SUMMER BEGINS - 2012

Summer started for the Lewis family in the beginning of June.  It was time for their annual RV excursion.  This year their adventure was going to take them once again to Arkansas to visit family.  From there they would work their way north and east and end up at Niagara Falls.  That's quite a month (or more) of traveling for a family of five.  They are all so thankful to God for being able to take that well deserved time off and to spend such quality time as a family every year.  If you wish to see how their month long trip went, you can go to their blog at:  http://lewis5.blogspot.com/

Now that summer has started, the plan for me was set into action.  When the time came for them to leave Niagara Falls, their next major stop would be Mackinaw, MI and Mackinac Island.  There they would meet up with me and we would spend Independence Day together camping at the campground for a few days.  So I hitched up my trailer and headed east a couple of days early so I could take my time and enjoy an area that I had never been in before.

Camping in MN

It was really nice to be able to take my time traveling to meet up with them because even though I have spent a lot of time in Minnesota, traveling through Wisconsin and Michigan's UP was all new to me.  I was able to do the type of camping that I enjoy most.  I love to stop at small town city parks that have RV hookups available.  It's usually quiet in these parks and often I get to meet some of the locals.

It's also always nice to unwind after a day of pulling my little trailer by taking a hike through the lush and bountiful woods of the area.  You know me, I look for opportunities to hike and walk whenever and wherever I can!

A trail in the Wisconsin woods.

Wisconsin camping

While I was setting up camp here in Wisconsin I saw a sign in the campground that warned of bears in the area.  Sure enough, on the trail that I was hiking I came across some bear scat.  That evening I closed my windows.

STEVEN'S SUMMER WITH POP

.......................AND WHAT A SUMMER IT WAS ! ! !  The next several stories in this blog have their origins in the Lewis family which go back to when Scott was Steven's age.  Allow me to briefly fill in some of the blanks as I understand them.  A Lewis tradition was started a generation or so ago.  As soon as I was told about it, I was thrilled beyond belief.  Now I am fully blessed to have been a part of such a great experience and to be able to help carry on that family tradition.

The tradition started (at least as I understand it) when Scott graduated from grade eight----WAAAAY back when (sorry Scott).  His parents gave to him, as a graduation gift, a plane ticket to Arkansas to spend the summer with his grandparents.  This exercise was so well received that Scott's other two brothers also followed suit.  Thus the tradition was started.

Now here is where I come in:  Shortly after Steven was born, and after we moved to North Dakota, Scott described to Nana and me what a memorable time he had the summer that he was in Arkansas.  He had memories that lasted, and will last, his lifetime.  It was then that Scott honoured us with the request that when Steven graduated from grade eight, would we consider having him spend the summer with us as his graduation gift?  Needless to say, we not only JUMPED at the offer but talked about it often and looked forward to the day with great anticipation.  Now my only regret is that Nana wasn't here for the event knowing that she would have had just as much fun as Steven and I.  In fact, whenever Steven and I did something "goofy" we would look at each other and say, "If Nana were here right now she would just look at us and say, 'OH YOU GUYS ! ! !'.  It was because of that, that I tried to give Steven a summer he wouldn't soon forget.  I can say without a doubt that it was a complete success too.  I know that I will never, ever, forget Steven's summer with Pop.

So hang on tight!!!  The ride that follows is NOT for the faint of heart.........

SURPRISE TRIP TO LODI

June 01, 2012 and I made another trip out to California to see my family once again.  After having been out west three time last year, 2011 (or was it four times?)  I thought I would take a break and not go out there this year, 2012.  Especially since they are coming this way for a summer vacation in July.  More on that later.

Well, my oldest grandson is graduating from grade eight so how could I pass up such a monumental occasion as that??  Steven is such a special young man to me in so many ways and in so many memories that I couldn't resist a surprise visit to Lodi.

I love all my family so much so it doesn't take much of an excuse for me to jump on the plane and visit them.  Now that the other grandchildren are coming up to that age soon, will I be able to keep up with the travels forth and back??????  I'm not sure, but probably so..........

For the second time in a couple of years I was able to surprise them with shock and awe when I arrived.  I depended on my son Matt to pick me up at the airport in Sacramento and when we arrived back in Lodi and I knocked on Scott and Lisa's door, I was thrilled as always to hear the screams of excitement and jumps of joy when they saw me standing on their step. 

I am so thrilled with the accomplishments of Steven, and all my grandchildren for that matter, in their scholastic endeavours as all of them are excelling in their studies and goals.

Now that "Mom" will be their teacher as home schooling takes over this year, I pray that God will bless them even more as their life goes on.

Steven, I know that God has a special plan for you in your life and I deem it a privilege and an honour to be an influence in your life.  May God bless you richly!!!!!!!  Congratulations as you head into your high school years!!!!!!

SINGING IN THE RAIN

Last evening I called my friend and it turned out that we had both been cutting grass all day and had both just come in (all dusty and dirty) from the chores of the day.  It had been a nice day in that there was no rain and the clouds that persisted all day kept the temperature very reasonable.  As we talked on the phone, I noticed that the sunshine was starting to poke through the clouds and the sky was brightening up.  It was then that I decided to go out for my evening walk.

As I walked out the door I noticed a darker cloud to the south but the sky above was so inviting that I just knew I would have a nice walk.  I got about a half block away when all of a sudden--KABOOM!!  Then a rumble in the distance.  A little farther down the street I thought I felt something hit my head.  (It doesn't take much for me to feel something hit my head these days!)  Oh well, what's a drop or two as I walk around town.  At first it was just a drop or two.  But the drops were HUGE.  I thought it was hail when it first started coming down but they were soft so it couldn't be that.

It was about three block away as I continued my walk that I noticed that the dark cloud was getting closer and the very large spots (from the huge rain drops) on the dusty street were getting closer together.  A little farther down the street the sky finally opened up, just as I noticed a neighbour driving around the corner.  I was offered a ride home, but why should I?   I was wet now!  When I got closer to home, I noticed some other neighbours peering out of their garden shed.  They were taking refuge in the shed until the rain let up.  I walked across their yard and chatted with them until it stopped raining, all the time thinking how nice that hot shower was going to feel when I got home.

Thank you Lord, for your wonderful creation, the refreshing rain, and the friends that you bring into my life.   

THE MOVE IS COMPLETE ! ! !

Before I get started on this story, allow me to go back in time a bit to get you caught up on this move that I am talking about:  Shortly after coming to Butte, I bought an old abandoned church building across the street from the house.  I had a complete array of woodworking tools and equipment, but no place to set up shop.  This building had been sitting vacant for many years and it needed to have some life back in it so the logical thing to do was to set it up for my shop.  Now I was obligated to keep the grass cut so it wouldn't be an eyesore from across the street! 

After buying the church, I started moving my tools in and setting up shop.  It was an ideal situation because the wide open floor space allowed me to have room for all my tools as well as a large working area to assemble projects.  The photo below is when I was just starting to set up my tools. 

I made a lot of sawdust in that shop and I was able to always go over there anytime I wanted some woodworking therapy or to make a new project.  As we woodworkers say, "I've got sawdust in my veins".

Now we can fast forward to this month, May 2012:  I haven't been using the shop for several years now and I have kind of lost interest in making sawdust.  Funny how values and interests change over the years,  especially when other things in one's life change as we go down the path that God has laid out for us.  I'm not saying that I will never get into a woodworking shop again.  I dearly love the hobby and at some point down the road I might just start up again, I just don't know when it will happen.

But since I wasn't using the building and it was becoming somewhat of a liability for me, I decided to sell.  Therein lies the move that I am talking about.  A new family in town bought it and they plan to fix it up to live in.  Just that was encouragement enough for me to sell the building and move my shop out.

 Here they are cleaning out the old stuff so they can start work on their new home.  They have quite a task in front of them but they are ambitious and I have no doubt that they will do a fine job.  I am looking forward to having some more neighbours too!

 The church is empty, the new owners are ready to start their project, and I have completed my move.

 I have moved all my tools across the street into a small shed in my backyard.  How long will my tools stay in the shed?  Will I decide to sell them too to go along with my quest to simplify and downsize?  Only time will tell and only God's plan worked out in my life will be the deciding factor.  It was quite a move and I don't really care to go through something like that again soon!!  

I'M MOVING ! ! ! ! !

IT'S TRUE......With regard to my previous post of loving my grandchildren at a distance, I am in the process of selling some of my property here in Butte, ND.  Things are in the works as we speak and I will be posting details and photos in the next couple of days with the details of what is happening here in the next few months.  Please stay tuned!!!  And keep me in your prayers as I make more decisions in the future of my life here on the Northern Plains!!!!!!!!

LOVE AT A DISTANCE

I'm watching my grandchildren grow up from a distance.

Oh sure, I do make a trip or two often enough out to the west coast to visit my family there.  And they too make an occasional trip up my way for a visit.  Technology helps too.  Phone calls, e-mails, computer video conferencing, Facebook, and even the occasional letter through the good ol' US post office.  All these things work fine, that is when we take the time to use them.  I'm wondering though, even if I lived across town instead of across country, would I be able to visit more often?  I know that I would be able to attend school and sporting functions on  a regular basis.  I know this because recently I spent three months with my family out there and I did just that.  But they have their own lives too and, like most young families these days, have so many activities in their own right.

We live in an age where we are all so busy.  May I digress and talk about the "good ol' days"?  The days when we spent the evenings (the whole family) outside the house while the children played and the neighbours visited.  And the days when we went for "Sunday afternoon drives" and stopped along the way to visit friends or stopped somewhere to open the picnic basket?  The days when we weren't always on the go, going forth and back, to this and that?  Yes, life was slower (I do remember).  Why, when I was a kid.................

These are just some thoughts that go through my head as I ponder when I will be able to get together with them again.  Lord willing, that day will be soon as they make their plans for vacations and summer travels this year.

But watching my grandchildren grow up from a distance has been made most fun by watching them in my daughter's blog.  There their lives and activities are chronicled permanently where I am able to go back time and time again to re-live their adventures.  Right now I am watching my daughter as she starts the awesome task and adventure of home schooling her youngest and next year the other two join in with Mom as their teacher.  Now as my oldest grandson is graduating from grade eight, I hope to live through that experience as well through their blog.

Sure, it's a little disconcerting to see them grow up at a distance but I do confess that it was my choice to move away from the hustle and bustle of the west coast.  I also believe that God directs all the paths of His people and that He has me here for a reason.  All we can do is pray that God will continue to reveal to us his perfect will for our lives.  I certainly am looking forward to what God has in store for me as much as I am looking forward to seeing my family again soon.