what a day for a dayream

"I adore simple pleasures.  They are the last refuge of the complex." ~Wilde

My kids are all grown but I still love to pour over children's books, especially Brambly Hedge.  Jill Barklem's illustrations and artwork give me hours of sweet daydreams.  I love all the little nooks and crannies, each little detail of cupboards, and closets.  Attics, staircases that wind, hidden worlds, dainties, homemaking, teeny-tiny anything -- all my fascinations wrapped in a bookbinding, what could be more tantalizing?

I'm in serious book lust over the newest compilation - The Complete Brambly Hedge.  We own the 4 seasons book, but to have all her stories and mice in one volume would be heavenly.  I'm imagining grandchildren cuddled on my lap, both of us engrossed in finding sweet nothings, listening to the happenings of Wilfred or Poppy with our feet curled up like a tail around us~  *SQUEE* Utter delight.

Summer Reading

Earlier this year I read Chasing Francis, by Ian Morgan Cron. The overall heart/message of this book really resonated with my spirit, strongly parallelling what we were going through (and continue to walk through) at the time. Cron pulled several other authors into his story, most of which I had read, but not for a very long time and the quotes sparked a desire to reread them. I picked up one of them, Thomas Merton, on our way to Washington in March. I had read Merton, but never New Seeds of Contemplation. It's stirring me and I am loving it. I have ordered several of the others for summer and can't wait to begin them in earnest. And 3 others that are right up my alley - - all about relationship/ community!!
What is on your nightstand this summer???

Times of Tradition - #1.5

Like most people, many of our traditions that we celebrate were created for us by our parents when we were young. However, as a young bride, & then as a mother a year later, I had a quest to begin traditions that were unique to our family - ones that weren't a part of our extended family's celebrations. Yesterday's post was one of those. (decorating together, sipping cocoa, reminiscing over the memories, and topping with our same angel year after year).

Some of our traditions began simply because I did the same thing the same way 3 or 4 years in a row and the kids didn't want to stop, but some I gleaned from books. I put together a list of a few of my favorites below, but some things I took from stories (like Heidi, or Little Women). The beauty of Tradition is that it can be found and begun anywhere! If you see or hear something you think would be fun or that you would love to do - go for it! There are no rules until you establish them!

Onward to the book list: (you can click the books for a link to Amazon)

This one has much more than Christmas. Jane & Rondi encourage us to see the world through the eyes of a child and remember our own wonder experiences over the simple things of life. They walk you through finding how to turn those wonders into a tradition and keep the wonder from year to year. It's fantastic!
Poems, songs, & stories of Christmas illustrated with paintings by master artists that will fill you to the brim with warm fuzzies! This is perhaps my very favorite. Customs, history, and the scenery of the world in wintery celebration!

This is the book that I was given as a new bride that started my journey into making seasons special. Shirley & Gloria present the sacred and tender side of tradition. It warmed me to the core when I read it the first time. I couldn't wait to have my baby (I was pregnant 3 months after I was married) and begin! This book is very practical. Lots of activity suggestions, lots of ideas that are easy to implement, but also shared stories of their own families and why certain things became precious to them.
Meaning. A reflection of a families personality, spirituality & values. Establishing a sense of stability and shared history. That's what 'Joy' aims to build & strengthen. Tons of ideas for all kinds of seasons.

Have any of you read the books in the "Simple Pleasures" series? I love them. They offer ways to connect deeply, and to express gratitude, affection, and creativity from your heart. I think they say "more heart, less hype". This one also covers more than just Christmas, but you will love it all! And Susannah's others are just as wonderful.

Ace Collins is famous for his "Stories Behind" books, but this one I adore. I'm a trivia girl, but Ace weaves the trivia into stories that make the trivium memorable. You'll find out about the first live re-enactment of the Nativity with living creatures, the history of holly, mistletoe, the Messiah by Handel, and even why we have a long shopping season! Several of the books above cover long held traditions, but this is most of them rolled into one.

Do you have a favorite?

A New Warrior Arises

*sigh* I wish some stoires never had an end. Brian Jacques' Redwall Tales nearly always have that effect on me.

