Wednesday May 14 2015 Day 68 BE PREPARED FOR WHAT YOU PRAY FOR
Another lovely and amazing day. God is so good! It seems God just brings the nicest people across my path. I forgot to even mention one from yesterday that I met at a resale shop in Placerville area on the way back to Rebecca’s from Lake Tahoe. A young man came strolling across my aisle and I couldn’t help but notice is short spiky corkscrew hair sticking out all over his head. It was wonderfully interesting and I couldn’t help commenting on it. I asked him if it was dreadlocks. He said no, it was very naturally curly and he just spike it up (each spike about two inches or longer) with a tight question mark curl at the end. I wished I had taken a photo but felt that might be too intrusive. We ended up talking about a half hour and he told me a little about his story. He is from the United Kingdom, had a very seriously, difficult accent to comprehend him fully, but was a delight to talk with. He was with a group that came to the states to live in American with families for free room and board by giving 5 hours daily to any kind of work the American family needed to have done. I wish I had asked him what kind of work he was doing but our conversation veered away from that topic before I could ask the question. I asked him why he decided to come here. With his sweet smile and a red blushed face he said, well…his parents needed a break from him. He told me he had been in some situations that were not so good. Oh my interest was peeked but again I refrained from prying. The topic (through my help) came around to God. He had no real concept of who Jesus is. I shared a bit with him, gave him some book titles to think about reading and asked him if I could pray for him NOW? He said yes. God gave me a prayer that must have been just for this young man named Craig. It was more cohesive and beautiful that any words I could have come up with. When I was finished he looked and me and said “Wow, I’ve never had anyone pray for me before”. And I tought WOW!! He said thank you to me for praying for him. I told him that God and His son Jesus were real and that should he ever be in one of his low spots again to just call out Jesus and He would be there.
I asked Craig what words of wisdom did he have. He said “The most important things is to learn to love yourself so you can love others. People have to learn to love themselves.” I told him that those words were in the Bible, that we are to love our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind and our neighbor as ourselves (My paraphrase). He found that interesting. I do hope some seeds were planted in Craig’s heart for future watering and future harvesting.
Today was no exception to my meeting new, interesting and delightful people. One young lady captivated me by her smile, sparkling eyes, and the exercise she was doing, a new position which works the back muscle strength. I asked her if she would show me the proper form and she did so willingly. We engaged in conversation and it was such a delight to me to see such life and health in a young woman. We shared many things. She was such a courteous listener that I fear I might have taken both of us off course in our purpose for being at the gym. I did learn a few things about her too. One, that she is getting married in the fall and that she is a child of our amazing God. When God is in the equation there is always so much to talk about. I asked her what her wisdom would be. She answered, “Smile at everyone because you never know who you might meet”. I thought that very interesting because when I met her she had the most beautiful smile on her face that just drew me to her. She is living out her own wisdom. Thank you Corrisa for being so kind to me today. I enjoyed our time together!
I heard through Rebecca’s husband that it might rain and storm today…and I awakened to a bright sunny spring day. After workout I came back to Paulette’s house, we changed and headed out for shopping and a Kia car dealership visit to see if they could figure out my media system for me. When we dressed, we dressed for the sunshine and warmth that the day offered. As we drove away I looked at the sky and it was blue with the most magnificent clouds ever. We went to Kia first. When we finished there we drove out and oh my, clouds had come together as if in counsel. I prayed for rain. Paulette didn’t think it would rain. I just had an inkling that there had to be rain in the making with the blackness of the cloud that seemed to be hovering over us. It was just over the area where we were. Other clouds could be seen beyond in the blue sky. I again prayed for rain for this dry and parched land. It seemed the clouds were gathering together as we drove. Well, we went into Costco and stayed awhile and then the sound on the roof gave proof that what I had prayed for (along with probably thousands of others) that the prayer was answered. Not only did it rain, as we approached the door to leave, it started blowing sideways, coming down in sheets of hail. It was very cold for California in May. We retreated and found a place to sit for quite awhile hoping the “squall” would pass. Paulette said that squalls don’t pass here in California. She was right. I finally gave in, made a dash for my car so I could bring it up to the door to load up. I was soaking wet, shivering, and cold before things were loaded. I grabbed a jacket in the now messy back end of my car, ran back into the store, took off my outer soaking wet blouse and put on my jean jacket and wet jeans. We had the heater blasting, the wipers swishing and took my little Kia for a swim. I had to go slow in the low spots so I would not hydroplane or be swept away by the splashes of the cars passing me spewing water over our my little Silver Fox. We made it home all in one piece. I put my blouse in the dryer, my pants on a hanger to dry, put on my most favorite garment I own (my housecoat), thawed my feet out with a hair dryer (I had worn sandals), put my striped toe socks on and called it a night!
