Crystaline perfection...

It's snowing. The first of the year. I love it.
The hush that comes over everything. The soft blanket that drapes the familiar things we see everyday in downy brightness. Smoothing hard edges until the landscape becomes magical.
I love to sit and watch it fall in featherlight flakes silently down from heaven...especially at night. It changes things. Changes my perspective on what I see every day. It melts away the chaos inside of me as it cloaks my little world in quietness. I can hear Him speak softly to my wild heart.
It amazes me to think about God's wonderful creativity. Did you know that He never repeats a pattern? They are all unique...like us. No two are the same. That's an incredible thing to me. I can't wait to see the storehouses of snow in heaven. Can you imagine? You are awesome, God.
I can't wait to see the delight on my children's faces when they wake up to a white world.
Tomorrow, I will be bundling my kids in their winter coats, hats and scarves to play in the snow and planning hot cocoa and cookies for snack after school. For now, I will sit here staring out my window at each testimony of a wonderful Creator God.

DUCKS! Do or die...

Well, after living in Springfield for almost 10 years I finally went to a Ducks football game at Autzen Stadium. (Now, mind you, I do not particularly like football in and of itself. I watch Duck games on T.V. from the warmth of my own or a few selected friends' home whenever my husband wishes because I love him and he loves to watch the Ducks!)
Big Daddy and I were given tickets for the game against Arizona today. I was excited as this was to be my first experience at an actual game. We had great seats...section 11, row 47, seats 13 and 14...right on the 50 yard line. I had worn a sweater, vest, scarf (green of course!), brought a hat and a blanket (also of the Ducks' green and gold affiliation) to insure my warmth on this chilly day. Settled into my seat, my ears suddenly cringed with the blast of the shrill, screechy yelling of the woman sitting next to me. "WOW! " I thought to myself, "these fans are something else!" She continued with her...um...encouragements through the second quarter. I paid some attention to the game, but most of it to how annoyed the two people in front of us were getting with this woman who could amazingly hit two very dissonant notes in the same yell (which, incidently, causes the human spine to arch away from the sound in a very obvious attempt to get as far away from it as possible).
Half time was only mildly entertaining as the marching band formed the superman symbol to accompany the theme they played. A reprieve from the screeching (thank you, God!). We bought outrageously priced cocoa in a thermal mug to fend off the chill in the air. Seated again, we were glad to see there was more room in our section as most everyone else had not returned to their seats. Thoroughly cold now, I paid more attention to the game than before asking lots of questions like "what happened?" and "why did they do that?" like any other un-football-educated wife would. Big Daddy was very patient with me and explained everything so I could keep up with the plays. Unfortunately, the Ducks never recovered and lost a whopping 37 to 10.
All in all, it was a fun experience that I would repeat...in warmer weather. Now I can say, "Sure I've been to a Ducks game!" if the subject ever comes up. I think if you are a people watcher this would be the perfect venue for that. You get to see a whole other side of people. Some sides you wouldn't necessarily want to see, but they are there anyway. I prefer the warmth of my own home, the glow of my own personal screen, the taste of my own (much more reasonably priced) cocoa and the comfort of my favorite pajamas for my next winter game. Ahh well, to each his own I guess.

Oh the world of live theatre. I wish I could be there now. I would love to see one play a week for the rest of my life.

My husband and I were able to go to Ashland in October with some friends to see an Oscar Wilde play called The Importance of Being Earnest. It was just phenomenal. All of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors are extremely good at what they do. If you have not been there you should go. It is an experience I would not trade for anything and one I plan on sharing with all of my children when they are old enough to appreciate the scope of it. It's simply wonderful.

A World of Words...

As long as I can remember I have loved words. I read early and often as a child spending hours devouring book after book. Soaking up the english language and mulling it over. By the time I hit high school I was signing myself up for advanced english classes and reading Shakespeare just because I loved the witty dialogues. I love the T.V. show Gilmore Girls so much because of the fast paced verbal banter and plethera of quotes they use as a part of their everyday communication. I thought I would post some of my favorite quotes I have gathered over the years for you to ponder.

First some funnies:

This makes sense. This over here; this does not make sense. That's why I called it Algebra...

Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing...

Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love. -Charlie Brown

I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas? -Jean Kerr

I child-proofed my home and they still get in...

And now, something to think about:

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common. -Emerson
Blessed are those whose attitudes are shaped by their hopes, not their hurts...

The years teach much which the days never knew. -Emerson

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come. -Shakespeare

As we grow old…the beauty steals inward. -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man...

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. -Robert Frost

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. -Peter Ustinov

Marriage is not merely sharing the fettuccine, but sharing the burden of finding the fettuccine restaurant in the first place. -Calvin Trillin

Marriage- may there be such a oneness between you that when one weeps, the other one will taste salt...

Laughter has no foreign accent...

The heads of strong old age are beautiful beyond all grace of youth. -Robinson Jeffers

Facing a mirror you see merely your own countenance; facing your child you finally understand how everyone else has seen you. -Daniel Raeburn, The New Yorker, 05-01-2006

The thing that impresses me the most about America is the way parents obey their children. -King Edward VIII (1894 - 1972)

How sharper than a serpent's tooth it isTo have a thankless child! -William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Lear", Act 1 scene 4

and one of my newest favorites:

Aerodynamically the bumble bee should not be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway. -Mary Kay Ash

Well? What do you think?.......

Fall...

Ahh, the crisp fall air...the sweet smell of apple cider...freshly sharpened pencils and new notebooks........I think these could be some of my favorite things.
I love summer and every last ounce of sunshine I can squeeze out of it, but then comes the slow settling of all things wild. The moment when you first notice the gentle nip in the evening air which makes you think of your favorite sweater, thoughts of warm hot chocolate and curling up with a good book. I so appreciate this calming season. God must have known I needed it placed just before the sometimes harrying holidays. A softening of the rough and rugged summer air. A reflective time to sit and revisit great memories we made that year. It seems the world expels a collective sigh before resigning to winter and its all too often chaotic holiday season.
Pardon me as I take another deep breath of that particular sleepiness the trees seem bound to...as I watch the sway of another crimson leaf as it floats effortlessly to the earth.....as I brew a pot of Earl Grey tea and gather my favorite sweater about me again...............and beseech autumn to linger a bit longer.