Breathless Expectation

hello!

2012-01-22T22:21:00.003-05:00

thought i'd share some odds and ends since no legitimate post has made it from my brain to the computer in the past few weeks

{yes, i'm still here...just quiet}

A weird thing i do...

In the winter I often take 2 long showers a day. One to get myself ready for the day (morning) and one to warm my cold bones (evening). I know what all the experts say about drying out my skin and wreaking havoc on my hair, but I don't care. In the winter, a hot shower is the only thing that can make me warm. Sometimes i sleep with a winter cap on because i get so cold (and my side of the bed is under a window).

Right now I am listening to

David Carnes. Album is titled "Journey: a praise offering". Listed as "new age" on iTunes.

Today at church I

Hugged all my girlfriends I only see once a week. Read the book of James.

Best thing i've eaten this week was a

Piece of Flat Apple Pie I made (Pioneer Woman Cooks). It was my dinner.

Biggest laugh of the week

The scene in Modern Family where Clare and Phil engage in a mock debate in the living room.

No way! moment

The boyfriend watch i bought today IS an indiglo (it lights up at the touch of a button which i really wanted but couldn't find). I found out it "lit up" while setting it. It really is the little things that bring me joy.

Looking forward to

Visiting our daughter at college on Saturday.

Enjoying

My new class (I teach part-time at the university near us).

Reading

The Hunger Games & The Hiding Place

(2 different books)

Just Finished

A neighborhood Bible study (I host in our home) called Mercy Triumphs

Currently Helping

A dying neighbor who is declining in health

Wishing

I lived somewhere else until April

Recently seen in

A new coat from Boden, new watch from Target, new BIG eyeglasses

Loving

my fleece sheets

Last thing that made me chuckle

Our youngest son calling me (with my new glasses) Velma (from Scooby Doo)

Dreading

Getting ready for bed. The washing of the face, brushing and flossing of the teeth, the vitamin-taking. Sometimes I just want to fall into bed.

Jumping for Joy

That my hairdresser texted today saying she had a cancellation on the day and time I needed.

Whoop-whoop!

Missing

My Mom. I think I will always, always miss my Mom.

Book on Reserve at the Library

The Many Cries Your Body Makes for Water

(I have kidney stones and I hate drinking water)

Happy

I am maintaining my weight. Proud I've kept a pesky 22 pounds off.

Lucky

To have met some amazing women through blogging. Too many to list and link, but you know who you are.

Still crazy about

My husband.

Trying to

Quit loving "stuff" so much. Clothes, shoes, home accessories...oh, how i love it all!

Learning from

Rich Nathan, Alistair Begg, James McDonald

Wanting to

Be more like Jesus

Grateful for

A sturdy roof over my head, pretty clothes on my back, a new furnace to warm me, healthy food in my belly, people who love me.

XOXO

Cathy

one meal

2012-01-11T14:06:00.000-05:00

i just finished cooking a meal for my dear friend who is being stretched to the limit

such a simple thing, really, fixing a meal for a friend

{but i know, from being on the receiving end, it IS a huge gift}

the past few years i've thought if every person simply helped the people standing in front of them, the world would be a better place

i guess, based on the ancient letter below, my thinking isn't original

one meal, one phone call, one conversation, one carpool, one smile...

chicken divan, help the world?

Theophan & I think so

I would guess that among your friends are progressive thinkers, or that you have joined a society having such people in it, and they have scattered your good sense. Such people usually rave in this manner.

Phrases such as “the good of mankind” and “the good of the people” are always on their tongues….the progressives have in mind all mankind or at least all of its people lumped together.

The fact is, however, that “mankind” or “the people” does not exist as a person for whom you could do something right now. It consists of individual persons. By doing something for one person, we are doing it within the general mass of humanity.

If each one of us did what was possible to do for whoever was standing right in front of our eyes, instead of goggling at the community of mankind, then all people, in aggregate, would at each moment be doing that which is needed by those in need, and by satisfying their needs, would establish the welfare of all mankind.

Theophan the Recluse, Orthodox saint (1815-1894), in a letter to a young woman who had expressed confusion about her purpose in life.

new year, new posture

2012-01-03T15:10:00.000-05:00

photo: google image

and.the.greatest.of.these.is.love

first.corinthians.13:13

2012: i want to love jesus more

google image

don't think that because i'm not visible our relationship has to be less real. it will be different, but perhaps even more real...my purpose from the beginning was to live in you and you in me
-the shack, william p young

book #47

2012-01-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

photo: flikr via pinterest

feels like i just opened a brand new box of fresh colored pencils...

ready to create whatever my heart desires

a new year is kinda like that

the mental sketching of the want-tos and the dreams and the letting-gos of whatever fractures our pencils

i sit...fresh pencil on paper, ready to make those first letters

but it comes...a whisper

you are the pencil. i hold you in my hand. together we write.

relief. excitment. comfort wash over me.

c h a p t e r 1, 2 0 1 2

happy.new.year

love came down

2011-12-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

i always thought this photo was taken on christmas morning (circa 1970)

when i just looked at the back, however, i read in my mom's handwriting

(i love reading my mom's handwriting now that she's gone)...

"cathy loving me for some reason"

{gosh, i do love my mom!}

so it seems i wasn't loving on my mom because i had gotten a toy or trinket i wanted

i was loving on her just because i adored her

GOD adores us...

