Simply Norma – Page 27 – Living Simply

Of Vacations and Death (4)

The death of a person in one’s life can leave one with mixed feelings. In my case, I felt a sadness at my father’s death yet my brain wasn’t quite able to process it. Not yet. I cried a bit, composed myself and continued on to what would be the best part of our vacation. Yet, there were moments when tears would swell and I didn’t understand why.

I simply didn’t know my father. And that was probably what made me the saddest. I understand that we can’t truly know people 100% but I would have settled for 50% or even 25% … something more than what I had which was mostly other peoples stories about my father that tended to conflict with each other.

My husband and I continued our drive northward to Munising, Michigan where we wanted to take an almost 3 hour cruise on Lake Superior to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore which is a part of the National Park Service.

Upon arrival, we noticed there was a boat leaving within 10 minutes but we decided to wait, have lunch and take the 4 p.m. cruise instead. Later, I was thankful we made that decision because as we headed east on the shore the sun reflected quite differently than when we returned. It was quite spectacular as evidenced in the pictures below.

We were blessed with sunshine which offset the cold temperature just a little bit ~ 54Â° Fahrenheit. Brrr … We were told that the temperature out on the water would be 10Â° colder. More brrrrr ….

I had packed a winter hat and a blanket for this trip so carried them onto the boat with me.

Although the waters were choppy, once we left the pier people headed to the back of the boat to take pictures. We were warned by our tour guide not to use up all of our film at the beginning of the trip as the rocks would be prettier later on. Film? We all laughed although he was serious as he said he’s probably one of the few people left who uses a camera that has film in it.

This could have been a very emotional day for me but for the beauty of the earth. I believe that in God’s foreknowledge He knew that I would need to be in this spot experiencing these moments.

Death would not overcome earth’s beauty ~ at least not today.

The rock formations soon started coming into view.

At first, I tried to take pictures through the window glass but they weren’t coming out very well. I walked to the back of the boat where people were crammed together jostling to take pictures. Being as I’m short, I couldn’t take pictures over peoples heads so I went back inside and waited for some people to come back inside. Sure enough, as people got cold, they started flocking back in to the warmth of the interior of the boat. Finally I had my opportunity to take pictures.

The pictures below are just a few of the ones I took. You may see some pictures that appear to be duplicates but there will be variations because of the reflection of the sun ~ one heading out from the pier and one returning to the pier.

God’s intervention in this particular moment in my life was welcomed ~ He couldn’t have had better timing.

Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, Michigan

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.â€ John 4:14

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

Pictured Rocks National Shoreline, Michigan

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

“As water reflects the face, so oneâ€™s life reflects the heart.” Psalm 27:19

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:2

“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” Â Psalm 10:14

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the LordÂ Himself, is theÂ Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:4

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.” Â Psalm 28:7

“Lord my God, I called to You for help, and You healed me.” Psalm 30:2

“The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.” Psalm 28:8

“Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:6

“Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” Isaiah 33:3

“Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.” Â Psalm 31:3

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore cruise that we took was approximately 3 hours long and went along the 40 miles of shoreline. The price was $36 per person and was well worth it ~ sometimes you can’t put a price on beauty.

Neither can I put a price on a Father who is always there watching over me. Earthly fathers may disappoint because they each have their own weaknesses that they are battling. But not my heavenly Father.

Time and time again He steps into my life ~ He’s always there but it is I who miss some of the everyday blessings He bestows on me. Yet ~ He stepped in again and made sure that I knew He was near me. Standing in front of me to guide me, beside me to listen to me and behind me in case I should fall.

I don’t know if I will see my earthly father in heaven. The last time I spoke to him he spoke of God, but I don’t know what his relationship was like with God when he died.

I will hope ~ that’s all I can do. Perhaps he will answer the questions I have in my heart about him. Perhaps.

For now, I can be at peace knowing that my Father in heaven will never leave me nor forsake me.

