Category Archives: SOWER Projects 2013

SOWER projects worked in 2013

Family and Friends, Pictures of the Adventure, RV Life, SOWER Projects 2013, The Adventure

Canyon Lake

October 5, 2013 steph 2 Comments

Oooo-la-la!

What a beautiful couple of days we had at Canyon Lake. It’s just outside (north) of San Antonio and in the beautiful Hill Country area of Texas. Our good friends Jo and Roy had raved in the past about the beautiful Corp. of Engr. parks on the lake, so we thought it would be a great stopping over place before we completed our final leg of our journey to the Rio Grande Valley. And the fact that Jo and Roy were actually going to be there = well, we couldn’t not stop!
Unfortunately, due to the partial shutdown of our dear Federal government, the COE campgrounds were closed, but J&R found nearby private campground (still on the lake) and soon we were settled in nicely!

And look, nice quiet neighbors!

Our buddies had some in-town errands to run on Thursday, so we were left to our own devices. It seemed like a good morning to check out Canyon Lake.
.

It’s always a treasure to find tiny pockets of color appearing in the pot marked surface along the water’s edge.

Given the heat (it was in the 90’s) and the fact that we were on our own, I confess that we spent the rest of the day in the cool (relatively) of the RV. (I had a couple of deadlines to meet, so it was really a good thing!) But Friday was a play day for sure!
With Jo and Roy as our guides we set out to Gruene, TX (pronounced Green). It’s a quaint Texas town located along the Guadalupe River, just outside of New Braunfels.

Along with interesting architecture and touristy shops and places to eat, it is also home to Gruene Hall – one of the oldest (if not THE oldest, depending on who you ask 🙂 )dance halls in Texas.

Apparently, on this very stage, George Strait got his start!

Oh, the historical significance of it all! But Country & Western legacy beside, it really was a fun little town!

It’s all about tourism these days in Gruene, but they do it pretty well and Jo and I even found a bargain or two! After a lovely late lunch in Gruene (check out the Gristmill River Restaurant for great riverside dining if you ever get to town), we took a little drive to nearby New Braunfels but found we were too late to get into some of the historic buildings there. Besides, we had one more important stop to make –

As you can see, Mrs. Bush also sells Texas sized cookies!

But that Key Lime Pie – My.Oh.My.

We showed great restraint in not eating the whole thing!
So it was a wonderful couple of days. We shared meals when we could, got in a couple of games, and just hung around and caught up with each other. We love that we have such dear SOWER friends that we can go for years between visits, and still pick up right where we left off.
But – like many good things, it came to a prayerful end on Saturday morning. We hugged and prayed and promised to keep in touch (thank-you, Facebook, for making that easier than it used to be!).
And then we hit the road!

300 miles later, we were parked and getting settled in the Flame of Truth Campground in Alamo, Texas.

And here we will be for the next little while. Gary’s been asked to head up the A/C installation at the new school building for Macedonia Christian School. There is one small glitch, though. The actual building isn’t up yet. Soooo….we’ll see what the weeks ahead will bring. Right now we’re thankful for our safe arrival and are looking forward for tomorrow’s cold front. Right now, it’s 93 and the A/C is a humming away, trying to catch up from the hot drive. And I think it might just be time for a nap…….
…………….and I might just be dreaming about that pie……………..

Family and Friends, SOWER Projects, SOWER Projects 2013, The Adventure

It’s been a week –

October 1, 2013 steph Leave a comment

and I’m sorry it’s been so quiet around here! In a way it’s been as busy as can be, and in another way there just hasn’t been too much to report!
So where was I? Oh right, the annual Board meeting.

We welcomed three new members to the Board this year, and much was accomplished during our two day meeting. Along with all the business we addressed, there was also a fair bit of fellowship going on (which seemed to largely revolve around eating!).

One of these days I’m going to remember to say ‘”Hey, everyone! Look this way!”. Oh well. But we all had a great time – it’s kind of like condensing a 3 week SOWER project into a 4 day extravaganza!
We enjoyed hanging out in the Lindale “campground” for a couple of extra days and then on Monday we headed to Waco, for a little howdy-do with Lara’s (and now our) friends!

