Camp Kreitzer is Going to the Dog

Not Scooby!

It's been a few years since we had a dog, and probably wouldn't have one now except for 
the fact that one of our daughter's four dogs is jealous of her baby. Scooby, a little yorkie poo, doesn't like the little one to sit on Mom's lap. He also gets into it with the other three dogs, especially Rocket, a male miniature dachshund. So Scooby has moved in with the two old folks whose quiet life seems to be good for him -- except for one thing -- he doesn't get enough exercise. Five or six calm walks a day don't make the grade and Scooby is an escape artist. 

If you open the door even a little, he's out and gone down the road. It's amazing how fast those little legs can go. We were doing fairly well avoiding the escapes until the past few days when he darted by me twice rejoicing in freedom. I certainly was not rejoicing as I took off after him thinking, "Old age and road races don't go together." On the other hand, I had a chance to visit with several neighbors who participated in the rescue.

Time Out for the Camp Kreitzer Clown Circus!

Chickens in...

We forgot to close up the chicken coop last night. This morning our little flock were all out and about roaming the yard. A quick head count found all eight well and accounted for.

I'm thanking our Camp Kreitzer guardians, St. Michael and St. Joseph for keeping the foxes and the raccoons away last night. A fox will take one off, but raccoons will kill them all even those he doesn't eat.

So the problem, since we are going out later: How to get them all back into the safety of the coop?

I proceeded to use bribery. I went to get a container full of chicken treat. When I came out of the house and started to shake the container with their treat, they come running. I always feel like the Pied Piper when I bring them their treats. And they followed me enthusiastically into their pen...except for one holdout, Pepper, who stopped at the door and decided freedom was better than treats. I tried to coax her in, but gave up after awhile and went back in the house.

Senseless Vandalism: Why?

We came home yesterday to see our Camp Kreitzer sign obliterated by attack using an almost full bottle of sweet tea as the weapon. The sign has graced our property for close to twenty years and always gave me a little thrill when we returned home from a trip. It seemed to say, "Camp Kreitzer is still here and all is well." 

Our mailbox has occasionally suffered the slings and arrows of vandalism, but never the sign. And it seemed to me to be a metaphor about what's happening to our country. Senseless vandalism by those most responsible for caring for her. Of course, in that case, we ourselves would be the vandals. We would throw the bottles and fling the door wide open and invite invaders into our home to wreck the place. 

I admit that's a bit of a stretch, but it really made me sad to think that someone probably took delight in destroying something lovely for no reason at all. 

Flee the Cities is Biblical. Is This One of the Reasons?

Jason Aldean's video went viral after the Left went berserk and accused him of racism. (Yawn!) That accusation is getting really really old. I like country music, and I give him two thumbs up for this song pushing back against the Left's violence, extremism, and police hatred. 

Home from Retreat -- From Five Days of Silence to....

...a 4th of July weekend bash! 

Coming off a silent retreat is always a little bit of a culture shock, this year more than usual since I came home to three of my children and their families settled into Camp Kreitzer for the weekend. One of our daughters lives nearby so they head home at the end of the day, but the other four adults and nine children are in residence until Monday -- five granddaughters in the six-bed "girls dorm" and the four boys in the downstairs family room. The adult couples get bedrooms. We are blessed to have a big house that we bought  to be our family retreat center when Larry retired. We considered the little retirement cottage, but, after prayer, decided that wasn't God's plan for us.

This past year Camp Kreitzer was a refuge for a homeless mom and her son for several months and for a friend transitioning from being a full-time RVer to moving on to another phase in life. But our favorite Camp Kreitzer events involve family. Larry and I are never happier than when Camp Kreitzer is bursting at the seams with our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. Holidays often see a crowd ranging from all the littles to the adults.

Putting on my Camp Kreitzer Hat!

All of us wear different hats. I have quite a few: mom, grandma, pro-life activist, blogger, pet sitter, pool cleaner, home nurse, and the one my mother always described as "chief cook and bottle washer." 

This Spring I've been wearing my gardener hat and my home contractor hat quite a bit, because we've been engaged in all kinds of projects here at Camp Kreitzer. If you'd like to check out my "other life" (I really do things besides blogging.), you can visit The View from Camp Kreitzer. We have lots of projects going on at present including watching nature pass through our yard, like this mama doe and her baby who visited while we were praying our rosary on the front porch. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" And if you're curious about the boxes in the background, those are our bee hives, because I also wear a bee hat and veil. What hats do you wear?

Just for Fun! A Fashion Blog with Photo Flair.

No train rides these days, but plenty of scope
for the imagination!

I'm not much into fashion blogs. At my age the only "fashion" I can claim is old fashioned. Having said that, I do visit one fashion blog regularly, Mommy in Flats. The "look" might have been mine fifty years and forty pounds ago, but not today.

So why am I regular visitor?

Because the "mommy in flats" is my daughter and her husband snaps the impressive photos which are often taken at sites around the small Shenandoah valley towns near Interstate 81.

Sunday Meditation: Home Alone

It is eerily quiet. Our five little peppers (an assortment of sweet, mild, and hot) are reunited with their mom and dad and just drove away with a honk and a wave. After a bustling and hopping week, it is strange indeed to return to the quiet of  our "ordinary time."

It makes me think of the gospels. Jesus certainly had busy, noisy times surrounded by crowds that pressed in upon Him. He loved all those dear souls seeking His help and especially loved the children. How much He was like a grandparent in that way! But He also looked forward to getting away with his closest friends for a quiet time to teach and pray.

This evening quiet time is on our menu. We are out in the quiet desert (the air conditioner froze up so it is definitely turning to desert) away from the crowds calling for attention. ("Gramma, watch me....Gramma, I'm hungry....What's for dinner?....Paka, will you read us a book?....May we have a snack?....Will you help me (whatever)?... Is it time to swim yet?... May we watch a video?.... Where are the art supplies?....What are we doing today?"....and on and on. Ah, but what a fun time. We always love it when our grandchildren come, but we say good-bye with mixed feelings. A rest for two old folks after all that activity is welcome. But, really, peace and quiet isn't all it's cracked up to be -- especially when the alternative is pure joy!

Our last night before the exodus was a birthday celebration that included sending five colored paper lanterns up into the night sky. I picked them up six weeks ago when we went on a wine outing with our daughter and husband along Lake Erie. Camp Kreitzer was the perfect place for the launch and feeling them rise and watching them catch the breeze and float off above the trees was exhilerating and beautiful. It was the perfect way to finish a wonderful week with five precious girls. Thank you, dear Lord, for the gift of grandchildren and for the beauty of Your world. May we never take one precious minute for granted and may we never forget to say thank you!