cloudscapes

I've said before that I think one of my favorite things about Nebraska is the sky - mercurial (for you, Uncle Steve, that means moody and apt to changing), and yet filled with the sweetest shapes. This last week featured some monster clouds; their presence could practically take up half the visible sky. And within would be all sorts of interesting shades of blue and gray, cream and white, and it would move, changing, as you watched.

My camera can't handle the sky all that well (it likes to "blast out" the sky and make it really bright, or the same to clouds). Yet when clouds are more distinctive shapes, it handles it better. Thus, I have an album of 28 cloud pictures to show you! I really, really think they turned out well. Maybe some state fair material? I don't know!

I hope you like them because I now have a nice cluster of bug bites on my thigh and back; it's really attractive. :P Ah well...

5 year old sings Jackson Five's "Who's Loving You"

She is five. FIVE! And gets better through the whole song.

Positively uncanny. For the age he was in the Jackson Five, I think there is nobody we have ever known of as talented as Michael was at that age. It's just inspiring. (I don't know how I feel about his voice when he's older, though...) But I guess this video goes to show potential stars are still being born.

Trip to Homestead National Monument

As I listen to what is hopefully the latter phase of neighborhood fireworks, I thought I'd share 20 pictures I took from a recent family trip to the Homestead National Monument (website here).

It's a beautiful tribute; you can tell whoever researched for the film and the displays interviewed a lot of people, so many that the 20-minute film we watched often featured faceless voices, many in succession. I was glad that the exhibit talked about the reality of new farms failing; so often pioneers seem like superhumans, and indeed one part of the exhibit mentioned that you'd have to be kind of crazy to do the amount of work that was needed. But less than 40 percent actually succeeded. And whether you failed or succeeded as a homesteader, you had to deal with mental pressures of all kinds. So much for superhuman-ness (though I still believe in it, especially for the women who won the titles to their homesteads all on their own!)

It was a good time. (Especially enjoyed the exhibit of Joel Sartore photographs in one building :))

Favorite summer flora/fauna photos

Certainly a lot of "f's" in that title!

These are a bit random, but too pretty not to share. Enjoy!

"In another time, and another place"

For all those saying their music roots started with Michael Jackson, well, from what I'm told, our family in Florida listened to an awful lot of Sandi Patti. A lot. I liked dancing to her, apparently, and even trying to sing along.

I figure there must be some deep-seated part of me - the two-year-old part? - that still feels that intrinsic connection. (Not... entirely, not at all like rediscovering a favorite old picture book.)

Since I am a child of the YouTube generation, I had to look her up. And I happened on one of the best duets I've ever seen, between Patti and Christian singer Wayne Watson (both looking incredibly dated in the video ;)) Yeah, the song is meant to be a 'powerhouse,' but it's admirable how well these two performers obviously know and understand each other. It's safe to improvise because you are friends and connect so well musically. The staging accentuates the flow of the song. Lovely, lovely performance.





I can relate to the sentiments of the song, but beyond that I think the lyrics express the idea of heaven in a unique way. "Another time and another place." It helps me understand that my perceptions of what is real are clouded by even created things like time and physical space. Are there other times and places? Yes: where God is, in heaven, where we'll be "swept away."

If heaven is "another time and another place," I can imagine sorrow passing away and everything in this world suddenly no longer being of pertinence. We will be 'beyond' - and hopefully to enjoy more music, and friendships, like this.

Father's Day, 09

Here's my slideshow from Sunday - both the arty and the common, though I try to make everything arty ;)

I feel triumphant - we had individual meetings with a history prof today, and my last test was a 35-plus out of 30, the best in the class, he said. (Of course it helps that I'm an English major, and have to write analytical essays fairly regularly.) It's only a 3-week class, so it's much more fast-paced than normal.

He encourages me to consider grad school. That's the second professor of mine doing that. I had never really thought about it before, as it seems just to incur more debt and keep me away from being 'useful' to the greater society, or something ;) However, he may well be right that it's a good place to "hide" during this recession... but doesn't grad school merely lead to an eventual professorship? *shiver* I don't know... My dad's boasting that I'll go on and get a PhD now... hee hee. I never really considered that, either... If I do that, imagine how much more trouble you'll have with big words in my posts, Uncle Steve!! ;) Life is interesting, I'll say that.

The zinnias and nasturtium I planted a couple weeks ago are turning up nicely, big opening green leaves. I hope they bloom.

The nasturtium, the seed packet says, are a climbing plant. We don't have a trellis; I guess we're hoping the plants will wrap around the posts of our deck. We'll see, I guess.

he never lets go

This week my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary. Apparently it's the "silver" anniversary; Dad tried to find something made of silver, but the man at the jewelry store told him it's an unusual thing to look for, that it has no value. (He settled for a huge pearl on a silver necklace; quite beautiful.) Mom also asked for a dozen red roses and got them (though their scent is so pungent they've spent time in the laundry room!). Dad, in case you're curious, got a really, really nice razor. It looked pretty fierce :)

I've thrown out the idea of doing a photo shoot this weekend somewhere of those two; we'll see :)

I just ran into this song that I really, really like... I feel like if I ever did a visual presentation of my photographs, like a live slideshow, this is the song I would choose to play over it. It's so beautiful, and soothing, and - thank God! - true.


"When clouds brought rain / And disaster came / O my soul, O my soul... When waters rose / And hope had flown / O my soul, O my soul, O my soul"

"Ever faithful, ever true / You are known / You never let go... You never let go, you never let go You never let go..."


The repetition of "you never let go"s is very effective, I think, and the brevity of the lyrics is almost psalm-like. What the heck: you can listen to it for yourself.

"Never Let Go" by the David Crowder Band.

The simple fact of my parents' 25th anniversary, and their successful raising of two children, is something to praise God for. I hadn't thought of it until this moment, but the rocks that my parents are to me in my life in every way is evidence of this song. God gives them the reserves of strength needed to raise my sister and me. I had a bit of a car mishap (ok, accident) this morning, and Dad told me he was praying for me on the bus ride to work that morning.

There are many ways He won't let go... if you think about it, all else does begin to cave away and diminish, unless it has roots in Him. We see decay and it shocks and frightens us, or unimaginable disorder and sickness. But there is always a foothold - I think it's Him. I've been through some tough things in the past several years, things that did cause me to ask questions of my faith, even of reality. But if it was up to me to figure everything out and walk out the door each morning with my worldview neatly packaged and wrapped, I couldn't do it. I look at Nebraska sunsets and every fiber of me wants to be in that color, to luxuriate in it. The same with flowers and particular slants of light... just watching people convinces me of the possible beauty of life. We can't ensure that or keep that, that's for certain. Something has to hold beauty in place, make it. We can destroy, but what that we destroy can't God ultimately save? He made it all!

Some of this is good for me to think about as I'm taking a very sobering history class - questions related to the Holocaust and torture and bombings of innocent people. I don't have that perfectly wrapped package... but I can point to the things God does give us, every day. I don't always feel it... but He never lets go.