We were on our way home from Portland a couple weeks ago and stopped in Powells City of Books to browse. I was standing in front of the "youth fiction" section when I glanced down and saw an unfamiliar title in the Redwall section. I literally grabbed it from the shelf and excitedly turned to J exclaiming, "Babe, LOOK! I've never read this one!" He took it from me and walked to the counter ~ I love it when he does things like that! Come to find out, they had barely placed in on the shelf! It was a new release. I bagan reading on the plane, and finished the next morning. They're never long enough! Redwall hasn't had a resident warrior in an age, but when the time comes & the need of one arises, so does a warrior - in the form of a long earred, lollipin', hare-psachord playin', famine faced Laird from the north. It' s the first time I remember a hare carrying Martin's sword in defense of Mossflower and Redwall - but this warrior you will love!

As with all the other tales, there are other endearing characters (like the hedgehog who had most of his snout whacked off and replaced it with a cork so he could look respectable) and lots of feasts (I always walk away famished!) and escapades (you know someone is going to sneak out for their own adventure). I love the tributary stories Jacques wove into this one. A black beast you aren't sure is friend or foe, a "queen" of sweet gatherers, and the Gonflin.

I'll never get enough!

Back from the dead?

I have famous relatives! The most unlikely people in the least likely place have become celebrities!

In a tiny town on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State a phenomena has hit. Any of you familiar with Stephanie Meyers' books? The Twilight series? I wasn't. Until my in-laws told me of their stay with Uncle Bill and Aunt Susan. Giggly, giddy girls and women racing into the yard at the B&B snapping pictures and giggling more before racing away ... Uncle Bill and Aunt Susan own The Miller Tree Inn (or, in Twilight, the home of the Cullens). Uncle Bert & Aunt Martha own the Forks Outfitters and Thriftymart where Bella works.

Recently, when we flew to Portland I became an instant SOMEBODY with 2 ladies, who were reading the series, couldn't believe I had not only been to Forks (several times), but had stayed in the Cullen's home.

I understand fascination. I would feel elated at being able to visit Green Gables or the home of Betsy, Tacy, and Tib. I don't think I would be giddy, but it would definately be a thrill.

There was a time when we wondered if Forks would survive. The whole Spotted Owl controversy of the 80's also put them on the map - but for all the wrong reasons. The lumber capital of the world just about went belly up. Now that the undead have bitten the population at large, Forks has come back to life...

P.S. I haven't read the books, and don't intend to. Nor do I intend to see the movie. Still, I am glad for my family to be blessed by the obsession of others!

A List

We spent a wonderfully refreshing evening last night with Ryan and Andrea Ward and their sweet kiddos, Grace and Caleb. If any of you grew up in Manhattan or have attended Montana Bible College, you probably know them. What a great family. Filled with God to the brim and overflowing.

Andrea made us pizza and Gracie and Caleb couldn't wait to get to the ice cream they made. J made a big hit with the kids, per usual. He made pineapple talk (which Grace giggled about but promptly informed us that pineapples don't talk). Later he asked if she ate ice cream on her pizza or pizza on her ice cream - - in general he was just a big kid; hence the complete adoration of the lollipop league.

Late in the evening we talked about books that have spoken to us recently and ones that helped us as we were raising a family.

It isn't the first time in the past couple months that I have had this conversation with someone. We have several new, or soon-to-be, parents as friends and it blesses me that people turn to us for answers. We haven't really done anything extraordinary - it's just that intentionality goes a long way when you couple it with the convictions of God in your own hearts as parents. We read and listened to a lot because their is something about becoming a parent that causes you to feel lost (or at least 'at a loss'). Good place to be. Humble, needy, scared, and directionless are all postures that God can use and infuse with His glory.

