Charcuterie Summer

It was a lovely spread of a summer - a delightful array of sweet and savory bites of life to enjoy over the past several months. Following is a collection of photos and words descibing some of those morsels.

The annual Martin Family Camping event, held the first weekend in June, is a weekend full of good food and fellowship with the relatives. The Saturday afternoon corn hole tournament has become a favorite tradition in recent years.  

                                                                    📷 ~ Kerra Martin

A four-generation picture, taken during Martin Camping. L to R: Ken's parents, Florence & Leighton Martin; Carlin, Eva, Kayleen and Eleanor Atkinson; Ken & Danette

                                                                      📷 ~ Keith Frey

For me, another much-anticipated annual event is a Garden Party that my friend Delphine hosts every summer. She invites this fun bunch to gather in her yard which is a gorgeous park all on its own. There's always plenty of laughter - and sometimes tears - as we catch up on each others' lives. In the photo, L to R: Karen Brubacher, Joanne Shantz, Bonnie Bauman, Elaine Brubacher, Rose Martin, Yours Truly, Delphine Frey

When Ken goes to his IGo Board meeting in Denver, Pennsylvania, I'm often privileged to accompany him. We stay in one of those dwellings that PA people refer to as a cabin, but I tend to think of as a mansion. I love hanging out with the board wives (we can hardly be bored wives with this group!), some of whom are looking after young children, which makes the event more interesting. Here some of us were on the porch inspecting and exclaiming over a nest of baby finches in a hanging planter of geraniums.

We took several trips to the Atkinson home, our favorite spot in Guys Mills, PA. Every time we are with these munchkin granddaughters and see their latest developments, I marvel at how far they've come since their birth. Here they were demonstrating their peek-a-boo playing skills with Grandpa and me.  

Hosting overnight guests is often one of our activities in the summer, and this year was no exception. It was a delight to have my cousin Gerald and Trish Schrock at our place for one night when they came into our area for a funeral. I hope they come again soon and stay longer; we could have used more time for catch-up visiting and for exploring the orchards and apple packing that goes on around here. 

                                                                                            📷 ~ Chris Guevara

For my birthday, Chris and Ruben (Ken's "brother") offered us their 5-star hospitality in a party for four on their front porch. A summer sunset that evening made a most gorgeous backdrop. 

We3@home ate strawberry shortcake out at the patio table on July 1. How fitting to have a red and white dessert on Canada Day!

This year, it was our turn to host the bi-annual Tribe of Dan Reunion, which we chose to have at a campground in orchard country near the shores of Lake Erie. My parents, all of my siblings but one (we missed you, Tom and Danae!), and most of my nieces and nephews were able to attend the four-day event. One highlight of our time together was visiting some of Martin's orchards, with Ken as bus driver and tour director. 

The meals at the ToD Reunion are always ample and delicious. In the photo, Ken is helping my bro-in-law Leroy and his daughter Kate to prepare strawberries for yogurt parfaits. Behind them, my sister Faye and her daughter Becca are furthering the breakfast preparations on the last morning the Tribe was together.

Here are Mom and Dad Schrock hanging out with their grandson Jordan (my bro Eric & Julia's youngest son) after a meal at the Reunion. This is a very typical scene depicting the interest my parents take in their grandchildren. During the time of sharing memories and blessing Mom & Dad at their birthday party*, many of the grandchildren attested to this fact! 

                                     📷 ~ Kerra Martin

It was sad that Kayleen & Carlin couldn't come to the Reunion because the twins were recovering from Hand, Foot, & Mouth disease. We were so happy that it worked out for their family to come to our house for a few days afterward, though. My parents and some of my twin's family were staying here at the same time. It was a lovely mini after-reunion. In the twins-with-twins photo, Eva is sitting in front of Great-aunt Annette, and Eleanor is in front of Grandma Danette.

We had the pleasure of hosting my mom and dad several times over the summer. They stayed with us for a time both before and after the Tribe of Dan Reunion. Mom helped me "bake up a storm" in the kitchen as we prepared reunion food, and she & Dad helped me get ready for the event in numerous other ways. Honestly, I don't know how I would've gotten ready for the reunion in time without them. (and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun!)

It was a special treat to be invited to our friends Gerald & Verna Martin's house for supper one evening while Mom and Dad were around. A bonus of the visit was having the opportunity to interact with Judy Martin (Gerald's sister) again. 

