Best of Both Worlds

We entered the building to soaring sounds of trumpet and organ.

Handel's Trumpet Voluntary, the processional at our wedding almost 41 years ago.

But we were just attending church in Manhattan in the Danny Kaye Theater, and it was a wonderful way to begin our worship that day.  They also, had a magnificent choir that day, performing a piece composed by the choir director and another one arranged by her.  Rob said "heavenly" at the end of the original piece.  And then an insightful sermon from Acts on Cornelius and Peter.  I love to watch the old gentleman who plays the organ each Sunday.  He loves the music he plays and worships right along with the congregation while we sings the hymns.  The service is traditional, inspiring and always enlightens my heart and gives me hope.  Plus, I get to worship together with one of my favorite people, Ethan.  That's a treat!!

But my heart and family are in upstate New York.  Not my flesh and blood family, but family in every sense of the word.

We worship in a big gymnasium, filled with basketball nets and ceramic block.  A stage with heavy scarlet curtains and a band with bases, drums, guitars and keyboards.  It's contemporary.  No bulletins but an intense sense of community, sharing joys and struggles, praying for each other, encouraging the young mothers and children, experiencing the Holy Spirit and loving the Lord.  Our pastor is the dearest, kindest man I know, full of wisdom and counsel.  We have big families in our congregation and loads of babies, continually!  We have students from local universities and we have old people, the group I currently belong to.  And we're alive in upstate NY, listening, listening to the voice of the Lord.

I know I can count on my church family here.  They've come to my home to comfort me, to help me, to scrounge through the basement for props for the musical, to attend Bible Studies and Life groups.  We fellowship over dinners and have bridal showers and baby showers here.  They have loved my children, my sisters and nieces, my folks and in laws.  They have come along side of me for years, when I did dessert night, Women's Ministry and Children's Church.  They have written notes to me when I have been in treatment and when we have been bereaved and when we have been rejoicing.

Yes, I have the best of both worlds. 

I think I may have glimpsed a bit of what we will experience in heaven.

1921-2012

It was a long life.

91 years.  And it ended on the last day of 2012.

Grandma Nordberg was born to Swedish immigrants in New York City.  A fact that she was quite proud of.  She grew up in the Bronx, surrounded by cousins and loving and fun parents, especially her dad.  He was an inventor on the side and came up with many products that "almost" made it big!

She was tall and lanky.  She had a tall, lanky brother, Irvine.  Her parents took her to the Swedish Covenant Church each week, although they did not attend.  She was introduced to Jesus, and loved and followed Him all her life.  She met her husband at church, the son of the pastor.  She went to Bible school in Philadelphia at night and worked in a munitions plants during the day.  He took the train each weekend from the city down to see her and he courted her for a year and then they were married.

I think that generation was really remarkable.  My parents and my in-laws were remarkable people in so many ways.

They were content.  Something I see missing in this fast and immediate society we live in today.  They weren't demanding the latest "thing", or dress, or convenience.  I remember growing up and we went shopping once a year for clothes, at Easter.  We always got a new Easter dress, and hat and gloves.  And I think a few new play clothes and school outfits were included. And many years my mom did not buy any new clothes for herself.  I wasn't in the budget.   My Aunt June made my sister and I swimsuits!  Funny to think of that these days.

They were faithful.  Faithful to each other and faithful to the Lord.  Alma taught children's Sunday School and did Children's Church for 35 years.  A commitment which is almost hard to fathom nowadays.  I was in my early 20's when I first attended our local church.  I still remember all the Norwegian young moms and 2 Swedish moms coming in and dispersing to different classrooms to teach the children each week. When Alma organized Children's Church, Bob her husband, assisted her by playing the piano and keeping "law and order".  And every year they taught 2 weeks of Vacation Bible School for the local children and their moms.  For years she organized Christmas packages through the Salvation Army for the women inmates of a local prison.  She brought a gorgeous, large, artfully arranged bouquet of flowers,  for the front of the sanctuary each Sunday.  Flowers exclusively grown from her garden.  And she only had eyes for Robert.  No one else could hold a candle to him.

They had integrity and personal responsibility.

They were great cooks.  Alma was a fantastic cook.  They had a nutritious sit down family meal each night.  She began to listen to radio programs each day devoted to teaching on healthy eating and food preparation and vitamins.  And soon became a mini expert.  Her aunts had been "cooks" in the early part of the 20th century to wealthy New York City families, and Alma learned to bake at their side.  She made wonderful cakes, pies and limpa (swedish rye bread).  There was always loads of butter and heavy cream in her frig!   She was famous for her shrimp salad and I loved her pot roast. She knew the right cut of meat to buy.

