Kaleidoscope:
Combined from three Greek words:
kalos (καλός), meaning “beautiful,”
eidos (εἶδος), meaning “shape,”
and skopos (σκοπός), meaning either “watcher” or “thing looked at.”
Kaleidoscope: beautiful shapes to look at,
observer of beautiful forms.
Kaleidoscope:constantly changing pattern,
medley, mixture.

Kaleidoscope living.
An observer of beauty. Delighting in Details. Noticing shapes and nuances. Giving gratitude for aesthetics and texture.
Our lives are stories.
Our stories are a constantly changing pattern made up of a mixture of excitement and pain, new and old, adjustments and routines.
A medley of music and beauty and creativity and inspiration runs along as the soundtrack.

Delightful Incidentals

Aren’t these shoes adorable?

I have this pillow on a small accent chair in our living room and I love it. I like the textures and contrast of detail. It creates warmth and ambiance.

Looking for sunglasses for summer? I reviewed these for Amazon Vine. They’re fun and trendy and have polarized lenses! Yay!

How about a bright and sunny and fun tee? I recommend this one in gold!

More shoes…I haven’t worn them extensively, but so far I’m super impressed with these Kizik shoes. They truly do slip on. I have the Athens in Bahama color and they are adorable!

The flexibrush is back in stock at Lilla Rose! Such a great brush for combing out hair when it’s freshly washed. Use the code SAVE15 for 15% off your order of $50+ until the end of June.

Aren’t the dogwood bobbies adorable?

For Fun

I love random trivia and learning likes and dislikes, eclectic collections, or the hobbies and interests that draw us. I created a poll here.……go vote and next month, perhaps, we can include the poll results and have a new poll to vote on…..all for fun and also because I believe in the power of pausing and pondering, the inspiration of noticing what it is, small or large, that brings joy to our lives.

Watch/Listen/Cook

Shiny Happy People ~ so much to consider and learn from this documentary…though it gave me a pit-of-the-stomach-sick feeling. Fundamentalism is not cool.
Like Jesus
Homemade Pesto
this Sweet Corn Risotto sounds yummy!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats ~ a quick and easy summertime snack

Something New I Learned

Haricot Verts ~ I saw these listed as a side on a menu and had to Google them to see what it was. Would you have known?

The Trick of the Light

The weatherworn wood of the coffeeshop floor, shades of pecan and mocha and honey swirled together, speaks of the essay of life.

It holds worn and weathered hollows in a weave of shine and gloss where light reflects, bounces, gleams glorious, victorious, from a depth that offers firm footing beyond surface level.

I push my chair backward. Metal feet scrape. I stand. Move to snap memories.

Twenty-six years have somehow elapsed. Eight hundred and fifty-two miles have separated our physical addresses, but never our affection.

Middle age has found me and my man.
Three score years and ten, plus another handful, graces them.

The barista has our Arnold Palmer ready on ice. I carry it back. Place it on the table. Punch the straw in for the first sip.

How many drinks together? How much laughter? How many simple small-town adventures?

Impossible to count.
Instrumental to delight.
Illuminates our lives.

Weariness is an element of life we don’t escape. It wears away the finish, but the wood holds steadfast place. Miles lay long between, but intention anchors gratefulness.
Aches and change ambush us, but hope wins our hearts.
And that’s the trick of the light.

It lets the beauty leak.
Lets the glory in.
In and out like breath.
Showcases the thrilling tale of perseverance in the trials, surrender for the outcome, and the goodness of grit and grace.

The Master of mercy makes mouldering wood into a masterpiece, refurbishes and refines, sets it to shine.

The tea and lemonade mixed together has disappeared. Ice melts into itself and my straw relaxes lazy.
We check the time. It indicates our departure is imminent. My gaze circles the room, traces the faces around the table with me.

For the gift of age is depth of wisdom, displayed by generosity, directed by integrity.

And that’s the other trick of the light.
It holds space for emphasis, reflects the revelation of truth, pinpricks the darkness every time.
It tells of the mixture of despair and delight, which is every life.
Of work well done and wood well worn, and the simple sacred sacrament of savoring today.

Book List

The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior
Losing Our Religion by Russell Moore
The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Educated by Tara Westover

Read

Giggles + Grins

I’m subscribed to an email that sends me a word a day. Some days I read them, some days I don’t. I giggled and was glad when I opened and read this one this month.

Word of the Day:

Sitooterie
ˌsɪˈtudəri
NOUN

A small patio or sheltered area outside a house, suitable for sitting in for relaxation or socializing.

WORD ORIGIN

Scottish, 1920s

Imagine the 1920s with glamorous outdoor garden parties and soirées. These events would naturally be held in a special place — the sitooterie, perhaps. This fanciful term isn’t a nonsense word; in fact, it has a sensible structure. We know the word “sit”; “oot” is “out” in a Scottish accent, and the suffix “-erie” (or “-ery” as sometimes the word is spelled “sitootery”) denotes a place set aside for something. “Sitooterie” was coined in Scotland in the 1920s to describe an outdoor sitting area, sometimes with a gazebo or other similar structure.

We could eat charcuterie in our sitooterie. 🙂

Savor the Day

“It’s hard to remember that this day will never come again. That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no second chances at a single moment.”
~ Jeanette Winterson

On the farm ~ my good farmer man and I took a quick trip to Indianapolis…….a VERY unusual thing for the month of June for us. June is wheat harvest and pretty much everything else has to take a back burner as we work to bring in our paycheck for the year.
With young adult children who can take care of home and the farm, we are appreciating a new stage of life where it is possible to leave for a few days with much more ease than in years past.
We are considering adding seed dealership to the variety of aspects of our farm.
We attended an orientation and learned a lot, ate yummy food, and were able to spend a bit of time with my parents who live about an hour and a half from Indianapolis. We shall see what this next opportunity may hold for us.