AUGUST 2005

Picture coarse white sand, blue sky, clear blue icy cold lake, amazing stars at night, kids running and screaming going up and down the slide, Joe inching his way across the timbers of the beams in the ceiling of the main floor, yummy food prepared by the girls, french toast prepared by Doug, a swamped boat due to a sudden wind storm, grandma Loie laying on the hammock outside, the player piano banging out tunes both young and old, sunkissed faces, monopoly games five nights in a row, Claire fussing off and on, the kids with their Grammy gathered around the big circular table coloring in the coloring books, the boys fishing and playing golf, fireworks down by the water late at night, raspberry milkshakes, the neighbor's tractor pulling Doug's boat out of the water, the adults madly bailing buckets of water out of the boat near the shore line...boat listing to it's side...as waves keep spilling in more water than we can get out, Abby suggesting that we pray and Doug offering the simple prayer of faith that no less then calms the storm so that we can get the boat upright and floating. If you can conjure up these images in your mind you have a pretty good idea of what our week was like just two and a half hours north of here. I loved it. I'm glad to be home. There is no joy for me like spending time with family.