MORNING MEDITATION

Sitting on the deck on a cool Saturday morning. Listening to the drone of the lawn mower as Joe mows the front lawn -- love the sweet smell of freshly cut grass! Also listening to a variety of bird songs & the occassional bark of a neighbors' dog.

Watched a hawk circling overhead. What would it be like to drift along, high above the world, on currents of air?

I've seen many other birds from my perch on our deck as well -- two little chickadees, flitting from branch to branch in the pine trees. A fat robin, sitting for a brief moment on Brenda's fence. A blue jay, just passing through. A crow in our neighbors' yard, looking for breakfast.

Joe found an abandoned birds' nest in the acuba bush -- a carefully woven home for fragile eggs & baby birds. How do birds know how to take bits of twigs & leaves & pine needles and sculpt them into perfectly rounded bowls, just the right size for their eggs?

The vinca I planted in the big black pot have all put down roots in the rich soil, & are showing off their cheerful blossoms. Bright white petals surrounding a hot pink center against shiny green leaves, well-watered & reaching toward the sun. They look happy!

Soft, almost transparent clouds cover the pale blue sky. A gentle breeze is rustling the leaves in the treetops.

Passing by -- an ant, a wasp, a bumble bee, a painted bug. Salem, our dog, comes out to lie down next to me in hopes of having her ears scratched & her back rubbed. Now, the soft swoosh-swoosh-swoosh of water as the sprinkler sprays the green grass...

When I came outside, just a brief time ago, I felt sooo tired -- yes, & even irritable. Now I am breathing the sweet air & I feel refreshed, renewed, quieted.

Thank you for these restful moments, Lord. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy what You have made. I feel better now.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6

Written 6/10/06

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!!

A BABY BOY IS SUCH A JOY!

George will be a year old at the end of May -- how did the time go by so fast?! It seems like only a short while ago that I took Jane to the hospital to meet her brand new baby brother. And there he was -- with ten tiny fingers & toes, a sweet baby smile, and soft brown hair -- surrounded by his proud parents & grandparents. What a wonderful celebration!!

It has been so much fun for me to watch George over the past year & see his little personality unfold! He is happy & laid-back, so delighted with every new discovery. He loves books & balls & music & swinging & going for walks in the stroller with Jane. He loves his bottle & snuggling down with "lambie" for a nap. He loves waking up & seeing what the rest of the family is doing. George thinks it's big fun to roll & roll across the floor, to do the "Army crawl" on his tummy, or to stand up with help and bounce on his tiptoes. A cat is to chase. A basket of toys is to dump. A cat dish is to splash in. A book is to chew on. A sister is to laugh with!...

George, what a gift you are to us all! Happy, happy birthday, sweet boy!!!

Written 5/10/06

ARTIST

I found this quote today, and wanted to pass it on:

A woman who works with her hands is only a laborer.
The woman who works with her hands and her head is a craft woman.
The woman who works with her hands, her head and her heart is an ARTIST.
Author: unknown

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

TREASURES

Abby and Andy recently put a new swingset in the backyard for Jane & George. It has a "fort" with ladders & climbing handholds on both sides that lead to a platform & a slide. Very cool!!! Jane spent the first days it was up learning to climb to the top, and then happily sliding down -- over & over again!

One day recently when I arrived at the house in the morning, Jane had some new "treasures" she was excited about -- a Princess fanny pack, a sparkly pink purse shaped like a crown, and an assortment of make-believe makeup. She spread these on the coffee table in the family room (along with "Bate", her special blanket), and admired each piece. Jane was absorbed for a long while with her task of packing her purse, unpacking it, trying out the makeup, and packing it all over again.

When it was time to go outside to play on the swings (wheeeeeee's!! in Jane-speak), nothing would do but to also take "Bate", the purse, the fanny pack, and all the other paraphanelia out with us as well. I was less than enthused about this idea; but I decided to let Jane go ahead with her plan and see what happened. This would be interesting!...

I had to laugh to myself as Jane attempted to climb to the top of the fort with "Bate" in one hand, the purse in the other, and the fanny pack slung around her neck! She was sooooo determined, but kept being tripped up and weighed down by all her many "treasures."

At that point, I had one of those "God moments" that sometimes comes my way. "I get it, Lord! I also struggle with getting weighed down by all my 'stuff.' Please help me to keep choosing to live simply so I can be free to follow You."

Written 4/18/06

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

Beautiful Saturday morning!...

I love being here on the deck! It's cool, shady, breezy, and quiet (as quiet as things get at our home here in town!). So many birds singing! I've been watching a monarch butterfly, who seems content to fly all around our yard. The azaleas are blooming, and the dogwood next door is covered with white blossoms. So very peaceful...

Joe has been transplanting hostas from our neighbors' backyard this morning. Little by little over the past year, he has seeded and watered and planted and weeded and patiently waited to see the fruits of his labors. Our yard is looking lush and green as a result now. I am so grateful for all of his hard work! And now I am understanding better his vision.

I think Joe saw potential out here that I just didn't see. I have to admit, I thought his one-man war against the wild violets that had overtaken our backyard was a little crazy -- they were green, weren't they? Wasn't it futile to fight against them when they were so determined to migrate over from our neighbors' untamed yard? Wasn't Joe just fighting a losing battle?

But I was wrong. And this Spring has proven it. This was a battle worth waging. Joe has taken back the yard from its' overgrown state, and now it is healthy and green... a testimony to Joe's hard work and diligence.

Jesus often used metaphors about gardening in His parables. Weeds. Fertile soil. Rocky soil. Water. Growth. Fruit. Seed planting. Tilling. Persistence. Providence. Hope. Faith. Harvest... There is much to think about here in our own backyard.

Written 4/15/06

MY ART SPACE

A quiet Saturday afternoon. I'm sitting in the studio, enjoying the sun that is shining through the window. This is one of my favorite places to be! I am blessed to have a room of my own where I can surround myself with paints & brushes, punches & glue, polymer clay & an assortment of little creative projects.

Of all the rooms in our house, I think this one best reflects me. This is a place where I feel happy!!... Looking around the studio for me is like looking at a timeline of my creativity: cartooning, lettering, paper piecing, acrylic paintings, and colorful polymer clay. These are all little experiments I've done over the years -- some more successfully than others. Actually, I guess they have all been successful, since they all have taught me lessons about color, design, and using a variety of art & craft materials. None of these projects would win any prizes; but, for me, they all add up to a colorful, one-of-a-kind, personal, not-to-be-found-anywhere-else mixed-media quilt -- my art space.

This is where the little girl in me comes out to play. This is where I journal & think & pray. This is where I brainstorm & plan my next creative project. This is where I read & learn from others. This is where I come to catch up with myself. This is where I can happily be me...

Thank you so much, Lord, for this place!

Written 3/25/06