catch up

picture of Neil spending two days fixing water hydrant leak (he didn't want me to put it in)

Back to mail piled high but not the grass - someone mowed while we were gone. Garden looking great, a friend cared for it while gone. Strawberries galore, best in 30 years. Maybe we should go away this time every year. We've been picking them and making jam and freezing them all week.

Baby birds everywhere. We can't get babies off our minds. Everything thrived while we were away especially with the water hydrant that sprung a leak. Neil spent two days trying to fix it. We are tired and trying to catch up with business along with putting out fires so haven't had a chance to do the blog. Perhaps it is time for another break but not like the water hydrant. When the fires are extinguished I'll get to the blogs.

A time for everything

A time for everything except writing the blog.

Arrived

Eleanor Parker born June 10, 2009

7 lbs 7 oz, 19.5 inches

The week before Eleanor was born, preparation was in the works. Loads of dirt arrived by trucks and distributed by wheelbarrows to the back and front yard, transforming it from of river of red volcanic rock to a smooth bed for the rolled out sod, soon be grass, to lay on. Then the black mulch truck came and piled it all in the driveway and Daddy and grandpa moved it to the sculpted mounds of dirt on the sides of the lawn and they saved a corner for the woodchips for the playground.
A few days before you were born, there was a thunder and lightning storm, louder and longer than Sacramento has had in 20 years. The light lit up the sky followed by crashing thunder with hail the size of larger mothballs falling ping pong on the roof and new cement patio and sidewalks and street. The new blanket of grass muffled it.

On the day you were born, we were all prepared and very excited. We heard from a friend looking after our garden at home to hear that Rosa Paul's Scarlet was in full display welcoming your arrival.

"Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth bveneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees...he displays his glory..." Isaiah 44:23

Not hatched yet

Hummingbird nest in greenhouse we visited

We've done everything we can to prepare for granddaughter Eleanor's arrival. The yard is finished, new grass and mulch and rocks picked and placed. We even went to the garden shop to buy welcoming plants for near the front door. At the greenhouse amongst the perenials we noticed a yellow caution tape and looked up amazed to see a hummingbird nest perfect placed for raising babies, surrounded by flowers near the penstemon. It was so tiny, people didn't seem to notice her. But here she was sitting and waiting for babies to hatch, much like our daughter Lu, who at this point is not so tiny and finds it very hard to sit.

Will finish this later.

No baby yet

Just sittin and waitin for God's timing for Eleanor to be born. Due date June 1, but everyone thought she would come early. In the meantime, we are getting to know Maggie, our first granddaughter and helping where we can. Blog for now, just not as important as the above. (will try to add pictures later this week)

Headed south

Mt Shasta I-5 California

We headed south as did our new grandbaby; however, we arrived but our daughter and son-in-law's baby has decided not yet. So blog and baby delayed for now.

You've got a friend

Note and flowers found in my purse

To have friends, you need to take time for them to listen and care and go and see them. We took a break from the moving and catching up to visit with old friends in Seattle one of which travelled across the country to see and gather us together. I need to do this more often and plan ahead. As Neil and Chris and Dylan went to the ball game, another friend offered to drive me back to the ferry and drop me off. As I was waiting for several hours for the ferry and on the hour's ride I thought about friendship and the importance of it and was disappointed in myself for not keeping up with more friends. On the ferry just before our stop, three girls came up to me whom I know on the island, I didn't realize they were on the boat. They mentioned that they were putting flowers and notes by people without them knowing it, "random acts of kindness" they said. Some people were sleeping and they put it on the shelf beside them by the window. They were excited and I went with them as they showed me a few places where they put the notes. It was fun to see them enjoy making someone's day better. It was not until I got in a neighbor's car who drove me close to my house, that I saw a scotch broom flower sticking out of my purse. I looked at it inquisitively, thinking "Now where did I get that?" I am always finding surprises, unaware of what I am doing sometimes when I am engrosed in another activity, so I didn't think much of it until home and emptying out my purse I found the note. "You got a friend! Take these flowers home, Random Acts of Kindness." I have been smiling ever since.

Thank you Lord, for using the island children to cheer me up, make my day, and remind me of your amazing friendship and constant kindness.

""He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:2-4 NIV (since we are also thinking about children these days, ready to head to CA for the birth of a new granddaughter.)