Every Friday, Susanne at Living to Tell the Story invites us to pause for a few minutes and recount some of the blessings of the week. It’s harder some weeks than others to find them, but they are always there. And looking for them can transform our whole outlook. So here are a few from my week.
1. A park outing. We went with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson last weekend to Norris Dam State Park for a picnic lunch and fishing. We had our little picnic area to ourselves most of the time. The few people who came and went stayed more than six feet away. Jesse and I left a little early after watching the others fish for a bit—neither of us was interested in fishing and the heat was getting to me. I can’t remember if this was Timothy’s first time to fish, but it was fun to watch him get the hang of it.
2. A potty tent. 🙂 Though the state parks are open, the restrooms are closed. Personally, I’d rather use a public a restroom and sanitize than wonder where people might have relieved themselves outdoors. A while back Jim had invested in a camping toilet and a little pop-up tent to put it in, so he brought all of that and set it up. Yes, I did feel funny using it when another family was in the area, but it was much better than finding a tree to hide behind. I don’t know if they thought it was really weird or a good idea. 🙂
3. Time off. This was something from the week before last that I forgot to mention. Everyone in my husband’s company was required to take a week of vacation in May since business was running a little slow and some of their clients were closed. Jim chose the last week in May plus a couple of Fridays before that. He got a lot done in our yard and our son’s, rearranged his office a bit, cleared some things out of the garage, and took some things we both had culled to the thrift store.
4. An actual letter! My oldest son and I used to write back and forth when he first moved out-of-state, but that eventually fell by the wayside since we FaceTime pretty regularly. So it was a nice surprise to get a letter from him.
5. An unexpected history. I’ve had this little mini cedar chest for years. 
It had been my mom’s, and I kept all kinds of childhood treasures in it. Now it just has odds and ends. It never occurred to me to ask when or where she got it. Then my friend Susan had a post about these Lane chests. It turns out that for many years, the Lane company gave these out to female high school seniors who requested them. It was fun perusing this site and finding out about the history of them. They share a way to find out when a box was made by its dimensions and inscription (which I have not done yet).
It was so fun to discover that this little box that I have used for decades had such a history!
That was my week. How was yours?
Stray Thoughts 
I’ve always wanted a lane chest and when I was a senior in 1978 they definitely were NOT free …my parents couldn’t afford one so….I ended up with a just a basic college trunk. haha but they sure are pretty!!
How fun to go to a state park. some of ours are open with one bathroom (in the bathhouse connected to the beach) open. we cannot gather at tables yet but we can sit 6 feet apart on the beaches. It must have been fun to watch little Timothy fish!
How wonderful to get a real letter in the mail…..that’s always a fave with me.
I love that your husband did chores around the house on his time off. That man is a keeper!!
Have a lovely weekend.
I love that you received a letter from your son………nothing beats a hand written letter! 🙂 wishing you another blessed week.
I love seeing your little Lane chest and knowing it was your mom’s! Looks basically identical to mine other than the engraving. And yes, yay for a letter! My oldest daughter occasionally sends one, and I love it. Great “throwback” to a great part of the past. Have a nice weekend 🙂
I love the little Lane chest. I did not know the history behind those. That was actually pretty nice that the Lane company did that. I am sure they don’t any more. We recently got a short note from our oldest son too. Go figure – he doesn’t text much, but sent a little letter. Glad you got to have a nice outdoor outing with the family, and yes, I really think the potty tent is a great idea! Have a good weekend and I will see you again soon!
I enjoyed hearing about the Lane chest. What a nice thing for young girls to have. It’s so nice that you got a letter from your son. I should write more letters, then maybe I would get a few in my mail:) I can’t understand why parks aren’t opening the restrooms. It’s the same here. The alternative is not very sanitary, but your little tent sounds like a good idea!
It must have been wonderful to spend time with your family in the state park. We were able to walk in a state park and they had a ports-potty set up but the rest rooms were closed. How interesting to find out the information about your mother’s cedar chest. It’s nice that you still have it.
What a fun thing to discover about that Lane chest. I love that kind of thing. Sweet to get a letter from your son. I think I’d fall over if that ever happened from one of my kids. LOL. I remember when I was a kid letter writing was such a part of normal life. The fishing picnic sounds fun. I’m not really a person who enjoys fishing. But my kids have always loved it. So I join them but with a good book.
How lovely to have an outing together. I wish I had a potty tent. We are able to get out and about a bit more here now but the lack of open public toilets is definitely limiting how far I want to go. We’ve had a few things through the post from our Grandson who is further away which has been lovely. Enjoy what’s left of the weekend.
My class in DE was given Lane chests when we graduated in 1977. I still use it!
Three cheers for the potty tent. I hate public rest rooms. I hunted one season many years ago and was totally not thrilled with having to find a friendly tree. It sounds like a great time. We are great State Park fans and often vacation in them. I did not grow up camping but many PA State Parks have modern cabins with all the conveniences. Do they even sell Cedar Chests any more? Several years ago my husband and I bought a coffee table and two end tables at an auction. Beautiful pieces and learned they had been made by Lane. The information was wood burned into the underside of the furniture. We still have them 30 years later. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
I have one of those little cedar chests, too! From my mom (or maybe my grandma). And I am the proud owner of my grandma’s large Lane cedar chest. Two or my best and most favorite keepsakes from my family.