3½ cups of goodness (and a recipe for Borscht)

Clay teaset

What do you accomplish in a day? Do you ever think about all that running around and working? Wonder if you’re leaving a mark on people or the world among all the busy-ness of modern life?

I have little earthen cups and a teeny teapot, suitable for tea in a crowded city like Beijing. I also have medium-sized china cups and saucers that remind me of our stay in England. And now – my favorite purchase yesterday – I have a 3½ cup tea mug that fits Montana perfectly.

The BBC recently mentioned the wonder of driving in Iowa for 40 miles and not seeing a soul. “That would never happen anywhere in the UK,” they exclaimed. But it’s true for parts of Montana as well.

Volunteer firefighters

The siren still goes off in Hungry Horse to call the volunteers for fires, medical emergencies, or Search and Rescue missions. The one grocery store in town and little post office suffice. And as I wrote yesterday, any news is interesting.

The days pass here, one after the other, just like anywhere else. Yesterday I walked to the post office and to the wi-fi spot (and got rained out), drove 25 miles to look around some shops, and walked to a neighbor’s for an excellent Mexican burritos and enchilada dinner. I felt satisfied, crawling into bed.

3 1/2 cups of tea goodness!

Drinking deeply from my Big Cup of peppermint tea, I felt better about the day than I sometimes did after “a good day’s work” at the office. I’d met people, talked to them, walked, and read a story aloud. I’d played with the dogs and skipped rope. I’d cooked a fine borscht soup for lunch (recipe below), freezing the leftovers for two more meals. It was uneventful, crisis-wise, and totally compelling - I'd like to repeat it again.

Such sabbaticals (of rest, not study as in academics) offer God’s respite between energized work. I haven’t heard a Great Task to which I’m called next season. I’ve considered starting a study  of Bible characters, in a public space, with whomever shows up.

But the ideas for the next season are hazy and fluid … and few. I’m loving it. For a task-driven person, such a vacation from “I should” and “I could” can only be healing and God’s kindness!

How about you? Are you accomplishing much with all your activity? Or have you bought into the culture’s hopes that busy work will still the restless soul, that external productivity will reduce the longing for internal significance?

A peaceful spot in Montana

Steal away alone for an hour, a half-day, a day, or a weekend. (If you’re married, offer the same timeout to your spouse.)

Listen for God’s stillness. Perhaps he will speak into your heart that He is enough and we are enough. Just as he made us. Just where he put us – whether that is in the frenzy of output and production that drives capitalism, in the stress and helping mode of people-care, or tucked out of sight on the back shelf, in the pause that encourages prayer and reflection.

Borscht, sour cream, and dill:
the perfect combo

Not-Your-Russian-Grandma’s Borscht Soup

Ingredients:

Meat* (vegan option below)

1-2 tbsp. oil

Onions, Beets

Savory herbs and spices

3-8 c. water or broth – the amount depends on how much soup you want

Optional: cabbage, beans, carrots, etc.

Instructions:

1.     In a non-aluminum soup pot, lightly brown 1-2 sliced sausages, 2-3 slices of bacon, OR ½ cup leftover meat in 1-2 tbsp. oil.

2.     Add a chopped onion and stir into the meat until it is translucent.

3.     Meanwhile, cut 3-8 beets into ½-¾” cubes.

4.     Fill the pot with 3-8 cups of water or broth and add beets. (I used 8 beets in 4 c. turkey stock.)

5.     Sprinkle in savory herbs to your own taste. I used 2 bay leaves; a teaspoon each of dried marjoram, parsley, thyme;  ½ tsp. each of celery salt and mustard seeds. (I chose those because they were near the stove, not for any particular culinary reason.)

Optional: add up to 1 c. each chopped carrots, sliced cabbage, or a mix of beans, Brussels sprouts, or other vegetables to taste.

Cook for ½-1 hour. You can let it sit in a non-reactive pot until the meal. Heat it up and salt to taste before serving. Options: a tbsp. of sour cream in each bowl, fresh dill on top for flavor.

Vegan option: skip the meat, brown the onions, add vegetables, herbs, and spices to a vegetable broth. Include cabbage, smoke salt, and sautéed mushrooms for a heartier taste. Vegan “sour cream” (1 cup): mix together 1 c. soy yogurt + 1 tbsp. lemon juice + ½ tsp. salt.

