Our Vacation {The Bonus}

Before we left the beautiful state of Maine, there was a delightful "extra"... 

I was able to meet my dear blogging friend, Vee!  

I met Vee at her blog A Haven for Vee about a year and a half ago, and we quickly became friends.  Of course, I am not alone in that circle.  If you visit Vee's Haven on a regular basis, you know how warm and welcoming her corner of Blogland is.  It's like sharing a cup of tea and a good chat with a friend, a friend who loves the Lord.  

Over a year ago, when it looked as if Ryan might be moving to Maine, I emailed Vee, and we immediately began a rudimentary plan to meet...if Ryan moved, if we came for a visit, if we could work out the details.  

He did, we did, and we did!  

On a bright and sunny and cool Maine morning, we got off the interstate and met Vee and (another bonus!) her husband John for brunch at a farmhouse restaurant!  Have I already said "delightful"?  Well, it was!  

Vee is exactly who she is on her blog...warm and welcoming.  She is also adorable.  (I know her well enough to know that she'll challenge me on this one, but it's true.)  She posts so few pictures of herself on her blog, and many of those are artsy "partial" shots, that I was happy to see the real gal in the flesh.  

And, yes, we chatted.  In fact, the longer we sat there, the more we all chatted!  

Vee and I hit it off.  And so did these two!  Did they talk as much as we did?  Maybe so.  (Yes.)

While the hubbies talked about everything from soup to nuts, we girls exchanged gifts.  Another thing or two about Vee?  She is artsy.  And so very thoughtful.  Using what she knew about us via our blogs, she had carefully chosen such perfect things for each of us.

1) At home, I tried to recreate my gift's artful presentation. 

2) For me: a fabulous Maine-y blueberry candle (oh, the scent!) and some lovely tea towels.

3) Perfect in its new home.

4) Although all of the towels are pretty, I think that this one is my favorite.  It has sprigs of blueberries and will remind me of our wonderful trip.  It will hang here on my oven door this summer.

5) For Ron:  oh-so-delicious Maine whoopie pies!  (I may have sampled one.)

6) More thoughtfulness...a puzzle for Bekah and Maddie to do together, and a Rachel Field book that we had discussed.  Can you believe that it is on our reading list for the next school year?  (I hadn't told that to Vee.)

7) More artfully wrapped gifts, these for the girls.  On each package was a crocheted doily made by Vee's grandmother!  Precious.
(Edited to add: The doilies were not made by Vee's grandmother.  Oops.  But they did make a beautiful package!)

8) For Bekah: a sweet menagerie of Red Rose Tea animal figurines.  Here, Bekah has them arranged on her doily.

9) For Kati: a gorgeous linen table square with cross-stitching in one of Kati's favorite colors.

Vee and I have decided that if we go to Maine again, we must have another get-together.  After all, now we are forever friends.  

To read Vee's post about our meeting, click ~here~.

Our Vacation {The Where}

You're good guessers!

Yes, we visited Ryan and his family in the beautiful state of Maine.  

I have long wanted to see Maine.  Lighthouses, cool summers, rugged coastline. Cedar shake cottages. Sarah, Plain and Tall.  One Morning in Maine.  Blueberries For Sal.  Miss Rumphius. (Perhaps my love for Maine is fueled by children's literature?)

So when Ryan moved to Maine last summer, I looked forward to having an opportunity to visit.  

As we drove through the states of New England, mostly via the interstates, I kept telling my family that I wasn't seeing any Charles Wysocki puzzles.  Just cars and road and trees. (Of course, it didn't help that we were driving through pouring rain.  Even if the "puzzles" could be seen from the interstate, we'd have missed them.)

This is what I wanted to see!

As we got into Maine, even the views from the freeway were a bit more interesting.  You could see water here and there. I saw some cedar cottages when we took a Starbucks exit. I think I could feel the sea.

Over the six days we spent in Maine, we saw some glorious sights!  We visited the town of Bar Harbor (very Charles Wysocki-ish) and Acadia National Park. We did a little hiking. We took some beautiful coastal drives. I saw a lighthouse and the rocky coastline.  Cedar cottages galore. And all in the company of our dear ones!

Here is the part where I show you a gazillion pictures...

and this is only a smattering of the ones we took!  

(Many of these are Kati's shots. Thanks, Kati!)

Oh, the memories that will live in our hearts!

