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Do the Climb?—You’ve got to be kidding! (Follow-up to Do the Walk)

Sometimes we face enormous challenges. The climb is steep. The obstacles immense. We think we can’t continue. But that’s just when it begins to get interesting.

For example, last Sunday, I talked about Doing the WaIk. And that’s just what Mike and I have done almost every day since we’ve been in Colorado. But … I think we may have gotten a little over-confident.

We’ve loved hiking while here in the Rockies. So Tuesday we decided to do a climb. Not a climb as in rock-climbing, but a climb as in climbing up and over miles of rocks.

We had heard of two beautiful lakes on top of our mountain. The hike was only supposed to take an hour and half one way. We were up for it.

We started out on our beautiful forest trail.

We crossed over one bridge. (This is usually where our daily hikes have stopped—about 30 minutes up.) The little foot bridge would take us to places we’d never been before.

And soon crossed back over the stream on a second bridge.

The rushing water over the huge boulders was breathtaking.

Little did we know that our breaths would literally be taken away. We were at 9,200 feet and climbing. (I had an app on my iPhone that could tell me my current elevation.)

And climbing straight up. Away from the little path that we had come to know and love. Away from the companionship of our mountain stream. In fact, we couldn’t hear the sound of running water at all. We were now deep into the forest climbing a long, steep, dry, dusty, rocky staircase.

And up and up and up we climbed. Over more piles of loose rocks. This is when you are so grateful you invested in a pair of great hiking boots and hiking poles.

For probably an hour, the high altitude combined with the steep incline forced us to keep the following rhythm: Walk for 60 steps. Stop. Rest for 60 seconds. Go. Walk for 60 steps. Stop. Rest for 60 seconds. Go. Over and over. Our hearts were pounding right out of our chests. Our lungs felt like they were on fire. Our legs felt like they were lead weights.

We had to stop and sit down about every 15 minutes just so we wouldn’t fall over.

Never in my life had we attempted anything so exhausting. Our legs just didn’t want move.

We said things like this to each other: “We must have taken a wrong turn.” “This can’t be right.” ”Should we listen to our bodies?” They’re saying STOP.” “What if one of us breaks a leg? How could we haul each other out of here?” “What if we get stranded up here all night.”  On and on and on and on went our thoughts.

But on another level we KNEW it would be worth it. Our climb was supposed to take an hour and half. We had to be close. But, by the time we’d reached that limit, there was STILL no end to “up” in sight.

Thankfully, the dusty, rocky trail came to an end, and we heard the sound of running water again. Now we MUST be close..

We saw water. “Great, that must be coming straight off the lake!!”  We were so glad we didn’t bail.

We saw more water. Lots of beautiful water, tumbling and playing among huge, moss-covered boulders.

But still no end in sight. Only more “up.” And now, “up” with snow!? We had not prepared for snow. When we saw what looked like bear tracks in the snow we started to get scared all over again.

After two hours—well past the hour and a half prediction, we stopped to re-evaluate. The sun was going down behind the mountain top, and we were afraid our descent would be in the dark. Here we were, in the middle of nowhere, afraid and discouraged and didn’t know how much more our bodies could take. They were were screeming STOP.

We seriously contemplated turning around. I mean, we truly had accomplished more than we ever had before. We saw some gorgeous sites. We had no regrets.

But would we?

As we stood there, going back and forth in our minds, the thought came to us to call our friend Randy Elrod who had made this climb before. Thankfully my cell phone was able to connect to him—though spotty. We told him where we were and of our struggle. We told him we were completely exhausted, discouraged and even a little scared. As we described our surroundings, he said, “You’ve got to be so close.” “I just know it.”

He was able to find out the elevation of the Lakes. I told him my iPhone app showed we were at 10,224 feet. Randy said, “You’re only about 100 feet away. You’re SO close. ”

“But what about the sunset I said?” (It was about 5pm by this point.)

He assured us, “I’ve made that climb over 30 times!” And I’ve come down after 7:00pm before. You have nothing to worry about. You’ll have plenty of light. Go for it. You can do it. You won’t be sorry.”

So we did—with his voice ringing in our ears, “You can do it”—we squared our shoulders, grabbed our poles and climbed some more.

Within five minutes we saw the landmark we had been waiting for: The Colorado Trail sign.

Elevation 10,290.