Leftovers freeze well.

Read more: 

*All a man's ways seem right to him, But the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2 NIV  

*Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

Moravian Prayer: In our families and in our church families, O holy Mediator, help us to reflect your love. Forgive us when we wrong those around us and restore us to your harmony and peace, in your Son’s name. Amen. 

Funny (but true) local police blotter, July 23-24

Funny (but true) local police blotter, July 23-24. It's starting to rain, so I have to rush this one. Photos coming in next post.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! YOU’RE THE BEST – and I’m glad we’re not on this police blotter.

These police observations need no elaboration beyond, “Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.” I pick up the weekly copy of the Flathead Beacon newspaper to read the goings-on in small-town Montana.

Monday 7/23

8:37 a.m. A Kalispell man was mad at his sisters.

4:48 p.m. Reportedly, the irresponsible driver of a ‘90s red Cadillac brandished his middle finger and cut someone off.

6:53 p.m. A member of the school cleaning team captured two young boys who were running on the roof.

8:20 p.m. A woman on Iowa Avenue near Whitefish reported that the reckless driver of a yellow convertible almost ran over her kids

Tuesday 7/24

8:07 a.m. A Kila woman reported that five goats were standing in her yard.

4:34 p.m. Reportedly, a woman on the Lone Pine trail did not have her dog on a leash and the caller would like her to be warned.

5:13 p.m. a 13-year-old’s friend called in to report that his friend was stuck in a swing in the community park on Stag Lane. He claimed that he asked the boy’s mom for butter to aid in the removal, but was refused. The fire department showed up and successfully removed the boy from the swing.

8:27 p.m. Someone watched an intoxicated woman fall into a ditch along Highway 35 in Bigfork.

9:24 p.m. Someone claimed that they were hit with a cup as they were driving down West Reserve Drive.

10:46 p.m. Kids in West Glacier were reportedly “hootin’ and a hollerin.”

10:50 p.m. A man claimed that although it was dark and hard to see, he was pretty sure that the kids skate-boarding down the bypass flipped him off.

Someone called police Wednesday that she’d photographed her neighbor’s dog in her yard “again.” Another reported that 15-20 gnomes had gone missing from her front yard. Thursday the highlight was the interactions between a lakefront resident and neighbors zooming too close to shore on jet-skis, involving multiple calls and a visit by police to diffuse a threat by the skiers that the “Hells Angels are coming to get you this weekend.”

Sunday had a few things of interest, including this zinger at 6:20 p.m. “A man on Shady Lane reported that his girlfriend stole the keys to his car and was hiding out in the trailer across the street. She claimed that he was intoxicated and his car doesn’t run anyway.”

Oh well. Those were highlights from the towns nearby. Meanwhile, camp is quiet and well-behaved. Life is simpler, living in God's guidelines.

Last weekend, W and I went to Whitefish, a cute resort town about 20 minutes away, and bought a “hand-crocheted” rug for the office. The wools came from leftovers at Penelton Mills in OR. “I can’t get any more,” said the art coop owner. “The lady no longer makes the rugs: rheumatoid arthritis prevents her fingers from hooking the thick wool.” Yup, she HAND-crocheted this one. It’s lovely, about 3” thick, anchoring my chair and warming my bare feet. I’ll pray for her as her craft blesses me each day. (I'll post a picture in a later issue.)

I’m thrilled that the office is DONE! Rich’s wonderful commercial shelving has been assembled into desks and shelves. The blinds are up, the heater works for late nights, and the dog crate is in the corner.

On his last day in MT, W and I cleaned up building projects inside and outside, including a reorganization of the shed. The tools and wood are neatly tucked away. In the cabin, all is washed, swept, vacuumed, and the laundry is clean and folded. The books line the shelves, waiting to be read. What a wonderful place to write and think about God and His ways! Be well, and keep your sense of humor as the last month of summer vacation is here.

Read more:

*Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word." Psalm 119:36–37 

*This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17 NIV

1, 2, 3, 4 …. we're all in the river!

“We’ll take this one,” W points to the narrow yellow inflatable kayak, more of a canoe than a raft.

