Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Visuals




Hello! Hello! Hello! Here's my girl, Kelli! She is the lovely mother of Birdie and Miss Bug. We lounged around on the back patio yesterday. I love her smile.

I call the red sunflower below my Mortisha Addams (you know The Addams Family?) sunflower. It is so dark, but everyone who sees it likes to stare at it.




In the tangle-filled front garden, this morning glory is winding its way around rose bushes and volunteer sunflowers.



The crazy aggressive cosmos are beautiful right now!




One of my very favorite blogs is Real Cut Flowers because Charlie is a flower genius and I can't get enough of her posy pictures. I want her to come on over here and look at my Colorado greens, so I am posting a few photos. Maybe you like them, too!









Today, I had a quickie meeting at school with another eighth grade language arts teacher (Hi, Cindi!) and I wandered upstairs to remind myself of the state of affairs in my classroom. I hung curtains and determined I need to do some tearing down and throwing away. I'm going to TRY to keep things streamlined and simple this year, so I don't get overwhelmed with the noise of JUNK.












Bill went down to Colorado Springs today to meet with his dear friend and mentor, Bob. Well, Bob has spent his life traveling the world, encouraging indigenous Christian workers who love teenagers. His wife is a skilled antique dealer and goes to Paris twice a year to supply her antique business, so this "eye for a find" must have rubbed off on Bob. Cleaning out his office, he sorted through some of his Indonesian art work that he graciously gave to Bill. I guess for a while, every time he'd go to Jakarta, he'd scour antique shops looking for this particular tribe's work. He chose pieces that spoke to him of active relationships. What do you think?









He is also giving us three lovely oak bookcases so Bill can display the treasures on shelves in his office. Yahoo, I get another bookcase, too!

I saw some former students today - boys coming back from football practice. They had such a sparkle in their eyes, feeling all "old" and freshman-y. I was so happy to see them and after decorating my plan book last night, I'm looking forward to beginning some sweet relationships with my new eighth graders. Whew!
Oh! I've started reading Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life by Margaret Kim Peterson. It's really speaking to me. Here is a quick except. You'll want more.
"Work is also incarnational. When God comes to the aid of his sad and broken creation, he does so not in some abstract way, simply willing for people to be healed but keeping his distance from the messy reality of their lives. On the contrary, God comes to live among human beings as one of us, including all of our bodily messiness. Redemption is profoundly, essentially physical; the Jesus who shared, and shares, your humanity and mine lived and suffered and died on our behalf (39).

I hope you are having a thoughtful, encouraging, and uplifting day today. If not, I hope you are feeling miraculously sustained. The Lord of the universe is moving about, in and out of our comings and goings, working unseen miracles, pouring grace out upon us, keeping us afloat. I'm so humbled by His love, His power.

9 comments:

Left-Handed Housewife said...

I loved Keeping House! And I just saw you recommended Anne Tyler on Angela's blog, whom I also love. And I also loved The Irresistible Revolution. We seem to like a lot of the same reading material!

frances

SuKnitWitty said...

Love your ClassRoomCurtains. I always loved decorating my classroom...great fun for Art. BTW I've been listening to the PlayList while quilting today...wonderful-uplifting-inspirationsal....thank-you.

Pom Pom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pom Pom said...

I messed up on my first comment. Okay, let's try this again . . .
SKW, I'm so glad you like your play list!
LHH, We DO like the same authors!

Everyone, Bob called and said that his son actually wants the Indonesian artwork, so we'll be giving it back. At least we have the photos! Smile.

Kerri said...

i love your cosmos! so beautiful :)

Heart Felt said...

Your daughter looks so lovely ~ you must feel very blessed. The color of the sunflower is incredible! x

Lynn said...

Love your classroom:)

cut flower garden said...

Hi Pom Pom, Your ponderings are so real, and your Colorado greens aren't bad either! Thanks for your interest in my flowery blog, you'll be pleased to hear my cosmos are suddenly thriving and some. Suddenly I can't keep up with the picking of them - you know the more you pick the more they come and come and come. I just love flowers, they are so generous and repay everything you give them with so much, and even if you give them nothing they give a glorious show.

But I wish I could get volunteer sunflowers, this year I had three quarters of an acre of sunflower seedlings eaten by rabbits and birds. I'd be happier if I thought they had actually needed them!

Oh and my house seems to attract junk on every surface too, I know it's got bad when my husband (no great tidier himself, quite the opposite) notices the lack of housework.....

All the best, Charlie

Bradley W. Maston said...

I love Mrs. Adams. Just beautiful, really stunning. If your classroom is any indicator, it will be a beautiful year. Your students are blessed to get to use it as their habitation of edification!

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