The call comes again

I can't believe that, after staying away from drywall stuff and dirt all summer, today is the 4th day in a row that Tim has called on me to help him at work. When it rains, it pours. The boys have been busy helping, too, or doing other jobs. So, here I am, off again, this time not to vacuum or clean up, but to help shake out drop cloths and mask off a room to prepare the ceiling for texturing.

Tim keeps saying he'd like me to find a job with benefits so he can quit this running around and stay home. He's only half kidding, I think, when he races from job to job and tries to remember which tools he needs for which and where he has placed them.

Some days a desk job looks pretty good. But, all this exercise is good for all of us. Like housework. Running, up and down, wondering where my "tools" are........driving from store to store (mostly Walgreens and Cub Foods) because I forgot something.......

If you have any job suggestions that would solve our woes, I'd love to hear them. But maybe God wants us to be content, like Paul says in Philippians: I have learned to be content in all circumstances.

Whether running around Home Depot looking for a new T-square for Tim or sitting quietly at the computer.

Till next time,


Suzi

Chatting around the world

One of the things I love about the internet is the ability to stay connected with people. We have hosted 5 exchange students, plus gotten acquainted with several more through AFS. Last night, as I was checking my e-mail, I saw that Josue from Argentina, a friend of our student from Ecuador, and our student from Moldova, Inga, were both on line.

I don't usually initiate conversations, because these are college students who lead busy lives, but if they have a moment, they usually start a conversation. Josue greeted me and it was fun to catch up on his life.

Actually, I did start a conversation with Inga, because I had sent her an e-mail with a question about a letter I received in Romanian (our daughter is adopted from Romania, and her nurse had written to us. Inga is from Moldova, but her native language is Romanian.

Anyway, after a while, I mentioned to the two that I was chatting to the other, and then Inga had questions about Argentina and Josue had questions about Moldova. I suppose I should have hooked them up to chat together, but it was getting late. (after 11:30 pm here, after 1:30 pm in Argentina--Josue said he is on winter break). It was early for Inga (about 7 am I think), but she was still sleepy.

It's fun to see the world become a smaller place. We are looking forward to the arrival of our former student from Japan in a little more than 2 weeks. Maybe someday we can travel the globe and see eveyone who has touched our lives in our little corner of the world called Minneapolis, MN.

Till next time,

Suzi

Working with Tim

I received the call. It's been a long time since he's called with this request--after all, he has the boys to help him, especially in the summer. In fact, I had grown accustomed to not hearing his call for help--after all, we are past mid-summer, his busy time, and I hadn't heard a peep from him in this regard during these many weeks. But yesterday, it came.

"Hi honey, what are you up to? Are you going to be going out later?"

I knew this was a suspicious call. Usually, my husband likes me to be at home (which I enjoy as well) so I can accomplish many tasks and create an environment of peace and happiness (and coolness on hot days--read, turn on the a/c early!) after he has had a long, busy, hot day working in remodeling.

"Well," I admitted, "I plan to go to the grocery store and the bank." That sounded like a safe answer--after all, I wasn't planning to go to a ladies tea or volunteer my services at some social service agency that would eat up all my "free" time. Or worse, I wasn't going to the library to check out books that would definitely eat all my time, especially if I got started on a Brock or Bodie Thoene book or one by Francine Rivers.

"Okay," he replied, receiving my response as acceptable. "I have a favor to ask."

I steeled myself for the favor. Did he just need me to drop off some tools he had forgotten? Was he close to home? Did he need me to spot some nails that would take hours and make a mess? Should I take a shower now or wait till I was done helping him, coming home caked in drywall mud, or worse, spray or drywall dust from a sanding project?

"Can you come help me clean up at this job? I'm running behind and could really use your help."

Well, this didn't sound too bad. Usually he just needed me to help him carry out some tools, maybe sweep a room or two, how bad could it be?

"Sure, honey. I'll leave in about 30 minutes." (Enough time to get in a shower, I thought, since it shouldn't be a real messy job.

"Okay, come as soon as you can." Click.