Here's a list of books we've read, loved, reread, tried to implement, cried over, repented because of, etc... etc... etc...
Family life and parenting in general:
The Family - JR Miller
Ministry of Motherhood &
Mission of Motherhood - both by Sally Clarskson
For the Families Sake &
When Children Love to Learn- Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Romancing Your Child's Heart - Monte Swan
Family Driven Faith - Voddie Bauchaum
Parenting with Kingdom Purpose - Hemphill & Ross
My one caution is that several of these books lean heavily toward the 'works' side of things. Be careful as you read them to remember that Christ died to allow the Holy Spirit to come and empower you to do all things through Christ. Your lives should be filled with the Holy Spirit and grace so that the work is a joy and an outflow of Who is alive inside of you.

Raising Sons:
Future Men - Douglas Wilson
Thoughts for Young Men - RC Ryle
Raising a Modern Day Knight - Robert Lewis


Raising Daughters:
Beautiful Girlhood - Mable Hale (updated version by Karen Andreola) or online here
To the Harmonious Development of Christian Character - Newcomb
Raising Maidens of Virtue - Stacy Macdonald

There are others, of course, but these are the ones that I have purposed to buy for my own children to read for their development as parents when the time comes. Some of them are for when your children are small, some for when they begin to grow into adults, but if you can read them BEFORE you get to the stage they are really needed, the stages will be in a truer perspective as they come. I read several of these while I was pregnant with Cassia, and have gone back to them continually.

If you are planning on homeschooling:
Seasons of Life &
Practical Homeschooling - Gregg Harris
Anything and Everything by the Vision Forum

The Seniors 09

Most of our school books arrived yesterday! We are starting earlier than planned because J is (hopefully) taking vacation and we need to be on track with scheduling. So, official start date is Aug 28th. This year we are studying:
Trig & Pre-Calc
Physics + Labs
Poetry
Rhetoric & Logic
Vocabulary
Speech
World View
+ there will be SAT Prep. stuff (practice tests, etc...)
and our reading list includes:
GK Chesterton's Father Brown Stories
Gilgamesh
CS Lewis' science fiction series - ThePerlandria Chronicles
Last of the Mohicans
& some others I can't think of right now :o)

SAT's are in Oct. - Pray for us!

When in the Course...

The Declaration of Independence begins:
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

The ‘south’ of the civil war echoed these words when thy chose to secede from the United States. Though I have never uttered them aloud to anyone for the reason of secession, I have felt them inextricably when it comes to the raising of our children.

20 years ago, J and I disconnected from popular culture – which not only didn’t win us any popularity contests, it set us at odds with family, friends, and even our church. We “assumed among the powers of the earth, the separate & equal station to which the Laws of nature and of nature’s God” entitled us! Very few understood or chose to try to understand why we were walking a different path and we soon found ourselves on the front lines of a revolutionary war.

I don’t want this to be a repeat of past posts (you can look back through the archives if you want to see me standing on my soapbox proclaiming Deuteronomy 6 parenting), instead I want to cross something off my life list and tell someone ‘Thank you’.

I finished “Family Driven Faith” yesterday. It’s subtitled ‘Doing What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God’. Dr. Voddie Bauchaum clearly and concisely communicated our 20 year heart’s cry for our family. I posted awhile back about the podcast we listened to as a family that had me in tears. There were tears again as I turned the pages filled with solid proof & validation of our heart’s leadings all these years. I wish I knew Voddie and Bridget personally. They are kindred spirits. Thank you, Dr. Baucham, for being faithful to proclaim this message.

As for my life list ~ I realized that this has really been a life message for us. It is a cause that I am passionate about and that I have a difficult time being silent over. I want to see God’s purposes fulfilled! I can cross it off my list!!

Things to Do / See While I Yet Have Breath In Me:

