Sunday Dinner

Old and young,

 men, women, and children turn up in full force for 

the timeless tradition of family supper.

  Delicious aromas wafting up from the oven reach out beyond the front door
to greet each person as they approach our cabin.
 Roasting meat, fire crackling, a merry pile of children heaped on a couch,
 these familiar sights and sounds fill the senses. 

  Sunday dinner. 

 Just naming it brings to mind years of  home cooked,

 multi-generational dinners at my grandma's house. 

Grandma was the best cook.  

Her baked beans, biscuits and gravy, and pickles are still legendary.

  Generations ago, 

in North Carolina's way back hollers,

 a relative of mine served her family pickled something or the other,

 because that was one of their staples of winter food. 

 My grandma passed down this quirky tradition.

That tiny woman,
 of considerable strength, wisdom and energy, always had pickled beets, 

picalily, or dill pickles gracing her table. 

Now, we honor her memory and our family history

with our own home-canned pickled goodness each and every Sunday dinner.
It is part of the story of
Us.

 A generous sprinkling of the dishes I was raised with:
 Meat, potatoes, gravy, home made rolls or cornbread,

 and ofcourse, pie ending it all...

that's the hallmark our family dinners are made of.

 Traditional family food is more than delectable,

 it is heritage come down.

History is part of the feast.

 Grandma's cooking was wonderful, 

but what is in my heart
is the gathering of family at table,

 for that is what made our family dinners special.
In this day of busy, over committed lifestyles,
we intentionally slow down long enough to come together.

And so, we seek to honor our parents by inviting them to Sunday Dinner,

 along with all our children, and usually a few friends, 

for a bountiful table set to holiday standards.
 My mom taught me that

  a thoughtfully set dinner table is a gift to those seated around it.

 and also that

 presentation can make anything you serve more gracious.

Setting a fine table is an effort.  

This is the work of preparation.
 This work of preparation brings forth the expectation of something extra special.

The children clue in on this, and excitement for the day swells.

The family dinner is a place of belonging...
...a place where we can commune together,
 experiencing the beauty and goodness of all that God has given us for our joy and pleasure.
This table invites us to fill the hunger and thirst our souls inherently have for community.

The intention is to treat those we love as what they are to us... wanted, valued, and appreciated.

  The result is a reawakened vision of family life as it used to be back in the day.

The extra work and effort unequivocally worth it.

Hungry guests and eager children know to listen for the sweet summons of the dinner bell.

Anticipation of the succulent dinner at hand, a hurrah goes up as we gather.  

Love that word. 

Gather.

To be gathered around the table is blessing enough.

But there's more.

We lift up our voices, old and young, in song. 

Here is beauty.

Then, after a prayer, each person around the table expresses one thing they are thankful for.

This is so important. 

 When we do this, we are intentionally turning our hearts in gratitude 

to the One who has given us so very much, 

which, turns our hearts away from ourselves 

and offers a chance to revive selfish attitudes, thus rendering deeper enjoyment. 

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits:"

- Psalm 103:1-2 KJV

Dinner is served.

As plates are removed to the kitchen,

the children line up oldest to youngest near their dad,

 eagerly awaiting their father's blessing bestowed on each head.

  O, my heart!

In my mind, there is just about nothing as beautiful 

as a father giving his children a sweet blessing

 to carry them through the days ahead, 

reminding them of their value, their identity, their destiny.

When heads and hearts have received their blessing, 

a sweet, mouthwatering conclusion is served round.

The aroma of coffee brewing convinces all to sit and sip awhile yet longer.

   

Here are memories being imprinted on young minds.

Conversations eventually move to the living room in front of the fire.

The boys quiz their papa about welding, fabrication, forging, and cars.

The girls watch as the grandmas put the kitchen to rights with cheerful voices,

as if dishes for 18 are nothing at all to wash by hand.

The smaller children love to use Grampy's attention as a show and tell time. 

The cabin is abuzz with small conversations here and there,

 while second cups of coffee are filled and leftovers parceled out to each household.

Finally, the cabin empties as twilight settles in.
My heart is full.
  I am undoubtedly exhausted.
 And yet, I will joyfully look forward to next time, because
This is just too precious to pass up.

Graduation Week

The last week has revolved around Rose's graduation party. 

 It has been a very full week.

First, company, 

all of the most lovely kind.  

The finest young ladies and men graced our home for 7 days.

 

Second,  the party.

After a speech and a time of prayer for Rose, 

the more rambunctious headed outdoors for the Virginia Reel and many more lively dances. 

 The next day was more practical. 

 The boys were overdue for a trim, and Gabe got his first big boy haircut.  

It's kinda sad, he is growing up so fast.

Since it was daddys' day off,

the boys, (newly trimmed) went out with him for a while to gather yet another cord of wood. 

 That makes 8 cord, and 4 to go.

