A good way to give

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Dear Friends,
  On the the approach to Christmas a couple of years ago our family of friends decided to take a different path.  I called a family meeting after church one Sunday; we gathered around a table in a very cold room and I brought out the World Vision Gift Catalog.  It took a minute and half for everyone to wholeheartedly agree to pool our resources to bless people around the world instead of drawing names for presents we didn't need.  That room warmed up instantly! It has given our friendship a deeper dynamic as we've considered our gifts and the impact they will have on people in desperate need.  Goats, chickens, mosquito nets, seeds and tools...would you be willing to try something new?

All my best,
Kate

Postcards

Refrigerator door

 

Dear Cal,

  I added a new card to the collection the other day.  Vera sent it from Pennsylvania--pretty picture but they missed the fall colors by about two weeks.  You have to admit that my small collection is somewhat impressive--oh come on,  you know it is!  Oman, Italy, England, and three states in this picture.  I love being remembered by someone off seeing the sights of the world. 

All my best,
Kate

A good plan

Butternut squash for roasting

 Dear Laurel,

Remember when I decided to try to invite people for dinner twice a month?  It was one of the best decisions I've made.  As with anything else, the more you do it the easier it gets.  There've been some tricks to learn about having company on work nights, but mostly I've had to learn to keep it in mind all the time so I can invite someone when the opportunity arises.  This plan has been so good for me and I'm happy to see people enjoying themselves at my table.  The greatest compliment is when I hear that one of my guests has in turn invited someone to their home.  Got to go get the sqaush in the oven.

All my best,
Kate

Octoberish

Fairy Laundry  

Dear Sonja,

It must be October--beautiful, sparkling fairy laundry festooned across the most surprising spaces.  I hope there were wonders in your yard this morning, too.

All my best,
Kate

In the face of uncertainty

Apple Crisp in the making

Dear Friends,

  Now that it is dark and rainy again, and now that I've just come through a week with two funerals, life is looking somewhat diminished and certainly uncertain.  They in all their wisdom say that we should eat dessert first in the face of uncertainty.  I've changed my mind on that score and have decided that one of the best things you can do is to gather your friends around your table.  Comfort, conversation, company--it encourages the soul and strengthens bonds.  You'll feel better the next day, I promise.  Apple crisp tonight, pot roast in the slow cooker tomorrow morning, potatoes, carrots and salad after work.  Not hard.  Who cares if the mantel is dusty?  If it worries you, turn the lights down and light a few candles.

All my best,
Kate

Never easy

 Cemetery ~ Austin, Nevada

Dear Laurel,

   Two funerals this week--they were very different even though they were much the same. One for a woman of advanced age, the other for a woman who seemingly should have had decades still ahead of her.  Both had vibrant faith in God, both made a significant difference in the lives of others, both were dearly loved.  The grief for the first tempered by the experience of long life, the grief for the other like a jagged tear through the fabric of the lives around her.  Sad and exhausting. It is never easy, but heaven seems close.

All my best,
Kate

Neighbors

Multnomah Falls

Dear Sonja,

Earlier this week a nearly reclusive neighbor called and left a quick message: "I need help, call me."  She'd been in a serious accident, totalled her car, was banged up and badly shaken. She needed to tell someone. And she needed access to a car so she could charge her phone. (Doesn't own a wall charger.) She agreed to let us park one of our cars in her driveway, and we gave her the key. She has gone back to quiet. We  leave notes and home baked treats in the car for her, and sometimes there's a note for us. It's a privilege to help in a way that really matters to her.

All my best,
Kate