We started in 2025 with snow and cold for a few days. This being the only bit of winter for us, total. We know that plenty of folks thought this an ideal way to have winter, but we felt bereft of the real deal. We are happy to report that the winter weather that came the day before Thanksgiving this fall is much better for us the whole year around.
I remember that we had the bit of sub-zero cold in January because Elv’s golden retriever, Kjelgaard got himself caught in a cat trap at work one day. He usually roams the woods and fields all day and checks back in by the forwarder or the work truck often enough to be on hand for home going, but on that evening he didn’t show. I knew Elv would not leave the woods until he found Kjelgaard, so I put supper aside and waited it out “with” him. January is dark by mid afternoon in the woods, but finally Elv found him, glad to not have to leave him in the woods all night pinned to a trap with the temps at twenty below. The dog loved sleeping in the porch that night and a few more after that. But all good things come to an end, even for a dog. Why am I talking about the dog? Oh yes, proof that we had winter, although abbreviated.
Work sent Jolynn and I to Atlanta Market in January. We enjoyed every minute of the work. Three buildings, twenty stories each for shopping for Northwood Outdoor gift department. Clair and Ruthie were there to keep us on the rails. Yes, I’m still with the store. It’s been almost twelve years now and still learning and enjoying it.
February and March were about preparing for a six weeks vacation in the west. We needed to be here for a wedding the end of March so that gave us a date for starting out. But first the wedding. Abbey and Arlyn were here in our living room for a visit the other evening and we got to talking about their wedding. We were telling them that it was one of nicest weddings we’ve attended. I think knowing them both quite well and knowing their varied backgrounds and experiences gave us opportunity to see God at work in their lives and His daily new mercies. Besides, it really was a beautiful wedding.
If I were to pick a theme for this past year, it would be about new mercies and the lovely sameness of our lives. We didn’t move from our stone house or have any church shifts. Our days look a lot alike, really. These are blessings, we realize. Being faithful to Him in our attitudes and plans from the not shifting places of our lives somehow feels like new mercies.
We left Monday the 26th of March on a vacation adventure the likes of which we have never in 40 plus years of marriage even considered. Elv cleared his work calendar for six weeks or until the first week in May and so did I. We headed west with our Jeep taking three days to arrive in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho, our destination. We stayed with my folks the first week and then moved into a travel trailer in Josh and Francis’s woods for the next month. Elv says the best part of the whole vacation was being able to completely relax with no unmet goals or work obligations niggling. We spent a lot of evenings exploring the mountains with Joshes. Elv went camping with Brad and Josh high up one night. We spent our days living life with Joshes, Brads, or my parents.
From there we headed to Nebraska to spend a few days with Gabe and Jenny’s family. On the way, we met Leland and Evie in Great Falls, Montana for a lunch date. I have a picture to prove this. I know it was not a long enough visit, for sure. I think we slept in Sheridan that night. Our visit with Gabes was just as nice as the rest of our trip, getting reacquainted with growing grandchildren and seeing their gardens, goats, and adventures accordingly.
I’ve commented about this before. We learned again how ugly and beautiful are the long reaches of the Midwest to the West. When we drove through those places especially along Rt2, we saw more clearly the desolation of our native Americans way of life. I don’t like it. I feel inadequate to help. Only Jesus can truly free us of our desolation.
We came home in May. The following week we drove down to Indiana for a weekend with Elv’s brothers/families. All four of his brothers came and Tim’s hosted us for visits and food for two days. We took the Bridge home. Elv said he had never been across the Mackinac bridge before. So that trip crossed off one more thing on Elv’s bucket list. Yes, the drive home through the woods instead of navigating Chicago was an exact fit for us.
The evening we got home, our friend Herb Lattin went home to be with Jesus, suddenly. We lost a steady friend, husband, dad, co-worker, and brother in Christ, just like that. It makes you think in terms you haven’t before, about having the house in order, and how will it be for me, and them? And why? Why now?
Next, the big project for the summer happened. Elv ordered in a building to be used for a little shop, “just my size”. Maybe it’s little but truly is a big deal. Now he can do his projects in heated, clean comfort. I am delighted for him. I took the opportunity to turn the little garden shed into a she shed as well, with a new concrete floor and paint, shelving, lights and my own space to fix and create. I can be nearby during the long evenings that he’s busy in the new shop.
We’re grateful to the kids for all their help keeping up around here with the lawn work, firewood chores, and rodent control. I told Elv that I would not even talk about the garden on this letter. So.
We did get to the cabin more this fall again than we had for awhile. We had guests a couple of weekends, which we enjoyed so much. I hate to say that we enjoyed any of them more than others of them. You all come again.
Our weekend with Mark and Marj there stands out with laughter and visiting non stop. We hadn’t been together for thirty years, we figured out, but that only made it even more fun, I guess. We made up for lost time the best we could from Friday evening to Sunday evening. Campfires, hiking, cookstove cooking, late night visits, puzzles, garden work, firewood work, trail mowing. We even got a sing time in around the piano. The best picture of the whole event is Mark and Elv on Buck Mt. laughing uproariously, sitting in the loader of the tractor by our campfire.
Also in September we spent a day with Elv’s brothers in Lacrosse. Lewi treated us all to a pizza evening cruise on the river. This was for Tim and Grace’s 50th wedding anniversary. I guess it comes to that eventually. I used to think this anniversary was only for old people. There are a lot of things coming at us quickly that were only for old people.
The Northland Ladies Retreat happened again with our favorite Luci Martin as main speaker and many lovely workshops and worship times, as well. I am privileged to find out how much year around thought and planning goes into this event. It’s amazing. But the best part of all is seeing God use it to speak into the hearts of over 200 women. And the miracles. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, says Jesus.
In October, Havilah and I flew out to Idaho. We spent a week with our family people there. I especially loved having a granddaughter along on the traveling. She loves the flying at least as much as I do and I think she was in her element the entire time except for the last 50 miles on that interminably, boring road called 70 between Siren and Stone Lake Wisconsin, in the dark. I agree.
This year the dark is somewhat relieved by all this snow. Get by the window and soak up the short daylight. Better yet, go outside and breathe it in. We are thanking God for real winter, at last.
God bless you all with another year of new mercies. Elv and Arla Graber
Stone House Scribblings 
Such a nice letter, and I am grateful for your good uneventful year. It is a mercy! I love, love, love the picture of you two. Thanks for sharing. Evie
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