Sounds of fall

Only one day left of August ... and Tuesday September hits.  There is a chill in the morning air, the comforter stays on all night, cozy is a word that I think of in the morning, and even the wind sounds different.  The leaves sound crisp without the heaviness of the humidity.  Rain drops sting a bit as they hit my skin and the sweatshirt has come out of the closet.   But last night we needed another trip to the beach.  Even the lion is wondering if summer really has to end.

The Open Seat

A crowded bus. Folks anxious to arrive at their destination. How many more will fit? A mother with a baby. Businessmen and women heading home on a Friday afternoon. Folks on their way to a weekend adventure. We just wanted to get to the airport ... a day of training ... planes awaiting. How many more can get on the bus? "Please let the lady have a seat" "Folks there is plenty of room." "Mary Anne put your suitcase up here" "Oh there's room for my back pack." "Please let the lady with the jacket have a seat." The path opens and I realize he is talking about me. When did I get so old?

I do not own a red hat yet ... nor do I have a purple dress ... and last I checked my hair is still blond (okay, a little white). Mary Anne is the one with grey hair ... I was the one with the jacket.

Connections and Elegance

Why were trains stations designed so elegantly in years gone by? Think about it ... Union Station in Washington DC (1907), Grand Central Station in NY City (1913), St. Louis Union Station (1890s) Chicago Union Station, (1925), Stockholm Central Station (1870s). The grand halls of train stations ...

The train station in years gone by were the meeting point, entry to city. A waiting place. Think about these places ... places of connection ... places where folks met one another ... journeyed to new places. Imagine being an immigrant and arriving via train to one of these fine places. Functional ... yet beautiful.

How many people have connected with one another at train stations?
Why do I feel so cozy when I get to a train station.
As simple as the one in Sacramento to as elegant as the one in Washington DC.

I think this weekend I'll stop by the train station in Rochester.
Check back ... I'll post a picture!

Feelings

It's in the face ... That's where are feelings are so evident. And yes, I think even dogs express emotion. I wasn't sure if this was more like a mug shot or just a look of loneliness. As I was readying for work in the morning he stood and looked at the door.

If this were a child .... what words would you use to reflect the expression? Loneliness? Sadness? Rejected? Using these words helps our children develop and become emotionally healthy. And it is okay to acknowledge the emotion. By acknowledging the emotion we acknowledge the core of the individual. We show how much we value another.

So next time you see a grumpy check out person ...

"Gee, it looks like your having a bad day"

The Tastes and Colors of Summer

Fresh tomatoes.  

Hopefully this weekend I might even put up some spaghetti sauce, or 

maybe enchilada sauce, or even chili sauce. 

 But put these with .... 

and you almost have my favorite summer sandwich.  

Bacon lettuce and tomato ...

 on sourdough bread ... 

with mayo of course!

Then there are the fresh herbs.  

This bunch in basil, oregano and tarragon.  

They will soon join the sage which is drying in the basement!

Finally the summer corn prepped for the winter soup and meals.  

The compost pile is getting full just with this weeks activities

Summer sure is full of color

Messy

Things just sometimes feel really messy ...

and I don't know how to sort things out.

Nothing on the plate is tidy

It is just all messy.

Perhaps I could cover it up with sweet syrup

That doesn't work

Perhaps a dollop of whip cream

That doesn't work

Perhaps melted butter

Nope ... that doesn't work

The engineer in me wants out

order

tidiness

organization

So how do I get from one to the other?

Living Each Day

God continues to be revealed in our lives daily. Sometimes I think revelation comes through an exchange between two people, the rays of sun bouncing off the living room floor, the hug of a child, the waters of baptism, an assembly of people, lying in bed in the middle of the night, a passage of a book, the bread, the wine.

With each revelation I move beyond the literal to the what can be. It moves beyond what is seen to what is not seen. God's revelation is what is beyond / behind the words.

God continues to be revealed through faith.

Joy

"Joy is the magic and stillness 

that stand on the threshold of every moment, 

the experience of giving and living fully, 

without expecting anything in return. 

Because joy knows no rules, 

it isn't afraid to be imperfect, 

and it can surprise us even in the darkest places." 

Hannah's Gift 

Maria Housden

May you find joy today!

