Blueberries

We have finished eating our fresh blueberries that we picked. We still have 2 gallons frozen to use later. This sauce recipe can be made with fresh or frozen berries. I like to serve it over vanilla ice cream, or over fresh-sliced peaches, or as a topping with lemon pudding or lemon mousse. 

Cinnamon-Blueberry Sauce

 

2 tbsp. sugar (this makes a rather sweet sauce; reduce it if you prefer a tarter flavor)

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

 

Blend sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm. You may want to let it cool down quite a bit before putting over ice cream so the ice cream doesn’t melt. Can be refrigerated and warmed up using the microwave.

Boat-in Worship

This morning we decided to get out of our routine. We visited the boat-in worship service on Lake Wawasee. There were probably over 100 people with us on shore sitting in lawn chairs. We estimated 50-60 boats parked around the Lilypad II which held more worshipers and the speaker and vocalist. The loud speaker from the Lilypad worked well. Probably 300-400 people enjoying a beautiful day at the lake while focused on God.

Before heading for Oakwood Park where the boat-in takes place, we had breakfast at Cool Beans café . The homemade raisin cinnamon toast was excellent. I don’t drink coffee, but my husband said it was good. All kinds of coffee-based drinks available. Their specialty is huckleberry pancakes, but because we had blueberry pancakes a few days ago, we went with egg dishes.

After the service, we walked around Oakwood Resort which reopened this summer after being closed for several years. We are hoping the restaurant might step up a notch to a Sunday brunch buffet. Right now, they have a breakfast buffet which is small and not very interesting. We sat outside on a bench watching the Lilypad head for The Frog where it is moored. About half a dozen beautiful classic mahogany boats grouped in a corner of the bay and then took off as a flotilla around the lake, each with the U.S. flag projecting out the stern.

By then it was 9:50 so we headed south to North Webster and Heart of the Lakes Antique Mall which opens at 10 a.m. Didn’t find any treasures though.

I believe Lake Tippecanoe also has a boat-in worship service; maybe if we get another gorgeous Sunday we will try it this summer.
Nice to live in lakes country.

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was full of fun activities and pretty things. Friday morning it was pleasant enough to drive to the you-pick place to get some blueberries. My husband and one of our neighbors came along; my husband always picks faster than me so I am glad for his willingness. 

When we had our carpets cleaned a few weeks ago we ate a few meals at our dining table crammed into the sunroom to let the carpet dry. It was so pleasant. We use the sunroom so little that the idea occurred to me that putting a small patio table in there might increase our time spent there. I prayed that we would find a table on sale or one at a consignment shop. Friday afternoon I visited a new consignment shop. Yes, there sat a glass-topped patio table for $20.  

                                          

Sunday morning we breakfasted at our new table with the patio door opened listening to the birds. 

Saturday morning we picked up my sister-in-law and headed for St. Joseph, MI. She had told us about an art fair there. The booths were situated on a tree-shaded bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. It did warm up some later in the day, but there was a nice breeze. The art fair had a great variety of artisans and wares. I love pottery. I bought a bowl with ridged swirls worked into the clay.

It only takes about 2 hours from our house to St. Joseph. We will have to return another time to spend time on Silver Beach and explore the downtown a bit more. There are also quite a few wineries in that region. 

We got home in plenty of time to attend the evening MasterWorks Festival concert. This was the wrap-up weekend. I was so impressed with guest violinist Rachel Barton Pine. It is only today while searching the internet that I realize the reason for her limping gait. She has a prosthetic leg after a terrible calamity. Her newest CD is a group of lullabies inspired by her daughter Sylvia. During an encore Rachel told us about her 1742 violin which in the 19th century was played by Brahms as he helped an acquaintance select a violin. She then played the Brahms Lullaby. 

My beggar’s bowl overflowed this weekend.

Singing Heart

Today my heart is singing. The sticky oppressive heat promises to go away for several days once some storms have passed through. The rose bush which has promised new blooms finally has produced; I have 3 roses in the bud vase. The Rose of Sharon bush which also holds promise finally has some slight streaks of color in its buds. Two pine trees were planted today behind my condo to replace the ones that died last fall. I found a lovely serving bowl at the consignment shop for $3. 

My husband wanted to eat lunch at the Grace Village dining room today. While eating, a man and wife joined us. It appeared that she had rolled him in his wheelchair from the rehab section. As we chatted, we learned that she will be moving into the vacant condo down the block from us August 1st, her husband joining her when able.

 Then, I finally sat down and read the blogs I follow and learned that I was 1 of the 5 winners of Leslie Leyland Fields' blog give-aways. She is sending some homemade jam and what I most want, her book Surviving the Island of Grace.

 The package never arrived. I had been told it could take a month as it would go on a small boat from the island where she lives in Alaska to a post office and then to the mainland. But after 3 months I figured it would not show up. It did not.

It is a sad commentary on the poverty of my soul that it so easily soars when the beggar’s bowl is full of lovely things. My heart is full of gratitude to God; but when circumstances and things are hard, the gratitude is not so easily given. 

I just finished The Hawk and the Dove (a Christian fiction trilogy) by Penelope Wilcock that so poignantly describes the soul’s struggle with reconciling loss and suffering with God’s goodness and love. It is a story of a 14th century monastery and how the individuals of the community must come to grips with these lessons in their relationships with one another and with God. A good reminder that whatever fills the bowl of life, God does love us.

 

 

 

 

Busy

Besides celebrating the holiday with family, I have been busy this past weekend and today enrolling in a program of Road Scholar , formerly Elder Hostel. For the most part, we have been independent travelers. We are going to try this program in Quebec, Canada. I did have to spend time on the internet lining up air transportation as this company mainly does that for international trips, but this is considered North American and not international by them. It is a bit expensive in my opinion to use Road Scholar, but hopefully the extras like camaraderie and educational talks will add value.

 

The other way I have been spending time is harvesting rice. Not literally, but by participating with people in my church to “earn” grains of rice by answering questions correctly. Free Rice has you select categories in which to answer questions (multiple choice). Our church has a goal of 500,000 grains by August. So far, we have about 100,000. We could use more participants.

 

It is supposed to cool down by the end of the week, and the rain we have been experiencing should go away. I hope to pick blueberries Friday morning. My husband and I pick about 10-12 pounds each summer. We freeze most of those to use throughout the year. I also hope to visit the farmers’ market Saturday. May be a little early for tomatoes though. Love God’s gift of summer produce.

 

How are you spending your summer days?