Jesus came

merry christmas

xoxo

Cathy

outside my window {peace}

2011-12-21T10:09:00.000-05:00

Outside My Window from The 5 Stones Group on Vimeo.

sometimes God plunks a kindred spirit right into your lap

i met my sweet and spunky friend liz at a retreat where she and her husband were performing

enjoy their christmas gift

xoxo

H o M e

2011-12-18T08:37:00.000-05:00

did you know you can buy display props at anthropologie? these antique marmalade jars made me jump for JoY when i saw them...i've been wanting one for years....i'm sure they hadn't been snapped up because people don't realize you can buy the props

they had to do some digging to find a skew no. for the little one...and then i bartered...ha! they were busy, so the clerk said "oh, all right...but we never barter, just so you know"

and hobby lobby, how do i love thee?

hadn't been for months but popped in the other day and fell in love with Bessie here (or Buford)...with my 40% off coupon, she/he was a steal

i bought my mom a ceramic cow just like this one (only bigger) when i was 16...guess i've always loved my bovine

and these little anthro spice jars...on sale now for $2.95

i love all things ceramic...swoon

my husband has really outdone himself this christmas...

now, i must remember to tell my boys that when they are married someday, they should be the ones to shop, buy, and wrap their wives' gifts...our system is a bit unconventional but i love it

and my husband does too because he doesn't have to set foot in a store :)

christmas past

2011-12-11T16:05:00.000-05:00

it's funny when i look at photos of our home

i realize i move things around a lot

and i move things on (to new homes with friends) a lot

it's how i've always been

just like my mom before me

party table, 2010

last friday i helped a friend by sprucing up her home (made a sitting area in her kitchen!) and decorated her home for Christmas (everything but the tree)

she is busy with work...aging parents...nearly grown kids

i was in absolute heaven...my sweet spot...i L O V E interior decorating

she arrived home from work and wa-la!

wish i could have been there to see her face...she sure was excited on the phone

as for Christmas...the decorating is okay

we have a smaller home so it all comes down quickly after the big day

this year the kids scattered after cutting down the tree

so my husband and i decorated our evergreen very simply with white and cream ornaments

i crave fresh...streamlined...clutter-free

like the simple beauty of these paperwhite flowers my friend Julie gives me every year

i love stuff

and i love simple

trying to find the balance

and the beauty

let it faux

2011-12-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

i may be getting carried away...

loving the faux right now...

{ha! didn't notice 'til this moment that i'm standing on the leopard rug i acquired a few years ago}

guess my faux fur love has been a few years in the making

i ordered two of these throws

oh my!

they don't even compare to ones you find in stores

used this one as a tablecloth for an alaska information table we had at church on sunday

everyone touched it...some didn't even realize they were handling it!

{one woman thought it was real}

been rainy here so no pictures of my leopard slippers or my leopard socks...or my leopard eternity scarf (guess i'm partial to leopard)

furs add that little pop of wow!

provide that big puff of warmth

and communicate a little bit of spunk and surprise!

December

2011-12-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

december is the time for H O M E

i do believe i'll try to capture those 4 lovely little letters in photos this month

yes, there are parties and junior high basketball games and over-the-river-and-through-the-woods traveling in december

but home has always been where my heart is

and because i'm sentimental

{i have another dormant blog all about home}

i'll give you back stories and sources, too

{because i know some of you are home-bodies, too!}

angel: homegoods a few years ago

the letter "B": country living fair, summer 2010

*barn door: antique store, indiana

*my husband lovingly picked the door up for me and had to move it to the trunk half way home. animals must have rubbed against it and he ticked off the miles by sneezing. i love that door because it's got great color and rustic charm, but i cherish that door because it represents L O V E. my husband sees no beauty whatsoever in it and he still bought it, hauled it, and sneezed many miles

...just for me.

thanksgiving bouquet

2011-11-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

yesterday morning i read the day's devotional and then went for my walk

{i decided to actively look for my "little treasures" along the way}

but for now, here's what i read before heading out...

as you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way.

i lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day.

look carefully for them, and pluck them one by one.

when you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet.

offer it up to me with a grateful heart.

receive my peace as you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.

a forgotten little notebook left on a stone wall

i wonder if God grinned as i turned the same corner i turn every day...

listening to the same song on my ipod...

knowing this little treasure would make me grin...BIG

it's a happy thanksgiving

get up!

2011-11-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

here's to a bouncing

jumpin'

hole-in-one kind of week

don't know about you but watching this makes me think

that sometimes we must make God belly laugh

when we use the bodies he gave us

to do amazing and wild things

thank you

2011-11-11T10:29:00.005-05:00

Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt cradles a young Iraqi girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The girl's entire family was executed by insurgents. The killers shot her in the head but she survived. The girl received treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Balad, but cries often. According to nurses at the facility, Chief Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he holds her at night while they both sleep in a chair. Chief Gebhardt was assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad Air Base, Iraq. (Courtesy Photo)

Source: af.mil via Matthew on Pinterest

lift up a shout

2011-11-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

hey there...happy monday

need some great house-cleaning music? workout tunes?

heard this at a concert at our daughter's college on saturday

i love all kinds of music, but i'm digging this driving beat right now

everybody rise

and SING!

back

2011-11-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

Beth Moore JAMES PROMO from LifeWay Media on Vimeo.
for several years i hosted a Bible study in our home

took a little break beginning last winter

but i am a lazy disciple on my own

so today 6 of us (2 more join us next week) began "mercy triumphs", a study of the book of james

familiar faces in our group...new faces

hearts already being knit together in friendship

lessons to be learned...love to be shared...burdens lightened by a good God and spiritual sisters

{happy sigh}

it's good to be back

pinned

2011-10-25T21:55:00.000-04:00

do you pin?

i spent some time today lolly-gagging around pinterest and my thumb is sore from all that pinning!