Tuesday we took a truck load of company on a hike up the mountain.

 

It has been a big, wonderful week. 

  

Congratulations Rose!

Log Home tour part 5: The Spare Oom

Welcome to the Providence Lodge Home Tour!

This is our 5th room featured here.

 If you have been traveling through the tour with us,

 we are now on the 2nd floor of the lodge.

  Right at the top of the stairs and to the left, we come to our extra bedroom.

Being great C.S Lewis fans,

 we have a "Spare Oom", 

and we dearly love to have company in it.

 The Spare Oom was formerly John's room,

 but he moved out onto his own and will be getting married soon, 

so I recently took it over.

To out fit our Spare Oom, we stole the bed from Anna's former room, 

moved grandpa's ugly brown cupboard from the third floor,

 and gathered a few other pieces of furniture here and there around the house 

to give it what I thought a spare oom should have. 

The room is 18x14, planned extra large initially for John and all his gear,

 and with thoughts of future guests,

 which often times come with pack n play's for their little ones,

 suitcases, 

and need for quiet study time.

I wanted this space to be comfortable for either gender,

 so I kept this in mind while decorating and choosing colors.

My mom really likes the blue-green of the bedspread and curtains,

 and since she is our most frequent guest, the color scheme is fitting here.

 It is a very relaxing color, and different from any of the other rooms in the lodge.

Here is a closer look:

Quilts again, 

this time on top of Grandpa's cabinet and ready to add to the bed on a cold night.

Grandpa's cabinet offers lots of character (did you notice the unmatched doors and hinges?). 

 It serves as storage for  all our gift wrapping supplies, as well as a few sewing notions.

The blanket chest houses dress up gear for the boys 

and provides a surface to plop a visitor's suitcase. 

  The chest also makes a great play surface for the children's intricate villages and forts,

(smile)

 which is mostly what the Spare Oom is used for, 

offering a place to get a good play scenario set up and leave for days on end.

The boys are able to close the door or put up a baby gate 

so that Olivia cannot destroy their meticulous array of cowboys and Indians (dinosaurs included, lol)

 or military forces.  

She just doesn't share the same philosophy of war play as the boys.

(chuckle)

Our Spare Oom will soon be pleasantly occupied again...

the children are counting the days until our next "guest" arrives--

their sister Anna coming to visit for a few weeks!!

  HURRAY!

"Hospitality is not defined by a large house, 

fine food, or fancy china. 

 It is defined by the welcoming of the heart, 

the opening of the home, 

and the extending of love to every guest."

 "Lord, may each person who enters our home 

be greeted with a smile, 

welcomed with delight, 

treated with honor,

 served with humility,

 and cared for in the same way 

that we would treat You if You were our guest."

Of Books, Uncles, and Dirt

 When Uncle Carl comes to visit, 

he wisely brings a pile of wonderful children's books of the finest quality.

The children soon learn that if Uncle Carl is sitting, they can climb aboard for a story,

 or two,

 or three...

or seven, as the case may be.

Captivated by a new story, 

they all listen rapturously.  

I caught even the older children peeking over his shoulder more than once.

Even Olivia would sit still for, well, several seconds, anyway, to listen.

  Then she would be off to toddle around and get into trouble, mostly,

 but back again shortly to listen for a minute more.

  I think Uncle Carl is more patient than I.

Joe and Jim were spellbound by a new book they had never seen before.  

Besides reading to the children, 

we enjoyed several walks and a late night hike with our house guest,

 he taking beautiful pictures all along the way.

Every once in a  great while, you may find a soul with whom your soul connects.  

One who understands you, and you understand them.

  This someone may seem to know you right off, and surprisingly,

 love you anyway.

These relationships are to be cherished.  

Every occasion to visit must be savored like a morsel of fine steak.

Such people quickly become "family" and nothing can change it.

Even when far away, or even far in between visits, these special souls are always near at heart, in thought, and the relationship quickly picks up right where it left off.

We are blessed to have these wondrous people in our lives, and in our homes, as was the case last week.

Tis a little bit of heaven on earth.

One of the things that keeps us smiling, laughing, and oft rolling our eyes here at the lodge with Carl is the endless dirt that permeates everything, everywhere....

especially short, bossy toddlers.

He thought it very picturesque apparently:

At this stage in our landscaping adventure, such is usually the way we find Olivia playing in the "yard."  

The grass seed is sitting on the porch awaiting planting,

 and I am optimistically dreaming of acres of green grass to replace the powdery clay dirt that has settled, less cutely, but just as thickly,

 on the logs inside our home.

In the meantime, we refer to her as "Pig Pen" from the Peanuts comic strip,

 and smile and laugh.

A toddler's life progresses so swiftly,

 soon  her little dirt magnet days will be a memory.

The Dirt Days will be a memory,

 one we share with a rare and beautiful soul we call Uncle.