He's With Us!

This Scripture reminds me that we are always in the Presence of God because he is omnipresent!  

This was made aware to me more than ever when one afternoon last week, I popped in to a local nature preserve to do a quick mile walk before heading home after doing errands. It was another hot, humid day here in eastern NY. We are actually on week 2 of super hot and humid temperatures, which is unusual for this part of the state for that long.  I was longing for a good power walk but I knew with the high humidity that wouldn't be good for me so I opted to pop in to the nature preserve and just do a gentle walk on the trail called the Bird View trail. 

I started out on the trail. 

Main trail 
Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve 

The parking lot was full.....total of 6 cars, with another one on the side of the road. I have walked/hiked here alone many times in the last 6 years, and never have I run into any kind of problem, be it wildlife or human. 

This day though, when I got out of the car, two young guys were smoking pot on the bridge and just hanging out. I didn't think much of it...they looked like older high school or  college- aged kids to me. 

As I approached the bridge, they took off running. NO idea where they went but they must have been fast because this is the trail after just stepping down from the bridge (the bridge goes over the Erie Canal) and they were no where to be seen. They were either track stars or were hiding in the reeds. 

And that's when my heart began to pound. 

I told myself I was being paranoid. I have walked this trail by myself so many times!

It was hot and steamy with the scent of the swamp all around me. 

There weren't many mosquitoes out nor gnats as it was the middle of the afternoon, but there were a lot of deer flies buzzing around my head. I walked down this trail for a half mile and was about to turn onto the Bird View trail which is nice and grassy and goes along the swampy part of the preserve where ducks and herons hang out. But then I heard something in this area: 

I knew immediately that it wasn't birds or squirrels. The movement was heavier. 

Now, earlier in the year, this preserve was closed due to a coyote sighting and he apparently hung around for awhile because the DEC had closed this preserve until sometime in May. Was the coyote back? I knew it wasn't a deer because they tend to be in the open fields on the other side of the preserve....another mile in and to the north not the south where I was headed. 

Maybe a fox?  

Maybe those boys? I couldn't smell the scent of the pot any longer so I doubted it was the kids....but what if....what if they were the type to mug older people? It can happen, although it's so rare on our NY trails. But I know it's happened on the bike path near Albany and Troy, the two big cities nearby. 

I began to pray...God, guide me back to the car and be with me, please. 

It was way too hot to run plus I'm not supposed to run due to the degenerative discs in my spine. 

But I began to walk...and sweat....quickly.  

I breathed a sigh of relief when I arrived back at car, cranked up the AC, took large gulps of the cold water in my thermos, and drove home with my heart still pounding. 

and God reminded me "I am with you always!" 

If I didn't have the Word hidden in my heart, I really would have been anxious. 

Spending time in God's Word, helps me to stay in His Presence. His Words are life!

And His Word brings Peace!

I trust in God.  He brings peace.

Even when we hear strange sounds among the reeds....His Presence is with us. 

Sunday Stealin' Meme

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Click here to join in or read others!

I really liked this week's questions so am playing along again even though it's been quite a few weeks since I participated. 

This week is less a steal than a cheat. These are AI-generated responses to the request: "What should I ask to get a stranger to open up?"

Spill It!

1. If money wasn't an issue, would you move to a new home?

Definitely.  On a lake in the mountains (the eastern Adirondacks, specifically Essex or the White Mountains of NH) or the north shore of MA near Gloucester. I'd also consider buying a brownstone in the Charlestown part of Boston.  

2. Do you listen to different music when you're happy than when you're sad?

Sometimes.  It depends.  I like music no matter what mood....typically Baroque, Classical, Taylor Swift, Kansas, Journey, Queen, Billy Joel, Keith Green, 2nd Chapter of Acts/Annie Herring, Rend Collective, Mercy Me, Colton Dixon, Lady A, Hilary Scot

3. What's your favorite way to unwind after a tough day?

Brisk walking, or an evening hike in a local nature preserve, kayaking on a lake, or just listening to classical music with  a chilled glass of wine, specifically Riesling. And reading before bed. 

4. What's the first book you remember from childhood?

The first book I remember my mother reading from at bedtime  is one that was red, hard cover and had many stories for young children along with some poems. I loved that book. It was the mid-1960s. I also remember reading Bambi at age 7 (1967) for the first time alone, and then in 4th grade starting the Heidi books which I loved!  I had Heidi, Heidi's Friends and Heidi Grows Up. I treasured those and still have them. 

5. What made you smile today?

Watching the baby bunny....who's growing so fast...scamper around the yard....we don't treat our lawns with chemicals and he's been hanging out by the kayaks since beginning of May when he was born. The two older rabbits  are long gone but he's still hanging around the yard. 

Also: the phone call with my oldest daughter today, a text from my cousin,  and the comic my husband showed me from XKCD. 

HAPPY SUNDAY!!

JULY FAVES

 

July is truly a special Summer month for me.

My oldest daughter was born one day (today is her #32!!) before my spiritual birthday ( so tomorrow I celebrate 50 years of being a Christ follower!).  My husband's birthday is at the end of the month.  Our nephew Adam had a birthday on the 1st. Our niece Debi has a birthday next week and Dave's oldest sister has a birthday next week! And...July has hot weather that's good for the various mountain lakes/beaches, and hikes in the deep woods. and don't forget all the fireflies we watch from the deck at night! 

I'm sharing FIVE of my FAVE blessings from the past week and joining in with other like-minded bloggers at Susanne's site.  I'm thankful for the pause to look over the things that brought a smile and a "thank You, God" to my lips this week. 

burning brush

neighbor's pool fountain!

• INDEPENDENCE DAY:  Dave and I didn't do much at all on Independence Day in regards to celebrating the birth of our nation. Rather, I spent most of the day in the kitchen, preparing for a huge beach picnic the next day that we were hosting for our oldest daughter, her boyfriend, her college friend and my sister Joy. Our youngest girl had to work both days so couldn't join us. I basically spent the day cooking, cleaning and packing up swim and kayak gear. Dave did a few chores as well and the rest of the day was spent reading and talking. By dinner time, I was so sick of being in the kitchen  that I suggested we go to whatever was open and pick up some take out even if it was fast food junk. Well, most places were closed of course that sell healthier options, so we ended up getting classic chicken sandwiches from Popeye's. We brought them home and ate on the deck because the weather was so perfect. I also made some ice cold cocktails (Mai Tais) and we burned brush for quite a while. Dave wanted to watch something on Paramount + so he went in and I continued to burn brush until the neighbors'  fire works began. The neighbor's next door to us have an above ground pool and this year they have some kind of  fountain thing for it so when they turned it on, the water began to change colors to red and blue.  No idea how this works, but it was pretty cool! I also saw a LOT of fireflies aka lightening bugs come out around the pine tree so took a quick video. They were brighter as the night got  darker. It was a perfect summer evening and I'm thankful for it and for what the day stands for. Sadly, blogger won't let me upload the video!!

I found these adorable plates, napkins 
and matching cups (not pictured) at the Dollar store!!

Courtney, Tyler, Nathaniel 

Schroon Lake is 24.7 miles long 
in the eastern Adirondacks

Tyler and Courtney go kayaking!

Dave has a nice shady spot! 
The beach is reached via a set of stairs to the left of Dave
and just past that far left tree
or by walking down the grassy hill to the sand. 

• BEACH BASH:  We 've always called full days at the beach, whether it was on the Cape or a mountain lake, a "beach bash". Saturday was one of those days! We headed to this village in the eastern region of the Adirondack Mountains, about 1.5 hours north of us, and settled on a big grassy area of the town park.  My sister Joy was there! Dave and I loaded up our car with the kayaks and gear, all the food, blankets, drinks, etc.  Courtney, her boyfriend Tyler and her best college buddy Nathaniel each brought a contribution to the picnic as well as their own drinks.  The guys helped Dave with the kayak unloading and loading which was most appreciated. We ate great food, had a lot of laughs, did some swimming in the cold lake water and cool mountain air and yes we all got a lot of sun, even though we applied sunscreen throughout the day. We stayed from 10:30-5:30 then ended the group time with soft serve ice cream at a fave stand outside the village.  I'm so thankful everyone had a great time and that we got to know Tyler  some more. I'm also thankful it was a perfect summer day, weather wise. (temp was 74 up there with blue skies and full sun). 

spinach, romaine, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion
Cajun grilled salmon

sauteed with a dash of olive oil:
sweet potato, zucchini, summer squash, red onion,
 red pepper, garlic, Beyond meat "steak" tips
totally vegan minus the drizzle of Parmesan herb dressing i used to marinate the "steak" 

• MEDITERRANEAN STYLE DINNERS:  this week we are back to eating more like our youngest daughter, the pure vegan.  I created the bottom dinner and served it with watermelon chunks and blueberries. Then the top pic was an idea I saw in an online magazine about pairing salad with salmon or boneless, skinless organic  chicken and keeping it a low fat protein with lots of veggies.  We also had some beets on the side (not pictured) and cut up peaches, watermelon and blueberries.  Then one night our youngest came to dinner before she and I had an event to go to, and I grilled Beyond Meat burgers that are made with avocado oil and gave my husband a beef burger.  We had steamed green beans and watermelon.  One evening we had grilled chicken with a spinach salad and sliced tomatoes. We had just one evening with pasta:  chicken and garlic stuffed ravioli with a tossed salad and fresh peaches. I'm thankful we are cutting back on simple carbs and  adding in more complex carbs in general, along with lean or vegan protein. 

me with our youngest daughter Claire aka the ballerina

• BALLET NIGHT OUT:  Wednesday was the opening night of the Classical Season at SPAC and the first night of the NYCBallet. It was Coppelia. Our third time to see this full length story ballet with the NYCB.  We bought a glass of wine before the performance and enjoyed it on the grass before entering the balcony. It was hot (84) in the amphitheatre balcony but every once in a while the breeze from the pines would come through. If you don't know anything about the SPAC Amphitheatre, please click here. We had perfect seats and I'm thankful I could get the tickets back in March. We were in Section 15 Row C.  Smack dab in the middle.  Just perfect. Claire loved it. It is our 18th year to attend the ballet together. The performance was breath-taking. I'm thankful we had a beautiful summer night to attend the ballet. 

Black River Pond  at Cherry Plain State Park 
eastern NY

looking south along the beach
and the sky went from  cloudy to blue sky and sun

enjoying a Mai Tai on the beach

• LAKE DAY!  Claire (the ballerina) asked me on Wednesday evening, if we could go to her fave state park/lake the next day. Thursdays are her Saturdays.  I told her that would be awesome!  The park is only about 40 miles east of us but it took almost an hour due to some major construction on the main road to the mountain road. Black Lake is a true mountain lake fed by a spring and it's always so cold...like the Atlantic near NH/Maine. But yesterday it was actually a good temp. Parts of it felt like bath water because our area has been so very hot and humid on and off for two weeks. This state park is a "swim at your own risk" as the state no longer pays life guards here.  There were only 2 other families on the beach when we arrived at 11:15. And by 2 pm only 2 more families had arrived. We swam, ate lunch, drank a lot of water and some refreshing Mai tais I had mixed up before we left. We swam a 2nd time before packing up and heading home. I'm so thankful she wanted to spend more time with  me and that the weather turned out beautiful! 

Another fave that makes me say "thank You, God":  my husband and all the lawn care he does. He did most of the yard work after working all day at the office (Tuesday) when the temp was 86 and humid. I had him take a dinner break but he went right back out afterwards to finish the yards. I'm so thankful for my hard working husband.  I used to love to mow the lawn but I'm unable to do so now with the cervical spine issues I have. I never want to take all the little things Dave does around the house, for granted. 

That wraps up my week!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Adulting HodgePodge

1. What's an adult problem nobody prepared you for?

no one prepared me for the struggles of a screaming toddler/preschooler having "night terrors"  at 2 AM;  no one prepared me for the death of my parents; no one prepared me for the feeling of my heart walking around outside my body after my babies became toddlers, then preschoolers, then elementary aged, then junior high and teenagers, then college...and now they're young adults and I still feel like my heart is walking around outside my body. Other than that? how to fix a broken sump pump. 

me and my oldest, Courtney aka the princess at age 4

Claire aka the ballerina at age 3 

2. How tuned in are you to all the recent food related health news? Have you gotten rid of your scratched cookware? Did you pay attention to food additives before they made the news? What's one healthy eating/cooking/food shopping habit you need to adopt? 

I rarely watch the news other than the first 20 minutes of The Today Show. but I do pay attention to food recalls which thankfully haven't affected my family except once (we had to throw away some lettuce). I've never really allowed my daughters (when they were growing up) to have foods with red dye, etc.  We have always eaten whole foods/real foods and the occasional homebaked "junk food." (brownies, cookies, etc)   Poptarts were for camping trips only. I've owned stainless steel pots and pans or Caraway cookware/bake ware for quite a few years now.  I think I used teflon when I was first out of grad school but I threw all that away when I got married and could afford better cookware. 

One thing I need to do is cut down on sugary snacks again.  I go through spurts. The good news is: soft serve ice cream (my fave) is less in sugar and fat from cows milk than hard ice cream! AND there are now oat milk options!! 

3. What's getting worse and worse as you get older? How about better and better? 

some of my spine issues have gotten worse as I've made it into my 60s. but that's because my younger self was super active with treadmills, hiking up/down steep mountains on granite/rock scrambling up/down mountains, running on pavement or trails; lifting heavy kayaks; lifting preK children (students for over 30 years!) and my own children. Those things wear on the spine/discs and can aggravate arthritis. 

But...things that are getting better? My faith and trust in God has deepened as I've walked this spiritual journey. being centered in nature has become easier and easier. And spending time with close friends is better and better as we realize how fleeting life is. 

4. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person? Elaborate. 

I'm super outdoorsy. I always have been.  I feel closest to God (my spiritual temperament is naturalist) in the deep woods or on a mountain summit, particularly if htat mountain is higher than 3000 '. it's simply glorious. I literally have to be outdoors every single day even in the bitter cold temps of winter. (I just bundle up). Sometimes it's just a quick walk around the block.  Other times it's a long kayak paddle on a quiet mountain lake, or a game of badminton in the backyard, or sitting in my ADK chair wiht book. We eat outdoors almost every day from May-October unless super hot and humid (over 90) I'm constantly barefoot outside as well. I'm at a lake at least once a week in the summer if not twice. (now that I'm retired). 

August 2020 as I am about to ascend 
up to the summit of Cascade Mt
elevation 4098 ' 
Adk High Peaks
notice the rock tape around my left knee! 

5. If you had an expert personal assistant today, what would you have them do? 

Give me the same type of deep tissue massage my Pt and Chiropractor do except she/he would do this every.single.morning;  bring me French pressed coffee in bed after my massage; deep clean my bathrooms and wash the baseboards more than once a year. 

Well that was interesting! to join in, head over to this blog!

ENJOY the day!  I'm off to the NYCBallet opening night tonight at SPAC with my ballerina daughter to see my fave story ballet, Coppelia!