Beautiful Words...

Have you ever encountered words of such grace that they take your breath away? Words that make you ache to express yourself in such simplicity and beauty?

Here is a patchwork piece of such a meeting....I marvel that any one could be so in tune with the elegance of nature...

Her hands lie open in the long fresh grass
Her fingertips look through like rosy blooms

Your eyes smile peace
The pasture gleams and glooms

Deep in the sun searched growths the dragonfly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky

From The House of Life #19 Silent Noon
by Dante Gabriell Rossetti

Do these words not just shine? Can you feel the beauty of the imagery? They have taken my breath away, and I revisit them time after time, especially deep into a hot afternoon when the sky glows and the dragonflies un-weave themselves from the fabric of a summer day to sway in the breeze.

As fall settles in I will hang on these words till I can return to the lake of my dreams.

Be a Maker, not a Consumer

Madeleine L'Engle insisted she was not a consumer. That word was distasteful to her. She said "fire consumes; cancer consumes".

Wendy Tremayne says ""There is no creativity in consumerism… makers don't make good consumers. The less you know, the less you can make, the more you're going to buy."

I'm kicking around this idea. I love the concept and I know people who are interested. Should I go for it?

Swap Art

I haven't done many swaps for the last few months, but Dawn convinced me (made me an offer I couldn't refuse!) to join this Wacky Photo Booth Swap. And yes, I can spell!

Evolution of a tree from my kitchen window

It's a grand day. Sunny and clear and crisp. I love fall!

My kitchen window looks out onto the most beautiful big tree. It's huge, and has wide spreading branches that beg to be climbed. (It can keep on begging me all it wants...I'm staying down here with the camera!)

Here is the evolution of a tree over the course of the last month...enjoy!

This is the tree as it looked a month ago.

A week later it was transformed to this...(can you see the boy in the tree? It's enough to give the mother a real bad case of hiney clench!)

Isn't this brilliant? OK, I'm calm again...

Ack! There's another one up there!!

Oh Lordy! Now the boy has the camera and is taking pictures that give me vertigo as well as instilling deep terror for their lives!!

That's better! Everyone is safe on the ground. And will be here for quite some time. It could take weeks to clean up these leaves!

Though if they make this little pumpkin happy, I'll keep them around.

It Is Well.

Here's Why...

My Daniel,...Mr Wonderful. He adores me, works hard for us, and loves to make me happy. He really deserves a white horse.

The leaves scattered and piled in my back yard...golden and crisp and fragrant; rustling underfoot as I walk through my garden.

My family; growing and capable...a grown son and daughter in law whom I am honoured to call my friends, and my little Liam, a brilliant spot even in my dark days.

The friends; the beautiful friends that I have, who encourage me, support me, are transparent with me, and who accept me as real and flawed and often wrong, but love me through and in spite of it all.

The wonderful news that my Dad is feeling strong and happy and energetic...a true miracle!

A house that holds a family, and friends, and has room for all. We had 18 for Thanksgiving and did not feel crowded. Cozy; yes, but not cramped!

The excitement of finding my muse to make a special gift for 13 of the most artistic people in the universe. (No pressure there). To even think of mass producing something causes me to panic...but I am loving what I dreamed of, literally, as I was relaxing in my bed, half awake. Each one is unique and a little different.

The grand opening of the Lyceum this Friday and the doors that will open to our home education community.

My parents, married 53 years and always there for all of us.

The new project the boys are so engrossed in! Sports for the Mind!

My 13 year old who attended the forum for our municipal elections tonight and listened to the speeches of 14 candidates because he cares about his neighbourhood. And then he said it was very interesting!

Vinyl Cafe...laugh out loud one moment, blinking back a tear the next. (Why don't we have more words like bittersweet to describe an experience like this?) If you're not Canadian, get to a radio or pick up a book. It'll make up for having to wait so long to celebrate Thanksgiving. What's not to love about something with the motto "We may not be big, but we're small!"
Did I mention it's Canadian?

