No Toasted Marshmallows!

Ancient peoples spoke of the four main elements of the universe: earth, air, water and fire. These elements were the basis of life and were necessary to sustain that life. We've all experienced and appreciated the peace and renewal that comes from sitting quietly beside a body of water, be it a pond, lake or ocean. Something deep within is touched and rejuvenated as we let our spirits be healed.

Thanks to the generosity of Mike and Jane, we have been blessed with a housewarming gift for Shack Too. They presented us with an electric firebox and mantle for a fireplace. With a little time and some pieces of lumber, I was able to build a framework for the fireplace, as you see in the photo below.



Then I glued sections of imitation rock to the frame, both around the firebox, and at the bottom of the hearth. Behold! We have a beautiful fireplace in our home.


Sitting by the fireplace with a good book, or just relaxing with My Love -- that is about as wonderful a way to be in touch with God as is possible at home. Life is gift and God is Good!

Gratitude List

Time to post a new Gratitude List -- things for which I am especially thankful today.

1. My Love is alive and safe. On Sunday evening, while driving into town for Bible Study, our car hit loose gravel, went out of control and plowed into an embankment. After climbing up the hill, it flipped onto its right side, swung around and landed back on the wheels. Thank you, God, she was wearing her seat belt and is only suffering from bumps and bruises. With extensive damage sustained, the future of the car is uncertain at this writing. The insurance adjuster is expected sometime today.

2. A fun weekend with friends and relatives. On Saturday we traveled to the home of John and Jan for good food and relaxing company. Also present were Darold and Sondra and Denny and Linda. Following our delicious dinner, we guys proceeded to give the girls a lesson in Joker, beating them 3-2 games. A good time was had by all.

3. Shack Too is shaping up. In between times we have been able to get pictures hung, boxes unpacked, shelves put up and sundry things placed. It is definitely feeling and looking like home. Over the weekend, our landlord put the deck outside our walkout lower level. Now we are able to sit outside and enjoy the beauty of the world around us. (This morning there were 4 deer walking through the bean field just outside our front door.) To attract the wildlife closer, we have hung a couple of bird feeders, a squirrel wheel, and a block of salt for the deer.

4. Our small faith/bible sharing group has been studying and reflecting on Change -- how we view it, respond to it and grow through it. What a tremendous gift to have faith-filled friends to walk the road with because change is constant. Only our attitude makes it a blessing or a curse. When we see through the eyes of faith, God is leading at every turn.

So, once again, it is time to says "Thanks, God, for all the blessings, in whatever form they appear. We welcome them with open arms and grateful hearts."

Too Long Gone

Too long since my last post, so it's time for some idle meanderings.

With all the hubbub of moving and trying to get settled in, time at home has been at a premium. Add to that the additional attention required for the care of parents and you have the present reality of "not being as far along in the process" as we had hoped. We are still in that "I know I saw it someplace, but I don't remember where it is" state. We have no difficulty locating items that we are not searching for. But those that we need are sometimes proving elusive. Yet, slowly progress is being made as we put our stamp on Shack Too.

Outside the bean fields are turning from vibrant green to golden yellow to crisp brown. At the same time the trees are beginning to lose their leaves, some after changing colors, others dropping in their summer hews. While the beauty is glorious, I find it a bit depressing because of what is to follow before very long. I am not yet ready to face winter.

Another benefit we have been blessed with through our move is: Leroy! Leroy is a dog. He belongs to our landlord, who previously lived in the house we are now renting. Hence, Leroy thinks that our house is his home as much as the one across the road where his master resides. So we have the blessing of a dog without the responsibility! He is lovable, appreciates a scratch behind the ears, and is always ready to relieve us of our table scraps. What more could we want!

In the midst of all these happenings, we continue to thank God for leading us to this place of peace and quiet. The gift of nature surrounding us puts us immediately in contact with the Divine whether we are walking outside, or merely looking out the windows. How blessed we are.

Home At Last

For thirteen months My Love and I hung our hats in a comfortable little apartment in Meriden, Iowa. For those same months, we carried our groceries and laundry up and down the 23 steps to the second level. During that time we ate, slept, relaxed and paid our rent. We were content and satisfied.

But it was never home!

Now we are five days in our new location in the country. We are still in the process of unpacking boxes and looking for different items of importance. Then, after finding them, to relocate them later! Yet, with all the chaos and disruption, it is already home! In all the moves that I have made in my life (and there were MANY of them), in none of them have I felt so at home so quickly. I could not feel anymore at home if we owned this piece of property.

What is it that makes a place into a home? Why is it that one place can be only a place to live, while another is a place of renewal and life?

One thing I am able to put my finger on is the sense of belonging. This location is a good fit for both My Love and me. It nourishes our spirits and feeds our hearts as we soak in the presence of God in the surroundings, both outside and within. Whether we are merely looking out the windows, or walking in the yard, we are breathing in New Life.

Truly we feel blessed as we begin this phase of our journey here in the Valley of the Little Sioux River.

Natural Refreshment

It is impossible to exaggerate the renewal of life that has come with our move to the country! Just stepping outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and soaking in the peacefulness of the surroundings is enough to remove any burdens, worries or concerns that may be present. We are at home in Shack Too!

Thanks to the able-bodied assistance of Jim, John, Larry and Jeannie, My Love and I began about 9:00 am last Saturday morning loading the remaining furniture, boxes and clothes. In about 2 hours, everything was packed into the four pickups, two trailers and one car for the 15 minute drive to our little corner of paradise. In a lot less time than it took to load it all up, we removed everything from our vehicles and placed it in piles inside the house, hopefully somewhere close to their ultimate landing spot.

Then we took time out to renew our strength with the delicious food that My Love had prepared beforehand. Along with Jeannie's fresh-baked cinnamon rolls and apple braid, our first meal in the new house became a virtual banquet. Fine food and good friends in a gorgeous setting -- what more could anyone desire!

Now we are in the process of sorting through the maze of boxes, finding locations for all our treasures, and just soaking in the New Life that we have been given. How awesome and wonderful is our God! When we left Texas just a little more than a year ago, we had no energy and less interest in becoming enthused about where we hung our hats. Now we are excited, energetic and reinvigorated as we "settle in and take possession of this land that the Lord our God" has given us. Blessed be His Name!