Here’s a hearty breakfast bursting with flavor that can be prepared the night before and kept in the refrigerator or made in the morning. Just give yourself an hour to bake it!
Oatmeal Fruit Bake (12 Large Servings)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In your largest mixing bowl, combine: 5 juicy pieces of fruit chopped into bite-sized pieces (and peeled if necessary); I used 3 pears and 2 Honeycrisp apples, but bananas, berries (1 cup= “1 piece”), peaches, plums (2-3= “1 piece”), etc. all work well. The only thing I don’t think would work “fine” is citrus, but if you try it and like it, let me know! 🙂
Add: 5 cups oatmeal (rolled oats) 3 cups milk (I used Almond, but use whatever you like, dairy or non-dairy) 1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts you like) 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup honey (can replace with maple syrup to make it vegan) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt
Mix gently until the ingredients are evenly combined, everything is wet, and the fruit is all well covered. (Some people put dry ingredients in one bowl, fruit in another bowl, and wet in another, and then stir the wet and dry and finally add the fruit, but I think this is unnecessary as long as you mix things together well and work relatively quickly after you’ve got your fruit cut. As you can probably tell, I’m always looking for the simplest, fastest, most pragmatic way to get delicious results.)
Empty into a roasting pan, patting it down until it’s even. COVER it with the top! (Some people don’t, but this makes for a very crusty bake, which I don’t like, and neither do my kids.) Bake in the oven for 1 hour. You can serve it immediately or turn the oven off and serve it within half an hour, but keep it covered or it will dry out. It also reheats fine. I served 10 the first morning, and then Alan and I ate the last two servings reheated in the microwave (covered!) th e next morning. The texture and taste were still great.
Serve hot and add milk or cream as desired. It’s really a meal-in-one and vegan or not, depending on the type of milk you use. High protein. Low fat. Lots of fiber and flavor. What’s not to love??
“For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
I debated trying to include all the beautiful sites we saw in one day in one post, but I’m going to try (thus the title). In the Southeast, there are many areas called “hammocks.” Until our trip through the Southeast last spring, I only thought of a “hammock” as a swinging bed that can be hung between two trees. However, another meaning of “hammock” is a stand of trees that forms a little island-like area that is higher than the ecosystem around it . . . and there are many such hammocks in the lowlands of the Southeast.
In contrast, New England is full of “notches.” Before our trip to the Northeast, I thought a “notch” was a way of marking something, like a cut, and “a notch above” would mean “a bit better than.” However, in New England, “notch” means a deep, close pass between mountains, and there are many such notches in the highlands of the Northeast: Crawford Notch, Evans Notch, Pinkham Notch, Bear Notch (to name a few), and today: Wilmington Notch.
So, Wilmington Notch is perhaps a cut above some of the other lovely notches in the Northeast, but it is without a doubt the “deep close pass between” the mountains over which we traveled to find the thundering waterfalls we saw last fall!
September 27 was a misty, rainy 58.° We stayed at Wilmington State Park, which is a beautiful though totally rustic campground. (No electricity, so we had to run the generator to get a little heat into our cold fingers!)
The trees were changing colors,
and even though the skies were often dark with blackening storm clouds,
and we had to scamper through fitful showers,
it was a perfect day for chasing waterfalls,
Waterfalls at AuSable Chasm
because they were aroar with torrential floods.
Also, there were also times when the sun would come out and rainbow the sky with color!
So, it was a day of clouds shrouding the mountains
and roads shining with water.
Santa’s Workshop, on the way up Whiteface Mountain
We had hoped to drive Veteran’s Memorial Highway to the top of Whiteface Mountain, but the road was so steep and slippery that Alan (wisely) decided against completing that particular adventure.
Whiteface Mountain
No matter! There was so much to see it just gave us more time to explore other venues.
Let me share what we experienced in this scenic corner of the Adirondacks.
Flume Falls along the AuSable River in New York’s Adirondack Mountains
Our first stop was Flume Falls, just off Route 86 and close to Wilmington Notch State Park. It’s a “freebie,” in that you just have to know what you’re looking for and pull off the road at the right time. Park along the side of the road and walk back to the southeastern side. Or, you can find the main parking area, which is shared with the Flume Trail system here: 44.366216, -73.841204. There’s an unmarked trailhead on the far side of the bridge, but it was so rainy and slippery on the day we visited that we didn’t try to descend, although I’ve seen lovely photos and think it would make a great hike on a clear day!