We turned left and knew the lakes were only a few more steps away. (FYI, if we would have kept straight, we could have climbed one of Colorado’s 14-footers … NO THANKS.)

All of a sudden, within two more minutes, we got our first glimpse. We immediately recognized the patten of snow, cascading downward, as the mountain directly above our cabin. Surely we hadn’t climbed THAT far???

With each step we saw more and more.

Mike whipped out the camera (which felt like it weighed about 100 pounds by this time!) and began snapping away. We found new energy.

THIS is what we saw. Indescribable beauty. Up so high only the eagles saw it everyday.

The lake was FULL of trout.

It was a little tough to get a photo of the trout but there are two in this picture.

We happened to be there right at their feeding time (I think it’s called a hatch.) and the lake looked like a giant bowl of popcorn with fish popping up and down all over the place. That frenzy lasted all of about five minutes. As abruptly as it started, it stopped. Then the lake was as smooth as glass. If ONLY we had brought a fishing pole!

After soaking up as much as we possibly could, we headed back down the mountain for home.

Down. Out of the lush, snow patched woods. Back to the rocks.

Down that rocky staircase, once again. It was SO much easier going down. My heart and my lungs … and my heart, were very happy now.

Soon we were back to our familiar little foot bridge.

And back on our familiar little path.

One and a half hours later (four  and a half hours after we had started our climb) we were back to our familiar little cabin. (Shaved off one hour coming down. Yay!!)

Before going inside, I turned around and looked up. This is how far we had climbed? All that snow was heading down into the “bowl” where the lakes are located. We had been way up there. Glory be to God.

Was it worth it?

A resounding YESsirree!

As I lay on the couch, feet elevated, Ibuprofen now in my system, I had some time to ask myself what could I take away from this adventure. Like most things in life, if we pay close attention, we’ll see that God is always teaching us. Here are three things I learned from our climb:

1. Set your sights high.
Sometimes we determine to do something or go somewhere and have no idea what it will require of us. But sometimes what you don’t know can help you. I don’t think we’d ever have attempted that climb if we would have known how difficult it would be. But now, on the other side of it, I have NO regrets. I am full of gratitude that I could succeed at something that was so above my comfort level.

2. Call on someone who’s successfully met this challenge before.
When you feel lost in the woods and you feel scared and exhausted of all your resources—like you can’t go another step, call on someone who has walked this road before. That person can tell you if it truly is worth it. They can tell you how to navigate the rough spots. They’ve been there. They’ve done it. They can give you perspective. They can give you the encouragement you need to believe you can make it, and give you concrete steps to make it to the end.

3. Invest what you learn into the lives of others.
The confidence and wisdom you gain, from pushing through the resistance, are qualities that strengthen and mature you. It should be no surprise, then, when one day you get a phone call from a friend who is exhausted, scared and can’t take another step. You can be their “Randy” who’s been down that road before and can help them get to the other side.

So, now my admonishment to you is:

Do The Climb.

What is your Climb? You can do it. Don’t loose heart. It will be so worth it.

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Do The Walk

(All photos for this post were taken on my iPhone.)

Let’s admit it. When it comes to doing things that you know are good for you, you can act like a little child. There are those times when you just don’t want to. Inwardly you feel like a rebellious little brat who just refuses. “You can’t make me.” “You’re not the boss of me.”

Or you’re like a whiney, pouty little kid. “I don’t feel like it.” “I can’t.” “Just leave me alone.”

Or there are those times when you are too cool and too smart to do it. “That’s okay. You go ahead.” “I’m fine.” “I’ve already tried that.”

There’s a little kid inside of each of us. Keeping us from getting what we truly want.

I just got through reading Do The Work. In it Steven Pressfield gets us to acknowledge that in the pursuit of any personal goal or creative dream we WILL meet resistance. Resistance is what holds us back. It’s what firmly stands in our way to keep us from achieving what it is that we want. Pressfield lays out a great strategy for overcoming this “dragon” of resistance.

The force of resistance can apply to a lot more than just the pursuit of goals. In truth, it rears it’s ugly head whenever good is pursued. It often shows up in the form of that spoiled little child.

That child showed up big-time for me today. Even though I am in the beautiful Rocky Mountains enjoying my first ever sabbatical, I was in a funk. A grumpy mood. So when Mike said it was time to get out and go on our daily hike I procrastinated. I protested. I pleaded. I found myself face-to-face with that inner “dragon” of resistance.

