“like a tree…”

Posted on May 15, 2013 by crazycathie

All the “rites of Spring” are slowly getting checked off the list:

  • purse cleaned out and switched to fanny-pack style;
  • we’ve had the first bbq of the season;
  • I’ve been going around in bare feet quite a bit;
  • it’s almost time to use the summer housecoat (have used it once already);
  • the spring run-program is more than half done;
  • the furnace has been off quite a bit, and the back door left open;
  • winter matt taken out, cleaned, put away for winter; front floors thoroughly washed;
  • windows washed, inside & out, upstairs & down;
  • annual plants bought, being put int the ground today hopefully;
  • trailer hauled out of storage, being used this long weekend;
  • already had a few days sitting outside on the deck;
  • picked some lilacs (from public property);
  • from my View at the Window here, watching the Maidenhair Fern open up, and my Elephant plant flourishing; Lily of the Valley is also budding up… noticing right now that I’ll have to pull several weeds today;
  • back yard has already had one mowing, and some weeds have already been pulled.

What’s not to love about this time of year?! Add to that–looking forward to a visit with family this weekend, and watching Pappy in another triathlon!

Speaking of trees… (hold out for the second verse, now…)

Ever green

topped
with an earth-bound angel
burdened
with man-made stars
tinsel bound
but touched with
no true gold
cropped
girdled with electricity
why be
a temporary tree
glass-fruited
dry
de-rooted?
 
when you may be
planted with purpose
in a flowered field
and where
living in clean light
strong air
crowned with the repeated gold
of every evening,
every night
real stars may nest
in your elbow
rest
be found in your shade
healing
in your perennial green
and from deep springs your roots
may suck enough to swell
your nine sweet fruits
 

My question is, what does she mean by “nine” sweet fruits?? Is that perhaps, nine months of productivity, subtracting the months of winter? Oh well, neat poem anyway!

EDIT: Just figured out the “nine fruits”–see Galatians 5:22-23, lol!

user profile CLUB

 
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how to change your feelings

Posted on May 14, 2013 by crazycathie

OK, cheer up everyone, warmer weather is coming! As a friend says, Hell is warming up now that the Leafs have lost… it’s not freezing over anymore. :D My brother actually called that disaster last night–he was just telling me how his Sens won when they pulled their goalie, tied it up, and won in overtime, and then it happened! I always feel so bad for the players, but I bet the fans actually feel worse. ;)

Now to make up for yesterday’s poem, here’s this one:

forecast

planting
seeds
inevitably
changes my
feelings
about
rain
 

Anyone planting yet? Now that last night’s frost warning is over… I’m looking forward to putting in my begonias. Begonias, begonias, begonias! Rej was quite surprised when I came home after only 20 minutes of shopping at the garden centre the other day. Because that’s all I wanted–these “fibrous” annuals to pretty up my empty spaces. Last year they were all gone by the time I went shopping, so I guess I’m not the only one who likes them.

head shot from Crystal's wedding
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frost warning!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by crazycathie

HA! I was going to save this next Luci Shaw poem for the Fall, but it actually will fit here well enough! :D

First flurry

The white on the windshield
is, variously,
organdy-flocking; stars
stuck on a sky; (a cold cliché
but see, there they are,
poised and six-pointed,
plain as night!)
asterisks, footnoting
with soft insistence
the sweeping syntax of
new wiper blades;
blotting paper soaking up
stop light signatures
marked on  melting streets.
Of course
all I’m seeing is
November’s first flurry.
I’ll feel differently
about falling snow
next March.
 

Or, perhaps, “next May”!! But, in all those flurries, we were towing the trailer back to our driveway, to prepare for the new Camping Season–so cheer up! And, as soon as Leaf Nation loses the hockey game tonight, Hell can stop freezing over! :D

bright sun in blue sky

 
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cup days

Posted on May 12, 2013 by crazycathie

Lilacs on my table… means I could not. possibly. be happier!! What a PERFECT thing for Mother’s Day! I picked them last night on my run, during one of the walking-intervals. Don’t go thinking I cheated, because I feel sore this morning, for the first time in awhile–so I must have run faster to make up for the 30-second stop.

I’ve been wanting to make notes on last Sunday’s sermon, but maybe for now I’ll just mention one thing that I actually have put into practice. I’m always looking for ways of making sure I don’t skip out on prayer-time. You know how you can get into the habit of “skimming” things, to try and get them done quickly (something like how my dad reads over the “religious” parts of my blog, LOL–”real fast”); well, that’s somewhat how my brain goes when it’s prayer-time. A powerful weapon like prayer is always the Enemy’s first line of attack, of course (besides my own fault in the matter).

