January Twenty-Twenty-Four

 

a new year's prayer below from Vanita Hampton Wright

to welcome 2024... 

God of all time,

help us enter the New Year quietly,

thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,

mindful that our steps make an impact

and our words carry power.

May we walk gently.

May we speak only after we have listened well.

Creator of all life,

help us enter the New Year reverently,

aware that you have endowed

every creature and plant,

every person and habitat

with beauty and purpose.

May we regard the world with tenderness.

May we honor rather than destroy.

Lover of all souls,

help us enter the New Year joyfully,

willing to laugh and dance and dream,

remembering our many gifts with thanks

and looking forward to blessings yet to come.

May we welcome your lavish love.

May we cast off the small, 

vindictive god our fears have made.

May the grace 

and peace of Christ 

bless you now 

and in the days ahead. 

Amen. 

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

some folks that brought some sunshine to us in the past week below.....

such a delight to run into Evans when we were running errands the other morning 

Sunday afternoon walk with Jennifer 

Madeleine over for dinner on Monday 

line dancing on Monday night at the Little Red Hen

Night Out

We took Anna to a speakeasy in Capitol Hill last night called Needle and Thread as we had a gift certificate from Christmas there, and it was a very cool place as the bartender asked each of us what kinds of flavors and spirits we liked and then crafted a cocktail that matched our individual preferences. Quite the playground for talented bartenders! They have so much creativity, and we sure enjoyed our night out on the town with our 21 year old. :)  

the phone call to get to the secret upstairs room 

Invitation

The poem below was one that we read together on our retreat on Whidbey this weekend....

Invitation

By Mary Oliver

​

Oh do you have time

to linger

for just a little while

out of your busy

 

and very important day

for the goldfinches

that have gathered

in a field of thistles

 

for a musical battle,

to see who can sing

the highest note,

or the lowest,

 

or the most expressive of mirth,

or the most tender?

Their strong, blunt beaks

drink the air

 

as they strive

melodiously

not for your sake

and not for mine

 

and not for the sake of winning

but for sheer delight and gratitude -

believe us, they say,

it is a serious thing

 

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in this broken world.

I beg of you,

 

do not walk by

without pausing

to attend to this

rather ridiculous performance.

 

It could mean something.

It could mean everything.

It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:

You must change your life.

★★★★★

pictures below from Anna's run and hike this weekend at Deception Pass 

Whidbey Magic

 

grateful for a weekend getaway with dear friends on Whidbey...

Heather could not come with us, so we dropped off a little packet for her on the way out of town....

at the magical Atkins' cabin 

wet rat Saturday morning run 

Untangling

 

One of my favorite ways to clear my head, to untangle my thoughts, and to pray is to walk a labyrinth, and I am so grateful that Anna loves it too. She wanted to go walk the labyrinth together at St. Mark's before she heads to Patagonia which we did yesterday, and then she showed me one I'd never seen in the horticulture center at UW today. I sure love walking this road with this girl.... 

at St. Mark's on Capitol Hill

behind the trail I run all the time near UW

Throwback Thursday 1/25

 

January 25, 2006 

January 25, 2008

January 25, 2008

January 25, 2009

January 25, 2009

January 25, 2010

January 25, 2010

January 25, 2010

January 25, 2011

January 25, 2014

January 25, 2014

January 25, 2015

January 25, 2015

January 25, 2018 

January 25, 2021