Jingle Bells and Peppermint

I  got this center piece for my table at Pier One year before last.  I saw it displayed on a table.  It was everything I wanted, and it looked so good all together.  I took my basket and loaded the whole display into it.  It was a whole lot easier than hunting everything down!

Happy Black Friday!

I am not one to shop on Black Friday, but I made an exception for some groceries we needed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I made two pumpkin pies - a first for me.  I am not a cook/baker, but Pillsbury pie crusts are a life saver!

Our Thanksgiving didn't go quite as we had planned.  Kandy's dad, Leland, is now in rehab and in a facility close by.  We had the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy and pear salad, just not all together.  Kandy and I ate some of it for lunch and took Leland a plate tonight for his dinner.  Beverly, Kandy's mom, ate some after she got home tonight from spending the day with Leland.  But, that is life, sometimes.  You do what you've got to do. Holidays are no exceptions.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the people that work on holidays to take care of others.  Holidays are just not quite the same when you aren't home, or don't have your loved ones around, but there is always something to be thankful for, and I for one find blessings all around.

Thanking Him for His Blessings

I was looking for my mom's recipe for Pumpkin Bread today.  I have several recipes friends and family have written for me on cards or notebook paper in an old shoe box.  There is even a recipe written in pencil on a napkin.  There are other things in my shoebox besides recipes, a special "Thank You" note, a birthday card from an old friend, a picture taken at a cross stitch camp years ago, and this poem, hand written by my mother:

I talked to God this morning
He listened as I prayed,
He understood my hearts desire,
And heard each word I said.
I asked Him to be with me,
And help me through the day
To keep my loved ones in His care,
And guide them in His way.
I thanked Him for His blessings,
And prayed His will to do,
I told Him that I loved Him,
He said, "I love you too."

I was so busy around the house that the 70 degrees temperature was just too warm, so I turned the furnace down.  When I sat down to relax a bit, it was down right cold and I turned on the fireplace.  Seldom do I need to be warmed up!  But, it was so nice to relax by the fire, read my mom's poem and think of all my blessings.   That lasted about 5 minutes, so I took this picture to commemorate the  moment of being cold enough to have the fireplace on, then I turned the fireplace off.

My old shoebox is like stepping back in time.  Little things I've saved over the years are tokens of the blessings in life.  My mother was one of my biggest blessings.  But like the Kodak fireplace moment, life's blessings are here and gone.  Other blessings come along, but it's the ones I save things to remember them by that hold special meaning.  I love this little poem my mom wrote.  And I'm happy I found it in my old shoebox, just in time for Thanksgiving.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

My extent of Christmas decorating in my office

Homemade Chocolate Chips Cookies?

Today’s picture is of my friend Jil.  She works in the same office as I do.   She is the one I bought my first “real” camera from, and who inspired me to start scrapbooking, and quilt making, and card making and ……the list goes on as life does.  Our one constant thread that connects us has been cross stitch.  We always have to show each other our latest investment to our stash.  And often, because Jil is a starter and seldom a finisher when it comes to cross stitch, I get her rejects!  I tease her that she needs my approval before making any cross stitch purchases because it may end up being mine in the near future. 

Jil loves to quilt.  I tried.  I really did.  I started with a quilt of the month.  I worked on January’s block using my sewing machine.  I ripped out all the stitching on January’s block and tried again doing it by hand.  I ripped it out again.   I went back to the store and got more materials for January’s block and tried a third time.  That’s as far as I got on the quilt.  Donna, a mutual friend of ours, took pity and offered to put it together for me.  I couldn’t believe she would want to do that – but our friend Donna also loves quilting, has a passion for it.  I think she was more appalled that I would quit without even finishing the first month, but my motto is “If at first you don’t succeed, don’t take up bungee jumping.”  And I’m adding quilting to that statement!  Because the third time is not a charm, it’s just pure frustration.

Jil and I have known each other many years.  I remember her sons when they were in grade school/middle school.  I stayed with the boys when Jil and her husband were out of town for the weekend.  My fondest memory (and SO Jil) is when her youngest asked if I would make them homemade chocolate chips cookies.  I said, “Well sure!  Where is the flour, chips and Crisco?”  He looked at me strangely and informed me homemade chocolate chip cookies came in a tube from the refrigerated case at the store.  Not to disappoint him, we went to the grocery store and got the cookies in a tube, went home and made them.  They probably turned out much better than if I had attempted making them from scratch!   Jil has something there…..