The beautiful Flathead River

My heart sinks. I remember a wild ride ten years ago, bouncing in a 10-person raft through stretches of the canyon we are about to paddle. The experienced river guides take the wider Sea Eagle and launch into the roiling current.

Several days before, W negotiated a calmer stretch of the Flathead River from Hungry Horse to Columbia Falls. “I had a blast!” he exclaimed, coming in from an exhilarating float in the yellow kayak. “It’s stable, fun to maneuver, and I hope you love it as much as I did.”

Wildflowers on the gravel bars

With two people, one sitting in the middle (me) and one in the back as well (W), the stability of the boat is compromised. My reaction as we hit the first rapids is that this is akin to riding in a tippy racing car – as the passenger. W’s every paddle thrust tilts the boat, sometimes sharply. It’s discomfiting.

Nope. Actually I’m gripped by sheer terror, swaying side-to-side on an uncomfortable sloping seat above an inflated floor. Nothing about this feels safe. We negotiate the first series of cascades, carefully following Paul and Cathy’s lead to the side. I start to breathe easier as we are swept downriver. There’s nothing I can do at this point. We’re committed, our lifejackets are buckled, and boat floats forward.

Colored rocks in the Flathead River

Sometimes it feels like we are hardly moving. The green glacier water shimmers between the iron and other minerals sparkling in the cliffs.

W points over the side, “Look below. You can see how fast we’re actually going.” Green, pink, burgundy, and black rocks rush underneath us as the swift current lifts us on its shifting surface. We avoid the pillows of water striking the upstream side of boulders.

Rapids around a boulder

“Let’s pull in and carry the boats through the next section,” Paul says as we approach a stretch of churning rapids. We divert from the main river to float shallow water streaming over a gravel bar. When we bump to a halt, I’m not strong enough to carry my end of the kayak over the rocky terrain. Paul banks their boat and backtracks several hundred yards to help W carry the kayak back to the river.

We relaunch and are carried swiftly away. A young buck, fuzzy antlers held still, watches us from the shore. The Blankenship Bridge drifts by overhead before the canyon narrows to an 80’ deep trench between sheer mountains. The stunning beauty has us gasping with pleasure. “Unless you want to go around and around, avoid those areas,” Paul points to large lazy-looking whirlpools. Apparently, when the water was running high a few years ago, a vortex sucked the front of a canoe straight down. Ugh. Not interested!

A few more bumps through choppy waters and we’re near camp. Paul and Cathy pull in ahead of us. Cathy makes the same wet exit I took yesterday. The fat sides of the Sea Eagle make for an unstable departure into knee-deep water.

Our style of dismount near shore

We start to swing toward the shore, W paddling on the right side. I back-paddle on the left to swing the kayak to shore. Except that he’s switched sides to push us closer in so we’re paddling against each other… while the current is taking us past the landing. I paddle on the right, then quit paddling altogether, and hope for the best. W jumps out to drag the boat in, stumbles on the slippery rocks, and tips us into the icy water.

“Is that your gear bag?” Paul points to the fluorescent orange pouch floating downstream. He, the only dry one, jumps in to swim after it. He snags the bag several hundred yards away and starts for the bank. Meanwhile, the kayak slips from W’s grip, the current catches it, and sweeps it away. The thin elastics of the paddle-straps snap off as the kayak freewheels toward Paul.

A runaway kayak

W’s shouts. Paul turns. Catches the kayak. Manhandles it to shore.

W and I have moved thigh-deep into the fast-moving stream, trying to capture the kayak. We struggle back upstream toward the landing, our Keens slipping on the silted rocks. If we lose our footing, we’ll be hauling ourselves out of the water near Paul. Cathy grabs my hand and pulls me to the riverbank.

We three are sopping wet, head to toe. It’s hilarious – a really ugly dismount with a happy ending. As Cathy and I trudge toward our cabins, trousers dripping through the campground, we laugh about the awkward finale. We agree that it was a fun ride. A hot shower afterwards is my best reward.

Tucked into warm clothing, I thank God for the beautiful surroundings. For safe travels on fast-moving waters. For a wonderful husband whose instincts are opposite mine in a crisis. For cold and warmth. For wet and dry. For senses created to let us fully experience the Creator’s inventiveness. God is good!

