Project 365 - Day 334

This is what cozy looks like. Settled in to the blue recliner in the GTCA, the pink afghan thrown over my pajama-ed self, a cup of hot chocolate steaming, mom's clock ticking steadily, the vanilla candle flickering......

Project 365 - Day 333

Ah, the wreath sale! Today was the first day of pick up and delivery and it was a busy one! The rest of the staff was a big help, especially Pat, who's pictured above giving the wreaths a good drink before leaving for the afternoon.

Project 365 - Day 332

What a great weekend in St. Francisville! Came home with a bag of yum Satsumas! We also had fresh Louisiana strawberries (twice) while we were there! It is such a beautiful part of the country - very unique!

So good to spend time with Dan & Bre and the grandpuppies! Joe and Tessi came along too for which we are very thankful. We ate lots of food, went out a couple of times, took walks with the dogs, watched lots of football, played games, cooked and baked, slept in, shopped, etc. Full, fun weekend!

Project 365 - Day 331

Oh, the things we do for love! After a whole weekend of cooking and hosting, Bre made banket for her banket loving husband and father in law! We made it a joint effort and interspersed the process with some good conversation!

In the oven ready to bake!

Finished product - turned out perfect!

Project 365 - Day 330

Sweet little Charlo got ahold of the frisbee which is a challenge with Sparty around. The wind was blowing and the frisbee would blow up into Charlo's face and he couldn't see where he was going :-)

Project 365 - Day 329

Thanksgiving 2010 at the Lousiana VanderWoudes! This is the sweet display Bre has on her mantel. Delicious dinner - Fried Turkey, slow cooker green beans with Parmesan and garlic alfredo sauce, sweet potato casserole, corn cassserole, mashed potatoes made with buttermilk, heavy whipping cream and nutmeg, rolls and buttermilk and pumpkin pie - yum yum! Lots of football on the big screen and some Bananagrams, Perudo, and Hit or Miss. Great day!

Project 365 - Day 328

Tessi traveled to Lousiana with Joe, Dale and me! D.A. insisted that she be in some type of container and the only thing I could find was a mail box left over from our recent year end letter mailout. She's such a sweet little dog and didn't make a peep the whole trip. My Julie friend had given me a book on CD for my birthday - "Bad Dogs Have More Fun" by John Grogan - the author of "Marley and Me" - and we listened to this during our road trip! Having a wonderful Thanksgiving in beautiful St. Francisville!

Project 365 - Day 327

This riot of color greets us every time we step out the front door - the Bradford pear is beautiful this year! It's a great picture of the day but I really missed a golden opportunity this morning. My whole staff minus one came over for Thanksgiving breakfast and I meant to take a picture of them under the Family sign but I forgot until a couple folks had left already! That would have been pretty special. It was a good time of being together outside the office - we had the chance to share a highlight of this past year and also tell something we were looking forward to . Everyone brought part of the meal so it was a fun, easy morning as a hostess! D.A.'s work schedule allowed him to be here too so that was a bonus! Little bit of time at the office in the morning and then it's off to Lousisana for the weekend!

Project 365 - Day 326

Summer's bounty!! I know it's coming to an end and I'm appreciating every day I can go out and pick my own free flowers for bouquets! I picked all of this plus a bunch of oak leaf hydrangea leaves and some dried crape myrtle branches and made some fun little bunches pictured below. Tomorrow morning I'm hosting a staff breakfast here so the house has little bits of beauty in every room!

Project 365 - Day 325

We are squeezing every bit of beauty out of this Autumn! This afternoon D.A.and I took a walk up to Missionary Ridge to take in the views! I absolutely love the fact that we live so close to Civil War battlefields! Love these cannons on the Bragg Reservation!

A Goodbye and a Hello

Empty bookshelves are a sad picture. A really cool bookstore in downtown Chattanooga, Rock Point Books, is going out of business, its final day of business is tomorrow. I stopped in there today and it was so depressing. But as so often happens in life a goodbye leads to a hello - an ending to a new beginning. As I was perusing what little inventory was left I found the very fun book, "Woodland Letters" by Lynne Mulligan.






Such a neat book with images from nature forming letters in the alphabet. Fun questions and suggestions accompany each letter with additional pictures from nature. LOVE IT!! And it makes me wonder about doing an alphabet book of my own for my grandchildren from some of the pictures I've taken. I'm sure between me and Shutterfly it can be done :-) So sadness and happiness all mixed in together this morning - that pretty much sums up life on Planet Earth! If I am wise I will listen and learn from all of it.

Project 365 - Day 324

Fun Saturday morning date this morning! Had a delicious breakfast at Sweet Peppers and then walked through downtown, through Bluff View, to the Riverwalk. We walked about 5 miles! The weather was perfect and the scenery...well, what can I say? It's Chattanooga!!

Project 365 - Day 323

We went to a wonderful production of "Peter Pan" at CCS tonight with some folks from our small group. Melissa's sister, Emily, was a tree and she did a great job! She was no ordinary tree! CCS plays and musicals are always quality and this was no exception! Loved it!

