Exploring the Cape pt. 2

The final stretch of road that took us to Provincetown was amazing. There was sand everywhere except for on the road. The streets of Provincetown were super narrow and I'm honestly not sure how people even get around there during the height of the summer. It was beautiful with a lot of old world kind of charm to it.

We ate our picnic lunch in the safety (and warmth) of the van before wandering down the boardwalk or pier or whatever it's called. A police officer stopped to show Joshua the siren on his cruiser.

We headed back to the car and watched a poor guy load wrestle a port-a-potty onto the back of his truck. The WHIPPING wind was NOT making it an easy task. Hearing Jake and Paul cheer him on with their British ways of saying things made it ten times more funny than it already was. 

The day was getting on and the car had grown silent. We'd seen all that there was to see and we were headed home for a quiet night with Hannah's parents. We'd gone from strangers to friends. The silence was comfortable and interrupted with bursts of conversation or snippets of songs that were possibilities for the reception. Joshua suggested several of his favorites. He knew the titles AND could hum enough of the beat that Jake knew EXACTLY what he was talking about.

 The first day of my trip couldn't have gone ANY better.

Exploring the Cape pt. 1

Getting to MA was an overnight expedition this time around. Normally, I try to catch flights that leave early in the day so that it's not super late by the time I make it to the east coast. It turns out that flying out after dinner, traveling through the night, and then arriving mid-morning the next day is actually really, really nice. I'm not sure if I had a unique experience, but from the way my trip went, I would highly recommend this kind of flying. I kept telling everyone that I felt great even though I was giving it a few days to see if things caught up with me. They never did. 

Airports are always entertaining. It turns out that they are especially entertaining in the middle of the night. I only slept on the planes, so my airport time was spent doing some major people watching. At one point, I was convinced that I was sitting feet away from Anne Lamott. I may have been, but after totally staring at her for the longest time, I changed my mind. People were doing laps. There was a lady talking at the top of her lungs on her cell phone. And then there was a guy who was on both of my flights. He was SUPER friendly and I think he made friends with nearly every person on the plane. He wandered around the gate chatting up whoever he made eye contact with. 

The morning after I arrived in MA, my friend Hannah announced that we were going to pile into the van to explore the Cape. There was a lot of rain, people were fighting sicknesses, and yet, the day was sunny and about as warm as it was going to get, so we needed to make the most of it. Hannah, Jake, Paul, Marja, Joshua, Finn, and I maxed out the mini van with plans to see Coast Guard Beach, The Atlantic Spice Co in Truro, and Provincetown. We took along a picnic lunch and headed out with the whole day ahead of us. 

I've known Hannah since I was 19, but had only met everyone else HOURS before. It was kind of hilarious being in the car with a bunch of strangers who also happened to be British. I kept finding myself tuning out their conversation because A) it didn't feel like it was my business to listen and B) it occasionally sounded like a foreign language. They were all super friendly and a day exploring the Cape was the perfect way to get to know everyone A LOT better. 

Coast Guard Beach was every bit as beautiful as I remembered it. Making our way out further onto the Cape was exciting to me. Especially since tourist season was still at least a month away. Things were deserted and deserted tourist towns make amazing places to explore. We took our time. We looked at what we wanted to look at. We weren't rushed or hurried along by other vacationers. We had almost everywhere we went allllll to ourselves. 

At Coast Guard Beach, Joshua (who is 4 1/2 years old) came over to me and pressed two sea shells into my hand. I tucked them into my purse. That little boy managed to work his way right into my heart over the course of our visit to MA. We played with his toys, making sure the "baddies" and the "goodies" were equally matched. We read books. We ate snacks. We played outside. And in short, we became fast friends. By the time the wedding rolled around, he was my little buddy. He even left his place at the front of the church during the middle of the ceremony to walk down the aisle and wave at me. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Back to the first real day of my trip...Hannah, Marja, Finn, and I chose to stay close to the cliffs to stay out of the wind. Jake, Paul, and Joshua headed straight for the part of the beach where the tide was going in and out. They got as close to the water as they could without getting wet. There was one point where Joshua ALMOST fell right into the ocean. He was being sooooo careful to follow Jake's lead, but the sand was mushy and it was a close call. Jake looked like a Nervous Nellie, Joshua was totally shocked, and the rest of us thought it was absolutely hilarious.

