New paint
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Construction Zone
In an attempt to bring a fresh look to my kitchen and an upstairs bathroom, things got worse before they got better. Clutter and chaos defined my world for over three weeks. Ladders, drop cloths, painter’s tape, wallpaper scraps, paint brushes, rollers. Shades down from windows. Furniture moved and covered.
What I thought would be a relatively simple project turned into hours of grueling work. First, the wallpaper in the kitchen and eating area came down inch by inch—literally. It seemed everyone had some idea on what would make it come down more easily: spray enzyme, steamer, etc. Nothing helped all that much.
After spending more than 60 hours at this task, I called in the “professionals” to help me finish. They got the wallpaper off all right! They took it down to the bare drywall! So now the walls needed retexturing. On top of this their precious enzyme had messed up some of the wood work.
In order to buy some time while the kitchen walls were fixed, the painting began in the laundry room which is right next to the kitchen Once the soft grapefruit yellow covered the laundry room walls, my painter, Kaki, and I moved to the upstairs bathroom. I painted the ceiling in the front part and the back section with two coats of pink. The color was out of same paint can, but because the lighting was different, the back part looked more like a fresh bottle of Pepto-Bismol. The ceiling in the front looked like soft pink flannel. Kaki used a white wash to tone the back half down.
Then when she started on the sage green, off-white, and pink stripes in the sink area, I moved to the kitchen to put primer on the fresh texture. Day after day I worked from morning until night. Even with some help, this project was far more than I had bargained for. I kept trying to envision the end product, telling myself that the grueling labor and aching bones would eventually be rewarded with pretty rooms.
Finally, we were rolling paint in the kitchen, and I was pleased with the light yellow and French blue accents. The end was in sight. On the morning Kaki and I put on the finishing touches, I breathed a sigh of relief! We were finished. Now the workmen just needed to come back and spray lacquer on the woodwork.
They did. However, when they pulled the tape around the wood off, they took paint off along with it. I was close to tears! More work! The next morning, I got the paint back out again to do the touch up. Now I am really finished, I thought.
I still need to frame some pictures and hang towel rods, but it feels great to have the mess behind me. As I reflect on the process from the inception of the ideas to completion, I know that I don’t like what happens between those two points. I don’t like the mess. I don’t like the hard work. Isn’t this the way we often feel in our journey through life?
My youngest daughter has a baby under construction, due in about one month. She would attest that the process from conception through birth isn’t easy either. Yet I know she and her husband will be filled with awe and delight when this little miracle is placed in their arms.
We all encounter numerous times in our lives when we enter a construction zone of some type and hard work precedes the goal. College degrees, a solid marriage, careers, personal growth, raising children all require trememddous energy and effort. As we pursue the things that matter to us, we must hold on to hope in the midst of the mess and the chaos, trusting that the end result will be worth our aching bones or our aching brains or our aching hearts.
(c) 2006 Marlene Depler
What I thought would be a relatively simple project turned into hours of grueling work. First, the wallpaper in the kitchen and eating area came down inch by inch—literally. It seemed everyone had some idea on what would make it come down more easily: spray enzyme, steamer, etc. Nothing helped all that much.
After spending more than 60 hours at this task, I called in the “professionals” to help me finish. They got the wallpaper off all right! They took it down to the bare drywall! So now the walls needed retexturing. On top of this their precious enzyme had messed up some of the wood work.
In order to buy some time while the kitchen walls were fixed, the painting began in the laundry room which is right next to the kitchen Once the soft grapefruit yellow covered the laundry room walls, my painter, Kaki, and I moved to the upstairs bathroom. I painted the ceiling in the front part and the back section with two coats of pink. The color was out of same paint can, but because the lighting was different, the back part looked more like a fresh bottle of Pepto-Bismol. The ceiling in the front looked like soft pink flannel. Kaki used a white wash to tone the back half down.
Then when she started on the sage green, off-white, and pink stripes in the sink area, I moved to the kitchen to put primer on the fresh texture. Day after day I worked from morning until night. Even with some help, this project was far more than I had bargained for. I kept trying to envision the end product, telling myself that the grueling labor and aching bones would eventually be rewarded with pretty rooms.
