The Encore!

Just in the last few days, the area we live in has burst into the vibrant colors of fall. After a heavy downpour earlier this afternoon, the sun came out and lit up the yellows, oranges and reds and made the colors more intense than they have been. Against a beautiful background of blue sky and huge, white cumulus clouds, the landscape seemed alive. A dramatic shift in the wind direction soon brought with it much cooler temperatures and cloudy skies within a few hours.

One cannot predict the moment when the trees reveal their beauty so dramatically. After weeks of watching the leaves darken in color, I begin to lament that perhaps the colors won't appear this year. And then...it happens.

Springtime has its own beauty and drama. Everything seems so "green" and fresh and new. There is the marvel of watching seemingly "dead" branches come alive again as the creative juices course through their veins once more. New growth. New life. New color. New strength. Likewise, when we are young, we have boundless energy, a desire to grow and try new things. Life is something to be explored and experienced. We see everything with hope and promise. Our culture idolizes this time of life, and individuals spend enormous time and money in trying to either recapture it or make it last forever.

But I find great comfort in seeing that God has provided a tremendous "encore" in his creation which occurs, not at the beginning of life, but near the end of the life cycle. The colors in the leaves are there all the time, but it is only when the chlorophyll recedes in the tree that these amazing colors are revealed to all. Isn't that the way our lives should be? After a lifetime of living, working, producing, shouldn't our latter years reveal the beauty that has been there all the time, hidden from view? If God has been our strength and sustainer all along, then more of him will be revealed as more and more is taken from us in this world. We become less and he becomes more. He has provided a perfect example!

A Special Gift

It never gets old. It never ceases to amaze me. The birth of a new child.

This week, we were given the privilege to see our first grandson come into the world and begin his journey here. My thoughts once again turn to how something so complicated, so intricate and amazing can be created in just 9 months. (I'm sure my daughter-in-law would challenge my thinking that this is a "short" amount of time!) And then...in one day, that child emerges from a watery world into one filled only with air...and he BREATHES, and he hears, and he feels, he sees, and he eats. What a miracle to behold! What a reminder that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". Welcome, little Matthew!

For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place, 

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

all the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be. 

How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! 

How vast is the sum of them! 

Were I to count them, 

they would outnumber the grains of sand— 

when I awake, I am still with you.

- Psalm 139:13-18

Morning Walks

We live in a 30+ year old neighborhood. Many of the sidewalks have succumbed to the pressure of tree roots pushing up beneath them. I am seeing more trees stumps in the past few years - evidence that many trees have lived out their 30-year life span. And we have our share of rental homes whose owners have little motivation to keep yards and flower gardens neat and tidy. But I still enjoy the rather eclectic nature of our neighborhood (maybe this is a little of the 60s still in me!).

Not having a neighborhood association that is intent on legislating the visual appeal and uniformity of each home, everyone here is pretty much free to express their tastes in paint and landscaping. Granted, you do have to tolerate some of the extremes - multiple lawn ornaments, artificial flowers stuck into pots and flowerbeds, and a lawn that has gravel and rocks instead of grass (allergies?) - but you also get to see homes and yards of those who have done a beautiful job using their resources and creative abilities.

We have homes backing up to three large ponds in the neighborhood. Others have homes built on very steep slopes, making landscaping and mowing a real challenge. I enjoy seeing what these owners have come up with to adapt to their surroundings to make their homes and lawns lovely to view and also functional. I always get new ideas for my own yard as I embark on my morning walks and return with a greater appreciation for where I live.

New Beginnings

I am entering a new chapter of my life, and it's very exciting - being a grandmother.

While other women I know seem to be able to empathize and commiserate with others regardless of the event, trial or challenge that faces them, I never seem to be able to enter into another's experience fully until I am placed in a similar situation.

I used to work in a department next to Payroll. The women whose job was to monitor and produce everyone else's paycheck just happened to be all in the same age range - in their 60s. Each one had her own cubicle to call "home", and each 6'x8' domain was packed with photos of grandchildren, crafts made by grandchildren, cute little figurines of children, etc. Personally, I didn't "get it". What's wrong with these people? Their whole lives revolve around their grandchildren!

Well, I haven't taken grandparenting to quite this level, but I have to admit I'm smitten. I'm not sure what exactly happens in that 25-30 years between bringing your own little one home from the hospital and seeing that first grandchild, but it is one, miraculous transition! Who needs Six Flags? This ride is all I need!

A weekend of firsts

KL got her first taste of 'adult' food this weekend. She had chicken tetrazzini, lasagna, potatoes, and ham loaf. Oh yeah, and homemade applesauce. Very good stuff! She was so excited to eat what Mommy was eating.

She bonded very quickly with all family members here, which was wonderful. She's been playful, talkative, and opinionated (no surprise). The nights have been tough though. She made it very clear that sleeping in the portable crib was not an option. Since this is such a new place, she gets upset if she can't see me. So, she's sleeping in the king sized bed. She is getting great sleep while I'm back to getting the amount of sleep I received in the first weeks after she was born. I'm SO tired. So far I've managed to trip over and smack into a wide variety of items. I'm sure I have bruises head to toe. Though my crowning moment of glory was when I leaned over to give something to KL and neglected to realize my knees don't bend that way. It was pretty pitiful to see me faceplant into the backseat of the car. Though my Mom found great humor in it.

Aside from bumps and bruises, this weekend has been full of firsts: adult food (as I've already mentioned), standing (with support) and taking steps all the way down the hall - complete with end-zone dance, and the concept of cl'apping. The 'first' I could have done without was - to put it nicely - doing her "business" in the bathtub. ewww. It would have been nice if she'd saved this for the house, where I have my disinfectant. But no. It had to be here. So, out came the hand sanitizing wipes. I guess it's a good thing I brought an entire box.

We head home tomorrow. Pray for good health, a sleeping baby, and a safe trip.