Read more:

*What god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours! Deuteronomy 3:24

*Christ was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16

Moravian Prayer: In the whole of creation and your actions throughout the world, we are blessed from the beginning until now. May we always trust in you. Amen.

Secure as a mountain

Jeanette Fox, between Jim and
Caroline Everard

Lightning flashed across the peaks a few nights ago. The deafening boom of thunder followed shortly. But the mountains were not stirred. The rain gushed through the streams, falling into ravines and crevices. But the slopes did not move.

Likewise, people endure many storms and weather life's changes with God’s help. We stand secure as the mountains in the shelter of God's protection. 

Pastor Erwin ("The Mayor") and Jean Rohde

Two generations came to the cabin for a Creole boil last night. Two of our friends normally reside in California, one winters in Missouri, four live in Montana, and we’re from Washington. Between us, we’ve grown up rurally or lived in national and international cities and towns. We have lots of stories to tell!

W put on Ray Steven's “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and sparked a memory: “When I was a boy, I caught gophers and sold them to the kids at school for 25c,” said our mischievous friend, who grew up in the Midwest during the Depression. “I made good money on sparrows, too.

Bill Durham tobacco bags

"I’d catch them at night and tie a ribbon around their necks, and pop them in a Bull Durham bag I’d pick up along the roads. If the gophers or sparrows didn’t sell, I let them go. … Sometimes I let them go in the classroom or put them in the teacher’s desk.” 25c was a lot of money back then!

Kathy and Dr. Paul Olson, Waldemar

One friend is a psychologist. Another guest, long since married, remembered him as the speaker at a singles convention in Montana almost thirty years ago. The world of wildernesses, deserts, and forests is small indeed.

We first ate Creole boil with Drs. Jay and Cheryl Taylor at their lakeside cabin in Missouri. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to have friends over, too. Something about the rough setting brings out the best tales of life and God's faithfulness.

Creole boil for 8-10:

Our dinner! (X2)

Set the table by spreading newspaper across the surface. On hand – ice tea in paper cups, lemon quarters, hot sauce, steak sauce, Mixed-Up Salt, Mixed-Up Pepper, and whatever other seasonings you'd like.  

Let each guest sprinkle sauces and seasonings on the newspaper, grab something from the tray, dip it, and enjoy! When everyone's eaten, removed the empty trays and ice tea, roll up the soiled paper and discarded shrimp tails, and toss the works in the garbage. 

Ingredients: 

·      2 onions. Cut into eighths or quarters.

·      3 lb small potatoes. Scrub.

·      1 ear of corn per guest plus one or two for the pot. Break in half.

·      2-3 lb sausage (brats, kielbasa, or cajan sausage). Cut in 1” pieces.

·      2-3 lb raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (20-40 count. Use other seafood if you like.) Thaw in running cold water if they’re frozen.

45 minutes before serving: bring to a mad boil a huge pot of water. Add onions, 1/4 cup Old bay seasoning or Zatarains shrimp boil. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons and toss in the peels. Optional, to taste: add a few cloves of garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns.

20 minutes before: add potatoes and sausage to boiling broth.

10 minutes before: add corn.

3 minutes before: add shrimp (cook a few minutes longer for other shellfish).

Strain, dump in trays, carry to the table, and eat! Let the broth boil merrily while you eat. Freeze the concentrated liquid and use as a base for your next Creole boil, or send it home with guests to host their own fun.

Read more:

*Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever" Psalm 125:1–2

*Psalm 89:19-29; Joshua 3,4; Luke 12:1-12

*“I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord God, “and you became mine.” Ezekiel 16:8

*Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 

*But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 17-25 NIV

Moravian Prayer: We are blessed and have received a wonderful covenant with the God of Abraham. We are called by God’s mercy for his people. What a beautiful blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.

DIY: Cotton slipcloths

For those who asked: how I did the sofa covers.

sofa - done!

If you are pin-and-measure perfectionists, this will drive you crazy. Otherwise, have fun! You need sewing experience to make quick work of similar slipcovers (or look online for how to sew corners and zippers).

After you examine the piece of furniture, you should have an idea of how the main cover could be cut and sewn, or in my case, pinned. Take your time to think about all the possible ways you can use fabric on the piece.

