Derailed

The Amtrak train left this morning--early--after I had to be at work. I wasn't there to see it leave, but I know it has gone, I heard the whistle. It has precious cargo onboard. Jess is riding the silver rails back to Portland and away from us. She was here for a brief 5 days. Her presence fills the house and our hearts. Her absence leaves a void that is not filled by anything else. Her train will arrive safely, but our hearts are derailed and waiting for repair. It's a union job and can only be done by one person, and she's in Portland. It's a long wait!

Showers of Blessings

It may be cold and cloudy and rainy outside, but this past week I received 2 very special gifts.

A bouquet of stargazer lillies from the bearded one which fills our house with the sweetest fragrance. These flowers never cease to fascinate me, they are over-the-top dramatic and gorgeous. God is truly a consummate artist.

And then....

my friend Jill presented me with this gorgeous basket of posies to thank me for helping her out a few weeks ago. I am blessed!

In Spite Of....

the fact that it was 17 degrees this morning with a wind chill of -9 degrees, and in spite of the fact that we had yet another snow storm yesterday morning making my morning commute akin to skating on an ice pond, there is still much to be thankful for. Check out this photo, which is taken from my kitchen window. You'll see the sun "peeking" out from behind the trees in my neighbor's backyard and around the corner of our "back building". This is a banner day because this is the first direct sunlight my kitchen has had since last October!

Touching Bases

We spent this past weekend catching up with friends and family in the Seattle area. We had a wonderful lunch with Bob and Marilyn (my brother and sister-in-law), who have left their longtime home on the East Coast and bought a home out here in order to be closer to grandkids. My newphew, Rob, his wife, Julie and their 3 kids (Sam, Isaac and Finn) joined us.

Finn tries hard to bury Wally in leaves...these kids have LOTS of energy!

Later that evening we had dinner with Wally's Dad, Wane, and his sister, Kris, and her husband, Paul. We spent the night with Wayne and he modeled his new "Command Central" gear! He is the emergency preparedness go-to guy for his neighborhood. Waynee is REALLY into this role!

Then Sunday we met my long-time friend Marit from MN for lunch. Marit worked at VMI in Lexington, VA, with me way back in the early 70's. Now that was an experience! She now lives in St. Paul, MN. She flew out to meet her sister, Mary, who lives on Vancouver Is. for a big sewing conference in Puyallup. We rendezvoused at a wonderful greasy-spoon restaurant in DesMoines and had a great time reminiscing. We've all decided to attend the conference together next year!

Lots to cram into 2 short days, but we pulled it off!

Talkin' 'bout My Girl....

Today is Jess' 25th birthday! On this day, 26 years ago, God answered prayer. Actually, He answered many prayers long before that day. Neither Wally nor I were, shall we say, abounding in social skills or maturity. That we would even find each other is no small miracle. But to then be blessed with a wee one, this was just too much to hope for. All self-deprecation aside, He managed to take the best of each of us and combine them into the wonder of Jessica Kelsey.

Each morning during my pregnancy I would rise early and do some stretching exercises and I would culminate them with a prayer that our child would be healthy, and that he or she would have a kind heart and a gentle spirit. If you know Jess, you know that this prayer was answered in full. But just to remind me that nothing in life is a coincidence, on Jess' final 5th grade report card, her teacher had written several glowing comments at the top, mentioning Jess' leadership skills and telling us how much she appreciated her "very kind heart and gentle spirit". Oh yeah!

Jess made parenting effortless. She was flexible, teachable and eager to please. From day one she was just happy to be with me. When I'd go into her room to get her in the morning, she would be standing in her crib grinning and babbling away. The babbling away hasn't stopped! This girl is articulate and expressive and can tell a story like no one else. Her sense of humor and sarcastic wit will keep you on your toes.

Books were her thing early on!

My girl is beautiful--in and out. Her compassionate heart draws people to her like a magnet and she is always willing to give of her time and herself to aid a friend. She is fiercely loyal and endeavors to see beyond the obvious in people, never hesitating to give the benefit of the doubt.

Poster girl for hats!

She has always had an affinity for children, instinctively knowing how to maintain that difficult balance of "being one of them" without losing the ability to set boundaries and guide and direct them. These innate gifts have made her an ideal teacher as evidenced by the praise she regularly receives from parents who are fortunate enough to have children in her classroom. But Jess never rests on her laurels, she is always striving to learn more and to try new things. She is truly a life-long learner.I delight in her company because she has managed to maintain her child-like sense of wonder and imagination. She is creative and artistic and she inspires me to step out of my comfort zones. She is bright enough to be brilliant, but humble enough to be willing to learn. She sparkles and lights up rooms and has managed to wrap herself around her Dad's and my fingers and to permanently enlarge our hearts.

Happy Birthday, Jess! You are the very best kind of "dreamer"--you truly embrace life and you live out your faith in very real and contagious ways. You really are a princess and we are so proud to call you "daughter"!

What A Difference A Day Makes

I'm beginning to think I need to switch my knitting focus to spring/summer items and give up on winter. The last time I finished a project, a wool hat, we had a terrible windstorm with very cold temps. But then spring decided to tease us a bit and we've had a couple of weeks of temps in the mid-50's. Warm enough that I decided to plant my sweet pea seeds. Then...I finished this:

An entrelac scarf with Noro's Silk Garden yarn, also another winter item and last night we had this:

And today it's about 26 degrees out and we have about 8" of snow on the ground and the roads are SOLID ice. Getting to work today was just loads of fun. What is it about SUV drivers that makes them think they are invincible? They were spinning out on the freeway right and left, driving too fast, braking too hard and making the conditions for the rest of us very, very difficult. I counted 16 of them in the ditch on my way here. Arrgghhh....

Hope Springs Eternal

This unassuming little pot of pansies has been through quite a lot. It's spent the entire winter on my deck and thus has endured multiple heavy snowfalls, weeks of temperatures in the teens, incessant rain and endless heavy morning frosts. And yet, here it is, blooming its little heart out. I am inspired! I see this pot every morning as I stand at the kitchen sink and ponder what may lie ahead for me and my family in the next 6 months. Our state budget is a disaster and cuts to our schools are going to be deep. Jess is only a "provisional" employee. In Oregon, teachers must have 3 years under their belts before they have a "continuing" contract--this is only her 2nd year. So her job will most likely disappear. My job, as well as Wally's, may very likely disappear. We are committed to "not being anxious about anything" and we will endeavor to "give thanks in everything" and by His grace will bloom in spite of our circumstances.