Marathon Man

John finishing his 6th marathon on Oct. 21.  Best time for him for the 26.2 mile run.


Edward, Bridget & I were all there to see him.

Welcome Morning

There is joy
in all:
in the hair I brush each morning,
in the Cannon towel, newly washed,
that I rub my body with each morning,
in the chapel of eggs I cook
each morning,
in the outcry from the kettle
that heats my coffee
each morning,
in the spoon and the chair
that cry "hello there, Anne,"
each morning,
in the godhead of the table
that I set my silver, plate, cup upon
each morning.

All this is God,
right here in my pea-green house
each morning
and I mean,
though often forget,
to give thanks,
to faint down by the kitchen table
in a prayer of rejoicing
as the holy birds at the kitchen window
peck into their marriage of seeds.

So while I think of it,
let me paint a thank-you on my palm
for this God, this laughter of the morning,
lest it go unspoken.

The joy that isn't shared, I've heard,
dies young.
-Anne Sexton

Trees

Can You Imagine?  

For example, what the trees do
not only in lightning storms
or the watery dark of a summer’s night
or under the white nets of winter
but now, and now, and now – whenever
we’re not looking. Surely you can’t imagine
they don’t dance, from the root up, wishing
to travel a little, not cramped so much as wanting
a better view, or more sun, or just as avidly
more shade – surely you can’t imagine they just
stand there loving every
minute of it, the birds or the emptiness, the dark rings
of the years slowly and without a sound
thickening, and nothing different unless the wind,
and then only in its own mood, comes
to visit — surely you can’t imagine
patience, and happiness, like that.

—Mary Oliver

Flash Back Friday

Fall, 1999

Love Thursday

Love is the only gold.
    -Alfred Lord Tennyson

Gold Dust

Psalm 145, Around the World

At Calvin College's Inauguration of their new president this past Saturday, we saw this video from students in Peru, Ghana, Hungary & Honduras.  Maria is in the green skirt on the left of the screen! God is good.  It reminds me of the video we have of her reciting Psalm 100 in 1st grade.

Inauguration Psalm Video from Calvin College on Vimeo.

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹ I will exalt you, my God the King;
    I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
    and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴ One generation commends your works to another;
    they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
    and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness
    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Just This

I found them just like this.

Flash Back Friday

Edward!!!  2008

Love Thursday

Bridgie!!!

Sun

Microcosm

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
Henry Miller

I Shall Not Walk Alone

Flash Back Friday

February 2011

Love Thursday

The Sky

Sunrise

Sunrise

by Mary Oliver

You can

die for it–

an idea,

or the world. People

have done so,

brilliantly,

letting

their small bodies be bound

to the stake,

creating

an unforgettable

fury of light. But

this morning,

climbing the familiar hills

in the familiar

fabric of dawn, I thought

of China,

and India

and Europe, and I thought

how the sun

blazes

for everyone just

so joyfully

as it rises

under the lashes

of my own eyes, and I thought

I am so many!

What is my name?

What is the name

of the deep breath I would take

over and over

for all of us? Call it

whatever you want, it is

happiness, it is another one

of the ways to enter

fire.

Savoring a Seventeenth B-day Party

Last year, we spent the day in Chicago for our friend Emily's 16th birthday.



So this year, we celebrated at the Big Apple.


And finished up the night with a campfire and some talented sparklers.

Farm Photoshoot

I took some photos for this family out on their Apple Orchard last week.  Here are a few faves!

Flash Back Friday

November, 1978; "A kiss on the nose turns anger aside".

Love Thursday

Too cute!  I did a photoshoot for a family of 6 the other day... these were the 2 youngest kids!

Bailey's Visit

Opa and the Queen Mother came up to see ArtPrize for a couple of days last week.  We took Bailey on a morning walk to tire him out since he is still a puppy and can be a bit rambunctious.  He then posed for his 7 month portrait!

Just One

Lights in the Night

15,000 Chinese Lanterns took off over the Grand River last Friday night in a most brilliant display of performance art.





John & I were right in the midst of it across the Grand from the large crowd sitting on the Ford Presidential Museum's lawn.



The streets were crowded with kind and happy people having fun after a perfect sunset and a perfect full moon rising.  It was a beautiful night and people who were there talked about it for days.  Just when we all thought GR couldn't get any better, it really did!