twelve years a slave

can't take long to write

i'm sixty-two percent finished

with a book that 

all

humans

should

read - 

twelve years a slave

by soloman northup

who was actually

twelve years a slave

in the 1840's

and

i can't wait to get to the part

where he is 

together

with himself

with his family

with his freedom

gotta go read....

*the book is only $.99 in kindle format and $5.99 paperback over at amazon right now. 

what book do you believe all humans should read?

linking with lisa-jo and barbie 

the long-awaited 2013 summer story list

.

my favorite summer stories....a five-minute list-with-links

devil in the white city
my beloved world
breaking night
in cold blood
destiny of the republic
enslaved by ducks
*and the mountains echoed
invictus
hezekiah
danielle - her family moved from south carolina to bangkok
quints - i love this story of a missionary couple's quints
amy - overhead projectors remind me of jesus
kristen - what being a mom is really like

*fiction

i love a great story. what have you been reading lately? give me links, people. i only have two weeks of summer left!

linking with-

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

chicken wings - the mystery of belonging, but not

it was left-overs night

but
no one could find the wings
at least forty of them
in a roasting pan
and one by one
the siblings
the teens
didn't know
i checked the condos'
refrigerators
freezers
ovens
an ocean isle mystery.....
i found them
at least forty of them
in a roasting pan
in the cabinet
where the roasting pan belonged
but didn't really
and
aren't we the same?
belonging
as salt to the earth
but
also not belonging,
living out our tent days
pining for perfect
the wings? pitched them into the trash
us? let's pray for saltiness while we
belong....

how about you? any funny stories of late? instances of feeling like you belong but not really?

linking with-

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

excessive absences

(writing for five minutes on present)

here i am, present in life! (really, this is a random picture.
i'm tired of the broody betty snapshots....)

it's broody betty again
(she has so much to teach)
she's sitting on the chicken porch again
and
gathering the other hens' eggs for her own
brooding
i push her back into the coop world
but even then she's not present
she ignores the other hens
she seems disoriented
she spends an inordinate amount of time fluffing
she steps right back up the ramp to her porch
really, she's obsessed
and don't we see this in ourselves?
obsessed and...absent?

what do you do when you find yourself or a loved on obsessed and absent? i'll go first in the comments....

linking with-

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

when beautiful is ugly

(writing for five minutes on beautiful)

sometimes life is ugly
like parents loving a child through drug rehab
like a spouse drowning as he tried to save a life
like children changing and dressing their father
like a mom and dad burying their third child
like a man bearing execution for humanity's sake
and the brokenhearted cry tears unceasing
that fall to earth like so much rain
and i love what joseph has to say to his
brothers-who-cast-him-off
you intended to harm me, 
but god intended it all for good
and what if we lived like that?

believing that from the to-the-earth-tears

beauty will spring forth....

when have you seen beauty spring from the ugly?

linking with-

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

from my corner, on a day off

writing for five minutes on view

i'm sitting in my spot -

in which you see morning me....

the corner of the living room couch -
and i have all the accoutrements  
of a summer day off -
glasses
books
laptop
coffee
water
and when i look up i see
laundry. one load. unfolded.
jack's backpack contents. strewn.
four footstools. empty of feet and even socks.
summer time tree leaves. sunlight spangled.
blue birds. taking turns on the nest.
cardinal. standing sentinel on a garden post.
and when i look in i see
me and more
writing
word-reading
thanking
and
joy

what do you see? ya know, right now?

linking with-

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

joy-jumps, scary-sad sorrow and sweet basil

these have made me joy-jump

this week -
(and....that would be imaginary joy-jumps
because i rarely actual-jump)
a son's home run
food lion brand nutella
fresh sweet basil's aroma
turning soil with husband and son
playing play dough with nieces and nephew
but
i'm watching the news even as i write
and
this world is
scary-sad and sorrowful
and
guilt is snuggling in
beside me on the couch
reminding me that joy should not accompany sorrow
shouldn't it, though?
jesus tells his disciples to take heart
for he has overcome the world
so
i will not allow scary-sad sorrow
to glue me to the screen
yes, i will pray
but
i'm going out to plant my basil....

how do you respond to the scary-sad sorrow of this world?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

a whtimanian list of thursday miracles

why, who makes much of a miracle?

as to me I know of nothing else but miracles, 

a boy, mine, fourteen years today

a doughnut craving

peace in first period and third

a smile from that standout student

home with sunlight to spare

chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-brownie bombs

brothers, near

moon, full and peeking through trees 

god's son sent to break for me

his bread

his body

his soul

amen

those first two lines are from walt whitman's "miracles." i love it because i live my life looking for the miraculous in the mundane....what have you found lately that is mundane yet miraculous?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

starting line-up (for parents)

 

it's five-minute-friday

and

the prompt is remember

so i attempted to conjure

something

thought-provoking

poignant

or 

hilarious maybe

but

i spent my before-work time

uploading photos of my 

in-his-last-season-of-baseball son

to facebook

so what i have is 

the longest photo caption ever

and a benediction - 

may god grant you peace as you remember your children in their little

and enjoy them in their big....

