Serendipity in the bare space

 

In the space where a dead Kittsgate rose bush lay, teasel flew in.

How many things come into your life unexpected? A new experience, a new vision or a new outlook changes your mood, vision, future or just encourages you.  It often takes a bare space in your life before unexpected changes happen.

I have cleared a lot out of my life, including the writing loft where I don't seem to write. I even stopped the blog for a month as I reevaluated my life and priorities. In cleaning up the loft, a paper came to the surface, husband Neil's list for  remodelling our guest house in 2006. At the top of the list was "grow some teasel," surfacing just after I noticed the weed that had been growing outside all winter was indeed teasel.

God who knows the desires of our hearts, fills in the blank spots in our lives as we turn to Him.

This week I hope to catch you up on some of the serendipitous events of this last month.  This is just a tease -l.

Going for the gold

Mat-Su Valley from Hatcher's Pass

"Have you gazed on naked grandeur

where there's nothing else to gaze on,

Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore,

Big mountains heaved to heaven,

which the blinding sunsets blazon,

Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar?

Have you swept the visioned valley

with the green stream streaking through it,

Searthed the Vastness for a something you have lost"

Have you strung your soul to silence?

Then for God's sake go and do it;

Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost...."

"The call of the Wild", Robert Service

We did!

Independence Mine tracks

The next generation of gold miners at Independance Mine Hatcher's Pass

I remember summers in Nova Scotia, listening to relatives talking about the lure of the gold. Relatives on both sides worked in gold mines and seemed to be always on the look out for nuggets in streams and slag piles. So it is only right (or wrong) to raise up the next generation searching for the gold. As Robert Service wrote in " The Spell of the Yukon"

"I wanted the gold, and I sought it;

I scrabbled and mucked like a slave.

Was it famine or scurvy- I fought it;

I hurled my youth into a grave.

I wanted the gold, and I got it-

Came out with a fortune last fall, -

Yet somehow life's not what I thought it,

And somehow the gold isn't all...."

                                                                    

and panning for gold

at Cooper's Landing,  Kenai peninsula AK

And "Olympic practise" at Wasilla Ice rink

Family time is precious.

But "Lord you are more precious than silver, Lord you are more costly than gold... and nothing I desire compares with you." music and words by Lynn DeShazo

Happy Independence Day

We watched fireworks display this year from our porch.(last year's video)

Here are some random thoughts today as we celebrate our country's independence.

1. We returned from Alaska to find the barn swallows fledged from the nest outside our back door now independent and new monthly tenants happily taking up residence. Here a video of previous year's fledglings.
2. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Declaration of  Independence. Pray we can preserve these rights.
3. How prayer underpinned American Independence. 
4. A wonderful day of church, parade, picnic and games in the park, baseball game and celebration of our liberty.(video not put together yet)

We are grateful that we could spend over a week with all our family in Alaska, for the freedom to travel and meet together and for God's blessing on our time. I will try to post some highlights throughout this coming week.

What are you grateful for? How will you pray for your country?

Alaskan adventures

Away in Alaska with family and having too much fun to stop and work on videos and photos and blog. In the land of the midnight sun, we work and play until the day is done - finding it after midnight.
Will try to add a little at a time this week if we can find internet connection.

Happy Father's Day

"God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ...Dad."

- Author is unknown

Birds and blooms of June

There is an axis of change in our lives, as we are slowing down to catch up in the garden and to prepare for a family trip.
Here are previous year's thought bites relating to present year's sights.
The roses are in full glory: Paul's himalyan musk rose and Paul's scarlet.
The barn swallows by the back door hatched last week.
The violet-green swallows feed just hatched young in the nestbox that we see from our cottage window.
The neighbor mowed their field and the ravens have had a party most of the week on the banquet left behind.
Blooms everywhere. (Pictures coming this week as soon as I can get my new camera adjustedor borrow Neil's)

The slower I go, the busier I get

Why is it that the more I let go the busier I get

I've concentrated on letting go of everything not set

I've let go of coordinating, singing, writing and art

I've been cleaning and sorting, doing my part.

Time to look at life and what is important to it*

I have been so busy, not even time to do it

So for the garden we've hired help

because Cisco is coming, yelp!

He's speaking on our island,

coming on our land and

staying in our house.

I guess that my time has been spent in the rain

Planting, transplanting, weeding to gain

a respectable garden, long overlooked

until that day that Cisco was booked

It's my husband's fault

He's in charge of events-

gets speakers to come

It will be fun!**

*Not sure about priorities yet

**In August