Reunion Ruminations

Ahhhh...summer's here, and with it, the many gatherings of family and friends, both loved and feared by all. Yes....I'm writing about reunions today. My nine hour drive from my most recent reunion, provided plenty of time to reminisce, and compelled me to write my rambling thoughts. If only I can remember them, now, amidst the competing "songs of the 80's" earworm. Presently, Rappers Delight. (Cracks me up at the same time it makes me want to dance!)


It's always important to have a place to reunite, and as it's been SOOOOO long since I've written, I have come to CasaTini to reunite with my Grandpa's recliner. Thoughts seem to spill out here. And, as I look at the most recent picture I've taken of my little cabin, my first thought is: "Wouldn't THIS be a great place for a reunion?!" Hmmm...plumbing might be a good addition.

A bit of personal history: I went to high school for two months, at a school I'd been anxious to attend, with friends I'd known since I was eight years old. In the early part of my Freshman year of high school, my family moved away. Out of state. Out of the world of northern accents, relatives, lakes, snow, and..."my people". I was devastated, and chose to go back every summer. But I kept in touch, by writing hundreds of letters. God has blessed me with friendships that have lasted all these years, and my "two-months-of-high-school" classmates kindly include me in their reunions. I can't wait - because that reunion comes up in August.

I dreaded that move. Mom said I'd make new friends. I didn't want new friends I liked my "old" ones. But God is good....and had great things in store for me....

...and this is where my happy, bubbly feeling comes from THIS week. Because when I went to register for classes at my new school, (I, the girl with the funny accent, who did NOT grow up with these kids who were well into their "cliques" already), I met a girl, who called her friends, who called me to welcome me, and met me at school my first day....and are STILL some of the most wonderful people I know. I'm teary just writing about them.

So...the reunion. Not everyone loves reunions. They can be intimidating, for many reasons. I love them, because I know I'll see my "core" group of trusted comrades, and anyone else I see is just frosting. Not everyone feels that way. Some people don't like to be seen, or don't enjoy small talk. Many people fear judgment, or judge others...literal "class" differences seem to be magnified as we age. Reputations established long ago, which may not even apply anymore, are often assumed to be "the same"...when, in fact, so many aspects of life have changed for everyone. And sometimes, changed back, again. The scary part of a reunion...is taking that first step through the door.
(This is the door to CasaTini. Custom made by my husband, who built this 10x10 cabin.)

Truly...after getting through the "what am I going to wear" preparation, and the apprehension of entering alone, or making sure friends arrive at the exact moment I do, the fun begins. Because everyone who shows at these reunions, is there because they figure it's worth getting past the "junk". They just want a connection to a less-complicated time of life, because, doggoneit....life has it's ups and downs for us all. (Especially the flight attendants among us, but that's another blog.) It seemed to me, there was a LOT of laughter, and the smiles were contagious. The unfortunate part, was that I left feeling as though I had many unfinished conversations, that I'd like to have continued. The fortunate part, was I left with more friends from high school than I actually had when I was there. The reunion ended a day later, where many folks had their pictures taken on this beautiful butterfly bench:(...bench custom made by my high school friend, who made it for his wife, another high school friend!)

If there were a point to this blog, I guess it would be this: Take the joy you can get, when you can get it. Show up...to the reunions of life, be they large or small, with family or friends. Call the people you find to be a pleasure, and be a joyful pleasure to those who may need it. Pray for your friends, old and new. Thank God for your acquaintances...their value may be greater than you think. (Can you tell I'm a preacher's kid?)

To steal a quote from my niece, that is a good rule of thumb for any reunion: "Life is short. Talk fast." My next reunion is "up north"...where talking fast is no problem. Keeping the mosquitoes out of the mouth while talking....now that's a problem.

Favorite Things

Hello friends...and thanks for returning! Please disregard the underlining today. I can't seem to make it go away. Do you ever have "one of those days"? Today is that day for me. My pictures are not in the order I'd like them to be, I'm making frequent spelling errors, and it's so foggy outside that I can't even see CasaTini from my window. All this, plus the fact that it's Christmas, remind me of the lyrics: "...I simply remember my favorite things - and then I don't feel so bad!"

Ironically, yesterday my friend at work and I were laughing at how our "list of favorite things" differs so much from what they would have been years ago. This discussion started when I pulled out my much-loved Perlier White Almond Body Cream, which smells like wedding cake to me! Heavenly!
You know you're "maturing", when your excitement over your new insoles is greater than your excitement of your new shoes! My aunt sent me an ad for these over twenty years ago, before comfy, squishy shoes existed, other than in sneakers. They make all the difference when you're wearing heels! I ordered them recently, and could hardly contain myself when they arrived in the mail! I don't remember being that excited when I got them the first time!