Dinner is over and my cousin wants me to finish this blog.
Before I go I want to mention another wonderful person I met today. God is so good to provide places for me to exercise and He did it again. I spoke with a the manager of a gym and he was so gracious to allow me to workout at a rate I could afford. Thank you so much Todd. We had a delightful conversation but I feel amiss because I didn’t really get to learn much about him. Perhaps tomorrow when I go back. He is one of those kind of people that make living in this world a pleasant place to be. He has something very special he is bringing me tomorrow that he wants me to have. I will tell you more after the event. I just always wonder how I am so blessed to meet such special people.
In closing, I just want to say that this day has been a blessed day for me. Blessed because I am a child of the King. Blessed because I have so many really nice people who walk into my life everyday. Blessed because I have the opportunity to pray with so many people who are little more than strangers to me but leave with hugs. I thank God for this blessed day. May your day be full of sunshine EVEN WHEN IT POURS. Remember, be prepared for what you pray for.
Hey it is only 9:16 p.m. and I am done.
Good night.
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 11 2015 DAY 65 CALIFORNIA CAPITOL
Short blog today. I PROMISE! Trying to get to bed on time. Slept in today until almost 8:00 a.m. WOW! It felt so good. Rebecca and I had our own adventure today. I learned that I am not the only one that can get lost. However, I won’t say any more on that subject.
We took off for the Old Sacramento and actually found it. It was a very authentic looking old town of the mid 1800’s. It looks authentic because the building of old are all still standing, boardwalks and all. I took photos, but again forgot to do them on my IPHONE. You’ll just have to take my word for how charming it was. After I spent too much we headed to the Capitol building a short ways away. By the time we found it it was quite a ways away, only in miles driven, not in actual distance. It is a beautiful building. I remembered it being quite different than it actually is. I remembered it being larger but when I walked inside I realized the rotunda was much smaller and less height than the one in Madison Wisconsin. Truly it is beautiful but I must be a true Wisconsinite now because I thought Wisconsin’s capitol more beautiful by far. I’ve included a few pics below.
After the capitol tour we drove to Placerville about 45 min to 1 hour away. Had lunch, went to Rebecca’s son’s home so I could see him, (Adam) and then meet up with his other son’s (Ben) family and went house searching with a realtor. Ben and Sarah are shopping for their first house. It was fun to see the properties in the area. Placerville is known for being the county seat at the time of the gold rush. I am inserting one interesting story about the history of Placerville below. This is what it is most know for:
Excerpt from internet:
“Placerville was also known as “Hangtown” in its’ early days. Although many stories exist on how this name was acquired, the most famous story involved a colorful event that occurred in January of 1849. A gambler named Lopez gained a lot of attention for his big winnings at a local saloon. After he retired for the evening, several men tried to overpower him. Lopez fought back, and with the help of others, the robbers were captured. During their “flogging”, three of the robbers were also accused of being wanted for a murder and robbery.
With no more evidence than that, a short 30 minute trial took place and a unanimous “guilty” verdict was given. The crowd demanded that the men be sentenced to “death by hanging” and the rest was history. The famous hanging tree once stood in Elstner’s Hay Yard, next to the Jackass Inn. Today, the original stump from the old tree remains in the cellar of “The Hangman’s Tree” tavern on Historic Main Street.”
When I lived in California before moving to Wisconsin 30 years ago we often visited Placerville as we had some friends who lived there. Then it was a beautiful, quiet little tourist town at the halfway point between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe with a highway going through the rugged quiet hills. Now it is overcrowded, over built with wide freeways and lots of noise. Now the property values are even higher than those of Sacramento. Actually, between Sacramento and Placerville the scenery was wide open spaces of country. That all gone now. There are still some beautiful fields of natural grasses but they are few and far between. We didn’t go as far as Lake Tahoe. We are thinking we might go there tomorrow.
The house hunting ended and we took off for “home”. It so feels like home when I get back to wherever I am staying. I ate about half of the half that was left from lunch and now trying to get my blog finished before 9:00 p.m. So no reminiscing or long inner dialogue. I did meet two lovely ladies who worked in a oil and vinegar shop in old town. They touched my heart. Thank you ladies (if you read this) for sharing with me and allowing me to pray with you. I hope I hear from you.
Good night. It is 8:58 p.m. (But I’m not in bed yet)
Visions of Poetry 