As with long-time friends, we have seen each other through many good times and many bad times.  She can make me laugh (and isn’t that what friends are for?), and I have cried for her when her heart was broken.   She has seen her family through sicknesses and accidents, weddings, births and hauling her deceased grandmother in the back of a station wagon (that’s another story all its own).  She’s a storyteller, and she doesn’t even have to make up anything!!!  She is one friend I know I can talk to that will give a listening ear.  Our solution to most of life’s problems end with chocolate, another love we share.  And I can always, ALWAYS, depend on Jil to have tasted all the desserts at any restaurant within a 60 mile radius, tried out the latest Quick Trip or new grocery store that opened in town, and will know what flavor Sheridan’s Custard is promoting this month.  If you talk football, it had better be the Arkansas Razorbacks or Kansas City Chiefs, and her grandchildren are the loves of her life.  She thinks her husband is pretty special, too.  And her kids…..well, she just loves her whole family!!  She is one friend I have that God has blessed me with, over and over again. 

My Picture of the Day - It's a Keeper!

This is a picture of a long-time friend who is more like the sister I never had with her dad, who I call my adopted father.  Kandy and I have known each other since college.  When she decided to buy a little two-bedroom house with a HUGE yard, I moved in with her.  We have traveled to Europe, Williamsburg, Hawaii and all over Iowa with her parents.  On extended vacations like that, you get to know each other pretty well and are either the best of friends at the end of the trip, or want to strangle each other!  Fortunately for us, we found we were more like family!  Kandy and I have shared more than just trips, we have been there for each other in all of life's ups and downs.  When her parents decided to sell their home and move in with Kandy (in a bigger house!), I came along, too!  It's nice to feel like a part of a family.

You can tell from the picture, Leland loves his #1 daughter very much, as Kandy loves him very much! Is love always easy?  No, as you can see, Leland is in the hospital.  He has numerous health issues.  It's so hard to see your parents age.  I went through some of the same things with my parents.  There are things you just can't change, can't make better, but you can be there.  And at this point in life, being there is what counts.  I think this photo is a keeper.  It tells of a father and daughter's love that started long before the day Kandy was born and he got to hold her in his arms; to today, as Kandy now holds him, and will forever in her heart.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

I love Monet.  He is my favorite artist.  I had seen on the news a while back that a French Impressionist Exhibition Tour was coming to Kansas City.  It was something I thought would be fun to see.

I had been going to a hair stylist for quite a while, and she recently moved to downtown Kansas City.  It's a bit of a drive with a lot of traffic during the week, so I decided to schedule an appointment with her at her new digs on a Saturday.  Looking at her new address, I realized it was located close to Nelson-Atkins, so I spent the morning at the exhibit before my appointment.  I wasn't able to take pictures in the exhibit, but took this one on my way there.  I ran out of time to see anything else in the museum, so now I'm thinking I may have to become a member to get free parking and free entrance to the exhibits and make all my hair appointments my Nelson-Atkins days!  Isn't it wonderful how life brings new things out of the mundane?  And the exhibit - it was wonderful!!!!  

50 Years Ago Today

I don't remember what I was doing fifty years ago today.  I was too young.  I don't remember my parents talking about JFK, but I'm sure they did.  As I thought of that horrific day for so many people, I compared it to my own emotions and thoughts on 9-11 not so long ago.  I remember watching the TV on that bright sunny September morning; I had on the Today Show with Matt Laur and Katie Couric.  They interrupted the program when the first Twin Tower was hit.  Surely it was a horrible accident.  As I watched, a second plane hit the second tower.  There was disbelief in the voice of the newscasters.  I called into work and told them to turn on the radio.  History was happening, history that was life ending and life changing.  I got in my car and drove to work, intently listening to the radio.  When the news came on that that a plane had flown into the Pentagon, I ran a red light.  My mind was racing... "What is going to happen next, was the world as I knew it ending?"  In many ways, it did; just as it did in 1963.  Whether it is just one life, or many lives lost in such a senseless manner, each has created a ripple effect from that point in time to eternity.  A father, mother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, best friend, niece, nephew, neighborhood, a hero; gone from our lives too soon.  All those people had relationships, and held many different roles in their life.  They forever changed the course of those around them, for the good or for the bad.  And just as their lives created one path for those around them, their loss forced their family, friends and a nation to forge a new path, without them.  We remember them.  And in some ways, we have held on to the good and overlooked the bad in some; while for others we have held on to the bad and overlooked the good.  But life goes on, and we wonder, what if…..

What if's can drive you crazy.  The what if's will never be.  And that is part of the resilience of life.   We keep on going, life doesn't stop.  It may feel like it, but it doesn't.  The minutes still click away into days, weeks, months, years…...  Churchhill once said "When you're walking through Hell, keep going".  Every era has it's tragedy, a point in time when the world changes.  A point in time we remember like yesterday.  It's etched in our minds and we can conjure up our emotions by just remembering, or looking at pictures that takes us back in time or even hearing a song; things that make us remember things we'd rather forget, but are afraid we will.  …….And yet less than a generation away, there will be those that won't know the emotion and thoughts of that fateful day or time.  They will only be able to imagine it.  We walked through Hell and kept on going.  And there lies the hope.  Hope that we learned from the past.  Hope that the future will be better.  And for me, hope in Jesus Christ and an eternity that makes walking through the Hell worth the journey.

Mmm, Mmmm good!

It grew colder as the day wore on.  We're supposed to have freezing rain tonight, sleet in the morning.  Brrrr….time to get out the soup.

Raindrops

BJ Thomas's song came to mind this morning on my way to work.  I prefer sunny days, but  rainy ones are needed.  Cloudy, rainy days also help me appreciate the sunny ones!

Raindrops keep falling on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin' seems to fit
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling

So I just did me some talkin' to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way he' got things done
Sleepin' on the job
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling

But there's one thing I know
The blues he sends to meet me won't defeat me
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Crying's not for me
Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me

1-2-3

I was trying to get this without a glare from the glass, but I had to miss some of the frame.  Maybe it would work outside with natural light?

It's something I cross stitched that I thought would be perfect for my office since I'm an accountant, love cross stitching, and have a fetish for good quotes. Although, if I cross stitched all my favorite quotes, it would be a bit much, so it's probably a good think I don't like to cross stitch letters.

It All Started with a Coupon

Coupons.  I don't think they really save me money, especially when I have a coupon for Crabtree and Evelyn.  I alway seem to find something else and have no coupon for it!  Then, Teavanna was right next door to Crabtree… and well, the rest is history.  I'm sipping Chocolate Peppermint tea smelling Noel and ready for my shower in the morning with Nantucket Brier shower gel and lotion.

Potter or the Pits?

 I hadn't watched all of Harry Potter movies, yet.  I just finished the last two tonight.

Considering Chiefs and Broncs were 17-27, I think I picked the right choice.  I did turn the TV on in time to see the final score.  Oh well.

Signs of the Times

The Christmas cactus is blooming.  At least it didn't start blooming before Halloween.  It seems the commercial world starts earlier every year.  There is just something not right when you can buy Trick or Treat candy and a Nativity set at Hobby Lobby in the same trip.  But, Thanksgiving is later this year, so maybe the Christmas cactus and Hobby Lobby aren't to be blamed for the rush.  And Christmas is a wonderful time of the year…a time for getting together with family and friends, sending each other greetings of joy and peace.  A time to think of a new year approaching, a new chapter in life about to be written.

And I am a little guilty of the rush, too.  I have a couple of gifts already purchased.  And I made a few Christmas cards at a friend's house today.  It was a warm 70 degrees out.  It didn't feel much like Christmas.   The cards did turn out kind of cute.  I still say my motto for MY homemade cards is "When I don't care enough to send the very best".  But when I receive a homemade card, I cherish it a little more.  The one sending it took the time to make it and then thought of me.  That's pretty special, anytime of the year.

I'm beginning to think life is too short to worry about when to start celebrating a holiday or decorating or preparing.  For me, celebrating Christmas is pretty important.  It's all about the greatest story on earth - the birth of my Savior.  God incarnate.  I'm not going to ignore Thanksgiving, but since the Christmas cactus is blooming, maybe that will be my excuse for humming some carols before Thanksgiving rolls around.

The Voice and a Cup of Coffee

This is how my mornings start.  Well, almost, I usually have a bowl of Peanut Butter Cheerios.  I ran out this morning, so I had to resort to a Special K breakfast sandwich.  But I have my Kindle out with Sarah Young's Jesus Calling:  Seeking Peace in His Presence and my new Bible, The Voice.  Love it.  And my notebook with things I'm praying about and thankful for is under my Bible.  My morning times go too fast!

