Summer Paths

Muggy, warm but not uncomfortable, relaxed but still things to do; you have to love Sundays. We have had a particularly busy week. Things here will continue at a speedy pace for the next few weeks. We have so many endings to lots of hard work and dedication: and beginnings that will require the same in our future. Our 4th child will be graduating from high school this month. As the excitement about the end of many years of schooling commences; the fantastic adventure of furthering his education this fall will take its place. There will be stress, uneasiness, wonder and a great voyage ahead of him. Our youngest will be ending his junior year of high school and also finishing a two year journey with his Confirmation in to the church. He will experience relief and joy as summer begins. As he looks to the wonder of his senior year it will also be shadowed with lots of decisions and dedication to begin his post high school career that will keep his mind spinning. Things change so fast although sometimes we are so caught up on the moment we don't realize just how fast time flies by. My wish for my children this summer is to breathe in the essence of summer. To enjoy the warm lazy days, friends and good times; to prepare their hearts and minds to move forward in fall with full fervor. We are changing directions at the farm. We are still looking to focus our direction on education and family enjoyment but are looking to encompass a larger audience than in the past. We will still provide most of what we are comfortable with and know but are also venturing into the somewhat unknown in an effort to allow the farm to provide better for everybody. My dream is to take what we have and make it something that gives back more than in the past. This is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. There will significant investments of time and energy that hopefully will blossom before us; but like in life there are no guarantees. While I encourage our two youngest to venture into the unknown I need to follow my own words and dive in head first; not knowing of course where this will take me. A relaxing afternoon gives me time to think about all the wonderful visions I have for things but also the time to weigh the down sides. I have decided that frequently in life I always take the "safety route", not this time. I am diving in head first into a dark pool with what I am hoping is a beautiful coral reef at the bottom. I will need to rely on God, the help of others and on my faith that this is where I need to grow. I have become keenly aware that the good we are given needs to be shared to be great! I am hoping that others enjoy playing in the mud, concerts under the moon and frolicking in the woods. I am becoming increasingly aware of the sad loss of our children being connected to the earth and am hoping to build upon this. There is a sense of wonder that needs to be shared. I am reminded of a favorite hymn. "The heavens are calling the glory of God and all creation is shouting for joy. Come dance in the forest come play in the field and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord". The next few months will be an exercise in this song and dance in life. May I embrace my boys and encourage them to sing, dance and play in all that is before them and do the same myself? I hope so...what a busy and glorious summer we have before us! Copyright 2012 Micheline Edwards All rights Reserved

Relationships and Getting Dirty

After an unseasonably warm winter and an early itch (which I resisted as much as possible) to plant and play outside. I think the time has finally arrived to get dirty. I love the smell of the damp earth and the feel of the sun on my back as I plant and work in the flower and garden beds. It is a feeling that keeps me grounded to our most basic needs. Being in the yard also allows me time to think and to sort out all that goes on in our day to day duties and obligations. My husband and I spent the weekend tilling the garden, pulling weeds and talking. I am the gardener and the country mouse. My husband would much rather be in a condo in the upper east side of "City Somewhere". His dream would be no yard work or for that matter no yard!!! Don't get me wrong he loves green space; but not the care of said space. He tells me, he does the yard "stuff" for me. I on the other hand go stir crazy if I don't have some room between me and the next home, the scent of fresh cut grass blowing in my windows and some dirt to play in (although it is a chore at times).I am one of those odd people that actually loves to mow the lawn: my second to the youngest seems to have been bitten by the same bug and helps me when he can. I love the smell of fresh cut grass so much that; up until a few years ago I would always be the one to take the boys to cut and haul hay. I still tag along ( but now behind a wheel). I decided it was time to hand the field torch over, after pulling out my shoulder three years ago. Nothing will take me back, to being about 7 years old faster than the smell of fresh cut hay or the odd scent of an iris blossom. I remember picking iris out of my mom's huge bed and taking my teachers these "quick to wilt in a vase" flowers for weeks. During the long bus ride into town, I would hold my treasure and breath in it's funny scent. Currently we try to keep mowed about 6-8 acres of yard and garden paths; along with several flower gardens and a family vegetable garden. These are enjoyed by our family and lots of others. I am always searching for a way to share this "treasure" with others. Sometimes I feel the burden of up keep and entice family (not always so willingly)to help. While out in the dirt this weekend it was a bit windy and cool as my husband and I worked. I watched as his cheeks got a ruddy glow from the sun. After several hours and most of the work done he announced he was finished for the day and retreated inside. I stayed out till way past time to start dinner and finally after planting what was waiting for a new home came in. Later in the evening after showering and heading to the kitchen my husband came in to join me while I finished dinner. As we talked and sipped some wine he announced to me, "that he is still not a big fan of yard work but the time we spend uninterrupted in the yard is priceless". With out realizing it I think he may be becoming a garden lover (maybe it was exhaustion or the wine talking)! There is a joy in being outside connected with the earth. While you usually never realize the "gift of dirt" when working hard (mowing, weeding, tilling, hauling hay or guarding a treasure for a teacher on a bus ride). You only need a particular scent on a breeze, or the sun on your back to take you to a fond place or a precious moment: to know it is all worth while. I think this summer when the tomato and cucumber plants get big I may introduce my husband to dirt salad...just you, a friend and salt shaker (snitched from the kitchen) hidden in the garden plants with dirty bums, visiting while enjoying sun warmed salted veggies! Copyright 2012 Micheline Edwards All rights Reserved

