Puffball Prize!!

Life is full of surprises for sure!!  Sunday while visiting one of our churches someone brought in a gigantic puffball from the woods near their home, which was only one of about 30!!!  I had never seen such a large one!  Usually we come across the tiny ones that are all ready to be tromped on and spew the brown dusty stuff all over.  Found out this treasure was edible and a friend shared with us.  We sliced half of the puffball and slowly cooked it in butter.  I loved it!  Probably for the other half I will add onions and garlic as it cooks.  Isn't life fun?  I am hoping MY woods will pop up with some of these treasures next year!
Life is good!  Di

"Owl" get over it....but he won't!

It is a scarey place to be when you are traveling down the road at 70 mph on a dark autumn night and out of nowhere a HUGE bird is in the middle of your lane!!  That is what happened to me tonight on my way back from Grayling where Donnie was speaking at the church.  A loud thump, a few feathers flew and that was it.  Fortunately I did not swerve and the bird did not fly up into the windshield.   Close to home when I turned a corner we saw a wing flit above the hood!  To my horror, the large bird was lodged in the grill of my truck.  Donn removed the grill and Mr. owl was dislodged.  It has a wingspan of a couple of feet and it's claws were enormous with long talons.  I really feel horrible having killed this beautiful bird!  Guess it is just one of those things that could not be helped!  Another night, another story to tell and I am thanking Father Donnie and I were not injured!  So far my truck has slaughtered a deer and an owl..whoa..enough!

Woods Treasures

    
       Tramping in the woods is way high on my list of fun things to do!  You never know what new flowers, ferns, or fungi are going to pop up from the forest floor and greet you.  After spotting these huge mushrooms scattered about at the edge of the woods, I began searching my mushroom book to try and identify them.  While living on the other side of the world, we were able to eat many many types to my delight.  It is kinda scarey to attempt to fry up something you are not sure of...thus my hesitation of picking and serving these!  I believe they are shaggy parasol, but not 100%.  If you happen to be reading this and know, I would love to hear from you.  Hope you are enjoying your day, the weather here in NE MI is awesome, nights are beginning to dip down into the 40's and the days are 65-75.  
    Saturday Donn and I attended our annual Associational Fish fry at Killion's landing.  About 100 people again attended this year and 10 of our 15 churches were represented.  It is so satisfying to see people from our scattered small congregations fellowship and growing together as a family!  Tomorrow our newest pastor is moving up with his wife and daughter from Arkansas.  Please pray for Bro. Alan & Jean as they adjust to northern living and culture!  
    Beginning Saturday we will be hosting an OMC with 10 missionaries sharing their stories with our churches.  Pray for health, safety, participation and for God to even call some to missions or deeper commitment to reaching people for HIS kingdom.
    We currently have 3 pastorless churches, Onaway, Prudenville, and West Branch.  Join us in asking Father to bring exactly the right man to shepherd these flocks.  Thank you so much for your prayers and care for our work.  Have a blessed day!  Please either comment or email me and let me know what is happening in your world.  My email is:  dazydi@pobox.com
   Livin' and lovin' life.....Di 

Victory !!! Di vs. Chipmunks!

This is my victory picture of the sunflowers that made it past the battle I waged this spring with what I used to consider "cute little critters".  In fact, all winter long I allowed them to prance and dance across my deck to steal the food from the beaks of my bird friends!!  Well, that cuteness wore off very quickly after planting at least 2 large packages of various sunflowers in my gardens and day after day finding the baby plants eaten and torn from the ground!  Ahhh, I overlooked the first couple of times....let them have the little treat of my seeds and plants.  Soon they saw their enemy, me!  Many, many met their match with methods I will not at this time reveal to you :).  It was a daily battle for many weeks, but now the payoff is a troupe of strong TALL mighty flowers with their heads held high looking towards the source of their strength.  Hmmm...lessons from the sunflowers!!  Have a victorious and sunny day full of HIS power!

Lovin' the life...Dianne

Laborless days at the Cabin!

One of the many things I love about Donn is that he is always ready for a spur-of-the moment adventure...thus our life has been filled with spontaneous little and big trips!  Sunday a.m. about one hour before we headed out to church the decision was made to escape to my dad's cabin in the woods later that day.  It is amazing how much I can do in 50 minutes when I really set my mind to it!  After a flurry of make-up, hair curling, clothes selection, ice chest filled with food and clothes for the woods packed, we hopped in the car first for church and then 80 miles to our get-away!!  Love it!  Flexible and fun, that is my life!  
The day was hot at last and we finally were having summer!  Who cares if it is September, let's jump headlong into this time!  Bathing suits on, Donn began to fish and I hunted for blackberries.  Note to self:  next time wear long pants and sleeves!!!  Those berry prickers sure can dig in the skin.  Full of berries and woods tramping I lounged on my float in the pond forever.  We fished several times a day, catching and releasing perch, bass and even a catfish..Donn went as far as buying me my own fishing pole!  There s nothing like reading a good book snug in the folds of a strong, tree strung hammock, munching on cheetos and dozing off for as long as you like.  The cooler evenings called for a campfire to roast big, juicy chunks of smoked sausage and ears of corn.  Full moon nights with only the sound of crickets and water splashing from the artesian well in the pond...I must store up these sights, sounds and smells of summer for even now the trees are beginning to flash brillant fall colors!  Thank you Father for each season of our year and of our life!!  \

   Livin' the life...Dianne

It has been soooooooo long since I have even considered writing in this blog!!! The summer has flown by with my house loaded with nonstop people starting the first of June until just about a week ago!! Seriously we are talking family, kids, grands, pastor and wife with 4 children and once even a dog visited!! I totally loved having the company but must admit by the end I was extremely exhausted and ready to just retreat to the bed.
There were times of camping, outside night fires, swimming, kayaking, shopping, eating, grilling, eating, playing, eating, talking - did I mention eating? After the last toy was picked up, the final bed washed and remade, and my house whipped back into shape, I rested and rested and rested. We are up and ready for more excitement now! The kids are all scattered about this Labor Day weekend so we invited one of our pastors and wife to a lunch on our deck, it was a good day! Tomorrow is our last day at one of our small pastorless churches we have been working with the last few months. We praise the Lord He has provided a shepherd for this flock and it is time to move on to the next church in need of our ministry. Donn and I are truly loving the work we do in this association. It is home and we are able to get to REALLY know the members of the churches we work closely with while they are without a pastor. God is good, all the time and has blessed us beyond our imagination! Three of our churches now have new pastors who are becoming Michiganders!
We would appreciate your prayers as we will be traveling back to the other side of the world in October for a 3 week vision trip. Some friends, a pastor and wife will be going with us! Excitement is building for all that Father will do as we seek His will and divine appointments. I look forward to taking our friends to the land and people we love! Have an awesome Sunday worship!
Living the Life.....Dianne