Spring (Re)Discoveries

I've managed to find the will to blog even though DA is finished for the year.  Here are a few things that are making me happy lately:

1. Scrap booking: I don't do many of the traditional womanly arts well, but I can slap a few pictures on pretty paper and write down everything I remember about the captured moments.  I have my feet in both the digital and tactile world of memory preservation, and I think both are important.  I just discovered chatbooks, a subscription based company that takes your Instagram pictures into a 4 x 4 bound book for only $6 a book.   Each time you reach 60 pictures, you receive a book.  Shipping is included and there's practically no work involved.  You pick the cover picture, delete any pictures you'd don't want printed, and that's it.  I'm uploading any impromptu pictures I take from my phone to Instragram now so I can keep a running record of our day to today.   Making anything with your hands is therapeutic for the mind and body and there is a sense of completion in the product.  I started scrapbooking after college as a hobby (when I wasn't at church, teaching or the library) because I was a social butterfly and well, a bit of a premature Memaw.  So be it.  I opened up that scrapbook and giggled at the subject matter: a page on my sister, my Mom, and weekend trips I made down the GA-SC coast.  Clearly, I was sweater-set wearing, bible-study-going, non-dating wild child at the time.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that. At all.)  Anyhoo.  That's my early twenties and it makes me thankful that I kept to the straight and narrow, even though it makes for sedate reminiscences.   I made a scrapbook for each child and every so often add a page.  Since I don't do it on a regular basis, I'm just trying to get each year of their life documented with some major life event represented.  I've got most our Christmases and birthdays present and accounted for so that one day when I'm gone, maybe they'll be glad their old Mama took the time to preserve their childhood.  I can hope.

2. Dave Barnes: I recently found this singer-songwriter through some (wait for it) blogs I follow--shocker!  He has a new EP out called Hymns for Her and it sounds like a perfect soundtrack for springtime in the South.  It's upbeat and has a toe-tappin' love song ("Good Day for Marryin' You) and a beautiful instrumental ("Mississippi").  You can find him on Spotify or Pandora or just plunk down $6.99 for the EP.  Worth the listen.

3. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont: I've heard this author's name several times and I checked out her book on writing.  She's a novelist and memoirist and this book is very approachable.  I'm about a third of the way through the book and the best nugget I'm picked out is that with any discipline, in this case writing, you commit to practicing the discipline daily and the greatest reward will and has to be the discipline itself.  Writers write to write.  Painters paint to paint.  Publication or recognition may come in time, but this is not the ultimate goal or satisfaction of the process.  It is self-expression.  It's doing the work consistently over time that reaps benefits.  This is kinda a "no duh" sentiment but as my husband always is quick to remind me, most things in life aren't HARD to understand, but hard to carry out.

 I'm so happy it's warm this week that I pulled out a short-sleeved shirt and skirt and it's heavenly not to be bundled in jeans and a hoodie.  I'm feelin' all kinds of sassy that I dressed like a human that functions in the world even if it was to run to the grocery store.  That's all I got.  Hope you're enjoying the early signs of Spring!

I couldn't handle another day in pants. Covered my wonky toes in holey Toms and cheerfully exchanged my pjs for this flowy skirt. #spring

A photo posted by Melissa Young (@thejaybirdblog) on Mar 10, 2015 at 6:56am PDT

Play Pretties: Inspiration from The Nesting Place

I posted on New Year's Eve that I was planning on freshening up my walls after receiving Myquillin Smith's The Nesting Place, an approachable design book, this Christmas.  I have been playing with my family room walls and borrowing items from different rooms in the house to make this one its best.  I've switched out lamps, picture frames, and discovered a lot of potential that I had stuffed inside a closet or forgotten cabinet.