They were great homemakers.  Alma's heart was for her home.  She made it a comfortable place for her family and those who visited.  It wasn't fancy but it was welcoming to family and friends.  She learned skills as she, Bob and her boys made a home out a large dairy barn in Westchester.  She did dry wall, taping, sanding, bought power tools, painted and wallpapered, purchased appliances and bathroom fixtures.  And then went outside and developed flower gardens and grew beautiful vegetables in her huge patch down the hill.  She wasn't nervous that she didn't have a job outside the home that paid her money.  She had plenty to do at Guard Hill.  And I think she must have been the original homeschooler.  She homeschooled my brother-in-law for years before BOCES was extablished and he could attend a couple of years of high school there.

Alma, along with several other older women included my mom, showed by example how to love a husband, commit to local church, raise a Godly family, reach out to hurting parts of the community, be a friend, and love the Lord.  She looked for the coming of the Lord each day.  She watched and longed for His return.
And we will see her again.......

For we have hope

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

The holiday, now sandwiched in between the mega holiday of Halloween and the totally secularized holiday of Christmas.

I guess I am just being dour.  And old fashioned.  And a bit nostalgic.

But I love Thanksgiving, it's meaning for our country and it's broader significance in our Christian faith.  And it seems that we, as a country, rush through Thanksgiving to get to the all important retail day of Black Friday.

I've never been.  To Black Friday shopping that is. 

I'm not a big shopper to begin with and Black Friday has just never appealed to me.

So I'm writing a bog instead of shopping today.  And I'm going to list, partially, the things I'm thankful for.  (I'm a list person)

1. so thankful that God has saved me.  that Jesus gave his life for me and salvation is mine, here and now.

2.  so thankful that He delights in me  Psalm18:19

3. thankful for Godly parents, parents who treasured their children and their extended family

4. thankful for grandparents who emigrated to America, learned English, worked hard, started businesses, became citizens but continued to love their heritage.

5. so grateful for a Godly husband of 40 years, full of integrity, honor, loyalty, kindness and devotion.
he's also a great carpenter, electricitian, plumber and general overall problem solver.

6. thankful for 4 wonderful children and all the fun, exciting, interesting adventures we had as they were growing up.

7. thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my children and that God has given each one of them different and wonderful gifts and talents

8.  thankful and grateful for a wonderful church family for the last 26 years.

9.  thankful for a home with bedrooms for all and bathrooms with great showers and a big dining room to have friends and family over for dinners.

10.  thankful for a garden where I can grow my own vegetables and flowers; and a patio where I can sit and see the wonders of God's creation.

11. thankful for a new business venture where God has enabled me to use my creativity and hospitality.

12.  thankful for an untouched 1885 barn, with original horse stalls and chicken coup so that I could venture out on my recent backyard poultry interest.

13.  gratful we live in a small community, where we have caring neighbors, wonderful village friends, where people walk the sidewalks and visit people sitting on porches.

14.  i love seeing the Amish go by the house each day in their carriages, carried along by their horse

15.  I'm thankful for the Word which I can read each day, treasure and meditate on.

16.  And I'm thankful for books and libraries in our home.  Where one can sit and reach out for words and phrases and descriptions and the feeling of pages and leather and bindings.  And where words come tumbling down, enriching our souls and minds.

17.  thankful to live in a country where we can worship, speak, develop of own sense of destiny and purpose, vote, without a fear of reprisals.  I pray that we may continue to be free.

November 4th

Thirty-six years ago, November 4th, our lives were changed forever.  Very early in the morning, before the sun came up, our beautiful daughter was born.  And we became a family. 

Once I got the hang of a schedule, we all got along very nicely.  Although she loved to be entertained.  And I loved entertaining her.  Holding, rocking, reading books to her when she was a week old, walking her in her perambulator, and taking her to her grandmother's, both who lived close by and absolutely adored her.  She even had a great grandmother who lived with my mom and Elizabeth was a great source of joy to her.

We were best friends right from the start.  She was energetic, inquisitive, smart, loving and kind.  I remember having 30 women in our living room for Bible study and she would stand beside me as we worshiped and then she would sit down and do Bible study with the rest of the ladies.

And when she was about 8 years old she developed a love of baking.  Every Saturday she would bake cookies for the family......made her brothers very happy.  And when she was 13, I had to go and help my sister who just had a mastectomy.  Elizabeth stayed home with the boys, managed the home and the schedule and cooked a dinner each night for her dad and the family.

She was and is competetive, which made her a great swimmer and a great student.  And she developed a love for animals.  We had horses, dogs, rabbits, cats and various other small animals that lived in cages.

And on November 4th, seven years ago my mom died.  I miss her terribly.  She was the best mom anyone coule have.  She modeled the role of a wife and mother to her three girls perfectly.  She loved her family, gave us each confidence in who we were, encouraged us, showed us how to love a husband, be involved in community and church, and be interested in others more than ourselves.

I think one always needs a mom.

Splendor and Sorrow

 

It's been the most magnificent fall this year.

 

Everyone has said so.  I had thought, since we did not have an abundance of rain, but certainly no drought, the leaves might have just turned brown and fallen off.

