Grateful

I visited a friend this summer, and as we were talking she asked me what is going on in my life.

Meaning, how are you...really?

And my answer was that I am really happy with my life. I was thinking about this today, and I am grateful for my life.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for my church family.

I am grateful for my job, and for good friends at work.

I am grateful for the music in my life, because there certainly is a lot of it. :)

I'm grateful for the new furry family member in my life...Penny Lane. This is her napping:

I had lunch today with a good friend, and my family. I turn 45 tomorrow.

Life is good. I am grateful.

touch

I got a massage this week.

Its the first week of school, and I had a kink in my neck for about 3 days. I'd had enough of that, so I called and set up a massage.

As I was laying there, smelling the essential oils, while she kneaded the stress and knots out of my shoulders and back, I was thinking about touch. And I came to the conclusion that I need to be touched. It was very healing to just be. To just lay there and have her rub the stress out of wherever.

Regular life makes stress and knots and kinks and gets everything all bound up.

And as she worked those out this week, I thought about how lovely it was to be touched.

And it is not the working out of the stress and knots that was the relief - it was the touch.

I think we humans are made to be touched, and when we spend time in solitary, something it missing. I think my cat feels the same way. I say this because she won't let me get ready in the morning without sitting on the floor for a few minutes petting her. If I don't do it, she yells.

So maybe she knows those essential things in life: food, water, touch.
K

work

These are the roses in front of my house.

The lady I bought the house from last summer, Jennifer, had done amazing work on them and they looked and smelled WONDERFUL all last summer.

I am NOT a rose expert.

But, I am willing to put in some work to have nice roses. I like the colors, I like the smells, and I like how nice they look in my front yard.

But they do take work. I'm not sure I understood the amount of work that would be involved when this summer started. And, my mom actually did the trimming last fall and then trimmed them again in the spring so I haven't even done any of that work.

But I do stand out there every couple days and water them all. I trim the roses that have bloomed, and I cut off unproductive limbs so the other ones can produce more. I bought Rose Food, read the directions and made sure they were fed. When I went out of town I had to leave dad with instructions on watering them.

And all of this work is being done really by default. I "fell into" it, by starting to care for the roses before I had any clue about what was involved. Just jumped right in there. But now because of the work I have beautiful roses.

There is work to be done, for sure. But I think they are worth it.
Smelling pretty,
K

an era

This is my director.

Donald P. Jenkins has led the Colorado Springs Chorale for 47 years.

Even though I've sung under his direction for the past 7 years, he has been doing it much longer. In fact, today at the concert he said he's been directing choirs since 1953.

Today I sang. I sang my heart out. I sang to the best of my ability. I sang in German like I've never sung in German before.

And it was amazing.

It was a blessing to sing wonderful music, accompanied by a wonderful orchestra, directed by a legend.

Thank you, Don, for the music.  Even though this was the last, I will remember all of the concerts we've done together.

For the music,
K

mittens

Well, it is winter for sure. I have shoveled the front of my house several times in the past few days.

And I have never been so grateful to have mittens.

This is the first time I have ever owned mittens. I never understood mittens at all - I just never had mittens in my life. Oh, I have had gloves - when I moved to Colorado, I quickly realized that it behooves you to have a pair of gloves in every coat pocket. It gets COLD here people! Especially to someone who grew up in northern California, and then lived in Georgia for 14 years.

But now I have mittens.

I guess mittens weren't a part of my life growing up, so I never realized how great they are.

A few weeks ago, a friend came to church wearing a fleece, no coat, and mittens. I told her that I liked her mittens. She said her husband bought them on Etsy. So that afternoon, I went on Etsy, and searched "fleece lined mittens". HOLY COW! Mittens can be cute too! Mine are made out of recycled sweaters, and the inside is fleece lined. Every time I've shoveled in the past couple weeks, I've worn my mittens. It's amazing - the only way you can feel like you are outside is on the face. Everything else is snuggly warm. Unbelievable!

I am grateful for mittens. And for warm hands.

And for spring, if it ever comes.
K

Callie

This is Callie.

I know it's hard to tell what is cat and what is bed. But she's there.

Right now she's sleeping, making little cat snoring noises. :)

And I do realize she probably looks naked to you. But, Callie's hair is very white, very fine, and very prone to matting up and knotting. So, a couple times a year she gets a "Lion Cut". There is a cute little ball of fur at the end of her tail, and cute tufts of fur around her cheeks. But the bonus to this "haircut" is that now when you pet her she feels like velvet. SO SOFT.

