Our last rose of summer

Just wanted to share this. Short & sweet. Well not so "short" as roses go.

I could not believe how tall this rose grew! This is BEHIND the house. 

The rose had been transplanted there to give it a second chance. It really embraced that chance. We were surprised when we discovered the bud and then WOWZA...what a beautiful bloom. 

I love roses! They are something wonderful.

Crocus in October??

Yep! I kid you not. On Tuesday, I was walking in the cemetery and I spotted a patch of crocus. I have not seen a crocus bloom for quite some time. To me, seeing a crocus popping above the last bit of melting snow is a cheery reminder that SPRING has sprung and mild temperatures are in the near future. In this new season, transitioning from life in the Philippines to life in Western PA, one of the things that I was most excited about was Autumn and all it brings. Cooler temps, geese, colored leaves, apples and all things pumpkin spice. I can't say that I thought that I would spot crocus!! I will take it! What a fun surprise.

As I mentioned, we are in a big transition expatriating to the United States after 8.5 years living abroad. In Niger there were seasons, not ones I was used to but a bit of a fluctuation. In the Philippines, weather was about the same all year round. Maybe a bit more rain or a few degrees but oh, did I miss 4 distinct seasons. I did have three bushes in front of my home that changed from green to red a few times during the year (that was my Autumn abroad). We do have more grey skies and although the trees are taking their sweet time changing, Autumn is here.  I have seen gaggles of geese flying overhead. I love to hear them trumpet.

Seems like these days, so many of my expectations of how this season should be shaping up are different than what is actually happening. As the trees should be changing and temperatures cooling off, I am thrilled to have the time outside. It is beautiful and refreshing. I am not complaining. The temps are nice. Short and flip flop attire can hang on as long as possible. It has feel like a gracious gift from God!

I am learning to embrace it all. Even when things are not shaping up like expected or in a favorable way, there are hidden surprises. I am learning not to be living "under" the circumstances. This is an amazing season. I am adjusting. Life is changing so much more than can be described concisely.

I am looking for more little gifts. There are a few beautifully colored leaves showing up. I am expectant and hopeful! Not just of the season, but life.

So I will take it, the changing leaves, unseasonably warm temps, the flowers blooming out of season and even the random opossum that crossed my path on my walk (at noontime, ugh hope it did not have rabies being nocturnal and moving around in the broad daylight).  Autumn is such a wonderful thing. It reminds me that change is alright, no matter how fast it occurs. Enjoy it!

PS Since posting this, a sweet friend (and relative) identified the flowers as Fall Crocus or Naked Ladies. They come up every Fall and have no greenery (thus the naked part). Thanks for teaching me something new! I am thrilled to know I can see Crocus twice a year!

Benezette, PA

Finally made it to Benezette, PA to spot some elk and enjoy some cool fall air. This trip was so worth it! Here are some pictures! It was amazing seeing these huge animals just roaming around. We spotted 28! 5 of them were bulls. There were a good many calves and one even had spots. The bull in the picture with the cows and calves really kept a sharp eye on his harem.  He would bugle to communicate with the harem and also to warn other bulls to stay away. I wish I would have taken some video of the bulls bugling. I found this youtube video so you can experience the sights and sounds. It was a truly wonderful way to spend the first day of Fall!

Highland Games

I finally had the opportunity to go to the Annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Edinboro University! Man, I could not get enough of the music and the plaid overload! The opening ceremony was so neat with the bagpipes to open the games. Here is a small sample of the festival. We did not get to the Ceilidh, whiskey tasting, bonfire or presentation of  the haggis. Maybe next time?

L  had the opportunity to talk to a bagpiper and ask her some questions.

Of course there were some foods to try. All of these looked pretty similar to me. I did not try any but I did have an Ox Roast sandwich. Yum.

The main games engaged in by the kilted athletes were the caber toss and the hammer toss (I think?). 

The cabers were nearly 20 feet tall weighing 175 pounds. They looked like primitive telephone poles. CRAZY!

The second event, I thought was the hammer toss. The competitors chose between 2 weights  to toss back over their shoulder and clear a bar that at the winning level was 15 feet high. 

I wish I would have made some recordings of the music.  There were small groups sprinkled through the festival as well as many competitions. Bagpipes, harps, dancing.

