re – do again store – stock up, save for a rainy day, gather up for the purpose of giving away … a place with plenty for those that need joy – deep-down, unshaken-by-circumstance, unquenchable happiness which is infused at its core with gratitude Re store joy! Order in the depleted supplies Dust... Continue Reading →
He returned! I can’t believe it. Everyone said he would but I worried. I fretted. I held my breath all night long… and then, just like magic there he was! He tried sneaking up on me. But he’s never been much of a sneaker. My heart could feel him coming even before my eyes... Continue Reading →
I heard your call, early in the morning. I slipped out, past my snoring cabin mates and I went… out to the stillness. Out to the lake. Out to You. And there I settled, wrapped in my blanket, looking out at the lake stretching before me. Dark Lake, Camp Tamarack - where magic happens for... Continue Reading →
I am hidden in the secret of this blank page wrapped between a jumble of feelings and the squiggles of twenty-six letters unfolding into a game of hide-n-seek with each space and dash, each comma, each line break I search ... for me seeking Truth I stretch out the letters across... Continue Reading →
Mourning Morning Two peas in the same pod One speaks of death One speaks of life Both must find a way to coexist together. And I find myself here again... every day the crossroad choosing which one I will embrace today life or death hope or loss Hope sees beyond... Continue Reading →
Settle me, Lord. Take this chaos, this black holed vacuum, this perfect storm of all my emotions spinning, churning, replaying over and over and over around and around and around over under in between and every which way but where they need to be Take this chaos and bring peace, this heart that... Continue Reading →
Tired. I’m just tired. Down to the soul tired. The wind whips around me, above me, through me, imploding from the inside – a vacuum and nothing is left nothing but the weary ache of a chilly breeze that closes in too near to my soul oh sweet Jesus, my heart, My heart feels too... Continue Reading →
French toast. All he wanted was French toast. And she said no. She didn’t know he’d have an aneurysm the next day. She didn’t know he wouldn’t make it back to their breakfast table. She didn’t know he’d leave her holding guilt, instead of eggy milk and bread, and a spatula to try to flip... Continue Reading →
Here, in the heart of winter, I find myself slowly cultivating spring. Bit by bit. Looking, seeking, and dare I say: maybe even starting to believe again ... a little. I look around and I see Hope. A flower in a desert landscape. An eagle soaring against the expanse of an... Continue Reading →
It’s black outside. Inky black. Seems it’s blacker this year than ever before. Used to be I loved the cover of dark in these early hours. I used to love the hug of Time taking its time to spend moments with me. I used to love the feeling of there being no one but... Continue Reading →
Iceland dreaming... and what a dream it's been. But as I sit here, knowing this is my final Iceland entry, I'm keenly aware that no words, no pictures, no holding of breath or wishing on a star can ever really describe a waking dream... yet, a girl's gotta try, right? So I sit here hoping... Continue Reading →
We left our last Iceland home at 8 am. We drove through pouring rain, bursts of sunlight and a tunnel that led under the sea for 3 miles. 1923.7 miles we drove - more than twice the Ring Road ... We had come full circle. At 17:15 (5:15 pm), we left Iceland. For 7... Continue Reading →
There is something surreal when you "wake up" from a dream, but find that you're still dreaming. I woke up the next morning in the ever-present day, knowing it was the last full day. Yet even with the 'end' in sight, there was palpable peace. When you know that you've had not only one perfect... Continue Reading →
New Day. Sunshine gone. Light showers return. And nearly the end of our trip. Today would be a full journey to the center of the earth... no thinking ahead. No thinking behind. Just soaking in the present and drinking deep. No better time to walk the neighborhood. Neighborhood park. Neighborhood sculpture. A... Continue Reading →
Leaving the visitor center we came upon this guy stacking a cairn. and maybe even leaving us this wonderful piece But we couldn't stop and join him because we were hungry! So we were off to redeem yet another "two days for one" deal. Man, I love Iceland. Heading down the road we... Continue Reading →