Well, he did give me directions to the house, but I assumed it was after the Oak Grove school, and the house was actually before. But, it was worth the wait. I drove up the driveway, still a bit steamed as I spoke with my darling on the cell phone clarifying directions to the doorway.

The house was pretty impressive. And old. Like, built in the 1800s. Old around our neighborhood is, built in the 1940s. The woodwork was beautiful, rich wide oak baseboards, high ceilings, a huge greatroom filled with lovely antiques. And, in the area I was to clean, stood an ancient suit or armor, covered with plastic (which was covered with spray).

I took down the plastic around the walls, as Tim had been texturing the ceiling. I gingerly uncovered the knight who stood in silent, and sometimes frightening vigil nearby as I worked (I had the feeling someone was always looking over my shoulder). I vacuumed the carpet carefully (later I learned that our son Luke is taking the carpet to his new home--so I didn't worry too much about a few stray chunks of drywall mud that had adhered themselves nicely to the lush nap.)

Finally, I finished. Or at least, got to the "good enough" stage. (It seems there is always more that can be done. I did wipe up some drywall dust and small splatters from the cherry wood grandfather clock and the oak bannister.) We cleared out the place, and Tim asked if I had lunch. Having lunch with him is always an unexpected treat, but as I looked at my watch, I knew he would have to retract his offer to take me to Wendy's. It was almost 1:30, and he was close to 2 hours late to another job.

"That's okay, honey," I replied. "We'll have lunch another time."

As I left, I admired the gardens and the homeowners' matching Cadillac SUVs. I was happy we could use their left over carpet. Maybe another day we could visit again and admire the vigilant knight and perhaps enjoy a luncheon in the great room without the drywall dust.

But for now, I'm content with the 4 walls of my late 20th century home, where the only knights are in a chess game tucked away on some bookshelf in need of dusting. It's always more fun to clean somebody else's house.....especially such an elegant one.

Till next time,


Suzi

PS Tim wrote about bidding the job for this house in his entry Back to Kindergarten.

A new adventure

Last night, we had a couple of adventures. I was a feeling a little depressed, as I realized two days late, that I had left a bag of groceries (that I had paid for) at the store. I also had bought some cleaning solution from a door-to-door salesman (I almost never do this) and the solution didn't seem to work as well in my hands as in his.

So, with all our kids gone, Tim suggested we leave the house too. A friend of ours had e-mailed, saying that they needed some help loading a moving van. We stopped by there, and helped move boxes and furniture onto the truck. There were about a dozen people there, mostly men, but there was one other woman helping and a few children underfoot here and there to make things interesting. These friends were very well organized, and had boxes neatly stacked and labeled and numbered. They even had half a dozen dollies there so we could easily move many boxes and other things.

There is nothing like helping someone else to make me feel better about my own life. When we got back home, I was feeling much happier. And yet another surprise was to await me. Tim was downstairs blogging away, and so from the upstairs computer, I logged onto his website to see how he was doing. Lo and behold, he was writing about a new blog he wanted to start. It is called Dark and Story Night. (No, that's not a typo--it is "story" not "stormy.") He has begun a story, and with comments, we can add to it as often as we log onto the site. Try it, it may be a lot of fun to see how this story evolves. I'm sure Tim will add to it often as well, perhaps trying to get us back to the "main point."

I'm looking forward to this new writing adventure.

Till next time,


Suzi

Finally blogging

It is almost 11 am, and I am finally able to blog this morning. I got up a bit later than yesterday, when I needed to take Christina to her bus stop for camp. But, still, I was home from my walk today before 9, and planned to blog, but my boys were still home getting ready to join their dad at work, so I was a little distracted by their activities in the kitchen (right next to the office computer area).

Finally they were gone, and I had the house and computer to myself. I wanted to blog right away, so I could get on with the housework I needed to do. But, first I decided to check my e-mail. It was taking a long time to come up, then it quit. So, I rebooted the computer to see if that would help. Same problem. Finally I went to web mail, and was able to retrieve and delete some e-mail that way.

