Tag Archives: spring

Stephanie at the Cabin

Let me tell you about Stephanie at the cabin.  Her time at the Cabin is significantly different than Gary’s . While Gary concentrates on The List, Steph concentrates on Documentation. Oh, she stays on top of the dishes and even manages to put food on the table, but her main job is watching Spring spring. For example, every morning on her first trip to the outhouse (or maybe on the way back depending on the (ahem) urgency of the trip, she pauses to take a picture of the morning.
First Morning
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Final Morning
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Proof that spring has sprung!
She always takes the classic Cabin reflection photo –
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It’s not just because it’s one of her favorite views, but it’s also fun to see the progression of the landscape over the years –
May 2011 –
Cabin May 2011-11
May 2017
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See – documentation of these changes is important!
She also documents other signs of spring at the Cabin –
the first sighting of a Jack in the Pulpit –
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the bluets that dot the lawn before that first mowingIMG_6640
and then the buttercups that spring up after that first cut.
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And of course, there are those pear trees – which can only be seen in bloom in early May.
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If she wasn’t there to document it, how would we know how beautiful that is?
This year, she also took a moment (I think it was when they were all packed up to go, and the interior was all neat and tidy) to document the interior –

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They cram a fair bit of stuff (and memories) into that little space, don’t they?

Stephanie is also always at the ready for when Gary needs that extra hand. Ok, it’s not that often, but she’s READY! And as you can see from the previous post, she also documents what Gary is doing.
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Aside from the important(ish) documenting that Stephanie did this spring, she also freshened and tidied up different areas of the cabin – like the Game Shelf.
Before –
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After –
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=) Sometimes it’s the little things that count!
Oh – and she keeps track of the sunsets!
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Yes, Stephanie’s time at the cabin is a fair bit different than Gary’s. But somehow it seems to work for both of them, and there’s no point in trying to change them at this point!
Thanks for stopping by,
A casual observer

Every Day in May – Almost!

Maybe if I had gone with the “Every Day in May that I’m at the Cabin” blog post goal, it would have been more attainable. By my count, though, I only missed 7 days and that’s still a pretty good streak for me! Even if each day did not include an official blog post, May was still a very good month! For one thing, we got to watch SPRING happen! From our first morning –
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to this morning –
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it’s been amazing to watch the rebirth of the season unfold!
The main cabin construction project went from this
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to this!
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There is still some interior work to be done, but the outside is complete! Great job, Gary!
While he was busy building a treehouse for (we hope) generations to enjoy, I was busy taking big pieces of fabric, cutting them into small pieces, and then sewing them back together for The Graduate’s quilt.
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I think she knows how much love and prayers were sewn into that quilt!
I’ll be honest – Gary worked much harder up here than I did. But then again, he always does! The beauty of The Cabin is that we each get to do what brings us joy. I’m quite content to wake up to the sound of power tools (or weed whacker as was the case this morning)
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because I know that is what makes him happy. And I think he’s happy to let me sleep until I wake up (could be 6:30, could be 9!), putter around the cabin, do a bit of gardening, catch up on some reading, and generally enjoy the cabin ‘my way’!
We’re down to our last two full days here (we head back to our June SOWER project at Montrose Bible Conference on Saturday), and I’ve actually convinced him to do something fun (as in not project/chore related) tomorrow. So we’re heading to the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury. In all my years of coming to Vermont, I have never been to that museum, so I’m looking forward to it! Since we’re out-n-about we may also be checking out some Restores looking for some flooring for the treehouse, but I still think it’s a pretty good compromise!

It seems pretty crazy that tomorrow is June 1 – but my calendar doesn’t lie. So farewell and thanks, May – you were filled with so much goodness!

