German roses and a thought for the day. Feel free to download for wallpaper or whatnot.
Have a very blessed Sunday!
Category Archives: Big Thoughts
7 Quick Takes
1. Fall planning in full swing here.
Fall planning is making my head hurt. I realize sports are inevitable and even likely have redeeming qualities as well.
Probably.
I am not relishing the prospect of filling our week up with "must be there by" times and places however.
2. We have landscaping.
This is new. Try as we may have there was precious little of that on the raw prairie. What little there was got systematically beaten back by chickens and wind. Here we have beds however, which I am endeavoring to weed and maintain. The first sweep through of the weeds was brutal. They had a whiteknuckled grip on the soil and some we could only hope to cut at the root as deeply as we could dig. We cleared the bed and I made a mental note to revisit it each week, only to wake up the next morning and find dozens of baby weeds sprouting. Dang. But the pleasant surprise was that these little upstarts had spindly little roots and came right up with gentle hoeing.
I am sure there are myriad analogies here. Does anyone else think of scripture while gardening?
3. Overheard this week:
"I am going into the wardrobe to see if I come out in Narnia!" We have ten wardrobes in lieu of closets. Our boys have read a lot of books. Enough said. ; ) Unless you want to hear about my awesome family closet. I did it. I love it.
4. The bird watching has really ratcheted up several notches here, though not in the ways I expected.
Green and trees = birds. That was a given. Killer birds? Bit of a surprise.
It started with a walk on one of the miles of bike/foot trails. When the girls and I came back to the village an American teen passed and mentioned that there had been several attacks on that trail by some very territorial birds of prey. We took it with a grain of salt til I was chatting with my neighbor who had gone jogging on the same trail days later. Her husband was far ahead and something hit the back of his head, knocking him off his feet. He turned to see a hawk-like bird coming back with talons outstretched. Had a bloody gouge out of the back of his head to prove it. : /
When we moved to this village last week we ventured onto another trail. This one has a sign which I am pretty sure says – Beware of Killer Bird. <g> There is a large home in the village with a large sculpture of a prey bird mounted out front. I am sure there are some good stories here someplace. Stay tuned!
5. Mmmm, mmm, gouda.
Happily rediscovering Dutch cheeses. I am ruined for cheddar. Which reminds me of our last stay here. A friend of mine from Holland had come for a few days. I fed her cheddar. She looked at the plate with a puzzled expression and said, "What is that?" I said, "Cheese." She says, "Why is it ORANGE??" ah the fun that is cross cultural relationships lol.
6. Also rediscovered Gilad of Bodies in Motion. Anyone else do cable fitness in the 90's? The video shop on base has several of his dvds and I picked one up remembering watching the show back in the day. I do not remember feeling this way the day after watching the show back in the day. Owwwwww.
7.
"I'm looking for a miracle in my life
and if you could see
what it's done to me..."
– Moody Blues
Look for them. They are there. God bless!
the best is yet to be…
Today is a big day for us. 25 years ago today I married my childhood sweetheart. That is what you call us I guess since we met when we were 14. Still, its not my favorite term. Ours is not the simplistic, fairy tale relationship implied there.
It is real.
It is powerful.
It is life giving.
It is sometimes very painful.
It has pushed us, pulled, us, and lifted us up.
We have soared high summits and slipped into deep valleys during this quarter century.
We have cried tears of joy and tears of sorrow.
We have hurt and we have healed.
Ours is not a fairy tale. It is better. It is real.
By the grace of God, we woke up together this morning to begin another day, another year. In many ways this morning feels newer and more full of promise than that morning so long ago.
There is no better gift and nowhere I would rather be.
Love can never more grow old.
Locks may lose their brown and gold,
Cheeks may fade and hollow grow,
But the hearts that love will know
Never, never, winter's frost and chill,
Summer warmth is in them still;
–Silver Threads Among the Gold by Eben E. Rexford and Hart Pease Danks
(a song my Gram sang often)
Simple Woman’s Daybook
For today, June 28, 2010
(more daybooks at Peggy's)
Outside my window… Sunny and hot. Getting used to the humidity again. I see the garbage man emptying the 'bio' can outside (the one for raw food peelings and such) The roses are starting to fade and the veggies popping up in the neighbors' gardens.
I am hearing… Lots of MLS from windows and cafe's. Truthfully, I have never watched a pro soccer game before this year. I watched my first at an Irish Pub the other night. Ok watching might be a stretch. It was on and I was present <g> Someone tell me what the buzzing noise is on telecast soccer games please. Is it audible in person too?
I am wearing… turquoise paisley skirt and top, new tan leather cork heeled sandals from the very good German variety store.
Considering these words:
"This is my dream. I make the path."
– Alice in Wonderland 2010
I am planning… A July 4th weekend. It is always a big deal on military bases overseas. I remember standing under the stars my first fourth here 24 yrs ago, heavy with my first child, hearing the Star Spangled Banner blaring out from the stage on an electric guitar. First time I had ever heard it played that way. First time I had ever seen a crowd jump to their feet in uproarious emotional applause. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision standing here again, nor all that would take place in between.
I am thankful for… new shoes. Two pairs! The $60 running shoes, a purchase which made me choke, brought me nearly to tears they hurt so badly. $15 German store brand tennies? Comfy. You can take the girl out of Walmart, but you can't take the Walmart out of the girl…
I am reading… Blue Ruin, a Grace Livingston Hill novel on loan from Jen.
from the learning room… Lots of books. New library, hence new material : ) Plus, the neighbors are avid readers so the boys have been borrowing books from both.
We read Summer Birds, a picture biography of Maria Sibylla Merian, 17th century German naturalist, which was quite a good read even for the olders. I have always been a life-cycle nut.
From the kitchen… I have never spent much on meat honestly. I have much to learn about which cuts to use for which dishes. Husband grilled ribeye steaks the first week we were here and its becoming a weekend standby. Also made some grainfree energy bar thingies. There are no health food store treats for me here. Not yet anyway. So I mixed up a batch of nut butter, flax seed, dried coconut, dry milk, raisins, cocoa, and sugar (though honey would have worked too). Rolled them in finely chopped nuts and coconut and froze them. They are perfect on the run.
Around the house… Thursday we move into the 'blonde house' as Tess is calling it. It is a large, butter yellow stucco house with the signature tile roof, on the edge of the next village backing up to a farm. Please pray for a smooth transition.
From my picture journal…
7 Quick Takes
1.
We had a girls' dinner and movie night this week with my friend Jen and her daughters. Neither dinner nor movies nor girls' nights in general have factored very heavily into my schedule in the past but all three were a delight. Alannah roasted two chickens to perfection in the convection oven sent from heaven and we had a huge salad and french bread, followed by sundaes. We watched Julie and Julia which completely captivated me.
Julia Child's life story parallels mine in some ways at this moment – living as an ex-pat, learning a new culture, finding oneself in the fifth decade of life discerning where your energy will be channeled and what excites you now. (The Julie part was endearing but apparently not true to life which was discouraging to discover.)
I have never been a foodie per se as you know if you have visited here before. I was completely in charge of meal prep from the age of nine and what a 9yo can swing is less than amazing. Later, food became the enemy as my health declined steadily, rapidly. I am just now discovering gourmet cuisine and am thrilled to find that the older the cookbook, the more likely I can eat the recipes. Plain cream, eggs, meat, sugar, vegetables. No mixes nor corn syrup. Very exciting!
2.
Miracle of miracles, while she was here Jen helped me solve the riddle of the dishwasher and clothes dryer.
I am now in possession of an array of fully functional household appliances once again. What WILL I do with all my newfound free time?? I shall retire to a life of leisure at once. A life filled with sterilized dishes and fabric softened tee shirts.
Happy sigh!
3.
