sixty years ago and more

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Shanda

My mom read the last blog post and said maybe Jean’s recipes were still at the Thrift store so naturally I went down there this morning to see if they were. I said to myself, “Also, if there are anymore of those scrapbooks I will buy them.” There were no recipes anywhere and I came away with 20 or so scrapbooks and two books for 3 dollars. I felt rather like I was getting away with something. These books are a treasure trove of history.

I sat on the porch for a long time this morning, quietly turning the pages and only getting through two of them. They are delightfully engrossing.

“Afghans watch television at an American exhibit in Kabul.”

Look at their eyes.

Jean was a teacher. And as of the scrapbooks that I have, she was not married. There aren’t any personal things about her in the books but some cards and little notes given to her by friends and/or acquaintances, and a couple small certificates. There are no personal opinions or notes. The only key to her personality are the clipping she saved. Things like politics, weather, historical sights, antique furniture, poems, quotes, comics, bible verses or prayers, and animal photos. “You can know a lot about a person by the things they collect.”

“the information that he had been stricken by what is commonly called a stroke was camouflaged in medical double talk.”

“Grant us the grace of perspective as we listen to the centuries rather than to the hours.”

He’s so cute, he’s the same age as my Seth!!! So adorable.

“Photographing Animals is a Fascinating Hobby” I can agree to that.

“The duck has established an imaginary boundary line and every time Frank crosses it, the duck jumps in front of him and quacks loudly until the child turns back.”

“There is nothing too little for so little a creature as man. It is by studying little things that we attain the great knowledge of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.”

“Mrs. John F Kennedy moving from the White House with her two children today.”

“We are tired of television and of staring stupidly into the screen.”

“We aim to get together and have some fun instead.”

******

I stared at the date on the calendar when I came back inside. To my surprise, it was 2016.

Have you ever had that feeling before?

interesting

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Shanda

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Jacob and I went to Brimfield yesterday.

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I brought home fiestaware.

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Not only are my dishes useful but they are also decorative. They add all the color to the otherwise neutral kitchen.

Things not to be used are on the top shelves. Everything else is used daily.

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In the morning I used my claret mug. He made the coffee while I made waffles, scrambled eggs, and sausage for our children. Saturday mornings.

The girls and I were downtown.

We had a picnic across the street from the coffee shop in town.

The flowers are so lovely there.

I met a Kindred Spirit in the thrift store book room.

There were two stacks of Scrapbooks made by her, full of everything I also like: heartfelt articles, poetry, comic strips, news, cards, pictures.

I chose some to bring home (8). I will show you some of the things in them on another day.

They are amazing. The lady’s name was Jean and she made the scrapbooks in the early 1960s. She was a teacher. Someone loved her named Bill. I’m currently typing these words on my bed surrounded by the things she found interesting enough to cut and glue into books……..

It’s sad that they ended up in a thrift store, wasn’t there any family who could have kept them? I left over half of them there on the shelf…..but at least there are some home with me and I will have the coziest time looking through them. I love them.

Gracie in the book room.

Well, lastly we went into the Dollar General. I hated the way my hanging basket looked after a rough season of being watered faithfully and then left to dry out nearly to death, over and over. So I thought of a solution; and Rich remarked, “Nice, Shan! It looks like a wig on a very old lady!”

just a little walk with caleb.

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Shanda

You may not realize this, but I have a son named Caleb. He is son #4.

I cannot imagine the family without our Caleb. He respects everyone; man, woman, child, and animal. He notices things; beautiful things. He not only holds my hand but it’s all his idea. He is 11 years old and likes to hug and lean against his mama, still, like a much younger child would. He knocks me off balance when he does because he’s such a very strong, solid boy. When he walks we can hear him stomp. When he jumps he lands with a thud. When he laughs the sun comes out. When he sleeps he buries his face in pillows. He tells the truth. He chews his nails off to the quick.

