A Meeting In Part- Wenell Berry

In a dream I meet
my dead friend. He has,
I know, gone long and far,
and yet he is the same
for the dead are changeless.
They grow no older.
It is I who have changed,
grown strange to what I was.
Yet I, the changed one,
ask: "How you been?"
He grins and looks at me.
"I been eating peaches
off some mighty fine trees."

Three More Poems

Here's a few more I wrote in the orchestra pit during the ballet.

I wrote this first one because I've been thinking of dad some.  What bothers me most is the thought of never hearing his voice again.

The Silencing

The silencing of the voice
seems so bleak
but instead it is just a pass
to sing in some realm mortals
can't hear.  Where only angels
can hear and know.
We see in such dim ways
the majesty of the hereafter.

I am studying the life of Moses and I was thinking what beautiful things happen in life's "desserts" when I wrote this. 

The Desert

In the desert things grow
hot things, humble things, hard things.
Although most don't take notice
out of deserts come well sanded beauty.
Brittle things become hydrated again
a mirage in the wilderness
a spring of hope out of despair.

A singer friend told a story about how she lives on a farm now and they have a chicken named Lumpy that walks into the house each morning and lays an egg in their bedroom.  I thought it was so cute that I tried writing a poem. 

A Hen in the Bedroom

Lumpy, bumpy, padding on the floor
a break from slumber and a glance at the door
a lady maid has arrived in a most unexpected way
delivering eggs by first light of day.
With faithfulness and grace she lays her treasure
nourishing and round- a gift none can measure.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

© Wendell Berry

October Everydays

Only I would drag Ben off to go through a replica of the tabernacle for a date.  It was cool though. 

The kids had a lap-a-thon at school.  They train for it and try really hard so I always try to make it to cheer them on.

Gwen had an insect project.  Here's a wheel bug we found. I think I enjoyed the project more than her.

Nothing like those final summer days before it gets chilly.

Part of the reason I don't blog much is because I spend an enormous amount of time in bathrooms.  No, I don't have problems, but I do have a three year old.  Everywhere we go she has to go potty it seems.  And when she goes it isn't a quick 5 minute thing.  It is involved and takes time.  I have a thing I say in my mind to help me be patient. It is "toddlers take time".  Here Romy is in an Aldi bathroom laughing because of the hand dryer.

Riding the horse at the grocery store- beside the bathroom.

A rainbow

Romy is interested in helping me cook a lot.  I set her up there and let her stir things and teach her things as I go. Again, toddlers take time.

For the last two weekends I've been singing with the ballet.  It's great, but time consuming.  I'm really very fortunate to be using my singing ability that I have.  I've been writing prayers out while I wait for our part to happen.  It's been good. I also have written very bad poetry.  Here's an example:

Surrounded by a Symphony

The sound-oh how sweet
the kind that moves feet
and grace and elegance
thank You for this kindness
I didn't know I had need
thank You for the promise
of even sweeter music played
in heaven's land so near
help us all to live
this short life well.

September Madness

We came back from Ireland and I dug up my sweet potatoes.  I probably should have let them grow a few more weeks since it isn't cold here at all, but here is what we got.  I was pleased even though they weren't as big as I thought they'd be.

Dancing in the waiting room.

Walking to school

We sang at this residence recently.  That's right, you heard me... a residence.

It has a retractable roof.  In fact, we sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and they retracted it.  Magical!

not too shabby

We are thinking about redoing our bathroom.  We like this but I'm wondering if it looks too cabin like.  PS- bathroom remodeling is tragically expensive.

Romy had her third birthday while we were in Ireland.  We celebrated when we came home.  She insisted that she have her middle name on her cake.

She was very excited for her party and her cake.  She is so cute.

Zeke liked trying on the wig.  He is always making us laugh.

We all took turns with the wig.

Today I took her to Deanna Rose Farmstead.  Almost every day, Romy looks at me at some point and says "just you and me mom" and smiles.  It really melts my heart.

Her first pony ride.  Boy, was she excited!

I don't mean to be sappy, but she is such a sweet kid.  I'm so glad God gave her to me.

Ireland

Ben and I and my mom went to Ireland.  I've wanted to go for a long time.  I'm glad I saw it.  It truly is beautiful and the Irish people so gracious.  The first two days were spent in Dublin.  A great majority of the first day was trying to stumble around with jet lag.  The second day we took a bus tour around the city and stopped off at St. Stephen's Green and took a look around.  It was a beautiful park. 

Like how they mind the "keep off the grass" notice?

This was a scene from the town of Killarney.  It was my favorite of the towns we visited.  I think you can see why.

This is a chapel at Kylemoore Abbey that we saw.  It was beautiful and holy.  This chapel was built by a grieving husband for his wife who died of dysentery when she was 45 years old.  They had 9 kids.  You can imagine that this was a real labor of love.

The Kylemoore residence

us on the flight going to Ireland

When we were in Dublin I had planned for us to go to church there.  This is us in church.

This is a favorite picture of mom on our trip.  We saw lots and lots of sheep over there.

If I look carefree, that's because I was at the time.

They had green pastures, but also lots of wooded areas.

We saw lots of enormous trees like this one.  Oh the stories these trees could tell.

In Killarney we went by Muckrosse house.

You don't go to Ireland for the food.  That's for sure, but it was interesting.  We didn't eat much meat over there and not much dairy.  We had a lot of soup and Irish soda bread though.  When it's raining, a good bowl of soup sounds good.  Here is leek and potato soup.