Some observations about Church Camping Weekend this year: 

1. Since Ken and I are the senior couple on the Oasis Social Committee, we had some significant responsibility in hosting this event, which was our third time this summer to fill a similar role. (It had also been our turn to host Martin Camping and the Schrock Reunion; in the future, we may refer back to 2024 as the Year of Host the Most) 

2. It was sad that some of our good friends and family members were missing from our church group this year. Some had moved away, and others (including our son and his small tribe) had left Oasis in search of another church home. 

3. Games are a staple at Oasis Camping. (see the above pic)

4. Sharing "a page or a paragraph" of inspiration with others around the campfire circle is a meaningful exercise at Church Camping. 

5. Sharing a "low country boil" around the table is a tasty tradition at Church Camping.

Some of my flowers and garden produce went nuts this year! 

Over the summer, I did a number of fun mother-daughter things with Kerra, including picking blueberries in a pick-your-own patch near Lake Erie.  The patch is in the same area as Martin's orchards (near Vienna, Ontario); we met up with Ken at his work place after we were done picking berries, and he took us out for lunch - a tasty fish dinner - in nearby Port Burwell. Yum!

Ken's sister Laurel Yoder and some of her children were in our area during Music Camp Week. We enjoyed sharing an outdoor supper with them on our patio one evening.

                                     📷 ~ Steve Martin

Also, while Laurel was around, the Martin Ladies got together at my SIL Rose's house for a birthday party. We celebrated Laurel's March birthday and my June birthday at the end of July, and it worked just fine. Rose's hospitality and artful decorating, the beautiful food (all of my SILs are amazing cooks), the outdoor setting, a lovely assortment of gifts, and lively conversation all came togther to create a memorable gathering. Photo, L to R: Marge, Chris, Janet, Colleen, Sharon, Laurel, Danette, Mom, Rose

At the end of July, Ken and I traveled to Ohio to attend the memorial service of Joshua Bechtel, a young 40-something man who passed away suddenly from a heart aneurysm. Our main purpose in going to the funeral was to show our support for my twin and her husband Nolan, who is Josh's brother by adoption. We had personally known Josh, too, mainly through some interesting and meaningful interactions on social media. I felt like I got to know him a little better through the memories that people shared at his farewell service. He was unique, thought-full, and artistic; a man who left a significant impact on those in his sphere of influence. 

For our Kenites cottage time this year, we gathered for a few days at an Airbnb in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. The house was located in the middle of a peach orchard, and we were allowed to help ourselves to the ripe fruit. We could just reach out the window (not quite true!) to pick and eat peaches any time we wanted. Which happened to be not very often, since occupying one five-year-old and five one-year-olds takes up all of the time (not quite true!) when you're at the cottage. 

We tried to follow our custom of taking the Kenites to Walker's Market for peach ice cream when we are in peach country, but it's pretty hard to keep the tradition (and not to mention, disappointing) when they don't have peach ice cream on hand. We did get other kinds of ice cream though. Which did not disappoint. 

In August, we were privileged to attend the wedding of our nephew Wyn Yoder & Erika Coblentz in Greeneville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful wedding in every way! Perhaps it included more tears than some, because of the numerous references to the memory of Verlynn (the groom's late father), but I thought that the blend of joy and sorrow brought a special richness to the day. Photos: the brand-new couple, and the groom with his mother Laurel

On our way home from the wedding in Tennessee, we made a last-minute decision to swing around by Guys Mills, PA and surprise Carlins by dropping in at their place unannounced. Our surprise worked! We spent a fun couple of hours with their little family before heading home. We would've stayed longer, but we had to be back home in decent time for VBS starting the next morning.

For our church's biking social in August, we biked on a section of an old rail trail between two Ontario cities, Cambridge and Paris. After a morning of thunderstorms, the weather broke, and we had a beautiful afternoon for our bike ride along the Grand River. 

Following the biking aspect of the social, we met at a park for a potluck picnic supper. Our pastor Richard & Corleen Bean and family joined the group for the meal and the after-fellowship. With great pleasure, we welcomed them back from Thailand, where they had been living for the last year. The photo above shows them getting reacquainted with Clint Horst, only one of the many people who are glad to have the "transplanted Beans" back home. 

