The Good Old Summer Time On Lake Coeur d'Alene

.... in a zippy pontoon boat.  A great way to spend a lazy summer afternoon.  Even Nathan enjoyed the ride.  He really wanted to try wake boarding.  Maybe next time we can get pulled behind the boat in a raft.  The one we were going to use flew off the boat as it was being hauled down to the lake (oooops)!

I am amazed how tired I was when we got home.  All I did was sit under the boat's canopy and watch life go by.  Eat a sandwich and grapes ... time for a good night's rest.  First I need to get my land legs back.

Historic Walking Tour

Ft. Sherman Chapel
constructed 1880

Yesterday was 'date' day.  Hubby and I visited our local museum for a nearby walking tour of historic Ft. Sherman.


 Our guide was General William Carlin, commander of Ft. Sherman ... dressed in a period uniform from the War Between the States (aka .. the Civil War).  The 90 minute walk was leisurely .. and included many shade filled stops along the way.  Wearing a boiled wool uniform is hot, no matter your rank!

Ft. Sherman Officers Quarters
constructed 1878

Three quarters size replica of original fort entrance

Fort Sherman ammunition building

 If you're up to a nice leisurely stroll around Coeur d'Alene or Ft. Sherman (now known as North Idaho College), be sure to get your tour tickets at the Museum of North Idaho.  Adults $15 and worth every penny :)

A beautiful stroll along Lake Coeur d'Alene

Our date ended with an inexpensive lunch at the Mexican Food Factory at the corner of Fourth and Birch in Midtown, Coeur d'Alene.  According to the owner/chef ... it's the oldest Mexican food establishment in CDA.  The food was very good ... and tasted like homemade.  Great salsa!!!  Lunch for two, including tea and lemonade was $13.00.   Get out and explore your neighborhood!  We did and had a blast!

Whatever Happened To Mrs. Mac?

Mr. and Mrs. Mac at Memorial Day Service

It's been a while since I dug in and wrote a blog post with more than a sentence and a few pictures.  Life has a way of passing by without so much as a hiccup .. then .. the brakes get applied. 

Our youngest daughter, Ann, recently moved out on her own.  She has been working as a dental assistant for almost a year now after graduating from school last summer.  This makes the homestead a bit quieter and has freed up my schedule.  You wouldn't think that having an adult child living at home would make the parent's calendar fill up .. but somehow now that she's not living here .. I have more (me) time.  Her room is being transformed into a little retreat for sewing projects and quiet day dreams. 

Nathan finished up the 8th grade yesterday and is home for the summer.  He has three days a week planned for summer camp activities.  Did I mention that he has progressed to the point that he can pretty much take care of himself? Thanks to the work of a very special interventionist that has helped to transform a very needy (special needs) child .. into one that is very capable of managing his own self without very much assistance.  PTL!  I'll post an update soon about his health after a recent scare we had .. but for now, let's just say he's growing like a weed and seems to be on the mend.  The docs don't suspect leukemia .. will know more after his next blood test in July.  Thank you all that have been praying for him ..

I hope to get my writing grove back and post more often.

A Ruby Flying Fortress - Part I

Restored B-17 named the Aluminum Overcast

U.S. Navy bi-planes

Our weekend outing was to a neighborhood vintage aircraft display at Felts Field in Spokane, Washington.  There were many restored war planes, including a B-17 from WWII.  For the right price you could even take a flight in several of the planes.  Years ago, Mr. Mac was treated to a flight in this very same B-17 .. can you believe he opted to take the flight instead of celebrating my 30th birthday?? .. His loyalty was swayed by this scantily clad ruby aluminum beauty ;)

For more Ruby Tuesday beauties, visit Teach Mary here

Winter-scapes

Ann enjoying a bleak winter day

Finding beauty in bleakness .. it takes just a little imagination to develop this sense.  Living in a winter scape affords a person the ability to eventually see summer in technicolor.  Never one for wasting a good day, I try to find the beauty within each one.