After I duct-taped our last couches within an inch of their lives (very thin leather that laid down and died after one too many flounce) and we moved up to a better class of furniture store (for us),  I jumped on my husband's open wallet like a tick on a June dog.  I'm not terribly decisive for the most part, but I know from my upbringing that you don't second guess a husband's good will to spend. You just nod your head and say SOLD.  We got two neutral couches and mirrored coffee and side tables.  If I was totally following The Nester's design aesthetic, I would no doubt buy each piece from a different location and have a sewing party to stitch together vintage linens for my couches, but no, we went to Ashley and got some couches 'cause Mama needed to give up strategic blanket covering of the old couches because it was becoming a stronghold.

On the end table above (left), I pulled my son's 2-year-old  hand print painting from his first preschool teacher, as well as a couple of pictures that fit with the colors and sentiment of the "Joy Comes In The Morning" plaque.  The lamp was originally in my son's nursery until his two-year-old self started clearing the shelves at naptime when it was moved to the closet.  Later, I repurposed it to my bedside table until reading this book.  We needed lamps and I wasn't willing to buy any after the spending orgy of Christmas and furniture buying, so I made the family room my priority. The mirror about this sofa matches my son's dresser, but we had never hung it as he has a bunch of cute boy stuff on his walls.  It has sat for years in a closet until volia: inspiration!  We have a blank space to fill.   If I got really creative, I'd go ahead and paint the wood aqua or cream, another Nester maxim.  You can't ruin a piece in which you didn't heavily invest.  Maybe I will.


On the right, I played around with old prints that had not been displayed for a while and swapped out frames for contrast and texture.  I also brought out our wedding album that sat in a neglected corner cabinet where I can enjoy it.

The Nesting Place

 We took back the house and have a coffee table on which to place things.  No one has gotten a concussion and there are plenty of shows and performances despite less space for rambunctious play.

This chest was our stand-in side table but now fills an empty nook and holds all our photo albums.  The prints above have been moved around quite a bit.  The frames were first hung on a gallery wall, but I realized they looked dinky in such a large space.  I switched out the prints to our most current family picture and finally found a spot with which I'm happy.  

A gallery wall start-up.  I had a 11 x 14 frame and large tray anchoring this wall surrounded by smaller 5 x7 and 4 x 6 frames.  The black frames were monochromatic and too small for such a large wall.  I took the ideas in the Nester's book, such as using all black and white pictures (in the aqua frames).

These hand prints were in a cabinet and now I'm enjoying them every day.  The book suggested mixing prints that are not behind glass to give a wall texture.  I placed these by my kids' baby and toddler pictures, taken around the age the hand prints were cast.

I found this LOVE print at Hobby Lobby and I love the color and sentiment.

The 'Y' hanging was another Hobby Lobby purchase on a separate trip.  I didn't have plans for it except it was our initial and I love the color.  What's special about the plate to the right of the initial is that it was a Christmas gift to my grandma many years ago when my sister and I were young.  I now have two girls and this is a sweet reminder of family history.  The bird print was a photo card canvas from a very kind group of ladies.  Since I'm Mama 'Jaybird', I think the symbolism is cool.

Nothing too fancy about our mantel as it houses all our entertainment equipment, so decorative pieces are useless as they block the signal from TV remotes (the horror).  After the holidays, it's nice to have a little sparkle during these gray months. The heart swag is a Target cheapie, but isn't it cute?

This picture is taken from my dining room table.  I pulled out my grandma's delicate pink rose china and added my dried Mother's Day/Baby Dedication corsage from a few years back.  It seems right.

It's always fun to decorate and this book encourages play and creativity all year round; to see your housing as a living thing.  If you want to change up your home but like me, think a beautiful home means big bucks and a decorator, pick up a copy of this book. You'll change your mind!

Some Good Things for the New Year

I've been enjoying the downtime of Christmas vacation and with all the gift researching, giving, and receiving, I've found some new items of interest that I'd be remiss not to share with my little (little) corner of the Internet.


Books: 

I requested all of the following from Santa Ed (Dad) and have eagerly skim read them this week.

Freefall to Fly  by Rebekah Lyons
This is a memoir written by a woman who moved from Atlanta to New York City with her husband to pursue dreams in ministry.  She has a special needs son and during her transition from safe suburbia to chaotic urban life, she began experience extreme anxiety attacks.  I heard her speak at women's conference (dotMom) this fall and was hooked upon hearing her point of view.  I can very much relate to her story.  Much of what I've read deals with opening up the "box" of dreams we've packed away and labelled in a box named "Responsibility" or "Motherhood" specifically for women.  She talks of birthright gifts we are born with that we spend half our life denying and the other half, if we are lucky, reclaiming.  I'm eager to set aside time to read this properly.  I saw on twitter that Lifeway All Access Women is doing an online bible study that accompanies this book if you're looking for something in that vein.

The Best Yes  by Lysa Terkurst  I've read this author's book Unglued and I appreciate how she breaks down a concept to make it "liveable" in the day to day.  This is a book on decision making.  Looks promising.

The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect To Be Beautiful  by Myquillin Smith
I am brimming with ideas after skimming this gorgeous book.  We conveniently replaced our torn and tattered "leatherish" couches and I've stripped the family room walls to reevaluate.  I'm the first one to say "oh, I'm not creative" when it comes to interior design.  I can appreciate a pretty room (say Joanna Gaines' work from HGTV) but I'd love to have the work done for me.  That ain't gonna happen in the foreseeable future, but as this book suggests, the beauty is in the mistakes.  Who cares if the wall gets painted an off color?  Paint isn't that expensive.  It's more risky to do nothing than to take the small risk.  I'm so excited to re imagine the possibilities of our home.  When we moved in, we had LOTS of wall space to fill.  So I slapped up some large couch-sized "art" and called 'er a day.  But now that I have walking & talking little people that can entertain themselves safely for small increments without bodily harm (though not without lots of loud shrieking from the females), I have a little mental space to think about such luxuries as aesthetics.  Truth is, I *am* creative.  One, I'm a woman and I want my home to be pretty. Two, I believe in a Creative God that made an awe-inspiring world and gave me a desire to reflect His beauty. Three, I'm kinda good with words and imagery and tying ideas together.  So maybe I could learn how to do that with tangible objects.  I've pulled out a large dresser mirror that's been sitting in a closet, poured over all my beautiful photo treasures of my favorite faces and thought about meaningful items that could be given new life.  I had hand imprints made of my older two a few Mother's Day that sit in a glass cabinet.  Wouldn't it be prettier to see them hanging by a black and white picture of the owners of the hand prints at the age the prints were made?  I say yes.  If a book can make me want to tackle re imagining my rooms, it'll work for you.


Podcast:
The Phil Vischer Podcast
So, Phil Vischer of Veggie Tales and What's in the Bible is kinda my new Christian hero.
He's incredibly smart, creative, funny, relatable, and authentic. I'm fascinated by his story.  He has a culture podcast that I've just subscribed to (or "to which I just subscribed" because hey, I went to graduate school for English Education, and there's my $15,000 takeaway. Kidding.)

Fashion  (Seriously. "Fashion".)
Y'all. Again with the aesthetics.  I suffer from "False Humility-itis" that I think some other women battle.  It's not vain or frivolous to make an effort in your appearance or (gasp) feel good about the way you look.  So when Santa Ed requested a "list" from me besides books, I went to the only fashion outlet I really follow (BigMama's Fashion Friday) and clicked on the first cute top I found. It took me to ModCloth, a women's fashion site that has a vintage vibe.  It's a bit of a treat to order from (I like to stay in the $19.99 range if I'm shopping for myself, so hello, TJMaxx!) but it was a treat to let Santa order me a few gorgeous peasant blouses and tunics in wine, royal blue, and a jewel tone green.

Lastly, in Goals/Vision/The BEST YOU NOW! I am embarking on a year of Scripture memory.  I was successful in 2011 and petered out in 2013 (but can you fail at attempting anything in God's Word?) but I can think of nothing simpler or more profitable than to pick a Scripture twice a month that is applicable to my present situation on which to actively mediate.  Plus, my Sis is moving to Houston next year, so I'll have a built in reason to motivate me to attend the celebration for completing the exercise.  Interested?  Check out the Living Proof blog. You can jump in anytime, but it kicks off January 1.  All you need are some note cards and a willing attitude!

