Early yesterday evening, I loaded up the car with a lemon meringue pie, a dessert loaf, two handmade journals, a picnic basket and a few other odds and ends. I was heading over to Linda's house where our Summer in the Psalms Windup would shortly be taking place. Linda, who had also followed along with the Summer in the Psalms had kindly opened up her home so that we could continue our summer theme in her lovely garden.
As the girls began to arrive it was fun to see them gather in the backyard gazebo, place down their sumptuous offerings of food, squeal and hug like crazy, and get caught up on each other after a long and eventful summer.
Linda's husband Bob was available to take everyone on a pre-dinner garden tour, but it was our gardener Edna who got a head start on us all! I had to literally run to catch up to them to snap this picture before they headed off again. (Do you think Edna looks happy?) Bob had recently come in 4th out of 3,000 entries in the BC Best of Gardens competition sponsored by the Sun newspaper; his garden has been featured in Garden’s West and has been included on the Maple Ridge Garden Tour, so this was a highlight of the evening indeed!
Another highlight of the evening and centre piece of the garden is a full sized play-house... big girl size!
Some of us were more ready to play than others - I just love it when the 'little girl' in all of us comes out to play! Although truthfully, it didn't take but a few minutes and everyone was ready to move into this lovely wee house!
Here are Linda and Jan on the little porch of the playhouse, getting to know one another better. I wish I could have had my camera ready, to capture the expression on her face, when Linda found out that Jan was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho... Bob and Linda lived in Bonners Ferry, Idaho for years, so this was a sweet connection indeed. I mean really, how many people do you meet that come from Idaho?
One of my personal pleasures of this evening came from watching all my sister-girlfriends all coming together at one time, in one place. It was lovely to see those that God has so lovingly placed in my life getting to know one another, I have always thought of the precious women in my life as the flowers of my life garden and so this particular setting was very poignant for me.
Then it was time to eat... and there was p-l-e-n-t-y of good and sumptuous food for all!
Everyone found and settled into their own gathering place in the garden and into the 'breaking of bread' together.
As the evening sun began to sink deeper and twilight began to bathe the garden, the little scattering of garden lights began to make their luminous showing and deeper conversation and sharing began to flow.
Peek a boo!
Oh, I almost forgot! We had our August Summer in the Psalms Giveaway drawing that same evening - I thought that because Linda was our lovely hostess that she should be the one to draw the name out of the cup... she put her whole self into this endeavour...
...and pulled out her own name! Congratulations Linda! May God bless you as you journal
your way through our next study 'Sweeter Than Chocolate'!
It was a truly lovely evening. Every one of us have busy, full lives, yet in the midst of it all God purposed us to be together for this one, very special evening... I am still basking in the afterglow of it all!
With love,
P.S. If you would like to hear more reflections about this evening, read some of the comments from yesterdays posting - I'm a little late in posting the pictures and the girls just couldn't wait, ...Sisters, You Gotta Love 'Em!
3 comments:
Very well done, Cathie. You told the story well. What a great evening that was. Good memories... Your new camera produced good pictures under the direction of your creativity.
Cathie....lovely pictures, you captured the event in detail, except... an important part of our group is missing....there are no pictures of you :( BUT then I realized...there you are in the group picture!!!!
I must tell you how your comment on "being self-sufficient" pentetrated me. I have given this much thought and realized there are parts of my day in which I do not include God. Especially if I am not out and about doing whatever. Although He is foremost in my mind I am lacking in the conversation department. I do need and want to communicate more with Him. I know that this is more just that praying. It is talking to Him, letting Him know what is on my mind and heart (even though He already knows). I was getting that confused with "praying" and it is different, at least it has been for me....and yet I know that, it just didn't register until I heard you say it. Emmmm, lets see...is this another I GET IT!!! It sure takes a lot...sometimes. So, once again ...I thank you.
Thanks Linda, good memories indeed, and Edna, yep, there I am! I was just thinking as I looked at that group picture once again, that those precious feet have taken us so many places throughout our lives - each of those feet once took their very first wobbly baby steps, they took us to our first day of school, on our first dates and down the aisle on our wedding days.
They have walked the floor in heartbreak and taken us to the bedsides of ailing loved ones. They have run and tripped and skipped and strolled, they have taken us places that perhaps we should have never been. Those feet have found themselves many times weary at days end and cute in a pair of summer sandals.
Yet no matter where our feet have taken us, or our particular life's story, every one of those feet in that circle now belong to the Lord, and we have become His feet upon this earth.
I am quite overcome with love for each of you, precious sisters, precious feet.
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