A Weekend in Napa

We have successfully ensconced ourselves in the charming B&B in Napa that is our yearly retreat. What a refreshing blessing it is to get away from home and work responsibilities and just enjoy a few days together. Time seems to stand still for a while so we can catch our breath!

Our host and hostess spare nothing to make our stay comfortable and we are truly spoiled. We do have a bit of work to do (Jim plays piano, and I help facilitate) but the rest of the time is free. The other people that come each year to help along with a few new faces, are friendly and welcoming and the entire experience is a delight.

The weather is mild this year, and promises to continue so, although we heard the wind whipping around the corners of the hundred year old tudor mansion while we were snug in our bed last night.

The Historic Inns tour begins today and we are expecting 450 guests. We have checked in on our children, and are proud that they are managing well without us. After the roller-coaster ride of this year, we are so grateful to be at Cedar Gables Inn once again, and have this familiar place to re-charge for the coming year. Thanks to all of you who made it possible. Just in case you don't know who you are: Ken and Susie Pope, Lana, Emma, Clara, Janna, the good folks at Europa who fixed our van for a great price, Fed Ex (the provider of the $ to fix the van) and our Heavenly Father who orchestrated it all! Play on, Maestro! We are your instruments.

Good and Bad: In God's Hands

Life has been a swirl of change, good and bad as of late, and I have been somewhat remiss in not sharing it all with you, my adored readers!

First of all the bad news.

My hubby's foot pain (from dropping the pool filter on it) has mysteriously moved to the other foot and we now suspect he is suffering from gout. So in the middle of the injured foot getting better, the other foot began to give him excruciating pain. Remembering back to the evening with the magician, we realized he consumed not one but possibly more than three serious gout causing foods, and so the roller-coaster ride continues.

The disability check we were counting on for this week will be delayed because of a clerical error (not assigning blame anywhere here) and the weekend we were looking forward to in Napa will be just a little different than we imagined. That is of course, unless the foods and fluids which I've been researching on google and pumping into him will take effect and give a miracle cure.

Then last night, our daughter came home with the news that a steering column bolt had snapped off the van and she was barely able to drive it home. Thank goodness she had not been far from home at the time!

On to the other good news!

The faith lesson we've been attempting to extract out of this is a rich one. We'd just begun (again) to memorize and chapter of the Bible-Colossians 3, which begins with, "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above.." and are learning just how to do that when one's problems are so, well...earthly! One way is to keep remembering that God has everything under control and it is only by trusting Him that we can have peace of any kind. We have had moments of every kind of emotion, as you can well imagine, but are determined that we are safely in His hands. No other view seems sane!

Dinner at the Magician's House

What was going to be a routine Friday evening at home turned into a very special evening with two new friends.

In the interest of everyone's privacy, I won't give out details, but after being invited to a home for a special treatment for Jim's bum foot, we ended up staying way past and through dinnertime, at our host's insistence,  and had such a lovely time that I can only describe it as magical!

We enjoyed a fine meal, great music and conversation with our new friends, who treated us royally, and laughed along with us at the hilarity of life.

You never know when an ordinary day may turn into something very special. Thanks, guys!

Gift Shopping

I haven't done any holiday gift shopping yet. Is that weird?

Not that I wouldn't love to, but I just haven't.

But then, by this time 2000 years ago, Mary hadn't done hers, either. It didn't affect the outcome.

Am I a Grinch? Far from it.

Am I stingy? I certainly hope not. If it was within my power, all my family and friends would have all of their heart's desire under the tree. Or at least as many of them as it would be healthy to give them. I love giving gifts!

Life has not afforded me the privilege of giving materially as I would like. And this changes me as a person. Every year.

Most years I manage to feel reasonably satisfied with what I have given. But there is always the suspense, the wondering...will I be able to give this year? Sometimes I imagine Mary in rapt wonder at the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh given (for her delight as well, I'm convinced) to her son, knowing that she and Joseph could never have provided such lavish gifts.

