Slice of Life: Find the Decoration!

The grand boys (7, 5, and 3) came over for a visit last week. Just so you get an idea about what that was like, their Christmas card this year included this line: "From our merry mayhem to yours." They loved that our tree was still up. I've always been slow to take it down, but I don't put it up by Thanksgiving either. They enjoyed looking at all of our decorations, from our corn husk angel on the entryway table (30+ years old) to a more recent wooden decoration featuring a tree and a snowman with a lighted star on top of tree and the words "Oh Joy!" It had spent part of the season on the bedroom dresser, but I had recently moved it to the entryway table beside the corn husk angel. (Joy was a serious contender for my OLW for '25, until BE nestled into my heart.)

Ollie, our three years old grandson, enjoyed carrying the lighted decoration around. After they left, I noticed it was no longer on the entryway table. I recalled seeing him carrying it towards the living room shortly before they left. 

So my search began. Did he tuck in into the Christmas basket with an assortment of holiday creatures? No. Did he decide to add it to the Main Street table where it could decorate this favorite toy of his? Not there, either. Did he hide it behind the pillows on the couch? Nope. 

I considered calling his mom and asking her to inquire about the location, but I didn't want him to get in trouble. I settled into my comfy chair to watch the evening news, convinced that our snowman with a tree and lighted star would eventually surface. It was later in the evening when I spied it, exactly where our ingenious three-year-old decided it belonged.

 

And I left it there because it brought a smile of joy each time I thought of him carefully hanging  it there! 

Spiritual Journey Thursday and Poetry Friday: How I Gathered in 2024 & My Word for '25

Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is hosting our first Thursday Spiritual Journey posts with a call to share our OLW for 2025. She selected this beautiful waterfall photo to accompany our 2025 writing journeys.

One of the challenges of choosing a OLW involves looking back at the previous year's word. I kept "gather "for a 2nd year since 2023 became a wild ride when we decided to follow our daughter and family in a move from Washington state to North Carolina. Suddenly, I found myself purging once again (not gathering) in preparation for a move to a smaller space. I kept the same poem I had written in 2023 with the addition of one line for 2024.

What Will I Gather in 2024? 

Words, Moments, Stories

Wonders, Revels, Enchantments

Photos, Empty Boxes, Loose Ends

Friends, Loved Ones, Ancestors 

Hope, Goodness, Faith

Laughter, Love, Light

- Ramona Behnke

What did I manage to gather in 2024? 

I gathered with the UT grands in March (after Roots Tech), in July for Teddy's baptism, in September (after the Restore conference) and in November for Thanksgiving. 

I gathered with a group of friends in Utah to attend the Faith Matters: Restore conference in September.

I gathered coats for our friends in western NC after Hurricane Helene. 

I gathered supplies for gift bags for preschoolers whose parents are attending English classes at New Arrivals Institute. 

I gathered photos of mushrooms (delighted each time I spotted a new variety), the glorious hues of fall, and the sky (ever a favorite)! 

But my very favorite photo gathering has to be the grands. I revel in the enchantments and wonders they bring to my life. 

 

Standing on the cusp of 2025, unsure of what lies ahead, 

I  choose to gather hope, goodness, and faith. 

Surely laughter, love, and light will follow!

 It's time to unveil my OLW for 2025:

Shortest word I've ever chosen.  

Drum roll, please . . .  

Cue the confetti! 

My word is

BE.

- Ramona Behnke

For more on why I chose "be", stay tuned for a future blog post.

Poetry Friday is hosted by Mary Lee Hahn this week. She invites us to the poetry playground with wisdom from the Conjunctions who hail from the Land of Grammar.

Spiritual Journey Thursday & Poetry Friday: Wintering in the Goodness of Children's Books

Kim is hosting our monthly Spiritual Journey gathering for December.

Thanks, Kim, for the warm endorsement of Katherine May's Wintering:The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. It seems like the kind of book that one would want to own in order to mark favorite passages. I'm adding it to my Christmas wish list. I enjoyed reading quotes from the book at goodreads and discovered this quote that definitely resonated with me:

 "I often turn to children's books at times like these, when I'm yearning to escape into a world that is beautifully rendered and complex, yet soothingly familiar."

 ― Katherine May Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times 

After writing my SJT post in November about some favorite children's books, my son sent me  The Mouse Who Carried a House on His Back.   

When I asked how he knew that I wanted it, he smugly replied, "I read your blog!" I shared it recently at a meeting of our church's service and activity groups.

I discovered Ruth Spiro's, One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story at our neighborhood library on the new books table. The illustrations by Victoria Tentler-Krylov are exquisite, colorful, and life-affirming, leading the characters from the dark pages of a broken, problematic world to making a choice to repair the world. I loved this one so much that I bought it for myself. I think you'll want a copy too!

 

 

"Imagine everyone

gathering sparks,

opening their hearts,

and repairing our world

together." 

In staying with Kim's wintering theme, I am sharing four favorite picture books with a winter theme.

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

The Snow Speaks by Nancy White Carlstrom, illlustrated by Jane Dyer

Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

Winter is the Warmest Season written and illustrated by Lauren Stringer

 "In winter, bodies sit closer,

books last longer, and

hugs squeeze the warmest." 