· Fall deeply, helplessly, and unconditionally in love with someone who returns the sentiments and marry him. X (11/26/1988)
· Be an amazing friend who has amazing friends.
· Teach someone to read. X (1991, 1994, 2000)
· Ride horses on the seashore.
· Give birth, breastfeed, and raise loving children. X (1989, 1991, 1993)
· Be someone others respect deeply but do not fear.
· Be rescued.
· Memorize a book of the Bible.
· Be hugged by my Dad for no apparent reason & hear him say, “I love you.” For the same reason. X (11/22/06 - he died later that week unexpectedly)
· Bathe in a claw foot tub with tons of bubbles. X (11/26/2000 Anacortes, WA)
· Learn to tell the truth, in love, tempered with grace.
· Take a vacation with no time limits and stop whenever and wherever I wish. Have picnics, explore, photograph everything of interest…
· Make my own jewelry.
· Work in a soup kitchen for a holiday.
· Talk in an foreign accent for an entire day, some place where no one knows me.
· Sit on a jury.
· Milk a goat.
· Meet at least 2 people I do not know, whom I admire deeply.
· Attend a Broadway Musical or a Ballet on Broadway.
· Swim with Dolphins.
· Ride a camel in Africa.
· Send a message in a bottle in the Atlantic Ocean.
· Pet a Harbor Seal Pup.
· Learn to speak a foreign language fluently.
· Learn Sign language well.
· Be covered in butterflies.
· Visit 5 of the 7 continents. (N. America, Asia...)
· Be someone’s mentor.
· Learn to really dance. All styles (except western).
· Write a novel and have it published.
· See the Smithsonian and the rest of DC.
· Watch a lunar eclipse. X (3/3/07; 2/20/08)
· Write my will.
· Experience weightlessness.
· Kayak with Killer Whales.
· Hold my grandchildren, and see them laugh.
· Walk through history in the original 13 colonies.
· See the Northern Lights.
· Ride in a hot air balloon.
· Design and grow my own secret garden.
· Watch a lightning storm at sea.
· Visit the birth places of my ancestors.
· Own one classic, classy evening dress.
· Volunteer at an AIDS clinic in Africa.
· Buy a home near a stream or pond with a big porch & have a “revolving door” for friends, family, and needy.
· Learn to sing so others at least don’t mind listening.
· Spend Christmas in the Alps in a chateau by a fire with the one I love and wrapped in Cashmere.
· Have our family portrait painted.
· Throw a huge party where everyone who has ever been dear to us is invited and attends.
· Watch the sun come up on the ocean embraced by someone who loves me.
· Tour countries by bicycle for a year.
· Become an Auntie X (8 / 10/ 2007!!! to Connor)
· Fly a plane.
· Take serious art classes.
· Be a “mama” to orphans.
· Go white water rafting.
· Be kissed so passionately I get dizzy.
· Have photos published.
· Experience a spa day ~ a total pamper and primp.
· See the Cirque de Soile`.
· Ride a motorcycle. X (beginning in 2002 - 2005, Honda Nighthawk 750)
· Make love in a sleeper car on a traveling train.
· See my children marry someone who loves unconditionally, passionately, and deeply and have the wedding they dream of.
· Help build a house.
· Become knowledgeable and passionate about a cause. X (Doing what t takes to raise children who walk with God fully~ realized 3-16-08)
· Live somewhere without TV / Internet / Telephone / Cell Phone for a year, where there is a tight community of people. (almost like early America)
· Photograph: A birth, a wedding X (10/3/03; 11/13/04; 5/5/05; 8/4/07;11/24/07 ), a funeral.
· Speak at a large conference.
· Wander through: sleepy New England villages; and the fallen leaves, flea markets, ancient ruins, coffee shops, sandy beaches, museums, gardens, vineyards and attics of the Grecian Isles, Scotland, Ireland, Giverny, Tuscany, Madeira, Maine, and Prince Edward Island.
· Give more support and encouragement than criticism and correction.
· Do one thing that scares me to death.
· Get organized.

A Rant & a Praise for Grace, Grace, Grace

The worldwide churches' model of youth ministry from the last 50 years or so doesn't flip my flapjacks. (Like that one babe?!) But that isn't simply what this post is about. I hope it is more about the grace of God in the life of this hard headed, freight train of a daughter of His.