Yes, I've tried the 'save all year for a Christmas fund'. This year the Christmas fund was liquidated to help pay a large bill in the summertime. There are reasons for this, and I fear even explaining them would make you jump to the erroneous conclusion that God has not provided for us.  I'm just saying that no matter what, every year is a wrapped, unknown present for me. I never 'sit all the way down' until the end you might say. I struggle with being content with my present ability to give. I always long to give loads more!

The things I'm learning through this are hard-won, but priceless. Dependency on God, humility, the ability to see beyond the tinsel, and cheesy red and green gimmicks. For all it's changed me, I'm certain God isn't finished with me, but it hasn't been easy. Who said life would be?

Perhaps, someday, things will be different. But, for now, I must receive the gift I've been given.

Tom is In the Fridge

Yes, the bird is lying in state at the proper temperature.

The dough for the rolls lies near.

The potatoes are snug in their bag, not knowing the horrendous fate that awaits them.

The green beans are cylindrically challenged, and along with the french fried onions, the corn, cranberry sauce and yams repeat the theme. Soon, they will take their place as part of the supporting cast.

Pie crust, folded now, will unfold to bear pumpkin and pecans. Marshmallows and cool whip are in the wings. 

Around the table, not yet set,  are the chairs which will hold the extra weight put upon them in just three short days. And we trust they will hold us.

The question is:

Are we thankful enough to deserve such a feast?

Still Counting Blessings

To my dear women friends who have a husband who loves them just the way they are,

We are blessed!

Even on our fattest, ugliest, worst-hair-days, they see us as beautiful. They still want to touch us, and they accept us even on the days when we feel our least attractive. We must  accept and cherish this with our whole heart. We must live in the moment. There is no other moment to claim. We have been given a tiny glimpse of our Heavenly Father's limitless love for us. Our husbands are His instrument.


To my dear women friends who don't have a husband who loves them, or are single,

I can feel your pain, and yet, you are blessed. To you is given the rare and wonderful opportunity of crying out to the One who said "I will be a husband to you." The one who has invited you to His marriage supper, and loves you beyond human imagination.Your lack of a loving husband is His instrument too. He works all things for our ultimate good.

In whatever situation you find yourselves, if you look for God's blessings, you will find them. Go treasure hunting today for yours. And then let me know what you find. I'd love to hear from you.

Kiss and Tell

I think you'd be hard pressed to disprove the depravity of man. Few things are more obvious than the truth of the phrase I heard in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the other night. "All men are liars." For a fantasy writer, Rowling's not far off the truth.

One only has to look inside oneself to confirm the sad fact. I reflected back on a time when, recently to cover up my obvious lack of knowledge on a subject, I spoke quickly and smeared reassuring words all over the situation. Of course this wasn't the only time I'd done that. I wish I could say it will be the last.

Big deal, right? We've all done it. But what if a teacher does it? a surgeon? the president? What if every single person did this every day? We may very well employ a variation of this type of falsehood regularly. And small lies often lead to big ones.The headlines from my newspaper today were a literal trash heap of stories. There was the man who perpetrated the shooting rampage in Texas who is being forcibly medicated to stand trial while adamantly denying doing it (there were plenty of witnesses), the city leaders in my town that were involved in a massive cover-up of a misuse of government funds, and the firing of two bridge workers who falsified information on the safety of the Oakland Bay bridge, to name a few. The list continues seamlessly day to day. And these are only the lies other people found out about.

Contrary to the belief that the world is evolving into a better place, and that humans are becoming higher beings, we have only increased the possibility for deceit with all our technology and modern 'wisdom'. Among the other ills of contemporary life we now have insider trading, insurance fraud, and identity theft.

I'm really not a pessimist, and I'm not a very astute realist either.  But, from time to time, one must tell oneself and others the truth. "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips." So goes the proverb. We need a whole lot more kissing out there!