(it's a virtual pinboard, after all)

i was hooked on phonics today...my, how i love language and the power it has!

there's laugh-out-loud funny...

there's wisdom...

there are good reminders...

there's encouragement

i'm still not sure how the invitation and all that works out...

i just signed up (a while ago) and pretty soon i got an email saying "congratulations! the grand poo-bahs have invited you to pin!"

{or something to that effect}

so i put on my pearls and pumps to celebrate my good fortune

and have been pinning ever since

turns out my college roommate and i were apparently separated at birth because i "repinned" loads of her stuff today...

then tonight, she repinned a fashion photo i had pinned

it's a big pinning party!

{without the lavaliers}

this here internet sure is a hoot sometimes

sweet pea

2011-10-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

i have a great niece

which makes my sister and i grin...because this fact means we're getting older

{our brother is a grandfather...our father is a great-grandfather!}

our great aunts were rose, helen...

hmmmm...we're now the "i think they're my mom's cousins" people at bridal showers

but when i look at MY beautiful great niece

i don't care if i'm getting old

watching the ebb and flow of our family's generations

and having our newest addition/edition smile at me

makes me love family all the more

{Cathy is the new Helen}

the maine thing

2011-10-10T10:21:00.000-04:00

what a wonderful, beautiful, place maine is!

we spent a long weekend in kennebunk, maine for a cousin's wedding

in between the wedding festivities we took in all the sights

here are my men in kennebunkport

and here we are!

behind us is walker point...does that ring a bell?

President and Mrs. Bush (senior) have a home here

and what a home it is (this picture is just a segment of their home)

really interesting to see it...and to see the Texas flag flying...knowing they are there this weekend!

their impact, through centuries, on kennebunkport is astounding...lots of plaques with the name "walker" or "bush" on them...

inspiring...to see years of caretaking of a place by generations of one family

on sunday morning, i ditched the weak coffee of our hotel and walked across the street to the grocery store...

a quaint new england mom and pop place...breakfast counter...groceries...lots of pictures of bush family members with the owner on the wall

and lo and behold, there stands barbara bush herself

google image

everyone acted as if she were just a regular customer

and i didn't want to go ga-ga all over but i did want to say something to her

so i said...are you ready?

"are you in line?"

and there you have it. my interaction with barbara bush :)

we all have such wonderful memories from our weekend jaunt to maine

a beautiful place, indeed

alaska beauty

2011-10-04T08:43:00.001-04:00

photo: r. fox, ak 2011

funny how i get into my little groove

assuming everyone is chugging along doing similar activities...seeing similar sights...hearing familiar sounds

and then i am reminded that my friends in alaska get to experience incredible things that i can't even imagine

like meeting owl friends...up close and {look at those eyes} personal!

i heard an owl once...during a cub scout camp out

just hearing it gave me goosebumps

but to see one this close?

amazing

the gift of T O D A Y

2011-09-20T14:49:00.000-04:00

this just makes me want to lay down, close my eyes

and absorb his words

simply beautiful

is this thing on?

2011-09-19T08:16:00.000-04:00

i wonder if it's odd that i can actually hear the big brown truck traveling down our busy road

the day this arrived...oh, boy! a BIG smile in a box!

just looking at my little beauty bag hanging on a wooden hook in our living room brightens my day

we've been smiling around here lately

big girl "LOVES college!"

the boys are enjoying fall baseball

we've been attending church on Saturday nights because, of course, the Sunday doubleheaders have all fallen at 9 & 11

but getting some fresh words...hearing some new worship music...it's always good for the soul! and will make our post-baseball return to our wonderful church that much sweeter

and me? getting used to a new class at the university...helping my neighbor (goodness gracious, she's outlived everyone's predictions!)...fall cleaning...painting bedrooms...reading a wonderful new book (i'll tell you about that later)

i hope you are well in your corners of the world...

it seems i have so much to tell you, but when it comes to sitting down and writing you these letters the time has evaporated

you are beautiful...

sure hope you remember that today

xoxo

Cathy

bEaUtY

2011-09-06T08:44:00.000-04:00

beauty

found at a farmer's market

tucked back into an old horse stall

beauty in the people you love and who love you right back

their boy-love that says matter-of-factly

you're starting to get a mustache, mom...just a little one though

but with one arm draped around shoulder and breath close

the words are somehow endearing...the son-gift simply beautiful

and standing tall in a country field

around the bend...a surprise awaits the yearning heart

a field of sunshine

pure, golden delight

B E A U T Y

aren't we fortunate to receive it in so many ways?

open your arms, child...beauty is falling. for you!

happy

2011-08-31T15:09:00.000-04:00

it takes courage to grow up

and be who you really are

e.e. cummings

open hands

2011-08-29T08:10:00.001-04:00

i have watched this video 2,583 times since seeing it on her blog yesterday

i adore mindy gledhill

and i absolutely, positively, totally L O V E this song!

it's kinda sorta where i am in life

i am still working on being healthy(er)

{17 pounds...good riddance! don't bother trying to come back!}

i'm gonna walk a hundred miles and i'm gonna whistle all the while

the healthier this 46 year old body becomes, the younger i feel...is that odd?

i don't mind aging -- what a GIFT to grow older...truly! the good so outweighs the wrinkles and gray hair!

but i love how, on the inside, we can (in many ways) stay young at heart

I wanna hold the whole wide world
Right here in my open hands
Maybe I'm just a little girl
A little girl with great big plans

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,  and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 cor 2:9—

*did you see her in the video? talk about inspiring

*that apache helicopter wasn't planned. talk about cool

4 minutes

2011-08-25T09:37:00.000-04:00

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

every year we go to alaska i wish i could present

the entire gospel clearly

during Bible school

this guy just did it

blooming!

