Coming to the End of July

Friday already?  I had good intentions of writing more blog posts this week.  Obviously, that didn't happen.  But here I am on Friday, being faithful to be thankful for all the wonderful things in my life this week.  Here are my Fave Fives. (follow the link to join in!)

1.  Our recently transported near us family/friends have been helping us this week with a house project.  We have been wanting to insulate our garage, so Y and The Professor have installed the insulation and hung almost all the drywall.  It looks like tomorrow we will see all the drywall finished and then it will be time for taping, mudding and painting.  How I appreciate their hard work.

2.  And while the guys are working in the garage, E has cleaned my house.  In California, they owned a house cleaning business, so she can get through my place and clean it up so fast.

3.  Today while Y and The Professor were working, we girls did a project, too.  I have been wanting to change the color of two really dark things hung on the wall by my front door-- a cross and a picture frame.  According to E, we weren't 'working'; we were doing 'artwork'.  I love the new look.

4.  There have been lots of coffee times this week.  Of course, we had our usual weekly coffee time with our friends.  But I also had coffee with two different ladies who have asked to meet with me.  I love coffee.  But I love the connection more.

5.  Weather.  This week the temperatures have moderated slightly, and we have had rain.  Perhaps because I am a native Pacific Northwest girl, I love rain.  The sound and smell of rain makes me happy (not TOO much rain...).  And, when it rains, I don't have to water the garden.

I hope you have had a week where you can find many many blessings.

Late July Hot and Humid Fave Fives

 Hello from hot and humid Willow's Cottage.  I don't love humidity (hmmm, I lived for years at the equator--still don't love humidity.)  And it's Friday.  I am joining my friends at Friday Fave Fives (hosted by Susanne) to look beyond the humidity and find the good.  Here are my five points of gratitude.

1.  Sunday evening, our church life group met at the local Salvation Army facility.  We cooked (well, The Professor did--he made all the fries).  We served.  I did the pulled pork and hot dogs.  Older Daughter and Tall Boy served cookies.  It was just the best time.

2.  Younger son has arrived here at the cottage and is burrowed into the basement bedroom (his choice).  I love having him here for an extended visit.  (no photos yet; can you believe it??)

3.  After a month of not meeting up, we met our friends T and S for coffee Thursday morning.  We talked for three hours.  And laughed.  And listened. And loved every minute.

4.  The Professor and I had errands to run near the big city.  Since we were passing right by Y, E, J, and S's apt, we popped in to take them some things the boys left at our house.  They are getting settled in and their neighborhood is lovely.  I love having them here!

5.  My garden is continuing to produce well. (Yes, I did post about this last week, but I am continuing to be thankful for all the produce.)  Tomatoes, snap peas, kale, lettuce, cucumbers.  Parsley, basil, spearmint.  Yum!  And the hibiscus is popping out a couple of huge blooms every day.

Bonus:  you can't have just five!  We attended a concert by the Columbus Symphony at our local Catholic church.  The acoustics in this building are great. And the stained glass windows are beautiful.  A perfect place to listen to Haydn.

Mid July Faves

 I am finally sitting down to relax this afternoon and focus my thoughts on what I have done this week and what has made me thankful and grateful.  I am sharing these with you to encourage you.  If you want to be even more encouraged, click HERE and read what other people have share for their Friday Fave Fives.

1.  Our friends (family, really!) have arrived!  The 'adopted' boys' parents, S and E, drove in on Friday afternoon.  The 'boys' had found an apartment and gotten the keys that morning.  Excellent timing.  And all of them have accepted jobs!  And their truck of furniture is due to arrive today.  They love it here already.

2.  We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors.  We swap things back and forth 'over the fence'.  We shared some basil with them; they tossed us some coffee to try.  We discuss everything from nasty garden pests to theology.  We are thankful for having neighbors like J and L.

3.  That basil?  Yeah, we have had so much yummy-ness.  I picked SIX cups of basil and made pesto.  And the tomatoes, snap peas and cucumbers are producing well.  I am thankful for an abundant garden.