High Falls Gorge
Close by Flume Falls is High Falls Gorge, which costs $14.50 per person because this 22-acre nature park is privately owned. There are groomed hiking trails with steps, guardrails, and platforms that take you safely along the slippery descent, which showcases four cascading falls of the AuSable River. We thought it was well worth the price, particularly considering the safety features on a rainy day!
Just down the road from High Falls Gorge is the base camp for New York’s premier ski resort, Whiteface Mountain. A few stats for ski lovers: It has an annual snowfall of 190 inches, the highest vertical drop in the East (3,430 ft.), a summit elevation of 4,650 ft., home to the 1980 Winter Olympics, dedicated to the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, awarded #4 small ski area in North America, and (depending on whom you ask) either the first or second-best skiing in the state of New York.
You can take gondola rides to the top of the mountain, but in the autumn, the gondola only runs on weekends. We opted out, having been disappointed before by expending time and energy ascending such places in hopes of a mountain-top experience, only to discover that 0% visibility turns the high point into a low point.
The rest of our day was dedicated to traveling to and enjoying AuSauble Chasm.
Even the drive along the Ausable River was soothing and delightful.
There were hardly any tourists about, and the afternoon passed in unhurried pleasure, watching pastoral scenes and listening to Michael W. Smith’s beautiful worship album, Surrounded (more on this subject next TWA).
AuSable Chasm
AuSable Chasm is definitely worth the drive! Rivers of water cascade from multiple directions! It was magnificent looking up at the water, feeling surrounded by beauty and the thundering music of water.
The geographical low point became the emotional high point, and the cut below exceeded the notch above! Have you ever noticed how often this occurs spiritually too? Have you had rainy days of adversity in your life when you can’t get out and do the things you’d planned . . . but they become cherished memories of sitting and soaking up the love of God?!
Sitting at the feet of Jesus looking up is even more exhilarating than climbing to the top and looking down! It was the perfect culmination of a perfect day—feeling surrounded by God’s beauty and goodness!
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).
Many of you may have heard of John Wesley, one of the founders of what became the Methodist Church, today one of the world’s largest Protestant denominations. However, you may not know that he was not only a dedicated Christian, he was also a brilliant scholar. He entered Oxford University at the age of 16. He wrote a medical text that went through 32 editions and was one of the most widely read books in England at that time. He rode over 250,000 miles on horseback to reach people with the Gospel. He coined the term “agree to disagree.”
Sculpture of John Wesley as a young preacher by Adam Carr. Melbourne, Australia. Public Domain
While they were studying at Oxford, John and his younger brother, Charles, formed a “Holy Club” to encourage young scholars to live godly lives. In this pursuit, they developed a list of questions for personal reflection and prayer, but also to share with one another for spiritual prayer support and development. I’m taking a class on the History of Prayer in Revival through Aqueduct Project (https://www.aqueductproject.org/), and my prayer group has just adopted this list to encourage us in our personal growth too! We have members from America as well as from Uganda and Kenya. God is so good! What a blessing! In fact, it’s such a blessing that I want to share this list with you.
The Wesleys’ Twenty-two Questions for Spiritual Self-Examination
Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
Can I be trusted?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
How do I spend my spare time?
Am I proud?
Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
Do I grumble or complain constantly?
Is Christ real to me?
“Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Modern English Version).
Winter is the perfect time for a steaming bowl of chili for supper or a snack, and I’ve found it’s easily adaptable for vegan palates . . . which is good, because my son Michael’s family has become vegan! Mike and Grace were visiting with their six this past weekend, and our new chili turned out so well that even those of us who aren’t vegans chowed down with gusto!
Chilly Day Three-Bean Vegan Chili (Feeds 15-20)
Add together in your largest saucepan: 2 cans (15 oz. or about) of black beans (with the juice in the can) 2 cans of kidney beans 2 cans of navy beans 2 large cans of diced tomatoes (about 32 oz. each) 1 large can of tomato sauce 2 large onions, chopped 2 bell peppers, chopped (orange, green, red, or yellow) 8 oz. sliced mushrooms 3 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon basil 1 tablespoon oregano 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning (or your favorite) 2 tablespoons chili powder Salt and pepper to taste (I start with a tablespoon of each and then test later to see if that was enough) 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce (this made it too hot for the smaller members of our family, so maybe let people add their own at the end if you have young children) 2 cups water
Cook over high to medium heat until the vegetables are tender, stirring often to keep anything from burning, and then simmer everything for at least half an hour longer, continuing to stir it every few minutes to make sure nothing sticks and burns on the bottom. The flavor continues to improve with time, so you can turn off the heat, keep it covered, and just rewarm it when you’re ready to eat. Chili is a great dish to prepare ahead if you’re not sure when your family will arrive. It’s also a good choice for taking to a friend or serving for a party or potluck. It freezes well, so if this recipe is too large, you can either cut it in half or freeze some in qt.-sized jars for future meals. Also, if you’re looking for a recipe to serve fewer or those who are not vegan, I wrote up my original recipe five years ago here:
“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel” (Proverbs 27:9…and perhaps by hearty soup as well?!)
