Lest I Forget

  I struggled into consciousness as the alarm interrupted my sleep. The darkness outside makes it considerable hard to leave the warm, cozy bed. I wander toward the kitchen, feeling more than seeing my way, to start the coffee that will hopefully bring my brain to functioning capacity. Somewhere in my hazy thoughts, I remember I have a plan for this day. Not big plans, mind you, just school, laundry, and a few odds and ends that need doing. The sun is doing its best to dispel the dark as I sip coffee in my comfy blue chair. The cat, as is part of her routine, beckons me to the back door, where I see that the fire pit that was full of water is now full of ice. I mentally move "morning walk" to "afternoon walk." It is not long before the children are awake and noticing that ice themselves. Unlike me, they brave the cold with nary a jacket to place a Lego minifigure, fitted with ice skates onto the surface of the ice. Their enthusiasm takes them to the edge of the lake

  I am starting to see evidence that summer is fading and autumn is arriving. This morning on my walk, I noticed a definite coolness in the air. The sky has been overcast and reminding me of Germany, a past  season of life for us that I recall most affectionately. The colors are changing hue from bright green to browns and oranges. The seasons are reminding me that life changes seasons too. Sometimes it is sad to leave a season behind, especially when the one ahead is so uncertain. But as surely as summer must come to an end and fall will take its place with new yet different beauty, so too can our new seasons in life bring a beauty better than we could have hoped. Trust in God and His perfect timing in all things is my current mantra. I pass this locked box on a utility pole every day and I wonder what it is and if it is still useful.  So many berries are on the bushes and trees. God in His goodness is providing the birds and other animals with nourishment. How much more does He provi

  Today, I walked around the yard, looking for something to photograph that brings me joy. I came back in, unsuccessful. Then I saw my recent addition to my kitchen sink area. That little antique shop find, plus some fake flowers on clearance make me smile each time I stand at the sink, preparing food, cleaning up, caring for my family. Also on my windowsill over the sink is the little apple pie girl given to me by my Grams long, long ago. I miss her, but I think of her each time I glance at the doll. Finding joy in the little things that surround me, seeing God's glory in nature, these are the things I cling to.

Little did I know that it would be more than six months between camping trips! We finally got back in the camper a few days ago. We spent two nights at Kings Mountain State Park. We really only had one full day to explore because we got a late start on Monday. Traffic issues delayed us longer yet. Then we arrived to find that the campsite we chose because it was described as level, was in fact, not so. We nearly had our first major mishap with the camper while trying to get it onto the leveling blocks. We had just started putting down the stabilizers when the camper rolled off the blocks. The tire actually made contact with Jack's shoulder! Praise God he was not hurt. I jokingly said his Guardian Angel must have pulled a muscle on that one. Thankfully the emergency chains were still attached to the Expedition, for the campsite backed up to a steep ravine. That night, I had Tony help me move the picnic table behind the camper "just in case" our set up failed again. Aft

You know that moment in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where Cameron goes berserk? Well, Thursday was that moment for us. We were all...unsettled. Restless. When I awoke this morning, I knew we had to do something. Something away from the house and the walls that were closing in. A day trip, because we had evening obligations. We have been longing (well, most of us anyway) to go camping all spring. With the State Parks closed until recently, I decided to update the inside of the camper. I am not done, but I have it to a point where we could go camping in it. Sadly, all the park's playgrounds and inside exhibits are still closed, along with boat rentals. Really, you cannot do much more than hike. We want to wait a while longer to spend several days in one spot. So I planned a three-park spree for today. They were all in a row along I-26. We visited Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, Givhans Ferry State Park, and Colleton State Park. We packed a picnic lunch and ate