July 1, 2008

• Sweet Summertime

   I love all of the seasons, I really do.  Nothing compares to the splendor of blazing fall foliage.  A winter landscape that is covered with a newfallen blanket of snow makes the whole world look sparkling and refreshed.  Spring buds and blossoms are the harbinger of new life.  But summertime – sweet, sweet summertime.  In summertime my life takes on a different hue.  I spend more time with family, more time with friends, more time with the earth in general.  The pace of life does not slow down at all in the summertime, but my mindset does.  I drink in life more deeply.  I enjoy the moments, whether they are quiet ones or busy ones.  I plan less and yet somehow seem to do more. 

  Since I last blogged, I have been immersed deeply at the waters of my life.  To try to briefly describe the past two weeks really will not do them justice, but I will  make an attempt, nonetheless.

  On June 19-21 I had the great pleasure of spending time with my sisters.  Growing up, I barely knew my older sisters.  They were 10, 8 and 7 years older than me, and we didn’t have much in common.  My younger sister and I were like a second family, bookends on the other side of our only brother.  Our recollections of childhood mainly revolve around each other.  She and I did not always get along so well as little girls — and we had some especially rough moments as teenagers, but now all five of us sisters have grown up and grown into our sisterhood.  Our age differences don’t seem to matter anymore.  We have common ground now –we are all mothers, wives, and daughters of the same household and heritage.  We cherish our bonds that grow stronger with each passing year.  We spent our days together in Wisconsin Dells.  You may remember that about three weeks ago that particular area (along with many others in the midwest) was hit with torrential rainfall and subsequent flooding.  The town of Wisconsin Dells is situated along the Wisconsin River and what used to be Lake Delton, a lake that was created back in the 1927 when a local entrepeneur and construction company owner decided to create a resort area by excavating a shallow lake basin and building a dam to contain the waters of Dell Creek and control it’s flow into the Wisconsin River.  On June 9th, Mother Nature decided to undo what had been done nearly 81 years previously when the heavy rains washed away a portion of a road that separated the lake from the Wisonsin River and drained the lake within a matter of 4 hours.  The devastation of the lakeshore ecology and the local economy did not prevent us from having a wonderful time together, but it did serve as a reminder that we are not nearly as much in control of our fate as we would like to think we are.

  

   

     Five sisters enjoying dinner at a local restaurant.

   

   

  

   

    We went for a ride on a ferris wheel — something I haven’t done in perhaps 10 years!

   

   

  

   

    This used to be Lake Delton

   

   

  

   

  One of the houses destroyed by the flooding.  The owners could not purchase flood insurance — they were told it was “unneccesary because the lake was dam-controlled.”

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Returning home from Wisconsin, it was time to turn my attention to Vacation Bible School.  Our church hosted five evening sessions, which ran Sunday night through Thursday night, from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, and included a dinner for all of the kids and staff.  My responsibility for the week was as music leader.  I taught the kids songs during opening exercies and sang with them again at the end of the evening.  In between times I helped out in the kitchen.  The theme for the week was “Beach Party – Surfin’ Through the Scriptures”.  Each day focused on a new “Beach Be-Attitude”, which included Be Obedient, Be Kind, Be Forgiving/Forgiven, Be Bold, and Believe.  The music reflected these “Be-Attitudes” with fun, singable tunes and lyrics, often with a Beach Boys or tropical “island” sound.  I’ve uploaded a couple of videos from our last night (the kids were full of energy and the staff was getting a little worn out by the end, as you may see in the videos).  I also have to include this cute picture of Isaac and some of the other 4th and 5th grade boys (they went by the grade they would be in during the next school year).  The little girl in the picture is the younger sister of the boy on the end in the red t-shirt.  She would really just like to be “one of the boys”.

  

   

   

  The day after VBS ended was Art’s birthday (June 27th).  We decided to go away together for the weekend, using a gift certificate for a Lake Superior north shore resort that Art had been given by his office staff for Christmas in 2006 (it’s about time we used it!).  We invited our best friends and next-door-neighbors to join us.  We had a relaxing time together enjoying the natural wonders of our fair state. 

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  We spent time at Gooseberry Falls and explored the small town located near our resort.  We marvelled at the lupines that grow in profusion and at the majesty of Lake Superior.

  

  
   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Yesterday was back to reality as I had to spend some time catching up on work at the office.  Today I am home, and I am acutally looking forward to spending time weeding in my flowers.  Tomorrow I begin preparations for the 4th of July weekend.  We are spending it at the lake, with friends and family, food and fireworks. 

  Life is Good.

   

  • 11:54 am
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