 

But no.  The colors were spectacular.  The sun streaming through the trees and sparkling off the golds and yellows of the forests made it a dazzling trip to our cottage each time I drove out there.  And the reds were bright, crimsons strong, the oranges and amber colors interspersed with the chartreuse painted a gorgeous palette through the mountains.

 

And the leaves stayed on the trees for so long.  Actually, they have just now completely come off the trees at home.  Awaiting the annual leaf raking marathon that we do each year.  This year it seems late.  I guess the unseasonably warm temperatures make it seem like summer is lingering on.

 

I think that fall is almost more beautiful than spring.  Spring brings shades of green but fall surrounds us with all the colors of the spectrum.

 

But in the midst of all the beauty, this fall has brought, sorrow.

 

The television is full of it.  A raid, a riot, an attack, confusion.

 

But still four dead.

 

And I know the heartache and pain that families are going through.  And November 8th comes racing back.  I know the agony that the wives are experiencing,  And the heartaches their mom's are suffering.  Their sons, husbands, brothers and fathers are gone.  Taken from them in a far away land.

 

And tears pour down my face, knowing the road they will have to travel.  Not only in these days and months, but years.

 

And I pray....Lord, comfort them with the comfort only you can bring.  Show them your love.  And protect them under the shadow of your wing. 

 

 

Tutorials/Fall

Fall is here! 

 

Where did September go?  For us it was a blur.

 

We have been so busy at Litengard.  All the college students arrived in late August.  Parents, students and cars, filled to the brim with dorm stuff!  We had families bringing their students early for fall sports practices, freshmen coming for orientation, and finally the upper classmen came.

 

And no sooner did the parents depart than they were back again for Family Weekend.  All 4 schools!

We've been busy.

 

 

 

The summer flowers and foliage are nice but fall is magificent.  The blossoms are off the crabapple trees, but they are now adorned with crimson and amber berries.  The dalia's have center stage and the white phlox are stunning.

 

 

 

The tomatoes grew to great heights this year.  This is Jon, 6'2" reaching up to harvest the top tomatoes.  We've had BLT's, sliced tomato sandwiches, tomato salad, and we've made loads of pasta sauce.  The beets were prolific as well as the beans, summer squash, green and red peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce,  potatoes, and kale.

 

We had a picnic for the St Lawrence students who live on Main Street.

 

And went to a wonderful wedding in Wisconsin.

 

Otis was back for a few days.  People at the Inn miss the Inn dog.  And he was happy to sleep in for a few days, no getting up at 4 o'clock when he was visiting the North Country.

 

We had two different shipments of new chicks.  A new variety, Welsummers, have been added to the group and some others who will give me blue and green eggs.  A new enclosure was developed so the "big" girls would not pick on the new ones.

 

And we are still harvesting tomatoes!

 

We have had two girls come to live with us for a bit.  It's been fun to young people in the house again.

 

But we have had lots of tutorials!

1. how to care for chickens.....feeding, watering, collecting eggs, corraling escaped hens

2. how to slice, chop and roast vegetables...mostly tomatoes to make into pasta sauce

3.  how to hand mow the lawn

4. how to care for neurotic unsocialized big black dog

5. how to iron sheets and napkins

6. how to clean the bathroom....Margaret style

7. how to entertain Inn guests, neighbors, college students and relatives

 

And they have helped me figure out my phone, add Padora, instruct me on internet things, fix things around the house, give me concerts, and let me see a friendship being developed between two girls who barely knew each other before living here.  It's been fun and they have been a big help to the daily goings on here at 42 and 44.

Saturday

It's hard to believe that it's the middle of August.   Everyone is saying, "summer is almost over".  Wow, did that go fast.  We had a magnificent summer up here in the North Country.  Lovely hot weather with little rain, so everyone enjoyed their pools and the lakes around here.  But the farmers were praying for rain.

My garden is magnicient this year.  Today Elizabeth Melville and I harvested the Purple Viking potatoes, and she dug up the residual garlic while I pulled up the onions.  Then we tackled the tomatoes.  The orange cherry tomatoes are so sweet, I've already made two pots of pasta sauce with them.  The Black Prince, Morgage Lifters, Green Zebras,Gold Medals, Paul Robesons, Amish paste, and others are prolific.  Elizabeth was wondering how I was going to collect the ones that are coming off the 7 foot branches though.  I've never had to take a ladder into the garden to get the tomatoes before, but this year the tomatoes are all reaching to great heights.  It must be the chicken manure!

While Elizabeth and I were picking eggplant, squash, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, Rob was busy building a door in the stall so that the babies could have more room to run around.  I was just going to staple up some chicken wire to the wall and somehow attach it to the other side so that I could get in and out but Rob would not allow such a sloppy affair.  So we got a lovely door on hinges and a legitimate latch.  The babies have a large area to run around in and the older chicken can view them at close range.

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And tomorrow it's time to spend with the Lord and our church family.