January 29, 2009 at 10:00 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: peace, psalms
i will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help…
so poetically beautiful, don’t you think? i think so. i know that the world is crumbling for so many who are close to me, but i confess i anxiously await to see the hand of God in it all. i just feel like this is a time of reconciliation for so many, or at least the opportunity for such a thing. God is always at work around us- premise #1 of the experiencing God bible study that we are working on right now in our women’s ministry at church. he’s always working, even when things go wrong and we don’t see him right away.
i don’t really have anything profound to say tonight, but i just can’t get the words to psalm 121 out of my mind. now, you know that i’m traditionally NOT a fan of the king james version of the Bible (currently using the english standard version) but i memorized this portion of scripture as a child, when all i had was kjv. i actually think it is most beautifully rendered there… so i’m including it here. i hope it speaks to you. i love you all, and i want you to know that things will get better.
Psalm 121
1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
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January 24, 2009 at 6:07 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: garden, therapy
…it pours. 
it’s been a big week. my sister gave me a nephew, my grandmother was put in the hospital for pneumonia (and she is on day 4 of her stay at the luxurious dch regional medical center), and my sister’s husband’s stepfather died, requiring him to travel far from home away from his wife and new baby. i sometimes want to ask God, could we just have a few minutes between major life events? guess the answer to that would be a great big NEGATORY…
so what i have chosen to do to mentally regroup (in addition to praying for each of these situations), is to work in my yard. if you haven’t experienced the joy of getting out there and getting your hands in the dirt, then you really should try it. it is quiet time, and it’s physical. not to mention a little dirty… possibly painful (those darn thorns!). i wouldn’t trade it. the cold weather let up in PERFECT time for me to get this wonderful and FREE therapy. God is good. i am also reminded that God is a gardener, too, trimming out the dead or diseased parts of my life (through the testing given by previously mentioned major life events), fertilizing with his word and love, and watering me so i will grow.
it’s too late to take a before picture, but maybe i’ll take an “in progress” pic for ya. it still pretty much looks like crap- lol. it’s amazing how much prep work there is to do before you are ready to stick a happy little flower in the ground. you have to trim the roses, spray fungicide, pesticide, weed-i-cide (i made that one up myself!), and you have to trim back all of these tropical plants that grow like weeds (which explains the 3ft pile of debris in the front yard and the full garbage can). then there is the maintenance… i have this theory that the condition of my garden reflects the condition of the gardener’s mind and soul. it works, at least, until july- when it’s just too hot to care anymore and NO amount of water keeps things alive that weren’t meant to grow in the tropics. all of that said, however, in about 3 weeks (unless interrupted by further major life events) my yard will be neat, green, and full of beautiful baby flowers. what a reward!
so try it, and let me know how it works out for you!
ADDENDUM: a few moments after the original posting of this entry, my best friend from alabama, Lori, called with the news of her father’s death. there are hurting people everywhere, so if you are reading this blog, please say a prayer. thank you.
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January 21, 2009 at 10:06 pm (Uncategorized)
tonight i have to say that i’m pretty stinkin’ excited about my new nephew. hence, the blue print (which i hope you don’t have to strain to much to see. ) on tuesday morning at EXACTLY 6:24 am, after a long, ARDUOUS night before, my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy!! yep, i said it. i called my nephew beautiful. that’s what he is… just calling it like i see it. of course, i could be a little biased. or NOT!! lol. well, you can decide for yourself:
what did i tell you? and that was before his bath! keep watching for more pictures!
even though i was not the one in the bed pushing, i’m still exhausted 2 days later. i know kelly’s still tired too. epidural: yes. screaming like a little girl before epidural: nope! my sis did a GREAT job and her hubby was wonderfully supportive and loving, right down to holding the puke bucket. i will go to bed tonight feeling like all is right with the world. mostly, anyway…
good night, all. sweet dreams chris, kelly, and spencer!
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January 13, 2009 at 10:14 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: bywater, little bear
wow- i think it’s a record for me to blog this many times in a week! i just wanted to share an incident with you that i experienced today in the ‘hood. for a couple of weeks now, there has been a little teddy bear hanging in a small, leafless tree on burgundy street. we pass it on the way to school every day. i have wondered if someone just carelessly tossed him there, or if it was carefully placed art. in this neighborhood, you just never know. so, i got out my happy little camera to take a picture of him for you.
kind of lonely-looking, don’t ya think? well, you will be thrilled to know that as i was taking pictures of this little guy, a lady named ramona rode up on her bicycle and asked if she could take him. this is ramona and little bear:
and they all lived happily ever after… gotta love the bywater!!!
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January 11, 2009 at 9:25 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: green hair, mardi gras, sweet potato pancakes
sweet potatoes… yummmmmmm.
now, imagine them in pancakes. yep, PANCAKES…
i think they were the best pancakes i have ever had. paired with peppered maple bacon and a cup of cappucino, and you have my WONDERFUL supper. my house still smells like supper, and i’m not sick of it yet. i will definitely make them again. even my girls loved them!
i took down the last christmas tree today and restored order (i use the term loosely) to my house. i feel quite accomplished that mardi gras is over a month away and i have taken down ALL of the christmas trees. so, you see, i deserved the sweet potato pancakes. really… (i have to justify it somehow)
by the way, i am really enjoying my hair. if you are interested in seeing pics, you can visit my facebook page and check out the note “the unveiling”. it has sparked so much interest that i have started a group entitled “yes, i meant for my hair to be green”. it’s about more than the color of your hair, it’s about having fun in the ways that you can and celebrating over the little things. life’s what you make it…
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January 8, 2009 at 6:01 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: green hair, mardi gras, new year
i apologize for my wretched absence from my blog. i have been consumed with the new year, taking down the christmas trees (2 down, 1 to go- but i have until mardi gras, remember??), and most importantly, getting the girls back in school. whew…
so, what’s new? well, i read a book. yes, you heard correctly. one of the docs i work with recommended to me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. it was a fun read, lasting all of 2 evenings. set in post wwII england, it is about a woman writer who discovers who she has become (don’t most books cover that one?) on a small island with an unexpected group of people. though wwII is not the focus, it is definitely a secondary character. it’s like nola after katrina… though it no longer presses on our minds and spills over into the things we do, it is a benchmark. life before the storm, and life after. the book is written very creatively, in a series of letters. at first, i found myself wishing for a little dialogue, but then i also loved reading someone else’s mail- lol. anyhoo, just read it. it’s quite good.
so my pregnant sis was admitted to the hospital today… again. i think this is the 4th time? i told her that some people just require all of the attention. she’s ok… and no, we don’t have a baby yet. i mean, the least she could do is birth this baby- i’m eager to meet my nephew!
finally, and probably MOST importantly, I HAVE GREEN HIGHLIGHTS IN MY HAIR!!! yes, you heard correctly. and yes, i meant for that to happen. it was not a haircolor gone awry. my hairdresser (melissa) carefully concocted the EXACT color that i wanted, so now i’m all ready for mardi gras! look, if you can’t understand why…it’s ok. it’s just hair and it’s just for fun… life is too short not to at least try.
smile!!!!!!!!!
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