We managed to snag our favorite spot at Midway Park –

and then enjoyed a fun potluck at the campground last night and then a quiet evening with the housemates just tonight.
We head out tomorrow, which is a really good thing. Thanks to the “government shut-down” our campground will be closed for business starting tomorrow. Sigh.
But the big news, the REALLY big news is that our sweet Ohio Family –

welcomed a new brother to the family just this evening!

Welcome to the family, Reis Tobias! We’ve all be waiting for your safe arrive (though it’s way easier for us to wait than those folks in Ohio) and we’re so thankful that you are here safe and sound and that Mommy is doing well too! Thank-you, Lord, for this precious new member of our family!

Heading off for a couple of days in the “Hill Country” tomorrow before we reach our final destination in the Rio Grande Valley. Might be a couple of pictures coming your way……
🙂

Pictures of the Adventure, RV Life, SOWER Projects, SOWER Projects 2013, The Adventure

Lift High the Cross

August 19, 2013 steph 2 Comments

Lots of things have changed at Montrose Bible Conference in the 105 years since R.A. Torrey founded it in 1908.

His summer home, site of the original Bible conference

still remains and today has beautiful guest rooms and meeting areas.

Dreyer Hall, constructed in 1925, retains it’s original charm

though a chapel has been added on the end and (I am happy to report) the entire building is now completely air conditioned.

Originally people would stay in tents

in order to listen to the notable speakers (R.A. Torry himself and others, including D.A. Moody and Donald Barnhouse) in the Tabernacle, built in 1918 on the newly purchased nearby farm property.

Although built as a temporary structure, the Tabernacle stood strong until the late 1990’s when the roof caved in under the weight of the snow. Â Today on that site is the MBC Family Campground – our neighborhood these last five months.

(That’s R.A. Torrey and his wife Clara’s grave site overlooking the campground.)
Just down the hill from the Tabernacle was Huston Lodge, the earliest motel accommodations for conference attendees.

Today it’s used for storage – and the occasional work area!

But look back at the first picture of Huston – did you notice the cross on the left?

That lighted cross held its place of honor, overlooking both the conference center and shining down on Montrose, for many decades and stands there still today. However, as sometimes happens, the cross fell into some disrepair. Several years ago the neon lighting failed and expert examination declared that it was not easily repairable. Yet it continued to stand, still a symbol of what the conference center stood for, though now it was dark in the night, and a bit ‘long in the tooth’ during the day. Recently, a Sunday School class from Montrose felt the call to check again into having the cross restored. They called in another lighting expert and found with today’s technology the repair was do-able, and at once the work was begun!
It was taken down from its perch,

sanded and primed

then painted it’s original white. The lighting was expertly repaired

and then the cross was lifted ever so carefully back to its home.

That night we made sure to look for it as we did a quick milk and eggs run.

Can you see it there, just about in the middle of the picture?
So the Cross is back. Not that it was ever really gone. Not that Montrose Bible Conference, for all of it’s 105 years of history and changes in architecture, has changed its focus – to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to disciple believers in their faith. But as a symbol of that faith and a remembrance of all that this conference center has meant to this community and to those who have attended conferences and camps here in years past –

Yes, it’s back.
And that’s a wonderful thing!

Lift high the cross
The love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world
Adore His sacred name.

Â George W. Kitchin (1887)

Pictures of the Adventure, SOWER Projects, SOWER Projects 2013, The Adventure

It’s been an egg-ceptional week!

August 4, 2013 steph 1 Comment

While Gary was laboring away this week – finishing up replacing the windows in the office,

cutting some ductboard for some additional work in the attic,

(I actually was there to help him with that, given my expertise from last summer. Besides, someone has to take the pictures, right?),Â my main assignment this week was kitchen work. And not just kitchen work, but breakfast kitchen work. Yep, I had to set the old alarm and be in the kitchen by Â 7AM. Â But since I not only love kitchen work, but also love the folks that work in the kitchen, it was worth the early mornings all the way.
Ever wonder what cooking scrambled eggs for 80 hungry guests looks like?
First you crack eggs. And then you crack some more eggs. And maybe, just a couple more.

Of course, you’re cracking them into a giant mixer, don’t forget.

Then you let the mixer do its thing for about 10 minutes. If you forget and let it go for 20 minutes, that’s OK too. Don’t ask how I know that.

