View from the Bluff on a Snowy Day

I've reserved Thursdays to be my writing days...I look forward to Thursdays.  It's one of those days that anticipates the weekend not yet here but close.  An entire weekend ahead.

These past few weeks have been....let's say interesting.  In the past nine weekdays, my girls have only been to school four of those days due to the caution of incoming snow and potential icy weather.  This definitely instills an extra dose of patience and flexibility for mothers and fathers.

Some of my favorite memories on the ol' Bluff were snow days.  We didn't have them very often because snow was pretty common in the winter days in Idaho, and we just learned how to drive in it.  But occasionally we got word that we could stay in our pajamas, put on our snow gear after breakfast and a few cartoons, and head outside to enjoy the snow.

Now back in the 1980's when my brother and I were in elementary school, we had snow so deep that we didn't even need sleds.  Remember, I lived on a property that was very conducive to sledding - a bluff that neighboring kids would be green with envy if we had any.  All we needed to do was graze a snow trail down the bluff by sitting on the top of the snow and scoot your way down the bluff until you stopped and......Viola!  A perfect slide down the side of the bluff!

The only catch was that at the bottom of one side of the bluff was a road (that was before Linder Road was so busy) and at the bottom of the other side was a canal, but it was usually pretty empty or frozen over during the winter.  But that didn't stop us.  It was a winter wonderland for my brother and me!

I loved the intermission a snow day brought to the regular routine of school life.  It was like a surprise party for everyone that day!  Well, that's what I thought as a young girl with nothing else to really think about.

But now I'm a mom, and I live in Georgia where snowfall is very rare. I used to make fun of people who would close school down for fear of snow.  That is until we got to experience first hand an ice/snow storm that shut down the entire city of Atlanta and surrounding areas.  It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.  I don't make fun of them anymore...

But yesterday, school was cancelled.  We were told snow was coming.  We waited...and waited. We ran errands, organized some play dates or I should say for my 13 year old - "hang out" time with friends, and then about 5:00 pm it happened. Big white, fluffy flakes began to fall from the sky.

Everything stopped...

I couldn't help but stare out the window and recall all those treasured memories with my big brother on the snowy bluff.  

Our Georgia home is much different than the bluff.  Instead of looking down at trees below, here in Georgia I'm looking up at hundreds of towering trees.  Trees that have been here for awhile, and I wish they could talk.  I have so many questions to ask them. 

Did you see General Grant's men come through here during the Civil War?  Who traveled through these parts and sat in your shade?  Sometimes I catch myself talking to my neighbor's big oak tree as if it could speak back to me. If only he could talk. (Maybe I should name him?) 

I always wanted to visit the South.  I never thought I'd actually live here, but here is where God has brought us.  I didn't get a wrap-around porch like I've always dreamed of, but instead my house has a wrap-around forest, filled with wildlife and adventure.

I look out the window again at the large flakes that are now sticking to the ground.  My three girls have been waiting all day for snow to arrive on this "snow day".  

I ask myself, "Why did God make snow?"  

I giggle to myself when I think of a script from the Skit Guys when they describe snow as angels shampooing their hair.

I hear the hallway closet doors fly open. Girls hollering, "Mom, where's my..."  I don't move.  I keep quiet.  I'm in a nice cozy position where I can watch the snow fall through the front windows of the house as well as see it come down in the back yard.  It's the perfect spot.

The day was filled with mundane and ordinary....but once the snow began to fall everything changed...  

I...took a mental trip back to the bluff.  

My girls...piled on any snow clothes they could find or still fit into and bolted out with excitement and anticipation.  Sisters who were earlier a nuisance and a bother became companions of fun. Giggling ensued. This third snow day, which was viewed as another interruption in my schedule, became an opportunity to give myself permission to set aside my to-do list and take IN the moment with my family.

Why does God give us snow?

Perhaps just to give us an intermission in the monotony of life.

     Maybe to simply hear the "ooh's" and "aw's" of hearts amazed by his creation.

            Could it be that He wants to give us a change in scenery, a new color                                                 that changes our perspective.

I think God gives us snow to quiet us. 

This is what I love about snow...have you ever just listened to the earth nestled in a blanket of snow? 

It's still...there is a hush that is surreal as if the ground and it's inhabitants are sleeping. The forest is quiet, there are no cars driving by, no distractions, you can only hear stillness...if that can be heard. 

This naturally draws my soul to be still too.  
And opens my eyes to see God's grand artwork right in my backyard.

It's not the bluff.  It has different beauties, unique sceneries that I am quick to miss because it isn't the bluff I grew up on.  But then I remember, this is the property my girls will remember on snow days.  They won't remember blazing a trail along the side of the bluff like I did, but they will remember exploring the thick forest in their backyard. 

They will have memories of finding artifacts in the ground, collecting wood for our family campfires...

 using a fallen tree as a bridge to cross the drain ditch...

 and perfecting their back flip on the trampoline.

Different terrains...different childhoods...yet both filled with moments and memories that make us who we are in our adult years. 

