The Last Straw

The sparrows had a bit of disaster recently. Just since I took the picture of the nest on Sunday the bottom part of it fell away. They have been rebuilding ever since and today have achieved a nice replacement (in my opinion, but they will probably keep adding on). There are fresh oak leaves woven into the nest once again along with long grasses and whatever else has taken their fancy.

Mom and Dad are having their house re-painted. Nanny's husband Richard is doing it right now. He has been coming in the morning's after he finishes work and doing prep work and just this week started painting. From white to yellow. In the morning it is a nice pale yellow. When the sun hits it my husband says we will have to wear sunglasses. Looking good, though.

I rescheduled my foot doctor appointment to mid-July. I know he would just tell me to wear the boot a while longer as it is still sore. I have experimented by walking in the house without the boot after I got home from work the past two nights and know that I am not ready for unencumbered perambulation yet. VBS took its toll even with the wheelchair (but I loved every minute of it) and Independence Day is this coming week so there are popsicles to be made and trips up and down (down and up?) the basement steps to the freezer to freeze and store this year's concoctions. And there are still some VBS supplies over at Mom and Dad's that need to come home and be sorted and stored. So still lots of walking to do.

I miss walking without the scritch of velcro and the thump of the boot. Sometimes when I walk all I can hear is the soundtrack from Rocky Horror Picture Show when Tim Curry's character is coming down in the elevator tapping his foot or heel on the floor. That sound is what I hear when I walk - scritch, thump, scritch, thump ...

The foot is much better, though. I would say it has improved 90% from what it was when I first went to Dr. Le. I just have to be patient.

This Is the Lord's Day

At least we are starting out cool today. A pleasant morning for just sitting around and listening to the birds. I have a huge bird's nest on the drainpipe of my front porch. A robin started it last year and some sparrows have added to it immensely this year. I hear them squabbling out there often. Probably arguing with the chipmunks who also claim the front yard as their territory.

In the back yard there are nesters in the gourd birdhouse once again. I think it is Carolina Wrens. I haven't been able to get a really good look but they have the long beaks and tails that I remember from last year. Birds are also in the evergreens around the porch and garage. The birds and the chipmunks know how to tease the dogs. Sassy especially chases anything that gets into her yard. Chipmunks are living in the rock wall at the back and they sit on the sidewalk just waiting for Sassy to dash out the door then race her to the walls. They also dart down holes they have dug around the drainpipes. Sassy chases them to the holes then sticks her nose down after them. She jumps on the holes with her front feet in an effort to scare them out again. She has yet to win this year. I think there is a whole underground network of tunnels and they pop up and down at will just to frustrate her.

Sister Beth and I went shopping Friday afternoon for thank you gifts for VBS Co-Directors Darla and Jen and Crafts Director (me). We discovered a wonderful sale at the local Hallmark. Up to 75% off so we were able to get the three gifts including the gift bags and tissue for less than the price of one of the gifts if we had had to pay full price. I got to pick out this windchime for myself and would never have purchased it for myself at full price. It is a pair of binocs with two birds perched on them and another hanging below as the windcatcher. I hung it off the back porch but not enough breeze so far to make it tinkle. It has a nice, soothing sound to it. In the picture you can also see my owl sitter that Mom gave me several years ago.

I had hoped to go to church today as it is Rev. Jim's last Sunday with us, but the foot is really sore and the IBS is acting up, too. Nanny had hoped I would be able to make it to sing in the choir but IBS makes that extremely unlikely. Maybe I can make it for the dinner this evening.



Lord, thank you for cool breezes, bird song, morning sunshine and the senses to enjoy them all.

Galilee Final Day

Success! It's over for another year. A huge joy and let-down at the same time. So much time and energy went into preparation and then into the week of VBS itself. We had a good turnout for the final night and every child made at least one more sea shell necklace. I saw parents wearing them as well. Younger children who came with parents for the program were invited to make necklaces, too. Then the presentation and singing. It was wonderful. Jen made a slideshow with music from pictures taken all week and had that playing on Nanny's laptop after the program. Most of the kids sat right back down and sang along with the music and pictures. No one was in a hurry to leave.

