Babylonian Dream Team

Recently I was asked to chair the decorating committee for our church’s annual Vacation Bible School. Saying no has never come easily for me, but this time, I was not quick in responding.  My job, if I said yes, would mean transforming our ordinary fellowship hall and several cinderblock classrooms into Babylon.  This has not been my best spring and early summer health wise, and I was hesitant to take on the task, but the Lord continued to nudge me toward this commitment.  I’m so thankful He did, as I would have missed out on so many blessings had I not listened to His leading and said “yes”.

(Our church steeple at sunset on opening day of Babylon Bible Camp)


                   (Our Dir. of C M, Dawn in the green below)

                 

First order of business was to meet with our new Director of Children’s Ministries, Dawn.  Having held this position myself for four years at Atonement, I was anxious to get to know Dawn better.  Children’s Ministries holds a special place in my heart as I have served on staff, full time in this capacity at two different churches.  It’s a job that requires a lot of energy, a lot of creativity, flexibility, ability to work with and encourage a large volunteer staff and a million and one other gifts and talents.  Dawn more than meets these criteria (thankfully God equipped me and saw me through my years on the job) and I was delighted to get to know her better.  That “working” lunch was blessing number one I received as committee chair.

                                                                                                            ( Below "Daniel's House")                              
                                                                                           

Having developed a plan, it was time to meet with the committee members.  Interestingly, the committee ended up all women, powerhouses all of them.  I was awed and amazed by their creativity, willingness to serve, self-motivation and joyful spirits as they used their gifts and talents to meet the goals of our team.  Despite working full time outside of the home, Robin, with some help from her husband Mike, built and installed an amazing “city gate” to greet the participants.  Jeri, who also works outside of the home, knowing my energy hasn’t been 100%, took the “shopping list” I had made and purchased everything we needed for the big transformation. Julia spent hours making beautiful stars to lead the Bible campers from the city courtyard area to the craft stalls.   Marta, Debbie and Lynn, all willingly pitched in to make build day happen more smoothly and quickly.   Thankfully, Mike, Chuck, Bob, and Ron lent some extra muscle and reminded me that sometimes being there at the last minute can be a crucial blessing.  And that leads me to blessing two, how inspired I was by working with such a remarkable group of people, it made me want to serve more joyfully and enthusiastically when asked to help or lend a hand in the future.  The work these people did was fantastic, but the attitude in which they served was outstanding.

                          (Below, Daniel, Luke Link, and the Palace Official, Fred Carr)

Finally, with all the decorations in place the doors were opened and the Bible Campers arrived for the first of five evenings in “Babylon”.  As I walked through the “city gate” I was greeted by musicians, chefs and crafters, story tellers,shopkeepers and “tribe leaders” all in Babylonian garb (testimony to another fantastic effort by the seamstresses in the church who made over 40 costumes for the event).  There were happy children making tiny hanging gardens, beading beautiful creations, singing, and listening to the story of Daniel as told by “Daniel” and the “palace official” in “Daniel’s house”.  Blessing three was seeing the fruit of our labor come to life!  All the hard work paid off, once again, when God called he also equipped and inspired, and what a wonderful, delightful outcome occurred.

I love the way God reminds me so often that I am always more blessed when I give, than I am a blessing.  I’m so glad I said yes to being the Decorating Committee Chairperson, I loved the journey to Babylon.  Hope you enjoy some of the pictures from this event.  Hoping also that you are called to be blessed soon in your corner of the world, don’t be afraid to say YES!

                         (Our star maker, Julia and me, below)

Finding Calm on the Porch

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life that you don’t need to escape from.” --Seth Godin.

I recently saw this quote and loved it.  What a difference it would make if everyone could create a daily retreat, time away from the stress and the frantic pace so many endure day after day.  Now that summer has arrived I am enjoying more and more time on the screen porch.  It’s here on the porch that I find myself letting go of the ever present worries and anxieties that weigh me down.  Surrounded by trees, flowers, fresh air and lots of wildlife, I’m able to let go.   So for this entry, I thought maybe I’d share some free floating thoughts and word pictures of life as seen from the porch just off my kitchen.  Hoping you can kick back, close your eyes and lose yourself for just a few minutes too.  I’ve snapped a few views from the porch as well . . . enjoy!

Hummingbirds flitting quickly and quietly to sip the ruby nectar in the feeder, they seem almost magical in their approach and quick retreat.  Tiny wings, moving in a blur of neon green and purple.  Can’t help stopping to gaze at them with each one’s visit to dip tiny beaks into the sweetness, which fills them till they next return.

Hydrangea’s, bursting with puffs of color.  Pink, fuchsia, purple, and white, brightening the garden path they line.

