All posts by pamelastaley@hotmail.com

Auntie Beulah’s Tea Biscuits

Tea biscuits with a drizzle of honey

When I was wee, biscuits were a staple on the table at the parsonage. Sunday lunch consisted of “a roast of beef” as Nano referred to the piece of inside round that went to the oven just before she and Papa took us to church. It was either that or chicken, whole and roasted until golden, that we ate around the dining room table almost every Sunday. We didn’t often welcome guests at “dinner” on Sundays and that was because the week before and the morning of, took most of the umph out of Papa and he needed the in between hours, before returning to church for the evening service, to rest. Fair enough! Preachering is hard stuff and we witnessed the affect, okay, the toll, full time service to bringing teaching and encouragement to a community, had on our dear Father. In an earlier post I told you about our Sunday Night Traditions.

After rest time, oh Sunday afternoons could be looooong, we had “tea” and then headed off down the road, to church again.
It was at tea time, when we often had biscuits. Now, for you Brits, let me explain. I am not speaking of cookies. It’s biscuits, a sort of type of scone, that I’m talking about here.
Biscuits and Nano’s canned peaches, or canned cherries, or canned pears. Biscuits were always served with jam and cheese. Good, sharp, cheddar. None of that marble nonsense pretending to be something it isn’t.
And tea of course. Boiled kettle, pot hotted, tea bag first and water last.
Biscuits came out of the oven After we were called to the table. There’s no point eating biscuits that have cooled to room temperature.
Now, Nano’s biscuits were good. No doubt. We devoured them and enjoyed every bite.
However, it wasn’t until I was twenty three and had been married for one whole month, that I tasted a different kind of biscuit.
Nano was a bit disconcerted when, visiting me in Toronto early on, I told her we would be using Auntie Beulah’s recipe. It wasn’t often that I exchanged one of Nano’s recipes for someone else’s. Nevertheless, once I had experienced Auntie Beulah’s biscuits, there was no going back. I think this may be about the time that I began my love affair with all things tea biscuit/scone. In those early years, if you ever came to my house for tea, chances are, you were served Auntie Beulah’s Tea Biscuits. They were and are delicious. I have messed with them, adjusted them, added to them and changed them. Just a couple of days ago, I took the old recipe out of my box and decided to follow the instructions, exactly. I’m not sure I’ve ever done that.
Well, believe it or not, Auntie Beulah knew what she was about when she wrote that recipe for me all those (36) years ago.
“Bless her” Nano would say. “Remember when…?” Nano would say. Sometimes I did and sometimes I didn’t
remember, but when my mama got to remembering the early years, it was a great time.
I told you once, that Nano and Papa had met the first time, in the home of “Old Mr. Northcott”. Mr. N had a gaggle of girls and a couple of boys and welcomed one and all into his home. He was a fellow Newfoundlander and so, C.D. House (my father)found himself a guest at the Northcott home on more than one occasion. It was there that he met his future wife and knew she would be, the first time he laid eyes on her.

This particular post is not about That.

Later, much later, when I was all grown up, I was introduced to some of the stories, by my Auntie Beulah and Auntie Marj. They followed in their daddies footsteps and welcomed me, along with my new, whipper snapper of an up and coming lawyer, into their home. You see, the two sisters lived in a house along with the husband of Auntie Beulah. Auntie Marg had no real husband. Oh she was married. Had been and still was. Her husband had not been who he said he was and it didn’t take long, after the vows were promised, that he showed his true colours. He left her high and dry, but not to be undone and miserable, she made a life for herself. It was her house that was a respite, an embrace, a home away, when I was fresh into marriage. It was there, on Palomino Crescent, where I drank tea, ate Tea biscuits, laughed and cried and heard so many stories of times past. God was good to plunk me down close to these dear ones who have long since gone to sing and dance around the throne.
But I have memories and recipes and I’m thankful for old aunties and a wealth of wonder.

Auntie Beulah’s Tea Biscuits can be found under the heading Tea Time.

Biscuits


Three More recipes

Well, I had begun a new post on my computer. I was working on sentence structure and coming up with some pretty valuable, not to mention practical thoughts for you. Then I tried to add some photos and poof! Everything came crashing down.

So here I am on my phone, attempting to share the promised recipes. Once I get my computer back I will edit and beautify, but for now I want to get these recipes in print.

First and foremost, the Nano relish recipe was already here. Just search Nano relish and it will pop up. It’s cucumber time, so don’t delay!

