LINGERINGS FROM 2014

Hubby's dad brought this back after WWII
Our tradition of celebrating Christ's birth is as
important as our tradition of putting up this manger each year.

This is my last chance to write a few words in 2014.
It seems that I end each month with too little time to write.
So, I linger a little longer on this very last day, the last few hours, to recollect happenings that have rushed by with 'mach' speed.
So much to enjoy . . . so few hours.
The clock ticks the same seconds each minute, the same minutes each day, as hours seem like seconds.
Why does time play tricks on this old mind and body?

Beautiful stained glass windows at our church.

Once upon a time I would wonder how to keep myself busy until mom called us in for dinner.
That was so many years ago - before I know I
could create my own agenda, before I knew there was a world beyond our back yard or our front steps.
I loved being home.
That was before I decided to grasp a career that took me around the world.
One adventure led to another and, before I knew it, years passed.

Then I began a new career . . .  and another one . . .  and another.
Each adventure outdid the last.

Our visit to Winterthur reminded me of our family
Christmases.  I love the basket - tagged for each person.

So here I am . . .  here we are . . .  hubby and me . . .  trying to catch up to the speeding clock.
So many adventures to choose from, so may books to read, so much to see and do.

Yet, I tend to return to my roots . . .  home.
I nestle into moments of reflection and give THANKS for my incredible life.

The last year and a quarter have been both a challenge and a blessing.
Helping others to see the power of Christ Jesus in our lives seems daunting . . . until I realize that I am not doing the work.

150 year old church that is in great shape due to the hard work of
those who love and maintain the structure.

 I am simply a 'conduit' of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
 I feel like a willing pawn, being moved one step at at time, in the direction that God chooses for me.

Our ministry in this small but full church takes far more time than the part-time position I chose to embrace.
24/7 'open line' on the phone brings me close to wondering souls.
Email is such a blessing in the later hours or before dawn brakes the dark sky.



God leads as hubby and I set up bible studies and confirmation classes, work with church school

Wondrous finds as we visit another garden.

leaders and with the property guys, bring food to the town pantry for needy families, entice others to help out at the "Point" (an incredible facility totally built with donations, meeting the needs of 75-90 at-risk kids a night), hospital and home visits, meetings too numerous to count, both at the little church and within the diocese.

Yet, nothing is as important as gathering to Worship and Praise and give Glory to the Lord, thy God.
We can do nothing without the strength of the Holy Spirit within us, girding us, guiding us, directing us in whatever purpose the Lord has given to us.

I ponder God's Word, linger over passages of scripture, ache over the words I am called to pass on to others.
Each week I wonder how the Holy Spirit will speak through me.
Yet, with the help of God . . .  and a little perseverance . . .  I am given words that, hopefully, others can tuck into their

Our Garden is the best part of summer.

hearts for their own personal walk with Christ.

If working at church were the only focus of the year, life might be a little smoother.
Yet, my hand is in other places that are just as fulfilling.
Hubby and I consider ourselves as a team.
Yet, the team doesn't function well unless we invest in each other . . .  daily.
He's so easy to please.
He loves to talk about things and explore verbally what we both love.
His mind races.
My mind plods slowly.

Amish families dress their best on Sundays.

I'm also president of what many know to be a "Philanthropic Educational Organization."
I signed on to this great adventure before I embraced the opportunity to lead this little church.
Gathering monthly with women who embrace other careers is a breath of fresh air.
I learn something each time we meet.
Most of all, we raise money for scholarships so women can continue their education.
It's amazing how many women are pressing through challenges to discover their hidden potential.
These women need a bit of a boost to juggle families or  careers as they return to school.

We love waving at the kids when we pass.

We affirm each other right where we are and breathe deep after most of us have already spent a long day doing what we are called to do.

And then there is the bible study group in our own community.
What a joy to lead this group of women who have spent years digging into God's Word or who have never even opened a bible.
Their hunger seems endless as we share what we know with one another and discover new ways to embrace life.
We have broadened our perspectives and learned unknown traditions within the numerous denominations represented.
By the time the fall session started I had to step back.  I was not taking enough time for my own needs.

We're standing in the kitchen.  Great view without walls.

Also, a bit of a kerfuffle happened in August.
We now are blessed with dad's condo in Florida.
Dad is happily turning 100 in February as he resides in a beautiful assisted care facility back home in Minnesota.
I love Florida but it is just not the right time for us to spend much time down there.
August 5, a flooding rain pressed too much weight on a flat-roof drain that is suppose to move water away from the condo building.

We thought we'd just have to unload the stored furniture
and we'd be done.  It took another month to complete
the renovations - long after we had to return home.

Whoosh! Splurt! Smash!    Mounds of muck in spreading water moved from the condo next door into the condo we now call our own.
Old carpets and fiberboard cabinets in the kitchen, bathrooms and elsewhere soaked up the stinky goo like a sponge.

A water/fire rescue team spent nearly two months tearing down and cleaning up.
We begin again . . . from the studs.
All walls, doors, lighting fixtures, wiring, anything that is not concrete . . .  gone.

I smile weakly as I recall the contractor, well known for his incredibly good work, saying, 'No problem!"

"It will be totally like new in ten weeks."

The kitchen is almost finished the day we leave.  Nice!

The part I did not realize is that there are only two speeds with his team.
Slow and stop.
We pay high prices for work that could have been done in five weeks.
Fourteen weeks later, well after hubby and I can no longer take trips down to move things along, the job is complete, I guess.
Renter comes tomorrow.
There are still some glitches to work out.
Selah.

In the mean time, hubby took me on so many wonderful adventures this year.

Hubby was so excited about my birthday.
The entire day has been filled with surprises.

We discovered incredible gardens, ancient homes, new vistas that refreshed our souls.

All in all, we have enjoyed a fulfilling year.  We look forward to new adventures in the coming year that will broaden our horizons and fill the soul with new joys.

Another year, another birthday.
I still proclaim that the entire world is celebrating my birthday this last day of the year.

Many blessings to anyone who reads these meanderings. May your reflections of the past year fill you with renewed hope for 2015.

Nestled in November snow, our little church invites all to come in and
warm themselves in the glow of God's love and grace.

FALL FLING

These stands are by the side of the road everywhere we drive.

Summer has turned to Fall ever-so-slowly.  In fact, I think this Fall has been even better than summer.

October was warm and invited us into the gardens for one last linger on so many sunny days.
Fields brought forth lavish crops which have finally been harvested.

Just the right amount of rain and cool and day and night and . . . everything . . .  made blooms abundant and brilliant.

I don't want the days getting shorter and the cool air creeping in a bit more each day but it is inevitable.

Alas, we are in the midst of a beautiful time of year that I do not want to change.
I finally made time to take pictures so that others can see what we have enjoyed this month.

Our favorite place to visit is the children's barn.  These kids are
very serious about loading and unloading reams of corn kernels.

Our local Farm Show at the beginning of the month was so warm that the line for home made shakes was longer than the line for hot food.

I love pigs.  Don't know why.
All they do is sleep and eat and dig with their snouts.  

Needless to say, we lingered longer than usual in the many barns filled with a variety of bunnies, chickens, animals and exhibits of all kinds.

We missed the sheep shearing contest but it was nice to see these
curious gems all clean and ready for selling.

We wandered in and out and lingered with the children whenever we could.

Hubby and I have lived in cities all over the United States so being in farm country has been filled with new surprises.  The smells, the sounds and the wonder of God's creation surrounded us as we scuffed through wood shavings, stepped over hay bales and sauntered from one barn to the next.

Lots of little chickens and hens but this rooster was making himself
known in the community.  Who ever said the Cock crows in the morning
never met this vibrant rooster.  He sure is a beauty.

We are learning so much from our neighbor farmers.  I love the city and I love the country.

Each brings its own gifts to nourish my soul.

Speaking of chickens, I couldn't resist.
We were almost home (behind that stand of trees in the background)
when I took this picture.  It's hard to see but this is a second chicken
house in the process of being built.  This place is the main source of
eggs for our county and beyond.

Mama slept while 17 little piglets wandered around and drank
their fill when they were hungry.  These piglets are three days old.

The best part of the farm show was the kids.  This cutie loved the baby llamas

Here is a better picture.  So cute.

What can I say.  As they watched mama and baby pigs, we watched
these wonderfully curious (and well behaved) children.

This tractor was just for kids.  They could steer to their heart's delight. Kids waited patiently for their turn.

