Thanksgiving Rainbows

"If it looks like the sun isn't going to shine, look for the rainbow. If it looks like the sun is really not going to shine, be the Rainbow."

~Maya Angelou

Rainbows are real

Imagine skiing downward through wind-driven snow. You are prepared: yet the air is frigid. The snow sticks to your clothes. Your vision is blurred in fogginess. Your skis launch over a mogul. You turn mid-air-and wham- the sun pierces open a completely different perspective. The sky bleeds pure blue sky. The view is majestic. And forever. 

When faced with serious illness,  there is a choice. You can stop in the storm and wallow at your misfortune. Or you can exercise faith: pivot through in wonder, actively seeking rainbows.

This Thanksgiving, human rainbows found us. Embraced us. 

Jeannie, our younger son's mother- in-law, lights-up every room with her smile. 

We have known some of the guests since they were in kindergarten. 

And now they are parents, and their parents are grandparents

Kelly Morris is Principal at the local elementary school

All this joy was made possible when our daughter-in-law's sister opened her home to include our side of the family.  Kelly did an amazing job of organizing a spectacular evening, forever engraved in our hearts. Two turkeys, smoked rib eye appetizers, a cheese tray the size of Delaware, etc. etc. Every bite, as my mother-in-law likes to say, was dee-licious. 

Melva with her two sons

Gerald with his mom, Melva

Kelly bought this home last summer (It's a small world- the previous owner's dad lives next to us). Located mid-way between the notorious gridlocked traffic between our home and where Gerry's  brother and mother reside,her gracious hospitality made for a joyous mini-reunion. 

It was a happy evening, with space to recount happy memories. Melva and I compared our watches- generous gifts from Eric and his wife from Christmas long ago. Tonight was their 33rd wedding anniversary- Congratulations kids!

As pictures are worth a thousand words- here's the rest of a  novel you can finish in under a minute.  

Our grandson's feast

Mack is starting to find his voice. Most of his sounds are punctuated with the word "ball'". He's not into plates yet. But he is into throwing. 

Our granddaughter taking a break

Charley is 4 now, and a big help in the kitchen. She renamed the appetizer she passed around as Angel Eggs. No way was she going to pass out devilled eggs. 

 Along with a couple gluten-free variations on holiday vegetable dishes, we brought Kelly a small growing arrangement of live traditional herbs.

Eric Plunk, daughter Alden and Charley

Shannon with Alden

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Growing up, I adored crazy Uncle Frank. He was audacious, politically incorrect and a pure adrenaline rush. 

Our grandchildren have Crazy Uncle Eric. As Eric is 6'6" tall- how high in the air does that put Mack?

Kenny and Shannon have been smooching since high school

Thanksgiving is tucked away...Merry Christmas, Everyone! 

Lydia 

Thank you to Kenny for most of the pictures on this post.   

Thanksgiving Thoughts- Kindness as the Twin Pillar of Gratitude

 Even through the dreariness of life's winter seasons, dream of spring.

 Dream it forward. 

~ Lydia Plunk

Photo by Glenda Bona Thompson

For life to be good, kindness should bloom as bountifully as a spring hillside

Image by Gene Sasse

Gratitude is great. But without its twin, kindness, it dies. So spread kindness like wildflower seeds blown in the wind. This is only sure course to choke out the taproots of the saddest of human conditions, the  hardened heart.

 There is scholarly disagreement on whether  these words are properly attributed to Mark Twain. If his name helps spread the wisdom more than 'Anonymous', this is nothing I'll argue with.  

'Wild Blue Yonder' rose bouquet. Image by Gene Sasse.

Kind gestures. Kind words. These are never remembered with regrets. Gather and give.   

Close up by Gene Sasse

Examine your life closely for kindness. In words and deeds.

For us, this past year has been a journey of miracles.  

My husband was in a foreign country when the medical crisis would be ignored no longer. It wasn't a problem the size of a lizard, It was a full-on fire breathing dragon.