2011-08-22T09:33:00.001-04:00

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
— C.S. Lewis

to say she loves her college is the understatement of the year

and to say we are absolutely, positively thrilled for her is the second understatement

and we're ALL so thrilled with God we could bust right open trying to contain our thanksgiving

He just keeps heaping on the blessings...

to our sweet girl who has been trusting Him when it was hard to see the path He was creating just for her...

but now she's around the bend with jaw dropped wide open

and arms lifted high

i will sing of the steadfast LOVE of the Lord forever

-psalm 89:1

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way!...

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8:31

God so rocks

going, going...

2011-08-15T09:00:00.005-04:00

our house is buzzing with excitement and anticipation

college! she's heading off to college!

when she had colic, we never thought we'd make it to her 1st birthday

{i think i cried more then she did...sleepless zombie that i was}

but here we are...we made it through

and they were right...all those who told us colicky babies turn into really wonderful people

we L O V E her so! and E N J O Y her company!

we're gonna miss her, that's for sure (she is a SUNSHINE GIRL all the way)

but to watch her take her first real flight from our little nest?

breathtaking

to everything there is a season...a time to laugh, a time to cry

and sometimes a time to do both!

river run

2011-08-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

the past 2 years we have been guests in a new (to us) village and a beautiful river runs right alongside it

in the winter, the river becomes an ice highway enabling villagers to travel to other villages

but in the summer, the river is a boat highway enabling our friends to live off the land

fish racks dot the landscape

and the reddish-orange fish flags wave in the cool Alaskan breeze

salmon as art...love this photo

nets in a heap...waiting for their next fling out into the calm water

see the little plane? i grew up knowing someone was visiting when i heard their car tires in our gravel driveway

here we know by the buzz of a plane engine

someone coming...someone going... or ride's here!

we love this village and her people

peaceful and quiet

along the river

seaside

2011-08-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

how many kids can say they had a mud fight in the bering sea with their alaskan friends?

icing-on-the-cake blessings

{yay, God!}

through my lense

2011-08-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

arriving...

meeting...

catching...

resting...

creating...

riding...

L o V i n G

Jiggedy Jig

2011-07-28T01:32:00.000-04:00

we're back from the Alaskan bush!

this photo was taken in the Chicago airport after we flew through the night and awaited our next flight home

our trip was another incredible adventure!

travel? not so much...delayed flights, cancelled flights, a near car accident

but travel mercies and miracles graced us throughout our journey

the 5 of us travel well together...

we all realize the importance of saying "it is what it is" when travel stuff goes haywire...and we've learned that our backpacks make wonderful pillows on airport floors

and we just kept laughing

it's 1:30 am but my body is telling me it's morning...back to my wonderful bed to say some more thank you, God! prayers before dozing off again

home again, home again...jiggedy jig!

{grateful for your prayers, my friends}

a different lense

2011-07-05T08:15:00.000-04:00

remember i told you about losing it?

well, i did! i met my goal!

i feel stronger...and prettier

and i like buying clothes again

i saw this ad on this blog (she was talking about another kind of house...so good)

but at my age, i think losing weight isn't at all about dieting

it's about protecting my house...

feeling fit & S T R O N G

taking good care of the house i've been given

LIFE

2011-06-24T06:29:00.000-04:00

photo by m smith

simple

beauty

not a staged photo, no props used...simply a quick snap after a long day's work {hunting and gathering} by our young friend and his mother.

alaska

lakeside

2011-06-22T16:56:00.000-04:00

our view

simple beauty created by an unseen artist {someone created lots of these!}

100 year old cottages...SWOON

husband helping in the sea glass hunt

gardening artists are everywhere

cousin time

no words necessary

country girls

2011-06-21T13:10:00.000-04:00

i don't listen to country music that often

even though i love it

carrie singing this song makes me cry at the end every stinkin' time!

and did you hear Shania is back?

{love this new song of hers...you can get it on itunes}

talk about God making beauty out of the ashes

i wrote a lot of posts this morning (in my head)

but music seemed to be the order of the day

what a big, fat gift God gave us when he made our vocal chords

i think i'll go sing to Him now while i clean...

home again

2011-06-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

time for a long, hot shower and starting the laundry

...more pictures soon from our lakeside getaway

no matter how much fun we have

coming home is always the best!

right now

2011-06-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

been watching a lot of this...

and trying to get this job done for Alaska...

so that we can enjoy this next week

hoping your summer is off to a SuNnY start...in the sky & in your heart

xoxo

finish line

2011-06-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

she crossed it yesterday

what a pleasure it is to be her mom!

and what joy to sit in that sunny stadium next to my husband and our sons

and near the two buddies i met the first day i walked her into that kindergarten room

that's the only time i choked up, really...

when the three of us moms posed for a picture.

because through those encircled arms about waists

i felt all that history joining our spirits together

how amazing that all those years ago

God knew to place our daughters and son in Miss Byrne's afternoon kindergarten classroom

He knew we'd love each other from the start...unique as we each are

and that of all the friends we'd meet and enjoy through these school years

it would be the three of us still holding hands

as we crossed this first big finish line together

*a testament to how much i love these girls...what a disappointing picture of me!

busy as a...