Hiking sounded like too much worrrrrk. I’d rather sit on the couch and stay grumpy. That was much easier. I had lots of excuses why I could skip going outside today. Thankfully, with Mike’s gentle coaxing, I found that I could put on my boots, grab my poles, and get outside.

Within five minutes of walking the rewards started to come to me. By the time we got back home (an hour and ten minutes later), my mood had drastically changed and I felt more like my true self.

How did that happen? What are the rewards? Why is it crucial to get outside—in and among nature—and walk as often as possible?

I discovered three reasons:

1. You find yourself living in the present.

Because the terrain is unpredictable, you have to pay attention. Unlike walking on smooth concrete or asphalt, you have to watch your step. You have to be alert. There are dips and rises, rocks and branches, twists and turns. There’s not a lot of opportunity to get lost in your worries or your fears. You have to pay attention. You get to be fully present.

2. You find that all five of your senses are awakened.

Being fully present to what’s around you automatically awakens your senses. All of a sudden you are alert to new sights, new sounds, new smells, new touches, new tastes. You feel fully alive. (HT: Ken Davis for teaching me about living fully alive.)

To give you an example, this is what was I experienced today:

Touch: The first thing I felt was the wind.

Stepping outside, a strong gust of wind whipped across my face and through my hair. It even blew my hiking poles out of my hands before I could get a good grip on them. I had to pay attention.

Taste: In order to get to our path in the woods, we had to walk up a dusty dirt road.

This is a look down the dirt road. We walked up the road.

(Here’s a view looking down that road.)

With such strong winds the grit on the road was lifted up and swirled about every which way. It stung my face as it flew in my direction ending up in my mouth and my nostrils. “Humm. Dirt has a distinct taste. I’m tasting earth, mud, a little rockiness…” Pewwy.

Sight: Soon we were on the trail. Now I really had to be alert.

There were rises and falls. Twists and turns. Rocks and branches.

And wonderful surprises.

There were signs of spring and new life everywhere. (Those are baby Aspen leaves popping out.)

Smell: It took me several minutes before I realized that the wind could not find its way into the woods. Instead of my nostrils being full of dust,

they were overcome by the sweet aroma of pine needles, cottonwood trees and freshly sawn logs.

Hearing: What I love the most about this little tucked-away, foot-path in the forest of the Rocky Mountains, is the companionship of the stream.

The trail snakes back and forth tracing the journey of the freshly melting snow from up above. The stream stayed close by my side, talking and keeping me company the whole while.

The gurgling, bubbling, splashing, swishing sounds, coming from this stream, are all at once invigorating, soothing, comforting, and renewing. I could sit and listen to it all day—every day. I just might.

3. You find that you have gained a new perspective on whatever is on your mind.

I can’t believe I almost stayed on the couch in a grumpy mood. I was in a funk. I couldn’t “do” anything. I couldn’t find one ounce of creativity or thankfulness in me.

Until

I overcame the “dragon.”

Until

I got up and got out.

By the time I got home I was full of optimism. I was full of thankfulness. It was as if God had set up a treasure hunt for me. All I had to do was get out and get walking. Get looking.

I was full of creative ideas, dreams and hopes. My perspective had changed.

I had been transported from the vantage point of a single, isolated couch to the vantage point of wide open spaces, snow capped mountains, forests, lakes and streams.

All because I didn’t listen to that spoiled child. I did the walk.

I challenge you to get out and Do The Walk.

Find yourself

—> engaged in the present,

—> alert to all five of your senses and

—> seeing your life from a new perspective.

Get out, and

Do. The. Walk.

Question: Where can you walk or hike close to where you live? What treasures can you discover?

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Invasion of the Cicadas 2011

(Pictures for this post were taken on my iPhone)

Now I’m starting to really get freaked out. It has started. The invasion of the Cicadas is here and there’s no stopping them!

For a small moment, I thought our yard would would escape the invasion. When we purchased our home six years ago, we literally stripped all the old grass and topsoil and replaced them with several inches of fresh dirt and sod. Almost all the landscaping is new. So, I naively assumed that whatever little thirteen-year-old creatures existed below the surface had been dug up and carried away. Not so.

On Sunday, my daughter, Mary Crimmins, twittered, “If you haven’t done it yet, go out with a flashlight and see the Cicada’s come out. They will be all around trees. Pretty gross!”

