didn’t need any lemons. Oh well…Wish I could get them to my sister Velma. She is the lemon lady!
So you see when I have a “down day”, and not much happening I have to “make” something happen. So I did. Quite exciting for a blog, right? RIGHT??
Paulette and I went to see the movie “The Age of Adeline”. It was quite a ways away but we both wanted to do something “exciting” so we drove out to see it. I thought it done well, had an interesting but abrupt ending, but overall was an entertaining movie. Paulette didn’t seem to like it as much as I did. I don’t see many movies so maybe I don’t have enough to compare it to. I especially like the actors (and don’t ask me who they were).
Paulette’s husband, Dave, joined us across town and we had dinner at a place called CHOPS. Very nice upscale restaurant. I put on my best behavior and tried to be quiet. It worked for awhile. I ordered my favorite food, BRUSSELS SPROUTS and a beet salad. It was very good. I thank you Paulette and Dave for the delicious meal. I have enjoyed myself here in Folsom California. I had a large suite to myself and I spread out like a 16 year old. And that is about how my area appears at the moment, like a teenagers! EGADS! I am leaving tomorrow so will tidy it up in the morning as I pack. It felt so good to just let it all hang out! I would be embarrassed to take a picture of it. I think I needed this respite!
While at dinner I asked Dave for his words of wisdom. He responded quickly: “As I age my priorities change. There is nothing I’d rather do now that hang out with my grandsons” I asked him if that was it and he said yes it was.
Paulette’s wisdom: “Take the time to find joy in every day. Sometimes you have to find it yourself because it is not always going to bite ya.” Very well said!
And because I have a wonderfully peaceful, low-key day I will share a poem I wrote yesterday. I have not had the opportunity to spend as much time in solitude with the Lord while on this trip. I try when I can and have been quite faithful in writing my gift of poetry to God daily (missed a couple of days). I had a quiet peaceful morning yesterday and spent in on the veranda deck and just enjoyed communing with my Lord. Here is the simple poem that spoke how I felt. After the poem are words I felt impressed upon my heart when I asked the Lord what words He had for me.
AND FOR LOVING ME ENOUGH
May 14, 2015
Here I am Lord
To offer my time and space,
To rest my heart in You,
In this peaceful time and place.
To be alone in myriad sounds,
To be refreshed from inside out.
My heart sings from within,
My soul longs to shout.
To proclaim Your love and mercy,
And Your tender loving care
That spills from my heart,
For inside me You’re always there.
Thank You for Your grace and mercy
And for the strength You supply,
And for Your freedom You provide,
And loving me enough to die.
**************
My Heart Sounds from the Lord: IF YOU PURPOSE TO LISTEN
I am your rock forever and I give you true peace because you trust in Me. Even in times of your absence in solitude My love will never leave you. My promise of peace does not disappear because of your busy schedule or the hands on a clock. When My children love Me I will bless them. My face will shine upon you and you will become more and more like Me that others will see my countenance upon your face
Come and let us enjoy this interlude in your journey. Pause and give time to reflect on all I am teaching you. Write down your lessons that you retain them to look upon and continue to grow. As you seek Me, my wisdom will come from within you. Wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, it loves peace while considering others needs. Look and see who I bring before you. Step out in boldness, yet be submissive unto Me. I will fill you with mercy and good fruit. Judge not others and always speak truth in sincerity. Be my disciple for I have called you to be my witness. You are my beloved. I love you with an intensity you do not yet understand. Listen as I speak to your heart. Through all the chatter and clatter of this word you will hear My voice if you purpose to listen.
****************
This has been a wonderful stay. I feel refreshed and ready to look ahead to next week when I will be a student at a week long class at Bethel Church in Redding CA.
Good night. 7:55 p.m.
P.S. We are going to watch a movie!
Tuesday May 13 2015 DAY 67 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
Wednesday May 13 2015 South Lake Tahoe DAY
Another night of blogging without the internet. I am at a new location now. My cousin Paulette lives in Folsom California which is about an hour from my last stay. Yesterday was a marvelous day. Just the drive to Celio Ranch would have made the trip worth the trip to Meyers CA. In the morning we had a leisurely breakfast at a local family restaurant and enjoying our hosts, Chris and Tom Celio. I was up at 5:00 a.m. so I could be ready for the sunrise to hit the mountain peaks out back. Well, it didn’t come up until after 6:00 a.m. But my sleep was gone and boy am I feeling it now.