I'm not normal. If you have read this blog very long, I'm not sayng anything new. Look back through the archives and you'll see it crop up. (*here, *here, *here, *here are some examples)

Before I married J, God got ahold of me hook, line and sinker. I had been a 'believer' but not a Christian until that point. I began to devour the Word. What spoke most to me were the verses where God revealed how to raise a family, what a Godly wife looked like, and what it meant to be His child in His family (that is pretty much the entire Bible... :o) ). Deuteronomy 6:7 became my mantra. J & I discussed it all. We would homeschool our kids. Raise them without TV and very few if any movies. We would teach them to love God and seek Him and listen to Him. Our kids wouldn't date. We would make sure they were socialized through hospitality in our own home, under our authority. Dreams formed into values and study of Word and resources formed foundations.

We were told we were overprotective, that our kind of kids were needed in the public school arena, that they were going to grow up ignorant and naive ~ Do you get the picture that 20 years ago these were not popular ways of thinking. They still aren't, but as our kids are older and are able to expound their own thoughts and values to others; they have taken on much of the "Burden of Proof". Who they are speaks for the fact that God's ways are perfect.

Every now and then we hear someone else's voice that supports us in our shaping and sharpening of the arrows in our quiver that they might hit the marks God shoots them toward. 16 years ago we got ahold of a tape series by a (then) little known pastor, named Gregg Harris. (He's the dad of Joshua Harris, and Alex & Brett Harris and others who are shaking the world) I walked away with a key phrase from this series; I want my kids to be the missionaries and not the mission field .

We began homeschooling and lapping up everything we could get our hands on that would help us to not just fill them with knowledge, but train them in the way they should go. The Vision Forum began sending us catalogs, and I shamelessly ordered their books and tape series through our local library. We were filled with vision and purpose!

7 years later (that would be 9 years ago for those of you who don't like to do the math!) Monte Swan came into my life. Not literally. Just his book. It gave raising a family beauty as well as purpose.

When the teenage years (5 years ago) began and it was time to decide what to do about youth group, our spirits were in turmoil. We wanted to support our church, our youth pastor, and our youth, but we couldn't reconcile what we were doing with what we had always taught our kids ~ with what our convictions were. So again we began to dig for God's Truth. We didn't want to say "No you can't" simply because our hearts were unsettled, we wanted to bring it back to the Gospel. We knew the Word said clearly - "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children " (Deut. 4:9) "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." (Deut. 6:5-8) Simple as that. Was there a model out there? Something and someone we could point to that could back us up when we presented this highly unpopular belief to our circle of friends and family? Stats? Anything? What a joy the internet became. We had the world at our fingertips. :o) cliche' but true. I now have a favorites file entitled "Reimagining Family and Life" where I have bookmarked sites of people and organizations that point us ever onward in this journey being a Christ Centered family.

Again we found a book. Parenting with Kingdom Purpose both reiterrated what we had always held a conviction in and gave us new weapons to fight the battle ahead. We were refreshed in our zeal, steadfast in our purpose.

2 nights ago, J came home and had us all gather in the lvingroom to hear a podcast. This is nothing new, but J was impassioned by this speaker and we could tell the next 20 minutes were going to be important. Family Driven Faith is a new book on the old subject (in our house anyway) of shifting your paradigm of how you think family should be done; not going with the flow, not doing what everyone else is doing, or what is the easiest... but what God ordained from the beginning of time for our families to be. I was in tears by the end. My heart was just so full of the grace of God.
Thank you, Father for the fortiftude you placed in our hearts and continue to refortify. Thank you, for not allowing our shortcomings to derail Your divine purposes.

It isn't over yet.

Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaaa!

Across the seas comes Vizka Longtooth with a crew of Searaiders, and a captive badger. Bound for plunder and conquest. The aged Badger Lord of Salamandastron sends forth a haremaid, questing for his successor. A young thief exiled from Redwall. A Brownrat chieftain, with his savage horde, is ravaging Mossflower country. The fates of many creatures, both good and evil, are caught up in this saga of war and destiny. Over the cold Northern Isles, across the heaving seas, sweeping through forest and plain, from the badger mountain to the ancient stones of Redwall Abbey, the warcry thunders out... Eulaliiiiaaaaaaa!

