Where do I even begin?

Sometimes the fullness of life gets squeezed into a few weeks.




Travel to Long Beach for work at a homeschool convention....











and One Way Productions' excellent job on Quest For Honor: A King Arthur Musical, with Claire playing a very convincing Morgana. (Don't let that smile fool you!)















In the midst of the swirl, we dashed away to our favorite winery for two nights of quiet and rest to celebrate our 26th anniversary,

returning in time to watch sapphire tulle swirl to the sounds of Masquerade.  Beauty in motion.

Then suddenly it was time to start the adventures that would culminate in the wedding of our son and his beautiful bride.  First, though, I took off early to spend a few days in Eugene with Madelaine. I could stare out these beautiful windows for hours.  In fact, I did!









Then it was on to Carol's to cook the rehearsal dinner.  Well, that was our stated purpose, but we really savored the chance to talk for HOURS.  Being able to start on a topic, finish it, come back to it, add a few more things, and talk about it some more was a rare gift between friends who live so doggone far apart.  It appears that Carol's job in my life is to be so incredibly generous that I have to learn how to receive without being able to respond in kind.  She is amazing.

I wore my mother's apron, tying those strings around my waist with a prayer of gratitude for her love.  Oh, she would have loved that rehearsal dinner meal.  And she would have sat back and soaked in my son's smile.  It was a beautiful sight.

The twinkle lights and tiki torches lit up the night, but nothing sparkled as brightly as the bride and groom.  What a happy couple, and man! do they know how to have fun at a party.
















The Callihan farm was like a fairy land as the sun set.  Faith and her family created the perfect ambiance for a wedding.  The evening ended with a pyromaniac's dream fireworks display, and the newlyweds ran off to their new life together under a canopy of sparklers.  God grant you many years, my dear ones.

We drove home by way of Eugene, bringing Madelaine back to school along with her dear friend Juliet.  Wedding bouquets do better in water than they do tucked into the car door, but sometimes you just want to keep the golden beauty nearby.  The drive was long, but it gave me hours to reflect on the blessings of the last few months.  It is a wonderful life after all!










FYI:  I have finally caught up on my photo blog, I have posted recipes from the rehearsal dinner on my recipe blog AND I have posted curriculum I have to sell on a new tag sale blog.  If you know of anyone who might need homeschool curriculum, I would appreciate you sending them my way.

Happy summer to you all!!!

Lenten collect: BOCP

Almighty God,

You know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves:  Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the  Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

Beauty matters

She said it was just two minutes. She didn't seem nervous. Everything about her was saying, "This is just not a big deal."

She didn't seem to know that those two minutes would split time and shine a bit of eternity down on her weary mama's heart.

Heaven met earth in the beauty and joy she breathed as she danced.

I love you, Claire Bear.

The Way I See It: White

Photo prompt courtesy of Molly at Close to Home.

Cloche

These yellow cloches called to me from the thrift store shelf. 

For a song I brought home puddles of yellow light, 

glass that throws shadows shimmering with ripples of gold.

 

Meant to cover fragile plants, I cannot bring myself to put them outside.

I want them to stay inside, spreading the morning light across the tablecloth.

Beauty is winning me over

I forgot how tired grief makes me.  I don't push the feelings away, I don't tell myself to buck up and gut it out, but sadness can still get tangled up inside, stuck in a dark corner and unable to get out.  And I get tired.  So tired.

Life doesn't stop, though.  Laundry piles high, people get hungry, pantry shelves empty, dog hair collects under the piano, math lessons require help, Eagle scout deadlines remain.  I am glad, for as weary as I am I would probably just curl up in a ball and not move.  Eight or nine hours at night are enough time for the fetal position; I am glad that the responsibilities of life get me moving.

But it is beauty that grabs my heart and makes me really live.

There is beauty in the sunrise, creating ribbons of light across the valley. Flowers glowing in the afternoon light and shadows. The intricate design of lace hanging in a window.

There are your beautiful comments and emails and gifts and cards.  They remind me I am not alone.  Thank you.

Life didn't have to beautiful, did it?  It could simply be utilitarian, grey, and functional.  Instead the world is filled, created, designed with an astounding variety of beauty.  The colors flashing as a bird darts by, the golden song of laughter as the family plays Apples-to-Apples, the grace of a young man as he soars to the basket for a crowd-pleasing block, the smell of lasagne reminding us that dinner is ready...beauty is around every corner.

And it is waking me up, winning me over.

Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

Autumn Movement


I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts.

HT: Steph

Wendell Berry: Given

We travelers, walking to the sun, can't see
Ahead, but looking back the very light
that blinded us shows us the way we came,
Along which blessings now appear, risen
As if from sightlessness to sight, and we,
By blessing brightly lit, keep going toward
That blessed light that yet to us is dark.

Sabbaths 1999: VI

Grace

Much of life is hard work.

To have the satisfaction of a job well done

it is no surprise that we have to actually

do the job well.





But sometimes we collide with grace.

Beauty not planted with our own hands,

not watered or nurtured.

It just grows and blesses and sparkles in the afternoon sun.

Sometimes we are given gifts,

things not of our making.

I am grateful.

The wonder of Easter...days later

The Three Marys at the Tomb
- William Bouguereau -

HT: friend Tonia