a prophetic voice-

If I were in charge of the weather, I would create a whole spate of days like today- temperatures in the upper seventies, low humidity, lots of sun and just enough breeze to elicit a gentle melody from the windchimes on my front porch. Which is where is I have been spending most of today with my trusty laptop, researching material for the next three sermons I will be preaching...eating a bit of lunch...listening to the birds whose songs are occasionally punctuated by the voices of kids passing by on the street. And now comes the refrain of the ice cream truck, making its way slowly down Council Street. Just a perfect day.    Good job, God...not that you need my consent or assent or approval, but I am just incredibly appreciative for a day like this...a day on which I can forget about hip pain and grief pain and anything sad, and be simply overwhelmed and engulfed by the beauty and wonder and perfection surrounding and enfolding me.  ...

Amazing just how lovely it is to reconnect with an old and dear friend. It happened on Friday when Bonnie, aided and abetted by my son and daughter-in-law, surprised me as I prepared to lunch at one of my favorite Charlotte restaurants. Suddenly there she was, standing in front of my table saying, "May I join you for lunch?", her dear face wreathed in smiles- and then we were hugging and laughing, our words tumbling over one another in our eagerness to catch up with one another's lives. Wonderful hardly begins to describe it, the feeling of making contact yet again with this dear friend who has shared so much of my life, and I hers. Our friendship dates back to our days in Florida in the early 1980s, when our families were part of a very special Lutheran church which became extended family for all of us. Since we both had teenagers, getting involved with youth ministry seemed a natural, cementing the bond which had begun to form form between us. When their family reloc...

And suddenly it's December, the last month of the year. In 31 all-too-short days, 2011 will draw to a close, the calendar page will turn, and we will be teetering on the brink of a new year, 2012. I remember well being in my teens and wondering if I would still be alive at the turn of the century. After all, I would be the advanced age of fifty-eight when that happened. Yet, here I am, happily chugging along toward seventy, and doing quite well, thank you very much. My teen-aged self would undoubtedly be quite surprised. Returned yesterday afternoon from a six-day trip to Pennsylvania, to reconnect with family and friends there: 2 days with my Aunt Jean in Steelton for "extreme baking" (more about this later), along with my cousin, Cheryl, and including a trip to Schmidts' butchershop for their amazing German sausage; an afternoon, evening, and overnight with my oldest friend, Diane, and her husband, Bob, in Hummelstown. ( She is actually two years my junior but ...

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. –Anonymous I believe that we are always attracted to what we need most, an instinct leading us toward the persons who are to open new vistas in our lives and fill them with new knowledge. –Helene Iswolski Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. - Anais Nin A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you. -John O’Donohue On this day of giving thanks, I am most thankful for life and health. But closely nipping at the heels of that experience of gratitude is my overwhelming thanks for my children and grandchildren and scattered extended family. And clinging tightly to the thankfulness shirt tail (I'm mixing metaphors shamelessly here) is my deep and abiding gratitude for my friends, a true blessing in my life. Recently, my precious friend, Mae, came...

T he sun is shining brightly today here in Carolina, which is lovely... yesterday there was more rain and today, there is lots of wind...and my taupe Civic is yellow ...and I'm sneezing a lot, with a perpetually runny nose...POLLEN!!! Can't tell you how incrediby beautiful the dogwoods are this year...everywhere i look i see bloomng clouds of white with an occasional touch of pink. And more azaleas are bursting forth every day. It's odd...each season i think the world around me couldn't be more beautiful...and then the seasons change and i am swept off my feet by the present one. This year, spring is especially lovely, methinks, and i am loving it! i saw some irises yesterday...can the peonies be far behind? Sadly, my lovely little violets are almost gone, but they lasted a long time and created a beautiful carpet in my back and side yard.   Cleaned my room first thing this morning...it was unbelievably dusty, with bunnies hiding everywhere! Now it's clean and l...

weeping... Tears water the page before me as recent rains have watered the greening lawn My heart is heavy with a sadness I cannot explain, put into words Regret? The sense of wasted time and opportunity? The wish tor something different? something more? The longing for companionship? The passing of the years? I do not know... I only know that I hurt today, feel empty, unfulfilled... and the tears keep falling. Sometimes, like this morning, i am overcome by a sense of deep, unrelenting sadness coming from the very core of my being. Has that ever happened to you? Of course, it doesn't help that the sky is heavy and overcast, since my emotions tend to be greatly influenced by the weather. But more is going on here, i think, than can be laid at the feet of meteorological events. I am carrying a burden of heaviness which i am finding it impossible to put down: the on-going concern about my youngest son, Paul's depression...

Good morning, dear ones far and near.  Winter had not quite released it's grip on us here in Carolina, though Spring has been teasing us with her presence for several weeks, with everything in bloom. For the past several days, however, nighttime temps have been dipping into the 30s, with daytimes only in the upper 40s and filled with chill rain.However, we need the rain...and the redbuds seem untouched by the cold...dogwoods still hold the promise of blooming soon...and trees are budding leaves everywhere i look.  Counting my blessings this morning, as I snuggle under my down comforter, waiting for the heat to warm the house. First and foremost, i count each of you...for the beauty and richness and companionship you bring to my life...my precious family, most especially my dear children and the grand grands who color my life with joy and delight, with love and support and encouragement. Then, of course, there are my comfortable house and bed, the dependable heat, and a re...