Saturday 11.24

Thanksgiving leftovers, wrapped up in a tortilla because that's how I roll (pun mostly unintended)

A rosemary "tree" on the counter
Potting soil under my fingernails
Drizzles and gray sky
Peppermint hand soap
A quick shopping trip downtown (progress on the Christmas list!)
Running into Tamara and Josh on said shopping trip
Parking in front of my house because the road work is done at last
Watching dusk fall from my living room window
Scraping an old picture off the glass it was stuck to, so a new one could be put in the frame
Hot cereal with cranberries, walnuts, and butternut squash
Snow shovel purchased to replace the old one (a purchase which caused a moderate amount of anxiety - what makes a good snow shovel?  There were at least eight to choose from, and I have no experience making such a purchase...)
Christmas carols

One Last Hurrah

Here's one last post of pretty fall leaves (pictures were from a couple weeks ago, but I didn't get around to posting them).

Thanksgiving was lovely.

We brunched, we watched movies, we snacked, we chatted, we drank coffee, we ate dinner, we laughed, we stayed up late.

I had a twinge of sadness when we finished the last movie and it was time to head to bed.

With Thanksgiving behind us now, however, I feel free to enter fully into the winter/Christmas season with no judgment (real or imagined) from others.

I puttered around the house today, eating leftovers, enjoying the quiet, re-organizing, tucking fall things away and making room for more wintry things.

A decent chunk of Christmas shopping is also done now - blessed relief.  Giving is fun; last minute decisions about giving stress me out.

I find myself thinking ahead, not so much to Christmas day itself (yet), but to Advent.

It's my favorite part of the holiday season.  The waiting, the anticipation, the remembering...

I have several Advent blog posts planned, so I won't spoil them by going on any more right now. :)

I resolved to light my candles more often this fall and winter - it's such a tiny thing, but it does so much for the mood of one's home.  L'ambiance.  (Imagine me saying that in an exaggerated French accent, because that's what I would do if you were here.)

Dried-orange-and-bay-leaf garland is strung up in the kitchen for a little festive touch.  I've never dried oranges before and they didn't turn out perfectly, but hey, first times can be practice, right?

I pulled out my tiny wintry basket today and set it on the counter to inspire me.  I'm not sure where things will end up, but I'm looking forward to decorating a bit.

Farewell, fall; welcome, winter!

20 Things I'm Thankful For

Big and little, in no particular order -

1. Unexpected beauty, like these dried hydrangea flowers that I saw on the ground yesterday and scooped up.

2. Sweet friends that I get to spend Thanksgiving with.

3. Snuggly, squishy babies in the nursery this morning.

4. God's Word in my own language.  What would I do if I didn't have this?  It's something I can't even wrap my mind around.

5. Bacon.  (For tomorrow's brunch.  And also always.)

6. My nieces and nephews.  I love every single one of them and each makes my heart happy in his or her own way.

7. Home and holiday inspiration from The Nester.

8. Neighbors and nearby friends for questions like, "Do you have any garlic?"  "Can I borrow some coconut?"  "Got an egg I could use?"  For some reason this feels especially wonderful during holiday meal prep.

9. Laughter.

10. Homemade cranberry sauce with orange, cinnamon, cloves, and honey.  The house smells so wonderful right now!

11. Songs about Emmanuel.

12. A warm home, clothes, and plenty of food.

13. The ability our brains have to hold so many memories.  A certain smell, a song, the way the sky looks, can whisk us away to another point in time almost instantly - I love that.

14. Peace in a crazy world, because of Christ.

15. A 4 ½ day weekend!  So, so excited for the break.

16. My family and church family.

17. Five senses through which I can experience the world around me.

18. My car alarm has been fixed!!!

19. Earlier nightfall, which makes it easier to go to bed earlier and get more much-needed rest.

20. Jesus, the truest and kindest Friend I could ever hope for.

Saturday 11.17

Snowflakes swirling through the air

A country drive
An office in a closet (to see if I like it there)
Thanksgiving grocery shopping
Newly potted pothos
Gifts for a special six-year-old
Fried sweet potatoes and garlicky sautéed kale

Birthday cake and candles
Hot spiced cider
Storytime on the couch
Nerf gun wars and sword fights (I was a bystander)
So much yawning

My Puzzle Picture Life

Disclaimer #1: This is not intended to be a profound post.

Disclaimer #2: I am from California and spent most of my life there, so know that whatever I say about winter here, the cold still feels very...cold.

 

It's mid-November and it really feels like winter is just around the corner, even though the calendar says it doesn't start for over a month.

It looks like winter, too.  The sun's angles (when the sun is indeed shining) are low, soft amber-gold instead of yellow, and the morning shadows are long.

The vast majority of the trees are bare now, brown skeletons against the sky.  The sky itself is different, too - almost completely devoid of any blue tint.  Pale sky blends into snow-covered roofs and snow-covered ground.

I'd call it bleak, but it's not truly bleak when the sun is out.  There's the tiniest bit of warmth in the landscape, kind of like a thin smile which is better than no smile at all.