He and Ethan had cleanings this morning at the dentist in town. They both hate the dentist so I had to go along to give the poor babies love and moral support. Caleb had his teeth cleaned first and when he came back I asked him if he would go outside with me to stretch our legs while we waited for E. Even though he was all set to read about football he readily said yes.

I’m thankful for my son Caleb.

He’s a great kid. I can tease him, say no to him, lecture him, or love on him and he never complains. This summer he has listened to JR Tolkien audio books every night and he is currently reading several books, including The Hobbit. He goes to football practice every afternoon and during the day he plays with his siblings. He loves to play video games. He likes his things to be neat and organized and gets very upset when his siblings disturb his legos. He sneezes a lot so I give him Zyrtec in the morning and that helps. I think his favorite color is green. Sometimes when he is silly he makes a “buck-hack” sound like a chicken, which is super annoying. Seth does it now, too. Caleb is always asking to have friends over. He absolutely loves the family dog; Parker gets a lot of attention from his boy Caleb.

“YOU’VE MADE THIS DAY SPECIAL
JUST BY BEING YOU.
THERE’S NO ONE IN THE WORLD
QUITE LIKE YOU, AND
I LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.”

We discovered a nice stream by the dentist office. It was shady under the trees and the water was warm. We studied the sumac plant (first pic), admired a tall mushroom, sank our feet in soft moss, and showed each other our best jumping skills.

It was much better than sitting in a waiting room.

now and then

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Shanda

We just got home from running errands, Caleb, Seth, Sarah, and I. Now Seth and Sarah are playing together and Caleb is curled up at the other end of the couch reading a book. I bought it for him at Costco; Treasure Hunters, Peril at the Top of the World. He says he will probably finish it today.

When I was his age, my favorite thing to do was get a big stack of library books and read, read, read.

When I was a little girl, I lived on a very quiet country road. The lawn was green and soft and the air was sweet. I loved going outside whenever I finished my books. I would go for walks, climb trees, make a fort, pick flowers, walk down the crick, turn some cartwheels, or ride my bike. I did some of these things alone, but mostly with my aunt or cousins or siblings. There was never a lack of playmates and the farm was busy then, too. We could visit the calves or kittens in the hay barn. We could wave to Grandpa as he passed by on his Tractor. If we walked by Grandma’s house she would come out on the porch to wave and say hello.

I liked the smell of the farm. I liked it when Dad got home in the afternoons and we all ate dinner together. I didn’t like my mom’s macaroni and cheese but I do now. My Dad and brothers liked to play basketball outside and sometimes they would try to shoot baskets from as far away as possible. Dad was good at side shots. Dave and I would race but we always tied. We kids all went barefoot all the time. I loved my cut off jeans.

We could always find mom in the garden or in the kitchen. Just knowing she was there made us feel secure. I think I had the best childhood. I felt surrounded by family but I also felt like my own person, too. I was free to do whatever I wanted and think my own thoughts. My life wasn’t controlled by my parents, it was loved, nurtured, and there were rules like there are in every family, but I felt that my days were my own. I lived off fresh air, family, freedom, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

We went to church on Sundays. In the car, I sat in the seat behind my Dad, who drove with Mom by his side. Church, like home, was a safe place, too. I loved going to church, singing hymns, spending time with my special friends whom I only saw on Sundays. I loved the comfortable feeling of sitting so very long listening to a sermon in Pastor’s familiar voice and style with my stomach getting hungrier and hungrier. Every time I looked at my Mom she would smile at me. As I got older, I was able to help in the nursery and I loved playing with the babies. I liked listening to the ladies talk and visit. I observed all the women in the church. I liked to see how they fixed their hair and make up, the way they dressed and walked. I especially loved the musicians and I longed to play the piano like our church pianist did. The older ladies and men were the friendliest to us children, and they smiled at us and spoke to us with love. I loved all my teachers and the things they did to make church a nice place for children.