If you aren't sure where ... swing on a swing ... 

tickle a baby ... fly a kite ... 

cook with passion ... 

play with your dog ... enjoy a good cup of coffee.

So tell me ... what brings you joy?

The Altar

All are welcome at God's altar.  Why would it be any different for adults than it is for children. "Bring the children to me" says Jesus.  Not the girls or boys, not the white, or black, Swedes, Chinese, African, Italians, Canadians, Brazilians.  Jesus says bring the children.  All the children are welcomed by Christ ... all the children are welcome at the altar.  We are all welcome.  Come join the feast which has been prepared.  Whomever is next to you is your neighbor.   Whomever next to you is a child that Christ asked to be with. 

Come kneel at the altar and be fed. 

Making Memories

A new house.  Lovely open yard.  A huge tall tree.  A fire pit.  Three tents.  One golden retriever.  Three girls third grade and under.  Five grown ups.  Roasted marshmallows on chocolate wafer cookies (decadent), Chardonnay, ribs, mac and cheese.  What else could one want.

Oh yea ... a guitarist and three part harmony. 

Memories.

What memory did you make today?

An adventure awaits

We never know where the next adventure awaits.  Seven years ago I bought a tent ... let's see, I have used it less that once a year on average.  Don't ask.  Anyway there I was having an enjoyable dinner with friends looking at the new back yard "wow what a great place for a camp out"  "How about Friday night?!"  So here it is Friday night.  In the back of the Subaru is the tent, sleeping bag, camping chair, and air mattress.  Oh yea, I am responsible for marshmallows (you got it, s'mores).  Still now I have to get the ribs (that I slow cooked last night) the flashlight, the dog, and the leash.  What was I thinking?  

What adventures awaits you tonight?

To Joan and Art ... and all who venture out

Oh Lord,

You have called your servants

To ventures of which

We cannot see the ending,
By paths as yet untrodden,
Through perils unknown.
Give us faith 

To go out with good courage,
Not knowing where we go,

But only that your hand is leading us,

And your love supporting us,
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen

As you leave the village you are returning to a home yet you are returning as different people.  may you take the lessons you have learned this past year as they take to paths as yet untrodden as you are who you are today which is different than who you will be tomorrow and who you were a year ago when you ventured up the mountain.  

All that remains the same is time ... there are still 60 seconds to a minute 60 minutes to an hour and still 24 hours in a day.  Yet you have found a new rhythm to its beat .... hold onto that rhythm and you will discover the new path in the place you call Ellensburg! 

For those who read this and are not Joan or Art ... take that new path even though you can't see the ending ... go with courage ... go with faith ... go knowing you are not alone. 

Facing our fears

"Truth is fierce and unrelenting.  We cannot change it, but we can change the way we live it.  Making mistakes, not being loved, and dying are inescapable experiences of being human; so is our fear of them.  By facing those fears, we have a change to step beyond them.  When we are willing to do the best we can with what we know, to be honest with ourselves and others about who we are and what really matters to us, only then are the lives we live and love we receive truly our own."

from Hannah's Gift

Maria Housden

Might I be so bold as to suggest that today you face one of those fears that dwells deep within and go forth.  It might be as simple as doing a handstand, painting a picture, or as complex as connecting with someone from your past .... only you know ... 

"Later that night, I sat at the kitchen table ... studying the [finger] paintings taped to the cupboard doors.  They were beautiful.  I was actually proud of mine.  A knot in my heart began to unravel.  For years I had been wanting to paint and had told myself I would have to take lessons first, so I wouldn't do it wrong.  Today, without the brushes and palettes to intimidate me, my fear had literally slipped through my fingers.  I had lost myself in the joy of it"

Finding Smiles

SHHHHH

Be quiet ... look all around
Hawaii in New York
Walk the neighborhood
You will discover smiles all around

Just think about it
You're smiling right now, aren't you
:)

What Rules Do You Live By?

