you know...

How a day can be so full?
You know how a day seems to have more things in it than you ever
thought in the morning as you drink coffee or tea?
I thought about this at 4:00 after an hour on the phone with my husband 
( on speaker ) and  medical benefits to straighten out why I am not on my
 husband's  policy now that he has retired. I thought about how many
people we talked to,even back to my brother's ( PA Orthopaedist) office to take care of a bill. When I got back to them , I  made that lady laugh which tickled me.
We both just laughed and laughed. 
 I also had to talk to another office for my # for this right hip recall. SO I thought also about what people do for a living everyday. 
Problem solving. Just have to laugh. 
All is almost straightened out.
So how was your day?


It felt like the scene in Julie & Julia where Julie is answering calls from 9/11
and she is crying. I almost did today, even though everyone was being helpful.

Son is doing well minus wisdoms..........praying for some to come from 
the "fear of the Lord" and his mouth to heal. He has been eating soup,
soft ice cream, grits, scrambled eggs, soup, mashed potatoes, soup...!

wisdom out....

He did well. All 4 wisdom teeth are out. 
He does not want a photo here or on FB   but maybe on his phone.
Also new and improved: an ice pack that fits under his chin then 
over his head with ice pockets on either side. 

Maybe chipmunk cheeks will puff out soon. 

What is in a day and in a painting...

Today is  getting ready for Autumn as school starts and #4 son gets 
ready to have all 4 wisdom teeth out tomorrow. He's been in and out
all summer . Having a grand one, I would say. He's in now and cleaning
out his room ( I hear the vacuum going) and getting ready to be "loopy"
on drugs while his mouth heals. 

It seems like Summer comes to a end  quicker than when I was a child.
School starts in mid-August here in the South and in the north where I 
grew up , it was after Labor Day. School started in September.  We start 
after Labor Day. 

On to what is in a painting: 

Golden Sea was a necessary reprieve for artist Makoto Fujimura from the
intensely focused Four Holy Gospels illumination project which required
strenuous attention to detail and commenorated the KJV 400th anniversary
in 2011.  He worked on a canvas in the corner of his studio -- a form of 
relaxation from the illumination project. The painting would declare its presence
to visitors. Makoto started to pay more attention to the work, listening and
responding to it.

 " The process of creating renews my spirit, and I find myself 
attuned to the details of life rather than being stressed by being overwhelmed.
I find myself listening rather than shouting into the void."

"I wanted to paint something that was not for any other purpose other than,
perhaps, its own existence." 

" Although my work uses traditional techniques, it doesn't fit into 
any category. Neither Nihonga or Contemporary art, representation 
nor abstraction, secular nor religious, Japanese or American, none of 
these terms is sufficient. I consciously try to bridge the divide I sense 
in my own soul. " ( a noncategory artist)

" The 'secret ingredient' behind the Golden Sea transfer of gold is a Japanese
hand woven silk which is made in a strict traditional manner but is no longer
produced today. Therefore, Golden Sea is an homage to and a lament for
dying traditions, as well as an experession of the sublimity inherent in 
precious materials. "

the words: homage and lament for dying traditions make me think
of A Quartet of Things. 

A Sabbath afternoon with Golden Sea

Makoto Fujimura's GOLDEN SEA came this week. It was part of  a Kickstarter campaign. 
So I spent this afternoon with the book , drinking in the beautiful words, and copies of 
paintings.

" The process of painting then, mirrors my deeper struggle to return the gifts back to the Creator."

Golden Sea was a canvas on the side of his NY studio that he painted after the intensity of 
doing the 400th KJV Illuminated Bible for Crossway.

                                                                      Golden Sea

                                                                   
                                                                Grace Justified

                                                                   Grace Psalm

                                                                   Grace Foretold

                                                                   Grace Hour

                                                                    Tree Grace

                                                              Sacrificial Grace

The hole in the ground

I just heard my husband say to someone on the phone,  "Only the Lord knows."
We have been waiting to put DIRT in the hole where our pool was taken out 
earlier this summer but it has rained and rained. You would think this would be 
an easy thing to order and do. Today was to be another  the day but it was raining much of the early morning.Then tomorrow but"only the Lord knows" because the dirt they are bringing is wet and there is water in the hole. But there seemed to be an echo in my head hearing those  words:
                               "Only the Lord knows" 

 If someone knows something, you ask them  and you need to listen. 
 This is sort of like my son needing to come tonight to teach my daughter
this next part in Alg. 2. She didn't know how to do it and couldn't move forward.
They are out on the porch in this delicious cool summer evening doing math. 
( he loves it : accountant; she doesn't especially love it but is doing better with 
his teaching) 

Our heavenly Father knows all things, even before they happen. 
Sometimes I seem to think He is up to something when there is lots of 
waiting and it is going to be more marvelous. Absolutely. I start looking for 
reasons too. Start asking Him  because He knows. 
 He sees around the corners of time. 


Just finished this book and highly, very highly recommend it , even for learning how to 
live with people , which we all do , even singles:

Short Vimeo of Tim and Kathy here. 
LONGER Vimeo from The Gospel Coalition here. 

Blog forgotten

My daughter and I spent just a bit at Barnes & Noble looking at magazines.
Looking and drinking a frappacino together. 

Found some blogs I haven't been to in a while in all those wonderful magazines
that cost as much as a book and only can find this  one. 

A Bird in  the Hand

Collette  was in Somerset HOME

My contribution:

this is stuck in my head

This duet lifts my heart and grabs it. 
Today, while driving, I kept this one going over and over again. 
Do you have a favorite? There is a tender fragility in their voices. 
Eponine dies.... love  this  line: If I could close your wounds with words of love.
I can listen to that over and over again: I'm here. That's all I need to know. 

We are going to my 40th High School Reunion tomorrow. 
The number makes me feel old!!