Of Vacations and Death

Of Vacations and Death (2)

Of Vacations and Death (3)

This was a really really strange day. We had breakfast at the Clearwater Lakeshore Motel asÂ they have a wonderful variety of food for their continental breakfast.

From there, we headed over to take a tour of the U S Coast Guard Icebreaker MackinawÂ WAGB-83Â which is no longer in service.

The tour is self-guided although there were two women who helped direct us along the way.

The stairs going up to the ship are steep as are the stairs inside as you ascend and descend to different levels.

The IceBreaker Mackinaw was built during World War II to help with the war effort by meeting the demands of war materials and transportation during the winter months.

The ship was decommissioned in 2006 and sits in Mackinaw City, Michigan and is open for tours.

Below is a picture of one of the engines.

Here is a picture of some of the uniforms they wore.

P1110246 — Icebreaker Mackinaw, Uniforms

Below are a few more pictures of the inside of the ship.

I had to go down these steps sidesways …

Icebreaker Mackinaw, Mackinaw City, Michigan

The businesses who live in the Mackinaw City area looked forward to when the Icebreaker Mackinaw would plod through the Great Lakes ice to pave the way for materials to go back and forth.

The cost for this tour was $11 per person. If you like historical tours, this tour is for you.

The day progressed and everything was going along smoothly until we stopped and I checked my Facebook account. My half sister had posted that our father’s funeral was the following day. I was taken aback as there was no time to order flowers or attend the funeral if any out of state relatives wanted to do that.

Isn’t it strange? Social media seems to be used in place of what I would consider common courtesies. Â A call asking if I (or any other out of town family) was interested in attending the funeral would have been nice.

Thank you’s, sympathy cards, calls to offer condolences ~ what happened that people don’t offer these courtesies anymore?

I took it in stride because ~ what else could I do?

We continued our travels to Munising, Michigan which, in my humble opinion, was truly the best portion of the trip.

Of Vacations and Death

Of Vacations and Death (2)

Of Vacations and Death (4)

Of Vacations and Death (2)

We continued our journey to northeast Michigan and stopped in a town called Ludington to look at the shoreline of Lake Michigan

It was another sunny beautiful day … except …

It was too windy to take the walk on the pier to the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse off in the distance. The waves lapped over the pier and we weren’t ready to risk our lives just to see a lighthouse. Would you?

This lighthouse was built in 1924, is 57 feet tall and is open for tours and tower climbing. Although it was not currently open, there were people braving the weather and walking on the pier. It’s about a 1/2 mile walk to the lighthouse.

Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse, Ludington, Michigan

When we returned to the car, we continued our drive to what we thought would be the highlight of our trip ~ Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. Â We called and booked a room at the Clarion Hotel ~ a mistake ~ for one night. (More on this hotel in a different post.)

Mackinaw City is a quaint city with most everything within walking distance.

The next morning, we headed to Starbucks before we boarded the ferry, The Star Line, to Mackinac Island. (Side note: Â The French pronounced Mackinac as “aw” but spelled it “ac”. The British heard it pronounced “aw” so they spelled it that way. Whichever way it is spelled, it is always pronounced “aw.”) Aren’t you glad you have that tidbit of information?

It was this day, September 18th, that I heard my father passed away. I guess if one is going to hear bad news then a day like today is a good day for it. It was sunny, the day felt crisp and although clouds loomed in the distance it never rained.

I felt conflicted ~ sad at what could have been. My father had left when I was about 5 years old and I had only seen him 3 times since then. About 10 or so years ago, he tried to make contact with his five children but I was the only one who wanted to communicate with him. Waiting for the Star Line ferry to take us to Mackinac Island, I looked out at the water ~ my mind was blank.

The ferry trip to the island took approximately 25 minutes. It was a somewhat bumpy ride because the wind was blowing.

Once on the other side, we headed to a restaurant called the Sea Biscuit for breakfast. Â Fortunately we arrived right before they stopped serving breakfast. The food was good (service was great) but they don’t serve much of it so had I been really really hungry I might not have gotten full.