2011-06-03T09:34:00.000-04:00

all's good

but my little wings sure are getting a workout

{did you know a honeybee flaps her little wings 230 times a second?!}

bees are pretty, from a distance

but i'm sure loving my own little bee of sorts right next to my settee!

her little price tag stung me with surprise...$29 for the whole lamp!

{i like bees alright, but i like tj maxx a whole lot better}

happy weekend...may your flying about bring you alongside people who remind you of big, beautiful flowers!

twenty one...

2011-06-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

...years today

my heart overflows with love...joy...gratefulness

richly present

2011-05-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-27T10:28:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-25T10:40:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-23T08:51:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-20T18:18:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

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

all

party people

2011-05-16T13:40:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-09T08:44:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-04T08:48:00.000-04:00

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

royal fun

2011-04-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

somehow i knew our daughter wouldn't make it up at 5 am to watch

{i didn't either}

but i had a royal wedding favor ready for her when she did stumble downstairs this morning

and it made our grumpy-morning-girl give up a royal giggle

2011-04-27T08:45:00.013-04:00

been busy with this growing up girlie...

{does this camera rock or what?}

really does seem like last week she was crying her eyes out in preschool...

daddy had to sit with her for 3 weeks (a first for the school) until she could manage the 2.5 hours without sobs

{looking back, she IS young for her class...what were we thinking?!}

i made the invitations and sent them out

of course, at last count "78 facebook friends are coming, mom"

but we're having italian...which can stretch if need be

the more the merrier

to celebrate that cap and gown day

after all, life's big moments are meant to be shared

hosanna

2011-04-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

worthy is the lamb

happy easter

xoxo

w o r d

2011-04-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

so my "had to have it" this holy week seems appropriate

isn't this just the most adorable Bible ever?

truth be told, i bought several for graduation gifts

but sometimes, you open that box and you just have to gift yourself

turns out i love the inside, too...good size font for my aging eyes

good contrast between page color and font color

{am i the only one who notices this stuff?}

lays flat...lightweight (for traveling to the last frontier...we are limited to 40 pounds each)...and the words of Christ in red (love that)

now the important part...using it daily!

i must admit i'm lazy...but there's nothing like the WORD to fill me up, satisfy, comfort, direct, correct, remind...it's a gift, alright!

and here in the USA we can buy all the bibles we want! not so in many places in the world

my prayer is that before long, its pages are dog-eared and worn from use

may it be so!

Holy Week

2011-04-18T17:05:00.001-04:00

google image

sometimes studying the Bible is just a wild, exciting ride for me

friday afternoon i was blown away by the following information...and because i am a total "light girl" (ever since i can remember i've turned on all the lights in a house, opened drapes, lit candles), i was simply ah-mazed at God

during the feast of tabernacles (also called booths), jews would set up temporary homes on the jerusalem hillsides

this would have been their third pilgrimage of the year to jerusalem and it was a trip to acknowledge the harvests and God's provisions during the jews' 40 year wilderness trip in the desert

jesus would have made this trip every year with his family

how odd that along with the thousands of other pilgrims the savior himself would have chanted H O S A N N A! (meaning "save, please")

you can imagine what the jerusalem hillsides must have looked like at night with all those shelters being lit by lamps...breathtaking!

another feature of the feast was illumination of the temple. the pilgrims who came to the temple would bring lights and torches. further, the golden lamps stands would also be lighted illuminating the temple. this, too, prophetically looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. (bibletruth.org)

at the end of this joy-filled feast, tents and shelters would come down as people began the long trips back home. the huge menorah, kept burning by young priests climbing ladders to replenish the oil, would be extinguished

little by little, the once blazing hillsides would become darker and darker

i suppose it would have been a real downer to have had made the long journey on foot and experienced an amazing time of fellowship and thanksgiving...laughter and joy...good food and wine...visiting with people you love --

only to have it end all too soon and have to begin the exhausting trip back home

the increasingly darker hillside (like taking down the Christmas lights) as people left must have been a depressing sight indeed

and so it is amazing to find out that one of jesus' most familiar statements was actually spoken at this very time of let-down...such powerful and personal meaning must have hung from each word he spoke

"when Jesus spoke again to the people [at the end of the feast of booths], he said i am the LIGHT of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

1. He understood their feelings of sadness that such a joyful time was ending

2. And He let them know Messiah had come...it.was.HIM

it was palm sunday yesterday...always a bittersweet service for me, knowing what's around the corner. the murder of pure and good Light.

this year, hosanna will have a different meaning because of what i've learned about the feast of booths

Holy week gets darker and darker...

but then...

EASTER LIGHT

would you take 50?

2011-04-12T15:01:00.000-04:00

our son looked at me standing in the lady's driveway and said

"you have to have it, huh?"

do you know the brown eyed fox?

oh, you just M U S T grab your pocketbook and head right over if you haven't met!

carissa started a tuesday post series titled

had to have it . . . tuesday

since i LOVE carissa's taste in all things decor (and the angles she shoots her treasures), i am loving tuesdays at the fox den

i asked carissa if i could join her and she said "sure-shootin'! go for it! that would be fun!"

