my favourite things/ trees

This boy of mine
Home

today
Father's Day
a slow wake up
sun golden through the windows
just thanking God for all the new and old fathers in our family
we had just mentioned Beth's Stephen
when the phone rang
and there was Bethany
joyous and bringing
greetings to her 'dad'
we had to laugh at the perfect timing

there was a special lift to Eduardo's mood
spunk and vitality suddenly appeared
the feeling good ...this being remembered...

Shoshanna left her Skype message for daddy

Jedaiah made light and fluffy with a bit of soft crunch
waffles

just perfect

we sat in church together
the only ones for Sunday School
which instead was Jedaiah and I chillin
while Daddy practiced his guitar and hymns for the service

It was just perfect

A barbecue after church
after all the praying
after all the singing
all the Daddy Day stories
Art and Elaine dear on our hearts
the two so weak and feeble today
her caring for him
him not ready to leave her
the two so tired trying
but not giving up
such perfect love

Outside
chairs set in the grass
hamburgers and salads filling plates
friendship flowing
and when there were only two hamburgers left
two guests arrived who had come earlier and not found us yet there

so instead they had visited
'a neighbour'
a man whose children have grown and gone
he had waited for the phone call
of 'Dad, I remembered you'
he had started the barbecue and had food all ready
~but his children did not call
and his children did not come

our two church guests felt led to visit this man
they sat at 'his' barbecue
they shared 'his' friendship
they filled the gap
with their laughter
and
caring

it is what good neighbours do

then they came to us
and our happy little community
our yummy barbecue lunch
they made doggy bags for their supper
and we sat warm in the sun together
talking old times and new
and of all our Father's many blessings

it was perfect

to be where God needs us to be

to encourage the downhearted
to bring hope to the discouraged
to share laughter
to weep with those who weep
to know that a Father in Heaven
has a plan
to rekindle
an image that long ago was lost
but now is refurbished in his Beloved Son

just perfect

we walked our trails today
we found all the trees which had been blown over by the great wind gusts these past months

they lay scattered over each other
they once held each other up
it was what friendships do

hold each other up

but all is not lost
it is 'these' trees that we need to build a home
these fallen ones
these ones tried through the storm

they will be milled on our little portable sawmill
and lovingly shaped into posts and beams
and roof timbers and walls

they will be a shelter for family
it will be a refuge for friends
for neighbours
a joy place
a safe place
a fun place

these disappointment
falling through the cracks
being forgotten
being challenged and failing
hurting
being broken
disillusioned

none of this really matters to the Father~ in a bad sense
all of it really matters to our Father~ in the good sense
He was there when it happened to His Son

His plan is to refurbish

We fit perfectly into His plan just as we are

there is always Hope

mixed with Faith
and Love
it builds a Home

Fallen trees
tried through the storms
in the hands of a Master
will build a Home

Trees

my favourite things

my favourite things/ a pancake birthday

she got to choose
any meal
a home cooked meal
whatever she wanted

a birthday girl
Sihle
six years old
Oh Treasure

she went to bed so excited
and I am sure her dreams were filled
with tables of all her favourite foods
I am certain her dreams were filled
with squeals of pure delight
clapped hands
birthday singing
cake
and
ice cream


candles
six of them

this little girl
is a dancer
she runs
and climbs rock walls
she falls and says she is fine
she draws and paints
tells wonderful stories
and
she loves a party

pancakes
"Mom, I want pancakes... O joy... pancakes please"

of all meals
it will be pancakes
and peanut butter
syrup from Canada for some others
jam for some
whipping cream and strawberries for mom

there is an excitement about pancakes
which makes everyone happy

Sihle loves laughter
her birthday will be filled with it
inside and out
wrapped in pretty paper
and with every card
laughter will roll around the room
leak out of every seam
and fill her little girl heart

this Gramma will sneak a Skype peak
will sing her birthday song

will hear 'her' story
and see all the smiles

Nomusa said it was a surprise
her present and Mario's

Sihle
this little treasure
worth everything to the Father

God set a big love into a woman's ordinary heart
it leaked out and touched a little baby
she knew she could not live without this little one
and another one
and another
and one more

she told me she has cared for hundreds of infants
and loved them all
but something tangled in her heart of hearts
that wouldn't let go of a certain four

They will all get a birthday meal one day
and one day Lord willing
it will be at Gramma's
so I can catch all these leaky giggles
that wrap these kids up in so much love
in a forever family

Sihle was much younger
when she said her daddy was God
and they all said their heart mommy was my Shoshi

just last week they said
in Canada
in our new home Uncle is building for us
Grampa and Gramma
and all our friends
are building for us
~it will be the house Love built~
can we walk to Gramma's?
can Gramma come to our house for a sleep over?