Once we finished breakfast, we stepped outside to enjoy the city. My mind was still numb from the news of my father’s death but I was determined to continue this trip upbeat.

Mackinac Island does not allow cars so carriage horses and bicycles are the norm.

The bicycles are for rent ~ the one sign I saw was for $5.00 an hour.

We decided not to take a carriage ride although since it was the off season there were plenty of empty ones waiting for tourists to rent. The carriage below is going to the Grand Hotel.

Grand Hotel Horse Carriage, Mackinac Island, Michigan

A neighbor of ours recommended we visit the fort here ~ it’s a long walk up.

As we started our ascent, we passed the Trinity Episcopal Church which has been here since 1882.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Then I took a picture of the view ~ very pretty.

Finally we reached the Fort Mackinac entrance …

Entrance, Fort Mackinac, Mackninac Island

The fort was built by the British army during the American Revolutionary War. Â The Officers Stone Quarters, started in 1780 at Fort Mackinac, is the oldest building in the State of Michigan.

“Fort Mackinac was turned over to the United States in 1796. But the fort and control of the Straits of Mackinac were recaptured without a battle during the War of 1812. British forces in Canada learned of the start of the war before the Americans and surprised the garrison with a much superior force of soldiers, European civilians and Native Americans on July 17, 1812. American forces attempted to recover the fort in 1814, but were defeated and also lost two sailing vessels used to blockade the harbor. Following the end of the war, Fort Mackinac was returned to the United States.” MightyMac.org

The “hole” below was of particular interest to me ~ weird, huh? ~ as it was a prison cell. Really it was a dungeon with stone walls and a dirt floor and was supposed to break the spirit of anyone who was placed in the hole as there was no light and was quite damp.

Here are a few more pictures of the fort ~

The "Tea" Room , run by the Grand Hotel — View of the Mackinac Bridge, Michigan

Firing the cannon ~

There are many more pictures but … just a few to whet your appetite for visiting Mackinac Island also known as Mighty Mac.

Heading back to town, I spotted what I call “bicycle pooper scoopers.” The employees who ride up and down the streets in these bicycles are very efficient at picking up the horses, uh, poop.

Here are a few more miscellaneous pictures that I took that I believe you’ll enjoy Â …

Horses, Mackinac Island, Michigan — Horse Hooves, Mackinac Island, Michigan

A "Cottage" on Mackinac Island, Michigan — A “Cottage” on Mackinac Island, Michigan

Even the supplies are transported by horses … wow!

Transporting Supplies, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Horse Parking, Mackinac Island, Michigan

We walked “up” to the Grand Hotel. We didn’t stay here as we thought the rates were a little steep for our budget but I recently checked and for October I found rates as low as $127 a night. That’s not too bad …

Park Grounds, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan

The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan

The street in front of the Grand Hotel is owned by the hotel so in order to “walk” on it or go inside the hotel you have to pay $10 if you’re not a paying guest.

Perhaps next time we go we’ll stay at the Grand Hotel and take pictures of the interior. After 6 p.m. though you do have to dress “properly.” I’m surprised that they are able to get away with such a policy in this day and age. I mean, dresses for women? I’m not complaining … just commenting.

Dress Standards, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

And now, to head back to the ferry dock … beautiful flowers blooming in September.

My mind managed to stay far away from feeling stressed about my father’s death. I knew there would come a time when this wouldn’t be the case, but for now I was thankful that beauty overcame death.

This evening, we stayed at the Clearwater Lakeshore Motel in Mackinaw City. What a difference from the Clarion Hotel the night before. The Clearwater is a couple or so blocks from downtown. It is family owned (very friendly owners), quiet and is right on the lake. When we checked in, we were given matches so we could have a campfire if we wanted to ~ the logs were provided. So very nice …

And, it was not expensive at all. The owners went above and beyond the call as I had left my camera charger at home and believed I was not going to be able to take any more pictures on this trip since my camera had “died.” Not so! The owners gave me their own camera charger and allowed me to mail it back to them. (You’ll be thankful of that also when you see additional pictures.)

