At Home in Wyoming

Time to Take Stock

  One of my newly organized spice cabinets!

Lately I have been spending a lot of time watching my six month old grandson while his mother is at work.  I used to bustle around getting things done while he was napping, but lately I have been relaxing while he is resting because...well...I'm not as young as I used to be!

But with the holidays coming up, I have been trying to think of ways to make them less frantic, more fun.  So while I had my feet up last week, I tried to come up with ways to simplify things.  I ended up making a menu for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas and Christmas Eve.  After that I did grocery lists to go with the menus, and made a master shopping list.  I cleaned and organized my pantry shelves and spice cabinets...then got two laundry baskets and put them on the top shelf of my pantry.  Every time I go to the store I grab a few things that are on the master list, so I won't have to do it later.

I picked up the cherries, the water chestnuts for the bacon appetizers, vanilla and almond extract, poultry seasoning, pumpkin pie mix, etc., and threw them into either the Thanksgiving or Christmas basket.  Each time I shop for groceries, I throw a few more things into the pile.  Pretty soon I will have everything I need except for the perishables, celery for stuffing and things of that sort...that I can pick up quickly right before the big days.  If I get it organized now, I won't be running back and forth to Walmart fighting the holiday crowds for a can of water chestnuts, that they ran out of last year!  Because by the third week of December all I want for Christmas... is not to have to go back to Walmart!  DLB

 

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Trick or Treat in Cody, Wyoming

 One tradition in Cody, Wyoming is that each Halloween between 4 and 6 p.m. all the merchants on Main Street give out candy to the trick or treaters...this way it is still light enough to see all the costumes, and candy is safe, and the rest of us get to see all the children's costumes.  This year the Town Council decided to block off Main Street, so there was no traffic to worry about.  I saw dinasaurs, lions, princesses and a dairy cow (my grandson).  We had a lot of fun, and got to see people that we had not seen all summer.  I think I can vouch for the rest of Cody when I tell you that a good time was had by all!  DLB

A Tale of Two Pumpkins

 

" I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  John 15:5

Summer before last I decided to grow pumpkins to decorate the church alter come fall.   French pumpkins, no less.  I had a whole harvest theme in mind.  That was the same summer that I got the bright idea to plant everything really close together, my theory being that there would be less room for weeds, so I could spend less time working out in the hot sun.  (Of course this ended up being an idiotic plan and I had to spend a summer listening to my husband say 'I told you so').

But my french pumpkins thrived...never had I seen such a vibrant orange and I loved the squat shape.  The pumpkin vine took over the whole garden, and it was hard to see where to walk when I ventured out with my vegetable ,to pick a tomato or two.  So of course,  I ended up stepping on one of the pumpkin branches, ripping it partway off the vine.  I didn't completely sever the branch from the vine, but it was only hanging by a few threads. 

When it was harvest time, I had the most beautiful french pumpkins, glossy and shiny and the church alter looked lovely.  I also used the pumpkins to decorate the restaurant at my son's wedding rehearsal supper.  That is, I was able to use all but the one pumpkin that was partially severed from the vine.  It was still a pumpkin alright, round and orange...but it looked pockmarked with disease, prone to some kind of mold.  Whatever benefits the other pumpkins received from staying attached to the vine, this one clearly lost out on.

When I thought about John 15:5,  I thought it was a warning to me about living in such a way that I was not abiding in Him...living severed from the Vine.  I never thought about living in a way that I was only partially attached.  Abiding most of the time in Him, but not all of the time.

Sadly, that is often the case.  Kind of sort of attached, but not completely.  The diseased pumpkin illustrated for me the danger of being halfheartedly attached to the Vine.  At the end of my life I would maybe resemble a Christian, my life might have the shape of a Christian, but cut a slice open anywhere and you will see the spores and mildew of spoil. 

Luke 8:14 reads, "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

What causes me to not abide in Him?  To not spend time in church worshiping Him, reading my Bible or praying to Him?  Being choked with the cares...but also with the riches and pleasures of this life.  When I am overwhelmed with burdens I can't wait to abide in Christ and tell Him my troubles.  But what about those riches and pleasures?  Good things in and of themselves, until THEY become my priority instead of HIM.  Those are the things that often sever my branch from the Vine.

How about you?  Are you abiding in Him with a whole heart, or only half heartedly abiding because you are distracted by the cares, riches and pleasures of life.  Are you abiding in Christ so that the fruit of your life will be brought to perfection?

In other words, which pumpkin will your life resemble?  DLB

 

The Poker Church

The Poker Church in Cody, Wyoming

It was an odd day today, weather wise.  It was relatively warm early this morning, and I decided to go shopping with my 6 month old grandson.  When I came out of Walmart, it was snowing and blowing...but I could see blue sky over Rattlesnake Mountain on the other side of the snow cloud.

My grandson was cranky, so I thought if I drove around town for a little while he MIGHT go to sleep in his car seat (an old grandmother trick for a little peace and quiet).  In a half hour the storm was over, but if you look closely at this picture you can see the snow that settled on top of the back wing of the church.  Which leads me to the reason for this post...I thought I would take some pictures of Cody, and post them over the next few weeks.  Some of you have never been out west, and are curious about it.  Today I wanted to show you the Poker Church.

The Poker Church, or the Little Church, is tucked under the trees next to the main building of Christ Episcopal Church in Cody.  It was the original building of Christ Church, built in 1902.  It has a unique place in the history of our town.

According to the plaque outside the building...

     "This little church building, the first in Cody, was funded in 1902 by the last hand of a famous poker game.  The players, including Buffalo Bill Cody, agreed that the pot was too large for any one man and should be given to the winner's church.  Cody's friend George Beck won and directed that the winnings be used to build this Episcopal Church.  Through a loving circle of friends and parishioners, it was furnished with the first pipe organ in Wyoming as well as stained glass windows and a belfry bell.  All who visit and come to pray with us are welcome."

I love this little church.  It is usually open in the summer, and it is a lovely place to steal a few moments of quiet when the sun turns those stained glass windows to ruby.  The church is still used in the summer, and for special services, weddings and whatnot.  If you visit Cody, take a peek inside...and when you are done, Dairy Queen is right across the street!  DLB

 

 

When Too Much is Simply Too Much

The parlor fireplace smothered in fall decorations...this fireplace is built of sandstone from the quarry that Buffalo Bill used for the outside of the Irma Hotel.

I have still been thinking about the post that I did entitled "The Benedictine Monks and Your 'To Do' List" on October 14th.  I still have not figured out how to do a link yet (technically challenged as I am) but if you have a second please scroll down to it because what I am about to say will make way more sense.

The gist of that entry was that I used to get up and do a 'To Do' list each morning, but I was so busy doing all the 'To Do's" that I was losing the frame to my day...sit down meals with my family, time for a walk, time to read a book or Bible reading and prayer time...you know, all the things that make your home life sweet and satisfying.  Now, thanks to the example of the Benedictine monks and the book "For the Family's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, I frame out my day first.  I plan those things mentioned above, and maybe coffee with a friend, or have family over for supper, etc.  Then, with the time left over, I squeeze in as many "To Do's" as I have time remaining.  I am not getting done anywhere near all the things that I used to...but I am running my life instead of my life running me. 

But I wanted to add one thing further. You may find, as you allot time each day to actual living, that you may simply not have enough hours in the day to meet all of your responsibilities.  You want your day to have a basic frame so that you can live in a sane and satisfying manner, but your commitments are too many and too important. 

We all have seasons where that may be true.  A family member's illness, a new baby, a death...seasons where things have to be greatly simplified.  BUT if it is not a season of a special stress of some sort, may I encourage you to take a closer look at the way that you are living?  If you don't have time to put God first, the reading of His Word, time for prayer and reflection, church attendance...and then time to build your home and family, it is a sign that something is out of whack.  Maybe you are doing things that God has not called you to do.

If that is where you are, it is time to begin to pray and ask God how you can realign your life with His priorities for you.  Once you are sure what He is telling you to do, ask for the courage to actually do it.  He may tell you that you need to not watch so much TV, or to quit being such a perfectionist about things (is your Christmas overblown?).  He may lead you to switch from full time employment to part time employment, or...as in my case...go from a two income family to a one income family (talk about scary!).  In addition to asking for the courage to go through with what you are being led to do, ask Him how you should go about doing it.  James 1:5 says,

     "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Our culture is speeding up.  Everyone is busy, busy, busy...and everyone seems to be stressed out and discontent.  But as Christians, our lives should glorify God...we should take our cues from God's Word about our priorities, not the culture.  We should live in a way that allows for the abundant life.  And at the very least a good night's sleep!  DLB

 

 

Happy Birthday Kathy!

Part of the fun of celebrating the change of seasons is bringing the colors of the outdoors inside.  I have been having fun draping every conceivable tabletop with fall garlands and sunflowers...and little orange lights that make the house look really cozy...

Yesterday was my sister Kathy's birthday.  She is technically my younger sister, but I think we take turns being the big sister...depending on which of us needs help and counsel at the time.  I am truly blessed because my sister is actually my best friend, and just knowing her makes my life richer. 

So Kathy, this scripture is dedicated to you...

     "Two are better than one; because they have good reward for their labour.

       For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."  (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10)

Thanks to Kathy, I have never fallen without my sister being there to pick me up.  She has been there in good times and not so great times, and I love her very much. 

Happy Birthday Kathy!  Love, Debby

   

Meeteetse Mercantile

The Meeteetse Mercantile in Meeteetse, Wyoming

One thing that I love about Wyoming is that historic buildings don't seem to be primed and painted and gussied up the way that they are back East...what they were, they still are, and don't look all that different, and most don't have a gift shop attached!  Now I'm not knocking museums, but sometimes it is nice to see things still being useful.  It shows a continuity with the past, a connection with those that came before.  Which leads me to the Meeteetse Merc.

Meeteetse Wyoming is a small town (population a little over 300) about 30 miles from Cody.  The Meeteetse Merc was a dry goods store built about 1906...I believe it was originally a Company store for the Pitchfork Ranch.  Can't you just see women in long dresses shopping for a bolt of calico, or little children pressing their noses up against the display cases hoping for some penny candy?  As tiny as Meeteetse was, and is, I imagine that the Merc was the center of town activity, with news and local gossip being bandied around. 

Sadly, the Meeteetse Merc now stands vacant...I believe it is for sale.  I would imagine that it would be hard for a General Store to compete with Walmart, even if it is 30 miles away!  The local gas station has a tiny grocery store attached to it, selling convenience items to hold the residents over until the next trip to Cody...life has moved on.  Our culture has changed.

I used to subscribe to a magazine from England.  I wish I still had the article but I must have thrown it away.  But the old time General Store was fading from their villages, too.  Gone the way of the closing of the village schools, which were now being consolidated to bus children to more central locations.  The problem was that village life began to cease with the eradication of the school and General Store.  Mothers no longer were able to chitchat when picking up their children from the village school.  Old men were not able to play checkers on the front porch of the General Store in summer, or trade news around the woodstove in winter.  Women were now doing their shopping at the super stores nearest their town. It was noticed that the schools and store were the glue that stuck the village together, and with the closing of these gathering places village life was slipping away.

But they came up with a novel idea.  They put out grants to keep the General Stores going, something like our nonprofit grants.  The stores were subsidized by the grants, and they were then able to keep the stores open for the good of the village, and the villages began to thrive again.  Elderly people no longer needed to drive miles away to do their weekly grocery shopping.  Community life flourished.

I thought about that article a few weeks ago when I walked past the Meeteetse Merc.  I thought what a blessing it would be to the town if we had grants for purposes like that.  I don't know, maybe we do and I just don't know about it...but in the meantime, the old store still stands vacant...a glimpse of the past, and maybe a hope for the future, too.  DLB

 

Benedictine Monks and Your 'To Do' List

 

Bronze statue outside the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, entitled "Code of the West" by Herb Mignery.  Notice the fall leaves under the statue against the background of snowy Rattlesnake Mountain.  It's like getting two seasons for the price of one!

