"elan"- with impetuous ardor... "send out laborers for the harvest." Matthew 9

 There are a few regrets from yesterday....  I missed taking the posed pictures that we all love to have, and the chances of my being back there is probably another 15 years away! 

 I did get the black cherry pose...

And the two headed mermaid pose, but not the group with Mission Point behind us. 

I am filled with so much today after, thanks to Ruth, I was able to return to one of the most wonderful places of my youth - Kewadin, MI!   It was a hazy day so the view was quite dull and hard to see the other side.  Today is crystal clear with the rain and storms out of the area... today we would have marveled at how close the other side would look just due to the clearing of the atmosphere.  So many times over the years, this would change from day to day. 

 The orchard at the head of our road to the Lake where we picked cherries almost 50 years ago!

The cabin is quiet - I see little Rose napping in her alcove bed by the railing upstairs - it is the coveted spot to sleep and it is her turn to sleep there the next two nights.  She is so excited and nestled in with blanket and pillow for her afternoon nap.  Luke is sleeping in the cat room - decorated with cats and a poster of cats, and the older 3 and mom are gone to the fishery in town as a field trip.  Grandma feels a nap calling as she lays on the deck in the sun and says her rosary.

 Adventurous Ruth puts her feet in the warmer water - about 10 degrees warmer- in Grand Traverse Bay.

 The view of the beach from where our cabin was growing up.

 This cabin is now there and is for sale!  My grandparents sold ours for $29,000 and this is now for sale for $429,000... crazy!

The Gospel today is wonderful... Jesus having his "heart moved with pity" and casting out demons, healing every disease and illness... I love the mental image of Christ then, but I also know that he continues to walk and heal and minister to the lost sheep through The Church, prayer, Our Lady, The Saints, The Holy Spirit at work in you and I! 

 Standing on the beach 45 years later - we sold the cabin and moved to MN in 1969!  It is much more built up and all those boats were not there! 

 The neighbor on the other side now and the point to which we walked often... we spent the afternoon just around the point at the public landing.  6 wonderful hours of sand water and hunting for Petoskeys! 

 Standing in front of our cabin 45 years later with the hazy view of Mission point behind me.

Reading a sharing by Servant of God Madeliene Delbrel (1964) called Launching Ourselves Forward in Love... the word elan - French for with impetuous ardor - caught my eye as she used it over and over in her sharing...
"Go...."  This is your instruction to us
at every corner of the Gospel.
If we are to be headed in your direction
we have to be on the move
even when our laziness begs us to stay put.
You have chosen a very strange kind of balance for us,
the kind of balance that can only be achieved and kept if we are moving,
surging forward with elan.

 The cabin now from the beach...

My nap is calling yet I know that I need to share here with all that will ponder and consider that we are filled with the Holy Spirit if we empty ourselves of all that comes between us and our Lord and the Wisdom of His Bride, The Church! 

 We spent the afternoon here, and it was so glorious!  Thank you, Ruth, for getting me up and out with you and your 5!

Jesus, I am so filled with wonder and awe at the beauty of this world and the ability to relax and share it with my now extended family.  Ruth has fond memories of visiting my friend, Helen The Beautiful, on our beach years ago.  Now to share the glorious place of my childhood with Ruth grown with her 5 children was such a gift.  To find petoskeys and share them with David, Rose and Mary.  Ruth, Rose and David kept my bucket filled with the small rocks from under the sand and we found some wonderful keepsake fossils to remember our special time!  Thank you for all the loving caring forgiving healing you do each moment of each day with our journey with Jesus/LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!  Jesus, we trust in you.   Amen and Hallelujah

 A gift from my former summer place...Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

Fossil model with a heart melting smile!  3 year old Rose Ida!

 A log chair - 88 degrees, warm water, and sugar sand...

 Spending the day in the water like old times - I mean 50 years ago... those are truly old times!

 Sweet Luke loved the water, and mom took him and Rose out on the inner tubes to the sand bar and back many times!

 Fossil hunting

 A busy and happy in the sun!

Ruth with the two youngest enjoying some swimming in Grand Traverse Bay!

 Enjoying the beautiful sky and lighting towards evening - it was still 85 when we got out of the water!

 Begging for more swimming - can't get enough!

Adorable curls due to spending the day in and out of the water.  It was a fun morning working on Mary's 4H photo project of Rose and Luke dressed old fashioned and sitting in the homemade swing in the front of the cabin with hats on.  Too cute and fun!

 This is how I found our cabin - this is still there and is right next store!

 The familiar driveway to our cabin on Grand Traverse Bay!

 The Library in Elk Rapids - so many books were read!

 The marina

 Our reflection on the library windows as I reflect on those days of long ago!

 So surprised to see the Whites still in residence on the farm of long ago!

It looks the same...  Ruth, I owe you big time! 

Rose misses Bernadette

the8 minus Maria's 4

The girls

We miss this guy too!