Next, Blueberry cake (platz) recipe! I know it as the Mennonite coffee cake of the lower mainland of B.C. It is a common tea time snack and I loved it at the very first bite. I made it two weeks ago, only this time, it was served as a dessert, at a reunion of sorts. I needed something that could be served easily, to 90 people and could also be baked the night before. I tend to be a bit of a last minute Lucy, for the simple reason that I want everything to be fresh and if possible, warm, for serving. When you are cooking for a crowd and have one oven, sometimes it isn’t possible to bake and serve within minutes. Have I told you the story of the boy who came to the cafe window one day and said “are these cookies fresh or did you make them this morning?” Mind you, it was 10:30 AM when he popped the question and I realized immediately that this philosophy on freshness came as a result of my own training. I had taught the children of this particular school that fresh meant straight from the oven into the mouth. Anyway, I made this platz the night before and it was still delicious and fresh 20 hours later. We served it with freshly whipped cream.

Blueberry Platz

And then there is the recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. I have tried quite a few but my favourite is the one my friend Jenny has made by the hundreds.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

There are so many recipes I want to share with you but for today I will add just one more. It is my recipe for focaccia, which isn’t real focaccia at all. Most of the recipes I have found need to be started 24 hours ahead. Well who in the world know 24 hours in advance that they want focaccia 24 hours later? Certainly not me! This recipe is actually pizza dough. Yep! Seriously. It is a recipe I found when I searched google for The Very Best Pizza Dough. And the one I found and have used and adapted over the last year, is the one by Ricardo. You may remember he had a tv show a few years back. This pizza dough is fantastic, but make it into focaccia and man alive, it is sooo good. I have recently been adding fresh chopped rosemary to the flour mixture. Two TBLSP finely chopped will add some beauty as well as extra flavour to the bread.

https://www.ricardocuisine.com/en/recipes/2049-homemade-pizza-dough

Focaccia

oh hey-10 you beauty

January 12th, I can’t remember you ever being so welcome. It’s been a hard learned lesson for me, that what I wear is all important for enjoyment of a cold winter’s day. Finally though, I am embracing the cold and yes, even enjoying the frigid wintery wonder that wraps me in it’s cold beauty.

Perhaps it’s because 60 is just, well right there, within touching distance. Maybe it’s because I’m listening very carefully these days. It could be that as I listen to Lauren Daigle sing, It is Well With My Soul, I’m singing at the top of my voice and thinking of how God makes all the difference in how life looks.

Whatever the reason, no matter how it’s happening, I’m knowing these days, that I want to be in His presence wherever on Earth I am. Whatever on Earth I’m doing.

And now, This

This thing I’ve jumped into. What in the World could I be thinking? But why? Sometimes there isn’t really an answer to the Why, except

Just Because. Except, for us, for we who give our days to Him, there is no

Just Because.

Every breath I take is His. Every decision I make is up to Him. At least, that’s what I Hope for. I trust in Him and His direction.

“Time is priceless, but it’s Free. You can’t own it, you can use it. You can spend it but you can’t keep it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back”–Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveller’s Wife.   Whatever you might think of the movie or the book, the quote gets a big YES from me. Except for God, because even though the time can never be retrieved, it can be redeemed. There’s nobody too lost, no action too terrible, no words too severe, that God can’t bring good.

And here I am in this place that has brought solace, peace, calm through the years. This place is a gift to be shared, to be given, to be used to encourage

others.

So, here I am and my prayer has been, since September 1st,

God, I don’t know, your plan or who you’ll bring or why. I don’t know what you want me to do except

I do. I do because you told me, told us, when you were walking around in the land known as Holy. You told us that we are to care about people. We are to be hospitable even to those from other lands. We are to share what we have with people who need

You.

I am to give from the wealth of goodness and beauty that You are making in Me. What you ask of me is not what you ask of my neighbours or my friends. Your intention for my life is something you do not require of anybody else. You want us to walk and sleep and rest and work in the beauty of who You are and if we do that, you will do good and lovely and amazing things. Not me. No not me, ever. You In Me.

