Imagining

Water lilies in a pond.  senk 2013

My children love creative play. They've used pillows in lieu of stepping stones and water lilies to traipse about the room-filled pond. A chain of books becomes the extra train track line they do not have; a simple tube becomes a bug catcher (complete with comfortable accommodations for whatever critter they plan to "capture"); a colander and shipping box become a robot costume. Joey and Ezra are so imaginative in daily life.

But am I? And are you, friend? When something breaks or you find yourself wanting a particular thing either for home decor or for work or for an enhanced educational opportunity or for whatever life experience you are planning, do you find a creative way to make it happen or just get what you want?

If you're like our family, we cannot afford to simply get what we want - even when we do just that. My children's mindset challenges me to think more creatively about a household or personal need. What resources do I already have that can be used just as well as a newly purchased item? When I am ready to buy something needed, do I try to save for what will be healthiest for my family and for the environment or do I just go for the cheapest thing available?

There are so many questions we often overlook in the moment. Consider the challenge of incorporating imagination into the day - and see what you may be missing, too.

Just as grand

Waves crash along the shore.  senk 2013

"I never really realized before how stress seems to slip away by the sea." A paraphrase of my husband's comment rings in my head at the end of a long day. Joey and Ezra are finally in bed, Russell is wrapping up at work, and I have a few minutes before truly resting. 

Often, I consider the daily routines of homeschooling mommyhood and custodian of the home to be like the constant push of waves. But, despite the beating, waves also massage and comfort.

While at Virginia Beach in early August, Russell worked hard reviewing SOL-questions while the boys and I visited various historical and botanical hotspots in the area. Russell's true time to rest was while playing with the boys on the beach: building sand castles with Joey, acting like a sea otter with Ezra, hunting shells or tracking sand crabs with flashlights, savoring the slow slip of sun in the horizon as color splashed into the sky, and feeling waves crash upon his legs along the beach. It was wonderful to see the stress slip from his shoulders after a long day indoors, thinking.

Friend, do you often feel so battered by the day's events that it's hard to really relax? What helps you peel the burden back and feel at ease in your surroundings?

We often feel there is so much work to do, we don't have time for leisurely pursuits. But, if we don't enjoy the beautiful gifts God has placed in our paths, we'll soon be a source for bitterness and unkindness, rather than the hope He wants us to spread. So, be idle - even if for just a moment - and watch the sunset's glow, sip a warm sweet chai while crickets croon outdoors, or find that peacefulness that can restore the bit of you that's burdened.

Work is important, but so, too, is sharing in an inspiring moment that's just as grand with God.

Pottery lures

Pottery pieces made by students in the Parks & Rec "Pottery in the Park" class I'm teaching the next two weeks are drying along two wooden benches on the front porch. Sculptural pieces, mugs, serving dishes, leaf bowls, and even a few hand-thrown pieces are at various stages of the drying process - some were already dry enough for the first firing.

A warm breeze blowing the wind chimes nearby, I surveyed the pottery pieces. As I lifted the driest works of art to carry them to the kiln, I noticed movement on the support of the cedar bench. Hard-at-work, two potter wasps were constructing a complex of pot-shaped mud nests for the little ones soon-to-be housed. How delightful and amusing to find their presence at just such a moment!

And yet, I have not always been delighted or amused by the presence of their cousins in the family Vespidae. While cutting transects across a heavily wooded (and poison-oak/ivy/sumac infested) site many summers ago, when I worked for an archaeology firm, I dug my shovel into not one, but three different yellow jacket nests. My shovel became an over-sized swatter and the crazy dance I did would have made anyone laugh. I also recall the year I pumped breast milk for my stubborn newborn, who split my nipples trying to nurse and was hard to keep awake while feeding. That summer, after plenty of months to get a routine for pumping, our house was invaded by ever-appearing paper wasps. I kept the vacuum at the ready until we saved enough to call an exterminator, whose vicious spray somehow deterred their appearance after that.

At the time, experiencing painful moments is not fun. I'm certain you, friend, have noticed the same thing. And yet, often, with time's steady roll, we can more easily see the strength or courage we've gained through such an experience - learning to harbor hope in even the most uncertain of situations.

May you feel a wave of hope today in whatever difficult situation that tramples through your life's journey.  And may the unknown positive possibilities in that situation present themselves, too.

Love abounding

In "The Cloister Walk," Kathleen Norris shares, "in matters of the heart... there is no right or wrong way to do it, but only the way of your life." I recall meandering through desert roads in Joshua Tree National Park - experiencing the expanse of dry sands and scrubby brush, only to find sprouts of lovely yellow flowers here and there. Even in an environment that exudes harsh reality, there is such beauty and life abounding.

It makes me wonder how love percolates in my life; and perhaps posing for you the same preponderance. For me, I often focus so much on my shortcomings and failings that I forget there are more ways in which my life reveals love than a realize. During a recent shopping trip, a familiar store clerk exclaimed, "The boys are such a delight!  I love to hear them sing." She then went on to praise me on how well I interacted with them and harbored such patience with them. While I thanked her for such kind compliments, my inner-self could not help but protest. I would put patience on a long list of characteristics I am in constant need of learning and re-learning.

