Just Post It!

The truth is I'm never quite sure what I'm supposed to do in this space.  Is it meant to be a place for a platform?  No, I don't think so.... I'm not much about platforms.  Is it a place where I can lay out my angst-ridden thoughts.... where not so many will see, but I'll feel like I got 'something' off my chest anyhow?  Ah... no.  Too much of that happens in social media without enough pay-off.  Should I find that ONE THING to write about?  My niche?  I don't have a niche.  I do too many things not-very-well, and my interests are all over the place, so that knitting blog will have to wait.

I think what I've settled on is .... focusing on what IS, instead of what isn't.  For sure, my household is a happening place and there's lots going on there.  We live in an amazing place and we do some pretty cool things and we love some awesome people.  My day-to-day life really does give me enough material to work with here.  I'm sorry I ever lost sight of that when it came to the electronic journal.  I really like sharing my life with other people, and when I see sweet pictures of friends (and even strangers!) sharing the beauty of their mundane I want to raise my hand and say, "Me too! Me too!".

So here are some pics get us re-started:

The sunset view from a favorite cafe

19 Years!

Learner's Permit

a dog that watches TV

First College Class

We send love

She studies

We adopted a grown up

We are keeping it real over here-- still homeschooling.  The kids participate in Classical Conversations, where I am also a tutor in the Challenge Program.  Samuel started at PCC-- for Spanish only at this point.  He's learning to drive-- help us.  Greg continues to enjoy working for Columbia-Threadneedle, and we are ever so grateful for this.  Both kids swim for a local swim club, and we are well into the short-course season, so lot's of racing ahead.  We welcomed our dear friend, Lydia, into our home and she makes her home with us now while she figures out what comes next.  Samuel is practicing his sweet fingers off preparing for his Level IX Syllabus exam.  SG is growing up too fast, focusing on school and swim, while dreaming about sea lichens, coral reefs and other such ocean wonders.  We are involved in our church, but that looks much differently than it ever did before.  It's becoming, we realize, less and less about ourselves.  Huh.

I could go on and will, but in little snippets, as that is such a fun way to make memories last.  :)

LYMYWY,
Kara

Just Another Manic Monday

It's Monday, but not manic.  :)

We try not to do manic here.  The kiddos are entrenched in the assignments and studies of the day.  I am getting ready to power down the laptop and power up my arms and legs and brain.  There are writing assignments to edit, spelling rules to reinforce, history lessons to read, math the check (and then re-check)... you get the picture.  There is laundry, toilets, counters, floors, etc. to be cleaned.  There is a multitude of paper work and books needing attention.  There are appointments to be made.

It's just stuff.... not worth putting into words, but since I don't facebook, I thought I'd share mundane, needless, personal details right here!  

Ha!

But the real reason for posting this morning is to count my gifts.... out loud.  :)

~ the friends and family that have loved on my mama during this time of uncertainty and trial.*

~ a pumpkin candle that really does make the whole kitchen smell like pumpkin

~ sickness that is short-lived, but long enough to remind me how blessed we are

~ being absolutely certain of what I do NOT want to do

~ the way He woos me to Himself, when.... why should He?

~ a new church.... maybe not THE church, but a place where we are learning about...

~ the possibility of being in missional community with others

~ what it might look like to focus outwardly

~ how the Holy Spirit can show up even if the music is way too loud

~ how beauty on the inside SO determines what is seen from the outside

~ how you can ride that truth in a lot of different directions all to the same great end

~ God's imagination

~ figuring out what's worthwhile 

~ figuring out what's not

~ knowing all the figuring comes from Him:  Thank You Lord!!!

~ how counting blessings nurtures contentment

~ how that is an awesome universal truth

~ Jesus, the Source of all truth

~ the privilege of showing others all of the above

~ how we can't be good at everything, but at just a few

~ how knowing this simplifies so much

** Please continue to pray for my mama.  We discovered her cancer is stage III.   She will begin chemo in a few weeks, most likely.  Please pray with us for complete healing, and that she will find the Lord faithful to meet her every need.  