Biggest flop eared bunny I'd ever seen.  It looks frightened but the
barn for the rabbits was warm, quiet and without too many people.
Perhaps Bunny knows, "There is no place like home."

Every year I glue myself to the chick hatching box.  Usually there are
dozens of eggs about to hatch but today there were none.
These chicks were pretty frisky.

Hubby encouraged me to get rid of the old mixer I inherited from mom.
It looked just like this with a clear bowl.
How thrilled I was when I saw this at the Home Baked Exhibit.
Love the 'hand' mixer.  NOSTALGIA! 

That's all for now.  Next time we will linger inside an empty condo being made ready for the re-build.

Lots happened in October but lots more is yet to come in November.

God brings so many blessings each day that it is hard to keep track.

I linger a little longer each day as the sun creeps behind clouds, rises too late and sets too early.

Summer is over.

The 'liminal' time between seasons stirs the soul to sit and reflect and embrace the beauty of change.

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

The mind.
It's a beautiful thing.

The complexity of a spider's web is nothing compared to
 the beautiful mind of God's human creation. 

I assume my mind will work nicely to get me out of bed and into my daily routine.
I assume my legs will work and my hands and eyes as well as all the functions of my body.
I don't even count breathing which is paramount to life.
One can live without the use of many body parts but one cannot function without the mind.

And so I move along as if I am fully in control of my life.
How little do I know?
I decide to make something special for hubby.
I concentrate hard on removing an apple core to make a baked apple.

There is a 'law' of motion that I know well.

An innocent counter, lots of apples, one wrong move.

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Well, my arm pulled back with great force as my head hit our Quartz counter.
The instant I hit I knew I'd have a bump.
A little ice, a quiet moment, all is well . . . or so I thought.

The next day I lead a meeting and miss some important information.
The following day I try to bend over to pick weeds in the garden but I see stars.

My brain felt like this water trough at Wintertur Gardens.
It felt like water splashing forth from tight parameters.

No more bending.
The day after that I am at another meeting and I think I see someone leaving who is sitting right in front of me.
Others notice the faux pas.
One of them calls me the next day.
"Get ye to the doctor!"
OK, OK

Oh, the mind is a beautiful thing, too beautiful to ignore.
CAT scan with contrast.
Something weird is found.
MRI
All is well.  It's an anomaly that may have been there from birth.
Days of going back and forth to various doctors finds no bleeding in the brain.

Our bushes are turning wild HOT red.
My brain feels hot-red when I use it too much.

Hot spots in my head,
throb, throb,
tired mind after just a few hours.
"Just stop thinking too much," says my doctor.
We both laugh out loud.
Right.
But, since I had no other choice, I did take the opportunity to slow down,
 I lingered in the garden more (but I did not touch all those weeds).
 I enjoyed wonderful drives among the fields being harvested as hubby shepherded me about.
 I sat quietly and took time to notice how I breathe.
I became more focused on how my brain works automatically to keep me alive.
I continue this practice well after I am healed.

The brain is so strong.

These small patches of glory invite me to linger.
I so love my garden in the Fall
It blooms wildly this 'indian sumer.'

Yet, in a moment, it can become frizzled.
In a moment, thoughts become scrambled.
I am blessed to be feeling stronger mentally.
I am blessed to be alive!

Last week I told others how to have the 'Mind of Christ' as the Apostle Paul relates to us in the book of Philippians.
I need to remember that God created my mind when He created creation and the ability for creation to create.
I was made in His image.
My mind was made to commune with the Father, through His Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God gave me the gift to use my mind creatively.
God gave me a well functioning autonomic system.

St. Francis day is almost here.
He understood the need for daily celebration
 of God's Creation. . . the beautiful mind.

  I need to thank my Creator . . .  to       give glory to God each day.

  Then I can ponder what it means to have the mind of Christ:
  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, mercy, forgiveness and so much more.
  That is a LOT to think about.

  Oh what a beautiful mind.
  I praise God that I still have good  use of it for now.
  Each day is a gift for the mind to grasp.
  I linger on that thought as I sit on my porch and let my mind
 unwind,  slow down,   rest.

THE POWER OF WATER

I am always amazed at the power of water.

My faucet works when I choose.

We turn on the faucet spigot and out it comes, at whatever speed we wish.
We have control over a faucet.

