Bountifully Blessed

Afternoon sky in North Dakota

It's been a week of introspection.  Looking back, and forward.  A celebration and a bit of a self-assessment.  A (sometimes surprising) re-affirmation of my passions.  On the whole, an eminently satisfying catalog of a year well-lived, well-loved, and bountifully blessed: it has been 12 months since I retired and started documenting my voyage with this blog.

Calypso Orchid

I won't apologize for my method to outlining this post: I organized my notes around the objectives stated in my blog profile.  I re-read all 72 of my blog posts, beginning with the first.  I perused (ancient!) notes I kept leading up to retirement and for the first 9 months post-freedom.  After all, even the most ad-lib writers structure their prose in some fashion ... but in the end, I sat back and let my emotions speak to me.  Here is what I heard:

Family game of Kings in the Corner

1. Letting go of perfection and structure is harder for me than I ever thought possible.  I deliberately bought a simplified Franklin planner that only has room for 10 Daily Tasks during the week and 4 on the weekend.  Nevertheless, my list often extends to a dozen or more, and I certainly don't finish them all.  I am learning I CAN give myself permission to engage in the 'fun' items even if there are still 'work' tasks on the list!  Enjoying the beauty of a moment can be difficult when my mind strays to tomorrow and its events and tasks.  With some effort, I am becoming more effective at re-directing my attention to my current environment and its gifts.

Sunset on Whitefish Lake

2. I am jazzed by the simple things and by traditions.  As I looked back through my blog posts, Fall Frolics, Autumn Antics, October Wind-down, The Spirit is a-Movin' and Treasured Traditions jumped off the page.  So maybe embracing adventure is not my bag; simple traditions ignite my passions.

3. If I could spend all day every day outside, I would.  This is not new and I am in 'outdoor' heaven here in Montana.  Hiking.  Snowshoeing.  Kayaking.  Skiing.  Outdoor dining.  All of which are even more special for the presence of Spousal Unit (also known as Man with Hat) by my side.  Our journeys frequent this blog, and you can be assured of many more in the years ahead.

Man with Hat among bear grass in Jewel Basin

The kids and Spousal Unit with

snow ghosts on Big Mountain

4. Family is a constant, a solid mooring, a source of pride and joy and new experiences.  Some of the posts that brought me to (happy) tears are those about family; we play together and make new memories, all the while recalling the family tales of yester-year.  Our children are adults, and times with them are at once simpler and more complex. 

Strolling San Francisco with 

#1 Daughter

We couldn't be prouder of their achievements - #1 Son has earned Dean's List honors for two semesters (Engineering Physics major!) and landed a teaching assistant position.  #1 Daughter will graduate from college in April, and has secured two jobs that will carry her through the summer months while she locates her first long-term stage management role.

5. Travel is a given that is interwoven with my other passions: family, the outdoors and time with friends.  It would be easy to turn this post into a month-by-month re-cap, but that would be predictable, structured Angie.  Where's the emotion, the importance?  These last 12 months, travel has meant catching up with college friends, making dreams come true for others, discovering new mountains, sharing UK culture and beautiful landscapes, and supporting our kids.

Upper left: Trout Lake Trail, Glacier National Park

Upper right: Palace Hotel in San Francisco

Lower left: Oughtershaw, UK

Lower right: Bow River, Banff, Alberta, Canada

6. Cross-stitch, embroidery and knitting offer an opportunity to relax while investing my love in a piece of lasting beauty.  I would like to produce more pieces, but this activity often gets sacrificed when I run out of time at the end of a full day.  As I look forward, I will consider how I can let go of some of the 'work' tasks on my list to make room for more craft time!

Hawes, UK

7. God is generous.  My relationship with Man with Hat.  Our relationships with our children.  Our log house. Our siblings.  Our friends.  Our health.  The stunning world in which we live.  In my retirement, I have made the time to pray every day.  A healthy chunk of my reflection time involves giving thanks, the other side of prayer.  Almost every week, I can add something new to my gratitude list.

8.  I am finding a niche in our community, from volunteering at the Whitefish Museum to activities at St. Charles Borromeo Church (lector, Eucharistic Minister, fourth grade religion teacher, prayer shawl ministry).  It feels good to give back, and to know people in town as we go about our routines such as visiting the library or eating out.  Looking forward, I know I will have to start over in Kalispell, which is closer to our new home, but I am sure I will maintain some of the relationships established in Whitefish over the last 12 months.

