Um, I'll have the bacon, sausage and French toast please....

There's nothing like waking up to the sound of a wood thrush singing and the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. Thank you Mama Jane for getting up before the rest of us to put on the pot of coffee and start the skillets with bacon and sausage. Patrick is now working with Shannon, Rachel and Joanna to whip up some innovative French toast. It's not our plan to eat THIS well every morning; yesterday was cold cereal and fruit. Everyone worked so hard yesterday, however, that it a full breakfast just sounded so good.

Our hosts here at Grace, Anita and Jerry Boyd, have been blessed with an abundance of talents. Jerry accompanied us to the work site yesterday to oversee the building project and to teach. He has patience, good humor, the skills of a great craftsman, and a love for life. Last night, we learned one of Anita's talents: She has an amazing voice (think June Carter Cash) and can play the mandolin, guitar and what she called the "backwards banjo," a six-string banjo that is tuned like a guitar. We had a "jam session" last night after a thunderstorm changed our plans for a campfire. Lucas amazed us with his guitar talents, Patrick picked up another guitar and tried out the banjo and mandolin, and Patrick and I had an AMAZING TIME playing a really old "portable" pump organ, which was used by the deaconesses here in their ministry.

After the storm, the kids went to the bunkhouse porches to visit and hang out, and Jane, Patrick and I stayed in with Anita and Jerry and sang gospel songs until past 11 p.m. Yes, we broke the "lights out curfew," but it was too magical to stop. We sang "Do Lord," "How Great Thou Art," "Because He Lives" and a whole bunch of others. Note to my dad and others who might be interested in this: Ralph Stanley lives just down the road. No kidding.

Plans for today: We're back to the Hills home to finish up the deck and to do some soffit work. We expect to finish up there today, and then -- weather permitting -- we'll head off to see a waterfall and maybe do some swimming, though Jerry warns that it's a little cold. :)

More later .... Karen