Now ~ is that service or what?

Here’s the view from our room … so peaceful.

View from the Clearwater Lakeshore Motel, Mackinaw, Michigan

We took one last drive around the town. The rains were coming, but the Mackinac Bridge enticed us with its beauty this evening.

Yes, the water was that green …

View of Lake Huron, Mackinaw City, Michigan

Now ~ as this tree in the wind, I would have to allow my mind to process the death of my father. It must bend in the storm of life …

Tree, Lake Huron, Mackinaw City, Michigan

Of Vacations and Death

A planned 8 day vacation and my father’s death all in one week ~ not quite the combination I was looking forward to.

Let me start with the vacation ~ the happy part of our 8 days.

After attending my aunt’s 80th surprise birthday party we headed to Gary, Indiana and visited with an uncle I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. Â Since my father didn’t play a large part in my life neither did his family but this uncle kept in touch with me and he told me that my father was not well.

After the visit, weÂ stopped at the Indiana Sand Dunes on our way to northern Michigan. The dunes were quite different than how I remembered them as a child ~ they looked a lot smaller. (haha)

A busload of students were also at the dunes and since it was a tad chilly most were sitting around or playing a game of football.

The view of the Chicago skyline was in the background ~ a bit foggy but still a nice picture.

Our next stop was Holland, Michigan where we would spend the night at the Hampton Inn hotel. The breakfast here was not great ~ just okay. So, we grabbed a quick bite then headed over to a coffee shop named Lemonjello’s which is close to Hope College and had good reviews on TripAdvisor.

After a wonderful hot chocolate, we decided to visit the Windmill Island Gardens. Â The gardens feature a 250 year old Dutch working windmill. The tour through the windmill was very nice but does not accommodate people with disabilities because of the stair climbing one has to do to get to the top of the windmill.

It was simply a perfect day.

Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

The windmill is approximately 125 feet from the ground to the blades.

Flour is ground at this windmill and is said to have less gluten than most flour (according to the person who was grinding the flour). They sell it in 2 and 3 lbs at the gift shop.

Here’s a view from the top of the windmill. Pretty nice, eh?

View from the top, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

Now, let’s take a look at some of the other areas. (Side note: In the spring, many people come here to see the fields of tulips.)

Flowers, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan — Bridge, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

P1110090 — Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

P1110071 — Flowers, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

View of the windmill from afar.

P1110092 — View of the windmill, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

P1110093 — Flowers, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

I saw these dutch shoes hanging on the wall in the gift shop.

P1110095 — Dutch Shoes, Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan

Well, I left the best for last (in my humble opinion) ~ the plants in the greenhouse. The greenhouse is an original Lord & Burnham design that was imported by Egbert Gold in 1915 for Marigold Lodge on the shores of Lake Macatawa in Holland, Michigan. The greenhouse was acquired and moved to the Windmill Island in 1965 for growing annuals. Ready to take a peek?

Let’s start with my favorite …

Unknown Plant Name — Graptopetulum Â bellum

The Staghorn Fern was massive and hung from the ceiling.

Take a look at the bottom of the Staghorn Fern. Quite impressive!

There were plenty more plants but these were my favorite.

I am thankful that I experienced so much beauty on this vacation week. It really helped to offset the news of my father’s death which I’ll discuss in a later post. Â It’s taken me awhile to be able to find words to write about our travels. Me, speechless? Not quite, but enough to keep me blog-less for a few days.

More beautiful pictures of our travels soon.

Of Vacation and Death (2)

Of Vacation and Death (3)

Of Vacations and Death (4)

Apple Curry Tuna Salad

Trying to find good paleo lunches for my husband isn’t easy but this Apple Curry Tuna Salad was okay.

As you may know by now, I like quick and easy recipes, especially for lunches.

Here are the ingredients you’ll be needing ~

Ingredients for Apple Curry Tuna Salad (Lemon not shown)

I used homemade Paleo Mayonnaise. It really tastes better than “regular” mayonnaise.

