art

Today in second grade we are talking about Bach. How he played the organ, and how he wrote all this beautiful music. We are listening to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in G Minor. The whole thing.

So all my second graders are busily working on drawing organs, Bach playing the organ, halloween pumpkins sitting on top of organs, etc. I am sitting at my desk watching them work, and listening to Bach.

I get to sit here at listen to Bach. I get to bathe in the art of Bach's work. Bach put his life into creating beautiful music, and I get to enjoy it. I get to appreciate his art. I get to lead second graders in appreciating his art. I get to reveal to them to intricacies of Bach's works, and what a genius he was.

We are appreciating art. Together.

And in them, I see a hopeful glimpse of people who will be art appreciators  for the rest of the lives.
I can only hope.

But today, I get to listen to Bach.
I am so lucky.
K

rich

I am rich.

I realized this as I was writing thank you cards yesterday. I wrote a thank you card to each person that came to my birthday party. I really had a great time, and wanted to write thank yous to the people that threw the party, and the people that gave me gifts, so I thought, "What's a few more cards?"

As I was sitting there writing, I realized that I am so very rich.

Not in the conventional sense of the word - in fact in THAT sense I am pretty dang poor. As evidenced my my 11 year old beater-car. And several other things I can name that I occasionally am not happy with around my life. But in the "life" sense: I have a great life, and more specifically, I have great people in my life.

Today I went Glow Golfing. Not by myself, but with the 2 nephews. We glow golfed, and then played at the mall "playground", and then went out to lunch. And can I just say that it is amazing that I even got any food down in the midst of helping the little one with his burger, cleaning up the mess, and making repeated trips to the front for mustard and ketchup. But I realized, as I shuffled them off to the car to go home, that they make my life rich.

Last night I went to a hockey game. Now, really, I could care less about this hockey team. But it is the college here in town, they have a fairly good hockey program, and my parents have season tickets. They said they were going to take the boys, and I asked to go along. It was tons of fun - not so much for the hockey, but for having dinner and spending time with the 2 nephews and my parents. Things like this make my life rich.

Yesterday afternoon I met with a girl from Youth Group. She asked if I would "mentor" her. I said yes, but I have to confess that I feel pretty inadequate to be a good mentor. But I DO care about her a ton, and so we get together and talk about things in our life. Sometimes spiritual stuff, sometimes family stuff, sometimes other stuff. But even though I am only a so-so mentor, her friendship makes my life rich.

And I could go on and on. But I am thankful for the depth and richness that my life has because of who He has put in it. I only hope that I can honor that, and make the most of the life that I've been given.
K

I use my grandmother's dishes

I have often thought about writing a book with this title.

I look around my home, and I see the afghan she crocheted for me. I look at pictures of my Grandma Annie and Grandpa Glen and I miss them. And then I look at my dishes.

Now, really I am taking a little poetic license, because the dishes I have now are from Target. But for years, the set of Corelle dishes that I used everyday were ones that used to belong to Grandma and Grandpa. Now they are up at the cabin, so I still see them from time to time.

But when I think about any "things" that I own, the ones that are important to me are ones that came from people in my family. And not like the kindle that my sister got me for my birthday.

No, the important things are those that meant something to them. Like the doughnut cutter.

Grandpa Glen and Grandma Annie owned a coffee and doughnut shop for a long time, like maybe 30-some years. A few times, during a summer when we were visiting them, Grandpa would get me up at 4:30am and we would go in together and make the doughnuts. By the time Grandma came in at 6am, I felt like I had already worked an entire day. But it was fun, even though it was a lot of work, and I still remember it to this day.

I have that doughnut cutter.

When Mom and Dad were going through Grandma and Grandpa's stuff after they had passed away, they called me and asked what I wanted.

I asked for the doughnut cutter.

Last week, for my birthday, mom gave me a pair of diamond earrings.

Now that is lovely, and I was thrilled to get them. They truly are beautiful.

But then she told me: they were Grandma's.

At that point, they became infinitely more important to me, because they were hers. They were in her ears, and now they are in mine.

So now maybe I'll have to change the book title: I Wear My Grandmother's Earrings.
Thank you Mom.
K :)

surprise

So my milestone birthday has come and gone. I was told by my family that we were going out to dinner tonight, you know, in celebration.

Boy oh boy, did we celebrate.