It reminds me, somehow, of my mom's favorites puzzles.  Jane Wooster Scott and Charles Wysocki paint all sorts of town scenes in folksy, Americana style.  When I was younger, the winter ones seemed like just imaginings with no connection to the mild California world I was living in.  Where were there towns that looked like that?

Perhaps that's why - even though I'm not fond of the sub-freezing temperatures - I find myself captivated when this season rolls around.  Snow flakes falling under the glow of the street lights?  The sound of snow whooshing through the trees?  A thousand flakes sparkling like diamonds in the sun?  Snow crunching under my shoes?  Amber light pouring in my windows after sunrise?  It all feels a bit magical, unreal.

But I like it immensely.

(Well, for a while, at least.)

Auntie Corner

Meet my newest niece, Grace Luciana, born early Sunday morning!

I can't even tell you how excited I am that she's finally here.  Sarah and Brian chose not to find out the gender beforehand this time, which made the wait seem sooo long.

But she's here.  And darling.  And healthy.  And not bald. ;)  (Kai and Ava didn't come with much in the way of hair...)

In just a bit over a month, I'll get to fly back and snuggle her myself.  I'm giddy at the thought.

* * *

Other fun auntie stuff -

Jonah calls me "his Rachie" (which is pretty much the cutest thing ever!).  He loves talking walks after lunch in the dining hall.  We look out the window and then we look at the huge map in the hall.  It's so fun to hear him try to say different country names.  He's talking so much now!

Ava and Pierre are both turning two this week.  (Where has the time gone?)  Oh, and Isaac is turning six this week.  Clearly November is a popular month to be born in...

Kai got glasses, and the level of adorableness is just too much for me to handle.

Sarah sent me some studio pictures she had taken of them recently, along with a drawing from Malachi.  She put this explanation on it: "He drew this heart and says it means he loves you."  Melt my heart...

Man, I love being an auntie.

Does Your Soul Need Hope?

Hello there, you.

Are you feeling overwhelmed right now, with decisions or an uncertain future or questions that don't have answers?  Does anxiety swirl around, making your heart pound and your head spin?  Do you catch yourself trying to carry the weight of the world (plus Mars, the moon, and Jupiter) on your shoulders?  Is there some inner voice shouting at you to figure it all out (NOW!) and have it all together?

Yes?  Me too.

Then may you find comfort, like I do, in this verse:

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
- Psalm 62:5-6

May you wait quietly - not as much for answers as for Him.  May His truth give you the confidence to say, I will not be shaken.  May running back to that fortress become your instinct in trouble of any kind, and may hope triumph over fear.

The Last of the Bouye

(I thought about titling this post "The End of an Era", but that seemed a little too dramatic, even for me.)

I've had this little plastic sachet up in my cabinet for quite a while, baobab fruit (called bouye) from the last time I was in Senegal.  Yes, I've been saving it, since I don't know when I'll be able to get more.  But one can only save things so long before running the risk of them spoiling somehow.  So this evening...

I dump the rest of the powder-covered seeds into a bowl and fill it with water.  After they soak a while, I start to work it all with my hand...squeezing, rubbing, swishing, grabbing another handful.  The water turns a sort of muted apricot tone, slowly becoming thicker the longer I work the seeds.

Once I've managed to rub all the powder off, I pour it through a strainer to catch the seeds and bits of fiber mixed in.  Typically, at this point one adds flavorings, sugar, and milk (powdered or sweetened condensed).  Angèle taught me another way to enjoy the juice: sweeten it with honey instead of sugar, leave the milk out, and drink it hot.

I love this way so much.  It's tart, even with a generous amount of honey, and like no other drink I've ever had.  The warmth is comforting as I hold it in my hands, thinking of Angèle, home, memories of another life.

There's some for tomorrow night, and if I'm lucky, maybe the next night too.  After that...  Sigh.

Saturday 11.10

A dusting of snow (the second day in a row)
Wind chimes singing a wintry-sounding song
Cold blueberry-pear crumble for breakfast
Cut flowers in oranges, reds, and yellows
Tiny icicles drip-dropping
Squirrel prints in the snow - four tiny claws, one fluffy tail
Anticipation of Kai and Ava's brother or sister arriving - soon!
Quiet...blissful quiet
An unplanned-but-necessary closet project
Old calendar pictures repurposed
Perfectly fitting podcast

The Biggest Mistake

It's the easiest thing in the world to make mistakes when you enter a new culture and language.

Asking for pommes de terre (potatoes) at a fruit stand, instead of the pommes (apples) like you meant to.
Talking about the traffic at the "cockroach" when you really mean "intersection".
Using your (unclean) left hand to eat or hand someone something.
Forgetting to greet an individual when you walk into a room.
Not telling the taxi driver you don't have small change when you first get in.
Being too friendly or not friendly enough, too stingy or too quick to spend money, too loud or too quiet...

The list goes on.

Mistakes can add up quickly, building a barrier to the message you've come to share - and sometimes just one mistake can be significant enough to destroy your opportunity altogether.

As I've observed many missionaries - each with a different combination of strengths, weaknesses, personality, learning style, and philosophy of ministry - and lived my own far-from-perfect life overseas, I've come to a conclusion.

