#13 - Lemonade For Katy

What an entrance to summer!  For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, we joke that summer doesn't start until after July 4.  However, our temperatures have been consistently between 80 and 100 degrees F  for the last two or three weeks, and projected to remain there for at least the next couple of weeks. At least it cools off in the evenings!

Every change of season evokes childhood memories and traditions.  In our family fall brings first days of school, Oregon State University football games, Halloween and Thanksgiving; winter brings basketball, Christmas, riding ATVs in the sand, and snow days; spring brings a break in the weather, spring break in Palm Spring and working in the yard.  Summer has always been full of family vacations, water sports, outside entertaining, and even lemonade stands.

In early summer twenty-three years ago, we enrolled our son into a daycare/preschool near our home in Beaverton, Oregon.  The preschool was located in Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, which soon became our home church, and where Pastor Al Solmonson baptized our two children.  Al and his "flock" welcomed us into a congregation that immediately felt like family.  It was hard to leave when Bill's job relocated us to Washington state three years later.  God's hands work in mysterious ways.  Al has since retired, yet he and his beautiful wife, MaryAnn, continue to be important members of our fanily.  I told them a couple of weeks ago that we may not have a "home" church right now, but I considered them to be my church family and Al my pastor.

Al and MaryAnn have two granddaughters in the Tacoma area.  For the last couple of years they have had a lemonade stand in their driveway on the 4th of July to raise funds for various charitable causes.  They plan it, make signs and operate it.  Some valuable life lessons here.  Early last week MaryAnn surprised me with the anouncement that Ava and Olivia were going to donate their proceeds this year to the Katherine D Carter Scholarship fund.  (For Christmas this past year Bill set up a scholarship in my name.  This has always been a dream of mine, although I never told anyone.  Guess he knows me pretty well after 29 years together).  Needless to say, I was very excited and very honored.  I made sure to request photos along with passing along my thanks.

True to her word, MaryAnn not only emailed photos, but videos as well.  Smiling joyful young people, raising money for a very worthy cause.  More importantly, young people spreading joy, enthusiasm, awareness and even some lemonade.  What a life lesson -- when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.  If you can't make your own, share your lemons with someone who can.

MaryAnn and me

Olivia

Ava