I didn’t take her advice, but I should have. Because by the next day, they were already out in full force at my house. I took a look around the yard, assessing the situation and the first thing I saw were these empty “shells” attached to everything.

On my pansies.

All over my Yoshino cherry tree.

Even stuck to my concrete steps.

After thirteen years (some for seventeen years), buried way underground, the Cicadas crawl their way upward and outward.

There are hundreds of these little holes all over my yard. The ones I can see the best are in my flower beds.

Apparently they mostly come out at night. Once they have emerged into the moonlight (that should be a clue) they climb higher and attach their legs securely to something and then begin to break free. I’m not sure how long that takes, but apparently only a few hours.

When they first emerge and stretch their wings their bodies are white. Slowly they turn whatever color they are meant to be. There are many varieties. We happen to have the ones with the huge, eerie red eyes. Creepy!

Can you find him?

Against the fuschia rhododendrons and bright green leaves they can almost look pretty. Almost.

Here’s a video which shows the whole process from start to finish. Even the Enya soundtrack can’t make these guys “pretty.” Enjoy!

One final note. I heard tonight that by this Sunday, the 15th, all the cicadas will be out. So, apparently, what I’ve seen so far is only the beginning. I can hardly wait. I think it’s time for a trip to Colorado.

Question: Do you have cicadas where you live?

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The Bishop of London’s Address at the 2011 Royal Wedding

The wedding was glorious, understated, elegant, and honorable.

(You can access the official program HERE. All things related to the wedding, videos, photographs, etc., can all be found HERE.)

The two highlights for me were:

First, when Kate’s brother magnificently read Romans 12: 1, 2, 9-18. It’s message, though written almost two thousand years ago, was perfect for today’s world which is experiencing so much turmoil, hate and violence. Here is a message which transcends all of that and points to the source of true hope. I’m so grateful that it’s message was heard on every continent. I pray that it will be taken to heart by every living human being.

Secondly, I was really moved by the Bishop of London’s Address/Sermon. When I heard it I immediately thought that everyone should have an opportunity to hear/read and meditate on its words. Thanks to Twitter friend, Paul Gardner (@PGardnerNZ) from New Zealand, I found a transcript HERE.

Enjoy.

29th April 2011

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.

Many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.

A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. And people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love. …

You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.

We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.

Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. … (Please continue reading the rest of this short, wonderful address HERE.)

Your thoughts?

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Pilgrimage to a Monastery

A few weeks ago, I traveled with seven women from my church to Safford, Arizona, 165 miles southeast of Phoenix. There we visited St. Paisius Serbian Orthodox Monastery (a women’s monastery).

I had never been to a monastery, and was so nervous about going. I had no idea what to expect or what would be expected of me. But, as soon as I arrived and was greeted by two of the nuns, I fell in love with it. I love it so much that I’d like to go back once a year if possible.

My husband, Michael, interviewed me about the experience in his Sunday school class. I thought I would share this interview with you. Just click on the play button. (It’s 29 minutes long):

Sorry, listening to the audio file on this website requires Flash support in your browser. You can try playing the MP3 file directly by clicking here.

Download the MP3 (right-click and save link as)

Here are a few snapshots of my visit. These, plus the interview, should give you a sense of how special my visit was.

We arrived at the monastery in the pitch-black of night. We entered through this gate, though it was too dark that night to see it.

We were taken to our guest house, a “hogan” built after a Navajo traditional home. It was one very large room, lined with nine beds all around the perimeter,  a fireplace in the middle of the room, and a small kitchen and bathroom off the back.


“… She also rises while it is yet night…” Prov. 31:15

Every morning we walked in the pitch-black quietness of the morning to the church. We gathered silently for prayer and for worship. It was a tiny taste of heaven. Most church services I’ve been to are noisy, full of chatter and hustle-bustle. The services at St. Paisius were quiet. Serene. Focused on the One true God. Not on us, but on Him. It was the perfect environment to remember that He is God and we are not. I need that.

When it was time to call everyone to the church, one of the nuns would walk around the church, rhythmically striking the wooden Semantron. (The Semantron predates the bell. Some say it was introduced by Noah. It’s used to call people to prayer or to a procession.)