To start, I peeled and diced the apple then added it to a bowl with the juice of one lemon. I then tossed it all together. This keeps the apple from getting brown.

Lemon Juice coated Apple Pieces — Diced Apples Coated with Lemon Juice

After cleaning the parsley, I chopped it up. This is how much I used out of the big bunch I had.

Then I opened the two cans of tuna, drained them, tossed the tuna in a medium sized bowl, added the curry powder (a little at a time until I had the flavor I wanted).

Next, I added everything else to the bowl and mixed it all together.

And ~ whala ~ all done!

Here’s the recipe …

Ingredients

1 apple, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 cans of Tuna
1/2 cup of Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise
Curly Parsley, cleaned and diced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Curry Powder

Directions

Add the lemon juice to a small bowl then add the diced apple. Stir and set this aside.
Chop the parsley and set it aside.
After draining, add the 2 cans of tuna to a medium sized bowl.
Add the Mayonnaise, Curry Powder and the Parsley to the tuna then stir.Â (Add the curry powder a little at a time to get the right taste for your “buds.”)
Drain the apple pieces then add the apple to the tuna mixture.

Next? Sit back and enjoy your meal.

I changed the recipe just a tad from the original recipe substituting lemon for the lime and using less tuna, less mayo and less curry.

Cinco De Mayo Restaurant

On our travels back and forth to Chicago, we try to find new restaurants to check out to to break up the mundaneness of this oft taken trip.

On this occasion, we stopped in Mauston, Wisconsin at a restaurant called Cinco De Mayo. The place appeared to be a hoppin’ with locals and when you enter, directly in front, is the bar area.

We were seated right away but it took awhile for a server to come to our table. Then, once we got our drinks, we had to ask for the free chips and salsa after ordering.

The decor here is very “Mexican” with beautiful colors throughout.

Cinco de Mayo Restaurant, Mauston, Wisconsin

Sad to say, the decor is probably the best thing, in my humble opinion, that this restaurant has going for it. Well, unless you don’t have much experience eating authentic Mexican food.

The menu ~ what can I say? What a disappointment to find spelling mistakes throughout the menu. In this day and age, spell check is so common that I don’t understand why there should be spelling mistakes.

I know, I know, we don’t eat the menu but … it’s still disappointing.

The food was barely okay. My husband had the Carnitas platter which had quite a bit of fat in it. Very unappetizing. I’d never seen this before.

I had a chicken enchilada platter which didn’t have much chicken in it.

The reviews on Yelp for Cinco de Mayo are at a 3.5. One recent review talks about the possibility of the restaurant having new owners or cooks as the food was tasteless.

I don’t know what the reasons are for the food not being up to par, but this is not a restaurant that we would return to ~ unless something changes and the reviews show a big improvement.

A Lake Elmo Park Reserve Trail

Autumn is coming up quickly along with its cool evenings, so when an almost perfect day presents itself we have to take advantage of it and head out to one of the trails.

The Lake Elmo Park Reserve is one of my favorite places to go. We have never camped there but have sat by the beach and walked around.

So ~ please join me and inhale a little bit of the beauty we saw.

Little House on the Prairie, anyone? No house, but the expanse of space empties your mind of all cares.

The delicate flowers bring to mind humanity with all its frailties and its strengths.

Water out in the distance ~ refreshment for a parched soul that needs healing from the onslaught of evil in this world.

From the waters rise the grass straight and tall after its received its refreshment.

The moss falls from trees onto the landscape and leaves beauty in its wake.

And like “A Bridge Over Troubled Water,” I too lay me down in natures solitude.

May you have peace in your heart today.

Crispy Chicken Thighs

I’m really glad I stumbled upon this Crispy Chicken Thighs recipe. It was delicious! And it was really really easy to make. What a great combination.

Here are the ingredients you’ll be using (less the salt):

Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Thighs (1 of 2)

Then ~ you’ll need some bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. This package had 5 thighs which was perfect for us. Clean them thighs well then dry them.

