At the Lake: August

Though we did not stay overnight at the lake in August, my family did make it out for parts of several days. 

The water was lovely, the sun-therapy powerful
... the sun-burns warm for days. :-)

One afternoon, the oncoming rumble of huge thunderheads drove us in from the lake to the cottage, but I had to keep pushing my way out into the wind for periodic breaths of the powerful storm air. 

I had not felt so strong and well for months... or probably years! Was it the preceding time in the anti-inflammatory sunshine or something about the air pressure in the head of the storm??

Though short-lived, I enjoyed that hour of strength to the full. And I enjoyed watching and feeling the storm roll in with its changing lights and shadows, its churning waters and growing waves, and the far shore being blotted out by the rain and hail that finally swept me indoors.

  

After the storm passed, we had a lovely evening getting out on the calm lake for our first canoeing in several years. Such a gift!

Thank you, LORD, for all these gifts!

A Taste of July

It's hard to beat the flavors of a summer garden stir-fry!

Beet Greens

Broccoli

Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash

Onions

And whatever else is in season

40 Days of Prayer

Last Friday I attended a special evening of prayer along with hundreds of thousands of other women. Twenty-one of us from several surrounding communities were gathered in my small-town church while we, along with many other groups around our country and world, connected with the huge event going on at the True Woman 2016 conference in Indianapolis. Our live video connection had minimal glitches, and we truly sensed the magnitude of the movement we had joined.

It is a movement of women crying out in prayer to the one, true God who hears us. Crying out for our families, churches, nation, world... and for each other - the women right around us. You had to be there to experience the impact. 

But you didn't "have to be there" to join the ongoing movement. 

Many of us are going on to pray for our nation for the next 40 days. No matter what nation you call home, it is in need of prayer. I know my nation is sliding into desperate times as it walks further and further away from God each day. And I know that the outcome of the upcoming elections will have a big part in shaping the future of this nation. And so... we pray.

Will you join us? You can go to the CryOut16 website to sign up for prayer emails over the next 40 days.

Musty Music

Mom brought home a bunch of music from her parents' house this summer. Both sheet music and records. (Yes, we still have a record player that we use!)

She has often mentioned singing along with favorite records while growing up. I think Mom and her sister used to warble the operettas while washing dishes. And she can still quote nearly every word of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?"

I wonder if my great-grandpa brought some of the sheet music over from Norway when he came in his teens...? It looks so fun to sightread at the piano!

But for now, all the music is airing out in the garage - waiting to be enjoyed again when it won't irritate allergies.

Light

He went out, not knowing whither he went. (Hebrews 11:8)

It is faith without sight. When we can see, it is not faith, but reasoning.  In crossing the Atlantic we observed this very principle of faith. We saw no path upon the sea, nor sign of the shore. And yet day by day we were marking our path upon the chart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line upon the sea. And when we came within twenty miles of land, we knew where we were as exactly as if we had seen it all three thousand miles ahead.

How had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments and, looking up to the sky, had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not the earthly lights.

So faith looks up and sails on, by God's great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens the way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. Let us go forth this day, not knowing, but trusting.

(Days of Heaven upon Earth) 

August 23rd in Streams in the Desert 

Compiled by Mrs. Chas. E. Cowman

For it is You who light my lamp; 

the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Psalm 18:28

The sun shall no longer be your light by day, 

nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; 

but the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, 

and your God your glory. 

Your sun shall no longer go down, 

nor shall your moon withdraw itself; 

for the LORD will be your everlasting light, 

and the days of your mourning shall be ended. 

Isaiah 60:19-20

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, 

for the glory of God illuminated it. 

The Lamb is its light. 

Revelation 21:23

At the Lake: July, continued

My first (and so far, only) attempt at
coffee this summer. Delicious!

A game of Chinese Checkers

The Winner!

Finally getting to the job of "blocking" Elsa's wool project.
Read more about her line of
knit maritime signal flag blankets on Etsy.

Even a rainy day was cosy - at the lake!

At the Lake: July

It worked out for our whole family to stay at the cottage this summer!  (Except for Dorothy who was on her own "vacation" for a week at respite care.)

We feasted on fresh lettuce and raspberries from home.

Elsa's crocheted string bag came in use
while packing my vacation project.

It held scrap yarn for me to begin
a new afghan.

Flowers from home graced the table.

So special to have Maren and Jason join us for one day and night.

Dad took us out for a peaceful evening cruise in the pontoon
which Grandpa bought for all the family to enjoy.

Watching the sun set over the water

At the Lake: June

It's time to catch up with some of the pictures I have been taking for my blog. Summer is basically gone up in our northern climes, so I'd better finish posting what I promised of times at the lake.

A cosy gathering on Father's Day

Though I don't think I swam that early this year, the water was nice on the feet.

Apple Season!

Apple harvest has begun! Our early apple tree (Red Baron) was loaded... even losing a branch this year due to the heavy load.

Mom and Dad picked apples...

...and more apples...

... and more apples!

We are enjoying sliced apples, sauteed apples and onions, chunky apple sauce, baked apples (cored, with butter [or coconut manna], brown sugar [or honey] and cinnamon baked in the hole), and...

Don't forget apple crisp!

Of course there's the traditional, delicious crumble topping with lots of butter, sugar, and flour. But since those ingredients are all off-limits in this healing process, we were happy to find the above recipe. Then when nuts (and for Elsa - all grains) were "out," we learned to thoroughly enjoy a new version (from beyondthebite4life.com):

2 T. Arrowroot flour/starch

2 T. + 1.5 T. Tigernut Flour (this is not a nut!)

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp honey

2 T. coconut oil, melted

Crumble over partially baked fruit. Bake 25 minutes longer.

(See photos of the process and our finished product here.)

If you want a little "ice cream" with that apple crisp, you get out your ice-cream freezer and whip up a batch. 

Or, for nut-free diets:

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

1 T. arrowroot starch

2 cans coconut milk

1.5 - 3 T. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

12 drops stevia

2 T. vanilla

Make a slurry with a little bit of coconut milk and the arrowroot starch. Set aside.

Bring to boil: remaining coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, stevia, and vanilla.

Add starch mixture to boiling mixture and cook until thickened.

Cool in fridge.

Churn in ice-cream freezer 10-20 minutes.

July Scent

I have long enjoyed a good cup of Jasmine tea. Especially the fun kind that is rolled up into little balls along with green tea leaves.

Also in Russia I have enjoyed a beautifully fragrant, flowering bush growing all around apartment buildings in different cities. The delicate white blossoms remind me of tea. And no wonder! They are jasmine bushes.

So it has been a special treat to attempt to grow a little jasmine bush of our own since it was given us last year. The pot comes in to a window sill in the winter, but still our tiny "bush" has not been very happy.

Until this summer! 

July evenings were so fragrant on our deck!