Then I thought I would re-make a couple of cards for my mother-in-law. I enjoy making computer generated cards. My mother-in-law likes them, and generally they only take a couple of minutes to make, so I agreed to make a couple birthday cards for 7-year-old twins in the family. I bought a new card program yesterday, because the old one wasn't working upstairs on my computer, but then I couldn't install it. Tim finally got it working last night and after many trial and errors, he got a couple of cards printed out. Bless his heart, he thought both the twins were boys, and perhaps younger than 7. I thought, oh well, the cards are probably still fine, but this morning I thought I would try my hand at remaking the cards just before I blogged, so I came downstairs to "whip them out."

Well, the card program went okay, but I had trouble printed them (they were double-sided cards that need to be printed, one side at a time, then reinserted correctly.) Finally I came out with a finished product that I hoped was age and gender appropriate.

Then I went to write my Blogging for Light blog. Yesterday's blog never posted for some reason, so I rewrote it for today. Finally I got on to my Swansmith blog. Now, I will hopefully successfully post it and get some physical work done around the house.

That is, if I can make sure my e-mail box has opened completely and I read all my favorite blog links.....

Till next time,


Suzi

It will be a quiet week

I took Christina to the bus stop for camp today. She'll spend a whole week (well, almost six days) away from home, enjoying nature, friends, chapel, crafts, swimming, hiking, playing games and meeting new people. She was a bit apprehensive since we went to a new bus stop this year and she didn't know anyone at the stop. An old friend of mine from college, however, was there with her daughter, and she introduced Andrea and Andrea's friends to her. Christina is a pretty outgoing person, although she can tend to be exclusive in her relationships. I hope she will learn to be inclusive and use her gift of gab for good this week.

As for me, I will give my ears a rest and welcome her home on Saturday to hear all about her week. I may need a lot of ear resting--but I'm sure it will be a wonderful report to hear.

Stay tuned for news from Covenant Pines Bible Camp, where we'll learn how many cute boys there were, how good the speaker was, how fun the activities were, and what a cool counselor she had.

Till next time,

 
Suzi

Our boy is growing up.........

Luke spent his first night in his new house. No, he hasn't completely moved out yet, but he had a lot of work he wanted to do and decided he'd sleep there to do as much of it as possible. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa Wells, he purchased a new microwave last night, as well as buying supplies to repair the drywall/plaster in his bedroom. The kitchen is pretty well cleaned out (thanks to his new landlords Barb and Doug) and he's working at repairing and painting the walls and ceilings in his new room. He must not have been up too late, because he called Tim before noon for some advice on the drywall work.

I'm glad he's taking ownership of the place and working with his own hands to make it comfortable and fun for him. I'm sure this will be true for my other two children someday, although it may take l onger for Christina, who loves to shop for clothes, etc, and seems to slip one more thing in the cart for Mom and Dad to pay for.....

Till next time,

Suzi

Back to the routine

It doesn't take long to be thrown back into the routine of life at home. After my daughter and my wonderful trip to Duluth, we are back to the daily grind. My son asked me to put his clothes in the dryer, I packed my husband's lunch this morning, I walked the dog in our familiar neighborhood, and my boys asked me to please go to the grocery store soon--"we have no food" was their exact comment, I think.

I don't mind doing any of these things, really, and I'm glad to be back home. But I'll linger a little while longer on our getaway. My daughter, who is a teenager, was really wonderful and helpful (when she wasn't sleeping!). Actually, she did get up in the moring without too much encouragement, and she didn't complain (too much) at the activities we chose to do. It was fun to walk near Lake Superior and see the lighthouses, enjoy a meal with my parents and sister, and drive the winding and steep hills of Duluth. Lake Superior is really amazing--looking more like an ocean than a lake, especially as we drove a bit up the north shore.

As I mentioned yesterday, it wasn't as cool as we hoped on day one, but the weather was very comfortable on our second day. We toured Glensheen Mansion on that day, and my sister blogged about that today, so you can read more about our time there.