Anyway, I realized this morning that I enjoy having a cat again. It's been several years since I lost Sam and Max, and I didn't realize that I missed having a kitty. Even one who is as vocal as Callie.

Today she came downstairs and starting meowing at me VERY EMPHATICALLY. Since I had just fed her, I finally figured out that she didn't like the open window above her bed. There is a light rain falling and a cold wind, and she didn't like it. Once I come up and closed the window she went right back to bed.

But I was petting her this morning and as she purred at me (sounding like a tractor) I thought about how fulfilling it is to pet a cat. She purred, and I petted away.

It's good to be the (kitty) Queen. :)
K

heat

Oh. My. Word. The heat.

Objectively, the heat hasn't been THAT bad - we've had worse.

But my school doesn't have AC, and the "normal" heat we've had the past 2 weeks has been awful.

I am SO ready for Fall to actually arrive...

Still sweating a little,
K

weird

New house weirdness:

I now have a cat. Used to be Mom and Dad's cat, but now that they are back and forth between here and the mountains, the cat stays with me. She is sweet, but it is weird having a cat, 6 or 7 years after losing Sam and Max.

Things sound weird here. There are weird noises that I'm not used to, like creaking and such. Not to mention sleeping with the window open and the different neighbor noises. Huh.

I keep forgetting to lock the front door. I usually go in and out through the garage, but other people reliably come and go through the front door. And usually I forget to lock it again.

Laundry in the bowels of the earth. I got spoiled having the laundry 2 steps away from my bed. Now I (and my dirty clothes) are on the 2nd floor, and the laundry is in the basement. Huh.

Light switches. Half of the light switches DO NOT OPERATE ANYTHING! It is maddening...

Mail. I have the nicest mailman. He brings my mail to the door, because the post office can't seem to get me keys to the box. Hand delivery of the mail. Awesome.

Randomly driving to the other house, then realizing that I don't live there anymore. Huh.

SO many things to get used to.
K

leash

This is Dolly.

She is my Mom's dog.

Well, I guess technically she is Mom and Dad's dog, but when it really comes down to it, she is Mom's dog.

This week, Dolly was my dog.
Mom and Dad were out of town, so I was housesitting, and dogsitting. Cat sitting too, but the cat didn't do anything except lay in her bed.

I took Dolly out for walks twice a day, and we had fun. Yesterday we saw THREE bunnies on our walk! It was very exciting, and she almost pulled me all the way up the hill because dogs chase bunnies.

But one day, we were walking and there was someone out on the sidewalk with a blower. Dolly did not like the blower. I kept walking, because, well, it is a blower. But Dolly really didn't like it, and stopped. In fact, I think she backed up. And then, she pulled out of her leash. As the leash came zipping back to the leash handle, I realized that it wasn't around Dolly's neck anymore. I turned around, and Dolly was stopped still in the middle of the sidewalk. She didn't know what to do now that the leash wasn't attached to her anymore.

So I reached down and slipped the collar and leash over her head, and we were off as usual.

But as we finished our walk, it occurred to me that Dolly is fine while the leash is on her. But once it comes off, she doesn't know what to do. It is very disconcerting to be out in the wide, wide world with no leash on.

And isn't that what the Bible is for us? It allows us to roam freely and safely within a certain limits, but once the leash comes off, all bets are off and the likelihood that we will be hurt goes up exponentially.

I thought it was interesting that Dolly didn't like being off the leash. And that she KNEW when she was off the leash and it stressed her out. I guess it just goes to show that we all need limits.
K

houses

Yesterday I was driving around a neighborhood looking at houses. No, not stalking someone - I am selling my house, and looking to buy a different house, so the looking is OK.

As I was driving, looking at the differences in the houses, and noticing what they look like on the outside, the thought occurred to me: "I bet some of these houses are crazy dirty on the inside, even though they look good on the outside." I could not see any of the inside, of course, but I think it is likely that at least SOME of them had some mess going on inside.

And then it hit me: people are like that too.

We take a shower, do the hair, put on the smelly lotion, put on the mascara, and do our best to look good - to look like we have it all under control on the outside. Even though we may be a mess on the inside.

Lord please let my insides match my outside, and let them both be clean and pleasing to You.
K

old fashioned

I would like to take this moment to confess that I am old fashioned.

Now, I am not old fashioned in EVERYTHING...just in a few.

I like technology. I am willing to use technology. For some things, I embrace technology.