Colors of Autumn

The colors of autumn and Thanksgiving are warm and inviting.  The dark reds, golden hues, and deep oranges remind me of fireplaces, warm apple pies, crisp frosty mornings with the crunch of leaves underfoot.  I drove past a yard full of leaves on my way to work this morning.  I almost wanted to stop, rake them up, and jump into the pile.  Piles of leaves just beg you to come and play!

I'm Thankful I'm not a Pilgrim

 Thanksgiving is coming.  Turkey, cranberries, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  My mind goes to food when I think of Thanksgiving.  I rarely think about the Pilgrims.  But, they are the ones that started the tradition.  The pilgrims went through some hard times.  First, surviving the boat ride over the "pond" was no easy feat.  They landed in strange surroundings where the living wasn't easy.  It was hard work to even survive their first winter.   If it hadn't been for the Native Americans, they probably wouldn't have survived.  Yet, there is a comradery that comes from going through a difficult period and sharing the joy that remains. All that to say, I'm thankful I'm not a pilgrim!  I enjoy indoor plumbing and not actually having to kill a turkey before I have to fix it!  Not that I've ever had to fix a turkey.  I have been fortunate, as I am not only directionally challenged, I am culinary challenged as well.  I have made mashed potatoes that looked like glue, broiled brownies for a church dinner and made rhubarb cobbler that made us hurl.  Hmmm….maybe that's why some of my closest friends are the ones that have eaten my cooking…eaten probably isn't the right word.... gagged down would be more like it…but I digress.  If I had been a pilgrim, I would have either gotten lost in the woods or starved trying to boil water for soup.  I'm thankful for the Pilgrims and the tradition of sitting aside a day to be thankful.  But I'm even more so, I'm thankful I wasn't a Pilgrim!!

11-12-13

11-12-13.  I like today's date!  Better than I liked the weather.  It's cold.  It went from nice, cool fall weather to winter.  I heard on the news there where numerous couples getting married today.  They made this a day to remember; a day to celebrate on a unique date.  That, or making it easy on themselves to remember their wedding date.  Years down the road, I wonder how many will be trying to remember if it was 11-12-13 or 12-13-14?

In this season of Thanksgiving, everyday is a day to celebrate.  I don't need a special day to be thankful for the many blessings of life.  Today, I celebrate the beauty of this season.  My picture is of a tree on campus where I work.  I have enjoyed it for a couple of weeks now.  I don't remember seeing so many bright red trees, ever!  I have always wanted to go Vermont to see the colors of autumn.  But I think this year Kansas has such beautiful trees, it would rival any east coast scene!   So, I celebrate 11-12-13 with colors of the season.

Happy Veterans Day!

In Flanders Fields is a poem that was written by a World War I Colonel, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery. He was writing of all the soldiers who died on Flanders' battlefield in western Belgium and northern France, marked with white crosses amidst a field of red poppies.


Because of this poem, poppies are a symbolic reminder of our veterans. Lately, I don't need a poppy to remind me of those that serve their country and protect my freedom. All I have to do is watch the news to hear of another fallen soldier coming home. I can't help but think about the poignant movie "Taking Chance". It stars Kevin Bacon and is based on a true story. Lt. Col. Micheal Strobl was a volunteer military escort officer and accompanied the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. The movies portrays how a KIA is treated with such respect and honor from the beginning of their final journey home to the graveside Taps. I can guarantee you’ll need a box of tissues. There is something so very noble about it all. It reminds me of the Bible verse from John 15:13, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

But Veteran’s Day isn’t just for the fallen soldiers, although their sacrifice is sometimes the first thing I think of. It is for the living; those that survived their tour of duty and those currently serving. I don’t think we can say thank you enough to our veterans and our military. I honor their life’s sacrifice but I often overlook their daily sacrifice of service. They put their life on the line everyday, sacrificed time with family and friends; and have given up many important life events. All to serve.

Thank you, to all that have and are serving our country. Thank you is so inadequate, but it is heartfelt.

