You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.

~Indira Gandhi

My family just returned from an invigorating roadtrip and camping vacation to Big Sky Country, where we enjoyed spending time with our eldest son. The scenery in Montana, Idaho, and Washington brought a sense of deep gratitude and calm. The quiet times hiking and hanging out with my family gave me a new perspective, in much the same way that a yoga inversion pose can.



My respite also engendered a blogging catharsis. Though I have enjoyed some parts of this hobby, such as making lovely new acquaintances and friends, many aspects make this little mama's mind a muddle. Postcards and handwritten letters are lovely ways of communicating. Tea and chats with friends lift the spirits. I'm a little sad to leave you, but blogging for Babette has come to an end.


Avalanche Gorge at Glacier National Park

Call your mother! Write her a letter and seal it with a kiss! Gros bisous!

Finis.

Mamma Mia!

A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.
~Irish Blessing


Guardian Angel by Heilige Schutzengel

When one's child grows up and leaves home there is a hole in the heart and continual prayers for that dear young adult. Our eldest is a heroine to our family, always lifting our spirits and giving us hope with her cheery countenance and positive, hard-working attitude. It turns out that she suffered a huge scare yesterday and ended up saving a coworker's life. I only wish I could get in touch and offer hugs, tea and sympathy. I must wait patiently until we can connect. A daughter knows her mother always has her in her thoughts, n'est-pas?



I have a lovely memory of attending Mamma Mia with my dear daughter while visiting her in the first big city where she worked. I was, and am, so proud of her successes, abilities, and spunk! I was not quite able to hold back tears during Slipping Through My Fingers:

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning,
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile.
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while.
The feeling that I'm losing her forever,
And without really entering her world,
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter-
That funny little girl.

Slipping through my fingers all the time,
I try to capture every minute,
The feeling in it...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.
Do I really see what's in her mind?
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.

Sleep in our eyes, she and I at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by.
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny.
What happened to the wonderful adventures,
The places I had planned for us to go?
Slipping through my fingers all the time...
Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't,
And why I just don't know.

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time.
Slipping through my fingers...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.
~ABBA

Call your mamma whenever you are able. There is no "frozen zone" in my heart!


Night with her Train of Stars by Edward Robert Hughes

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

~Johann Sebastian Bach


Cellist by Joseph R. DeCamp (American, 1858-1923)

On my music stand:

Bach Suite II in D Minor
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Minuet I
Minuet II
Gigue


The Cellist by French photographer Robert Doisneau (1912-1944)

The Seattle Symphony has a new 23 year old principal cellist, a rock star on the cello, if you will. He practices yoga and has a blog!

Bach takes you to a very quiet place within yourself, to the inner core, a place where you are calm and at peace.~Yo-Yo Ma

How I relish a quiet afternoon and the chance to dig into some solo Bach. As my children grow older, it becomes easier to steal away to practice. A certain 18 year old son, who plays the bass guitar in a most beautiful and mellow fashion, just called from work to arrange a date for tonight. He is teaching me how to improvise. Aren't double entendres grand? Call yo mama!

Chill out, tickle your funny bone, and read aloud!

Recipe for a Pacific NW heat wave:

1. Iced tea with honey, lemon, and spearmint
2. MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS read aloud in the shade
3. An enthusiastic and pig-tailed penguin aficionado armed with non-fiction books for cross-checking the tall tale facts

Penguins mate for life, you know. Maybe Mama Popper knew something when she refused to ever scold Papa Popper, but respectfully asked questions such as, "Papa, what shall we do about [this or that]?"

Richard Atwater was a newspaper columnist and Classics professor at University of Chicago. When he became seriously ill while writing MR.POPPER'S PENGUINS, his wife stepped up to finish one of the most beloved children's books of all time. It's a favorite here, and not just because those adorable Adélie penguins, Captain Cook and Greta, have 12 babies.

Read to your dearies and call Mama!

Shoot the stars off in your own backyard!

What if the Prince on the horse in your fairytale
Is right here in disguise?
And, what if the stars you've been reaching so high for
Are shining in his eyes?


Knight with Child
Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale (English Pre-Raphaelite painter)

Don't look at yourself in the same old way;
Take another picture.
Shoot the stars off in your own backyard!
Don't look any further
And you will see,
It's the stuff that dreams are made of...
~Carly Simon


Read to your dearies!


British firework label art

Gather with loved ones to celebrate the 4th of July, read the Declaration of Independence, thank God from Whom all blessings flow, and call your mother!

Be still, and know that I am God.~Psalm 46:10

Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind.~Patanjali


Turn that frown upside-down!~Mother


Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.~Krishnamacharya

Find calm in the midst of chaos. Trust in God's care. Call your mother. Namaste.