And so, not surprisingly at all, He is answering and giving me opportunities to meet people who would not probably cross the threshold of this place, ever. There are people from Europe and Asia and Eastern, Western and central Canada. They have come in couples and quads. They have entered cautiously and uncertainly and stood quietly and felt the

welcome

and I am come close to tears on more than a few occasions when they have said, “thank you. Thank you for welcoming us. Thank you for letting us come. Thank you for the beauty you have created here, for us.” And you see, that’s the Why. That’s the, Just Because. These people who sit at my table and eat the food I’ve prepared and share about their lives. They are here Just Because

God has brought them here. And while I’m writing this there is a couple, married for a while, who are dog sledding just a few KM away. They are coming back here to warmth and good food and conversation and an embrace of care that is not visible and yet it’s here. Oh yes. When I served this young couple breakfast mid morning, (because it’s their weekend away after all and when you are having a weekend away, it’s so good to have breakfast mid morning) I asked what they would be doing today besides dog sledding. He looked at me, mid forkful and said, “nothing. We’re going to relax and just sit and talk to you” and that’s the Why. That’s the reason for my doing, This. “He laughed and said “I feel like we are ripping you off”. I asked why he felt that and he said, “Because, This.” I was a little confused and he said again, “This. All of this. The bed, the food, the view, the warmth, You”. And I must say I thought again, Yes God, This is The Because. Just Because You,

brought them here and if you give me a chance I will tell them why they feel the warmth. I will tell them why they are here. Just Because, God brought them.

And there is another pair, they came last weekend. By the standards I have kept, out of solidarity for what is right and good, in years past I would have shaken my finger and maybe even told them they should not be here, together. Can you imagine?

A dear friend gave me a gift a few months ago. It was a gift of words and so much more. She maybe did not even know the impact it had on me and yet, it did. Words can be like that sometimes. I was ranting about somebody who had done something WRONG. It was something unacceptable. Now, of course I did not know this person. The Thing they Did was in a grocery store and I was so worked up, I was sure I should say something. I didn’t but was still a bit riled when I spoke to my friend later. We were laughing, but in response to my annoyance with this stranger, my friend said to me

“what a relief it is that God does not ask us to judge others. Aren’t you glad it isn’t your job?” My response, in true Pam fashion, was, “But I am SO good at it, judging”. We laughed again, but her words released something in me and from that day to this, I have known a certain (not complete, quite yet) freedom from my judgmental thoughts and yes, words.

So, back to the young couple who were here last week. I knew when they walked through the door that there was a problem. I knew when I looked into the young man’s eyes that he was troubled and worse. God had prepared me. I don’t know how, but I was not surprised to see these two. The fire was burning, the candles were lit and their bed was ready. The cookies were in their cookie jar and they needed rest. I showed them to their place and could feel the calm settling in. It was at breakfast the next morning, as is often the case with my guests, as I was serving them and quietly embracing them, that the sharing began. The pain of the past and the destruction that had touched that young man, were almost oppressive to me and God said, “they are here because they need to be here” and I listened and I talked and we shared and the young man told me he had been at his wits end and knew that God was the only answer. Then God

gave me words that I had not prepared, but that the young man needed to hear. God told me to Love that young man and to explain how much God Loves Him. The girl began to talk and it was clear that she knew God and had at one time wanted Him to direct her life. I could have told her that she should not be with this boy. I could have told them that In My opinion, God probably had other plans for them. I didn’t. My lips were shut, tight and I listened and then we prayed, together and I hugged that boy and he cried and didn’t want to let go and I reminded him that God loved him and if he will listen to God and turn away from the things that are literally Killing him, God will heal, renew and redeem and will take him forward into good. Later, when they went down to prepare for their day, she, the girl, ran back up the stairs. I heard her coming. She came close and said. “I just want to tell you that I know God brought us here this weekend. God brought us to this place where there is someone to care about us and tell us truth”? I have prayed for this boy and for this girl in the six days since they slept in the room down the stairs. I have prayed and God reminded me, more than once, that if I don’t pray for those two, then who will? They had little money and I invited them to be my guests at dinner on Saturday. I made pizza and they ate it, gobbled it up actually. They thanked me and thanked me again and I told them I loved having them.

I’m going now, to prepare the promised dinner for this weekend’s guests. We are having chicken, roasted and since their choice of carb is noodles, I will make something tasty with noodles.

Why? Why am I here, doing this? Because! Just Because! Just because God, is here and enabling and giving me direction. That’s why! And it’s a snowy, cold winter’s day, but this place will be warm and welcoming.

A Winter Morning and Baked Bean Stew

Oh Hi!

It’s  officially 34 days until the Winter solstice and yet, here in the north end of Muskoka, it has arrived,
Winter.
I’ve been sewing and yesterday I made baked bean stew. You may not have heard of it. I hadn’t, but for some reason I felt like eating baked beans. As I was getting the ingredients ready I realized (as usual) that I was missing a few. Not to be thrown off my self assigned task, I looked around for other possible additions and voila, Baked Bean stew. It is delicious.