                                                    ***********

I have still been reading "For the Family's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macauley.  In chapter 10 she discussed the Benedictine way of life, and the influence "Benedicts Rule" (for monastic communities) had on European culture.  She states:

     "I've quoted Benedict's rule once or twice so far.  He was planning a community's life pattern, and then filled it out with wise lifegiving content.  As he based his rule on the authority of the Scriptures, it's ages-old wisdom and simplicity guide us with principles for planning life uncluttered by the confusing too-much that surrounds us today.

     It helped me no end to think on his advice to first of all set your necessary basic pattern of the everyday, and only then can you decide what, when, and how all the other demands can be fitted in.  He clearly emphasizes that the basic routine won't keep changing apart from the appropriate flexibility when age or health demands it.  This regularity is health-giving for the body, mind, spirit--for the individual and for a group such as a family." ("For the Family's Sake" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay).

Every morning I sit down with a notebook and do my "To Do" list for the day.  There is always more on the list than hours in the day!  I must be pumped up on all that caffeine to even HOPE, in my wildest imagination, that I will be able to complete even half of my 'to do's'!  But I was getting a lot done...do you know how?  It was by tossing overboard things like sit down family meals, Bible reading time, prayer time, reading for pleasure time, walks up at Beck Lake and a normal bed time that ensured proper rest.  I was skipping church on Sunday, and picnics.  In short, most of the things that brought zest to life.

Now I do things a little differently.  I still sit down with my coffee and make a 'to do' list, but the first things on the list are the things I mentioned in the paragraph before this one.  This is the frame for my day.  Then, and only then, do I piece in all the other things that need to be done.  The house may be a little messier, and the meal less elaborate...the fall leaves may still be lying on my front porch waiting for the broom...but I no longer resemble a snapping turtle around my loved ones because I am stressed, and when I hit the pillow each night I feel like I lived the day, instead of just existing through it.

How is it with your 'to do' list?  Are you running your life, or have you found that your life is running you?  Guess what?  Only you can change it!  DLB

Content With Our Portion

Main Street in Cody Wyoming today...the sun came out and the mountains looked like they were frosted with seven minute icing from the snow that fell over the weekend...

There is a Bible verse from Ecclesiastes that I have been pondering today.  I quoted it once before, but when we were updating our blog, somehow it was inadvertantly deleted.  But that was then and this is now...in the new normal where the economy seems to be tanking and people are getting nervous.  It reads:

"Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion." (Ecclesiastes 5:18)

From what I have been hearing on the news it seems that our 'portion' has been decreasing at an astonishing rate!.  What we had on paper last week looks pretty bleak this week.  People are mad...but more than that they are scared. 

Could it be that we have forgotten that God is our Source, and that He provides us with our portion?  Proverbs 23: 6 reads:

"Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."

In scary times such as these, it is imperative that we keep our focus on God, and not our bank statement...or our circumstances.  We need to remember that God is our Provider, and He never runs short of provision.

We also need to be thankful for what He has provided for us.  Can you breathe?  Does your heart beat?  You could do neither unless He willed it.  We need to be thankful for our health, our loved ones, our daily bread.  The birdsong outside our windows, the feel of the sun (or snowflakes) on our face, and sweet sleep at night.  Such riches that maybe we have been taking for granted, we need to reexamine with new appreciation and rejoice in all He has provided for us.

Our portion, which is allotted to us by a loving God.  It is more than enough!  DLB

We Interrupt this Message...

 

 We interrupt this message (Fall) to bring you a taste of the winter that is to come.  It is snowing today Cody, Wyoming...the wind is blowing and it is darn cold.  BUT I have a stew simmering in the crockpot, wheat rolls rising on the oven and good books to read.  If it hadn't snowed I would be cleaning up what is left of the garden...but I got a reprieve!  I am rather enjoying this snowy day!  DLB