Too Cute To Spook!

"Too Cute To Spook!"

I have such fond memories of eagerly dressing up in home-made costumes and visiting neighbors for candy, doughnuts, and hot apple cider on Halloween night! Mom and Dad always walked along with us, chatting with friends, as we went house-to-house with our buddies.

Today, my husband and I are the neighbors who wait at the door with a huge basket of candy and a big welcome for the children! I always look forward to the adorable parade of princesses and pirates, firemen and fairies, cute bumblebees and baby pumpkins! :)

Wishing y'all a fun and family-friendly Halloween!! :)

LIFE'S A BEACH :)

"Chillin' At The Beach"

I grew up in a beach-lovin' family! :) The highlight of our entire year was always a laidback vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There was something fun for everyone!... sailing, fishing, jumping in the waves, building sandcastles, and lots of beachcombing.

But I think my favorite thing was just chillin' on the beach, taking it all in and enjoying the sunshine!


"Chillin' At The Beach" is available in my Etsy shop, PHOLKART*BLESSINGS!

TIDINGS OF COMFORT & JOY!

My husband, Joe, and I have recently received several New Years cards in the mail from friends near and far. They've helped me realize that there are others like me who are still wrapping up Christmas, "UnDecking the Halls", and sweeping up tinsel in mid-January!

As always, these letters have told our friends' many stories... a new baby, a job change, a wedding, a family vacation, graduations, goals achieved, many ordinary moments, and extraordinary milestones. And sometimes the most honest of these letters have also brought news of difficult life changes and personal losses. Truly, for each of us, every new year holds something new...

And so, as I pack up the manger scene and take down the Christmas wreath, I think about how comforting it is to know that, into our everyday lives, Jesus was born. He is our Emmanuel ~ God With Us. He invites us to walk with Him into each new day.


May your New Year be filled with the comfort and joy of walking with Jesus each day!


From my sketchbook ~ Prismacolor pencil & micron pen on graph paper

HOME AGAIN...

Over the past month, I have taken two very different trips.

The first was to Rockbridge, a Young Life camp hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Joe and I were privileged to stay in the guest lodge, which perches on the side of a mountain. From the front porch, I had a birdseye view of the camp activity below; and to the East, I could see mountain after mountain after mountain...

While my husband worked, I was free to use the time as I pleased. I decided to make this my first-ever Artist's Retreat. I walked & read & prayed & journaled & sketched & drew & "colored." I caught up with old friends over coffee and meals. I enjoyed meeting some special new friends. I relaxed & went to bed early. At the end of the week, I felt rested & re-energized.

The second trip was to Chicago, where our oldest son, Ben, lives & works. We stayed in Ben's apartment on the 40th floor of a highrise that overlooks the Canals and Downtown. As far as I could see in every direction there were buildings & busy streets -- cars, taxis, trains, bikes, & people bustling from place to place.

We took the time to be tourists & visited the Sears Tower & Millenium Park. We visited a fascinating Museum of Photography. We walked along Lake Shore Drive and watched the bikers, the boaters, and the beachgoers. We sampled different kinds of cuisine in our own "Taste of Chicago." We strolled along the Magnificent Mile and peeked in all the shop windows. We hung-out together & just enjoyed being family.

To be honest, I came away from Chicago feeling happy, but ooooh soooo tired! As an introvert, it's hard for me to keep such a fast pace. I need some quiet places in my days to process and unwind.

We are back at home again now. The mountains of laundry have been done. The grass has been mowed. The groceries have been bought. And we are almost caught up on our sleep...

What a blessing it is to go new places and to see new things, to live life in out-of-the-ordinary ways! And what a blessing, too, to come home again!!

PRESCHOOL DAYS

Jane goes to preschool today. She has LOVED it from the very first day! Most mornings, she takes me by the hand & leads me down the hallway to her classroom to see "Miss Jeannie" & "Miss Cathy." Without any hesitation, she gets right down to the business of being a two year old -- playing! No clinginess. No tears. No "I want my Mommy!" She has "cooking" to do in the plastic kitchen, legos to build, and puzzles to do...

More than that, she has friends to hang out with -- Jesse & Andrew & Lucy & Jonah. Each child is so unique, & Jane seems to love them all equally well. When I ask her on the way to school who she's going to play with, she happily recites the litany of all her friends' names -- in no particular order. She is glad to see them all!

School has provided Jane with lots of new opportunities; but by far her favorites have been playing on the playground & painting.

On sunny days, Jane's class spends lots of time swinging & sliding & climbing on the pint-sized play equipment. Jane loves the little cars that she can "drive." Here, I can see that Jane is learning to take turns & share -- big lessons for a little girl!

Last Tuesday when I came to pick Jane up from school, she proudly showed me an ENORMOUS picture she'd made that day. It had red scribbles all over it and a big blotch of yellow paint in the corner. "The sun!!" she told me with a big grin. A preschool masterpiece from a tiny Picasso!

I get so much joy from being with these little ones, Lord! It's so surprising to me that, at 50 years old with my own children grown up, I get to enjoy the sweet, simple moments of preschool again. What a gift to me!...

I AM SO GRATEFUL!!!

Written 5/4/06