Tag Archives: Seasons

Things Are Not Always Clear At The Time

A year ago a friend and I arrived at Dublin Airport in Ireland and looked to meet up with our driver Ted, our navigator for the next 10 days, as we visited previously selected sites courtesy of the Irish Tour Company that we worked with. Since we were both independent travelers and had different interests and respect of same, we could come and go sometimes together and sometimes solo because Ted was at our “beck and call”. It also lessened the impact on our trip when three days in I became ill.

Intermittently I felt fine and not well but still was able to enjoy the rest of the trip until Galway our last stop before heading to Dublin for the weekend and then home. After spending a night at the Galway University Hospital and having tests for possible heart issues, and then cleared with a treadmill test, my friend said: “I’ll be fine… if you want to change your flight and go home, go.” Music to my ears. After a lovely train ride from Galway to Dublin Airport, I arrived home three days early with what I call: ‘found time’. Since I was off of my own schedule, I slept and prepared for a new chapter since my husband was soon to have some follow-up treatment for a return of prostate cancer.

In reviewing the months following my return from Ireland in May of 2018, I noticed that my writing and photography became less frequent; other things that I normally had great energy for were also coming to an end; things were less clear and I started for the first time in a long time paying attention to noticing more, not just of what I needed but what I had and learning to allow the days to happen and not planning so much in advance. I visited my youngest son in Brooklyn in his first apartment without roommates; celebrated birthdays; I met people in my neighborhood; on the streets of New York; connected with younger entrepreneurial moms; hugged their children; listened more; gotten to know my family members in a new way; watched my grand nephew be grand as he turned into a young man; relied on a friend who is an artist and my coach to hold a safe space for me to lay it all on the table and cheer me on when I let things go, and picked up new things to focus on. I listened to simple sermons presented by a Spirit led chaplain who distilled the long known stories of the kingdom into simple homilies given to tired adults (and me) and their young children who dance and play their rhythm instruments during the final hymn … modeling joy for all of us.

As an immigrant at age 6 I grew up in a time in a small town in south central Nebraska where life had it’s own mixture of joy and pain, but also just the right people at school and my neighbors who were our cultural navigators; the retired couple at the library who prepared us to navigate beyond if that was our calling. I have grieved quietly and loudly at the discord in our country; especially at those who demean and use the other to elevate themselves.

After the deepest grief and sadness, I learned to listen again about what if might be mine to do to love God and neighbor … Jesus’s only commands in his sermon on the mountain to his followers so many years ago and today. His words don’t change, we just disregard them over and over again in each new generation with our own priorities and prejudices.

So after an audit and a further paring down of what is mine to do and a long rest … it comes back to what I’ve loved doing and sharing before. Noticing, creating with my hands whether with words, yarn or ingredients; offering insight, listening,learning, encouragement, in life’s transitions … to the next generation of makers, creators, parents, and women entrepreneurs and artists; continuing to get over myself and appreciating the good and the beautiful and living in the unforced rhythms of grace trusting the Trustable for direction in each new season.

Oh, today’s image, is in downtown Denver at the light rail station on a rainy day… beautiful but not clearly seen. 🙂

PS Another new chapter in the prostate cancer journey begins again. We welcome your thoughts and prayers.

Posted in Aging, Blessings, Courage, Cropping, Insight, Inspiration, Letting Go, Others, Pruning, Uncategorized, Waiting Also tagged , , , , , , , |

New Beginnings

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Dear Readers:

I left you here in the conservatory at the Denver Botanic Garden when I posted a blog on July 31,2015.

In that last blog I said:  “Having recently experienced several non routine events in some areas of my life, I’d like to offer an insight. Instead of spending so much energy trying to work to keep it all under control,I wondered what I might need for myself during a time that required more of me than I might have …”

 

As it turns out that was my last blog in almost 18 months. A number of things are now settled  and I’m ready to start anew. I’ve learned a lot about  strengths and weaknesses ; cleaned out a metaphorical and literal file cabinet to make room; faced realities that I have less energy than before and want to be more authentically me. You all have experienced transition in your own unique situations and seasons.