Part one, who am I kidding. I already know this will be a two parter! Ha. Woke up to sunshine! And saw the glacier, Snaefellsjokull, out front. Five minutes of beautiful glory! Then she retreated behind her mountain-made cloud curtain for the rest of our stay. (Just as well, don't think I could have... Continue Reading →
The rain finally came and engulfed our 6 hour drive to our last 4 night stay in Iceland - the Snaefelsjokull peninsula. Jökull, means glacier or ice cap and this volcano with its icecap was made famous by Jules Verne "Journey to the Center of the Earth." The rain seemed a bit fitting as we drove,... Continue Reading →
With one hour to spare, we got Chris to his motorcycle museum. And I went down the road to do some more exploring on my own on this "rain, rain, rain" day. Ha. (Not that I would have minded seeing the motorcycles, but alas, the museum required a bit more cash than this casual uninformed onlooker... Continue Reading →
Today was going to be our rainy museum day. Ha! Ain't no way we're spending it inside! But mornings always start with binoculars. And check this monster out, all the way from Malta! 2000 passengers and 1000 staff. (Yep, Chris is still doing his research. 🙂 ) (The above ships might have come in the... Continue Reading →
According to local weather, today was going to be cloudy, and tomorrow would have the chance for the most rain. No problem. We've already lived this dream to its very fullest, and we ain't no complaints. Not even one. But we did think this "cloudy only" day would be good to see a cool fishing... Continue Reading →
So how do you follow up a morning celebrating Christmas in July? You keep traveling up the valley. You celebrate every tree you see, because there are very few in Iceland. Thirty years ago they began a program to reforest the country. But their reforestation looks like our clear cuts in reverse! Packed in so... Continue Reading →
We woke up to this. One thing this vacation has taught me more clearly is the importance of seizing each moment and then soaking in them. They are gifts, and the opportunity of having another "just like it" might not come. But if you have enjoyed what you were given completely and fully, then there... Continue Reading →
Akureyri - a time for resting. I have to explain first that there is one singular moment in all my yearlong vacation planning that I both dread and embrace with dream-meets-reality excitement, expectation, hope and throw in just a touch of angst. That is the moment we enter the town drive down the street,... Continue Reading →
On our way to the second largest city :Akureyri, Iceland (about 18,000). It is a port city that welcomes most of the cruise liners from Europe, and is the best skiing in Iceland, we are told. ... and what do you do when you start the day's journey? Visit a local "bakari" of course. So... Continue Reading →
Heading north. Wait a minute... isn't everything north already? When the sun rises just slight east of due north, and sets just slightly west of due north - and basically just does a lap around you - the sense of north, south, east and west become muddled, to say the least. I know many... Continue Reading →
It goes to say that two days to see a place, during a road trip is not a ideal, especially when the first day is traveling, hassling and mac and cheesing in exhaustion. But new days, bring new beginnings and we knew we had to visit our Bokakaffi again as customers rather than desperate travelers.... Continue Reading →
Bright and early, we headed on to our three two day stay in Egilsstaðir and were greeted along the way by a highway that was sometimes gravel! the eastern fjordurs dotted with hay bales and around one corner... this guy. Caribou! Yeah, we couldn't see him well enough either, so you better believe we stopped and... Continue Reading →
One of the biggest blessings of this trip is all of the surprises on the way. I love surprises and Iceland has been chock full of them. After leaving "The Garage" (in southern Iceland) we began our way further east and then headed north along the eastern coast. And what better way to continue the... Continue Reading →
Off to the Westmann Islands and the perfect date night! the youngest (newest) volcano in the world. (Erupted from a fissure in 1973... then formed a cone they call Eldfell - "Fire Mountain". No one was killed, but 400 homes were destroyed and buried under 45 feet of lava and ash. 1500 people did not... Continue Reading →
When you wake up to this, you know it's going to be a good day. And no better way to start it than feeding the local, wandering neighborhood mama sheep and lambs. Anna said, if you shake a plastic bag of bread at them, they will come... Wonder what they'll think of granola? ... Continue Reading →
