The Romance of The Covered Bridge

Why are covered bridges so romantic? Why do they fascinate us so? Did it just start with the book “The Bridges of Madison County” or were we always in love with covered bridges?

On my recent trip to Minnesota, I took a detour. Okay, I kind of got lost. I should probably turn on the volume for Maps on my phone when I am going somewhere. Nah, that’s no fun. If I wouldn’t have taken the wrong road out of Red Wing, I never would have stumbled upon Zumbrota. And the only remaining original covered bridge in Minnesota.

Installed in 1869, the bridge crosses the Zumbro River and was moved to its present location in 1997 or 1970, depending on which plague along the river you read. I’m also not sure how long it is, from 116 to 120 feet depending on sources. Could not find out much on the internet about this bridge, which is a shame. Good thing I took as many pictures as I did.   

Okay, looking at them, I don’t think I took enough pictures. I also didn’t explore the little town of Zumbrota. I think I need to get lost here again someday.

Fused Friendship

As you may already know, I took a ride over to Minnesota one day last week to visit an old friend.

Phyllis was actually my sister Pat’s friend in college, and though they remained good friends until Pat’s death, Phyllis and I became friends through a different mutuality. After divorcing my first husband, I could relate to her dating woes. I’d been dating a special guy for a year when Phyllis finally married. Just one year after that I married my special guy. And sadly, tragically, my sister died two years later.

But the bond was formed. Phyllis had grown to be one of my best friends. And so she comes over to see us once or twice a year and I try to get over there yearly, usually in the fall when the colors are at their peak and pumpkins are ripe.

Her husband breeds draft horses and for a while she raised miniature horses. Recently she has discovered the joy of mini-donkeys. Can you see why I love going to her house?

Who’s your best friend? And how did your relationship begin? 

Buildings and a Show

For years Hubby and I had talked about going to a show at the Grand Theater in Wausau, about a 40 minute drive away. As a school bus driver, he used to take kids there all the time, but I don’t remember ever going inside myself. In the Spring of 2015, I finally got us both tickets to an Eagles Tribute Band. I blogged about that night at the time. I also promised at that time that we would return some day.

Early in September, I stumbled across a blurb for the Wausau Community Theater production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. And they still had tickets available for the night that Hubby had off from work. Booked it. Just like. For three days later.

We got to downtown Wausau plenty early enough, and as it was a beautiful evening, I wanted to walk around. There are a lot of interesting and historic buildings in that area of town. And as it was the weekend of "Artrageous", there were other interesting things to see.

 I could probably do a bunch of internet research and let you know what these churches and buildings all are. But you can just enjoy them for what they are.

And the play, by the way, was great as well. 

(And I just reread that post about the show last year and me losing our tickets. This time? Left the tickets at Will Call. That's the way to go.)

God's Perfect Timing

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.” 
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New International Version)

A year ago this week, I got to meet this beautiful little girl. In remembrance of my visit, we planted this tree, which in just three or four years will be large enough to produce fruit. In the last letter I received from my girl, she shared with me that the tree was still alive and growing. Only a few more years and the little tree will be fruitful.

In my impatience, I wish the tree could have started being productive right away. Supply this poor family with that little bit of fruit in their diets. Why wait so many years?

So many years? Three or four? That is not really a lifetime. In God’s time, that isn’t even a millisecond. In God’s time all things will bear fruit.

In God’s time, the dream job will materialize. In God’s time, the lonely family of two will become a family of three. In God’s time, sickness and sadness will be eradicated.

And in our time, we need to keep the faith and trust in God alone.

Lord, God, Heavenly Father, thank you for your perfect timing, for knowing when to answer our prayers and how to answer our prayers in the way that is best for all. Amen.

If the time is right in your life, please consider sponsoring a boy or girl through Compassion International and change the life of a child like my Mueni. 

What's in your front yard?

  When I started blogging here on Tuesday of this week, I had planned on posting the following story, but went down the rabbit hole of our wedding anniversary. Let’s see if I can focus tonight.

  I do not know the entire history of our house or the four acre spot it sits on. I know the previous two owners and who built it. I’ve even been told that there was a fire in the house at one time which explains the charred walls in the old garage and I suspect some of the peculiarities of the house. 

