It's a....

...baby girl on the way. I can hardly wait to meet my little granddaughter. I never found out with my own children before the birth whether I was having a boy or a girl, but I confess, as the grandmother-to-be, I like this knowing.

I sit with yarn and project in my hands and think, "You, God are forming Clara's inward parts; you are knitting her together in her mother's womb. I praise you, for she is fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (paraphrase of Psalm 139:13).

Every stitch I knit is a reminder to pray for a specific, special baby girl.

Wondering what this is? It's the oatmeal box I keep my project in.
When I knit, it sits on the floor beside me and the yarn feeds out
through a hole cut in the top. When I'm not knitting,
yarn, needles, project, pencil, and card with row count
and instructions go neatly in the box. They stay clean
and untangled and I keep everything for one project all together.

Babies

Last Friday, Coty and I got to go and visit the twins. They are doing so well and we love the grandparent practice!

Savannah was having her bath when we arrived while....

sister Sierra snoozed.

Then it was time for holding. Savannah's wearing the hat I made for her. It's so cute on her!

And Sierra needed a little holding, too.

Kari didn't really want me to take a picture of her. She was thinking she wasn't so photogenic at that moment, but I think she's a very beautiful mother. It is a sweet joy to see her and Eric stepping so happily and sacrificially into parenthood. More of their story here.

That's my girl....

Makes a mother happy to share kitchen joys with her daughter. More than that, I rejoice that she is such a precious wife, so happy in caring for her sweet husband.

Stepping back in time and steam engine love

If you are...

the mother of children who love Thomas the Tank engine (we've outgrown Thomas but have fond memories!),
a steam train fan,
one who would like to step back in time,
a lover of old things, especially English old things, or
one who thinks a cup of tea is just about the perfect thing most any time of day...

you might enjoy this post from Vanessa. What a delightful way to spend a day!

Is this an addiction????

I haven't knitted in almost a week. This is bad. I was feeling withdrawal today. My fingers craved the feel of yarn and needles. I have been so busy in the kitchen, cooking for the hoard that was here for spring break, and then preparing for classes and teaching. And Monday, I spent a nice long time with Kari and the girls. (I am getting wonderful practice for grandmother-hood!) Anyway, there's hardly been a spare minute - no time to pull out the latest project. But tomorrow will not pass without knitting a few rows. I think I am addicted.

Biology kids

Emily C. using a loupe

The guys in lab (my Joel in the middle) I think this was the fungus lab.

I love my co-op biology kids. What a great group of homeschoolers to get to spend time with each week. We alternate - lab one week, class the next. In between, they read and study, and I try and come up with ways to pique their interest and help them to see the beauty and importance of studying biology. That's really not too hard to do. Learning about living things is infinitely fascinating.

I am hoping to do a year long advanced biology class with co-op kids next year with lots of anatomy and perhaps a unit on botany, ecology or ornithology. The planning process is a little daunting, but the prospect of ah hah! and oh wow! moments is the reward ahead.

It has been a joy to get back into teaching biology and doing more in the lab in the last year. It started with assisting at anatomy camp last summer and teaching intro biology lab this year as well as tutoring this great group of co-op kids.

And another sweet reward has been the kind comments of parents who tell me that the kids like having me as a teacher. I'm thankful, because I sure do like having these kids as students!

This is Emily, for whom many of you prayed when she was in the hospital recently. Her experience losing a kidney and interacting with lots of medical people has fanned her interest in biology. Isn't that great!

"The return of comfort"

How to announce the return of comfort and well-being except by cooking something fragrant. This is what her mother always did. After every calamity of any signficance she would fill the atmosphere of the house with the smell of cinnamon rolls or brownies, or with chicken and dumplings, and it would mean, This house has a soul that loves us all, no matter what. It would mean peace if they had fought and amnesty if they had been in trouble. It had meant, You can come down to dinner now, and no one will say a thing to bother you, unless you have forgotten to wash your hands. And her father would offer the grace, inevitable with minor variations, thanking the Lord for all the wonderful faces he saw around his table.
-from Home by Marilynne Robinson

No calamity has befallen us, but I've been in a funk for a couple of days. Today though, the soul of this house said, I love you all and I am very glad you are here.

It said it with fresh, hot, homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning. It said it in the evening with black beans and rice, okra gumbo, corn salsa, roasted butternut squash with rosemary, homemade bread, and berry cobbler. Such fragrances. There is also a chicken simmering in the pot for soup for tomorrow. Noodles will be rolled out and cut for the soup and the house will say, More love to you.

