A Place Of Shelter

You are my mighty rock,
my fortress, my protector,
the rock where I am safe,
my shield, my powerful weapon,
and my place of shelter.
Psalm 18:2

Scripture: Contemporary English Version
Photo: Smith Rock State Park – Terrebonne, Oregon

Shhhh! Don’t Tell Anybody. . .

That we are home from our trip to Eastern Oregon. You won't tell anyone, will you? We arrived home last evening and have spent most of the day:

* Moving things from our little cabin-on-wheels back into our home,
* Washing our car that seemed to bring home half the dirt in Eastern Oregon,
* Taking the car to the mechanic to check on an engine light that required attention,
* Dealing with a week’s worth of mail,
*Troubleshooting a problem with my dear little mother’s car,
* Catching up on emails and voicemails,
* Reminiscing in between times about the wonderful week we had away together,
* And wishing we were still there!

We don't want everyone close to home to know we're here because it seems our list is long enough and we are really still on vacation. Only fun things, please, for the rest of the weekend. Fun? We're hoping for a nice dry day tomorrow so we can do some serious catch-up in our yard and garden. Oh. . .the sun just came out!

I have about a million photos to edit and things to tell you and I can’t wait to share it all. Until I have a chance to get my act together, here’s a sneak peek at one of the many fantastic, breath-taking places we spent time over the past week. This was just one of many places that totally amazed us.

This photo isn't mine and it doesn’t do the Clarno Palisades in the John Day Fossil Beds justice; hopefully, you will get a better idea when I share some of my photos taken from a distance and while hiking along the trail below the formations! Everything was green this time of year - and there were wildflowers everywhere!

Joey wants to be sure you know that he was a very good boy and that he walked every step we took on the trails and paths – but he’s glad to be home again. He misses the two big dogs he met and played with at the RV Park, but he's really glad to be out of that silly car!

Who Moved?

If God seems far away,
it is often because we have moved.
-anonymous

‘Come near to God
and He will come near to you.
James 4:8

Here We Go Again!

In just a couple of hours we will be on the road again – my sweetheart, Joey and I – off to spend a week of vacation together after many months of an incredibly hectic pace. My sweetheart has been working about sixty hours a week and often has worked six days a week. Needless to say, there hasn’t been much ‘together’ time. My life has been complicated by the need to take on additional responsibilities he normally handles. Like getting the car serviced, keeping the home fires burning and things like that. Add to that my ‘normal’ crazy pace and we are ready for time away. We are tired!

We are taking our little cabin-on-wheels and heading back to a part of our state that we drove through on our way to hunting grounds last fall. A little town called my name as we passed through and I told my sweetheart I really would love to go back, spend some time there, park in the little RV park, see the sights and spend a bit of time with the ‘locals.’ That’s exactly what we are doing!

Destination: Dayville, Oregon. Population: Just over three hundred. Surroundings: Absolutely spectacular. Nearby: John Day Fossil Beds. . . .

And The Painted Hills.

Right in the center of the little town, near the general store is the Fish House Inn (a big, old house). . .

And RV Park - our home for the next few days.

The Office and Gift Shop are in a cute little building.

The grounds are beautifully maintained and the owner and his wife live in the ‘Inn’. They make it known that it’s not a B&B – just an inn. You are responsible for your own meals. At the little cafe nearby.

We plan to do a lot of day trips and we don’t really know for sure where we will ‘land’ after our few days in the Dayville-John Day area.

A friend from our church was born and raised in Dayville. He has given us the most incredible map that he highlighted so we can find his favorite places in the hills and mountains that surround the area. Those out-of-the-way places it would be easy to miss.

Last fall as we passed through this part of the state I spied every thrift and antique store along the way. My sweetheart knows I would like to find those shops again. What bargains and treasures await? Only time will tell! But we really hope we meet the Dayville ‘Fossils’ - Tony, Larry Joe and Bill!

I’m sure we’ll have lots of tales to tell and stories to share when we return. Maybe I will just sit on the porch of the inn and smile and relax. And chat with a new friend!

