The ocean

I love the mountains and love living near enough to see some of them off in the distance and to drive up into them and hike around in the forests, but there is nothing like the ocean to satisfy something in the soul. We walked down to the ocean twice during our stay at Summerland and also visited the cliffs near Goleta courtesy of C’s Grammy who lives there. We also went to the pier in Santa Barbara which is a fun  place.  Our last time to the ocean on the trip was at San Clemente when we got there just in time to go to the beach park and watch a beautiful sunset.

The two days at Summerland beach were quite different, the first had a turbulent surf and the second was much calmer, both were sunny and being winter not many people were out and about. The sea birds are always fun to watch as they skitter along. The cares and concerns of life seem to melt away as one just drinks in the sights and smells and the rhythm of the sea. Baby M. loved it there.

The cliffs in Goleta had a stunning view from above. On our walk there through a preserve area we passed students from the nearby college out for their runs. Lucky students to have a setting like that!

At San Clemente we had planned to drive to a certain point marked on the map but realized the sun would set before we found our way there, so we just pulled in to watch from the beach park along with a few others. It was cool and breezy as we sat on a bench so we didn’t stay long. I love the shimmering of the last rays on the wet sand.

God’s nature is so impressive!

Lou

Mom this is your kind of place!

Now that we are back home I can put up some photos from our road trip. First up is Paradise cottage in Summerland, California that merges into Santa Barbara. It sits along the coast along the famous coastal highway 101 a few miles south of Santa Barbara. It is a small little vacation community with ocean views and easy walking access down a steep hill to the beach and community park. It has a main street with shops and popular cafes and one historic community Presbyterian church that we attended the week we were there.

It proved to be a great home base. We found it on the website for vacation rentals in Santa Barbara. Since we had four adults and a baby in our group the three bedrooms and two full bathrooms worked out perfectly. In addition it had a comfortable living room space (a great ocean view from the couch) and a dining room area and a small eat in area in the kitchen. It had two deck areas, the one in front out the French doors had a beautiful view of the ocean, the other was off the master bedroom and then there was a yard and patio with a grill as well.

Upon arrival there were fresh baked brownies and a bottle of champagne and beer in the frig. The owner’s note invites you to use the fresh oranges to make mimosas if you like. The pantry had all the cooking supplies and spices one needs to cook or bake and every appliance and pan needed. We never did find the central piece to the juicer though so had to hand squeezed the oranges for juice. We used the outdoor grill one night to make burgers. We used the outdoor washer and dryer a bunch keeping up with all our laundry. We spread beach towels out in the living room for the baby to play on. There were books to read and a flat screen TV and a high speed internet connection and a nice Bose audio system that we kept on the classical musical station most of the time.

Being old and remodeled and in a moist climate there was a musty smell that son-in-law C. didn’t appreciate. We kept scented candles (provided) burning for him. The only other detractor was that although you couldn’t see the highway you could hear it from outside the cottage. The neighborhood however was safe and quiet.

The thing I liked best was the cottage style decorating and the attention to detail. The owner Francesca used hooked rugs and antique furnishings and original art on the walls. Her colors were whites and pastels. There were fresh flowers in every room, orchids in the bathrooms and candies in candy dishes in the bedrooms. The gardens were full of blooming roses and geraniums with pots of succulents on the decks. The yard was made private by vine covered walls with other tropical plants including jasmine and trumpet flowers.

It was all very charming and we had a lovely stay there. We hated to leave. I hope the pictures will do it justice.

Lou

Reflections on the year ending

The year 2011 will be remembered as a banner year by me. There were many highlights and firsts. Standing in Downtown Denver on New Year’s Eve watching fireworks spewing from the top of a high rise hotel, dressed in multiple layers of clothing and still freezing at minus five degrees with the wind chill making it even colder. Enjoying great symphony evenings in Cheyenne with wonderful guest artists performing. Hearing a fetal heart beat and seeing fetal movements on the monitor with E#1 at a couple of her prenatal visits. Getting to know former criminal investigator Howard as he remodeled our master bath turning it into a delightful oasis.  Attending a very pink and fun baby shower in Kansas for baby Van Court to be. Skyping with daughter E#2 staying at a London hostel on her semester abroad and then following and worrying about her travels to Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Prague and Rwanda. Receiving texts from my son through the night of April 28^th keeping me informed of the progress of the labor and then joy at the news of the birth of our very first grandchild safe and sound into the world. Dying to see the first photos of her, wishing I was there so much. Hurray! new soft carpet installed upstairs, no more carpet ripples to trip over. Visiting our precious grand baby in Kansas and taking some late night shifts so mamma could get some rest. The sweetness of holding that newborn and learning to swaddle her. Seeing E#2 in Kansas too. Another fabulous baby shower with a  blue diaper wreath on the door and tiny boy items strung up on clotheslines. Hikes and wildflowers in the mountains. Attending a Frontier Days pancake breakfast with baby C. and her parents on a bright July morning. Then another long night waiting in the hospital On July 26^th then the abrupt hurry off to do an emergency C-section and the teary wait with our son-in-law before they called him in there. Then joy to see a healthy grandson being carried out to the nursery by our son-in-law with neonatal nurse leading the way. Sitting in the OR talking to and comforting my daughter while they sewed her up after the nurses called me in there. A blur of daily trips to the hospital and worries about mom and baby. Another blur of days at their home helping out keeping the house going and meds going, trying to soothe baby and sore mom. Walking with my friend somewhat regularly and talking about our kids and grand kids, sharing our lives. A fun trip to Centennial Wyoming and hiking the lost lakes trail in the Snowy Range with S. and Penelope. Working for months on one small table runner at quilt group. A trip home to Omaha to see my parents and sister and brother and E#2 at college and attend a meeting. A lovely few days in Vail as the trees started to turn golden. Thanksgiving fun with all the new parents but sans E#2 and a crazy funny photo shoot with the two babies. Then OMG retirement, I hope we know what we are doing. Then whoosh on to Christmas and wearing our grandma and grandpa nightgowns and caps from Myrna and reading books to grandson M. Listening to him “sing” with the audience in church at the Christmas Eve service.