We attended our first homeschool park day here.
I am pleased to say we found the Seewoog nature area without benefit of the gps which apparently is unaware there is a lake in the midst of us.
The moms in the group were a wealth of crucial information such as where the health food stores are located. Wonderful ladies. Looking forward to going back.
4.
Alannah is babysitting for the neighbors this evening. First job here. She will be making ten dollars an hour. TEN. I have not fully processed that yet. When I was her age I made ONE dollar per hour for families of up to five children and had to change cloth diapers to boot. I think this means I am very old.
5.
Another number I am stunned over: two. The number of inches off my backside lost since we arrived. Unreal. Yes you can walk your way fit. Though I am thinking these have helped too. I fly up and down four flights all day long.
It occurred to me the other day that the picture I have of myself is not accurate and likely has not been so for many years. When I think of myself, I think 'chubby', because I was always a little that until I had children. My first babies are in their twenties now however and my shape changed long ago.
Funny how our mental images are so persistent. Seems it is a good thing to step back and reassess our opinions of ourselves now and then and see if they are reflecting reality.
6.
Unfortunately two is also the number of migraines I have had since the last week in May. Prior to this I had not had a migraine since Brendan was born. Whether it is change in diet, change in routine, or my ever changing age is hard to say. My skin is changing too. Really there isn't much about myself, my family, or my life in general that has not changed. So, it's hard to say.
I can say that the blinding (literally) aura which used to scare the bejeebers out of me no longer strikes fear into my heart. I don't enjoy it, but I don't hyperventilate either. We will call that progress.
7.
Been thinking over these lyrics. Over and over. It is better. And crying is ok here, too.
Simple Woman’s Daybook
For today, June 21, 2010
(more daybooks at Peggy's)
Outside my window… Becoming more overcast, and crisp. I am up in the girls' 4th floor loft and looking out over tiled rooftops.
I am hearing… Regularly hearing the bells from the church steeple above.
…the way I see it many evenings as I round the hill back from my walk
I am wearing… khaki capris black and tan striped tee and my new running shoes. Heading out in a moment.
Considering these words:
"…in God's word He said 365 different times, "Do not fear." Now if He says it that many times, you know He's serious about it, don't ya?" - Facing the Giants
I am planning… a movie night with Jen and her girls this week. We overlap here for another month with one of my oldest friends. We were last stationed together in Texas which was another awesome assignment. Our military paths have taken us different directions since. This is a treat.
I am thankful for… more than I can say. Among the bounty, I am exceedingly grateful that things I expected to be very difficult and confusing have not been that.
I am reading… new library books.
from the learning room… Napoleon. The house we are renting this month is furnished and came with a handful of dvds. Master and Commander has become something of a cult classic around here. You would think it was Rocky Horror Picture Show lol. The boys have each taken on a different character when they play outside. Aidan has been researching the era, the war, the figures involved and reporting back to us daily the new information he is finding. I humbly admit it was mostly new to me.
From the kitchen… local foods, which are all new and different for us.
(Danish eggs in local stoneware)
Around the house… I have made friends with the washing machine. It's a small friend, not much larger than an apartment size unit. But having RVd so many years it really wasn't a bad transition at all. The convection oven is my BFF. Seriously. LOVE that oven. The dishwasher and dryer and I are still not on speaking terms. You know you are a desperate woman when you are sitting on the floor in front of your dryer spelling out cycle labels to your dh who must type them into his phone on the only floor that has internet reception. In the end I have been hanging it all. We get two larger dryers in the new house. Better luck then!
From my picture journal…
one of my walking buddies taking a break at the stream by the tracks. Speaking of which, time to head out! Have a wonderful Summer Solstice.
7 Quick Takes
Fashionably late – as usual. But like The Nester has said, it's my blog and I can wreck it up any way I want. And no one wrecks stuff up quite like me lol!
Anyway, here goes…
1. I am driving now and I have found the library. It is right down the road from the grocery store. I could stop here and call it good. What more does a person really need? Except maybe lower speed limits. This is my street. Does this strike you as a 30mph zone? Really now.
2. Next goal – figure out this:
The horn blasts in the distance as this red bullet flies through the village. I want to try it.
3. "Eins, zwei, drei, vier….." Overheard in the backyard night before last. The boys have made friends with the neighbor boys. Two are American's and one is German. They were all playing Capture the Flag or Hide and Seek or something out back and I heard them calling out the count. Very cool.
5. Had a cold snap this week. "Sheep's Cold" or " Schafskälte" to be exact, which usually hits between June 4-18th as a rule. I can report it occurred right on time. The sheep are too far up the hill to ask after them.
6. Walking walking walking. Daily I trek around behind a pink stroller after which my passenger usually asks to "go back to Germany now." After two weeks I figured out that meant here:
…our temporary rental house, which IS Germany to her apparently.
7. Windows
Developing a not so smallish obsession. You will be seeing more of these.
update
Hey all, sorry to be so lax in returning mail and pushing comments through. I have been using my cell phone primarily and its unreliable with web app's at times. Cell phone and internet reception is dicey in the village and even in certain parts of the house. Even the GPS blinks out mid trip. Nothing like the little pit in your stomach hearing the words "Lost satellite reception…" when you are out without a map!
Yes, we are in Germany. The trip went well despite lots of things stacked against it – not the least of which was a lifelong phobia on my part. Though I have been traveling since I was a teenager (here in fact, as an exchange student) it has not been easy. For many years it wasn't even possible anymore. In fact I have turned down speaking speaking engagements in different parts of the country which were too far to drive. I just couldn't do it otherwise.
I have been working through a rigorous program since last fall to finally make major changes in my life. I guess you could say we have that! ; ) It has been a very intense time for us. There are still big steps to take but there is progress every day and life looks different all the time. Indeed it does.
The children are doing very well since our family has been reunited. Tess struggled mightily beforehand. She missed her Daddy so badly she was unable to sleep and potty training went back out the window. She is happily adjusted now with no problems in either area. In fact she said yesterday she did not want to go back to the 'nited States but she did want her brother to drive his red car here. : ) We do miss those boys already.
The past several years have been nothing short of exhausting for us. What began as a marvelous adventure on the ranch became an unrelenting burden in many ways as the remodeling took on a life of its own (we had underestimated the need there) and my husband's career amp'd up. Ranching is a full time venture requiring more than one adult and we did not have that to give it. Allen and I both responded to that stress in different ways and our lives began to move in different directions as I worked to keep the ranch afloat and functioning and his life became more urban and travel composed an ever increasing part of it. Both of us feeling very stuck. We each had our own wake up calls and are now spending time regrouping, decompressing, and seeing where the future is taking us.
I would say I have been busy but it isn't true. In fact for the first time in recent history there is very little that must be done each day. We straighten things up, we cook, we eat together, we talk, and we walk. We walk and walk and walk, miles each day pushing a pair of pink strollers. When the coffee and Toblerone stash drops to dangerously low levels we shop. We talk about what has happened and what is to come. This is life today. It is a slow life and a face to face life. We needed that.
I haven't had my blogging mojo for a few weeks now. Can't say where that is heading. This space records parts of a life, but is not a life itself. A virtual life is not worth living after all. So I am feeding the real one. I do miss my friends here though. Your letters and calls and prayers over the past weeks and months are treasured in my heart. They have kept me going, kept me trying, got me here. You cannot know what they have meant to me. So I didn't want to just leave you hanging. It has been all that. One chapter closed, another is beginning.
7 Quick Takes
We'll call this the day late and dollar short edition. Or maybe the long rambling thoughts I have been thinking edition…
1.
