Welcome! Last Sunday I went swimming with my mom and kids. When we arrived it was warm and sunny. But within half an hour dark clouds started rolling in from the north. Since weather patterns typically come from the west, I ignored it. My daughter kept pointing to the sky and telling me it was getting closer, but I chalked it up to nerves. She hates thunderstorms. I kept swimming.
But after we’d swam for a little more than an hour, dark clouds had stretched from the northern to western horizon and the wind had picked up. It was time to go. The sky opened up about 20 minutes later.
I’ve been thinking about this experience throughout the week. We sometimes don’t see storms -- rough circumstances -- ahead.
Just as we can’t start or stop a thunderstorm, many storms in our lives are unpredictable and unpreventable. Last Sunday’s storm surprised me. Swimming from the shallow end to the deep end of the pool revealed a different vista: a blue sky to the west and graphite clouds to the north. Even though it nagged at me, I didn’t let it bother me. I kept swimming, right up to the last minute.
We can live life the same way. God gave me the wisdom to get out of the pool at just the right time. I was home when the storm let loose. Maybe it’s best to keep swimming even when the sky darkens. Maybe it’s best to enjoy life when you can and not worry about the looming possibility of a storm. Not that we shouldn’t take precautions: We don’t swim when lightning flashes. Just don’t let distant, dark clouds keep you in a beach chair when you have the chance to float in the deep end.
Fallowfield United Methodist Church volunteers picked a little more than 80 pounds of blueberries on July 27. We had a great crew and the berries were beautiful. We’d had a thunderstorm the night before and the leaves dripped rainwater. The glistening water on the plump blueberries was magical. If I weren’t crouching with my head halfway under the bushes, I might’ve thought of taking a picture. Ah, hindsight….
Volunteer bakers made and froze 192 Dutch apple pies on July 30. We’ll also make pies on August 6 and August 13, starting at 5 p.m. We bake these the week of the Crawford County Fair.
If you want to help, just show up with your apron at Fallowfield United Methodist Church, 3993 Leach Road, Atlantic, on August 6 or 13. If you’d like to help us during Fair week, call Debbie Hall at (814) 382-7288 or (814) 573-9046. You may also call Anita Hans at (814) 573-3517.
The shifts are at 6 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. They typically last three to four hours. If you need incentive, think about the warm piece of pie with ice cream you’ll get to enjoy as a thank-you for your help.
Don’t stress if you’ve never made a pie in your life. No one makes a whole pie alone at Fallowfield. Two people mix flour, Crisco, salt, and water to make crust. Another person’s whole job is to measure Crisco onto a baking sheet so the crusters can just grab a ball of it and go to work. Others people roll crust.
Some ladies cook vanilla or lemon pudding or make meringue (at the 6 a.m. bake). Others mix fruit, sugar, flour, and salt and then pour the filling into crusts.
It’s often the job of children to dot the pies with butter and seal the rims of pies with water before topping them and crimping, or fluting, the crust.
My job? I run the ovens. It’s usually pretty stressful. I’ve got to make sure the pies are baked through, but not overbaked.
By the end of the week I start dreaming about pies. Last year I woke with a start around 6 a.m., convinced I’d burned whole oven of cherry pies while I slept.
If you’d rather work at Fallowfield’s fair booth, the shifts are from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. to closing. We usually close between 9 and 10 p.m.
We need people to grill hamburgers, make fries, serve sloppy joe, wash dishes, and wait tables. I’ll warn you: You have to be able to stand for long periods of time. Wear good sneakers. And ladies have to keep our hair pulled back.
You’ll get a free sandwich, fries, drink, pie, and ice cream for volunteering. You can get to the booth through Gate 1 at the fairgrounds.
The Atlantic Odd Fellows are sponsoring another blood drive on August 15, from 2 to 7 p.m. The Odd Fellows Hall is located at 9375 Atlantic Road, Atlantic. You can schedule an appointment with Christie DeLaura at (412) 589-4570. They happily accept walk-ins, too.
I hope you are able to donate to this life-saving service. If you decide to donate blood, eat a big breakfast and lunch that day and drink lots of non-caffeinated drinks. First time donors must bring a photo ID, or their birth certificate and social security card if a photo ID is not available.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!