Touch ups

It’s time for a touch up. Actually, it’s way past time. In fact, I’m not sure when these vintage pieces got their last one. What I DO know is that I can only hope that the paint I’m using this time lasts as long and performs as well as the previous touch up.

This isn’t a task I do with a specific regularity or timeline. In fact, if they were still at my previous country-cottage home in Georgia, their chippy paint still wouldn’t merit a second glance from me or any of my visitors. The more private, tree-covered garden setting there meant they weren’t on public display. In fact, a few of these pieces haven’t been painted since I bought them–and I loved their already weathered patina on sight.

I still love it…but, while their purpose remains the same, their setting has changed. This mid-century classic house and yard have a more formal attitude and these pieces now reside on the busy corner of a city block.

We are all, once again, country come to town here–and, that means some things will need to change. Oh, it won’t be in the “essentials” of personality, purpose, or general points of view, but the occasionally spruced up wardrobe seems to be required…for the furniture, at least. This town is extremely laid back and casual, so almost anything goes for the humans here. I like that.

Without the cover of all those Georgia pines and old growth oaks, however, we’re going to need some shade around the pool here this summer. I found a great end-of-season deal on some crisp and clean cream-colored umbrellas last year…and they look entirely too new and shiny against all of the rustic, chippy layers with multiple colors making their appearance along with plenty of dust and more than a sprinkling of lichen. Hence the painting party.

Naturally, all this touching up has made me think, though, of how we so often grow comfortable in our settings, attitudes, and our casual displays of who we’re called to be. We forget, sometimes, that there’s a whole world watching and they may only get an idea about who Jesus is by what we show them. Furthermore, in all of our comfort, we forget that we have a moment-by-moment need for staying in touch with the One who loves us most.

I thought about the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5. After 12 years of suffering and being told to hide in private so as not to create problems for others, she pushed past people and “propriety” for just a touch of the hem on the Master’s garment.

She just needed a touch up.

She wasn’t concerned about how it looked or what other people thought. It turns out, the people around her didn’t even know she was there, but Jesus did. He noticed. He stopped. He healed her. He called out to her and He validated her faith.

I think that’s something we could all probably use. Our issues may not be visible or public knowledge, but we all have them. Don’t wait. Reach out to Him today. He’s just as willing to help us as He was to help her. HIS touch ups make all the difference in the world…and when others see the difference He makes in us, hopefully, they will reach out to Him, too.

Grace and Peace!

The pile

This is a picture of the pile of yard debris out by my curb. It contains several very dead branches from a boxwood, a tall, young oak tree that decided to spring up in the center of said boxwood, a bit of unproductive azalea, multiple branches of holly that were trying to become bushes again (that stuff will NOT die!), and a significant number of nandinas cut down this past Saturday. It makes quite the pile. By the time this is published, the pile will have been removed by the city workers to wherever it is that they take such things here and the curb area will be clean again.

The pile is actually pretty. There’s not a single thing in it that I haven’t, at some point in the past, used in a floral arrangement and sent out to bring cheer to someone I love.

What makes this time different? Location, timing, and knowledge.

If I had to guess, those are some of the same criteria I believe God uses when He starts the pruning process in my life…and, maybe, yours, too.

Some of the things in my pile looked pretty good in place, but they were dangerous to other living things. Some were thorny and could injure those who got too close. Others had already passed their usefulness and were simply taking up space required for new growth.

Again, I know God sees some of those same things in me. He, alone, knows the best times for the removal of those attitudes, actions, and beliefs that need to change–even if they might have been useful at some point in our past. When I grant Him full access, His activity in my life is a cause for celebration and brings me closer to the picture of what He has planned for my best interests…even if the pruning process isn’t usually all that comfortable…or pretty.

What if we looked at our current areas of discomfort for guidelines of what God might be choosing to prune for our growth instead of assuming “it’s the other guy’s fault” and joining in the fray? What if we trusted and cooperated instead of growing angry and frustrated? What if we chose peace instead of the pile?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.“ John 15: 1-4 (NIV)

Grace and Peace!