Rebecca showed us a couple of things last week, that she sometimes uses to keep her focused when she’s praying. One is a cross she holds in her hand, the other is a Jewish prayer shawl. It gave me the idea of finding something to actually hold in my hand while I’m praying. (Of course, one could always get down on one’s knees!) It would even be fun to change the item according to season, since my brain tends to “tune things out” after they’ve been around for awhile.

My first item is a small stoneware cup. You know, “fill my cup… help me overflow to others…” etc. It reminds me how much my cup already overflows, too. And wouldn’t you know it, the last couple of Henri Nouwen devotionals have been about relating spiritual truths to your life as a “cup”!

A mother’s life certainly overflows–with work, as well as blessing. But I also take some time right now, to pray for those missing their moms, or worse–whose moms neglected them.

lavender_00081.jpg

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Young moms: don’t waste a drop!!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by crazycathie

This is what I did when my baby was growing up… I remember taking many moments just enjoying him–learning to walk, talk, etc., or just enjoying how sweet he was. So thankful sometimes for my willingness to be lazy! I should tag every young mom I know… but I think they are aware of this:

To a Young Mother

These are precious, precious moments,
Let delight shine in your eyes;
Drown your tears in pools of laughter;
They’re gone before you realize.
 
Each day brings a special rainbow
That only you can see;
You have your wealth, your pot of gold;
Carry it exultantly.
 
These are days of vintage wine
To be slowly sipped and tasted.
Hold your goblet carefully,
Lest one tiny drop be wasted.
 
Like treasured notes and photographs,
Store these moments safely away,
Tenderly and lovingly,
To be unwrapped another day.
(Naomi Higgs)
 
Ava and tiffany

Hey, that really fits with the fact that I just shared some photos in my last post! And speaking of memories… You know, God sure provides just what you need. You may remember that I’ve been doing some regular nursing home-visiting, well, one lady just passed away last Sunday. Although we’ve known her for around 30 years at our church, she’s been in the home quite awhile, and it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve been visiting her.

She wasn’t totally “with it”, but she did remember Sam as a little boy, at first, and asked about him. And she was always cheerful and loving, and so loved our visits (a more recent friend often accompanied me). The frustrating thing is that we don’t have any contact with the family, and there hasn’t been any information about the funeral as yet (but maybe I’m just being impatient). So I woke up early this morning thinking about her, and wondering if anyone else from the church really misses her, remembering the last time I saw her, etc.  Then when I got up and checked my email–there was a lovely note of comfort from a precious friend! (Who thinks that someone who was only a nursing-home-visitor needs any comfort? But it’s also something she does, pastoral care visits.)

Bear with me, it was such a lovely thing she said that I just want to keep it: “I know you were close to her with all the visiting you’ve done – you must be feeling sad at the loss of a friend, but happy for her that she now sees perfectly and the first face she saw was the face of our Lord!” (emphasis mine… Ila had lost her sight many years ago). Then she even asked me when I saw her last, giving me a chance to “vent”.  :)

 

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Ball game fun

Posted on May 8, 2013 by crazycathie

Sheesh, I rather “flooded” facebook last night… a couple of shares, a couple of photos, a couple of status-updates about the ball game! The one share was a friend’s photo of a mother goose looking after her goslings in the middle of the “concrete jungle” in Toronto! And of course, I work on photos during the game, so that explains the rest. (Hmmmm… forgot about a photo-work request from my dad!)

As I’ve said before, a lot of my photo-work is putting square pictures together, to fit the rectangular screen better. In my “Faces” folder, there are a LOT of school pictures. Now, I keep reminding myself that I don’t want to put pictures together unless they actually “go” together… which means some of them remain the little squares that they are. Sometimes it’s tricky to figure out if they should go together. Sometimes I put two together and then change my mind and go back to keeping the single ones instead. This one, for example, is easy:

school 1961 and 1978This is mother & her firstborn, my aunt and her daughter. There are 17 years between the two photos (and they’re probably about 17 years old in each one!), which is why I kept just the one in black & white, to show the time difference (sometimes I would make the colour photo black & white); though I did put in a bit of a colour filter in the older one, to help it match the other a bit.

In this same “school” category, I came across several photos I wanted to put together… thought & thought about it… no, they don’t really have very much in common… Decided against it… then changed my mind!

Dad about gr. 4, Sam gr. 1 or 2See what I mean–my dad is a fair bit older than my son in this one, but something about them just made me want to put them together, and I love it! Maybe you can tell me why? :)

me 2 yrs, Sam SK or gr. 1Again in this one, Sam is older than that 2-yr. old photo of me… but the hair is similar? And we’re both looking in the same direction… :P Anyway, the photo of me is too small (blurry when blown any bigger) to be by itself. (Lion King memories in the frame around Sam’s photo!)

One more:

Sonnie & Sam both kindergartenFinally in this one, both boys are in kindergarten, though Sam MAY be a bit older, not sure. And they both have that little bit of “bangs” in the middle of their forehead. My brother Albert sure looks like he needs a hug though eh? Love that expression! And the colouring just happened to match.

 

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Beauty

Posted on May 7, 2013 by crazycathie

Wow-wow-wow! Everything is just Bursting with Bloom out there! With these warm temps, I had to go for my run early this morning, and I saw hyacinths, tulips, bleeding hearts, magnolia trees, cherry trees, apple trees, wood violets… even some Lindens were already dripping their blossom-buds! And of course, if it wasn’t blossoms, it was baby-green fluffiness.

The bright side

why is it
always such a surprise
when good erupts
from bad?
you should know–
trouble seduces sympathy
like when
you broke your leg
and boys swarmed bee-like
with autographs
to sweeten a heroine’s plaster
 
next time
please expect
to charm stars
from snowstorms
butter from
sour milk and
daffodils
from mud
 

Oh yeah, I saw daffodils too. ;)

Speaking of truth, more neat things from Rick Warren. You know the saying, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it”? It should be “God said it, and that settles it–whether I believe it or not”! Because of course, God’s truth is true no matter what. So, as he says, you should “doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs”. :)

 

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Truth can be fun!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by crazycathie

We trust everyone was able to enjoy that fantastic weekend we just had! AND… the Blue Jays won, and won ‘good’!! (“Won well”?) Sam says he should go to games more often, if it’s going to make them win. :D

Continuing on the bright, fun side of things, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this, whether or not you’re a poetry-minded type!

Absolute-ly

If roads went nowhere
and rain fell dry,
if birds crawled low
and worms flew high,
if faces were flat
and the midday sky
looked always dark
and the sun shone square,
if beauty were costly
and God unfair
if densest earth
were as thin as air,
if clocks went backwards
and grass grew blue
and lions were happiest
in the zoo
and five were the sum
of two and two
would you be me?
might I be you?
 
How would we think
if all sprouts grew down
and the sea churned pink
and the clouds turned brown
and God’s face were fixed
in an awful frown?
I’m thankful, I’m thankful
(are you too?)
that grass is green
and sky is blue
and sun is round
and fact is true
and we can count on
gravity,
and God is good
and beauty free
and, for the sake of
our sanity,
that you are you
and I am me.
 

user looking outWell, come to think of it… was that a fun way to talk about Absolute Truth? I wouldn’t have thought of it, except for the title…

 
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True, and Lovely

Posted on May 4, 2013 by crazycathie

Man, I sure wish it would rain, so I could get some work done. NOT! If it rains, it means I have to work… who wants that!

Nah, I’d rather sit here and let you see on the outside, what’s going on in the inside. That’s integrity, according to Rick Warren. Of course, he also says that it’s hypocrisy if you know what’s right to do, and don’t do it. Actually, his words are “if we know the truth and don’t do it”, so you can see how integrity comes in. Truth is, I shouldn’t be so lazy, right? But, the Truth is, if I was going to Meet My Maker tomorrow, I certainly wouldn’t be saying “I wish I’d gotten that Spring cleaning done!”

~No segue~ In this Month for Mothers, why not consider this mom:

Mary’s Song

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest…
you who have had so far
to come.) Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigor hurled
a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.
 
His breath (so slight it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world.
…
Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught that I might be free,
blind in my womb to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth
for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.
 

bright sun in blue sky

 
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Whatever

Posted on May 3, 2013 by crazycathie

That could be a code word: whenever you see me put “whatever”, it means I’m reminding myself to do what my Latest Great Stuff says… in other words, the latest verse I’m putting at the top of my Home page.

Yeah, I think I’ll make you go there, because you can hover your mouse over the verse reference, and get another great translation of the verse–I’ve used the NIV, and the hover-over is NLT.

Wow, I haven’t changed that verse since January 8th! The previous one was so good that I hated to change it. (If you ever “need” to see my previous verses, they’re under the tab “Great Stuff” at the top.)

In this most current verse, there is a list of things… really, every post I make should be titled by one of these things from the list… (Got you curious yet? :P)

head shot from Crystal's wedding

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