Catching Up And Looking Back

Good intentions are always at the top of my list but the reality is that the best of intentions don't usually take priority when life requires a change of plan. That's what has happened here. I have great intentions and then the unexpected - not always bad - comes along and switches my plans. And so, my best laid blog plans have taken a back seat.

My sweetheart and I will be leading a group of volunteers to Paradise, California next month. Fifteen months ago the town of Paradise was almost completely destroyed by the worst wildfires in California's history. Rebuilding and recovery has begun and we are going to help wherever we can.  Recruiting for the team and the initial planning is over. Now we are in the middle of the paperwork part - reams of paperwork, or so it seems. There are a lot of forms for every one of the twenty-two team members to complete and return to us in time to meet the deadlines needed by the volunteer center in Paradise. Finances are being raised by team members and from donors, plus there are the unending logistics for getting us there and back again. And there are the details to consider for our 'down' time when we're not working on projects on location. I will share more about our plans, our destination, what we will be doing and give you some background about this soon.

We spent a week at a favorite RV park on the Oregon Coast to celebrate our forty-eighth anniversary last month. This seems to have become an annual tradition for us. When we check out at the end of the week my sweetheart reserves our favorite spot for the next year. Our anniversary trip was great this year, even though we had very strong winds that made we wonder at times if we would set sail for parts unknown. The tides were very high and we were all warned to stay off of the beaches for most of the time we were there. Not a problem! We were snug, safe and warm in our cabin-on-wheels and we were happy. 

A few days after we returned home from the coast we got a call we knew would be coming soon. Our oldest granddaughter, Abigail, was in the hospital in labor. Her precious baby girl arrived three weeks early. Safe and sound and absolutely wonderful! We headed to the hospital a couple of hours later to meet our first great-grandchild, Miss Riley Suzanne! This picture was taken when she made her debut in the world outside the hospital the next day on her way home.

So many more things are happening as they do in all of our lives. Things routine and unplanned and things that surprise and bring joy to our days. There is so much more I want to share with you. Places we've been, things we've seen and experiences we've had. I truly hope I can get back into a regular pattern of sharing here because I have millions of thoughts - and perhaps even more photos - to share. I truly hope it can happen. Honestly, I do.

With A Grateful Heart,

Adrienne

A New Use For A Gift Box

The holiday season has begun and it seems to be moving by quite fast. Before I jump into the holiday season with both feet - well, I might not jump, I may try to sneak or stroll in - I want to share a way you can use a gift box in a new way. Something you might not have considered. I certainly didn't but my sweet, little dog gave me the idea.

Shortly after my dear mother passed away early last year I cleared some things from a storage cabinet in her garage. She had a big gift box that I decided to take home with me. Another thing I added to my car that day was a very soft, cozy blue throw pillow. The pillow fit inside the gift box so that's where it traveled as I drove a few blocks to my house. The box and pillow stayed on the back seat of my car for a few days. A few days later my little dog, Joey, rode in the car with me while I ran an errand. It wasn't long before he discovered the box and the soft pillow on the seat of the car. He must have decided that it was the perfect place to curl up and take a nap. He loves to sleep on cozy, soft things and this was an opportunity he just resist. I'm sure he thought the box and pillow were meant for him.

After that ride in the car I took the box into the house and decided to let him have it for a bed. Joey is not allowed to have a 'real' doggie bed anymore - the fabric kind with stuffing inside. He chews holes in the fabric and delights in pulling the stuffing out. We have tried nasty-tasting spray made to prevent dogs from chewing things. It works for a few hours and then he ignores it and chews his bed anyway. We've tried many times and no soft dog bed has survived. So, when he adopted the big gift box and soft pillow it seemed like the perfect solution. He doesn't chew on the box or the pillow and that's a good thing. The gift box and pillow even ended up on the back seat of our truck when we left for our Grand Trip last year. It was a good place for Joey to nap while riding down the road on our long trip.

Time went by and the gift box began to show wear. Joey had stretched and moved so much that he eventually kicked out one end of the box! My sweetheart did what a lot of guys would do - he fixed it with duct tape! The box held on for a year, then a year and a half and a few more months. Recently, it seemed it was time to replace the box. But where would I find another big, square, sturdy box? Putting on my thinking cap - and arming myself with coupons - I headed to a fabric and craft store nearby. And I found the perfect box. It was more sturdy than my sweet mother's big gift box. It had a lid but that didn't stop me. I knew exactly what to do - and it was just right. So, the new gift box came home, was thoroughly inspected by Joey and then. . .he hopped in and settled down. He liked it! Lid and all. (Notice which box I chose. Perfect, isn't it?)

