800 Kilometers in a day ... and treasured visits

Friday, October 6, 2023 Warning: lots of pictures so I remember.

Back in town! We land in Seattle from Turkey in late afternoon. Timothy comes to get us. Melissa has put flowers in the flat. I LOVE the colors.

At night, the space is soothing quiet. We used to hear the patter of toddlers' tiny feet running overhead in the main house. No more. The kids are growing up quickly.

My books have arrived. The author copies get bundled up. I have some revisions and corrections but the first batch will be sent out ASAP.

W hauls out his Turkish coffee implements and gets to work.

It's incredible to see our kids and grandkids again.

Saturday

We drive up to Canada to see our moms. My brother drops by to say hello.

Mom's house is full of treasures.

Sunday

On the walk to #MainStreetChurch, we stop to admire the house where my family lived when we arrived in Chilliwack. We crashed for a few months with our grandparents while Dad looked for a place. How tolerant the old people were! Our grand old Victorian has been lovingly restored to increased splendor. It was a stop-gap for us while Dad built the current family home.

 

When the church service ends, it's a lovely sunny walk to Mom's house.

Each morning I stroll along the riverbank, admiring plants and gardens.

The rose hips are brightest in autumn.

Monday

We're on the way home from Chilliwack. The field have been harvested or plowed, ready for winter.

We pause in Bellingham for for lunch at a Mexican family restaurant. 

Starters are free chips and dips.

I order enchiladas for the main dish - we pack the half portion that's left over for supper. Then we forget it at the table.

The grand finale is marshmallow cream and ice cream on a fried dessert.

Back in Seattle, we're dazzled by the abundance in the stores as we buy groceries or supplies to take back to Indonesia.

There's enough time to exhale, unpack the suitcases, and fill them up again.

800 kilometer Wednesday

We start the morning by driving up to Bellingham for a meeting. After, we take the freeway down through Seattle and across the state from west to east. The propellers on the wind farms are churning.

We arrive at our son's house in late evening, with 500 more miles on the odometer.

Thursday

The mornings are foggy - we're outside to walk as the sun is starting to break through.

It's cold when we walk in the morning: 4oC (40oF) or colder. Brrr.

Down the street are horses.

I snap some pictures of the wooly sheep in the pasture.

Before we head back to the house, we take in the long straight streets lined by fences.

Keelee is opening her Quiet Waters bakery in two weeks, with a focus on cinnamon rolls and cookies. She's an amazing baker so we wish her every success! She suggests meeting for breakfast at an existing bakery in town. She drives over an hour to get there.

She brings a sample pack along. Yum yum! One of Keelee's discoveries in Spokane is the Episcopalian cathedral.

We finish our tea and head in to pray and think together.

We spend a few hours together. She is a treasured companion in faith and life. We pass this old house with remnants of the summer's roses and lavender. Then we say a reluctant goodbye, "until next time."

For lunch, the family meets at Alpine Deli, a German restaurant in Spokane. (Thanks, Mel and Martha.) It's amazing to be good friends and then become family. Well done in accomplishing that, we say to our kids Jeremy and Rebekah.

In the afternoon, Wilhelmina and I visit at her house in Post Falls.

I pass along a painting of Indonesian spotted deer. It represents our mutual longing with the Psalmist: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul longs for you, O God."

The guys talk tech and theology.

Martha's flowers are lovely.

It's the end of the summer season: soon these will lie fallow until the spring.

We smile as Jeremy herds the chickens back into their pen at night.

Friday

Brunch includes Keelee's rolls and fresh eggs from Rebekah's chickens. Delicious!

We head out just after noon. It's a beautiful drive to Seattle.  On the way across the pass, we stop near Leavenworth for apples and pears.

Bins of freshly harvested fruit await. The owner says this is probably their last year, which will end our annual tradition of buying from them. They're selling their orchards. We'll miss them!

The apples are monstrous. They're also crisp and delicious! I run the smaller apples through the slicer.

The highways are lined with trees shedding golden leaves.

We enjoy our second home.

There's something peaceful about coming in the door, hanging up our coats, and relaxing on a chair with a book for a few hours.

When I put my feet up, I thank God for his abundance and blessings. May we never forget to be grateful for times of peace and human goodwill. And may we never take it for granted.

Elsewhere on the planet, Hamas has started a war. We pray multiple times each day for safety for our movie night "kids," the graduates who returned to their families in Israel, Palestine, and the many nations rimming the Mediterranean. We love each one of you. May the Lord bless you, protect you and yours, and keep you in his care. 

Saturday

Kim brings fresh scones over for breakfast. This dear friend who speaks life into my being. Need a coach for conflict resolution? She's an experienced listener and a trusted mentor for business and other relationships. (Check out her website.)

My chore of the day is the annual cleaning of the knickknacks and glass shelves in the dining room. I pour myself a cup of tea when I'm done.

W has supper with a friend while Melissa, the girls, and I enjoy her pizza. The boys and their dad are at a men's retreat.

Read more:

*He does what he wills with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, “What are you doing?” Daniel 4:35

*Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

Moravian Prayer: Discerning God, often we think we are clever and deceive ourselves into believing that we are in control. Sometimes, we even try to subject you to our will, making excuses and offering appeasements. Forgive us, loving Lord. Return us to genuine, forthright faith. Amen.