Mardi Gras and Faith

Ash Wednesday and Lent are around the corner. In our faith this is a time of reflection,sorrow,abstaining,fasting,repentance and giving. This is a preparation for Easter. Lent is a time for us to reflect upon our relationship with Jesus. This is a time to come to a greater understanding and relationship with Our Holy Father. We look upon the journey he embarked upon before his death and resurrection. I have decided to try to write a bit more during Lent not only for others but for myself. To deepen my faith and my relationship with God. First we begin with "Mardi Gras" (tomorrow),which is French for "Fat Tuesday". It is also known by such names as "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Tuesday" in England. The later name gives us some insight as to what goes on. In England this has been a traditional day to fill up on pancakes which are full of fat, eggs and dairy before fasting and giving up these things for 40 days in Lent. "Fat Tuesday" gives us visions of people filling their bellies to over stuff and then indulging even more. "Mardi Gras" as most of us know it, is a day for colorful beads,king cakes,loud parties and over indulgences. It is a day for celebrations, carnivals and parades. It hardly seems to be a fitting lead into the season to come. Most people who celebrate this day do so without any knowledge of it's religious significance. Some look at this day as a last chance to indulge in treats that they will be giving up in the weeks to come. Some say it was also a day to use up forbidden foods from the pantry; or to slaughter and enjoy a fattened calf on the last day. This may seem silly in this time of plenty. Meat was a more important food staple in the early days of the church. To give up meat for 40 days was a huge sacrifice. Most importantly it is a day of repentance; a day to look for forgiveness before embarking on a journey to follow our Lord more closely. The parties and carnivals seem so out of place unless you know that the word Carnival in Latin (carne vale) means, "Farewell to the Flesh". So maybe it is most of all a time to reflect upon the beginning of a season where we celebrate one of our faiths greatest mysteries, the farewell to Jesus in the human flesh and HIS resurrection. Fat Tuesday or Mardis Gras actually has it's "kick off" during Epiphany (12 days after Christmas) when the see the Wise Men finding Jesus and bearing gifts to the newborn King. A lot of the funny traditions also stem form this. It is believed that we make king cakes (a colorful and lavish bread associated with Mardi Gras) in a circular shape to imitate the routes taken by the wise men in finding Jesus (frequently a small baby doll is hidden in the bread to represent the Christ child). The wise men traveled in a circular path to confuse king Herod. What ever the reason that we do the funny things we do before Lent, we should keep in our hearts the solemn season which will begin abruptly at midnight of Fat Tuesday. Hopefully we will open ourselves to a deeper understanding of Christ through our Lenten journey how ever we chose to begin it. Copyright 2012 Micheline Edwards All rights Reserved