Bleak .. cold ..

snowy .. sunny .. in-between .. leafless

emerging .. emerald .. first leaf .. first bloom ..

scents .. fruit of the vine .. harvest ..

swirling leaves ..

naked sentry trees .. wind .. ice ..

cold .. bleak. 

As each day unfolds, there is a beauty to behold.  Even on the bleakest day of winter, somewhere in the landscape .. beauty is waiting to be discovered.  No special glasses required .. just open eyes to pinpoint the God given abundance that is ours to discover .. if we just  observe His ever changing landscape.

You will go out in joy and be  

led forth in peace; 

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field 

will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

Scarf Sisters Reunion - Day Three

On Sunday I loaded up the gals into the 'tour bus' (my old van;) and we headed out of town ... final destination .. to tread ever so quickly into and out of the state of Montana ... just to say 'We Were There' ;)  Sister Deb wants to visit all fifty states ... so with this trip, she was able to check off three. 

Scarf Sisters at the Greenbriar Inn, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

We started the day with a beautiful and delicious brunch at the Greenbriar Inn.  A lovely brick home built in 1908 that serves dinner, brunch, and is a B&B.  The food was so good, and the interior of the home right up my alley .. vintage!

A trip to North Idaho wouldn't be complete without a visit to the oldest building in the state.  That being the Mission Of The Sacred Heart in Cataldo.  Built between 1850-1853 by Catholic Jesuit missionaries and members of the Coeur d'Alene tribe, it has a feeling of rich history blending religious traditions of the white men with that of the native.

Mission Of The Sacred Heart, Cataldo, Idaho

Parrish House .. next to the mission

Parrish House Parlor

Parrish House Kitchen

Wooden Urn at Mission

Inside the Mission

A Black Robe worn by Jesuit Missionary

The afternoon was spent having authentic BBQ at the Smoke House in downtown Wallace, ID .. and a little shopping for silver jewelry (Wallace is in the Silver Capital of the world).  Sister Cheryl was a brave soul standing on the spot (in the middle of the street) dubbed 'The Center of the Universe' ... There is much more to see in this area ... but not enough hours in the day.  I think the sisters need to come back for a longer stay one of these days :)

Sisters At the Center Of The Universe :)

A Weekend Not Soon Forgotten

Scarf sister style!  We finally met for a reunion.  It was with regret that more could not attend in person, but I know many were with us in heart and spirit.  Can I just say BLESSED!  That is the overwhelming feeling after the fact.  God ordered such a perfect weekend:  good weather, safe travel, good food, conversation, Bible study, and a lasting friendship between gals that were once strangers and now friends.  Amen!  God is good.

Getting Ready For The Scarf Sisters

Reunion.

This coming weekend ... a long awaited gathering is scheduled to take place with some of my dear blog sisters ... otherwise known as 'The Scarf Sisters' ... we have been meeting online for years .. and are taking the plunge.  Will be posting more over at my other blog titled (what else;), The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Scarf. 

On Making Dates

with hubby!

Over the course of the summer, Mr. Mac and I have been setting aside one day a week ... when our son, Nathan, is in school or camp ... and our grandson, Jacob, is not being watched by 'granny' .. to get out and explore the greater area that we call home.  We have to time our outings around the school bus schedule, but even so, that gives us until 3:30 PM, which is long enough to even head out of town.  So far we've taken a bike ride exploring downtown Coeur d'Alene, a tour of a silver mine, shopping at thrift stores, kayaking in a beautiful bay, exploring area parks and malls ... and always grabbing a bite to eat at a local eatery ... which is the hardest part for me due to food allergies.  Next week ... is quite local with a bike ride around our own dear little lake .. no need for a car ride ... and lunch will be in a picnic basket at our choosing along the shore.  Making time to keep our marriage alive is of great value!  Parenting at our age is lasting forever ... and the prospects of having a empty nest are zilch!  Parenting our special needs teenager .. is actually getting easier ... but we need to recharge our batteries for sanity's sake. 