The interior of the church is simple and beautiful. The church is less than a year old, so there is still more to add, but the hand carved woodwork from Romania was stunning. The acoustics inside this stone church were amazing. I would love to come back someday and record the nuns singing. Their soft, angelic voices reverberated throughout the church and drew our hearts and minds to worship.

These are the benches I spoke about in the interview. The people stand for the majority of the services. Some of the services can be quite long, so it’s perfectly acceptable to sit or lean when one gets tired. (Standing is done out of respect for the King and in honor of the Resurrection.)

This building was directly across from the church and is where we had our meals. This is also where the nuns live. Notice the gorgeous mountains in the background. The monastery sits in a “bowl” surrounded by mountains on three sides. The desert has it’s own unique beauty and majesty.

Two of the afternoons we had the privilege of being instructed by Fr. Dorotheos. He is a monk and the spiritual father to the St. Paisius community. One of his joys is to meet the guests and make himself available for questions, instruction and even personal counseling. He wanted to make sure that when we left the monastery, we not only took with us our wonderful experiences, but also left with “tools” to help us fight the “unseen warfare” we encounter every day. His instructions were very practical and came from his heart and life experience.

Monasteries in the desert have a long and rich tradition in Christianity, dating back to the 3rd century. It’s quite sobering to think that we were participating in a tradition of worship and monasticism that is over eighteen centuries old! What a gift.

I hope you enjoy the interview. To God be the glory.

Question: Have you ever wanted to visit a monastery or a convent?

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Circus Weekend Part 2: The Circus

Last November PBS began airing a documentary series called Circus. (Check it out!) I fell in love with it as soon as I watched the trailer.  After I finished the six hours, I immediately looked to see if the Big Apple Circus would be coming ANYwhere in the Southeast. I would love nothing more than to take the grandkids to see it. But no such luck. Apparently The Big Apple Circus doesn’t venture this far south.

So I began to search for another circus that would be coming our area and realized that I would have to settle for the next best thing, The Greatest Show on Earth.

Fortunately for Michael and me, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey have several different shows traveling around the country simultaneously. This would allow us to go to the circus on two different weekends and see two different shows. First we took Ellie and Libby to the “Fundrum” circus in Nashville, and the following Saturday we took Fionn and Felicity to the “Fully Charged” show in Birmingham. Both were fabulous.

I’m going to share a few pictures with you and hopefully inspire you to take the time to do something really special with your kids, your grandkids, nieces or nephews, neighbor or any child you can think of. Childhood passes much too quickly and fun memories need to be a part it.

That’s Libby. She’s dancing with one of the performers during the pre-show. Make sure to go to the pre-show if you’re going to a Ringling Bros. circus.

The pre-show was so much fun. They brought out this big beautiful elephant …

… who painted a picture with it’s trunk. They had a drawing for the picture.

The show began with a grand parade led by the Ringmaster who, by the way, had an incredible singing voice.

I wasn’t expecting so many clowns, but the show had hot-and-cold-running clowns. They were hilarious.

There’s something about seeing these massive animals, all lined up, sitting on their behinds. You just gotta smile.

And the fact that they can all stand up on their hind legs and lean on each other like dominos was incredible.
How can something so huge look so graceful? I think the elephants are my favorite.

Notice this woman is in red heels!

The strength and control of the performers is absolutely mind-boggling.

Intermission was all about the hotdogs. (That’s Fionn)
I hadn’t had a hotdog in probably five years. I have to say, it was worth the wait. Delish! I’m good for another five years, though!

And, when you go to the circus you MUST get cotton candy.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about candy and sugar, or how much it costs ($12.00!), a circus is not complete without cotton candy.

Intermission’s over. Back to the circus and more laughs.

The tight-rope performers were captivating. I think Ellie held her breath through the entire act.

There are a lot of animals in a circus, but I think the Tigers are the most beautiful.

The trainer was wonderful with them. It was obvious that he had a special bond and love for these magnificent cats.

We were sad to see the circus come to a close. The final parade was a fitting end to it all.

So there you have it. I’m so grateful to add another childhood memory to my collection. I’ve decided that I’m not ready to grow up yet. Not quite yet.

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Circus Weekend Part 1: Pre-Circus

Well, Michael and I have joined the circus. Well, almost. For the past two weekends, we’ve been at the circus. The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus to be exact. Here’s the story:

And yes, that’s me.

Ever since I bought a copy of Toby Tyler and showed it to the grandkids, I knew I wanted to take them to a Circus.

