In the Finger Lakes

We spent the last day of our anniversary trip in New York State. We drove up through Bath, New York - stopping at a little market in a park. The produce stands were so pretty dressed in their autumn colors and bounties.



We then stopped at the New York State Fish Hatchery and took a fascinating little self-guided tour of this 100+ year-old operation. We viewed the hatch house and tanks FULL of various kinds of trout and had fun throwing fish food in to watch them go crazy!

We spent the rest of the day driving up along Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, as well as through miles and miles of gorgeous vineyards. We rolled our windows down to inhale in great gulps the incredible scent of ripe grapes that perfumed the air. What a sweet memory -

On Our Anniversary Trip

Sunday afternoon was gorgeous, just begging for a walk - we took a long one on a section of State Gameland. (See the turkeys?)





On Monday we took a long drive over mountains and through valleys. We came across the little town of Millheim and found the IngleBean Coffee Shop at lunchtime for tea and salad. It's a neat little place and is part of the Triple Creek Lodge housed right upstairs.



And today we took another long drive on this rainy day - the leaves are really beginning to change in Pennsylvania's northern mountains.



We came over a hill and thought this was someone's idea of Halloween decorations. But when we stopped to investigate, we realized that these vultures were real - one perched on every post of that fence!

A Passion for the Impossible Book Review

A Passion for the Impossible - The Life of Lilias Trotter by Miriam Huffman Rockness is the biography of a woman who knew God in an intimate way. Lilias Trotter was a missionary to the Muslim people of Algeria in North Africa in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. God gave her a wonderful artistic gift which could have made her famous in the art world. Instead, Lilias decided to use her gift to minister in the depths of the African desert. If you want to be encouraged and spurred on to greater work for God, read about the life of this little-known woman who loved Him and His people with all her heart.

Autumn In A Dish

Try this easy-peasy pie crust in your next apple pie . . .

Apple Pickin' Time

(Photos by Eli)

Harvesting the Gourds

E. and I spent a chunk of yesterday afternoon harvesting the gourds. We didn't have as big a yield as we did other years - probably because I planted a whole bunch of older seeds to see what was good and what wasn't, and a lot weren't! All the rain we had rotted a bunch as well. But we did get a few Cinderella pumpkins, a dozen or so Jack Be Littles and our biggest yield - green birdhouse gourds which came from a fresh packet of seeds that a friend gave me for St. Patrick's Day. Eli did all the decorating on the front and back porches -

Cracker Pudding

About this time every year I get a hankerin' for Cracker Pudding. When I woke up this morning to a chilly day, I knew it was time to cook a little. This simple recipe doesn't make much (I'm the only one who eats it), but it can easily be doubled. You can also throw in some coconut.

Cracker Pudding

2 C. milk
1 C. of cracker crumbs (which is approx. 20 Saltines or 1/2 a sleeve)
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tabl. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk until warm. Mix cracker crumbs, sugar, egg and cornstarch (and coconut, if desired). Stir into warm milk and cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Allow to cool a bit then serve. Refrigerate unused portion.

Romans 8

Thank You, Lord . . .

* that there is now no condemnation for me (vs. 1)
* that I need not walk in the flesh (vs. 1,2, & 5)
* for sending Your own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (vs. 3)
* that Your righteousness is fulfilled in me because of Your Son’s sacrifice (vs. 4)
* that to be spiritually minded is life and peace (vs. 6, 11, & 13)
* that the Spirit of God dwells in me (vs. 9)
* that I might call You, “Abba, Father” (vs. 15)
* that Your Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am Your’s (vs. 16)
* that I am Your heir and one day will be glorified (vs. 17)
* that creation and I will one day be delivered from bondage (vs. 18-23)
* that the suffering we experience on earth is nothing compared to the glories of Heaven (vs. 18)
* for the Spirit’s help and intercession (vs. 26)
* that those intercessions are according to Your will (vs. 27)
* for Romans 8:28 and 29 – I have tasted those truths and found them good
* that You are for me (vs. 31)
* that You did not spare Your own Son but offered Him up freely for us all (vs. 32)
* that You give not only Your Son but all things (vs. 32)
* that Christ, too, is interceding for me (vs. 34)
* that nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ (vs. 35)
* that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (vs. 36)
* that neither death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (vs. 38-39)

That’s rich, Lord, rich.

Watching . . .

