I was fantastically in love with Princess Diana and her pretty clothes. We called her our 'pretty pretty princess.'
Now, I have fallen for The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine.
I call her Catherine because I read she does not like being Kate.
So there ya go.
I have a board for her on Pinterest and I have been busy pinning every picture I see of the darling Duchess.
As you know she is expecting.
Now that she is feeling better she is out and about, meeting and greeting.
She has many coats. Many darling coats.
Her baby bump is still tiny...but it seems to be that way for very tall, slim girls.
Which coat do you like best?
Just today she wore this in Scotland.
Yesterday this short coat.
I adore this. The sweet scallop at the hemline and the peterpan collar.
Leaning and relaxed you can see a bit of a bump.
Such a different color....but nice with the brown boots.
Love this one.
I wouldn't mind at all taking Catherine's picture.
:op
*****
This is for my friends who are going thru hard times.
I find it hard to believe that something good is coming from that suffering and pain.
People tell ya that. Wise people.
But dang, I hate the fire and I hate it when you are in the fire too.
What I do know is ya gotta keep going.
One day it will be better and you will love and smile and even laugh again.
Let yourself feel the love that is surrounding you. Feel that. Cling to that.
One day it will not hurt so much.
Encourage one another,
Donna
Thanks, Donna! I needed that bit of inspiration this morning.
ReplyDelete"Beautiful people do not just happen." Love this!
ReplyDeleteThe Duchess looks gorgeous in all those coats, but my favorite is the green one. And I always, always pick green, so now I'm thinking that I don't have an open mind where colors are concerned. But I guess that's okay. And a little weird. :)
I'm catching up and just read yesterday's post, too. So happy for Christina that she was able to dine with Mr. Metaxas! I really like how you can see Bonhoeffer's face in the photo, too.
Mary Z
I want Catherine's sense of style and her clothing budget! Smitten, I am.
ReplyDeleteI think my most favorite quote, that helped me immensely, after my mother died of cancer, is from Anne Lamott:
“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”
Obviously, it is directly about death, but I believe, it can apply to suffering, in general. Although, I've found, in other sufferings (aside from the death of a loved one), I tend to actually dance stronger after going through a fire. I can look back and say, "That sucked (I hate that word, but sometimes it just fits!), and I hated going through that. But, I know, now, in hindsight, that I am stronger. And, this too, shall pass."
It sounds so trivial to someone going through a trial, I know. And, I mean not to soft-serve or downplay anyone's struggle. I promise I say it with hope and encouragement. And, with experience; it's been tried and tested.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm going to pass it along to my mother who has a hard time around this time of year because it's my grandmother's birthday month.
DeleteThe first three coats are my favorites, but especially that white one...altho. the plaid one is really great, too. Let's face it, she just looks good in anything really. I read in the book about William (I so hope I have not told you this before) that she and William were flat mates in college with other young people and when he saw her in the fashion show he said to his friend something like, "Fergus, Kate is a real hottie!" It made me laugh out loud, because we see others all the time and then at some moment in time there is that "Ah, ha!" feeling where we really see them.
ReplyDeleteI am learning so much from the book Bread for the Journey by Henri J.M. Nouwen that I think Emma suggested or someone here, can't remember. The devotion for March 28th is entitled Where Mourning and Dancing Touch Each Other which he bases off of Ecclesiastes 3:4 "[There is] a time for mourning , a time for dancing" and he goes on to say how connected mourning and dancing are. "Often our grief allows us to choreograph our dance while our dance creates the space for our grief. We lose a beloved friend, and in the midst of our tears we discover an unknown joy. We celebrate a success, and in the midst of the party we feel deep sadness. Mourning and dancing, grief and laughter, sadness and gladness--they belong together as the sad-faced clown and the happy-faced clown, who make us both cry and laugh. Let's trust that the beauty of our lives becomes visible where mourning and dancing touch each other." On another day he also addressed how to be a friend in times of crisis suggesting "Sometimes it is good to say, 'You don't have to talk. Just close your eyes. I am here with you, thinking of you, praying for you, loving you.'" We can be there for one another, as Paula Bonhoeffer said to her son Walter as he left for war, "Its only space that separates us." God's love transcends space.
love and prayers, jep
Jep,
DeleteWOW. Thanks for posting this. I am SO GLAD you are here.
Much love,
Di
"Sometimes it is good to say, 'You don't have to talk. Just close your eyes. I am here with you..."
DeleteThat is amazing. Really, I love that.
S.P. from Iowa
So beautiful, Jep. The right words at the right time.
Deletehmbalison
Across the miles praying for you and your son... love, jep
DeleteI love the first and the last picture. That red color looks beautiful on her, and the cape with the casual look is so fun. She really is a darling woman. And I am glad that she looks so adoringly at her husband. Let's nip the unhappy marriage thing in the bud with this generation, eh?
ReplyDelete"Beautiful people do not just happen." Wow. That is truth speaking there.
I was just on the phone with a dear friend yesterday, both of us crying about some hard times. Life really can be very hard. But the joy does come again. And man! is it sweet when it returns.