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

won't the resting rise up?

the brokens lie, resting

small things 

a clay figurine

a wooden ladle

and

life-changing ones

a close-to-us-marriage

a cancer-ridden loved one

and

i'm trying to accept 

that sometimes the broken won't be fixed

that sometimes the rest is for always

but

i want miracles just the same

join me in praying for miracles today? that the resting will rise up again?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

observations on senior living

dad's home between
the a-frame
and
his heavenly
is room 411 at the senior village....
i go to visit
and
pass the beanie-baby-bed
and
the lady wheeling around with dad's cereal box on her lap
and
the persian cat under the common room sofa
we swap stories and news
and
it's here that i've enjoyed my
growing-up-dad
as he reminisces
paper routes
football-at-memorial-park
the great depression
and
bugle calls in the navy
and i know it's not the a-frame
and i know he misses his doggie
and i know mom isn't there
but
part of home is always always
wherever
he
is

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

pledge can and god and ordinariness

sitting by fire

(listening to hiss of log-too-green)

sipping coffee from my weekend mug

i check a few high school scores and stats

before the day gives over to

vacuum roar

(and hiss of pledge-can)

baking and place mats placed

chris is outside on agricultural duty

while the boys are sports and chores and friends

this is ordinary....

and god-given

amen

what is ordinary for you? and your thoughts on ordinary? 

my friend, jen, is giving away a copy of my book. click here to enter!!!

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge

on leaflessness

a brother pic....

sometimes there's
trees-in-february
bare -
cold and cheerless
waiting for green
but
what about the
adam-and-eve
bare -
creator and created
in perfect relationship
could this be the why of winter bare?
to remind us of
loss
and
redemption?

what are your thoughts on bare?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday

if i could do it again

i wish i had more minutes like this
(with the nieces & nephews)
with my own kids....

junior high...
i would say no more often
my sons' toddler years...
i would say yes more often
my first years teaching...
i wouldn't yell so much
2005...
i wouldn't stop eating
but
here i go
wallowing in regret
as i think about again
when this i believe...
god intends (the harmful things) for good
to accomplish what is 
now
being
done

how about you? what would you change if you had the chance?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday

want to like me? click here for my a spacious place facebook page.

on why i cherish....wrestling?

(my hank is in gold)
photo credit

the prompt is cherish
and i guess i could describe the
fire in the fireplace
sunrise-over-snowscape
solitude and coffee
that morning has granted
but
my first thought was actually....wrestling?
you see
hank was able to watch his younger brother
for the first time on tuesday
(a pin!)
and then off to the high school for the reverse
(a decision!)
and after hank won
jack slipped down to sit beside him
on the bleachers
and i could see the backs of their heads
side
by
side
talking-not-fighting
a future sight of
brothers-as-friends
and
yes. this i cherish.

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday

want to like me? click here for my a spacious place facebook page.

notebook envy

my friend michelle has a
notebook
tattered, stained
and, well,
i am envious
of
this
worn-out notebook
she started counting her 1000 gifts
on actual paper
whereas mine
are on my computer
and, well,
i want the notebook
i guess i could steal hers
but she lives far away
and is thankful for her dish rack
and i don't even have a dish rack
so....
i will take the opportunity
to start one. a notebook.
at number 885
and 885 will be....
a notebook for counting gifts....

i cannot more highly recommend counting gifts/blessings/thankfuls. a life of gratitude for god's gifts leads to joy. are you counting gifts? where do you keep your list?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

the family missions thank you

writing for five minutes on thank you -

like the men in white asked the disciples

why do you stand looking

i heard a

 months-ago whisper

go, take the boys

and the whisper became a shout 

so we ordered passports

but this trip to our dominican friends

didn't make financial sense

at.all.

and so the thanks -

to

our family

my faculty

my readers

who donated money, sports equipment, books, paper, crayons

who bought cd's and books and cookies and cake

so our boys could

paint
lead music
love

and learn sacrifice

god raised you up to bring forth the harvest

thank you



linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

leaving quiet behind

we've kept the fireplace alive
this week
so my bedroom is chilly,
necessitating a kind of five-blanket
cocoon
that is
just
so
hard
to leave in the mornings
but the alarm reminds me of my calling
and
i am in school mode
tweaking lesson plans
mental-listing the day's non-classroom tasks
organizing papers for the great paper-pass-back of 2012
this year is a challenge
and
it's harder and harder
to leave quiet behind
(she certainly doesn't come to work with me)
but it's more than leaving my cocoon everyday
it's
two preps
new curricula
new personnel
unpredictable students
meetings
paperwork
truth?
sometimes i want to escape to my cocoon
my safe, warm, quiet home life
but
i love the teaching part
i love the curious-kids-asking-meaningful-questions part
i love the interacting with youth part
and this leaving my quiet
to eat lunch with 250 thirteen-year-olds?
it's what god has for me right now
and quiet?
she'll wait
how about you? what does god have for you right now?

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

where i found a love note....

writing for five minutes on roots:



this is the pan i use and love. click here for details



i found a note in my bundt pan this morning

i love you

from my husband

who knew i would bake

at 4:30

and wanted to remind me

this love?

rooted,
grounded
in
christ
and
i found a note in my bundt pan this morning

linking with -
the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

these anniversaries

writing for five minutes on change

hurricane katrina's anniversary
stops me cold each year
not that my personal storm can compare
but
the day she slammed into the coast
ed wrapped his last icy finger
on my heart
and i decided to quit eating
this season of storms
has given me pause to reflect on the
change
god has wrought in my life
and
i'm praising him for bringing me
out
into a spacious place
hear me reader,
he can
change.you.too.

are you longing for change? may i pray for you?

linking with -


the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday
beki at the rusted chain for fingerprint friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
beholding glory for faith-filled friday