Next I prepared the spices in a small bowl. You can use however much of each you want depending on your taste buds. (Cool, no?)

After rubbing the herbs on the cleaned and dried chicken, I prepared a cookie sheet by layering it with parchment paper.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

The chicken gets baked in a 400° convection oven (40 minutes in a regular oven) for approximately 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is completely cooked ~ if you don’t have one, poke a fork through the chicken and make sure the juices run clear.

And that’s how simple it was. Special thanks to Stupid Easy Paleo for this recipe. Head on over there if you need additional instructions.

Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant with Herbs

A couple of weeks ago I bought a large eggplant and, sad to say, I didn’t use it and it became moldy.

So, I decided to try again and bought another eggplant. This time I had a recipe ready for it. Am I getting smart or what? Â (laughing)

I found the recipe in a cookbook called The Cooking Light Cookbook that I was given as a gift a couple of years back. It really has some very nice recipes that don’t need tweaking to make them paleo.

I used one large eggplant instead of 4 small ones as the recipe recommended ~ you can choose what works for you.

Here’s what you’ll be needing (salt, pepper and olive oil are not shown) …

I used fresh basil but didn’t have fresh sage on hand so I used powdered and it worked out quite well.

This year, I planted rosemary in a flower pot and it’s worked really well for me. I keep the flower pot right next to the front door. Unfortunately, I’ve been told that rosemary is not a perennial in Minnesota (unlike Seattle where the rosemary seems to grow most of the year and then comes back the following year).

You’ll be cutting the eggplant lengthwise but barely to the top as you want it to stay intact while it bakes.

Then, you’ll be preparing the herb mixture.

Dum dee dum … too easy, too easy …

After brushing the eggplant (inside and outside) with olive oil, you’ll be baking it in the oven.

So ~ let’s take a look at the actual recipe, shall we?

Ingredients

4 small eggplants (about 13 ounces) or 1 large one
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450Â°.
Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices, cutting to but not through the stem end.
Fan the eggplant and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or you can spray it with olive oil spray.
Brush 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the eggplant slices.
Bake for 15 minutes or so then remove from the oven and press the eggplant “slices” apart.
Brush the slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put the eggplant back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes until the flesh is tender and the edges are browned. Â (Note: It only took an additional 5 minutes in a convection oven.)
Remove the eggplant from the oven then drizzle just a bit more olive oil evenly over the eggplant and sprinkle with the herbs.

That’s it! I served the Roasted Eggplant with grilled Steak and Cilantro and Cumin Spiced Carrots.

Enjoy!

For additional recipes, click here.

The Beginnings of Autumn

Nature does not wait for the calendar to announce the start of autumn, it simply takes in the changes that surround it and embraces them.

As the daytime shadows play peek-a-boo between the tall oak and maple trees, the summer plants yield to the coolness of the night. Impatiens drop their flowers in a necessary reaction to the next season.

Like people, some plants will stubbornly hold on to the last ray of warmth waiting until the last minute to yield to what is inevitable.

Yet, yield they must as the earth sends signals of the new season that is slowly making its entrance.

The trees stand tall as they sway in the coolness of autumn’s beginning. Yet, they too slowly yield to this next season of life.

Soon, the trees will be bare and the ground will be covered in snowflakes that gather together to form white walking paths as if acting in one accord.

This is my favorite season of the year. And just like in nature, I too yield to the change as woodpiles have to be prepared for fireplaces that provide warmth, patio furniture gets cleaned and put away and summer projects ~ complete or incomplete ~ get put aside in favor of last year’s unfinished projects or new ones that need to be started.

The beauty of autumn cannot be denied yet death must occur in order for this new beauty to take its form.

Yet human death leaves no beauty ~ only memories that may soon be forgotten as those who retain them die themselves.

But just like autumn turns into winter and winter into spring, I hold on to the hope of the second coming of Jesus when death will be conquered. Without this, dear reader, we are like leaves that turn to dust never to return.