A Katy Stu kind of night!

A year ago, I only knew this woman by name.

This year, I had the privilege of spending her birthday with her,

celebrating all that she is, and all that she is becoming.

We gathered together over dinner,

and birthday muffins,

before heading out to meet with others,

also looking to celebrate,

with the music of our good friend 

Scott Mangene wafting over our laughter.

Now, it wouldn't be a Katy Stu kind of night, 

without a little bit of drama...

the kind of drama that is much of why I adore Katy Stu.

You see, Katy is possibly the most encouraging soul I know, in a very matter-of-fact 'of course this is the way it is' kind of way.  And, since she's the president of my fan club and my most vocal piano groupie, I get a lot of 'of course you're going to fulfill the gifts God gave you and play the piano' from her.  

Recently, however, she's moved onto singing, and here is where our birthday night drama enters:

Katy's Birthday Request: That I go up front and sing with Scott.

My Response: Absolutely Not.

She was a little grumpy with me after that.

It took me awhile to soften her up,

but eventually we worked out a compromise.

A) I would sing in her ear,

and B)

at least agree to a picture.

Drama resolved, 

we finished things off with a 'find Lauren's phone' adventure,

made infinitely more fun by the theme of the night: Katy Stu, with all of her enthusiasm for entering buildings late at night that may or may not be alarmed, and her insistence on sharing in every aspect of life with good friends.

Happy Birthday Katy Stu,

you're my favorite gift!

Beautiful Death, Bring me to Life

On our way to Applebutter fun, the front seat members of our party were rather excited about the beauty surrounding us as we drove, exclaiming at regular intervals 'look at the beautiful colors!', 'look at the beautiful sky!', 'look at those beautiful trees!', etc....

After awhile, a voice piped up from behind, and said:

'I hesitate to mention it in such company....',

and proceeded to expostulate how the beauty of the leaves we were vociferating over were really just evidence of death.  

Which is depressing.

[Someone is not an early riser...]

Silenced, we drove on, quietly ruminating on the gloom and doom emanating from the back seat.  As I gazed at the intense reds, oranges, and golds framing the mountainous countryside around us, I found myself re-living a day, long ago, along the canal bank in Princeton. I experienced again the flavor of that solitary walk, smelt the beauty of the fall day, felt the intensity of the sun on the changing leaves as I sat down to think.  

I remembered the power of the thought that came to me then 

[as it had recently come to our now napping back seat, 

if in slightly different form]:  

The leaves that bring such life to my day, warm me with their glorious color, and remind me that my God is creative above all else, can do so because they are dying.  Weird.

Well, wouldn't you know that all of this ruminating got my philosopher blood boiling early in the day, and so I found myself on the look out for all things related to living and dying as the morning moved forward.

So, get ready, because this is what I found:

[Theme 1: Wisdom Whispers]

Settling on foundations that have earned their place in time,

that which is closer to the end than the beginning
reminds you of where you've been,

 it tells you what worked; it tells you what didn't.  It helps you, as you seek to understand what you need in order to go to the next. 

It wants also to tell of nostalgia,

 and remembers the role of whimsy.

{Sit quietly, and listen to its insight.}

[Theme 2: Seek your Landscape]

Take a walk through a field,

 seemingly past its prime.

 Breathe in, imagine what had been here.

 Then imagine--it will be again;

it's what your landscape is made of.  

{Seek what makes your landscape yours.}

[Theme 3: Decay Happens]

As all that spoke of summer recedes into dull and brittle,

what once reigned in authority

now deposits nutrients.

Necessary, 

as investment in the soil.

In such, new growth abides.

{Allow for decay, wait for fertile soil.}

[Theme 4: How it Is in Me.]

The characteristics of the old, 

broken down over intense heat,

with steam spewing everywhere,

provides for delicious.

{Trust the beauty of the Death; 

it will bring you into Life.}

Fall, Officially

I feel like there are certain things that scream 'fall' more than others, and this might just be one of 'em:

Giant kettles of apples,

stirred,

 over blazing fire,

by many hands,

for many hours.

This past Saturday,

Katy, Sara, and I loaded up into my car,

 and headed out to the family home of our good friend Hannah,

 to meet up with her, her family friends, and others of our friends

 who had headed out the night before

 to join in the amazing process that is:

Applebutter.

While we gathered around the kettles,

our hearts (and our legs) were warmed.

It was a day to spend with people I rarely get to see,

 including the lovely women that share my house.

 [Yes, we had to leave town in order to see each other...]

 We took the opportunity seriously,

and rejoiced.

 Though the day was centered around the work,

there was also time for other things:

 Time to catch up,

 converse,

 engage.

 To walk,

 explore,

be free.

 To learn,

 experience,

 laugh.

 To meander

 [Matrix-like],

 taking sweet time.

 To see what's to be seen,

and to climb into it,

 triumphantly.

 To follow the lead of children,

 and dig in toes to mud,

[as cold as it may be].

It was a day well spent,

in fellowship,

in the scenic outdoors,

in official fall fun.

Yum!