On Practicing Rest

We had a couple of days on vacation of just the "Younger Two."  That's what I'm supposed to call them; I struggle to break the habit of the "Little Girls." I mean no insult when I say it.

We still spent time at the old faithful creek and on the trusty bikes.  I settled onto a favorite bench nearby and soaked in the soothing sounds while Blossom3 rebuilt a fire ring originally built by her older sisters.  Sometimes I helped fetch the rocks and tools and sometimes I just watched.  Sometimes I just breathed in the mountain air and let my thoughts be calm. This seems to take practice.

Then she built a little fire, "just for funsies." Building a fire is a life skill and with all the rain we'd had, it was definitely a skill to practice.

Blossom4 was working on some steps up the bank.  A little industry does a body good.  The next high water will eventually wash them away, but who am I to discourage this childhood rite of passage?

Newts and salamanders never fail to amuse... and overcoming "slimy" feelings to appreciate the wonder of his orange-ness, maybe that takes practice.

Walks in meadows and along stream banks and through back country roads fill the soul and rest us. I think we're practicing rest.

On This July Season

I'm sitting here, sipping an admittedly subpar latte.  This is my life now; my baristas have moved out. Blossom1 now texts me, "Mom, do you want me to bring you a latte when I meet you at the greenhouse?"

Why yes, I would love coffee made and delivered to me!

I'm taking steps to improve my home latte quality though.  I think I'm picking up better beans tonight when I'm out practicing parallel parking with Blossom3.  

Blossom1 was headed to the local greenhouse and produce market, just for a few household things.  Meeting her there, looking over the nectarines, scoping out their flours, browsing their flowers, and meandering the sales made for a fun little afternoon jaunt.

Of course, we're getting ready for the Fair over here.  It looks different, like most things do lately.  Blossom3 is taking on more of a leadership and organizational role, while Blossom4 is the boots on the ground most mornings.  Blossom2 is advising from her apartment and when she is home, in addition to all her day-to-day 4-H State Council duties. It's different, but it's good. 

Different can be good and the bright spots and blessings are still there. 

Am I looking for them?

It's just another season here ~ 

a post-wedding season,

a get-the-stuff-done-NOW-because-I-stopped-thinking-about-anything-non-wedding-related season, 

a season with adult children, a son in law, and teens too... 

so yes, it's a different season.

And my job description is changing.  

Other things aren't. 

We're still starting our days quietly, filling our spirits up with His words and lifting up our words.

I still snatch time ~

time at Dunkin, grabbing a refresher with Blossom4.

time at the River, kayaking with Blossom2.

time in the car, driving and chatting and scheming with Blossom3.

time at the greenhouse, strolling with Blossom1.

time at an old favorite pizza joint with the Rugged Mountain Man.

I still keep letting the Lord change me.

I apologize and read and think and reflect and change

and grow.

I hope they remember that I grow

and I love watching them grow.

May I serve the Lord faithfully every moment of each day in this season. May He be glorified.

The Meaning of MOB

The Mother of the Bride.

It means:

~ tedious and fun craft projects!

~ cycling 30 tablecloths through the dryer... alllllll day... with a damp towel to get those ugly wrinkles out... then breaking your drying rack because surely your walmart drying rack can hold 100 lbs of linens! 

~ brainstorming, timelines, and lots of lists...

~ ordering random things like battery packs and double-sided tape and wait, DO WE TRULY HAVE ENOUGH SAFETY PINS for the emergency bag???

~ more fun craft projects!

~ steaming dresses... LOTS of dresses.  When I don't know what to do next, I just steam a dress and usually by the time I'm finished, I know what to work on next.

~ piles.  EVERYWHERE.  Wedding piles, apartment piles, present piles, return piles, PILES.  I think the Rugged Mountain Man is ready to sleep outside.

~ I'm the SAG team.  My dad calls my mom the "Support and Gear team" when he does his marathon bike rides.  That's definitely me in general and definitely me for this whole process... and it's my pleasure.

~ making boutonnieres and corsages and wristlets!  I burned my finger on my good friend's (the Mother of the Groom!) wristlet!  "Greater love hath no Mother of the Bride, than she lay down her life sacrifice her finger for the Mother of the Groom!" lol

~ saying no to random side quests right now, when I'd also like to say yes.  There are two classifications right now, wedding tasks and post-wedding problems!

~ falling down random Google rabbit holes to help research and tie up another loose end.