The Atlantic Spice Company is a fun little stop. I overheard one lady telling her friend that her Mom ALWAYS stops there whenever she visits. I can't say that I wasn't keeping my eye out for Mary Higgins Clark, just in case.

And there you have Part One...I've got one more post to share on this day and then a handful of others to cover the rest of my trip! We'll get through them.

Have you ever been to Cape Cod? 

Welcoming Them In

March 29, 2017

Making friends can be TOUGH. We talk about it all the time. We move to a new place or get a new job or settle into a new church and all of a sudden we realize just how much having friends means to us. We strike up conversations and go to gatherings in an attempt to connect with people to share our lives with. We meet a lot of nice people. We meet some really strange people. We discover who has time and space and who doesn't. Explaining ourselves over and over again grows old. Just about the time we decide we can't do this much longer, things click. We settle in. We look around and realize that one friend turned into a whole group of them and it wasn't so bad after all.

I'm finally to that point. I didn't know that I was, but going away for two weeks made it clear that I am. It took a solid year before I met someone who wanted and had time for the same kind of friendship I was looking for. I don't know if my attitude changed or if being her friend meant that some of her friends became my friends by default, but six months later, I found myself on the other side of the country looking forward to the get togethers that would happen when I got home. If you've ever started over from scratch in a new place or grown weary in the hunt for some good friends who live nearby, then you know how HUGE this is.

I spent a lot of months trying to be super friendly and it wore me out. When I had reached the place where I was admitting that I was tired of meeting people, all of a sudden, I became fast friends with someone. We got together when we could and texted in between times. I was satisfied with having just ONE solid friend, but God wasn't finished. I kept putting myself out there and slowly but surely, I connected with more people. Connecting is one thing. Welcoming them in is another.

The work of welcoming them in means being honest. It means explaining yourself, asking questions, answering questions, and really taking time to listen. It means making time and granting time. It means learning things about them and trying to find common ground. I've never been the kind of person who needs to have a ton of friends. I like to have one or two people who know me really well and are just as much my go-to person as I am theirs. That said, I have a lot of long distance relationships. I've learned that having friends close by is important too.

When my attitude about anything bothers me, I step back. I ask myself what bothers me, why it bothers me, how I got there, and what I need to do to "fix" it. As you know, my attitude towards hospitality had reached an all time low and I KNEW that things HAD to change. So, I did what I do. I wrote it out. I prayed it out. I sought God. I talked to myself and observed myself and figured out that I already knew what I needed to do.

Before I left for my trip, I had two very specific opportunities to practice what I was calling myself to do. My friend Annika texted me asking if I wanted to meet up for a walk. Schedules were tight, but I found a way to make it work. She left her car at my house and we walked the trail my brother and I bike. We walked and talked and it was great to stretch our legs on such a long walk after so many months of being cooped up. When we made it back to my house, a voice in my head told me that I should invite her in. I knew that voice was right...So, I did. I invited her in for tea. I offered her some of the cookies I had made the day before. We sat in my living room and talked about her family's new business venture and who knows what else.

A few days later, I was with some friends who were talking about a movie that I knew about but had never seen. One thing turned into another and by Saturday, we were planning a get together to watch it. That voice popped up again telling me to offer to host it. It was the Saturday before I flew to MA. I was busier than busy getting ready for my trip, keeping up with regular life stuff, and running extra errands that had to be done before I left. But, I spoke up and invited them in. The next afternoon, I bustled around the kitchen making simple snacks. The time we had set arrived and the doorbell rang. One by one, they came in. We stood around my kitchen munching on snacks and visiting. We started the movie and when it was over, we sat in silence until the conversation picked back up. We moved back into the kitchen and talked and talked until everyone decided that they really had to go.