But today I sat down and paid bills - the old fashioned way. I took the bill, wrote out the check, marked it off on the sheet where I keep track of bills, put on the stamp, put on the return address label, and made a stack of said bills to drop off at the post office.

Now I realize that there are quicker and more electronically-savvy ways to do this task, but there is just something...tactile about paying bills with my hand and tongue and checkbook rather than with a mouse and keyboard. That way it feels like sending an email. My way I feel like I am *doing* something. Like my hands are actually doing it.

Yes, I pay some bills online. But it feels weird that way, and I much prefer the old-fashioned way.

I'm going to make it a point this summer to see where else I am old-fashioned, because I feel that I have equal parts "old-fashioned" and "forward-thinking".
K

little problems

I have problems.

Not REAL problems, but just my little ones.

My leg is bleeding. Today I was a dork (as usual) and didn't step away from the car far enough to safely slam the door. Thus, it took a chunk out of my leg. So I totally understand that this is not a huge problem. Or even a big problem.

But right now it is a little bit of a painful problem - my leg is throbbing.

But I guess because I did it to myself, I can't complain, now can I?

Me, to myself: Suck it up, Buttercup.
K

joy

My little people (1st grade, 2nd grade & 3rd grade) are getting ready for a concert. We've been singing their music for about 2 months now, and we are getting pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. Yesterday, one class sang through all their music with no help - no background singers on the CD, no books to look at, no nothing. They did well, so I said they could sing one of their songs that they really like.

I put on the CD and they sang away at the top of their little lungs.

As I was moving around my class, putting a couple things away, getting ready for the next class, I looked over at the back row.

And there was the face of unadulterated joy.

4 little second graders singing away, smiling, enjoying the music and bouncing along to the beat. And I thought: "That's what joy looks like".

I just couldn't help but smile.
K

AWESOME!

I watched this video today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

This kid is cool! Kid President, I mean. But he says that "we were made to be awesome".

I just want to say YES! We WERE made to be awesome. God thinks we are awesome! If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. So I just want to say a big YES to being awesome.

You were made to be awesome.

And don't you forget it.
K

below stairs

Well. Last post I delighted in the little things.

Today I am confessing.

Confessing that my inner anglophile has taken over, and I and fully engrossed in Downton Abbey.

I'm not sure really why this story is so interesting, except that it is just people. Yes, yes they are fictional people. But it seems like they are real. It seems like that's what it really would be like in that part of the world about a hundred years ago.

I think the most fascinating part of this series is below stairs. The way it opens the door on the world of servants and a different class of people than the Lord and Lady of the manor. Tonight I watched this past week's episode, and at one point Mary says that there are a lot of people counting on the family, and they have an obligation to them.

But that's the point. There are SO MANY people that work on this estate. Fascinating, but...necessary? I think not. But what I would do now is very much not the point. Having a view into a hundred years ago is the point. Is this a true perspective? Is this REALLY what it was like?

...

Do I really care? I think not. I accept the entertainment, and agree not to think too much about how I would change things. So I will continue to "do" their upper crust English accents, and pretend that I live above stairs. But want to see what happens below stairs.
K

equality

I went bowling the other day. Actually, Mom and I took the 2 nephews bowling.

We had a great time. But the thing that struck me while I was sitting waiting for my turn to bowl: the bowling alley is a great playing-field-leveler. Unless you put a lot of time and effort into practicing, bowling is a pretty even sport.

In fact, there were several people on either side of us that were developmentally disabled, or special needs of some kind. And they were having a blast! When the guy on my right got a strike, I wanted to stand up and cheer! It made me smile, and I realized that he probably had a better bowling score than me.

The 4-year-old beat the 8-year-old, I beat everyone in our group, and the group next to us had the best score in the place. But we all had fun, and the 8-year-old learned the lesson that it's OK to not be the winner all the time in everything.

The bowling alley = an equal playing field. It made me feel good about being there.
K

new-ness

This is the end of the first week of school.

I LOVE this time of year.

There is a newness that is absolutely delicious. Everybody is excited to see each other, as opposed to the mid-year doldrums when everybody is getting on each other's nerves. Everybody has new teachers, new school supplies, new classrooms. There are new friends to play with, and new things to learn. I can't resist the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil.

I think there is a reason that I have worked in schools of some sort for my whole career.

As the weather cools off and we all settle in to the school routine, I just can't help but think about the new beginnings. The fresh start. The new opportunities.

It reminds me to take advantage of the new beginnings in my life. To revel in the fresh starts. To embrace the new opportunities. And most of all as a teacher, to GIVE everyone a fresh start. To leave behind the aggravations of last year, and to see everyone with new eyes.