There's nothing like a little trip with loved ones to recharge your batteries. I'm glad I went, in spite of fears of the van having trouble (it was fine) and leaving my husband and boys for a couple of days. (I did bring Raven along, so I wasn't worried about him being left behind at home.) Mom and Dad are on their way to my sister's now, then on to my other sister's in Chicago, and on to home. I'm glad we were able to enjoy each other as much as we did.

Till next time,


Suzi

Back from the Big Lake

Christina and I arrived safely back home this evening, about 7:30 pm. We had a wonderful time in Duluth with my parents, my sister Cheri, and our dogs Raven and Kimberly (my parents brand new Sheltie/border collie/spitz mix puppy.

We had fun watching the dogs interact. After Raven got used to Kimberly, he tolerated her jumping on him, nipping at him and bouncing around him for the most part. When he had enough, he would give a loud "woof" and then Kimmy would go dancing away.

But more than that, it was good to spend time with family (although I missed my husband and two boys). Cheri drove around town, and I attempted to navigate, since I was the only one (besides Christina) who had been in town before. We had a few missed turns, but we hit some fun spots--the waterfront downtown (dinner at Grandma's Saloon and Grill), a visit to the marine museum, watching the aerial bridge go up and down, driving along the lake shore of Lake Superior, visiting Glensheen Mansion, and heading up Skyline Parkway for a spectacular view of the Great Lake.

More about our visit tomorrow. It was very hot the first day, but today was much better--as the temperature dropped almost 30 degrees. For now, I'm very glad to be home, but happy for good memories and fun times away.

Till next time,


Suzi

Off to Duluth!

Today Christina and I are off to Duluth for two days of fun with my parents and my sister Cheri. We will be camping one night, and Mom and Dad and Cheri will stay a second night. Christina and I will probably spend most of the day tomorrow in Duluth, too, since it's only about a 3 hour drive home.

It will be nice to go north since it's been very hot and muggy here in the Twin Cities. Look forward to a "cool" report on our trip when I return!

Till next time,

Suzi

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa

On Sunday, as I mentioned in my previous post, we spent the day running from here to there. One of the fun things we did was stop at the house where our son Luke will be moving. It is a two story stucco home, built around 1940 or so, with hardwood floors throughout. It has a lovely garden, and is slowly being cleared of past treasures of Luke's friend's grandpa who lived there. We enjoyed touring the home, with four bedrooms, a back porch, and relics of years gone by, including National Geographic magazines from decades long gone. The living room has a "real" fireplace as well as a built in hutch, and storage spaces are tucked in the upstairs expansion that go on and on.

The neighborhood is nice, and quiet, although only 5 or 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. The boys should enjoy living in such a nice environment.

We also showed my parents the Lutheran school our daughter will attend, and has attended. Yesterday we surfed the internet looking for a Sheltie dog for them. Today we plan to go look at some Sheltie puppies that are for sale.

Should be another fun day!

Till next time,


Suzi

More new blogggers
 
I just found out that our good friend and small group leader Dale has begun blogging. He is an excellent writer and thinker, and I hope he keeps us entertained with his thoughts on life, faith, and sore toes.
 
And, as usual, I am among the last in my family to find out about another event--the blogging of my six-year-old nephew Richard. He has inherited his mom's (my sister's) wit and smartness in general. 
 
We are having fun with my parents visiting here from Tennessee. Although, I guess we wore them out so much yesterday that they went back to their campground at 5 pm and said they wouldn't be back till afternoon today (after lunch, they said).
 
We'll enjoy every minute we can get with them. Soon, they'll be off to my sisters. (Both of them, first Wisconsin, then Illinois.)
 
Till next time,
 
 
Suzi

More yard tales...

Today my parents are coming, so Tim's been in the backyard again, trying to finish the path to the shed. It was close to gettting dark, but our neighbor and his son came out to look at the heavy tree branches from the church lot behind ours that was hanging low over their shed.

