Matters of Grace

A few weeks ago I ordered for a custom waldorf baby doll for my three year old daughter. The doll will be 18" long, have movable arms and legs and be able to wear actual baby clothes. My daughter will love it. Way back in the 70's, when I was a little girl, I would visit my grandma and grandpa on their farm in central California. Their next door neighbor, Mrs. Wilson, would sometimes invite me over -- which I loved, because Mrs. Wilson made dolls and her entire attic was filled with every type of Waldorf-styled doll imaginable. And each one had a name and *story*. It was kid heaven. She even cut out 'kits' for me to sew my own dolls, and while mine never looked as good as hers, the memories make me smile. Waldorf dolls are the perfect toy for any gender. What makes the Waldorf dolls so pleasing for kids is that they are soft and cuddly, and easily lovable. The face is only “suggested” to allow the child to use his/her own imagination as to whether it laughs, c

Years ago my mother gave me a very lovely ceramic nativity set. She did the glazing herself -- all white with a hint of blue to accent -- it was just beautiful. But over the years, things happened. First baby Jesus went missing (so I put the nativity set out without the Jesus) Then Mary's right hand broke off (so I placed the hand in the empty manger) Then Joseph broke one of his hands off (must have been in honor of Mary) Finally it got to the point where the kids and I decided it was time for a new nativity set. It would have been easy to order some pre-fab Costco set, but the kids and I wanted something unique; something that spoke to us. So I googled and looked and eventually happened across a set on eTsy that was very appealing to me; not only was it handmade and unique, it was also downright cute. Plus the potter will customize your set by sending the characters you want (I strongly considered getting an extra baby Jesus, just in case) Here is my new Nativity set: love

Last week I had to be picked up via ambulance - in front of my children (not good) and taken to ER for seizures (also not good.) To suddenly have your body stop working as it should and basically tweak out was scary enough, but in front of the kids, let me say that it makes one feel powerless. After much testing, the doctors believe it was just another migraine, albeit more severe than usual. My neurologist was thinking that beta blockers might help. Since there are side-effects (as with any med) I'm not in love with this idea, so I googled and found that the humble banana containes natural beta blockers. So I've been blendin' the smoothies (and taking my vitamins, getting good rest and exercise) and after a week I've got to say that I do feel better and am starting to believe that the banana is one of God's more perfect creations. After all the Banana comes in its own case, is easy to transport, gives a good burst of energy, and tastes great dipped in chocolate,

Now that Spring has sprung, and we have that extra hour of sunlight, I'm thinking of taking my bike to work. It's not common knowledge, but at the turn of the 20th century, entrepreneurs built an elevated bikeway that streatched from Pasadena to downtown LA. For a fifteen cent toll, bicyclists and quadricyclists (remember those?) could pedal several miles along a nice, scenic route on their way to work. Though the original bikeway was torn down, its refreshing to read that now, some 100 years later, bicyclists are reclaiming that route raising hopes for future commuters. And other cities are getting into the act by incorporating bikeways. High gas prices? Oil? Spare tire 'round the ol' middle section? The answer may be as simple as *ride a bike.*

I'm sitting in my living room - sipping the last wee bit of the Montagne Saint-Emilion - watching my two year old learn to scissor. Scissoring is it's the most marvelous thing when you are 2 or 3. With the coloringbook picture in one hand, and red-handled safety scissors in the other, she purposefully *snip-snip-snips* her way all around the paper's edge. When she's done with her scissoring and coloring, we'll hang it on the fridge. My seven year old, meanwhile, is practicing for his baseball game in the back yard. He's positioned himself right in my line of view and every few hits he waves and yells out 'how was that one?' "Great job!" I think my eleven is cleaning his room, I'll check in a moment and see how its going. Three happy kids and three happy cats - how wonderful! I know it won't last as our days are peppered with the occasional kid melt down, but this particular moment is one of life's sweeter melodies. ~Grace