When I spend a day in the kitchen...

feeling pliant dough resist and spread under the rolling pin,
cutting pinwheels of brown sugar and cinnamon filled dough,
chopping onions and peppers to saute and add to,
boiling bright purple-black beans,
measuring spices in the palm of my hand,
brushing olive oil on thick orange squash slices,
snipping cilantro, bay leaves, and rosemary from the garden...

When I spend a day doing these things, I think my family knows that I am "back", so to speak. Earlier this morning, the boys were recalling some other bad mood episodes of mine. They affirmed the truth of the saying, "When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

Ouch!

Oh dear, I don't want them to remember that. I want them to remember cinnamon rolls and rosemary, bubbling beans and hot bread and think, "My mother loves me so much."

I often say, when complimented on my food, "Well, I can cook."

It's what I do to establish equilibrium, to bless, to bring a measure of comfort, to give tangible expression to the soul of this house, the love of this family, my love. There are many things I can't do. Many things I don't do. But I can cook.

And I will always thank the Lord for the wonderful faces that assemble around my table. Even when we argue or get on each other's nerves, say unkind things or act rudely, when we disagree or misunderstand, when we are grouchy or sarcastic. Because no matter what, we love each other. I don't think any of my children would ever stay away from the table. They know "you can [always] come down to dinner now."

And then, we say grace because we experience grace. In our brokenness. In our funks. At our table. Every day.

In the last week, I have....

....fed breakfast and lunch to a cast and crew of 40 filming a movie teaser on location not far from here. Matthew was part of the team, too, and we thoroughly enjoyed and learned lots from the weekend of "real" movie making. We are praying for the funding for this particular film to finally be made and make it to the big screen. We'll let you know. If it gets there, I just might get a credit as part of the catering team. That will be icing because really their obvious enjoyment of homemade cinnamon rolls and turkey chili was thanks enough for this cook!

....worked on memorizing the first verses of Philippians, on the way, in the company of others, to committing the whole book to memory.



....spent hours at a hospital bedside, held and fed beautiful preemie twins in the neonatal ICU, wept about continuing pain and crazy fluctuating blood pressure, marveled at the patience and kindness of some doctors and nurses, railed at the insensitivity of others, rejoiced in the beauty of a husband whose tenderness is unfailing. We are praying for relief and healing, for our dear friend and her precious gifts to finally be able to go home.

....taught biology to 9th graders, guided 11th graders in AP government study, tried to keep up.

....watched the snow fall and melt around blooming daffodils.

....taught our co-op moms how to make homemade noodles and biscuits, made chicken noodle soup and peach cobbler together and shared a sweet meal with candles at each place setting, stories, laughs, singing, and praising God together for answered prayer in Emily's life. I love this group of women.

....felt the cold of late winter rain and the warmth of early spring sun.

....prayed while driving many, many times.

....met with women to talk about the life of Lilias Trotter and been so thankful for the fellowship of women who love God, who open their hearts and lives, who pray and cry together, and for one who keeps two handkerchiefs in her pocket, just in case!

....skyped to J and K in Cairo. Yippeee! And by the way, things are calm there. The recent bombing didn't affect the program except that staff and students were advised to stay away from tourist-y areas of the city, particularly the bazaar near where the bombing occurred. Mostly J is thrilled to have K there in Cairo, to see the country that he loves, to meet his friends and co-workers, to climb Mt. Sinai together, see the pyramids in the distance, and swim in the Red Sea. You can read more here on K's blog.

.....heard about my "independent" grandbaby, moving away from and kicking the doppler during a doctor's appointment. And I've started knitting for that sweet grandbaby on the way. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not just dreaming that I am working on something for my own grandchild. Erin is doing well, feeling much better in this second trimester.

....changed sheets, done laundry, cooked and cleaned for the gang headed home later today. Two college sons come home with friends for a week long spring break. I can't wait to have Thomas and Andrew here. Lots of cooking to be done and lots of laughter, I'm sure.

Life feels poured in, shaken down, pressed firm, running over. I feel stretched and tired, humbled by opportunities to serve and thankful. Thankful for a husband and sons at home that make it possible for me to be away for hours, even days at a time, thankful for a praying church family and for God given strength.

There is a season for everything. This is a full season with a great deal of activity and little time to write. I haven't been posting so I think I should just go ahead and tell you I'm taking some time off. I'll be back. Maybe sooner than later. We'll see. Til then....

Love and grace to you all.