Intangible Grace

There are times the universe will ask you do something in return. Perhaps as payment for the sunny days, the healthy days, the perfect days.

Your resolve doesn’t waver during these times. You focus and follow through and accomplish what is needed with a flourish and a smile.

Later, as all of it comes together and rises to fruition, you wonder how the heck it happened. What made you do it? How in the world was all of it possible?

Your eyes pop open in the middle of the night and you realize this is beyond your doing. You are merely a stronger tool displaying as much grace as possible. A cog in a mighty wheel. A note in a song. A drop of rain in a bucket.

This Saturday, The Legends of Wildomar-Tall Tales will be acted out on stage at Le Grand Playhouse. I wrote one third of the play and two of the songs. I put together the program, had them printed, folded each one by hand with my husband and sister.  I also tried to encourage sponsorship's and inspired my family members to participate. I hung up posters in the park that blew away in the wind.  Since one actor dropped out, I’m double cast! The director wants me to be funnier. I’m expected to change into boots, chew on hay and know my lines. Huh?

The address is 16275 Grand Ave., Lake Elsinore. The play will be on September 7^th and also on the 14th. Tickets are $10 and are available by going online to BRICK or at Facebook events at: https://www.facebook.com/events/2396311220655774/ .

All the ticket proceeds will be going to BRICK, which stands for Brain Research in Cancer Kids which is an affinity of Rady’s Children’s Hospital.

BRICK was started by a family with a toddler, named Les. His grandmother is a friend of mine. Les had a brain tumor that changed his life. He endured countless hours in the hospital, surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy and pain. Most of those things began over 16 years ago.

This Saturday, I am honored and humbled to hear that Les and his parents, will be taking tickets at the door. This is not a tall tale and I have no words.

Focus On Love

Last month, a friend persuaded me to take part in National Novel Writing Month or NaNo, as it’s called by those who like to suffer. (Sorry, I’m joking.) While I love writing, I feel a goal of fifty-thousand words in one month is unreasonable. It’s a big deal to finish and miraculously, I finished. At first, I didn’t think I could do it. Plus, I started three days late. Things looked hopeless.

Finishing however, had to do with the fact that I had a story running around in my head, which had to get out. So, even though I complained about the thirty-day deadline, in some ways I feel lighter. Free from a heavy-duty tale about world peace. Half way through, the topic felt enormous. In the mornings I did research and, in the afternoons, I typed away. I had to write like the Dickens to make sure my version of War and Peace came to a resolution at fifty thousand words. And so, by the grace of God and of course His legions of angels, who give me ideas and help me write, I completed my next novel. Hooray!

Speaking of angels, it’s almost Christmas. A time to reflect on the year, to remember others, and to share delicious snacks and special moments with friends and family. It’s also a time that can be hectic and filled with tension, traffic and old-fashioned traditions that seem overdone, almost ridiculous. The best we can do is focus on what’s important. 

Our mall Santa

Once we’ve tuned out the mall-muzak, perhaps we can hear the little bells, the song of the bird in the yard, the trickle of rain on the window. We will hear the excitement in the child’s voice upon receiving a gift, a tone of gratitude in the shopkeeper’s ‘thank you for your business’ and the delightful sound of wrapping paper ripped off packages.

I know it's hard to see the singing yellow bird
in the middle of this tree but he almost looked like a canary!

Beyond the bustling crowds are families baking cookies in cozy kitchens and elderly friends wearing bizarre sweaters, gathering for a social at the Senior Center. There are childless couples, empty- nesters and those who are alone but still volunteer and try to be part of the festivities. The intangible gifts are everywhere. Every new day is a memory tomorrow—every moment is yours. If you focus on what’s important, (like I did with Nano) you can do anything!  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends and family!

Do You Believe?--(Two Poems & more)

I'm putting two weeks into one for a double-scoop of Intangible ice-cream on a waffle-cone post
 to wish you all a fairly sober St. Patrick's Day
 and a chocolate bunny-filled Easter.

I wrote this poem last year for something called

 Poem-a-Day in April of last year and thought it

 might make a nice Easter related post.

On the Secret Subject of Faith

How did that happen?

Can you explain it?

No, No, No, for the third time.

It’s a miracle.

No, it’s not.

It is.

I don’t believe it.

Forget it.

I will not forget it.

See? You do believe it.

Shhh! No, I don’t.

Yes, you do or you’d forget it.

Well something happened.

That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.

Well, how did it happen?

I have no idea.

It’s too weird.

I agree but it happened.

Maybe we shouldn’t tell anyone.

Why not, it’s amazing?

True that, but....

---------------Eve Gaal

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa

Breaking News: Today from CBS
March 15, 2016- Pope Francis announced Mother Teresa, known around the world for her work with the poorest people in India will become a saint on the fourth of September due to two proven miracles that have been attributed to the nun from Calcutta.

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives." Mother Teresa

Please Don't Give Up on God!

We have some friends who don’t believe anymore. They have told us they flat-out don’t believe in God. While we respect their beliefs, it makes us wonder if they are grateful for the food they eat or the air they breathe and if so, who would be the one they show appreciation towards for the songs coming from the trees and the flowers blooming at the gate. Hard to imagine they don’t care to thank anyone for Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds and violets and are never thankful for anything. Oh well, The Doors had the right lyrics: "People are strange...."

Contemplating my own difficulties made me write this poem: 

Unanswered Prayer

You prayed on your knees.

You closed your eyes for emphasis.

You tagged along with others and felt like drinking the holy water.

You read His Word,

 in His Book.

You highlighted, shared, witnessed and

prayed some more.

and yet....

Something horrible happened

that seemed like He wasn’t listening.

But you know He heard you.

He listened to you before.

He answered other prayers.

This, however was a big request.

A doozy.

               He did what He thought was necessary.

              Things we can’t understand.

And yet. ...

Though your heart felt like it would fall out onto the dusty floor.

You retained your faith.

Kept up hope that someday you’d comprehend it all.

You worshiped more than ever before.

Even while assembling shredded pieces of your heart. 

The world is full of so many distractions that the least we can do is pause in front of the marshmallow chicks at the supermarket to contemplate the meaning of Easter. I hope your heart will feel lifted, renewed and filled with the spring promise of the Lord's resurrection. And for those who don't believe, for whatever reason, my repentant heart is convinced that God loves you too.

Do you believe?

A piece from a famous painting called The Blessed Path by Charles Dulac-See the entire picture here.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention-(A Craft idea) and Ducks!

Ongoing Craft Idea

You’ll need one white tee shirt

Inexpensive fabric paint from the craft store or acrylic paints.

The first time I wore my white, long-sleeved tee, a splash of spaghetti sauce ruined it forever. I threw it into the back of the closet and took it out to paint my guest room and wore it to clean out the garage. Then one day after pulling the disgusting looking tee out of the dryer, I had an epiphany about doodling all over it with fabric paint. After adding some primitive folk-art style with the fabric paint, I even added some beading around the neckline. It didn’t look designer new or anything like that but the sauce and paint stains had magically disappeared. Sometimes I wear it out of the house to the lumber store and garden center where I even received a compliment! That was five years ago and the shirt is a sort of a work in progress. Of course, aren’t we all? Two days ago, I spilled gelato all over the worn top but I’m looking forward to adding pink hearts onto my sleeves.  Spots? What spots?

Go to town doodling anything over your spots with fabric paint.

Summer Ducks

The cutest little bundles of joy decided to hatch under our mesquite tree this week.  Seven little ones and a gold colored mama duck were having a great time splashing around in the pool and looking for bugs. We had noticed the lonely mother duck swimming around every night by herself for a month. I remember the romantic date she had with the handsome mallard that dumped her and left her at our house. Jerk! She cried her heart out for days! Once a lonely girl—now she has seven little ones who need her constant attention! It was truly an overload of absolute adorableness watching them waddle, as they followed their mother around our lawn.

I took the photo from an upstairs window.
 This was the first day we saw them, which was June 22.

After three days however, the mother duck wanted to move along and everyone slipped under a hole in the fence and disappeared. There is a creek less than a quarter mile away and a lake about two miles away, so we're hoping they've safely found their way to a forever home. Do you think they'll come back?

Thanks for visiting my blog!