Our trip yesterday to the farm was wonderful!  It was so full of food, and Fall, and friends that I couldn’t help but notice how the common theme for the day was (in my crazy creative mind) “Sweet Transformations.”

The most obvious transformation yesterday was the changing colors of the foliage.  As we drove south into southern Ohio, the landscapes we passed were breathtakingly beautiful with leaves of golden-yellow, tangy orange, vivid red, all shades of greens, plenty of brown, as well as deep crimson leaning to plum.  Spectacular!  What a miracle of nature for the dying leaves to transform to such gorgeous hues.

There was a big fall fest going on at the farm with plenty of guests, in addition to the family we knew in attendance.  Lots of people necessitates plenty of food and here’s where I bet I’ll get you salivating. 

Along one wall inside the barn, they had a deep fryer set up.  Are you familiar with those tubes of biscuit dough that you whack against the counter so it explodes open with biscuit dough bloating out?  Alright, so those biscuits are okay to bake and eat in a pinch, but I never buy them.  However, they had a whole herd of these tubes and it was awesome how they transformed them!  Peeling off a raw biscuit from the popped tube, they would stretch and poke a hole in the middle and then plop it into the fryer.  After the dough had fried to a lovely golden brown, it was taken out and put into a brown paper bag with lots of cinnamon sugar.  The kids (and adults) got to shake their donut in the bag, thus coating the piping hot goody with sweet stuff.  OMG! – imagine this crisp cool Fall day (okay – I was freezing and my toes were numb) and biting into this warm, cinnamony, sugary, fried piece of dough.  Oh lordy, it was good!  And amazing how some refrigerator biscuit dough could be changed and transformed into something so good.

As if that wasn’t good enough, they had a wood fire going on the gravel driveway.  Over the fire in a copper kettle they were making (a favorite of mine) kettle corn!  Shortening and popcorn kernels were put into the kettle.  Once things got bubbling hot and popping, some salt and a big scoop of sugar were added to the kettle and then stirred with a long wooden paddle.  Instant kettle corn!  Hot kettle corn! I couldn’t-eat-enough-of-it kettle corn.  Another sweet transformation!  Starting with the simple ingredients of corn kernels, shortening, salt, and sugar – apply heat – and presto/pop = kettle corn!

Ted and I joined the party by helping with the cider making.  Lisa had gotten ahold of about 5 bushels of apples for us.  You don’t need pretty apples for cider.  The apples she got were from neighboring farms.  A little bruised, a bit misshapen, some worm holes here and there.  We spent some time before festivities began with washing and sorting.  Some of those apples were plain old ugly.  One worm hole didn’t stop them from passing inspection.  Several worm holes and extensive bruising made us cut into the apple to check its quality a little more intimately.  We opening up some and found white, juicy apple.  Other apples had been taken over by worms and rot.  (those went to the reject wheelbarrow)  But the fascinating part is how you put all of these ugly, roughed-up apples into the cider press, and out comes the sweetest cider of all!  From ugly and bruised, the apples transformed through grinding and pressing into sweet cider.

Besides Ted’s mom and dad, there was Uncle John, Aunt Marilee, 4 cousins and their spouses, and 7 children of the cousins.  That’s 19 family members there for us to visit with!  The rest of the crowd of people were strangers to us.  But then something really neat happened.  First a little background information:  Last summer one of the cousins’ children had come up to visit us with three other friends.  We took these college-bound young people sailing and shared a great weekend with them.  So jump forward to the fall fest – and I didn’t expect to see any of them – they were off at college!  Then I saw a young girl walk in and I immediately said, “That’s Daniella’s sister!  She looks just like her!”  Daniella had been one of our weekend guests. I was correct!  After speaking to her, Ted and I next got to meet her parents and then there was another set of parents belonging to another one of our weekend guests – Grant – and then Grant showed up!  Suddenly this crowd of strangers transformed into friendly faces.  It was wonderful.