Our Vacation {The Where: A Sneak Peek}

Between the two cameras and three photographers, we took over a thousand pictures while we were away.  Ack!  It is taking me a while to sort through them and to select which ones to share and to get them in a presentable format, all the while trying to catch up from vacation.  Doing laundry, planting flowers, appointments, winding up our school year.  

In the meantime, I am going to give you a sneak peek and see if you can guess where we've been!

Hints: 

 1) Rocky coastline
 2) Forsythia still in bloom!
 3) Lobster pots
 4) Evergreens

Can you guess where we were? 

Our Vacation {The Why}

As you know if you've read my blog for very long, we are blessed to have most of our family living nearby.  Two of our daughters live at home, and we see our oldest daughter and son-in-law and five grands at least once a week (see Sunday Snapshots).

But our son...he has traveled far and wide, and has lived and worked in five different states since he was married eight years ago.  Last summer when he and his wife and their three children moved across the country, this time from west to east, we were delighted to think that we'd be able to see them more often. They came home for a visit at Thanksgiving. And we planned to visit them this spring.

We've been making our plans, and counting down the weeks, and those nine days finally came and they went by lightening fast, even though we enjoyed long conversations and unhurried days and lingering around the dinner table.  But time never waits.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After two days on the road, we were greeted by these sweet faces--
Ryan and Sarah, and Peter (2).

What a welcome sight!

Some scenes from our week... 
Many scenes from our week...
A gazillion scenes from our week...

These beautiful little girls are Nora (4) and Eve (5.5).

Family devotions

Shavuot

Games

Lucy

Nail polishing by Aunt Kati
(And, no, she did not polish Peter's toenails. ~wink~)

Eve shows me her notebook...for her first year of homeschool!

Papa and Peter share Reese's Pieces.

So that is the why of our vacation...our dear Ryan, Sarah, Eve, Nora, and Peter!  (And Lucy too!) Later this week, I'll tell you about the where.  And then I'll tell you about the bonus.   Of course, there will be more pictures.  But you knew that, didn't you?

Sunday Snapshots: Jiggety Jig

Today began like this...

~ getting ready for our second day of the homeward journey ~

...and then went like this...

~ gorgeous views from the road ~

...and ended like this.

~ home again ~

Home sweet home!  More pics to come...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins With Chocolate Streusel

When my grandchildren came for the weekend, I made these muffins.  The chocolate chips give them kid appeal.  (Who am I kidding?  Chocolate chips appeal to me too!)  The oatmeal makes them healthy.  (Okay...maybe healthier?)  And they just plain taste good!

I love for my guests to be greeted with yummy smells from the kitchen.  Years ago I read a hubby-pleasing pointer suggesting that you provide his olfactory sense with something appealing when he comes in from work, even if it is just some onions sauteing on the stove.  It is a welcoming feeling, just knowing that dinner is "in the works."  I have also heard that the aroma of freshly baked bread can aid in "staging" a house for a prospective buyer.  

So on the morning that my grands were coming, I took a little time out to make them a snack...and to make Gran's kitchen a warm, inviting place.  

Here's a peek at reality...on the counter along with my recipe notebook is the math answer key, as Bekah was reading off her answers as I baked.

By the way, the muffins were a hit--not only with the grands, but also with Kati and Bekah who have both asked me to make them again!  

Streusel Ingredients: 1/3 cup sugar  1/4 cup all purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons butter, melted  Muffin Ingredients: 1  1/4 cups all purpose flour  1 cup uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned) 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips  1 teaspoon baking powder  1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup buttermilk  1/4 cup vegetable oil  1 egg, lightly beaten Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F.   Butter muffin pans, or line with paper baking cups.      For streusel, combine all ingredients in medium bowl; mix well.  Set aside. For muffins, combine flour, oats, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.  Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg; blend well.  Add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.   Fill muffin cups almost full.  Sprinkle with reserved streusel, patting gently.   Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Do you like to welcome your guests (or your hubby) with yummy smells?

Hidden Art of Homemaking {Chapter 4: Painting, Sketching, Sculpturing}

Parallel to her perspective on music, Edith suggests that one does not need to possess a great deal of artistic talent in order to paint or sketch as a "hidden art."  I am relieved to hear that.  I never took elective art classes in high school or college, because I did not think that I could draw.  And yet, as an adult I have found pleasure in drawing and painting in my home.  

