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.

DOWNTON in DETAIL

This month we found time to wander about after a conference and ended up in Wintertur, a vast estate in Delaware with home, gardens and endless collections of furniture, porcelain, needlework and so much more.
To our surprise, we were able to visit a tiny snippet of Downton Abby through a beautiful display of clothing worn by various characters in the first season of the show.

We were not alone.
Swarms of studious individuals joined us to linger about the display which was laid out in a corner of one floor of this 175 room mansion.

We entered through the 'kitchen', or so it seemed.  Remember the bells that ring at the beginning of each episode?  If one pulled very hard on a brass knob, one bell would ring. 

The Fabrics were rich with natural fiber and created with attention to the smallest detail.
Much was hand sewn.
I wanted to touch but, of course, we couldn't.
So, I lingered longer at each article of clothing and simply 'studied' each hand-sewn stitch.
RICH with detail: even in the clothing of the kitchen maid. 

We even saw what a breakfast tray looked like.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to linger in bed and be served on such a lovely tray?
Who cares what the food is like - although I am sure it was delicious. The porcelain was a delight to the eye.
Of course, we all need a lovely rose to begin the day.
And the freshly ironed newspaper to keep my fingers from absorbing any ink, of course!
Fine linen with embroidery to match the china was a 'must' I'm sure.
The attention to detail was much like one would see in the Smithsonian Institute.
 Above is an illustration of how most items were displayed.
 Although there were videos replaying scenes, I loved the written explanations with the face of the one who wore the garment.
 Maggie Smith is beyond exceptional in her role and her clothing was magnificent.
 Every detail was hand stitched and we only saw it for about 5-10 minutes.  The attention to detail did not go to waste at this exhibit.

You may have missed this one.  Cora attends the theatre.
We never did see such elegant detail of the dress much less the velvet cloak that hid most of it.
My eye catches the beautiful 'cross' of embroidery with velvet appliqué drawing our eye to the center.  It's a feast for the eyes as well as the soul.
 Look at the hand stitching on the coat!



I may be wrong but this looks like a dress Mary wore.  Again, each rose is hand stitched on a panel that adds a bit of weight to the airy flow of silk and embroidered chiffon.  How many minutes was she in this dress?  Who knows. Not enough for my eyes.




And who could forget the moment of engagement!  Did you know Mary's dress was this deep ruby silk taffeta?  Notice the tiny glass beads sewn around the neck and under each scallop.  
Michael's elegant suit was made of very heavy fabric but one could see the detail in the stitching.  

And we never saw Mary's full wedding dress on-screen.  
A mirror was strategically placed so we could see the fine detail in the train. 
Mary carried this garment better than this shows but the back, the part that all the guests see, was a feast for the eyes.   Again, detail is exceptional.

Here is closer detail of the train.



Of course I pretended that I was actually standing on the lawn, just about to enter this great edifice.  What a delight to have this giant mural in a quiet area for us to take pictures.
A perfect end to a day of lingering at Downton Abby - replicated.

So, why do I reflect on such scenes of opulence?
What does it matter for the days to come?
I learned much about taking great care of what I have and in all I create.

God, our Creator, gave us creativity to create beauty right in our midst.
I am reminded to take care with each word I write or with each stitch I sew when mending a garment.
It is the attention to detail that slows us down.
It's the details that complete who we are.

It's important to linger a bit longer in this hectic electronic age where we complete tasks in sound bites or pixels or tweets.
It's good to know our history and gain a deeper understanding of those who made everything from scratch and those who enjoyed someone else's hard work.

God created each of us with a definite purpose.
Whatever that purpose is, we are created to live it out with attention to the finest detail.
It is good to take pride in that endeavor that meets our purpose.

As we have heard so many times before, it's the "----" between our beginning and our end that says it all.   Let's take time to fill that "----" with our best attention to detail.

May we choose, each day, to linger longer with something that is good for our soul.

May our lingering be extended a few more seconds the next time.

May our souls be filled with the detail of God's intentions and purpose for each of us.

Snippets of Time . . .Thyme

I look at this blog and review my 'page views.'
 Zip,
Zero,
None!
 I don't blame the very few who chose to visit this site and linger a little while once a month.

I check the little clock that is on the right side of this blog.
It just keeps ticking.
Nothing stops time.
Every tiny snippet of time seems to evaporate as I scurry from one adventure to another.
No time.