On Easter Monday

I’m so grateful that Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday BOTH lead to Easter Monday. It reminds me that beyond the pain and betrayal,

the separation and the darkness,

the questions and the grief…

and, yes, even beyond the wonder and the celebration…

there is Monday.

Monday is the day for picking back up again that which was laid aside, for starting over, for beginning again, THIS time in the knowledge that we can now say, “Thank You!” for our forgiveness instead of, “I hope so. Maybe? What else do I need to do? It’s all on me.” Our world is changed and all things can be made whole again.

Begin anew and celebrate the immeasurable gift of grace.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!“

2 Corinthians 9:15 (CSB)

Grace and Peace!

Up close and personal

Despite the fact that I needed to cover up some new and fragile vegetation to protect it from the below-freezing overnight temperatures, this afternoon’s sunshine did more than just coax me outside. It made me want to start some Springtime cleanup. I grabbed my handy little leaf blower and decided to renew my acquaintance with the sidewalk and patio space just outside the back door.

I found more than a few plump worms along the way as I shifted the fallen leaf detritus from sidewalk to the grassy patch underneath my big Jane magnolia. I noticed how the fallen petals were turning brown to match the live oak leaves that the wind had transferred from front to back yard and I sorely missed the previously pink and white carpet from just a few days ago. I had been enjoying it by going no further than the edge of the backdoor steps for several days.

Suddenly, I caught sight of a small, bright purple violet at the edge of the walkway…which then drew my eyes to the HUNDREDS that bloomed quite happily amidst the fading pink and white petals I had just lamented. The violets weren’t blooming the the last time I looked and they’re so small as to render them invisible from a distance, so I mistakenly decided that there was nothing else to see.

I couldn’t have been more wrong, but as God’s handiwork so often does, these beautiful, tiny works of art almost immediately brought Scripture to mind:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.“

Jeremiah 29:13

Be it God’s handiwork or God Himself, seeking is an important part of finding. I’ve been looking all over for some sign of ground-blooming beauty on this place that was big enough to grab my attention from a distance. We always see better when we get close up and personal.

What are you looking for today? God is waiting and He’s not hiding, but sometimes we keep our distance and we miss His perfect beauty and find it easy to ignore His Presence.

Let’s not do that anymore.

Grace and Peace–and Happy Tuesday!

Practicing Patience?

While she snipped and snipped to significantly shorten the hair on my head, we chatted about the ice storm that locked our area (and so many others) down for almost a week last month. My hairdresser has lived here for several years, so it wasn’t as big of a surprise to her although it also wasn’t any less of an inconvenience. She shared that we could probably expect at least one more round of ice before winter truly started to retreat.

I took her words to heart. I had heard similar predictions beforehand. So, naturally, within an hour after my hair appointment, I went wandering through the gardening section of a local big box store. They still had the overhead heaters blowing warm air otside, much the delight of several small and chirpy birds. They were right to be so chirpy! It felt really good.

I looked at the big planters and the seed and bulbs section which promised, “EASY care color all summer long!” I checked out some of their new outdoor cushions and even took a turn down the aisles where they had pool supplies last season. I get this way every year. I think it may actually be genetic. My favorite photo of my maternal grandmother is one of her during the winter…perusing a bulb catalog and planning for the days when it would finally be time to plant. She loved to garden more than anyone else I ever met–and my paternal grandmother was no slouch in that category, either! One carefully planned her next growing opportunity and the other stepped outside, dug a hole where she could squeeze one in–and things just started to grow. I think either one could have planted a stick and gotten a forest.

I went. I wandered. I wanted–REALLY wanted…and I waited. As much as I want to start digging in the dirt in this new place, this is not the time for it. I don’t even have a good idea of a plan yet! I’m still trying to figure out my vision for this new place! Plopping plants destined for another freeze into holes before I find out what else might be there just doesn’t make sense right now. At last! I finally understand that! (with deep apologies to the many, many plants which died in vain because I didn’t wait!)

Patience is, by necessity, the order of the day…or is this actually resignation? (Ha!) Either way, I’m calling it patience and celebrating that as a win since that’s not always my strong suit. God, help me!