No internet available tonight due to the fact that I forgot to ask Paulette for the pass code. So this may get posted tomorrow as Paulette is sleeping.
Becky and I drove up to Lake Tahoe after we left Chris and Tom’s place. Again, my memory had failed me. It was not like I remembered when we used to go visit my sister in Tahoe. Of course it seemed more crowded because the population is more crowded, but it also seemed sort of run down and bedraggled. It made me wonder if the tourist trade there has gone down, especially with the lake being so low. I took some photos but don’t know how well you can see the receding waterline. Perhaps just the building were aging or for that matter, just me aging. I think I see things so much differently than I did as a kid. I see things more clearly.
The lake seemed to rest in quiet repose as if the lake was in a resting time, tired and listless.. The colors of the water graduated to different color intensities as you looked further and further away from the shore. Brown sand seemed austere and agressive as if it were on a quest reclaiming the depths of the lake. A sadness came over me as I realized how low the water was in the lake. It is May and there is barely any snow on any mountain. This should be the time of spring thaw. The streams down below the mountains are running shallow and slow. Very little water trickling from melting snow as there isn’t much left to melt. This should be the time of white rapids. I heard that there may be about a foot of snow expected tonight. If today’s temperature is any indication I believe it could happen. It was freezing at the Ranch today as we took a tour of all the outbuildings and surrounding acres. Very cold!
I’ll post photos of the lake. The lake still has a gentle beauty about it, but to me it seems old and tired; worn out from combatting four years of drought. California is in need of moisture. I was actually relieved as we left the mountain tops. Everything seems so dry and powdery brittle that I was concerned about what it would be like to be caught in a fire storm there. I pray for God’s protection over California’s dry lands and forests. I prayed for rain and snow.
Arrived back at Becky’s by 5:00 and gone by 6:38 p.m. to my next destination.
And here I am at cousin Paulette’s house in Folsom California. I can tell that Paulette is tired and run down. She has a lot on her plate right now. She works in a family owned business and must be away quite a bit. She also is dealing with an ill family member and this is causing added responsibility to her already busy life. And then, here I come! I hope I can help her in some way while I am here. Maybe just taking her mind off of all else that is going on. Not much happened tonight except my laundry duty was accomplished and my writing this blog to be posted on Thursday. And it is another short blog due to my sleep schedule. It is not that I don’t have lots to write about, but my body is in need of sleep again. I hope no one calls me in the morning as I plan to sleep in! Brilliant idea! I’ll shut down my phone.
I hope to have this blog published tomorrow after I have the WiFi code. Good night! 11:56 p.m.
Tuesday May 12, 2015 Day 66 ON THE WAY TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
Well, I’ll see how I can make today’s blog, May 12, 2015 work, while I am out of the SERVICE area where I am writing. I am close to South Lake Tahoe. Actually tonight I am staying on the CELIO-RANCH close to the town of Meyers. It is a place that is so beautiful that I can hardly bear not to be outside enjoying all the sights, the fresh air, the freezing wind, the rustling sound of the huge trees, the seemingly abandoned little two lane highway, which is South Upper Truckee Road. The only reason I’m not outside is the freezing wind. I had to come back in to thaw out.
How is it I meet so many wonderful people and have such awesome experiences? Yesterday Rebecca (my friend who lives in Elk Grove, right outside of Sacramento proper) drove me to Placerville to be with her family and look at houses. On the trip back from Placerville I simply stated how I wished I could have gone to Lake Tahoe on this trip. Not in a million years thinking that it would take place. She SIMPLY said (if you knew Rebecca you would know she never says anything simply) in her exuberance and dramatic way “We can go to Tahoe”. And here we are, well… almost. She has friends who live on a ranch at a little unincorporated community called Meyers with an elevation of about 6500 feet. The summit is about 9,000 feet.
Tom and Chris own CELIO-RANCH and have a heart as big, or bigger, than the ranch. Their home is always open to family and friends. And Rebecca got to drag me along! How Awesome is that! We plan to spend the night in their 101 year old home, and then drive around Lake Tahoe tomorrow (great photo ops!) and drive the long way home. We have come just because we could. A new place to explore, new people to meet, new experiences to put in my memory bank. When I think my bank is almost full it seems there is always just enough room for one more experience. I just love life!