Back to "Normal"

Well, after 5 months of Cable TV, (AKA Crapple TV!) which we signed on for when they offered it to us at a ridiculously low introductory rate, we have unsubscribed. I did not get hooked on any shows, did not succumb to the "Ugly Betty" craze...(what is THAT about? Every second billboard is pushing that show down my throat! I watched 5 minutes and all I have to say is "why bother?")
The boys were definitely hooked on History Channel's "Lost Worlds" and Discovery's "Myth Busters". They are really great shows, and I'll miss them just a little.

Why can't I just sign up for the channels I want? Why does the package with the above two channels also have the awful, horrid adult one that I accidentally flipped to one night to avoid a commercial? I mean, it's ONE CHANNEL away from Discovery! Even with Digital you have to buy Basic crap too! What? Why? Who's idea was that?? I mean, most people don't actually watch the commercials, do they? I mean, if you watch TV? Don't you get a couple shows going and hope that the commercial breaks don't overlap? I had a system. I could watch Food TV and Jamie (OK, I'll admit I'll miss my Jamie), and some Home show at the same time. (My attention span does not extend to embrace commercial viewing). Well, instead of flipping from 32 to 51 I just hit the "down" button and got a horrified eyeful of something no one should ever have to see from the comfort of their living room. Or Planet Earth.

I canceled the Cable. I would like to be connected to the good stuff, but not at the cost of reality. 'Cause that stuff ain't real folks!

We rearranged the family room today. Moved chairs back to the cozy Library corner, instead of having them all oriented toward the Shrine to St. Shaw.
Six years with no TV; 5 months with "the Works"; now back to "Normal". It's not just a setting on the dryer folks, it's life spent facing each other.

Levi's new Amp and Guitar Practice area.

Guitar's workout area. (Spoiled guitars! A whole treadmill to help them keep those hourglass figures!)

Zoot the Cat's workout area.

My workout area...my new KingKong massage chair from my wonderful MOM!! A gift for NO REASON!

Books/games/cozy up with a warm beverage area...my favorite!

We All Do Our Part...

Liam spent the day helping us rid the house of dust bunnies. He came for the day while Mommy subbed for a teacher. Uncle Levi had cheerfully vacuumed the floor so Liam would not have to spend the day crawling around looking for crumbs and wayward bits that might be on the carpet. Which he would be forced to "deal with".

Liam really liked the vacuum cleaner, and like a true boy decided it looked remarkably like a Harley. He decided to take it for a test drive. But like a real biker, he had to keep his machine in pristine condition.
Grandma was a little distracted with the phone call Josh was having in the background, but still she was able to film, talk and swoop in to remove the fascinating bit of fuzz from Liam's Disposal System.





I think we'll stick with the vacuum cleaner. I'm sure his Mom will appreciate that.

September

September is a beautiful month. I love it! My dear friends Pat and Linda celebrate their birthdays, as does my gorgeous MOM. Happy Birthday Mom!

I love the newness of so many things in September...a new season, a new school year...the scent and sight of harvest.

Here are some of my September moments. I want to savour every one!



Nessa made Pat's Birthday cakes...Grandma B's recipe and Nessas special frosting...YUM.

Josh and I worked hard on our shed after the help getting the foundation done. He's a handy guy, just like his Grandad.

I don't WANT to fill it with junk! I want to have a party in it!

The September light is exquisite.

Here's a busy boy and his Great Grandad...he's just WAY to busy to hold still for a photo!

Name Game...stop reading if you won't play nice

OK...this is a good one people...play along and don't blow me off. (I'm in no mood for hurt feelings, what with the insomnia and all). And it's silly...but a harmless kinda' fun!

This is called "The Name Game"

Rules:
Read mine,
Copy and paste the whole thing into comments,
Replace my answers with yours,
Post your results here AND in your own blog to tag others.

Oh, come on, just do it! (Karyn, Dawn, Tanya, Nessa...this means you!)

Name Game

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet,current car) Buffy Venture

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Vanilla Ginga' Snap

3. YOUR FLY GIRL NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
A- Tra (uh...what's a fly girl? a stewardess? pest control?...anybody...? )

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Horse (yawn)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born), Patricia Lac La Biche (Don't ask for the literal translation...though it IS kind of Diva-ish, no?)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Tra -Ar (may the farce be with you)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Periwinkle Rooibos

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Billy-Earl (technically William, but that thar's not'cher tipickal Red neck name...and we all knows NASCAR stands fer' Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks)

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume, favorite candy) Sung Kit-Kat (hmmmm...personally I think Kit-Kat Sung would look better in lights...oh Lordy, let's not go there)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Patricia Earl (if I've ever had a restraining order against you, please erase this one from your memory)

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Moodie Manhattan

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Summer Cosmos (said in a breathy voice)

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Watermelon Sockie (Holy Fruit fly, Batman!)

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Smoothie Birch

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Mixed Media,Thunder and Lighning Tour (cue amazing guitar lick and pyrotechnics!)



There ya' have it! That wasn't so hard!

Wayne's World

So meeting one of my new favorite authors was quite a surprise. Wayne Jabobsen, of The God Journey was in town and stayed with friends last night so we could have dinner, hang out and talk about our journeys.
I have read one of his books co-authored and written under a pseudonym, and have read, and am currently digesting, The Shack, which he helped write, edit, and has published.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I thought I knew God, and understood the trinity, and was on close terms with Jesus. Then I saw Him through new eyes in the pages of this book's story and my preconceptions have been rearranged. I recognize the truth in what I am beginning to see. I am having a hard time realizing how much more He is. I am also having a hard time admitting that most of what I have been taught is through the lenses of an Old Testament understanding. I am also discovering how religious practice has dictated my response to Him. And all I can say is "I did not know".

For instance, chew on this....as we were talking about the cross last night, Wayne asked, "If you did something to some guy, and really hurt him, and he said that the only way he could ever accept you as a friend was if someone paid...and then he went home and beat the tar out of his son with a baseball bat, then came and said that it was OK now, and you could be friends, would you ever WANT to be friends with someone like that?"
NO! Yet that is basically my understanding of the cross...someone innocent had to pay for my shortcomings. But as we talked, Wayne presented another analogy about the cross, which was never for God; it was all for ME.

His analogy is this; We have a terminal blood disease (sin), and the only cure is chemo, which will also absolutely kill us (the law). So Jesus, being God, and being Love, takes our diseased blood into His healthy body and transfuses His healthy blood to us. The disease kills Him, but when He has died, we are left with the antibodies for all time, for everyone who suffers from this disease. He provides both a cure for the disease, (sin) and relief from the deadly "cure", (the law). That is love, that is His sacrifice.

Our God is not one who ever needed us to sacrifice for Him, unlike every other god and religion. He desired to sacrifice for us. Our sacrifice is worthless to Him. His message to us in the Old Testament is this: Sin kills, and the law will cover it up but will never cure us, and will never make us feel remotely clean. The law is as deadly as the disease of sin.

But surely we have to qualify, by our righteous acts, for this gift of relief from sin, and for it's cure?

We qualify when we give ourselves to Him, in Love and of our free will.

This immediately makes perfect sense to me. It is the Gospels.

There was a lot more, all of which I will be attempting to assimilate over the next few months... and years. Meanwhile, check out his blog, linked above and in the Lifestream link on the right hand side of the blog.

Portland...

I'm still dreaming about the pizza we had a year ago, in downtown Portland,


It was chewy and crisp at the same time, with luscious thick and tasty pesto topping and home made, real berry soda pop to sip with...

It was cooked in wood fired ovens that heated the historic, enviro-friendly Eco-Trust building the HotLips is situated in in the Pearl District. I promise you, I would make a trip to Portland just to eat that pizza again! On foot! *


Oh, and to go to Powell's Books of course, THE WORLDS LARGEST BOOK STORE!! Two reasons to visit Portland!! Go, I tell you, it's worth it!


* OK, maybe not on foot...after all, how many books could I carry home? That's why I love road trips....in a van!!

Look at Liam grow!

He is from good farm stock after all.
Have your ever seen such a brilliant smile?

Busy, busy at the Hutchy farm.

Dweller by a Dark Stream:

Have a look at Bruce Cockburn's beautiful lyrics...(that's a silent "ck" folks)

he sings:

" It could have been me put the thorns in your crown
Rooted as I am in a violent ground
How many times have I turned your promise down
Still you pour out your love…Pour out your love

I was a dweller by a dark stream
A crying heart hooked on a dark dream
In my convict soul I saw your love gleam
And you showed me what you’ve done…Jesus, thank-you joyous Son

You entered a life like ours to give us back our own
You wanted us like you, as choosers not clones
You offered up your flesh and death was overthrown
Now salvation is ours…Salvation is ours

I was a dweller by a dark stream
A crying heart hooked on a dark dream
In my convict soul I saw your love gleam
And you showed me what you’ve done…Jesus, thank-you joyous Son

So I’m walking this prison camp world
I long for a glimpse of the new world unfurled
The chrysalis cracking and moistened wings uncurl
Like in the vision John saw…The vision John saw

I was a dweller by a dark stream
A crying heart hooked on a dark dream
In my convict soul I saw your love gleam
And you showed me what you’ve done…Jesus, thank-you joyous Son"

(photo by Josh)

In The Shack, Papa is "particularly fond" of Bruce...I can see why!

On Sponges...

I read a quote that has me turned on my head. Saint Teresa of Avili said:

"It seemed to me there came the thought of how a sponge absorbs and is saturated with water; so, I thought, was my soul, which was overflowing with that divinity and in a certain way rejoicing within itself and possessing the three Persons. I also heard the words: “Don’t try to hold ME within yourself, but try to hold yourself within Me.”

This has me thinking...am I a sponge? Do I want to be a sponge...sometimes dry and empty, sometimes damp, sometimes overflowing and saturated? Or...do I want to be the water, soaking into the sponge that is God, soaked up and absorbed into Him?

Best Memories...

When my birthday came that year, Daniel had only five dollars. He was upset, knowing there was no real way to buy a gift...at least the kind he wanted for me. He bought a card, and then he wandered into a bookstore...hoping. All that he could afford was a magazine...the cover of this particular one reminded him of me, of things that I loved. When he paid for it, he was left with thirteen cents. He brought it home, with a sweet note written in the card.
I was touched, both by the beautiful magazine and the humble man who trusted me enough to know I would see the love behind the gesture.

That was 1990, and month after month for the next thirteen years, Daniel brought home the Victoria magazine for me. He watched for it on the news stands every month, and delivered it to me with a smile and real joy, because he knew I treasured it. It was a symbol of faith between us; a touchstone and a reminder of simple pleasures and better, beautiful things to come.

When publication ceased in 2003 I was stricken. I've never found another magazine like it. I treasure my back copies, keeping them close at hand, reading them in season, never tiring of the ethereal photographic charm of Toshi Otsuki.

Today, on a day when I was blue and achey, I read this page! on a (beautiful) random blog while following a rabbit trail. I can't really believe how happy it made me. Laugh out loud happy! Immediate celebration happy! Plan a spectacular dinner and dessert and put a great bottle of wine on to chill happy! But the look of shared joy on Daniels face when I told him was priceless. He knew it meant more than just another magazine on the market.

Tonight, after dinner, I pulled out the 13 August issues I have piled carefully in the dining room shelves, and began to reminisce, this time with excitement over things to come.

A letter to the editor in the August 2001 issue made me do a double take. It features artful, handmade travel journals by none other than Lynne Perrella! I have one of her art books, "Alphabetica", sitting on my coffee table, and she is an editor in at least one of the art magazines I now subscribe to. I wonder if she knows Victoria will soon be back in print.

Life is good...and beautiful. I will once again have the pleasure of a monthly reminder that life is hopeful; that women can achieve their dreams without sacrificing their families; and that a charmed life is in the eye of the beholder.

One year!!

How did this happen? Last August we were eagerly awaiting this little man, and here he is walking, eating cake, playing with Big Trucks, and generally charming his assorted aunts, uncles, and grandparents...(not to mention Mom and Dad!)

On Sunday the extended family celebrated by eating, (of course), opening gifts, laughing and planting a tiny oak tree in the Birthday Boy's honour.

Deeper...

Romans is full of big, meaty ideas. It needs to be slowly savored (you're so right about that Karyn). There's no room in it for making my own salvation. It's ALL Him!


Romans 1:16"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous shall live by faith".

Yesterdays tragedy burried in todays garden.

I saw a quote today in an old copy of The Oprah Magazine..."Today's newspaper wraps tomorrows fish".

I immediately had a flash back to the day I was mulching my garden, laying down thick layers of wet newspaper on the soil (and weeds), then piling the wood chips atop all.

I had gone to the recycling center and brought home a big box of newspaper and put them to soak in a tub of water.
As I pulled out one section at a time, I would run my eyes over yesterdays news. I would read the headlines, or if I were lucky, the comics. I marveled at the Suduko puzzles and crosswords...done in PEN no less!

But one front page still haunts me...pictures of four of the Canadian soldiers killed this summer in Afghanistan.

There were their childish faces, staring out at me, like boys playing dress-up in their uniforms and colored barrettes. It was devastating. They were young, some probably younger than Nialle, and they were dead.

I imagined their parents. What would they feel if they could see me...pulling a paper from the vat... letting the water drip...drip...drip, through my fingers as I looked at their sons smiling, hopeful eyes...opening the pages and smoothing them out onto the ground...covering them up with a shovel full of aromatic woodchips?

Would they wail and scream their indignation? Would they turn away in despair, anger, hate? Would they silently bow their heads as I did several times, tears in my eyes, disbelief at the waste of such potential?

As I worked, I showed my boys these faces as I lifted the headlines from the cold water..."They are so young!" I said. "Look at their faces! This is horrible beyond belief!" Then I would lay them down, smooth them out, cover them up.

It seems a fitting analogy for their silent dismissal from the brief fame that their early deaths earned them. What is their remembrance to those of us who first saw their faces posthumously plastered around the world? Hero? Or just another brief bit of angst brought to millions of commuters who briefly beheld their faces while sipping their four dollar lattes on their way to work that morning in July, before dropping them into the recycling bin at the end of the day...or burying them under the compost in their gardens...or were they perhaps used by fishermen, wrapping them around wet, shining dead fish?

Their names were Cole, Matthew, Lane and Colin. Though I can't tell this to their parents, I will remember them as I sit in my garden, thankful for the sun on my face and the sound of my boys playing nearby.

Personality DNA

This test was fun. I think it is a pretty accurate assessment of me at this point. Try it out yourself.

You are an Advocating Inventor.

You are an Inventor

Your imagination, self-reliance, openness to new things, and appreciation for utility combine to make you an INVENTOR.

You have the confidence to make your visions into reality, and you are willing to consider many alternatives to get that done.

The full spectrum of possibilities in the world intrigues you—you're not limited by pre-conceived notions of how things should be.

Problem-solving is a specialty of yours, owing to your persistence, curiosity, and understanding of how things work.

Your vision allows you to identify what's missing from a given situation, and your creativity allows you to fill in the gaps.

Your awareness of how things function gives you the ability to come up with new uses for common objects.

It is more interesting for you to pursue excitement than it is to get caught up in a routine.

Although understanding details is not difficult for you, you specialize in seeing the bigger picture and don't get caught up in specifics.

You tend to more proactive than reactive—you don't just wait for things to come to you.

You tend to do things on the spur of the moment, not sticking to a set schedule.

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

You are Advocating

Being social, empathic, and understanding makes you ADVOCATING.

Some people find being around others exhausting—but not you! You are energized by spending time with friends, and you are good at meeting new people.

One of the reasons you enjoy conversation as much as you do is that you often learn about yourself while talking things out with a friend; you realize things about your own beliefs while discussing them with others.

You have insight into what others are thinking and feeling. This ability allows you to be happy for others, and to commiserate when something has gone wrong for them.

You are highly compassionate, and being conscious of how things affect those close to you leaves you cautious about trusting others too hastily.

Despite these reservations, you are open-minded when it comes to your worldview; you don't look to impose your ways on others.

Your sensitivity towards others' plights contributes to an understanding—both intellectual and emotional—of many different perspectives.

As someone who understands the complexities of the world around you, you are reluctant to pass judgments.

personalDNA

Finding Grace

This is a quote from a heartbreaking video on Aids.

"Sometimes, in an effort to remind people of the cost of the Cross, we withhold grace until we're sure they understand their sin.

"But it's in the giving of our grace that we remind people that they need to go to Jesus to find their own. People understand their sin without our help. It's grace they need help understanding."