All that's left to say is Happy New Year!  If you are reading this, you are dear to me and I wish you a wonderful, adventurous, phenomenal 2015.

Deep, Cleansing Breaths: A Few Things I'm Trying for Christmas

December 1 is this Monday.  This Monday.

Have you seen that youtube clip "Sh*t Southern Women Say"? (Mild expletive warning, but oh-so-funny and accurate).


ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS?!?!

(no.)

I'm not "ready" by a long shot in terms of decked halls, wrapped presents, or personalized, stamped cards.

But I do have a few, simple resources I'd like to share that I plan to use to prepare my heart for Christmas.

1.  Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
A follow-up to her book The Greatest Gift, this is a 25 day family devotional for the Advent season.  We used the Jesus Storybook Bible Advent reading plan last year and really enjoyed it, but some of the stories are lengthy and I felt like the kids missed the impact (though the exposure was great).  The book is beautifully illustrated and provides 25 devotions written with children in mind that correspond to the Jesse tree tradition.  Free printables are available here for the ornaments.  You can even have a "Night Before Advent" party with ideas here.  I'll check back in in a few days to give feedback, but I think this is going to be a winner.  And if you purchase the book today (Black Friday) on Amazon, enter HOLIDAY 30 and receive 30% off one book.


2. Why Do We Call It Christmas? DVD
This is another "What's In The Bible" DVD that I've shared previously and I love, love, love it.
We've watched the entire series and I regularly find myself in church thinking, "Where have I heard this?" and answering back, "Oh, the puppet taught me that."  Lifeway and Amazon have been running specials on these DVDs.  This one deals with the history behind the traditions of the Christmas tree, Santa, and why we celebrate Christmas on the 25th. Fun fact:  Newly converted German Christians hung evergreens in their homes as a symbol for Christ, a stark reversal after once worshipping the oak tree.

3. Truth in the Tinsel
This is another Advent resource for Christmas that I discovered from a suggested Facebook page.  It is a devotional and craft for the 25 days of Advent.  I don't plan on doing this one this year because if I committed to doing 25 crafts, Mama would be celebrating Christmas at a "rest facility" and a nervous breakdown involving twine and hot glue doesn't scream "miracle of the Incarnation" to me.  Seriously though,  I am following this page on facebook and hope to maybe do at least one of the crafts.

4. A "Wow" Experience
We are spending Thanksgiving in North Georgia and get to kick off the season by going to Stone Mountain and doing their Christmas Adventure, which is the regular attractions plus a Christmas train ride. Santa sightings, 4D movie, and a big parade.  We're hoping that the kids get a big kick out of it.  J will probably want to ride the skylift up the mountain and do the train ride around the park all day, and I know the girls will lose their minds with being in a winter wonderland.  This is the first year we are doing anything like an all day attraction.  We are dumb enough to try it with a 2 year old, but wise enough to rent a hotel room nearby.

Admist the unavoidable chaos of December, my wish for me and you are redeemed moments
because the Christ is coming.  Merry Christmas!

Hello, Yeah, It's Been Awhile

(Not much, how 'bout you?)

It's July...  mid-July even.  We've done some things and been some places, but I've not been inspired by the Blog Muse to write, but I hate to leave this space languishing any longer.

Here's some plausibly entertaining things that I've been up to this summer:

1) Streaming TV (of course)  I've completed 5 seasons of the sleeper series Friday Night Lights that ended a few years back. I've thoroughly enjoyed it as evidenced by the fact that I've watched about 76 episodes, each 44 minutes in length over the last 7 weeks.  It's good to have ambition.



