jim and holly

In the last year and a half or so I have done a lot of work on the remodel of our church. When I was a kid this church was one of tradesmen and farmers. Now there are a few electricians and a couple of old construction generalists. Most are computer geeks of one sort or other, it seems.

I am one of those old generalist guys. We are the last of a breed I am told.

When the remodel project began I was interested in protecting Miriam’s stained glass window, and I volunteered to do the work so I could protect that window.

And I had the skills necessary. Lots of cabinet skills, tile, painting, some carpentry, carpet, and so on.

It has been a labor of love for the most part, but now I am getting tired (and we are almost finished with this phase, and the money that was raised for the work has been spent).

Any way, last summer as I was working Jim showed up (this is the same Jim we lost last christmas). He walked with a cane, but he had that million dollar smile. He offered me a envelop.

“I cannot help, so this is my part.” It was a check, large enough to be serious, but not so large as to mess with my life or head! I was impressed with his smile and his attitude. I used it as part payment on my new MacBook.

A while back Holly (the same one I mentioned a couple of weeks ago) asked me if I would accept a gift for the work I had done, a gift of appreciation. I told her that I thought a big part of christian grace was receiving grace, as well as giving it, and yes, from her I would.

I mentioned her words to David and pretty well forgot about it.

Today as I came into church, Holly caught me. “I want to talk to you after church.”

I am not an official deacon now, but the deacon of the month was having trouble getting bodies, so he asked me to take the offering.

As luck would have it, Holly and her family were sitting at the back of the section I was serving. As I came by she pushed a folded paper into my hand and smiled. I thanked her, not knowing what she had given me, but some how remembering our conversation.

When I returned to my seat I looked at the paper. It was a check. Like Jim’s it was enough to be taken seriously, but not enough to corrupt my life!

I told her later that, more than anything, it was the motive of her gift (and Jim’s before) that was most appreciated, and that I was humbled by her gift.

When you do a huge volunteer project, it is easy to think no one notices and no one cares. I know they do notice and Holly showed me that they also care.

Soon I’ll post a series of pictures of the remodel and Miriam's stained glass window.

home

Ahh, we are home.

A trip that started out to be a long weekend and ended up two weeks is over. We are back in our cozy/nutty idaho house.

Leo was not sure about it all and still hasn’t settled into his usual bed, but he will adapt.

Because my house is so nutty (and sits 4’ into the ground) the temp was not too cold, but a good fire warmed it up quickly.

When we leave on a trip I often turn off the water heater, but I did not this time, do we arrived to a tank of hot water.

I remember when we were going to graduate school in Texas. By no means was Texas home, but after 3 grueling days on the road, (about 1600 miles) we were so glad to be in our tiny apartment. It may not have been “home” but getting there was so wonderful.

This house has been our home a long long time, it is truly home and it is so good to be here again.

By the way, it is forecast to snow tonight! If it is measurable it will set a new record!

barn sour

Yesterday Miriam and I went to the Portland Ikea store.

I am always amazed and intrigued by good Swedish design.

We did not have any extra money, which is the time to go looking, I guess.

If you have never been to a Ikea store, it will take you a couple hours just to stroll through the displays.

We saw clever sinks and vanity tops, boxes and chairs. There were glasses of all sorts, and stainless steel that seemed endless.

When we walked out I had a garlic press. With that kind of frugality, we stopped at the food court by the front door. Two cinnamon rolls for $2. They were pretty good and held us till we got back to daughters house.

The day before we went to Powell’s Book Store. I found a couple of good books on book making, so we sat down while I looked them through pretty careful, even made some notes.

We left a birthday card for granddaughter Jessica who will be 15 in a bit over a week.

We have had some really cold temps on this trip, ice on the tear the last couple of nights, but we have slept very warm and cozy.

Linda’s neighbor was sure it was foolhardy for us to sleep in the trailer, but we did just fine (thanks to a good wool blanket we borrowed from Arline).

But the idea of going home is wonderful.

If I were a horse they would say I was “barn sour.”

portland

We are in Portland Oregon this week.

There are a lot of things back home that need to be done. Firewood cut and in the wood shed; garlic planted; potatoes dug; flour corn and beans brought in to dry, but when you think of the long run, being with a family trumps.

Our youngest daughter and our 2nd oldest granddaughter (Lia and Emily) live here in Portland. Lia works for a Moonstruck Chocolates as the art director. http://www.moonstruckchocolate.com/ She art directed or designed most of the graphics on that page, and if you notice on one page the chocolate has a name on it: “emily”!!

When we visit we get chocolate!

Emily attends a private high school and takes the bus and train each day to and from school. There is a parent teacher meeting and Lia and I will go. I would love to talk to her teachers. (“Emily is bright and capable, do not let her get away with sloppy work” that would come from grandpa).

In the northwest Portland is famous as the place it always rains. That title is shared with Seattle, though it does not ALWAYS do anything. In fact they can have serious droughts as well.

Dallas and Portland get about the same amount of rain. A 4 or 5 inch rain can fall in 30 minutes in Dallas and take weeks in Seattle or Portland.

Any way it is fall and the mood is cloudy and grey, but not too cold.

We parked our teardrop trailer under an old apple tree in Lia’s yard and made ourselves right at home.

Miriam keeps wondering when we are going home, but I work at keeping her happy, and content. I give her lots of hugs and compliments. Like the rest of us, she reacts to love.

Leo the dog actually belongs to Lia and Emily, and he feels right at home here.

Tomorrow while Lia is working and Emily is in school, Miriam and I will go visit Powell’s books. I have heard it said it is the largest book store I the world. We go to the one in a nearby superb. Used and new books are shelved together by topic.

A true bookliophiliac will go nuts there. We will spend a happy time and even if we don’t buy anything it is so much fun.

I had an uncle who lived less than a mile from Lia's house. My mother's brother, he was a dentist and a real fine guy. He fell out of a tree he was trimming (he had no business being there, but that is another story) which brought on head trauma and early Alzheimer’s.

He died when we were still in Texas. She died a few years later. They were really good people. I wish I could go visit with them.