Neither offer was a big deal. It was a cup of tea, a movie, some cookies, and a buffet of snacks. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't fancy, it was just welcoming them in. And you know, it was really nice.

I told you to ask me how it was going when I got home. And I'm checking in to tell you that it's going a lot better. Sometimes hospitality falls into our laps, like it did the day after I got home. Other times, hospitality is something that we have to consciously pursue. I'm working on it. So far, I'm doing alright.

Have you ever started over in a new place?

How is hospitality going for you right now?

Good Stuff

October 14, 2014

Pandora made my day with a notification they sent me this morning. You might get a kick out of it too. It said, "The weekend's finally here! Time to turn Sidney Bechet Radio up. Way up." I think I might just do that! What's one of your favorite stations on Pandora?

Today, I've got an all over the place post for you. It's a cross between a currently post, a what I'm into post, and list of things I'm thankful for, and one of my old "from four days" style posts. You've been warned.

We're heading into the weekend with a very real possibility of a major storm heading our way. So far, we've had a fair amount of rain (typical this time of year) and the wind kicked up last night. The wind is NOT our friend. Please be praying for the coastal areas as they are the ones who will likely end up with the most damage if things go as the weather people suspect them to.

That's that. I had my West Coast friends pray for my East Coast friends last week. This week, we're trading places. I am not afraid, but I do know that this is a great opportunity to seek God in prayer.

Aside from that, I'm going into the weekend with some great times behind me too.

Volleyball started back up this last week. I was super rusty (I had like three HORRIBLE bumps and a handful of TERRIBLE serves. I almost never miss a serve.), but I kept at it and by the end of the night I was ALMOST my old self again. I'm excited to play a lot more and hopefully a lot better in the months to come.

I can officially no longer say that I've never been to Panera. My sister and I went there for lunch last Thursday. I had super high expectations and while the food was good (I was silly and didn't get the mac and cheese), it was a little more than I want to spend on soups/salads/sandwiches. I'm convinced that we just didn't order "right", but the jury is still out for me. Any tips?

This week, my friend Abigail and I met up to go hiking. I am soooo excited to live in an area where I can hike again. We did two loops, saw lots of very friendly people, enjoyed a nice long chat, and stopped a time or two to take in the views. She'll be leaving for MA in a few weeks and I'm going to miss her while she's gone. She's the second person I've met from MA now on this other side of the country...Funny how that works.

My sister and I went for a walk recently which kind of turned into a bit of a picture walk. I've got some shots to share and I'm thinking Monday will be the day for that. Hold me to it!!!! We walked and walked with the goal of enjoying some fresh air and the fall foilage.

As I always do this time of year (since my MA days)....I realllllly realllly want to have a Guy Fawkes party. Apple cider, caramel apples, s'mores, and a fire. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd skip out on the effigies (that thoroughly creeped me out) and maybe watch Meet Me In St. Louis instead. I'm sure it won't happen, but it does sound fun. I mean...I wanted to try to have people over for cake some Sunday AFTER my birthday and that still hasn't happened, so let's just be real about this. ;)

Before I sign off for the day, I wanted to share a few links with you:

Today is Amy's birthday!!!! She wrote a post sharing some birthday wisdom. Check it out and wish her a happy birthday!

My friend Emily mentioned my post in her Weekend Reads roundup. I love roundups and being featured in one is always exciting!

Last night I made Ina's Skillet-Roasted Chicken Dinner. If you need a meal that's easy to make, great for company, and will make you feel fancy, this is what you're looking for.

Want to take a ramble around the yard with me? Here's a post from two years ago today.

Do you have any rambles to share with me? 

What's one recipe (an old favorite or a new find) that you've made and loved recently?

Have a great weekend!

July In Photos

I've got a four part series set aside to cover the major happenings in July. These are the kinds of things I should have been posting...but from now until the end of this month, I've got a goal to get this stuff cranked out. So, here goes!!!

