Certainties & Uncertainties

“I am deciding to embrace the uncertainty with the glorious certainty.”

"Today I feel like I simply cannot keep track of all the thoughts buzzing through my head and heart. I feel like I’m swimming in uncertainty about so many aspects of my life, and I just don't and can't know what the future holds. And in this pool of ambivalence, I've been reflecting on the gratitude I feel for the things that I am certain are certain in my life.”  Charity Eyre Wright

I came across this in a blog post on a morning when I was feeling much uncertainty. The phrase “embrace the uncertainty with the glorious certainty” really touched my heart and head. The blogger related the certainties that would help her deal with the multitude of uncertainties in her life at the moment. That’s a good thing to do – much like counting our blessings when things get tough and we lose sight of the blessings.

Here are some of my certainties. God is in heaven and I am His daughter. He knows me and loves me. Jesus Christ is my Savior. He knows me and loves me. The atonement was for me and all who are on this earth. I have faith in the rightness of learning and living the gospel of Jesus Christ. That way of life makes a difference for me and others around me. Joe and I are eternal companions. Our relationship will continue after this life. Physical challenges and trials in life are but a small moment when put in eternal perspective. I love our children and grandchildren, my siblings and their families. Families are our most important stewardship.  

These glorious certainties strengthen me and help me face, yes “embrace” the uncertainties. 

Christ - Savior & Redeemer & Messiah

Messiah

"The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." John 4: 25

"The scriptures teach that we can dwell in the presence of God “through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). Messiah is “an Aramaic and Hebrew word meaning ‘the anointed.’ … In the New Testament Jesus is called the Christ, which is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. It means the anointed Prophet, Priest, King, and Deliverer.” "Messiah"  

Savior & Redeemer 

"Among the most significant of Jesus Christ’s descriptive titles is Redeemer ... Redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom. … Each of these meanings suggests different facets of the great Redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ through His Atonement, which includes, in the words of the dictionary, ‘to deliver from sin and its penalties, as by a sacrifice made for the sinner.’” D. Todd Christofferson

“Heavenly Father … sent His Only Begotten and perfect Son to suffer for our sins, our heartaches, and all that seems unfair in our own individual lives." Linda K. Burton

I'm still learning, pondering, and praying about the meaning of Savior and Redeemer. I know what it means on one level but there's much more for me to understand. It's very deep and far reaching - it has significance in this life as well as the life to come. Because He saved and redeemed me, I can move beyond the mistakes I make in this life and have hope in eternal life.

Snapshots from Saturday

We were on the cleaning crew early Saturday morning. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members of the congregation clean church buildings in preparation for Sunday services. 

***************
These signs were at a Botanical Garden

Around here there's a lot of signage about who can park where. 

Some signs are familiar

"Low Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles" get preferred parking right up with handicapped spots. You should see what kinds of vehicles park in "compact" spaces - some of them are huge! Often most of the close-to-entrance spots are labelled "compact." 

Stepping In Front

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked …  (John 5: 2-8)

There are abundant lessons in these verses. Verse 7 stood out to me recently. The man tries to get to the water to be cured but someone always “steppeth down before me.” 

How often do I hinder someone’s progress because I'm focused on my own task at hand and clueless about the people around me? How often does someone need assistance and I'm unaware because I'm so focused on what I'm doing? 

I need to do better and be better - more mindful of the progress someone else is trying to make - more mindful of the assistance someone might need. More like Christ.

Click here for Carl Bloch painting

Hadley Pottery - Part of Our Brand

Hadley Pottery came into our lives sometime in the 1980s. Several times a year I was Ohio’s representative at meetings at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky. I don’t recall if someone told me about the pottery or if I saw it in a hotel gift shop. 

However it happened, I fell in love with the stoneware and the fact that you could buy almost perfectly good seconds at the factory in Louisville. I looked over the various patterns and it became my mission to collect a full set of Hadley Pottery’s “Country Collection.” Every time I went to Louisville, I’d go to the factory and buy more seconds, usually 3 or 4 pieces at a time. It took me years but I eventually amassed a set of plates and bowls of various sizes as well as mugs. I don't think I bought anything at full price. I was very patient. 

We like the animal designs in the Country Collection - cat, dog, pig, horse, chicken, cow, lamb, and duck. It’s been fun to watch grandchildren’s reactions to the pottery over the years. Some children insist that each of their pieces match – can’t have a pig mug and lamb bowl. Others like to mix things up. 

The stoneware is amazingly durable. I’m sure something has broken over the last 20+ years but I can’t remember what it was or when it happened. 

Interestingly, my friend uses this same Hadley stoneware and pattern. We weren’t aware of each other’s love of the dishes until years after we’d each started accumulating it. 

Here’s more about Hadley Pottery from their website – 

“Mary Alice Hadley was born into a family of clay tile makers where her knowledge of working with clay first developed. Exhibiting an early interest in art and design, she ultimately became a widely recognized painter, winning numerous awards and acclaim from New York to Los Angeles. By the late 1930’s Mary Alice Hadley began melding her artistic talent with her knowledge of clay ware. In 1939, Mrs. Hadley made dishes for her houseboat on the Ohio River. The creative result was a set of a custom dishes that caused such a stir among her friends and acquaintances that the idea for a business was born. Supplying those early requests provided wide circulation for her hand-crafted pottery and soon orders began to arrive from across the country. With the help of her husband, George, the Hadley Pottery Company was formed early in 1940." Source

Hadley pottery is made from clay from a pit in Indiana. The clay is found sandwiched between two 3 foot layers of coal. Each piece is hand painted. Each piece is signed "M. A. Hadley" on the bottom. Click here to read more about how Hadley Pottery is made.

Our pieces are from the Country Collection. These are the first designs used by Mary Alice Hadley for the dishes for her Ohio River houseboat.  

****
Additional pieces - additional stories 

I was part of a group of people who administered state resource centers to distribute braille and large print books to blind and visually impaired students. We formed a national organization to deal with state and national issues connected with resources needed by these students. I served in the organization for quite a few years, one year as president. When I left my job to go on our mission, my colleagues presented me with a special plate from Hadley Pottery - they all knew of my love of the pottery and trips to the factory whenever I was in Louisville.

Another story - 

T & J gave us salt and pepper shakers and a bowl. It was a thank you gift for letting J live with us one summer. J and T met at college in Utah. J lived in California. He drove out to Ohio to work for the summer because he didn't want to be apart from T. He stayed with us.

Another piece -  

One of Mary Alice Hadley's designs was a beautiful rearing horse. You can see her painting it here. I had a wall plaque of that horse hanging in the kitchen at North Street. I liked the colors and the spirit of the horse. Here's a platter with the rearing horse. 

Another story - 

This platter has a recipe for Hot Browns. The Hot Brown is a specialty sandwich created by the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. As a teenager Joe's mother, Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Neely, attended dances at the Brown Hotel and ate Hot Browns. 

**************

We love this pottery. When I asked Joe to review this post, he commented that Hadley Pottery is part of our "brand." "It's something people will always associate with us," he said. 

Nature Pictures

A while back I collected these pictures for a post that never got posted

I love the beauty of this earth

contrasting textures & colors

I think these are epiphytes, air plants that grow on trees.

wonderful colors & textures

Spanish lavender

Moss is found on sidewalks, on tree limbs and trucks - it's everywhere

Often rooftops are covered with thick layers of moss. 

Horsetail- very interesting plant

clever planters

garbage cans on coasters

Eyes & Ears

"Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? ..."  Mark 8: 18

We lived here for many weeks, perhaps a month or so, before we saw the majestic Olympic Mountains across Lake Washington. One morning I was greeted with a glorious vista. The clouds had lifted and I could see the mountains. 

We often experience this spiritually when we understand or feel something that previously eluded us. 

I want to make sure my eyes and ears are always open to communication from the Spirit. 

*******
(looking west across Lake Washington and towards Seattle.)

Kirkland's Sculptures

Kirkland is filled with beautiful public art

Most of the pieces below are in several blocks of downtown Kirkland

The Homecoming

Betty Lou - based on citizen of Kirkland

Puddle Jumpers

I love the exuberance expressed in this sculpture. 

The children are running down the hill to the water. 

Last Gift

Nesting - I think this is my favorite

Mountain Comrades

Every once in a while someone puts soap in this downtown fountain

Carousel - the expressions on the faces of the father, 

mother & daughter are intriguing

Cow and Coyote

These two are decorated for every special occasion

Reverb - did it reverb too much & that's why it was tied down?

Centennial Fountain

This is another favorite. The sculpture is embedded in a seating area bordering Lake Washington (See picture on left. It's on the right edge of the picture.) Picture an adult sitting on the ledge - seat, hand & feet prints. Then there's a child with seat & hand prints - the child's legs aren't long enough to have footprints on the lower ledge.

First Romance

Winter (there's a Spring sculpture in the same park)

The Storyteller 

There are many more - click on the links below

See more sculptures here, here, and here

Click here for a map & more information

See list of Kirkland sculptures here