The Road to…..No Where

The Directionally Challenged Lack an Internal Compass.   That is an actual title of an APA article.  I could have  told the American Psychological Association that without them going to the trouble of doing a study.  Since I have gotten lost going to work when there was a road blocked, I have resorted to an investment in a Garmin.  I have relied on my  Garmin many a time to get me where I want to go and back home again.  Today I set out for Black Hoof Park, which is a not too far away from where I live.  Apparently my Garmin is not at it's best when it's overcast. It loses contact with the satellites above.   I drove around in circles trying to find the park.  It showed up on the Garmin screen, but it never lead me to the right place.  I think if I had heard "Recalculating" one more time, someone would have found a perfectly good Garmin on the side of the road.  I did find a bike/walk path and pulled into it's parking to enter the name of the park in my Garmin one more time.  Relief!  My trusty Garmin had found the location!  The skies must have cleared just for me.   On the screen display was Black Hoof Park, 191 miles away.  In Iowa.  That was a littler further than I had planned to go.  By this time it was late in the afternoon and the sun was about to set, my chance for a lake picture with autumn trees was about to end.  Then I looked up and saw a balloon!  It was beautiful, bright blue with red diamonds and it was floating along not to far away from me.  I took a road that followed the direction it was going.  This was definitely going to make up for the missing park with the beautiful lake.  As I slowed down and entered a parking lot, the balloon became huge.  I was so excited.  Before I could get out of my car, it landed and within minutes had deflated into nothingness.  No balloon.  No picture.   Couldn't they have stayed in the sky one more minutes?!?!?  I felt as deflated as the balloon.



It was a productive day.  I can say we have a stained deck that looks pretty good, some sore muscles and a garage that is a little more organized than it was this morning.  It was a good weekend for getting things done around the house.  Not so much for my picture-a-day goal.  But 365 days will add up to a lot of photos.   Maybe I'll even find that Black Hoof Park close by and get my photo.   Or drive 191 miles to Iowa.

It's Been A Hard Day's Night

It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log

But, no, I'm blogging!

We stripped the deck today.  It took up most of the day!  While I was at it, I cleaned the windows, too.  It's amazing how dirty a deck can get in just a couple of year's time.  Tomorrow the stain.  And probably the Beatle's refrain!

A Round Tuit

I had plans for these gourds and little pumpkins.  The gourd at the top was going to be a bird.  Can't you see the beak?  Two of the little pumpkins were going to be goblins, with those plastic fangs as teeth.  I have pipe cleaners to make curly hair for one, and a Frankenstein mask for another.  Google eyes and all.  I have my magazines for direction.  I had it all planned out.  Halloween came, Halloween went.  The pumpkins and gourds are as they were the first day I bought them home.

I used to have a wooden round tuit.  I have lost it over the years, so I'm using that as my excuse.  As I thought about my tuit, I looked it up on google.  There is a Facebook page devoted to round tuits.  A Round Tuit webstore selling tee shirts and coins and cups and….the list goes on.  For some reason this brings a sense of relief.  Others obviously have the same problem as I do.  A Facebook friend had a cartoon posted of six types of procrastinators.  She posted the type she was…..I posted back, ummm, I do all six.  That can't be good.  I'll worry about it tomorrow, when I get a round tuit.

Ordinary Discovery

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  

Marcel Proust

I drive to work Monday through Friday and usually take the same route everyday.  I pass a small lake that is outlined by homes and a park. There is nothing extraordinary about this lake and I have never really paid much attention to it.  I have noticed when there was a hard rain and it would flow out of it's banks, or if geese had flown in, and where floating along the lake's surface or sunning themselves along it's banks.

As I drove to work today I was thinking if only I lived near the ocean, I could go to the beach. A picture a day would come easy, because I love the ocean.   The ocean speaks to me like nothing else can.  When I'm on a beach I sometimes close my eyes and imagine the voice of the ocean to be that of God's.   For when the waves are small, drifting in and gently out; He speaks softly to me and soothes my soul.  Sometimes the waves crash onto the beach and thunderously rush back to the ocean; just as His voice resonates within me and I am made aware of His majesty.  There is always beauty to be seen in the ocean, and heard.

This morning as I stopped at the intersection that faces the lake, I saw the lake, as if for the first time.  Although it's not the ocean, it has a tranquil beauty all it's own.  The reflection of the cloudy sky and color drenched trees on the lake seemed to beckon me;  and I realized I was seeing it as I had never seen it before.