I will make them pancakes
and see all their leaky giggles
and feel all their leaky love

a pancake birthday

my favourite things

my favourite things/ this little person

his photo
sits on my desktop

something deep within me understands
what every grandmother knows

he is perfect
just as is
and loved
completely cherished
and somehow
this smile never really leaves my face

when I need some encouragement
I just sit and look again
and this heart swells up full
and nothing else quite matters

he is perfect
just as is

and this grandmother's love
will only grow more fond
as she watches
breadth of days added
and smiles scattered
and giggles filling the hours
and discoverings
and fun
some tears
and all that love wrapped up
in mama papa hugs
and somewhere
a special spot

for a gramma
who will always love
this little person

just as is

my favourite things

my favourite things/ storms

it was outrageous
how the sky fell
nothing could hold on to the leaves

not even tent caterpillars

a curtain of wetness
cast furioiusly across the farm
the sound deafening
a half hour strong
leaving puddles
and new rivlets
and a cleansing
in its wake

then the calm

a lovely thing
to see the fluorescent greens
the leaves dancing and joyous again
and somehow the thought of them
delivered
from the
devouring

this set my heart to dancing

I had taken photos today
before the storm
in case all the leaves vanished by tomorrow
and things might became as a barren winter
once more

but now the storm
has come
thunderous

and left the leaves
redeemed

the birds were still singing
My heart was singing
with them

storms
my favourite things

my favourite things/ first flights

 

[ First ever flight of two common goldeneye ducks.  Check out other amazing photos by :
http://naturen-ar-fantastisk.blogspot.ca/p/insekternas-fantastiska-varld.html ]

I have often wondered
how the ducklings got to the ground
safely

each year in the big lightning struck Cottonwood
down in Pete and Marie's hay field
a mama duck plants a nest
as high up as high can go

the hole in the tree 
is generous
the grass around 
soft enough
and each year I just shake my head
and marvel
at the pair's return
and persistent building
in such a high rise

I have never been there to see them come out
...the ducklings...
to see them fall
like baby robins
who topple out of their nests
and usually land harmlessly
my hope was always that they would land harmlessly
each year I would breathe a little prayer

I mean
have you ever seen their fat little bodies and their miniature wings?

I shake my head as I walk away each year
and marvel

and now this  photo

35 years I have marvelled
but never seen

35 years I have looked at the lightning struck tree
and wondered if a family would return

and when they do
I simply marvel

no less today

I mean
just look at the delight 
in those little ducklings
and their first flight

it is the same joy
I saw in Jedaiah's eyes after Bethany had led him
up to the high tower at Simon Fraser Pool
and he had jumped
taken first flight 
(he wasn't yet two)
(his joy was like these ducklings)
over and over again
he would jump
for the pure joy 
of falling

now he sky dives

these ducklings will take their
thousand mile migration
come fall
and I am sure what brings them back each Spring
will be the memory
of

their first flight
 
I still marvel
but now I smile...

first flights
my favouite things

my favourite things/joy cometh in the morning

we need joy
around this world
it seems

so much is falling apart
cities and roads crushed and sinking
fires burning
waters rising
children hungry
lives shattered and taken
and others tarnished by sin's ravages
the pain inflicted so deep
------------------
I'm off to milk
I'm off to sit bent low on bended knee
my head sunk in 12 goat flanks
steamy milk rising to meet these tears
long stained for all who weep
their loved ones hurt or lost
some confused and crushed
by death
or sin's dark stain
the night so dark
it chokes
and fear takes
hope
away
-----------------
Weeping may last through the night
but joy cometh in the morning

our wedding verse
presented to us by an uninvited couple
who wanted to come and bless us anyways

did they have any idea this verse would guard our hearts
and help us press on 36 years now

I keep trying to understand its power
all I know is that
in the morning
something is always new
and though the pain is still there
hope has made it through
~fear has fled
night has passed
and with the day
our hope's
renewed

-------------
I'm off to milk
and weep
and pray
that joy
may come
with
break
of
day
----------------
when
joy cometh in the morning
it is one of
my favourite things

my favourite things/ this growing old together

I love that it comes every year
the reminder of a promise
a love vow kept

I love our grey hair
the wrinkle lines
the eyes fading
the strength waning

we were young then
hadn't proven love
folks just watched and waited
we lived

and now that love is tested
we laugh more
we know it doesn't have to ever really break
completely
the soft heart keeps it alive

God
keeps the heart soft

this is what I have learned
that I may choose life
but it is God who gives strength of days
I may choose love
but it is God who gives understanding
I may choose to be faithful
but it is God who sends away the darkness
so that in the light we may grow old
together
in Him we grow gloriously wrinkled
and aged together
I have learned that though the body age
the spirit stays eternally young
and we can learn not to be afraid
of being set free

I have learned that time shared
is proof that love does everything it was ever meant to do
that love is everything it was ever meant to be
that love heals broken moments
that love lifts shared prayers
that love binds longing hearts
that love frees soaring spirits

that growing old 'together'
is a 'love' gift
from a very Old Father
who before time ever was
planned that we His children
should share eternity with Him
and it is here
in this holy union
that we learn the joy
of all heaven could ever hold

He gives us so much

it has really only just begun

this growing old together
we will laugh through all eternity
together
we learn how here
now

this growing old together

my favourite things