Always time.
Important things take time.
Plenty of time to find a snippet of time.
Perhaps I have strayed from my monthly ritual because . . . ?
No excuse.
I prepare lessons on time.
Every week I drink in God's Word so that I might blurt out some understanding of His Word to others.
Every day I take time to digest words from the daily lectionary . . . even on vacation.
We took a break from the cold this month and went south to warm up a bit.
One would think I would take time to send words out on this blog.
At least I lingered longer with my 'Daily Graces'.
Alas, time got away from us.
Too many friends to see.
Too many places to explore.

T I M E  is like T H Y M E. . . . in my garden.
It pops up out of nowhere and spreads into tiny crevices if I am not intentional to grab it.

Time and Thyme are like that.
I need to be intentional and grab those snippets if only to linger in a sense of timelessness.

Even now I stray from a deadline to produce words for others to hear and digest on Sunday.

But I finally chose to take time to write about snippets of Thyme and Time.
I choose to breathe deep, linger in my garden as Thyme envelopes my senses.
May what I learn about thyme in my garden plant teach me how to linger and weave thoughts into the cracks of my schedule.
Time IS like Thyme.
It's Time to embrace a snippet as it creeps into the crevices of my life in the same way I snip a branch of my favorite herb to add to our simple suppers.
Both are delicious when consumed with intention.
May each of us take time to enjoy the snippets of . . .

MARCH WIND for my journey

Why do I always forget that WIND is part of March?
  It never fails.
 Perhaps I have been so busy shoveling snow in relatively calm weather that I forgot to anticipate the whipping chill of sleet in my face.
 Oh Joy . . .  Oh March . . . a good time to walk into the season of Lent.

One might as well find a soft chair and a window and simply wait out the season.
It's a good time to wind through the streets of Jerusalem as I wander with those who are aware of Another who is drawing people to God by the hundreds.

What is it about Jesus?
He simply tells a story that has many layers and people want more.
 Is it the fact that we want Another to peel the skin off so we can see more clearly?
The layers covering my own eyes, closing my sight from the obvious, need to be pealed off one layer at a time.
It seems I have a choice.

I can either battle the chill curtain of cold outside or dig deeply into my soul to find what I keep hidden inside.
What a choice.
So, here I sit in quiet contemplation.
I choose to linger a little longer by the fire and take a moment to look deep.
Can't see much.
Too many 'layers' covering that gem that God planted deep inside me, being 'rubbed' and 'polished' by  my life journey.
That gem deep inside is not ready to be drawn out for all to see . . .  yet.
Other parts of me, led by the Spirit, can easily cast light on my path.

 I sit and read and reflect and work on words that I will share in a few days.
I'm on a journey with God . . . through His Son . . .  Jesus.
I am on a journey to the cross.
Only my journey is taking a lifetime.
Jesus journeyed only a few years.
I'm glad it is too cold and windy for me to flit away my time beyond this self exploration.
Sometimes it takes the wind to draw me inside myself.
And so I wonder and ponder and smile at the results.
I know.
I know I belong to Him.
I know that no matter how many mistakes I make my journey is never alone.
God sent His Son, His ONLY Begotten Son . . . to die for me . . .  for little ol' me!
He will never leave me nor forsake me no matter how the winds of life slide me every which way.

This season of seeking simplicity, taking layers away, learning to be comfortable with myself with nothing else to distract me is so freeing.
It's too bad that it takes a windy, cold, March day to keep me right where I am.

I guess that means I am thankful for the wind.
May the wind at my back blow me into new discoveries during this season of Lent.

A HEARTy Blanket of LOVE

 I refuse to look at one more gray, chilly picture of winter.
 I need to linger a little longer on this last day of February.
 This wonderful month of LOVE was totally overshadowed by SNOW!
 LOVE SNOW!
That should have been the topic of my last blog.
 So, this time I will acknowledge sub-freezing temperatures but embrace the fact that we are a HEARTy sort up this way.

 I long to linger by the sea with soft warm breezes cooling my brow but I consider myself to be an adventurous person.
 I am more hearty than I think.
 In fact, this winter has made most of us more resilient than we ever imagined.
 Shovel-ready arms have grown stronger muscles.
Strong-grip legs seem more able to balance on black ice than I imagined.

 What is even more delightful is to know that, as  I age gracefully I can also stand firm against these elements of nature with robust enthusiasm.

 Yes, more snow is coming but isn't that what March is all about?
 I'll address that another day.