For a week, I considered several layouts before deciding how I could leave a 9’X12’ canvas dropcloth intact to wrap around the sofa base, back, and sides. I secured it with upholstery pins where they wouldn’t be obvious. (Re-pinning is easy for washing, if it loosens with wear ,or doesn’t fit the way you’d like.)

The sofa has 3 cushions. I cut one rectangle of fabric to covered top, sides, and bottom of the middle cushion. After putting a zipper in the open end, I sewed up the sides and made diagonal seams to create corners. Easy.

I decided the simplest way to negotiate the curved side cushions would be with a series of side panels. First, I laid out one side cushion on the fabric, turning it over this way and that to make sure I maximized material. Hint: leave yourself lots of room on the floor or use a huge table to make sure the fabric lies flat for an accurate layout. Deciding the layout before you cut is a big deal that saves you grief later!

Side sofa panel

For the side cushions, I laid one side cushion flat-side down on the fabric and traced around the side (plus ¾” seam allowance) with a ballpoint pen. (I like to write on the right side of the fabric.) I flipped the cushion over, allowing room for the front face and then traced around the cushion again, connecting freehand between the lines of top and bottom (first trace and second trace).

Because the second dropcloth was big (9’X12’), I folded it double thickness for cutting. That way, I only had to trace once, cutting through both thicknesses for two slipcovers.

Sofa base pinned

I cut a few lengths that were the width of the cushion side (plus ¾” seam allowances). I cut 2 side pieces to fit the “box-ey” end and inner curve, and installed the zippers into 2  back pieces. Finally, I cut 2 pieces for the inner sides, to be trimmed in place according to how the zippers lined up. (I sewed them into one length to fit the entire sides and backs of the cushion.)

Sofa detail

The trickiest part was lining up the top/bottom and sides – I guess-timated the front-side of the cushion and lined up that “box” before I started sewing. From there, I zipped around the bottom, sides, back, and other side. Then I started again on the top and matched the final edge. Luckily all the sewing lined up after doing top and bottom seams. I trimmed the long extra piece off when I was done. I popped the ugly cushions into their new case.

Yay, quickly done, all those years of quilts, jeans, baby clothes, and other sewing coming in very handy in turning corners and hand-adjusting top and bottom fabrics so the presser foot didn’t pull them through unevenly. I’ve got enough left to do curtains for a room, pillow covers if I feel like it. I have another week before W takes the sewing machine home. Good tools are inspiring, and Bernina is one of them.

Treacherous tranquility

Inflatable kayaks

Have you ever rafted a big river? The Flathead River washes swiftly over its rocks, carrying remnants of winter run-off and draining rainfall off the land. In places, the river seems deceptively lazy where only swirls of current hint of its power. In narrow passages, it churns and chortles with life.

Paul, an experienced Flathead kayaker, rafter, and now paddle-boarder, offered to take us downriver from camp to Columbia Falls. Of course we said yes!

Ready or not!

W inflated two of our three kayaks. He, Jonathan, Paul, and I carried them to the end of the road, down a sandy trail, and along the rocky shore to a little beach where we launched into the river. The current caught us … and we were off.

When you’re in the flow, travel seems easy and tranquil. Only the riverbanks, whizzing past us, confirmed our speed. We avoided the rapids on this first trip downriver. Paul also warned of another danger.

“See those trees on the sides?” he pointed to harmless-looking firs with heads or roots dropped into the water along the shoreline. “Four people have drowned this year, three of them with lifejackets on. Most drownings happen in the water swooshing under such trees. 

"Two-thirds of the tree is under the surface, and as a boat is swept sideways into it by the strong current, the occupants get knocked overboard. People get trapped underwater, snagged by branches and held down by the hydraulic pressure. Avoid tree snags anywhere you see them.”

Gravel bars in the Flathead River

Pulling up on a gravel bar, we consumed the sweet nectarines, chocolate peanut butter cups, and milk puddings I’d packed. Nothing tastes as good as a light feast in open air! A few drops of rain splattered us but the sun came out as we pushed our boats back into the stream.

At Columbia Falls, we pulled into shore between two boats, one a raft filled with teen and twenty-something boys drinking beer.

“They obviously don’t know the etiquette of the docks.” Paul noted. “Get into shore. Get out of the boat, and move out of the way so others can pull in!”