Note some other favorite things below. (This is what's above my sink.) My collection of convertible Hot Wheels are right below the stemware. What favorite collections do you have?


If I had written the "favorite things" song, I'm sure I'd have different lyrics. Mine would include:
"black cocker spaniels and white goldendoodles, nieces and nephews who I just love oodles, days out with friends, TJMaxx with my sis, these are just some things that fill me with bliss!" ...and "Ice cream containing chips and Junior Mints, rides with the top down and when hubby grins, hot Abuelita and cool autumn nights, these are just sev-er-al of my delights...."


"...when the bank breaks, when the job's hard, when I'm filled with stress,
I simply remember my favorite things, and then realize....I'm blessed!"

Wow! I really feel better already! I'm not kidding! Try it for yourself!
Man, I'm gettin' goofy. Thanks for reading. (...and sorry about the fact that you'll be humming that song in your mind for the rest of the day!)

Encouragement, Working Hard, and Networking

Come on in! It's another beautiful day at Camp Liz, and there's so much to be thankful for!

No need to wait for a holiday to give thanks! (Bear with me, as I learn to blog...font and color will change frequently here!) I'm a big believer in encouragement, both giving and receiving of it. So here's to giving credit where it's due!

CasaTini was recently graced with the presence of one of my favorite encouragers. I see my sister-in-law once a year, and she never fails to gently push me forward toward unrealized goals. As someone who picks up a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute every few years, I'm perpetually attempting to determine what I want to be when I grow up. Some days the quest is fun....and other days, I just go to my "real job" and forget the quest. So, Thanks, Janet, for your encouragement!

Sometimes, friends encourage without even knowing it. As "actions speak louder than words", we've all got friends who inspire, by being themselves! One friend inspires with regard to WORK, where we all need it, in PURPOSED worKING Thanks, Rusty, for believing in hard work, responsibility in leadership, and a relationship between faith and work life! Another friend inspires with her observations of everyday life, by writing regurlarly in her blog called Wonders Never Cease Thanks, Becky, for peaking my interest in writing again!


Spouses encourage one another, too, and mine is no exception. Where I tend to delay, procrastinate and "hold myself back" when I could "move forward", he will try anything, head into it full force, and has a "can do" attitude. Here's an example of his latest creation - hand hewn logs from barns, cabins and a mill, became a 2000 square foot cabin. Whoa! But, wait! There's more! Not only can he fly jets, build log homes, add really large numbers in his head and get our dog to come inside the house, but he also grows fraser fir Christmas trees, and can make the wreaths, too! Thanks, Tom, for showing me that a range of talents are meant to be explored, not hidden.

So, where does the networking come in to play? I'm a believer, that when God puts people in our lives, He does so for His purposes, not necessarily ours. He shows Himself through each of us, and we're to pass on our observations of Him, through our "network" of friends, family, and acquaintances. You never know, when YOU will be someone else's encouragement. Thank YOU, for visiting!

What's In A Name?

Hey! Thanks for visiting!

What you see to the left, is what I call "CasaTini"....which, in my world means "Tiny House"....or "House of Tinyness". In Italian, I suspect it means nothing at all! But that's okay, because it's not actually IN Italy...though that might be nice! CasaTini is in my backyard. It's a whopping 10'x10' log cabin, built last year by my husband. It was supposed to be his...until I set my eyes on it!

So, what does this have to do with "Camp Liz?" Well, within the walls of this small, solid structure....is a poorly painted sign I made that says "Camp Liz". That's all. No exciting story. I've always thought it would be neat to have little buildings that people (nieces, nephews) could stay in while visiting, that would give them a sense of independence. Kind of like those little New England camps. Only, I have just one building, instead of ten. Mine, however, has a deck twice the size of the cabin, with a view of mountains and the sound of a creek that runs below. Neato. It is from this place, that I pretend to write. (In truthfulness, I'm looking at it from my house, and there is snow on the ground now.)

I'm often asked, "So, what do you DO out there? Camp Liz is a place of respite...I turn on the little electric fireplace, sit back in my Grandpa's naugahyde LaZBoy recliner, and I read my devotional books. I write letters. I draw floorplans. Make greeting cards. Nap.

Soooo....this is the "introduction", background blog....from here....this blog could go anywhere. More later!