Mountaintop High

We held our church service up on the mountain Sunday.  It was lovely! 

This is the shelter where we met... 

We were there early so as Mike prepared for the service, I wandered around enjoying being on the mountain.  I found some really large and fresh pine cones.  They were just too perfect!  I had to collect some.  I greedily gathered up as many as I could carry, hugging them to my chest.  After dumping them into our vehicle I realized my hands were sticky and gooey.  Even my sweatshirt had goop on it!  Oh well, I'd seen the water cooler already set up.  I  knew it was for drinking but I figured I could dribble a bit on my hands and make it better.  

That's what I did but I was really, really heavy duty sticky, not just ordinary sticky.

Then I rubbed...

still sticky...

rubbed some more...

seemed even more sticky...

gathered up some dirt to rub on my hands, hoping to dislodge the tenacious goop...

still sticky and now dirty...

back to the cooler to dribble more water on my hands, hoping no one noticed...

still sticky...

wait a minute.........!

It was NOT a cooler of water.

It was lemonade!!!

I laughed out loud at myself!

I am grateful that my friend, Cheryl, helped me out.

I confessed my problem and stupidity to her and she produced a bottle of water!

More people arrived and I entertained myself taking photos.  Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to charge the battery on my camera so the photos started getting more and more blurry and then the camera went to sleep.

Here are a few pictures I took before the camera-hibernation set in....

This cross hangs over the big fireplace.

  

It was chilly but the fire kept people warm...well, only the people near the front, which was pretty much just Mike.

My son, Sam, thought this profile looked presidential and should be on a penny.

I think she has one of the prettiest smiles, don't you?

She also found a way to entertain herself as we waited for the others to arrive.

The service was lovely.

People clapped.

People smiled.

People sang.

People prayed.

People shared communion.

People worshipped.

After the service, we enjoyed a lovely potluck picnic.

I brought a salad made from broccoli flowerettes, strawberries, sesame seeds, toasted almonds and Monterrey jack cheese cubes topped with a mixture of red wine vinegar, mayo and sugar.  I was kind of proud of myself as I actually followed a real recipe, well, except for the sesame seeds, they were my own idea.  And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I also admit I didn't actually measure anything as I added it but still, I LOOKED right at the recipe as I mixed it all up.  That counts, doesn't it? 

I just wanted to share that day with you!