 

The absolutely best thing that has happened is that I have learned to listen more thanks to several loving people  who have held me accountable to take a look at my  “dance in the moment enthusiastic narratives” and in essence stop “fire hosing people” (my term, not theirs).  Some of you may be smiling now …  Anyway, my very quiet, husband of many years finally said to me:  “enough context, get to the point”.  “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

 

Looking forward to offering insight and encouragement through Word and Image as we navigate life’s transitions … and I do have a few good narratives to share.

Joy,

IBK

 

Posted in New Beginning, Seasons, Seeing In New Ways, Uncategorized, Waiting Also tagged , , , , |

We Are Not Alone In Our Transitions

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March 2015 was an unusually full month and the events that touched my life and others that I’m in relationship with, all had this in common: major transition. After the event comes the good-bye of one way of living or being – usually involving grief, disorientation, wilderness wandering, re-orientation and a re-definition process of who we are and how we respond in a new season in response to what is at hand.  Easily listed steps to major transition, however can’t begin to document the particular and unique effect that transitions impose on those experiencing them.

 

For my friends whose house exploded in the early morning hours and then burned to the ground in 16 minutes, the magnitude of their transition (thankfully all 5 members escaped without harm) began instantly to be followed by many months of heart wrenching re-orientation.  A church community says goodbye to it’s senior leader; an older friend dies and as an older one myself,  I realize the good-byes are more frequent and personal now.

 

All  transitions are of course not this heavy. More babies were born in my network ;  letters arrived from long time friends from diverse places; family milestones celebrated; several long phone calls (in a world increasingly communicating in short hand – oh wait … text messages); a friend’s new book written; resuming daily walking and … As our two friends in today’s image remind us, it’s better, together.

IBK

Posted in Courage, Waiting Also tagged , , |

One Season Following Another

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In the midst of major drought in our mile high city of Denver, it blesses me to know that tulips can “spring” up out of the driest of dry soil.  As we begin our two day a week, water restrictions for outdoor watering , we learn to be intentional about identifying what we value … green lawns or our access to water for our vegetable gardens  or both … and so on.   As spring turns into summer we may see more severe restrictions, and yet the little things done consistently over a period of time can make a major difference if we all join in … but wait,  our restrictions come from a place of choice that has very little to do at this point with actual need.

We can only water our lawns, twice a week before 9 and after 6 p.m. How about eliminating the lawns for a season or two until we have more snowfall and melt to replenish our reservoirs?  New seasons call for new responses.  Could we shrink our lives with the attendant “busy” to make them bigger; or turn off our cell phones so that we can hear; or turn off our devices so that we can see; unplug our ears to engage, get rid of room scents so that we can smell? Perhaps the biggest drought right now is  that we’re dying of relational thirst and engagement with others vs. constant attention to our “social medias” plural.  It’s a dry season in our places that we live, for more reasons than lack of water for our lawns.

How wonderful the flowers in the midst of dryness.

IBK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Courage, Seeing In New Ways Also tagged , , |

Waiting

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I’m up late tonight or early,eagerly waiting for the outside temperature to drop by at least 40 degrees from its high of 94 earlier this afternoon.  The windows are open … ahhh here comes the north wind blowing in the cooler air. It’s been a long summer of waiting for the temperatures to drop below 90 during the day  and  then it does.

We spend a lot of time waiting for:  answers, test results, hearing back  so that we can proceed , in line,on hold,apologies,a call,an offer, a loan,an acceptance,a letter,family coming for a visit, traffic, stop lights to change,proposals, news from the front,rides ,resolutions and so on. Some of us wait well, others not so well  and perhaps what waiting generally  implies is that we cannot control the outcome of what we’re waiting for. And then the waiting stops and there are answers, resolutions,  tears, joys, disappointments, anger,babies born,forgiveness given, jobs offered, jobs lost, votes tallied,lives significantly changed and so on.

I was blessed this week by an abundance of “waitings” that offered up hope for the future: a new son born to dear friends, a generous offer to take over a care ministry that I was covering until we found someone; wonderful news from a young man who is healing after months of debilitating cancer treatments and complications; neighbors’ 2  1/2 year old son surgically relieved of his liver tumor; news of progress and healing of a friend’s broken heart, my  own positive results from some medical tests and some rest and renewal  in the mountains courtesy of a generous friend’s invitation over the holiday weekend.