Turns out, they had planned a surprise party. I went over to my sister's house, so we could go to dinner, and when the door opened and everyone yelled "Surprise!" you could have knocked me over with a feather. I was shocked, and had NO idea. This is pretty amazing, because there were several friends from school there, and we had eaten lunch together for the past few weeks without anyone saying a word.

I am impressed.

There were friends from church, and even friends that I went on the women's retreat last weekend that didn't say anything at all. My 2 nephews were there, and they hadn't said anything either. But to be fair, sister didn't tell them until last night so they didn't know until the last minute.

My mom and dad and sister and brother-in-law all collaborated on this big party, and it was a blast. If they had asked me exactly what I wanted, it would have been this very party.

My sister put up a bunch of pictures of me and the family - school pictures from 1st grade, 5th grade, 8th grade, high school and college graduation pictures, family pictures, and even a picture of me waterskiing. I called it the wall of shame. :) Mostly because of the questionable hairstyle choices...

People hung out and talked, and there was food - holy cow was there food. We ate well, I tell you.

My sister took pictures of everyone there, and had them write a note which she is collecting into an album for me. And she gave a little speech which made me cry.

But the great thing about tonight was not the speech, or the food, or the carrot cake (though it was DELISH!) but the fellowship. It was the fun - the hanging out and being with friends all night. It was the laughter of them recalling how shocked I was, and their surprise that I really didn't have a clue. It was the gathering of people, and I am honored that it was for me.

Surprised, but honored.
Huge thanks to my family for putting all of this effort into a fun party just for me.
I feel not only honored, but loved.

And very blessed to be so loved.
K

on being a certain age

Well, today is my birthday.

And currently I am wearing a hot pink headband/tiara that says "happy birthday".
It has been a very happy day. :)

And my birthday today is a big one - for I am turning a milestone age. One of my co-workers gave me a card that says "Happy ___th Birthday! Welcome to my side of the hill. The grass is pretty green here!"

So on this, the celebration of my birth so, so many days ago, I reflect on the life I have now.

I am so grateful for my family. This morning my sister and 2 nephews and the girl that carpools with them brought me balloons and presents and cards and sang Happy Birthday in the hall at school. It was a happy way to start the day!

I am grateful for my parents. My mom texted me "Happy Birthday" today. A nice message, but also nice that she actually texted! :)

I am grateful for my job. I work with awesome people and am so lucky to love my job so much. The Spanish teacher has kids right before me, and has told them all day that today is my birthday and that they should sing.

I am grateful for my ministry. Sunday night at Youth Group, Hannah and I stood up to be sung to. The boy's rendition of Happy Birthday was SO awful that it was fun, and made me smile much.

I am grateful for my life. Yes, it might not be EXACTLY as I would choose, but I am the most blessed person ever. I hope I have this many years again.
K

joy

Today in 3rd grade music, we listened to Rhapsody in Blue. Previously I read the story of George Gershwin, and how he wrote Rhapsody in Blue.

But today we listened. To the WHOLE thing.

Boy oh boy, do I LOVE that music! It makes me simply happy inside.

After class was over, I walked down to the office, and I was singing the tune the whole length of the hallway. I said to my classes that this song makes me want to sing along. But there's no words!

One of them said, "well, make up some words!"

I just love how after listening to 15 minutes of music, I was happy. Light, refreshed, and joyful. Full of joy.

Isn't it amazing how a piece of music can do that?
Shouldn't we take advantage of that more often? Pop a CD into the player and become joyful!
What a gift...
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

dead people are everywhere

This week I got back from visiting Washington DC. Yes, I saw a bunch of the monuments, and Yes, I walked almost the entire Museum of American History, and Yes, I rode the Metro. But none of these things were what made this vacation so great.

It was the friends.

I got the stay with my friend Carol for the first 2 days, and had a great time hanging out with her. She also happens to be a fantastic Personal Tour Guide, and I was the better for that.

The world's smallest house (blue one in the center)

Mount Vernon

Christ Church in Alexandria, VA

US Marines Memorial (Iwo Jima)

Iwo Jima from the west: Notice the US Capital and Washington Monument on the right.

National Cathedral

 In the National Cathedral, there are so many beautiful stained glass windows to see, and so many little chapels to duck into, that there is something beautiful and "picture-worthy" at every  turn. BUT, Woodrow Wilson is alos buried there, and as we stood next to his crypt, I told Carol, "this creeps me out a little." I think it was just the juxtaposition of the beautiful windows, the reverent feeling, and then this crypt. And me standing about a foot away from it. Like I could have reached out and touched it. Eeewwwww...
And he's not even the only one! There are lots of crypts, and it seems like every time you turn a corner there is a crypt of some kind. Why so many dead people???

