I Can Feel My Heartbeat

We went for a hike today. Cassia showed me some of her favorite spots to just 'be' and to talk with God. The one thing I was regretting about our recent move was leaving my garden. Today, God showed me just how much He cares about the little things inside of me. As I walked through our woods I found nearly all of my favorite flowers! Lupine, Lily-of-the-Valley, violets, Lilacs, Pussywillows... There were even some I had not seen before ~ Kittentail, Elksedge, Wood Crocus... Something that I didn't even realize was dormant inside of me broke loose from it's grave and I found myself singing this song on the way home!

I catch the sound of my name
And I start to wonder
Just how long I’ve been asleep
You say it’s time, time to rise
Wake from all this slumber
Suddenly my deepest winter’s turning into spring
Turning into spring
I’m alive, I’m alive again
I can feel my heartbeat
Breathing out and I’m breathing in
You have come and rescued me
And I’m alive again
I feel the sun on my face
Seems I had forgotten
What it means to really live
Filled with hope filled with love
And anticipation
Standing with my arms wide open free as I have been
Free as I have ever been
You have saved me just by being
Filling emptiness with meaning
You put passion back into my soul

~Scott Krippayne

Ripples of Time

Have you ever seen an oyster shell? They aren't uncommon. One of the most common shells you an pick up on the Northwest coast in fact, but have you ever really seen one?

I find them humble; homely. I don't like oysters. They have no real value to me. They aren't rare and therefore aren't treasure.

So, why am I even bringing them up if I am so indifferent to them? Knowledge. I found something out that made a difference.

Sprawling and uneven, it has the irregular shape of waves, movement, or even growth. Each is fitted and formed by its own struggle to survive. The rock, root, or shell that the oyster glues itself to will forever carry the scars from the lifetime attachment. The most ideal place for attachment is on the shell of another Oyster that is glued for life to an unyielding rock.
The longer it is attached the larger it grows. The most important function of an oyster is that it filters over 50 gallons of water in an hour. It is unique in the mollusk world in that it has gills in it's submerged shell that allow it to filter the water it takes in, leaving it better for the others who share the water with it.

Is life ever one size fits all? Is it ever, always beautiful and polished? I have spent the past 18.5 years married to one man (glued to him for life - tenaciously fought for). The cortex of my being bears the marks of growth. Knobby, uneven, undulating, but growth none-the-less. Our marriage has grown from simply the fragile bond of romance where the focus was upon ourselves to a bond of looking outward, reaching outward, working outward. Many bonds have formed a web that is taut and firm, intircate and enduring. Romance is only one strand of many now.
I would love to try to cure the signs of growth sometimes. I would love to be able to retreat to a shell that looks less like the mother of a sprawling family; something more petite, and with less wrinkles. That would not be freedom, however. That would put me back in a place of encumberance. I am an oyster. Fimly planted, for life, growing through the adversities & pleasantries, allowing that growth to take on a shape and form all it's own. My prayer is that what flows through me is clarified and becomes beneficial.
I hope others can look past the outter shell ~ and be fascinated by the glue.

Big Picture Friday

One of the things I love most about where we live. The deer call this thicket behind our house "home". Mama recently had twins. They barely come to my waist (which ,for those of you who know me, you know how tiny that is!) The early evening almost always finds our Nimble-O chattering at them for eating so close to his pinecone hoard. :o)

New life is always amazing... I never tire of miracles. A friend has a robin who built her nest on his second story window. He has watched as each day she adds one more egg. She is up to 3 now. Another friend gave birth to her first son this week! They named him Zugwai Yeshi. It means "We are grateful God did it!"

What is God doing in your neck of the woods?

Making it Home!

The kids and I have been painting! We are loving making this palce truely ours, even though we're renting. More photos below!

Phase 2 - Entry and hall

Olive Shadow next to Exotic Honey

End of the day.

More photos on flickr! Click the link/badge to the right, it'll take you right to it!

Friends Don't Shake Hands...

Friends Come to Visit!!!!

Paul and Shari and the boys came to spend Easter weekend with us! It was such a refreshing, fun, love-filled time. What a great joy to have friends who just want to be with us. We had no agenda - only to be. Shari and I snuck off to coffee, which was a treat for me. Paul and James went out to a lopsided Fooseball tournament and a balanced conversation. There was lots of wrestling, laughter, eating, and contented sighs, and time to simply relax.

Thanks for blessing us!

(Somehow Matthew escaped all my shots, but Cassia got some great ones... I'll ask her if I can post some of hers!)

Faith's Tag

It's been awhile since I posted anything, forgive the absence. Life gets so busy sometimes I forget there are people waiting for me to throw them a line. A friend in GA tagged me, so I will post that for now and try to come back soon with something a little closer to home!

1. What’s your #1 comfort food? Coffee
2. If you were on a deserted island, what one food would you want to have with you? Salsa & white corn tortilla chips
3. What is/are your signature dishes? Salsa, Baking Powder Biscuits, Chicken Enchiladas, muffins
4. It’s Friday night, you don’t know what to cook. You opt for… Bean burritos
5. What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to food? Candy- either gummy sour somethings, or cinnamin Hot Heads
6. What food can you absolutely not eat? Cauliflower, liver, & I'm allergic to chocolate and nuts
7. You need a drink. You grab…. Water ... if you are talking alcoholic drink here, probably a Smirnoff or Malbec Red wine.
8. What’s the most decadent dish you’ve had? don't know
9. What’s your favorite type of food? fresh vegtables and fruits
10. Favorite dish? Green curry with tofu, or Tomatoe Basil soup with jalepenos, tofu and parmesan.
11. If your spouse could take you to any restaurant you wanted, which one would it be? Ooooo... tough. I like too many for different reasons. Breakfast - Nova Cafe' or CatEye, Lunch- CatEye, Dana's, Dinner- McMennamins, Plonk, Chateau Lk Louise...
12. Are you a soup or salad person? Both.
13. Buffet, take-out or sit-down restaurant? sit-down
14. What’s the most impressive dinner you’ve ever made? I have no idea - Cordon Bleu?
15. Do you consider yourself a good cook? Good, but not amazing.
16. Do you know what vichyssoise is? Yes
17. Who’s your favorite TV cook? I don't have TV, but I do make recipes from Emril, Giada, and Michael Chiarello. OH! and Dave Lieberman.
18. Can you name at least three TV cooking personalities? I just did.
19. Homemade or homemade from a box? Homemade because it means that I'm cutting down on the garbage output, I know exactly what is going into it, and if it is yummy I get all the praise and don't have to divide it with Betty Crocker.