4.  My garden has also displayed some lovely flowers.  I thought the hibiscus had not survived our crazy cold winter, but it is thriving.

First hibiscus bloom

The hydrangea is putting out lovely blue flowers

5.  The Professor and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday.  We chose a low key day with S and E helping clean and do a couple of household chores.  Then we had take away Panda Express for dinner.  How many years?  Forty-nine!

We were a bit younger then.

And just for fun, here is a bit of 'butterfly life' from my garden.

A Week of Memories and Travels

 Wow.  What a week full of blessings this has been.  Some weeks are mundane and routine; others are full of adventure.  For me, this week has been the latter--full of adventures and of memory making.  Here are five things, Five Faves,  that stick out to me from this past week.  That Five Faves link will take you to Susanne's blog where you can join in with us to share your five best blessings from the week.

1.  The Professor and I drove to Orlando last Wednesday and Thursday.  There is always so much beauty mixed in with the boring miles of freeway.

2.  We spent four amazing days with former colleagues from our Indonesia days.  Some of the attendees at the reunion were people we had never met but had known by name and reputation; others were close friends.  For example, the doctor who spent a few months with us on the island of Java in Indonesian language school and who now lives just 1/2 hour drive from us!  (Yes, we are planning to get together!)  The pilot and his wife and son who have remained friends with us through the years.  We met an older man who was an MK (missionary kid) but before our children's time.  We just hit it off with him and his wife, having so many things in common (like she KNITS!).  Our hearts are so full!

3.  I don't know if anyone reading this blog has ever heard of or read the book Lords of the Earth by Don Richardson.  Don's son Steve was the host of our reunion, the president of Pioneers, a mission organization whose home headquarters is in Orlando, Florida (and where we held our meetings).  Lords of the Earth is the biography of several people who were killed or died in accidents which brought a very violent and antagonist tribe of Papuan people to become Christians.  Some of the people who spoke during sessions of the reunion had first hand stories of their experiences with the Yali tribal people.  I would encourage you to read Lords of the Earth; the stories in the book are true and riveting, and I know some of those people!

4.  After the reunion, The Professor and I drove over to a town on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida.  My cousin lives there and we spent two days with her.  It was so lovely to spend that precious time with her.

5.  Of course, a visit to Florida needs a visit to the beach, too.  We enjoyed the drive to St. Petersburg and then from St. Pet's to Fort DeSoto on the gulf shore.  The weather was hot and humid so we didn't linger on the beach, but we did stick our hands into the fine white sands on the shore.

What a week full of blessings!  And now we are home, having driven through the Appalachian Mountains today.  What contrasts of terrain from the wet, mossy swamps of Florida to the the majestic heights of the mountains and valleys of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.

Was your week blessed with routine things or crazy wild things?

Birthdays and Road Trips

My first FridayFaveFives for July. Can you believe we are halfway through the year 2022?

1. The Profeesor had a birthday on Sunday.  The family enjoyed ice cream cake together. Then in the evening, since our church small group was meeting, Older Daughter brought cake and candles.  Oops! No house or cabinets were burned down, but the cake had some damage.  

2.  We picked our first raspberries from the bushes we planted this spring! I had eaten all but three berries before I remembered to snap a photo. YUM!

3.  "Extra grandsons" will be moving this weekend into their own place. But one day, the older one offered to vacuum the whole house knowing that the issues I have been having  with my hands have made it difficult for me to do basic chores. What a blessing! The floors are clean!

4.  A younger mom at church and in our small group wanted to meet with me for coffee and we finally connected this week. Coffee, walk along a nearby trail pushing the cutest little boy in town in his stroller, getting to know each other better.  So. Good.  We are planning regular weekly meet ups.

5.  We are on a road trip. Again.  This time we are headed south to attend a reunion with many people we worked alongside in Indonesia.  This will be the first time we have seen many of them in more than 30 years. So excited! Stay tuned for updates.  Eleanor has been helping with navigation.