Today, let's remember the significance of this month.
 HEARTS!
LOVE!
 Lingering with a loved one a little longer than was planned and enjoying every moment of it.
Hearts, Flowers, sweet smiles, a reminder of God's love for us.
"I will love you with an everlasting love."
 Ahhhhh, doesn't that sound comforting.
Perhaps I have been so 'wrapped up' in snow that I have not expressed the wonder I have also felt of

being wrapped in the arms of One who loves me forever and always.
 The Lord wraps me in a snow-white blanket of His presence daily as I snuggle into scripture.
  Like snow falling on this little mountain, the words God gives me daily 'blanket' the space around me.  And so, this is a final note for February to remind myself, and anyone else who might read this, of my never-ending love relationship with the One who sends me love notes as deep and as full as a blanket of fresh snow. . .  daily.
 How can I not fall in LOVE.

SNOW!

One might wonder why no 'linger longer' notes.
  We have been shoveling.
The snow is beautiful but it has also been dangerous.
 Heavy, deep mounds turn to solid-rock ice.
We shovel and some snow melts.
Ice turns to glass on streets and sidewalks.
 We are thankful that we have a garage to park our car.
Some people have given up trying to dig out.
But that is winter.  Right?
Actually this area where we live is usually warmer than the surrounding area.

We experience milder temperatures and usually do not have much snow most winters.
This year is different.
 The sky decided to grace us with moisture during one of the coldest winters I have experienced in a long time.
A long cold spell is not bad but when it is combined with snow drifts higher than my eyes, it does make for challenging days.

I'm not complaining, though.
We have heat and electricity.
 We have plenty of food.
We have our health.
We are still quite strong and healthy.
We actually love shoveling.
So we are helping those who have not been as blessed as we have been.

 Today the sun shines.
Tomorrow we will see more snow.
Notice how WHITE and GRAY everything is?
I think we need a little color  here.

These holly berry bushes were wrapped in ice soon after I took this picture.
 When the ice melted, the berries were shriveled and fell off .
Thankfully, birds ate the remains.  At least the bush was of some use.

Ahhhhh, snow.
So nice to look at but . . .
We do think it might be nicer in Sochi.
At least we can enjoy the Olympics from a distance and wonder if those people who really love winter would rather be here . . .  where there is REAL snow . . . and REAL cold.

Just think.  We will have stories to tell the next generation.
  In the mean time, I choose to take one day at a time and delight in the days we can drive on dry roads.



Ice clings to red sticks as winter lingers long and hard.
Ice, like a blanket, wraps around spindles and holds nature in a trance.
What a grip.
What beauty.
We wait.
Spring melt will soon be here.
Snow
Ice
Cold
White
I linger a little longer and ponder the wonder of God's hand while I sip tea and watch winter from inside our warm home.

A NEW BEGINNING

Even though yesterday was THE END of a wonderful year, I look forward to new beginnings.
Today I will simply post pictures from last year that will bring memories into this precious present.
God has blessed us.

A wet snow helped cut the COLD of January

See the heart? Simple, durable, a gateway into a private
place. . . just like our own hearts.

We returned to another of the favorite places we have lived.
Such a warm day in D. C. at the end of March.

April showers bring May flowers.  Oh My! This area
usually remains dry until we have a 'flooding' rain.
Ducks visit us for the short time we have a pond.

It's still a little too cold to spend much time outside
in May so we explored the countryside.

Amish are out all year in snow, sleet or rain.  We can
count on seeing them every day we drive around.

This is my most favorite picture, just blocks from our
humble abode.  Each day we come down the hill we
are greeted by our cow.   It's even lit up at night.

August began with a delightful new adventure at
Ascension Church in Parkesburg, PA
It's our new 'home away from home.'

My garden bloomed beyond belief this year.  That rose
bush actually filled the wall.

This Amish farm is not too far from us.  I try to stop
each year to take shots of drying tobacco.  I know
Fall is setting in with this welcome sight.

The weather was so balmy in early December that it seemed
odd to put decorations outside.  No lights this year.
We kept it simple.

"In the deep mid-winter" is the beginning of a song I love.
Just when we did not think we would get snow, at the
end of the year, we had a surprise.  It melted too soon
but what a lovely way to end the year.

These "memories" bring us to a new beginning. I look forward to change that comes from weather patterns, change that comes from community relationships and change that comes from forming new habits. 

 Do I dare think of new habits right now, on the first day of the new year? 

 I think I'll wait awhile and linger in this lazy day of nostalgia, chatting with friends and family and drinking hot chocolate (made for us by the children at church.)  

What a wonderful way to begin the new year!

We anticipate blessings for this New Year which will

enable us to enjoy the precious present of the Lord's presence in our lives each day.

It should be a GREAT YEAR!