Through a Snowy Window

Sitting by the window I see small white fluff clumping together as it falls from the sky. The lumps fall & mound on our pines, around the barn stalls and in the street. Our street isn't a busy one on any day; today it is unusually serene. Looking through the window makes me feel as though I am sitting inside a Currier & Ives print. Our horses are happy in their blanket of snow. The young steer at the barn calls out ever so often to make sure we are aware of the weather change. My son just came in from the barn with his puppy. Both of them are all bundled in matching coats and covered from head to foot (tail) with heavy snow. The boy is smiling and I think the puppy is too. My son is training the puppy to stay in the entry way (our older dog would live there and respects the privilege of coming in the house). It is amusing to hear my son take on a "parenting tone" with his pup. Most of the day has been quiet and peaceful. I've caught up with a few friends and enjoyed the opportunity to not have to be anywhere or do anything. I did do some dishes, laundry and that sort of thing but it is a treat to just drop everything for a few hours. I have friends who's jobs require them to go out, I've been there. But for those of us that can stay home the snowfall can be a much needed mini "staycation". Most of us spend our days running from one thing to the next. We eat on the run, breathe on the run and run on the run. To sit by a window and sip some cocoa or tea and not "run" anything but our mind's quiet thoughts is a rare treat. When I was a child I used to love to walk through the woods and under the cedar trees heavy with snow on these days. I would shake the heaps of snow off the branches and onto myself and remember giggling as it would fall heavily onto my warmly wrapped head. Such silly idleness is not often found as we become adults or even for a lot of children (these days) but our hearts need this time to "reboot". If you are lucky enough to have a snow day. Savor being trapped at home, enjoy the space that you usually go to work to pay for. Maybe go out and shake a little snow down your collar or throw a snowball. Childlike freedom is a treasure. Instead of thinking of what you might be missing think of it as a reschedule... a gift of innocence for a day. Happy Snow Day*

Oh my sweetest Valentine, BE what you seek in others.

Awe... it is February the month of Valentines, love notes and couples. It is a time when we tell our family, friends and special loves what they mean to us. Oh wait, this could be Christmas two months into the year! This could be Thanks-Giving ten months early! This could be....should be...Everyday of the year. We should always let those we love know how we feel. Hopefully they too, will do the same. What makes us want to love someone or someone love us? Is it primal urges, good looks and all that? Sure at the romantic level some degree of physical attraction does help. None of us wants to introduce our date or spouse by saying," Oh yes and this is Bob" and then point to the guy with a lunch sack over his head! We have also all seen the odd couple too. You know the one...how did "he/she end up with...". What DID "so and so" see in ???? Good question for sure. That question can also be applied to couples that have stood the test of time. What makes them stay together and remain in love even through the storms of life? I think the same answer applies to all of these questions. Is the person you are directing your affection too "LOVABLE"? are you "LOVABLE"? We all like to think we are. How do you respond to your spouses touch? Would you want your touch reciprocated? How do you react when they have had a bad day? What would you want to hear? What does it mean to be lovable? I think to be loved, you most go beyond looks, beyond the expected and strive to be cherished. To be loved and cherished you must be someone who is lovable. Here is the biggy..."Love is the the motivation behind the attitude we are driven to emulate". Our attitude affects our decisions, our choices, our actions and our contentedness. Our decision to be love directly affects our ability to attract love, to maintain it, to build upon it and it give back to others. Our Father served us with a servants heart. Throughout his life and beyond he loved us with an unconditional love. Do you love unconditionally? Do you serve those you love with a happy heart? If not, look at yourself; WOULD YOU LOVE YOU? What makes one spouse love their partner no matter what and another turn away while they seemingly have "everything"? Maybe "everything" is not what we think it is. I have a favorite author Debbie Pearl. One of my favorite quotes from her is: ~"Discontentment is not a product of circumstances but a state of the soul".~
We come into this world with nothing and we can take nothing out, but our soul. Why is it then, that we apply our focus of attention on the superficial; worldly goods and not on our soul? We should practice happiness, contentment, understanding and forgiveness even when serving; when we place a smile on our faces who could not be inclined to love and cherish us? Philippians 2:5 tells us that in all we do we must think and act like Jesus. Certainly EVEN those of us who are not faithful can agree that if we love unconditionally and bear our burdens with joy, we could be found more lovable in return. For those of us of faith we know for sure, that the more we love and are content we are; the more loved and content others find us. So are you lovable? Do walk around with a smile, do you offer to help with a happy heart, do you embrace others who reach toward you, do you do what needs to be done even if not asked. Are you someone who is a joy to be with? If you wish love, if you wish to be cherished; then look at yourself in the mirror of your soul, not in the mirror of your bathroom. Do not spend you time seeking the perfect outfit to attract love, the best thing you can wear is a smile. If you seek love or to deepen the loves you have, deepen your own demeanor. Make cheerful your continence, be what you should seek to have at your side in life. When you are content and beautiful from the inside out (old but true saying) Love will grow from you and its vines will wind their way back to you full of blossoms. As with all gardens this will take time, patience and practice. Practice being cheerful, practice how you would like to be responded to, practice your reactions to others. When you are full of love (practice makes NOT perfect but perfect goodness) love will find you. For even the most homely of us shall be loved and cherished if we are servants with cheerful hearts. Tell others you love them everyday not just in words (although these are good to hear) but in your actions. Don't show your love just on holidays or with gifts of material goods but with smile in your soul. Happy Valentines Day to everybody, may you seek to be cherished, to love with a greater passion this year, all year and from now on.
Copyright 2012 Micheline Edwards
All rights Reserved