The biggest mistake is not, in fact, the cultural blunders we make.  The biggest mistake is to be unteachable.

Many things can be forgiven if you have a teachable heart.  If you are open to correction, if you are seeking input - asking for advice and then truly listening - then all is not lost.  Position yourself from the start to learn rather than to teach.  Recognize how much you don't know.  Choose humility above all.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on...humility... Colossians 3:12

Remind them...to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Titus 3:1, 2

...Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

This humility will allow you to learn from others, to learn from the Lord, and to be effective for Him.

The Story of Stories

I've been pondering The Story a lot lately.

It's not only the greatest story of all time, it's the story of time and beyond.

As the holidays approach, I find my thoughts going to Advent over and over - the coming of the Deliverer, this hinge on which history itself swings.

It is no ancient tale in parchment and ink.  This Story is alive.

I trace it through His Word, right from the first page until the last.  Real people, actors in the Story, reflecting struggles and weakness of my own heart.  Themes woven skillfully into an unfolding plot. The promises of a faithful God, unthwarted by evil in every generation.  All of it building, building, building...

In the last couple weeks I feel like I've heard it everywhere, chapels and class and special speakers saying -

Your story takes its meaning, its purpose from that one big, over-arching Story.
Play your role in the Story, the role that God has given you.  It's not about you.
Stay down inside the Story.

I'm mulling over what that means, to stay down inside God's Story.  The idea is somehow awe-inspiring and terrifying and humbling and comforting all at the same time.  I try, sometimes, to peer into the foggy future and guess where my life, my little story, will take me.  And yet it almost doesn't matter.  I know how The Story ends.  He told us.  We, His children, will be with Him...and the end never truly ends.

November Reads

The Magnolia Story | Gaines: I checked out Joanna's cookbook from the library last month and really enjoyed it, so I was eager to read their story: their growing-up, their marriage, their family, and their business.  I read most of it in one sitting, laughing and cheering and on the edge of my seat.  This is how you know you've found a good book - when you're right in the story with the characters!

Cozy Minimalist Home | Smith: Love, love, love this book!  I read Myquillin's first book, The Nesting Place, earlier this year.  Her style inspires me and I found so much practical advice in this second book, both for my own home and as I make decisions about the guest house.  One of her main themes is that cozy doesn't have to mean cluttered (or having lots of stuff); you can make a home feel warm and inviting with less stuff if you know how to chose what to include.  I plan to re-read this book soon and put her methods to work in my little apartment.  (It's going to be so fun!)

Platters and Boards | Westerhausen & Worcel: Sometimes the title or idea of a book just grabs you, ya know?  That's what happened with this one.  Now I want to throw a party with a platter of yummy appetizers, dips, meats, and so forth.  There were plenty of pictures (a must in cookbooks!) and many, many themed platters to spark one's inspiration.

The Best Homes from This Old House | O'Connor: I loved this show when I was younger (I think I'd still like it, I just haven't watched it in yeeears).  The book?  Well, some houses were fun, but there weren't a ton that I'd consider my style.  The picture quality was a little low and I found myself silently judging the outdated trends that popped up now and again.  Perhaps I'm a little too critical of home style/design books in that regard...

This... {Fall Edition}

This is one of my favorite trees at the school.  It's right across from my living room window.

This is a tree across from Tamara's living room window, which is one of my favorite trees ever.  The picture is from the other week - now it's rather bare.

This (along with the next five pictures) is from when I took a walk with the kids around the neighborhood, looking for signs of fall.  I gave Isaac the camera, showed him which buttons to press, and told him to document our excursion.  He got a few really cool shots.

This is such a unique tree - its shape, its bright brown-orange tones.  I'm glad he got a picture of it.

This is nature's confetti, a celebration of the season.

This is the clean-up of said confetti, which feels far less celebratory!

This is a blurry-but-cool-with-a-touch-of-editing shot, by Isaac again.

This is a tree I pass multiple times a day, right by the entrance to the school.

This is a close-up of the leaves.  No matter how many times a day I passed, the leaves stunned me every time.  Not only is their shape so beautiful, but the color was absolutely radiant.

This is from last week, when Michelle and I took a walk downtown.  They're some of my last good leaf pictures...the trees are rapidly loosing their remaining leaves.

I feel like this has been the longest fall since I've been here, though - at least in terms of color.  There were some gorgeous shades in the first week of October and even though there are a lot of bare trees now, some still have color.  At least a month of lovely leaves?  I'll take it!

This is one of the many gorgeous old brick churches we have in town.

This is when Michelle and I took a Saturday drive, stopping along the dirt roads for pictures, ooing and ahhing over the last of fall colors, remarking about how October and November each have their own nuances.

This seems to capture November perfectly: the gray sky, the muted colors, the empty fields.

This is one of many barns we saw along the way.

This is sneakily taking a picture of her taking a picture.

This is November's featured color.  Come back next month for a bunch of white...

This is because even dried-out weeds can be pretty with a bit of imagination.

This reminds me how much I do, in fact, love November.  It's cold and windy and gray, but it has a charm all its own and I'll enjoy the way the landscape looks before the snow comes and covers everything.