faith . . .

Today was a day of remembrances. A day that was a testimony to one man's strength of character. A day to remind us that good men beget good children who become good friends. A day to realize that we shall all, at some point, leave our earthly bodies for those provided by our God in heaven. This morning as I sat at the funeral of my friend Jennifer's father, I could not help but remember it was only this past February that I sat in that very same chapel saying goodbye to her mother. This is a hard year for my friend, Jennifer. But I know, that her husband and boys will band together, and with her faith, as well as her father's strength which she has inherited, she will get by.

As we left to run our mundane errands, I dreaded going home where in the silence, I would remember my own father and the loss would once again flood over me. We made up more errands to run. Finally there was nothing to do but to head home. There on the doorstep was a USPS box leaning against the old screen door. Had I ordered something and forgotten?

It was from my dear friend Kelli. She is a photographer. A taker of stunning images. She captures the soul and emotion of inanimate objects and brings them to life. A couple of months back, she shared a photo with me that she had taken in Mississippi. I fell in love with it. Though it was but a single tree, it evoked a strength, a solitude, a gift from God. As I opened the box, there it was, an 8 x 10 copy of the photograph and matting. Also enclosed were a few words of explanation . . . "this photo was taken in December, 2006 while the Pinelake Choir was doing some mission work and concerts in the Bay St. Louis, Mississippi area. The area in which this tree stood was surrounded by rubble. There was a tree stump the size of a large truck that has been up rooted by the storm laying in the middle of the road. Buildings were nothing more than piles of concrete and loose wires. If you look carefully in the distance behind this tree, you can see the barges in the water to repair the bridge that had collapsed. In the midst of all the destruction of man made things, this tree, created by the Lord, survived. Looking at this tree reminds me that we, as Christians are much the same, and to keep my faith in the Lord, not in things of this earth."

. . . I thought how perfectly Kelli understood and I know in my heart that this amazing present arrived on this very day for a reason. Thank you Kelli, I will cherish it always.

For a peek at more of Kelli's work, visit her site here. Crigler Weston Photography

this gave me chills . . .

this is certainly not my genre but it is amazing!!!

if you are what you eat . . .

then today I am a friedonionringbowlofchilicrablegcornmuffinmintoreocookieblizzard! Well, I guess there are worse things in the world to be but at the moment I am contemplating worshiping the porcelain goddess. Why do I do these things? Oh yeah, because it was delicious!

stood up . . .

my one and only was planning on coming home this weekend. Not that I was ever the main attraction you understand . . . the local Catholic church sponsors this crazy Octoberfest carnival every year. . . strings of colored lights, Ferris wheel, midway, live music, lovely greasy sausage/pepper/onion hoagies, elephant ears, corn dogs, fun house . . . if the food doesn't get you, the rides ala spinning teacups will. Katie has attended almost every year since she was two . . . so she and two friends were going to head down just to get away, have some fun and get some home cooking. But alas, I just got THE call. Sorry mom, something has come up. What you ask???? How about whom? Seems I fell short . . . even at 5'8" I lost out to some tall, hunky, chiseled, good featured face. Oh and he is a camera buff. Harrumph! Have fun little girl. I love you!

just for michelle . . .

. . as soon as we arrived in town in 1974, I started working for Holiday Inn again: on the front desk. The hotel staff was mainly college-age kids and ownership and management was all one family with kids our age so things were pretty loose and we had a lot of fun on the job. Practical jokes were rampant. One morning, I snagged my last pair of pantyhose on the way into work. Already running late, I ran into Pic n Save, grabbed a new pair, dashed back into the car and running full speed through the main lobby, veered off into the ladies room to do my quick change artist routine. There to my complete surprise was a rather rotund, rather disheveled, completely naked lady, calmly washing her feet in the sink. In a panic, knowing I was late and completely unsettled by the sight, I dashed into the nearest cubicle, locked it securely and calmly freaking out, changed my stockings. Hearing no more running water, I bent down to see where her feet were now. No feet. A-ha, she must have left. I pop out of concealment only to find her sitting cross legged - still naked, mind you - on the sink counter staring quizzically at me as if I am the one off balance. Well, maybe I was. But she was slow and I was fast, and out the door I flew. Two steps out, I am greeted by gales of laughter from most of the staff, aligned at various vantage points around the lobby. How had I missed them on the way in???? Even the GM was rolling. It seems the woman in question had wandered in through the front doors hours earlier, carrying her belongings in brown paper wrapped with twine, in her birthday suit. The night auditor, too amazed or maybe too nonchalant to say anything, merely watched her meander into the powder room, figuring at some point, someone other than he would handle the situation. Of course, this was too good to keep to himself and he happily shared the event with the staff. Being off season, he could get away with this. Apparently they, knowing it was almost 7:00 a.m., and that I was soon to arrive, had plans to herd ME into the lion's den to face the woman in question. Remember, I not only headed straight for the bathroom, to their utter delight, I ran directly into it. If looks could kill, there would have been a massacre that morning. As it was, she appeared shortly thereafter, fully clothed, and departed from whence she had come. Never to be seen again.

life lists . . .

Ali Edwards posted about life lists. Lists of things you want to accomplish in your life. Being a hairs breath away from 60, I have decided to go in the opposite direction. Things I have already done in my life, people I have met, life defining moments, places I have been, remembrances. Yes, I still have things I want to do but the scales of time have tipped. I have the perfect journal for this, got it last year and tucked it away. But here are some snippets off the top of my head and in no particular order except for number one:

• Given birth to the most amazing creature with the most amazing soul
• Been yelled at in german, in germany by an irate german and have no idea why
• dumped a motorcycle
• survived college in the late 60's
• awoken in a sleeping bag covered with slugs
• stood overlooking a volcano
• been spelunking
• hitch hiked through the british isles
• made skunk cabbage bouquets for my mother
• found a dead man in a basement
• gone to boarding school
• swished down dunn's river falls
• found a giant sloth vertebrae at a dig
• gone to the men's room in holland when we couldn't find a ladies room
• walked on a glacier
• had a snow ball fight in august on the continental divide
• sailed a snark in a thunder storm . . . not the brightest thing I have ever done
• stood six feet from queen elizabeth

to be continued . . .

fascinating . . .

I found this on Blogger Play the other day. Like the dork that I am, I saved it as a copy and not a JPEG, so when I converted it to JPEG, it distorted. I don't even know to whom to give credit. But I love it. I love the male female-ness of the right hands, the original texture . . . again I apologize for mucking it up . . . the unity, it all just appeals to me.

If anyone knows how to covert it without the distortion, PLEEEEEASE let me know.