richly present

approach each new day with a desire to find Me

before you get out of bed, i have already been working to prepare the path that will get you through this day. 
there are hidden treasures strategically placed along the way

some of the treasures are trials, designed to shake you free from earth-shackles. 

 others are blessing that reveal My Presence: sunshine, flowers, birds, friendships, answered prayer

i have not abandoned this sin-wracked world; i am still richly present in it

search for deep treasure as you go through this day.  you will find Me all along the way.

colossians 2:2-3

devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

photos taken in my neighbor's front yard

losing it

photo: chugach mountains, ak 2010

so extra pounds make hiking these Alaskan mountains (see the itty bitty people?) and getting into 6 seater bush planes a little more difficult

so i am beginning to lose it...good riddance!

found a great site...it's free...it's easy

weight watchers without all the calculating and counting points

LoseIt!

i'm feeling healthier and lighter already

those numbers are going down!

and this is helping, too...so good

{low calorie food ideas always welcome}

characters

photo: tumblr

deep in the recesses of my mental "to do" file 

is writing a book...

i have always thought the plot line would revolve around growing up in my parents' grocery store...talk about characters! but now that my neighbor is telling me her stories...a blend of the two would make a good read

so for awhile i have been compiling interesting names i run across or hear and so far i have...

wiley murdough

erminia cromble

nevada ramos

&

sunshine phillipi

i have to admit it's a fun little hobby...name finding

like mining for gold...when i find one? a little thrill!

sometimes J O Y comes in unexpected & silly ways

technical difficulties

photo: google images

here i am trying to access my email account

looking like it will be another day before i can get help

even their "live chat" crashed yesterday

i'm not feeling so "yahoo!" about Yahoo this morning

and i hadn't realized how much i rely on my email for the kids' practice schedules, updates, and much needed info...talk about being in the dark!

here's hoping i can remember all my top secret and highly classified password/id information that i coughed up 17 years ago

UH OH

pomp and circumstance

what an easy and beautiful table-filler...and the strawberries were gone lickety split!

who knew apples in the vase could be such a conversation piece...

my vintage chalkboard i used as a child...i'm so sentimental it's crazy

the little yard that could...everything pulled together so nicely!

i think we probably ended up with 150 guests and everyone was comfortable

my dad used to pick up these glass plate-n-punch sets up for me whenever he saw them at flea markets. since he couldn't make the party, i pulled them out {because i'm so sentimental}...we put veggies on the plates and dip in the cup and placed them on each table

the square glass bowls are from my aunt alba...i know they're older then me

a reason to use my vintage (it was my parents') luggage

the graduate's college sweatshirt next to her toddler dress and little shoes worn when she was 2

it was a beautiful evening

and a wonderful reason to get our yard and home ready for summer

next on the list?

livin' easy for awhile

{other than tearing down the mountain of laundry}

party prepping

using the greatest invention ever to wash my floors...

the mop goes into a salad spinner type thing and you use your foot to spin it however dry you wish!

love these words i borrowed from lisa leonard's line of beautiful jewelry

oh! the cake turned out so well!  her little kindergarten self smiling right at me 

this cake exceeded my expectations!

and these pretty posies already made their way into the buffet table's centerpiece

oops...now i need to find some more pretty posies for each table

back at it i go...it's been a delightful day preparing for guests

one of my favorite things to do...

always makes me fall in love with my house all over again

through it

love that saying...you know the one?

if He sees you to it, He'll see you through it

my neighbor had a visit from the hospice doctor yesterday

and he said "i'll see you in 3 months"

wowza!  she has far exceeded the nursing home's prediction!

and HE indeed is seeing her through it

with new friends like her wonderful health aid (top)

and our new friend (holding vintage salt and pepper shakers)

he's an art dealer who has helped me clean and organize {a home whose owner spent a life collecting in hopes of opening an antique store someday}...he cooks for us...brings us fresh flowers from his garden...keeps us laughing with his stories

other heaven-sent friends...cutting grass, bringing dogs and babies for visits, doing laundry, listening...

He sure loves us...each one of us!

so here's to the gift of time...the gift of the breath we just took

the gift of fellow pilgrims to walk with us

through

it

all

party people

it is raining so there is no natural light to take pictures...

of the preparations for the big graduation party this weekend

the stack of mulch...the geraniums to be planted...the weeds to be pulled

the edging to be done

{come to think of it, who wants to see those pictures?}

so here are some {more!} pictures of our graduate

these are the professional ones

as vivid as her eyes are, we bought the black and white for our living room

{go figure!}

and me?  i've been down with a cold turned sinus infection...then muddled through our team retreat for Alaska this past weekend...{hey, Beth! thanks for introducing yourself when you saw me at church!}...i just noticed, while eating a soft granola bar this morning, that i have a chipped filling

but i ordered the food, ordered the BIG cake (with her kindergarten picture on it), and bought a new straw tote this morning

oh yes, and see my new picture over there?  i am now a true brunette...by mistake, but i think i'm loving it.  feel like i look less weary.

alrighty, life is calling.

hope the sun is shining wherever you are

and if it's not...go buy a new straw and leather tote

i think i heard the beach when i looked inside it

xoxo

stepping out

photo:flikrlkawsy

ain't it the truth?

itchy, scratchy, awkward, uncomfortable...exhilarating

here's to a big, beautiful week outside the zone

we can do it

minutes

i just closed the books on another semester of teaching

everyday i walked into the classroom, i felt like there were 18 gifts sitting there waiting for me...we had such fun together!

i teach interpersonal communication, so we spend the semester talking about subjects like how perception affects our interpersonal communication, listening, conflict, relationship development, nonverbal communication...

so on the last day of class i had one more youtube video to share with them

before i pressed "play", i told them this video kind of sums up how we are to communicate with others

i told them the group {nickelback} won't say what the song means, but to me there is a definite faith component.  and when we interact with others, we should approach them respectfully...in love...always, always follow the golden rule

when the video finished, you could have heard a pin drop in the classroom

imagine if we all could see the numbers, too