Glory Days

There are many things that I love to do, but a couple of them happened this weekend and wow ... it reminds me how much God has blessed me.

Spending time with family and spending time at our cabin. Combine them and it's glorious. It didn't hurt at all that today was a beautiful day!

Deconstruction is happening at the cabin in a major way. Dad (and friends) built this 30-40 years ago (depending on which part). He was a wanna-be carpenter, electrician, plumber ... builder. He scavenged cupboards and windows and other things when they tore down the parsonage in Sigourney. Mom painted them and he put them on the wall. Jim discovered, as he ripped things off these walls, just how minimal Dad's talents were. He did the job and used lots of nails and 2x4s to ensure solidity.

After 30+ years, needs are changing and it really was time to update the look of that place. Since it was one of those things that mom and dad shared, I don't think Dad was willing to make the changes necessary to keep updating the place. He wanted to keep his memories.

Out came the cabinets, out came the kitchen sink, last fall the bathroom was deconstructed, leaving a toilet with a shower curtain and sheets hanging for privacy (trust me, that's not enough).

Jim has already totally transformed the look of the place on the inside by putting knotty pine paneling on the walls. At least in one part of the cabin, we no longer have to look at raw structure and insulation. At some point, this place is going to be amazing!

Max and I pulled in last night after the rest of the family had already been there for a day and a half. I suspect they were a little worried at my reaction to the massive deconstruction. Wow ... it's going to be cool when it's done. We had brought dinner so they were also starving. After a fun evening, we came over to the hotel and fell asleep. Got up this morning and on the way out of here, discovered that Jim's family was returning home early ... I was going to miss seeing them. Max and I started our day with a photo-shoot in Stanford, Iowa ... just a few miles from the cabin.

We had planned to traipse along the backroads of the neighborhood up here, but with no decision needed, changed our plan and headed back out to the cabin. He napped, then spent hours in the woods with his camera. I can't wait to see what he's got ... he'll work on those photos when we get back home. Watch his site. I did some reading and chatted with Carol. She and a friend of hers spent time picking up sticks from the windstorms so that they can mow more easily later this spring.

I didn't get any writing done. But, I did enjoy a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Spring is just beginning to shake off the greys of winter. I can't wait to see it explode in all of its glory!

Happy Easter today ... He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!