Happy July Fourth Independence Day to all my fellow Americans!

June's Fourth Week

Hello, Friday.  First week of summer 2022.  We have been enjoying the long slow sunsets of summer solstice time.  Here are my Friday Fave Fives where I slow down and ponder the blessings of the week.  Click on THIS LINK to join Susanne and the rest of us in being thankful.

1.  Oh my, it has been hot here.  I am so thankful for air conditioning!

2.  Our extra grandsons are still here.  But they have found an apartment that will accommodate both of them AND their parents who are arriving next month.  And jobs, they are getting jobs.

3.  We truly enjoy having the 'boys' here.  I tell them I am taking advantage of their strong muscles to do the hard stuff around here.  Last night, they cut up all the branches The Professor lobbed off the over growing tree.  It would have taken us hours to do that.  The 'boys' finished in less than a half hour.

4.  We celebrated Father's Day with family dinner in a small local restaurant that serves both Greek and Indian food.  Yum-yum!  Win-win!

5.  Father's Day.  Yes, what would Fave Fives be without my mentioning how thankful I am for The Professor?  He does it all.  Makes salads.  Does the dishes.  Manages the finances.  Pays the bills.  Makes the bed.  Goes grocery shopping.  Sacrifices his time for his family.  Chauffeurs the grandkids everywhere.  Leads Bible studies.  And he does all this being 'retired'.

This is still my favorite photo of him even though it is decades old.  The Professor sitting on the steps of our bush house in the village of Mouyeba, Papua, Indonesia.

What are you thankful for this week?

June's Third Friday

 This was another wild week.  But at least we are back home in our own beds again.  I am so thankful for all the fun and experiences we had on our six day trip.  This morning I am pausing long enough to share for Friday Fave Fives.

1.  The family reunion wasn't that large, just twenty-one people.  But we thoroughly enjoyed long conversations with several of The Professor's family members.

2.  Our visit with The Professor's cousins was great.  We just sat around in K's lovely farmhouse and gazed out on her huge cornfields and chatted.  It was a slow start home on Monday morning because we were having so much fun.

3. We took our time to drive home in two days instead of one really long drive.  Since we were traveling through a lot of rural areas, I had my camera out and ready for snapping photos of old barns.

4.  The 'boys' staying in our house while we were gone did a great job.  They didn't burn the house down.  They cooked their meals. They watered the garden.

5.  The morning after we returned The Professor's older brother and his wife stopped by for a day long visit on their trip home from Tennessee where they were for her family's reunion.  We were so busy talking that I forgot to take any photos and only snapped this one of the two brothers at a restaurant that evening.

So that was Willow's Week in five quick statements.  I hope you had a rewarding and blessed week, too.

June's Second Friday

 I am a bit late posting my Friday Fave Fives this week because I have been having too much fun.The Professor and I are on a road trip!  Before we left, we had a few days of fun and blessings.

1.  On Friday night we went with both daughters and some grandchildren to watch Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park.  This is a tradition and we always enjoy watching whatever Shakespeare play the company chooses to produce. 

2.  Late on Tuesday night, our doorbell rang. We opened our door to welcome back our 'extra grandson' and his older brother who have arrived in our town. Yes, they and their parents are moving here!  We are so excited and happy to have this dear family near us.  And while we are gone, the boys are caring for our home. 

3.  We love traveling. Again this June we headed west to Iowa to attend The Professor's family reunion which will be this Sunday.  So the travel is fun adventure for us. 

4.  Another special reason to visit Iowa is to visit a very dear friend from college.  We spent two wonderful days and evenings with her. Of course, we never ran out of things to talk about.  The Professor has known her all her life too as their fathers were in college/seminary together.

5.  The Professor loves trains , so what better thing to do than take a train ride on a very old train that runs on tracks going through his mother's childhood county? It really was fun to sit in an old rail car and travel through the area where his mother lived as a child.