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.“

Ecclesiastes 3:11

May I also be in tune with the timing of other things in my life as I wait on You, Father, to show me Your plan! Help me to wait on You in ways that are wise and bring glory to Your Name.

Grace and Peace!–and Patience?

Color palette

Happy Friday! It turns out that God knows a little bit about color combinations. Who knew?! 🤔😂

Go see what beauty He has placed where YOU can see it this weekend–and feel free to share!

Grace and Peace!

Noticing November–Day 21

I decided to take a different route on my walk the other day. As I strolled through a nearby park, I kept my eyes on alert for all kinds of details: the terrain, nearby walkers, playground equipment, plant life, and the possibility of some of those vindictive squirrels who might still be holding a grudge over the fact that I just took down that big pecan tree. (As Mrs. Kathryn says, “You nevah know!” 😉)

I saw much of what I expected. That generally happens, of course. We all have that in common: we tend to see what we look for, whether it is positive or negative, happy or sad, silly or serious–or, in my case, perhaps, a little bit twisted.

It becomes a habit to look for the “familiar” in unfamiliar places and situations. Doing so helps us feel more comfortable because we know how to handle that, whatever that is.

While I’m not generally a fan of big surprises, there’s still a part of me that delights in finding something unexpected among the familiar. Such was the case of finding the small baby blue heart painted on a pine tree along the path in the park. You all know I look for hearts in nature, but this one really made me smile. Someone I don’t know left a message and I received it.

As we gather in our various ways and places to celebrate later this week, consider looking for, noticing, and celebrating unexpected delights. Perhaps you might even think about creating a few to be found by someone else who needs to be delighted this season in ways they haven’t even voiced to themselves yet. It doesn’t have to be permanent, extravagant, baby blue, or even heart-shaped, but it does need to be intentional. (Painted hearts don’t just pop up on pine trees all by themselves, you know!)

Help someone notice and take delight in the season! I’d say that’s a challenge worth taking.

Grace and Peace–and NO Complaints!

Noticing November–Day 16

I am both delighted and highly entertained by friends who referenced Chip and Dale and one’s gleefully imagined “Caddyshack”-style retribution (oh, Linda, I wish! 🤣😂) after reading yesterday’s post! I do live in town now so, of course, my responses must be less…violently engaging. Ha! However, the saga of the giant pecan tree continues…

Part 2

Once we realized that pecans from our giant tree wouldn’t be a part of our future, things began to change around here. With our delight in the tree already significantly diminished, God sent us further into the Autumn season. The pecan leaves turned a GLORIOUS yellow-gold! They were absolutely and incredibly beautiful!!

We had ample opportunity to admire them closely since they plummeted to the ground with every puff of wind and scamper of squirrel. It absolutely rained stunningly beautiful golden pecan leaves…and small to medium-sized limbs…and the remains of a few partially eaten pecans that the squirrels had somehow missed or hidden around the tree tops.

I had known it before, but had never personally experienced it until then: live pecan wood is absolutely beautiful, but it is also weak. My history of simply passing the magnificent groves in south Georgia and seeing the limbs piled at the ends of the rows still didn’t properly prepare me to deal with 1 giant pecan tree on a small, fenced city lot. With actual rain in short supply, the leaves and limbs fell faster than I could keep them blown off the roof, the patio…OR out of the pool.

You know, I mentioned that great big leaf canopy yesterday and the fact that portions of it extended out to shade part of our house and the pool. That was a good thing, I guess, since our neighbors’s trees extended out and over the fence and reached over the pool on the other side. It seemed a competition had been declared to see which one could drop leaves and debris faster than the others.

All things considered, I probably pulled almost as many leaves out of the pool as I blew off the patio and raked into piles. I noticed this because by the time I could schedule an earlier than desired pool closing, we were doing 2-3 cleanouts per day! It was never enough to stay current, much less get ahead.

