Gorge-ous

The kids were wondering why every hike we take seems to end at a waterfall. What can I say? When you live near the mountains and it rains all the time, what other destination is more likely?

What a Funeral Should Be

Ira Pirtle died this week at the age of 93.

His funeral this morning was what a funeral should be. He lived a long, productive and happy life. His children and friends and grandchildren(and even his son-in-law) rose up to call him blessed.

People shared stories that made me laugh, that made me cry, that made me remember.

Ira was a joy to know, from his impish twinkling eyes, to his ready word of encouragement, to his insatiable appetite for pie. He lived a full life, loved well, and will be fondly remembered.

He lived his life so close to God that his departure from this life was no great struggle, rather an easy hop across the headwaters of the Jordan into the land of promise.

Well over 200 of us gathered to remember Ira and I know of many, many more who wish they could have been there.

Bon voyage, Ira. And thanks for all the ways you've laid foundations for those of us who come behind.

The Answer

Used Car Lot

This was our driveway this morning. The cars, left to right, are

• the totalled Toyota Sienna which will go to salvage later today


• my husband's 1980 Toyota pickup


• the rental car, a Dodge Grand Caravan


• our "new" Honda Odyssey, the replacement for the wrecked van

Someone rang our doorbell asking to buy one of these vehicles.

One guess. Which one?

Eco-Terrorism

Yesterday, I did something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I hiked a 4-mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail (only about 2,000 miles to go). I was a little nervous about parking the rental car at the trail head, but - hey - it's just us good guys out on a lovely spring day, right?

Um, wrong.

While we were on the hike, someone stuck a bumper sticker to the rental car. A good one.

By a good one, I don't mean the sticker's message was one I want to share with the world. I mean it's got great adhesive and it's going to be a pain to remove carefully enough to not damage the paint.

What kind of person goes out of their way to put stickers on other people's stuff? I can't imagine doing something like that... just like I can't imagine attacking someone going into a fur store or spraying graffiti on the side of a house or egging a car or blowing up a mailbox.

It seems like there are better ways to get a point across.

Teddy Roosevelt Speaks

It's not every day you get to sit at the feet of a past president and listen to him regale the crowd with stories of his failures and triumphs. But last night, we got just that opportunity.

Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th president, was a joy to listen to. From leading the Rough Riders in the Spanish American War, to starting the National Parks system, to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, to championing the digging of Panama Canal, this president accomplished so much in his lifetime.

It was my privilege to invite and host Joe Wiegand, Teddy Roosevelt repriser, and his family on their 48-state tour in honor of TR's 150th birthday. In meeting them, I was impressed by their dedication to this dream. They left their home and a stable life to experience God's faithfulness day by day on the road. They trust him to provide the next venue and enough funds for gas and food. And at each stage, they acknowledge God's providence... like the fact that last night's show was dedicated to Andrew Shields, a local soldier who died in Afghanistan this week... and that the chaplain who delivered the notice to his family was in the audience last night.

Joe is not shy in his reprisal about letting Roosevelt share his own faith. He uses the president's own words to express God's faithfulness in the midst of extreme tragedy.

Take a look at his website and see if he's heading your way. His performance is worth an evening of your time. And if he's in the neighborhood but not performing in your town, drop him a line to see about acting as his coordinator for your area.

It's worth it.

Total Loss

A quick update for those who asked about me and my car. Yesterday, the other guy's insurance company called to say they're declaring my car a total loss.

A total loss.

What a sad phrase. We're trying to work through our insurance to renegotiate a settlement that will be enough to replace this van (that I was planning to drive for another ten years or so).

But I'll tell you what has really been a total loss...

My week.

I've spent more time with insurance agents, car rental lots, body shop guys and mechanics, advice nurses and chiropractors than I ever care to again. Even conversations with friends go something like this:

"I'm so sorry your fish died and/or your house was robbed and/or your children are in juvie. Did I tell you they're totalling my car?"

Besides all that phone time, I've lost a week's worth of work. With the older kids farmed out, I had planned to get a ton of writing done.

I've written two pages.

And they're not that good.

So, as you can see, I not feeling very Pollyanna-ish right now. Honestly, I know this isn't the worst situation in the world. It's just an inconvenience (or as Barb reminds me, a light and momentary trial).

Still...

Simplify

My friend gave me a sign. It says

S
I
M
P
L
I
F
Y

Problem is, I've got it leaning up against the wall behind my printer and a stack of books. So, really how it reads is

S
I
M
P
L
I
F

Hopefully, I'll get it hung soon as a reminder to keep down the clutter, both in the house and in my spirit. On the other hand, if things keep going how they are, soon I might only be able to see

S
I
M
P

which is old slang for SIMPLETON.

