It's been a long time since I said "hello" on this blog space - such good memories here and I thought I'd invite you to join me in two more spaces - LylahLedner.com and The Simple Farm. It's what life has been looking like over the past ten years...same heart...same beauty....just looks a bit different.
xx Lylah
Seasons are a good thing.
Living here in the desert, I'm thankful for seasons. I'd hate for our scorching summer temps to be a constant thing and I always look for the reprieve of our lovely fall season.
So, as seasons come and go - so do good things and after much prayer and contemplation and discussion with my husband, I've decided to put this blog - Simple Home Living into a coast mode.
Coasting means that once in a blue moon I'll have a subject or two that is churning of which I'll write about. For example - I do have one brewing - I say brewing - because it's been one that has been incredibly painful to my heart. The subject is about a long term friendship and relationship that has crumbled with no resolve because of a refusal to meet for coffee and at least talk and place truth on the table. It will take some time to write about this because I'm still processing, shaking my head and working through the pain of this "walk away" friend. Amazing that that happens, isn't it?
So, as I've expressed, this blog will coast along without my obvious presence. The reason I'm not closing it out completely is because there are still many who visit this blog due to resources for women on marriage, the home front and other good stuff. I want this to continue to be just that - a resource place for women to draw upon for help.
Often I've referred to La Maison et le Jardin and its lighter touch. I have thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity and lack of pressure to post daily life there. That will continue.
Also, periodically, I've mentioned Cactus Road and have shared its evolution from a place where "church" met in a house on dirt into what has beautifully become a farm where life and community are happening and in constant motion. In light of that transformation, Michael and I have been journaling our journey through this wonderful metamorphosis and in time will blog that experience on another blog spot.
Thanks for your support and understanding - in this - my season of life.
We are wrapping up our time in this place of beauty - India. I leave with conflicted thoughts and emotions and ton of pictures of these beautiful people. Can't wait to come home and process all I've taken in as well as begin to post pictures and stories of what my eyes have seen and my heart has felt.
India - you are loved and I hope to return.
Jet lag is an interesting phenomenon. The brain wants to get up and explore and the body wants to sleep. That's me right now.
Michael and I arrived in India two days ago. Don't ask me what day two days ago was because it's 21.5 hours ahead of my Arizona time zone. All I know is that we didn't leave Monday am like planned because Lufthansa canceled all flights from Frankfurt to Bangalore on Mondays and they didn't bother to let us know.
It was actually a good thing because I stink at packing for trips like this and it gave me an extra twenty four hours to review the mess I'd created on the floor in our bedroom in my lame attempt to be a minimalist and cram everything into a back pack. Like yeah, for sure.
Anyway, we arrived safely and last evening our daughter Candace arrived.
We are here to participate and celebrate in the Hindu wedding of Praveen and Sowmya. I can hardly wait for the celebration to begin. Sowmya is one of our daughters from India. A few years ago we wanted to make connections with international students attending ASU and after "signing up" we were blessed with our son Jim (Pryank) and then the next year with four beautiful daughters - Vidya, Ambika, Bindu and Sowmya.
Through their hearts and lives we have grown to love the Indians and their gentle culture of kindness, love and respect. So, we are here to celebrate their two lives becoming one. The ceremony will take place next Wednesday and Thursday and when Sowmya emailed me the wedding itinerary, I cried. But, then again, I always cry at the significance of the miracle of God bringing two individuals together and creating one.
This afternoon - at 4 pm ish - we'll take a flight to New Dehli and visit friends from a long time ago. There, we will have an opportunity to see pain at its depth - walking through brothels. We will also take a three hour road trip tomorrow - I guess that might be Saturday - to see the Taj Mahal.
I've got some interesting pictures and did a video clip yesterday of the traffic. Michael says it reminds him of Vietnam - it's random, yet organized - crazy, scary and yet no one really seems to get hurt (at least from what we can tell).
As nervous as I was to visit India, I am so very thankful for this opportunity of a life time.