Even though these past few weeks have been interrupted with more non-snow days than snow days....my to-do list is growing by the minute.....I've got to keep the family fed and fulfill wife & mommy duties.....and write a message on "making an offering" to share this coming Sunday, I'm so thankful God gave us snow to just hush the busyness, to still the urgent things that are seldom important, and make lasting moments with the important things that are seldom urgent. 

The View from the Bluff on a snowy day has helped me embrace these interruptions and celebrate them as "surprise parties"! 

Leftovers for Lunch

I worked for a health doctor about a year ago and frequently I'm asked, "So what did you eat for lunch today?" or "What types of dinners do you make for your family?" or "What do you put in your kids' lunches?" I think the reason for that is because there are so many foods we know we should not eat (the majority of which are in our grocery stores today), and it is more difficult and time consuming to find healthy food choices for our family. We are all looking for ideas on what to eat?  Me too!

While I'm trying my best to learn about foods & eating healthier, I will be the first to admit that I'm not a die-hard, rigid, by-the-book health freak.  I still occasionally buy yummy pasta & Marie Calendar's lemon meringue pie.  I'm just a wife & mom trying to raise the odds (which are stacked against us today with the American diet) for my family to live long, healthy, & full lives especially in a very busy season of life for us. 

So what DID I have for lunch today?  The answer is...leftovers.  While all those business people are eating out for lunch today, this in-home working mom made a healthy meal of leftovers that some might even envy.

I pulled out of the refrigerator all the leftovers from Monday & Tuesday. And this is what happened:

1. I cut up some leftover grilled Organic chicken and heated it in a skillet with a blob of coconut oil (I know "blob" isn't a professional word, but it's a good description of what it looks like).

2. I added some leftover cooked carrots.

3. Then added crushed cashews & cilantro (a natural detox ingredient):

4. Melt Kerry Gold cheese on top, team it up with a cup of Organic Butternut Squash Bisque from Costco, and a sweet dessert called grapes, and VOILA! - A great meal with healthy fats, protein, and veggies!

See what you can make with your leftovers!

I'm really excited to share more healthy food ideas and recipes I've found in various places....especially during this LENT season when a lot of people are giving up earthly cravings like sweets, desserts, coffee, breads, & pastas to draw themselves toward Heavenly cravings.  God will always satisfy our hunger!

STOP...TAKE...NOTICE: Meet Mandolin Mike!

This past weekend I was invited to join a group of women in Nashville, TN.  Since I was in town several hours early, I decided to take a walk downtown Nashville.  I grabbed my sunglasses and packed up my camera bag with the thrill of capturing some Nashville sights and take in some great "people watching". When does a mom like me get to do that for a few hours!

I didn't get far.  I walked out of my hotel and there across the street at an art museum was a metal artwork of roses. But what caught my attention was what was in front of it.  On concrete balls like you'd see at Target was written the words:  STOP. TAKE. NOTICE.

So I did. And I took a picture of it...

I walked on...five blocks and found myself in "Honky Tonk Central".  Now remember my claim to fame is that "I was country when country wasn't cool" just like my mentor Barbara Mandrell sang back in 1981. That was when I wore my cowboy boots back on the bluff with cut-off jeans and a stick horse that could run as fast as my little legs could carry the both of us! 

But in the depths of this Honky Tonk town, I didn't see many cowboy boots or hats or "howdy, partners".   I did notice a dad pulling his car over and six college-aged girls get out and head directly to a restaurant crowded with people. 

I did notice construction that shut off an entire block of the road.  They were building a stage from one intersection to the other.  

"What's going on here?" I asked.  The young man replied, "Oh, Sports Illustrated is coming in for a show and a tent will cover this entire stage."  I had gotten a tip from a police officer earlier on my walk about this.  I asked the man again, "Is this show for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models?" He looked down and gave me a Southern-style response, "Yes, ma'am."  

I kept on walking.  I was excited to head to the Walk of Fame park and find Dolly Parton and take a picture of her name with my foot. (I don't know why I like the foot shots bloggers do. I just do.)  But it too was under construction.  No park. No names. And no picture of Dolly Parton's name next to my foot.

Disappointed...I continued my walk, and that's when I noticed him...Mandolin Mike.  His original cowboy hat caught my attention as he played his mandolin on the street side for all to hear.  He was so engrossed in his music that I didn't want to interrupt, but I finally did ask his permission to take his picture. 

Without missing a note he said, "You should take a picture of the people who are walking by that don't appreciate the art of what this place is all about."  I was taken back.  I didn't know what to say, but to drop a bill in his mandolin case and ask again for his picture.  He said I could have taken the picture without the donation and thanked me.  

After a few more minutes, he stopped playing...I knew this was my chance to ask him a few questions, and that's all it took for Mike to begin sharing his heart with me.  He has been a street musician for over 17 years, and he began to explain how much music and this city meant to him.  He shared with me what country music and this town used to be, its roots, its purpose, what it stood for from the beginning, and who built the foundations of it.  His frustration was very visible as he talked about people missing the point, taking the history and the art of country music for granted, coming only to the city of Nashville to satisfy themselves through various means.