Clean up didn't take too much time either. Jen had loaded no longer needed crafts supplies in her van before we started on Friday. We also stored the things that would be staying at church for next year's VBS and we were able to leave the boat and "seashore" in place along with "Piano Rock" and the Marketplace "window". Rev. Jim is being transferred and we are having a dinner for him on Sunday. He specifically requested that we leave the VBS decorations up so people could see them. It is supposed to be Italian theme so we will see what the people in charge of the dinner decide but it was his request.

Today is a day of rest - after I get all the craft tools and supplies that came home last night put away.

This, too, is a day the Lord has made.

Galilee Day 4

We had a few newcomers again tonight (we sometimes even get a new child the last night of VBS and never turn a child away) so more sea shell necklaces were made tonight. All the kids have expressed a definite interest in making more tomorrow night even though there is not supposed to be a craft on Friday night. But I'll search out more pony beads in the boxes of beads I have around the house to replenish the bead supply and let them string to their hearts' content. We still have dozens of shells with holes in them.

They finished their treasure chests when they first came in also. One of the newcomers was a little boy who was disappointed he couldn't make a treasure chest at first but once he got going on his shell necklace he was all smiles.

Stone carving was the featured craft tonight and it was a hit with all. We made our "stones" on Tuesday to give them time to harden somewhat and they were perfect tonight. I can't take credit for that. It stormed Tuesday, was sweltering Wednesday, and stormed again tonight after a pleasant day. But the combination seems to have been just right for setting the stones. Every child chose a different design to carve and really enjoyed the carving. We used dowel rods that I cut at 45 degree angles so there were rounded points on both ends for the carving tools. One of the helpers is really talented and chose one of the patterns I had printed out for inspiration and carved a flying dove. I sent her home with extra stones and high praise.

I like the more natural look of these "stones" rather than the square molded ones we almost did. The first batch we used molds but it didn't set so we poured it back in the mixing bowl and added more plaster and vermiculite to thicken it. The result was the rounded lumps of "stone" the kids got to carve.

Jen took a poll during snack time and asked the kids to name their favorite things about VBS. About half said the music and the other half said the crafts. Both are my favorites, too.

I had extra helpers tonight so was able to stay off the foot a bit more than last night. Still so wonderfully tired, though. When we left the church the sky was clearing after the storm and the sun was setting beyond the hills across the river. Jen took some awesome photographs and I hope she posts them for all to see.

Lord, I think we blessed some children tonight. Thank you for the spontaneous hug from little Vonn who said he just wanted to hug me. Thank you for all the children and seeing things anew through their eyes.

Galilee Day 3

Another day done, praise the Lord! Oh, what fun we had tonight with the kids at VBS. They are all such eager darlings. When they came in they were invited into the craft area and they each made another sea shell necklace (or made their first one as we had 4 newcomers tonight). Beads were everywhere and several times I stopped them and had them each bend down and look around on the floor under their chairs for the "runaway beads" before someone (me) stepped on them. The only "struggle" we had for specific beads was between my younger sister and her daughter-in-law. After the kids had moved on to music Nanny and Kim were making their own necklaces and I heard Nanny telling Kim not to take any of "her" beads. I had to "threaten" to take all the beads away if they couldn't play nicely together. They each completed beautiful necklaces. The kids seem to love the music and were singing their hearts out for Jen during that session then sat quietly for the lesson time and then back to me for the next craft of the night - craft stick treasure boxes. I'll need to think long and hard about using colored craft sticks and glue again. I never thought the color would run and get all over hands. But we had wipies and no clothes catastrophes that I am aware of (not counting the glue on my shirt). The boxes didn't quite go as planned and we had some collapses before we got them all together, but I think they will be fine. Adults helped and we even had some slightly older children voluntarily helping younger ones without being asked. We plan on finishing the treasure chests tomorrow when the kids first come in by making the lids for the boxes. Then they will come back later for the planned craft - "stone" carving. That is the last craft as Friday is Pizza Night and the closing. Jen is putting together a slide show with music that we can have running Friday night to show the parents what went on all week. I wasn't in the wheelchair as much tonight and my foot is telling me about it. Sister Beth was on her feet more also and her poor knees are hurting her, too. But we keep on doing it. I can't imagine not doing VBS.

