February...come and gone

February 2014 began like spring...

and then brought a dose of winter mid-month...
and a big dump of snow several days ago. 

And just to round things off...

we are ending the month with a bit of summer.

In our favorite oasis...

...Palm Springs.

A few of the month's highlights included...

...a violin recital by our granddaughter, Ranen.

We also spent some time together working on 'sharpie plates'...

Valentine's projects.

Mennonite Girls Can Cook have helped raise funds for the kitchen at Matthew's House...

and were invited to come for a tour.

Matthew's House is a respite home given to caring for children

who live with serious healthcare issues.

  Here they can be left in a safe place,
while parents can get some much needed rest.

What a privilege for us to have even a little part in this project.

Prior to our tour of the new facilites...

we met together at Lovella's for a wonderful time around her table...

and fabulous food.

Of course!

And then there was Valentine's Day.

The grands all came for a party...

and we had a chocolate fondue this year.

Ryder had a whole plate of bacon to go with it...

just because it was Valentine's Day.

And apparently bacon is his favorite food!

And of course we spent a fair bit of time in Sochi this month...
figuratively speaking!

Among my favorite moments...
seeing the Dufour-Lapointe sisters take gold and silver medals for Canada in mogul skiing.

And...

...the Canadian women's hockey team defeating team USA in overtime to take gold.
And for the grand finale...
we awoke at 4 am on Sunday morning to watch the final men's hockey game...
and see the Canadian guys take the gold medal there.

Our athletes represented us well...
at the winter games of 2014 in Sochi!

And that was February in a glance...
and update sent from another 'front porch'.

Thank-you all for your continued visits and comments.

Enjoy the month of March, my friends!

 

seeing january in the rear-view mirror...

Many of you know that I am on a blogging break.  

There are a host of things that need attention and projects to complete. 

We'll see how that goes!  

I'm not ending my 'sabbatical' just yet...

but have decided that I will post a monthly update for now....

a few pictures and a few words from 'the life and times on my Front Porch' 

while I am missing in action.  

That being said...

here is a re-cap of January 2014 in my part of the world.

While we watched the reality of winter play out on our TV screen in other parts of North America...

we had a very mild month.  

Most of  January felt more like spring than winter.

Every Sunday afternoon found us on an outing of some sort...

 usually a hike.

The first Sunday of month we walked along the Vedder River Trail...

along with a multitude of others who were enjoying the beautiful weather.

My Uncle George Baerg passed away...

...and on January the 8th we gathered with friends and relatives to remember.

He was one of my dad's eight brothers...
the one who I knew the best...
since I grew up just down the road from his place.

He was a master-craftsman...
whose career involved working miracles on car bodies.
He owned an auto-body shop.
During the day he worked with metal.
In his spare time...
he built things from wood.
He also loved music.
In the last decade of his life he began making musical instruments...
creating 18 violins, 6 mandolins and a ukulele.
 His children and grandchildren all have an instrument as a souvenir...
as do some others.
One plays on in the Winnipeg Symphony.
Another was given to a local jeweler in exchange for diamond earrings for Aunt Kay...
 a 60th wedding anniversary gift.
He was a life-long learner...
and learned to play these instruments as well.

The last years of his life were not always easy as he battled cancer.
He had 26 surgeries...the last one in November.
We went to see him just before Christmas...
not knowing it would be our last visit.
He loved the Lord and is now in a better place...
free of pain and suffering.

 

While he is making heavenly music...
we cherish the memories of him here below.

Bill and Jeanne (my brother and sister-in-law) arrived from Iowa just in time for the funeral...

...and stayed with us for some six days.

Though it was warm while they were out...

it also rained almost the entire time.

They left on January 13th...

and so did the rain.

We had some good times together...

and even went on a valley tour in the rain!

Another highlight of the month...

was our stay at Harrison Resort.

Friends made arrangements for us to spend some time with them at one of our local gems...

so near by yet a world away.

Also in January...

another birthday came and went.

Good food, good friends and family make birthdays quite OK.

Even special!

Last Sunday afternoon we hiked up Mt. Thom from the base.

This was a first for us...

though we had done the short loop trail at the lookout many times.

It's a great hike...

not too long or too short

...nor too difficult.

We'll be doing it again!

I know you were expecting a few pic's of the grands...
but I thought better of it in light of the Christmas gift they gave me.

What happens at Grammy's
stays at  Grammy's...

Large vinyl lettering that I put on a wall in the bonus room...
also known as the playroom.

That makes me smile!

I'll leave you with one last photo of the sun setting on the Vedder River...

taken from the Rotary Trail on a January afternoon.

Those who live this this area and use that trail on a regular basis...

are most appreciative of the local Rotary Club that funds it.