Top: September sunshine 

Bottom: December brings winter white to the same field

Near Whitefish

Scenes along Whitefish Lake and Whitefish River

McDonald Creek -

Glacier National Park

9. For me, blogging has blossomed from a tiny mustard seed of an idea to a tree with many branches.  A creative outlet for me.  (Hopefully) an inspiration to others who may have a down day, or dream of life in the American West.  A diary that is open to the world, allowing me to 'keep in touch' with old and new friends alike. A popularity contest for Man with Hat (he always wants to know the standing of 'his' post on the Popular Post list!)  A source of inspiration for me - my blogging buddies around the world can pick me up, teach me new blog tricks, help me find long-lost embroidery patterns and show me the beauty of the world around them.  A well-spring of affirmation - comments from fellow bloggers and others are priceless; I feel valued as a member of a community teeming in variety and geographic diversity.

10. I am not bored (this is for the people who asked me, before retirement - 'won't you be bored?') 

----o----

It is quite hard to recall the minutiae of my working life, 12 months on.  This quote from Without Reservations: the Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach captures my feeling perfectly:

One morning while having breakfast on the King's Road I suddenly realized how foreign my life as a reporter now seemed.  When I thought of it now - the deadlines, the constant search to find material for a story or column, the compulsive need to read three newspapers daily, the fear of getting something wrong or not getting the whole story - it was like imagining a country I haven't visited in some time.

Keld, UK

And that's OK.  Because I have new 'countries' to visit: Having fun before my 'work' is done - especially my craft projects.  Being totally immersed in the moment.  Celebrating simple traditions. 

Stay with me and you'll have an inside track on the journey!

P.S.  I am starting now - I tweaked the content of my Profile/About My Blog, and have changed my background to something totally fun - jelly beans!  I saw it and had to have it!

Linking to

All Seasons

Floral Friday Fotos

Mosaic Monday

Nature Notes

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday

Thankful Thursday

Days of Wine and Roses (Showing Off a "Small Island" - Part 5)

Welcome to my ongoing series celebrating the joyful days spent with my sister and her husband in the UK in June 2017.  (link to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4) As I perused the photos of our fifth day together, my skin tingled with the recollection of the sun.  I longed to dip my toes in the tannin-infused waters of Aysgarth Falls, and to return to the patio of the Friar's Head, aromatic with the scent of white roses.  Just a few reminders of why I adore my adopted country.

This day, we left the village of Oughtershaw, but not before I gazed with rapture once more at this view from the cottage window.  

My in-laws headed home; our itinerary included a return to Hawes for a mooch (read: to walk around observing things).  For Spousal Unit and I, "mooching about" is one of our favorite past-times: no matter how many times you have been somewhere, you can still observe un-noticed details, or learn something new.

St. Margaret's Church was built in 1850 to replace a smaller church.  

Points of interest include the Millennium stained glass window, the War Memorial paneling and the Robert "Mouseman" Thompson pews and screens.

Robert "Mouseman" Thompson was a British furniture maker.  He lived in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, where he set a business manufacturing oak furniture, which featured a mouse on almost every piece.   

It is claimed the mouse motif came about accidentally in 1919 following a conversation about "being as poor as a church mouse", which took place between Thompson and one of his colleagues during the carving of a cornice for a screen.  This chance remark led to him carving a mouse and this remained part of his work from this point onwards.

For some time, I have been intrigued by the hand-stitched kneelers that are present in most Anglican churches in the UK.  As someone who relishes cross-stitch and community service, I could envision myself producing a kneeler, but I didn't really know what's involved.  Carpe diem!

Kneelers can take 3 months or longer to complete; an average kneeler involves over 9,000 stitches just for the top

I learned that there are thousands of church kneelers made by congregations across England and Wales.  Some congregations choose a particular theme, such as nature or geometric designs.  Others give the volunteers free rein.  As a result, church kneelers that are local, original, and unique represent the most widely practiced form of folk art in the country.  Check out this site if you would like more information.  And watch for future posts - you might just see more of this artistry!

The one on the left has clearly been well-loved!

Although Hawes might be distant from Montana, our log-house-in-construction is never far from our minds.  One shop featured heavy, metal furniture that would fit well with our rustic industrial motif - I took a picture for inspiration only - this would cost a small fortune to ship!

