MANY PATHS

If God sends us strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.

Corrie Ten Boom

A verse by Dr. Seuss

You have brains in your head. 

 You have feet in your shoes.

 You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

  You're on your own, and you know what you know.

 And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.





MORE WILDFLOWERS QUILT

I was honored that my very talented quilter wanted to show my quilt at the quilt show this past weekend.  It is the artistic quilting that she does that really makes any quilt standout.



DAD'S HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY

March 4, 1914 - August 14, 1996

I think you  today on your ninety-eighth birthday in heaven.  So long ago and yet I feel your presence all the time.  I know you are watching over me from the heavens above.  Even though circumstances in our lives were beyond your control or mine you were not physically present in our home. You were in my thoughts and prayers as you are this day.  The older I get the more I feel connected to your spirit and honor and respect the hardships you endured throughout your entire life. 

Happy Heavenly Birthday

MYTHICAL DRAWINGS

I was instantly drawn  to the drawing of the hand with the all seeing eye in the center.   The green character has a very large single eye in the center of the body. The sword or maybe a Star Wars light saber in these interesting drawings caught my eye, and when I told Kyle I liked it he wanted me to have it.   He has a large bulletin board filled with many pieces of his drawings, some pencil and others markers like the one above.

Kyle traced his hand and used markers for this drawing.  I asked him what it represented to him and he said it was a mythical hand from medieval times with the eye in the center of the hand.  His artwork is getting more detailed and he sold a note paper drawing to one of his brother's friends for fifty cents.

Maybe he is a budding artist.  Who knows but I was honored to receive the drawing.

I made a copy and scanned it into my pictures section.

TWENTY FIRST BIRTHDAY

This evening Chelsea will be celebrating her 21st birthday. It doesn't seem possible that she is twenty-one today.
She has grown into a responsible young lady and has her own cute apartment, a white duplex in a small town that she shares with her boyfriend.  She is still a sensitive person as she was as a child who would cry at the least little thing.

She enjoys her work as a beautician and is working today hoping for birthday tips. I was not surprised when she wanted to go to beauty school because she has always loved doing her and her friends hair. I took her a couple of times for a manicure and one time she had each nail painted a different color.  Then in junior high I took her for a manicure because she was going to a school function.  While she was in the salon I went next door to get something to eat and when I returned I was surprised that she had them apply acrylic nails with a french manicure.

Once when she was staying all night with me and as we travelled to my place she told me that she had found a baby rabbit and it was dead.  She then pulled a Kleenex out of her pocket and  carefully separated the two delicate sheets of tissue; with tears in her eyes she held them up and in her little five year old voice proclaimed that one was for blowing and one was for crying.

I am very proud of Chelsea and how she has matured into such a beautiful young woman.  I went to visit her last Wednesday and took her and Tyler to eat.  We had a lovely time together visiting and sharing and am blessed to have them and my other grand kids in my life.

At our candidate meeting for the Associate Franciscians we discussed St. Francis and St. Clare.  At the end of our meeting Sr Renita gave us a copy of two beautiful prayers by Mary Oliver.

Nature speaks to us through silence.

FORGIVING OTHERS

When I wrote a story entitled Life's Lessons on December 16th, 2011 my heart was heavy because someone in my class had been abrupt with me in front of the entire class.  I had hurried to the bathroom to quiet my mind, and returning to class sat and prayed that I could get through the rest of the class.

Last night this individual read her personal bearings letter while she sat next to me.  When she finished her letter she spoke my name and reached her hand towards me and said that she hadn't always been kind to me.  I was speechless and shocked at her statement in front of the class, but I guess that a public apology in light of the fact that the first comment two months ago was in front of the class was what she needed to do.  When the class ended we all hugged and offered peace to one another, and  she asked for forgiveness which of course I said yes and that I don't hold a grudge.  I said forgive me if I have offended you and she said that I had not done anything.

As I sat down to write this story about forgiveness and love and peace I glanced to the right and there was a beautiful large hawk gliding low through our trees as he flew across the back yard.  I felt a sense of peace that all was well in my life.

The photo I used represented to me that we are all a part of the whole in this Divine universe.