Black & White Wednesday: After the Storm

In my side yard stands a rough, old stone wall. It is surrounded by untended, vine-like plants and bushes. Without fail, every spring, these forgotten stems and branches yield new growth. It's really a tangled, confusing mess of different  weeds, creepers and flowering bushes. I have no idea how old the wall is or who planted what grows here...but this is my fourth spring in this house, and I've grown attached to my little jungle.

I enjoy the lilacs, the tulips and the blue bells that return every year. I've counted 13 different kinds of leaves in this 15 foot square corner of the yard. I've photographed the bare limbs in winter and the dewy leaves after a summer rain. And I adore some of these branches that find themselves covered in reddish-orange berries in the fall. Year by year, season by season, there is beauty here...an in-spite-of kind of beauty.

Beauty in spite of neglect.
Beauty in spite of disorder.
Beauty in spite of chaos.

Beauty against all odds.







It's this - this unexpected bud that emerges in spite of it's gray, dead, stiff, knotted and scraggly surroundings - this is what attaches me to this unremarkable corner of my world. I'm reminded that good and fresh can emerge in spite of evil and indifference. I'm reminded that emptiness and pain can give way to abundance and love.

In this I see the arms of the rescue worker tirelessly lifting fallen stone.
I see the body of the teacher laying atop their students.
I see the face of the child being pulled from the rubble.

There is so very much we can't explain in the world. We can plan, nurture, organize and cultivate. We can build well, live well and love well. But bad/sad/hard/horrible things still come.

So today, as I mourn with those who have lost their most precious ones...as I ask the questions that have no answers...I will also remember to hope. I will remember gratitude and kindness and community.

I will look for the beauty that emerges after the storm.

I'm linking up for Just Write at

the extraordinary ordinary 

And you can link up your

Black & White images here!

yet again, my love of church steeples...

"Hands to work, hearts to God."

As I was out and about this week,

I stumbled across a beautiful, old church.

One of those "you know you're in New England when you see it" churches.

As the sign says, this congregation was established 300 years ago!

The family plots in the graveyard behind the church

were fenced in by old stone walls.

My favorite part of the building were the three tiers

that made up the bell tower and the steeple.

And I loved the fact that the hands on the clock were visible from all sides.

Stunning detail.

This guy's still here.

His folks get home tomorrow.

He kept me company with some sweet cuddles while I was working on my blog post.

Happy Sunday Everyone!



Linking up with
Scavenger Hunt Sunday
and
Sunday Citar

Six Word Fridays ~ Count

Winter held on with a vengeance.

Gripping, clawing, gnawing at our last

nerve...we grew so very impatient...

And yet, branches gave us buds

and stems pushed their way through

the cold, stubborn ground. Before we

knew it blooms were too numerous

to count. And bees were buzzing.

With each passing day there were...

magical hints of the glory to come,

sweet purples that dangled from greens,

honeyed wings to carry the gatherers,

sugary magnolias sweetening the setting sun,

dazzling, glowing colors along each street

and decorating our New England towns.

Winter's grasp loosened its hold just
as fear's claws struck, dug in
and tried to hold us down.

Oh, this season means more this
year than ever. Knock us down,
but don't count us out. There
will be buds and plenty of
blooms....because we are Boston Strong.

Happy to be hosting your Friday posts
and eager to link up to
Nurture Photography's
finale week!

Meet Max!

While my daughter and her husband are on vacation,

we get to puppy-sit!

When I got home from work last night

Max was waiting for me...

well, I don't think he was actually waiting for ME -

but that's what he got. 

He wasn't sure what was going on!

Even though it was gray and damp

we got into the car...

yes, I drove my car with a puppy on my lap...

and went to the pond for a walk!

I think he liked this place ~ we'll be back!

This morning,

much more relaxed and comfy

{after a night in our bed, I sure hope so!}

we cuddled while I had my coffee.

It was hard to leave for work today....

but he's got my son to play with at home

and I'll be back before he misses me too much.

Linking up today 

with

Mama Kat's

{one of her prompts was "introduce a pet"... how could I not??!?}

Black & White Wednesday: Generations

three baseball caps

three pony tails

three generations of Red Sox fans

together at the park

on Mother's Day

Mother's Day HACK!

{My KIDS hacked by Blog to wish me a Happy Mother's Day! HIGHLIGHT of my week for sure!}

You’ve been hacked, Mom! 

Melissa and Jeremy here - if you’ve been around the blog here for a while, you might actually know us pretty well. We’re kind of the stars... ok, not really. But, we’ve certainly been featured a time or two! 

But, today, it’s your turn to be featured, Mom! 

From Jeremy:

From Melissa:

Over the past couple days, I’ve spent time time going over my mom’s blog posts. It was a pretty cool experience. See, my mom has always been good a keeping our memories... and always turning them into art... hence, “My Memory Art”. Growing up, everyone knew her as the mom that had the camera. She sent me with more film/disposables that any kid should ever need at camp (and I still always ran out). Later on, she started turning those pictures and memories into scrapbooks... And I can’t lie - I struggle with the term. I think it can sound so trivial - and believe me - there is nothing trivial about the books that my mom puts together. They are treasures, in every sense of the word. But it wasn’t until a couple of days ago, looking through her blog that I thought “she’s done it again!”. She has found another way to record our memories. As I looked through the blogs, so many posts brought me back... all the blogs about my wedding, blogs about my childhood, blogs with filled with pictures that she called to tell me about... I love her pictures. I see them, and I just feel her. I get them, because I get her. I tried to put together some of my favorite posts, but to be honest I was running out of time, but there are way too many to list anyways! I’ve always known that my mom had a way with words... as a kid it was, “my mom can come up with a rhyme for anything”, but now... I see that she can share her thoughts in a way that is so honest and beautiful. I love it. 

My mom is a very many things to me - most of all a best friend - a teacher - a confidant -  she’s a photographer, a writer and a scrapbook-er. I already have an awesome collection of scrapbooks. Books that grow in meaning to me with each passing year. 

I thought that, for Mother’s day, I’d share a little bit of one of my favorite things my mom has ever given me! 

100 days before my wedding, my mom gave me a small scrapbook... 

You know what was in that scrapbook? 100 days worth of notes, letters, quotes and scriptures. I know. Amazing. I actually typed the whole thing out as I read them (well, almost... the last week or two got a little crazy!) but, I can’t share them all! So, here are my favorites. They are such a lovely sum of the things my mom has taught me about love and life. 

It started like this:

                 

A {long} Letter from the M.O.B.

Because I love you! And ~ you’ve always loved advent calendars! (See this post! DIY Advent Calendar)

She broke it up using 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Everyday had a tidbit, quote or scripture...like these:

The hardest of all, is to be patient with yourself- Love yourself. Care for you. Allow yourself the most patience!

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others. For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness. And for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone" Audrey Hepburn

"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope." Josh Billings

"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'amour

“Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast” - Marlene Dietrich

Dad’s best marriage advice? Don’t use the words Always and NEVER! (ever!)

And three letters... that mean more to me than she will ever know:

Friends Forever

Friends Forever! That's us! The Sunflower and the honey bee. From those early days - I see you so clearly sitting on my lap and imitating my expressions I'd say "happy" and we'd put on a big grin. I'd say "sad" and we'd fake cry. I'd say "scared" and we'd hide behind our hands. i have never known a connection like the one we had - from first baby moments on. I have you to thank for teaching me to fully and completely open my heart! Everything about my life got better and more whole after you a part of it...cause you broke my scared, insecure heart WIDE open! I had begun to feel that kind of love with daddy- goodness knows he loved me that way... but there was still some fear in me that held me back. You came... and changed that. And I am so grateful and proud of the friendship we've build through the years- As you buzz around through the wonder-filled life God holds out for you... know that you always have a beautiful (if aging...) sunflower to come HOME to! I love you friend! Mom 

That Elusive Magic Wand

I want one! 

I want the magic of Disney princesses and the “power” to fix the booboos... I know I lost that power years ago, and we have to be all grown up about stuff... but it’s been harder than I could have guessed to let it go. Not to “let go” of you - cause you’ve always been ready for the next stage - but to let go of my longing to always be able to make things ok. I know you know I’ll do crazy things to try and help you fix stuff... and you are - actually- very very good at fixing stuff yourself... but every once in a while, a little magic would come in handy! I want to be able most of all, to keep the sadness from you or to take sadness from you. And there will be days, many married days, when things will be thougher than you thought,,, for those days, there won’t be a wand,,, but we have our God, and each other ~ and LOTS of love all around us! Guess there is magic after all!

Perspective

Have one. Trust yours. 

I have learned through the years to love and trust your perspective... at the very least... to ALWAYS be interested in your perspective. I’ve written this before about your photos- but I love seeing things through your eyes. One of the most amazing things about marriage is really learning to see the world through another’s eyes. Daddy and I are so different (as you know) and it did take time to genuinely learn to be appreciate those differences. I mean we love for who they are AND they drive us crazy! it took me way too long not to swallow my perspective as a wife. Wanted to keep peace and be submissive - but I didn’t always do it the right way... Happily, I don't think you will have that same struggle - but there will be struggles. Keep your head. Know your own mind. And say what you really think! Trust yourself!! 

And there was one more letter, for the day of my wedding... but that one is just for me... not because of it’s content, but just because that makes it even more special! 

I know that was a lot, but I’ve wanted to share those words since I first read them and I thought this would be the perfect time. In the spirit of moms and blogs... 

Thank you, Mom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your heart - for always teaching and guiding me. I love you! 

Here are some of my favorite posts! Check them out!!!

Treasure Hunt

(she made my husband and I a scrapbooks of our childhoods... so amazing!)

Brozzer

To new moms

Early Ah Ha Moment

I dare you

With you

Bird in house

Kept Whole

(maybe my favorite, ever.)

Sometimes I don't take pictures

(I don’t remember seeing this one when posted. Love.)

Sanctuary

Fervor

Oregon New Memories Made Old Memories

(maybe my favorite, ever...part 2.)

Sharing this for 

Project 52

Weekend Wonderful

Saturday began with my mother - we have a favorite local restaurant that never lets us down.

After helping her with her errands,

I spent some time with my feathered friends.

The skies were dark, and I might have gotten caught in a light rain!

Needing a little more time with my camera,

I went back outside when the rain stopped - and fell in love with these

sweet, white blooms ... perfect on this gray day.

To top off the day?

Date night!

A 'sit-long-talk-much' dinner with great friends.

Spending time with them always gives me a lift

and brightens my perspective. 

But the best thing about Saturday??

Well, I still have Sunday to look forward to!

I'll be spending the day with these two -

Golden child number one

and

Golden child number two.

{this is one of my all time favorite photos of these two!}

We'll be cheering on the Red Sox,

laughing

and 

celebrating all that we love about being family.

Linking up with

Scavenger Hunt Sunday