                                                    📷 ~ Ken Martin

On August 22, Ken reached the half-way point, our antipode, in his walk around the world. A location's antipode is its very opposite place on the globe. Ours is somewhere southwest of Australia, deep in the Indian Ocean. (no, that is not the ocean behind Ken in the photo, it is the waters of Lake Erie) He is planning to walk the distance equivalent to walking around the world (24,901 miles/40,075 kilometers) in ten years, and now he has gone half the distance in a little over five years. I'm proud of my man's accomplishment of keeping on track with his walking goals. 

We traveled to the States for another wedding, only two weeks after Wyn & Erika's. This time, we were privileged to attend Kenton Shantz & Callie Shenk's wedding in Harrison, Arkansas. Kenton is a fine young man from our church, and we are delighted that he and his lovely bride are making their home in this area. 

Ken & I and Kerra loved having church friends to travel with and hang out with in Arkansas. Rich and Cor Bean and Jacie Horst went with us to Kenton & Callie's wedding. We stayed at a very nice cabin and had lots of great conversations - during our watermelon party, and otherwise.

                                                                    📷 ~ Jacie Horst

We had time to do a bit of hiking in the Harrison, Arkansas area before attending the wedding. Since I taught school in Mountain View, Arkansas, back in the '80's, it was very nostalgic for me to visit Ozark country again, after all these years. 

I never tire of viewing harvest scenes around here this time of year!

* Dad is turning 80 and Mom is turning 70 in December, so we celebrated their birthdays early while the family was together for the ToD Reunion. At the celebration, everyone had a chance to share a memory, words of appreciation, and/or a blessing for Mom and Dad. We gave them a gift of money to use for purchasing outdoor plants and flowerbed accessories. My sister-in-law Margie did the party decorations with the most gorgeous flower arrangements. For the refreshments, my sister Faye had the splendid idea to do a charcuterie board, to which we would all contribute. The end result of this plan was the largest, most diverse charcuterie spread I've ever laid eyes or mouth upon. It was amazing! (as you may have noticed in the very first photo of the lineup) Remembering the fun of helping to plan, assemble, and partake of the charcuterie spread is what gave me the idea for this blog post.

What's the tastiest item from your summer charcuterie board? 

The Ditziest Couple

                                                         📷~ Kerra Martin

We're probably the ditziest couple you know. 

We're the pair you could've seen kneeling on the floor in a corner of the Buffalo airport hovering over a large suitcase and frantically pawing through heaps of dirty clothes after the check-in luggage had finally come and done its dutiful rounds on the baggage carousel. We were in this humbling position all because of getting to our hotel and blissfully throwing our personal vehicle keys into our biggest suitcase in favor of using the rental car keys at the beginning of our trip. And promptly forgetting about the location of the personal keys, which eventually worked their way to bottom of the suitcase under all the smelly laundry and finally showed up in the airport after we had dug for them in every compartment of every piece of carry-on luggage between the two of us, patted down every personal clothing pocket, and prayed every arrow prayer we could think to pull back on our bowstring and shoot. 

We're the sheepish couple you could've caught trying to back safely down and off the steep and narrow Costa Rican mountain road we had endeavored to begin climbing with our rental vehicle because somehow we were super-committed to keep following the roads our GPS indicated as we made our way to visit a scenic volcano. 

We're the frazzled couple you could have observed nearly running out of gas while traversing and re-traversing the three mountains of Tobago in our rental vehicle, all because we opted not to get gas at the real gas station where the pay-at-the-pump mechanism was out of order and we chose instead to head for yonder town which boasted a large colorful gas station symbol on the map we were consulting and then when we arrived, there was no gas available at all in the end-of-the-island town, neither from the two derelict pumps at a woebegone station nor from the gas cans of the Tobagonian men lolling beside their pick-ups at the edge of the street. 

We're the helpless and hopeless couple you could have shaken your head over as we sat in our neon green Ford Focus, focusing on our parking spot dilemma on a steep hill in Germany. (Why do the ditzies seem to overtake us in rentals during trips to foreign countries??) We were nosed downward at an alarming angle and for some long and tense and scary minutes, before the driver had the presence of mind to use the emergency brake to his advantage, neither of us could remember how to maneuver a stickshift vehicle up a hill in reverse without rolling ahead (and therefore potentially crashing into the vehicle parked ahead of us) when releasing the clutch...