Spring is the time of year when people clean up, clear out, and shine things up.  Spring Cleaning!  I think Fall should be recognized as the season of transformations!  As the leaves unveil before us a change of color – maybe it’s time you turned over a new leaf!  (haha)  But seriously – could you sweeten up a little over some bitter area in your life?  Has your behavior been ugly on the outside?  Is it time to show the inner sweet side that you are capable of?

Change is inevitable.  Might as well embrace and welcome it!

You just might welcome a sweet transformation.

just Laurel

2 Corinthians 5:17B  The old has gone, the new is here!

Galations 6:15B  What counts is the new creation.

(The following blog was written as a devotional that was read before choir practice at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Thursday, September 20, 2012.)

I am always looking at nature:  leaves, trees, clouds, flowers, and animals.  And so many times, I find an inspirational story emerge from what I see.  I particularly notice birds when they congregate on overhead wires.  Do you think they have a favorite spot to congregate?  Is there a pecking order of who gets to perch by whom?  And why do a few birds sit a little off to the side?  Are they sick?  Or maybe antisocial?

My son-in-law Andy is an expert in wildlife science.  He is one of those guys that can tell a bird from the sound it makes.  It amazes me that from the various chirps, tweets, trills, and whistles he hears that he can name that bird!

Did you know that in the (NIV) bible, birds are mentioned in over 125 verses? 

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Of course people are more valuable to God!  But I think we’re a lot like those birds!  Like the flocks that congregate on the wires, well, here before me sits a congregation of choir members.  And some of you sit in a favorite spot, picking who you like to “perch” next to.  Sometimes, like the bird off to the side, I see some of you sitting a little back from the rest.

And like those birds, we all have our own voice with our own song.

Did you know that in the (NIV) bible the word ‘sing’ is mentioned 158 times?  And almost 70 of those instances are in the Psalms:

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever, Come let us sing for joy to the Lord,  sing to the Lord a new song,  how good it is to sing praises to our God, sing to Him a song of praise.

I know we all have different songs – some of us warble, some trill, some sing high, and some sing low.  But God’s word tells us to sing – and how great it is that we can “flock” together on Thursday nights to bring our voices together to make beautiful music for His glory!  And (I just had to say this!) thinking of us all being birds of a feather here, together, I can also look out at everyone and say “these are my peeps!”

How wonderful it is for each one of you to be here sharing your time and your voice to be part of this choir!

Dear God,  Thank you for making us all part of one flock, the choir, but giving us different voices to harmonize in song.  May we use our voices as the Psalmist instructs and sing joyfully to the Lord.  Bless our time together and as we ‘fly away’ home, keep us safe and forever walking in your way, Amen.

just Laurel

Welcome to my blog!  As this is very new to me, please pardon any mistakes I make or technical goofs that occur while I work through my computer ignorance and strive for blogger competence.

Why am I blogging?  Right now I have 3 HUGE reasons.

Number 1 – I have written a book about my past 29 years of parenting and being caregiver to my daughter, Amanda.  It is a brutally honest book as I talk about having a baby with spina bifida, all the surgeries she had, adding to our family, dealing with schools, doctors, therapists, family, and friends, the emotional roller coaster ride it’s been, and the way my faith helped carry this whole family through.  If you are a caregiver, parent of a handicapped child, or a person of faith wanting to read someone else’s story – my book is waiting for you to read!  I will give you updates as to my release date as it gets closer!

Number 2 – We have finally made the decision to move Amanda to her own apartment.  TERRIFYING!  This blog will give you updates (and struggles and stories and tears and cheers) as we go through that process.

Number 3 – Like most people with a history of a challenge and the absolute faith in God that gave me a story of growth and survival – I hope to share with you my talks with God and inspirations that seem to come my way. 

Please visit and read often for updates.  Feel free to comment and ask questions.

But for now,

just Laurel