Skip to main content

last day of summer vacation

the kentucky derby is like a molasses-pouring contest. 

the indianapolis 500 is like a three-toed sloth race. 

heck, even usain bolt is snail-like, compared to the speed of the summer of 2013.  it defied all reason, and accelerated the clock's hands like an amphetamine.  there are many who would suggest that time is not so static as the clock would suggest, that its something more like flowing water, always moving, but sometimes at different paces.  never did that seem more true than this summer.

of course, that might have something to do with the fact that we were extremely busy this summer.  as usual, we did our annual "summer bucket list," which is a list of a bunch of things that we want to try or accomplish during the course of the summer. 

 
here you can see our bucket list as it looked at the beginning of this breakneck summer.  it included things like amusement parks, a big league baseball game in pittsburgh, the bronx zoo, camping, fishing, catching crayfish, and so much more. 

you might say that we are crazy for doing this.  and maybe we are.  but you know what?  we are also bubbling over with life and experiences and gratitude for the amazing bounty of this world.  this summer has found us ankle deep in creeks, and shoulder-to-shoulder with busy new yorkers in times square.  it has found us sitting lazily in a field watching a movie outdoors, and jumping wildly on a trampoline.  the summer has allowed us to make our own slushies, have ice cream for dinner, and try a brand new food (split red lentils, among several others!).  and through all of this, our hope is that our children continue a journey of discovering the wild richness of this world, and the wonder of its teeming life.  there is color everywhere...there is breath everywhere....there is art everywhere...there is abundant, overflowing, wild-at-the-edges life everywhere, if only we would dare to experience it. 

and so we have. 

 


 


 


 


and now school starts.  tomorrow. 

so we'd better get busy on that lego project (the paddleboat is going to have to wait until next summer). 

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

i'm giving away the swamp

so this is a collage called swamp. i made it in february of last year. it is currently framed in a homemade, hand-painted frame. it is paper collage on a book binding panel. it is 7" x 10". and i am giving it away. i've been wanting to have a blog giveaway for some time, and the time has finally arrived. here's how it works. all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. by leaving a comment you are automatically entered into the contest (as long as your comment offers a way for me to get in touch with you, or you know that i know you). the contest will be open until next wednesday at noon, eastern standard time. at that time the contest will officially be closed and i will pick a random number. the person whose comment matches that number wins! for example, if i happen to pick the number 33, the thirty-third comment will win. oh, and one more rule: you can only post ONCE. if you win, i will send you the collage, signed by me, the artist, free of c...

bad haircuts (for a laugh)

everybody needs to laugh.  one good way i have found to make that happen is to do a simple google image search for 'bad haircut.'  when you do so, some of the following gems show up.  thankfully, my 9th grade school picture does NOT show up.  otherwise, it would certianly make this list!  please laugh freely and without inhibition.  thank you and have a nice day. 

affirmed

i cannot express today the feeling i have. this picture that i found sort of expresses it but not really. for the last ten years i have poured myself into this vocation, daring to believe that God, the very God of all creation, has called me, even me, to this work. along the way many have affirmed me in this journey, but i have continued to work for the ultimate affirmation, ordination as an elder in the united methodist church. and now i have it. after two grueling (and i mean grueling in every possible sense, really) days i recieved the call today that the board voted to recommend me to the annual conference for ordination as an elder. and as i have already said, i cannot even begin to express the emotion i feel with words like relief, joy and satisfaction. there will be plenty of time for me to reflect on this and i will have more to say about it as i do that reflecting, but today is really a day for celebrating for me, and for thanking those who have journeyed with me and s...