Lord, thank you for another day in service to you. Keep all the children safe from harm and let them enjoy their childhood.

Galilee Days 1 and 2

Galilee By The Sea VBS started last night. The "boot" has slowed me down in preparing the crafts etc so I took the day off work again fully intending to be at the church by 11 am. Made the "mistake" of calling my sister Beth to find out if she wanted to go also. Well, we left the house around 10 am for a quick stop at the dollar store and everything escalated from there. We went to the Goodwill store and found a number of decorative items that fit our scheme. I don't think we paid more than a dollar for anything. Then to Save-A-Lot for one of the big tubs they have to hold the water bottles for the kids (we started at Goodwill thinking there might be a tub at low cost and found all the other wonderful things instead). Then to the dollar store for more fish windsocks and salsa bowls (for grinding herbs and spices in). Then to WalMart where we got a better piece of cloth for the "sail" on our "boat) and then met Jen and her two youngest and had lunch at Subway. We got to church around 1:30. Jen had to leave with her youngest to go to the eye doctor to check on his eye abrasion at 2 pm.

Things moved slowly with the "boot" on my foot but we brought down a wheelchair from the upstairs storage room and I was able to use it to move around my crafting area when I could sit down. We still had yarmulkes to make and headscarves to cut out and craft materials to arrange. But when 6 pm came and the kids started coming in we were ready - more or less - thanks in part (a large part) to Jen's husband who threatened to deny it if I ever told anyone he was the one who sewed the yarmulkes.

We had a nice group for us - we are not a large church anymore and have very few children but we draw in local kids we see every VBS. Arrangements had been made for Rabbi Lowy to come and talk to the kids and adults. He was very interesting and held the kids' attention with small stories explaining how the Torah is written and what the Jewish holidays are and why they are celebrated. The kids even got the chance to try to blow the shofar and everyone got to spin the dreidels. I think the adults learned as much as the kids.

We did not even get to the craft the first night but I set it up so when the kids arrived on Day 2 they could come right in and start the craft without waiting around to see what they were supposed to do next. So we had kids and spices and potpourri and other scented items and little muslin bags as they were making their own scented sachets. Most of them put some of everything in their bags and they all smelled wonderful. We tied the bags closed and then attached hanging cords so they could wear the bags. We explained that people did not always have the deoderants we are familiar with today and often carried perfumed bags with them to mask the odors they encountered. The kids didn't really care. They just had fun with all the ingredients. I have a bowl of cinnamon mixed with I don't know what that I'll save for next year's VBS or maybe use to make applesauce ornaments to sell at the next fundraiser.

After lesson and singing they came back to me again for the planned craft of the night - seashell necklaces. They got to hunt for their shells in a large tub filled with sand and then strung their shells along with beads to make. Ages ranged from about 2 to 11 and beads were everywhere but they made some wonderful necklaces. They had so much fun a few of them almost didn't care about snack time. I plan on letting them come in and make another necklace tomorrow night before VBS, too.

I managed to stay in the wheelchair much of the time once VBS started both nights so my foot has been wonderfully unintrusive - until I get up and walk again. But it is still improving day by day and I hope to be free of the "boot" soon.

Tomorrow night is craft stick treasure boxes and Thursday night is stone carving. We made our own stones from plaster of Paris and vermiculite and I will try one out tomorrow to make sure it works as planned. If not, we have picture frames to decorate with shells and foam stickers.

It is a good tired I feel.

Thank you, Lord, for these opportunities.

Another day ...

Wow, that last post was a downer. I didn't mean it that way but when I re-read it this morning the irony and dark humor just didn't seem to be there. So, cheer up! The world is wonderful and this is another day with more adventures awaiting each of us!

Lord, thank you for another chance to get it right. This is the day that the Lord has made.