He had a long pole with a cutting implement at the end (I don't know what these things are called), so he started sawing away at the tree branches that threatened his shed roof. His son helped him get out the chain saw, too. Tim offered to help, and they put up a ladder to the tree (not the branch they were cutting) and worked together. Eventually, Rob (our neighbor, also a fireman and a mechanic) got on top of the shed roof and worked his chain saw on the branches. I suggested he get a fire truck with a basket to do the trick, but the chain saw seemed to work just fine from the shed roof. With his experience, I'm sure he knew what he was doing, but being a chicken, I retreated into the house.

Today Mom and Dad will see newly trimmed trees (the branches are still in the yard) and an almost finished path. The gutters of our house still await Tim's touch, too--they have small trees growing in them. Ah well, if we had everything perfect, maybe my parents would think we didn't need them. Not that we're thinking of putting them to work or anything.....

Till next time,


Suzi

Meeting the neighbors

One of the nice things about walking the dog is talking to people on our route, which is often difficult if they are walking a dog, too. (Raven is friendly, but noisy around other animals. Today, we were almost home, when I stopped to admire the handiwork in our neighbor's yard--around the corner from our house on the busy street. They had recently had a large tree taken down in front of their yard, as well as built a new 2 car garage with a screen porch attached. I had met these neighbors before, many years ago, so it was nice to renew our acquaintance.

They lost their silver maple due, not to disease, but to it's instability and the roots were growing up into the lawn. It was sad to see it go, because it was such a nice large shade tree for them, but they have resodded their entire front yard and planted three new trees--an ash, a flowering crabapple tree, and a pear tree (which may bear a couple of fruit--but they are not counting on a bumper crop!) I got to see their lovely garden in the back yard, and Raven was very well behaved as we toured their lot.

Also on our walks, we've (or I've) been noticing the number of elm trees marked for coming down. This is sad, too, because these enormous trees (with Dutch Elm Disease) provide wonderful shade and grow in such a way that they form a canopy along a street, when the trees are planted on both sides. Twenty or 30 years ago, you could drive down many nearby streets in the summer, and it was as if you were driving through a tunnel, the elms provided so much beauty and shade.

But, a tree is just a tree, and cut down it can provide many wonderful uses. And other trees will be planted to take their place--not elms, but probably fast growing Linden trees known for their beautiful symetrical shape.

Meanwhile, Raven and I should try to get out earlier before the sun gets so high in the sky and the vanishing elms can't provide the shade we crave on these warm summer mornings!

Till next time,


Suzi

The other man's grass is always greener.....

Last night I ventured outside where Tim was laying pavers, working to complete our sidewalk to the shed. It was a nice evening, and a friend of our son's had stopped over to help. Our neighbor Dorothy stopped by to admire Tim's handiwork, and I commented on her lovely garden. I have always been jealous of their yard and the beauty that abounds there, since I have not a single green thumb or finger (I think my older sister inherited all that. (Our dad grew up on a farm and still loves to garden.) So, she took me over to show me the different plants growing in her garden.

While I was silently lamenting my skill as a gardener, she was wishing the bricks in her garden had been laid as carefully and with as much planning as Tim was taking in placing our sidewalk. She also pointed out some weeds that she hadn't gotten to, and as we walked back towards our yard, she commented on how beautiful our hostas were, and how she would love to have one like ours with white edging around the leaves.

I guess I hadn't even noticed that hosta was any different from ones she had, nor had I noticed any weeds or irregular brick laying in her garden. I felt a little comforted, somehow, in knowing she was not a perfect gardener and envied something I had. How petty are those feelings of mine! I guess I'm learning to appreciate what I have, and what others have and can do. None of us are perfect, but we can help each other and enjoy the gifts that we can share. (She may even take part of our hosta when it comes up next spring!) Maybe we'll get some of her peppers when they ripen.......

Till next time,


Suzi

The happy husband

I've discovered a new blog (thanks to a blogs4god link. It is The Happy Husband. In a world where marriage is cheapened and tha values of alternative lifestyles are praised, it is refreshing to read about marriage, especially from a man's point of view. This guy really loves his wife, not in a polly anna type of way, but with true affection and commitment.

I can only hope to make my husband this happy. I think I need to read Proverbs 31 again.

