Tag Archives: faith

August Pies

1 Sep

What follows are few pie stories I’d like to share from the last month…

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Early in August I made a pie for a woman named Pam who owns two golden retrievers named Milo and Chester.  Often I will see Pam when I am out for my morning walk and for a few minutes I get to be loved and snuggled by her furry companions.  Recently Pam told me that she would soon be moving to the coast and I asked if I could make her a pie before she left.  She readily agreed and when I asked where she lived, Pam pointed to an alley and said she lived “at the second house in.”

It never occurred to me to ask for her address… or what her house looked like.  So about a week later when I made the pie for Pam and set out to deliver it I found myself knocking on door after door trying to locate her.  Finally I knocked on a door and a man answered. “Does Pam live here?” I asked, and he said, “I’ll be Pam if I get to keep the pie!” We laughed and then he said, “Pam lives next door.” At last I’d found Pam and her husband, Mike, at home and they were tickled.  It just so happens that the next day was Mike’s birthday! It had all worked out perfectly.  However, instead of just expecting to find my next pie recipient, I might just ask for their address and phone number just in case!

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Sadly during this month I have also made pies for two people facing terminal illnesses way too young. My heart breaks for my friends and their families and yet I am also deeply moved by their courage in facing death.  They are using the time that they have left to be with those that they love most. Spending time together and sharing their stories and getting ready for goodbye.  They’ve been dealt a hand that no one would want, and yet, they are living out their final days with grace and love.

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Finally, last weekend I made a pie with my old friend Lauretta and her husband, Uwe. They had come to Oregon to see the solar eclipse and then afterwards came to visit me. After a relaxing weekend of visiting, on Sunday morning Lauretta and I gathered ingredients to make a pie.  As I nibbled on a piece of cold Calzone, Lauretta noticed and immediately we both began singing a few lines from a Christine Lavin tune “Cold pizza for Breakfast.” It was so awesome to find ourselves on the same wavelength after so many years!  Later, we sent this photo to Christine and told her that we’d been thinking of her!

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Lauretta and me with her Strawberry Rhubarb pie.

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Lauretta and Uwe with “Wilbur” their pop top camper.

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What ties all these disparate stories together? I’m not really sure.  Maybe it’s just about me trying to make sense of this crazy life… and also trying to trust the universe and absolutely loving it when things work out.  Sending love from me to you.

“Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.”  Margaret Shepard

 

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Day 264: Got Jumper Cables??

26 Dec

This morning we prepared to leave the home of our friends Mark and Connie. We had spent a glorious time in Gold Beach and we were ready to head home to Ashland. We did our best to leave their place in perfect condition, with the addition of a few bottles of wine, some chocolates, homemade biscotti and a bacon, spinach and onion quiche (pie 264!)

After we loaded up the car, we began our drive south to the Oregon border. We’d heard that there might be whale sightings along the coast and so we pulled into one of the viewpoints along the highway and parked the car near the bluff overlooking the ocean. We sat there and watched for about half an hour and did not see anything and then tried to start the car only to find that we’d left the lights on (it’d been foggy before) and our car would not start!

My husband thought we should call the company that provides our towing service and he went to find out where we were on the highway (specifically what mile marker). And I started thinking, how can we get someone to just give us a jump? I looked around in the car and found a brown paper grocery bag and used it to make a sign that said, “Got Jumper Cables?” I met my husband at the entrance to the viewpoint and showed him my sign and asked if he would stay with me for a few minutes while I “begged” for help. He said he’d give my “sign” 15 minutes before he was going to call the towing company.

It felt so strange to stand on the highway with a sign as people zipped by… it gave me a small idea of what the homeless folks experience each day that they do this. Fortunately as one truck drove by, I saw that the occupants waved. That was nice because most folks didn’t even seem to look at me. But I was determined… after all I didn’t think I looked too pathetic… and I had faith in the human race.

And my faith was rewarded for we were very lucky that the couple who waved came back to help us. They told me that while they could not really read my sign, they kept wondering what it had said and just had to go back to see. Thank heavens! We were on our way in no time and I gave them a couple of free coupons for Dutch Bros. Coffee… which they seemed happy to have. How wonderful that they were willing to come back to help us! I hope that there will always be people like that who are willing to help others that they meet along the way.

PS An update on pie 262: As we passed the border between Oregon and California I stopped to ask how agent Greg liked his mixed berry pie. The agent on duty told me that the pie had been much appreciated and that a few of the agents had taken some home for Christmas. I was thrilled… and as I walked back to our car a few of the agents called out “Thank you” to me. As we continued our ride home, all I could think was “this has been an absolutely amazing day.”

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