~ trying to get a little sun while completing urgent homestead chores, because no MOB wants to be pasty-white on the big day.

~ cutesy matching shirts with my close friend, the mother of the groom!  This was one craft project I offloaded!

~ "print me an inspo pic," because what the bride is thinking and what I'm thinking are two different things (Hello from two different generations!) BUT it is delightful to use years of event experience to help make their vision come alive!

~ It means being present, being helpful, and figuring it all out... together!

And it was oh-so-sweet!

More on the wedding another time!  As always, dear friends, thanks for walking through the seasons of motherhood with me.  They are truly beautiful.  We are profoundly grateful here in the Hollow.

Life Lately - Two Weeks Out

Hello friend,

These are exciting times here in the Hollow!  We have less than two weeks til Blossom1's wedding!  We are working on so many details and logistics.  I listen and I ask Blossom1 what is stressing her right now and we try to lighten her and her fiance's load.  I ask questions; we brainstorm and we plug away on list after list.  

Then, we write more lists!

Lately I've been trying:
to delegate more to my Younger Two Blossoms. After all, spray-painting is a life skill, at least according to this thrifting mama!  They've been handling supper each night as well, and I am SO grateful for this.  It's a sigh of relief for me and my gratitude grows each evening as I reflect on how they're pitching in.

Lately my goal has been:

to soak up the togetherness during the tasks.  Sometimes I forget how much connection happens then; we've always been a family that works hard together.  It's beautiful chatting around wedding baking, wedding tasks and lists, and wood-stacking. It's a good season, but it's different and bittersweet. It's still so good, because, after all, the growing up and all the preparation for adulthood, 

this was the goal all along.

Lately I've been sipping: 

a lot more coffee than usual!  Blossom1 is my main barista at home right now and I have determined that any time she's home and offering to make me coffee, I give a whole-hearted YESSSSS.

Lately I've been laughing:

because once upon a time, the Blossoms picked out an Easy Button when they were school shopping with Grandma.  After it was struck sixteen times in a row, with hysterical giggles following, I hid it.  Whilst rummaging for supplies for another wedding project the other day, I found it and decided that any time we complete a wedding task, we will victoriously slap the Easy Button.  (Picture a Michael Jordan slam dunk circa 1996.) 

This is surprisingly satisfying... and it makes us laugh.  We always need more laughter.

When Blossom1 and her fiance arrive home from working at a coffee shop or completing wedding errands, they stand at the dining room table to get caught up their Easy Button presses.  

Lately I've been crafting:

Sister Squad t-shirts just for fun for decorating day, boutonnieres, corsages, flower girl basket, just soooooo many fun things.  I'm good at logistics but I really enjoy the crafts and pretty things.

Lately I've been thinking:

that if you think your homeschooled student hates busy work now, just wait til they get to college.  One thing I didn't anticipate was the strong aversion the Blossoms would develop to busy work and dumb assignments.  We carefully crafted their education so each assignment had a point and purpose, but I'm also glad that character-building has been a focus all along.  Character traits like perseverance and working as unto the Lord are what get Blossom1 through grad school assignments that are dumb, but still have to be completed the week of the wedding.

We're here, plugging away in a different season and I'm whispering daily, 

"Thank you, Lord, for life lately."

May Days

The summer days have begun, with quiet time on the porch together.

With swimming at Grandma's.

With watering plants and spying pops of sumptuous color.

With greenhouse trips.

With sunshine that ministers to the soul.

With bare feet in grassy cushion.

With an out of state friend visiting and fitting right in with the Blossoms.

With little kids graduating, children that romped their childhoods with the Blossoms now growing into adulthood.

With garden green goodness on our table.

With wedding planning and pretty rural apartment hunting for Blossom1 and her fiance. (I think he needs a blog name on here!)

With Italy globe-trotting for Blossom2.

So many brights spots around here amidst hard things and everyday bumps and trials and summer work.

It's possible to celebrate great victories

and beautiful poignant motherhood moments

in the midst of pain and sorrow.

We lost my uncle unexpectedly last weekend.  

I cannot even process this tragic loss. His is a legacy of love, of children, of grandchildren, of quality time, and investing in family. He spent years simply showing up for family.  

Thinking about him propels me into times of reflection on what matters most in this little flash of a life on the radar of eternity.

Family.

Relationships.

Quality time.

Practically showing up.

Helping.

Loving.

I'm taking these musings with me through the pain and also the sunshine of these May days.

Dominique