of testing & the mundane.

 

"Paradoxical though it be, only that man is at rest who attains it through conflict. This peace, born of conflict, is not like the deadly hush preceding the tempest, but the serene and pure-aired quiet that follows it. It is not generally the prosperous one, who has never sorrowed, who is strong and at rest. His quality has never been tried, and he knows not how he can stand even a gentle shock. He is not the safest sailor who never saw a tempest; he will do for fair-weather service, but when the storm is rising, place at the important post the man who has fought out a gale, who has tested the ship, who knows her hulk sound, her rigging strong, and her anchor-flukes able to grasp and hold by the ribs of the world."

{Mrs. Chas. Cowman}

earlier than usual we set off for a good 1.5 hours on the wet,

bringing water and bananas for a snack while on an inlet

shoreline. the way back to where we began found us

in a downpour .. happens that way in the mountains.

all of a sudden a dark cloud forms and thunder

sounds, making way for strong paddling

or at first sight of lightening get

off the water and into safety.

we admit to the

downpour

being

exhilarating.

we live a quiet life.

in addition to what some consider mundane activities

such as laundry, cleaning, cooking, market runs, yardwork ..

we relish the fact our little trailer is nearly complete

with its rebuild! the hubs will complete an under counter

kitchen shelf system. i have an overall cleaning then touch up

paint and glaze to be done, curtain hardware and curtains,

and a multitude of items in three large bins that need

a good going-over with decisions to be made on

what's absolutely necessary and what's to be

considered 'fluff.' some fluff is good.

there are a few necessaries

still do to such as

1) new axle

2) trailer brakes

3) new tires

pictures when it's done.

pinky promise.

this morning it was cooler than usual so i took advantage

of the sweet temps and set bread dough to rise.

pizza tonight so i par-baked a pizza round

to be topped and grilled .. the char is delish.

in autumn when the temperatures are even

cooler i'll make multiple par-baked pizza

rounds then wrap and freeze for future use.

but for now leaving the oven on at a high

temp doesn't make for a cool kitchen.

not my summer activity of choice.

*

i also made a simple loaf of bread ..

looking forward to a thin end piece

with a wee pat of butter!

or toast with a smear of goat cheese

and topped with an heirloom tomato slice

and a few sprigs of fresh basil.

hoping your day is filled with every good thing....

love,

sherry

wayside sacrament.

 

*

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful;

for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament.

Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky,

in every fair flower,

and thank God for it as a cup of blessing."

... Ralph Waldo Emerson ...

*

*

one early morning after coffee and cereal

we set out for our favorite lake.

slipping our kayaks into the wet

we set off .. paddling on the perimeter

of the deep then venturing toward the middle.

viewing deer, ducks, and flying things

in the still of the early hour.

remaining silent save for the lapping of our paddles,

we whispered awe, treasuring one another's

company this fine day.

ten-months into retirement life ..

we're busier than before with always

something to do on our property:

inside .. and outside .. our home.

one day blends into the next.

we're purposing to take a day or two

out of our week, in addition to Sunday,

to rest and just *be*.

i've long said, 

"one cannot give from an empty cup."

it's still true today. perhaps more so in these uncertain times.

and so we refresh our spirits as required,

seeking the cleansing and refilling from the

One who loves the deepest.

an hour & a half later we concluded our trip around the lake

making our way to the shoreline, exiting the kayaks

and setting them to rights in our vehicle.

times like this we're thankful to still own the

suburban assault vehicle.

this lake is about 9 miles from our front door..

 on the way home we decided to go to town

and have brunch at the tiny local diner,

noshing on the day's breakfast special,

enjoying the out of doors edging the town square.

..sweet morning..

*

mask.

 

during this curious time of covid

masks are required in most establishments

be they grocer or restaurant or retail

or some folks find it necessary to wear

a mask ... alone ... in a car ... or hiking alone.

this, the latter, i don't understand.

regardless, i made masks for the hubs and i,

putting a fresh set in each vehicle in case

we have to dash in and buy something.

or protect us from rocks and foliage

while 4 wheeling in the wilderness. 

or simply in the car. not.

*

i have a large stash of vintage buttons

so i used up one particular set

but kept the button holder

to use as a bookmark.

so pretty, hm?

i figured, if state mandate requires one to wear a mask 

{that will not truly protect me from the plague}, 

i may as well make it pretty. the hub's mask is plain. as expected.

realizing i'm in an audience of varied opinion of mask wearers

and their effectiveness, please know i mean no disrespect

by anything said in the above comments.

we shelter in place largely because of where we live

and our proximity or lack thereof to public spaces.

and we wear masks where mandated. mostly.

but not alone in our vehicles, or 4wheeling,

or such. i still don't understand that reasoning... wink.

do you wear a pretty mask? did you make it yourself?

i know a gal who made mounds of masks for those who needed

them most. that's her though .. seeing a need and filling it quick

and constant-like. janR is amazing that way and more ways.

... thought for the day ...

"my flesh & my heart fail;

but God IS the strength of my heart

& my portion forever."