These are just a few of my memories from childhood. I’m thankful for the way I was raised and even though it certainly wasn’t always sunshine and roses, it all became part of who I am today and God was near to me then just as He is now. It was a slower life back then, which is why I think it is important to be nostalgic now and then, so I can remember to slow down now, too. I can remember to simply let my own kids play, realizing that they don’t need “ME” in ALL of their activities, knowing that just “finding me in the kitchen” is a comfort to them. I can remember to look forward to their Dad coming home just like I did my own Dad. And perhaps I will very soon bake up a nice big bowl of my mom’s delicious homemade macaroni and cheese.

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Yesterday Sarah had a procedure done to remove the stent she’s had since her surgery on July 6th. She was very anxious and the doctors and I had to lay her down on the table and put the mask on her. I held her in my arms and let her look at my face as she fought sleep. Each time she started to relax she would get afraid and clutch at me again. Her little arm was up around my shoulders. It was quite heart wrenching.

She woke up sobbing and upset. She didn’t like the way she felt, “Why am I tired?” she cried. Thankfully the whole experience only took a few hours and soon were were back in the truck going out to lunch. Sarah insisted on tacos. We had to carry her into Moes but she ate her taco fast and determined with the hospital bracelet on and a bandaid from the IV needle, looking pale as a ghost. Then she shared my food.

Later on, I took her outside with me. It’s been hot here but yesterday evening was cooler and it was such a lovely ending to a very stressful day.

I wanted to show her the flower she gave me when she was still in school. She planted a marigold seed and gave the plant to me for Mother’s Day. It is now almost as tall as she is and covered in buds.

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Then I showed her a giant sunflower. She carried her little blue owl every where she went.

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She helped me give the plants some water.

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David was with us, too. So I took a sister and brother photo.

These are from this morning:

I have a morning glory vine in one of my front garden beds (which need a lot of help). It’s been a nice surprise to watch it grow all summer. I’ve been training it up to the porch railings.

M I N T

P U M P K I N

Q U E E N A N N E’S lace, growing near the side steps. Sherlock wants to be let in.

******

Today Ethan and Tessa are celebrating their one year anniversary of when they became a couple. So they went to the beach with Michael, Zach, Grace, Caleb, and David.

It was after I took this photo that they left and then I left with the little kids to run our errands.

I found fiestaware at the Goodwill!!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

a little bit of this a little bit of that

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Shanda

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I made my way to the kitchen in order to make that first cup of coffee. Sarah was on the couch in the living room and the boys were still asleep.

Our nineteen year old son Jacob had left in the wee hours of the morning to go on a road trip and as I poured Sarah’s drink of milk I was touched to see that he had left me a note. It was on the other side of the counter so I had to reach across to pull it toward me, turning it right-side-up in order to read it.

What was it going to say? Perhaps; “I’ll miss you, dearest mother”?, or, “Don’t worry, I will drive safely, God is with me.”? how about, “Give my siblings a hug and kiss for me when they wake up, I’ll miss them!” ? or “I did the laundry before I left” ?

I was so surprised when I read it that I just had to laugh!

What sort of 19 year old leaves notes of remorse about finishing up FOOD?

And that “I love you” tacked on the end. Even his name made me smile! “Jake” not Jacob, but “Jake”. My little Jake, not so little…..but still as sweet as ever.

Does he not know, has he not heard? Mothers want the children to eat ALL the ham salad! Mothers eat lots of ham salad only if they have a sneaking suspicion that the children don’t like it and it will go to waste!

His mother would gladly give him ALLLLLLLL the ham salad!!!!!!!!

The note should have said, “I’m sorry I left the empty ham salad container and little bits of it on the counter for YOU to clean up instead of throwing it away myself!” Am I right? No, maybe not. I saw more of his priceless self and heart in his own quickly written, 3 o’clock in the morning, sincere, paper-towel written love letter than anything else he could have written.

(((my heart))) just never knows what God will give it each day…that little unexpected boost to brighten the moments. So many each day that I lose track. My heart gives grateful praise. A ham salad note. I can’t even……what next? I can’t wait to see.