Since we are traveling, I may be a bit haphazard in responding to comments around blogland. I will do my best when I have connection to wifi.

Have a blessed weekend!

June's First Friday

 Welcome!  Good Friday morning.  It's June!  Where did those five months of 2022 disappear to so quickly?  And this week, too.  Here I am to share my Friday Fave Fives which focus on how I have been blessed this week.  Click THIS LINK to join in sharing your own Fave Fives.

1.  Memorial Day was this week. It is not always easy 1to ponder the meaning of this day which as it was originally called was a Day of Remembrance of those who have died during war and during their military service time.  But it is important to do so. 

2.  Tall Boy (formerly New Boy) is now a high schooler!  He finished strong in his homeschool studies.  His last writing assignment was to write a list and a paragraph about things he learned this year.

3. On the last two days,  he asked to play Scrabble with us after school time before we took him home. I am proud to say he beat me.

4. Saturday morning, we drove to a town north of us where the Trail Life troop was participating in the ice cream festival parade. Little Warrior (younger grandson) sat on their float around a "campfire" and threw candy to the people lining the streets.  Tall Boy marched in front of the float and proudly carried the American flag. The Professor walked alongside as he is one of the adult leaders. I cheered and cheered! So proud of them.

5.  I totally messed up my days on Wednesday thinking we were having coffee with our friends. Oops. Wrong day.  But because they were with us, Tall Boy and Little Warrior got extra snacks, and we got coffee anyway.  Some days are like this.

I hope you are excitedly looking forward to June but at the same time looking back to acknowledge the blessings of May.

Fourth Faves in May

It's Friday again, so soon.  I was gone for a couple of days and am catching up here at Willow's Cottage.  Here are my Friday Fave Fives for this Fourth Friday in May. (follow the link to join!)  

1.  Thank you for all the love for my granddaughter's track meet high jump.  Although she didn't make it to regionals, we are so proud of her efforts and tenacity.

2.  We took a quick two day trip north to Cleveland.  Since we had never been there, we enjoyed visiting a park on Lake Erie.  It was a fun spot to walk and see the outline of downtown Cleveland.

The metal artwork on the fence was fun and whimsical.

3.  The reason we were in Cleveland was to pick up my brother and his co-worker and drive them to where they were picking up two buses for the bus company they work for.  I haven't seen my brother in person for three years!  Oh, it was so so so good to spend even a few hours with him!

He drives big buses.

4.  The drive to and from Cleveland sent us through so much farmland.  You know what that means.  Old barns!

5.  Talking about doctor appointments isn't always the best topic, but I am thankful for two appointments, one with the dentist and one with the dermatologist, that went well.

This is Memorial Day weekend in the United States.  Let us stop, focus, and be thankful for those who have given all for our country.  Fly our flags proudly.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

 Berwick is a small town in northeastern England. In fact, it is the farthest north of any town in England, closest to the Scottish border.  After we left Holy Island, we were driven to Berwick by a very lovely lady named Sue who lives there (lucky woman!).  She dropped us off at the train station so we could catch our train south.

Since we had a few hours to wait, we walked over to the local pub to grab something to eat.  Older daughter and I explored the area a bit.  I have to say that Berwick is absolutely charming.  I think you will agree.

The River Tweed

There are always walls and pathways around them.

Eleanor agrees with me. Berwick upon Tweed is a lovely and friendly place.

I definitely want to return to Berwick someday and explore it more!

Third Fave Fives in May

 Friday Fave Fives for this third Friday in May.

1.  You know that excitement when you spot the tiny little green shoot popping up in the garden?  Snap peas!  Nasturtiums!  Zinnias!  Kale!  Yay!  The seeds are doing their thing.

2.  Rain.  Rain.  And more rain.  At least I don't have to water or worry about drought.  "I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit."

3.  Our granddaughter is a freshman in high school.  She is on the track team--running the 200 meter race and high jumping.  She's doing great!  And tomorrow we'll be watching her--the only girl from her school who qualified.  Yay!