  I do not know, however, who it was who felt compelled many, many years ago to use the swamp in front of my house for a garbage dump. 

  When my kids were little and more adventurous, they loved exploring the swamp and extracting from it all sorts of glasses bottles. (This was long enough ago that the Zika virus was not a concern or really any mosquito-borne illnesses.) When they were old enough and big enough, they started dragging the tires out of the swamp. I’ve lost track, but the number was over a dozen when the kids were still in school. I don’t know how many the hubby took to the landfill or how much it cost him. 

  This past summer, as more tires rose to the surface of the muck, I asked the boy-child to pull them out. I had a plan for these. 

  For a few years, I’ve been cultivating trails through my meager woods and running along them when I can. I thought – ah, ha – I could add some obstacles. The first one could be the tire obstacle. 

  Okay, for all my work on this earlier in the week, I fell down running through it the first time. It’s not as easy as it looks. I will need to work on this and perfect it before I add a rope swing. 

  

  Wish me luck.

Another Anniversary

I still can’t believe it is October. And the way the weather was on Monday, I really couldn’t believe it. So warm and sunny. Which reminds me that 19 years ago today the weather was just as beautiful.

Umm, let me get a picture for you. 

 Oh, my goodness.

 This could take some time. These pictures look like they were taken 40 years ago. Was photography really that bad before we went digital? And has this picture really been displayed on my piano for 18 years and 11 months?

 I really was planning on blogging about something else today, but now that I went down this rabbit hole – here are the rest.

My kids are so little! Val was seven and Nick was eleven, I think. 

 Julie Bruyette, who introduced us, was my bridesmaid, and Himey’s brother John was his best man. Nick gave me away while Val and Himey’s niece Ann were our flower girls. Not that we needed flower girls, but we wanted to include them. My mom made their dresses and I ordered mine online for $69. 

 With Himey’s mom and dad. 

 With my mom. Please, nobody tell my mom that I posted a picture of her on my blog. She will kill me! You gotta know her to love her. 

 With all that ceremony stuff over with, Himey is still confused, I’m excited to cut the cake and Val wants to make sure her piece is the biggest. 

 But we all had a good time. I love you Himey and can’t wait to see what the next 19 years - and beyond - brings.  

A New Hairdo

 She watches over the affairs of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

 “Many women do noble things,

    but you surpass them all.”

 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:27-30 (NIV)

Let me ruminate a little bit here. I’ve been growing out my hair since around the first of the year. It’s gotten to be a ridiculous mess which needs to be secured in some way or another to keep it from swirling out from the sides of my head in ways which rival Effie’s hair from the Hunger Games.

Yesterday, my daughter talked me into getting a trim and a style from a beautician she knows. It turned out okay. The two of them claimed it will be very low maintenance, but when they insisted I buy a bottle of mousse to tame it every morning, I thought, whoa, that sounds like work. I’m ready to get it buzzed short again.

Am I just lazy? Or am I too uncoordinated to maneuver a hair dryer and a comb at the same time? Or am I too dense to understand why I should put “product” in my hair right after I washed it, because to me it would be easier to just not wash it for a couple days and let it get sticky all on its own? Or do I just not have the time to do anything with my hair in the morning more than running a comb through it? My ultimate goal was for it to grow long enough to brush it every morning and tie it in a big ol’ pony tail and not have to worry about it.  

What is the lesson to be learned from this? And will I be able to maintain this high maintenance hairdo?

Maybe I am a little lazy. Maybe I should take the time to care about my looks a little bit more. I wish I could say I was the good wife in Proverbs 31, who has her priorities straight, who always puts her family before herself. I bet she doesn’t have time to fix her hair!

 I think it’s all about balance and what you are comfortable with. For you women who still swear by Aqua-net, who am I to criticize? In the meantime, I’m just going to try to go with it and thank God that I have the hair that I do. 

In 2011

June of 2015

A couple weeks ago. The hair had been beaten into submission that day. 

Yikes! The new do, yesterday. I wasn't planning on taking a picture, much lest posting it here, so this is the scary face. And also, I do own clothes in colors other than blue.