Ahhhhhh.........

Garage Sale Weekend is now behind us.  MUCH has left this household for good.  Windows have been washed, floors mopped, furniture polished.  Order restored and then some.  It's a good feeling.  No, it's a GREAT feeling.
I am not one to function at optimal capacity in the midst of disorder.  Even if the disorder is relegated to the closets and drawers, it mocks me from those pent up places.  I hear it call my name and it becomes the itch I can't quite reach.  I don't like this about myself.  It's a weakness, really.  Life is messy, and we need to learn to not be distracted by that fact.

In my frenzy to declutter, simplify, and restore order I learned some things:

1.  We have too much stuff.

2.  Garage sales don't make you money.

3.  They do make you crazy.

4.  They are a great reminder of how awful it is to have too much stuff.

5.  Simplicity (which in my mind includes organization) is a lifestyle, not a once a year or so event.

6.  I don't want to waste one fleeting moment with my children (this reminder came as I wept over little, tiny clothes they used to wear and the remembering that goes with the sorting and weeding and the realization of number 7......).

7.  Time flies.

8.  I love that we still play with toys in our house.

9.  I need a system to stay balanced.... I'm a system-needer.

10.  It needs to be simple (read:  NOT flylady)

11.  Less is more.... in a BIG way.

So, there it is.  I totally recommend this kind of deep cleaning/purging.  There is a lot more I learned from it, but some of it's personal and I won't bore you.  Suffice it to say... it's worth it and makes for some cheap, but highly effective therapy!  :)

And now getting on with giving thanks:

~the canopy of green surrounding the back of the house filling with bird and other creatures

~the ultra muzzle for a pup too anxious to protect his peeps

~having what I need and knowing where it's at

~God stoking a fire

~toaster

~free musicals

~my precious and words-can't-describe-how-awesome husband

~how the Lord leads us and makes us of one mind

~how he submits and I submit and we submit to Him and to each other, and...

~how nobody but the Lord taught us how to do that, and

~how that is a gift I do not take for granted

~being called into something bigger than we can figure out

~knowing we can trust Him

Meet Sarah Grace, Age 10

Ten years ago today, I birthed this beautiful girl into the world.

She lights up a room with her nose- crinkling, freckle-faced smile and auburn hair.

She's grown out of her pudginess and no longer looks down upon her peers.

She's small in stature, but a scrapper none-the-less.  

She likes to dress like a twin to her best friend, string beads, make sketches and any other art she can figure.

She writes praise songs, poems and stories.

She sometimes tries to sneak out of the house with eye shadow on.

She loves putting an outfit together.

She doesn't brush her hair everyday.

She's calls her daddy "Daddy-O" and "Daddy-Doo".

Sometimes she misspells her brother's name.

She has a heart for neighborhood missions.

She likes all kinds of music.

She climbs trees, kisses her puppy, digs up worms and bugs (and names them), and has to wash her feet when she comes in from outside.

She likes playing basketball and softball and swimming.

She wants to be a pitcher.

She likes looking after little kids.

She named her Venus Fly Trap Petey, and planted her ladybug house in the rose garden.

She buried her deceased Praying Mantis, P-Man, in her brother's potted dwarf spruce.

She's funny and does great British and Texan accents.

She wants to learn to sew and open an Etsy store with her BFF.

She wants to raise chickens and goats and have fruit trees.

She wants a little brother or sister.

She's touchy-feel-y.

She cries when one of her bugs die.

She's not an open book.

She is easy to be with.

She's girlie, but not prissy.

Blue is her favorite color.

She doesn't care if she has to use  boys' stuff or second-hand.

She's not particular.

She's a good eater.

She likes to cook.

She sleeps with mama most mornings.

She's right brained.

She makes great art and does math slow.

She's a whole lot wrapped up in a little package.

Today she is ten.

Happy Birthday Peachy Peach!

