Caddo State Park

Here's a page created from a camping trip of couple of months ago. If somehow I could put words to this new adventure of camping... I believe I would still find myself speechless. It's not the camper, packed ready to run away at a moments notice. It's not the act of abandoning projects left unfinished. It's surely not the need to escape from a well described world of my own design... no less ...

To be able to run off ~ leave the world; email, work, cell phones and all the noise into the distance is where I think I was always meant to be ~ yet ~ I always run back to the hum of a busy world. I look back to ... calm, silent whispers... that place of nowhere that appears to hold my very essence of being hostage.

Does it take so many years to find a common ground for both needs?... still pondering this, still looking for that narrow gap of bliss.

vlm

Rick's Christmas

This guy never ceases to amaze me.... well, that's not true... I knew he would love the slot car track. Especially since I called him a couple of days before Christmas; acting like Santa, asking if he had been a good boy and what he wanted for Christmas. He laughed at me being weird and said "a race-car track". Odd - I had already been looking for one - don't know why this seemed like a perfectly good (weird) gift. So now I was on a serious mission ~ 3 days before the 25th ~ to find a toy from the past. Yes, dear ones, slot-car race tracks are not an easy thing to find ~ and not because there was a rush on this particular item....the simple fact remains.... kids don't play with these things any more.

A friend got a new (becuz the old one is trash) remote controlled airplane from Santa. Mind you this kid is very near mid-age ('bout like Rick) and they had a lengthy conversation about the love of flying while keeping your feet firmly on the ground. Not surprising that it's ... ahem... older guys that find remote planes as a second childhood hobby... its not cheap ~ especially while you earn your wings. I see model planes in our future and lots of pictures of a grown man with a child lurking in the background. No worries.... these are the times we live for.
~..~ me out for now. vlm

Fall

Fall finally made it to East Texas. Definitely my time of the year; the winds turn cool ~ gently tuning the wind chimes that speaks words to my heart, leaves turn to hues of color that only God could imagine and I sigh with great relief. Some feel that New Years Day is the start of all things anew.... that first true Fall day is the same for me.
This has been a very extraordinary year of changes for me. Like the trees I rejoice, in living color, for all my blessings and I'll wait calmly for a new dress of green that will sure to come in the new year. Mostly I rejoice that the tapestry God weaves for my life, looking like a mess from my point of view, is a work of art that only angels see the beauty ~ and every once in a while ~ reveal to me with quite whispers to my soul.

Thanksgiving Day

Such a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, dinner was excellent and I had some very rare, quite moments with Tim (and his deep thoughts about life & future in general). He is quite an awesome young man; even if I say so ~ very often ~ myself.

I frequently look back on the collection (well... 100s) of photos I've taken of Tim over the last 18 years; this one is at the top 10 favorites. The look is one of 'exasperation' at my constant camera in his face, but the conversation lingers.

His struggles are with making 'mature, responsible decisions' (translation - good Mom advise) and doing the things that are whimsical and youthful folly.

To him ~ the end result is yet to be seen.
To me ~ the end result is an unspeakable feeling of 'job well done, Mom'.

The Game of Life

ga
It was a warm fall evening. Tim & Jesse are watching after the baby sis, Justice. It didn't take long before this pre-teen gal was bored. Tim came to the rescue with a board game. .. but he quickly became a poor loser - claiming the girls always cheat.... How do you cheat at LIFE????? I sided with them ~ voting that he is a poor sport... he retorted that girls always gang up on him and cheat... hahahahha... fun with the kids.

For me... such a deep breath of LIFE as these kids fussed and griped and accused each other of cheating and happy as everyone had a wonderful few hours... me, especially.