What a crazy wonderful blessed year. Thank you Lord! Now on to California and parts of the southwest. Happy New Year to all.

Lou

NOEL

A few years ago we added Noel to our outdoor Christmas lights. We got the four grapevine lighted block letters at Home Depot and added some poinsettias to soften it up a bit and make it prettier in the daytime. Some years the snow bank that forms in front of the blue spruce starts to bury the letters that stand up on the bare ground. We love the NOEL and you can read it from clear down the street as you drive up. Our street is on the trolley tour not because of any of our display but because there are some over the top displays just a couple blocks down that compete every year to outdo each other and the trolley passes by here on its way there.

 A little googling pulls up a site at http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/first_noel.aspx that says Noel means birthday and comes from the French language. The carol “The First Noel” was probably shared by troubadours from France to England and no one knows who wrote it. It tells the story of Christ’s birth in six verses. From the website.

 "The First Noel" portrays in vivid narrative style the story of the birth of Christ. All six stanzas are needed to complete the entire event when the hymn is sung. The sixth stanza urges us to join together to sing praises to God for the marvels of His creation and for the salvation provided through Christ's shed blood. The repetition of the joyous "noel" in the refrain is equivalent to our singing out "happy birthday" to someone.

The first noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay-in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
They looked up and saw a star shining in the east, beyond them far; and to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star, three wise men came from country far; to seek for a king was their intent, and to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest, o'er Bethlehem it took its rest; and there it did both stop and stay, right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those wise men three, full rev'rently upon their knee, and offered there, in His presence, their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heav'nly Lord, that hath made heav'n and earth of naught, and with His blood mankind hath bought.
Chorus: Noel, noel! Noel, noel! Born is the King of Israel!

I pray that all would have a blessed Noel this year.
Lou

Go Tell It On The Mountains

Singing “Go Tell It On The Mountain” in church Sunday brought back a wave of memories. When E#1 was about four she attended preschool at a nearby Lutheran church a couple days a week. The preschool  kids also performed in the annual Christmas program at the church. The lyrics to the song “Go Tell It On The Mountain” were sent home as an assignment and the parents were supposed to help the kids practice. So I dutifully helped her learn the verses and to this day I can remember every word even though I hadn’t heard that song in years. I wonder if E#1 remembers any of this?

It is a great song actually, a Negro spiritual. It reminds me that the good news of Christ needs to be told again and again. Our old dim world can seem bleak and futile at times when one reads the news and hears of the horrific and sorry state of mankind. The good news gives us joy and hope that it is not all for naught that we live and then die.

Sometimes I get fed up with Christians for their insincerity and their moralizing. There are some Christian leaders on the national scene who make me cringe. Certainly there are countless unsung heroes of the faith who one never hears much about, who would make me proud to be counted as a sister in the faith together with them for their genuine humility and acts of loving kindness. But the ones we do often hear about politicians, modern televangelists, and pundits just push all of my buttons.

I get cynical and think that Christians need to stop talking and just show the world grace and mercy by serving the poor and striving for social justice. Doing the little that we can to alleviate suffering in the world. We need to put our monies to work building wells, hospitals, orphanages and schools. We need to empower women and help those who have been enslaved. The noble causes are endless because the suffering in the world is great.

But we still need to tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Social justice and humanitarian work isn’t enough. When the most commendable work is done by the most Christ-like among us it isn’t enough if we haven’t told the good news too. The only way to convey it is to tell it in words. One might be convinced of deism (that a non personal god or “supreme architect” exists) by looking at the beauty of the natural world and the amazing symmetries in the cosmos. The laws that govern all things unseen and seen. But that doesn’t bring you to the baby in a manger who saves the world. The Christ who one can know personally and who is available in this life to be a helper, counselor, adviser, friend, listener, redeemer and more. The Bible tells his story but his people (the global church) are the ones entrusted to spread the word by telling one another what he has done in their lives. The transformed lives is what makes the story believable. If your life hasn’t been transformed maybe you need to pull up a chair and listen to someone whose life has been. 

So tell it and don’t be ashamed to be called a Christian. Just tell what he has done in your life, that’s all. Are you better off today for following him? It is not all a walk in the park obviously but what would life be like without him? I know the times in my life that I tried to do things my own way were dreadful. He saves me from me. I still have a ton of  theological questions but I know what he has done for me.

Lou

Words: John W. Work, Jr., Folk Songs of the Amer­i­can Ne­gro (Nash­ville, Tenn­es­see: 1907).

Music: Af­ri­can-Amer­i­can spir­it­u­al

Refrain

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

Refrain

The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.

Refrain

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn.

Refrain

It Got Used

Just a quickie to say that my new highchair got a work out  by little Callie over Thanksgiving. Her dad is pretty good at feeding her (he likes the challenge he says) which means chasing her mouth around as she plays with whatever is on the tray and trying to beat her hands to her mouth. She is getting proficient at picking up the rice puff cereal pieces and poking them into her mouth but that food doesn’t count toward nutrition like the food that comes on the spoon. One has to “shovel fast” according to dad.

The highchair is a little big yet we had to poke a blanket behind her back to make her more snug.

Lou