I tried to download some of the photos of the ranch that I took right after arriving but there is no service. I am typing this blog on a Word Document and will save it and upload it later. Just to be on the safe side I just saved it and will continue to do so as I type.
Just called my husband on a borrowed phone. Without a booster nothing works. Our phone call is our daily connection. I am so thankful for the generosity of Tamara who lives here at Celio-Ranch for the use of her IPhone. Tamara is a student learning ultra sound and lives with Tom and Chris during the week while she does her studies and goes home on weekends. I asked Tamara what her wisdom of 23 years would be. Here it is:
“Help and love people and the greatest of these is love. I think if more people did that and loved God we would live in a better world”.
I just love the wisdom of the young! We are told in the scriptures to”get knowledge and seek wisdom”. It appears she is doing both.
The following is taken from the web to give you a little insight to the history of Meyers California:
“Meyers (also Yanks, Yank’s Station, and Tahoe Paradise)[3] is a small unincorporated community in El Dorado County,California, United States,[1] along U.S. Route 50 in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains south of South Lake Tahoe in the Lake Tahoe area. It lies at an elevation of 6352 feet (1936 m). Established in 1851, Meyers started out as a stagecoach stop, trading post and Pony Express station.[1] The town is now registered as California Historical Landmark #708.[2] It serves as a Martin Smith was the town’s founder; he opened a trading post and inn on the Placerville-Carson Road in 1851 [3] In 1859, Ephraim “Yank” Clement and his wife Lydia purchased the station and outbuildings from George Douglas and Martin Smith, who had run the station as a hostelry and stagecoach stop.
The Clements enlarged the station into a three-story, fourteen-room way station which included a large stable and hay barn with large corrals across the road.[3][4] The station served as a Pony Express stop up until October 26, 1861. Upon completion of the wagon road over Kingsberry Grade, the Pony Express route continued along the south shore of Lake Tahoe stopping at Yank’s Station Toll House, near Myers (original spelling) on U.S. 50. Warren Upson was the first Pony Express rider to arrive here on April 28, 1860. The station also served as a stage stop with a trading post and hotel. The toll house was pushed off its foundation by flood waters and is currently located on blocks adjacent to the Tahoe Paradise Museum. In 1873 George Henry Dudley Meyers bought the property. Business flourished at the newly rebuilt station for decades; it continued to serve as a hotel and store until November 25, 1938, when the building was destroyed by fire during the Meyers town fire. A post office opened in 1904 south of the station.[3] The post office closed in 1957, and reopened in 1958.[3] It was renamed Tahoe Paradise in 1962.[3] Since then, houses have been built sporadically in the meandering neighborhoods that surround it.popular stop on the way into and out of the Tahoe Basin for travelers on Highways 50 and 89.”
I hope the inserts that I have been adding from the web are interesting to you. I try to learn about the area I am visiting and thought you might want to know some of the facts.
It is only 7:43 p.m. and I am finished blogging for the evening. I am trying to condense my words and thus my time. Don’t worry, some days I will still be a bit wordy. I will get this posted ASAP.
Good night
P.S. Google Celio-Ranch and some interesting sites come up. You can even see a picture of Tom and Chris. Here is an interesting address I looked up
May 9, 2015 Day 63 THE TOWER CAFE
I am quite good at not remembering to take photos on my IPHONE. I wanted to put a photo up of the Tower Cafe in Sacramento California. What a sight. Tower Theater was built in 1938 and is impressive in height and style. Adjacent to the The Tower Theater is the Tower Cafe, both indoor and outdoor dining. Well, that is where I met my two nieces for lunch. One problem. I was very hungry and there was an 90 minute wait. We waited.
I left Jeanette’s home with a farewell and headed north for the city of the State Capitol Building. I’ve been there many times while growing up but if I have a chance I would again like to tour the capitol. It is truly a beautiful building, much like our own state capitol building in Madison. But today was family day.
The nieces I met up with were children of my sisters. Scarlett’s daughter, River and Faith’s daughter, Ericka and Ericka’s daughter, Lilly, who is 5. And we all waited until our table was called up. It was worth the wait. The food was good as was the outdoor atmosphere with a shade umbrella over our tables. It was a pretty sight to behold. The food was delicious, the talk was interesting, the decor a chaotic scene of amazing clutter and color. I took a picture inside but it was only on my camera and not my cell phone. When we finished eating we left and all drove back to Ericka’s home. Later in the day Ericka’s husband came home bearing gifts. Bags and bags of fresh produce bought from the farmers market. He made a pot of beet soup. It was tasty and delicious.