The car sits on the driveway covered in snow and the flag is out there blowing in the wind and I’m here, in bed looking out and there’s something lovely,

Hygge

about it.  Have you read the book by Miek Wiking, called The little book of Hygge?  My sister gave it to me and it is lovely.  She knew I would like it because it captures the essence of who I am and what I like. I’m a Feeling kind of person and I
I’m learning to embrace it, Feeling.
I felt Hygge when I was reading that little book and I’m feeling Hygge right now, sitting here talking to you.
“Hygge (pronounced Hue-Guh)is a Danish word used to acknowledge a Special feeling or moment. It can be alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary but is always
cozy
charming
special” From Hyggehouse.com

I just finished watching Downton Abbey, the whole 6 seasons, two days ago. I watched the whole thing, all 6, in about one month and I’m not kidding and only a little bit ashamed, but not really.  In my defense, I sat on two planes for a total of 8 hours and two planes for a total of 16 hours during those four weeks, which gave me plenty of time to watch and also time to accomplish some other assignments.
Becky suggested I was addicted, when in the car on the way home from the airport on Tuesday I needed to “finish the episode I’m on”. It is a favourite of mine and yes, this round of watching was the second. It took me to a different time and place and ushered me into a beautiful world of make believe. That’s about as make believe as I can manage, fictional characters living in what was at one time a real world.
Anyway,
in Downton, during the early years of the 20th century, the married women ate breakfast in bed. I have never been a breakfast in bed girl, but twice this week, since arriving back at this lake haven, I have brought my breakfast here. Granted, mine has been toast or cereal and not the linen laid breakfast tray filled with all sorts of nutritional delicacies. Even so, it’s been nice, Hygge.


I’m going to sit here and talk to you until I’m done and then I’ll maybe have a shower and perhaps wash my hair and then apron production is on the list. Yesterday’s goal was six and today’s is six plus two flannel blankets. Two weeks from today is the fourth annual brunch and apron (and now blanket) market and please come if you can.  It’s always fun and so good to gather with people, friends old and new.

Later today I’ll go to town for milk and to catch a glimpse of humanity at some point, keeping the goal for today in mind.

I’ve retreated here and don’t worry about me for one minute. I will come and go. I will be alone some days and welcome strangers on other days. I will go to the city and be with my people and hug my grandson and share life & experience and travel and all the while I will
Thank God.
Today’s goal is perhaps trivial in comparison to my life goal but both are good.
So today it’s aprons and
the goal for everyday is to be more like Jesus. You might roll your eyes or even laugh but, really and truly that challenging goal, fixing my eyes on Him, is the purpose that propels me, pulls me, beckons me, carries me. I cannot imagine life without knowing Him. Do you know Him?  No, not know about Him.  Know Him.  No?  You should.

I’ve set myself a new challenge. For the next 45 days, when I wake up in the morning I am going to ask God (he’s real you know) to remind me to be thankful. Then I am going to write down, physically, pen on paper, ten things I have to be thankful for. I have given myself permission to repeat, but every day I will ask Him for a nudge and then, write. I’m excited.

As I have been sewing these last two days I have been listening to an audio book called EDUCATION. A couple of my friends have read it and I thought I would listen while I sew. It’s quite a “read”. The life that some people live and have lived and still come out to be productive and influential, is remarkable to me. This girl, Tara, inspires me to think about all that matters. She comes from a Mormon background. I do not. She comes from a highly dysfunctional family and my family of origin was only a bit dysfunctional. I have no idea what her life is like now. She intrigues me and I think it is her determination and focus on what is important to her that compels me to keep listening.

Today I am healthy as far as I know. I have no pain and I can think fairly clearly. You and I both/all know things can change very quickly and surely will. One day leads into another and we can only be certain of this minute. Well, this minute and eternity. We can be sure of Eternity, because God told us about it.
That’s a relief.

Well I suppose that’s it for this time.  The day calls and we have things to do, you and me, so let’s go, do them, with care and intention.

Hey There!

Well! I’m writing this on my phone and feel very clever. Unfortunately I have not figured out how to add a cover photo to a post when doing it on my phone, thus, as you have noticed, no cover photo. I have much to learn.

