dandelions

I have always loved a dandelion, the color against the green grass, the perfect way it turns to a intricate globe of seeds on a stem.  If you cut the stems in half and open them length wise they will curl when in a jar of water.  I hope when people remember me, or parts of my story... they will see that it was painted slowly.
The portrait of my life,
one brush stroke at a time,
different colors and types of paint for each part. 
I hope I will be able to continue to paint it for a long time, I so love the detail.
and as I go through life, focusing on my mission, on what God wants me to learn -
I pray there will always be days like this in between the every day labors of love, and building of relationships...
where I can watch them run free through the grass carrying a perfect dandelion that has gone to seed.
And before my life is over I would pray each of those seeds be planted deep in the hearts of those I leave behind.

Christmas card 2011

1997 one hour photo Mankato

As long as I was going through photo's ...
I found all of them from 2011 so wanted to post them here together.  I also found a dandy from 1997 to add!

Christmas Cards

Where did the tradition begin...
the one of sending out a card, praying for peace on earth?
I remember crimping my little girls hair, putting on their matching outfits and clicking the camera.  I sent out cards with pictures some times.  It helped the receiver know my family.
I don't know where the tradition began.
But,
I do see where it happened in 2013!
Who would have ever thought?

1988 Baker Street

The Lord of the Dance

Here are a couple of pictures from Emma Krumbee's...
"Lyndon Peterson's one man band".
He is hired by the orchard to provide entertainment for the children, and to allow them to be a part of it.
I read that sometimes when you need answers to life's big questions that you should walk the rows of an orchard...
and listen.
I listened this day to the sounds of music.
I watched feet leave the ground, and the steps of a learning ballerina teaching the routine to others.
I watched a big sister have fun and yet keep a careful eye on all the little ones.
And I saw a big brother take center stage.
If I could I would scoop them all up and walk the rows of the orchard.
We would listen for the answers. 
And when we are unable to find all the answers, we would sing and dance with the Lord of the dance.
"dance then wherever you may go, I am the Lord of the dance said He, and I'll lead you all wherever you may go, and I'll lead you all in the dance said He.

The Saviors hand

We are all at a last minuet gathering at the Emma Krumbee apple orchard.  It was a beautiful fall day, so warm you needed to take your jackets off and leave them lay.  Cassie can't make it because of the last minute decision to go but she is with us in our hearts.  It is December now...
but,
I remember the warmth of the day...
and I remember this moment.
They were inside a climbing train, running, jumping, playing with a little boy.  Jordyn the younger by 6 months, but diffidently the more experienced with brothers...
giggles and runs... "I'm not a boy, if I'm a boy, then your a girl, girl"
and so it goes for quite some time.
Nola sits down on the train, and her best friend, her cousin, sits next to her;
They believe they have escaped the chaos for a moment...
no one knows where they are, not even the little boy whom Jordyn has called girl.
but,
I hear her say "Do you want to hold my hand Jordyn?"
Jordyn takes her hand, they wrap up with pinkie and for this moment in time...
they are free to love each other, to trust each other.
When they get older and all the junk of the world seeps in,
all the stuff that tells us who we are and who others should be..
I pray that they will be able to remember these moments when it was just little girls and God.
When He gave them the space and time to just be...
I pray that all  will know who they are in Christ Jesus, and that after a tiring run of chaos and noise they will be able to sit and rest...
and take the Saviors hand.

A Christmas tree skirt

Sometimes, friendship can not be explained in words written to page...
It was a busy Saturday afternoon in which I needed to go to Gibbon to get some organic cow meat that we had ordered...
Jeff and I leave Arlington, loaded down with my latest project.  I just needed to stop by her house, just to see what she would think, and to get the final okay that what I was about to do would work.
I have no time schedule, it seems so odd...
we pick up the meat and load it in to the trunk.
Stop at Dairy Queen and get Jeff some fries.
We take a left out of Winthrop on to 15 and then a right in to Lafyette.
I have this excitement building inside me as we drive and I think about the skirt.
When I arrive she shows me some things she has purchased and we talk about boots and boot jewelry.
I talk to her about the top she has on and how much I love it, wishing she would always be able to shop for me too.  I give her back her newsprint jacket that she thinks Duey wishes I would just keep forever - she puts it on and looks as pretty as a picture, I warn her of some of the things people will say when she wears it...
Now, we take out the project and I talk to her about it.  I tell her what I am thinking about for the words of the skit, I tell her how I would like these two vintage Christmas tree skirts to become a costume for the skit.
Not only does she listen to my idea, but, now she has me put the skirt on and gets out the pins and the scissors.
We will need to make a fast trip to NewUlm as we need one more skirt or something for the top the costume.  We head to the MRCI thrift and as we are getting ready to leave...
there it is!!
One more perfect little vintage felt tree skirt!
We head back home and finish the pinning...
and I think to myself how blessed I am to have someone who will help me here on earth to figure out how to put my visions into reality!
Thank you my friend!

Arli-Dazzle 2013

Plans have been being made for months and months...
The Arli-Dazzle took place on December 7th, 2013.
Last year it was so beautiful and everyone had so much fun that this year we decided to make sure everyone was invited and the gathering spot would be here at the house.
Finally it is here, the temperatures...
unlike last years 50 degrees at 6:00...
are dangerously cold, the temperature on the bank clock shows 10 below zero, without the wind factored in! 

(I had been to "Two Old Goats" - the best "junk" sale in all the land.
I found this precious vintage sled with a red sleigh made on it.  I got some lights and a matching Christmas blanket and had it all ready for us to pull our little Cassie Grace up to the parade. )

I get a txt from Lacey on Friday night "we may just come anyway, will drive slow, need to do laundry".
"YAY"
I thought it was just to dangerous and didn't want any of the kids to think they had to come, but, was quite happy that Nola Jean's daddy was able to drive a long and the roads were a little better on Saturday.
So, we fix up the vintage sleigh, bundle up our Nola Jean, and away her and daddy, momma and papa go up to Main Street.
The rest of us stay here where it is warm and just dream of all that is going on up there...
dream of little girls bundled up in layers and layers,
reaching down as the floats throw out candy...
storing the bags, and goods under her blanket in the handy little sleigh.  When her little cheeks turn bright red (the only skin that was exposed) - they decide to walk back home...
although reluctant to leave the rest of the floats coming down the road...
she hops in her sleigh
and daddy pulls her home!