What has brought me the most joy this summer? Where do I do some of my best praying, especially prayers of thanksgiving? On my bike and in my kitchen. Biking and baking are two of my favorite activities.
I have been blessed to go on numerous bike rides, some of significant distance, this summer. I biked from our home in Meire Grove, down Highway 4 to reach the Wobegon Trail near I-94, and headed west to Alexandria. Even though that’s over 30 miles, it really didn’t seem that far. Disclaimer: the wind was in my favor. And, Marv had a VA appointment, so I put my bike in the back of the van and voila! No biking back home.
Again the wind was in my favor as I biked the opposite direction one Sunday morning in July. I made it to Bowlus for their outdoor polka Mass followed by a fabulous parade where there loads of candy were lofted into my out-stretched bike helmet. Maybe it was the “aim effect” that made folks so generous with their sweet treats? Marv and I shared a picnic with my sister and brother-in-law before the bike got loaded up, once again, for the van ride home.
Another east-bound ride on the Wobegon Trail was to the beach at St. John’s on Father’s Day, followed by a picnic for all six of us (Luke got to take his lunch break from lifeguarding to join us). My longest trek was from Fergus Falls to home. That was beautiful new country to me as I experienced the Central Lakes Trail through the small towns of Dalton, Ashby, Evansville and Garfield before reaching Alexandria. From there I continued pedaling East through the familiar towns of Nelson, Osakis and West Union before reaching Sauk Centre.
And, just this past weekend, I pedaled on the Heartland Trail from Park Rapids to Walker on Friday and then did the Paul Bunyan Trail from Walker to Pequot Lakes on Sunday. Yes, it is very nice to have the sag wagon support of my husband. Marv has accommodated my cycling passion for many seasons.
The other passion I fed this summer was baking. My daughter, Justine, the artist in the family, made me a new sign for the end of our driveway. It simply says “Bread and Jam.” No “For Sale” needed. People get it. Some of the highpoints of my days have been the gracious folks who have stopped in; strangers really, until they leave.
One example was a vibrant grandma from North Dakota heading to Hutchinson with her granddaughter to housesit for her son. They were so fun. The granddaughter even documented their pit stop using her iPad to take photos of the sign, the goodies they bought, even me, the baker. The grandma followed up with a thank-you text message after they returned home.
That’s the kind of stuff that makes my heart smile. It reminds me to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,” as referenced in one of my very favorite Bible verses, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17.
An additional outlet for selling my baked goods and jam this summer was having a booth at the Melrose and Meire Grove Farmers Markets. The best part of those Wednesday and Thursday afternoon endeavors was having Justine sell her garden produce along with me. It gave us ample visiting time with one another as well as lots of supportive customers. Having folks come back week after week to buy a certain kind of bread, or try a new one, is a real gift.
Another reason to give thanks was receiving fourth place ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair for both my banana and multi-grain breads. This was only my second year of entering anything in the baked goods category but that’s enough to feed my fire and desire to try again next year.
Summer. The calendar says it’s over but I’m still going for it. More baking. More joy-filled bike rides. More prayer. More gratitude.
What brings you joy? What are you grateful for? When and where do you pray? How do your passions center your prayers?