Sharing cookies and other responible acts.

With the new year well into swing and resolutions already put into action...as well broken by some of us; I started thinking about what are our responsibilities in life. I don't mean just weekly blah blah..cleaning the house, the bill paying or personal hygiene; which are obviously good things to keep up with. First of all; I feel respect ranks high on the list. You know the common sense efforts bestowed upon us by others and to others. We all learned in kindergarten to "Treat others as we should wish to be treated". We know all about this and hopefully try our best to follow this rule. What about life beyond just "playing well with others", paying our bills and taking a bath? What are our responsibilities to our families, children, friends (or those not friends)? What kind of things make us good people? Is it our resolutions each year? The diets we tried and failed at? The cool gift we got our kid when we failed to be there. Was it spending an afternoon twice a year with grandma, Aunt "Boresomebody" or with the friend that you would rather go to the dentist than see? Was it taking your kids to Disney? dressing nice? eating the four food groups and flossing? Maybe not. What drives some of us to be responsible and others to not care. Yes, there I said it; "To be responible". What is this word? What does it mean and why do we always attach it to everything except what really matters. Yes! you should pay your bills, do your homework, take a shower and visit Grandma (hopefully more than twice a year) etc etc... What I am searching for here is what makes us responsible to others; to ourselves; and just in general? Responsible to our children, our extended family, our friends and sometimes those that are not our friends or people we don't even know. What makes us responsible humans beyond "flossing twice a day"? Who taught us to do this or not do this? Young children are naturally nurturing and even responsible, they love to help others; and keep us informed of things (Ya, ya they all go through the "me stage"). Who takes this natural tendency to pat another's back, hold a friends hand, kiss a "booboo" on some sandbox buddy or share a cookie even if it is their favorite. Who fosters our caring instincts or turns them off? I know I have probably beaten this horse many times but again I will say it. There are eyes and ears on us, even when we don't know it. Others develop opinions of us, not based solely on our job performance, attendance of the "right" things, or good work out skills but on our "work ethics". By "work ethics" I am not referring just to responsibility exhibited on the job, at church, to impress others, get a great review or a pay raise; but by those things you assume nobody will ever see; and in everything you do. That friends, is responsibility! So how responsible are you? Do you need to review just how much further you could take the old saying "Do unto others, as you wish them to do unto you". Maybe in 2012 even if we have kept or failed at our resolutions as January comes to a close we should foster a new mantra "to do everything we do, as though Our Father was watching us". Maybe we should take responsible steps to not only keep up with the day to day but go a step beyond. Maybe help, reach out or do something for somebody who could never repay you. Care for others and the gifts God gives us even if no one is watching. Be forgiving, lend a hand, lead by example. Do something because it was the right thing to do: because you want to be responsible as a human being and teach others by doing. Let's follow a "Do as I do" idea. So are you truly responsible? While others are watching you; Do you do what you do because of this? or because you are watching yourself. When YOU look at YOUR actions, and how responsible you are, how do you feel? It is said that we are our own worst critics but we usually only apply this to superficial things. Are you responsible?