Saw this pair on the fence posts outside the kitchen window when I came downstairs the other morning. Don't know if this is a hawk or falcon. We pretty much call all large prairie birds hawks. Comstock flunkies, we are. But hey, this is from the woman who chased killdeer around the yard, after all, wondering why they weren't flying off…
Can't tell if the hawk/falcon is just gazing fondly at the robin-ish bird or if he is doing some menu-planning..
Let me tell you, it's going to seriously impact my bird watching when I can't wander around in my jammies to catch a shot.
2.
The 4 minute run has turned into a 7 minute run. Sandwiched between a half hour of hills on the treadmill. It's going slowly but I figure for a woman who has delivered ten children it's not half bad. I try very hard not to think of Mary Lou Slonkosky when I tell myself that. Our old friend from our very first homeschool group back in Ohio is now mom to ten and running marathons. I would really be happy to just break a mile at one stretch….
3.
Walked past five-year-old in the sunroom with arm frozen in midair holding a football. ?? He said he was pretending to be a (trophy) statue. I told him THAT was a marvelous game. Maybe needs more practice though. Keep at it. ; D
4.
I have absolutely no time for furniture refinishing this week but I made some. We have been talking about redoing the girls bedroom set for years and I decided now was the time since I already know where to buy spray paint in this country. So there is a lot of this happening. My trigger finger is nearly numb : )
some before and after's
5.
We are at that disconcerting stage where the pictures and curtains are down and things are starting to disperse. At least that is always disconcerting to me. Judging by how closely two little girls are sticking to me, it seems I am not the only one.
It is interesting to note how much we rely on our physical surroundings for our peace of mind and well-being. I am chewing on that a lot this week and whether I really am 'content in all circumstances' as St Paul says.
The whole sticking to me thing reminds me once again of how God 'makes' us lie down. Abbie wants to be on my lap. At all times. Which has led to my sitting down at the train table, sitting and building legos, and sitting while she eats – which must also be done on the lap. But hey, sitting with this little person IS a green pasture indeed.
6.
One neat thing came of the movers yesterday. We had several glitches which were no one's fault – ok, some of them were my fault – but needed to be handled so I was busy doing that. Towards the end of the packing I went out to the barn to get a serial number off the generator. One of the soft spoken young men who had spent the day here was out loading. He began making some small talk about the ranch. Then said very matter of factly, "You are Catholic," which I guess is apparent if you walk through our home. He said,"I am too," and looked me in the eye almost questioning. He asked where we went to church. I replied and returned the question. He said well, his family sorta lost their way after his grampa died. But, he was thinking now that he was going to go back. I told him to do just that. Jesus misses him. : )
I am very emotional this week anyway but I can tell you I get choked up thinking over our short conversation. You see, I really intended to completely redecorate when we moved. I wanted a retro/Euro/mod thing. REALLY wanted that. But in the end a friend told me Kim, it's not you. After touching everything we own in recent weeks I've come to agree. This is us. This is who we are. Everything in this house screams who we are and what we believe – loudly enough to witness to lost young men.
"Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words." – St Francis of Assisi
7.
Because of all of the above I am a bit out of touch with what is happening in the bigger world. Volcanoes? Homeschool methodology debates? local going's-on? I know very little that doesn't require sorting or boxing at the moment. I have decided this is a good thing – because why? Because as a rule most things I don't know about, and probably a fair chunk of those I do know of, are none of my business. Thought of that when I read this:
"I frequently tell myself, 'Joyce, it's none of your business.' A major problem is brewing in your mind when you ponder your opinion until it becomes a judgement. The problem grows bigger the more you think about it until you begin to express it to others, or even to the one you are judging. It has then become explosive and has the ability to do a great amount of harm in the realm of relationship as well as in the spiritual realm. You may be able to save yourself future problems by simply learning to say,
'This is none of my business.'"
– Joyce Meyer Battlefield of the Mind
Amen.
Ok y'all, it's going to get wild and wooly here this week so this may be it for a bit. I will have access to my gmail and Facebook while traveling: starryskyranch at gmail dot com
God bless you. : )
Starry Sky Journal 