another list

When times are tough it's easy to focus on that and let yourself feel overwhelmed. And, if you're like me, it's too easy to get snappish and irritable. I have one remedy that never fails. I count my blessings. Over and over. Big and small. I count my blessings, name them one by one. Count my blessings, see what God has done.

Recent Goodness

baby Kara's smile
100% on a spelling test
morning voedoedeeohdoe
a perfect ending to Mockingjay
Sloane's Life is Good water bottle
the super-fat September issue of InStyle
listening to bands that feature harmonicas
shopping at WalMart is always a social experience
Arlen was able to talk to Jeffrey on the phone today.
yards and yards of wide black grosgrain ribbon with white polka dots
The sun this morning was so obscured by the odd, opaque gray clouds that it looked just like the moon. When I mentioned it to my students they were all shocked because they had been wondering why the full moon was out this morning.
a mug rug designed just for me to match my classroom
I just "booked" my first Senior photoshoot.
eager hugs from last year's students
spending the day with my parents
the breezy, cool weather tonight
our newest family game, Nuts
reconnecting with old friends
autumn is not far away
acoustic guitar
Facebook
kisses
love

Will you tell me a few of yours? Come on... let me rejoice with you.

August Break, day 16. Photo: Can you guess what this is? I bet you can.

two of my favorites

Have a great weekend, my friends.

August Break, day 15. Photo: The Dancer by Degas, The Dreamer by Renoir

Monet and the dancer

This is my favorite sculpture, called The Dancer by Edgar Degas. She wears a real silk tutu and a ribbon beautifully faded by time. I've seen four different casts of her and each one steals my breath. This is my favorite though because she gazes at Monet with Renoir looking over her shoulder. I'll show you more tomorrow.

Now I'm wondering: what art do you adore?


August Break, day 15. Photo: taken at the St. Louis Art Museum in July.

The Dreamer by Renoir

I told you a while back that I love art, paintings in particular. I am so blessed to live no more than four hours from three phenomenal art museums. This summer when we went to Wicked, we also spent a day at SLAM. Heaven on Earth for me. Imagine my delight when I discovered that they now allow non-flash photography! When I was in the Impressionist gallery, I was captured by a girl I had never seen. I could tell by looking that she was painted by Renoir, who is a big favorite of mine.

It had happened again. I felt a real recognition as I gazed at this dreamer. Something about her called to me. Something about her was me.

Does that ever happen to you?

August Break, day 14. Photo: I am delighted that more museums now allow you to take non-flash photography. I took this one at SLAM. (St. Louis Art Museum)

those eyes

You know, I have never agreed with the expression
eyes are the windows of the soul.
I always thought it was the mouth, the expressions on the face.

Until now.

Look at those eyes. What is he thinking?
What colors are his dreams? What makes him laugh?
Who will he become?

Have my eyes ever expressed so much?

August Break, day 13. Photo: one more from the photoshoot

August views

Third grade already? The days are long, but the years are short. So short.


August Break, day 12. Photo: Last Monday was Sloane's first day of third grade.

Sunday Morning Poetry

A Maxim

To live each day as if it might be the last
Is an injunction that Marcus Aurelius
Inscribes in his journal to remind himself
That he, too, however privileged, is mortal,
That whatever bounty is destined to reach him
Has reached him already, many times.
But if you take his maxim too literally
And devote your mornings to tinkering with your will,
Your afternoons and evenings to saying farewell
To friends and family, you’ll come to regret it.
Soon your lawyer won’t fit you into his schedule.
Soon your dear ones will hide in a closet
When they hear your heavy step on the porch.
And then your house will slide into disrepair.
If this is my last day, you’ll say to yourself,
Why waste time sealing drafts in the window frames
Or cleaning gutters or patching the driveway?
If you don’t want your heirs to curse the day
You first opened Marcus’s journals,
Take him simply to mean you should find an hour
Each day to pay a debt or forgive one,
Or write a letter of thanks or apology.
No shame in leaving behind some evidence
You were hoping to live beyond the moment.
No shame in a ticket to a concert seven months off,
Or, better yet, two tickets, as if you were hoping
To meet by then someone who’d love to join you,
Two seats near the front so you catch each note.

— Carl Dennis

I took this photo when we were Savannah in October about 4 years ago. It's one of my favorites.

she makes me laugh

Sloane and I always snuggle together and read a bit before lights out. Last night she snapped her graphic novel shut and looked up at me with a disgusted expression. "Man! Shakespeare sure is weird." she said.

The book? Romeo and Juliet.

Maybe she's right.

August Break, day 11. Photo: The words and image in this post are only related by the fact that I found them both to be adorable. The picture is of one of my students on the first day of school. See why I love my job?

Solemn

We're in the middle of our first week of school. The kids came back on Monday. My feet hurt, I'm tired, and I am absolutely loving it! Be back with words later. Have a blessed Wednesday, friends.


