Thursday, June 30, 2011

with what feature do you lead?

i just finished tracy chevalier's remarkable creatures and found it
to be unremarkable but loved the perceptive introduction of her
characters.  she maintains that ones leading feature reveals ones
dominant characteristic.

her protagonist, mary anning, "leads with her eyes. . . that are
button brown and bright, and have a fossil hunter's tendency to
look for something."  her father enters with "his sharp, shapely
nose pinning her to the spot like a dart."

the heart breaker of the book, colonel birch, has such a thick,
wavy head of hair that he is always bowing to show it off.   "i
have never trusted a man who leads with his hair."

i lead with the proverbial big toe, testing the temperature of the
water before i jump in.



when we were newlyweds, we had no idea how many children
we wanted.  we took them one at a time and enjoyed them so
much, they just kept right on coming.  we have been visiting a
rustic colorado mountain town for 25 years and cherish every
visit.  my husband has asked me many times if i would like to
have a home there, but i have declined.



but, four or five years ago, i agreed . . . to a tiny condo on the
side of the mountain to just put in my big toe.  it has been the
most joyful experience since having all those babies, so now we
have built a cabin on the top of a ridge, surrounded by the
mountains we love.  i guess we have jumped in with both feet.

"how lovely on the mountains are the feet of them who bring
good news."   isaiah 52:7

with what feature do you lead?

love,
lea

ps.  this is an edited repost from one year ago.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

in the trenches

dear emily,

there has been no rain for 7 days, and my newly planted trees are
distressed from the sun and wind.  since i have no outside water
source yet, i have been filling a bucket from the nearby pond and
lugging it to each tree.  not a practical way to water, but it might
help my flabby arms.

this morning i dug tiny trenches from the stream to each tree.   it
was lovely watching the water escape its boundary and become  a
new tributary winding its way to my poor dry trees.   also, once i
became good and muddy, i began to have more fun.  my little dog
kept looking up at me as if to say, "does your mom know what
we're doing?"



love,
lea

"for I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.

they will will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams."
isaiah 44:3,4


Monday, June 20, 2011

time flies

my very wise son, isaac, remarked recently that it's not just fun
stuff that makes time fly but activities that consume us.   he was
using the illustration of taking a test that required all his
attention and realizing that four hours passed so quickly.

he wouldn't exactly call that test, 'fun', but the time sure flew.

today i scrubbed, made beds, and organized my home for hours,
but it sped by like minutes.  the back of my hands are sore and
chafed, but i didn't even notice them when it happened.

i feel full, fat, and happy, but none if it was really 'fun'.



why do we seek  'fun' so desperately?  it would be better to 
search for good, hard work that yields satisfying results, i think.  or better yet do what our Lord so beautifully urged, "seek first His kingdom and His 
righteousness, and all these things will be added . . . " mt. 6:33

i always wanted to say "selah",
lea

Saturday, June 11, 2011

in the bag

dear emily,

i love to read what famous women carry in their purses, partly
for ideas to make my life more fabulous :)  but mostly out of
curiosity.

katy perry's bag contains 'diva' nails, sunglasses, la mer face
cream (my favorite), and her own perfume, "katy perry."

jennifer aniston includes bobbi brown cheek tint, chanel lip
gloss, loreal nutrileum serum, and her own perfume, "jennifer
aniston."

hillary clinton carries chili flakes, a medical kit, and mineral
water mist.  what?  no "hillary clinton" perfume?

my favorite is helen mirren's . . . reading glasses and I.D.  you
gotta' love her.

isn't it revealing, really, what we carry in our bags?  mine
always contains socks for my frigid feet, lip gloss for my dry
lips, moisturizer for my dehydrated wrinkles, and a teeny bible
for my cold, hard heart.   my father in law gave me 50 of these
25 years ago.



so, what's in your wallet?

love,
lea

"as water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."
proverbs 27:19