****

A song for Friday:

****

truths to make your heart sing:

“So, we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:16, The Message translation

****

Strength for today is mine all the way,
And all I need for tomorrow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,
All I have to do, is follow.
~Sidney E. Cox, 1950, (from the baptist hymnal)

**Have a very blessed Friday, you are loved!**

a little taste of today (in photos)

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Shanda

I leaned over the porch railing to have a conversation with my boys, who were jumping on the trampoline way down on the lawn (I had to yell). I wanted to know if they were interested in going out with me to run errands and go to the playground.

Sarah was next to me holding Gentleman Gray, our kitty, who must have gotten scared about getting too close to the railing. Did he think he would be thrown over it? Was he afraid he would fall? Was mama yelling too loudly? Regardless, he panicked and scratched Sarah as he leapt from her arms.

Now she was crying hysterically saying she didn’t want to go anywhere.

***

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About half an hour later, we were driving down the road listening to tunes.

We made our way to the Salvation Army, where I prowled around looking for dishes and the children picked out new-to-them stuffed animal friends.

***

Back in the car, we had conversations about childbirth and animal abuse.

Part of the reason why I love taking the kids places is because of the random conversations we have. Seth had all sort of questions about childbirth, “Does it hurt?” “Does the doctor cut anything?” “What is a cord?” “What does the cord look like?” “Is the mother asleep if she needs to have a c-section?” “How does the baby come out of the mother?” “Did you have the numbing medicine?” “Do you want any more babies?” and so on, all very natural and cute…….meanwhile, 11 year old Caleb was groaning in embarrassment. He did perk up when I told him he was my easiest birthing experience and thanked him. “Yeah, but he was your ugliest baby,” Seth interjected in typical brother fashion. “None of my babies were at all ugly!” I squealed with a laugh, and steered the conversation toward how much everyone weighed at birth.

Caleb was feeling disturbed about rhinos and elephants being killed for their tusks. I was in complete sympathy and assured him the the keys on our piano were NOT ivory. He was also offended that so many people hate snakes and destroy them. As I tried to explain that it was all Satan’s fault for choosing to indwell a snake in order to trick Adam and Eve in the Garden, Sarah piped up and said if SHE was Satan, she would have chosen to be……a cheetah.

*****

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Next we stopped at Goodwill and guess what? I found six white fiesta teacups.

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Next, Rita’s ice and custard for dessert BEFORE lunch.

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And then, the meat market.

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Lastly, a long visit to the playground, where I sat in the sun and sleepily read a book while the children played with the stuffed animals (after I assured Seth that “who cares what people think!” when he was hesitant about being seen playing with them and maybe being embarrassed.)

I watched as my children were completely absorbed in their play, making up stories and never stopping their imaginative stuffed animal adventures.

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After they had played for a long time, we left the park and I headed for a quick stop to return milk bottles and to get more bottles of the raw milk we recently discovered.

Once home again, Caleb worked on legos, the little ones played, and I took some photos of things that made my lonely (for my husband) heart happy.

***

“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” Henry Miller

“Any activity done with love and presence is a spiritual practice.”

“I perceive God everywhere in His works; I sense Him in me; I see Him all around me.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:2

weekending

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Shanda

“This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus’ words in John 15:12

We had a house FULL from Friday night to Saturday morning. We had our own seven, plus seven extra teenagers. They were staying the night in order to be at the church bright and early.

This is camp week for our teens and Rich is also there as a team leader.

I’m spending the week here at home with Caleb, Seth, and Sarah. My oldest son, Jacob, is also home because he is now too old for camp. He’s driving up on Friday to see everyone, though, and keeping himself busy with work, music, friends, and helping his mama at home.

This morning I am taking the kids to the one dollar movie and then to get the boys’ their football cleats because tonight Football practice starts for Caleb and Seth….and I am so glad because they need activity at this point. No more lazy-daisy summer evenings for them!