I stopped tonight on my way home.  It was the first time I have ever pulled into the parking lot and gotten out of my car, just to take in and enjoy the beauty of this lake.  Camera in hand, I approached it's bank and heard a small lapping of the water from the breeze.   Funny how my new camera and a 365 day project has changed my perspective.  I'm seeing things through the lens of a camera and finding beauty I hadn't noticed before.  And the lapping of the water?  I think it was God's way of reminding me He speaks in the ordinary things of life.  I don't need an ocean for inspiration,  I need only to look around me, with new eyes.

 I couldn't decide which one of these I like the best.  The one above is "softer".  The one below I like except for the leaves that are too light.  Still using auto.  Maybe I should have shot a few more angles.

No Film?

Everyone has a photographic memory.  Some don't have film.

That's a funny quote I've collected.  I love quotes!  I think you can tell a lot about a person by their favorite quote.  Quotes that make you smile, or beg you to write them down so you don't forget have struck a chord within you; and that says something about your character.  Most of my favorite quotes are funny ones.  The quote above, I thought, was appropriate for this blog, although it's a little outdated.  So maybe it should go:  Everyone has a photographic memory.  Some don't have a card…umm…that just doesn't have quite the same ring.

My picture today is of my lunch.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  This morning I quickly grabbed a burrito and box of veggies from the freezer on the way out the door.  I thought I had a box of mixed vegetables.  To my dismay, it was asparagus.  I don't remember buying asparagus.  All I can say is, it must have been one of my film-less days.  Asparagus wasn't on my list.

I knew 365 days was going to be a challenge.  I didn't realize by day six I would be reduced to taking a picture of asparagus.  But, that's life.  Some days you have a picture perfect day, other days you have asparagus.  And, some days you just don't have any film.  Just don't go grocery shopping on those days.    

Uncle!

Mammogram time. At least I found solace in the Pavilion.  But that was only because it’s a beautiful building with nice people.  From the outside of the building to the warm cozy waiting room inside, I felt I was stepping into a retreat, a sanctuary of sorts.  In the waiting room I sat as far away from the glowing fireplace as possible.  At this point in my life, I don’t need a fire for warmth.  If I ever get cold, it’s a refreshing two minute relief.   The fireplace, I assume, is for comfort of those younger than I and pre-menopausal, or the fortunate ones that do not have personal summers year-round.

The mammogram didn’t take long, in retrospect.  At the time, it felt like forever.  I did have a flash back to my childhood when my big brother would pinch my forearm and make me say “UNCLE”!  Only today it was the technician saying “Let me know when this becomes intolerable”. 

Mammogram, checked off my annual list of things I must do.  I am thankful it's done for another year AND done without a single "Uncle" uttered. It doesn't count if you're thinking it but don't say it, doesn't it?

 

What My Face Looks Like Sometimes

 I thought I'd try a "Selfie", a word I heard on The Voice last season.  The winner apparently liked to use her phone and take pictures of her self!  I thought it was cute.  Normally, I hate getting my picture taken.  I avoid a camera like the flu.  I have worked at a university for 30 years and probably have my picture in about 5 of  the yearbooks.  The year before last my sister-in-law said, you know, we don't have many pictures of you!  Well, it was by design.  I've had my share of bad photos.  I'm not photogenic.  I read once that Abe Lincoln commented on a photo of himself:  "There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes."  Really??  Well, he was honest Abe.  Owe it.  Sometimes my face does look like this picture.  Right now, as a matter of fact, since I just took this picture.  My thoughts?  What was I thinking when I picked those frames?  Do I really have that many freckles?  Or are those……no, it can not be, ….AGE SPOTS!?!?!   I can't wait until I have to get another driver's license, because my last photo at the DMV proved I should shun cameras as much as possible!

 But, photos help me remember, and photos remind me of a time never to be again.   And sometimes never to be again is a very good thing.   I'm so thankful I don't have that perm that made my head look like a triangle, or wear mini shirts like everyone else in high school that showed my knobby knees.  And yet, I enjoy seeing my family and friends from years ago.  I still (sometimes) think of my nieces as the two little girls in the photograph with the blue and white matching sailor dresses.  I had that picture on my desk at work for years.  They now have children of their own.  I have a picture of my one-year old nephew with his arms open wide and the biggest smile with a little drool about to roll down his chin. He is now a freshman in college.  I have pictures from my trips to Europe, Hawaii, and Mexico.  Places I'll never forget, but places I'm sure have changed as I have changed.  Everything changes - that's the one sure thing in life, change.  Except photos.  Photos don't change.    And this picture of myself?  It captures a face that looks like me sometimes.  This picture will not change over the years, but I will.  I pray my next picture will be a photo of a women closer to God, wiser, and has great glasses.    

