I'm afraid pictures of fall never seem to do 'fall' justice. Nonetheless, here's a couple shots off the porch. The color's not quite as bright here as it was in NC but no complaints, as it's still so beautiful!



Also, here's a couple pictures of some of our new friends from Ghana. They are at ETSU getting their masters in Chemistry...so brilliant! We are trying to help them find a car--so if you're local, and know of anything, please let us know. They want to find a car for under $2,000.





It's been a good weekend. Kyle made it home safe and sound from CA with plenty of stories to tell. I will try to write and update more later when I have a few more minutes. A big shout out of 'Congratulations' to Kelli and Andy. 16 hours of labor and one cesarean section later, we have another baby to love! :)

Who needs kids when you have Oliver?

About two weeks ago Kyle's favorite dog and most beloved pet, began to snort and choke anytime he got the least bit excited. At first I was alarmed. I jumped to my feet ready to come to his rescue. Airway obstruction?! I wondered if he'd finally managed to swallow the right combination on inedible objects to be the death of him. If you could see all of the things our dog has managed to digest in his short life, it's a wonder we haven't had to do canine CPR a long time ago. Recovery, on this particular day, came a few short minutes later. After a few days of more of the same, Oliver's new found habits turned from alarming to annoying. He'd circle around our feet carrying on in such a way that it stopped conversation dead in it's tracks. I have been told he might have allergies and that over the counter benadryl is often effective. So we tried it. No such luck...still snorting. A bit more sedated, which has its own perks but the breathing issues remain. Around the same time the snorting started, Oliver also started to lick his paws incessantly. Yesterday I came home and he was hobbling all over the house on three paws. He's about licked one of his paws raw. Lovely. So tonight I must wrap his paw. And give him his benadryl. And keep him calm as to prevent the snorting cycles. And, yes, we will be going to see the vet before he manages to chew off any more appendages.

Come home soon, husband!


blessings.

I've mentioned this before but there's this amazing cabin in Blowing Rock, NC that has become an oasis of sorts for a small handful of ladies. Last weekend, Kathy, Brenda and I loaded up Kathy's SUV and headed east to our weekend retreat. We left after sunset, with the moon large and rotund overhead. I stared out the window with the same sort of fervor I do when I can see the depth and height of the mountains in plain view. This time, however, the darkness was a calm companion. I was very much aware of what lay hidden in the dark; it's awe was not lost by the mask of night. As we drove, we each took turns weaving our thoughts together. Three separate woman on separate journeys yet ever so tightly bound. Sandra McCracken serenaded us as we weaved and crawled up the mountain.
Once at the cabin, we each claimed our respective beds and the conversation continued for the next couple of days. On this trip, I listened a lot more then I normally do. It was good, to listen. I realized I don't do that nearly as much as I should. It blessed me to hear the inner workings of their hearts. I learned about faith that fights and the conversation of prayer. We returned to Johnson City the same way we came, only this time we were blanketed in a cloud of fog. Every now and then the fog would lift and color would shout at us from the tree tops. There we were-with our eyes fixed on the hazy horizon-in anticipation of those fleeting moments of breath taking clarity, with Sandra McCracken still singing softly in the background, and our conversation quieter, more relaxed in the knowing of each other's souls.

Work was busy this past week. I have found that when I first started working with hospice I always felt this need to come home and digest some of the things that happened--especially deaths. Early in the week I realized that somewhere over the course of the past few months I've come to a place where I can come home without feeling the need to blurt out "someone died today" the second I come through the door. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Just an observation; although I'm leaning towards 'good thing'. Maybe I'm finally beginning to realize it's not about me. Not even in part. What I do know is this: there is a Holy balance in this type of work. I have the privilege of walking on sacred ground every time I go into a patient's home. People who live with the awareness that they are dying, generally live at a whole different level. Being around them changes everything.

And then, finally, we had a visitor this weekend! My mom came to East TN for a few days and she came at just the right time. We again went to Blowing Rock and words cannot describe the beauty of the leaves. It was a kaleidoscope of color! We did a little shopping, we looked at homes and strolled around Jonesborough, and we had dinner with some friends. It was a calm, enjoyable, relaxing weekend. Oliver was most amused by mom and her antics...and vice versa. Kyle tried to get mom to take Oliver with her but she said we couldn't pay her enough. My poor dog.

Kyle leaves for Newport Beach, CA this week! He too, has been so busy. He's been a rock.

blessings are everywhere: in the dark. in the color. through the fog. in the quiet. in conversation. in the living. in that final breath.

may we each have eyes to see.


Another week come and gone! I've said before that sometimes "life as usual" makes me feel like I have nothing of any significance to say or update. When I think back over the past couple weeks though, it's safe to say that besides the day to day routine of things, life has been anything but usual.

The same might be said for the weather!! Fall is in the air! I drove to Mountain City a couple times last weekend and as I passed by the lake, I noticed small patches of color, bubbling up into the vast expanse of green. In a matter of a few short weeks color will be everywhere. Lucky us! The weather is such right now that you can't help but step outside and take a deep breath; inhaling life and God and wonder all mixed beautifully together. Kyle is dying to get a camping trip in before the weather gets too cool. We didn't do very well at all in the camping department this summer. Poor guy. We may have to resort to pitching a tent in the back yard...our neighbors might make fun but we'll be the ones with the memories. :)

Kyle has been keeping busy working on a few projects. It's exciting to watch him create art with his gifts and passion-all within the walls of our home. The other day I asked if he is loving his new career and he continues to say, with a smile, "It doesn't feel real yet". Nonetheless, our spare bedroom is being transformed before my eyes into a makeshift office and I can tell that even though it may not feel completely real to him yet, he is in a good place with his chosen career.

Things we're contemplating: Kyle is reading "Sailing between the Stars" by Steven James. Steven and Kyle have worked together on a couple of projects. Steven is a talented guy with a huge gift for storytelling. I haven't read this book yet but I snuck a peek at a few pages and I can tell I'm going to love it. He paints incredible imagery with words. He writes the way I long to converse. The national storytelling festival is in Jonesborough next weekend. A longstanding tradition of the festival is that one night the town is lit with teaky torches and people congregate with their lawn chairs and bug spray to be lulled and enchanted by world renowned storytellers. It's one of those events that make the world feel just right.

Things brewing in my heart: a lot of inventory is taking place these days. Ever feel like you have a vision of what you hope to be someday--and it feels terribly far off from your present realities? That's where I'm at. When I think of how I want to grow, I have visions of a person who lives in the daily grace and freedom of Christ. What does that look like? Alive, congruent, relational, full. Having nothing to do with circumstance. It would make no difference if we had 3 kids, 5 kids, or no kids; if we are rich or poor. Sounds idyllic right? Who doesn't want to live there? But I look around me and I wonder, "How many people do?" We dream God sized dreams but we go on living the same ways day after day until one day we're grown up and the dreamer in us has long been put to rest; the wounds of our youth still bleed; we still blend into the crowd wherever we go because we never let God's love fill us to the point of not caring what other people think. I have no idea what it means to really live in that kind of freedom but I do believe we were created to abide in that place. I know I've mentioned all of this before and I don't mean to bore you with repetition but I can't stop. I believe we are meant to be free. I've seen a handful of people who are daily being transformed by God's grace and I long for that kind of living. Life is exhilarating AND painful right now. But at the end of day, I'm glad.