After the eggs are finished beating, you put them through a strainer. Let’s face it, when you’re cracking 175 eggs, you’re bound to get a couple of shells in the bowl. And we’re feeding these to guests, remember!
Ok, the eggs are ready to go. (FYI – if you ever really need to do this, the egg prep can be done the night before, which, if you are serving a full breakfast to any group is a wonderful way to not have to get up quite so early in the morning!)
Next you grab the biggest pan you have (and will be able to lift once it’s full of scrambled eggs) and spray it liberally with cooking spray. Then you add a big hunk of butter and a generous handful of onions and peppers.

Yum. These are going to be great eggs!
Once the veggies are softened up a bit, you add your eggs.

Oh yeah, now we’re talkin’.

Keep that spatula moving so they don’t stick, and don’t forget to throw in a handful of grated cheese while they’re cooking. Before you know it, it will be time to (with all your upper body strength) lift the pan off the heat and slide those eggs into the serving pan.

Sprinkle them with a bit more cheese (is it ever possible to have too much cheese?),

and then get back to the stove! You have to repeat that process at least 4 more times before enough eggs are ready for the guests!
Put that fork down!

But breakfast at Montrose is never just eggs. You can’t really have eggs without toast, can you?

Toast on a conveyor belt. Love it!
This morning the menu also called for blueberry pancakes.

That’s sweet Kayley on pancake duty (before she had to go out and be a server (hence the white shirt – and, yikes – no apron!!!).
Once she left, Marion took over.

Marion is truly the heart of the Montrose kitchen. Last summer Pierce, the head chef, had bracelets made up that said WWMD. What Would Marion Do. 🙂 Yes, the heart of the kitchen. I love her.
But of course, no conference meal can really happen without someone in the Dish Pit. Gary has spent a couple of nights in The Pit, but this morning it was Caleb!

He was amazing! Kept ahead of the curve the whole morning (well, until the final clearing – no one can keep ahead of that curve!), and did it with a smile. In my book, nothing makes cooking more enjoyable than having someone else do up all your dirty dishes.

Speaking of which – I think I have some of those nasty things (dirty dishes, that is) in my sink right now! Where’s Caleb when I need him!

Hope you had a great weekend – and thanks for stopping by!
Gotta go run some hot soapy water…….

Family and Friends, SOWER Projects, SOWER Projects 2013, The Adventure

Freshening up

July 18, 2013 steph Leave a comment

It’s been so hot here that it’s hard to feel “fresh” about anything. So it was a good thing that our main task this week was to freshen up one of the motel rooms. (Let me mention here that it was an air conditioned motel room.) It was really a test case to see if painting the dark paneling (circa 1970) that covered two of the walls would be a viable (and economical) option to brighten up those 16 motel rooms. Let’s see what you think!
Here is a very blurry picture of the room as we were getting it ready to paint.

The paneling was in good shape, just dark and dated.

First there was the taping….

and then the priming –

Ugh….not so sure about it this point. But we pressed on with the top coat –

We were a little disappointed that two coats didn’t quite cut it –

But after that third coat…..

I think we had a winner!

I definitely think we have some job security for the last 5 weeks of the project! And it’s something that once Gary helps me get started (taking down the lamps, helping to move the furniture, etc.), I can tackle it largely on my own. Which leaves Gary available for window replacement, banister repair and other Gary-type jobs.

The heat continues here in Montrose (and most of the eastern part of the US – I sure you noticed!), but we’re headed to Vermont tomorrow so all is good. We’ll be stopping to see our good friends in Ludlow, VT, and then Saturday morning we’ll head to the Cabin for the annual Cabin Association Meeting. It official in that we review whether we have enough funds to pay the taxes, discuss the condition of the road, and maybe decide where to hang the new first aid kit. But it’s a delight in that I get to spend the day with ALL of my siblings (and even a couple of spouses), and even though that does happen about once a year these days, I will never take that for granted.

‘Cause we go back a long way!

Have a good weekend, everyone! Stay cool, and now go drink another glass of water!

RV There Yet?

Category Archives: SOWER Projects 2013

Canyon Lake

It’s been a week –

Lift High the Cross

It’s been an egg-ceptional week!

Freshening up

Seeing the country……Serving our Lord!

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Seeing the country……Serving our Lord!