Autumn

I prefer autumn over the word fall.  It’s kind of like calling myself mature rather than old.  

Yesterday I pulled up the remains of frostbitten summer flowers from my planters.  The backyard looks blank, like something is missing.  The flowers were beautiful this summer and I enjoyed them immensely.  The starkness of their absence is softening by the beauty of this autumn.  The colors of the trees have been brilliant this year, bright reds, sunny golds and iridescent yellows.  As the wind outside my window is now making a kaleidoscopic dance of the leaves, I wonder what the winter holds.  I try not to think of it, because it’s not my favorite time of the year.  Snow is nice at Christmas, but other than that, I could do without it. 

I have tried to hold on to summer, because I love all things summer.  I’m still wearing sandals, but sadly I will soon have to put them back until another warmer day.  Denial won’t prevent autumn and winter from coming.   

Every season has it’s own beauty.  Whether I want to admit it or not, summer is wonderful, but autumn is a gorgeous time of year.  No other time of year has the color or sound of rustling leaves and crunch underfoot of them.   Did you know that the green leaves of summer have the colors of autumn in them?   You just can’t see that until the chlorophyll no longer does it’s job and the carotenoids and anthocyanin take over.  The chlorophyll “covers up” the colors.

I am in the autumn of my life.  There I said it.  If I had admitted that a couple of years ago, it would have been like pulling the summer flowers from their planter and mourning their loss.  It is easier to say and admit to my age than it use to be, because I’m enjoying the colors that have been there all along, but could never see.  Things aren’t important.  Relationships are.  And my relationship with Jesus.  It’s just one of those things I can’t really understand.  I only know that He shows new mercies to me everyday.  And blessings.  And that is amazing.  His grace and mercy was there all along, I just never saw it the way I do now.  That’s not to say I wasn’t aware-just as the green leaves of summer are beautiful, too, and have their purpose, His grace and mercy have been magnified by just knowing Him over the years and finding Him faithful.   I see Him differently than I did when I was in my 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s.  My relationship with Him has new colors, and they are breath taking.

Winter will come.   When it does, it will have it’s beauty, too, I just know.  I just don’t see it yet.   So for now, I’ll enjoy the autumn while it lasts.

                                                      

Okay, I know I'm cheating - more than one photo.  But, the trees are so pretty I just have to include them.   They are too pretty not to share!

Clean Up on Aisle 13

Halloween Clean Up!

Another holiday over, and it's on to Thanksgiving and ....Christmas?  Can it be?

  Isn't fun to see kids dressed up, going door to door and getting big smiles when we give them candy?  That's the traditional Halloween I remember as a child myself.  Except we had those stupid plastic masks that made it hard to see and breath!   And my costume was usually something from around the house - it made for interesting creativity.  I have a picture of my brother dressed as a women, purse, high heels and all!  IT IS PRIME BLACKMAIL MATERIAL!  My church usually had a Halloween party in somebody's barn with skinned grapes for eyeballs and pasta for ...hmmm..I'm not sure what that was for, but it didn't feel good to the touch when you where blindfolded.  And of course, there was the tub of water to bob for apples.  Whoever thought that would be fun on a cold Iowan night?  But the best was last, the bonfire.  And the s'mores.  Life doesn't get any better than that!
This week I watched a TV show that had a celebration at the end - a Halloween party.  But none like I've ever been to; the participants brought a picture of a deceased loved one and they placed them together with some candles.  They did a toast to those they loved, or said something about what their loved one enjoyed in life.  It was a neat celebration of a life not forgotten.  It was just a show, but I like the tradition it portrayed.    And just as they did a toast to their loved ones, I wish to remember the Halloweens of my childhood; where Halloween was just for fun, free candy and get togethers.  Nothing scary, nothing gory, just a chance to dress up and be someone else for a day.  It was a day to look funny, imitate someone we knew (highest form of a compliment, you know), or be what you wanted to be when you grew up.   I think if I had dressed up Thursday, I would have dressed up as a photographer!  And maybe I would have captured some memories of a childhood not forgotten, where Halloween is just fun, candy, trick or treating, and of course, Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin.