A River Runs Through It

'For some time, though, he struggled for more to hold on to. "Are you sure you have told me everything you know about his death?" he asked. I said, "Everything." "It's not much is it?" "No," I replied, "but you can love completely with out complete understanding." "That I have known and preached," my father said.

Once my father came back with another question. "Do you think I could have helped him?" he asked. Even if I might have thought longer, I would have made the same answer. "Do you think I could have helped him?" I answered. We stood waiting in deference to each other. How can a question be answered that asks a lifetime of questions?'
~~Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It)

Two things stick out to me. "...but you can love completely without complete understanding." And, "How can a question be answered that asks a lifetime of questions?"

Norman Maclean really nails it down here. I lost a brother several years ago in a very confusing, misunderstood set of circumstances. He much reminded me of the younger brother in this movie, Paul. David lived fast, free and easy. Well, he made it look easy anyway... We all loved him completely without complete understanding. When David passed away we all kept asking questions about his death to no avail. It is getting easier to get up everyday and carry on without knowing all the details surrounding his death. He is just as dearly missed as the first day we went on without him. He is just as dearly loved as the first day my parents laid eyes on him. His memory brings smiles to our faces, his laugh still rings in our ears. It was contagious. He was the greatest big brother. He loved me and used to make me play on my guitar and sing "Bobby McGee" over the phone when he called.

I used to think I should have called him more. Helped him more. Walked with him more through his life. But now I know that that is a lifetime of questioning that cannot be answered either.

Just to know that he knew we loved him. That is enough.

"Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great floods and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." ~~Norman Maclean

Be Sunday Still

Every picture tells of story. A story of love.

For My Mother-- good days that will be again...

"Out to Old Aunt Mary's"
James Whitcomb Riley
October 7, 1853 – July 22, 1916



Wasn't it pleasant, O brother mine,
In those old days of the lost sunshine
Of youth—when the Saturday's chores were through,
And the "Sunday's wood" in the kitchen, too,
And we went visiting, me and you,
Out to Old Aunt Mary's?

It all comes back so clear today!
Though I am as bald as you are gray
Out by the barn-lot, and down the lane,
We patter along in the dust again.
As light as the tips of the drops of the rain Out to Old Aunt Mary's!

We cross the pasture, and through the wood
Where the old gray snag of the poplar stood,
Where the hammering red-heads hopped awry,
And the buzzard "raised" in the clearing sky,
And lolled and circled, as we went by,
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.

And then in the dust of the road again;
And the teams we met, and the countrymen;
And the long highway, with sunshine spread
As thick as butter on country bread,
Our cares behind, and our hearts ahead
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.

Why, I see her now in the open door,
Where the little gourds grew up the sides, and o'er
The clapboard roof!—And her face—ah, me!
Wasn't it good for a boy to see—
And wasn't it good for a boy to be Out to Old Aunt Mary's?

The jelly—the jam and the marmalade,
And the cherry and quince "preserves" she made!
And the sweet-sour pickles of peach and pear,
With cinnamon in 'em, and all things rare!—
And the more we ate was the more to spare,
Out to Old Aunt Mary's!

And the old spring-house in the cool green gloom
Of the willow-trees, and the cooler room
Where the swinging-shelves and the crocks were kept-
Where the cream in a golden languor slept
While the waters gurgled and laughed and wept—
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.

And as many a time have you and I
Barefoot boys in the days gone by
Knelt and in tremulous ecstasies
Dipped our lips into sweets like these,
Memory now is on her knees Out to Old Aunt Mary's!

And O, my brother, so far away,
This is to tell you she waits today
To welcome us:—Aunt Mary fell
Asleep this morning, whispering, "Tell
The boys to come!" And all is well Out to Old Aunt Mary's.

I love you Mom! I found this poem today in my documents and just knew I needed to share it with you!

Hennrietta Lacks

I'm reading a book about HeLa cells. You may have heard of Henrietta Lacks. A black woman who died from cervical cancer yet her cells still live today in labs across the world.

"We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph.
~~ Elie Wiesel (from "The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code")

I have always known that each person is exactly that-- a person. Created in God's image with a need for love. From the unborn, to the child, to the elderly. Our society has a way of casting these aside somehow.

My desire is to always make those around me aware of how special each of us are in God's sight and how special we should be in one another's sight. Take care of each other. People matter.

Somebody's mother...

Cherry Clafoutis--Yummy!

This recipe is so yummy served warm with fresh whipped cream.

Cherry Clafoutis:
• 2 C fresh cherries, pitted
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 C sugar
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 C milk
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 2 t vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Generously butter your round casserole dish or pie pan, sprinkle with raw/brown sugar, and place halved, pitted cherries in the pan. Beat the eggs, sugar, flour, salt, milk, almond extract, and vanilla extract gently with a fork. Pour over the cherries and bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Comfort food for the soul. :) :)

Fledgling Albatross

Apparently the parents abandon the baby albatross to take his first flight in order to go and feed himself. So, with limited space to fly, he takes off over the ocean while the shark waits for him to clumsily flap and land only a few feet off shore. As I sat and watched this on the T.V. I found myself yelling at the baby bird, shouting, screaming, cheering...

Some days that's exactly how I feel... watching friends and family get eaten along with many near misses; and then it's my turn to take off! YIKES!!! Beginnings are always hard.

Happy Monday to you. :)

Two Months of Being 50

So, we hit the two month mark today of being fifty years old. How sweet it is! I like being fifty. It's so much different than being 49... I feel wiser or something of the sort. Maybe there is more freedom to be myself or just to know in my knower that all is well and if it isn't it will be!

I spent most of the morning memorizing the menu from The Lamplighter. This should decrease prep time in plating. Then we went to church in Powell. What a great service... a very pertinent message. God's Word always is! We then got groceries and headed home to let dog out (woof woof, woofwoof.)

Hank is growing fast. He has surpassed our other pooch in height and weight. He is going to be bigger than we thought. He is very vocal about things like discipline and such. He talks back when you tell him no. He does like to be loved on, but isn't real keen on me pulling him up into my lap, smooching, hugging and squeezing. He growls and bites me. So, I just hold him tighter and make him submit!! It's a dog for crying out loud and I want to hug him for awhile. :)

The Beautician should be stopping by this afternoon to collect up some paperwork that has been accumulating on the countertop here at home. I think school is going quite well for her. After all, she is an artist and has all the qualities that go with that gift.

All is well for today. Thank the Lord. And remember, if it isn't well, it will be.

The Beautician among the peppers at Pike's Place Market