There is so much I would like to relay to you but I am extremely sleepy and must get up early for church in the morning. Just wanted you to know I was hanging out with the “fam” . In Wisconsin I had to grow my own extended family through one son and one daughter. But only our son stayed in the area. I can’t tell you how good it feels to know that you have family close even if they are over 20 miles away. Remember when your kids move away and stay within driving distance you have another place to go for dinner. And it is really nice.
While driving today I notice lots of farm fields and orchards and even some wineries. I loved these farm fields even as a young child. I was surprised at how slowly the area has grown between San Francisco area and Sacramento I think I am falling asleep in my chair so I must go.
River’s words of wisdom today are “Forgive and make amends quickly.”
Ericka said something profound but I didn’t write it down. I will find out what she said and post later. My brain is on overtime right now and ready to shut down.
Do want you to know however, that I arrived at my next destination all in one piece. I am in a town right next to Sacramento called Elk Grove visiting with Rebecca and Fred Edward (whom I always knew as Eddie). He is a walking miracle of life. I’ll find out exactly why and tell you tomorrow or some other day. It is an amazing story. We have known Rebecca and Eddie since we married and have lots of fun memories of those days long ago. They have 5 children and it is good to get caught up on all that is happening in their lives.
I am going to bed now at 11:29.
Good night.
s
May 2 2015 Day 56 Days are passing too quickly
Today marks the end of the my eighth week on the road. I feel as if I have just left home. If plans go according to speculation I shall be home in just another short 8 weeks. Is it just me, or does life happen too fast?
Started out at the gym by 6:00 a.m. then back “home” to shower and change for a lady’s spring brunch at Jeanette’s church. This was the Bay Area Four Square Church in Danville California. It is the same church that our family attended when we lived in the Bay Area almost 30 years ago. We personally never attended services at the new building. At the time we worshiped in an old theater. Right after we moved away the congregation moved into the new campus. It was good to see it again. We watched it be built.
At the brunch Jeanette and I sat with two other ladies at our table. A young woman named Marnie gave me this word of wisdom: “Be more specific with your prayers and when God brings it to pass and it doesn’t look exactly like you thought it would, trust Him.” Wouldn’t you just love to know the rest of the story?
Well, I also talked to the pastors wife, Cindy Fry. Here are her word of wisdom: “Draw away from the crowd. Draw near to the Lord. It is intimacy with the Lord that strengthens you and sustains you. That is where you find your rest.”
Sue from last week’s travels met us after the brunch at Jeanette’s house. We all made a nice lunch and had a great time. I met Sue while attending college. She has a brother named Jack that made us a threesome. He is the kind of guy that everyone loves. Twenty five years ago Jack was diagnosed with ALS. Because he outlived most ALS patients his illness was diagnosed and re-diagnosed and pondered and studied. Some doctors call his illness PLS, others disagree. PLS is essentially the same as ALS but with a longer life span. Well Jack has definitely outlived most patients. He is paralyzed and his limbs do not work. He is still able to eat a few things and swallow. He loves the Lord and has an attitude that is puzzling, not only to the doctors but to those around him. Jeanette, Sue, and I drove over to see him this afternoon. What a delightful time to be in his presence. He was even able to talk a bit, though haltingly, and with great pauses. There is absolutely nothing cloudy or foggy about his mind. He kept bringing up memories the rest of us had already forgotten years ago. It was interesting being with him because even in his debilitated physical state he was still trying to boss me around WHILE I WAS TAKING THE PICTURES! He was instructing everyone where He wanted them to stand for the photo session. I guess I lost control of that photo session. I did what he said. I may never see Jack again in this world but old memories have been revived and not only did I get to talk to him he was able today to talk to me. Sue said he is often not capable of speech. I felt another blessing added on top of my basket. God is so good. Someday Jack will dance before the Lord!
Good memories, good friends, good food, good talk and now Sue is gone. The house is quiet and my stomach is full.
Not a lot of action today. I still have a lot of stories to tell about those first few weeks when I did not have WiFi and got behind on my blogging. They will have to wait until I am not so sleepy. There is a difference of being tired and being sleepy. Tonight I am sleepy. I’ve been up since 4:30 a.m. and it is now 11:11 p.m.
