Poetry Thursday

Why I Wake Early

Hello, Sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety--

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light--
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

Mary Oliver


For more poetry go here

Self Portrait Challenge: Introduce Yourself

This is the last week of introductions at self portrait challenge. Next month we start with a new theme...

This is a picture I took of myself at an activity we had with the young women. I am a youth leader in my church, and we have activities every Wednesday night as a youth group. Just for fun, here's another picture from that night.



I have been teaching these girls for the past three years close to every Sunday, give or take some breaks here and there. I love to teach. I'm not always an effective teacher. I have talked about a myriad of topics with them and they are bright and promising and happy. They think deeply (the older they are, the deeper they get), and can apply the scriptures into thier daily lives. They live in a way that is different that a lot of thier peers. It takes strength and resolve to live in such a way. I have spent hours upon hours with them over the weeks, so introducing them kind of introduces me as well. They make me laugh. I am impressed with them. I love them.

more introductions here

Happy Birthday, Beautiful

When I was pregnant with my first born, I was so excited; I couldn’t wait to become a mother. I couldn’t wait to meet this person who would become my first daughter and see what would become of us and our relationship. We went to the hospital after my husband and I had eagerly prepared with classes and books to know exactly how to go through labor and delivery naturally and successfully. After my ever present and sensitive husband helped me with my breathing, my imagery, the pressure points in my feet, ice chips in placed gingerly in my mouth and wet, cool rags on my forehead; after holding my hands as I pushed and screamed loud enough for the whole maternity ward to hear that a baby was about to be born, they plopped her immediately on my belly, and I saw this beautiful baby…who didn’t look anything like I imagined she would look. I thought, Oh, she looks huge, and they put her on the scale and said, She weighs 5 pounds, 15 ounces. After attempting to feed her, I called in the nurses who readily gave me advice on nursing. When they sent us on our way, three instead of two, I suddenly realized that so far, nothing had gone as I had planned, and here they are, sending me away to take care of her all alone. What if I do this all wrong?

Seven years later, I’m still trying to understand her. She’s taught me a lot about myself, life, love, forgiveness, humility, understanding, empathy, and made me into a better person. How is it that I planned on having a child to mold and mostly it is me who is being molded by my child?


I love you, sweet one. I will always be here to love and protect you and learn from you.

Sunday Scribblings: First Love

The first time I fell in love with music was on a warm evening at twilight. My father had just arrived home from work and the familiar crackle of simmering food that was cooking on the stovetop sounded in my ear, with my mother, the grand master, moving like liquid from one thing to the next. My siblings were here and there. From the family room, the smooth peaceful strumming of the guitar and the harmonizing voices of Simon and Garfunkel floated like mist over me. In perfect unison, my parents started singing the notes, as if they, themselves had written the words.

read about more first loves here

Name That Song

The Rules:

1. Please DO NOT guess in the comment section. E-mail me (see my profile page for my e-mail address).
2. I really send a prize, so be honest and fair.
3. Previous winners may still play.
4. Be the FIRST to e-mail me with the correct song title & artist and win.
Good Luck!

This month's lyric is:


We used to laugh a lot
But only because we thought
That everything good
Always would remain

Self Portrait Challenge: Introduce Yourself

I can hardly stand the thought of talking about myself right now. How about you ask a question and I'll answer it in the comments...


go here for more introductions

Sunday Scribblings: Three Wishes

I wish that we could share our strengths. I mean really, really actually share them—like if one of you needed some faith, I could share what comes naturally to me. If one of us needed a little motivation, we could turn toward the people of action, and they would rub off on us. Some of are a little too fertile for our own good, and some of us are longing for that gift. What if we could actually share, like it was a chocolate chip cookie we possessed and just hand it right over, because we can always make more? What if when I suffered after my first was born, I could have taken the extra air and lust for life and understanding and peace and happiness from several of you, because I didn’t contain it myself. I could use a little more patience, and money management skills. One of you care to share?

I wish that I could travel in a way that was completely efficient. Like, when my sisters’ children are going to bed, I could just show up in their rooms across the country to kiss them goodnight, or show up to welcome my new nephews into the world. Or when my brother needed some cheering on the sidelines, my family and I could just summon ourselves to Arizona with our homemade signs and loud voices. Like yesterday, when my mom had a very successful garden tour, I would’ve shown up in California for the day to wander the many gardens that inspire her and tell her how proud I am of her. What if I could’ve shown up on the green in Scotland while my dad took that swing and I would be holding my breath, right on the sideline, hoping that his little white ball ended up in the right place. I wish I could visit my family on the important days, and the days that nothing important happens, but life is being lived. I’m sad that they live it without me by their literal side.

I wish for a cleaning lady, pool boy and personal chef. (Is that politically correct?)

click here for more Sunday Scribblings

Holy Moves, Batman!

check out this video:

russian climing

Just be patient. After a couple minutes, your jaw will drop. I'm just saying, I wish I could do this.

Self Portrait Challenge: Introduce Yourself

My name is Brittany. When I was younger, no one had heard that name and everyone called me Bethany or Bridget. Now there are 2, 768, 341 Brittanys and they are mostly all waist high to me. It drives me a little nuts. Please, if you are expecting a daughter at this time, do not consider the name Brittany. Why not go with Octavia instead?

I took this picture last fall. After spotting Chewy along a fence on trash day, my sister-in-law Jess and I stashed him in the trunk of my minivan (that’s right, my pride is not an issue anymore. I drive a minivan, and I’m not ashamed.) and brought him home and I started setting him up all over the house to surprise my husband. Chewy kept showing up; in the bedroom; in the kitchen; in the bathroom; in the dark or in the light. There were no boundaries and it drove my husband crazy. So right before I decided to push my husband no further and retire my good friend Chewy, I took this intimate picture of Chewy and I together and emailed it to him at work. I think he was a little jealous. It’s probably a good thing he hasn’t seen Chewy since.

More self portrait challenges here.

Sunday Scribblings: The books I would write…

I would write books that inspire and uplift. Ones that educate about things of an eternal nature. I would mix history, scripture, modern science, philosophy and modern revelation. (That sounds very boring, but trust me, it would be anything but boring!)I would write books that help people understand better who they are, and why they are, and what is possible for them, and how to reach these possibilities. I would write a book that would help people want nothing less for themselves than a person who knows that they have divinity within them would want. Then I would know myself better, and mankind better and God better. I would feel like I had accomplished something worth while and become a better person in the process, and perhaps have helped others to do the same thing.

If I wrote the story about the first time I fell in love and what a crazy mess it was like my friend Carrie (whose posts I miss dearly) told me I should, I would probably feel guilty with every word. See? Even the mere mention of this brings guilt up through my core and out through my fingers. So, maybe if I did something really worth while, THEN I could be so frivolous as to write about a silly girl who couldn’t get things straight between two best friends and has felt guilty about it ever since. Once I wrote about that, then maybe I’d understand it, though, and that would be a lot nicer than this insatiable guilt!

More Sunday Scribblings.

A Little Spring In New England

Things are coming alive, and it makes me happy. Here are some quick pics of my gardens on this rainy morning. (hopefully the sun will come out soon!)

Self Portrait Challenge #1: Introduce Yourself

When I wake I see a sleepy soul mate;
When I get moving I see a gym;
When I get home, all sweaty,
I see three little tiny people who are all hungry.

When I am in my home, I see antique wooden floors
covered in bruises and dents
rendering life that has made itself present
for almost 200 years within these walls

When I am in my yard
I see gardens awaiting my
digging, pruning, weeding, creating

When I drive I see trees, white churches
old houses, green fields, magnificent skies;
Beauty surrounds me on every bend.

When I look at myself I see
one who appreciates blessings,
and a faith that transcends trials.


for more self portrait challenge reading, click here.

Sunday Scribblings: My Shoes

My shoes are not my own:



The shoes I have in my mudroom can tell a story all their own.


The man of the house: outdoorsy. The last thing he did in these was start a massive fire in the back yard. But have no fear; he received a burn permit first.

Daughter #1: Loves to jump-rope at recess.

#1 Son: Loves to get dirty.

Daughter #2: Loves to get dirty, stomp in puddles, try on everybody else’s shoes.

Mommy: would just go barefoot at all times if possible, but a good pair of flip-flops will go the distance. Or two or three pairs…I guess if you open the closet doors, most of the shoes are mine.

It is a pleasant life I lead.

To view more Sunday Scribblings, click here.

Happy Anniversary, Babe

My boy Jake and I celebrate ten years of marriage today. Tomorrow, we go on to year number eleven, and I must say I’m looking forward to it.


I love being married to Jake. Here are some of the many reasons:

-When I am around him I feel at peace. I always have since the first time I met him.
-He is very principled, and while at times this can be a little tiring, it shows his enormous amount of integrity, which I respect greatly.
-He is loyal, and I truly have never questioned his love for me.
-He is thoughtful and pensive and would rather dive deep than float on the surface.
-He is funny.
-He helps me look at things through new eyes.
-He loves the outdoors.
-He buys me chocolate milk, and quite frankly, I enjoy that more than when he buys me flowers (which he does, too).
-He lets me snuggle.
-He is quite beautiful. (I like to look at him, okay?)
-He balances me out, which is definitely hard, and sometimes I fight it (okay, most of the time), but it has made me a better person, and I’m sure it will continue to make me a better person in the future.
-He makes me feel beautiful. Seriously, I used to have really bad self esteem, and I would credit the turn-around largely to him—I chose to believe him.
-He is a great father.

Denver's antics

talking
laughing
shopping
guiding
learning
loving
playing

the resemblance is more than skin deep
our lives intertwine though
different hours we sleep

inadequacy is no matter here
when family accepts you
in spite of your fears


women heal