-
Is that a bear behind me, or just a skunk?
As I picked these with my boys, I felt like I was the Mom in Blueberries for Sal who lost her child, but didn’t know it, because a baby bear was behind her making noise. But no bear, and no skunk this time. (You never do really know what’s lurking around here at the lake.) I love this book, because it reminds me of simpler times, and it gives that sweet-reassuring message to the child that “everything is all right, Mommy’s here.” And it gives the same message to the Mom — Sal is alright! But, I feel even luckier to have these. They are hard to come by…
-
Recipe for blueberry cornmeal pancakes.
Ingredients 1 cup milk 1/2 cup buttermilk (Or use yogurt, or add a teaspoon of vinegar to a 1/2 cup of milk. Let it sit until it curdles — a few minutes.) 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 – 1/2 cup ground flax-seed (always keep this in the freezer.) 1 cup blueberries In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, flax-seed and salt. Stir in the milks until combined. Fold in the blueberries and let the batter sit for 5 minutes.Lightly oil a skillet heat over medium heat. When hot,…
-
I used to know people like this
You know them too. The kind of people that do not make much of an impression on you at first — until they begin to talk. And then, the face you saw a second ago melts away, and then a spirit within them bursts forth to reveal some kind of joy and sweetness. And you could just sit, listen and watch how they navigate through life. Including my 4 boys, the “just perfect” Bible School we found by surprise hosted only seventeen children. Only seventeen children. These teachers thought that seventeen children to have for a week was nothing less than an honor and a privilege. The teachers’ faces were…
-
How to make a Sailboat from Recycled Materials
Sailboat ingredients: Styrofoam egg carton Stick Old plastic tablecloth or vinyl shower curtain Duct tape Patience Instructions to make sailboat: Separate the top from the bottom of the egg carton. Use the top for the sailboat, and use the bottom – the eggcups for seats. Cut sail out of vinyl into a right triangle Cut two holes in the top and bottom to push stick through. Insert stick in holes, and reinforce lightly with duct tape. Cut slit in section of egg carton that is high, and will not sit in the water. Push stick through and secure lightly with duct tape. Use the egg holders from the other side…
-
Rainy Days
The rain finally came. What a sorely needed downpour. We found two leaks in our new lake house. One leak covered the top bunk bed in water. An amazing, friendly handy-man came with the house. He can fix anything. He’ll be out today. From inside the cottage, we could look down on the water, and watch the turtles come up for air. Soon, the rain came so hard that we couldn’t see the trees on the other side of the lake, or the other cottages. It was dark, and we don’t have much light inside the cottage, so I found some candles left behind by the previous owners. How could…
-
Night Creatures
I was sound asleep, in the middle of the night. The door slam brought me to my feet – the next sound was a blood-curdling scream. I put one hand on the light switch to flood the deck, and the other on the doorknob to pull it open. Looking back, I find it funny that I never thought for a second that an intruder had come into our house.These pictures are of the beautiful animals you can see around the lake house — when the sun is up. But I’m slowly becoming aware of the huge, rather large population of night creatures that rule our deck and yard by night.…
-
The Deck
The very large deck at our lake house connects the house, the garage, and guest house, and sits about two stories off the ground. From that platform, there is another set of steps to take you higher, for a large, expansive view of the lake. The deck is built around a Red Oak, and two White Oak trees, with a cut out in the deck for one of the oaks. I can’t remember the square footage – but it took us 10 gallons of sealant to cover the entire deck. The leaves of the oaks create a shelter of shade, that give you the impression, as you look out onto…
-
People Around the Lake
One of my friends commented on our lake house before we left that it sounds like the “place where there is absolutely nothing, but everything to do at the same time.†That’s pretty close. I ordered 10 tons of sand, at a gravel pit about a mile from the lake. It was actually behind the lake – separated by the tree line. The people at the quarry had never heard of this lake. I had to give them directions to get the truck here. When they arrived, they were bewildered. How had this lake slipped by without notice? They have lived here most of their life. But like I said,…
-
Happy Birthday Sweet Heart
We’re 3 days, and 4 years apart. And this year, we’re spending our birthdays apart. But the boys insist we make up for it this weekend with s’mores. Here’s a message from each of the boys: Thank you for the fishing poles. Thank you for the lake house. Thank you for my batman scuba divers. Thank you for the s’mores. Ditto from me — and more…. And, honey, by the way, here’s what 10 tons of sand looks like. More lake house posts, here.
Writer
