Summer is passing

Tomorrow is the last day of July, and I have blessedly little scheduled in August. It seems this has not been a summer of leisure but of appointments, to-dos, travel, and uncompleted tasks. I'm very happy to say I've gotten one sweater almost finished (the knitting is done!), the yard is taking shape, and I've spent some good time with friends. All in all, it's been a good summer, even though it has seemed hectic. 

August is going to be a month for me - to get some good, healthy patterns and routines established (eating better, exercising, maintaining my house, getting some more projects done). I'm very much looking forward to it. Nothing major - just taking care of me and mine.

Ah, summer - those hot days when all I want to do is stay cool. Got to keep moving, though. So much to do - so little time. So many lovely hikes, gardens to enjoy, sunsets to watch, picnics to take. All that lovely stuff! Ah, summer!

New start

Well, July is 1/2 over as of tomorrow, and I'm just now getting started on my big summer project. The house my husband and I recently moved into has nothing growing in the yard except dirt and weeds. Observe the beautiful yard we bought! ;-) Not even very many weeds. I have volunteered to landscape the whole thing. I love to garden - to research what plants will grow here in our short, but somewhat hot summers, what will tolerate the very intense sun, what will do well with very little watering. I made my plan, made a list of plants I wanted, found the best deals and today bought my plants! Very exciting!

All I have left to do is buy soil amendment, work that into the ground, build up my slightly raised beds, move the rocks into place, and then my lovely plants can go into the ground. I sure hope this turns out looking nice. You can be the judge as I make progress. 

Hautacam morning

Tim and I got up at 5:00 a.m. to watch today's stage of the Tour de France live. As usual, it was a wonderful morning! We love doing this - getting up before the sun, first thing making a pot of coffee, and watching the riders work their way up and down some gruesome mountains. There's something very magical and intimate about doing this. We've done it for years and it brings us much joy. Can't really express it!

The Tour is progressing in its usual way with great battles, unexpected stage wins, amazing cooperation between riders, teamwork of an unusual kind, sacrifice, suffering, nobility - all the stuff that makes us cycling fans. On with the show!

Questions

The little, downtown church my husband and I attend had a women's retreat in the mountains this weekend. It turned out that only 5 of us went, but that allowed us to have really nice, intimate conversation. I enjoyed my time with the ladies, but seem to have returned home with more questions than answers. 

What might God be calling me to give up in my life, turn over to him? 

Since God encourages us in the Bible to tell him the desires of our hearts, when does one stop praying for that desire and just say, "God, do whatever you want. I will be at peace with that."

How do I work with God to change unhealthy habits and thought processes that seem to be deeply imbedded within me? How do I work on transforming my mind?

How do we really build intimate, authentic, very personal community with each other within the scope of both new and already established relationships, our busy lives, different personalities and priorities? When does this effort go from trying to foster community to forcing the issue?

How much of my spouse's undesirable personality traits (or just plain bad habits) do I try to influence for the better? Am I completely without responsibility for him if we are supposed to be a team, and I believe that God has called me to be his help-mate?

All this stuff is floating around today. I'd better spend some time thinking, praying, studying on some of these questions. I think, too, I'd like to have some conversations with other women about these things and see what they have to say. Send me your thoughts. I'd love to read them!

Look what I did!

Well, I'm actually getting to work on the house...just like I said I needed and wanted to. I have to admit - I am quite proud of myself for this first task I've accomplished! 

At the back of my house, I have a lovely sunroom. Really, it is a greenhouse attached to the house. It has windows that only open partway, a ceiling full of skylights, and has no insulation. Only problem with this is that in the summer it is like an oven...and all that heat soaks into the rest of my house. You see, the doors between the sunroom and the kitchen are interior quality French doors - quite pretty, but very little insulative value. What did I do? I bought a very inexpensive quilt ($6.00) at a discount store, cut it into curtains and hung myself 2 insulated curtains. I think they are quite pretty, and they're making about a 15' difference in my kitchen on hot summer afternoons! Yeah, me! On to my next project. ;-)

And...they're off!

The names roll off my tongue...Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond, Jan Ulrich, and yes, Lance Armstrong. The 2008 Tour de France started today - 23 days, 4 mountain finishes, 2,175 miles of road before them. This will once again be a feat of almost unimaginable pain, sacrifice, challenge, pride, sweat, tears, teamwork, comradeship, joy and beauty. 