Finally, we were rolling paint in the kitchen, and I was pleased with the light yellow and French blue accents. The end was in sight. On the morning Kaki and I put on the finishing touches, I breathed a sigh of relief! We were finished. Now the workmen just needed to come back and spray lacquer on the woodwork.
They did. However, when they pulled the tape around the wood off, they took paint off along with it. I was close to tears! More work! The next morning, I got the paint back out again to do the touch up. Now I am really finished, I thought.
I still need to frame some pictures and hang towel rods, but it feels great to have the mess behind me. As I reflect on the process from the inception of the ideas to completion, I know that I don’t like what happens between those two points. I don’t like the mess. I don’t like the hard work. Isn’t this the way we often feel in our journey through life?
My youngest daughter has a baby under construction, due in about one month. She would attest that the process from conception through birth isn’t easy either. Yet I know she and her husband will be filled with awe and delight when this little miracle is placed in their arms.
We all encounter numerous times in our lives when we enter a construction zone of some type and hard work precedes the goal. College degrees, a solid marriage, careers, personal growth, raising children all require trememddous energy and effort. As we pursue the things that matter to us, we must hold on to hope in the midst of the mess and the chaos, trusting that the end result will be worth our aching bones or our aching brains or our aching hearts.
(c) 2006 Marlene Depler
Monday, January 09, 2006
A Backwards Glance
“Look where you are going!”
We have all been told that from time to time. It’s important to keep our eyes focused on what is right ahead of us, especially when walking or driving. Otherwise, we may walk into a wall or step out in front of a car. Or we just may drive off the side of a cliff. It’s also prudent to look ahead and make plans for our lives. However, once in awhile it is wise to pause and take a look backwards—to reflect on where we have come from and where we have been. Most of us are easily consumed by forging ahead into the future, failing to pause and reflect on the journey thus far.
In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites to build a memorial of stones to help them and their children look back and remember God’s faithfulness in parting the Jordon River for their safe passage. (Read Joshua 4:4-7.) It may not be necessary for each of us to build a literal memorial or to make sure others understand our passage through the past year. Nevertheless, before we attempt to move forward, we would all do well to remember where we’ve been in the past twelve months.
I learned how to use a digital camera and write a blog. I delight in the memory of the extraordinary wild flowers near Steamboat Springs. I reflect on my joy over the announcement that a new grandbaby was on its way. I think of the few articles that were published and the exciting opportunity to write devotionals for a Bible that will be out later this year. I recall with joy the trip my husband and I made to Bosnia to see our far-away family and celebrate two birthdays while there. I think of the time Alicia and I spent on a couple sewing projects. How fun to pass on what I know about the art of sewing to another generation.
Yes, memory by memory, I figuratively build my own memorial of where I’ve been. I attest to God’s faithfulness, affirm my resilience and growth, and extend compassion to myself for the difficult days. In doing this, I am then ready to look forward—to anticipate the journey of a new year.
Have you taken the time to look in the rear-view mirror or glance over your shoulder at the past 365 days? Take a few moments to ponder the past year before pushing full steam ahead into the coming year.
*Note: Yes, I suppose this should have come before my last post! But I guess I am a little backwards in my thought processes of late.
(c) 2006 Marlene Depler
We have all been told that from time to time. It’s important to keep our eyes focused on what is right ahead of us, especially when walking or driving. Otherwise, we may walk into a wall or step out in front of a car. Or we just may drive off the side of a cliff. It’s also prudent to look ahead and make plans for our lives. However, once in awhile it is wise to pause and take a look backwards—to reflect on where we have come from and where we have been. Most of us are easily consumed by forging ahead into the future, failing to pause and reflect on the journey thus far.
In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites to build a memorial of stones to help them and their children look back and remember God’s faithfulness in parting the Jordon River for their safe passage. (Read Joshua 4:4-7.) It may not be necessary for each of us to build a literal memorial or to make sure others understand our passage through the past year. Nevertheless, before we attempt to move forward, we would all do well to remember where we’ve been in the past twelve months.
What challenges have we overcome?As I look back on my year, I am grateful that I finally got over a cough that lasted nearly two months. I remember the scare with my dad’s heart attack and subsequent quadruple heart by-pass. I’m thankful he survived and regained his overall health. I recall the heart-wrenching good-byes to a daughter, her husband, and three little grandchildren as they left for Bosnia. Somehow I survived. I especially remember the handful of friends who mourned my loss with me. How I treasure their comfort and support!
What difficulties and losses did we face?
What prayers were answered?
What relationships were strengthened?
What new friendships were forged?
What books were read? Was one of them a particular blessing?
What new things did we try?
What lessons did we learn?
What memories were made?
What guests passed through our doors?
Who befriended or encouraged us?
What projects were started? Completed?
Where there unexpected blessings or kindnesses that came our way?
I learned how to use a digital camera and write a blog. I delight in the memory of the extraordinary wild flowers near Steamboat Springs. I reflect on my joy over the announcement that a new grandbaby was on its way. I think of the few articles that were published and the exciting opportunity to write devotionals for a Bible that will be out later this year. I recall with joy the trip my husband and I made to Bosnia to see our far-away family and celebrate two birthdays while there. I think of the time Alicia and I spent on a couple sewing projects. How fun to pass on what I know about the art of sewing to another generation.
Yes, memory by memory, I figuratively build my own memorial of where I’ve been. I attest to God’s faithfulness, affirm my resilience and growth, and extend compassion to myself for the difficult days. In doing this, I am then ready to look forward—to anticipate the journey of a new year.
Have you taken the time to look in the rear-view mirror or glance over your shoulder at the past 365 days? Take a few moments to ponder the past year before pushing full steam ahead into the coming year.
*Note: Yes, I suppose this should have come before my last post! But I guess I am a little backwards in my thought processes of late.
(c) 2006 Marlene Depler
Friday, December 30, 2005
Another Trip Around the Sun
2005 is nearly done. Ready or not, here goes another trip around the sun.
As the New Year stretches out before us, we wonder what the next 365 days will bring. We may thoughtfully begin to make some plans for the next year, but we also realize that each trip around the sun brings with it an element of uncertainty—the unknown. Does this stir anticipation and hope in you? Or a twinge of fear? Maybe both.
In spite of the uncertainties or challenges that may lie ahead, there is something wonderful about blank calendar pages. Each little square opens up endless promise and possibility.
With this new beginning, many feel compelled to make New Year’s resolutions. Yet most of those well-intended resolutions to whip ourselves into shape end up discarded before we even turn the calendar to February.
Why is this? Often we set such global goals, so huge we can’t possibly keep them. I will exercise every day for an hour and loose 50 pounds in two months. Yeah, right!
Or we make resolutions so vague we can’t assess our progress. I will spend more time with my family. How will we know that we have achieved this?
One way to insure success with resolutions is to make them things we KNOW we will or won’t do anyway. For example:
As the New Year stretches out before us, we wonder what the next 365 days will bring. We may thoughtfully begin to make some plans for the next year, but we also realize that each trip around the sun brings with it an element of uncertainty—the unknown. Does this stir anticipation and hope in you? Or a twinge of fear? Maybe both.
In spite of the uncertainties or challenges that may lie ahead, there is something wonderful about blank calendar pages. Each little square opens up endless promise and possibility.
With this new beginning, many feel compelled to make New Year’s resolutions. Yet most of those well-intended resolutions to whip ourselves into shape end up discarded before we even turn the calendar to February.
Why is this? Often we set such global goals, so huge we can’t possibly keep them. I will exercise every day for an hour and loose 50 pounds in two months. Yeah, right!
Or we make resolutions so vague we can’t assess our progress. I will spend more time with my family. How will we know that we have achieved this?
One way to insure success with resolutions is to make them things we KNOW we will or won’t do anyway. For example:
Iwill not dye my hair red.
I will not eat liver.
I will not dust my house more than once a week.
I will love my grandchildren.
I will water my flowers, come summer.
I won’t stab anyone!
With these I’m guaranteed to succeed!
Or we can choose just not to make these yearly commitments that seem to sabotage our best intentions. For me, instead of resolutions, I reflect on my hopes and dreams. I ponder the things I value most. I consider what plans and purposes God may desire for me. Then based on these, I set a few small manageable, achievable goals.
Things like: I will schedule a time to teach my granddaughter how to use her new sewing machine. This works better for me than simply saying, “I will spend time with my grandchildren.”
OR I commit to removing my kitchen wallpaper and getting a bid on painting. If I succeed in this, there is no doubt that I will take the remaining steps to give my kitchen a much-needed face lift.
OR I will market at least two articles during the month of January. This feels manageable. And once I have done this, I will no doubt take another step with my writing.
I’ve found that I am energized by even little accomplishments. Success in small things is the impetus to move on to other things. Bit by bit I head in the general direction, I think God would have me to go, knowing full-well that he may take me on a few detours along the way.
Your calendar and my calendar are mostly empty pages at this point. May we accept the adventure of a new year with prayer for guidance, wisdom, and strength. Then take at least one step toward our hopes and dreams. As we make our yearly trek around the sun, may we also make it 365 days around the SON!
(c) 2005 Marlene Depler
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
A Touch of Pink
A few days ago, I purchased a light pink turtleneck sweater. Later that day, I was given a handmade pink scarf. What a beautiful combination! My newest earrings have pink beads on them. The new little journal from a friend is pink. Some years I even decorate my Christmas tree with pink tulle and pink bulbs! (This year it's red and gold.) All this reminded me of something I wrote about the color pink:
Color my world with hues of pink.(c) 2001 Marlene Depler
Sweet pink frosting on cookies and cake,
strawberry ice cream,
fluffy tufts of cotton candy,
pink lemonade served over ice
quenching summertime thirst,
clouds streaked pink on either horizon.
Weave pink threads into my world.
Pink candles, pink ribbons, pink soaps—
bold or pastel, dark or light , muted or bright,
it doesn't matter as long as they're pink
Color my world with pungent geraniums
and sweet roses—of course, in shades of pink
I cannot imagine my world without a touch of pink!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
My Christmas Prayer
This is a prayer I wrote at Christmas time several years ago. It is still my prayer each holiday. At this time of year, the tendency for most women is to do too much---to expect too much. I hope that this prayer reminds each of us to keep things in perspective this year.
Dear Father,
Still my anxious heart and rumpled spirit
in your divine presence.
Release me from the self-made prisons
of my unrealistic expectations.
Help me say "no" when I need to
without feeling guilty.
Let me feel joy when I am able to say "yes."
This year with your help, I will not fix,
rescue, or control those around me.
Show me what is truly my responsibility.
Help me remember that it
isn't my responsibility to make everyone happy.
Let me honestly acknowledge my needs and my feelings.
Give me the wisdom to know how to take
care of myself in a healthy, nurturing way—
for it is only then that I can truly give
to others from a full heart.
May I enjoy all the simple pleasures around me
and fully recognize the intangible gifts
that are given to me not wrapped in holiday paper.
Give me a glimpse of the eternal.
This Christmas season I choose to rest
in your goodness and love,
and to rejoice in your Son—
the greatest gift ever given.
Oh, Lord, let me experience Christmas
in the true sense this year.
Amen.
(c) 1998 Marlene Depler
Friday, December 09, 2005
Green Tea and Chocolate
Twas exactly one week before Christmas, when all through the house, I was the only creature stirring. Since visions of sugarplums danced in my wee little head, I promptly ate four milk chocolate truffles before I could even blink an eye. The knowledge that these chocolates were supposedly purchased to go into my children's Christmas stockings was not sufficient to deter me.
Worried that my tummy might indeed turn to a "bowl full of jelly," I brewed myself a cup of organic green tea. Surely this would counteract the effects of my aforementioned indulgence! I had read somewhere that green tea was good for one's health, though I am not sure just why.
I sat down with my cup of tea to read the morning paper when what to my wondering eyes should appear! No, it was not Santa, his sleigh, nor his reindeer. Better yet—it was an article entitled, "Chocolate: New Health Food? Harvard study finds those who eat chocolate live longer."[i] Well, now! I felt better already! I knew there must be a logical explanation for my love affair with smooth, creamy dark chocolate!
The article elaborated on a study of Harvard male graduates that found that those who ate chocolate and candy lived almost a year longer than those who did not. It explained that chocolate contains phenols, which are known to be antioxidants. Even though the scientists cautioned that the findings are preliminary, I am convinced that chocolate is indeed a health food. No doubt in my mind whatsoever!
Now there is no need for clandestine encounters with chocolate. I will proudly divulge my long-term relationship with the latest health food. No more secrecy, justification, or rationalization. Furthermore, if I combine chocolate with green tea, the combination of two will undoubtedly lengthen my life even more.
To all you other chocolate lovers out there, if you were here with me now, we would lift our mugs of green tea, and I would propose a toast, "To long life and more CHOCOLATE!"
Perhaps I should leave green tea and chocolate for Santa this year! Maybe he could use a little help!
[i] "Chocolate: New Health Food?", Daily Times Call, Friday, December 18, 1998, page C8.
(c) Marlene Depler
Worried that my tummy might indeed turn to a "bowl full of jelly," I brewed myself a cup of organic green tea. Surely this would counteract the effects of my aforementioned indulgence! I had read somewhere that green tea was good for one's health, though I am not sure just why.
I sat down with my cup of tea to read the morning paper when what to my wondering eyes should appear! No, it was not Santa, his sleigh, nor his reindeer. Better yet—it was an article entitled, "Chocolate: New Health Food? Harvard study finds those who eat chocolate live longer."[i] Well, now! I felt better already! I knew there must be a logical explanation for my love affair with smooth, creamy dark chocolate!
The article elaborated on a study of Harvard male graduates that found that those who ate chocolate and candy lived almost a year longer than those who did not. It explained that chocolate contains phenols, which are known to be antioxidants. Even though the scientists cautioned that the findings are preliminary, I am convinced that chocolate is indeed a health food. No doubt in my mind whatsoever!
Now there is no need for clandestine encounters with chocolate. I will proudly divulge my long-term relationship with the latest health food. No more secrecy, justification, or rationalization. Furthermore, if I combine chocolate with green tea, the combination of two will undoubtedly lengthen my life even more.
To all you other chocolate lovers out there, if you were here with me now, we would lift our mugs of green tea, and I would propose a toast, "To long life and more CHOCOLATE!"
Perhaps I should leave green tea and chocolate for Santa this year! Maybe he could use a little help!
[i] "Chocolate: New Health Food?", Daily Times Call, Friday, December 18, 1998, page C8.
(c) Marlene Depler
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Necessity, the Mother of Invention
Creativity is not just for the artistic types. Take my husband for instance.
A huge chunk of ice had built up in the bottom of our supposedly frostless freezer. My husband and I decided it was time to defrost this sub-zero mass. I took all the frozen food out and put it in a large cooler chest and turned the switch to off. Then my husband set to work.
Later I went to see how things were progressing. I was surprised to see two blow dryers tied from strings hanging from a shelf in the freezer. Something we ordinarily use to dry our hair had been conscripted to help melt ice.
“Very creative!” I said. I was impressed with my husband’s ingenuity. Necessity had definitely become the mother of this invention.
It’s often true that until a need of some sort arises, our creativity and imagination often lie dormant. All types of problems and challenges can become the fertile soil for seeds of resourcefulness to flourish. We become willing to look at things in new ways. We are willing to ask questions and then listen. As we seek for answers, our desire for solutions propels us to try things we had never thought of before. In the process, we are stretched and also often surprised by what we can do when we truly need to.
While some circumstances call forth our best creative processes, other circumstances reveal our limitations and just how much we don’t know. In our humanity, we often come to acknowledge our need for resources beyond our own. We discover our need for God’s Divine creativity and imagination to take over where our efforts are limited or our resourcefulness fails. We seek God when we realize that we need a whole lot more than our own inventiveness.
Thus, when we are surprised by our own creativity or the creativity of others, may we thank Him. And when we are confounded by our inabilities, may we seek Him—the Ultimate Creator!
(c) 2005 Marlene Depler
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Invitation to Love
My husband and I celebrated 35 years of marriage yesterday! We drove up to a quiet dinner at a great restaurant in the foothills just outside Boulder to celebrate.
I feel blessed! One day at a time, we have built a life together. And now I can’t imagine my life without my husband and friend.
Here is something I wrote for my youngest daughter’s wedding. It was fitting for her and her husband on their wedding day. It is also fitting for my husband and I after all these years.
Invitation to Love
By Marlene Depler
I feel blessed! One day at a time, we have built a life together. And now I can’t imagine my life without my husband and friend.
Here is something I wrote for my youngest daughter’s wedding. It was fitting for her and her husband on their wedding day. It is also fitting for my husband and I after all these years.
Invitation to Love
By Marlene Depler
To love and be loved—this is one of our greatest human
needs.The God who is defined by love is the God who invites us to
both.He first invites us to open our hearts to his love.From that fullness, he invites us to live in love.When we express love, we reflect the love of our Creator.Love is His imprint on our hearts.Marriage is a lifetime commitment to God’s invitation of love.In this sacred union, we choose to open our hearts to receive
the love that is offered and determine to give an unending love.Love will not look the same today as it will tomorrow or next
year, yet a commitment is made to nurture that love and to fall in love with
each other over and over again.Two lives joined in the context of love have greater potential
together than individually.The constancy, comfort, and compassion of marriage provide a
nurturing environment allowing freedom to experience personal growth.Love releases us to fully live life.Love costs everything, and yet in the process we are not
diminished.Love doesn’t give up in time of difficulty or
inconvenience.Love allows for two to walk hand in hand even when they don’t
always see eye to eye.Love allows us to share our hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows,
success and failure with another.Love finds expression not just in words, but in consistent
actions and attitudes.We are invited to love, not to possess.We are invited to support and encourage, not to
control.We are invited to care without smothering.We are invited to comfort without minimizing each other’s
pain.Love invites each heart to make its home beneath its wide
branches.At the end of life’s journey, little else matters more than
those we have loved and those who have loved us.
(c)2004 Marlene Depler
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Under My Skin
When things upset, irritate, or annoy us, we say that they “get under our skin.” I am not sure where this expression came from. Nevertheless, today I will share a few of my pet peeves! What little things annoy you?
Things That Get Under My Skin:
Pouring a bowl of cereal, only to discover there is no milk.
Stepping on someone’s carelessly discarded chewing gum.
Flies, mice, and spiders—if the dare come in my house, it’s war!
Raccoons that have the nerve to raid my corn patch the night before I plan to harvest the first roasting ears.
Finally remembering to use a coupon at the store, only to find out it’s expired.
Wanting to cook or bake something and discovering that I’m missing one ingredient.
Running out of thread just a couple inches before finishing a seam.
Very loud music.
Unreturned phone calls.
The maze of phone menus!
Prank phone calls.
People who don’t at least attempt to keep their word.
Indirect communicators—the ones who always leave others guessing as to the real meaning of what was said.
Rudeness, crudeness, and inconsiderate behavior of all kinds.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Autumn Harvest Cake
I love to make this cake in the fall. In fact, I plan to make one this weekend to take to a get-together. The combination of pumpkin, apples, and nuts is wonderful. With a cream cheese frosting, you can't beat it.
Autumn Harvest Cake:
Autumn Harvest Cake:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup softened butter (l stick)
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla
1-16 ounce can of pumpkin
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup chopped English walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour either a bundt pan or a 9x13 cake pan.
Mix ingredients in order given. Pour into cake pan. Bake bundt cake for 70 minutes and then cool a few minutes before removing from pan. For 9x13, bake for 45-50 minutes. Cook cake, then spread with frosting. Store in refrigerator. (This cake freezes well!)
Frosting:
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
½ cup butter (1stick)
1-8 ounce package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
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