My favorite performers were the wonderful Chelsea House Orchestra. Man, the fiddles, the flute just made me want to dance! They were excellent. High school students that were impressive. I sure hope that this festival continues! Made me want to don my clan plaid and jump right in. Maybe next year? Even Murray the Airedale had his kilt on....

Getting out and taking it all in was so wonderful but what was even better was visiting our favorite Senior attending Edinboro University! Even more wonderful than a dog in a custom made kilt! 

Numbers

I am not sure if everyone is like this, but I seem to count everything. Stairs, M & Ms, birds, dogs, oh my, I will not list it all. The other days as I walked around the track at the YMCA being sure to count the laps I completed, I counted 13 frisbees and 1 hula hoop on the roof of the pavilion. It was a sweet remembrance of the fun all 3 of my kids have had the privilege to be counselors ( I even counted and knew the ratios of kids to counselors and boys to girls) there for summer camp. Yes, all 3 kids and I count how many days until I will see them, how many weeks since I dropped them off to university, how old they have gotten and so on. It has only been 4 months since  counting how many kids came through the Tebow CURE Hospital's charity clinics or mobile clinics. Boy, do I miss that. When we were in Niger, I counted giraffes, camels, hippos, sheep flayed and roasting along the road, chickens tied to motor cycle handle bars or the items on top of bush taxis. Why do I count everything? Really...56 geese in the field at the YMCA, 4 deer and 1 snake on my 4 mile walk the other day. I am not even sure what the point of this post is? Maybe I am just looking to see if anyone out there does this? Since returning to the states, I have had a lot of time to think, rest, and count. OK, here is something amazing and weird. The tomato horn worm covered in wasp eggs (here is an article if you want to know how these eggs will kill this harmful garden pest). Now, I did NOT try to count those eggs. Just adding this for the WOW factor. 

Ha ha ha. I am looking forward to heading to Benezette and counting elk soon. I will be sure to let you know. All of these things that I count are both interesting and happy things to me.  A part of life. And life is a wonderful thing. So I will count on.

Birdies Leave the Nest

This is a follow up for my last post. The birdies have all successfully left the nest. I watched the last two fly. Check out this little album. The last birdie really took a lot of encouragement. I observed last meals in the nest as well as lots of stretching and preening. They made it! This is all hitting a bit closer to home! Last weekend with my full nest......my birdies start to fly Wednesday! 

Full nest

The past few weeks, I have been watching a robin's nest. I am pretty sure I started my observations the day the robin laid her eggs. It has been neat to watch the mother and the father attend to their sweet 3. The parents diligently laid on the eggs and Oi la babies.  Then the feeding began. Lots and lots of worms, more worms and the occasional moth, grasshopper and who knows what? Everything is gobbled up very fast.

You do not even have to pay attention much. The birdies all react when Mom or Dad get to the nest with the next meal. Cheep cheep cheep.... lots of movement and beaks wide open. 

The other day, I was sure that the birds were going to fall out. So much movement in such a small space. Looks like they barely all fit in the nest.  The parents sure keep a close watch on them though. I was hoping to watch some flying lessons but have become the "watched". The birds sure guard their little ones often leaving the nest to watch from a branch close by or the hillside, but they watch me closely. The other day there was so much movement  that it just looked like a massive weirdly shaped birdie up there. There were wings flapping and and even a little pecking. 

In less than two weeks my "nest" will be emptying out. D has been here on weekends and B and B all summer. I can't help but think of them when I am watching this threesome. It is funny to notice that the birdies seem to have different personalities.  Some are quieter than the others, one always has his beak open and one is pretty sleepy. I could go on but was struck that even as my kids are radically different it seems like these three are too. 

They all share Mom and Dad and the nest and it is a thing of beauty. I was cracked up by this picture. Look at the look on his face. Just a reminder that we do not always get along and sometimes the nest feels a bit tight but we love and protect and feed our sweet babies. Of course, I think my "nest is best" (like one of my favorite Dr Suess books) but they need to fly!

My kids bring such joy and life to the "nest". It will be a bit weird as this year all three will fly away. I pray that they will eat the right worms and stay safe and sound and remember everythinl that L and I have poured into them. Being a parent is some quite wonderful and I look forward to continuing the journey.