We're the mister-n-missus you could've watched outside after dark, scooping up tiny pieces of oven door glass from a trail on the laneway because the missus had dragged her heavy-with-rubble garbage bag over the gravel on her way to the dumpster not realizing the bits of broken glass were spilling out of a hole worn through the plastic bag and the mister was implored and employed in clean-up rescue efforts and even though they were two lovers side by side in the moonlight I betcha they weren't out there whispering sweet nothings to each other. 

Yeah, we've done some pretty stupid things over the years, where we look back and say "That was dumb; we shoulda known better", but we've also gotten ourselves into situations where clearly our lives were at stake. Like the time we walked across the bay ice in Parry Sound where there had been open water just days earlier. Or the time we were in the kitchen removing an old electrical appliance to replace with a new one, involving the use of a table knife to pry the plug out and not thinking to flip the breaker to "off" first. The sparks flew, alright, and let's just say that they weren't exactly the romantic kind. 

In spite of all this craziness, believe it or not, your ditziest couple has managed to stay alive and stay together for 35 years. Thirty-five years! (As my sister-in-law Sharon says, "Now that is a long time!") Ken and I got married all those years ago on October 22, right in the thick of apple harvest, ensuring that in all the years to follow, we would rarely be able to get away for an anniversary jaunt exactly on - or even near - our wedding date. 

Last year on our anniversary outing we went to the charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in December and took in a play, A Christmas Carol, at the old, intimate Royal George theater on Main Street. We got there with not much time to spare, just enough to use the washroom before heading into the auditorium to get settled in our balcony seats before the curtains opened on the performance. 

Except that just as we reached the theater entrance, a very prominent sign on the outside door caught our attention. No Public Washrooms, it boldly proclaimed. Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do, we thought. How can that be? Are the theater restrooms undergoing renovations? Is the theater so ancient and tiny that there weren't ever provisions made for normal, washroom-needy theater attendees? How very odd, we thought. This is where we may be entering ditzland, we should have thought. But we didn't. 

So there we were on the sidewalk, Dani the Upholder, aka rule-follower, along with Ken the Questioner, aka rule-confronter. But both of us "had to go"; we were a couple in search-for-a-bathroom mode and we clearly weren't going to be finding one in this building, so we went next door to the nearest available building, which happened to be the theater box office, where the same type of sign was boldly posted. We went therein, anyway, to ask where the nearest public restrooms were. (IF indeed there were any usable restrooms to be had in the whole of Niagara-on-the-Lake: un-added part of question)

A few blocks down the street, the ticket officer said, so we headed that way, more puzzled and consternated than before. Could we actually trek down to the clock tower, discover the public restrooms in that vicinity, use the facilities, and hike back up to the theater before A Christmas Carol began? 

We had to walk fast and I felt my annoyance growing apace with a stitch in my side. So dumb, I thought, that we had to mess up the start of our romantic outing with an unexpected glitch like this. Thing was, I didn't know whom to blame. 

It wasn't until intermission that I found out who was at fault. It was us two, being the ditzy couple again! After the customary dismissal announcement halfway through the play, a bunch of people around us filed downstairs to purchase refreshments and/or to use the washrooms! Only then did we realize our misunderstanding of the sign outside the front entrance. It didn't mean that there were no restrooms in the building, it meant that the restrooms were available only to ticket-purchasing patrons of the theater. Well, duh on ditzy us!

And so, in reflecting upon these ditzy matters at anniversary time, I wrote a little poem, an Ode to Us, on our Thirty-fifth, in which I altered the meaning of ode slightly, from "a poem meant to be sung" to "a poem meant to be swung", but you may do as you wish:

Back when we began this waltz

our skill was rather fritz-y.

Of graceful moves we didn't 

know the nitty grits. We

stumbled on as happy klutzes

full of feeling, flit-sy.

Neither one of us fit the shoe, not 

being glam or glitzy

and somehow through the flitting years we 

never got more ritzy.

(Still, despite my tangled steps, 

surprisingly, he gits me.)

I watch some others glide with grace

and charm, all perfectness lock-fits-key;

I could allow that envy asks 

if we should call it quits? We

pause, instead, mid-swing (or -lurch?)

and then it hits me:

there's truly no one else with whom

I'd rather dance the ditz. See? 