Because, after all, don't we get that fresh start too? God doesn't keep track of our past sins and hold those against us in a supernatural tally sheet. He doesn't remember those things we did last year to grieve Him. He gives us a fresh start, and so we should do the same for others.

I LOVE this time of year.
K :)

reverence

While in Washington DC, Carol took me to the National Cathedral. I was NOT expecting to be as moved by this building as I was. Even though it is an Episcopal Church, and services are held there all the time, it is really a beautiful Gothic Revival building.

Awhile back, the whole east coast had a pretty big earthquake, and some pieces fell off the cathedral:

I'm SO glad that this random guy walked behind them, just as I was taking a picture, so you can see how huge they really are! These are sitting out in front of the cathedral, and I'm not sure when there are plans to replace them.  If you look at the following picture closely, you can see the minarets that they fell off of. They are flat on top, unlike their neighbors:

Broken minaret - right in the center.

The main sanctuary is beautiful, and has gorgeous stained-glass windows all around it. Note the black netting on the inside, because they weren't sure if any pieces would fall on the inside:

This picture is from the main platform, looking up into the nave where a service was taking place:

As I was taking the above picture, right next to my left leg was the seat where Nancy sat for Ronald Reagan's funereal. Lots of Presidents and important people have had funereals here, and Woodrow Wilson is actually buried here. Well, not actually buried - his crypt is here.

Woodrow Wilson's crypt

The stained-glass over Woodrow Wilson's crypt.

There are other beautiful stained-glass windows also, like the Space window:

And the Colorado window. Look closely for the Air Force Academy Chapel at the top:

There is a hall with the flag of every state:

And lots of little chapels off of every hallway. This one was being prepared for Sunday Services, with fresh flowers:

I happened upon this crucifix while wandering the halls and finding other little chapels:

Carol and I went up to the 7th floor observatory, and could see several states. This is a view of Washington - notice the Washington Monument sticking up right in the middle:

And this is looking down from the observatory, on a garden that is on the property:

I think the thing that struck me most while visiting the National Cathedral was the diversity of the people there - not just different cultures, but different religions as well. I think that this place inspires reverence, no matter what you relationship with God. I'm sure that every person there was not there because of their close, personal relationship with God, but because it is beautiful, and one of the things to do. But, I really appreciate that this place is about the collision of daily life with the Holy; About how the Divine reaches down to us, regardless of what we call ourselves.

I reveled in the reverence that was there.

And it didn't matter what the people around me labeled their religion: God was there.
K

blankets

And here we are.

'Tis the season of Blanket Roulette.

Today I put a blanket back on my bed. But this is the same blanket I took off about a week ago. And I took a different blanket off about 3 weeks before that.

3 days ago, it was SO hot when I was trying to go to sleep that I had bad dreams. Until it finally cooled off outside and when my alarm went off I was snuggled under my blankets all wrapped up like a burrito.

My favorite thing about living in Colorado is living with the windows open. When it is truly summer, I have to close them during the day, but as soon as the sun goes down I fling them wide open. There also may be a fan or two around to circulate the fresh Colorado air through my  house.

And it is delicious.

But no doubt that in a day or two I will have to either add or subtract a blanket (or several) to make for good sleeping.

But oh, let the worst problem I ever have be blanket roulette.
Thank you Lord, for the beautiful Colorado weather, and especially for the cool(ish) nights.
K

focused

Today I saw an accident.

Let me be clear: I'm sure no one was hurt. At least not hurt badly - it was just a fender-bender.

As I was driving down a pretty big street, there was traffic waiting off to my right at a red light.  They were waiting to right-on-red and go the same way I was traveling. As I looked over at them, I saw the 2nd car in line run into the back of the 1st car in line. I'm sure it was because that 2nd car was looking to the left, to see what was coming, and not paying attention to the 1st car and whether they were going. Or NOT going, as the case turned out to be.

Anyway, like I said, I'm sure no one was hurt badly. They didn't hit very hard, and they weren't going very fast. But as I continued on, I realized that this situation is just like life. So often I get to looking at what is coming down the road a ways, instead of focusing on what I am doing right now. And it occurred to me that it is our job to do well at what we are doing now - not looking at what is coming next.

Make sure to keep your eyes on what God has given you to do right now - not what you want to do later, or what you think He has for you after this. If you don't focus on what you have right now, you're liable to get into a fender-bender.

Though I could stand some body-work...
K :)