Thanks for always being such an encouragement, Donna. Love ya!
Di
Di,
DeleteI was thinking of you today as I started my morning. My heart told me you needed prayers...So I sent a few your way. Hope you are well.
hmbalison
Right from the start I really liked the red coat. Then, the different color coat with the brown boots and those tights? I love that! I really wouldn't turn any of those coats down, or the outfits. I like how she matches her tights to her shoes. She is just refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for those of you that are going through painful things right now. My heart and prayers go out to you. If I lived closer I would give you a hug and cry with you. May God shine his light upon you.
Sarah P. from Iowa
I always think of it this way - if not for the pain and suffering we wouldn't be who we are.
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of Catherine. She is such a beautiful young lady. And you would be the perfect photographer for her!
Add me to the folks who love the tomato red coat! She is do darling.
ReplyDeleteThis quote from Elisabeth Kubler Ross is wonderful (she is Swiss you know, born in Zurich) .
Our Lord is close to those who are crushed in spirit. I wish it did not have to happen at all - but I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit who comforts us. AND for friends.
* SO * darling!!
ReplyDeleteLove the little glimpse of the baby bump too. :-)
Love all the pictures and she has such impeccable taste.
ReplyDeleteAre you surprised at how short some of the coats are? It throws me off just a little when I can't see even a hint of a skirt or dress underneath. I guess maybe I'm curious about what's underneath (skirt/dress color) I don't mind one bit, if anyone can pull it off she can, especially with great tights and awesome boots and perfect legs. ;)
May favorite is the off white coat, such a classic black/white look. I also LOVE the tan coat with dark brown hat, gloves, boots and cute tights. I'm so glad we have beautiful Kate to admire. :)
I saw that red coat first, and loved it most even though all of the other coats are adorable (and she is in them). But that green coat? The picture with that gorgeous green popping out amongst all the red?! That is just about a perfect picture, for me. I love it!! So...maybe a tie between the green and red. ;)
ReplyDeleteAs for suffering...this has been on my mind a lot lately. What has comforted me a great deal, not only for myself but for the hard suffering of others, is that God does not ask us to endure anything that he himself has not endured (really, there is no thing that we can think of that he did not go through). I thought this was so helpful from Bonhoeffer: "It is a question of the freedom of God, which finds its strongest evidence in that God freely chose to be bound to historial human beings and to be placed at the disposal of human beings. God is free not from human beings but for them. Christ is the word of God's freedom." What a God, what a Savior, who humbles himself in order to save us!! I am praying for those who are suffering. It is so deep and so real. May there be joy in the morning...
Here I am again sharing Nouwen's words, but they seem to me to affirm what DB said. On March 2nd, he talked about God's Covenant in a way new to me. He states that in the Old Testament of the Bible God is God-for-us and when "Jesus comes a new dimension of the covenant is revealed...in Jesus, God is born, grows to maturity, lives, suffers, and dies as we do...God is God-with-us. When Jesus leaves he promises the Holy Spirit. God wants to be as close to us as our breath. God wants to breathe in us, so that all we say, think and do is completely inspired by God...God is God-within-us." Reading about how DB gave himself over to "God-within-us" so profoundly encourages me to try harder to listen and do and be "inspired" in my actions by God. jep
DeleteMy favorite coat is the white one with the Peter Pan collar. Second would be the off-white with the fur collar. So classy. Catherine is perfection. And the most beautiful thing is that smile she always wears. I just know she has to be a lovely person on the inside too. It will be so fun to see pictures of the baby later on!
ReplyDeleteDebbie Z.
I am not sure I can choose a favorite. She is just stunning when she goes out... always.
ReplyDeleteYour words, those of EKR, and so many on the blog today are amazing. I am getting my pad out and writing them down!!
xoxo
Donna,
ReplyDeleteQuiet Life is a lovely place to be. You help me honor the struggle and the joy that comes when you least expect it.
Lately, I've been struggling with the bad news about my eyes (glaucoma) and the difficulty to improve my health enough to stop the doctor from yelling at me about my weight and my other medical tests. Mortifying because on the last appointment he said, "You weigh 10 pounds more than I do, and I'm five inches taller than you are...You need to get serious about your health."
I'm also waiting for my 18 year old son to finish boot camp. He is headed for the hardest part of his training next week, so I will be asking for prayers on the days when he is facing what they call "The Crucible."
Some days, it just feels hard--the waiting and the discipline to keep on, keeping on..
Coming here helps.
hmbalison
Alison, sending up prayers for you as you face these health challenges. I was just reading an article today by a doctor about how inhospitable doctors and the whole medical experience are to those who must use their services. She was advocating for a more human approach, which I would suggest your physician might need to consider.
DeleteAlso praying for your son as he faces his own challenges next week.
Sending a virtual hug across the miles Alison :-)
DeleteAlison, My son did the Crucible in March of 2012. He is now a Marine stationed at Camp Pendelton in CA. I remember waiting for the phone call to come that they are allowed to make when the crucible is finished after not speaking to him for almost 3 months. Oh how sweet it was to hear his voice. Your son will be ok. :) I will pray for him.
DeleteI've been loving that white one since I saw it yesterday. She finally looks pregnant!!
ReplyDeleteI've always been one to hang my hat on God's redemptive purposes -- that the pain won't be wasted Iin his economy. That has helped me immensely.... That whole idea from II Corinthians and elsewhere that He'll use my pain and brokenness to bring glory to Himself in a way I can't see at the time....
And watching 'beyond the gates' yesterday and thinking once again about those missionary wives who, though devastated at the loss of their husbands, carried out the ministry and mission anyway - and the way The Lord redeemed that brokenness and pain in the healing of that tribe -- it's astonishing. And profound. And something I don't want to miss.
Looking for some sunshine this afternoon.... Thanks for having it here in your corner of the Internet, :) I finally threw away my princess Diana scrapbooks, I think -- how I loved her. Scott and I dream that he'll be bishop when he's an old man, and we'll get to have tea at Windsor castle. A fun dream!! :)
Love
Stephie
Oh, Donna, I love her, too! I may have threatened her on my blog back in 2006 when she and William were publicly dating. Ahem, junior crushes die hard. But now I'm totally enamored with her. As for the coats, I love the green one. When she first showed up in I loved it because it was one of the first times when she looked visibly pregnant.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for them!
I love QL. Like the others, it's a place I come to visit to connect to real life and real people.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to keep that Ross statement on my desktop. So very, very true. I needed to hear that today, Donna.
--Mary from Wheaton
Just noticed in my calendar - April 9 is the observance/commemoration of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer! How cool is that?!?!
ReplyDelete{{{LIKE}}}
DeleteMan... I so wanted to join you guys in the Bonhoeffer reading/discussing. I fell off the wagon before I even got on (have read chapter 1, so far). Darn.
DeleteI read Christina's blog post about meeting Eric M., though, and am reinspired. :-) I'm too far behind to catch up with the discussions, but at least I'm motivated to pick up and finish the book! What a cool experience for Christina!
Catherine looks lovely in whatever she wears. I can' pin a favorite, but my least favorite would be the plaid one I guess. She always looks so put together with her tights, shoes/boots, hats, etc. I definitely don't have that knack.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your words of encouragement, Donna. You and your commenters are the best anywhere--so caring and willing to share. A very supportive group.
LOVE that EKR quote.......just beautiful and perfect!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite coat is the first one. Love the vibrant color. And I love the scarf she put with it... and the candid smile and the long stride. She looks like a woman on a mission; she is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteI like the one with the fur color, too. Mostly because it reminds me of my grandmother. It's quite retro... ;-) I have a picture of grandma in one just like it - circa 1965-ish. Grandma had many coats, too... so stylin'.
Thanks for the sentiment at the end, too. The sun does always eventually shine after dark days. "Chin up, shoulders square, eyes sparkling (even when streaming), persevering."
Ooops... fur *collar. ;-)
DeleteI love your Catherine images here. The white coat; the one that is showing the bump. She is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteAnd I repinned your quote. It's beautiful.
it is so interesting how different people carry their pregnancies... my cousin jennifer is 6 feet tall and very slim... she carries straight out and is enormous (i'll text you a pic if you care to see how i am not exaggerating) there was a girl at work due 6 weeks before me... huge like me. a girl at work due 4 weeks after me, tiny as can be. how nice it must be to be able to wear your own clothes with your tiny bump for so long.
ReplyDeletei adore the first coat, and the last.
Of course I want to see your cuz's big belly!
DeleteOh I love that quote. Sniff. Thanks for posting it and for always encouraging.
ReplyDeleteSandy C
Dear Catherine looks great in WHATEVER she wears just as Diana did! Honestly, I don't notice her clothes as much as her smile and how her face lights up. She looks oh so genuine :-)
ReplyDeleteYou said something that I don't think I've thought about before when it comes to fire walking - "Let yourself feel the love surrounding you." When your heart is so tender from the battle, it almost feels too tender to trust the love around you. And yet, love is the most healing thing the Lord provides, isn't it?
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
As a P.S......I love the quote jep posted and am going to add it to my journal :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Tammy ~@~
Donna, Your kind words have been a balm to my soul tonight. They brought tears to my eyes when I read,"One day it will not hurt so much." How I long for that day. Thank you for being humble and encouraging. You are such a blessing.
ReplyDeleteI like the short soft brown one that she is wearing with the brown boots. The neck is different. Fabulous. I am glad you like her so much. She is a beautiful. She reminds me of your girls. Your beautiful girls.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect sentiment from Elizabeth Kubler Ros.
Happy Saturday to my favorite girl in Wisconsin. You.
I am also smitten.
ReplyDeleteSo classy.
Cannot wait to see how the wee one is dressed.
ohooo she is looking perfect in her all dresses. she is really pretty :)
ReplyDeleteI was an Oncology nurse for a while and so your post from Ms Ross sent me right back there for awhile. Did you know that she always used lavender scents, candles and such. She truly thought it brought a calmness. Great post of the Duchess also. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBea