Poetry & Words – Page 20 – The Oaxacaborn Blog

The day we opened the windows

October 10, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It rained this weekend — all night Friday, all day Saturday, and right on into Sunday afternoon.

Rain. Lots of rain. Five whole inches of rain, to be exact.

Aveline’s favorite Johnny Cash song seemed appropriate.

How high’s the water, mama? How high’s the water, papa?
Hey, come look through the window pane,
The bus is comin’, gonna take us to the train
Looks like we’ll be blessed with a little more rain,
Four feet high and risin’…

But then, on Sunday afternoon, the clouds thinned. The sun shone down on the brand-new little sparkly rivers that had swollen up alongside all the streets … and the unprecedented happened.

There was a cool breeze.
The air conditioner didn’t turn on.
And we opened the windows.

Aveline stormy october silhouette

For this first time in months, the air outside smelled fresh. Everything seemed different, like we’d suddenly traveled thousands of miles and were somehow suddenly home.

Fresh air changes everything.

People who wax poetic about the Sunshine State have never spent a whole summer here, because the endlessly soggy and static season which stretches from March to October is a lot less like summer and a lot more like being steamed alive. There is no crisp moment before the day starts. There is no pause of cool rest after sunset, no quietly sinking lower into a refreshing overnight calm.

But last night, in that pure grey moment after the light slipped behind the ridge across the road, October finally raised its voice and said, “I’m here. Let me wrap you in this cool breeze like a blanket. Let me welcome you to fall.”

And right then, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the open windows, the slate grey sky never seemed so beautiful.

Life in Photos, Little Style, Poetry & Words

Fall

September 26, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It’s a brand-new week; a new dawn, with new mercies. I need that reminder this morning. I need to remember that right here, in Florida, is exactly where we are supposed to be.

I need to remember — “You saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.” (Deut 1:31)

And I need to remember that He never stops leading us. This is not the end of the story (it never is!) He leads us to the green pastures, by the still waters, through shadowy valleys…

Florida feels surreal, sometimes. It feels like another dimension, like there’s no point of reference for me to really grasp the passage of time. I think I feel this especially acutely this time of year, when I the seasons begin to turn every place except here.

I know Fall is descending gently upon the California coast, like it does every September. I know the nights are slowly getting cooler, and I know a leaf or two is now tinged crimson around the edges. I know what it’s like to watch the first raindrops dance down across the dusty Sacramento valley.

I know this, but here, the southern sky has not changed in months. September’s sky sweeps across the canvas above the same now as it did in April, and every day in between the air has been swollen with moisture, spilled over from rain-soaked clouds. Always it’s hot, always it’s humid, and always the temperature of dusk and dawn are indistinguishable from day.

Last night, as a wave of homesickness washed over me and I just wanted to be home, I asked God for peace. God reminded me of Abraham’s sojourning life. God reminded me that no matter what — Egypt, the Red Sea, the wilderness, the promised land, no matter what — He’s always there, in that pillar of fire.

And so here, now, in this new (humid, hot) morning, I know. He’s here. And I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Photos: Aveline learning about a very important Fall tradition. She wore the hat & jersey just so I could snap a photo of her wearing it…then she started to sweat, so I took it off ;-)

Poetry & Words

Coffee and (lack of) sleep and vintage and assorted happenings!

September 21, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Hi, lovelies! It’s been a busy couple of weeks around here. I’ve been filling orders for my Etsy shop, getting ready to become a vendor on GreenByUSA, and prepping for the Fall line coming to the Nakate website this weekend. And, rumor has it I’ll have an article in the next issue of Babiekins Magazine!

The most exhausting thing lately has been getting back into the swing of two wake-ups per night with Aveline. She’s decided two bottom teeth aren’t enough, and put in an order for two more. But there’s a silver lining. I’ve upped my cuppa intake from 1/3 coffee + 2/3 decaf to straight-up half-caff. What a cute little chomper Aveline will be with four bottom teeth and none on top ;-)

I also wanted to stop in today to share a fun vintage find with you — the Etsy shop Pomp and Pride. My new friend Ariel (a fellow displaced Northern Californian!) has been selling pretty vintage dresses from her DC home for 6 months now. In celebration of this “half-iversary”, she’s offering 50% off all orders between $20 and $150.

Here are a couple of pretties from her shop…

Vintage 1950s Lace Dress with Full Skirt

Vintage 1970s Striped Dress

Aren’t they fun? There are lots more in her shop. (All dress images via Pomp and Pride.)

Poetry & Words

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

September 13, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Three years ago today, I walked down a grassy aisle in Grandma C’s backyard to Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me.

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won’t you try to come

Come away with me and we’ll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I’ll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I’m safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me

And so we were married in the mountains of NorCal, with the grass beneath our feet, the towering California trees overhead, and our family and friends all around us.

We had these verses from Isaiah 41 read during the ceremony. Non-traditional, yes, but oh, so beautiful.

I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

A dear family friend and missionary to Japan officiated the ceremony.

We walked back down the aisle to Coldplay’s Yellow.

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow,

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called yellow

So then I took my turn
Oh all the things I’ve done …
D’you know you know I love you so
You know I love you so.

wedding party - bridesmaids and groomsmen in black

It was all kinds of perfect.

—
All images courtesy of B. Sarah Klein, who, along with her sister, is preparing to launch A Sea Apart: Two Sisters, Two Countries, Two Photos a Day.

Poetry & Words

Battling Discouragement

September 6, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Thoughtful Aveline in lavender

I am overwhelmed. I feel like it’s impossible to meet some of the deadlines looming this week. My mind keeps racing up and down my to-do list.

I panic over the fear of not doing something I should. I beat myself up over what there is left to do. I get discouraged by my weaknesses. I should have already done this, I should have been stronger, I should have done more, I should have… I focus on the undone, the unfinished, the incomplete.

I am a perfectionist.

This is a terrible way to live; this is not freedom.

I want, instead, to live life with open arms, accepting the endless grace God has for me. I want to receive the peace He is offering me. I want to trade in my turmoil for rest. I want to lay my stubbornness down at His feet and admit that no, I can’t do it all. No, I can’t do it perfectly.

But His grace is sufficient. His power is perfected in my weakness.

And if I feel like I’ve failed today, it’s okay. His mercies are new every single morning.

Poetry & Words

Exhausted but Thankful

August 25, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Aveline during breakfast

I’ve been exhausted this past week. I feel so worn-out, but I ~~suppose~~ know it’s my own fault. (Mom, don’t read this next part). I’ve not been diligent about taking my Floravital Iron, and as a result I’m feeling especially anemic. Bleah. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now, but noooo.

But, this morning, I’m thankful for so many things.

I’m thankful Hurricane Irene has shifted away from Florida.

I’m thankful the weekend is just around the corner (we have big plans to watch movies and lounge on the couch).

I’m thankful for the sales I’ve had on Facebook and through Etsy.

I’m thankful for coffee, this news that coffee prices are dropping, and a husband who makes me a strong cuppa every morning before he leaves for work.

And of course, I’m thankful for my wonderful little sweet pea.

I could go on and on — what are you thankful for this morning?

Mustard and Taupe Striped Crochet Hat via Oaxacaborn on Etsy

Poetry & Words

Peacefulness

August 13, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

My days are filled with coffee and sleepiness — with morning light, evening light, and the shadows in between. The baby is alternately hyper and tired, filling moments with giggling as well as sobbing. Her breath rises and falls, always a steady rythmn, always a constant hymn humming a reminder of the life which God has given.

Cup of coffee in soft morning light in favourite mug

These are captured moments, frozen still in time by the click of shutter. This is every day, painted in soft hues. I see these moments now like suspended drops of dew, reflecting what the sun has to say by casting diamond shadows on the ground.

She’s enraptured by everything, reaching out her tiny hand to take in the newness of every experience.

Aveline crawling on bed in evening light

I hold her close, breathing in her perfect essence. She fits so perfectly in my arms. I love these moments more than I can tell you.

Sleepy Aveline and Gina in morning in living room on couch with blankets

And yet, these are days of solitude. Josiah leaves each morning, working hard for us. Aveline plays with her basket of treasures while I make breakfast and start the day’s chores.

Aveline sitting near toy basket in morning light in living room This is a different life than I’ve ever had before. Not just because this sweet little being has come to be a part of us, but because we have followed the Pillar of Fire to the edge of the continent, here to Florida, the opposite coast of the place we called home. And “the God who has been my shepherd all my life [is my shepherd] to this day.” (Genesis 48:15)

The One who was, and is, and is to come.

Three windows with white sheer curtains hanging crooked and uneven

She is a happy little thing, so peaceful, so content. She looks to us for everything she needs. It does not even occur to her to become anxious or stressed that we will not care for her tomorrow or the next day.

She just looks to us, in this moment, and trusts.

Aveline playing with blanket doll near toy basket

I want to look to God this same way. Oh Lord, “guarda mi alma…porque en Ti me refugio.” (Psalm 25:20)

Inspiration, Poetry & Words

Beautiful and Useful: Conquering Clutter

August 5, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

We had to move around some furniture this morning. Aveline’s crib had been near the wall of windows in our bedroom, but yesterday she discovered she could reach through the side of the crib and mangle the mini-blind slats (don’t worry, the cords have been safely tied up for a long time now.)

Swapping the position of two pieces of furniture seems simple enough, but now everything is all discombobulated. Cluttered. I’ve been on a mission to get rid of excess stuff, but honestly, I struggle with it. Not with the idea of getting rid of things, but with the actual sorting. If I’m totally honest, I would admit that when it comes to sorting, I am pretty lazy.

I love the idea of minimalism. In theory, I hate clutter. In practice, I live with little piles of clutter. But I get so STUCK when it comes to sorting piles of small things — especially when they are interesting. For me, it’s the ziploc bags of ticket stubs and maps and letters and greeting cards that stop me in my tracks. I just really have a problem getting through the stashes of paper ephemera. I get bogged down, finding myself distractedly reading that one card my uncle wrote me for my high school graduation or reminiscing over the train ride from Barcelona to Paris. Gah!

Un tren de valores Renfe Barcelona Spain

And the stickers left over from addressing wedding invitations? The six pathetic pieces of cardstock left over from my last scrapbooking project four years ago? Get a grip, Gina! I don’t need these things to remind me of those memories. I’d rather have the space in that basket on the shelf for something actually beautiful or useful.

I am going to tackle the bedroom this weekend, with this William Morris quote in the forefront of my mind: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

Because really, laziness is the only thing keeping me from a clutter-free house.