A day or two later - when he wasn't looking! - I carefully cut the lid away from the box. He knew immediately that something had changed but he checked it out and hopped right in - yes, he hops in - and he settled right down for a long nap.

Sometimes he just sits in his new box with his head held high as he watches the world go by. . .

And sometimes he rests his head and pays attention to the world outside his little box.

And when the mood strikes, usually when the sun shines, he hops out of his box and climbs up on the love seat to see what's going on outside.

When there's nothing exciting going on outside he closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.

So, my friends, if you ever need a doggie bed you might want to try a gift box. If you have an extra big gift box lying around you might try to find a little dog who needs a bed!

A Long Break and Busy Doings

In my last post I said I was going to take a short break. Well, that short break became a l-o-n-g break.  And then it got even longer! That wasn't my plan but life got terribly busy out of necessity so I've not been able to come back sooner. I'll share a bit about what I've been up to during this break time so you'll know some of the things that I've been doing. It's been super crazy busy around here and it seems I'll never catch up. But, someday I think it's possible!

The reason I took a break was because I went away. Out of town! With my sweetheart and two of my teenage grandkids.  For the first time in a long time I was able to go to deer hunting camp in Eastern Oregon with my sweetheart. It was a different experience than the last time I went. Back then we had our first, little fully self-contained trailer.  This time, because we still don't have a big trailer since the trailer fire last August, we took my sweet, little vintage trailer - Miss Daffodil.  She didn't fare as well as I had hoped.  A few broken dishes, things that bounced on gravel roads more than on pavement and a few nicks and dings as things moved around inside. It's nothing that can't be fixed or replaced but, in the end, she was such a blessing. We had rain and cold temps, sunshine and clouds.  Our oldest granddaughter and her sixteen-year-old brother slept in a tent.  Those two were such troopers - not a word of complaint or grumbles.

 We had a great time together and saw some beautiful country.

Our grandson was successful in the hunt but deer were more sparse in our favorite area than before so he was the only one to come home with meat for the winter, which he shared with us. 

When we returned from hunting we got busy with preparations for an estate sale for my dear, little mother's things.  Oh, my! What a big job!!  But, in the end the sale was successful and many treasures found new homes.

I couldn't have done the sale without the help of two antique dealer friends who spent hours helping get ready and many hours during the sale.  Another dealer friend joined us at the end and she so sweetly pitched in to help deal with things that were left when the sale was over.  All three dealer friends have taken things on consignment so the sale goes on. 

My mother collected, read and loved old books.  She had quite a collection and one room of her home was a library/office.  In addition to that she still had most of my father's ministerial library.  So, we needed to deal with these old books and handle them in a way that would preserve them - and we had to decide which books we would keep and what we would pass along to others.  In that process I decided to have one of my dealer friends who specializes in old books sell them online for me.  That will happen after the holidays are over so we rented a very small climate controlled storage unit for a short time.  Twenty seven boxes!  That's right - twenty seven boxes of old books carefully stored by author and labeled went to our storage unit.  Here's a photo of my sweetheart taking the first load of boxes to storage.

Once the estate sale was finished my sweetheart and I worked day and night - literally - to finish cleaning and repairing and painting in preparation for the sweet young couple who moved into my mother's home last Saturday.  They are friends from church and we are thrilled that they are there. Their five-year-old girl is a darling and my mother absolutely adored them.  She would be thrilled that the home my father built when I was in high school will continue to be filled with love and laughter and prayer and faith.  I have to admit that it was hard to drive away late Friday night for the last time as the 'owner'.  My emotions hit hard on Saturday and I realized two things: I was exhausted, and letting go of my parents' home was another step in the loss and grief that is part of the process.

