Continued...

Over Thanksgiving break the guys worked on hanging metal on the roof and sides of the new building.  

First snow

Carhartt club

I could have named my dog Carhartt. Charlie fits right in with the guys in the shop--he even has the right color coat.

Most days I drop him off at my parents' farm on my way to school. He spends the day with the guys. He's a good dog, from the reports I hear, but occasionally he gets into mischief and Aaron hollers at him. Then he'll go and hide behind Uncle Paul's legs. 

Often Logan or Aaron will take Charlie out for a run. The boys ride the four-wheeler and Charlie runs. According to Logan, Charlie can run 25mph. When they get back to the shop, Charlie finds his favorite spot, on the carpet from Uncle Paul's truck which is in front of the heater, and curls up. 

Charlie has a wonderful time at the farm, hanging out with his Carhartt buddies. 

Portraits

Samuel and Saul

We've been studying the lives of Samuel and Saul for Sunday School this quarter. Each Sunday we read the story from the Bible and then rewrote it together. I wrote it on the whiteboard and Bethany copied it in her book. Then she drew a picture to illustrate each story. Yesterday we finished our project--Saul died and we filled up all the pages in the book. Next Sunday we start the life of David. 

Lord, make me

an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek 

to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

~St. Francis of Assisi

Sunrise

Walking buddy

Photo by Naomi

Mom, Naomi, Charlie and I went for a walk near the Tridge the other day. Mom's concern that she wouldn't be able to keep up was unfounded since Charlie kept having to stop to smell garbage cans and trees, and I had to keep reminding him not to pull on the leash.

Thanksgiving

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. ~Abraham Lincoln

Food festival

I didn't take many pictures at the International Food Festival at SVSU this year. I was too hungry.

My class didn't finish until 12:20, so the cafeteria was full and the Saudi food had already run out by the time I made it. I still managed to try African (that's right the entire continent was grouped together), Germany, Korea, Taiwan, China, Kuwait, Pakistan and Poland.

I decided that next year, I will offer my students extra credit. I'll tell them to go early and collect a dish of food from every country. They can put up a sign that says, "Ms. Cook's table." All I'll have to do is show up and eat. 

Detail

Framing

Green plants

The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:12 NIV

Friendly dog

Charlie is a friendly dog. 

He loves being around people. Often he spends the day at the farm while I'm at school. He keeps the guys company in the shop, chases the cats and races around the yard. Then, when I take him home, he likes to sit on the porch and watch through the kitchen window as I work. 

Appliances

We had the opportunity to hook up to natural gas since our neighbors, the biggest farm in our township, paid to extend the natural gas line to their corn drier. We've been using propane to power our furnace, water heater, range and drier. 

Natural gas is much cheaper than propane, so we were excited to be able to switch. 

But, most of our appliance couldn't be converted. So, I've been shopping on Craigslist. Dad helped me collect the entire set and now I have a drier, water heater and range sitting on my porch waiting to be installed. 

Lean-to

Now that the guys have finished putting up the shop they are adding a lean-to on the south side to store garden tools and Dad's Ford tractor.

Untitled dessert

First, I baked a cake for a baby shower on Saturday.

The middle of the cake came out of the pan--the rest didn't.

So, I decided to cut the cake in squares and make petit fours for the baby shower. 

The petit fours icing globbed up before it flowed over the squares of cake. 

And, the baby decided to come on Saturday, so I didn't need a cake anyway. 

On Monday, friends came for tea. I crumbled some of the remaining cake in a torte dish, glopped sweetened, whipped cream on top and sprinkled it with cocoa powder. 

It was meant to be.

Windows

In honor of my birthday Dad took the day off from work last Friday and he and Logan installed two new windows in my bedroom. I was thrilled.

Brown

Sunday dinner

Julie joined us, via Skype, for Sunday dinner last week.

Refrigerator

Darkness

It's dark when I leave in the morning, and often the sun is sinking in the horizon before I'm home in the evening.

I miss my sister

We've texted.
We've sent emails.
We've even chatted over Skype video.

But...
I still miss her.

Her hands

Lauren Mae's hands were stained last week from canning black beans. She suggested we get a "his and hers" shot. Aaron was busy working, so those of you who know him can just image the "his" image.

Energy

Charlie, as is typical of Labrador Retrievers and adolescent males of any species, has a lot of energy.

I was pleased on Saturday when we finally wore him out. I had taken him to my folks' house for the day. Several different people took him for walks during the day, and I think Logan took him for a run (Logan was on the four-wheeler). Aaron's buddies, Dale and Eric, were up for the day, and they played with him. Then Charlie hung out in the shop with the guys. 

I took him out to the backfield in the late afternoon and let him off the leash to run. Usually he tears around in giant circles like a mad-man. On Saturday, he made a half-hearted lap and then came back to me. 

Ha! It took all of us, but we finally ran him out of energy.

Cheery

Appreciation

Jimmy, Carmen, Bethany, Rebekah, Abigail, Hosanna and baby--you bring joy and encouragement to our lives. We are thankful for your ministry to our church and community. 

Siblings

My Aunt Phyllis flew up from Louisiana to attend the family reunion a few weeks ago when the leaves were still brilliantly displayed on the trees in southern Michigan. While Aunt Phyllis was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, she and her brothers posed for a "bald" photo. Everyone is much happier now that she adds a hairy head to the Cook sibling pictures.

Black and white

Pumpkins