He Leadeth Me

Our Fearless Leader, Jeana, found some very inexpensive tickets to Paris on Iceland Air. Three of us answered her call to  adventure and began planning our trip. Really, Jeana planned our trip, and  we were along for the ride of a lifetime.  No, this is not Paris, but our stop in Iceland. When we went to retrieve our rental car, Sylvia, our new friend, advised us that a blizzard would arrive at 12:00 noon. So we took off adventuring after a night of flying and very little sleep. And, yes, we did get stuck in a huge snowstorm, but our intrepid (Montana) driver, Jeana maneuvered us through the storm and even managed to get us out of a snowdrift. We experience the beautiful snow-covered landscape of Iceland. I would love to go back in the summer. Following are just a few highlights of the Paris trip. The Catacombs of Paris were fascinating. Imagine seeing some 6 million bones from an early Parisian cemetery and learning how this most unusual Tourist att...

I received a group e-mail from my brother Lynn recently. He also sent the e-mail to my mother, my brother Terry, and my sister Kim telling us to watch for a gift he had mailed to each of us. This is the gift that we each received. Lynn explained that he had seen these dishtowels  (he later  discovered they were called Torchons)  in a Paris flea market and that they called out to him. As many of you know, my sweet father's initials are BA for Bill Aven, and because daddy is now in heaven, we don't get to see these initials as often as we used to. Every time I pass this precious gift in my kitchen, I think of my wonderful daddy and look forward to being greeted by him with a big hug when I get to heaven one day. On a side note, Lynn later discovered that these French dishtowels,   or Torchons,  have a very interesting history. If you want to read more about Torchons, click here .  

Saturdays and Teacakes by Lester L. Laminack My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh, my goodness, I love this book.  If you have ever had a special grandmother or want to be a special grandmother, you need to read this book. Mentor Text--Personal Memoir View all my reviews

Doesn't this delightful "old" book look truly vintage? Well, I guess it is. It was given to Kelly in 1977 when she was just one year old. The giver? Mr. Lance White. Here's what I remember about the  circumstances surrounding  this book. Lance and Bonnie were/are our good friends. Lance was taking a 2 week mission trip to Australia. Bonnie was happy for him, but a little nervous about staying home alone with a two year old for that long.  (Ashley) I told Bonnie I would take her to the airport to see Lance off so that she wouldn't have to drive home alone. This won't surprise those of you who know my navigational skills.  Instead of heading home, we headed north toward Conroe, Texas. I'm not sure how long it took us to realize we were traveling in the wrong direction. Lance had a wonderful trip! Bonnie and Ashley survived! Kelly got an adorable book and ended up going to Australia herself on a ch...