{ok, she didn't really say sure-shootin'}

so here is my "had to have it...tuesday"

my antique settee i snagged at a garage sale for 50 bucks

our 15 year old man-child likes to lay on it with the iPad and rest his head on the wooden arm...

our dog knocks it over if he stands up on two legs to look out the window...

i could have saved for a big comfy couch

but i love my little settee...i just had to have it

simple gifts

2011-04-10T08:39:00.000-04:00

i shared some sunshine with my neighbor as the moon peeked through the trees last night

{giving can be so simple, really}

plucked a stem of yellow from my grocery store bouquet

took a water bottle out of the recycling bucket

and

delivered

the

sun

It is more blessed to give than to receive

-jesus

mmmmmmm....

2011-04-06T15:54:00.059-04:00

oh. my. goodness. gracious.

i've been baking homemade brownies since a glamorous flight attendant friend gave me her recipe when i was a career girl living near dc

but, dear Lord, someone on our AK team made these brownies for us

and i nearly heard angels singing when i took my first bite

{they're best after totally cooling}

i've named them "heaven's brownies"

although now that i think of it, they made me think of L O V E when i first tasted them (notice my "xoxo" on the recipe card)

is that weird? ahhh, i suppose not if you're italian, like me

food is love. love is food.

so consider this {below} my little love letter to you

2011-03-30T10:46:00.004-04:00

photo: the beautiful life

So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key. ~the eagles

seems to me the key is eucharisteo...grace, thanksgiving, joy

{thank you, Anne Voskamp}

my friend, Ruth, gets it too
{isn't she beautiful?}

it's worth the virtual trip to go visit and read about how her change in attitude brought gratitude and joy...go ahead just click below...you'll thank me, i promise

{the beautiful life}

It's our lives that are little and we have falsely inflated self,
and in thanks we decrease and the world returns right.
I say thanks and I swell with Him,
and I swell the world
and He stirs me, joy all afoot.
ann voskamp

flying

2011-03-28T16:52:00.000-04:00

time, that is

it's flying

i did the big haul this morning at all my usual haunts (save Target)...while i was waiting for Penny to slice my turkey breast (low sodium Sara Lee, chipped) i pulled out my grocery list and smiled BIG when i noticed our son had added a request at the end...he even drew me a picture

i tossed this beauty into the cart at walmart (of all places)...i've eyed them for years at summer parties but couldn't justify the expense. but for 6 bucks, i splurged...hurry up summer! (it is in the 40s here this week)

i have let my blog slip...hopefully i won't let it slip-slide away

March brought lots of stuff with her...another summons for jury duty (argh! i loved doing my civic duty 5 years ago...so proud, i was! but then i got summoned again 2 years later and again this past month. random-schmandom, i say) luckily, each saturday morning, bright and early, a recorded lady told me i was not needed that week. i love that recorded lady.

the kids had spring break...my husband is on sabbatical...my routine, my computer time...it's all out the window (but that's okay)

still helping my neighbor...other friends are struggling (so much pain just in my little circle)...started a new Bible study i love...trying to keep the house clean...teaching my class...expecting an overnight guest next week...needing to exercise (my husband blinked and lost 20 pounds...i wish his willpower would rub off on me)...need to call lots of far away friends (i really procrastinate making phone calls)...set our graduation party date and need to begin plans...trying to make LENT meaningful...beginning ALASKA plans and meetings

i finally told our son to quit asking me what time his practice is every day and to check my calendar...i'm getting a stomach ache with all the sports practices and games this spring (and those coaches change the schedule mid-stream all the time!)

so when i need a breather from my good, busy life (i really am so grateful for the time He's given me...the people...the activities) i've been cranking j lo. you'll see...she does a heart good--gets the body moving, motivates a person to clean...and exercise (ye gads, she looks great)

alright...so that's my catch up post

time to go pop some tater tots in the oven, throw a salad together...cut up that good rotisserie chicken i picked up today (gourmet meal, i tell ya)

how in the world are YOU?

hey, bud!

2011-03-21T08:46:00.000-04:00

oh, what a glorious sight you are, my little buds! you spell H O P E just by being your beautiful little selves.

i raked lots of leaves yesterday afternoon...just decided to get out there and scoop up the dreary remnants of a looooooonnnnnnnng winter.

and under all that brown leafy death...behold!

burgundy and green LIFE

i smiled right out loud at the surprise

it's spring break here this week {although i'm still working}

baseball and softball season stepping up to bat

dentist appointments and hair cuts and a new grand niece to visit

and then the normal...grocery shopping, helping my neighbor, laundry, cooking, grading papers, keeping up with Bible study lessons (oh, it's a good one...the Psalms of Ascent -- i do love teacher Beth Moore), working out, driving kids to practice...

even with a long to-do list i have a get-up-and-go feeling this morning...

a bird-singing, breeze-blowing, SPRING in my step

i could just hug my little buds

SPRING IS {FINALLY} HERE

A GOOD WORD

2011-03-16T14:06:00.000-04:00

our daughter saying goodbye (and being lifted up) to a family friend, AK 2010

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. -galations 5:22-24

amen

joy sprout

2011-03-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

Man tearfully hugs his dog, after being found by a firefighter. From Sendai-shi, Wakabayashi-ku (Tokyo Shinbun)

thank you, God

for being everywhere

who would have thought...

2011-03-10T09:56:00.000-05:00

people often ask me how Alaska has affected our children

{they were 6, 8 and 11 when we first lived in the bush}

and to tell you the truth...i really don't know how to answer them anymore

because serving God by loving others has changed them

and is now part of the fiber of who they are

how they look at other kids...

other people...

how they live their faith...

how they view God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit

yes, they're normal kids

{my husband is now almost fully gray}

but Alaska has changed their souls

and when someone asks me

"has your time in Alaska affected the kids?"

my heart overflows and my words are few

yes. i answer

it has

fresh

2011-03-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

source: googleimage

been cleaning and painting the house

i actually hired harold and the purple crayon to do the painting

{what a luxury...i'm usually the painter...his name is not really harold and the purple crayon, but i think it should be since he's a painter and his name is harold...even though i always call him howard by mistake}

benjamin moore "white cloud"...it's F R E S H & C L E A N

and so B R I G H T that i told our son to shut the front door...i thought the bright light was the sun shining in

spring is right around the corner...and it feels so good to do some

SPRING! fixing up...it's doing my soul good

the bread truck picture, you ask?

i just love it...i could eat french or italian bread every day...all day...i once ate a dozen hard rolls in about 30 minutes...i was 12 but i could {easily} still do it

alrighty...got some more cleaning to do...playing "Stacey Kent" radio on pandora...my good candles burning...hot cup of coffee in hand

have a fresh and bright weekend

may you eat all the hot, crusty bread your heart desires

source: googleimage

l e s s o n

2011-02-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

xoxo

Cathy

hApPy

2011-02-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

winnefred just makes me happy (without even inviting her out of her bottle)

new snow fell last night

{sigh}

but our baby turns 12 today!

{BIG, magical birth-day-snowflakes tippy-toed down the day he was born}

i had to clean up the donut wrappers before taking this shot

and the new lacrosse stick tags

and the 24 classroom cupcake crumbs

birthdays are like a trip to the county fair...

...a ride on the ferris wheel while holding a lemon shake-up

every birthday is a big, fat GIFT!

a new trophy to carry around all day long

birthdays sure do add to the happy in life

the road home

2011-02-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

My neighbor has been feeling punk this week…I can’t really wrap my mind around knowing what it must feel like to know your death is imminent. To have your kind painter ask you “what do I do if you don’t answer your phone one morning?”

To look at a full moon from your sick bed and wonder if it’s the last one you’ll see. To pet your dearly loved dog, give her an extra treat because there are only so many more you can give her…

I’ve stopped saying “goodbye” when I leave because, when dying, it’s a “final word”, you know? So I say goodnight, and see you later, or love you. I try to bring good energy into her home every time I step over the threshold.

I mean, it is holy ground I’m entering.

The living and the dying…so close together…coexisting for a time in one room. I put her needs before my own. I laugh a lot with her. I open curtains and fix tea. I point to God when she tells me stories…look how he has taken care of you all these years! I clean and organize. I water plants.

And I feel God watering me. Spirit growth in this sacred place where He is ever-present and so close to one who will soon see Him face-to-face.

I feel Him tugging my sleeve, gently turning my face to His and whispering...

live like this every day…with every one.

Life and Death coexist in every room.

It is ALL Holy Ground.

While I truly appreciate all your kind comments about helping my neighbor, it is ALL God.
Left to my own devices I remain obsessed with serving myself.

{divine} interruptions

2011-02-13T16:47:00.000-05:00

The telephone rings === loud, jarring. . .dissolving my precious moment of stolen solitude.

Then . . . I suddenly know . . . that God is in the ringing, that God is the interruption.

- edwina gateley

dale chihuly's overhead artwork at the conservatory . . .

i took the picture while there with my neighbor on friday

{-- a special and fun day indeed! --

i am involved at the end of her life in big ways now

because back in september my phone rang and her trembling voice asked

"can you get my mail while i'm in the hospital?"

thank you, god

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 -

smile bring-ers

2011-02-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

these two folks just make me smile

and than when i turn them around

they make me LAUGH!

sitting in my kitchen windowsill (when they're not posing for the camera)...

i feel badly that my neighbors have to see their angry faces through the glass...

but THAT makes me smile because they probably wonder

what in the world?!

and mr. owl

he sees things others can't...that makes him wIsE

he is my early valentine's gift from my husband...

i had to have him now...because i couldn't get him out of my mind

once i saw him perched on his anthropologie branch

winter is fun {for awhile}

but i've already pulled out my faux tulip bundle (which no one believes is faux)

and my faux hydrangea (another dead ringer)

and my little ceramic friends

SmiLeS...BIG ones...

bring beautiful, warm, sunshine to my heart

owl photo: anthropologie

m o m e n t s

2011-02-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure how I first found Ann’s blog

I do know that it isn't a daily read for me…

Because sometimes Ann’s words humble and overwhelm so much that I need time to breathe in between visits

Ann’s new book is on the bestseller list at amazon

And in typical ann fashion, she points heavenward and says

“it’s Him…”

I’m reading slowly and deliberately

Taking time to breathe

And cherish

E a c h m o m e n t

I am so grateful for ann

teaching

2011-02-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

photo: tumbler, kim kardashian

as a teacher of interpersonal communication

i tell my students that we have to lay the foundation (who am i?) before we can start adding the bricks (how do i communicate with others?) because

out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks

(matt 12:34)

and most of the foundation for interpersonal communication lies in self concept and self esteem...

photo: google, jennifer lopez

and a big part of the development of self esteem comes from social comparison

{and face it, we rarely are comparing apples to apples}

what you see is usually never the whole picture

of a person's life...their emotions, their circumstances, their looks...

photo: google, goldie hawn

most of these college students get it right away

and all of them get it when i show them these photos

{especially the young women}

sometimes social comparison can be a motivator to be a better person

but sometimes it can drag down our self esteem

and ultimately effect our relationships with others

i tell my students...

be yourself. everyone else is already taken anyways.
-oscar wilde

nature refrains

2011-02-02T20:10:00.000-05:00

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature— the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." 