To all who helped get him home.... to family members for their loving encouragement...to friends, neighbors  and colleagues whose kindness has included dinners delivered, fruit discovered on the front porch... cards of encouragement, prayers and more ... thank you.    

Sparkling lemonade and cookies 

One of the highlight's of this past month was Pastor Anne Grethe's visit. The Lord is with us everywhere, so  our communion toast in the garden was with sparkling strawberry-lemonade and crackers standing in for wine and bread. Unforgettable. Moving.

Image by Gene Sasse

However difficult life gets- Kind gestures. Kind words. These are never remembered with regrets. They are rays of sunshine through darkest clouds. 

Until we meet again, THANK YOU for all you do to make the world more beautiful. 

Blessings, 

Lydia  

Thank you, Glenda for 31 years of friendship and guidance.

Thank you Gene Sasse  for providing images which light up the screen. 

In Sickness and in Health- Thoughts from our 42nd Anniversary

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 

~Ecclesiastics 4:9

 

My doctor is a young widow. She shared,"There is no handbook for when your husband has brain cancer."

If there was, it would tell you that life is as precious as you decide it is or not. 

As a young bride, I really didn't have a true understanding that either of us would really be called to care for the other in sickness. I certainly did not comprehend the collateral beauty of bonds deepened through trials beyond our control.

'Julia Child' blooms nearly year- round. 

Cancer heightens awareness. Every day is different. Every hour is different. I can recount what has happened the last 4 hours- but the next 4 is always in God's hands. 

'Meerlo' lavender- 

Should have. Would have. Could have. These are useless thoughts. My husband is finally home enjoying time watching me try to keep up with the garden of our hearts.

Take action, or forget it. This summer was time to do something about moving 'Meerlo' lavender up the wish-list. For heat tolerance, it was bred with the constitution of a John Deere tractor. Planted in the hell strip between the spa and our garden, the plantar now  wears the most luxuriant lavender scent. Ever. 

Asclepias Curassavica - butterfly weed

Accepting serious illness is not the same as giving up. A couple holes in the leaves of the milkweed do not deter from its lovely purpose...

For look who comes to dinner. Hang-out. Fly away. To watch the fat-crawly thing encase himself in a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly... miracles happen every day... the secret is to notice. Count them... and make them count.

Like our family, this daylily multiplied and spread

As one of my oldest- err- longest friends, artist Charlie Mott advised "Be strong. Be honest. Be present. Always give and accept love. BREATHE." 

Unruly patch of narcissus  

Accept imperfection as part of life. Not everything is equal in importance. 

What I have learned being married more years than single, is that being right is not nearly as important as the relationship itself. Husbands and wives- take care of each other.    

The face of faith and courage. My husband.

Never allow yourself to think of yourself as a victim. That is a dark hole with no benefits.  Choose to LIVE: survive and thrive. 

Thank you to friends and family who have brought real joy to us in what is a challenging- but rewarding- time.   


Lydia 

Hosting Angels at Garden Wedding of Robyn Green and Jacob Dilick

It was a miracle.  Not too different from when Moses parted the Red Sea for his people to pass out of bondage. This parting of  torrential rains. I believe the mother's love was so strong, from on-high she held back the clouds for her daughter's wedding. 

A cameo of Cobi Neal attached to the bouquet provided by the groom's mother

The bride's mother flew the pain of cancer on December 14, 2006. But love knows no boundaries. Her spirit was with us last Saturday.  

Edda Gahm, the bride's grandmother, called 10 days before. "The kids" had planned a park wedding- only fate proclaimed that heaven would continue wringing water on Southern California for the first time in years. The small family wedding included family from other states. Even if it didn't rain, mud already closed the parking lot where the nuptials were planned for. Did I have any ideas? 

