The Mountain Top

When it comes to mountain scenes, I am my father’s daughter. As a young girl, I lived in a city that, literally translated, means “I see a mountain.” My dad enjoyed telling me that. When we moved to Canada, he chose the West Coast, for no other reason, really, than the mountains. So, it just came naturally that I loved the mountains. And it just so happens that it was on a hike as a teen-ager that my, then future husband, first showed signs of being interested in me. He was eating on orange and stuck the peel in my back pocket. Interesting way to show that he had his eye on me, but it started something.

This past Saturday we got in the truck and headed east to try a new mountain. He showed me the peak from the highway, “The one on the very left . . . that’s Mt. Cheam.” he said.

It wasn’t long before we took the Exit, drove through the farming community and up, toward the mountains. We turned onto a forest service road and four wheeled for almost an hour on a rough road with many cross ditches and pot holes, passing kids who were having the greatest time on their dirt bikes and ATVs. This already felt like a workout!

By now the mountain top was looming quite close, I thought.

We began our walk with ease.

The wildflowers, the meadows, the clear blue sky …

. . . it was breathtaking! This is when I say, “I love hiking! There’s nothing I’d rather be doing!”

But the trail got steeper and the realization that the reward of seeing the top would not come easily, hit me in much the same way as the start of labor pain reminds you what it was like the last time. “Maybe the view is good enough already. If I take one more step, I’m going to die!” is sort of what went through my mind. Besides, it was very hot! My Gr 11 Geography teacher was wrong, the temperature was going up! We found a shady spot and had our lunch.

Somewhat revived, we continued . . . and then I saw it! The actual tip that we were headed toward. I don’t think I took a picture at this point, but can I just say it was not unlike the looming disappointment I felt with the realization that I may never make it!

The trail got very steep and finally I just sat down on the slippery shale, and told him he should go ahead - wave at the top – I’d take a picture!
I sat there for maybe five minutes, taking pictures of the mountain ranges and trying to convince myself that there really could not be much more to see than what I was seeing right where I was! Then I looked up and he wasn’t too far away . . . waving, no, beckoning for me to come! Suddenly I was strong, even with the backpack!

It was only a few minutes . . . and I would have missed this!! Who could have known what was on the other side of where I was sitting?

7,000 feet above sea level . . . it’s a speechless feeling!

We had dessert. (of course!) He ventured just a bit higher to the final peak, while I soaked in all I could of the mountaintop experience . . . the one I almost missed by four minutes!

They Call them Winter Pansies

I’ve become aware of the fact that I can prolong the flower view just outside my kitchen window with winter pansies. The ones I planted in the Spring were quite dead with the amount of summer sun we’ve had, but I wasn't quite ready to have empty window baskets. I love how you can enjoy them from the inside as much or more than from the outside. So I went out to the greenhouse once more. The young lady there told me that this variety lasts the longest of all the flowers, even through some frost at times.
I was happy about that, since these window baskets are even kind of protected! Which reminds me . . . I didn’t tell you about something. After checking out several places and prices on a large porch awning, we decided to get a smaller (roller) awning where the BBQ is so that we can still barbecue in the rain. Then my H designed a few frames for two of the other windows and had them crafted by an acquaintance. Next he ordered extra material from where we got the one (real) awning and had the frames covered by someone he knew of in the tent business.
So, for less than the one large awning over the deck would have been, we now have a roller awning on one side of the patio where we can move the table under if we have to and a bonus of the two kitchen windows! With newly filled window boxes, we will see if we can enjoy the summer feeling just a little longer . . . even in the rain.

Wisdom 101

As students are going back to school, I wanted to share some notes taken from a recent sermon by Pastor Lee Fancois. While I'm sitting here, thinking of how to put it all together, I'm reminded of 1. Corinthians 13:2 "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge . . . but have not love, I gain nothing."

• Wisdom is never merely intellectual, but always practical. Knowledge can tell you the shortest distance, between two points, but wisdom will know the best route.


• The person who has wisdom is humble and listens to advice.
  Proverbs 11:2 “With humility comes wisdom.”
  Proverbs 13:10 “Wisdom is found in those who take advice.


• Wisdom is always relational in its application. If we don’t apply what we know to be true, then we are not wise.


• God’s wisdom is always counter intuitive to the word’s wisdom.
  James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere."


• Wisdom is directly proportional to our relationship with God.
  Psalm 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

There are plenty of tests to determine how smart you are, but tests don't determine how wise you are. (LF)

Love Hurts

Tears are running down my face as I stand by the sink, preparing the last meal before heading to the airport. Once again, I'm struck by the fact that one could never be prepared for this part of life. Would I have signed up for this mothering thing, had I read the fine print?
On this day I feel with the momma who is leaving her child at the kindergarten door, trying hard to smile, but feeling all of her five-year-old’s apprehensions and wondering how she, herself, will make it through the next three hours. The years, they fly, and the boundaries grow. First overnights, summer camps, parties and the car keys. Little by little we give, hoping we’ve taught them right.
I also feel with the Mom who has run around for the last few weeks, making sure her barely eighteen-year-old has everything she needs to live in dorm at a college, four hours away. She wonders why she is buying to have her move. Where have the years gone? Will she remember to separate darks and lights? Will she eat right? Who will tell her to be careful? The questions keep coming and emotions are barely held in check.
I thought this would be the last of its kind. After all, she’s grown up. But, as students are heading back to school, my daughter and family are heading back to a country far away. Twenty hours of flying. Yes, there’s the Internet . . . but no cuddles with the little ones, no pancakes with sugar, no stories with chatter, no watching movies and eating popcorn. No mother-daughter shopping days or lunches. No Christmas around the tree. No, many things.