- Rachel Carson

noticing the numerals

2011-01-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

i found this poster at ikea yesterday

took it down from its perch, pondered awhile and placed it back

i told my sister later...i found an amazing poster i love, but since we're on this new budget, i don't know....

when we rounded the corner, she exclaimed i knew it was that one! it's you!

{miss numbers and her big frame of a husband came home with us}

all of our ages are on there in one form or another...

brings back memories of asking wee ones can you find the number 2?

reminds me that there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year...

my new artwork reminds me that numbers need attention!

so here's to a weekend making every second count...

decoratinglaundrycleaninglaughingsoccerdrivingreadingchurchlacrossewalking

cookingsingingplayingrestingchattingsmiling

... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

i wanna make them count!

reminder

2011-01-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

i am cleaning up my bookmarks this morning and unearthed this gem

i can spend a lot of time window shopping on the world wide web

giving me a case of the wants

and "needs"

{seriously...if someone posts about a new pair of cute shoes, a new laundry detergent, a new knick-knack from Anthro...i'm following the web trail to find it}

this morning i am reminded that i need my africa

we all do

whatever our africa is

perhaps right next door...down the street...across state lines...across the ocean

truthfully?

our africa starts right where the good Lord planted us

"look around and go", He whispers softly

i am glad that God saves me from myself

and reminds me that my africa isn't for "them"

but for me

sisters

2011-01-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

we were born on the same day

and sometimes it does seem like we're twins...

{i was her birthday gift when she turned 7}

i feel so blessed to have a sister who is also a cherished friend

next week we'll spend our birthday (3 months late) at ikea

the drive, the pitstops, the laughter, the shopping...our relaxed relationship

i just can't wait

* sure do love my sissy *

anchors

2011-01-17T09:44:00.000-05:00

happy monday!

i found this little gem yesterday and keep hitting "replay"

{for the ears and eyes...just beauty FULL!}

when i sing along, i think of my husband first

and then i think of god

both love me just as i am

and in the most lovingly gentle ways

anchor me back down

grOwiNg

2011-01-16T15:07:00.021-05:00

when i was in college i took a lot of english classes

because i loved english and each course was an easy "A" for me

until i got dr. demott for american lit...my lazy ways didn't fall under his radar and i did not love his english class

a "d" on a paper! and when i rewrote it (with little effort), a "c"

but i became a better writer, a better thinker because of dr. demott

and i felt better about that "B" in his class than all my "A's" put together

i am reading two books right now whose authors may just be related to dr. demott

i've been praying for a kick in the pants on behalf of my expanding backside {i love to eat, hate to exercise} and on behalf of my lukewarm spiritual life {how my mind can wander to such great lengths during prayer is beyond me}

from author paul e. miller:

oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God

and this...

so don't hunt for a feeling in prayer. deep in our psyches we want an experience with God or an experience in prayer. once we make that our quest, we lose God. You don't experience God; you get to know him

miller has called my bluff (which seems to be the bluff of a lot of people, which is comforting) and is teaching me to re-think prayer

and from a most surprising author {DJ from "full house"} i am rethinking how i go about weight loss

{her book is getting great reviews}

i nearly laughed out loud when a few nights ago i read this

remember, the heart will deceive us with all sorts of negative thoughts: ..."you're getting older and people can't take the weight off"

{i have been using this excuse a lot lately!}

i suppose the biggest lesson i'm gleaning from candace's book has nothing to do with food or weight

but everything to do with willpower, delayed gratification and moderation

{things i already knew...but candace reminds me that it's all about body, mind and spirit together}

i hadn't really planned on reading either of these books

but i'm glad they have found their way onto my nightstand

i want to grow spiritually and shrink physically {grin} this year

so on this sunny, but wintry cold, day

i leave you to curl up by the fire to read

happily welcoming more wisdom

from unexpected places

well, hello!

2011-01-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

backyard sandhill crane, florida 2010

getting ready to go back to work tomorrow

after i hit "post" i will write an assignment for my college students

they will have to turn off their cell phones for a day

and write about how that little action affected their face-to-face communication with others

i wonder if they'll look like a deer in headlights when i explain the assignment

or like this crane when they have to look into another's eyes during a conversation

i'm trying new things this semester...

big ideas...fun activities

i'm ready for that bell to ring!

detour

2011-01-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

we stopped here on a visit to see my dad between Christmas and New Year's

paris?

brussels?

germany?

none of the above...

thanks to my generous dad, we were able to treat the kids to this place on our way to visit he and his wife in florida

so unlike us, really

to go off the path when we had such a short time to drive and visit...

a place with lines and crowds...

but these children of ours are growing up too fast

beginning to move towards the edge of our little nest

so we need to fly together now as much as possible...make as many together-memories as possible

for time? it's fleeting!

we visited Hogsmeade!

i've been funny about the kids reading the books...

spread them out so that they read the "darker" books when they were older

have had good discussions through the years about good vs evil,

about allegories (intentional or not),

the creative mind of JK Rowling...

about God

but back to Hogwarts and the town of Hogsmeade...

it was a magical and wonderful family time

rollercoasters & butterbeer!

an experience not to be forgotten

and one more memory tapestry for this mama bird

to add to our little nest