Right off the bat I’m going to share the link to the cranberry pumpkin scones I promised two weeks ago. By now your leftover pumpkin is in the green bin unless you cleverly put it in the freezer before it went bad. Oh well. Do you know that you can buy pure pumpkin any time of year? It’s in the vegetable aisle of the grocery store. Since it’s still October and not yet Halloween, maybe you can even buy a real pie pumpkin and make these scones from real scratch.

Cranberry pumpkin scones

And now,

There’s a lot going on over here. You know the old song about rowing your boat! The last part, about Life being but a dream is not the most accurate philosophy upon which to build your life. It Is however, a reminder to keep rowing, keep moving forward and do it, the rowing, with a certain amount of joyfulness. Well that’s how I’m looking at it anyway. I’m keeping both oars in the water and although this boat seems to be going in circles at times, I’m determined to keep rowing, watching and drinking in, life.

Being a realist has its downside. I’m not good at pretending. Even classic allegories written by the masters of literature do not resonate with me. The best sellers that say one thing and mean something else leave me scratching my head. In high school when my English teacher strolled around the room and got to my desk, I looked at him with a blank stare. “What do you mean, what did he mean? How should I know?” If the writer wanted to tell us something, why didn’t he just tell us? Weird!

And then there’s the Bible and Jesus teaching. Tell it to me plain, Lord. I’m reading the words and I’m so glad you are alive, because I need you to explain them to me. Paul isn’t joking when he says, plain and simple, in Hebrews 4:12

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

“Judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart!” And here I am, with all kinds of thoughts and not at all certain, where intentions are concerned.

And

Then there’s James. It’s like he was thinking of me, staring at me from the pulpit, prepared his sermon with me in mind

When he said…

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Great! Just great! I hear you James. I hear you God! Don’t bother asking if you aren’t going to reach for the wisdom you ask for and grab onto it and use it and live in it. Just don’t bother. (This would be such a great place for a few emoticons. I especially like the one with the hand slapped up against the forehead). Believe me, I am way too often in grave danger of being thrown against the breakwater by the enormous waves that surround me. I’m strong willed and determined and still, big decisions are easier if someone else makes them for me. It’s just simpler to keep living, trudging along, than to stop, look, listen and do something different.

Well I’m doing something different. Man oh man. Hillside B&B is a new thing and a crazy thing and the guests who have visited, slept under my roof, eaten at my table, shared words around a candle lit dinner, have been prayed for. When I have been nervous I have asked God to bring the ones He wants me to share with. When I’ve been uncertain He has given me confidence and calmness.

Sometimes I don’t feel like praying, for a list of reasons. I read something a few days ago and it went something like this. Prayer reminds me who God is and who I am.

It was helpful to me because I’m one of those who prays when I want something. Prayer is getting together with God and remembering, letting Him remind me, who He is, Holy, Loving, all knowing, listening, righteous, creator of everything, God. Who I am, created in His image, loved, sinful, in need of a saviour, saved, carried, precious in His sight, recipient of wisdom when I ask and receive.

It’s Saturday! I’m waking up in the desert, literally and potentially figuratively but No. Today I’m asking for wisdom. Wisdom that cannot come from anywhere, anyone other than God. I’m going to walk in that wisdom.

Well, it’s a new day

Hi!

It’s me, here to tell you a story, a tale of living and choices, of trouble and victory and more choices, that change life.

So

Some things you may or may not know about me and have been anxiously waiting to know.

I have been married to Rob Staley for 36 + years

We were Married in Vancouver and three weeks later we drove Rob’s teeny tiny Honda Civic (which I couldn’t drive because of the standard transmission but by the time we reached Toronto I was becoming more capable) to Toronto, the center of the universe as we were soon to learn and how thankful we were to discover this truth before our roots were firmly planted elsewhere.   spoken with just a small amount of sarcasm.

We were poor as church mice (Nanoism and she knew poor, only too well) and I wonder how we could have survived had it not been for the generous help from Rob’s parents and grandparents. We left kit and Kin for the great unknown and so many of you reading this, know what that’s about and how it feels.

We were mere babies and had much to learn, about pretty much everything.

’round about 1996 I gave a talk, in front of upwards of 150 ladies, about life, my life, about choices and decisions and joy and thankfulness and hard things.
That talk was met with varied review.

**”I can’t belief you would have the audacity (I am fond of that word and perhaps because it is descriptive of my life. I am, if nothing else, audacious) to say such things, to suggest your life is less than victorious, to tell us publicly, that your life is hard.”

