honor(ing)

I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did. ~Benjamin Harrison

brave sisters society

a few friends and i hosted a women's event a week ago


it was divine...



our focus was cultivating a brave life


we chose a french garden theme and i said things like "leve la main" which means "raise your hand" {that's all i could remember from 3 years of high school french}


our friend julie lives in an earthly paradise, so her place was our beautiful backdrop



we hung scripture {about nature} from julie's grape arbor dividers


you almost couldn't hear us read our verses because the birds were so happy!



we like to personalize every.little.thing!  linen garden gloves are no exception...



and the gloves were needed when we planted our own little herb gardens



something about working in dirt...getting back to nature...so calming



did i mention julie is a gourmet cook?


our french lunch included croque monsieur, salad, and fruit crostatas



i know


beauty everywhere



each friend left with a bottle of homemade wine with our own handmade labels


some other goodies, too...


all went into their take-out bags


personalized, of course


{because our God is a personal God}


last but not least...while setting up, the pool man showed us what was doing a few laps in the pool {i just went back in to "shrink" him -- UGH!}



{don't worry, that was my zoom lense}


i had wanted the three of us organizers to jump in the pool, fully clothed, at the end


you know, people remember the extraordinary!


but our creepy swimmer was a deal breaker.


friends, God, nature, and amazing food


{and i'm sure the pool man ridding of us the snake is an allegory somehow!}


a foretaste of heaven if you ask me


blessed indeed


*i'm linking up to my friend Patty today and i'll say the snake is my favorite picture of the week...just because patty's son loves them so!

worn

speechless


when i saw patty's photo this week for our WORN theme 


utterly speechless


the wood grain...the vivid blue...the CHICKEN.WIRE!


teamed up with my photo of my worn red wagon


in front of my worn green metal wheelbarrow


the colors together...


the patinas


the rust


simple. organic. beautiful.


and i am so thankful to my team-up buddy for helping me train my eye


the see the beauty everywhere

once upon a time...

there lived a pretty picture in the girl's basement


she loved it once, but not so much anymore


then she had the idea (blogdom inspires once again) to spray paint over the picture with chalkboard spray paint


{GASP}


and so...tentatively...she.............did!




and she bought some fancy starbucks-style chalk markers with her michael's coupon


and wa-la!


the girl was happy


and wonders what else could use a nice new coat


of chalkboard spray paint

overflowing

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.

-francesco guicciardini

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

-anais nin

we pulled off another special event last friday for an amazing group of women from our church.

we call ourselves the brave sisters society

{and the day was absolutely splendid}

when christine, julie and i were cleaning up

christine said something like

do you ever feel so "full" that you could just cry?

and i said

yes.  i feel that way every time i say goodbye to you two.

i have always been social, but

when i decided to follow Jesus at age 17  i had no idea that He would bring alongside me incredible women {who follow Him, too}

to be my friends

and these friendships (all of them) are sacred

and deep

and inspiring

and crazy-fun

sometimes the Gift-Giver overwhelms me so much i could cry

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God's name, saying, 'God will be the bond between me and you'.

1 Samuel 20:42

the paradoxical commandments

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

{adapted from Keith Kent’s “The Paradoxical Commandments”}

{Anyway was hung in Mother Teresa's bedroom}

{looking up}

so cool

once again!

patty and me

team-up thursday!

love this one so much...

blues....

you know those Amish men on the roof are wearing boots, too!

browns...

creativity...

all kinds of unexpected beauty can be found

just by

LOOKING UP!

CLIMB

You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you. I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down. Psalm 31:3


reaching...stepping...grasping


onto God


He sees my tomorrows


our time in a new bush village has already come


and gone


and is


for Him


and so as i peer over cliff's edge


or look up at mountain's intimidating face


i have the courage to climb


like a toddler climbing all over her papa


i climb onto my good papa...my cliff to climb


and have nothing to fear




May God not find the whine in us any more, but may He find us full of spiritual pluck and athleticism, ready to face anything He brings.  Oswald Chambers


*photo taken of a climber while in Kentucky...reminded me of spiderman!

morning light

this is my favorite photo of the week


i snapped our neighbor's house around 6:45 am 


the morning light seemed to be dancing everywhere that morning!