Squirrels chasing and frolicking on the fence.  Leaping from branches and performing acrobatics that make me want to applaud.  One minute racing around and around the pine tree trunk, heads and tails bobbing. They are always chattering as they spend themselves in play.  Then, sleeping flattened on the fence top, funny little faces resting, while tiny arms and legs hang sleepily motionless.

White impatiens gleam brightly day and evening and even in the moonlit garden.  Like tiny white stars scattered among the rocks around the pond.  I love to see them glowing under the stars. A night garden is so lovely.

Besides the hummingbirds, robins, doves, cardinals, sparrows, black-capped chick-a-dees, catbirds, cow birds and yellow finches provide entertainment. They love the fountain and wait in line to send the water flying as they dive and dip and bath in the cooling shower.  Then they preen, sitting in the branches above the garden and as the sunsets they sing and perform duets and trios until dusk descends and all becomes very still.

The water from the fountain makes a tiny tinkling sound, gentle, soothing.

Latter in the summer the cicadas will complete the evening choruses with their humming song, high in the trees, calling to mind my childhood in Tennessee and memories of falling asleep with windows open on cool summer nights.

Finally, the fireflies begin to twinkle in the twilight and like the others work their magic.  The day’s cares, the hustle and bustle of life fades and calm comes and soothes.

If you think this was a little dramatic, maybe even boring, a little over done and too poetic, I apologize.  I love the respite I receive on the porch, made even better when shared with Bob.  I hope that you have a gentle place full of wonderful soul soothers where you can find refreshment each day. . . and to think, summer has only just begun.

A Memorial Day Tribute to Mom and Dad

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and the Stars and Stripes are flying high.  Friends and family across America are gathering around picnic tables and lighting up the grills.  Kids are excitedly taking their first plunges into chilly, early summer pool water, and then warming shivering bodies wrapped in oversized beach towels and sunlight.  It’s time to welcome summer, time to enjoy a long weekend, and most importantly, time to remember those who gave their lives for their country and others who we have loved and lost.

As I write this I’m thinking about my mother and father.   They both passed away in the summer, my mother seven years ago, my father five years ago, on the same date, July 9^th, two years apart.  I still miss them, I keep pictures of them in my Bible, I like looking at their smiling faces when I begin my morning quiet time.  Today I was remembering their hands, funny, but for some reason I started thinking about all that those hands did for me.

My mom had beautiful hands and they were almost always busy.  Her hands were often crocheting, holding a book, cooking (Memorial Day weekend probably stirring homemade chocolate syrup to have served warm over vanilla ice cream), and writing, crafting, gardening, or serving in some way. Her hands could type 120 words per minute and take shorthand, skills that earned her top ranking wherever she worked.  Her hands comforted me when I was injured or sick, patted me when I needed reassurance, and applauded me when I performed or accomplished something.  Her hands held my babies and two of my grandbabies, I wish they could hold all of my grandbabies and her other great grandchildren.  Oh how I love and miss those hands.

My dad had gentleman’s hands; strong, clean, long-fingered hands.  My dad was a thinker, sometimes those hands sat quietly folded in his lap, often on a book or article while he thought.  But those hands weren’t idle hands, they built the calorimeter he designed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they wrote reports for Nuclear Regulatory Commission, they gestured when he lectured, and like my mom’s hands they served many others.  His hands steadied me as I learned to ride a bike, jiggled the pan on Sunday nights when he made popcorn, they awed me as he used them to hold test tubes and do Science demonstrations for my elementary school class and my children’s classes too, they held the books he read to me while using funny voices for all the characters, they washed my hair and brushed my teeth when I was a child. His hands penned poetry and lovingly signed carefully chosen birthday and Valentine’s Day cards.  Oh how I love and miss those hands.

I’m looking forward to our extended family cookout this Memorial Day.  There will be three generations celebrating together.  We will enjoy hotdogs and hamburgers from the grill, play yard games, and chat on my sister’s screen porch, the rocking chairs on the porch are coveted seats and are never empty once the weather warms. I’m making a beeline for one of them.  My parents always loved these occasions; they would love seeing all their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren ages ten years to four weeks old.  I’d gladly give up the rocking chairs to them, if only . . .

My New Book, Holding A Story In My Hands!

Yesterday I had some very special moments.  After years of thinking about, writing, and most recently illustrating a second children’s book, the first print copy arrived on my doorstep.  You might think that was the special moment, but it wasn’t.  I brought the package in, the wrapping was torn off and I sat down holding the book in my hands.  Still, this was not the special moment.  The special moment happened next when my three oldest granddaughters, who were visiting, came and sat by me, and the first reading of the book occurred. 

