Nest

A year and a half ago, my neighbor up the street, Erika Johnson, who happens to be an incredibly talented artist, invited serveral women to be involved with an installation piece she did for a show at Vanderbilt University. I was lucky enough to be included.

Erika's piece included several cages and nests made out of wire that represented both the joy, the comfort, and also the restriction that we experience in relationships. (Forgive me, Erika, if I am butchering this.) I won't even attempt to describe what it looked like, but it was fabulous. Anyway, I helped out by building a nest.

She then made 'prints' of our nests using some sort of weird photographic process of which I can never remember the name. She gave mine to me for my birthday. I have finally framed it and hung it above our fireplace. I am very excited about it...

For those of you that live in or near Nashville, she has a few more installations that will be shown later this fall and next spring. Keep an eye out. It will be worth your while.

Growth

Finley is three. I look at her legs and am amazed at how those curved little chunks she started out with could grow so long, straight, and slender in such a short time.


Joe is almost a year and a half. My baby has turned into a little boy with a determined trot and a killer throwing arm. He does still like to cuddle up on his mama's shoulder, though. At least I still have that.


Almost more amazing to me is the growth spurt I have gone through.


I have a ficus that I started from a cutting about 13 years ago. I looked at it earlier this summer, and realized it hadn't grown in several years. Then I realized I hadn't been fertilizing it at all. It was in survival mode. I bought some Miracle-Gro and some Superthrive, and lo and behold, my little ficus looks like a whole new plant.


I think I'd been in survival mode for a while. But somebody must have spiked my punch with some Superthrive and Miracle-Gro. God is putting new bits of revelation into my mind and spirit, and it is changing the way I think, the way I operate. And it is good.

The Best Anniversary Gift Ever

Chris and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary.

I have finally learned that if I want something other than some good beer or another type of massager (that I inevitably make him return because I can't stand those electric vibrating things [they make me itch]), I need to tell Chris exactly what I want for a present.

So I asked for an electric pencil sharpener for Christmas this year. Then I told him I was getting desperate since the sharpener we salvaged from an old school is falling apart and the little hand-held tends to shred the wood of my art pencils. I told him I might have to buy myself an early Christmas present.

I ruined what I think was supposed to be a surprise, though. I saw him walk in the basement door today with an OfficeDepot bag in his hand, and since I couldn't figure out why he thought we would need a ream of paper, decided to investigate. He had bought me a sharpener and a box of colored pencils.

Unfortunately, the one he picked out only had one hole size... too small for my pastel pencils, so I had to take it back. I returned home with this fine piece of machinery... the one he said he thought about buying first (but since it was a bit pricier...). It is now sitting proudly near me on the desk.

If anyone wants to bring your pencils over, I might let you sharpen them.

The Three Year Old Mind

Finley likes for me to pray for her every night when she goes to bed. I ask her what she wants me to pray for, and in her quiet, I-might-be-embarrased voice, she says something like 'night, dreams, God, cereal, get up in the morning...'


A few days ago, I was sitting on the couch reading, and Finley decided to 'put me to bed.' She said I could sit up so that I could read for a while (just like I let her), then she asked if I wanted her to pray for me, so I said 'yes.' Then she proceeded to stroke the hair right around my ear as she prayed (just like I do for her). And if Chris tries to pray for her without stroking her hair... 'Daddy, you've got to rub my ear!'


The other night, she caught me off guard, and asked me, 'Pray Jesus comes in my heart.' (We have had numerous conversations about who and where Jesus is, and most of the time, my brain starts to shut down trying to figure out how to explain these concepts to a three year old.)


'Well,' I said. 'Do you want to pray to Jesus and ask him in your heart?'


'Yes.'


'Okay, just say, "Dear Jesus, please come into my heart."'


She scrunches her eyes shut, then says, 'Dear Jesus, please come in my heart.'
Then her eyes popped open, and said, 'Did a hole open up in the top of my head, then close right up again?'

Hummingbirds

I am pleased to announce that the hummingbirds have finally made their presence known... About two weeks ago, I noticed a bird trying to swallow some of the old, stale sugar-water I had left in the feeder. I whipped up a fresh batch, and now we have daily visitors. I don't know if the drought encouraged them to seek new sources of food, or what, but I am glad to have them.

The first picture is a bird at my feeder. The other is a shot of him sitting on our phone line, guarding his territory. If any other bird comes along to take a drink, he chases it off.

Fin's Hair

I just want to take a minute to brag on my accidentally good hair cutting capabilities.

A few months ago, I gave Finley a haircut. In an attempt to cut the longer, straighter top hair off of the curlier back hair in a sort of layered fashion, I cut off her curls as well. Thankfully, the side curls, which are the favorites of us all, as they tend to stick out in peculiar ways, remained. The result was a punky, trendy cut that actually looked good.

As it grew out, I debated on letting her hair grow out as most folks tend to favor long hair on little girls, but wasn't happy with the idea. This week, I cut her hair again, taking pains to leave the ear curls and trimming the longer wispy bangs so that they won't get stuck in her mouth when she eats. I trimmed up the lower back.

It looks great. And I am especially proud of the way her hairstyle helps give her head more shape, as she inherited a nice flat head from my side of the family. The only downside... once in a while, Finley has to bat her bangs out of her eyes. But that is a small price to pay for such a good look, and besides, I'd put a barrette in her hair if she'd leave it in.

Joe Sings His ABCs

Future American Idol contender?

Fly and Be Free

This morning (Sunday) as we were walking outside, Chris noticed that the butterflies had emerged from their cocoons. One was flapping furiously against the window. I was so distressed that I immediately opened the door and watched it fly away.

'What are you doing?!' Chris asked me. He wanted to get pictures. I reluctantly shut the door on the other two.

Here is a shot of the third butterfly as we 'released it back into the wild.'