Morning Glory

While eagerly anticipating the arrival of warm sunshine, cool sprinkles, and the vibrant colors of spring flowers, I was a little disappointed with this bout of freezing temperatures and sparse snow blanketing the ground. As I spend more time in the Word, I see things less with my own eyes and "agenda," but instead take a step back and marvel at His creation. His power is demonstrated in the high winds that are strong enough to make towering maples waver. A beautiful display of sparkling droplets suspend from branches and cling to the ice that encompasses them. The frost in the morning under a grey sky makes me feel as though I am in a dream. It provides a soothing transition to wake up as I sip my coffee, wrapped in a blanket. I have no concept of time, as there is no sunrise to jolt me into motion. These overcast days are a welcoming reminder to do nothing and to rejoice in Him who created us. In the susurrant breeze I listen for His voice and seek His will for my life. Unaware of my quest, birds sing playful notes as they gracefully move about the feeders and branches. The vibrant reds of the cardinals and woodpeckers are a striking contrast to their canvas painted in grays and browns. It is a glimmer of hope for the season to come and a reminder of His vibrancy in our lives, should we choose to recognize it.

Gearing Up for Spring

Spring is just around the corner! March 20th to be exact. Quite a bit has happened since my last post: I got married, received the cutest chocolate lab from my aunt and uncle and named her Izzy, I planted a huge vegetable garden for the first time in my life and was overwhelmed by tomatoes, Peter and I traveled back up to Drummond and over to his family's cabin on the Fox River, I was promoted to varsity volleyball coach at the local high school, we spent our first Christmas together as a married couple, and now am in the midst of winding down in the 8th grade volleyball season. I also just finished coaching a 16 year old club team, and am in the middle of leading a volleyball clinic for 5th and 6th graders. Whew! I opted to pass on coaching the spring session for club. Summer camps will be here before we know it, and I think I need a little break. I have been coaching nonstop since August.

With this break, I have big plans. Who knows if I will get it all done, but I am surely going to shoot for it! This year with the vegetable garden, I do not think I will need 18 tomato plants. Maybe half. We are almost out of salsa, and I probably used and gave away about half. Unfortunately, a lot of it went to waste. Also, I do not think 48 pepper plants are necessary. What was I thinking?!?! That they would yield 2-4 peppers per plant? I need to space some of the crop out too, last year we had a ton of romaine all at once. Two people cannot possibly go through that much salad in three weeks. I have plans for more of a variety, spacing crop out better, and adding more flowers.

My big project for flowers this year is to rip up some of the blackberry bushes in our back yard and make a garden/patio. I am on the hunt for lots of discarded items I can integrate into the scene I envision. Things like wrought iron, ceramic, and steel and glass with interesting shapes and colors. I have a hunch my grandparents (being post Great Depression era, and who save everything) have quite the assortment of collectibles back over the hill at their house. I am so excited to ask them about using some of them. It would be especially neat to use the ones with history- things my mom and aunts and uncles played with and so forth. As for flowers, I see different varieties of tulips, daffodils, irises, hyacinths, peonies, roses, hydrangeas, and boxes for annuals. I planted daffodil and iris bulbs along the driveway and the edge of the yard. Hopefully I did it right, I am really looking forward to seeing them.

Eventually we plan to put in a sauna and a pond outside our bedroom window. My aunt and uncle have a small pond with a fountain, and it is so serene and soothing. I remember staying over at their house and hearing that as I fall asleep in my cousin's room. I felt like I was back on Drummond and taking in the beauty of the sound of the water hitting the rocks, and the breeze gently blowing through the cedar trees that released such a calming and carefree scent.

The sauna would be in honor of the Finnish, of course. It is also such a relaxing and restoring experience. Someday, I would like to make sauna soap. Whether it would be for selling purposes, I do not know. But I do appreciate the effort and drive of those who take on the challenge of crafting items with their hands.

Adventures in the U.P.

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Coming Home

As the semester is winding down, I am becoming more and more excited to travel home. At this point, I am thinking more about what lies ahead and not what I am leaving behind. This mindset has proven to be both good and bad. There are so many new experiences and challenges to encounter even though I am merely traveling home. A page is turning, a new chapter is beginning, and I welcome all that is to come with open arms and wide-eyed wonder. I am almost free. However, I do not wish to minimize the importance of what I have been through, the memories I have made, what I have learned, and all those who have become so dear to me in this place we call "The Bubble."

I have never been one to become so attached to the place in which I now reside, as it seems like so many other have. Perhaps it is because I never lived in a dorm or on campus, perhaps it is because I spent my weekends playing volleyball in Ohio and Kentucky rather than watching a movie with my "wing" and visitors during open house hours, or perhaps it is because I have never been romantically involved with any of the sadly outnumbered gentlemen at this university (emphasis on the word, as I do not wish to apply it to every male in attendance here). The final conclusion may be the greatest contributor to my distant position from attachment. My heart has never fully been here. I have never felt at home.

Yes, I have felt at peace, enjoyed much over the past two years, and I have formed friendships that I am most positive will last a lifetime even if the level of communication will slowly dwindle over the years to come. I do not lack value for the comfort or blessing of these things, nor do I desire to take them for granted. I love those who I have come to know as teammates, roommates, and good friends, and will miss them dearly. The idea of saying goodbye is something I have not yet fully embraced. My current stature is that of only yearning to be with my family and the ones I love who make living in beautiful West Michigan all the more welcoming and cozy. There is something about Michigan that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. When I drive, I feel a sense of contentment in traveling north. I know in my heart it is because the people who are very dear to me are either alongside of me, or awaiting my arrival.