connected by oceans of friendship

-Receiving a package from wonderful friends in Germany and Belfast: Andrea, Tilmann and Joanna.  Jo went to visit them in Berlin and while they were together, they gathered various odds and ends to send me.  So incredibly thoughtful!  They send loads of German chocolates (the absolute BEST stuff), an antique silver cake server, a vintage candleholder and Jo threw in a massive box of tea from Belfast (just in time for Autumn) and a charming Shire necklace from St. George's Market.  I have the most amazing friends ever.  As Andrea wrote in her card, "the ocean between us doesn't divide, it connects."

-The sweet look on my little dog's face.  He loves his suitcase bed.

-A day full of planning, meetings and pastoral visits that left me both exhausted and deeply fulfilled.

small-town philosophy

-A cool, delectable iced mocha from the coffee shop inside the antique store at the bottom of the hill in Cameron.  It was the perfect pick-me-up for a Wednesday afternoon.

-Running into 3 church members and the granddaughter of another between the local gas station and the post office one morning.  What fun.

-Discovering in my James Rollins book that there was really a Nicolas Flamel, a 15th century French chemist who developed a gold powder he called the Philosopher's Stone.  J.K. Rowling really did her homework for Harry Potter.  When I pointed this out on facebook, my cousin Lee (my reading twin) said she had the same "Aha!" moment.

make yourself at home

-A recharging Saturday that began with a delectable pastry from a local bakery, coffee and a leisurely read of my captivating novel as the cool morning breeze danced around me.

-Discovering new bedding that adds a fun exotic feel to my room.  I adore this shade of green.  I must have inherited the love of olive green from my Grandmother.  The furry pillow is, of course, my favorite.

-That first bite of creamy, cheesy rosemary-roasted butternut squash risotto, that made the flavors of Fall explode in my mouth.

let's sit a spell

-An unexpected moment of respite in the middle of my day where I had twenty minutes to just sit outside on a bench and appreciate the Fall breeze before heading to my next meeting.

-A great chat with my sista.

-Being brought delicious soup by a church member, just in time for cooler weather.

moments that warm the soul

-A warm, fragrant cup of camomile tea with a hint of honey to round out my day.

-Watching a husband look at his wife with pure adoration and say, "You're so pretty."  They're newlyweds.  He's 83.  She's 93.

-A deep breath of fresh fall air in the morning.

Remembering

Of course I will remember this day. You don't need me to tell you that. How can any of us forget? But I will not only remember the tragedy that happened on this day, I will also remember that we are not defined as a nation by that tragedy. We are defined by so much more. We honor those who lost their lives and loved ones on that day by remembering the freedom, compassion and unity that make us who we are. By remembering that we belong to each other and that if such an act of violence did not divide us, then nothing should (especially our politics). I remember.

fantastic firsts

-Kicking off youth group in our wonderful new youth room.  I was so impressed with how open and insightful these teenagers were, sharing stories easily and talking deep theology with wisdom.  Hayden enjoyed being the group mascot.

-My first day of a conversational Spanish class where the teacher was a delightfully feisty woman from Spain and the other students were warm and friendly.  ¡Mi gusta!

-The feel of Fall in the air that puts a skip in my step no matter how full or challenging my day is.

taking care

-A man working in the hospital who really cared about his job.  His name was Eddie.  He came to move a patient (my church member) to a room and said that "When he's transporting someone, they become the most important person in the whole hospital."  And he treated him that way.

-Looking out on the congregation during the prelude and feeling grateful to know such lovely people.

-My precious pup rallying after getting pretty sick and spending hours at the emergency vet.  He is a strong little guy, and is doing much better today.

years of jubilee

Today marks 4 years of ordained ministry!  I feel so blessed to do something I really love.  This picture was taken that day, and I've never noticed how the baptismal font is prominent.  I was baptized in this church as an infant.  What an incredible moment this was for me, with so many other moments of joy since then.  Thanks be to God!

there's always time for a stroll

Let's catch up a bit, shall we?  

My hair has grown out long enough to fit back in a squinchy ponytail...which looks exactly like the pixie cut I had.  Ha.

My friend Jill send the most beautiful leather gloves that belonged to her mother.  What an incredibly thoughtful thing to do.

Last Saturday was one of those glorious days where there was a hint of Fall in the air.  I decided to take Sir Hayden on a walk in the local park (Miss Sue's Park -- she was a matriarch of Cameron Presbyterian).

The troll bridge.

I'm likin' this lichen.  Sorry.  Couldn't resist.

Such a peaceful spot.

A perfect day.  I even caught a fabulous movie at the Sunrise with my friend Ali.  It's called Moonrise Kingdom, by Wes Anderson and is quirky, hilarious and overwhelmingly hopeful.