August Break, day 10. Photo: Another view from the photoshoot. Thank you all for your encouragement.

Best Shot Monday

I just love this photo! It speaks to me of motherhood.

Look at her face, the direction of her eyes.
All her attention is on her baby, the love of her life, nestled there on her hip.

He's curious; busy looking around, wondering about the woods,
noticing everything, paying attention to my camera.

But, Momma? Momma is doing what all mothers do.

She's already looked ahead to be sure of where she's going.
She checked around for danger. She'll keep to the path.

Now she can take a moment, pause, breathe deeply...
and enjoy her baby, her life, this perfect moment.

For 20 seconds she can be still and know that all she ever wanted is in her arms, right now.

August Break, day 9. Photo: Last Wednesday was my first photoshoot with a baby. It was great fun, and a big success, especially when you consider that it was still 92 degrees at 7:20 pm. You wouldn't believe the pile of stuff I hauled along just in case. We had to use Sloane's little red wagon to bring it all. Of course, I wanted that for the photos anyway.

Sunday Morning Poetry

There is this cave
in the air behind my body
that nobody is going to touch:
a cloister, a silence
closing around a blossom of fire.
When I stand upright in the wind
my bones turn to dark emeralds.

~ from The Jewel by James Wright

noticing

I find that there is often real beauty in the odd and the unusual.
What about you? What unusual beauty have you noticed lately?

August Break, day 8. Photo: Taken at Ecola State Park in Oregon.

number 20

August Break, day 7. Photo: number 20 on the Big List

make every minute count

How are you making your minutes count today?

August Break, day 6. Photo: taken in Sugar Mamma's Bakery in Briarcliff Village shopping center in Kansas City, Missouri

after 50 years

This is a picture of Jeffrey's parents at their 50th anniversary party. They had just gone through the food line and were enjoying a quiet moment before everyone crowded around. I imagine he was telling her how beautiful she still is, how much he has enjoyed the past fifty years, how happy he is to be her husband. I don't really have to imagine what he was saying; I've heard him say such things many times.

Do you see it? The love on their faces? Is it as clear to you as it is to me?


Their faces don't look this contented now. I'm pretty sure they are drawn with worry and sleeplessness. Arlen took a turn for the worse yesterday. He's had another surgery, is back in ICU, and his vitals are weak. Pray for him won't you? Please pray for us all.

Best Shot Monday

If you look closely at today's picture, you'll notice that the necklace says Ode to Joy. The sentiment is especially fitting since today is my first day back to school. I just love this time of year; the excitement, the newness, the energy, everything is fresh and full of promise.

Happy Back to School, everybody!

August Break, day 4. Photo: taken in Robin's studio; she made the necklace

Sunday Morning Poetry

Dancing Baby

I felt you dance into me.
Oh, some babies are born
of hot, wide passion

other in momentary indifference
with untroubled sleep
the real reward.

But you danced in
with the moon waxed
and your daddy stinging
a love song to the sky

a song with my name and yours
ribboning through it
until there was a chain so long
in a voice so strong

you had no choice
but to follow it
to join our joy
to dance into my belly

and rest untroubled
for nine lovely months
until you were ready to sing
your own love song.

~ Laurie Lico Albanese

August Break, day 3. Photo: fading magnolia, taken at Riverview Cemetery in Portland, OR on my day with Robin. Poem: from the wonderful book Blue Suburbia, Almost A Memoir

number 22

August Break, day 2. Photo: Number 22 on The Big List - accomplished.

August Break

Have you heard about Susanna Conway's August Break? I didn't think I'd play along because I generally have too many words I want to share. Just now, though, my words seem to have run out. Between all the family drama and back to school excitement, my mouth feels dry, my well of words almost empty. (Those of you who know me in person, quit laughing.)

I haven't taken a single picture since Arlen got so sick, and I need to get my camera back out. And so, I'm playing along. My hope is to share a little of my world with you each day using mostly my camera. Knowing me, I'll use at least a few words, too.

Happy August.


August Break, day 1. Photo: taken in Oregon during my visit with Robin.

Best Shot Monday

Thanks, everyone, for your prayers and kind words and concern. Arlen is still in ICU, but his life is no longer threatened. Now it's a matter of a slow recovery.

Care to play along?

Sunday Morning Poetry

Autobiographia Literaria

When I was a child
I played by myself in a
corner of the schoolyard
all alone.

I hated dolls and I
hated games, animals were
not friendly and birds
flew away.

If anyone was looking
for me I hid behind a
tree and cried out "I am
an orphan."

And here I am, the
center of all beauty!
writing these poems!
Imagine!

~ Frank O'Hara

As school begins for us in about two weeks, I want to remember this. And watch for those lonely orphans on hiding behind trees. And love them. I took the image above while I was in Oregon, on the coast with Robin.