Westwoods

How would one combine all that into one topic? Stick with me and I'll try to explain. There is much talk of 'mindfulness' in the magazines lately, also called, 'living in the moment.'  Now, I like how those things sound and I think there is a lot of quiet wisdom in there about simplifying, something else I am attracted to doing, but it left me with an empty feeling of nothingness that I had a hard time understanding.

 Let me tell you about my last weekend... there were rumors of earthquakes in Sandpoint and the news of a big one in Tibet. I heard there were tornadoes in the Midwest/southern states and in Chile a volcano spewed.   Meanwhile, I went to the thrift store and spent six dollars on old drapes to make new couch covers for the falling apart fabric on these poor couches. And I arranged flowers for fun and worked in my gardens and wrote stuff of no importance to you. Aren't you glad I spared you?  On Friday afternoon, I had coffee with a forever friend and then took my son for his almost last driving session with his instructor. Then back to the school to gather my other two kids plus four more. We came home to snack and play. Two hours later back to the school for driving son. Then a delivering of other four kids to their home and on to the grocery store for birthday supplies for Toria.  Somewhere in my day, I caught up on laundry and food because I had to do th...

It was a hot summer day in Wisconsin, the gardens ripening fat,red tomatoes, the woods and river banks were grown over tall with fire weed, the poison ivy thriving where it was least expected. Bare legs wore scratches from hay making and bare arms their scratches from picking raspberries or blackberries. At night, the farmhouse lay sweltering, leftovers from the heat of the day. Even with all the windows wide open, the humidity in those upstairs bedrooms lay heavy on the skin. A thin sheet was barely bearable. The barn was small, neat and tidy for a cow barn, the walkway freshly broomed and limed. The cows were big milking Holsteins. They lazily chewed their hay and flicked flies off their swayed backs with their tails.  The farmer nervously shifted his hat and scratched his head as he gave instruction to my mom and us three girls how to take care of the feeding and milking while his family went away on a much needed family vacation. Before the farmer finished his explanations,...

Did you ever think of humanity as a whole and become overwhelmed with the sameness of us all? We all need sleep, food, and water. We all have emotions and personalities. We all want to live and to enjoy living. Everyone wants to love and be loved. More than that, everyone wants to be made to feel extra special. Most people are happy to tell you about themselves and be given understanding. We ALL want to be understood and accepted. Yet, it can often feel like a dog eat dog world, wherein dwelleth fierce competition, one better than you-isms, and the ever growing epidemic of, 'let me tell you about me-isms'. Some people are able to get the affirmation they want by talking and convincing themselves of what they just said. Others simply believe everything they think. A few actually think before speaking but get drowned out with the noise of the others who are talking; the quiet words of wisdom simply evaporate because no one listens. Many people have a lot to say, good stuf...

Change: def. 1.  make or become different.   2.  put or take something in place of another; substitute or exchange.  3.  a changing; a passing from one form to another...  4.  a changed condition... I'm thinking about change because we are going through one now. The very day we let the mail route go to another full time, was the day my husband was hired full time at the hospital.That was even a faster change than my darling anticipated.    I've been accused of not adjusting to change very well. It seems I have been dubbed with this. I have to admit,  It's true. It seems I have to find my way, make adjustments, and feel a little traumatized during the simplest changes. BUT. I must say this for myself, I have been given every opportunity to grow in this and I think it may be paying off. I married a changer, a mover, a shaker. He has challenged me beyond what I thought possible or even considered necessary. Once, after we hiked seven ...

Everything I share today is strictly my opinion. Although I would venture to think a real coffee drinker would agree with most of what I come up with... My dad drank coffee all my growing up years. I would awaken each morning to the sound of his slurping through his second pot of coffee of the day. Both the noise and aroma came up the stairs into my bedroom. Its one of my best memories.  Yesterday, we were all at mom and dad's house for Sunday lunch. Everything was perfect. Except the coffee. Dad has raised a bunch of coffee snobs and now in his latter years, he's become a traitor to the cause. He's gone from higher quality coffee beans to whatever is on sale in the generic aisle of the grocery store. He changed out his 12 cupper Bunn to a 4 cup itty bitty thing like you see in cheap motel rooms. Being Norwegians, albeit pretty watered down Norwegians, we drink coffee as ritual. It's how we visit best. It goes with family. Being Norwegians at all, we take credit f...

About a year ago, a visiting pastor gave a message at the church we attend. I don't remember his main topic that day, but something he said finally got through to me...  It was about God's love for me as an individual.  Now, I have never had a hard time believing that Jesus died for our sins and that He loves us with an unsurpassing love. I believe this is true, but when it comes to His loving me alone and the fact that he would've died for me alone, I get a little skeptical. Why would he bother? I can see him going out on a limb for others, the ones who are worthy of saving, but probably not ordinary me. I just couldn't fathom that. I wasn't that important. My faith wavered about this quite a lot. Then he turned these thoughts around with these words: What makes you so special that you think you are beyond Him and His grace? Do you think you are too important for Him to take notice of you?" "No!" my heart protested, "That's not what I...

Monday... The dreaded back to work day... A day I used to dread but have learned to enjoy. This Monday, the green grass is turning white with snow. I stated this on the way to school and Shaunti response was: "I don't get it."  I think she says that to be funny. I have yet to inform her it isn't, but it is also harmless. I let it go again. The rituals of Monday at our house go something like this: Sleep till six. Turn off the alarm clock. Crawl back into bed trying to ignore the fact that it all must begin again. Finally, after gathering enough strength from husbands arms and warmth, I climb out of bed and begin the unavoidable ascent into the day.  There is a hot shower and strong cup of coffee which help one to have a more wakeful posture of the mind. Sorta. This coffee, I sip thoughtfully as I pack lunches and fry eggs and make toast. There is the mad scramble of homework slips that need to be signed, the morning chores of gathering eggs, and feeding the dog. T...

    More than any other holiday, Easter feels like the biggest celebration. It's the culmination of Christ. All of Him. It's birth and rebirth. It's new life and redemption.     This Easter, I invite you to celebrate with us... May you experience a new life in Christ...     To be made alive in Christ, my will must die...     Surrender to the will of my Father... Not my will but thine...     We have Easter service and brunch with our church family. The actual meal at our house doesn't happen...I felt inspired to prepare the table anyway... sorta my own celebration of new life...              Celebrate Jesus! Be made ALIVE...