While these may be rules to live by ... sometimes it is hard.  We question our competence, we are afraid to show our weaknesses, we wonder what we do well.  In the deep of our darkness we reach out ... some for God, others for things which numb our being, some for a long run, some to curl up in the comfort of a comforter (that's why they are called that, you know).  Its important to name the darkness, to be angry, to yell, and to cry.  When we are able to do this we can start to come out of the darkness.  Wallowing takes us deeper.  So in the emotion we only have to take one step.  Touch the walls with your hands, shuffle your feet so you feel secure, and take the step.  Put one foot down ... gently as you build your confidence.  

One of my rules ... name the "it" ... the insecurity, the fear, whatever paralyzes you.  Then you can take that step out of the darkness.

p.s. did you know there is research that indicates that the brain can relax when we are able to "name" it.  

If a child is mad .. and you tell the child that they seem "mad" ... they start to calm down and they can move forward.  If I can't name it ... actually say it ... I get stuck.  How about you? 

My cup overflows

I work hard at not having this be a journal of my life ... musings on photos, words and random thoughts! But so much has happened today that I will just show two pictures ... both taken this evening after an intense day of meetings, emails, etc.

Jewish Rye Bread, Brighton Farmers Market

I came home this evening about 8ish after a day at the office. Well I did stop by at 6:45 for a 5 minute dog walk for Teddy. I snuck out to meet with friends who invited me for ice cream. When I returned at 8ish this was on the floor. Teddy clearly had made his statement .. yet he knew when he was full. So much for this delicious bread that I bought yesterday for $4. I couldn't even figure out how to cut away his droll. By the way ... can I throw it in the compost?

A cup of Abbots

The reality though ... despite it being an "action packed day" (that's my spin) I realized that my cup overflows. Just as I was heading out to meet friends for ice cream the phone rang. It was someone else inviting me to meet up with them for ice cream!

Yes, my cup overflows.
Today with good friends ... near and far.
Those that accept me and my directness, my snarkiness, my annoyance, my judgementalness, my chaoticness.
Those that accept me and my love, my patience, my hospitality, my generosity, my acceptance, my flexibility, my laughter, my tears.
I am all of these.

Thanks for those who love me as I am ... with all of these rolled up in one.
Thanks for those that invite me for ice cream
Thanks for those who introduce me to new experiences.
Thanks for those who come back tomorrow even after a day like today.
Thanks for those who understand that we are who we are ... every day a new ... and every day a gift of life ... and everyday a day to give thanks!

Thanks be to God for fresh baked bread, frozen custard, dogs, and friends.

p.s. invite someone for ice cream this week!!

parsley SAGE rosemary and thyme

It Sunday afternoon ... and I am ready to try something new.  Drying herbs.  Now people have been doing this all over the worlds for many years but not me.  A few days ago the sage bush was trimmed ... and then it became a centerpiece in the dining room. Today I searched the newest reference "book" (google) and decided to give it a try!  With twine and the scissors I started the process.  Now in the basement are six bunches of sage hanging ... they say about 10 days.  All the "leftovers" from the process ended up in the compost pile!  

Am feeling satisfied.  There was this treasure outside.  Now it has the potential to give again!  

Genesis 43: 23  "It's all right," he said. "Your God has given you treasure."

Somedays I'm just Too Tired to Write!

Letting them go

Sometimes you just have to stand there while they fly away.  

Then step back and figure out what you do next .. 

It all part of the process ... 

Mind the Gap

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge cantilever span nearing completion

We talk alot at my office about "building the bridge as you walk on it". Now sometimes that seems okay ... but after a while it gets frustrating. So imagine that you are building that bridge and suddenly ahead you see someone doing the same from the other direction. mmmm. I just hope that we can all slow down enough to ensure that the union of two directions is "on target."
Today was a day that I felt the bridge was being built as we walked along ... I sure hope tomorrow the bridge is finished!

How about you?

martha or mary?

I think I am more a Martha with a hint of Mary! I enjoy company and link it to connecting ... relationships ... and hospitality. I would rather "throw" a party than go to a party. I would rather clean up after a party than be in the "deep of the party." But most of all I thoroughly enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with someone at the end of the evening. So maybe I am both Mary and Martha.

Give me a call
Swing by some evening
Let's share a glass of wine!

Not sure who Mary and Martha are? Why they are sisters in the Bible. One the scholar and on the gift of hospitality.

"Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

Clean!

Clean, fresh, new.