Till next time,


Suzi

PS Here's a good article about the man behind the woman in Proverbs 31.

A new path

Yesterday, Tim and the boys spent most of the day working on building a paver sidewalk from our back porch to the shed. It was a ton of work (almost literally!)--starting with Tim taking our trailer to Hedberg's to get a 1/2 ton of sand. Since his trailer was too narrow for them to use a bobcat to shovel it in, he had to do it manually. Then, he and the boys worked in the heat of the day (upper 80s and humid). First, they had to move the pavers that Tim temporarily placed there to determine where he wanted the path. Then, they dug down to make a smooth, flat surface for a plastic layer, and then sand. Next, they made sure the sand was level and firm, before finally adding the pavers to the top layer.

They did not quite finish, but it is already looking very nice. It's always satisfying to see the results of our hands--sometimes it seems the work we do (housework for example) is not noticed or needs to be redone on a daily basis.

When I look at my finished pavers I will be thank the Lord for two strong boys and a husband who are willing to work hard to do a job, and one well done at that.

Till next time,


Suzi

The day is approaching....

Yesterday we had Luke's nineteenth birthday party. It is a Nelson family tradition to gather everyone together to celebrate birthdays--either in homes or at restaurants. We celebrated at home, with Mark grilling hamburgers and brats, corn on the cob, a couple of salads, chips and Dairy Queen cake.

Luke started off the morning in a rather unusual way. One of his friends turned 18 yesterday, so for his birthday he wanted to visit a Casino. So, at midnight (when he would be legally 18), they entered the casino. Luke, even though he is nineteen, asked permission to go and said he'd only spend $5 or $10. So, we gave him our permission, if not exactly blessing. He got to experience first hand how so many people lose money foolishly, and hopefully will be cured of wanting to visit or gambling again. He's got too many other things he wants to do with his money.

In the morning, he was up and ready to play bass guitar at church. From casino to church in a matter of hours. We were grateful for the quick transformation. ;)

Later that day, Tim stood in line for an hour at Dairy Queen to pick up Luke's birthday cake, which was decorated with a guitar. I told Tim it was worth the wait, but I think he was just glad to be home. I wonder how many more birthday parties like this we will have, since Luke plans to move in a couple of weeks........ I suppose I'll keep up the tradition as long as he lives nearby and remains single.

Till next time,


Suzi

Whiz bang

This is Whiz Bang weekend in Robbinsdale, our little town in Minnesota. It's name has something to do with the Whiz Bang magazine that was published in the first half of the 20th century. Anyway, annually Robbinsdalites shop at sales, come out to listen to bands, enjoy vendors in parking lots and outside their shops (especially food vendors--mmmm kettle corn, brats, pizza, etc.......)

Last night we went to hear our son Mark play with his band, Los Coleros, at an outdoor venue. They were the first opening act for Mick Sterling and the Stud Brothers, who I guess are pretty popular locally. Los Coleros, a punk/ska type of band, did a great job, even though their sax player was replaced by a trombonist who had only practiced with them a few times. We got to see some old friends, and I even saw a friend of mine from my BSF class this past year. Her daughter is one of the outgoing junior royalty princesses, so she is finishing up her year at the Whiz Bang parade on Sunday, and then finally with the Minneapolis Aquatennial events next week.

It's fun to celebrate the life of the town, to enjoy a summer evening with neighbors, to show appreciation for our sons' hard work and enjoy his music with him. Our favorite Whiz Bang event is tomorrow night--fireworks-watching at our friends' lakeside Robbinsdale home. There we mingle with more neighbors, fight mosquitoes, and enjoy a spectacular show, only blocks from our house.

Till next time,


Suzi

New blog

Well, I've started a new blog. It's called "Blogging for Light." I've been pondering how to have a better Bible study, especially during the summer months. Since I posted the blog about possibly starting a study for my kids' friends, I've wondered how to go about this. For now, I've concluded that God wants me to get into his Word on a daily basis, and sharing it on a blog is a natural way for me to spread the word (if anyone reads what I post, that is).