You don't have to appreciate football or the Lone Star state to be hooked on this series.  At the center is Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his wife, Tami (Connie Britton) who guide the team and students of Dillion, Texas.  Almost every football player or student that interacts with the Taylors are missing something in their own family dynamic.  One player is loosely watched by an older brother, his parents having abandoned the family at different points; the new QB1 (I now know that's a thing) is also missing a mom and dad figure while taking care of his grandmother with early dementia.  Several times throughout the show you can't help but want to take these fictional characters under your wing and say "You belong here...It's gonna be okay."  A new saying for Sarah from the show is "Go, Baby!" in her four-year-old country twang.  Did I cheer for the Panthers to win State?  Oh yes I did.  I clapped my hands like it mattered.  And my affinity for 'ball sadly diminished after I snagged a husband who really likes it.  All Fall, All Ball.  I'm sure if I was as supportive of Ball as Tami Taylor was, ours would be a stronger marriage.  You can put me your prayer list concerning this need in my marriage.  I covet your prayers.  Ten Years tomorrow :)

2) Books (ditto)

Some good beach reads this summer:

Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers
The One and Only by Emily Giffin
The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Restless (non-fiction, so not a typical beach read but I read it this summer so I'm counting it) by Jennie Allen


3) Hold on to your hats: A 10K
Mid-thirties rite of passage--check.  My "training" consisted of running maybe 12 times with my handy app, but hey, I ran 3 times one week and completed the Peachtree Road Race (ran 2, walked 4).  That's more movement than I've clocked in some time, so I'm proud.  The race was a throng of humanity with over 60,000 runners on July 4th.  Great atmosphere for a casual runner.  So glad I did it.

4) I Enjoy Satire:

Here are a few clips that nail the self-obsession of the "Tens" so far  (which I participate in as I am writing a blog).





Hope you are passing away these lazy days of summer in equally productive ways!

The Most Awesome Awesomeness the World Has To Offer

Hiya, Blogosphere! What's shakin'? Remember when I got all ambitious and started blogging recaps about my fave PBS shows (inquiring minds NEED to to know moi's thoughts on Downton, m'kay) and then totally stopped? Yeah. Sorry about that. I realize not reading my deep insights into Sherlock's latest derring do may have left a few of you bereft. (I kid.) Season 3 was just crazy by the way... um, no more psychological intrigue. Just case solving, please. And really no more face licking criminal masterminds. ew. But thanks for bringing back Moriarty. He's crazy smart/scary.

Okay, so, the awesome awesomeness.  I've got a backlog of AllTheDeepThoughtsandFeelings posts that require way too much thoughtful analysis to process coherently in written form at present, so I'm gonna jump back in with some newly rediscovered passions.  Brace yourself.  I'm a dynamo.

1.  BOOKS

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson

"You may have picked up on the fact that I tend to operate at extremes. I'm either fighting my way through vehement opposition or trying to convince everybody I know that I have singlehandedly discovered the most awesome awesomeness the world has to offer," Sophie Hudson declares in her pitch-perfect memoir.  A mama/teacher blogger, Sophie caught my attention a few years ago, though she's been around awhile... like she's tight with Pioneer Woman and Beth Moore.  So basically, a member of the Christian Woman's earthly trinity.  What I loved about this book is the way she has a ear for family conversations.  Though hers is steeped in the South, all families have their peccadilloes.  This recalled conversation could have taken place, verbatim, in my Mamaw's den with the his and hers Lazy Boy recliners with protective towels covering the headrests:
 "Mama and Chox took care of most of the talking during our thirty-minute car ride, focusing primarily on a little conversational segment I like to refer to as People We Know Who Have Died.  The best part of  any People We Know Who Have Died conversation  (PWKWHD for short) is the inevitable constructive criticism/evaluation of the funeral service centering on.... people's funeral fashion choices....If you show up in jeans, I guess the good news is that they actually won't talk about you at all. Because as far as they're concerned, your ancestors are to blame for that one."

This writer is my lane of funny.  She deftly balances humor in her slice-of-life observations with honest poignancy.   When she includes Scripture to highlight a recollection, it doesn't feel forced.  She's the just-a-shade-of-a-season-ahead-of -you friend who shoots straight.  Highly recommend.


When Calls the Heart series by Janette Oke and Where Courage Leads
by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

 I picked up this series after getting wrapped up in the TV series of the same name.  These stories are in the vein of Christy and Dr. Quinn.  I'm a premature Granny, I suppose, but I love 'em.  In fact, my new friend in Bible Study, who is probably in her late sixties to early seventies, is a fan. She's quite a spitfire, so maybe being a bit of a Granny's not the worst thing ever.  A little clean living, a dose of chaste romance, and a whole lot of sound theology is a good mix.  Sweet and fun.





This book, written 30 years later by the author and her grown daughter, is even better and the basis of the new Hallmark series.  The plot and dialogue are much more sophisticated and satisfying.  Another Lis must-read.











Austenland by Shannon Hale

I've already plugged the movie once in a short post, but I'll say if you like Austen, read this.  It's just fun.









The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Parenting 
by Bunmi Laditan

HT (Honest Toddler) and his mama are straight up legit.  If I could build my own peer group of role models (Beth Moore), mentors (Sophie Hudson, PDub) and mama friends, Bumni Laditan would be in my playdate group. I love her "voice".

HT on "tantrums" or "loud responses" in HT approved language:

"Homework: Go to the grocery store with your child at five thirty P.M. When the loud response starts, scream, "EVERYONE SHUT UP, I NEED TO HELP MY CHILD." Then open four large bags of chips and a juice box. Let your child feast."

Since I just got each of my kids their own jumbo Panera chocolate chip cookie so I could enjoy my own bagel in peace and not share, and since my middle child will have a LOUD RESPONSE if I split a cookie, clearly I'm winning at this whole thing.

I read aloud a post of HT's to my husband at least once a week.  Check it out.


2. THE LIBRARY
Did you know you can check books out for free?  Place holds online?  You can. There's this place called the library.  My county has terrific branches.  We've started stopping in about every week lately.  The librarians/media specialists are always in fancy hats leftover from storytime; they plan activities for all ages of the population; it's a thriving place.  I love a culture of learning.


3.  THE HALLMARK CHANNEL & MY CURRENT TV FAVES

When Calls the Heart series

I mentioned the book series above, so all I can say is: Mounties=swoon.  Dudes, I know you can't really ride in to literally save the day anymore.  But like Brad Paisley encourages, women want someone whose "still a guy."  I'm just sayin', there was a gentleman in my age range that I saw recently wearing THE SAME EXACT SHOES as me.  Granted, they were TOMS, and yes, obviously TOMS makes Men's and Women's shoes, but it was a wee bit of odd.  TOMS wearing men, not trying to question your manhood; just be sure to wear 'em with flannel.  No belt. Shirttail untucked.  Let's go for rugged or sophisticated, but please pick a lane.  I believe the wise Cher from Clueless said it best: "They thrown their greasy hair in a backwards hat and we're expected to swoon? As if."


4. THE BIG STORY

What's in the Bible DVD series

Oh, I loved it.  You will not waste a cent on this.  If you take any of my suggestions, please take this one.  It is on the money and then some.  A three-year-old and a seminary student alike could learn something from this.  It's deep theology, bible history, and entertainment.  The entire series walks through the major points of the Bible in 13 DVDS.  I will be collecting them.  I think this is a great tool to come alongside parents trying to seize opportunities to show that the Bible is living and active and God is very much living and active in our world. Love, love, love this!  Perfect for the upcoming Easter season.





5. HAPPY LITTLE MOMENTS

Back to the opening quote about going back and forth from "vehement opposition to... the most awesome awesomeness...."  That seems to sum up parenthood for me.   The vehement opposition would be all the energy-crushing repetitiveness and responsiblity that caring for little humans necessarily entails.  But the little moments of love: the most awesome awesomeness.  Today, we were finishing up one appointment with some time to kill before another.  In our little town, we could cross the grass to the drugstore to pick up some much needed kiddie toothpaste.  The dogwoods are in bloom; I'm holding my toddler's hand as the bigger two (okay, slightly bigger) walk in the store, and I think something like "I'm happy."  Of course, we enter sans buggy cart, one's beelined for the candy checkout, the other's jonesin' for a princess toothbrush and the toddler's thoughtfully rearranged the mouthwash section.  But.  I was happy.  The contentment of ordinary days.