This isn’t simply armchair speculation for me. This is real-life pondering, prayerful heart-searching, and diligent study of the scriptures. What do you think? Do you have “the” answer? Is the answer the same for all Christians, or might different Christians be led by the Holy Spirit to different conclusions? Please tell me what you think!
The first thing that’s obvious to me is the biological fact that a “marriage” in the sense of the institution ordained by God in the Bible—a permanent union between a man and woman culminated by intercourse and providing for the lifelong establishment of a home—is not possible. Two individuals of the same sex cannot have procreative intercourse. It is simply, biologically not possible. So, marriage in the biblical sense between two people of the same sex is simply not possible either.
From ages past to about 1950 AD, there are precious few examples of homosexual unions (although they existed, mostly disapproved). However, in the past thirty years it’s becoming more acceptable. In 2005, Canada became the fourth country to make same-sex marriages legal, and today 29 out of 215± countries have made a contract entitled “marriage” legal. That’s about 14% and growing. However, for almost all human beings, there is a difference between “legal” and “moral.” “Legal” means the government allows it without being penalized. “Moral” means it is “right” rather than “wrong” according to the code of ethics for human behavior. For an example that would be almost universally understood: It is not illegal in America to have sex with your best friend’s partner or your neighbor’s dog, but most people would consider such behaviors immoral.
So, we have a dilemma with same-sex marriage. After 6,000 years of human history disapproving heterosexual acts and contracts, the world seems to be gradually allowing people to make their own choice about sexual partnerships. Is this just fine? A tolerance we should all embrace? Or, is this immoral and to be discouraged?
I’m not sure how others make their decisions, but as a Christian, I believe we have a responsibility to base our decisions on the Bible, which was given to us as the “How To” guide for doing life in a way that pleases our God and best cares for the needs of mankind. The Bible is clearly against homosexual acts, despite increasing attempts to rewrite, reinterpret, and explain away such texts.
For a start, does it seem logically reasonable to you that Judeo/Christian culture would condemn for 4,000+ years perfectly fine behavior that was not condemned in the Bible? If you really think it has always been just fine by the Bible but misunderstood, over the past 7 years I’ve written a number of posts addressing various aspects of the issue. I’ll give links at the end of this article for three posts, but if you have time and are really exercised to do more reading, look along the right side of this page under the heading “Various Posts by Topic,” and if you scroll down to “Sex and Gender Issues,” you’ll find over 60 articles, some of which discuss the various biblical passages on homosexuality.
If I could put all the arguments in a nutshell for why the Bible condemns homosexuality and does not make allowance for same-sex marriages, the kernel is this: I don’t know, but I trust God and His Word. I can argue the reasonableness (such as our sex is encoded in every cell in our bodies, so why not pursue healing and integrity rather than give in to perversion? [as in “to divert to a wrong end or purpose”]; the potential for same-sex marriages is shallow; marriage is to be a picture of Christ and the Church—who are not two equals, etc.), However, the bottom line is that I can’t “prove” it’s right or wrong outside the Bible. I don’t know “why.” I just know by faith in the Scripture that it is condemned, and I trust God’s goodness and wisdom. I also know that God commands us to “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:7). God wants us to be holy—to be like He is. Does He require this because He’s mean and wants to spoil our fun? No. “God is Love” (I John 4:8)! I am convinced God calls us to holiness because that is the very best way we can be, and it will produce a life that is ultimately the happiest possible for us—all of us! Holy living will best fulfill the “royal law” to love God above all else and love others as we love ourselves (James 2:8).
Therefore, would it be good and wise to attend a same-sex marriage based on the desire to show love and support of your friend regardless of how you feel about the marriage? Not if you understand by faith that the sexual fulfillment of such a contract will transgress God’s laws and ultimately become deadly rather than life-giving: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Should I support the legalization of something that I know will dishonor God and the people involved (whether or not they think so)? For me, the answer is clear. Jesus summed up the entire law as, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27). Loving God prohibits dishonoring God. Loving someone as I love myself prohibits standing by celebrating while they do something I know will hurt them. Do you think it would be loving and supportive to watch your loved one jump off a cliff if they really, really, really wanted to and thought it would help them fly?
Just for the record, fellowship is a good thing, and living in community with other people is usually a good thing. If I lost my spouse, I can imagine eventually feeling lonely and looking for another partner. Sharing life space and expenses with someone can be part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s sexual relations with anyone (heterosexual or same-sex) outside of a heterosexual marriage that is condemned in the Bible.
“And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?” (Matthew 17:17, ESV).
Yesterday I shared the story of a couple with a wife who suffers from D.I.D. (a more modern name for “Multiple Personality Disorder”). In Alan’s more than 40-year career in medicine, he never personally cared for someone with D.I.D., so it is extremely rare. It is also most often related to terrible abuse and trauma during childhood.
In trying to gain more insight into this condition, we watched The Three Faces of Eve, a 1957 movie based on the experiences of a young woman who developed D.I.D. and the journal entries of the two physicians who cared for her. The subject of the movie, “Evelyn,” had witnessed two deaths and a “horrifying accident” within three months during her early childhood.
In real life, this woman was Chris Costner Sizemore, although it took a lot of healing and many years before she was able to make her true identity known. Drs. Thigpen and Cleckley treated her for several years free of charge and published her story in the 1954 Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. It was the first documented case in America of D.I.D. and was so intriguing nationally that it was made into a movie starring Joanne Woodward in 1957. So, the movie is 65 years old, but it’s a classic, well done, and definitely left me pondering personality disorders.
In the movie portrayal, “Mrs. Eve White” was a quiet housewife with a four-year-old daughter and an austere husband. After suffering with severe headaches and some bizarre behaviors she couldn’t remember, Eve was referred by her doctor to a specialist in Augusta, Georgia.
As a result of therapy, “Ms. Eve Black” appeared on the scene, rather the polar opposite in personality.
The doctor’s goal was to help Eve integrate both her personalities, but in fact . . .
a third personality appeared. Of course, the dilemma of the story was: Could this woman be restored to sanity and wholeness? For that, you’ll have to watch the movie, and maybe even do a little research (like I did) to figure out the ending.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). I can’t begin to speak to the issue of D.I.D.—where does it come from and can it be cured?? But, I do know that God is the Divine Healer, and I know that God tells us it is possible through His power to “cast down imaginations” and bring all our thoughts as captives to Christ, who can transform us. I live in the hope that even someone who’s been horribly abused and damaged as a child could find help and healing through Jesus. I suppose— just like in a terrible car crash—the damage and scarring are at times permanent or fatal, but if I were the one suffering or trying to help a sufferer, I would keep praying and continue pursuing therapeutic healing, such as Sam and Karen are doing (from yesterday’s post).
May God help each of us as we try to grow into more integrated, healthy individuals!
“And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (Matthew 12:7).
If you or someone you love suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.), you may find this testimony from one of my blog followers helpful:
My wife and I have been married for 33 ½ years. We both grew up in conservative Christian homes. We both went to Bible college where we became best friends and married before we graduated with our respective degrees. A few years after our wedding, we welcomed our son into our lives. When he became of age, we began to homeschool him together as a family. We spent the next 13 years pouring ourselves as a family into his education and Christian training, and today he is finishing his PhD at one of the respected universities of New England.
But the last year of his high-school education, my wife’s childhood abuse exploded into our family. Money was always tight for us, and as we had successfully navigated our son’s homeschooling, we kind of took the same approach with all the things that her trauma and dissociation brought into our marriage and family. We rallied as a family, our son included, to help my wife heal.
The first 5 years of the healing journey were overwhelmingly hard and chaotic because we had 5 other “girls” (alter-ego personalities) join our family. We were assaulted by my wife’s emotional hurricanes from all kinds of dissociative issues like panic attacks, comatose episodes, extreme anxiety, mild self-injury, mini-seizures, flashbacks, and anything else you can imagine when someone is suffering through an extreme form of PTSD. But, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the only woman I have ever said “I love you” to or have been with. We say that we “grew up” together because I was barely 21 and she 22 when we got married. And, I believe that my marriage vows still mean something.