To have a book idea and pictures floating around in one’s head is fun, but to have that idea on real pages in one’s hand is amazing.  There is just something so satisfying about looking at words and illustrations in a way that can be shared, in print, in color, alive so to speak.  I’m actually thankful that I had over two weeks down time with my broken foot to work on the book. And, I’m very grateful to my friend, Chuck Wasson , for sharing a wonderful iPad application, called Paper53, which allowed me to create the drawings and “paintings” without any mess while couch bound.

My little ones seemed to love the moment too.  The ones who can read each took a turn reading the book aloud to all of us.  My little Nora was able to finish the rhyming words on each page after just a few times listening, she felt like she was “ reading”.  It really was a wonderful moment. It was the moment for which my children’s books have been written, the moment I share the stories with my little ones.

I am also excited to share, “If I Only Had A Penny” with you.  Here is a link to the book, you may preview it, and if you would like an autographed copy let me know and I will send it to you.  If you don’t want it autographed you can purchase it directly from the website. http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/3189737   If you purchase from me the prices are slightly less as I buy multiple copies.  Sadly self-published works are expensive, I don't make any profit, but my goal is simply to get the story out there.  Think of the hard cover book as six trips to Starbucks (and you’ll always have the book, whereas the coffee will be gone once you drain the cup) and the soft cover book is the cost of a few less cups of Joe.

Please check it out and let me know what you think of my new “baby”.  I'd give a penny for your thoughts!

P.S.  Here is the link to my first book, "The Moon, The Star, and The Firefly" if you haven't seen that one yet, also available through me or the website.  http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/1152367

How To Make An Apple Bird!

Since I have broken my foot, I thought now would be a good time to do a tutorial.  Years ago I learned how to make apple birds and they have graced many fruit platters at parties since then.  They are easy to make and add some fun to the table, so please enjoy the tutorial and have fun making your next party table an even bigger hit!

 Here's what you will need, an apple, tooth picks, lemon juice and whole cloves.

 Pour the juice into a small bowl, you will not need very much, just enough to dip pieces in, in order to keep them fresh.

 See, just a little in the bottom of the bowl.

 You need a small, sharp paring knife.

 Cut a piece about a quarter of the apple off, this is going to be the head.

 Now cut the head shape out of this piece.

 See how the cut should look below.

You may discard the pieces that you have cut away. 

 The center piece is what you need.

 Put it in the lemon juice for a minute so it will stay fresh looking.

 Remove the stem if it is still on the apple and discard it.

 Now we will begin cutting the tail feathers from the center of the remaining part of the apple.

 Cut inward from both sides removing, and keeping, a small crescent.

 Now cut just outside of the last cut, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch out, and inward like before, making a "V"

 Remove and save

 Dip these pieces in the lemon juice as well.

 Make the final tail feather cut as before, cutting inward in a long "V".

 Gently pull up and out and dip and save

 All the tail feathers have now been cut.

 Now we begin the wings, they are cut on each side of the tail feather cut, and done the exact same way.

 My first cut broke in half, it doesn't matter, it will fit back in perfectly later, just dip and save.

 You can see it is broken, but just keep the sections matched up together for reassembly.

 I also broke the the next cut, also doesn't matter, just dip, save and match for reassembly.

 Now you can see the cuts for the tail feathers and the first wing are done.

 Now I'm going to repeat on the other side.

 Voila!  Both sides have now been cut, and you can see how it looks. I have keep all the pieces that match together for reassembly.

 Now to put the bird together starting with the head.

 Insert a toothpick into the base of the "neck", push the toothpick about half way into the "neck".

 Now push the toothpick into the front of the bird in the tail feather (center) cut.

 Now the bird has a head, it's a bit big, but we can cut it down and size it later.

 Tail feather time, here we go, put the wide tail feather in first (it was last out) and about half way back in the center cut.

 Next, the middle cut, sliding it down about 1/2 inch on top of the first cut.

 Finally, the first tiny sliver about 1/2 inch back from the middle cut.

 And now you have the tail.

 Here's what it will look like from the top.

 Now for the wings, do them the same way you did the tail feathers.

 Here's the two pieces that broke, see they will fit in perfectly and stay tight, not to worry.

 One wing done, this bird is about to take flight :)

 Repeat on the other side.

 He's almost done, but the head is too big, so I want to cut it and shape it a bit.

 Careful not to cut too much and break the neck.

 Much better.

 Whole cloves make lovely eyes, I had to use whole pepper corns because I was out of cloves.

 Well hello there , here's looking at you!

 So cute.

 In order to set into a fruit platter, insert two toothpicks into the bottom of the bird.

 We are going to give this little guy a grape nest tonight.

 And there you have it, he's the hit of the party.

 And he was easy to make.

 Have fun!

And now you know how to make a cute apple bird.  Thanks for joining me!