Happy 35th Anniversary to us! Praises be to God, who led us together in the first place and has kept us together in all the places since. May He continue to bless, sanctify, and preserve us. 

A Weekend in Wisconsin: Woods and Wood Knots (and other Tree-ts)

Last weekend I had the privilege of going on a road trip to the States because I was asked to do a workshop at a Ladies' Retreat in Chetek, Wisconsin. Ken couldn't get off work (peak harvest season in the orchards) to take me, and besides, what would he do for two days while I hung out at an all-ladies event? So my "sister-in-law" Chris agreed to be my companion for the adventure. 

Our van decided to mess up mechanically one Sunday morning two weeks prior to our departure date. I was so grateful that it happened before, and not during, the trip. Since we no longer wished to depend on our minivan to haul us out to Wisconsin, Chris ended up providing a vehicle, their smart-looking and smooth-riding SUV style Highlander, to do the job. She did a lot of the driving on the 14-hour expedition, as well as being my chief support person at the Retreat. What a gift!

Besides the above-mentioned blessings, there are so many other delights to recount from the weekend. I shall attempt to describe them here, some illustrated with photos, and others without:

The Mackinac Bridge, a 5-mile span linking the upper and lower Michigan peninsulas and connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan, was magnificent in the midday sunshine. Layers of bluest blues in the skies above met the depths of bluer waters below as we crossed "The Mighty Mac" enroute to Wisconsin.

The Northland Ladies' Retreat was held at Luther Park Bible Camp, a retreat center nestled among tall pines surrounding a small lake. This was a very nostalgic setting for me, having spent my childhood as I did among the Northland woods and waters of Wisconsin.

The Retreat planning committee thought of everything! I loved the diversity of expertise that each of the ladies offered to the event. Here they are singing "In Need" during the opening session. The theme of the weekend was Beholding His Glory, and it was amazing to sing the theme song "Behold Our God" with 200-plus women pulling out the stops on lines in the chorus Behold our King, nothing can compare, Come let us adore Him! 

The theme verse was one of my favorites - II Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." How fitting to receive a glass water bottle imprinted with this verse as part of my thank you gift for speaking at the Retreat. 

My sister-in-law Margie landed on the decorating team, right where she belongs. She and a few other committee members helped to transform the rather drab dining room into a gorgeous, inviting space in which to gather for feasting and fellowshipping. I thought the potted plants and greenery provided a beautiful, homey touch to the buffet and dining tables, but the fireplace mantel was the real show-stealer. 

                                           📷~ My SIL Danae

In my workshop at the Retreat, I was asked to speak on the topic of parenting. Attempting to narrow down the broad subject, I took a look back at my own parenting of young children, and spoke to the ladies about three Woulds - things I would repeat, and three Wouldn'ts - things that I regret doing as a young mom and would not advise repeating. The Woulds included Reading, Routines, and Relationships. The Wouldn'ts were Manipulate, Muffle, and Misplace. 

I liked throwing some puns into my talk, such as "It has become apparent to me that once you are a parent, you never stop being one" and "I can so easily allow the wouldn’ts to dominate the scene, to let the negative aspects tower over the positive until I can’t see the woulds for the wouldn’t trees." 

Later, when I was telling my dad about how the talk went, he said my wouldn'ts fit right into the tree pun, too. "You know, would nots - wood knots," he said. (Well, of cords!) 

My sister-in-law Danae's family was involved in the kitchen goings-on, and all I can say is that they did a phenomenal job with the planning and prep, the cooking, the presentation, and the flavor of the weekend meals and the tea party on Friday night.

Danae's brother Donovan recruited a group of his friends to help with the serving, so we ladies had a mannerly crew of young men to bring us our dinner on Friday night, and later, to serve us tea. The most handsome of the fellows were two of my nephews, one from each side of the family - Kenlyn, pictured above, and Aaron, whom I failed to photograph in that setting. 

                                                                  📷~ My SIL Danae

How sweet it was to have relatives with whom to experience the Retreat. My mom, six of my sisters-in-law, three of my nieces, one great-niece, numerous first cousins, and cousins farther back were among the crowd of ladies. I hung out with these two "Martin ladies" quite a bit, probably too much to be fair to all the other friends I could have been gabbing with, or the new friends I could've been making. I did have refreshing visits with others along the way, though, such the short-but-sweet chat with my former student and always friend Marj who claims that I've influenced her life since way back in time. In mostly positive ways, I hope. 

