'L' is for Legacy . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

Ruth 2:2  KJV 

"L" is for Legacy . . .' One of the definitions for Legacy I found says: 'anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor,' which I think fits where this blog post will go.

 

It was the last week of May two years ago, that I went up to Quaker Haven Camp to help with the renovations being done to Friendship Lodge. I left home early Saturday morning arriving at camp mid morning and left camp the following Saturday morning . . . it was a long week, but seemed not long enough. I went up not knowing what jobs/tasks would be assigned to me or for how long I would be there, but with the intent that I could stay the whole week.

 

The Lounge -
when I arrived on Saturday

When I arrived I went into Friendship Lodge and tried to figure out exactly who I should report to . . . looking around the lounge area all I could think of was oh my, this will never be done by next weekend! And this room wasn't a part of the renovations being done at that time, but it was where a lot of the materials for the renovations were - and it was a mess! As I looked down the hallway, where the bedrooms were located, I could see that there was plenty of work that needed to be done.

 

One of the bedrooms -
when I arrived
on Saturday

The hallway had new tile on the floor and the walls had been painted, a couple of Young Friends were installing the baseboard molding. Looking into the bedrooms - the walls had been painted . . . several had toilets sitting in the middle of them and maybe even a sink. They still needed carpet, baseboard molding, wallpaper borders, mini blinds on the windows and furniture. The bathrooms had the showers installed, but were lacking toilets, sinks, fixtures in the showers, some light fixtures and toilet paper holders. There was a lot of work to be done!

I did a lot of tasks that week, working together with some Friends I knew and Friends I was just meeting for the first time. Friends from Western Yearly Meeting and Indiana Yearly Meeting all working together . . . using the gifts and talents that God gave each of us to get the job done. Several Young Friends were there over the weekend . . . what a blessing to see them giving what they had to help out and give back to their camp. Older Friends throughout the week doing what needed to be done - some with skills needed to install the sinks, light and plumbing fixtures in the new bathrooms; putting up wallpaper borders in the new bedrooms; installing this and that . . . teaching and learning new skills along the way.



One of the
doors I painted

Some of the jobs I had included helping to install the door knobs and hinges on the bedroom doors, painting three of the outside doors (inside & outside) which lead to the Camp Director asking me if I would give a fresh coat of paint to the outside of the double doors leading into the Chapel. I vacuumed a lot of carpets! I helped carry in and assemble several bunk beds - some were standard twin over twin and some twin over double.

One Friend was installing the baseboard moldings in the bedrooms and I had heard him say that he needed to leave no later than 7pm that evening, as he needed to drive home. There was no way he was going to finish all the moldings before he left and I could see that it would be so much easier to have the molding done before the beds were brought in and assembled. Before I left to get something for dinner I stopped and asked him if that was something that I could do, he looked surprised and said "You know how to do this?" Well, no I have no clue, but I had watched him and the Young Friends doing it and if he was willing to teach me I was willing to try. He showed me how to do it and then he watched me do one wall and around the two corners and left me to do what I could. Before he left he gave me his cell phone number so that I could call him the next day and tell him how much more needed to be done so he could get some more caulk on his way back to camp. I think he had about 5 of the 12 rooms done before he left. So, I spent that evening installing moldings in several bedrooms and finished the rest the next morning before lunch. As I headed down to lunch I called this Friend to tell him that all the bedrooms were done, except for the one corner that I couldn't do. I think he was surprised that I had been able to finish the job.


So, what does all this renovation work have to do with Legacy? Well, while I was there working that week I met Morris, a former Director for Quaker Haven Camp, who now lives across the lake with his wife. Morris told me that Friendship Lodge had been built back when he was the Director of Quaker Haven and he had helped built it . . . thus "leaving his mark," and had returned to help with the renovations "leaving his mark" yet again. Morris said you are now "making your mark" here in Friendship Lodge. The conversations we had that week as we worked together were PRICELESS.

 

One of the bedrooms

What legacy have I OR am I leaving at Quaker Haven? Morris said that the work I was doing that week in Friendship Lodge was now a part of my legacy, which in itself didn't seem like much, but he went on . . . the bigger part of the legacy that I’m making/leaving at Quaker Haven is with the campers, the CIT's, the councilors, the session staff and the camp staff that I work with, and have conversations with over the years.