We weren't able to get tickets all together and I opted to sit with Melissa since D.A. inevitably falls asleep during musicals which embarasses me to no end!! This way he could doze in peace and I could enjoy the musical to my heart's content !

Project 365 - Day 322

It's a long story - one of those nights when we look at each other and say - "we're not in Dutton anymore". I am so grateful for Dale Allen - I just love riding the waves of life and love with him. I am so grateful for the tale the Author continues to write with our lives. I'm so curious what the next chapter holds!

An Invitation

It came yesterday.....between the emails of wreath orders, leader questions, Christmas party details, Service Center updates....it came. Even just reading the subject line, Silent Retreat, gave my soul a quiet pause and a smile of anticipation crossed my lips.....


"What will we do:

The retreat will be a gently directed time of silence interspersed with specific periods of reflection. We will listen and pray and reflect and write and read and walk and sit and rest and ......"

Project 365 - Day 321

I did a good bit of Christmas shopping this afternoon - scored some great deals - in part thanks to the nice lady at Kohls who gave me a 30% off coupon! I love Christmas shopping when it's sunny and 69 degrees, light traffic, and no crowds!!! Things are going to get crazy busy soon and I'm so glad to have a good start on my gift list!

The amaryllis might be for me - sweet, silly memories of my dear great aunt Betty - I used to give her one every year for Christmas and she would call me every time another blossom opened up with a detailed report - she was such a character!

Project 365 - Day 320

This is my favorite tree. I call it my Macrina tree. It's a huge Bradford Pear tree just down the hill on Claremont a little ways. I love it in all its seasons! It's just beginning to change into its regal Autumn dress. It's never in a hurry like the Maples. And the wonderful thing is that it will be one of the first in the Spring to blossom up! One year I took a picture of it at four different stages of losing its leaves.....

I call it my Macrina tree because when I read these words of hers this tree came to mind.....

Sacrament of Letting Go

"I worry too much. Autumn trees ask me not to worry. They, like Jesus, suggest trust rather than worry. So often in autumn I want to go lean my head against a tree and ask what it feels like to lose so much, to be so empty, so detached, to take off one's shoes that well, and then simply to stand and wait for God's refilling. It sounds so simple, so easy. It isn't easy. But it's possible.

Slowly

she celebrated the sacrament of letting go

first she surrendered her green

then the orange, yellow, and red

finally she let go of her brown

shedding her last leaf

she stood empty and silent, stripped bare.

Leaning against the winter sky

she began her vigil of trust."

Project 365 - Day 319

This picture in no way does justice to how beautiful it was today up at Lookout Mtn. Presbyterian Church. I just love this old stone church and it looked very Wuthering Heightish today in the rain and fog. Ladies from the church helped our YL staff with the year end letter mailout. I'll be back up there in a couple of weeks with lots of wreaths!

Project 365 - Day 318

We often remark that in the 8 1/2 years we've lived here there have never been two Sundays alike. We say this because we used to have these wonderful cookie cutter Sundays - very predictable and so sweet! But these unpredictable Sundays are gifts too and we unwrap each one with wonder and great care.

Victoria has temporary custody of her three little nieces and this morning we took V and Zya to church with us and then to the house for lunch. It was SO fun having a 10 month old crawling around the house, playing with baby toys and chewing on Sandra Boynton books!

Such a huge responsibility for our Victoria friend.....she is amazing! It was great to have some time with her today. She's been working alot lately and were so glad she could come to church this morning. We love worshipping with her at New City. She just loves Pastor Nabors and his preaching which just tickles us. God is so good and so faithful and we praise Him for bringing V into our lives and trust that He will continue to bless and strengthen her!

Sometimes when I read that the Facebook grandmas all had their kids and grandkids over for Sunday dinner as they do every week I can get so SAD and wish so much that I could see my precious ones every week too. But I believe with all my heart that we are where we're supposed to be. And in God's intimate plan for each of our lives He put us in a place where we can pour a portion of that parent/grandparent love into others who need a glimpse of Him and a hug from Him.

This afternoon Dan & Tara called and afterwards my heart was so full of thankfulness for the strong, solid, passionate adults the kids have become, are becoming! When I listen to Dan's excitement about the YL dinner parties they're having this weekend it makes me connect the dots of our life's story again and I realize that step by step the Lord brings all of us where we're supposed to be - doing exactly what He's planned for us to do. Sometimes obedience to His call brings moments of loneliness, wistfulness, but overall it brings JOY!

Project 365 - Day 317

I know I sound like a broken record but one of the things I LOVE about the South is how long Fall lasts! We went for a long walk this morning starting at the Chickamauga Dam and the colors are still beautiful along the river and irn the Riverpark. The crape myrtles are especially amazing this year - they look like they're on fire!

Project 365 - Day 316

I put up with ALOT at the Young Life office - ALOT! But I totally draw the line when it comes to little white rodents! Babs brought 7 of these guys in after club this morning and plopped the tub down in the office. I made her put them outside immediately!! YUCK!! I just knew somehow, some way they would find their way out of that storage container and be running all over the office for weeks to come. I would have to quit the job I love.

