Weekend Getaway

My sister's son, Hayes, got married in Natchitoches, Louisiana, this past Saturday night.  Natchitoches is about two hours away from us.  Our families got an airbnb lake house for the weekend.  We dried off Callie, the Nubian goat we've been milking so that we could get away.  It took a little 'doing,' but we put out enough food to last the chickens for 2 days and made sure there was plenty of water available for the cows and goats.

Belle, our dog, usually stays in her kennel... for one day.  Then she finds a way to escape by scaling the walls and in Houdini-like fashion, squirms through the tarp that is stretched tightly across the roof.  Prior to the trip, I armed myself with welded wire fencing, wire cutting pliers, and some tie wire and was able to construct an escape-proof barrier.  Now that everyone was good to go, we pulled out of the driveway for the drive up Hwy 165, I-49 and into Natchitoches.  It's the oldest city in Louisiana as it was established in 1714.  This fact surprises many people who thought that New Orleans bears that distinction.  

We got unpacked at the lake house and then met my cousin, Patrick, and his wife Alison down on Front Street.  It faces the Cane River and as we strolled down the street, we were happy to find that there was a meat pie festival going on.  Natchitoches is famous for their meat pies.  We, of course, indulged.  There was also a Corvette show on Front Street with many booths set up selling homemade jellies, pickled vegetables, and woodworking crafts.

It was time to get ready for the wedding festivities, so we got dressed.

(L-R Russ, me, Tricia)

Benjamin was a groomsman, so as we were about to drive to the reception after the wedding, my guys took a photo with their mama!

(L-R Benjamin, Tricia, and Russ)

The wedding reception was held under a big white tent in the middle of a cow pasture amidst rolling hills about 10 miles out in the country.  Catfish, Chicken, Macaroni and cheese, and Green beans were served and we took advantage of the time to visit with family and friends.  My sister, Jenny, bakes cakes as a side-hustle and in addition to being the mother of the groom, she somehow found time to bake the Bride's Wedding Cake AND the Groom's cake.  They were delicious and beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, here's a photo of my Mom and Dad at the reception.  I think it is a great photo of them!

The next morning we woke up early and enjoyed a cup of coffee and the sunrise coming up over Sibley Lake.  It was very peaceful and quiet.

In the stillness, we talked and read our daily reading as we read through the Bible.  We're currently about to finish up with 1 Kings.

It was so still.  The water on the lake was smooth as glass.  We watched an egret as he stood on a stump as the sun rose over the eastern horizon.

At around 11 AM we began our drive home.  As we pulled onto the homestead, we eagerly looked to Belle's kennel and found that...  Belle was in the doghouse still secure!  All is well.  What a nice weekend!  And Best wishes to the Groom (Hayes) and the Bride (Hannah)!

Don't Turn to the Right or the Left

Watch the path of your feet

And all your ways will be established.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left;

Turn your foot from evil.  - Proverbs 4:26-2

This week Benjamin ran in the State Cross Country Meet at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  It is hard to believe, but Benjamin is in his senior year in high school.  This was his last cross country meet.  He still has indoor and outdoor track seasons left to run, but now cross country season is behind him.

He's working very hard now on college scholarship applications, writing papers for school, taking college courses while still in high school, and doing his chores, of course.  He's a busy dude, no doubt.  We're proud of him.

And it got me to thinking, regardless if you are a senior in high school or a senior citizen, hard work and focus are critical to success.  Many people start off strong and leave the field behind only to "run out of gas" and be overtaken by competitors.  Many simply lose direction and wander off the path.  Many simply get discouraged and quit running the race. 

King Solomon wrote Proverbs and the one atop this blog post.  He asked for, and was given, great wisdom.  The principles he wrote about remind me of Benjamin running his races, but they apply to our lives.  Run away from evil.  Be aware of where your feet are leading you.  Don't stray from the course.  Good words to live by!

It rained during the entire race and was incredibly muddy and cold, but Benjamin pressed through to the finish line.  Benjamin did a fantastic job in his race and as a senior, he was allowed to choose the restaurant where his team would eat in Natchitoches once the race was complete. 

There was a reward for even non-runners.  Tricia and Benjamin brought home a box of Natchitoches meat pies for supper!

Image Credit

Yum!  We were ALL winners!