locks at marseilles il

marseilles il

Taken back in June of last year when we were having record rains. These locks are located at Marseilles, IL. A series of 8 locks enable shipping between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

In other news, decided to change up the theme of the blog. Would appreciate any feedback, or, if you have any WordPress themes you would like to recommend…

Also, in case you might be wondering, ‘rutakintome’ is pronounced “are you takin’ to me.” What can I say? I am a New Yorker and Robert DeNiro fan.

toolbox

Toolbox

My daughter and son-in-law rent the main level of a beautiful old home in the awesome Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. When you walk into the basement it feels like you take a step back in time. I am almost sure I heard this old toolbox say, “Take my picture!”

lonely tree

lonely tree

Happy 2016 everyone! Well, from the weather side of things, the end of 2015 looks a lot like the significant flooding we had about 7 months ago. December was unusually warm and ended with a wintry mix of ice pellets, followed by flooding rain. Due to our flight being cancelled, and the resulting backlog, I was not able to get to Haiti. We hope to go in May. This is a lonely tree wondering why the Illinois River is so high….again. Here’s to warmer times…. cheers!

happy new year

happy new year

I am leaving for a missions trip to Haiti on Dec. 28 and won’t return until after the new year, so here is my last post for 2015. Thank you WordPress family for your visits, your kind comments and for your encouragement. You are all an incredibly talented bunch! Looking forward to the journey with you in 2016. Happy New Year!

new year time

Merry Christmas!

elliot christmas

Our Christmas has truly been a merry one! Our oldest daughter gave birth to Elliot on Christmas Eve at 6:20 a.m.  So here is the little guy! Mom, dad and baby are doing great! Nana and grandpa are so grateful! To my dear WordPress family: Merry Christmas!

elliot christmas2

waiting for winter

I&M

We are having an unusually warm December… the I & M Canal seems to be quietly waiting for winter to arrive…. I would rather see the warmer trend continue.

the shore of my heart

cold shore

the shore of my heart

mission accomplished

mission accomplished

The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional day that the Garcia family gets the Christmas tree up and begins the decorating joy! Mission accomplished on the tree, but the rain has left our house without Christmas lights. Hopefully this week! With three of our four children married it was a bit quieter, but I am SO EXCITED for my favorite time of the year! What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

grateful

i am grateful for steps… the journey… gold and grave…

iandm6

i am grateful for breath… the rhythm… singing out loud…

iandm5

i am grateful for light… the assurance… darkness cannot abide…

iandm4

i am grateful for love… love and friendship… i am not alone…

iandm3

i am grateful for mystery… all that is unkown… i will trust the author…

iandm2

i am grateful… for you…

iandm1

and…..breathe…

breathing colors

Sorry for the space in between posts…. I have been on…well…. an adventure of sorts. Was hospitalized for one night earlier this week due to difficulty breathing….great difficulty breathing. Long story short, I am all right, but have been ill since Oct. 6. Cough, wheezing…etc. On meds and on the mend now.

I took a short stroll to try and soothe some cabin fever and brought my camera. In our corner of the world fall fell, and is falling away towards winter, but there are still moments where you just wait…and let the colors saturate your soul and fuel your wonder and…..breathe…