 

Friday evening I attended the dinner and gospel sing in the Lodge, a time to sit back and relax as our work was complete - Friendship Lodge was cleaned and awaiting its first guest to arrive, later that evening. One of the singers, a Pastor, quoted a scripture - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13, a scripture that I know well. I thought about that verse the rest of Friday night and on the drive home (lots of time to think when you have 175 miles to drive by yourself) and how it really tied the whole week together. From walking into the Friendship Lodge a week earlier and thinking there was no way it would be ready for anyone to stay there by Friday night and a couple of days during the week when there were only a handful of us working - again thinking that there was no way we can get this all done without more help. But we did get it done, OK there was a bit more work that needed to be done, but it was usable. And how did we get it done . . . with prayers, our faith and our trust in God - that He would provide.

 

One of the bathrooms

Someone, and I honestly don’t recall who, made the comment about me on Thursday, that there wasn’t a job that I had been asked or given to do that I said I can’t or I won’t do. I guess I knew, in the back of my mind, that God was with me and would help me. I remember commenting that I was a ‘jack of all trades and a master of none’ . . . and I’m still looking to earn my masters! It all goes back to Philippians 4:13 . . . “I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When I left Friendship Lodge Friday afternoon I had a conversation with Brandon, the Director – he talked about how Quaker Haven was built by volunteers. What an awesome legacy to be a part of. Very little of what we have at Quaker Haven has been done by paid contractors/professionals . . . nearly everything has been done by volunteers . . . Western Yearly Meeting and Indiana Yearly Meeting Friends working together, side-by-side for the good of all Friends and visitors who come to spend time at Quaker Haven and soak in all the beauty God provides for us . . . what we see, hear, smell, touch and feel . . . God is good!

I returned to Quaker Haven as a counselor about a month later, last June and I will be back in July this year, but it's different – no paint brushes, screwdrivers, wenches, staple guns, caulking guns, vacuum cleaners, window cleaner, scaffolding or ladders to climb on or wet rags . . . I return as a counselor with a  cabin full of 5^th & 6^th grade girls and a CIT or two – time to sit back and relax and spend time sharing God’s Word and all He has created with the campers, CIT’s, other counselors and staff. A different work, yes, but an opportunity to work on another piece of my legacy at Quaker Haven Camp.

Friends from the past, such as George Fox, Margaret Fell, Lucretia Mott, William Penn, Anthony Benezet, Robert Barclay, Levi Coffin, Mary Dyer, Stephen Grellet, Joseph Gurney, Elias Hicks, Rufus Jones, Isaac Pennington, John Greenleaf Whittier and John Woolman just to name a few . . . all have left their legacy for Friends. But they're not the only Friends who have left their legacy . . . there are countless others who are leaving their legacies.

So, what other pieces of my life are a part of my legacy? My work in Scouting - both Girl Scouting & Boy/Cub Scouting; my faith - Church/Meeting; Friends Committee on Scouting; Weekday Religious Education; my family and my crafting - counted cross stitch, crocheting, knitting, sewing & quilting.

We all have a legacy to leave . . . What is your legacy? What is it that you've done, are doing, OR will do that others will remember you for?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first recipe comes by way of one of my classmates, Pamela Lofgren. We attended school together from Kindergarden through High School. Pamela made this for her 4-H cooking project in the summer of 1972. The second recipe is for a yummy chocolate frosting! 

Lofgren’s Lemon Squares

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ cup butter

3 large eggs

¾ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ cup sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt

2 ½ Tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325˚F.  Greased 9”x9”x2” pan.

Cut in flour, powdered sugar and butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Mix eggs, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon juice and spread over baked layer. Return to oven.

Bake about 25 minutes more. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool!

 

Luxury Chocolate Frosting

2-12 ounce packages semi-sweet chocolate pieces

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 large eggs, unbeaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate pieces over hot water; cool completely at room temperature. Cream butter or margarine, gradually add confectioners’ sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with rotary beater. Blend in vanilla and cooled chocolate; beat until smooth.

Decorate cake with Brazil nut slivers.