Lately

The season may not yet have changed on the calendar, but around here it certainly feels like it! We have spent the last week switching out of spring and into summer--and vacation!--mode.

We had our first social gathering last weekend. Having people over was a great motivator for getting the patio looking nice. I also put in a lot of time on the dining room, even down to unpacking the china.

There is still so much to do to make this house feel like a home. I have put hardly anything on the walls. (The piece pictured above carries great sentimental meaning so was one of the first things to go up.) To be honest, I am not sure how far we will get with decorating this house. It is a rental and is also a little smaller than what we hope to buy in the not too distant future. There are boxes (so many boxes) in the garage that will probably stay there, unopened, until they have a more permanent home.

We are loving our new church, more every day, and Oklahoma as well. The pace is relaxed, the people lovely, and the weather so far exquisite. I feel as though, for the first time in quite a long time, I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure finally having everyone together in one place is a huge part of that. I am trying not to think about how much that is going to change in about ten weeks.

Speaking of which, Caitlin's college plans are falling into place. She got her desired dorm assignment and has connected online with her suite mates. We go to orientation in two weeks! Two weeks after that we have a home school graduation! And about a week after that is our mother-daughter trip to New York City!

Phillip is doing much professional traveling this summer, but before he gets really busy we are sneaking off to Wichita in a few weeks to see our favorite concert artist, James Taylor. I've lost track of how many JT concerts we've gone to over the years. I would guess around ten.

Evan is having summer school. (The Philipp Nicolai Lutheran Academy never closes; it just adjusts itself, year round, to the needs of its students and teachers.) In a few weeks he will be attending Lutheran summer camp for the first time. Five nights away from home will be quite a test for the highly sensitive one. But he has come so far this year, and he will be bunking with friends. He has wanted to go to camp ever since he read about the Berenstain Bears doing it.

Trevor is working on his list of potential graduate schools. He is entering his senior year this fall and will enjoy a slightly lighter schedule as reward for the progress he has already made toward his degree. This summer he is doing some organ playing at church, substituting for his dad when he goes out of town.

My mom is doing well.

I have put out feelers for piano students, but have not had any takers. I would like to sign up a few students, as much to provide Evan some piano buddies as to make a few dollars. The next step will be to try to connect with the home school community, something I have not yet done.

It is time for me to get off the computer and go for a walk in this beautiful Oklahoma morning!

First Day of May

It was a race this morning to see who could find and post it first. Phillip won. That's okay with me because we're in this together and for the first time in a long time, it feels like a new beginning. Thank you, dear Father in heaven, for this and all the days you so graciously give.

And the light between us
Which we could not quite extinguish
Which we see at dawn
Burns on

First day of May
Things are beginning
Our side is winning
Hip hip hooray
Made in the shade
Deep in the shadow
Down by the meadow
Lie in my arms

And the moon will rise
Before our very eyes
We will rise too
I'll be with you
It's a rite of spring
A horizontal thing
The sweetest sort of dance
Hidden in among the plants

Ha ha ha ha
People are laughing
Children are singing
Come join the dance

And the walls around us
Which we kept at such a cost
When we turned around
Came tumbling down

Ha ha ha ha
She can't stop laughing
He can't stop singing
First day of May

 

ABP, Day 8

I am not going to have time to post later today so decided I better get it done right now. Today was homeschool co-op day (math for Caitlin, pottery for Evan), but Evan stayed home with a sore throat. Before that, I was going to go exercise with my husband at our community recreation center but opted out after a nasty bout of insomnia last night. Between the state of the world (which I am trying to ignore but find it impossible to entirely avoid) and several other things weighing on my mind, it has not been a good week for sleep. But I have come to a few decisions that I hope will assist in putting those things to rest and moving beyond them. I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom.

I am taking my mom to the doctor for a checkup this afternoon so am very thankful for the moderate weather and clear skies. It will make it easier for her to get out--she is extremely sensitive to the cold.

Tonight we are looking forward to getting together with some friends. There are very few things in the world better than spending time with Christian brothers and sisters.

At some point I think I will have to start paying more attention to the world again. I am at heart just not a head-in-the-sand person. I don't think it is possible to shut it out entirely, and I don't think as a parent of children who have to grow up in this world that it is moral or responsible for me to do so. But the challenge is finding the balance. How to live in the world but not let it take my heart and sap my hope? I think I have been out of balance for a while, too plugged in, too much inclined to let the events of the world, both on the macro and micro level, dictate my outlook. Rediscovering that balance is what my little "challenge" is all about. I guess it will never be a settled thing--"this much world, but no more." If only it were that easy. The struggle will always be there; in the words of a dear friend, "Such is life this side of heaven."

A friend posted this video on Facebook. I love James Taylor and I love this song. It is an interesting rendition because James humorously uses a reel-to-reel tape to provide the missing background vocals and himself sings the "riff" that his long-time backup singer, Arnold McCuller, usually sings. I really appreciated Laura posting this today as I find myself feeling incredibly thankful for our new church home and our new family there. They have taken us in, battered, bruised, imperfect people that we are, and they have made us their own, telling us that even in our weakness, we are enough. Thank you, friends. We are honored to be in your midst and we pray for God's continued blessing on the fellowship we now enjoy with you.

Watch and Enjoy

I know--people send you links and tell you to watch them and there's so little time in the day. But believe me, this is worth it. One of the best live performances I have ever seen (not that I actually saw it live, but how I wish I had). A much younger James Taylor and Carly Simon having more fun than a body should be allowed to have. Watching this just makes me feel good. You watch, too (with apologies to Robert Frost).

Weekend Update

First, I'm sure you're wondering about the air conditioner. It's fixed! And the Cantor survived his day of watching children so several friends and I could attend the homeschool convention. In fact, he didn't merely survive--he excelled! (Which doesn't surprise me . . . he has a way with kids . . . nevertheless, as the afternoon wore on he was happy to welcome an extra pair of hands with the arrival of one of the other dads, who got off work early and thought Phil could use some company. Mike organized a backyard game, Phil enjoyed the shower that had so far eluded him, and by the time my friends and I returned home the children were fed and our own supper was waiting. Phil did tell me later that days like this one always give him a deeper appreciation of what moms do every day.)

It was a treat to go to the homeschool convention with some friends, having a ladies' lunch, attending several workshops (and walking out of only one), and shopping the vendor hall ("What do you think of this? Or should I get that one?") Elephant's Child and Sparkle Kitty stayed overnight, so we had some extended homeschool mommy debriefing complete with an unseasonably hot, sticky walk on Friday morning (still wondering what happened to spring around here, since we seem to have jumped right from winter to summer). Friday night my older two children and I took part in a Brothers of John the Steadfast packing party, cutting and taping and preparing materials that will soon be mailed out to the charter members of this new Lutheran lay organization. Saturday I sneaked back over to the convention for one final vendor hall browse (I was blessed to have this statewide event taking place about 10 minutes from my house) before attending a graduation party with my family. Then Saturday night my husband and I went here:




It's an outdoor concert venue in Highland Park, Illinois, called Ravinia. There is a small amphitheatre, but most of the seating is on the lawn. Concertgoers customarily bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and listen to the music under the stars. The headliner this night was James Taylor, whom my husband and I must have seen at least six times since we have been a couple. When we found out he was going to be at Ravinia, we immediately called for tickets, only to discover they were already all sold out. So how did we end up going? It turns out there were a limited number of tickets available on the terrace at one of the Ravinia restaurants. We had only to agree to purchase a meal in the restaurant to reserve a table for the evening. It turned out to be one of the best concert experiences we have ever had. We had gourmet food and wine while listening to one of our favorite singers in an exquisite setting rather than being squeezed into stadium seats with people crawling over us all night. We couldn't see JT, but even when we have been able to do so he's been a mere speck on the stage (or maybe a giant video version projected on a screen), and what do we really go to a concert for anyway? To see or to hear? So we quickly rationalized the expense (hmmm, both of our birthdays plus Father's Day and Mother's Day in a 3-month span--sounds like reason enough!) and laid down our money. I think Phil's glad we did.




I know I am.