aliens are watching my blog...

I was going to write this blog a while ago, and i was going to title it something like "wow, i'm famous!" or something like that, because i learned how to check the stats on my blog and found that there are thousands of page views. What?! And not a single comment? I don't understand. The only logical explanation is that the intruders could not understand the language and could not type because they didn't have the right kind of fingers. I'm not offended. Really, i'm flattered that they keep coming back; and i feel a little sorry for them that their fingers don't work. How frustrating! Well, in an attempt to come in contact with my own species, i posted a blog link on facebook today, which is completely against everything that i stand for, but i was trying to be brave, and i'm proud of myself. All that aside, if you are human and you have ever posted on my blog, i just wanted to say thank you. And since there are only a handful of you, i have each of you in mind and can sincerely say "i love you all". Obviously, the reason why i post this most intimate and personal information online for all the world/worlds to see is an attempt to connect. I know that you know that i like to talk to myself as well, so don't feel bad if you want to respond but can't for whatever reason. Anyway, some days i am more chatty than others & to my dearest friends who receive these blog posts via email, i apologize for bombarding your inbox today, i am at the mercy of my own whims.

 

luck, schmuck....

Brendan luck! Yay! A happy blog! Last night we went for a night-walk through the woods. Snow said something to the effect that she is never happier than when in the woods. We were walking the trails by the dam with it's pseudo-waterfall. I'm sure i have mentioned it before. It's the place where you park under the biggest cherry tree in existence & the home of the tree around which we filmed the lovely fall footage set to Rodrigo Y Gabriela. We took the side trail which doubles back by the river, then makes a loop back to the bridge at the start of the trail if you take a shortcut across the railroad tracks. We all had headlamps, but didn't need them due to the super bright light which Ben carries that has it's own little extension cord leading to a battery which he carries in his pocket. Ahem. So, anyway with such a headlight, we were all able to trail behind with enough light to pretty much black out the scenery & it was chilly so we were moving at a magnificent pace. Daniel even carried Emmeli, bc her little legs were not able to keep up. Speaking of trains, I would like to mention that a train did pass by on the tracks, which was cool and served well to drown out the barking of a neighboring dog aroused by all of the flickering and tramping and rustling of leaves. Okay, on to the point. So, when we arrived, as Ben passed out lights and we gloved our fingers and covered our heads, Daniel and Hannah took the trail under the bridge and grabbed up some small boulders. So as we crossed the bridge, Daniel lobbed them in and we all leaned over to admire the graduating rings in the river in the moonlight. Ben mentioned that sound waves travel in a similar pattern and i felt proud to have such a scientific husband, especially since i was off-duty. So here it is, the crowning glory of this lucky tale...this morning, reading about Leonardo da Vinci (Larry da Vinci as Emmeli likes to remember him), Hannah & Emmeli heard it straight from the horse's mouth. Leonardo wrote a treatise on the motion and measurement of water. Not having known that myself, and especially since this tidbit was buried in a chapter titled "The Last Supper", this certainly was not a planned follow-up to last nights ad hoc experiment over the river. He recorded his thoughts on the connection between the behavior of water & that of air. "As the stone thrown into water forms various circles, so a sound spreads in circles through the air." And i exuberantly (i thought for sure that that word had an H in it- it definitely deserves an H) pointed out, "Just like we saw last night." At the end of the chapter, predictably, and like the good teacher that i am, i gave my students some creative writing time so i could come here to share the good news. P.s. i don't believe in luck. See "brendan luck" (2011, February) .

 

broken dreams...

