Precious Penny

Well, our neighborhood decided to do luminaries for the second year in a row…all down our street…a mile long.

We planned, and put sand in white paper bags, we punched some of the bags with stars and snowflakes and the numbers "2016". We lighted tea lights up and down the street and afterwards, everyone gathered in my garage for cocoa and chips and biscotti.

What I will remember is Penny, a little 5 year old asking me for more cocoa and whether or not she could come in while I made it.  She set up a stool outside the garage door and said, "I'll sit right here while you make it." I said, "are you comfortable there or would you like to come in?" "I'll ask my dad". He said it's fine!. So in she came.

"Where is your Christmas Tree?"
"It's around the corner, go look for it."
"Ok…. Oh, it is very tiny. Tiny."
"Yes, I know it's tiny but I have a lot of them. Can you find how many I have? Go look." So she scampers away to look and starts counting.
"18. I think you have 18. "
"Well, I think you counted some twice don't you?" She's smiles. She's five. She's Penny. She's absolutely adorable. With a brother on the way. And two in the boot. Wow. What a family.

The Best Christmas Ever

For so many reasons, this is my best Christmas. I have been healed from a terrible fall and broken wrist which needed surgery and a metal plate. I didn't hurt my back or neck. I am not paralyzed. I can see the blessing of protection and constant care that my Father has provided each and every day. 

I mean, how many people injured in the middle of the forest get taken 

to a hospital miles away by 2 complete strangers? 

I did. 

Who gets to open their front door to a stranger and have that stranger offer 

to pray for their hand to be healed? 

I did. 

Who has a sweet French neighbor like Marie, a watercolor artist, who brings to the door, hot, homemade quiche,  stuffed artichokes with béchamel sauce, chicken pot pie, potato leek soup, salad Niciose, and ratatoulli because cooking with a cast isn't possible? 

I did.

Who gets stopped by a stranger walking in the park with encouraging words...

"I broke my wrist too. Don't worry. You'll heal. I did. Look my scar is barely visible."

I did. That happened to me. 

So here it is. My best Christmas ever. 

I can use my hand to make cards and banners and dinners and garland for parties.

Christmas Story

I was running in Sycamore Grove Park taking in the sight of beautiful ribbons of silver and grey bark, giant golden leaves and a clear path ahead of me. It was a gift of a moment, perfect. Then a thought crossed my mind…and I started to weep from a sudden deep understanding of the truth…because one year my mother gave me a torn skirt for Christmas. It still had the tags on it. Marked down 30% off because it was damaged. It made me feel worthless, only worth getting a damaged useless gift. I sobbed at Sycamore Park because suddenly I understood the truth.

My Christmas Story

Imagine...taking as long as you need, planning, thinking about, then buying THE perfect gift for the one you love and cherish. Uncompromisingly perfect. Fits the need. Fills the longing. Its giving will be so good, satisfy more than any other gift before. 

Imagine picking out the perfect box for what’s inside, laying out the wrapping paper, creasing and folding up the edges just right, pulling out the tape so it doesn’t wrinkle. Placing it so it can’t be seen. 

Imagine trying out different bows and ribbons until you land on an incredible combination of wrap and ribbon. Imagine putting all of yourself into every step. Looping one strand over the other so you form a graceful bow. Holding it out at arm’s length. Checking it out. Turning it over. Loving your work, your selection, your passion in creating, your insistence that it be just right, your mind’s eye vision of its reception in the hands of the one you love. It’s perfect. 

And then you sigh the sigh of accomplishment. 
And then you say, “There. It’s Finished.” 

And then it hits you. “It is finished!” cried out from the cross. Jesus. Gift of all gifts. Perfect in every way. Planned with passion from the beginning of time. Jesus who fits every need. Fills the longing of every aching, grasping heart. Jesus. God’s gift to us. It is finished. Jesus, the gift of all gifts.