I haven't given up on the idea of meeting with the kids friends and Tim (of course he would have to be present). But I think the Lord is calling me to feed my soul first, and seek opportunities to encourage my kids and their friends with what I'm learning--perhaps by sharing my blog site, or maybe by sharing insights with words of encouragement, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me day by day.

Plus, since I'm online blogging anyway, I might as well do my Bible study online too! Thanks to my friend Theresa for her link to reading the Bible online.

Till next time,


Suzi

Bedtime

Last night was weird, because our boys were both home before ten, and Christina wasn't home till about midnight. She was over at a friend's, watching a movie, and the mom brought her home around midnight.

I couldn't easily fall asleep, though she wasn't far away and we know the family very well. Plus my feet were tingling again--darn neuropathy. I must have dozed off just before she got home, because she said she closed our bedroom door and I'm sure I would have heard that if I'd been more awake.

At Cornerstone, bedtime is irrelevant. The first night was hard to sleep, because the kids came back around midnight and sat up talking in our camper. After that, sheer exhaustion sets in--and besides that, we were up late too, taking naps here and there during the day. The festival seemed to go fast this year--it was shortened by at least a day--and of course I spend a lot of my time worrying I won't have enough food for my family and any who might join us (there's always somebody--one year it was a guy we met from England, this year it was Christina's friend Robin who graced our table). But God provides.

I guess I'll catch up on sleep when the kids are grown and gone. We've almost got one out the door--two to go?

Meanwhile, I'll savor the sound of the car pulling up in the driveway and the front door closing for the final time at night.......and wait for the time to be ours again, when Tim & I are the ones who lock up at the end of the evening.

Till next time,


Suzi

Luke's birthday

I can't let this day go by without acknowledging our son Luke's 19th birthday. Wow--it seems like only yesterday (I know that's a cliche......) that he was born. Now he's talking about moving into another home with his friend Alex (Alex's grandfather recently moved out and the house needs some updating, which Luke could help do).

He just graduated from high school, so I guess a chapter of our lives is ending. But even if he moves, it will only be a couple of miles away, to a nice area of Minneapolis. He'll keep working with Tim, and I'm sure he'll be back home for occasional meals or to visit the dog (and us?).

Nineteen. Sounds so old, but I don't feel old enough to be the parent of an almost-20-year-old. Old enough to have a daughter-in-law or grandchildren????? I do have friends about my age who already have kids-in-law and some even have a grandchild or two.

Well, I don't regret getting older. Each day, each month, each year is a gift from God. I'm glad I've lived to see Luke turn 19 and see the fine young man he is becoming. We have lots of good memories--many of them camping, some helping him with homework (especially during his two years of home schooling), watching him play baseball and basketball, hearing him play in his school bands (clarinet, then bass clarinet), listening to him on his guitar, bass guitar, and lately drums with his head banging band. He's excited about moving his instruments and his band to a new location. I may not miss the loud noise, but I will miss the drummer/guitarist/bassist son. But I rejoice at his new place in life.

After all, didn't God give us teenagers to make it easier to let them go? Godspeed, Luke. Happy birthday, honey. Stay in the Lord's hands--the best place of all.

Till next time,


Suzi

Cornerstone fun

One of the best parts about Cornerstone is the people. Talk about diversity. There are babies and older people (though I'd guess not many beyond 65 or so). There are people with short hair, men and women with long hair, men with no hair, people with tatoos and chains and piercings everywhere. Christina's friend Robin, age 13, had new piercings this year--an eyebrow piercing and a belly button piercing. Christina wants her cartilage in her ear pierced. I am not too keen on having this done, not because I really object to this, but each time we've gone to get her ears pierced (she only has one hole in each ear, but we had to have it redone because the holes closed up the first time), she's gotten nervous and fidgety and even bordering hysteria. So, I'm not sure about anohter piercing for her.

Mark's mohawk is getting really long, so even though he and Christina glued it back up, it was drooping a bit after a couple of days in the humidity. Mark went for a swim in the lake and opted to have the hair hanging down as usual.

