Daytripping

One of my favourite things to do on a lovely summer's day is to take a day-trip to wherever happens to suit our fancy.  I appreciate my own country mile so much more after I've spent a few hours enjoying other country miles.

Our most recent excursion saw us heading into eastern Manitoba as far as West Hawk Lake and then northwest-ish through the Whiteshell Provincial Park's lake country.  Shimmering lakes named Brereton, Red Rock, Nutimik, Jessica, Dorothy, Betulah, and finally Otter Falls nestled in Canadian Shield rocky outcroppings, lay waiting to be discovered like jewels in a bracelet of hammered rock.

 Around each curve of the winding and hilly narrow highway a new vista unfolded before us and I drank in the beauty and the serenity of God's nature.  Wherever we stopped briefly were God's people at rest in God's creation: fellow nature-lovers camping, swimming, playing beach sports, and enjoying each other's company before heading back into cities and towns for another week's work in the pavement-melting heat forecast for the coming days.

I felt at one with them and with all God's creation, in a way that recognized that I was part of this and could draw strength for my own week of work ahead from the same source.  It was the trees and forests, water and beaches, rock formations and marsh plants that gave me rest and renewal in the country miles I travelled.  I arrived home later in the day with my eyes and my mind full of the beauty of God's creation and a strong desire to write about it, to share it with you.

Sometimes I'm almost glad for the chronic condition that limits my movements, causes me pain, and prevents me from sleeping well, glad because it often renders me into a state of fatigue and feeling overwhelmed, and thus in a perfect position to recognize and welcome rest and refreshment for the spirit when they appear.  In the photo above, I'm looking thoughtful, beginning to understand that this day my husband planned is turning out to be exactly what I needed.  I was exploring the beautiful courtyard garden as we were leaving the Falcon's Nest Restaurant in Falcon Lake where we had just enjoyed our favourite treat, toasted cinnamon buns  and hot coffee.

I'd say this day was all about food and drink for the body: warm cinnamon buns in the morning; then sandwiches I'd packed for our picnic lunch later in the day;  food for my soul in the beautiful scenes laid out before my eyes at every turn; and drink for my spirit in the peace and serenity with which I slaked my thirst for God.

Cousin!!

I apologize for not having posted for some time and thank you for your patience.  Life (with a capital "L") intervened in the form of a family crisis (now resolved), unexpected but delightful company, a brief holiday away, and a hectic work schedule that refuses to slow down.  My summer suddenly got very busy and the pace hasn't let up.  I feel like I've been scrambling to find time to breathe, let alone write!


So, why the exclamation points in the title, you may well ask.  What's the big deal about having a cousin?  Well, for me it really is a big deal.  For four days I had a cousin staying with me and it's only the second time in my entire life that I actually could say that I have a cousin in Canada.

My parents were the only ones from their families to travel all the way from Germany to Canada and, as a result, my siblings and I grew up without the presence of aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins.  No Christmas time family gatherings for us, nor family reunions to celebrate grandparents' special birthdays and anniversaries. Nevertheless, we had a great childhood and always looked forward to those special parcels from Germany that arrived at Christmas and Easter, bearing special gifts and unique fashions and accessories that weren't available in Canada.  

It was only when I was old enough to visit friends' homes that I realized there was an element missing from our lives.  My friends were often not available to play or visit for several days around Christmas time or Easter because they were involved with family gatherings and trips to grandparents' uncles and aunts' homes to celebrate the holidays.  I grew to envy my friends a little when I saw several cars in their driveways, noticed them having fun with children who must have been cousins, or saw their homes locked up tight because they were all away for a few days visiting relatives.

So what a treat it was for me when my cousin Regine, and her husband Werner Muenzel, came to stay a few days, right here on our our country mile!  I was surprised at how emotional I became when greeted her; I hadn't seen her for about 35 years (she's the same cousin who visited in Canada once before, shortly after I was married) and I really couldn't say I "knew" her.  At the same time, I knew her instantly; she looked like us siblings when we were younger and I could see her resemblance to my Dad and his brother, Regina's father.

And so, for four wonderful days, I spent time with my cousin; saw pictures of her family, and her mother, my aunt; and caught up on the lives of other cousins, especially her brother and sister.  Regina's father had passed away only a couple of years ago, so it was sad to realize there would be no shots of Uncle Herman and no new stories of him.  We did a little traveling, showed them parts of Manitoba and Ontario, bar-be-qued here in our country milieu when we arrived home each evening, and revelled in getting to know each other once again.

At the end of our short time together, I knew I had not only reacquainted myself with a cousin; I had also formed a new friendship and discovered a beautiful strong woman, who I'm proud to claim as family.  How quickly the visit neared its end, and when my two sisters came to pick up Regina and her husband and take them to the airport the next day, I was sad to have to say goodbye so soon.

Of course we took pictures, and I think the best ones are of the four of us: my two sisters, Regina, and me.  In those shots I'm surrounded by wise and generous women and proud to say that they are all a treasured part of my family.  From left to right in the photo above, there's my sister, Monika, Regina, me, and my sister, Mary.  I think it's a shot of a lifetime and I may never again be so lucky as to have my sisters and a cousin here all at the same time.

Family is precious, whether you live in a city, a town, a village, or on your own country mile.