I came home early today to look at the newness. The frontyard is being redone ... I've taken out the overgrown yews that I guess were planted 50+ years ago. Cleaned up!

Then I came in to a house after someone had come over to clean (okay, I know that's a bit excessive). Wow! All picked up spruced up dusted up swept up. Cleaned up!

I smile as I look at them
I sink into the living room and love it.
I look out the window and feel fresh.
Renewed
Energized
Now to my heart and mind

Such a parallel ...
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

National S'more Day

Did you know that today is national s'more day?
I just had to share this very important information
Wednesday is national middle child day!

Who makes these claims?
I just don't get it.

If you were to pick a day to name
What would it be?

Simultaneous Flash Crash

12 hours later it begins again.

The lawn mower had just finished its work, plants potted, limbs and twigs from this morning picked up and I asked "Is it starting to rain" "Yes, I just felt a couple of drops." Within two minutes we were soaked. Teddy clawing the door to get to me.

Flash crash.
Fast moving.
Flash crash.
It continued.

Sometimes life is like that isn't it?

Somedays there seems to be a flash and the crash follows
We gain perspective.
Other days the flash crash happen simultaneously
We wonder where to hide or what is going to happen next.
Teddy, he runs to the cave (or under my feet)

What do you do when the flash crash happens?
Gain perspective?
Wait for it to pass and hope all will work out okay?
Run for cover?
Sit back and take it all in?

Or does it just depend?

I think we each do a little bit of each ...
It just depends on the day.

The important thing is not to ignore the Flash Crash.
It is important.

P.S.
The sun just came out!!!!
The glorious greens are bursting.
The flash crash gave us another few days of water!

Flash Crash

I know it is coming.

Teddy has started to move

In search of a cave

Outside the quiet.

Inside a frantic dog

Making his way under the bed.

That's how I know it is coming.

Shh quiet wait

A growling stomach on steroids

Comes rumbling along.

I know its coming

The sky illuminates

The thunder rolls.

I survey the results.

Pots turned over

Scattered limbs

Darkened pavement.

Another red zone approaches

The sky illuminates

The heavy limbs sway

Wenatchee Forest After the Burn

The front chimes sing

Teddy is underfoot

Lighting overhead

Rolling thunder.

Teddy was right

It was coming

It has come

It passes through

Another on its way

Summer in Rochester.

Homeless

Paris, France

All around the world there are those who live the streets.  Imagine all of your possessions in five bags.  Imagine not having the luxury of a shower, fresh sheets, the privacy of a bathroom, a refrigerator to protect your food.  Last night I tossed and turned ... sleeping in a hotel with sheets that didn't seem to fit right.  Yet there I was in a hotel with air conditioning.  Clean sheets and towels ... and little bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion.  

This man, he is my brother ... he is your brother.  I watched him from the bus window and wondered when was the last time someone looked him in the eye to say hello.  How many times people cross the street to avoid him?  How many parents hold on tighter to their children as they pass?  

How valuable is it for you to have someone look you in the eye and say hello.  To acknowledge your presence. Babies thrive when they are held ... when people play with them ... when they are looked at in the eye.  We are no different at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100.  

This man ... he is in our towns.  

He is in our offices.  

He is in our lives.  

He is our brother.  

Don't walk on by.

Look him in the eye

Greet him in love.

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Look Up

Walking through the streets of Toronto one can easily feel small in the midst of surrounding concrete, but if you slow down, better yet stop ... look up ... you would be amazed. Reflections of the world are there ... the sky, buildings, bouncing sun, even the moon.

So how about heading outside ... laying on the ground (okay not the pavement or sidewalk in the middle traffic area) ... but lay on the ground tonight and see the heavens open up to you with the wonderful full moon, the stars.

Signs of Gods love ...
All day all night God's love through light shines on us!
And even when us humans build these large buildings there are reflections that get to us.

Stay tuned .... and I'll post some pictures!

Memory Triggers: S'mores Part II

This s'more thing is quite a fun topic for discussion. In a group of six, five thumbs up and one thumb down "they are just too sweet". At which point his wife informed him that he ate them anyway!!!!!!

For another there is a bit of PTSD ... okay you ask what is that about .... Memories of being a camp counselor and kids running around with pointed sticks and running too close to the fire. The antenna were up ... would a child accidently fall into the fire, or stab another child. You see, this individual used to work at a burn unit ... and saw first hand the horrific pain and suffering a child would endure as the result of a burn. See ... what we experience and feel today is built on experiences of yesterday. Yesterday's memories springboard today's reactions.

Then there were two in the group that talked about their shared love of poking campfires. The need to find the right stick to move things around and keep the fire going. When stoking the fire another said she would calculate how long a log would burn to make sure they planned to stay up that long (wanted the fire all the way out before turning in for the night!)

An extended discussion ... when all I asked was "thumbs up or down for s'mores".

Memories ...

What do you think of when you think S'mores?

S'mores Anyone?

Many of us grew up eating s'mores while on camping trips.  But do you really like them?  Think about it ... a roasted marshmallow (I really don't like it when they are burned), a slice of chocolate (Hershey's really is the best), both sandwiched between graham crackers.  They are sticky, gooey, wayyyyy toooo sweet.  I don't really like them ... but somehow whenever there is a campfire ... s'mores seem to be eaten.   You know ... like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, Tom and Jerry, Mutt and Jeff.  

So here are two girls ... one from France one from California .... sitting around a campfire in the backyard of a home in Oakland California ... making memories.  S'mores and campfires.  Fifteen hours later I could smell the campfire smoke on my sweatshirt .... memories ... campfires in Yosemite, Holden, Scout Camp, Mt. Cross, Caribou Wilderness, Lake Tahoe, the Adirondacks and now my brother's back yard.  

Campfires and s'mores. Even though I really don't like them that much ... they just go together ... because that's what memories are made of!

The Unknown

Have you ever taken a path without knowing what is ahead? We believe that we know what lies over the berm and into the future based on previous experience. Yet we don't really know until we take the step. It is on the knowledge of yesterday (tainted by our memory) that we live today and hope for tomorrow.

As you look forward ... follow your heart, follow your mind. You can make your lists of positives and negatives, but know that it is the melding of the heart and mind that you need to follow. You live in a web of support as choose your path. Is the grass greener? Maybe. Maybe not. You won't know for sure until you are there. The there may be there, the there may be here. The reality is, there will be different than today.

“For yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.”

Sanskrit Poem

Just know ... that every tomorrow is a vision of hope.

So work to create what will be and take the step into the future ...

Stopping for a Rest

Perhaps this butterfly really isn't stopping for a rest ... perhaps a refueling.  Yesterday afternoon she decided to stop by .... gently approaching unaware of Teddy ... allowing me close to take a picture ... then flying to another branch.  Seemingly alone ... one of a kind ... connecting with life ... for only a short visit.  But then it seems that their adult life is very very short.   I read that "marking studies suggest that winged adults of many (and perhaps most) species live only a week or two, and that the male tends to live a few days less than the female."

I so appreciate this one stopping by and sharing her beauty.   

Each of us needs to share the beauty we have with others ... and recognize the beauty in others!

Bread

Why did Christ only give enough bread to the people for one day?

The answer came from a 13 year old

Because we need to believe that Christ is there tomorrow as well ... it is one day at a time.

So simple ...

Give us this day our daily bread.

I am the bread of life

Living bread

Live today

Live in hope

"Give me only my daily bread." Proverbs 30:8

The Tasting

Wine Tasting, Rennes, France

There is so much more to a tasting than the tasting.
There is so much more to living than living.
There is so much more to a walk than the walk.


What comes before
What happens during
What impacts the future.

We have to be careful not to focus on the event, what comes between the bookends, what's between the front and back cover. Rather we are who we are based on the past. What happens tomorrow builds on what happened today. Even when we say "tomorrow is a new day" we carry with it our experience of today.

Eternal life doesn't come after our death ... rather eternal life is what we are living today, what we lived yesterday, and what we will live tomorrow ... even if that is our death.

Enjoy the tasting .... yet know that there was a lot that preceeded it ... from the tilling of the soil, the care of the vine ... the corking ....

Enjoy the tasting ... we are tasting the eternal life today.
Live in confidence.
Live in faith. Live in belief.
We are preparing the tasting for those who come after us.