Each year when the Circus came to town, I toyed with buying the tickets. But I waited. I waited until they got to THE perfect age.

I wanted them to be old enough to appreciate the talent and skill demonstrated by the performers. And I wanted their experience of the Circus to be one that they would never forget and hold forever dear in their treasure box of memories. This was the year.

Our four oldest grandchildren are now ages 5-9. Perfect! Here they are: Fionn 9, Libby 5, Felicity 7, and Ellie 7.

It helps that they’re so cute because you’d better not
take your eyes off of them for a second.

So I began planning. After some discussion, Mike and I decided that it would be best to go to two separate circuses and take two children at a time.

We really wanted to give them special, undivided attention. Plus, let’s be honest, WE wanted special, undivided attention from THEM—no competition!

Scheduling issues also came into play so we settled on Nashville and Birmingham on the last two Satrudays of January.

(Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey have several different shows that play simultaneously around the country.)

Once we settled on the “when” we had to work out the “how.” We decided that we would give the kids the gift of the Circus for their Christmas presents.

I found a circus-related toy for each of them, and hid a handmade card inside each of the toys. On the outside of the card it said, “Guess What?”

When the card  was opened it said, in big red letters, “WE’RE GOING TO THE CIRCUS!”

And inside there was a big, yellow ticket which read, “ADMIT ONE!”

Christmas morning. The kids were thrilled!

This moment alone was worth the whole idea!

Fast forward …

Now, let’s fast forward to January and the start of the Circus Weekends. For the purpose of this post, I’m going to combine the weekends into one. The second weekend was pretty much a repeat performance of the first.

Like I said above, I wanted the kid’s Circus Weekend to be memorable. So I began planning. Here are some of the things I decided to do:

1. We would have the kids come over Friday night to spend the night. But this would be no ordinary spend-the-night.

2. I would greet them at the door, on Friday—Circus theme playing over the speakers. (Listen here.)—in a full clown costume complete w/ giant shoes, balloons and a classic classic clown horn, all the while jumping up and down and chanting:

“We’re going to the Circus! We’re going to the Circus!”

They had NO idea what to say!! Never in all my born days …. Grandmommy?????

(By the way, part of determining the “perfect age” is knowing that they won’t completely roll their eyes and walk off because they’re “too cool.” Fionn, age 9, was on the borderline.)

3. We would read Circus books before bed.

Our very favorite is If I Ran the Circus, by Dr. Seuss. We’ve about got it memorized.

4. We would wake up Saturday morning and make famous Circus Waffles for breakfast!

I bought this waffle maker, years ago, from Williams Sonoma.
It’s made me a legend!! Find one.

5. And they would have to be the chefs.

Clown Iron Chefs!

A lot of concentration is needed. Priceless.

Taa Daa!

One final step and we’re ready!!

6. And we’d eat …

… every …

… last …

… bite …

… until there was nothing left to do but lick our fingers clean.

Needless to say, a fun time was had by all.

Next post, Circus Weekend, Part 2, At the Circus! Stay Tuned.

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Who’s Coming to Blissdom?

Tomorrow the Blissdom Conference begins. I’ll be going for the first time. And for an extrovert like me, that is really exciting! Remember, for us, strangers are only friends that we haven’t made yet.

But, I’m wondering. Am I really an extrovert—like I used to be? Because I’m feeling a little scared about Blissdom.

It’s my understanding that Blissdom is a conference primarily for women bloggers and writers. (I’m am a TOTAL wanna-be when it comes to this camp.)

This is a demographic that has grown exponentially over the past few years.

There are going to be a LOT of people there. A lot of extremely TALENTED people! That’s intimidating.

The strange thing about this gathering is that most of these women, myself included, are semi-friends, we’re semi-aware of each other. Emphasis on SEMI. We’re neither strangers, nor friends.

You see, we probably follow each other on Twitter, and read some of each other’s blogs. The only thing is, that when you follow hundreds, if not thousands, of people on Twitter it’s impossible to keep them all straight. We have to pick and choose which blogs we read and which Tweets we respond to—all the while becoming friends.

It’s really a strange, unique way to build relationships.

It’s especially challenging because many have different Twitter names from their actual names. That can get very confusing and frustrating when you’re trying to put names and faces together. (Read here to consider changing that practice: http://snipurl.com/8mistakes.)

