Daffodils in bloom by Valentine's Day

Patt's Nursery offered a bulb planting class on January 12th.  Kate taught 25 people the art forcing bulbs into bloom after they've been chilled in a refrigerator.  We each chose about 15 bulbs - daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths.  Kate said it was ok to put the bulbs on top of each other.  She promised we'd have blooms by Valentine's Day.  It's been fun watching every new little piece of green poke through the soil.

January 12

January 19

January 26

February 2

February 3

February 4

February 6

February 8

February 9

February 10

February 14
The daffodils are beginning to fade, but there are two tulips and hyacinths poking up through the soil. The new bulbs delight me every day and remind me that spring is just around the corner.  

Parish Social Ministry Retreat

Christine Smith, our dear friend from Catholic Charities, once again came to Lewiston to help our PSM team get focused and re-energized.  Mary Lou communicated for weeks with Christine about the retreat, our agenda, and goals for the coming year.

Christine began the retreat by giving us a small piece of paper with words from scripture.  The words all ran together and we tried, as a group, to pray these words, but discovered it was difficult to do because there were so spaces, no breaks, no chance to catch a breath.

We learned that, if we are determined to do God's work, we need to find space, take a break, and spend some contemplative time in prayer.  She led us through lectio divina and asked us to reveal a spiritual moment that changed our thinking and propelled us into action or a different way of looking at things.  I shared my experience at Circles, learning about the challenges of people in poverty, and being inspired by those graduating in the Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World class.  Most graduates have a dream that includes a job with a living wage, enough food to eat, health insurance, a dependable car, affordable housing, and supportive friends.  Their stories made me realize I've taken those things for granted and never personally experienced a lack of things they only dreamed about.

Christine helped us set goals and timelines for completion.  We ended the day blessing each other's hands and asking God's blessings on our work.  But not before we shared soup and bread with Father Brad Neely and Monsignor Andy Schumacher.  Thank you Christine for getting our group back on track.

Dan and Jim's Birthday Celebration

Jean, Marcia, and I are fast friends that get together every Sunday night for wine, stories, and words of encouragement and support.   We know this about each other - Jean loves to organize parties, Marcia has the perfect home for such events, and I love to cook and bake.  So, we were up for a big celebration on Sunday to honor the birthdays of Dan and Jim.  We had to have brunch so our guests could get on to the various Super Bowl parties around town.  We were welcomed by signs of spring in Marcia's lovely home.













Jean insisted that the food served include Dan's favorite dessert, cherry pie!  So, we chose Kathy Cahill's Lemon Meringue as Jim's favorite.  Jody made a pecan pie just to give us more choices!








We enjoyed  breakfast casseroles, citrus fruit salad, artisan bread, mimosas and the delicious homemade pies.

Happy guests included:

Grace and Cecilia

Mary Ellen, Dan, and Doug Black

Tom and Kathy Cahill

Monica Lawrence and Steve Lee

Jean and Kathy

Tom Callery and Dan

Eric and Marian Peterson

 Dan and Jim were presented with poster sized pictures, signed on the back by all guests.

Dan's explanations of the moss mustache.  

I noticed a lot of tender touches between Dan and Jean who plan to marry on September 7th.

I noticed Jim, always a quiet presence, enjoying all his birthday cards and special attention this day.





Happy Birthday!  Thank you Jean for the opportunity to celebrate with these great men!

Family Promise Chocolate and Jazz

I attended a lovely fund-raising event for Family Promise last evening.  A great combination of homemade chocolate desserts and local jazz made the evening most enjoyable.  The organizers set up for 300 people and were delighted when over 320 showed up!