Mandolin Mike passionately said:

  "People have lost seeing the art, and you can't be an artist unless you're authentic and original, and what I mean by original is that you remember where you came from. No one cares anymore about being authentic and original."

Numerous people continued to walk by us with another destination in mind.  A few friends called out to Mike, and he always stopped to say hello back and receive their greeting with a tilt of the head as cowboys do. 

I realized I was sitting in a classroom, and Mandolin Mike was my teacher.

Mike was talking about the music and the city he loves, and even though I love good ol' country music of the 70's & 80's, God used his words to speak new truth to me.

"Do I remember where I came from?"

In a physical sense, it would be the bluff in Idaho I grew up on. The childhood moments I got to experience because of the hard work and the sacrifice of a young couple willing to pay the price to raise my brother and I in a good home.

In a spiritual sense, do I remember where I came from? This question is a bit harder for me.  I knew at age 6 that God was real and had called me to follow Him.  I don't have an amazing transformational testimony of what I was before I met Jesus and who I was after, but....I CAN imagine where I would be today if I hadn't had Jesus in my life at a young age.  It stops me in my tracks, and it is easy to take notice of a real God working in the midst of my life all these years, which can be easily overlooked.

There is something freeing about asking yourself Mike's question.  Looking back at your roots, the sacrifices others have made for you, the evidence of God's fingerprints.  It's humbling.  It's rich.  It creates a life-giving grateful heart.

What am I passing by?  Who am I not noticing? 

I could have missed meeting Mike like so many others that afternoon. 

Am I so busy keeping up with what everyone else is doing and being, that I'm not only missing those around me, but I'm forgetting myself? 

As Mike said, I can't be an artist unless I'm being original & authentic, and that comes from remembering where I came from.

Isn't it interesting that the STOP TAKE NOTICE visual at the beginning of my journey that day was in front of an art museum?

Thank you, Mandolin Mike, for your lesson that took me back once again to the bluff & God's life lessons for me. I hope I never lose the art of noticing!

See Mandolin Mike for yourself here.

I also learned that STOP TAKE NOTICE is all over the Metro area of Nashville to promote pedestrian safety after a young girl by the name of Elena was hit by a truck in 2013 just a couple blocks from the hotel I stayed in. Their efforts are to get the word out about driver & pedestrian safety, raise awareness, and honor their beautiful friend Elena.

Looking Back

You learn a lot about yourself when looking back...

Looking back...I loved garage sales!  Yard sales. And even more so...estate sales!

They were unexpected surprises while driving down the road.  Spontaneous adventures with suspense...what treasures can I find with the little change in my purse?  And wondering, how generous would my mom be...I better be really sweet! To this day, my mom and I can't pass up a good garage sale!

I loved to collect items & decor for my bedroom at those sales.  I would often rearrange all my bedroom furniture & redecorate it before my mom had any idea of what I had been doing.  One phase I went through was cutting out pages of my Seventeen Magazines (1988-1989) and tape them up on my wall in quite an orderly fashion.

I'm glad I didn't decide to go into fashion design! 

(and you probably are too)

During the summer months of college years, I'd spend time finding more treasures for my dorm room, spray painting anything I could spruce up a bit, piecing things together to make the perfect home away from home.

Is it any wonder that I now find myself rearranging decor in my house, staging it in a new way that makes it feel like a new room or piece of furniture, and then just for fun, taking a picture of it? For what? I didn't know.  I just thought I was kinda weird.

It comes down to this...I like to do it!  It's energizing for me!  It fills me! 

At first, I would put myself down for spending so much time on frivolous things like this, calling myself a name - a "perfectionist" (which wasn't a positive trait in my mind). So instead of enjoying something that brought me joy as a young girl...I felt shunned. 

And I was the shunner!  

That is until I took the Strength-Finder test and one of my top 5 strengths was an "arranger".  (Not a forest ranger; someone who likes to arrange things) It described myself so succinctly it was scary, yet it made me feel normal. However, it was exactly what I needed to give myself permission to be myself and embrace the strengths God had given me....instead of condemning myself.

I think when we are small we just do what our heart desires;

 what our heart, spirit, and mind moves us to do.  

It's natural. It's fun. It's us in a nutshell.  

And then we grow up and do what we think us adults are supposed to do or "should" do, and we forget what passions stirred our hearts from the beginning.  Then at mid-life we start asking ourselves, "who am I?"  

Hence the reason to look back......at yourself and remember the things that made your heart beat a little faster and put a bounce in your step and a smile on your face without you even knowing.

So...(the Southerners here call this my northern accent) I'm going to keep on rearranging and staging random decor around my house and strangely take pictures of it. But now I have a place to share them, and I have this blog to remind me (and you) to celebrate the strengths God has given each of us!

Here is a staging tribute to my Mom & Dad 

who frequently took my brother and I to sales & auctions every open Saturday.

(Mom, who looks like Shirley Temple, in between her parents

and Dad on the right in his favorite reindeer shirt)