The answer was instinctive. Hospitality is ingrained into the culture of our faith. God hosted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Abraham and Sarah offered  hospitality to three strangers- only later to find they were angels unawares. We would not know many of guests, but if they were faithful enough to this young couple to brave wicked weather, they are angels to us.

 If Robyn and Jacob (Jake) were amenable, our home and garden were at their service. At my husband's suggestion, we ordered a canopy. Unless the day turned out to be a gale, the bride could have her outdoor wedding. A modest rain, the guests could watch under the patio's protection.  Worst case, we would scoot furniture out of the living room, and they could marry in front of the fireplace. 

After helping set-up, Jake used our bedroom to change into his Air Force dress blue uniform.

With the groom ready, the bride and her friends took over the room.  

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How did the couple come to this day? 

Robyn recounts, We met in passing when I was about 17, he 18, at a friend's graduation party. We would see each other every few years at their New Years parties, when would come home for leave for Christmas. Sparks never really flew until we were Best Man and Maid of Honor at our friends' wedding. After three months of texting and Facetiming I flew out to Florida, where he was stationed. We spent an amazing two weeks together. A couple months after I returned he stationed out here, at Edwards (AFB) to be closer. 

Everything about the festivities was profoundly personal. 

While the rain pushed sideways the day before and after the ceremony, on Saturday, January 21, 2017, the heavens opened for the angels to be Robyn and Jake's guests. The canopy wasn't needed. 

Kandi Schultz Hardy officiated. She has known Robyn since she was the bride's teacher at Valley Christian School in San Dimas. The tone and tenor both sober and celebratory. When asked about the service performed, Kandi explained she lightly updated the archaic language of the Christian ceremony her father, the Reverend William Schultz, used during his pastoral days.  She adds " I feel so blessed that he gave me his actual wedding book, not a copy of the ceremony." 

The guests. Some drove through blizzards to be present. Some flew to give support to the forming of the new family of Jake Dilick and Robyn Green.

Prayers said. Promises made. Rings exchanged. Robyn's father passed to Jake the ring her mother had given him, back in the day. The bride says " I don't ever want to resize it- I'll wear it on a necklace."

The lighting of the unity candle signifying bride and groom are stronger now that they are one to the other. Before man and God. 

With this first kiss,  Robin and Jake's life begins anew.   With little commentary, please enjoy these images. May the silent universal language of photography of convethe joy surrounding this union. 

The groom with his mother, Rochelle Dilick. She covered the dining table with a lavish buffet. 

 She served love from the ceremony the following day in presenting "planned-overs" from the wedding feast to feed the homeless in Lancaster. She wrote on her Facebook page " I wasn't sure how many would 'show up' in the rain. They came. They ate and they stayed around and visited with us all for quite some time. I'm thinking that some are considering this their Sunday Family Meal and that makes me happy."

The bride's father with his new son-in-law. 

The bride's sister, Kaitlin, baked and decorated cupcakes. The bride made lemon and chocolate snickerdoodle cookie bars.  

Nikki served as unofficial Maid of Honor. 

It was a fun moment when the little girls ran in the house together, announcing they had picked "all the plums off the tree" to make money selling. 
When we stopped laughing, we took a couple bags out to collect the big yellow plums, actually grapefruit, off the lawn. Tangerines plus some assorted "jewels" from the pathways were tossed in. Not all- we left some polished jewels for the fairies to find their way back):- 

The bride complemented her forest green lace gown with Converse high-top  basketball shoes. 

It's been a secret wish, to have a wedding here. You made that dream come true. Thank you. God bless. 

Thank you, Robyn and Jake, for choosing to share your sacred start of your life together here. The occasion helped me realize how much I take for granted. Every guest was an angel to us. Come what may, all the love which graced this place on your wedding day shall remain with us -and with this place we call home. 

A special thank you to Nikki, Marissa, Jaimie,  as well as my husband Gerry, for contributing the commemorative photos.  

Until we meet again, thank you for ALL YOU do to make the world more beautiful. 

Lydia