Family Promise of Lewis Clark Valley is a non-profit organization that partners together with local agencies and our faith community to provide positive solutions to families in crisis. Since August 2008, the members of our network have offered shelter and meals to families in crisis. For our guest families, Family Promise of Lewis Clark Valley is a way station of support and companionship on their journey toward self-sufficiency and independence. For our volunteers it is an opportunity to serve and to achieve a better understanding of poverty and homelessness.  Steve Thomas, Executive Director, reported that fourteen families had been served in 2012.  These families stay overnight in eleven churches in our valley and spend their days at the Day Center.  I've been honored to help prepare meals for families when they spend the night at the Trinity Lutheran Church, just a block away from my home.  The kids do homework and moms or dads visit with volunteer hosts.  One time I helped a young woman who was learning to knit.  These families overcome incredible hardships and I'm always inspired by their stories.  I couldn't be happier that this event was a huge success.

In addition to the music and great chocolate I enjoyed visiting with these lovely friends.

Sister Kim Marie and Sister Margie Schmidt 

Kathy and Tom Cahill

Jean Altmiller and Dan Johnson

Members of Lewiston High School's jazz band and choir opened the evening with several numbers they are planning to perform at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho in two weeks.  My nephew, Kole, played the drums and looked so handsome in his black shirt and red tie.  His buddies, Cody and Thomas, played the bass and piano respectively.  I did not get close enough for a picture of them, but did get a picture of the Kopczynski family!

This sweet family shows up for every kid event

The LCSC jazz band played several numbers.  It really could've been called the Gemberling Show.  Gary, the high school music teacher, and his wife Kathleen, performed with the band.  Gary's sense of humor delighted the audience when he introduced the band.  "We are all auditing classes at the college."  That's because the band is made up of high school students and community members who just love jazz!  Thank you to all the volunteers and musicians who made this event an evening to remember.

Just in time for Valentine's Day

I've been working on a little scrap quilt project as a way to reduce my boxes of fabric.  I have a lot of red and white fabric and decided to make a nine-patch quilt, set on pointe.  I actually took this first picture on November 10, 2012, so it's taken me some time to get it finished.

Today I took a long-arm quilting class at Emerald Garden and the owner then helped me put my little quilt on the frame and showed me how to quilt using a pantograph - a design utilizing a laser beam on a paper pattern.

The finished top - it's about 66" square.  

It took me about 90 minutes from start to finish.  Notice the bandaid box!  The pins are so sharp and I needed two bandaids before I finished this project today.  I think of all the time my Mom took to set a quilt in the wooden frame and then hand quilt it!  I wonder if she'd be upset to think I've stepped over to the machine quilting side!  It's the only way I'll ever finish one.

Rolling the quilt onto the next row.

Rose design!

All that's left is the binding!  Should be able to do the hand sewing this weekend!!

Spring in February

It was a bright, sunny day in Lewiston on the first day of February.  Unusually warm weather that brightened my spirits and everyone I met on the levee during an early afternoon bike ride.  Fifty degrees in the shade at my house - I think it got up to 54 today.

Marcia, Regina, and I usually  walk at 6:30 AM and it seems like we've been the only braves souls on the levee, but today I met several fellow walkers who were out enjoying the sunshine.  I've missed my unnamed walking friends and felt relieved when I saw them today, knowing they were ok and maybe a little smarter than those of us who brave the dark and cold mornings.  By the time I got back home I'd taken off my scarf, gloves, and sweatshirt it was so warm.

I decided it was time to take down the Christmas garland around my front window.  With spring approaching it looks a little out of place!  The garland is gone, but I just could not take down the planter with the red-twig dogwood.  It'll probably stay there until I can plant some pansies in the planter box.

As I walked around the yard, I noticed lots of spring bulbs poking their heads through the warm soil.  I'll welcome the blooms, but honestly I'm not ready for the yard work just yet.  It's been such a mild winter the leaves on the rose bushes are still green!  While putting the ladder up to take down the garland I stepped on the bleeding heart plant also poking through the ground.  I also noticed buds on the hydrangeas so it's time to get rid of the dried blooms from last summer.  Suddenly there's a lot to do outside - a little overwhelming for me today so after I put everything away I took a little nap!

Tomorrow I'm going to Hays and buy some more of these happy little primrose plants.  Just another reminder that spring is on its way!!!