Goodbyes hurt. I became a Mom and felt like the babe in my arms was mine. I loved like never before. In fact, maybe I didn’t even know what love was before I had a child. It surely wasn’t like playing with dolls. This child had feelings and those feelings became mine. Love gives all and then lets go even though the feelings stay. And this too, because we love. Yes, love hurts.
But if I’d have to do it all again, I would.


Just one of the reasons I would .

Remember Bedspreads?

I had to pull out an old photo taken when we were trying to sell our house in 1987 – just in case you need a reminder of what a bedspread is. Sometime in the last 20 years, bedmaking has become easier with just straightening out a duvet. Sometimes we opt for a duvet to sleep with plus one that is just decorative. The more, the better, right?

I grew up with duvet covers - as opposed to sleeping with a top sheet. My mom actually sewed covers for our comforters because I don’t think they were even available to purchase. So, naturally, when I first had to sleep with just a sheet and a comforter, I did not like the way it messed up. My H’s background was the same and so my Mom continued sewing covers for us and each of our kids as well, sewing together two flat sheets to match a fitted sheet. Then there came the day when you could buy ready made duvet covers in the store – imagine that!! Enough time has lapsed now and everyone has learned how to put on a duvet cover, right? If not . . . did you ask? . . . I have a free lesson for you.

( click on colage to enlarge)

1. Lay out your duvet/comforter on the bed and check its dimensions. It it’s square, it doesn’t matter. If it’s rectangular in any way, check to see which end or side (shorter or longer side) will line up with the duvet cover opening. Keep that in mind*
2. Turn the duvet cover inside out, keeping in mind if it’s the long or the short end that has the opening.
3. Extend both arms into the duvet cover and, from the inside, grab the far end corners of the duvet cover (opposite the opening)
4. With your hands still in the far end corners grab the matching corners of the duvet/comforter (opposite end from where the opening would go)*
5. Holding fast to the two corners of the duvet/comforter with your gloved hands, flip (it’s a rotation of the wrists – sorry no pic) and shake out the cover along with the duvet, raising your arms high. If it’s a large duvet, you may need someone else’s hands to help stretch the cover down over the comforter while you keep holding up the top corners. You can also try this while laying it down on the bed or the floor, but make sure the corners stay put.
6. Once the duvet cover is stretched over the entire duvet, tuck the leftover two corners (the ones on the opening side) into the cover. Grab these ends from the outside and shake to smooth.
7. Button, Zipper, or tie the opening end closed.

I like to change the top duvet cover up for the Fall and lay a folded accent quilt across the foot end of the bed. Take a look at the bedroom as though you’re just visiting and see how you can make it more inviting. Maybe change the lamp or pictures ... try doing a trio of square photos or art over your headboard or leaving it plain and hanging one over the nightstand. Get rid of any clutter that has collected on dressers or the floor. This will make dusting and vacuuming easier and your bedroom will be a nice place to retreat to.

Airing Out

When the idea of posting about this came to me, I had a certain kind of picture in my mind of old European houses with their down pillows and comforters hanging out of the windows, but when I checked on-line for pictures, all I found was information about airing out the beds. I’ll spare you the details of why this is necessary, but believe me, it is! You will never again have to give an excuse for an unmade bed --- you are simply airing it out! The advice I read was to throw back the covers and open a window for at least an hour first thing in the morning. The above picture is another way - a recent shot that my friend, Marg, sent me.

So, back to what I wanted to post about. The end of summer is the perfect time to strip beds down to the mattress, vacuum the mattress before turning it over, wash what you can and air out what you can’t. I don’t know if it’s the way I was raised, but I’ve always loved the smell of anything that has been dried outside and find that the “almost Fall” sunshine is especially nice. At this time your comforter is probably still packed away somewhere and if you didn’t get a chance to hang it out or spread it out on some lawnchairs before summer, now is a good time. If it’s a polyester filled duvet, you can wash it on gentle cycle, dry it in the dryer for a bit and then hang it out for that fresh scent.

Now, about the pillows ...

1. Remove the pillow cases and protectors to wash them separately.
2. Put two pillows in the washing machine to balance the load. I don’t know how the front loading machines work, maybe there is no balancing act there.
   Set the cycle on gentle and fill with warm or a mixture of warm and hot water.
   Use about half of the amount of laundry soap that you would for a normal large cycle and add two capfuls of bleach in the appropriate dispensing compartment. Rinse twice if you feel it’s necessary.
3. Place in the dryer for one hour. Fluff in-between. Some people add tennis balls to help with that. Continue drying and airing them out in the sun if you can or keep drying until you are sure they are completely dry. This is very important.

I don’t buy expensive pillows, so sometimes they clump up in the wash – if that happens I just go and buy new ones! Not much lost. But if the pillows wash well, as most polyester and feather pillows do, it almost feels better to put your nose into a freshly washed pillow than a new one.

You can also handwash a pillow in the bathtub and roll it up to squeeze out the water. When you are sure it’s well rinsed and squeezed, roll it up again in some large towels and step on it, to get as much moisture out as possible. Put it in the dryer for an hour or two and then in the sun for a day. I’ve always been amazed as to the bleaching effect the sun has on stains and so it is a bonus if you can turn your pillows (or duvets) to face the sun where most needed.