(Thanks to you, Wendy!)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

This is Marco - he was one of our "hosts" on Sunday afternoon at our church's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" event. Here's how the event works: Several weeks before the dinner, each family fills out a form as to whether you wish to be a guest or host, along with information regarding number in family, number of people you can host, directions to your home, food allergies, etc. You turn them in and one person is designated to match up guests and hosts. The week before the event, each family is given an envelope that contains the following info: if you're a host, you'll find out how many are coming (but not specifically who is coming); if you're a guest, you find out where you're going and the number of people who'll be there (but not who else will be there besides the host). The host is responsible for the main dish and vegetable - the guests are assigned with the salad/bread or the dessert. It's all kept a secret until after church when you show up at the host family's door. It's fun trying to guess who you'll be having dinner with! There were 14 of us at our host family's house (15 including Marco who flew around the room after dinner showing off). We enjoyed the ham, baked potatoes, and green beans that our host served, along with the tossed salad and rolls I provided. The other family of 3 that joined us brought a delicious pineapple upside down cake and peanut butter pie. We chatted over dinner and spent the rest of the afternoon on the back porch visiting and watching the combined 8 children play kickball.

A Book Review of "Living Sacrifice"

Living Sacrifice by Dr. Helen Roseveare is a small book with a big message –learning to yield one’s whole being to God. Dr. Roseveare was a medical missionary in the country of Zaire from 1953-1973. In this book, she shares stories of how God taught her the greatest commandment: to learn to love Him with all her heart, soul, mind and strength. The book is a candid look into the life of a missionary that has challenged me to examine what it truly means to be a living sacrifice to the Lord.

Collage by Eli

Eli created this collage after being inspired by a poster and several pamphlets about horses that we brought back for him from Ag Progress Days. He hung it proudly in his Inspiration Closet.

Drying Out From Tropical Storm Lee

In two weeks' time, we've experienced an earthquake, a hurricane and now a flood.

Tropical Storm Lee poured down this week with more devastation and damage to this area than I've seen in my lifetime. The little creek running through our farm became a raging river with logs flowing down it. Our now-treacherous farm lane could be dubbed "Toad's Wild Ride." And the bridge you must cross to get to the farm was one big barricade that kept me from getting home for several hours on Wednesday.

The power of water is truly an amazing and terrifying thing. And my awe of the power of the God who made that water certainly has increased in the last few days.

Pumpkin Growing in the Sun

(Photo by Eli)

A Visit to Ellicott City

Two Fridays ago, after a delicious breakfast of Carmelized Banana French Toast (!) at the Yorktowne Hotel, my sister whisked me away for the day to a lovely little town in Maryland - historic Ellicott City - as her birthday present to me. It's a quaint place built on seven hills on the outskirts of Baltimore and is a delight to the eyes and tastebuds as it's full of lovely shops and delicious eateries.


We spent the morning browsing all the shops including one with the reputation of being the first duplex home in America. Each side of the house-turned-gift-shop had four floors connected with menacingly steep steps and a fireplace in every room.


Sweet Elizabeth Jane's was one of my favorite shops . . .



And Vintage Girls was fun, too . . .



We ended our visit with lunch at Johnny's Bistro where I had a Grilled Vegetable Panini and the two of us shared this decandent cake called "Over the Moon." Though the photo isn't the best, can you see the piece of chocolate on topped carved into the shape a crescent moon?! A perfect ending to a perfect day - thanks again, Sis!!

Our Asian Pears Are In

An Indoor Picnic

I wanted to have an end-of-the-season picnic last weekend - but Hurricane Irene had different ideas. So, we had an indoor gathering instead but with lots of picnic food. An old friend and her family came over. She and I were baptized on the same day in Wantz's Pond when we teenagers. And I taught her now-teenagers when they were in my 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School class.

We enjoyed our "picnic," spent a lot of time laughing over family tales, compared notes on raising young adults, and enjoyed listening to the kids playing Apples to Apples in the living room. Despite Irene, the house was cozy and bright with fellowship and fun.

Our Picnic Menu:

* Grilled Burgers & Dogs with all the fixings
* The Garden's Last Corn-on-the-Cob
* Baked Beans
* Aunt Helen's Macaroni Salad
* Cheddar Multi-Grain Chips
* Watermelon Chunks
* Chocolate Picnic Cake with Whipped Cream and Hot Coffee

(The mums were a gift from my friend - an extra sweet treat as I love to have mums in the house this time of year. They always remind me of our autumn wedding day as we decorated the church and reception hall with them.)

Little League World Series

Two weeks ago M. and I had the opportunity to spend an evening at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. What a neat experience! We sat on the hill eating kettle-cooked popcorn and watching Montana (Midwest) and South Dakota (Northwest) play off. Besides the various regions of the United States, little leagues from other countries played as well. We enjoyed watching a bit of the game between Japan and Aruba.


There's no admission fee or parking costs and the refreshment prices are reasonable. The atmosphere is very family friendly and besides having to go through metal detectors, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience! It was fun to watch the tradition of children sliding down one of the large hills in the park on cardboard boxes, stand behind the ESPN studio to "be on TV," and see and hear many different peoples of the world.


This yearly event in August lasts more than a week - if you're ever near Williamsport at that time of year, stop in for a game or just to experience the atmosphere. I'm not a big baseball fan, but I loved it!