A MATTER OF FAITH

This past Sunday our son called to tell us about a particularly good sermon at his church and suggested we watch it.

He and his little family attend the Polk Street United Methodist Church in Amarillo.  He and Jena were married at this most beautiful church nearly 2 years ago.

they spoke their vows beneath this window

The sermons are taped and you can see last week's sermon on tv, so from time to time we hear through the grapevine about the really good ones.

Charles:  Dr. Burt did a really good job last week and if you listen--close to the end-- you can hear your granddaughter fuss a little.

So....we tune in to watch and yes it's true...Dr. Burt is talking about faith...he pours some water in the baptism bowl and touches it to his hands and head...and says..."sometimes...sometimes we need to go back to that place where our faith was fresh, to remember how we felt...the conviction, the depth of feeling..and just reflect why we made that decision in the first place...a place where our renewed faith...
walks us through our lives."

And then it happens...a sweet little cry from the back and I know...I know it's her...

and then something remarkable happens that he did not or could not know would happen

the camera shows the audience

and as I step closer to the tv, I see...

a tall, thin young father

at the very back, 

gently swaying his baby...patting her to hush her little cry

FAITH

I am reminded

that this boy

this challenging strong willed wild teen

who jolted my heart and soul to the core

and kept me on my knees

is standing where I always believed he'd stand

doing what I always knew he'd do good

sometimes still, just me and God, know this

FAITH

is a most incredible thing

gosh I hope you have it!

ROSY MANTEL

There is nothing more melancholy than a late October rose

when is the last time you saw the most beautiful thing you ever saw?

for me...that was yesterday

I hope you enjoy as much as I did

simply

lovely

BEE MAGIC

Bees are surely fragrant for on their feet they carry the dust from a thousand flowers

So as we move from my 

PINTEREST LAVENDER ADDICTION BOARD

coming in as the sentimental favorite

(which prompted the lavender addiction board to begin with)

is my....ta da...board...

BEE MAGIC

as intoxicated as I am with lavender, I am more so with 

the magical mystical 

bee

It all began with a dream before we even looked at 

822

I dreamed we bought it and grew lavender and made lavender honey 

the first time we came to look at 822

in the backyard was a beehive that Jason the Bee Man told us had been there for at least 6-7 years

hidden beneath all the growth...wild...

my dream became the "faith contract" on our purchase of 822

Jason

If you have bees...please don't kill them...have someone come move them..

Jason did it for getting to have the hive

if your flowers attract them...that's all they want and will rarely bother you

WE NEED BEES!

Jason the Bee Man fired up his bee smoker...with a very fragrant

cedar smoke that makes the bees drowsy and disoriented long enough to gather them up to be moved

Part of the hive at 822

raw...I share it and I eat it often...just with a spoon

that looks like this

I wanted a hive that looked like this

or this

or this

please....

Please Mr. PV may I have a cool hive?

Mattie took a bee class and so did I when she got through

so if I want

this

I have to have this

this will be my hive this spring when the right time comes

Jason will bring me a queen...that was our fair trade

my most favorite thing we ate in Napa?

a plate with a bit of honeycomb, goat cheese and strawberries

with a nice chilled glass of 

RAMEY

I want bees in my cupboard, in my drawers, 

in my garden

in my hair

on my fingers

around my neck

pinning my sweaters together

more bees please

thank you

for helping me gather all my 

thoughts ideas wishes goals dreams products I love favorite places meaningful words textiles concoctions

into categories that give me something to ponder over

in the wee small hours of the dark still night

**all photos are mine except the ones I found on Pinterest which you will surely be able to recognize