Which might be about right.

Rewriting the Rewritten

Somehow the famous history stories of childhood take on a gilded glow.

In fourteen hundred ninety two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Doesn't that sound lovely?

Until someone rewrote history to let us know of the atrocities Europe wreaked on the "New World."

But today I stood on the deck of a replica of the Nina, the ship Columbus sailed back and forth 3 times across the ocean blue and, I've got to say... I'm impressed. Only 66 feet long, with no accommodations for the crew other than a piece of deck and captain's quarters that looked more like a foot locker than a place for the explorers of new lands... there is no way I would have set out on that boat into the unknown. It takes a special sort of chutzpah to take on so dramatic a task.

So, whatever bumps in history the famous voyage brought about, I'm still thankful Cristobal trusted this little ship enough to carry out his exploration. I, for one, love it here.

The Sounds of Silence

I don't know what your life is like, but I rarely - and I mean RARELY - am alone. In my almost 13 years as a parent, I've only been completely alone a handful of times for more than a few minutes at a time.

Tonight I've had 5 hours, just me and the dog.

It's kind of strange. What do you do with 5 whole hours to yourself? Here's what I did...

• I planted a few more seeds in the vegetable garden where nothing had sprouted.
• I killed a few weeds and watered the flowers out front.
• I put together the church announcement slide show for Sunday.
• I ate 2 cookies, then went back and ate 2 more, just to make it even.
• I updated my list of newspapers in Oregon, preparing for a big news release I need to send out tomorrow for an upcoming writers conference.
• I watched the National Spelling Bee, the only spectator sport I enjoy, probably because it only happens once a year.
• I picked out the book I'm going to fall asleep to.

Perhaps more telling is what I didn't do...

• I didn't vacuum, though the living room needs it.
• I didn't put the boxes up in the shed (I only climb ladders if there's someone around who can dial 9-1-1)
• I didn't write. I'm actually getting a couple of quiet hours in the morning when I can create.
• I didn't fix dinner. Imagine. Cookies and popcorn. I couldn't live on it, but it was easy and tasty.
• I didn't put my clothes away. I'll have to clear them off my side of the bed before I sleep, but they've laid in there all night and haven't said a word.
• I didn't call my husband... or my mom... or my friends.
• I didn't go to a store or a movie. I thought about it, but thought that would ruin the effect of being alone.

Some of you are alone a lot. Others, never. What would you do with 5 hours all by yourself?

Change of Plans

On my way to pick up a friend's child for a play date, I was struck (quite literally) by the way unexpected events derail our plans. We go about our lives as if we're in control, but a million different events, over which we have no control at all, can change those plans in a heartbeat.

It's amazing how priorities are realigned in the midst of chaos.

By the way, I'm fine. A little stiff tonight. I'll see how I feel in the morning. The car will need major work, though - hopefully I'll get permission from insurance to get the work started tomorrow.

If you have to get rear-ended (which I don't recommend), it's nice to get hit by someone who promises to pray for you.

Endless Summer

Officially, it's over. The 2007-2008 school year, that is. Unofficially, I still want the kids working on French a few times a week, one of the older kids has about 45 minutes worth of work to do before she's free and the younger one really shouldn't stop practicing her handwriting.

Officially, though, we're on summer vacation.

Long, hot, lazy days sprawl before us, promising relaxation and sun.

If you buy that, you don't live in America. Somehow, the summer is filling up with swimming lessons and camping trips, birthday parties, doctor appointments, and standardized testing, visits from grandparents and the promise of a new nephew. Alas, those lazy days of summer seem to be reserved in the minds of those of us with memory loss.

This summer, I want to write. I want to catch up with all my friends, clean out the pantry and the cabinet under the bathroom sink, and grow a freezer full of vegetables. I want to walk through the farmers market with the generation before me and hold a baby in my arms from the generation after.

I want to make the world a little bit better place and help my kids to do the same.

What are you doing this summer?

Drumroll, Please...

And the winners from the book drawings are...

Dum-da-dum!

Blindsided goes to Zack, who entered by phone.

Every Secret Thing goes to Linda. (can you send me your address?)

Greg is our only double winner with Vessel of Honor and A Promise for Ellie.

The Bible or the Axe goes to Sandi (I drew it randomly, I promise!)

Shelli won The Parting.

And the Max and Me Mysteries go to Jackie.

Ta da!

I'll try to get these in the mail on Tuesday. Congrats to all the winners and, to those who didn't win this time, keep coming back. Maybe I'll try this again some time!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog.

Day 5 - Mysteries for Kids

Okay, last day of the book giveaway for this round (though I still have at least enough to do another week).