But when it rains, really hard, in a short period of time I am spellbound at it's rush around and through anything in its path.
Flooding storms are infrequent up north but are almost expected down south.
Even though expected, I think those ambushed by raging water are stunned at its force.

Systems created to expel the water into streams and lakes and even the ocean cannot carry water fast enough.  Streets flood, homes flood and extra stress is placed on anything in the way of this determined force of wet.

Dad has lived part time in a small, first floor condo for decades.  Flooding has happened as close as a couple blocks away but never in his domaine.

Niagara Falls gushes forth with nothing to hold back
the torrent of wet, the power of splash.

That's why I was startled that water engulfed his home up to three inches after a torrential rain - six inches in two hours.  

Actually, I found out that the rain did not directly affect his tiny abode.
In fact, it was routed around his edifice through a well planned drainage system.
His condo and his neighbor's condo were the only two homes that were flooded.
What happened?
From what I understand, this three story complex has a specific drainage system on its flat roof.
Water cannot linger on the roof long because of a double-drain system.  The water that does not drain off the side is captured into a central pipe that allows excess water to flow down through the building, under the two bottom condos and out into two separate drainage systems.

the back of dad's favorite chair.  Water went right under it,
missed the couch, on the right, and oozed through the
glass doors that were closed.

Flooding rain, falling with great force, presses into the tiny space of a pipe as it is pushed out onto a larger drainage system.
Heavy rain,
 pressing water,
 pressure,
46 year old pipes,
most likely pipes with fissures,
old, cracking cast iron pipes.
C r a c k . . . C r a c k
Puuuuuuush
Pressssssss through ground and concrete and whatever else is in the way.
F    L    O    O    D !

The condo next door, a newly renovated home, only occupied a few months a year, fills with a half-foot of water.  What is not contained in the neighbor's space is pressed through the concrete dividing wall.  Another stream presses out their door and into dad's place.  Sand, snails and stinky water ooooooozes into every space it can find.

See the mirror? It was taken off of the wall, below.  It made
the room look double its size.  Now all gone.  All walls
are now gone as mold lingers inside.  All must be sanitized.

Water races across tile,
 hits walls,
forces itself in any unhindered direction it can find.
The natural slant of the old concrete floors directs the water into the lanai but this gush of goo first presses into the living room carpet.

Sticky ooze works itself down the little hall into other carpeted rooms.
The old carpet with its spongy pad absorbs as much as it can.

WHAT A BLESSING!

It's the old carpet, so in need of replacing, that saved the furniture from being buried in yucky, smelly sediment.
Not even the skirt of the couch was touched as waves of 'splash' swept past it in one direction.

Dry wall absorbed all that passed by,

The wall with the DOTS is where the mirror was stuck to the entire wall.
This is a look at the dining room after a preliminary inspection.  All walls
are now gone, the piano found a good home and the floors are clear of debris.

Kitchen cupboards, made of pressed wood, absorbed.
Bathroom cabinets of the same pressed wood absorbed.
All that was attached to any wall  a b s o r b e d  this gooey,  smelly wet.

Because he loved to dine on the lanai, the dining room was used more for
an office.  He loved to spread out his paper work and linger there a few
hours each day.  

This old, tired little home was unoccupied for a season or two as dad now relishes in the comfort of assisted living.  He's 99.  When told that his winter retreat flooded he did not mind.  He only remembers the good days of lounging in his favorite chair reading the Wall Street Journal.
I am glad.
It happened at the perfect time for him.

Dad is still living a good life, pampered by caretakers and eating whatever he wants - cooked by someone else.

Dad cooked the perfect instant oatmeal each morning,
just inches away from his favorite table in the kitchen.

This well-loved home will pass into another era.
The foundation is still strong and the complex is well managed.
Just like dad, the place is old and has creaky-cracky pipes.
I wonder, will the 'fixes' be enough to placate flooding waters in the future?
Hope so.

I took a picture of the living room facing the 'mirror.'
You can see the lines of each panel.  It was all the rage
thirty years ago and made the place looks so large.
We will open up this space and let light into the kitchen.
But, I think I will miss the fun we had with the mirror.

But, it won't look like his beloved abode.
Isn't it wonderful that disaster sometimes happens when we no longer care.
We will fix it up to be better than before.
All too soon it will be like new.
Old memories linger in my heart but there are new memories to be made in this sweet place.