Along the lanes of Hawes

We made our way back to the car park (read: parking lot) along a public footpath, and found ourselves on the hill above St. Margaret's.  It's then I realized the commanding location it has in town.  Even now, I am gob-smacked (read: amazed) at the compelling beauty of the landscape that this church enjoys every single day.

Our next stop, Aysgarth Falls, is a familiar friend to our family, as a site of swimming excursions and overnight walks.  One year, Spousal Unit was the beneficiary of a coffee mug embellished with a repeating mosaic of this beloved photo.  If someone asked me to characterize our family when the kids were young, especially the relationship of the 'three kids', I would pull out this snap!

2009

Today, it looks much the same as it did 9 years ago.  Located in a stunning wooded gorge in Wensleydale, the Falls are comprised of an Upper, Middle and Lower Falls.  Well-marked trails through the woodland allow easy access to the River Ure, with many pools and pock-marked rocks.

Yes, those are grapes!

For our family, a trip to Yorkshire is not complete without visiting the Friars Head, a beautiful bar/restaurant in a truly stunning location.  The following is a quote from its website, which I'll use because I believe it captures the essence of the venue so perfectly: "The Friars Head is a confident and striking blend of traditional and modern design, that celebrates great quality food.  What makes The Friars Head so special is the different and distinct interior themes and creative menus, developed to provide guests with their choice of a relaxed or formal experience".  (I am not being paid for this; the pictures left/below illustrate why we love the place.)

A meal without wine is called breakfast ... we enjoyed our adult beverages on the patio

Fig tree in the courtyard

Pausing to smell the roses - a gratifying conclusion to another exceptional day.

Linking to 

All Seasons

Floral Friday Fotos

Mosaic Monday

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday

 

Another Fine Day in the English Countryside (Showing Off "a Small Island" - Part 4)

England.  Footpaths.  Sunshine.  Flowers.  Pubs.  Which one of these does not belong?  Some days, you get it all!  Come along and see, in Part 4 of my series featuring our tour for my sister and her husband this summer.

Signpost; BW means Bridleway; FP means footpath

My in-laws, Spousal Unit, my sister and her husband

Following a hearty breakfast at Elm Cottage (a self-catering cottage means a talented chef known as Spousal Unit can prepare a delectable feast of his choosing), we were exhilarated with another blue-sky day, ideal for a walk to the village of Kettlewell.

It is believed that the name Kettlewell is Anglo Saxon and comes from Cetel Wella, which means a bubbling spring or stream.  At first, the footpath clings to the River Wharfe. 

Soon enough, meadows push in and open the vista.

We are grateful for the shade when the footpath joins up with a fencerow, where the oak trees stand in formation like an army of tin soldiers.  I wonder about the landowner those many years ago, deciding to sow the young oaks in this majestic panorama.

As we enter the village, we are mafting (read: hot) and there's little choice but to seek out

refreshment in the beer garden of The Racehorses Hotel.

Have you ever tasted Pimm's?  Pimm's No. 1 is a gin-based liquor made in England from dry gin, liqueur, fruit juices and spices.  It was invented in 1823 by James Pimm, who served it at his oyster bar in London.   A thirst-quenching, supremely summery drink, Pimm's Cup mixes lemony soda (or ginger ale), fruit, cucumbers, mint and a fortifying shot of Pimm's.  I first met Pimm's (the drink) at the school Field Day during our expatriate assignment in the UK (yes, there was alcohol at a school event).  I have been a fan ever since.  So refreshing!

Temptation? To linger in the beer garden, sipping Pimm's.  But the splendor of the countryside beckons, and we return to the footpath.  One of our many rewards is the flora soaking up energy 'while the sun shines.'

That evening, we easily found our appetites at The Crown in Hawes.

This pub has a distinctive beer garden with an upper level offering an unparalleled outlook on the dale.

I couldn't defy the urge to snap pictures in the beer garden and on the street as we strolled back to the car - I wish everyone would be as meticulous with their gardens!

Summer nights are a treasure ... they go on forever!  Once we returned to the cottage, I had the occasion to burn off my risotto on another footpath nearby.

England.  Footpaths.  Sunshine. Flowers.  Pubs.  I belong here. 

Linking to

Floral Friday Fotos

Mosaic Monday

Our World Tuesday