Closing In On Autumn

Today I plan on making my last run out to the local u-pick farm to get food to store away for the coming winter.  The days are sitting pretty at about 78-80 degrees this week with nights in the 40's (F).  In the winter, 40's would feel like a nice summer day.  In the summer, 40 degree temps feel cold.  The past month has been spent busily in the kitchen canning and freezing garden produce.  A lot of work .. but a $ and time saver during the cold weather. 

Hubby and I have made dates for one day each week during September and October. Our bikes have been fine tuned and have been getting some use as well.  He put his name in a drawing at the library and won two tickets for a lake cruise which took place last Friday evening.  Everyone aboard had won similar tickets ... so the boat was full of 'readers' and book club fans.  Mostly silver haired folks with great life stories to share.

With the cooler nights it's time to start feathering the nest with extra bedding, and hanging a few sweaters in the front closet for cool morning walks.   What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Off To The Fair

We talked Nathan in to going to the fair yesterday :)  Since he's been receiving 'intense' development therapy, it's been a little easier getting out and about with him.  The highlight was having him walk through the horse barn.  (OK ... I bribed him with a few pennies ... he's saving up 70 so he can 'purchase' an outing to the bowling alley.)

Aaah ... the sights and smells of the fair.  Fried food galore.  Even deep fried pickles.  I was not tempted to try one ... have you ever eaten a deep fried pickle?  Who thinks up food like this??????

My favorite part was walking through the quilt exhibit.  There were so many beauties displayed.  I'm working on finishing up a hand pieced quilt top that my(dearly departed) grandmother started.  There are enough complete squares to make a full size bed quilt.  She must have started the pieces in the 1960's from scraps of fabric she saved.   It will be so special to sleep under the cover knowing she hand stitched the pieces.  Her son, my dad, will enjoy using it when he returns for his annual visit next summer. (Mums the word mom if you read this post.)  Inside the quilt barn were some ladies spinning wool yarn.  Since I have been mastering so many new/old skills the past few years, I'm looking for something to work on this winter so just might take up spinning ... it looks so relaxing.

Did you get out to a fair this summer?  If so, what is your favorite part?  Rides, food, exhibits?

"The Big Burn" 1910 Fire

This coming weekend will be the 100th anniversary of the tragic 3 million acre forest fire that consumed much of the northwest including areas of Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Canada.  Monday we took a trip up to Wallace Idaho to see the Historic Nine Mile Cemetery where some of the fire fighters that lost their lives are buried.  Our son Patrick, a federal forest firefighter, has been working to spruce up the graveyard in preparation to this weekend's activities.  It's a very moving experience to tread upon the site where so many heroes are laid to rest, including U.S. Veterans, miners, and various pioneers from a bygone era.  To read more about these devastating fires check out these links:

 

USDA Forest Service’s Northern Region 1910 Fire Commemoration Information web site

Outdoor Idaho August 20: The Day the Fires Burned

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, book by Timothy Egan

What I Did On Summer Vacation - Part II

Lake cruise on a kayak.  We've stayed pretty close to home this summer with company, summer camp, a basketball tournament (upcoming) for Nathan, etc.  Mr. Mac and I have been wanting to go kayaking for the longest time .. so we took the plunge last weekend and signed up for lessons .. this involved safety as well and we had to learn rescue techniques should we tip over in the boat.  It's a good thing the water was nice and warm or I'd have chickened out. 

One more mini-trip before school starts for Nathan ... Let's see .. it's a National Park just about four hours from home .... any guesses?

What I Did On Summer Vacation - Part I

... in pictures. 

Summer wouldn't be summer without a little relaxation thrown in the mix.  I tend to stay close to home due to the gardens .. and the busy production of storing food for the winter.  Hubby did let me slip away one weekend to the west coast of Washington to visit new found family. 

This is my cousin Egon and his wife Debbie.  He emigrated from Denmark years ago and is the keeper of our family tree.  They invited me to join them for a Danish picnic ... and a visit to Viking Days at a Nordic museum. 

It has been my dream for years to discover my Danish heritage ... and this was a great way to start!