"Space" window in the National Cathedral

 In that "Space" window, you can see the big red moon in the upper center. Right in the middle of that red moon, there is a piece of the actual moon, brought back from the Apollo XI mission.

We ate at Ben's Chili Bowl: a U St. landmark since the 50's.

I did have a great time visiting all these great places, and learning a TON about George Washington. By the way, I believe he was visionary. I think he just had *something* that let him see what needed to happen at a certain time. Like when Braddock was taken out in the French and Indian War, and George just stepped in and organized the men how they needed to go in order to win that battle. Then, he said that God gave him that victory, because 2 horses were shot out from under him, and there were 4 bullet holes in his jacket, yet he came out unscathed.
AND, I have so much respect for him; At that time, money almost always had a picture of the person in power. But George eschewed the personal gratification, and featured Lady Liberty instead, so that all Americans could reflect on what makes our nation great: Liberty.

But, that was not even the best part. The best part was the part where I got to deepen my friendship with Carol. It was refreshing to spend time with her and her family - she made me feel like I was part of the family. And I am grateful.

Then I got to spend some time with my adopted sister, CherylLyn. She's not a sister by blood, but because my family has made her a part of our family. Even if she lives in Maryland now. :)

We also got to see a lot of neat places and things in the DC area. We went to Baltimore, and one of the Smithsonian Museums, and on a bus tour of the monuments after dark.

A Baltimore Neighborhood

Ship...or restaurant???

US Capital

Me, as the president. HA!

CherylLyn as the president.

Thomas Jefferson

Sunset from the Jefferson Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Jefferson Memorial from across the tidal basin

Washington Monument

Honest Abe

Lincoln Memorial

And all these things were great as well. We both had a good time seeing things, but the best part was spending the time together. To talk without anyone else around, to hang out with just the two of us was fantastic, mostly because we never get to do that.

What a great time - great time with friends and family, great time seeing our nation's capital, great time just being together.

But as we walked out of the Smithsonian castle, there is another crypt - Smithson is buried there. Right there! Just to the right of the main doorway. And the person in the information center told me this like it was something great - "you can walk right up to  Smithson's crypt!"

No thanks, there are dead people everywhere.
K

empathy

A friend of mine from church recently felt led to do something for the people who had lost their houses in the recent fire. There were 346 houses totally lost, and lots more that were damaged. So Mandy set out to do something.

She set up a "Free Garage Sale". Meaning, anyone with an ID and address on the affected streets could come to our garage sale, and shop for free. No money. Nothing cost anything. She got a church to give us some space to do the sale, and a bunch of people to donate things that one might need after losing almost everything. She had volunteers to do everything in running the sale, and coordinated with the disaster relief effort going on nearby - they were helping people sift through the ashes of their homes, and using this church as a home base. They handed out water all day, and sent people inside to do some "shopping".

So I dropped off lots of sheet sets and comforters that Mom and I had culled from the cabin and our homes. And I told Mandy I would come back early Saturday morning and help get things opened up for the day.

So yesterday morning, I got some coffee and headed over to the church early in the morning. I had to be there at 7:30, and as my Mom says, "That's ALL THE WAY on the other SIDE OF TOWN!". So I went.

I didn't do much, except check-in volunteers, give people tours of the sale space, and smile and be friendly.

But let me just tell you.

As I was driving away, I got to thinking about those people that came to the sale. And I got to thinking about how they must be feeling right about now, as the shock has worn off and the finality of things set in. About how they must feel every time they have to meet with an insurance adjuster, and how they must feel sending in a mortgage payment on a house that doesn't exist anymore.

And I recalled the gratitude of the people as they asked over and over, "You mean we can take ANYTHING?" "We don't have to pay for it?" And their incredulous expressions as that information set in.

And I thought that even though I can intellectually understand the enormity of what has happened, I do not truly have empathy for them. I cannot wrap my mind around all the things they are dealing with at this point.

So I prayed as I drove home that God would give me more empathy for these neighbors of mine, and the will to find another way to help.

And then I was thankful for Mandy. That she had found a way to provide a little bit of hope to these people that must need some encouragement. And that God told her to do something and she obeyed.

And then I looked to the west, at the charred hills, and prayed for my neighbors who lost homes. That they would find what they need to go on and thrive. And I think God gave me a little bit more empathy, right then.
K