cow bells return!

Warmer days bring children laughing, cow bells, and views that take my breath away...  I spend hours on Saturday mornings running these farm roads--- I stop often, turn off my ipod, listen and breath.  When it is time to say goodbye I wonder how I'm going to bottle all this sweet garden patch in God's vineyard and take it home with me.  For now I take photos.......

I walk up the path to school from the bus stop early in the morning, happy that it isn't dark and icy and am greeted by the cows!  They've come home or at least let out of the barn-- but it is always exciting-- They are part of the landscape here and it's like an old friend has returned.  I smile as I watch a group of bouncy five year old's stand at the fence mesmerized by an animal eating, as I think of trying to hold their attention for a lesson that morning--  They underestimate my power as an authority figure as Marcus shouts to me, "Can you make that cow kick our ball back?"  Followed by, "I wish cows could play football." 

A snapshot of one of my favorite spaces just to be...... my dreaming road!  I own that road and anything seems possible.  The place where plans are made and problems are solved!  Hope grows here--- 

The sun brought plan B at Young Women's night as the lake was calling our names....  time to slow down, talk and listen--  This little patch by Lake Luzern became a Holy Place for the six of us.

Yep, that is a green peanut m and m on the back of that Swan --- good shot Maddie--  and Swans in Switzerland do like chocolate we found out!

I've watched this field of flowers grow -- in the fall it was a field of sunflowers and now tulips.  Love the honesty systems the Swiss have---  cut what you would like and pay here!  I like the idea of helping to build a community of trust through a beautiful flower-- 

One of my stopping points, looking and wondering at this group of trees...   made me think of an image of Redwood trees I've carried with me the past couple of weeks as a friend was talking to me about their roots as she prepared for a talk....  I now know that a 350 foot tall Sequoia sempervirens tree has roots that are only 5 or 6 feet deep but they make up for that in width sometimes extending up to 100 feet from the trunk..  They thrive in thick groves where the roots can intertwine and even fuse together.  This gives them tremendous strength against the forces of nature.  This way they can withstand high winds and raging floods..  My national geographic moment.....  It makes more sense to me now why we need each other to make it "Home."  The simplicity, complexity and sometimes just messy bits about working together seems to have more of a meaningful purpose...  Hoping my new thinking gives me needed perspective when serving with tired feet, forgiving when I want to be angry, and loving without understanding--  Here's to another week of loving, finding our way and growing upward together!