Speeches and Latté

       Matthew and Nora were (mostly) dreading their 4-H "talk" last Tuesday evening. The "talk" is really public speaking practice, and required by all 4-Hers once a year. It can be a 'demonstration' (showing how to: play chess or sharpen a pocketknife, for example) or an 'illustrated talk' (like describing a vacation or explaining a hobby), all with the help of posters, photos, and other visual aids.

     Nora chose to illustrate her talk with pictures from a February ice fishing field trip at - or rather, on - the Bible Camp's frozen lake. She was the first girl to catch anything that day. (A prize-winning yellow perch!)

     Matthew showed pictures from several camping trips of the past: fishing at Big Creek, playing cards around a campfire, canoeing, and knife-throwing into an old stump. Great fun and great memories.

     While Eric, Tara, and her family are away for a week in Tennessee, attending a cousin's wedding, we are cat-sitting Tara's deaf Siamese, Latté. She is fairly low-maintenance (except sometimes in the absolute middle of the night, when we are sleeping the soundest...) and has the most striking pale-blue eyes.

Going for a walk now, on another drizzly, semi-Spring day...

Over the River and Through the Woods

     I love to take long walks on country roads.  It's a time to think, plan, pray, compose songs, and gather inspiring story ideas.

     "Creation sings a wonderful song, faithful to rejoice..." are words from a song I once wrote about thanking God for His awesome works in nature.

     Often - especially in spring - one or more of my children come with me. Then it's time for chatting, looking for wildlife (I always pack a camera in my jacket pocket now, ever since Matt spied a large woodpecker and I was sadly without it), and sometimes picking up a bit of trash. Funny how it appears when the snow melts!

     Recently, Nora and I hiked a ways down a windy foothill road. Literally, over the river and through the woods. A good morning...

     It was one of those few warm days so far this spring. (We're not really lovers of the heat, though. An aspect of heaven? No scorching heat! Amen, to that.)

     

     "Make the most of the abundance of exquisite flowers in delicate shades and shapes that appear this month on a variety of shrubs and trees by gathering bud-laden branches to fill your home with the joys of spring."  -Country Living magazine (British Edition)

Tara's Graduation and Flat Stanley

     We drove a few slightly sunny hours south on Sunday to attend a family B-B-Q and school ceremony for my daughter-in-law-to-be, Tara Mathers. The meal was at her family's cozy cabin with lots of great food and new people. 

     Tara opened gifts (including a laptop, DVDs, and a gift card from Murdochs) and smiled for a barrage of pictures.

     High School graduation is such a wonderfully satisfying milestone! The next red-letter day will be her wedding, July 23rd. Our son, Eric, also has it highlighted - he will be marrying Tara, his very best friend and wife for life.

     Anyone heard of Flat Stanley? He came to visit a while ago and went to work

with Eric at a local horse ranch,

with Matt and Mitch at a land clearing job,

and with Nora to Glacier Park.

     Stanley had a terrific time and returned to Caleb Janssen's school (grandson in CA) to tell of his epic adventures.