Given the inherently weak nature of the branches which extended over both house and pool and raised the damage quotient for potential winter storms, a desire for extended pool use and reduced damage to the pumps, the lack of pecans for pies or freezer, and my aversion for repetitive daily chores (along with, perhaps, a smidge of that Caddyshack revenge-thing going through my brain), the decision was made: the giant pecan tree must go.

There’s no sense in just trimming it back, as there is simply no upside to keeping it…outside of my stated love of trees and my absolute frustration at taking down such a large and perfectly healthy one that gave such beautifully dappled loopshade…with the well-armed and vengeful squirrels, and the leaves, and the sap, and the…ok, yes. It has to go. Hating the idea of it doesn’t change plan for it.

And, so we have prepped for the removal of the giant pecan tree. A very large tarp now covers the entire pool in an attempt to further protect it from more wayward leaves and the inevitable sawdust.

Vintage furniture has been removed to the side yards. Plants in pots have been relocated. Prayers have been prayed and pictures have been taken to memorialize the giant pecan tree on the small city lot The crane will soon be in place and the saws will roar to life.

By the time you read this post, the giant pecan tree will be gone and there will be a MASSIVE hole in the sky. My heart will be broken despite what my head knows and I will, hopefully, have managed to wait until the tree guys leave before I cry. We shall see. Either way, I am as prepped for the event as I can be.

Pray for us. Please. Knowing all we know, it is still hard to lose a living creation–especially one this size.

Grace and Peace–and even still, NO Complaints!

Noticing November–Days 10-12

“He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.” (And, also for the city)

Job 5:10 (and me)

This day is overcast and rainy…decidely autumnal…and definitely needed. It’s been a minute (or 17) since we last received rain in our area, so this slow drop and drizzle feels like the perfect gift from above: enough to refresh without overwhelm. God always knows what we need and His timing is perfect even when we’re in a rush to receive whatever it is that He seems to withold. I know this from experience even when I occasionally chafe against it.

Wherever and in whatever weather you find yourself this weekend, remember to notice the beauty God has provided for us in abundance…and be grateful. Share your thanksgiving with those around you and help them to notice it with you!

Grace and Peace–and NO Complaints!

Stopped in my

I took this picture yesterday of my “treat for the day” to myself: playing with soil, leftover garden center flowers, vintage mixed metals, and pure joy. (Yes, I know. I need to sweep up the fallen detritus from the nearby trees, but that’s a LOT further down my list of things to do this week!)

I’m still unpacking boxes and searching out new places to put “all the things.” Boxes–full, empty, or broken down flat–are piled or propped in almost every room. Even so, there are a lot fewer of them than there used to be!! Praise the Lord!–in ALL sincerity!

I highly recommend moving just as a reminder to stop and think before you buy the next whatever-it-is you think you need. The realization that you will actually need to touch (and LIFT!) every single thing you own multiple times during the packing and unpacking process is a sobering one. The fact that I can write that sentence even as I have a running list of stuff I still “need” for this house boggles my mind.

In any case, although I emptied many, MANY boxes yesterday, I also made some time for play! For me, that meant I hooked up my bright, shiny red water hoses and set up a place to pot and repot plants. I hung windchimes in the front and back to compete with the beautiful church bells from across the way–and help mitgate some of construction noises going on around me. I arranged and rearranged boxes and boxes of books all while waiting on Amazon to deliver even more.

Throughout the weeks of this process, I have–over and over!–quite literally been stopped in my tracks by the grace and the greatness of God. This move, more than all the previous ones, has been an incredible illustration of the One who never changes and yet makes all things new…or maybe I’m just finally able to appreciate it in this nothing-like-I-would-have-ever-imagined and yet, quite possibly exactly-what-we-need-next place. I am surrounded by the intimately known and the totally unfamiliar all in the same moment.

I am so grateful that God has a plan for my good even when I’m still trying to find my way through all of excitement and the chaos of this process.

Wherever you find yourself today, I pray that you, too, will be stopped in your tracks by God’s loving care for you, that your heart–and maybe even your voice!–will sing for the joy of that realization, and that you will be filled with His peace…no matter what chaos might surround you.

Grace and Peace!