Writing From The Seashore

I'm snugged up in the lid (tent pop-up) of Sebastian (our VW) at Florence, Oregon. We arrived at the ocean yesterday. Feels like a second honeymoon. Finding ourselves with a wifi signal so I'll post a few pics of our journey so far.





Sharing a moment with a 'deer' friend...



My handsome one at the John Day Fossil Beds



Zikes! This critter is displayed under glass along the trail.



My lovely (mosquito haven) Waldo Lake, Oregon.




Which boasts the third purest water ON EARTH!

Well, my handsome one beckons - off to create more memories!

PS - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my sister Nina and Bro in Law Mike today! (link in sidebar)


- Post From My iPhone

Until We Meet Again...

Poem for Penny

Across the time,

Across the miles between you and I

There is rugged land

And endless sky

Time together rare

Treasured every moment we meet

Jewels each memory

Every time we greet

And oft I'll find

On the busiest day

My face tilting to the Heavens and I pray

For YOU, dear one -

Wherever you be

Each time I look to the sky and see,

A cloud fluff by it causes me

To think of the day we spent - so fun,

Our faces lifted to the sun

Ah, my friend, behind my eyes

I see you and me and sunlit skies,

Until we meet again,

Tomorrow or years from now

There will be no time - it seems somehow,

For the distance is short between two friends,

Its not on a clock that it depends,

Rather with age it grows rich and sweet,

Until then, until we meet...

by Barb Derksen

My friend Penny came to visit this past week. We go back many years. We used to be on a Music Worship team at a church together (though she had a voice, I did NOT!) Even back then we had a chemistry together and it was oft the Mr. had to separate us so we could get serious music practice underway for inevitably we girls would wind up giggling and snorting and getting everything off track.

Some things never change and when Penny visited this time it was no different. Mr. had to keep us on track because we kept ramping up - such fun!

Penny blessed our church with a concert while she was here and it was delightful to simply bask in the wonderful talent she's been gifted with. Here's a video of her singing one very sweet and fun songs! If you click on the middle control on the bottom of the YouTube player you will be able to view this video full-screen.

After the concert Penny came home with us and we had huge fun with the Mr. using all sorts of whacky sound samples to create silly songs together. Before we knew it we found it was after 1 a.m. - I can't remember when I was up this late!

Penny and I managed to sneak away from the world for a few precious hours in the morning and we shared EVERY scripture in the bible we could find about the word "cloud". Do you know it is mentioned 111 times in the bible? Thats not "clouds" - just the singular! We sat and faces tilted to the sky watched them drift by and chatted and caught up on the time since we last met. It was awesome.

We also got to see two of Penny's beautiful daughters as well - they've grown into beautiful young women in the meantime - I'd never have known them!

To read more about Penny's time here you can visit our Osoyoos Christian Centre Women's Online Blog by clicking HERE and you can also learn more about Penny by visiting her website by clicking HERE. There is also a yummy recipe for rich, decadent icing which I whipped up for cupcakes for the concert at the OCC blog - I've called it Penny's Rainbow Icing. You can make it ahead of time and the recipe doubles and triples up nicely for large functions. The recipe is available in a full Microsoft Word document, or ready to print using Scribd - just click the MORE feature on the Scribd window on the OCC blog and choose Print, if thats what you would like to do!

Thank you, Penny - for your visit, your music and the (sniff - yes, you've made me misty!) the cloud-shaped card! Until we meet again, dear friend.

*****

photo by Amalia Sommer

My friend Amalia took this photo of me one day recently while I was visiting her. I took one of her at the same time -

Amalia is SO handy with her camera. She took a course at the Learning Centre with my Mr. as her Instructor - and she's mastered every function on that little camera and hers - including the video, that's her video of Penny's performance above. Pretty good quality for a little camera.

I'm going to take some time off from my blog for the next 4 weeks. I need to rejuvenate - so I hope you all have a great July!

Pretty Pictures and My Brother's New Site

The Mr. and I decided to surprise my father-in-law by driving down to the coast and take him out for lunch to celebrate Father's Day. It was just a quick, one day trip and we really could not afford the time - but then again, we could not afford NOT too. It was worth the time and effort, for sure!

Dad recently had a second knee replacement surgery done and it was a great success. He can walk for a block now with no cane and no pain. Mom says its the first time in years he can do this. We are so grateful. At any rate, Mom and Dad usually come stay with us for a week before summer hits, but due to the surgery they were unable to. So it was GOOD to spend this one extra day with them.

On the way home we stopped in at the Rhododendrons on the highway home. It's a small area set aside by BC Parks system between Hope and Princeton. We've only caught them in bloom once or twice before, and even this time I think we caught the tail end.

Its just a small loop through the beautiful forest and undergrowth but a nice break from the long drive home. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

And then there were these dramatic plants - I believe these are known as Indian Pipes?

I'm including this picture I took of Melodie, Sarah and Emilie who recently visited our church just because they are PRETTY and photogenic! They are one of the many fruit pickers coming from Quebec to our area. Every year we have almost another whole population come in to help with the harvest!

And on the subject of photographs, my brother Bill just sent me an invitation to his own photo site he's started - his first ever. He has some wonderful photos he's taken at the coast and various places. Won't you take a moment to visit his site and welcome him by way of a comment or two on his wonderful photography? You can visit his site by clicking HERE.

I'm loving having family posting online, I already have my sister Nina who makes lovely (REAL) paper cards (click HERE) and my sister in law Judy who 'does digi' and hybrid cards and keeps us up to date on her side of the family. She's been going through a rough time with her mom being in hospital lately. You can read more or leave her some love by clicking HERE.

Tomorrow is graduation at my Mr.s school and my friend Penny is coming (YAYYYYY!) to visit and perform on Wednesday night and I am beyond excited about it all. I'm sorry but I won't have much time for blog hopping etc in the next few days - besides getting ready for vacation its all aswirl in my mind. So forgive me for being sporadic and thank you all who come visit me anyways. I love every comment and visit.