I’ll have my laptop with me but it’s doubtful that I will have internet connection along the way. If I do, I’ll check in and let you know that we are alive and well - running with the wild horses and enjoying the folks who live and love this part of my state. Eastern Oregon! Ah, I hear you calling my name – I’m coming! Soon!

For more information, click here to check out their website.

Graduated With Honors

A few days ago we celebrated a long-awaited graduation here at our home. Our little Mini Doxie, Joey, graduated from Beginning Behavior Class. He and I have gone to class where we joined other families and their dogs for the past eight weeks. We have learned a lot – most likely I have learned a lot and Joey has learned quite a bit! Some of the things we have worked on were Sit, Stay, Down, Off, Loose-Leash Walking, Drop It, Leave It and a few tricks. Homework could have been done in more earnest but poor, little Joey was at the mercy of my schedule. Nevertheless, he graduated, along with two other Mini Doxies, Bear and Tucker, on Monday. He received high praise for how much he had learned. We have to practice more and get some of our ‘new’ things firmly planted in our minds – then we will enroll in the intermediate class.

Photos were taken with my cell phone - quickly because our graduate didn't want to be still. He wanted to celebrate! And chew the tassel on his hat, which he did NOT like. Here he is with his teacher, Miss Monica. He seemed to think she was the ‘treat lady’ and he had his nose a bit out of joint when she didn’t choose him to demonstrate something new. His favorite position when we weren’t working together was on his tummy with feet straight out behind him – in the middle of the room – at the end of his leash. More than once while Miss Monica was talking or we were asking questions, he dozed off and caught up on the naptime he was missing from his regular routine at home.

Well done, Joey! We're proud of you.

Sing Hallelujah

It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day.
He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies.
Let us be of good cheer. It is better farther on.
Let us sing Hallelujah by anticipation.

-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Picture This!

Sometimes in life we go about our days and think we’ve accomplished all we want to do and then. . .we slow down or turn around and find that special something that just makes our day. We smile because it brightens our world and adds a bit of color where we least expected it to be. Things change and we know everything would have been different if we hadn’t stopped long enough to notice. That’s exactly what happened to me yesterday!

For at least a year I have had a mirror on my living room wall. I found it at a yard sale - the frame had been repainted and it was horrible! But the ‘bones’ were great and I visualized it on the wall near my front door. A couple of coats of white paint (and the intention to antique it a bit to bring out it’s character) and it was on the wall! Just like this.

Over the past few weeks I’ve looked at this spot and wondered what to add to the corner. I've thought of stripping and repainting the frame, perhaps a soft yellow or an ‘antiquey’ white (and I may do that). Then yesterday my dear little mother and I were in a nearby Goodwill. I was in line just ahead of her with a few books and a gorgeous silver platter (you’ll see it soon!). I noticed some big framed pictures on the wall across from me a ways. They were nice but nothing I would choose for my home. I noticed that one on the end was obscured by a large artificial flower arrangement. Not needing another big framed picture I just glanced but didn’t really pay attention. Not until after I had paid and moved ahead so my dear mother could pay for her things. As I stepped to the end of the counter and turned around, suddenly I could see a bit of the picture behind the flower arrangement. And what I saw made me move closer and take another look! I couldn’t believe what I saw and I asked my dear mother to come and look. Her first words were, ‘That’s YOU! You need that in your house. It’s perfect! You can’t leave it here!’

It didn't take long and I knew exactly where I would put it – it would replace the mirror! I asked for help to take it off the wall, got back in line, paid for it and left feeling incredibly grateful that I had turned around and noticed a bit of color behind the big flowers on the shelf. My sweetheart is away fishing today and I’ve been puttering around the house, taking it easy and enjoying a chance to fluff my home a bit. Bet you guessed what I did nearly first thing this morning!

A little corner of my world is brighter today – because I turned around and looked at just the right moment. I wonder how many bits and pieces of life that would brighten the day are missed because I stay too focused on where I’m going and I don’t take the time to slow down, turn around and pay attention!

(The mirror will reappear sometime soon. I have a spot in mind and perhaps a new look. My new picture was a Home Interiors item. The artist is Barbara Mock, a long-time favorite of mine. The process used makes the picture look as if it is an oil painting – the texture is incredible – and I’m a happy girl!)