Cycling and the Tour de France comes to the world's stage every July to capture my heart and imagination as I watch these men journey across France on their two-wheeled steeds. I cannot explain why I love it; I can only assert that I truly do. There is something beautiful in the symmetry of the sport...

...the round wheels turning

...the legs and feet moving in circles

...the cyclists riding in one group, snaking around mountain passes 

...their rounded backs

...their legs pumping, the picture of perfect movement...

I admire them, I'm amazed by them, I defend them. For me, this is one of the best parts of summer - the early mornings watching the Tour de France. They're off and I'm thrilled!

Happy 5th of July!

Well, I'm not usually one to get all patriotic on the 4th of July - having grown up in Indonesia and thus having divided loyalties...however...

Last night we went to the Air Force Academy to see the fireworks. That was just a little different from watching them at some park. Being there on a military installation, hearing the newly initiated first-year cadets (called Dooleys) chanting in the background, seeing the Academy's buildings, thinking about what these young men and women have signed themselves up for...that made all those "rockets' red glare" have just a little more meaning to me.

I must say, I am very thankful to live in this country, even at "this time." People are complaining about the economy - why? We can all still afford our cars, eating out every so often, going on even a little vacation, our nice clothes. Are we struggling to put food on the table? Actually, very few Americans are. We're struggling to not fill our closets with shoes.(Yes, I know there are some exceptions to these statements. I am speaking in generalities here!) People are complaining about gas prices - why? We still drive where ever we want, aren't trying all that hard to save on gas. Are we riding to the grocery store that's 2 miles away? Are we walking to the post office? Not many of us. People are complaining about the government - why? We still live in the most free nation on earth where we can criticize to our heart's content, praise when it suits us, vote for our leaders, have a say in at least a little sense.

OK, so some say I shouldn't speak out too loudly on a blog - I might alienate some readers. Others say that is the point of a blog - stir things up! Well, I hope I don't alienate any of you. Just take my opinions with a grain of salt and, if you want, tell me what you think, too. That's the beauty of the U.S. - we can ALL say what we think...and I'll still like you even if we disagree! Have a great weekend!

Beautiful world

I don't think I can write, think, sing, pray, talk enough about the beauty of this world! 

Last night a hard rain in the late afternoon cooled things off considerably, and we awoke this morning to a clear blue sky, cool air, and the prospect of an extraordinary July day. 9:00 a.m and it's only 62'. The city maintains a green that is unusual for this time of year, thanks to our cool summer thus far. Yes, the weeds are flourishing, too, but it is all so lovely that I just can't seem to find a reason to care! Music about my good God pours from my stereo, I wash dishes, I look out the window and have to smile at the leaves twisting in the faint breeze, shining against the sky like tiny pieces of stained glass. 

Life is hard. We all agree on that. There are more challenges than any of us would like, more hard times, more sorrow, more struggle. But on a day like today, it all seems to fall into place and the hard stuff, albeit still present, is pushed to the side for just a few moments and I can look at the beautiful world with a clear heart, clear vision, and a strong sense of the good and benevolent.

Summer days

Got up early and went to the zoo - busy with kids, lots of sunshine, the water fans going full blast. We laughed at the giraffes, hippos and orangutans. Lots of fun! Then this afternoon, just when it was getting good and hot, a heavy rain came in, within about 30 minutes cooling it from 91 to 72. Yeah for Colorado! Summer here is the best in the country - hot in the morning, cool rain in the afternoon. Can't beat that!

Still dreaming

Well, I dreamt again last night about my stolen wedding rings. It's been 9 months, and I'm still missing those rings. I guess that only makes sense as I'd been wearing them for 17 years. I wish my heart didn't still hurt, and tears didn't still come into my eyes thinking about them. They were, after all, pieces of gold and diamond. I've said it all before, so I won't repeat myself about how much they meant, etc. Truth be told, I'm still hurting, and I still hope I'll find them. 

I dreamt that they were not in fact stolen - that one of my cats had played with them and knocked them from my bedside table onto the floor, then scooted them under my bed. What did I do when I first woke up? I moved that bed! Were they there? No. Didn't think so, but it was worth a try. (No, this wasn't the first time I'd looked under the bed. I just thought maybe I'd missed them.)

Oh well, I'll get on with my day, put on my new ring, and remember that it means all the same things the original ones did. The rings are different - how much we love each other, even how we love each other, hasn't changed at all.