Nope, these youngsters had no clue or maybe they just didn’t care. Paul’s wife Kathy gave us a ride home in their pickup after W deflated the kayaks.

Floating the Flathead

I walked to the river the next day, admiring the view. Rafters and fishermen drifted quickly along on the green-blue water. Respect for the dangers of the ride makes it a safe adventure. It’s like the rest life: if we avoid the places those with experience warn about, we’re more likely to enjoy the journey and arrive safely at our destination.

Read more:

*A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 27:12

*Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love. Psalm 109:26

Paul wrote: We were afflicted in every way?—disputes without and fears within. But God, who consoles the downcast, consoled us. 2 Corinthians 7:5-6

Moravian Prayer: Your steadfast love gives us victory over fear and defeat. You console us when we need your guidance and insight. Preserve us, in your love. Amen.

Waterton wonder

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton, AB

We'd never taken the kids to British high tea in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It's not a likely scenario anyway, unless you drive winding roads to the north end of Glacier Park and across the border ... to Waterton, Alberta, and the Prince of Wales Hotel.

What a stunning surprise! The hotel overlooks a glacier lake-filled canyon.  Girlfriends and I, Waldemar and I, and thousands of other visitors have had tea at the Prince of Wales.

The lobby of the Prince of Wales Hotel

 Oh the beauty of a sunny day! The hotel's spectacular lobby stretches from the front door to the window wall overlooking the stunning view. Teatime (1-5pm daily) is in the post-and-beam-framed lobby with its soaring ceilings and old-fashioned iron chandeliers.

The servers and attendants dress in Prince of Wales tartan kilts. "Got me a dress about a month ago," joked the foreign student who served us. It all adds to the opulent atmosphere set in the middle of the wilderness.

A table set for tea: Prince of Wales Hotel

Our server set a tea stand with three trays of goodies on the white tablecloth. We started with the bottom tray of sandwiches, moved up to freshly baked scones (currant and lemon with Devonshire cream and berry preserves), and finished with the top layer of Saskatoon berry pastries, shortbread cookies, and other sweets.

The tea fixings aren't particularly good @ $30 each, though the house now uses Forte brand instead of their own specialty blend. (The house brand, in a free gift box with our receipt in the gift store, consists of indifferent Assam and African tea sweepings, packaged in teabags.) The scones were middling and the cucumber and butter sandwiches were ok, but the egg salad swirls were great. The pastries? To someone who grew up with excellent home baking (yay, Mom!) and a plethora of exceptional German bakers in the family, they tasted disappointing. The trays were pretty, though.

Harpist at the Prince of Wales Hotel

A young harpist accompanied our repast: the setting couldn't have been more wonderful. She got a gentle Canadian hand-clap when she took a break from strumming Gaelic and folk tunes. Her music brought back fond memories of playing and teaching harp. (Great background music, boring to practice!)

Of course, the company was fantastic. What a treat to share such a beautiful occasion, a milestone of family travels more than merely a meal.

Prince of Wales Hotel: view from the
lobby tearoom

After tea, we stood on the bluff overlooking the lake, cheering on the kayakers and windsurfers far below.

To wrap up the event, we drove through the town of Waterton to see if we could spot the infamous mule deer who wander through the streets. Nope, but we saw a lot of tourists around the restaurants, boutiques, and specialty shops that line the thoroughfares. Driving out of town, we slowed for photographers snapping a brown bear strolling through the meadows about 100 feet from the asphalt. Cyclists, tourists casually leaning on their pickups, and people with open car windows - they're just a short dash away if a bear becomes irritated.

Sometimes a glimpse of beauty restores our souls more than accomplishments, financial resources, or reaching a personal goal. It's well worth the trip to visit or stay in Waterton, a Canadian National Park town. It's not as jazzy or built up as Banff. However, the experience is unique between its blend of civilization, the polite and friendly Canadian locals, and the location in God's wild nature as carved between mountain ranges.

Read more:

*God looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24 

*Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” Micah 4:2a   NIV (admittedly way out of context! 

*God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20   

Moravian Prayer: Thank you for beauty. Jesus, we are overwhelmed at your concerns and resources to minister to the great needs of so many about us. Thank you for vision and grace to meet these needs. Amen.