 Kim's post was brim with words to love. I send you this poetic greeting lifted from her SJT post, with a couple of phrases added by me, for this Poetry Friday: 

A DECEMBER BLESSING

In this wintering season

may you be blessed with

rest,

full hope,

anticipation, 

warmth, 

peace, 

deep comfort,

golden silence, 

and space your heart needs 

to revel in books

in the sweet, snug nook of home,

in the nestled bliss

of nowhere else to be.

- Kim Johnson

Spiritual Journey, December 2024

Carol has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at The Apples in My Orchard.

Spiritual Journey Thursday & Poetry Friday: Goodness in Our World

Our host for Spiritual Journey Thursday in November is Linda Mitchell. She invited us to write about her one little word for this year, world: "My world, your world, our world."

Words comfort me during hard times and good times. I'm enjoying the many words shared by poets and writers this past week. A good friend shared three children's books she loves on Facebook. That encouraged me to share a couple of my favorite children's books that speak to this time.

I recently requested (again) The Mouse Who Carried A House On His Back from the library. It is a book that I need to purchase. The message by Jonathan Stutzman is timely. The illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault are exquisite with lovely die cut houses spread throughout the book. Like Vincent the mouse who "always knew exactly where he needed to be," each of us can mirror his generosity as we search for where we need to be in our world.

 

The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke is one that I've reached for often. Like me, you may find that children's books offer the best wisdom. I'll share some of Rylant's lyrical words from this comforting book along with my favorite illustration. However, you should check out the book to savor the full luminosity of Beeke's illustrations and the warmth of Rylant's words, words to remind us of the comfort of our beautiful world with its power to bring us joy even in uncertain times.

there will be goodness

there will be grace

there will be light

in every dark place

 

I've consumed more than my fair share of chocolate this week, but my favorite treats have been the words shared by poets. I thought about sharing more, but limited myself to this gem shared on IG by poetrynikki:

 

I wake with a lyric

And lasso it

To carry through 

This darkened day:

This little light of mine,

I'm going to let it shine.

 

-Nikki Grimes

May we carry light to shine into dark places, to ease suffering, and to bring comfort to our troubled, weary world. 

 

 

 

Cathy Mere is our host for Poetry Friday this week. Go check out her "In the Mourning" poem that speaks of two important women she sits between, her grandmother and her granddaughter. And then stop by Mr. Linky to savor more poetic goodness from our community.

Poetry Friday: A Fall Poem

A dear friend sent me this poem from Facebook by Brian Bilston (he gave me permission to share).

It arrived with these sweet words from my BFF: 

"Thought of you, little boys, a bench under trees in fall & giggles."

I love that friends think of me when they read poetry. 

Head over to Carol's blog, Beyond Literacy Link,

for this week's round-up of all things fall,

a collection of original poems, quotes, and galleries 

that will delight your senses.

 

Poetry Friday: An Illustrated Poem for #writeout

Head over to Matt's blog, Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme,

for this week's round-up of poetic goodness.

 

This collection of images and words come from my almost daily walks. Fast walking is never my goal. Instead I savor slow walks with plenty of time to notice what's around me. I love these lines from Mary Oliver's poem, "Sometime":

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.” 

 

TREASURED STEPS

A walk outside is

 so much more than steps to be counted.

A red mushroom pops up,

delicate webs sway in the breeze,

white blossoms cascade,

lush green frames a weathered pedestrian bridge,

a lone goose honks from misty morning waters,

Jack Frost begins his autumnal tasks,

summer lingers in pink and yellow,

a circular snail shell appears on a bumpy sidewalk,

still blue water reflects morning clouds and sun.

 

Treasures freely delivered,

a daily dose of awe.

 

-Ramona Behnke

#writeout 2024

Slice of Life: Still a Superhero!

One of my favorite things to do as a Mom was to thunder downstairs singing the Batman theme song (Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da) with the climactic words "Batman" replaced by "Supermom!" 

A recent text thread with my daughter indicates that while the nest is empty, my Supermom powers still reign supreme!

 

Can we borrow Eagle from moose & eagle for show & tell on Friday? It’s E

Yes!

He wants a shaky egg instead 

But from your house

We’re looking for it! Does he know where it is?

 He says with the diaper changing stuff?

 That’s the first place I looked. Then we went through the toy bins.

I went to bed disappointed that I couldn't find the shaky egg. Turns out that daughter's shaky eggs were all busted (no surprise there, three boys can be rough on plastic eggs). 

I woke up Friday morning thinking about the missing shaky egg and decided to check all the drawers. 

Bathroom drawers & cabinets, no luck! 

Chest of drawers, no luck! 

Middle desk drawer, no luck. 

Side desk drawer, BINGO! 

I knew I had seen it somewhere.

I sent this pic to daughter.

Grandson went to preschool with shaky EGG* for his E show-and-tell. 

While I may not thunder down the stairs anymore, it's clear that I can still come to the rescue!

 

*Shaky Eggs were introduced to us by our community troubadour (and dear friend), Nancy Stewart. This particular shaky egg was created more than seven years ago at a community baby shower. Miss Nancy has made it her mission to connect communities and families through music. During the pandemic, she did Bedtime Tune Times. Here's the one for Shaky Eggs!