And then there’s this: I may be much more familiar with you, even to the extent that I know all about you—your families, your struggles, your dreams—and you may not know who I am AT ALL. That is really strange.

But, it goes with the territory.

So, rather than focus on how ‘weird’ it is, I’m choosing to embrace it, see the possibilities and opportunities within it, and accept it as a new way of connecting with people.

It’s still a little scary and definitely out of my comfort zone—I didn’t even know I had a zone for this—but very exciting at the same time.

So, here’s what I’d like to do: I want to find out who’s coming to Blissdom.

Whom do I know, semi-know or who is truly a complete stranger to me?

I think knowing this will help a bit. We’ll see.

Question: I’m coming to Bilssdom. Are you?

What’s your real name, twitter name and blog name?

Remind me if we ‘know’ each other or if you’re just a stranger  … i.e. a friend I haven’t made yet.

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Making Memories

Uncle Loren has come to visit. And one thing we can count on when he comes are fun times. He’s the best about taking time to see his nieces and nephews, and not just seeing them, but making memories with them. I try very hard to capture these memories with photos because they are too precious to forget.

Here are some of the things that Loren does to make sure that his simple visits will last for a lifetime.

1. Capture them in pictures.
(Sometimes you have to let your ego go. Loren won’t think this is a very flattering picture of himself. He’s a very good looking guy. But it does show the lengths he’ll go to to capture a moment.):

Come on Nelson, say "Cheese!"

2. Be on the lookout for opportunities:

"You know what that will mean if you throw that snowball? WAR!"

3. Be fully present. Play full out. Tap into the “kid” inside:

"Four, three, two, one ... BLAST OFF!!

4. Take advantage of the little things. Trips to Disney World are not necessary:

"Perfect. Now, you have to make sure to pack the snow real hard ..."

QUESTION: What are some of your fondest memories with your aunts, uncles, grandparents or even special family friends?

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Wishing You a HAPPY New Year … And Me Too

I know I’m four days late, but I’m saying it anyway. “Happy New Year.” And I mean it. HAPPY New Year.

Not happy like “I’m-happy-because-I’m-getting-everything-I-want” happy.”

But “happy-because-I’m-at-peace” happy.

This is what I wish for you.

I was thinking that happiness is really a state of being at peace, a state of contentment. When we “lose our peace” we can’t be happy. But “keeping our peace” equals true happiness and can be had anywhere, in any situation.

It happens in the heart.

Over the holidays I began reading a book which got me thinking along these lines. It’s a book called Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives and is written by an unlikely character, a man who goes by the name of Elder Thaddeus. He’s a scraggly, old, long gray-bearded Orthodox monk who lived in Serbia.

He was a very sickly child, lead an extremely difficult life, and eventually became a monk.

All the pain and difficulty he experienced over his lifetime would have made most people bitter, angry, resentful, depressed and eventually despondent.

But Elder Thaddeus, as the years piled up, became more loving, more infused with wisdom and more peaceful. People would travel for very far distances just to seek his counsel. He was a man who was united with God both in body and in spirit.

Reading about people who have endured great hardships in life and who have emerged as shining reflections of Christ are great encouragements to me.

They remind me that I have nothing to complain about.

They remind me to live in the present moment and see where God is at work and what He’s asking of me.

They remind me to be thankful.

They remind me to be empathetic to others—for I have no idea what battles people face.

I love this quote:

Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
~ by Plato, Philo of Alexandria, or most likely Ian MacLaren.
(It doesn’t really matter. I thoroughly agree with the message!)

This coming year, I am going to make a concerted effort to learn more about those who have endured hard things and who have been able to “keep their peace.” I’m going to pay attention to the times when I “lose my peace.” I want to figure out why I lost it and what I can do differently the next time I’m faced with the same type of situation.

I want to remember that being able to experience peace in the first place is a gift of God. It’s only possible because I’m created in His image and He dwells within me. He’s the Prince of peace, after all. I want to listen to and learn from the best and obey what He’s telling me to do. THAT is the hard part. But I’ve got a whole year to practice … and maybe a few more.

So, with all my heart, I wish you … and me a

VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

…put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful …  Colossians 3:12-16 (NKJV)

QUESTION: Can you recommend a book or film about a real-life person who learned how to be truly happy, truly at peace, regardless of what they were facing in the moment?