And thus, as we slowly made it through those first 5 years, we began to develop a rhythm, and I learned how to listen deeply to her and her needs and how to best meet them. Later as I began to study the expert literature available, I learned that our method actually had a name: Attachment Theory. It was first developed by John Bowlby. I studied more in more depth what he postulated, and I became much more purposeful about executing some of the key concepts he wrote about as I tried to help my wife heal. I embraced the concepts like the role of the primary attachment figure, proximity maintenance, safe haven, affect regulation, and even the role of the inner working model in eradicating the long-term effects of the trauma and dissociation. And slowly I helped her move from a trauma paradigm to a securely attached, healthier one.
I have kept a blog for over 10 years of the healing journey my wife and I have been on and the manner and methods that we have employed to help her healing process. It’s not Christian per se, and yet I would argue that everything I do is based upon the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) to love my wife as I would want to be loved and that we husbands are called to sacrifice and give up ourselves for our wives like Christ did the church (Ephesians 5:25).
But there is one other verse that guided me especially in the darkest of times when we were first beginning this journey and when I realized that my wife’s D.I.D. (dissociative identity disorder) is considered by many therapists to be the most complex and difficult mental health issue that someone can suffer from. Many therapists refuse even to see such people because of the complexity (to which I can attest). But I have been struck by Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” I believe this means God has equipped me to help ‘subdue’ even the deep trauma and dissociation that has afflicted my wife. And, we have seen some amazing healing and restoration in ways many of the experts do not believe possible.
So, I want to thank Kathi for the chance to share just a little bit about who we are and our amazing healing journey together as a couple and family. If you have any interest, I have provided a link to my blog, which is subtitled “A Significant Other’s Perspective on Dissociative Identity Disorder.” This is also the page where you can download a 30-page booklet I wrote last year as a synopsis of the most important lessons I’ve learned so far on this journey to become a good healing companion for my wife. I understand that D.I.D. doesn’t affect many people, but trauma and dissociation affect all of us to varying degrees. Dissociation is simply how our brains deal with extreme pain and fear until someone trusted can help us deal with them and integrate them into our life story. And so that booklet is a highlight of the lessons I have learned as I attempted to broaden the applicability of those lessons to what we all face when a loved one experiences severe forms of mental distress caused by past trauma.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Have you heard this heart-warming story? A poor, Jewish family named Karnoffsky, who immigrated from Lithuania to the United States, took pity on a 7-year-old boy and brought him into their home, where for the first time in his life he was treated with kindness and tenderness. From the very first night he spent with them, when it was time to go to sleep Mrs. Karnoffsky sang him Russian lullabies, and he would sing along with her. Over time, he learned to sing and play several Russian and Jewish songs.
Although the little boy dropped out of school at age eleven and went back home to live with his mother (who had previously abandoned him), Mr. Karnoffsky gave this talented youngster an advance to buy his first musical instrument from a pawn shop. Later, when the boy grew up and became a professional musician and composer, he used some of the Jewish tunes he’d learned from the Karnoffskys in compositions such as “St. James’s Hospital” and “Go Down Moses.” As an adult, he wrote a book about the Jewish family who adopted him in 1907. He was proud of his ability to speak Yiddish fluently. In memory of this family and until the end of his life, he wore the Star of David and said that in this family he learned “how to live—real life and determination.”
This little boy’s name was Louis Armstrong.
“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1, NKJV)
Over Christmas, we had lots of fun making breakfasts to please the palates of the younger members of our tribe, and one favorite that was new to me but a staple of English children is called Egg in a Basket. Actually, it has dozens of names, including Egg in a Nest, Egg in a Hole, One-eyed Jack, or Toad in a Hole, although that last name—at least in the U.K.—refers to a dish made with sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding . . . which sounds like something worth researching and learning about for another day!
Therefore, today I want to tell you about this easy-to-make, very yummy, sure-to-please kiddo dish I learned from my daughter-in-law Carlie, first taught to me as Toad-in-a Hole, but I’m going with the name
Egg in a Basket (Per serving, but most of our kids wanted at least two)
Lightly toast one slice of bread, and then butter it.
Stamp out a hole in the middle with a wide-mouth lid (donut press, wide-mouthed glass, or whatever you have).
Place your toast on a buttered grill heated to 350°F (or frying pan on medium heat).
Once you’re sure the toast and grill are hot, add one egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Fry until the egg seems as cooked as you like it (for “sunny-side up” lovers) or flip it over to ensure it’s going to be fully cooked on both sides.
Once it’s cooked to “over-easy, “over-medium,” “over-hard,” or turned to rubber (your preference), serve it on a plate and cover the egg with the round from the center of the toast.
English children like cooled toast, so you can go with a cooled top for your basket, or if you have room, you can heat your top up on the grill before serving.