Good night!
April 20 2015 Day 44 TOO MUCH STUFF!
I wish I could have “done” the trip before I did the trip. I would have taken a lot less. Too many clothes, too many shoes, too many do-dads I thought I MIGHT need and TOO MANY BOOKS. Who has time to read? Besides, all I’ve been doing is adding to my library everywhere I go. Just too many good books in the resale shops.
Today was a gift. It was a day that I was originally supposed to be in transit. Since my plans changed I stayed one day longer than planned so therefore I didn’t have any plans, so therefore I could do what I wanted. And what I wanted to do was go through everything I brought with me, cull, pack differently, and get ready to hit the road tomorrow. It was much needed. Betts wanted to go out to dinner with me so after I was finished with laundry, emptying everything out and repacking, we skedaddled out of Linda’s hair for awhile and went to Marie Calendar’s Restaurant. It has been years since I have been to a Marie Calendar’s. It was delicious. In the front when you come in they have all their assortment of pies, for which they are famous, and the calorie count of each piece of pie. These calorie counters were upward of 690 calories per piece up to about 960 calories per piece. That took the craving away for me. Privately however I still yearned for a piece of coconut cream pie. My favorite pie. Instead I ate a kale salad. It was excellent!
I loved this day with my exercise and solitude and quiet. I have not had enough solitude time the last few days because I haven’t been traveling. I look forward to the long hours in the car with just God and me and my new CD, TIMELESS, by David Hollandsworth. I love the titles of his compositions. As the title of the piece comes on screen I listen to see if I hear the title in the music. And, you know what, it does. Here are the Titles: 1. Awakening; 2. Carried by the Wind; 3. Alone; 4. Timeless; 5. Black Rose; 6. Through the Door; 7. First Frost; 8. My Heart is Yours, 9. First Signs of Spring; 10. Lake Effect; 11. Shimmer on the Water; 12. Nostalgic; 13. Pause for Thought; 14. Quiet Waters; 15 Touch; 16. Waterfalls, 17. View From Here; 18. Mournful Waltz; 19 Flow; 20. Pause for Thought ( piano solo). I see on the CD case is his web address if you are interested. davidhollandsworth.com
Linda and her sons had the interview today from the Orange County Register. The article is to be in the paper the Thursday before Mother’s Day. Linda said that the interview went well. I was in the bedroom going through all my STUFF during the time when the photographer and reporter were here.
After Betts and I went out to eat we went back to her house and picked oranges. Oranges are difficult to pick in case you want to know. Bets brought out a long stick with a caged basked at the end and one side of the basked had elongated prongs that were longer than the basket with curved tines. You reach up into the tree with the picker and let the tall tines trap the orange below it and give it a strong tug. The When the orange lets go it falls into the basket if you are lucky. A few fell on us instead. These oranges are falling from quite a distance and are very large and dense. I would not want one to land on my head. We picked two big bags. I will take them with me to share with my few host families. They are dense and very juicy. Supposedly juice oranges but I love the flavor and texture so I eat them. They taste how I imagine an orange is supposed to taste. We are still eating avocados from the last house. The next place I am going has horses. I don’t think I’ll be able to take any of them with me.
I’m going to bed so I can get up early, work out, and get on the road between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. I’ll aim for 9:00 which could mean 11:00 a.m. It is 6 hours on the mapquest but for me that probably means 7 to 7 and 1/2 hours for my bladder. It is so good I am traveling alone. Like I said before, I get along well with myself and I am very patient with everything I do. I’ll get there when I get there and absolutely no one to gripe at me. The way I talk it sounds as if my husband must gripe at me a lot. Actually he does not. And honey if you are reading this, I MISS YOU A LOT!!! Actually I miss you a TON. (Inside joke)
By the way, I’ll be driving all the way to Yosemite tomorrow to visit my Aunt Georgia and Uncle Jetton. I have been informed to be as early as possible as there will be a lot of people coming to their house and they will be eating early because afterward there is going to be some picking and singing. I look forward to that. But, I’ll get there when I get there because I have been informed you can’t get on the freeways before 9:00 a.m. unless you want to be inching along in “rush hour” traffic when the 8 lanes of scores of freeways turn into parking lots.
Visions of Poetry 