Music Monday

Service- Not Optional

Saturday night my mother was honored at a dinner for the Portland Promise Center for the volunteer work that she and my father have done there and their continued love and interest in the work done there.

It was a lovely dinner, graciously staffed by the youth who attend the programs at Portland.  There were several hundred of the most lovely people in this city there to show their support of the work and the staff of PPC. 

In her remarks, my mother told that before they married my father told her that there were three things that she would need to agree on- that they would always tithe, that they would always be involved in missions, and that she would not cook cabbage, and she was happy to report that she was faithful to two of the three.

Mother gave most of the credit for their involvement at Portland to my dad, but I’ve thought  through the week of the influence of my mother.  Growing up, volunteering was a given- if you live in a neighborhood, if you go to a church, if you believe in God’s call to love, than it was without question that you would would give time and energy to those things.  If someone is sick, you organize a meal.  If there is an event, you show up.  Those lessons were not lost on me, and I hope my own children will have that same sense of responsibility.

We are very proud of Nana and the way she has shaped us all as a family.

Wednesday Link Love

Great summer subway art printable here, and in several options of colors!

Make your own curry powder!

This pillow is so sweet I want to hug it!

Some funny sentiments here!

I want to read this book. I noticed on her site that a book group had read it and prepared some of her recipes together. Sounds fun!

Lots of really fun retro things to be found here!

What an easy and perfect teacher gift!

What would we ever do without our sisters? Joann is lucky to have a sister who is so atuned to her and who feels her pain.

Music Monday

Jeff Street Earth Day Orchestra

Earth Day!

It has been a tradition in my church to celebrate God’s creation one Sunday each year by having our worship out of doors and a picnic to follow. The date was moved further out from the universal Earth Day in hopes of weather more conducive to the outdoor gathering….but for the past several years, the weather had not cooperated. Today the grass and ground were just too wet. Didn’t stop us from celebrating!

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Wednesday Link Love

Love this idea from Thrifty Miss Priss

Two great Mother’s Day posts- Antique Mommy’s great story and a beautiful post by my friend Amy about her wonderful mom Beth.

Still love these journal pages.

I love Emily’s trees.

A lot of wisdom to be had right here.

Fun backgrounds for doing art with.

So, if you are toying with the idea of getting an SLR, you can play around with a simulator here.

I’m a sucker for paint chips!

I’d love to have this tent for the times when littles come to dinner.  Or for me to take a nap in!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wednesday Link Love

Loving the vinyl here at Urbanwalls

I see another celebratory wreath comin’ on……

Gotta try some of these sometime soon.

I’m wanting to try this laundry recipe for sheets.

Fun link for those of you who send digital greetings.

It has been a while since I pointed out any  funnies from Cake Wreck.  This time, the Mother’s Day edition.

Love these steps.  Love the red ones the most!

Music Monday

I think that meeting Mr. B for me is right up there with having dinner with Maya Angelou and interviewing Mother Theresa.  Oh, that every child could have an educator like Mr. B in their lives to make them feel like a rock star!

Oh Happy Day!

Today is the 40th birthday of my precious friend Gwen and Gwen’s first Mother’s Day as a mom.  I couldn’t help but think today about the Mother’s Day Sundays that she and I have “cut” church together,  feeling an acute aloneness on that day in a church full of moms.  If anyone had told us as we sat in Cherokee Park with Gwen playing her guitar and us watching people all around that already change was winding a crooked path toward us, we would have not believed it. 

When my first Mother’s Day as a mom rolled around, it was Gwen who helped my little ones make it a perfect day for me, and continued to do that until they were old enough to do what they wanted to do on their own.

For as long as I have known her, I have known how smart she is, how rock solid, faithful to a fault, big hearted, and steadfast she is.   And now I am seeing all new things growing in her life, not the least of them being an uncharacteristic ferocity- the kind that comes with motherhood.  She has this new glint in her eye- that don’t. mess.with.my.kid walk on hot coals swim the deepest seas I will never leave you look. 

Happy Birthday to my dear friend. Welcome to the pack.

Wednesday Link Love

Being the conformist that I can be, I HAD to say something about this cookbook because at least 5 of the blogs I frequent have brought it up this week.  So, of course, I want it.  Must say we had this for dinner this week (mustard greens in place of the dandelion greens) and it will be a go-to quick and tasty main dish in our  meal rotation.

For my friend Kelly who has been playing with spoons lately. I am deeply in love with the chandelier!! And speaking of silverware!  If anyone finds the food safe spray paint, let me know where.

I want to make one of these!

Great shirt!

I love the foot stool idea!

And what could be cuter than Nella in the Big Apple!!