Incase the title was not enough, this blog is not light & fluffy, i thought i might warn you. So i've been thinking about the idea of safety & how people need to feel safe in order to be who God made them to be- to their fullest potential. I think few reach this potential because of poor parenting, bullying in school, teasing etc... I say poor parenting bc parents play such a vital role in our lives and i feel they need to be mentioned separately. The influence they have on us is different from that that we get from our peers. Anyway, in an attempt to be brief, i just feel that children need to be free to make mistakes without judgement, ofcourse they need direction, but people will feel insecure about their own creative abilities if they have been made to feel a fool or incapable due to failed attempts. What artist has not failed at some point and had to go back to the drawing board? What skill does not take practice? Even an accidental spill or broken glass which generates a frantic response by an overwhelmed mother, i think chisels a piece of strength and confidence out of a child's soul. As children grow, they will learn that parents need forgiveness & mercy, but this morning i am mourning the sad loss of beauty, courage, and adventure in man's soul due to man's own folly.

love, love, lovely...

Surely he who loves aright will not only find love lovely, but become himself lovely also.

~Westward Ho!, Charles Kingsley

boy trouble...

Snow & I discussing one of the characters from her book:

"That's what I based my character, Duplica, off of.... what if Daniel could get away with anything?"

Claire chiming in from the backseat:

"It feels like he has that superpower already!"

i see it feelingly...

Sometimes finding the right words is something of a fairy hunt, but I don't just see life with my eyes, I see it feelingly and words will follow as a matter of course.

gotcha...

Great big wind take long lost kite from too tall tree and land it safely in wee little tree where me can reach it. Thank you!

waiting...

Have you ever been thirsty, gone to get a nice cool glass of water, set it down due to some distraction, & then forgotten about it for some time until a renewed thirst catches you looking around for the prespiring glass with melted ice cubes? Did you find it only to find that some new distraction will keep you from quenching your thirst yet again? Sometimes this happens to me. In fact this is a regular occurance for me. I have described this as if there are forces outside of my control which keep me from drinking. Actually, I'm not convinced. Maybe I just lack the tenacity to see things through, or maybe I wish to prolong my suffering in order to increase the joys of long awaited fulfilment. Seriously, why procrastinate at this most critical juncture? I don't know what it is, but somehow I am content just to know that I have a glass of water. The mere presence of the liquid says 'provision is at hand', and somehow that is enough. This is sort of how I feel about the rope swing hanging outside my window as it sways in the breeze waiting patiently for me. There's no pressure, but there is the swing, and I will get to it...eventually.

friendly reminder...

"This day's adventure, however, did not turn out like yesterday's, although it began like it; and indeed to-day is very seldom like yesterday, if people note the differences- even when it rains."

~ The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald

reflection...

This is the year that we hung the rope swing, planted potatoes, mowed lines in the grass, & got our bees. It's the year that Snow started texting, Emm scared us all to death when she got Sage's lead wrapped around her neck, the year that lightning struck the big tree right outside our back door. This is the year that we got the kite stuck up in the tippy top of one of our tallest trees, the year Daniel made bows with no arrows and wound wreaths from grapevines. This year we planted an orchard and Ben tore down an old building so we could line our walls with metal. This year we took apart the girls' bunkbeds, Ben started remodeling Daniel's room, and Snow went to California. This year Hannah had an amazing birthday with a surprise visit from cousins, we went to Washington D.C., and we all went fossil hunting in Pennsylvania, every last one of us. This year Ben & I had a vacation together in Florida. This year we watched the Olympics and the Breechers stayed with us for a whole week. Sadly, this is the year I found out that my uncle has cancer and my grandparents got divorced. This year we didn't really hike at the Potto that much. This year we took Owen & Sage to the beach for the first time. This year we started our deck and Emmeli will probably get braces. This is the year that we picked blueberries for free and the kids were not in the art fair. This year Snow will turn 16. This year there were hardly any mosquitoes and lots of raspberries. This year we read Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, Once and Future King, Five Children and It, Wind in the Willows, How the Heather Looks, Joan of Arc, & The Princess and the Goblin. This is that year.

 

my friend shadow...

I wrote a poem. I better post it quick before I change my mind. I reserve the right to tweak this later.

I love to see my shadow

A silent version of me

She visits me on sunny days

And likes to walk with me

 

How friendly is my shadow

And lovely as can be

She's lacking any detail

Just a familiar shape I see

 

Unlike the critical mirror

How unforgiving is she

My shadow is a gracious friend

Who always compliments me