Thanks for reading and holler if you take me up on any of these suggestions!

Me & HP

I arrived late to the Harry Potter series in the winter of 1998.   At 19 and a sophomore in college,  I read the first in the series over Christmas break.  Initially, I picked up the book out of curiosity for the whole phenomenon.  And I joined it.

Me & HP entered adulthood together.  I quickly read books 2, 3, and 4 and eagerly awaited reading number 5 the summer of 2003.  I had dressed up as Hermione for a singles Halloween party the previous fall.  Not exactly a flirtatious strategy, but that's me.  I read the fifth book right when it came out,  after attending a friend's wedding without even a buddy to sit with at the ceremony.  Harry faced danger at every turn and only wanted a place to call home.  I faced my first years of teaching middle schoolers and life as a young single girl.   We were in the same boat.

Harry followed me on my first anniversary weekend trip through the mountains of North Carolina.   Every agonizing step he took toward the complicated truth of his history, his parents, his mentors, and his foes, I took with him on my living room couch.  And finally, he faced his destiny.  He moved on to a new normal, and so did I.  

Which brings me to the last book, and the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Part II.  Obviously, there has been a lot said about this story and its moral (or lack of) value.  So I won't go into that.  It is not a Christian book nor is it written by a professing Christian author.  It draws on mythology and world religions, and thus, also has Christian themes.  If I was still a 9th grader in Ms. McCoy's Lit. I class, I'd probably think, "Harry dies so that others may live.  Just like the Old Man and the Sea.  BAM! Christ figure."

But now, I know something so much truer.   Harry, a fictional character in a fictional world, sacrifices himself to destroy the evil within himself.  But the real God-Man died to destroy the evil outside himself because "in him is no darkness at all." 

I loved every minute of  The Deadly Hallows both because it's a fantastic, epic story, but also because it echoes something real that cannot be perceived with human eyes, but experienced in the spirit.

There really are agents of good and evil battling in the unseen realms of the heavenlies.  And it really will end in conflict.  It will be epic.  And good: our God, He will triumph.

And like Harry,  all will be well.    And that's worth getting excited about.

Signs of Life

I read a memoir recently called Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor.  I grabbed it off the shelf because it was a) about a new mom and b) by an English teacher.  The book chronicles a year in the life of this 24-year-old mother who loses her husband to a sporting accident while she is  5 months pregnant with their child.  They are newlyweds about to hit their second year of marriage.  The book is brutually honest and also hilarious.  Natalie has a great 'voice' and I can imagine she's a fantastic teacher.  Each chapter is taken from her journals and begins with a quote from a piece of American Literature that she is teaching her high school students as she grieves.  She invents and converses internally with her Fairy Mother Godmother who tells it to her straight about what mothering really is.  I highly recommend this book.  While the author is probably agnostic and uses a peppering of swear words, she is real, touching, and funny.  The book proves that when you think life is over, it's not.  It may be over as you know it, and that is worth grieving.  But pain can be purposeful if we let it make us stronger by enduring and thriving in the midst of it.  Thank God I've not been where Natalie has.  But as a young mother, I can relate. Worth looking at.

Here are some small signs of life I've caught:

Sarah really like to fill things up.

I think this is great.

A young John and Jackie, you think?

Got the bright idea to dump out all outgrown clothes in an attempt to straighten closets and get ready for our Fall Consignment Sale.  The door to this room will be locked indefinitely.

Hair accessories!  Really!

The gnawed crib.  Proof that the IKEA crib might trump the heirloom crib in terms of wear and tear. 
And heartbreak.

More dumping of stuff.

Staying alive!