{ps 73.26}

love,

sherry

aspens, etc.

a few weeks back we purchased five aspen trees.

after planting we were instructed to water them heavily

for a couple weeks then taper off a bit, with the tip

that one can not water aspens too much.

one concern with aspens as well as many other tree, bush,

flowering species is that the dear deer *love* them

and have the ability to absolutely decimate

every living thing. 

such as all the tulips when our fencing

was down. hmpfh.

so i checked pinterest and some folks swear by

hanging chunks of irish spring from the branches

to deter the munchies from deer.

well - if it's on the internet it must be true.

ahem...

immediately i dashed out and bought

irish spring soaps, chunked them up,

tied them with string and hung them on

the branches. with great success.

for about a week.

until i saw tommy

{no longer sporting training wheels on his antlers}

munching away. 

running 

(more like walking swiftly but let's go with it)

outside on the deck i clapped my hands loudly

saying to tommy,

"shame on you!"

he was startled and leaped across the ditch

then on to the road then on to the new 

neighbor's property, and kept looking back

at me - surely to make his return once i 

took my leave. the gall of him!

i added yet more irish spring..

reducing the term aspen to soap trees.

then ordered deer stakes which claim 

great success. we'll see. they're due to arrive

today. gotta love amazon prime!

this better work.

and the aspens best grow fast

so the deer can't reach the leaves.

i warned them of possible destruction.

.aspen. 

they quake in the mountain breezes,

and i'm looking SO forward to autumn

when they'll change color to bright yellow!

the hubs has been busy with putting our multitude

of rocks in a creative pattern, making a pathway.

soon we'll have wood chips in the garden areas

which besides trees, include many flowering

bushes the deer aren't fond of - thankfully.

i saw this birdhouse on pinterest.

this is a must do!

will you, too?

a ready reminder .. always.

yesterday morning we brought water and books

and jeep'd to this new to me lake.

perfect spot. but golly there are *many*

perfect spots where we live.

thankful for beauty..

appreciate beauty when you see it,

up to and including romaine chiffonade. wink.

and put that charming veg on tacos. on tuesday.

with illinois hot sauce. {catsup}

don't judge me! lol ... it's how i grew up.

dishes & such.

"We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks

for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts."

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer ~

g'morning friends .. it's quiet, cool, peaceful.. 

dishes are washed .. i love the filtered light.

the "loud" renters at the nearest vacation house have yet to wake and begin their blaring chatter that last night lasted through nearly 1am. the discourtesy amazes me as there are other homes in the area - sound carries - and there's such a thing as putting your littles to sleep at a decent hour so as to prevent them puddling into screams of exhaustion. ahem.  ah, but let's not focus on those folks though it vexes me hugely. 

calm down - breathe deep. wink.

the hubs is off on a 4WD adventure today. i made sustenance for him, he brought plenty of h2o, an additional snack, necessary protection from wildlife, mosquito spray, a hug and a kiss. i know where he's headed and am confident a few other daring folks will be in the general area too. or so i hope. i offered to go along because i'm not exactly thrilled with solo jeep adventures in remote areas, but he said sorry no because the trail will be too technical and rough on my back (those back issues...ugh). he usually goes on trails with bill down the road but bill had a prior engagement. he likes to do these sort of shenanigans. that's him in our jeep on an earlier adventure.

me? i've got plans. making curtains for our 55 boles aero. currently washing & drying the main panel, i'll set up a good space on the counter for measuring and cutting. the plan is to double the fabric so the print is showing on both sides. hoping i have enough - or there will be adjustments made. 

my sweet evelyn - almost 2 years since she made her way over the rainbow bridge. the curtain fabric is the floral print toward the middle top picture. the charcoal checked are the sheets. the bottom fabric is the vintage bedspread i found .. perfect for the trailer. the picture on the right is our flooring i installed two years ago. sometimes rebuilding takes time because 

life happens. and boy has it happened.

yesterday we made a very necessary trip to the big city. fairly quick and focused. the hubs dropped me off at HG's (home goods - it's been nearly a year!!!) then made his way to HD to buy a new table-saw since our other one gave up the ghost - we need that saw to finish the trailer interior! i have to say, i loved being at HG even though the pickins were slim - a few things made way to my little shopping cart. i love how little the shopping carts are at HG. makes racing to the clearance aisle that much more fun. the turning radius is awesome. then again the turning radius in my suburban assault vehicle is rather awesome as well. wink. i'm a simple creature.

after the hubs left this morning i watered my veggies and enjoyed another cup of liquid life, made a breakfast taco, started a load of laundry. besides making curtains there are things to be hemmed and mended. i'll also change up a bit of decor here and there and ensure the counters and dining table are clear before the hubs arrives home. 

salmon and asparagus are on the menu tonight..

i might head to our miniscule market to buy a few fingerling potatoes as a go-along to the salmon etc.  garlic & parsley will be featured as well.

also today i'll make a good batch of spaghetti sauce.. and i'll let it simmer for a while then put it in the fridge until tomorrow's dinner time. spaghetti with meat sauce and a leafy green salad. yUm.

aaannnd ... they're awake: the vacationers.

toodles,

sherry