{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Amanda's for all to find and see.
We interrupt this tour of Paris to take a peek around this neck of the woods. I couldn't help myself. We did another Moira and Mom project:
I love fall best of all. Rainy fall even better. Call me crazy. I grew up in a climate similar to this and adore the way the overcast sky pops the earthy colors down below and how the misty rain leaves everything emerald green and smelling delicious.
This little green woodpecker (yes?) paid us a visit early morning. The boys were the first to notice and quickly called me to window.
The neighbors still don't know what to make of me. There is that American lady in the monster vehicle talking to the sheep again. Though this time it was Moira hanging out of the passenger side.
If it has peeling paint I probably will be completely unable to pass by. I just can't. I have been known to need a nudge to move on. The textures of this place amaze me.
I visit the calves too. But we can chat at greater length because they live on the other side of my fence.
The gardens are nearly bare now. This was the last of the villager's cabbages right before the first frost.
A neighboring village spring. Seems everyplace has one though they are largely ornamental these days, the old original wells having been capped. I am glad they kept them however. The one nearest to us has koi swimming inside today.
I promise you Paris by night very soon.
Shall we take a stroll around the Notre Dame?
A closer look at the fountain…
The windows. Oh, the windows! I think I snapped them all but I will spare you that lol. We'll let the famed rose window represent…
Love the door. Am so framing the door. I want to remember this one.
Wandering back around front there was an elderly man feeding the birds.
This chap wanted to give it a try. The gentleman filled his hand with seed and showed him how to gently move it in an up and down motion which sure enough did attract the tiny birds. His face was priceless.
and they were off, and so were we, headed for an evening cruise on the Seine….
(more daybooks at Peggy's )
FOR TODAY Nov. 8, 2010
Outside my window… Drizzle. The leaves are nearly all turned and fallen now. Having lived in the American West for the past 8 years I have been beside myself watching the leaves change color this fall. LOVE it. Also outside my window on a regular basis? Ginormous crows who sit on the neighbor's car and peck through the garbage. We have to bag the recycling (they will only pick up bags) and the bags are no match for hungry crows. Shoo.
Pondering these words…
I invite you to take the Kind Hearted Blogger Pledge!
I am thankful for… good friends, long talks, creative time, nice people, and things that make me laugh out loud like this site. Disclaimer – some of the art/sentiments are racy. There, I told you, now don't write me, 'k? But you gotta love some of those doodles….
I am hearing… Brendan walked by quietly singing "Hot diggity dog, its a bwand new day" Day doesn't start much better than that. : ) Facebook friends heard about our radio fun last night riding home from church: Michael Jackson's Thriller – the accordian version. Gotta love German radio!
From the learning rooms… I think I figured out our school's online quarterly reporting system and if I am correct I can stop worrying about all the forms we were given. Hoping so anyway because the forms make my eyes cross and send me running from the school room pulling at my hair. I love these books. I don't love record keeping.
From the kitchen… We tried Chicken in Mushroom Cream sauce from Julia last night. With what turned out to be a LOT of substitutions. so so. The frozen chicken breasts were tough as shoe leather. So I guess I need better raw ingredients before even tackling technique. Sigh. I have many redeeming qualities. Cooking isn't one of them.
We had better luck the night before feeding Kieran's little friend tacos and chocolate pudding. In fact the whole evening was a hit, though my coffee splashed out of my to go cup onto my thighs while taking him home. An Irish expletive escaped my lips – though I maintain that swearing in Irish does NOT count. Here's hoping the little man does not have a sancti-mommy. ; o
I am wearing… yes. I will definitely be wearing something suitably fashionable, modest, and not pajamas.
Later.
Around the house…. graffiti. And we have finally tracked down the little gangsta culprit. She is about 3 ft tall and blonde, occasionally seen sporting a pencil or marker. Warning – she is convincing when she says she is 'doing school'. A homeschool mom can be taken in with an alibi like this. Before you fall for that line I invite you to look at her sheets and the upstairs wall. Geesh.
We haven't had one this bad in over a decade. That urban artist used to leave itty bitty smiley faces everywhere. EVERYwhere. I actually thought I might be losing my mind at one point. I would pick up a dishtowel after dinner and there in the corner – tiny smile. What was that in the hem of the curtain? You guessed it. He gave himself away one day however when he was sooooo pleased with one portrait he signed his name to it. Busted.
I am creating… new curtains for the living/dining rooms. Winter is approaching and its getting dark. We need some perking up in here. Pulled out some barn red and yellow French cottage prints to play with.
I am reading… Battlefield of the Mind. Still so impressed by it. If you want to understand why I feel the way I do about positive living, this is a good start. She addresses both the critical necessity and biblical foundation as well as what the alternative is. This is not about manipulating God with our thoughts but about aligning our thoughts with God's will for our lives and affirming in our words and deeds that we believe He only blesses us – even in our trials. We can do this. Whatever this is.
A picture thought I am sharing…
Notre Dame du Paris
No time for Quick Takes this week but I wanted to pop in share some resources which have been such a blessing personally over this past year. I found Joyce Meyers' site last spring and her motto, Do it Afraid became an anthem of sorts which has enabled me to push past fear and break into a whole new life, doing things I had long ago stopped hoping to be able to do.
Battlefield of the Mind has been an excellent – formative even – read. Walking through the bookstore this week I saw her book Power Thoughts on the shelf which is arranged thematically to deal with meeting challenged presented by life circumstances, other people and our own negative thinking. I snagged that too. Similar premises – you become what you think as Prov. 23:7 says. We program ourselves moment by moment by our self talk. Harnessing and redirecting that flow has far reaching impact. These titles go a long way towards empowering a person to 'take every thought captive'. Every one. As a result whole lives can change. Mine has.
As I tell our kids, you can't control other people. You can't control all your circumstances. The one thing you have perfect control over is your response. That determines whether you experience defeating or defining moments.
You can read an exerpt from the Power of a Postive You chapter here.
The Mouth Has a Mind of its Own here.
A plethora of food for thought here.
Wishing you an abundantly blessed weekend. Happy thoughts, y'all!
Joyce Meyers' notes on 1 Tim 1:7
Some days it seems the cat's got my tongue. More accurately it seems that this blog has birthed many beautiful private conversations which I have come to treasure. There is the occasional 'less than pretty' volley hurtled this way, including some recent words about frilly pictures serving no purpose and words – those of theological debate in particular – being "all that matter." I admit I chewed over that one. Those words stung not because I felt they were true but because they ran completely counter to what I believe about art and life and truth and how those things are so intricately connected.
Image and silence move me in a way that clever words never can, filling me to overflowing with gratitude for the embarrassment of riches we are swimming in, even in the worst of times. The sun still rises one pink ribbon at a time, still curtsies out in flames. The forest is a riot of color and texture at this moment. And my baby's blue eyes are arresting. Everywhere I turn there is beauty, which is of course but a mirror of the One who created it all and presents this abundance to us daily. It makes me want to know Him more.
Elisabeth Leseur shared a similar sentiment:
"The disinterested search for beauty, the passionate concern for justice, the love of truth are so many routes that lead to God. Sometimes one makes many detours; one even gets lost a little. And yet one always reaches the goal towards which one marches without even knowing it."
For some of us, the love of justice leads to the Supreme Judge. The philosopher often finds himself standing before the All Wise and All Knowing. And , for some, beauty points to the hands of the Creator who dreamt this all up in the first place. All those paths are valid and none to be shunned. He is indeed the Hound of Heaven and seeks each of us out by different means.
Elisabeth also counsels us:
"To carefully avoid all discussion on religious subjects. Prayer, example, words and deeds filled with charity and intelligence – these are the elements of fruitful controversy. The combat of intellects will never open the way to God, but a ray of charity sometimes illumines the path from which some poor destressed heart is wandering and leads it to its destination."
It breaks my heart into bits, I tell you. But there are times when it is best to walk away rather than sacrificing charity to prove a point. The way to God is not won by a battle of words and silence is often the most charitable gift we can give. Debate is not my mojo and leaves me exhausted and hurting rather than invigorated. I avoid it like the plague. Instead I offer what little bit of beauty I can share. I offer my sincere prayers and gratitude for same. I also offer my humble apologies when my words fail, which is not infrequently, darn it.
Beauty and the very judicious use of words are my two trusted allies these days.
The first thing we noticed about Parisian monuments is that they were definitely monumental in size. So much so that I could not back up far enough to fit them within the scope of my zoom lens in many cases. It is hard to appreciate the sheer dimensions until you are right before them with your neck craned to see the tops. The attention to detail is remarkable.
Les Invalides, where Napoleon is entombed – rather literally – inside an Egyptian style sarcophagus. The dome is topped in gold. Aidan said, "I want to go there Mom. I know alot about the guy." ; )
the Opera House founded in 1669
L'Arc de Triomphe, where the eternal flame burns before the tomb of the unknown soldier from WWI. The arch itself honors those who fought and died in the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, and has the names of all the French generals and victories inscribed on its sides.
The Hotel de Coislin, where Benjamin Franklin and a small group of French and Americans signed the Treaties of Friendship, Commerce and Alliance on Feb. 6, 1778, much to the chagrin of the British ambassador who had planted spies to monitor Franklin's activities in the City of Light. This made France the first of all nations to recognize the United States as an independent country.
La Sorbonne, the University of Paris, in the latin quarter, so named because latin was equated with higher education for centuries. And of course there are still a number of people today who feel the same. : )
It goes without saying that this trip netted a ton of raw materials for future projects. : )
Just a minute to pop in this morning. Will be uploading in snippets.
For Today: Nov 1st, 2010, All Saint's Day (and German national holiday as well)
Outside my window:
At this moment the sun is shining brightly. It has been delightfully warm all weekend.
I am wearing:
Pale green 3/4 sleeve sweater, long black skirt, black boots. Love these boots. They walked all over Paris this weekend and didn't hurt the least little bit.
I am listening:
Not my video but exactly what we heard while standing in the square in front of Notre Dame du Paris. I may never forget that sound.
From the kitchen:
Five course dinner Saturday night…
cheese sampler
This morning, Pain Perdu.
I am creating:
Oh yes I am! Daily. Very gratifying.
I am reading:
The Litany of the Saints today, an ancient prayer of the Church, in fact one of the oldest in continous use with historical references dating as far back as the 3rd century.
That Thou wouldst spare us,
That Thou wouldst pardon us,
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penanceDear Lord we pray.
From the schoolroom:
Aidan just finished All the Swords in England. Need to work on book analysis assignments for Aidan and Moira. Mango German… and perhaps French for mom. Finding it much easier to hone high school French than wrap 40+ yo brain around German, but both must happen. Compiling French history resources.
Around the house:
…a tiny souvenir
I am reading:
a copy of Marie-Claire Idees
Pondering these words:
"You made a commitment to God….not a bargain with Him."
from Though None Go With Me seen last night on the laptop with three daughters piled onto my bed. Another movie I want to own. The implications there could keep a person pondering a very long time. It is imperative we understand the difference.
Contrary to the contemporary "follow your heart" message is this one – that true happiness is only found while we are safely tucked within the will of God, not in relentless pursuit of own 'druthers which never fail to disappoint. Reminds me of another line -
"You can't always get what you want,
but if you try sometimes, you just might find,
you get what you need." - The Rolling Stones
from my picture journal:
saintly images from Paris….
St Denis (center)
St Joan of Arc
Starry Sky Journal 