**”Thank you for laying the appearance of a perfect life open, right there in front of us,”

**”yes! joy, thankfulness is a choice, a choice I choose.  I’m kind of glad your life isn’t perfect because it helps me feel better about my own life.”

So why did I lay my life open?  Why did I share what I shared?  Maybe it was a call for help.  Perhaps it came from a place of loneliness.  Maybe it was an experiment, to see who might show interest.  Maybe it was an opportunity to tell those ladies that it doesn’t matter what the struggle is, God can bring joy.  Maybe it was meant for the few who grasped it with breaking hearts and recognized that we were kindred and that if I had reason to hope, so did they.  I don’t know why, truthfully.  But I do know that God is good, always.  I do know that even when IT is tough, hope is never gone.  I am still learning that even when life is in critical condition, the creator of that life still holds the shallowly beating heart, keeping it safe and warm.

I have three children, one daughter in law, one near perfect grandson, a husband who loves his job, is extremely gifted and spends much time doing it
and all of them, these loved ones, are on their way.
They are launched,
out,
doing what they do.
God and His plan for their lives is front and center for most and I am thankful that they are learning and we all know it takes a lifetime to fully learn, that God does His thing in His time. Obeying and seeking and following, requires a whole lot of waiting and carrying on and waiting and listening. It’s worth it but the next step is not always clear.

Now, in case you have wondered, this life of mine tends to be solitary and sometimes by choice and sometimes not.

I have, over time wondered,
thought and maybe even longed
to venture out.
I’ve pondered the possibility of pursuing a challenge

of my own.

’round about 1997 I started a very little cafe in the Christian school my children attended. I worked hard and hauled car load after car load, of food, snacks, flour, sugar and eggs. I made many dozens of cookies almost every day and most often they were gone by noon. I created a menu and chatted each morning with teenagers who were looking for approval and encouragement. They bought giant chocolate chip cookies for 25 cents and I loved my time in that little kitchen. I asked a friend to join me, to help with the work load and it was a good time. We together asked another friend, a few years later, to join us and running that little cafe was a highlight for me. Eventually it ran its course and a few years ago, after a run of 15 years, I passed the baton and bowed out.

When I was not much more than a toddler I had some very strong ideas of how I should live life. My bed for instance was never unmade. Goodness! It was actually always made

Perfectly.

Not a bump or a ripple. Smooth and beautiful.

Yes, still now, my morning routine is,
up out of bed✔️
blinds open✔️
bed made ✔️
and the day begins.
No judgement! It’s just how I need it to be. I actually feel depressed if I walk into a dark bedroom with an unmade bed.

So what?

Just don’t leave me yet because the best, the New part
is just about here.

I love making beds, I thrive on preparing meals for people.
I gravitate to interaction, with strangers and friends alike

So

I have started a B&B. Officially it’s an Air B&B and I am hosting my fourth group right now. They are young.  They are from Switzerland and as I write, they are swimming, in the lake, just there.  I’m making breakfasts and picnic lunches and dinners (tonight is teriyaki beef with rice and vegetables) I’m making beds, with ironed pillow cases and crisp white sheets. I’m welcoming strangers and saying goodbye to friends.
I am doing what God made me to do at this time, for this time and I have no idea how long He will let me do it, help me to do it, enable me to do it, open doors for me to do it, or when He will tell me there is something else, somewhere else, somebody else who needs my attention.

But for now, He is letting me have my own Something.
He is blessing me by saying, “this is for you. This is where you should be, now do it and do it with joy. I Love you.”

Oh yes,

The name of this Air B&B is HILLSIDE near Algonquin B&B and every available day but  two, between now and November is booked, solid.

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/28258524?preview_for_ml

His mercies are new every morning and He is patient and kind. He has good things for us, friends.

My gift to you today is this.

Look carefully. Even in discouragement, sadness, grief and sickness. God’s plan is always good and never intended to harm. He is Love and sometimes that Love doesn’t look the way we want it to look and Sometimes that Love is exactly what we hoped it would be but were so convinced it couldn’t.

So, tenacity, boldness.  They are good when viewed through the lens of obedience to the one who Loves us most.

He is the one whose love is everlasting and He places within us the desires of our heart. (I’ve told you that before)He made us with a purpose in mind and sometimes that purpose lines up perfectly with our hopes

Our dreams.

And because His timing is perfect, sometimes the
Making of a Way to Live in New Hope
,
is to give us something unexpected to enjoy.