 

At the beginning of July we gathered together for a day of birthday surprises for one of our new friends. The birthday girl and her family were some of the first people to reach out to us, include us, and invite us to anything and everything. When the birthday girl's brothers announced what they had up their sleeve, we were all in!

They told their sister that they were going to the park for a picnic and some frisbee. Meanwhile, a big group of us took our places at different locations in the park and planned to go out to meet them bit by bit. Eventually, there we were standing in the middle of the field wishing her a happy birthday. She had nooooo idea what was happening.

After everyone was accounted for, we set out for a hike.

I did all of my hiking in the southeast (Chimney Rock, Grandfather's Mountain, Mt. Mitchell, and Battleground were my FAVORITE places to go). We would pack lunch, take our time, play in the waterfalls, and my grandma kept up in flip flops. I LOVE that kind of hiking. We'd stop for fudge or ice cream or to poke around at any spot that looked interesting. I've learned that very few people hike the way I grew up hiking....

This hike was fun and totally doable, but it started out with one step up a super steep hill after another. I started at the back of the line and just kept zooming around people. No talking. I had to get to the top. I was afraid if I went too slowly or stopped I would die. It was one of the hottest days we had had and I had no idea how long the hike was going to be that intense. It turned out, that the intensity lasted JUST until we made it to the top and then it was all downhill and meandering after that. I had nothing to be afraid of.

We stopped for a water break and pictures and more visiting before making our way back down and around the mountain. The views were pretty gorgeous. I stayed near the front of the pack, but my "I'm going to have to be carried out of here" panic was long gone. I took to chatting and even stopped to snap a few shots.

After the hike was over, we said our goodbyes and she thought they were finally going on their picnic and were headed to watch their dad's softball game. Well, little did she know, the rest of us rushed back to our houses to get our potluck dishes before heading to the very same park. There was more hiding in the bushes...

There they are, having their "picnic". Meanwhile....They are surrounded.

UNDER ATTACK!

SURPRISE!!!!

This day will go down as one of my favorite days from the summer of 2016. Not only did we get to celebrate and totally surprise one of our dearest friends, but we also got to spend an entire day with some fantastic people. I met several people whose paths I hadn't crossed yet and got to catch up with others that I just don't see enough. The birthday girl's brothers did a FANTASTIC job at coordinating everything.

Hiking and frisbee and eating and music and visiting made for a wonderful day!

Friends

July 22, 2014

Last month I picked up "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist and I couldn't put it down. (You can read about that HERE.) The essay about friendship titled "Swimming" really grabbed my attention.

On p. 49 Shauna said these words:


  "Friendship is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways. We were made to represent the love of God in each other's lives so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God's love for them. Friendship is an opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people that we're close to, reminding each other who God is...We get to remind each other about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can't always see from where we are."


It's true.

I have been blessed with so many friends. When I look back, I realize that facing the hardest times together have been some of the sweetest. Staying close and connected takes work and every now and then we need reminders that the work of friendship is worth it. (I wrote one HERE back in January.)

Today I'm writing to remind all of us of the treasure that we have in being able to be friends to one another. May we think about our relationships with people as a means to show them a little more of the God that created everything and holds it all together.

Whether it's a phone call, a card, a coffee date, or a cleaning party - God gives us so very many opportunities to reach out to one another. May our reaching out not be for worthless things, but for more of Him. May we love one another and be friends with one another in a way that points all of us right back to the very source of friendship, namely God Himself.

Every single one of our friends was once a stranger to us in the same way that God and His grace went completely unnoticed. May we be the type of friends who help our friends to be glad that they know us. More importantly, I hope that we can all be the type of friends that make ignoring God and His grace impossible!

Be a friend today, take time to be with God and then share Him with those around you.

Take time to thank the friends who stand beside you doing the same thing.

It's friendship and it's beautiful.

All Kinds of Plans

August 1, 2014

I'm sitting by the fire with a hazelnut mocha that Wendy made me, hitting the pause button on life for just a minute. This week has left me kind of a mess and it's only Wednesday!