Teenagers

I am sitting here thinking about how much I love my kids. I cannot believe how quickly their growing up has been. I guess I am getting a bit more nostalgic because they will all be away at university this Fall! I was just thinking about how fun it has been to be with them this summer. I do not have much to say, but they are my favorite people to be with! I have truly loved being the mom of teenagers (although one is now 21, not sure how that happened?). Teenagers are sometimes unruly, but they are funny and have such a fun perspective of life. I guess this is my attempt of starting to process the changes that are about to take place. I cannot even start with all of the photos, too hard to choose, too many years to cover. My "kids" keep me hopping and I am sure going to miss them. They are something truly wonderful!

Blueberries, kitties & a goat named Mower

It has been over a month since moving from Davao City, Philippines (I think today was the first time that I heard a rooster crow since moving!!) to Indiana, Pennsylvania. I have had several questions about how we are settling in. Quite honestly, it is a slow process. I still feel like I am on summer break. Often my mind drifts to making mental lists of things that I need to buy and gather before "heading back". This time we are NOT "heading back". There are plenty of changes in our life but L is still here and has not journeyed ahead of me to resume oversight of the hospital. My heart is torn. I have always wanted to live closer to my parents but I have loved living abroad. I am missing so many things from daily life in the Philippines but I  love getting to do things in a small Pennsylvanian town. I am sure that there will be many posts about  repatriating to the USA after living abroad for 8.5 years. I am still processing and being patient. The bulk of what this all means has not even hit yet. I am still on summer vacation! 

So today, I am thankful for picking blueberries with my parents. I love them (both the parents and the berries). The farm we visited made the experience even sweeter with plenty of animals.  Weird ducks....

As well as some sweet little kittens..... 

and even a goat named MOWER!

People & Purple Flowers

Three days more to live in the Philippines. Seems like we have been talking about this for so long. Now the end of our time is here. People keep asking how I am feeling? Hmmmm, it changes daily even hourly. How do you leave "home"again? "Home" even takes on a new meaning. Someone once said "home" is what you make it and who you are with. Well, now we have not been a family of 5 for three years and it changes with each child leaving. 

Now my third is on her way to University in the Fall and well, more transition. Seems like I would have picked up some tricks? I guess I have? When we went attended training before leaving the US, one thing that we learned that stuck with is was saying goodbye well. I have noticed that over the years this has really made me more intentional in what I do. Not just ending well when it is time to move but as transitions happened throughout life, being intentional about doing it well. Have I succeeded? 

Not sure, but I do know that goodbyes are still hard and are not without tears. Tears are good though, that is a sign for me that I gave it my all. That I loved well. For me it is being able to appreciate people, to tell them, to be a bit mushy not just in the last moments but when the mood hits. It keeps me tender and thoughtful.

Another way I "end well" is continuing to explore the beauty around me. I have been noticing these beautiful purple blooms on the path that I walk Freckie on. Today, I decided to take my camera along on my walk and use my zoom lens to take a closer look. Look a lot like cherry blossoms. They are called Banaba.

Such beauty and to think I have not really taken the time to notice them before. What a treat. Oh and I saw a sweet little birdie. Think it is a sunbird?  I have not gotten great at bird identification here. 

I heard the collared kingfisher but did not see one. They are probably my favorite birds to see here. I just love the blue plumage. What a treat just to hear them.

Another 1st, while I am experiencing "lasts", new tastes. Anyone who knows me knows that I am crazy about fruit. I try it all. Even durian (which I can tolerate but do not crave). My friend Rose brought me some little citrus fruits the other day. Sort of like tangerines, but with green skin. I think they are called satsumas.

 A celebration tonight...old friends at a new restaurant. So thankful for all the wonderful people who have made life such a wonderful journey. Such a mix! 

So in all the goodbyes and reminiscing, I love the new things. Still new people to meet and new things to taste and experience. I pray that this skill of being observant and enjoying this little things continues. So satisfying. Maybe I should compose a "Favorite Things "song out of all these things. People, nature, food...all of it! I need to remember that the memories and the new discoveries are something wonderful!

Sealed with a Kiss

 I wrote up a whole post talking about the Night To Shine a couple years ago. This year did not disappoint, but I am not going to do that again,  here it is if you would like a refresher. This year was equally amazing & I took tons of pictures as usual but what made it different this year were friends that I was looking forward to attending. This year we had about 40 of our CUREkids on the guest list. 

These were kids that we had seen at the hospital. Surgeries, procedures, physical therapy. Blood, sweat & tears! These were kids that we have a relationship with. Oh, so sweet!! I got a couple of nice pics  & really enjoyed taking it all in. Here are a few favorites.

 

I did  much better this year not crying so much. It is super touching & you can see it on the guest's faces; the joy of being treated like royalty, feeling & experiencing something new....make up brushes to the face, being crowned, dressed up, being cheered for & dancing in a crowd with tons of bubbles showering you. From start to finish it is excellent. 

 My most treasured remembrance? Things were wrapping up, decorations were being torn down & this sweet woman approached me. She asked if her daughter could have a picture with me. "Why certainly!".  

Then we met. "Unsa'y imong ngalan?" (visayan for what is your name?) She replied, "Barbie". There she stood not even 5 feet tall in a sweet dark red dress with a huge smile. Leron jumped in the picture too and then, I turned to her and planted the biggest kiss on her cheek. Her response is what made me CRY.....she held her face & looked at me with such delight. I can not even begin to express the rush of emotion. You would have thought I was the Queen of England, it was more than I could take. Her whole celebration culminated with a sweet genuine kiss. I am not  sure she felt exactly what I did in that moment, but I think she did? It was like finding a precious treasure & discovering its worth. Wanting to gaze at it, polish it, never wanting to forget or let it go. It was a magical moment where time slows & WOW. I really do not think that I am adequately describing it. But is was something wonderful!

So much more than a bunch of bananas

Yesterday, the neighbor from across the street rang the gate bell and had a surprise for me. Ok, Let's back up a bit. When I hear the gate bell, I am usually a bit annoyed. I have to drop everything I am doing and run out. So many times, it is to sign for mail or a village announcement. Silly that they cannot just place it in the mailbox? I will not get started on that topic. So, when the bell rang, I was on the phone with my Mom. Which is always precious to me. I really treasure the fact that I can pick up the phone and talk to her with such ease. I just did not want to go and get the gate....but I HAD to.

Well, at the gate I was greeted by my neighbor. He is one of the sweetest, kindest, gentlest people! He had picked a big bunch of bananas from behind his home. What a sweet perk of living in he tropics. The fruit is amazing! This bunch of bananas was tree-ripe. Literally splitting out of the skins. They are cute little stubby bananas, bursting with flavor and as sweet as can be. What a treat!! The bananas were so ripe that one started to just fall of the bunch. Joel, my neighbor, lovingly said that we needed to "transfer" the bananas from his arms that were cradling them to mine. We moved close and he gently  passed them to me and then he was on his way.

Philippine bananas are amazing and my little pup thinks she deserves one?

I got to thinking about this unexpected gift. How often do I meet situations with annoyance out of a bad attitude of not wanting to be bothered? Do I miss these treats? This unexpected gift of love. What a shame. Thinking about the whole interaction with Joel, I thought about how he is. He is in his 70's,  kind and welcoming. Much of the time there are beautiful hymns being played on the piano by his daughter  flowing from his home. Joel and his wife are often out gardening or taking a walk holding hands. I want to grow into my 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s ( who knows how old?) being tender, kind and a source of blessing to those around me. Making the world better. Wow, attitude check right NOW!

I am so thankful for this spontaneous gift that led to this sweet reflection. These were not just any bananas, they were full of wisdom and thought provoking, the sweetest, best that I have ever eaten. And it took an intentional act of the neighbor just to think of someone other than himself, just to bring joy and make me smile. This was love that I did not deserve, expecting nothing in return. They were BURSTING out, begging to be eaten. ;) I could have missed out!! I had to let him inside the gate to get them from him and get close enough to protect the gift being passed from him to me. Man the parallels in my life right now? Relationship and intentionality of life are incredible important! What is my outlook and what am I doing to go out of my way to be loving and kind and to prefer others? It is only Wednesday and I am learning tons just from a bunch of bananas...something truly wonderful!