The power of water is beyond my imagination but the power to regroup and grow new memories is even more powerful.

EASY LIVING

Lazy days.

Cool mornings.

Lingering outside.

It all sounds so good for summer.

But wait.

I need to:

                Pull weeds,

                Paint stressed wood,

                Repair broken places,

                Clean windows,

Squeeze in work and meetings and obligations.

When do I make time to linger through these lazy days?

Ahhhhh, it is so good to MAKE time to weed and paint and repair and clean.

That's what summer is all about.

Living seems easier when I can wear less, move freely inside and out and linger a little longer as the daylight allows.

Four extra hours each day allows me to squeeze in a few more fun moments.

So, I weed and read a good book.

I paint and pick my roses and herbs.

Repairs eventually get completed.

Cleaning windows is easier when I can open them fully and hang out a bit in spite of a bug or two

that might whiz past me.

It's summer, and the liven is so much easier without snow and cold and icicles and freezing temperatures.

Summer.

Sun.

Heat.

Bare feet.

T-shirt.

Shorts.

Flip flops!

Easy living is an attitude.

There will always be work and chores and never enough time . . . summer or winter.

But there is something about summer which enables my attitude to soar.

I don't whirl around getting things done.

I swirl more slowly . . . intentionally . . . sometimes even enjoying those pearls of moisture dripping from every pore.

I have an attitude of gratitude for the freedom to live easy this summer.

Nice.

LEGOS IN A GARDEN

If this gardener can get rid of my weeds
I'll be glad to have him work in my garden.

We were walking through a Florida garden a few months ago and were amazed at the beauty surrounding us.

What was more surprising were the Lego sculptures nestled in the midst of tropical flora.

We let our minds wonder and our eyes wander as we linger in the midst of odd shapes within God's incredible creation.

Tiny bricks of plastic, an artistic eye and a lot of creativity enhance these surprises that seemed to pop up in the midst of green acres.

 Once in awhile the eye has a difficult time discerning which is real.

In fact, I did not take a photograph of a lawn mower that I thought should have been stored out of sight of visitors.
 Later I found out it was made of Legos!

We have seen soapstone sculptures, concrete art forms, and various odd garden containers but this was a new sight for our eyes.

Instead of lazily wandering about, we were on the 'hunt' for other amazing creations.

 When we came upon a few creations, we lingered a bit and wondered how the eye can adjust to these unique forms as if they were real.

Lego Boy was moved to a new spot each day.  We just 'happened' to
walk down a hidden path to discover this little gem.  Don't you
love those funky branch fence rails!

This latino art form, made of Legos, popped out at us as we came out
of a children's garden.  Fun.

Fox sneaking up on bunny.  The reality of the 'wild' was hidden in the
middle of beautiful vegetation.  

Who doesn't love butterflies.  This gigantic beauty reminded us that
God's art is hard to re-create by human hands.
Humans may mimic God-art but
nothing matches the real thing.

This rose seemed to overwhelm us as well as the
tiny wild rose bushes that surrounded it.
This is definitely Legos. 

Can you tell which ones are the REAL lily pads?
Some of those HUGE lili pads are real and some are made of Legos!
This was my favorite place to linger because the artist's creation blended so well with God's creation.
The giant lily pad to the far right has a little Lego-frog sitting on it.

These Lego creations remind me of our gift from God.
 God gave us the ability to create whatever we want but it will never be as authentic as God's original.

A butterfly moves through a cycle of ingesting mounds of food in order to laboriously weave a cocoon around itself.
Only by waiting patiently for the right time and working tirelessly, almost to death, to removed itself from it's tight quarters can it unfold into a specimen of exquisite beauty and have the strength to fly away.

An artist moves through a cycle of digesting lessons and techniques in order to laboriously create an image of beauty, perhaps as a gift from the heart to God.
Learning, planning, patience and hard work lead to an image for the world to enjoy.
Tedious hours given to build one brick at a time bursts forth with new life in a medium that our creative God created us to create.

Whether made of plastic or bronze or stone, God enables us to linger awhile in a place of beauty in order to soak in all that our imagination can possibly embrace.

It's nice to linger in the midst of legos if our imagination is able to unfold new experiences in the midst of the exquisite beauty that surrounds us.

What fun we had in the garden of Legos.