The Islands Moorage, McGuire Island, Columbia River, Oregon

The Islands Moorage, McGuire Island, Columbia River, Oregon
The Home of Rivergate Cottage

A Fun Idea....for a very good cause

Ideas are funny things. They pop into my head looking for a warm place to hatch! Sometimes I dismiss them as just too off the wall, or just to hard to pull off. Sometimes they die because I doubt that anyone else would come on board with the idea.

In researching avenues of funding for my daughter and son-in-love's adoption of a girl to called Mazey, from Colombia, I was inspired by anothr adoptive mother who mentioned a number of things she had done to fund the adoption of five children. They were things such as garage sales, entertainment book sales, ebay, letters inviting people to contribute, and others. That's when I got the idea of putting together a cookbook to sell.

I got very excited about the idea because I love to work on the computer. I love to write. I love it that it would involve other people. I love to organize. I love to cook and I love to eat! So I decided this idea was one I'd like to invest some time into and see what it would hatch.

Down on the Bayou....in Oregon

September is often beautiful in Oregon. It is this week! We spent a couple nights at the houseboat recently. It is simply the most wonderful place to be.

Everyone should have a get-away. Ours is very small, about 900 sq. feet, two bedrooms (one a guest room for two), one bath, laundry room and living room open to the kitchen. Very simple and that's the key to it staying a great get-away, keep it simply sweetie! A little house, an outdoor deck as big as the house, and a party boat, oh, and a sweet BBQ grill. What more do you need? A hammock? Got one of those too.

We hop on the boat, turn the key and cruise the great Columbia River! We stop by other houseboats and pick up people to ride with us. We sit on the deck in the evenings, start a fire in the chimena, get out the very long forks and roast marshmallows and make smores. Heaven on earth!

Gary's replaced the windows this winter, resided it with carefree vinyl siding, painted the eaves, is getting new gutters put on, lit the new, larger BBQ where the old one was and melted the new lap siding making a section of laps look wavy and replaced the melted siding. We've relocated the new bigger BBQ and fire it up every night we're there.

Wouldn't you like to join us? You're all welcome! Let us know when you can come.

A Mazey Day

Today Gary and I went to downtown Portland to get Mazey's mom and dad's wedding certificate from the hall of records. Just a chore, a task, a necessary thing, on the surface. It meant so much more to me than that, that I could be 2,000 something miles away from my much loved daughter, Pam and super great (and much loved) son -in-law, Jeremy who are in the process of adopting a little girl from Colombia. Her name is Mazey, and although none of us have met her yet she too is in her Grampa and Grama's hearts and much loved.

Prayers for someone do that to me.....they get into my heart. I felt so blessed to be able to do something necessary for my Mazey to come to the loving home of her momma and daddy. I can't wait to see you, dear Mazey!

Come to think of it....

Many of my dreams have come true!

Marrying the man of my dreams and our marriage lasting, 5, 10, 20, 30 and now 41 years!
God's grace is real......

Being given not 1, not 2, but 3 beautiful daughters!
God's grace is real......

Being given the gift of two of the most wonderful young men for grandsons!
God's grace is real.....

Moving our family to "God's Country", Oregon!
God's grace is real.....

Being allowed to speak into women's lives!
God's grace is real.....

Being given the gift of peace of mind, heart and restoration of childhood wounds!
God's grace is real.....

Owning a Bed and Breakfast and inviting guests into our home!
God's grace is real.....

Seeing my mom achieve a place of total and complete healing in going home to Jesus!
God's grace is real.....

Being given the gift of sons in my 2 great son-in-laws, Frank and Jeremy!
God's grace is real.....

Being asked to partner with Father God in some amazing adventures!
God's grace is real.....

Being able to spend retirement with my husband!
God's grace is real.....

Being given the gift of a life in grace and not works!
God's grace is real.....

Realizing complete healing from fibromyalgia!
God's grace is real......

Looking forward to our first grandaughter!
God's grace is real......

I could go on and on!
God's grace never ends.......

New Things are Part of the Fun!

I did it! This is all new to me. I didn't even know or get "blogs" a few days ago. My daughter, Pam, has created a beautiful one. It's been a great way to keep up on the progress of she and her husband, Jeremy's, adoption plans. Yes! A grandaughter from Colombia is coming.

I did the blog and a post and then did it again, new template, and deleted the post. It was scarey and exciting all at the same time to see it when it actually became "published" on the World Wide Web! What fun!

I can see I'm going to have to stay focused cause the ideas are endless. Or is that the point....it's my blog, no rights or wrongs. I can make it my own. One thing I know for sure is this is going to be fun!

One thing I'm not sure of is how people find your blog.
Do you know?
Can you help me?
Any tips?

I think I have to start by emailing people to tell them how they can read it now that I have it set up, right? Well, this will be definitley be an adventure!

Living My Dreams

I'm reading a book called True Faced.
It says,
"God's ultimate goal is to release the mature
into the dreams he designed for us before the world began".
So that's what he's up to!
Here I am 60 years old and I feel like I'm just being released into my dreams.
I guess maturity takes some time.
Well, it has for me anyway.
Have you read True Faced?
Do you feel mature?
Do you feel you have lived any of your dreams?
Love to hear from you.