Mark and my brother's 7-y-old, Ethan, bonded pretty well. They spent a lot of time in Roger's car playing video games. Mark was named Ethan's favorite cousin briefly, until Ethan asked Mark who his favorite cousin was. WHen Mark replied, "I don't have one" I think maybe Ethan decided he didn't either. I know he and Richard, my sister's son about the same age, really enjoy each other when they are together, and Ethan and Daniel have had fun together too (my older sister's youngest son.) It would be really fun to have all the cousins together at Cornerstone. This would be quite the age span, as my brother and his wife are expecting their 3rd child in February. So, we'd have cousins from age 5 months to age 25 or so.

You can read Tim's blog to get his take on the festival. He enjoys seminars, and this year, movies and movie shorts, perhaps even more than the music. I'm happy to spend time with family, cook, clean and read, as I mentioned before. And walk around seeing all the sights and smells that C-Stone has to offer. And, as I attend sessions where people discuss faith issues, I'm amazed at the variety of opinions. You can see it on t-shirts too, and bumper stickers. I saw Bush-Cheney '04 stickers as well as John Kerry. One topic I think most agree on is abortion--though I'm sure there is disagreement about how to express feelings on the topic. Some sported "Abortion is Mean" or "Abortion is Homicide" on t-shirts or bumper stickers, while others prefer to change hearts and minds with a less direct approach. Of course, many people of no faith come to the event, and some find Jesus for the first time there. Baptisms are held in the lake every year, and it is exciting to see this public expression of new, or sometimes not-so-new faith.

Cornerstone has opened my mind to new opinions--I can easily live in my comfortable box in my suburban church and not think that others may find truth in the Bible in a way that challenges how I think and live. It's good to be stretched and grow and learn.

But it's comforting to know that, even though we disagree, we all serve the same God who never changes and read from the Word that stays the same, but is living and active, and relevant for today. Whether you're an urban head-banging long-haired type or a conservative suburban housewife. God is big enough for us all. May we be big enough to embrace each other and seek His truth.

Till next time,

Suzi

Cornerstone memories

It's good to be back home. I can only take so long sleeping on a thin mattress in our camper, with the canvas windows inches away from neighbors and people walking by, noisily celebrating Independence Day (Canadian or American), the joys of Cornerstone, mud, sun, or just life in general.

On the way down to Cornerstone we camped at a lovely Iowa State park--George Wyth I believe is the name of it. We just had electric hook up, but there were nice bathroom facilities, and plenty of trees and a lovely bike/foot path. I saw two deer, a buck and a doe, on my bike ride there. It was a peaceful setting and a nice transition from home to Cornerstone.

Our site at C-stone was nice, too--although we had hoped to have some natural shade, it was good to have water and electric hook-up, and to be fairly level. Our neighbors had a leaky hose hook up, so our entry way by the road, at least, was soaked. We didn't realize it at first, but their leak, accompanied by a few downpours, made a small lake at the end of the road where others were camping. We didn't complain, but if we had realized it earlier, we may have at least offered our dry wall bucket to catch some of the drips. They ended up leaving early on the last day of the festival, so everyone else had a chance to dry out (a rainless day helped too).

Mostly we were happy that my brother Roger came, and his two boys, 12 and 7, accompanied by their oldest son's friend, also age 12. We were also ecstatic that Christina's friend Robin, from past years, found us at our campsite and the two of them hung out for a good part of the festival. After body surfing at the MxPx concert, (I was not there) Christina was in heaven. She was so close to the band that she felt they were singing right to her.

So much more to report--but I better save it for another blog. Oh, an interesting thing to report at home--we saw a fox run through our yard last night. Maybe we do live in a rural area after all......

Till next time,

Suzi

Home again

We got back from Cornerstone about 10 am this morning. Still need to unpack, pick up Raven, do laundry, sleep, etc. We left about 1 am, so we made good time--with Tim and the boys driving.

It was a great week--fun with my brother and his kids. We missed Cheryl, but are glad she is fine and hope she'll come to Cornerstone soon.

More later...

Till next time,

Suzi