Church on Sunday was delightful and I was surprised with this Fiesta mug just like one I bought at last Spring's antique fair and gave to my mom.  The church member who gave it to me remembered how much I liked it.  I christened it with coffee Monday morning.  Okay, and this morning, too.

I had a productive and enjoyable Session meeting this evening and then got to Facetime with my nieces, and laughed as they kept giving me hugs and kisses through the phone.  At one point, Gigi was petting the phone like it was my head.  Precious.

Have a great week!

it's nothing to snicker at

-Whipping up a batch of my beloved snickerdoodles to accompany my evening tea.

-A Sunday School planning meeting that concluded with not one, but two, hugs.

-A brilliant stained glass yellow and black monarch butterfly greeting me as I pulled into my driveway.

covered in joy

-Discovering a whimsical "new" tablecloth for my breakfast table.  It was actually just a big piece of lovely fabric, but add a little iron-on hem and voile!  A tablecloth.

-Making a new piece of art for my bedroom.  Both the time creating it and the finished product are so relaxing.

-Sharing a wee cuppa tea and a good visit.

-Feeling blessed by the work that I do.

light that keeps on shining

-The glorious way the sun shines in my bedroom window every morning.

-Honoring the life of a remarkable man in the church who fought in WWII and even helped evacuated Jewish prisoners from concentration camps.  He really was of the "greatest generation."

-Putting my feet up to relax and having my fluffy dog plop his head on them.

you're a star

-Proudly displaying some of my niece's artwork on my fridge.

-A spic-and-span house.  (Yep, you guessed it: company coming!  Youth/young adults from church are headed over for some Harry Potter, end-of-summer hanging out and food.)

-An incredibly helpful and friendly mechanic, who wouldn't charge me for my oil change because I had to wait a bit for it.

Under the Texan Sun

As promised, I'd like to share a bit of my Texas fun while on vacation.  Good books, strong coffee, relaxing family, precious nieces, Guadalupe River, old friends...what's not to love?  

Before we headed to my favorite place of all (Mo Ranch) for my family reunion, I got to enjoy a bit of time at a couple other delightful places.  First, the Hobbit Cafe with my mom and grandmother.

And then, the next day on our way to Mo, we stopped for lunch at the Casa Rio on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.  Such a charming place.

And then, Mo!

Grant aka Ol' Blue Eyes and his daddy.

Adorable Olivia doing what she does best (smiling with those two cute teeth).  I should warn you, I turned into a paparazzo around her and took a ton of pictures!

Clay making her laugh.

Hey, Gigi Girl!

Grandmother relaxing.

Our little gold medal Olympic gymnast.

Gigi's gonna get me!

Uncle Jack passing on his grillin' wisdom to some precious proteges.

Natalie is so theatrical!  Here is her "I'm the leader" face.

Followed by a bit of sideways silliness.

Grant and my Aunt Madelynn.

Aunt Karen enjoying the sunshine.

Cute Patranella silhouette.

Playing with Nonnie.

Isn't she lovely?

Hanging by the grill is the place to be.  (Sometimes, you get samples.)

Grant getting his Nascar on.

Natalie, too.

And Gigi!

Ash and Grandmother.

Mmm.

Please, no pictures.

A Mo-style safari ride.

Let's go to the river!

Sisters.

That glorious Guadalupe.

Papa and Gigi having a laugh.

Adele and Justin walking to the rapids.

The pool was fun, too!

This is fun!

Grant has gotten so big!

Strolling with Gigi.

Nat and Gigi hanging out with their daddio.

Let me see the picture!

Natalie's pensive pose.

Followed by her sassy one.

Love my girls.

Campfire time!

And hanging out on a wagon.

Aunt K rockin' the firepit.

I love Gigi's face here.

Papa and Olivia.

Taking a stroll.

I will get you!

My family is fond of our hats.

Lee following the lil' man.

This is the proper way to cook a smore, y'all.  Mmm charred, melty goodness.

Our last morning, I went up to the Chapel on the Hill to watch the sunrise, like I always did as a teenager at Midwinter Conferences at Mo.  It was so peaceful.

(I had to bring my coffee with me.)

And my Papacito. 

Stunning.

Lee and 'Livy.  They're both ridiculously photogenic.

So. Incredibly. Cute!

Grandmother and Olivia having a great chat.

After a wonderful time at Mo, I headed to Victoria for a little time at home that was spent watching the Olympics, hanging with my parents, reading a great book and eating amazing Mexican food.  Utter, complete relaxation.

Then, I headed to H-town for a few more days with my girls.  Natalie gets great joy from her marker hands.

Olivia is endlessly fascinated by her own hands.

And her toes.

And reach like Gabby!

I really couldn't stop taking her picture.

Playing from the first second I woke up.  Fun!

Olivia taking a little siesta on me.

Fairy Princess Natalie.

Fairy Princess Gigi (with double wings).

What a perfect vacation!