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An Eastward Trek With 15 Others
This is going to be hard for me to recount all the events of the last 10 days, but here goes! We just arrived home last night after a trip to Indiana to a youth camp my kids have been attending for years. I think traditions are important and anything that makes an impact in my children’s spiritual life for the good is very high on my list of things we should do. I’m glad my husband shares that vision, too. We left the evening of June 29 and at various stops picked up our remaining passengers. We drive through the night and in the morning hours stopped in…
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Making Memories and a Tutorial on How to Tie a Quilt
Last week my aunt, her son and granddaughter (my cousins) came for a visit. We had a really good time showing them around our state – even visiting the Grand Canyon which was the first time for all 3 generations. You can see that my cousin is just a wee bit taller than me. 6′ 5″ versus my diminutive stature of 5′ 3″. So while my aunt was here I asked her if she would show us how to tie a quilt. You see, my grandmother who has been gone for 17 years, loved to quilt. She made patterned quilts and tied quilts. I have at least 9 quilts…
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How to Grill Chicken Perfectly and a Delicious Marinade Recipe
Standing in front of the grill with smoke billowing up around him, flames leaping high and a spray bottle of water held at the ready to save the choice meat that had been placed on the grill, described my husband oh, so many years ago. And then, if there were guests to visit with, things got worse. No longer did he stand ready to put out any fires but had his back to the grill while he had a nice chat and our meat was consumed by the hungry flames. Although I am exaggerating the situation, it was true enough that he eventually was retired from the grill and I…
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The Pergola Gets Put To Use
The pergola got its first big use this past Monday with about 240 people “dropping by” our place. We are affiliated with a church that hosts a youth camp each year in our area, and so each year, for many years now, we have had a tradition where all the youth campers come to our house when their camp ends. I prepare a lunch for everyone and the campers entertain themselves in various ways – or just relax and visit. The morning of… everything lay waiting in preparation for the deluge of guests that would show up about 11:30 a.m. We always shoot the cannon when new guests come to…
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A Motto to Live By
Bloom where you are planted. Such a simple line but the meaning behind that thought can have so many applications. It doesn’t matter matter where you are in life; you have a choice to make on whether you will be happy or not, whether you will bloom or choose to be something far less than you could be. The Castle Keeper girls have been voting on a motto for our club and the winner was “Bloom where you are planted.” We are now going to have t-shirts made up with this saying printed on the back. I like it! The CK girls are great examples of someone choosing…