4.  My sister-in-law has been my friend since high school, well before she married my brother.  We live far far away from each other, but we are committed to talking or texting as much as we can.  I value this relationship deeply and am so thankful my brother married my bff.

5.  Zooming with Younger Son so he could update us on what he is doing and some of his plans for the rest of the year.  Just seeing his face on the screen made me so happy.

Bonus photo:

A View of the Sea at Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Mother's Day, Gardens, and Hikes, O Yes

 Even in the midst of another whirlwind week, I need to slow down and reflect on the blessings I have noticed blowing my way.  This is one purpose of Friday Fave Fives hosted by Susanne who faithfully sets up a link so we can share our FFFs with others (thanks, Susanne!).  Here are mine.

1.  Our extra grandson stayed another week and we enjoyed sharing some of our favorite coffee spots with him.  He has also helped me in the garden--adding compost, carrying tools, pounding in stakes.  He has been a big blessing.  And he loves to hike.

2.  I am happy that my daughters love gardening, too.  During their childhood, that wasn't so.  But now, we pull weeds together, run off to the garden center together, talk about what plants are doing well.

3.  The Professor surprised me by putting something in the garden center cart this week.  A little gnome!  I had mentioned I wanted one, and he remembered.

My new gnome needs a name!

4.  Mother's Day!  Both sons called and chatted with me.  Both daughters and their families met up with us after church to share picnic lunch and then walk around in the park woods.  Truly, I am blessed to be mother (and grandmother) to these precious people.

5.  Probably, mentioning the dentist in FFFs doesn't sound quite right.  But my dentist is wonderful.  He understands my fears, my issues with my jaws not numbing normally, and he works with gentleness and speed.  Having an expert and caring dentist is a true blessing.

I hope you have had many blessings this week, too!

First Friday Fave Fives in May

Good evening. Yes it has been a busy day and week. But here I am to celebrate Friday Fave Fives with others who join to focus on our blessings of the week choosing five of them to share. Follow THIS LINK to read more or add yours.

1.  We have company!  On Monday, a young man we call 'grandson' (he's an honorary one) hopped on a plane in Los Angeles and flew out to visit us!  Lots of laughter, fun, serious talks, walks.

2.  Rain.  Sorry, West Coast desert friends who are experiencing serious drought conditions.  'Rain on the Roof' is a lovely sound, and the garden needs it.

3.  Garden?  Yes, honorary grandson helped me prep soil and plant tomatoes, basil and parsley...so far.

4.  Fun walks.  On not rainy days, we have been out walking trails so he can experience Ohio on the spring.

5.  I know this sounds like a "you choose this every week" Fave. But our weekly coffee chats with our friends are important to us. We enjoyed coffee in one of our favorite shops Buckeye Lake Coffee and chatted for at least two hours.

Bonus: I shared lots of photos from ONE DAY in our England trip.  Come back later for more!

Holy Island

You asked for it. Here it comes. 

Our first destination on our trip to England was Lindisfarne, or Holy Island.  A little background.  Why would my daughters and I be interested in hopping on a train and riding three hours north to visit an island? Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England which is the site of an abbey established by Saint Aidan in 635AD at the request of King Oswald of Northumbria.  Aidan, an Irish monk, came from Iona to establish a monastery. After Aidan, a monk named Cuthbert became bishop there. Unfortunately, about 150 years later, the Vikings invaded the area several times and destroyed the monastery. Eventually, a new church was built about 1150AD and later fortified for protection. During the reign of Henry VIII, the priory was closed but not destroyed.  We visited what remains of the abbey because... we love ruins and history.

But. That's not all! Lindisfarne also has a CASTLE!  It started out as a fort but in 1901 Edward Hudson bought it and built an Edwardian country home.   Pretty remote but pretty amazing.

And people live where they can see this castle every day from their fishing huts.

Yes, people live full time on Holy Island. They have farms, and they do commercial fishing, and they cater to tourists. And they live in normal houses, not castles or abbeys.

And of course, Eleanor made a friend.