Today's books happen to be by a friend of mine, Pat Rushford. Pat's been writing mysteries for teenagers and adults for years. She's one of those people who's good at anything she tries - nurse and counselor, retreat organizer, conference director, quilter and knitter extraordinaire.

These are the first two books in her Max and Me mystery series. I'd say they're best suited to kids 10-13.

Jessie is twelve, smart, and bald. Leukemia has taken away her hair and her strength, but not her desire to be like the other kids her age. Her friend Max sees beyond her illness and drags her into all kinds of adventures.


Most of the books on my review shelf look like they've never been read.

These don't.

They're still in good shape, but two young people snatched these up and read them before I had a chance.

They gave the thumbs up.

I do, too.

Write a comment if you'd like to have them.

Day 4 - Into Africa and Out Again

Vessel of Honor by Melvin J. Cobb is a fictionalized account of what happened to the Ethiopian chamberlain of Acts 8 after his return to his homeland. He feels the need to rectify old relationships, right past wrongs, and turn his back on the ruthless ways of his past. How will his changes affect those who depend on him?


I love the idea of this book and I'm excited about the line it comes from, the Institute for Black and Family Development. This imprint, in association with Moody Publishers, is reaching out to the African-American Community with stories and books that shed light on their culture and their history.


Another book by the same imprint is The Bible or the Axe. This is the true story of William Ochan Levi, a Christian who grew up as a refugee in Uganda. When he returned to his homeland of Sudan, he faced persectution, arrest and torture. This is the story of his escape from his jihadist captors and his war-torn country. It raises the question of how we should fight, with the worldly weapons or the word of God.

Leave a comment if you want a chance at these books.

Day 3 - Prairie Duet

I got hooked on Christian fiction reading the prairie romances of Janette Oke and the sweet, simple stories of Grace Livingston Hill. Though the genre has grown to include thrillers and contemporary stories, literary fiction and mysteries, the backbone of the market belong to historical fiction.

Lauraine Snelling, with her Red River of the North Series, has put the town of Blessing on the map.

Literally.

Her North Dakota stories are so popular and have brought so many people to the area looking for the town of Blessing, that the town of Drayton's city council proclaimed it's town the official site of the settlement of Blessing.

A Promise for Ellie is the first book in the Daughters of Blessing series, the continuing story of the next generation in the Red River Valley.

Beverly Lewis has made a name for herself writing novels about the Pennsylvania Amish. Her books, based on real life events, tell the stories of simpler times. But not as simple as we like to think. The Parting is the first book in the Courtship of Nellie Fisher series. It tells the story of one young woman in a community at its breaking point.

Do you wish you had these books in your library? Leave a comment, they could be yours!

Day 2 - Every Secret Thing

Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock is the story of a teacher who returns to her own high school to teach. The place and the people stir up memories and bring up old questions. She opens her heart to new people and, in helping them work through their problems, finds she must deal with her own.

Every Secret Thing tells its story in a more layered, a more pattered way, than I've come to expect from Christian fiction. I found it to be a good read.

If you'd like a copy of this book, leave a comment and I'll pick a name at random at the end of the week.

5 Day Give-Away

One blessing of doing book reviews is that I have new books show up in my mailbox from time to time. Some I ask for, others I don't. And while most of them get read, very few fit my criteria for review.

So, for this week, I'm going to pass a bit of the blessing on to you. Each day I'll post a different book, with a little blurb about it. If you'd be interested in a free copy of the book, leave a comment and I'll choose at random who gets each one. I've read some of these books, but not others.

Today's pick is Blindsided by Calvin Miller, published by BH Publishing Group in September 2007.

"The only one who saw it coming was the one who could not see."

Calvin Miller, best known for his book The Singer, presents a modern thriller. In this tale, a blind priest and pet wolf hold the key to breaking up a Muslim terrorist group in Seattle.

Interested?

The Winner Is?

Hmmm...

There seems to be a bit of discrepancy in the counter. The 15,000th visitor could have been from Juneau or from Yelm.

The Yelmer will get something for being the probable 15,000th visitor. And the Juneau-ite might just get a prize for effort!

Thanks for playing. I'm cooking up something a little different for next week. ("Different?" you say. "I didn't know there was a theme for this blog.")

Just wait and see!

True Love

The old oven fizzled and sparked,
Electrical blue currents arched.
With a pop and sput,
microwave went kaput,
And they saw that it no longer warked.



He stayed up until midnight and past,
To put in the new one, right fast.
Cuz' he knew in the morn,
She'd be awfully torn
'Tween the ov'n and skillet, ir'n cast.

One good turn another deserves,
So she cranked out some meals and preserves.
25, if you please,
Some for now, some to freeze,

"Love you, too," she did say with hors d'oeuvres.