After the Retreat was over on Saturday afternoon, Mom traveled with Chris and me the 65 miles north to my parents' place in Hayward, Wisconsin. We stayed with them that evening, slept at their house overnight, went to their church the next morning, and shared lunch with them Sunday noon before leaving for our trip home. It was such a treat to be with Mom and Dad again, even though we had just been together the weekend before, when they spent some time in our area while visiting "Grandpa B", Mom's dad Ken. 

I noted again the blessing of parents who bring such encouragement and affirmation to my life. At the Retreat, Mom switched her workshop choice so she could support me in attending mine, and afterward told people that I did a good job. Dad embraced me in welcome, both literally and figuratively. 

Their hospitality was large enough to easily include Chris, too. I felt honored that they also invited some of my brothers to come for a visit after supper, the ones that we wouldn't be having lunch with the next day at Eric & Julia's. That's how it happened that I got hugs from my two oldest brothers, and heard stories about carpenter work, apple cider pressing, and the awkward, nonappealing jobs that firefighters sometimes find themselves in.

The only negative thing about this Hayward visit was Ken not being along to experience it with me. It was the first time in years and years that I "went back home" without him. I'm going to do my best to make sure that it doesn't happen again. 

I loved the autumn scenery in my old stomping grounds. The trees in Dad and Mom's yard and over at Eric and Julia's place were starting to lose their leaves, but were keeping their beauty in spite of it. I really wish I would've made a point of stopping at least once to capture photos of the brilliant trees Chris and I saw on our way to the Retreat. I don't know how many times we oohed and aahed over a stretch of stunning trees along the route in upper Michigan and northern Wisconsin, and said, "Look at that!", especially when the scene involved colorful trees at the edge of a lake or river. But we didn't stop to take pictures, so I will have to store all that beauty only in my mind. 

My brother Troy preached the message at Northwoods Church on Sunday morning, so I got to see him & Sharon and most of their family, too, even though they don't live in the Hayward area. After church, I had a brief chat with bro Tom, as well, so now I can say that I got to be with all five of my Schrock brothers and sisters-in-law last weekend. 

Dads, Troys, Chris, and I were invited to lunch at Eric and Julia's place. Julia had the table decorated prettily for Fall, and served the tastiest Fall dish - oven roasted carrots - among other goodies (like Wisconsin cheese!). Niece Annie wrote the names on napkins for our place cards, very reminiscent of Mom-Eva's custom when we had guests in our home as I was growing up. After enjoying the good food and typical banter, laughter, and pondering of deep questions that enter the conversation around a Schrock table, Chris and I pulled ourselves away to begin the trip home.

We talked nonstop for the first several hours, since we had so much to process and relive from our weekend experiences. We went as far as Escanaba, Michigan that evening, and stayed overnight in a motel there, leaving about nine more hours of the trip for the next day. 

Some impressions of our trip home on Monday:

~ the time it takes for the sun to wake up in northern Michigan could be called the mist-ery hour

~ God must have smiled when He tossed a handful of aster seed on a certain hill and thought about one of His daughters smiling when she saw the profuse white and purple flowery results

~ Chris is the perfect book-discusser to have along on a trip, judging by her contribution to our times of reflection after listening to the audio book "Hope is the First Dose" by Dr. Lee Warren (a neurosurgeon who is a Christian)

~ shopping at Hobby Lobby for an hour makes a wonderful travel break

~ it's nice to be able to view northern wildlife in action, not just in roadkill standstill; I saw deer, wild turkeys, an eagle on a branch in a dead tree and an eagle on the wing with a dead treat (a freshly-caught rodent dangling from its talons), and Chris and I are quite certain that the black creature we saw ripping across the road some distance ahead of us was a bear

~ coming home to loved ones after a long road trip is pretty amazing 

From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised, says the Psalmist, and I agree. From the leaving home on a trip to the coming home of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised, is my paraphrase. 

I'm over here thanking God for safety on the journey, for the beauty of His Creation, for the joy of Retreat-ing with His people, and for the moving of His Spirit in the lives of many ladies, including my own.