Salt of the Earth Folks

Friends are friends forever, if the Lord is the Lord of them

~Michael W. Smith

Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?

~ C.S. Lewis

Some weeks ago, my blogging friend Gwen of Gwendolyn's Guests contacted me saying that she and her husband would be traveling across country from Washington state to the Northeast and the Maritime Provinces. Was there any chance of a meeting? Oh boy howdy! Yes! Of course!

Mike and Gwen

So we, John and I, met Gwen and her husband Mike earlier this week, though it was plenty warm without a good fire. I first found Gwen via her sister Trish who also writes blogs and who was one of the original members of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook team.

Back then, Gwen was writing Esther's Insights, a blog based on the notes and papers she found among her mother's things after her mother died. Her mother, a pastor's wife, had had many opportunities for teaching and ministry. It's difficult to describe how I felt when I first found Esther's Insights. It was a library of amazing lessons and often stretched my thinking in new ways. Perhaps, in light of my own mother's extended illness, I was thinking about the wisdom and value of mothers. Whatever the reason, it had a strong tug on my heart.

Now Gwen has mostly moved on from Esther's Insights though it remains a wonderful resource on the WWW. She is wondering about her place in Blogdom and what she should be writing. My advice, for what it's worth, to any blogger or any writer is to write from one's own heart and interests. I do not say this flippantly or with a lack of regard for another faith or experience. For me, this is part of the Great Commission referred to sometimes as "going into every person's world." If you are interested in what you are writing, someone of like-mind will be as well. In my own experience, I have waffled back and forth between treating my blog as a journal for myself and my family and a means of reaching out to friends I haven't yet met. Sometimes, I'm every bit as confused as any gal who's ever wondered where her blog is headed so take this advice from whence it comes.

Gwen and her husband served for many years in missions and now serve in a place of leadership in missions. That's why I knew that an apron would be a perfect gift for a gal who hosts so often. Ha! The last laugh was on me. (Gwen denies this and says that an apron is just what she's needed. This is how sweet she is.)

And I received gifts as did John. Wonderful treats and treasures: candy from Washington, a book—In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham, a video, a gadget for keeping my purse off the floor when eating out, fishing flies, and the gift of genuine interest.

 Our Gifts

It was a special time chatting away. Two hours passed like nothing. Gwen and Mike are warm, kind, and open people and we felt no awkwardness at all. John describes Mike as a "genuinely nice guy." True. They are salt of the earth folks. Gosh, I wish that Washington were just around the corner...

Taking photos was an afterthought. None of us were particularly thrilled with our photos most especially me. I do believe that the Lord is giving me a word about exercise, getting off the computer, and being more involved elsewhere. So this is to say that you're going to be seeing less of me. It is time.

Have a great day! I hope that you'll visit Gwen and tell her that I sent you along. Thanks!

One of These is Not Like the Other

One is fresh from the laundry, pressed, and ready to be gift-wrapped. I'm so excited! Okay, catch you later.

Have a wonderful day...

Edited to Add (8/12/11): Yes, it's the one in the center delivered yesterday to a dear blogger from the West Coast touring on the East Coast. I asked her if she liked to cook because I know that she is very involved in hospitality. Her response, "Not so much." (Would have been my answer, too.) We had a lovely visit and I have more to share. It's being Friday and a nonni day, however, I am fresh out of time. Will share tomorrow Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

Fences and Friends

In the end, it's not about the fence after all. I had said that I couldn't have guests over because the chippy white fence was too disgraceful. So John has been building a fence and it has come out so nicely. Do you see how he made a plate rail for me? Guess that he isn't too fond of my nailing into fences or something.

So where was I? Oh, yes, it's not all about fences, the food, the clothes, the hairdo or new sandals. It's all about the friends who arrive and dine at our table. I hope that I remember this lesson for the next time.

I took no pictures of our friends while they dined and laughed and told fun stories. Sometimes a camera just gets in the way. The umbrella taking off and sailing just inches over their faces is an image in my memory alone.  = |

One cute story was about our friend's traveling with a Gospel Quartet through Nova Scotia where he and the others were served ham and potato salad every evening. The only difference was the color of the potato salad. One night it was yellow, the next blue, the next green, the next pink. Apparently, food coloring was added to the potato salads to make them look pretty. Ever heard of that?

It's raining again today. I can't allow it to slow me down, though, because we're still in busy, busy, busy mode here. Hopefully, by Saturday, I can relax.

Don't know what's causing all that steam...we'll call it mists on a rainy day.

Take care now...

I've Been Getting Around

Yes, I certainly have. I know that I've been absent here...terribly busy days...but just so you'll know, I do get around. See What Matters Most, Hospitality Lane, and Creekside Cottage for proof. Each blogger has a little different take. Personally, I think Becky and Deanna are loony and Lovella's right behind. (Poor Anneliese)  = D  All good fun and the most wonderful thing of all is that Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbooks sold out at the Berean. It's a good thing and a God thing!


Love you gals! Thanks a million...

Textures~Mosaic Monday

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain
beat upon your head with
silver liquid drops. Let the
rain sing you a lullaby.

~Langston Hughes

A rainy day here in my corner. I had hoped to share my new fence, but there's nothing spectacular about a new fence in the rain, though it did mean getting kissed by silver liquid. There is something interesting, if not spectacular, about textures in the rain. So I give you a simple mosaic on a simple rainy day.

Top photo: rain splatter in the ferns
Left to right: ferns (I wanted it to be a moth; It's only a bit of a brown leaf.), deck spindles, iron plant holder handle, new growth on Eastern Spruce

A cooler week, if that's what you need; a wetter week, if that's what you need; a wonderful week either way...


Connecting to Mary's Mosaic Monday at Little Red House. Please visit and check out whatever interests you most. You won't be disappointed!

Perfect Heart

Morning sun light of creation
Grassy fields, a velvet floor
Silver clouds a shimmering curtain
He's designed a perfect world 
I'm amazed at His talents
I stand in awe of one so great
Now my soul begins to sing out
To the source from which it came

Bless the Lord who reigns with beauty 
Bless the Lord who reigns with wisdom and with power
Bless the Lord who reigns my life with so much love
He can make *a perfect heart

~Reba Rambo

Since I can no longer embed a video, I'll just add the link *here.*

Gloria Gaither's comments at the beginning of this selection are the reason for this video's being chosen.  Lynda Randle's voice is a blessing, too. (Please forgive the mess while this post was under construction.)

A blessed Sunday and a wonderful week to you.

(for further consideration * A Perfect Heart is... by David Wilkerson)


Comments, as always, are closed on Sunday morning.