*

Sunday was my brother's 22nd birthday. This is the 5th birthday of his that I have not been able to spend with him. Sure, there is skype and that's all well and good, but it's just not getting any easier. I miss him.

Over the last week or so I was chipping away at Madeleine L'Engle's "The Small Rain". It was her first novel and I had ZERO expectations. In fact, I assumed that I would probably hate it. I didn't. I decided to take however much time it took to finish it on Monday morning.  I never do that and it made for a lovely morning! Monday also included lots of cleaning and laundry and a walk on what we expect to be the last "fall" day of the year.

Then there was yesterday. I headed to my friend Heidi's house for the day. We made soap and sunscreen and I helped her daughter make a necklace and kept her son out of trouble. We visited with Ruth and then Dennis and Darlene too for a bit before I had to head back home. As I sat down on the couch last night I was so glad that I set aside that time to spend with all of them!

And today...I finished up the last webcast for a poetry class I've been taking, took a walk to get the van, and then I met up with Joe to run some errands.

*

I had all kinds of plans for my blog this week and now none of it seems important. I might write or I might just take this week off, I haven't decided yet.

There are people around us and the pain and the fights with sin and the aging aren't easy. We shouldn't leave each other to deal with these things alone. I'm so glad that God prepared things for me to do in this life and right now my soul is just overflowing with JOY in Him.

Excuse me while I praise Him and pick up the pieces...I'll be back soon!

Dessert Made Simple

As you all know, I love baking sweet treats for anyone who will eat them! However, sometimes unexpected occasions pop up. A friend drops by for coffee or maybe it's 7pm and you're in the mood for a little sweet snacking while you watch the latest episode of your favorite show.

My point is, sometimes, you need a sweet treat and you need it fast.

Food Should Taste Good comes to the rescue with these Kettle Corn tortilla chips. I know what you're thinking, but let me tell you, these chips are perfect. They are for those of us who love a mix of sweet and salty.

Pair them with a little homemade chocolate glaze and they are fancy enough to serve to guests. If you're looking for my recipe for this glaze, I'll share another secret, it's actually the glaze that goes on THIS cake.

It's getting colder and the days are growing shorter. I'm ready for movie nights in and games on Sunday afternoons. Winter living calls for plenty of snacking.

Whether you're looking for sweet or savory, Food Should Taste Good has a product line with all kinds of varieties. They have you covered!

Be sure to subscribe to their newsletter for the latest in recipes, deals, and fun. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.


*This post was sponsored by Food Should Taste Good. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Tracy's Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Today I want to introduce you to one of my favorite cakes, tell you a little more about my birthday (yes, it was nearly one month ago), and show you some ridiculous pictures.

My birthday went a little differently than usual this year. We went out to my favorite pizza place the night before.

It wasn't until mid-morning on my birthday that we decided to invite several friends over for dessert and then exactly 10 minutes later I had decided on the perfect cake. I went to the store to grab some heavy cream and a bar of chocolate and when I got home my brother wanted to facetime.

It was great fun to bake "with" my brother in the kitchen and to have the rest of my family coming in and out to talk to him, to see if there was a beater ready, or to just sit and visit. As I baked and enjoyed my family I began to be overcome with a certain happiness that just kept growing as the day went on.

When Ron and Julie arrived, my Mom and I were in the backyard having my brother take pictures of us. I wanted them because we are rarely in pictures together. My directions were quite specific: tell us where to move if the light is bad, don't get our feet, and hold the camera up so the picture doesn't look like it's taken from the ground.

Whenever I give directions like these both my brother and sister always take a shot of just our feet and spend so much time messing around that we are lucky to get a good shot! As you can see...

So, we moved inside just as Jay was pulling up and gathered around the table to dig into Tracy's Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake. It was just as tasty as ever! I love this cake because it's rich, it's pretty, and it tastes wonderful. My non-chocolate-everything loving family even eats it until its GONE if that tells you anything!