Time to catch up

There’s a lot to share about the SOWER Rally which took place the first weekend in April ( and was the main reason it was so quiet here) but before I delve into that I thought I’d do a little real-time update while I have a couple of quiet moments.  We’re finishing our first week at Life Change  Camp outside Clinton, MO.  (Check out the Where are we now page for a map if you’d like more info on just where that is!)
We have a total of 5 couples working here this month, and we’re the first SOWER group to be here.  It’s always fun to be part of the group that introduces a new project to SOWERs, and as an added bonus, one of our couples are brand new SOWERs, on their very first project. We’re also working with some “old” SOWERs like us, some “middle-aged” SOWERs, and then these new guys! We’re already becoming good friends!
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Life Change Camp itself is a relatively new camp – built from scratch in the last 20 years.

(As I was reading over what I had written about this being a “Real Time Update” I had to chuckle because That “Real-time” was over a week ago. Apparently, that quiet moment evaporated. Again!)

So, although much has happened since I started this 8 days ago, I’ll try once again to do a real Real-time update!

We just finished our second week here at Life Change, and with five couples working, a lot has been accomplished. We ladies divided into 2.5 teams.
Two of the ladies, Reenie and Lana,  settled in at the kitchen, whipping up all sorts of cookies to put into the freezer for summer camp.
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(This also meant that most every day we had warm cookies for break. We’re all happy to take one for the team!)
Rosie and Vicki got busy painting.
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The paneling and trim they are painting are part of the finishing steps of a giant pavilion that is being enclosed for more year-round use.
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Those girls have lots of job security!
Since I was the odd man out, I was working mostly with our host Carol, doing some yard work
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a little kitchen work
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(Not sure why they put me on the ground beef instead of the chocolate chip cookies. Did they know something?)
and finally, I pulled out the paintbrush and paint clothes and tackled some cabinets!
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The guys have been quite the worker bees finishing up the interior of that building. They’ve been building doors, and putting up paneling and drywall, and doing all the ‘things’ that are needed!
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I don’t know if they will get everything done on their to-do list, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be pretty darn close!
The weeks have flown by – with lots of lovely fellowship, beautiful spring weather, and much work accomplished. Oh, and maybe just a couple of warm Snickerdoodles consumed!
One other thing has happened in the last two weeks.
This
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became this –
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Ah, Spring!

Thanks for stopping by – and thank you for your patience with me and this little blog. Busy days plus sketchy internet make for long gaps between posts. But we are well – and appreciate each one of you who stop by to see what we’ve been up to!
Have a great weekend!
Steph
 

 

A Different Kind of May

This is a bit of encouragement I wrote for our SOWER family in the May newsletter –

Dear Friends,
Usually in May we’re looking forward to graduations and weddings and family reunions. We’ve gone past the redbud blooms and are enjoying the azaleas and rhododendrons blooming in our gardens and watching the tulips fill our flower beds with vibrant color. Maybe some hardy lettuce is already finding its way to your salad bowl. Ah, Spring! May 2020 is a different animal all together. It has us just trying to figure out what tomorrow will look like. Will it be safe to go to the grocery store? Is it safe to go to the park for a walk? How will our children make it through job loss and quarantining? And the biggest question – when will we be able to HUG them again?? These are unprecedented days to say the least, and no one – NO ONE- knows what the “new normal” will look like. But fear not – we serve a God who DOES!! Even amidst the uncertainty of these days, our God is not surprised, and He’s walking along side us as we go through these times. As we all do “Our Best” to figure out the most effective way to continue to serve Him through this pandemic and in the days to come, let us hold fast to His sure promises –

Fear not, for I am with you;
  be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

May we continue to marvel at the beauty of this season, even as we fully trust our mighty God in the days to come!

Resting in His Grace,
Steph

First ones up

Man, I love coming to the cabin early in the season. Yes, it means we get to deal with dead flies and ladybugs, and mouse poop and any number of other over-the-winter surprises, but the simple beauty of this place before the trees fully leaf out is more than worth any “oh no” moments.

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See what I mean? Of course, having a picture perfect day for this first day at the cabin didn’t hurt, either!

Thanks for coming along!