MIRACLES EVERYWHERE

Last night I was walking through our park just before sunset. It was the perfect temperature. A tiny breeze in the air. Pink and lavender in the sky. Two black birds made a dive right in front of me. I thought, how do they do it? Fly, I mean. I have always considered birds flying as a miracle…defying gravity and just flying around all day doing what birds do without even thinking of it…they just do it. Flight is a miracle to me. And then I remembered what I read in Romans that morning…

Romans 1:20

20 For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

So I guess, God "did" birds and flight so I could see HIM…believe in HIM. God's existence shouts out, is abundantly clear because of his abundant showering of life and creative power all around us…rocks, moon, stars, trees, birds, air, hands that hold, hearts that beat and crave to keep beating…all tell us that HE IS…we are blind if we cannot see his face in all of creation, in all the world around us each and every day. We are without excuse…He is here…all around us. So that we can believe and be set free and…fly.



AND AS A POEM ...

why isn't every bird in flight considered a miracle?
every knee that bends?
each sun and moon rise a miracle?
why not each cat who deigns to plop on a lap and each dog who comes when he hears that special voice...why is that not evidence of the divine?
why is not each breath breathed and night fall felt as a comforting miracle, a gift from above?
why isn't each wave break, each wind that cools and soothes... a miracle?
why not see each child breaking free from the womb to be it's own as a miracle?
why not each eye blinking, each mouth smiling the result of a beautiful design?
To me..it is.
Each and every one…I see the hand of heaven involved,
with the goal to woo us unto himself,
to claim us as his own.
if only we could see each breath, each tickle of leaf on leaf, is his idea, his gift to us.

The Great Smoke Out 2015

Looking Out Over South Lake Monday August 24, 2015

For the first time ever, we had to abandon a reconnaissance trip to the Eastern Sierra due to fire…Fire and smoke cover the Sierra this August, but it was the Rough Fire in Sequoia National Fire that got the best of us.
Here is what the area looked like last year…

This year…

As of  August 29th, the fire is 25% contained. 

Click here for current information

Serenity Now..Ojai California

Remember the Jerry Seinfeld episode with George's father wanting…"Serenity now!". Well I think we found a little of it in Ojai this June...Wanting to explore more of California, Dave and I picked on Ojai as our anniversary destination. I had relatives who lived there back in the 1960's and wanted to see what had changed and what had stayed the same. So, we found a beautiful cottage by a river and surrounded by the 40 acre Taft garden as our home for a week. Here goes a look at the beautiful gardens we got to walk in everyday of our stay..it's a long drive into the property but once there, you feel a total sense of peace…hopefully El Nino will fill the river up again….

My favorite succulent blossom

Leukadrendron, a native of Australia

Bottle Trees from Australia

Pathway lined with trees and succulents

Evening shot of palms

Squirrels busy as work putting acorns in these trees!

huge trumpet vine blossom

Art gallery item in downtown Ojai

Ojai Farmers' Market on Saturday…wonderful small town atmosphere

A day in Ventura

 Our anniversary cards and bouquet.

The famous downtown arcade

Local pottery maker has designed these gorgeous tiles all around town…
you can visit their workshop and purchase tiles

To see photos of the cottage, click the link below

River Cliff Bungalow

Back Yard Buddies

Is it the drought or just great luck? 

We have new buddies in the back yard.

Can you spot them?

My Grand Backyard

" Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore."

But these photos of my latest hike will make you believe this is indeed Kansas. Instead, it is my grand backyard...a hiking trail just 2 miles from my house, the Callippe Preserve Hiking Trail.

This spring has brought rain at just the right time to create these beautiful

golden colored, head high grasses carpeting the hills around Pleasanton.

The yellow flowers are everywhere this year!

Now you can see Callippe Preserve Golf Course in the background. 

It is a tough but beautiful course far from the madding crowds and city traffic.

Running Wild

Yesterday I headed out for a hike,
camera in hand,
…look what I ran into...

From Pleasanton, I headed over to Holdener Park in Livermore…

babies seem to be in bloom.

Add caption

Baby Llama

Fun!