Beauty and Flavour

Walking home for lunch today, I was welcomed by these beautiful flowers. On closer examination I was not the only one attracted by it’s beauty. I could not help myself but to pause and watch my fluttering friend.

I continued on to gathering my lunch from the gardens. Fresh basil, kale, and arugula were the delights of the day!

Thankful for the nutrition our effort and the Lord’s goodness provided!

The shelter of silence

There is safety in silence.

Silence is a camouflage.

With a smile, it can be a bait.

With a frown a warning.

With a hug, love.

With the slightest twist of the head, listening.

With a wink, playfulness.

With eyes closed thoughtfulness, rest.

With eyes wise open, wonder.

There is safety in silence.

Seeking Authenticity

Which path, do they both lead to the same ending?

I have an anxious feeling in my soul today and I can’t explain why.

I feel like something is going to happen. I am uncomfortable.

Is it from a recent discussion? In my studies, and discussions I have been bombarded by a thought so foreign to me I can’t grasp it. I feel like it’s a rabbit hole.

Is it just a moment of stretching and growth?

Maybe it’s too much coffee, not enough sleep, the weather???

Whatever it is, I choose not too live in this state!

I know that God is good, and His love lasts forever. I know He cares for us even in our weakened state. So as uncomfortable as this moment is, I choose to face today with love, patience, kindness, goodness, and hopefully a bit of self control.

Who knows maybe this anxiety will lead to something new and authentically great! After all, I am seeking the “real thing”!

Prescription for an excellent birthday celebration!

Good friends,

Good food,

Good gifts,

Good nature,

Good health,

Good times,

Good, good, God!

Perfectly blessed, wrapped up in love!

Half a century in the blink of an eye!

Breakfast in bed, with school work, perfect!

I was a little disappointed this morning. I woke up and did not feel any wiser at all.

Somehow I thought that if one was turning as old as I am today, with all the life experiences that I have encountered, I should wake up smarter or wiser or something.

Funny, I really don’t feel much different than yesterday, except maybe a little sad, that I didn’t slow down and bask in life’s experiences more as I was passing through.

The lessons learned young about hurrying along, get up, get dressed, get breakfast,get to school/church/work, get back home, get changed, get to bed, repeat. Not sure how wise these lessons were. With 50 years gone by and the memories of those days quickly slipping away.

One more day, a day of conversation, or togetherness with some of the people I loved and are no more, what a precious gift that would be, if time could freeze for a moment and one could appreciate the heart beat of time as it was happening, basking in pure love and adoration .

Memories, memories, even these are unfaithful and slip and transform in my reckoning. Cruel is the mind!

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not in mourning, or grasped by great sorrow, but only nostalgic for what was and is no more.

In youth you do not understand as time seems to go by at a slow, slow pace and you wish your life away, one hurry up at a time.

I am wise enough to know how I am extremely blessed. A God who loves me, a family to care for me, friends to challenge and celebrate me, no more would a wise person ask for, because nothing else is as sweet.

Today is my birthday, and today I choose to absorb every moment, to slow down and not hurry, to open my senses, to absorb all expressions of love.

Thank you to all that make this journey of life more amazing to me!

MONARCH SEASON

Tiny fluttering beauty

It started with a science experiment with the kids. We gathered a monarch caterpillar, some milkweed leaves and carefully placed it into the insect cage.

We watched and waited. We waited and watched.

A chrysalis formed.

Wait some more, and changes started. The colour of the chrysalis transformed.

Then one morning it immerged. Wings kinked up. Unable to fly.

As the day progressed, the butterfly stretched it’s wings a little more and a little more. Fluttering and strengthening.

It’s favourite place to rest was in the sun, stretching and fluttering.

By the end of the day it stretched one more time, then it fluttered away.

Every year now, I watch and wait till the butterflies return. I leave a few milkweed plants in the flower bed so they know they are welcome here.

To understand the amazing transformation from ‘worm’ to beautiful butterfly a miracle of grand proportion. I stand amazed!

Life lessons from the canoe..part 1

Happy days!

We went for a little adventure yesterday, just up the road and down the river.

We started out with our 2nd and 3rd new- to-us canoe. (Our first one was stolen, “may the thief break their leg everytime they climb into it”,Tim. LOL Forgive us and them Father.) Added some safety gear and our fishing tackle. We left just after lunch on a beautiful sunny day.

Soon we were in our canoes floating down the river. All of our children are fairly new to canoeing and it has been decades since I learned and canoed. Canoeing brings back many happy memories from my childhood.

The river was calm but swift. We cast our lines here and there, but mostly I was enjoying the scenery, the colours dancing in the light and the damsel and dragonflies flittering in the sun.

The first lesson of the day came when my son and I tried to tuck ourselves in close to shore, to cast a few lines. The current took us in a bit more swiftly than expected. The alders rushed at Fred. He panicked, my yell of “don’t” came to late, he leaned and sploosh! We were swimming.

Two lessons came from this: 1. Remember the fine details…always close your tackle box. Luckily we were able to save his tackle because the canoe righted itself although filled with water.

The 2nd lesson was when things come rushing at you, stay calm, back up, DON’T PANIC, think it through.

At least we have a good story to tell, lol.

As we continued we had to cross a shallow section of rapids. Because of inexperience, we walked through them slowly and carefully enjoying the water massaging our legs.

Wasn’t long till the kids learned they could ride down the rapids in their life jackets. Down they would come, then slog back up, to ride down again.

Playing in the rapids!

Tim and I rested, watching their simplistic fun. Basking in the playground that the Creator provided for us. Enjoying the delight on our children’s faces.

How blessed we are! Can’t wait till the next lesson from the canoe.