Lining

Storm clouds are the sliver lining of my life. I love all they bring. I love wind, the way it feels, the way it sounds. I love rain drops wetting me through, or watching them drip. I like watching them drop from branches and race down window panes. Thunder, like the deep voice of a good friend, calls out. And lightening, well it's like god has made a fireworks show that puts our independence day attempts to shame. I even like the power outages. Candlelight and whatnot.   

Some people don't like this kind of weather. They only like it when it's sunny. I like that too, but too long in the sunshine and  even the most resilient shrink and shrivel. 

I'm just saying, those stormy bits let you see the silver, the hope of what grows after you battle it out and show nature you are equal to the task.  

mid-sentence

Best quotes from this Christmas:

-"I'm playing Mary, but my real name is {insert name here} and I'm with child." 

-In his mock angry yelling voice, "ALRIGHT! Everybody sit DOWN and have a NICE time!"

-"Flying helplessly through the air...like a piece of baloney."

-"I don't want to go. You can't MAKE me! ...I wish there WERE such a thing as super glue, so I could glue myself here."

Best moments: 

After taking captive a very amiable hostage, we spies set aside our guns to play Loot with the ransomee inside our pirate cave. We even had a candle. 

Reading a Christmas carol out loud, and doing the voices. 

Ever sketchy, always instructive and interesting lock picking lessons. 

A family Christmas pageant. We were short handed, so I was both a shepherd and wiseman. The donkey was especially brave since our family has a long established tradition of urging the donkey forward with good solid spanks.

Music time with the trumpet players. 

Trampoline time and tickle torture: standard play.

Listening to old songs being played on a harmonica, echo over the dam and down the river canyon. 

Pow-wow on grandpa's bed, with daddy, the grandkids, and the kitten, to watch old movies. 

Games: from giant checkers to banana grams and much stacked in between.

Food so good and in such abundance we set up a dozen people to hibernate for the rest of the winter. 

Prayer and Hugs each night before bed. 

Fires in a wood stove. 

Christmas songs played on the piano. 

Presents wrapped with Sunday Funnies

Presents wrapped like modern art. 

Silly pajama ..(and silly people) ...time. 

Merry Christmas Kids. 

I hope you all had fun with your families. If you need some more, come get adopted into mine. 

They say beautiful is something...

Certain things stick with us. Everyone seems to pick something different, but we've all got something we carry with us. It makes you wonder, would mom approve of what you've been putting in your pockets? What are you carrying with you, what have you left behind? Is that really where you want it to be? 

Which kids are you keeping as company, what character are you keeping as self?

Let me tell you something boys, I don't mind that you're bringing home the snakes and snails. I'm all for trouble. But maybe I need to be filling my pockets with something of a different style. 

The picture is one of my high places. I think we each need at least one. A place with personal significance. A closet to pray in. You, God, and His sunset.

Faith

I'm used to the idea that no one really reads this (except for Michelle and Amy, love you guys). It's usually just a place for me to put up random vague thoughts, or pictures that I have loved taking, but will probably never be used for anything else.
But today it's more about this: I know there is a God. A God that loves you. If you've stumbled onto the random little blog, from a rather random girl, I think you ought to know, I know He lives.

New

Fresh, curious, playful, excited, energetic. People new to this world have the best approach to life.

The Sunshine

I've been thinking about the colors. It happens more in the winter with me. I'm craving those blues and greens, yellow, oranges, purples, dark browns. Wonderful. 

Don't misunderstand, I'm looking forward to winter with all my usual vigor. Christmas keeps me cheerful all year long. But I've got summer in my soul kids. 

I think it's staggering, and a bit overwhelming, all the chances we have to find joy in life. I know it's got hardships a plenty for everyone. But I'm not about to forget my colors. 

More what I'm trying to say is, there's so much good to put into your life. Art, music, games, rhythm, laughter, flowers, fall leaves, new acquaintances, old friends, water, dance, cousins, comics,  prayer, parents.

That doesn't even scratch it. 

God places hope in your life so you can find it. don't push Him away. keep praying, Hope comes from knowing and understanding Him.

"I'm bleeding, making me the victor!"

Really kids, I've gotten essentially nothing done during the past two days. 

Yes, there was some teaching, and some learning, a little sewing, a fair amount of work. But nothing that feels concrete. And certainly not as much as I ought. You know when you have that dream where someone terrifying is chasing you down 

(like Arnold Schwarzenegger) 

and your legs feel numb, like limbs made of jell-o? Flail those jiggly legs with all your might but you can't seem to make contact with the ground, and suddenly gravity is pulling the rest of you down and try though you might you just aren't going to get anywhere until you wake up and realize you're kicking the air. 

Well this week the air-kick is my specialty move. 

"Face to fist style, how'd you like it?"

On a much better, less jell-o-ish note, my cousins rock.

They also rock at doing handstands. If it's been a while since you've enjoyed a good handstand go find the love of your life, marry her, and by golly get a little help with being steady. Everything in life is better when you know you've got someone standing behind you, there to catch your feet.

Make it good son.