And counting my blessings with Ann and the others:

a fantabulous weekend of warm weather and sunny blue skies

an equally beautiful day for Peachy's B-day

having lunch with friends in the warm open air

dreams of summer expeditions

Toby acting like a good dog

how sickness makes you slow down

a yummy meal from a sweet, precious friend

yard work with my love

a slice of raspberry vanilla cake specially delivered to my kitchen by a sweet little baker-girl

the upcoming garage sale that will make the dream of purging a reality

the friend that went to the trouble to arrange it

stories from my nine year old that now is ten

the non-stop chatter of my sweet boy

hearing my sisters voice on the other end of the line

Food Rules

Adkins~GAPS~Low Carb~High Carb~Eat for your Type~South Beach~Mediterranean~Cabbage Soup~Grapefruit~Weight Watchers~Vegan~Vegetarian~Gluten Free~High Protein~Low Fat~Raw Food~21 Day~3 Day~3 Hour~The Zone~Alkaline~Medifast~Jenny Craig~Mayo Clinic~Baby Food~Belly Fat Cure~Flat Belly~Gene Smart~Fruit Flush~Hallelujah~Hormone~High School Reunion~Instinct~Volumetrics~PersonalityType~Perricone~The Spectrum~You, On a Diet

By the way, I left out a bunch... and I didn't make any up, I swear.  You can go to Web MD, just like I did, and get a long (but not exhaustive, I'm sure) list of the diets that are out there for your eating pleasure.... or most probably, dis-pleasure as the case may be.

Now I know that this whole issue is a sacred cow for many people.  I, myself, have a disease that forces me to exclude certain foods from my diet.  I don't eat that way because it's popular or currently *in*.  I eat that way to stay alive.  I don't get the luxury of following a trend when it comes to the way I eat.  I also don't discuss my disease or my eating habits frequently.  I don't like to associate myself with the stuff I don't eat.  I don't like to associate myself with a disease, either.  I say this, because I inevitably do have to share my dietary restrictions with others as I enjoy eating with friends and family.  And some people that don't know me, perhaps, think I am being fashionable with my food choices.  Sometimes this assumption causes me to experience a very large, internal eye roll, that I'm fairly certain would cause my eye balls to stick at the back of my head, were it possible for me to actually roll my eyes back that far.

But enough about me, I just say all that to say, I understand the food becoming a sacred cow thing.
Here's the thing, though,  I do think we can make gathering, preparing and eating our food a real drag.  And I don't think it should or *needs* to be that way.... even in the face of disease.

This is where I am going to give a big shout out for the best take on food I have ever read (and I have read, oh-so-many takes on food).  Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, is the best common-sense source of food science you will find only second to your grandma (or great-grandma depending on when grandma was born).  Here's a hint:  It's NOT a diet, or program to follow.

Go check it out.  You'll be glad you did, I promise!  And now I leave you with Pollan's food motto:

Eat Food..... Not Too Much ...... Mostly Plants.

An Ordered Life

This Labor Day marks the beginning of a new season for me and mine.  With my two littles now in 4th and 6th grade, schooled at home, I am having to change some ways.  I don't think anyone would think of me as a disorderly person.  Heck, there are some who actually have been fooled into thinking I'm quite organized!  But order, especially of the strict variety,  has never been a strong point of mine... or frankly even something I ever wanted in my life.  Still, as I look ahead to this school year, I can recognize that without daily order, what used to be carefree, unencumbered living becomes captivity to fancy and whim.  Even though I do so enjoy fancy and whim, I just as much dislike captivity.

In the vein of ministering peace unto my family (and myself!), I have scoured toilets, laundered sheets, scrubbed floors, vacuumed carpets, dusted furniture, planned meals, stocked the pantry, made lists, scheduled lessons, placed holds on books, readied binders, sharpened pencils,  marked the calendar, bathed the dog and cleaned the van.
And prayed.
Inspired by a constant conversation I read about, I purposed to also walk in thanksgiving through these preparations.  Let me tell you, what joy!  What freedom!  Scrubbing a toilet has never been so gratifying.
Yes, Tuesday we will enter into our books and studies.  We will have done what we could to make ourselves ready, and we will turn unencumbered open hearts and minds to Him who teaches us all things.
In this may we learn thankfulness.

Counting now from His infinite graces to me and mine...
#966-981

the last roses of summer

neighboring mercy

gathering to celebrate friendship

a really good day planner

making dinner out of odds and ends

a no turned yes

warm breezes

bare feet

hair clips

being a woman

thoughts of wood and yarn and music

sentence prayers

Robert Farrar Capon talking about an onion

my crucifix, because

it wasn't the tree that saved me

it was the Man on the tree

The Making of a Good Dog

Dogs.  It's hard to take anything too seriously when talking dogs.  This is why dog training has become one of my favorite new metaphors for life.  It is hard work, to train a dog.  There can be success, but you can seriously mess it up by becoming way too... well,  serious about it.

Life is like that.  There is a fine line between squandering it away and hyper-focusing on it to death.  I tend towards the hyper-focusing.  In fact, I think it's the more socially acceptable way to err.  I mean how many people throw tomatoes at someone for working too hard, right?  Truth is, hyper-focus is just as detrimental and destructive (and if we are talking sin, sinful) as squandering.   Public perception aside, they both lead to decay and eventual death.
OK.  Enough of the heavy.  Let's get back to dogs.  How do you get a good dog?

1.  Don't write him off as damaged goods.

2.  Give medical care when necessary.

3.  Make sure he has everything he needs for his living conditions.

4.  A warm, comfy bed is a must.

5.  Cleanliness is next to godliness.

6.  Don't be stingy with your furniture.

7.  Introduce him to friends.

8.  Avoid friends that look like dainty morsels.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

9.  Expose him to lots of good books.

10.  And don't forget good music.

10.  Exercise, exercise, exercise!

11.  Teach him hand signals.... it looks cool.

12.  PLAY is a key ingredient.

13.  Make sure he feels like part of the family.

14.  Love him.... and show it!

Eventually, if you do these things, you should end up with a good dog.  Of course there are no guarantees but, like most things, you get what you put into it.  

Oh, I forgot the most important tip:

15.  Relax, don't worry, be happy,  he's not complicated, he's a dog!

California Adventures Part III

Coronado!


Let the pictures paint the words.....

Point Loma:

Cabrillo Monument at Point Loma

Fun in the sun:

Samuel with Morgan and Travis Dwan

Sarah Grace with Michaela Dwan

Hotel Del Coronado

San Diego

The Dragon Tree

So much to see and do in the San Diego area, but we decided to spend our time in Coronado and enjoy our incredible upgraded ocean-front accommodations.  We did venture over to Point Loma one day and explored the area discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo of Portugal long ago.  


The weather was perfect and afforded us lots of time to swim and play in the sand.  
The city of San Diego, as viewed from across the bay at Coronado, was stunning.  Truly, it is a beautiful city by the sea.  I really fell in love with the place where the sunshine burns through the misty fog and salty air.  Where just off the shore, on a clear sunny morning you can watch dolphins breach high and away from the water.  And at night the bright lights from Mexico, just a shore away, shine into the darkness.  Where American Navy and their Seals run up and down the beach building their strength and resolve, and where their ships anchor off the coast, not resting, but protecting.  It's a place where their fighter jets slice through the atmosphere at any given hour.   And where, when all their earthly service is done, they rest in white-markered graves on the hills of Point Loma.   


It's a beautiful place.




And because it's Monday, I count blessings....


# 718-737


smiles
salty air
warm sand
devotions
fires on the beach
stars in the sky
palm trees
SUN
old hotels
fish tacos
flip flops
touch, smell, sight, taste
roller coasters
people in dress-up
monkeys
cousins
flowers
kisses
friends that help
a pup that forgives