Do you have such a list, friend? Does it seem to grow daily? Perhaps if we focused more on what unique ways we touch others' hearts and provide for their needs, we'll be able to experience more love for ourselves and for others, too. It's difficult to love when we don't know how we'll be received - but that is precisely why it's so important to love. So, let's put aside our insecurities and smile, looking forward to the next person God plants in our lives.

Open Window

I'm often amazed by the quick, cool breeze that sets the curtains soaring like kites through the open window. Although corners of the room fill with warm air, a comfortable stream flutters tablecloths and dangling runner-ends. But, it doesn't just bring a delectable chill that sometimes sends me wrapping up in a shawl. Sounds and smells (at least most of them) are just as comforting.

Bagpipe drones and swift jigs filter through the screen, along with tinkling metal chimes and thudding wooden ones too. A multitude of tunes from chirping birds add dazzle to the day. And, then there're the softest sounds: leaves waving wildly as if to bid adieu to day and the swiftest beat of hummingbird wings, whose beaks dip nectar from delphinium.

Lavender's purple tufts sit nearby - so my nose detects. And, have you smelled the puffy mimosa flowers, ripe and cheery fuchsia-pink? Occasionally mock orange drifts through the window - though most the blossoms are spent by now. And even honeysuckle's heady scent is more memory than reality. Tomato greens send my tastebuds to dancing as they imagine the sweet, ripe heirlooms that I'll soon hold in hand, along with the yellow squash, zucchini, and cucumbers we're currently harvesting.

I'm more amazed at how I would miss these natural beauties upon going inside if the window was not open. Do you often wonder what you're missing, friend, as I do? Let's both hold on to the hope that we don't take too much for granted. Let's savor the sweet breeze inside, as much as outside.

A Refreshing Evening

I am so thankful for rain. It helps the sugar snap peas, spinach, onions, beans, okra, tomatoes, potatoes, yams, bell peppers, popcorn, sweet corn, and smattering of other delectables in our garden grow a good yield from summertime labor. A nightfall rain helps us, lulled by the droplets on a tin roof, sleep peacefully. And, a thunderstorm on a hot day not only clears out the scalding temperatures, but also brings fabulous porch entertainment. But, on an evening - not too hot, not too cold - after a long spell of rain, it's just as refreshing for it not to be raining.

Instead, the air is full of drones and piping while Russell plays the shuttle pipes, gleeful words as Ezra reads a simple book, and tap-tap-tapping while Joey creates chains of pipes on an iPad game. Cricket and bird songs sift in through the opened window-screen, while a tractor hums in the distance. It feels like such a cozy ending to the day.

Friend, do you find your day ending in coziness or do the pressures leave you so winded and tired, you let this part of the day with family or friends slip through your fingers. Do you dance a jig or play a game or read books together or savor the delights of a summer garden as hummingbirds sip nectar from delphinium trumpets or sweet scents waft by from fragrant roses or honeysuckle? What ends your day well? A cup of mandarin orange tea? A splash of paint on canvas? A poignant journal entry?

I remember living in Athens and taking strolls through the streets in late day - before the sun descended, but feeling the comfortable closeness of night's purplish hue. Healthy jasmine, whose soft white blossoms seemed steeped in lovely scents, grew in The Athens Centre, where I studied with my classmates. Just passing the building would bring an aroma that simmered a smile to your face, no matter what mood you carried. And, in the plateia where I lived in The Met, a little shop always carried my favorite ice creams: tiramisu and mocha, too. A kind smile and an extra ice cream treat always welcomed my visits. Days that held these sorts of joys were always refreshing. I looked forward to the evenings as much as the days - and I hope this is the same for your life, too, friend.

May this evening refresh you. May memories delight you. And, may the road ahead look more hopeful, too.

Life-filled delights

Ezra enjoying honeysuckle nectar. senk 2013

June's vibrant blossoms bring delightful smells and a feast of colors to savor. On a recent walk, the boys' tastebuds were awakened to the slight, but sweet, flavor of our non-indigenous honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). We picked buttery buds from their vining masses, nicked the tips, and pulled out long stems. 

Joey and Ezra delighted in slipping drops of the honeyed water on their tongues. Soon, they were foraging honeysuckle themselves, having learned the simple craft of gleaning nectar from the trumpeting flowers.

Joey clutching clover and sipping honeysuckle. senk 2013

Friend, when was the last time you took a moment to enjoy the littlest of splendors found in the outdoors? Do you sit on the porch or by an open window to enjoy the cascade of rainfall on a cozy day? Perhaps you drove or walked to the perfect sunset-watching spot where you live and saw the splendid splash of color that lit the sky at the sun's descent? Or maybe, you walked through a canopy of trees dropping silken flowers or drizzling their autumn leaves?

Take a moment today to enjoy something simple that's all too easy for you to take for granted. And share that joy with a friend or two - especially if they're new to the delight! And feel a deep sigh lighten your spirit, too.