Last week of summer.

These beautiful blooms planted in July were nearly buried in weeds.  

The lovely Blakely girls, our favorite landscaping crew, weeded and mulched the flower garden by Leah's house last week. Just received pics this week.

 

I finally picked up last week's paper that had my article.

Jane and I enjoyed our Tuesday morning walk. We explored areas of the Taylor U campus that we had not seen before.

Michael put in long hours at Stephan's every day, and stops at Menard's once or twice a day for more parts.  He is working on the radiant heat control panel at this time. Father and son are focused on the inner workings of the house (heating and plumbing), not pretty or showy, but oh so important!

For more about the ongoing progress on the house, see Karen's weekly blog updates.

My work is to write. In March I began posting two chapters each month--the 1st and 15th are my self-imposed deadlines. Wednesday was the scheduled publication of chapter 14.

The task has become more demanding as I ran out of pre-written chapters, and now my primary source, my parents' letters, has dried up. 

I try to give time each day to the process of furthering the story of my early childhood in Argentina. 

1. Determine scope, content and theme of the chapter.

2. Research the sources, historical context, relevant photos and theme-appropriate Scripture.

3. Compose the narrative, edit and revise.

4. Schedule to publish on My Argentina.

5. Send English version to friend in Argentina for translation.

6. Edit, discuss and come to an agreement on any changes.

7. Post and schedule publication on Mi Argentina querida.

So, at the beginning of the week I was working on steps 6 & 7 for chapter 14. And then began immediately on chapter 15.

Later in the day come the chores--cooking, cleaning, etc. In the evenings when we finally are together, we sit in our favorite recliners, watch Jeopardy and some other show. That's when I knit a few more rows of whatever project is on hand. Eventually, stitch by stitch, there is a finished product. I truly enjoy making something useful out of scraps. This came from a massive pile of tangled yarn I found at the Helping Hand store. Not sure where it will go now. Perhaps to a program that helps out children in foster care.

Can you see what's wrong with this outfit?

Friday was Kristie's birthday. A couple days later we were privileged to visit them in their new house and see two of Sam's pendulum paintings. Wow! He is quite the artist.

Saturday was an adventure-filled day. Michael was going to go bicycling alone. I suggested we go hiking together. I was thinking of the cross-country trail. In an effort to make the adventure comparable to his usual 80 to 100 mile bike rides, he planned a route through our woods, across the road to another woods, to the cross-country trail, then the road to another trail and walk home. I asked how long that would take. What he hadn't counted on was that over the summer the paths he knew were all overgrown. He was leading me into the jungle! When we came out on the first road, we just walked home.

Early afternoon, we had some delightful little visitors. Kalani is fascinated by the wooden duck decoys.

Three grandboys arrived soon after to spend the night. We enjoyed an afternoon of games and fun. 

They stayed back that evening when we went to the wedding of Stephan and Karen's neighbor, Jasmine. For years now she has been a regular at Monday Night Dinner, so we've all become good friends.

The ceremony took place in the front field of Stephan's property. 

The wedding arch; the couple; Boomer, the ring-bearing dog 

We sat next to this lovely lady with the golden hair. The sun shone so bright. Karen's hair glistened like gold.

It was a fun evening. And when we got home, the boys were still alive and awake. Elijah had prepared a tasty egg dish. 

Sunday afternoon, we took the boys home and toured the new house. It was wonderful to spend the afternoon catching up with one another.

The boys brought out the new musical instrument in the family, Zion's trombone. My Dad would've loved this scene.

September's final full week

The hydrangeas in our front yard are drying up, losing their bright white, taking on pink and green tones, not exactly like the one watercolor tutorial I attempted this week.

It was my last week of physical therapy. I rode along with Moriah to the Taylor campus, across from the clinic, just another way to get some extra steps in. We saw people looking into the sky. Oh, a beautiful rainbow! There were other sightings that day. A beautiful reminder of God's covenant love, and promise, Genesis 9:8-16.

On the walk home I explored more of the Taylor University campus. The center building, English Hall, is the one that has taken Moriah, a commuter, into their community.

I enjoy sharing a lunch with Michael as often as possible while he tackles the enormous project of turning a 19th century building into the new robotics team shop. So far he has spent most of his time at the top of the scissors lift--to replace missing dry wall and tape, tear down the variety of old stuff (pipes, lights, wires), apply primer and three coats of paint. He was having a lot of trouble with the sprayer nozzle clogging. He went to the paint shop, but they didn't have the right kind or size. A painter standing nearby overheard the conversation and offered to look in his truck. He came back with the perfect item and size needed!

Another God-encounter happened Monday when I parked at the court house at noon for jury summons appointment. I saw a couple of friends who currently reside in North Carolina. I jumped out of the car, ran up to them and exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" They were in the area and needed to pick up a copy of their marriage license. We agreed to meet with them and a couple other friends at Ivanhoe's (where else?!) on Wednesday. Instead of the popular photo by Garfield, they later posed by the famous Koch tree sculpture.

Jon and Carol Shaneyfelt

 Skye's girlfriend was working then and brought me a fresh coffee.

This was also the day I looked forward to reading Sam and Kristie's annual celebration testimony of God's amazing grace.

Sam:

What a gift to be free from the chains of addiction and to be given hope and freedom. 19 years ago today God rescued Kristie and I from the living nightmare of addiction. Only an addict will understand the depravity that comes along with addiction, so much shame, pain, isolation, and darkness. I never thought back then that getting clean would have been possible, but God had other plans for our lives. If you are struggling from addiction please know there is hope, and that hope can bridge the gap between bondage and freedom. Please reach out to someone and ask for help if you’re not sure what to do or how to get out of the trap of addiction. I’m happy to help in any way I can.

Kristie: Today I celebrate 19 years of recovery and God's deliverance from a life of destruction. While engaged with the Bible today, this verse was included in my reading. It is a promise God's Spirit spoke to me 10 years ago through that Still Small Voice, prior to all my health diagnoses, when I was very frightened. The baby in my womb was being evaluated for a heart defect. I had just left an obstetrician appointment where the midwife seemed more concerned than she could conceal. I went home and cried out to Jesus for help for my baby, and I heard over and over the words "Isaiah 46:3". I eventually got off my knees and went and got my Bible. I did not have the verse memorized. I wasn't even sure if I had read it before. Yet after reading it, all my fears were calmed. Later my baby, Zion, was found to have no issues with his heart at the neonatal cardiologist's appointment. Since then, He reminds me of this verse frequently. I can rest in His arms. Not only does He promise to carry me and my children, but also He carries all those who call on His Name, who are Children of God. He has carried me through so much and promises to continue to carry me all my life. Praise Him!

Isaiah 46: 3-4
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.

Friday I was happily able to go to our local Farmers' Market again! I enjoy purchasing goodies from each of the vendors. I spent the most time talking with this couple, the Zapfs. He is a wood carver with vast experience and many stories. He even brought some samples, photo albums, and a book that features his sandstone sculptures on each side of the Indiana State Museum.

Meanwhile, son Stephan was at his first woodcarvers event in Kewanna, Indiana. Here he explains and shows what he made--an owl called Flurry.

He had carved a piece to take and hopefully sell at the auction--a bench, or is it a bridge?

Would you be scared of the troll under the bridge?

Speaking of bridges. . . here is the bridge Moriah and her J-term Lighthouse team put together as a bonding experience this weekend. Looks like a happy crossing. But, of course, there were no trolls.

Another full week has flown by, and the month of September is also closing out.
Isn't life wonderful?

2016 Week 46: Friends, Family, Fun

No more fresh flower bouquets to share, but only ones I colored on my weekly page.

The saying is fitting for our week--beautiful weather, fun times with friends and family.

We enjoyed gorgeous sunshine and record high temperatures for November, until the weekend.
I wanted to see how our real live birds were faring then, and capture the flurrying snow.

We enjoyed two musicals: one Sunday afternoon at Taylor University Theatre, and another at Delta High School Friday evening.

A view of Taylor campus during intermission

Otherwise the week was full of routine chores and necessary seasonal tasks.

Bi-weekly  recycle bin return                                                                               Annual winterizing vent closure

Michael's load is continually heavy with the responsabilities he carries for the robotics team, and increasingly so this week with the upcoming BIG move.
Even so, he planned a day off. In the morning we picked up the Cratons and met other OM friends from long ago, the Bankers, at Pokagon State Park. We planned to eat at the Potawatomi Inn. Upon arrival we saw the parking lots full of cars, we wondered whether we should have called ahead. There was a conference going on with 200 attendees. No problem, enough food and space for us too.

We had a wonderful time catching up, reminiscing, laughing, telling stories and could have gone on all afternoon.

Dennis and Donna Banker, the Kochs, Linda and Bob Craton
(Some hairdos seem wind-proof, not mine!)

We had to get home for the next big event--Malachi's and Lexi's performance in Fiddler on the Roof!

Hodel and Perchik                                                                                  The Edens

What a great surprise to reconnect with a couple from our country line-dance circles from years ago! Ya'akov was a professor in the dance and theatre department for 40 years!
I first met him when, in my very early days of teaching as a graduate assistant at Ball State, one of my students invited me to her performance and took me back stage to meet him.
Always a beloved teacher, now in retirement, he helped the Delta Troupers not only with the choreography but also with understanding of his own Jewish culture. He spoke highly of them, "They're great kids. They were like sponges taking it all in. Tell them once and they do it."
Several mentioned their gratitude in their program notes.
Malachi: "Thank you Mr. Eden for giving us so many helpful tips and support."
Ya'akov told us that the thank you card this large cast (55) wrote him moved them both deeply.

Saturday--the BIG MOVE began, from the shop at Morrison Mock to the new shop at MadJax, nearly three times bigger.
These are photos from last week when they were moving in the auction purchases. So I imagined them on this blustery day wearing jackets, maybe wool hats and gloves,

So ends a good week.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week, y'all!