Contrast

There's nothing quite like a nice thermos of hot tea, some sandwiches, and a drive in a warm truck to the lakeshore in the middle of winter!  The only thing that could make it better would be a nice CD with a good story to listen to on the way, which we happened to have.  I only wish we could have had our sweet granddaughters with us for this outing--they would have loved it.  The CD was a dramatization of 'The Horse & His Boy' by C. S. Lewis, produced by Focus on the Family and narrated by Douglas Greshem, Lewis's stepson who has

Claire, Nanna Pennie, and Jen on the shore of Lake Erie.

Papa Martin at the same location on Lake Erie.  Br-r-r!

a delightful English accent.  Claire & Em would appreciate such things. Martin had just read in this morning's Chatham Daily News that Lake Erie was frozen over, so that's what prompted our outing.  I'm posting a photo of the lakeshore when the Hudsons were visiting in the summer in August, 2012 for contrast.  I like to see the stark differences in the seasonal changes that God has created; it makes me appreciate the seasons our lives go through as well.

Evidence

There is some evidence around our house that there have been visitors of a young sort here recently.  There is a pink fuzzy bracelet with a heart-shaped button attached that is setting on the buffet in the dining room.  Emily, age five, made it for me last Sunday.  There is a drawing by Claire, age seven, on the front of the refrigerator, and a painting in a frame by Claire on the table by the T.V.  Emily's cross bookmark marks the place in my Willa Cather novel.  The photo album on the coffee table, filled with snapshots of their family, that daughter-in-law Jen put together for us.  Another bit of evidence that the dear granddaughters from California were here recently is the doll house and the roll away bed in the basement.  But the biggest bit of evidence is the happy smiles that we have when we say to each other, "remember" this or that fun time we had with the girls.  These two pictures portray some of our happy moments.  Can you see what is different in each picture?