Either way, the circle can be used for dipping into the yolk or as the perfect base for your favorite jam. However you like it, it’s sure to please!
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1)
“Lord, bless this food and grant that we may thankful for thy mercies be; Teach us to know by whom we’re fed; bless us with Christ, the living bread. Lord, make us thankful for our food, bless us with faith in Jesus’ blood; With bread of life our souls supply, that we may live with Christ on high.” “Amen.” – Author Unknown
The Adirondack Mountains and Park cover a massive 9,735 square miles in northeastern upstate New York, including hundreds of mountains, over 10,000 lakes, and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams. The name “Adirondack” originally came from a derogatory term meaning “tree eaters.” It was used by the Mohawk Indians to describe their enemies the Algonquins, who had no developed agriculture and resorted to eating tree bark to survive the severe winters. During the 1600s, epidemics of smallpox and measles annihilated most of the Native American tribes living in the mountains, so when European cartographers surveyed the area in the 1770s, they left this area of their maps as a big blank, assuming it was impossible to inhabit! Indeed, the Native Americans themselves referred to it as a “Dismal Wilderness.”
Illustration by Frank T. Merrill from The Last of the Mohicans, 1826. Public Domain
In my mind, the Adirondacks conjured up images from James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans . . . a raw wilderness of bears and brawn.
However, that doesn’t do justice to the present-day reality! True, the Adirondacks still have vast wilderness areas, but there are farms dotting the countryside too.
There are only 102 villages and 132,000 permanent residents, but there are some 200,000 seasonal residents who enjoy fishing, hiking, and exploring the natural beauty of the area.
In all (but unlike most parks in America) about half the land is privately owned, and the other half is public.
There are 18 “forever wild” wilderness areas ranging from 7,900-275,000 acres open to the public and managed like federal wilderness areas. There’s also a Forty-Sixers Club for those who successfully climb the 46 highest peaks, 42 of which are above 4,000 ft. If you enjoy climbing, think about it!!
Quaint downtown of Lake Saranac
The Adirondack Park attracts between 7-10 million tourists annually, and last fall, that included us!
Our itinerary for the day included two famous lake destinations (I thought): Lake Saranac and Lake Placid, but in case you’re as ignorant as I was, don’t set your GPS for Lake Saranac if you think you want to visit Saranac Lake.
Lake Saranac is a Village, not a Lake
Lake Saranac is a picturesque village on the shore of Flower Lake, and most likely where you’ll actually want to go if you’re looking for food and shelter.
Map of Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes found online
There is no “Saranac Lake” per se, but rather three Saranac lakes that specify a particular region.
Live and learn!
We ended up at a resort on a mountainside rather than a lake.
The only downside of this ignorance was taking most of our day, so by the time we arrived at Lake Placid, it was late afternoon.
Alan was the goalie coach for (his father’s) hockey team, the Armstrong Warriors, that won the bantam national championship at Lake Placid in 1966, and we were eager to see the complex and relive a few memories.
Lake Placid
Again, we were a bit stymied by our GPS. It was only later we learned that the village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, both of which are on Lake Placid—a lovely, meandering lake surrounded by beautiful homes, but NOT the Olympic training center, which is just a few minutes away (if you know how to get there).
The United States Olympic Training Center is free but only open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The staff are very friendly. (Yes; he gave me permission to take and publish his photo.)
Photo from their website
Visiting can be an entire day’s enjoyment, but due to Covid restrictions, it’s best to call ahead for reservations. Better luck next time!
We only caught a glimpse of the ski jump, rather than being able to enjoy getting up close and personal the way we had been able to do in Norway.
View of Holmenkollbakken in Oslo, Norway
On our trip to Norway, we had a guide who took us directly to our destination, helped us get in, and personally toured us around this mind-bogglingly impressive ski jump. Of course, it cost us dearly for this privilege, but I would say if you really want to get to your destination, you might consider hiring a guide. We rarely do, because we don’t often feel we can spare the cash. However, when it comes to taking the plunge at the end of life, I recommend paying the ultimate price: Everything you have for everything Jesus has!
After all, even if you’ve had some spiritual experiences and maybe think you know what you’re doing (like we did on our trip), you and I have no way to know what lies ahead after we die. However, Jesus—who came back from the dead—does, and he promises to take us there if we believe in Him: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:1,6).
Wouldn’t you hate to get all the way to the gate of heaven and be turned away because you came too late and failed to get a reservation?
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:44-46).
Summer Setting 