A couple of days ago I drove by to see my mother's home again.  As I approached I felt such joy!  The home that sat empty over these last months was filled with life.  Seeing window coverings and furnishings that could be seen through the big front window made my heart explode with joy!  Late yesterday afternoon we went to 'their' new home to give them something and we were blessed with an invitation to stay for dinner.  Seeing their things in their new home was such a blessing.  The house feels homey and cozy and so well decorated already - and loved.  It wasn't a sad thing at all and I left thanking God for the chance to sit at their table in the dining room where I often sat at my dear mother's table.  Their piano is exactly where my piano sat through the years until I was married, before I took it to my new home.  They asked me to sit at their piano and play some old hymns and Christmas Carols.  I felt so at home as I sat in that place where I sat and played so long ago.  And my heart was filled with gratitude and joy - and satisfaction that God had brought us to this place in our journey.

My sweetheart and I are in a 'strange' new place right now.  We've told a few people that we don't know what normal is.  We are transitioning from one season of our life to another.  We have plans and dreams but we must be diligent at home because it's been a long time since we've been able to focus on keeping the home fires burning. Many things have had to wait while we worked on my mother's home.  Christmas decorations are still in the attic (they may come down today) and some things that belonged to my sweet mother still need to find their place in our home.

That's why my blog break lasted longer than planned.  We will adjust to this new season we've begun and life will be busy and fulfilling and full of more joy and gratitude.  We are blessed!

At Home And Away

My sweetheart and I returned home after a wonderful week away on a new-to-us adventure.  We took a cruise to Alaska!  We have dreamed of going to Alaska for a long time and this is only the first of more planned adventures to the land they call The Last Frontier. We had a wonderful time with my sweetheart's family on board the ship and on land.  We celebrated his sister's fiftieth wedding anniversary in style with a wonderful dinner and a big cake.  We were well cared for and pampered and entertained and dined with fine food.  We loved Alaska - and we plan to return again.

We are moving forward with the insurance process after the fire that destroyed our travel trailer.  My sweetheart's pickup was parked nearby and it was damaged in the fire.

Early this week we brought the pickup home.  It looks like new!  The canopy had too much damage to be repaired so a new canopy will arrive from the factory in a week or two.  It's good to have this part of the process complete.

This week we had more insurance forms to fill out for the big trailer! We hope that's the last of the paperwork but we're not holding our breath on that. In the meantime, we've been looking and shopping for our next trailer.  We've prayed for direction and done a lot of 'homework' to find what will work well for us and we believe we've found 'the one'! Very soon we will make that decision final and will move toward bringing home a new cabin-on-wheels. Here's the empty spot where our trailer sat. We live on a corner - our driveway and this spot are on the side street. We've had plans to revamp this area - and the time is now. The gravel pad where the trailer sat is black from the fire. The photo doesn't really show the damage to the neighbor's Mountain Laurel bushes or our little tree.  The neighbor's bushes can be saved and are already showing signs of green where they were scorched. The tree will come down and the few roses along the edge of our property will come out. The old shed that was on the property when we moved in will go away and the fence will be extended toward the street so the new trailer can be completely secured behind the fence.  We hope to have that finished and ready for the new trailer when we bring it home.

We will share more as things begin to happen. One of these days I'll be able to show you our new cabin-on-wheels. I can't wait to give you a tour and tell you all about it.  Now. . .we will return to tales of The Grand Trip we took last spring. There's so much more to share. When that is complete I'll share our Alaska adventure with you.  I'd better get busy.  I need to catch up - I'm w-a-y behind!

A Dream Of A Truck

My sweetheart has been dreaming and planning to buy a new pickup.  He has shopped online and with dealers.  He has talked a lot to folks about what they know about pickups.  He had to check them all out so he would be ready when the time came to buy the right one.  Awhile back, as we drove by a 'classic' car lot, I found what I thought was the perfect truck for him.  I thought it was the perfect truck for him but I didn't quite convince him that it was the one for him.  Since he had successfully restored my vintage trailer I thought, perhaps, he wouldn't mind doing the work needed on this one.

This old truck had such character. Why wouldn't he want a truck with old wooden sides that had stood the test of time?

Everything about this truck was intrigued me. It was an old Willys truck from the nineteen twenties. Family owned by the same family since it was new. Now it was time to pass it on to someone else.

Imagine cranking the engine before you got in to drive off down the road.

I loved the details and tried to imagine how wonderful they must have seemed back in the day.  A headlight. . .

The old windshield. . .

And the steering wheel.

The door handle on the outside. . .

And the handle on the inside.

Running boards that had seen better days. . .

And a rear view mirror.

A turn signal operated from inside the cab so you could stay dry on rainy days.

The muffler just outside the cab. . .

And a fire extinguisher on the inside. A fire extinguisher? Really? That's not a comforting thought!

Everything about this old truck was fascinating.

A thought came to mind. I thought my sweetheart might agree - he could buy this wonderful, old truck and restore it for me!  Wouldn't it be a conversation piece going down the road while towing Daffodil?  A vintage truck with a vintage trailer!  Hmmm. . .I liked that idea!

My sweetheart did buy a truck. Not this one. He seemed to think he wanted something a bit more modern.  So, a few days ago, after a long search, this is what my sweetheart brought home.  Just what he wanted. The perfect truck for him!

The new truck is part of the new season of our lives - and some long-awaited adventures. I'll share more soon.

If You Give A Moose A Muffin

I have a book on my 'grandma' bookshelf - it's been a favorite of more than one of my grandkids. Maybe you've read it, too!

If you don't know the story, it goes like this: If you give a moose a muffin, then he wants jam to go with it. When he's finished he will want another. . .and another. . . until they are all gone.  Then he wants more so you go to the grocery store to buy muffin mix - and he goes with you, but he's chilly so he asks to borrow a sweater. Once he puts your sweater on he notices a button is missing so he asks for a needle and thread. While sewing he remembers the puppets his grandmother used to make so he asks for some old socks to make sock puppets.  The story goes on and on with the moose asking for things to make backgrounds for his puppet show. He keeps asking for things until he finds himself outside your house where he sees your mother's blackberry bushes. That reminds him of the blackberry jam - and if you give him the jam he will want a muffin to go with it!

That's kind of like what's happening at my house these days.  No, we don't have a resident moose and we aren't baking muffins.  Instead, we are beginning to deal with my dear, little mother's home and the many things she treasured through the years.  Easy, you say?  Not so!  It's like the moose in the book.  We have chosen some things that will move to our home.  We need a utility trailer to move a few big things. That's not a problem because my sweetheart owns a little utility trailer for such things.  So, what's the problem?  A few months ago we had some big trees removed from my mother's yard. In the process there was wood for our fireplace - more wood than our little wood shed could hold. Over the past few months the wood has stayed in the utility trailer that was parked in the back corner of our yard. So, here's the problem:

My sweetheart decided to enlarge our little woodshed so he can store the wood where it will be dry.  In the process he discovered that the fence behind the little woodshed has leaned and slumped and is affecting the roof of the woodshed.  He can't just add to the little woodshed without dealing with the fence situation.  So, he is outside fixing the fence.  He's replacing two tired and worn fenceposts, resetting the sagging gate and stabilizing things.  Then he can build the addition on the side of the shed and unload the wood from the little trailer and then we can start to move things from my mother's house.  Whew, that makes me tired just thinking about it.

Good thing we don't have a moose!  Or, do we?

Not What I Had Planned

My dear little mother used to remind me often of the old Scottish quote: 'The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.' So true! There's no Christmas decor to share yet. The tree is up, the wreath is hung beside the front door, the outside lights shine in the night - but the rest will have to wait for a few days.

I'm having oral surgery today and I'll be sidelined for a few days. My surgeon told me I won't feel anything during 'the procedure' but the level of discomfort will be pretty high for a few days afterwards! That's not something I really wanted to hear but I'm determined to survive. I'll have 'drugs' to help me make it through the first few days.  He recommended that I 'take it easy' for a few days. Of course I would love to have a week off but this isn't what I had in mind. And not at this busy time of the year. Our home and pantry are prepared for the days ahead. My sweetheart will take good care of me and I'll be able to resume my regular activities soon.  Until then, I would appreciate your prayers for the days ahead.

I first visited the oral surgeon on a gorgeous Fall day. His office is located on the banks of the beautiful Willamette River not far from downtown Portland, Oregon.  The exam rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views. When I laid back in the chair I could see the tops of the huge trees along the river bank.

I loved the fantastic view of the river when I was sitting in the chair.

The view has changed with the season but it's still pretty amazing. I won't see the views at all today. Not when I'm sitting up and not when I'm lying down.  I'll be quite sleepy when I arrive and even more when it's time to head home. I'll have to wait to enjoy the view again when I return for my followup appointment - but not today!

I didn't share the results of our oldest grandson's state championship football game. More on that another day. A few more posts are ready to go while I'm recovering. In no time at all I'll be back and ready to show you what Christmas looks like at our home.

Here Again!

It may seem that I've been hiding - but that's not what happened to me!  Life just seems to keep coming faster and faster.  And, then, Spring and Summer came along and I'm positive life picked up speed and went even faster than before! So - here's a bit of what I have been doing while I was away.

Around the first of May my vintage trailer, Daffodil, came out of her winter spot in the corner of the backyard.  She hadn't fared as well as planned through the winter months.  Winter wasn't totally kind to her and there was a bit of work that needed to be done to make things right again. (We know what we will do different next winter!)  Before the work was completed my sweetheart gave her a good 'bath' so I could take her to a girlfriends' camp-out in the mountains between home and the coast.  We had fun and, as always, I learned a few more lessons about life with a trailer.  It seems there's always something that doesn't go quite as planned but that gives me opportunities to experience new things I need to know about life with Daffodil.  Things really began to change shortly after she and I came home from that camp-out.  We took out almost everything that wasn't fastened down and got to work.  Miss Daffodil is getting a makeover!  We had to deal with the issues caused by winter storage.  That gave way to some beautiful changes inside!  We're putting things back together this week and soon - very soon - her new look will revealed.  While she was already the cutest, little trailer you could imagine, soon she will be everything I originally dreamed she could be.  I can't wait to show you what's new!  And I'll share a bit about our camp-out, too.

Around here you never know what's going to happen when you leave the room!  One morning not long ago I got up early.  I let Joey, my little dog, out of his crate where he sleeps at night.  We went through our morning routine - a short trip out to the backyard for him, opening curtains and blinds to welcome the new day for me and then a bit of quiet time to start the day in the living room before activities of the day begin.  I returned to our bedroom to get something and I could hardly believe my eyes!  Someone (!) had put Joey on our bed and that little rascal had made himself right at home in the very spot where I had been sleeping a short time before!
Someone commented on my Facebook page that my sweetheart and I go away from home more than anyone they know!  It may seem that way at first glance but, if you know what our lives involve right now, you know that we are overseeing everything for the care of my dear, little ninety-three-year-old mother.  Her needs are increasing and the load gets heavier as time goes by.  It would be very easy for 'us' to get lost in the demands of the days.  My sweetheart and I believe it's very important to keep that from happening so we take time here and there to get away and spend time together.  One of those times took us on a recent day trip to explore an area not too far from home - an area where we thought we might like to go for a few days of vacation.  We headed south a ways and then turned east toward the mountains.  Around lunch time we passed through a little town part way to our destination.  We decided to stop and eat at a little place along the highway.  We could tell by the full parking lot that it must be a good place for lunch.  Before we could get in the building I spied something I just had to see!  This is the tiniest vintage trailer I have ever seen.  The owner walked by and offered to let us look inside.  It's a guy place so I decided not to take pictures inside.  I could imagine what I would do if it were mine!  It's smaller than Daffodil but absolutely darling. He added an extra long 'tongue' on the front so he can carry two motorcycles.  Certainly not something I would do! 

After lunch we continued on to our destination.  Last year I showed you a 'lake' that had been devastated by drought.  It looked like this when I shared it with you.  It was just a river off in the distance!

This is what it looks like this year.  This was taken from the same spot as last year's photo but not zoomed in as much - and it was a cloudy day so the mountain was hiding.

There's a saying here in Oregon - 'If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes!'  Our trip home from the lake was testimony to the truth of that statement.

 A few minutes later and a few miles farther north.

We did return to the lake for a few days of vacation last week.  I'll share more of that time with you on another day.  My sweetheart spent time early each morning searching for fish!  Although he wasn't as successful as he hoped to be we did bring home fish that went into the freezer for a few future meals.  We had a beautiful campsite and the weather was perfect.  Every evening after dinner my sweetheart took Joey and me for a boat ride on the lake.  We all wore our life jackets - even Joey.

Time on the lake was so refreshing and all the cares of the day that tried to fill my mind just seemed to vanish.  I told my sweetheart, 'This is what life should be!'  I'm totally convinced we should buy a house on a lake so we can take evening rides after dinner every night!

  
    Gratefully,