to smile at the future.

Tuesday morning I left Nathaniel, Abigail, and little Florence with time to themselves and walked up the hill to visit my dear friend, Lucinda.

White mounds covered the sidewalks so I walked in the street, between the car tracks. Abi's puffy blue jacket offered pretty good protection, and in my mittened hand . . . some knitting, warm cinnamon rolls wrapped in brown paper, and shoes. . . for you see, I've learned the trick of 2 pairs of shoes, one for the snow and the other for the house!

Hmmm, such an uphill climb-quiet, crunch, cold. . .the kettle bubbled in Lucinda's kitchen, and as I stamped off the snow

(yet another technique under my belt) , Lucinda called to me from the sitting room-she'd invited a friend to join us, to drink hot coffee with cinnamon rolls in front of a dancing fire. . .and to talk. imagine that!

We are 3 women with many children, all grown or on the brink, women in a new season asking, "How shall we now live to honor God?"

Lucinda directed our talk to worthy things. . .time, all this time-how do we use this new found resource without jumping on life's treadmill? How to prioritize our husbands, to love our adult children,(without worry or control) to love the church and neighbors in new ways-because we have time, all this time.

The morning slipped by-the conversation bubbled on and Lucinda offered, "Should I put on some eggs?" Instead she brought out bowls of steamy beef-barley soup; we pulled up the lap robes and settled into the afternoon.

Ah, 3 :00!. . .then we prayed, "God, make us gentle, humble women, bearing fruit, not afraid, smiling at the future. . ."

It was snowing and I got a ride down the hill; stamping my feet, coming in the back door, my family asked, "So, did you have a good day?

Indeed, a very good day.