• I doodle on my lists and on the calendar posted on the refrigerator.  You might see a birthday cake with candles or a sprig of holly.  My children do this too.  Bekah just showed me her doodle of a stack of books and a book worm that she drew on a dry erase board she bought for her bedroom.

• I have done a bit of folk art painting, especially during the '80's when "country" decorating was the rage.  I painted this stool.  A serious artist could find lots of flaws, but this stool pleases me.  

• I have taught my children ( à la Charlotte Mason) to keep nature journals, and I have kept one as well.  (We are very sporadic about this, but something is better than nothing.)

• We enjoy art appreciation in our homeschool.  I find delight in learning things that I never knew about the world of art.

  

It is not necessary to be an "artist" to enjoy art in the home.  

If you're interested in this book discussion, you may read along as I usually do 

(click ~here~ for all the posts in the discussion), 

or join in the discussion yourself!

(Click ~here~ for details on how to participate.)

A Treasured Gift

This is the last in my series of Mother's Day reposts...this one about the role of grandmother.

As an eight-year-old girl, rifling through the pages of the new Sears and Roebuck Wish Book, I fell in love with a doll.  There she was...the perfect baby doll.  She did not talk or drink or wet.  But she looked (to me) like a real baby, and so loveable. 

When my third grade teacher had us write letters to Santa, I knew just what I would ask for..."Newborn Miss Peep."  (I also asked for "a real guitar for not more than $3.99"—don't ask me how I settled on that price limit—but Newborn Miss Peep was at the top of my list.) 

Peep was under the Christmas tree in December of 1968, and she became my most-loved doll.  It was so easy to pretend that she was my real baby.  She wore a white kimono trimmed and tied with pink rickrack, and was wrapped in a pink blanket.  I would take her out on errands with my mom, and I was convinced that when other shoppers looked at us and smiled, they thought that she was real and were admiring my baby.

Peep was my treasure all through childhood, even into the days when I knew that I was "too old" to play with dolls and no longer took her on errands, but loved her and played with her in the confines of my own home.

Then the day came when I had my very own, very real baby, my firstborn, Kristin.  And when Kristin was around eight years old, old enough to take great care of this treasure, I gave Peep to her.  It was right that she, as my oldest daughter, should have this beloved part of my childhood.

Last week, my sweet granddaughter Maddie celebrated her seventh birthday.  On the night before her big day, her mama gave her a very special gift.  Yes, "Newborn Miss Peep" now belongs to another firstborn daughter, and it warms my heart to think of Maddie being "Mommy" to my "baby."  Kristin told her that she could name her doll anything that she chose, but Maddie said that she thought that "Peep" was a good name.  (I think so too, Maddie.)

There is a greater treasure—greater than a childhood toy, greater than my great-grandmother's tea set, greater than my grandmother's sewing basket, or heirloom silverware—that can be passed along to future generations.  That treasure is the Word of the Lord. 

One generation shall praise thy works to another,

and shall declare thy mighty acts.

The passing on of our faith must be just as deliberate, just as tender, as that of passing on a treasured heirloom. 

I am not speaking of some kind of "spiritual osmosis" here, in which faith is absorbed by the children just because their parents are believers, bypassing the fact that each individual must make his or her own choice.  But I am speaking of taking care to share His eternal truths, to share your love for Him, to making choices that are true to His Word, to live your faith.  It begins with loving the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and strength...and then proactively teaching His truth to your children. 

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

The heritage that we give to our children and to our grandchildren is of eternal importance.   

For My Mother...

This is a repost from 2010, but the words remain true, and the sentiments are the same.

In A Garden to Keep by Jamie Langston Turner, one of the characters says,

“A mother focuses the lens through

which her children view life.”

Thank you, Mom, for focusing my lens. You have influenced my life in countless ways.

• You shared with me your love for books, for words, for learning.
• You showed me that an orderly, well-kept home was a worthy goal, that a lovely table was worth the effort, that traditions mattered to children—that homemaking was important.
• You shared with me a love for God’s little furry creatures. (And some without fur, such as the spiders that you carefully escorted from our home on envelopes because you did not want to kill them.)
• But I am most grateful that you focused the lens for me to see Jesus. You showed me an “unfeigned faith” (II Timothy 1:5)...and that has made the difference in my life.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I love you! 

With my mom...then and now.

1961

circa 1963

2012

P.S.  Mom, we must make a concerted effort to get a better current picture of the two of us!  :)