Tag: farmhouse
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The Life of a Farmhouse Continues
Last Thursday was a very big day for Mim and me. We sold our farmhouse. This is the farmhouse where I grew up, and where my mom grew up. The farm had been in my family for over a hundred years – since 1908. Mim and I moved to the farmhouse in 1992, after my…
Marian
assisted living, Captain Kangaroo, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Country Comforts Bed and Breakfast, farmhouse, FH, Grandfather Clock, hiatus, hospitality, house blessing, Martin Kenseth, moving out to pasture, peaceful, retreat house, Selma Jacobson, spiritual retreat center, stewardship, supportive living, welcoming guests, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven -
My Cohort in Big Adventures
In the middle of my 11-day getaway a couple weeks ago, I drove home to Cambridge to have Sunday brunch with Mim and my other cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad. Ellen was in Wisconsin for a wedding, so I jumped at the chance to have a few hours together to catch up on our…
Marian
bed and breakfast, big adventures, CCHC, Circle Christian Health Center, cohort, cohort in big adventures, Ellen Kogstad, Emily Bray, farmhouse, grand adventures, gratitude, homeless teen moms, life changes, New Moms, New Moms Inc., North Park Seminary, spiritual formation, spiritual retreat center, Sunday brunch, teen moms, Transformation Center, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven -
Reflections on a Musical Memory
Last week Mim and I spent four days at our Christmas Mountain timeshare in Wisconsin Dells. Four days is the longest we’ve been away together in years. We had a wonderful time, just relaxing and being thankful we could celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. As I was enjoying my first real vacation day on…
Marian
Amazing Grace, Beer Barrel Polka, Bible Camp, choosing music, Christmas Mountain, electronic organ, fairness, farmhouse, God-given gifts, He Giveth More Grace, Jonah, Lowery organ, Music Store, Ninevah, Old Rugged Cross, Open My Eyes, Parable of the Laborers, pump organ, reed organ, reflections, spirituality, The Old Rugged Cross, upright piano, WardBrodt, WardBrodt Music Store, Willerup, Willerup Bible Camp -
Awful August – except for …
Does it ever seem like your world is shattered? That life is suddenly broken? For some of my family members, that’s what August has been like this year. I guess I would describe August 2014 along two tracks of events. One track is affecting my broadly extended family. The other track is affecting Mim and…
Marian
93-year-old, amazing transformation, broadly extended family, car accident, change in my life, condo sold, Conrad Bender, Ecclesiastes, extended family, family, farmhouse, For everything there is a season, friends, friends and family, funeral, getting organized, God at work, God will take care of you, God’s comforting love, God’s love, God’s presence, God-given gifts, hospice, kind strangers, kindness, life challenges, life changes, life of the farmhouse, listening for God, love your neighbor, next phase, oven cleaner, reflections, retreat, sadness, Sandy Bender, self-cleaning oven, sister-in-law, spiritual retreat center, spirituality, talking with God, time to die, time to mourn, time to weep, track one, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven, will to live -
Thoughts on Gratitude
Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life. (Jack Canfield, creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books) Anna, the 92-year-old woman who lives with Mim and me, knows that very well. She is so appreciative of everything anyone does for her. “Thank you” is probably…
Marian
assisted living, Aztec Prayer, Aztec Prayer to God, blessings, congratulations, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Edward Hays, farmhouse, friends, fulfilled life, gratitude, hospitality, Jack Canfield, kind wishes, kindness, life calling, life challenges, listening for God, love your neighbor, Old World Wisconsin, onion farm, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, reflections, root vegetables, spirituality, thankfulness, warm wishes -
My Favorite Guns
My First Gun. When I was a child, my hero was Roy Rogers. I watched him on TV whenever I could. He was the good guy in the white hat. He used his six-guns to bring the bad guys to justice. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. That’s why my Roy…
Marian
22 rifle, assault weapon, BB gun, cap gun, cowboy hero, cowboy heroes, cowboys and Indians, derringer, farmhouse, friends, God’s love, gun and holster, gun control law, gun control legislation, kindness, lady’s derringer, life challenges, listening for God, pellet gun, pretty little gun, reflections, Romans 14:1, Roy Rogers, spirituality, talking with God, target practice, welcome -
Transition Time
It’s official. Whispering Winds Retreat Haven is on break. As of the first of the year, the farmhouse will be home to another family for at least two years. In January of 2015, the farmhouse may reclaim the name of Whispering Winds and come back to life as a B&B-style retreat center again, or it…
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“Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope”
One of the first shows I went to see when I lived in Chicago was, “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope.” It was a musical review with songs about major themes of the 1970s – student protests, ghetto life, black power, and feminism. The musical style was a blend of gospel, jazz, soul, calypso, and…
Marian
bed and breakfast, building codes, building inspector, change in my life, Country Comforts, Don’t bother me, fairness, farmhouse, God’s love, handgun, handicapped accessible, I can’t cope, Job’s suffering, killing option, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, massacre, methods of coping, powerless, reflections, spirituality, state regulators, talking with God, wheelchair accessible -
The Life of a Farmhouse
When I was a kid, I’d occasionally watch “Captain Kangaroo” on TV. One of the characters on the show was Grandfather Clock. He was a tall, normal-looking grandfather clock, except he had a cartoon-like face and he talked. He often talked about whatever was on his mind and how he felt about it. I thought…
Marian
assisted living, bed and breakfast, Captain Kangaroo, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, Country Comforts Bed and Breakfast, fairness, farmhouse, God’s love, Grandfather Clock, group retreats, guests, hospitality, house blessing, life challenges, life changes, listening for God, reflections, talking with God, whispering winds, Whispering Winds Retreat Haven -
Enjoying God’s Many Gifts
Remember how much fun it is to watch a three-year-old tear the wrapping paper off a birthday present, to watch the excitement and delight in her face. She completely trusts that whoever gave her the present has given her a wonderful thing that she will enjoy to the fullest. One of the verses from the…
Marian
Abbey, assisted living, autumn colors, autumn leaves, blue sky, CamRock Park, childlike enthusiasm, childlike faith, Country Comforts, Country Comforts Assisted Living, fall foliage, farmhouse, God’s love, listening for God, milkweed, nature, rainbow, reflections, seasons, talking with God, the heavens declare the glory of God, walk in the park, walk in the woods, whispering winds
Whispering Winds Blog 