Renewal

Psalm 104:30

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Strawberry Season

I love strawberries! Every spring when they come in season, I think of my MawMaw. She is 89 now, but for years she was a 'berry packer each spring in the strawberry fields of southern Louisiana.
One day last week my uncle took her this carrier of fresh 'berries that he had picked for her that morning. I love how the green of her shirt perfectly matches the 'berry tops and sets of her snowy white hair. Isn't it a beautiful picture?

I remember once, when I was a little girl, I got to go to the 'berry field with MawMaw. I can't remember what I did that day, other than wander around watching the proceedings, but MawMaw worked in the packing shed with several other women, sorting the perfect berries from the "culls". Some of the culls, of course, were rotten, but many of them were simply shaped funny, or too small, or something like that. And the 'berry packers got to take the culls home! We enjoyed all the fresh 'berries we wanted, and the rest we made into jam or froze.

Just looking at the pictures makes my mouth water! I wonder if the price of 'berries has come down for the season around here yet?

My Best Friend

It's been awhile since I've participated in Marriage Monday, but when I saw the topic for this month, I knew I wanted to post! April's topic is "Friendship in Christian Marriage." We are challenged to share "how you and your husband celebrate friendship."

Just this past weekend our family had a conversation about how "Mom and Dad" met and got to know each other. I shared how I wasn't looking for a husband... I was mainly interested in having a special friendship with a "boy" -- a "boy friend." I was 17 and just out of high school when Lyle asked for my address so he could write to me over the summer. We enjoyed a friendly correspondence that summer and found we had common interests, so we started dating that fall at college. We were friends first and foremost. I wasn't in a hurry to get married, so I was caught off-guard less than 6 months later when I realized this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Out of respect for my parent's wishes that we not marry so young, we were engaged for nearly 2 years. During that time our friendship grew and deepened.

Over the years, my husband has always been my best friend (humanly speaking). I know many women have close girlfriends. I never have. I think it's partly my personality, but also partly because Lyle and I are such good friends. We love to be together. We love to talk. And I believe our marriage is so strong because of it.

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up some we are enjoying our "tradition" of sitting on the porch in the evening just to catch up. Here in north Idaho, the evenings are cool and fresh all through the summer, and we love to sit outside and watch the stars come out. Some evenings we have important issues and decisions to discuss. Other evenings we just enjoy sitting together with nothing much to say. Our children tease us that we're "flirting" but they love the security of knowing that Mom and Dad are important to each other.

Another special time for sharing and talking is on long road trips. Lyle has always loved to drive, and I love to go along for the ride. Our children have grown up loving to travel, and it has become the main family activity that has strengthened our relationship with the kids. Drive time is perfect for deep, meaningful conversations or just light-hearted fun.

I am so grateful for the sweet gift of friendship that I have enjoyed with my husband over the years. It is not something I take for granted. I wish every couple were as blessed as we are.

Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. --Ephesians 5:33

Cute Gift Ideas

Two of my nieces (who are young mommies) have recently opened Etsy shops. Their product lines are so cute! I thought you'd like to see what they have been making!

Kendra's shop is So Sweet Baby Boutique. She has a very trendy, coordinated collection of baby carriers and matching diaper/wipes carriers, soft toys for babies, and adorable little girls dresses and matching hair bows!Krista's shop is Little Apron Strings and she is specializing in... guess what? Aprons! In both adult and child sizes. Here is a picture of Kendra and her little girl modeling their coordinating "mother/daughter" aprons that Krista made for them:
Aren't they so cute? Krista even monograms the child's apron for free!

(Kendra's new baby is due very soon. She said she is sure her apron will fit better after that!)

Little Dorrit

To be honest, I had never heard of Dickens' Little Dorrit until I saw an ad for the PBS mini-series that is currently running. (And I claim to be well-read! I know! I'm plum' ashamed of myself!) But, the ad caught my eye and I even talked Lyle into trying it with me.

We watched the first installment the other night, and I'm hooked... but I think I should have read the book first! I'm a little bit lost in some areas. There are characters and scenarios that don't seem to have anything to do with the story yet, but I'm sure they'll eventually fall into place.

We were especially amused at the Circumlocution Office! I'm pretty sure I've been there before!

Another entertaining scene was when Little Dorrit's father was bragging about being "the father of the Marshalsea" and being willing to accept "very delicate testimonials"-- meaning gifts of money! (I love the euphemism!)

The Marshalsea was the debtors' prison where the Dorrit family had lived for over 20 years. My question is, what was the point? Someone couldn't pay his debt so he was locked up until he could pay it? No wonder the poor guy was begging for "testimonials"!

When I think about the conditions people lived in as matter of course in centuries past, I just marvel that the human race has survived to the present day. We are so spoiled!

Anybody else watching this mini-series? If you missed the first episode, you can still watch it online!