Faraway

6 months away from "home" and 6 months at "home".
My true "home" is in heaven... not here on earth.
Yet, I long for HOME.

Years ago I wrote a song that reflected this dilemna:

Faraway in a land
Where the North wind blows and blue waters flow
Is the place I call home
All your lovingcare taught me how to share

Faraway is a place
Where the land lies low and the tulips grow
Welcoming open arms,
Being friends with me, like a family

Faraway in a land
Where a jungle grows and it never snows
I will come, I will go
See your smiling face, feel your your warm embrace

Faraway in a place
Where Gods wonders tell how a red star fell
He put your name in my heart
Into prayer He led before we ever met

And a part of my heart is right next to yours
Through the valleys and seas
God keeps us faithfully
You're never faraway
You're never faraway

What's cooking?

A couple weeks ago my friend, Hilde, visited from Europe and we had some nice days together. She even helped me to paint my room!
One evening Mom was feeling good enough to help me out in the kitchen with one of her favourite recipes and Hilde took a quick photo of the event. The dinner turned out just great and it was a blessing to share the meal together with a friend.
Since then Mom's pain level has been pretty high and that is always complicated by the weather conditions. When it's humid, mom's pain level goes up a notch or two. Even on a "good" day, mom rests around a level 4 pain, with 10 being the highest. Lately it's been nearly a constant 10, even with her pain medication... and the weather has been very humid and hot for this season. Please pray that the weather will clear and that mom won't feel the pain like she does now.
When mom hurts so much, we all stick closer to home, of course. I usually only go out for 1-2 hours at the most, and then only if necessary. Otherwise, Barbarah and I take turns being home with mom, with some occasional relief from my sister-in-law, Darlene.
Mom enjoys beating me in Scrabble, though I won a few days ago! And, later this afternoon, her cousins, Karl + Diane will be stopping by for a visit and some coffee.

As for me, my days are filled up quickly with home projects... things that mom has wanted to be done for months and, in some cases, years. This past weekend we finally got rid of rusty old shed in the backyard that was collecting amazing amounts of junk. So, now I'll fill that area with good dirt and seed it - I might plant a tree there in the Spring. By European standards we have a fairly large "garden" and mom has always wanted a maple tree that has special leaves that look kind of 'silvery' on one side. Hope I can find that someplace. But, for now, I'll just seed some lawn there. It's almost time to mulch the gardens and do some other pruning, not to mention planting bulbs. In this way I do "get out of the house".
I also have some short coffee visits with friends now and then. This week I'll get together with Cindy, who led me to the Lord in 1970. She was my high school teacher and we've stayed in touch all these years, though we don't see one another very often. I'm looking forward to that visit.
I get together almost every week with another dear friend who I've known since high school - Claudia. It just bedazzles me that we've known each other for 35+ years! She and her husband and family are passionate Christians and I am so blessed by this friendship.

So, that's what's cooking these days.

Harvest - Sukkot

Last week, on the way home from a visit with my dear friends, Rick and Mildrid... I stopped at a pumpkin patch.

Beautiful orange pumpkins, together with squash and decorative maize was a sight to behold!

Honey was surrounded by great big pumpkins and helped me pick out a few to take home.

This was an amazing cultural experience for my Norwegian friend, Hilde, who was with us. I think I bought 3 large pumpkins, 2 squash and a number of small decorative squash for only $10!

Pumpkins in America are symbolic for Harvest-time - a time traditionally celebrated with a holiday called "Thanksgiving", the 4th Thursday in November.

It is a vague reflection of a Biblical celebration called the "Feast of Tabernacles" or "Sukkot"... also a time of giving thanks to God.

Let's give God thanks, taking time to remember His grace and goodness in our lives.