Project 365 - Day 315

Project 365 has really made me look beyond, beneath, beside.....always on the look out for the picture of the day. I love these little orange berries - they look like the hull of a piece of popcorn :-) With the time change the front yard looks so different in the early evening. But would I notice if I hadn't been living in this heightened awareness these past 314 days?

Project 365 - Day 314

The crape myrtle is such a wonderful plant of the South! D.A. got ours from a cutting from a customer several years ago and we just love it. It's the bush that keeps on giving as it has beautiful color all summer long and then turns this gorgeous color red/orange in the fall. I am soaking up every bit of beauty left in my flowers and bushes as winter approaches!

Project 365 - Day 313

This morning at the beginning of staff meeting David told us to go and be with the Lord for about 30 minutes before we started the business portion of our time together. I opted for the steps of the Cornerstone House, the building behind our office. The autumn morning sun was so warm and kind. It was lovely.

All of a sudden the door opened and an African pastor from Uganda who's staying at the CH for awhile peeked out and asked if I needed anything. I explained why I was there. He asked if I would like to try a cup of African coffee and after accepting such a sweet offer he went back in and a little while later came out with this steaming cup of deliciousness. He explained the African way of making coffee......he boiled milk and water together, then added a teaspoon of instant coffee, then added some freshly ground ginger root. The addition of ginger would explain why it tasted so much like Chai. He went back in and later came out with a little plate of peanuts for me :-)

What a fun random encounter!

Project 365 - Day 312

These sweet gum trees near the start of the Walking Bridge are changing ever so slowly. I've been trying to get a good picture of them for a few weeks. Today I went for a walk during my lunch hour and the sun seemed to be in a good position for a decent picture. Such a pretty day today - absolutely perfect temperature, sunny, and no wind! D.A. and I walked the bridge together after dinner and it was still really nice out. We were so wimpy this summer about walking because it was so HOT and we got so SWEATY! Yay for Fall!

Project 365 - Day 311

The Hunter Art Museum is always free admission on the first Sunday of the month and we took Corell & Corey there today. It was their first time to the museum. Their mom had prepared them pretty well before we picked them up about what not to do at an art museum - she's a pretty great mom! We had fun! They respected their boundaries, asked some great questions, made some insightful observations - so fun to introduce them to places and events like this in their community and see it through their eyes! Our times together are filled with much laughter and fun conversation :-)

Project 365 - Day 310

You just never know what twists and turns life will bring! A couple that used to live next door to us 25 years ago and who we haven't seen since then has moved from MI to Spring City, TN which is a little over an hour away from our house. This afternoon we made the scenic drive up there and talked non-stop for 5 hours catching up! They live out in the country and it's so beautiful up there and so quiet. Fun visit!

Love how their house sits in the woods!

We went past this church out in the countryside and had to turn around to take a picture!

Project 365 - Day 309

It was a cold and dreary day and tonight we're supposed to get our first frost. We covered up the mailbox garden as best we could in hopes of saving the flowers that have blessed us with such beauty these past few months. Tomorrow morning I'll go out and see if there are casualties.

This is always a sad time, this time of transition, between fall and winter. Every day the trees look a little more forlorn and the flowers a little battered. I will love the cozy darkness of long winter days but I need time to say goodbye to "delicious autumn."

Project 365 - Day 308

These cute signs are covering the big windows of the EPB (Electric Power Board) downtown as they prepare the animated Christmas scenes. I am getting excited about the holidays! Working on the wreath sale at work always puts me in the Christmas spirit early. Hung a sample wreath on the office door and listened to Christmas music on Pandora while I entered orders on my computer today :-)

Project 365 - Day 307

I am not a "saver" by nature so it's pretty miraculous that I still have one of my dolls from when I was a little girl. I loved playing with dolls and remember having several but this is the only one that is still around. Crazy to think that this doll is 50 years old! An antique just like me! I wish I could remember her name - my sister probably knows :-) She has an amazing memory for details!

I really wish I or my mom would have saved a few more things from my childhood. I wish I would have saved more things of the boys growing up years. I know Joe was upset by how much I got rid of when we moved from MI to TN - at the time it seemed practical - now I regret making such a clean sweep.

I wish I would have saved more of the cards and letters my mom wrote to me. It wasn't until after she passed away that I was frantic to find every bit of her handwriting I could. Now every recipe card, birthday card, and sticky note with her beautiful script is precious to me.

I save alot more things these days. Every note I receive from family and friends, shells, leaves, voice mails and crayon drawings from the grandkids, photos......I know the day will come when the kids will grumble about the boxes of "stuff" they'll have to move from the Court, but maybe one of them will realize sooner than I did the importance of saving and savoring the fragile, fleeting pieces of a life and tuck a few boxes away for safekeeping.

Project 365 - Day 306

It's been a fun birth week :-) This cute Dutchy trivet came from my Julie friend with a bunch of other wonderful surprises! Love it! It rests on the baker's rack that has bits of all the VanderWoude cultures represented.

Project 365 - Day 305

We had dinner at Robbie & Gary's house tonight - such great friends! Their little dog, Emmy, is so cute and we had a great game of tug of war with her rope.