If you happen to feel any inclination (or obligation) to support them in this venture...

I know someone who is more than willing to take your offerings.
Though it seems to me that if you know my hubby...
you will already have had your arm twisted. :)

I would just like to say thanks to all of you who are regular visitors over here...
on my front porch.
Though I have not posted for a month...
still my friends are stopping by.
I appreciate you all!

it's a new year...

It's a new day.
It's a new month.
It's a new year.
I'm starting it off in a new way.

For six years I have blogged...often.

On this...

the seventh year...

I am taking a bit of a break.

Let's call it a sabbatical....

'ceasing to work in the seventh year'. 

See...

it's even Biblical!

I'll be back...

sometime.

But for now...

I'll be away from 'My Front Porch'.

Don't be surprised if I show up at your doorstep from time to time though!

I'll leave you with an Irish prayer for the new year...

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

 Count your blessings instead of your crosses.
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes.
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears.
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean.
Count your kind years instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth.
Count on God instead of yourself.

Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself. - See more at: http://todayiamblessed.com/gods-blessings/#sthash.stDPXs9P.dpuf

the year that was...

And as the year draws to close...

I will do my annual 'rear-view mirror' post once again.

January ~ we enjoyed the beauty of our local hills blanketed in snow.

February ~ a tour which included the 'highlights of Shanghai' 

March - the delights of spring and Easter

 

April - tulips of the valley

 

May - Mennonite Girls Can Cook Celebrations book launch

June - celebrating my dad on Father's Day

July - Canada day, camping with the grands, and a few final walks through Minter Gardens.

 

August - an RV road trip that took us across the US to the east coast...and a memorable time in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

 

September - harvesting the last crops of grass for this year on 'the green, green fields of home'!

October - continuing the road trip where we left off...down the Blue Ridge Parkway...west to California...

 

November - ...and back home again.

December - Christmas...a time to celebrate with family...

and to send greetings to friends near and far.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you...

my blogging friends...

who I have so enjoyed 'visiting' with this past year.

You have inspired and encouraged me...

made me smile...

and sometimes shed a tear...

introduced me to new things...

reminded me of old things...

and had me thinking about different things.

I thank you all for your friendship...

and wish you much joy in 2014!

 

 

on Christmas Day in the morning...

Let me give you a wee picture of what happens behind this closed door on Christmas Day...

in the morning.

 

We always do brunch with the family.

Some traditions change from year to year...

but that is one that has remained the same.

We have the very same menu from year to year as well!

I'm not allowed to mess with that...

so I have been told.

Christmas Morning Wife Saver (breakfast casserole)

Fresh Fruit Salad

Croissants

These two were here before the others arrived.

Lucy fetched Baby Jesus from the nativity scene...

and cradled Him for a bit.

Maggie returned Him to His place among the shepherds, wisemen and angels.

My nephew came next.

He lives in our area...

and has no immediate family nearby.

And he is always fun to have.

Just ask the kids!

He decided to don the Santa suit and be the greeter as the rest arrived.

Ooops. 

All pretense was over...

as the beard fell to the floor.

Since when is Santa tall and skinny anyhow?

Once brunch was over and done with...

we moved to the living room.

We could have lingered at the table much longer...

had Lucy not insisted it was time to open the gifts!

Emme read the Christmas story for us...

from the Children's Storybook Bible.

She had everyone's attention...

even the wee ones.

We started a new tradition this year.

The gift-opener sat on the 'gift-opening chair'.

That worked well!

How was it that these two both got the same gift from the one who had their name?

I was glad that the Furby's were not staying at Grammy's house...

especially when I learned that there was no OFF switch. :)

Emme and Spencer will be playing tennis with us this year!

Brendan loves nothing better than a good book!

I'm not sure he was all that impressed with the books he was required to read on Christmas Day.

But he was a very good sport...

and read to Micah and Lucy for well over an hour.

Ranen and Maggie changed into their new jammies...

and nibbled at chocolate monograms they found in their stockings.

And before we parted ways on Christmas Day...

Ranen played some carols for us on her violin.

And she played one of my favorite old German carols...

Oh, come, little children, oh, come, one and all,
To Bethlehem’s stable, in Bethlehem’s stall.
And see with rejoicing this glorious sight,
Our Father in heaven has sent us this night.

As she played...

the words ran through my mind in German...

like I learned them so long ago.

Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, o kommet doch all!
Zur Krippe her kommet in Bethlehems Stall
und seht, was in dieser hochheiligen Nacht
der Vater im Himmel für Freude uns macht!

And that was Christmas 2013...

behind the closed door.

There was laughter and joy...

good times, good food and good gifts.

But there was also sadness...

as we acknowledge that in a family there are difficult times.

Even at Christmas!