so i went outside with my camera and started shooting


{wearing pjs and slippers}


it was as if God Himself were opening the blinds 


in my little corner of the world


and sending me morning kisses in the warm breezes

i'm sharing at Patty's today where she is hosting "the way i see it"

so consider my photo the warm-up act to Patty's


{her photos are ah-mazing}


and link up yourself, too...it's fun!

team up thursday (SiGnS)

it's team-up thursday again {already!}


i love patty's sign and all that surrounds it!


and i love how my little sign seems to nestle right under her big building


black in her sign blends with the black in mine...gold on the building, gold on my candle...green paint...green bushes in my background


2 bloggers + a sign theme = beauty

walking on the wild side

{wild [wahyld]: living in a state of nature; amazing or incredible}


i've worked up to this wild rug...


but i'll have to share about that later


it's monday mornin...time to hop on a new week and hold on tight!

mom

it's mothers day.  that's me.  i'm a mom.  


and anything good i do as a mom i owe to my own amazing mom


and today i had my son snap this picture


because it was a good hair day


and i thought as i brushed it out


standing in front of the mirror


"mom would like my hair today"


and then i put on some dark colored lipstick so my teeth would look whiter


{it still works, mom}

yesterday i heard a funky rendition of "you are my sunshine" on a website

my mom used to call me "sunshine"

so, of course, i thought of her and smiled from ear to ear

i miss sharing good hair days and successful cooking feats and new paint colors and kids' milestones and artsy ideas and blogging friends and God stuff and people magazine and annoying students and funny dad stories and dog complaints and husband brags


who do i ask about how gladys bailey died or if i use chicken stock or beef stock in wedding soup or have i always had ridges in my fingernails or how did you make it through our hormonal years or do you think our dog is really a lemon or how did you ever deadhead all those petunias on the mound?


i suppose one should want to hug Jesus first upon entry into heaven...


but i think He understands that i'll need to hug my mom first

self

patty and me...meant to be!


it should be no surprise that, without planning, we both made faces...


and we both are sporting aqua colors


patty's so tech smart, she "teamed us up" again this week


and gave our photos a copyright thing-a-ma-jig!


ok--so self portrait followed by a little Q & A...here goes


{wonder if patty and i will have similar answers!}


When meeting new people, they are surprised...I am so funny.  I can be very"qwitty" (quick and witty all at once!).  Men are especially surprised (ball game Dads, etc) that my "funny" is actually intelligent.  Go figure! 


If I could meet an historical figure who would it be?  I would definitely want to meet Harriet Tubman (bravery)...Mark Twain (funny)...Socrates (I would ask him questions...get it?)...a pioneer woman (perseverance)...Ella Fitzgerald (raw talent, and I think we'd laugh a lot)...and a relative from long ago (i love family ties). {as for someone living, i want to meet Patty someday!}


Least favorite chore: cleaning the shower stall.


My favorite thing to do on a free day: shopping...specifically for antiques and home decor.  I love window shopping high-end to get ideas and then finding something even better that's less moo-la.  Lunch would be part of my day...somewhere with amazing sweet tea and creme brulee.


The most adventuresome thing I've done: lived in the Alaskan bush with my husband and children (ages 6, 9, and 12) for 6 weeks in 2005.


now...run, don't walk...on over to Patty's little corner of the world...


she's out finding serendipity, but her door is always open!

winner all around

could it be?


i won Ruth's giveaway!


when i told my husband that i actually won, he thought us bloggers just did "pretend giveaways"


now that made me laugh out loud!


a {huge!} stack of decorating books...


and a few delightful add-ons!



like this Jeanne d'Arc magazine from Denmark...


and beautiful golden locket...


through blogging, ruth has become one of my dearest friends


one of my absolute favorite {virtual} back fence neighbors


winning a contest was delightful


but knowing Ruth is even better


step through her backyard gate into A Beautiful Life...


i know she'll have the coffee on for you


and you can SHOP! in her beautiful boutique, too


SIGH...


ruth rocks

strolling

sometimes a camera in hand 


reminds me


of the beauty



that resides


right here on my very own street



we are blessed to have that "small town feel" in a big city kinda place


expecting barney fife or aunt bee to meet us on the sidewalk 


near anna's lily of the valley 



it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood