Pages

Saturday, June 29, 2013

What I Learned in June

I'm linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky to list things I learned this month. 
Ten Things I learned in June:
1. Don Draper keeps letting his past affect his present. I'm a tiny bit addicted to  three dramas that have some very naughty  raunchy story lines and now I'm left hanging until next spring. I tape "my shows" and watch them when Mike is traveling or while I fold and put away laundry. The season finales of Nashville and Dallas were shocking! Mad Men's season ending wasn't nearly as riveting. (Spoiler Alert!) I am left wondering, will  Don and Meghan make it? Thank goodness they allowed Betty to go from being a chubby brunette back to being a svelte blond. It obviously reminded Don what he gave up... Seriously? Will Don ever learn how to stay faithful and let his past go? Season seven will be the last! 

 2. Keys on the counter mean she's home. When I haven't checked my college daughter's bedroom or looked out in the driveway to see if her car is there, I can glance at the kitchen counter and if her keys are there then I know she's home.
3.  Kids don't always put away their toys when they're finished playing. (Even the furry "kids") 
4. Plastic bags aren't allowed in Eugene, OR and don't try to pump your own gas.
5. When it reaches the high 90's in California it's time to put the top up and turn on the air.
6. Watching & listening to my daughter play piano and sing at her church makes my Mama heart swell with pride.
7. Making wine is WAY more involved and scientific than I imagined. I guess I'll stop thinking up names for the wine we'll never produce. Our friends have opened a fabulous winery and tasting room called Kriselle Cellars in Medford, OR and produce award-winning wines. 
8. Wet lettuce in plastic bags in a  full refrigerator tend to freeze. I needed to get it thawed so I could make Caesar salad for twenty for a party. I stuck the Romaine on my sunny porch swing right as my daughter was taking her restaurant food safety test...not sure my method would pass inspection but it worked! 
9. The ice cream truck comes ALL the way to the end of Fox Island. Impressive. I was tempted. The song it played over and over was one that I remember from the 1st grade circus I helped put on when I was a teacher in Indiana back in the late 80's.
10. The definition of Home is changing in my vocabulary.  Home:wherever I currently live and make memories with people I love. My hubby & I are all settled in our pretty rental home and just discovered that it's going into foreclosure and we'll be forced to move out in the unforeseen future. We're hoping not until the summer is over. We might not find a water view with a wrap-around porch, but God will move with us.  To be continued...
What did you learn this month?
In His Grip, Jane

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Beauty in the Mess of Life


Thank goodness for the peonies in my white ironstone pitcher.Who knew how vitally important they would be when I picked them up at Trader Joe’s two days ago…

Mr. C and I just returned from a fast trip down to see our daughter in Davis, California. On our drive we saw great friends in Camas, Washington and spent the night with the owners of Kriselle Cellars in Medford. You MUST check out their beautiful winery! We sipped, took a personal tour, and woke up to the beautiful Rouge River right off the deck.

Davis is a fabulous college town right outside of Sacramento. Our sweet girl and her roomies were great tour guides and have a darling apartment. The hi-light of our trip was watching & listening to our Allie sing worship at the church she’s interning at. Goosebumps!!


Now we’re home and I'm it's a mess. The innocent-looking adorable Sydney had a few more accidents while we were out of town. Due to needing the carpet professionally cleaned in three rooms imagine what our abode currently looks like: furniture pushed back, half of the bonus room “stuff” out in the hall, unfolded laundry tossed on the couch, wedding dress box and other tubs waiting to be stored in the garage… and then of course is the HUGE pile of items that we need to sell that were in the bonus and are now back in the recently cleared garage. A future move to another rental is imminent since our landlord is going into foreclosure… Did I mention how much we've loved living with a front porch and water view and how much we dislike packing and moving???

I'm just not productive right now because my heart is heavy for the young parents of  a beautiful baby boy named Noah who went to be with Jesus last week at 11 days old.  Is it a coincidence that God has provided lots of rainbows this week as a visual reminder of love and comfort to all who prayed that Noah would be healed? 

A darling bird just landed outside on the porch rail; another reminder of God being in the details. Even though I can't stand disorganization, and even though I have a busy next few days ( I work every day this week, my oldest is home visiting, company is coming to spend the night Saturday and two people need me to provide food for events), I sit; writing, sipping coffee, feeling overwhelmed and unproductive with a heavy but hopeful heart. Then I gaze at my beautiful pink peonies in my pitcher and I know Jesus will help me through the next few days as I deal with my messy home and messy mind and heart...

"God supplies power to the weak." ISAIAH 40:29,31

God always provides beauty amid the mess; sweet birds, rainbows, even pitchers of pink peonies. ..  They are His visual reminders that He sees and is with me/us. Some days are busy, some days are HARD, but every day I know God provides encouragement and power. I hope that you feel His love and see small bits of beauty in your day too!


In His Grip, Jane 

Monday, June 17, 2013

Zippers, Bumps, and Bruises

I wrote about landing hard here:My hubby and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last week. Yay us!! We enjoyed a dinner date and are taking a road trip to California to visit one of our daughters. We've also finally started going through boxes in the garage and are being ruthless in our “purging”. That dusty, light blue box containing my wedding dress has been stored and moved unopened to our first apartment, first rental, first home we built, the 
tri-level, the Cape Cod, the yellow house we built, our “white” house in Illinois and the rental we’re in on Fox Island. I thought it might be interesting to take a peek and maybe even try it on.

My youngest daughter and I unsealed the box and after pulling out a lot of blue tissue I proceeded with the “try on”. What made me think I would be able to zip my what was I thinking picking long-sleeves for a summer wedding in Indiana   dress?  I should have kept in mind that I have had four pregnancies, slacked off in my work-outs, gained ten pounds since I lost fifteen two years ago and aged thirty years. I've been growing... inside and out! I shuffled in to show my husband and thankfully he said I still looked beautiful.  I packed it away and will hang onto it in case one of my girls wants to borrow some of the lace someday. Or maybe I could have it re-made if we renew our vows in the future?...

Our thirty years as a couple has had its ups and downs but we’re still “walking” in love. We've learned that married life is a journey you take together, love is a decision, and expect the unexpected.   We are excited to join a team at our church that mentors engaged couples. We were rushing across the church parking lot last Monday night, late to our training meeting and I wasn't paying attention.  I tripped on the curb next to the handicapped ramp and fell flat on my face. Did I mention the parking lot was full of people who got quite a glimpse of me face down while my dress flew up and revealed my new shape wear?   I didn't really have a chance to be embarrassed or to cry because I was shocked and thankful not to have any broken bones or teeth. I just had bloody hands, chin & knee, and sore wrists and shoulders. My hands are black and blue from the bruises. I have had many klutzy falls through the years. http://learningjane.blogspot.com/2011/09/landing-hard.html

I tend to my wounds and apply fresh bandages, but I am healing.  Despite the fact that our marriage has sometimes been bumpy and included injuries and bruised hearts, we feel thankful and relatively healthy. We do our best to honor God and each other. We laugh together and pick each other up when we fall.
Those two much skinnier kids who took their vows on a hot, humid June day in Indiana back in 1983 had no idea what the future would hold and we still don’t.

We DO however now know WHO holds our future and that He’s right there helping us through our ups and downs. Now that’s something to celebrate!

"May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus." Romans 15:5

Have you tried on your wedding dress lately? Maybe your zipper will zip...


In His Grip, Jane
A note to my friends, family & occasional readers, I haven’t written many posts lately due to adjusting to my new work schedule and just not having anything I felt was worth sharing. God whispered that I should “get back to it” even if I don’t have a large audience. It is my goal that something I share will touch your heart. Please let me know if it does! I also hope to improve my layout as soon as I discover who can help me with that. Thanks and Blessings!