Brian Jacques has been eliciting cheers from Redwall fans for twenty years. Brian initially wrote Redwall more than 20 years ago to entertain the children at Liverpool’s Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. Little did he realize the global success that awaited the series. Redwall was first published in the UK in 1986 and in the USA in 1987.

To celebrate these 20 wonderful Redwall years Philomel will release a special 20th Anniversary Edition of Redwall coinciding with the publication of the latest Redwall adventure Eulalia!

An Acceptable Time

"There's a theory which I take seriously... that we live until we do whatever we're meant to do."
~Madeleine L'Engle

I am late in posting this. It seems that one of the favorite authors of my younger self died the same day as my friend, Larry Brice. Madeleine L'Engle. She was 88. If you haven't read
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door or
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
it is the perfect time of year to begin. You'll love them, I promise.

New Life from Old

I'm Reading again.

A book I have actually wanted to read for awhile, but have never found. Yesterday, miraculously, while I was on a mission at a second hand store to buy note cards, I saw a sale sign on tables of books.
Asking my youngest to inquire as to what the sale was, I began to peruse. She returned to tell me that every book was 10 cents! Now, it isn't as if we don't already have 20 + boxes of books packed, but 10 cents? What is a bibliophile to do???

There, tucked between books that were 5x its size and girth was the little book I had been searching for for years after overhearing a conversation about it in a bookstore. 10 cents handed over to the Senior Center and this little 50 year old gem was mine!

The Title? Gift from the Sea - by Anne Morrow Lindburgh. I am absorbing it. Drinking it in. It feels like she is talking intimately with me. As if we 2 are the only ones in the room and our hearts are whispering to eachother.

I'll let you in on the secret - just a glimpse: "The shape of my life is determined by many things; my background and childhood, my mind and education, my conscience and its pressures, my heart and its desires. I want to give and take from my children and husband, to share with my friends and community, to carry out my obligations as a woman, an artist, as a citizen. But I want first to be at peace. I want singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me t carry these out well. I would like to achieve a state on inward grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God."

50 years and she knows my heart. 50 years and new life is being birthed from dormant seed.

Follow Your Heart

Stepping out to follow a dream that has long been held in the dark and quiet of the soul is never an easy thing. You 2nd guess your decisions, look for a reason to stay put, and wonder if the dream is really nothing more than wishful thinking or escapism. As we step out into an 18 year old dream, and brush off the cobwebs and dust, I have begun reading a book. I didn't know anything about it. Our host son from last year gave it to Tof while we were in Korea this year. It is challenging me. Here are some quotes that have wakened the adventurer/ sojourner/ treasure-seeker in me:

"...people need not fear the unknown... We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions... Fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."
"...understanding is really the sudden immersion of the soul into the current of life, where the histories of all people are connected and we are able to know intuitively..."

"...I'm afraid if my dream is realized, I may have no reason to go on living... I am afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer to go on dreaming."

"The boy felt jealous at the freedom of the wind." But then he realized that was how he felt when he dreamed...he was the only thing holding him back.