Thankfully, we rarely have to wait alone.

Today’s image is of my host’s dog Tink, who waited patiently in a tree along the trail while we , like paparazzi photographed him from every angle.

IBK

 

Posted in Seasons, Uncategorized Also tagged , , , |

Take Me Back

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Hello Dear Readers:

After a two week hiatus or possibly three I’m back at it and delighted to be.  I’ve had visits from friends; our almost 9 year old grand nephew flew in for a visit; and tomorrow our younger son returns to D.C. after a delightful  time with us and other family members.  As grand as it’s been we all are ready to get back to our normal normals.   Watching the olympics and hearing the backstories before the ascent to the medal podium, reminds us again that the steps we take every day are the ones that will come to fruition in some way or other in the next week,month or four years. The time we invest with others, or to learn a new skill or overcome a prejudice or accept a health challenge, etc. does start with just one step.

I remember the exact moment I was finally relieved of the burden of believing that when everything is right and I had  the right tools, and I’d learned enough and I had enough money and …. then I would do x.  Now I know that as I begin somewhere the joy comes from the result of the discipline of using the tools, learning from doing the thing, budgeting money for my choices and by “doing x” I’m actually  able to look back with satisfaction that where I had been was not where I was now.  One of my late mother’s gifts was the phrase: “Every age is interesting and has its own blessings.

As this very active summer begins to wind down and my body is needing to be back in touch with a new normal, I’m reminded of a commercial from my childhood for a bath salt product called © Calgon.  A tired beautiful woman in the city would get into the back of a limousine equipped with a bathtub.  After a long soak (60 second commercial) she would step out of the vehicle dressed in evening clothes and ready for a night on the town with a waiting beau.

The tagline for the commercial: ” Calgon, take me away.”  It was my fantasy for a long time to take a bath in a moving car.  Fortunately, I took up photography a few years ago and can be “taken away” by todays image in Acadia National Park in Maine.  When I need a rest from the busy the sea serves me well.

Thanks for letting me meander and offer two blogs in one.

Joy,

IBK

 

 

 

 

Posted in Aging, Blessings, Insight, Seasons Also tagged , , , , |

Things Are Not Always What They Seem

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Today’s image is  a flower box in front of a brightly painted window of a Victorian style storefront in Crested Butte, Colorado.  The collection of vibrant colors delight residents and visitors alike as they enjoy the summer days in  mountain towns.  But wait … this picture was taken during the waning days of  autumn’s  leaf season when all the deciduous greens turn a golden yellow in our Colorado high country.  So these beautiful  flowers are artificial.  Someone forgot to remove them when the summer tourists left.

It takes a lot of work to keep those beautiful baskets of flowers pruned and watered as they greet us at our vacation destinations . I’ve seen the landscape contractors out early in the morning with their long water wands attached to a tank on their pickup truck as they move from one hanging planter to the next. As beautiful as they are, flowers cannot survive hanging on a pole at high altitude or in city smog without managed care.

The artificial flowers last longer and require no water, but they have no power to draw us to the authentic show that nature provides in it changing seasons.

What is most authentic for you in this season of your life and what will you prune that’s artificial?

IBK

Posted in Authenticity, Seasons Also tagged , |

Same Place Different Season

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I’m delighted to say that my health is restored. After spending so much time indoors recently I was waiting for a sunny day during this snowiest of Februaries in Denver and when the partially sunny day arrived last Friday, I grabbed my camera and made my way to the Denver Botanic Garden.  This was my first trip to the garden in the winter and I wanted to see the array of orchids displayed indoors by the Denver Orchid Society.  They were nice, but not quite what I wanted to capture.  I had limited time so I went for a quick walk through the deserted outdoor garden.  I was running out of time and my battery was almost gone, when I captured today’s image.

 

I’ve photographed these fountains before, but without the beautiful greenery and flowers  of spring , summer, and fall in bloom, I found them more beautiful than ever in their winter surround.  There is most certainly beautiful life in every season.  On my first post 60th birthday today, I certainly experienced that with the help of family and friends in my own garden.  What beauty is showing up in your season?

IBK

 

Posted in Seasons, Seeing In New Ways Also tagged |