My Reading Blog

The beautiful countryside I have been truly blessed - this was my fourth mission/build trip to Guatemala.  I always refer to it as my birthday present to me since it usually falls around my birthday.  I'm still trying to process all that took place this past week, so I'll only share part of my story now. We (there were 16 of us - some who had been on other trips and some newbies) left early on Saturday flying to Guatemala City and then on to Antigua for the night.  Up early and on our way to Totonicapan - a small town northwest of Guatemala City, up in the mountains.  We reached an elevation of over 8000 feet. Grandma Leonor Monday morning after breakfast, we piled into the vans (two groups going to two different work sites).   What a reception we received from our family!  We were helping with a house for a young family - Neal, Kathy & their 18 month old little girl.  Neal worked in transportation, driving a "chicken" bus (the main...

Ten days to spend exploring Boston and surrounding areas.  Arriving in Boston on Saturday, we drove down to Cape Cod to spend two days enjoying the sights and checking out the history of that area.  A stop a Plymouth to see where the Pilgrims landed a great start to our feast of seafood. We took a whale boat tour out of Provincetown, but the seas were very rough and unpredictable so our Captain had to turn around, but continued to search for whales.  Unfortunately, the whales must have decided it was too rough from them also, as we didn't spot any on our journey.  So onward we went, walking Provincetown and dining on some delicious lobster and then some more walking. Another day took us to Hyannis and a harbor boat ride to get as close as possible to the Kennedy compound.  On to a couple of museums and some more walking.  Along the way, we managed to find some fine dining places to quench our thirst and hunger for seafood. We then traveled to Laconi...

The last two weeks I've been overseeing our After School Mentoring Program and there have been some challenges along the way, but overall it has been a great experience for all of us volunteers.  Most of us are not certified teachers, but we can listen and help. Last week S came to us along with her two older brothers (7th and 10th grade), because Mom wasn't sure that S could handle being with us alone.  Some anxiety issues, some ADD issues, some other issues that I'm still not sure of.  I encouraged her to join in the game the others were playing - she did so reluctantly.  Then Mom & Dad showed up.  We talked with them, found out some of the issues, told them they could stay with her during mentoring or sit in the Youth Room.  They opted to sit in the Youth Room. Since we don't have enough mentors for one-to-one, I placed S with B.  The mentor was a former teacher and I knew that she could manage both (or at least I hoped).  My job as l...

Last January our church embarked on an After School Mentoring Program for our Junior High Students.  It started off with 10 students, which we now look at as a gift from God.  He was giving us a chance to get the program moving in the right direction. Last week, we started our 2016-2017 program.  I have been working with the coordinator to get everything going.  She is out of town for several weeks, so the first two weeks were put on Joan and my plate.  This year is slightly different as we have changed our grades and now work with 8th graders and 3rd graders. Joan and I met with the principals, discussed the focus, met with the transportation department, waited for the enrollment forms to be turned in, talked with the mentors, greeters and cooks and waited for the number of students we would be helping. We contacted the principals on Tuesday - 3rd grade numbers - 12, no wait 15, hold on it's a final count - 19!  Praise the Lord.  Oh, my. ...

We've been talking about it since last Spring.  A vacation to some place we've never been.  The anticipation is building and we're counting the days - 18.  All the sights to see, where to visit, what do we really want to experience. Our son and daughter-in-law are going with us.  They've visited this city once before, but are just as excited to see it all again and more.  The hotels and flights are booked, many posts have been made to our special file on Pinterest. We're checking the weather, hoping it will be mild with no rain.  Contemplating what we need in our suitcases and carry-ons. In a couple of weeks we'll be driving to IL and then board a United airline flight to Boston. We're staying a couple of days in Cape Cod, then driving to Laconia, NH in the White Mountains to see the fall colors, covered bridges, a winery or two, small quaint villages along the way, a ride on the Cog Railroad and who knows what else we might find.  We'll head...

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my CHEF and his new stove.  In addition to that new stove, he got a smoker for his grill. He's been reading about smokin', watching the Food Channel, getting all his supplies and food together.  He told me to send out an e-mail to several of our neighbors and our best friends, asking them to be guinea pigs.  They promptly replied and said they would be delighted to come.  (They have sampled many of his meals before and none have disappointed them.) The pork butt roast was thawed as was the ribs.  The wood was soaked.  The meat was marinated.  Rain was in the forecast for Friday, so he decided he'd get everything going on Thursday and then warm it all up. He started his smoker at 9:00 a.m. and got the temp just right.  He put the roast and ribs on to start a slow cook.  He checked the temperature many times and fed it more wood.  Four hours later the ribs came off - smelling wonderful and lookin...

There's not many times that we can say "we had a perfectly delicious day" in the middle of August in the Ozarks, but Sunday was just that kind of day! I sat outside on the back patio, reading a book, watching the hummingbirds flit around wondering when I would leave so they could stop and take a drink. I sat on the front porch watching the butterflies and birds, listening to the cars passing by, lawn mowers purring, locusts chirping their song, watching the puffy clouds slowly moving across the sky and the man at the pond fishing without a care in the world. I took my glass of wine with me to sit by the pond, watching the dragonflies skim across the water, the fish jumping and making ripples in the smooth water. Feeling the cool breeze along with the warmth of the sunshine.  Feeling the presence of God in this moment - calm, peace, joy, happiness and wonder. A Perfectly "Delicious" Day that God has blessed us with in the middle of a hot and humid summe...