~~Paulo Coelho~~ "The Alchemist

Cultivating Individuality

I'm reading a book right now, and it is teaching me so much about being a wife and mom. The title sounds like that is just what I should be learning from it, but it isn't that KIND of book at all! Its an interior design book called "Creating a Beautiful Home". I picked it up at a garage sale for free.
When I was in highschool I really didn't want to go to college. I hated the atmosphere of school. It didn't seem much different from the prisons I'd seen in movies. But the thing that got me on the road to going to college were the correspondence art classes my mom signed me up for through the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago. If I had to train for a career, I would train in design!
We all know from my previous post that God had a different dream for me to live out. It is one that I adore, and am so thankful to be fulfilling. Ever since I had our 1st daughter I became a Stay-at-Home Girl. I wouldn't trade it for the world. However, living on one income doesn't accommodate the designer side of me! I have sometimes been frustrated by the necessity to eat and pay bills even though I would love to put a new wall treatment in the livingroom, or windowboxes overflowing with a bower of blooms at our front windows. I have concentrated on my kids, and becoming someone in whom my husband's heart can fully trust in and rely on.
That brings me back to the book I'm reading! The author has been expounding on her own journey as a designer and how she has come to a place where she sees her role as someone who brings light and beauty to darkened homes, while still cultivating the individuality of their owners, & teaching them how to propagate that themselves. I sat there a stunned realization that that has always been my role as well. I strive to instill The Light and beauty of God into my children, & the atmosphere of our daily lives while allowing them to show His Light and beauty in their unique ways and encouraging them onward. I'm an interior designer! God builds the house, and I get to decorate it!
We took a drive and hike yesterday. The kids' cultivated individuality showed throughout the day! Cassia was tired, but she was the lover of beauty and tranquility. The peacemaker. The one who takes everyone into her heart and wants the best for them even when she is exhausted. Christopher was dealing with allergies, but he was alert for what would look cool in a video and taking pics. He is an appreciator, and likes to be appreciated. Sensitive and quick witted, while growing in keeping his feelings in check. He is striving to learn balance. Minda had a toe bugging her, but we didn't hear about it until the end of the day (and it turned out her sock had a wrinkle!). We turned bends to find her in trees or at the top of hills looking down and waving wildly. She collected ~ Cotton, blowing in the wind; fungus, growing on the side of a trees; tiny rocks, smoothed by the river... she climbed onto nearly sunken logs, pointed out strange sounds and laughed unrestrainedly. I love who they are, but I have plans to bring even more of The Light into the darkened corners!
pics below...

Get Away

Last weekend James and I went away... All by ourselves. It was the first time in 3 years (or more). We went to see our pastor/friend preach the first night. We had no idea where we were going. James asked if it would be sexy for him to stop and ask directions. he he he. We missed worship, but made it in time for the first point on his notes! I told James he was very sexy!
After the service, we went to Tomato Street for Chicken Marsala (recommend!) and some laughs before driving to a quaint town nearby.
We had a fun evening, slept in, and grabbed a Starbucks before heading out to see if our favorite used bookstore was still in business. It was. Lady Di greeted us. We spent 2 solid hours talking and reading. Isn't it peculiar how the scent of old books makes you feel wise and philosophical? Of course we bought books. Mitch Album, Flavors of Pacific Northwest, ... and more. We split a Taco salad for lunch at a forgettable location with an unforgettable 'Scotsman'. Then we drove to Circuit City to stoke the fires of James' gadget lust (& mine a tad too). New laptop and camera top the list of those we left behind but hold dear to our heart. Then we headed home. Our car conversations are always the best. (I know Peggy agrees with me here) It isn't because of the captive audience, contrary to popular belief, I think it is because of the solitude and absolute privacy with the open road stretching before you! James always does more talking than I do. I love it. I get to hear his heart, his passions, and his corny jokes and laugh with him. It's what I fell in love with 20 years ago. It's what I still love.

In My Mind's Eyes

A new blog I've begun reading recently inspired this post. It may mean nothing to most of you out there, but to those of us who are hopeless children at the tender age of 35, well ~ deep sighing, and sniffles are allowed.

I love that art stirs emotion in me. I'm one of those kind of people who, placed in an art gallery, would stand and stare at a painting unaware of time's turnings or other's fancies. I get drawn in and lost. Some of the most brilliant artwork available today is that of the illustrators of children's books. Their ability to capture mood and emotion is almost unsurpassed.
Here are a few who touch my soul:

In order of appearance:

Aleshina
Eva Erikson
Anne Yvonne Gilbert
Barbara Cooney (3)
Christopher Denise (3)
Audrey & Don Wood (2)
Charles Fuge
Elsa Beskow
Eloise Wilkins
Lilian Hoban
Frances Evans
Garth Williams (2)
Howard Knotts
Jeffrey Brian Fisher
Jerry Pinkney
Jon Berkeley
Jill Barklem (2)
Patricia Ann MacDougall (2)

Maggie Kneen
Tasha Tudor (2)
Sean Rubin
Simona Bucan
Holly Hobbie (2)
Yoshiko Jaeggi
Nick Price

Yoshiko Jaeggi

What a gift to be able to illustrate my mind's eyes .