We ate and laughed and swapped stories and before we knew it, the sun had set and it was time for us to call it a night. I finished the day with some great gifts and a repurposed Christmas card, but more than that, I closed one year and opened another with some new memories, some terrible pictures (and good ones too), and a handful of my favorite people.

If you ask me, THAT'S a recipe for the perfect kind of birthday!

Be sure to head over to Tracy's blog to get the recipe for her Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake by clicking HERE.

My brother has since read this post and wants all of you to know,

"Hey! I only take goofy shots when you guys are dinking around!"

In other words...It's all OUR fault. :) 

 

When a Quiet Sunday Doesn't Help

August 28, 2010

I was bored for the first time in a LONG time yesterday. I had planned to read and rest and spend time with my family.

It turned out that my brother and sister made plans to hang out with some of their friends after church and my Mom just picked up a brand new Kathy Reichs book so that's been how she wants to use her free time for the last few days.

So...I read some blogs. I read a magazine. I tried to read my book. I wandered around outside. It was  nearly 90 degrees and I knew I would regret not doing SOMETHING outside. I thought about calling Jay to see if he wanted to go for a bike ride, but then it was pretty hot for that, so I decided not to. I called my other brother a few times and left him a witty voicemail because apparently he was busy too.

Do you ever have days like that? Where you find yourself without a single person to do anything with and then you realize that you have NOTHING to do.

It wasn't long before I started REALLY missing all of my friends in New England. When I did my student teaching, I moved to Cape Cod and was part of a great church. I met so many friends that make me consider dealing with New England winters because I enjoyed doing life with them so much....

When my family plans bombed out, I found myself wishing that...

Hannah and I would chat over breakfast and then call Shauna only to discover that Rachael was at her house already. We would head to that little seafood shop and grab lunch to eat on Coast Gaurd beach.

We'd go to Hannah's house and find her parents getting up the leaves that fell from the tree that day. We'd grab another sheet and a few more rakes and help them before the task become unbearable with the passing of another day and the falling of another ton of leaves.

Then Andrea would pop over after her shift at starbucks and we'd all watch a movie. Glenn would make the popcorn and Carol would ask us about our day and maybe she'd even have some ginger cookies ready...

I'm here and I truly want to be here, so very far away from Cape Cod and all of the people that I love there. But sometimes, I really, really miss it. Quiet Sundays don't really help with that.

Two - Four

So, two weeks ago, I turned 24 and had a party and made my favorite bundt cake (recipe to come!!!).
 
When it came time to add another number to my age this year, I had a lot of thoughts. This has been a year when God has been teaching me that:

to behold is to become

to become you must behold

we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 

(2 Cor. 3:18)

Everywhere I turn, I am reading or hearing someone say some variation of those phrases.

If you've been around here for a while, you know that my greatest joy and aspiration in life is to become like my Savior. He is my only hope. He is my anchor. He is my guide. I love knowing that God has committed Himself to helping me to see His glory and to use that sight to make me more like Jesus Christ.

I've been coming to this space for years now to share some of these glimpses and to share the highs (and lows) of life.

23 was a pretty awesome year. I really don't think 24 can even compete.

God is still teaching me this "to behold is to become" business, so I must have a lot more to get to the bottom of.

During my last week of 23,  I read a book that Jay brought back from his trip to Florida this year. The book is "The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield" by Steven J. Lawson. I love reading about people who truly were committed to God and depended on Him with every fiber of their being. Whitefield was such a man.

Did you know that someone tried to attack him in his bed?

Did you know that he preached tirelessly until his dying day?

Did you know that he is probably the reason why Phyllis Wheatley ended up published?

As I reflect on 23 and embrace 24, I continue about the business of setting my hope in God. I thank Him for these men who have honored His name above their own. I pray that I would behold Him and that beholding Him I would be transformed. I pray that I would have the same wherewithal that drove Whitefield until his last so that wherever life takes, I can truly say, "I will fear no evil". I pray that the words of my mouth would be a fountain of life and that my influence would inspire many to join in on the praises of our great God.

What has God been teaching you this year?

How many candles are on YOUR cake?