On Saturday morning I drove the campers to the church to get on the bus and then Seth and I went to the bakeshop nearby. The gardens on the property were stunning! I wish my front beds looked like this! Dreams for next year…….

full and luscious flowers beds.

Seth chose a cupcake and we took home a blueberry pie.

For whatever reason, I am determined to keep moving and stay extra busy & active this week while Rich and the kids are away…perhaps to keep those “I’m missing you” feelings at bay? And to get so tired I have no trouble sleeping in the big bed all alone? So on Saturday I took the kids on two walks. It was pretty warm outside so we kept them on the shorter side, but we still saw some pretty sights, the kids climbed big rocks, and the boys found sticks to sword fight with.

Aren’t pond lilies pretty?

That photo which Caleb took that made me realize just how tall and how big my youngest is getting!

When I was a little girl, a happy time for me was going for adventure walks “up to the big rocks” in Grandma and Grandpa’s woods. We would all go, Grandma, the aunts, mom, and the cousins. We had the best time exploring the rocks and daring ourselves to jump over the crack between two tall rocks.

The rocks we discovered on Saturday reminded me of those days. My own children loved the experience just as much as we did years ago.

Soft, dappled sunlight over moss and leaves.

Caleb helped keep Seth from getting lost because our boy Seth runs ahead and OFF the trail just from the joy of being free…….

Sarah Joy took this photo of me….it’s the best, out of focus!

She always has to be holding my hand. It makes her feel stronger and safer.

This is Seth making a “tough guy” face when I asked to take his picture. He is nothing but muscle and bone….he’s the one who gets cold first when they go swimming…has boundless energy and his Dad calls him “Scrapper”. Our very own state wrestling champ!

Yesterday I spent the day with my brother and his wife. We went out shopping, had drinks from Sonic, bought chocolates, ate donuts, and generally ate more sugar than usual. Back at home, we played a game, drank coffee, ate pie (!), sandwiches, and watched a movie with the kids.

Before they left we took a couple of photos outside in the sun.

The kids were flopped on the couch, tired out, while I walked down to our stream to see the Cardinal flowers.

They are a yearly event for me (perhaps I’ll start throwing a party) because they are such a GORGEOUS wild flower, as red as can be.

They liked the wetness of the earth by the stream and at this time of year the stream is low and it is easy to get down the bank and stand on the rocks to take photos.

The wild day lilies are almost done.

Queen Anne’s lace and goldenrod is everywhere. I like to stop and study them because they are almost always entertaining bugs, which if you stop to see them, can be very interesting indeed.

**Queen Anne’s lace remind me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

Each season, each month of the growing months has its own flower-time. Starting with the tiny spring flowers up until the sturdy flowers of fall. I love to welcome them each year and watch them come and go and come again…… year after year.

God’s creation is always exciting, but also solidly dependable, too.

Swallowtail off in the distance, tiptoeing all over this tall, wild “Joe-Pye weed“.

My house, my gardens, my rock wall, my ferns = I love it here. We’ve been at this place for ten years now and my heart is home. I thank God constantly for our life here.

I don’t care if Anne (of Green Gables) thought zinnias were stiff and horrible….I LOVE THEM!

“Look at that wave of poppies breaking against the garden well, Miss Cornelia. Susan and I are very proud of our poppies this year, though we hadn’t a single thing to do with them. Walter spilt a packet of seed there by accident in the spring and this is the result. Every year we have some delightful surprise like that.”
“I’m partial to poppies,” said Miss Cornelia, “though they don’t last long.”
“They have only a day to live,’ admitted Anne, “but how imperially, how gorgeous they live it! Isn’t that better than being a stiff horrible zinnia that lasts practically for ever? We have no zinnias at Ingleside. They’re the only flowers we are not friends with. Susan won’t even speak to them.” ~Anne of Ingleside, chapter 15

I love them because they last practically forever. So there, dear Anne. (I’ll always love you)

Back in the house, I admire my own dear sturdy boy, snuggling with a very loved and spoiled Gentleman Gray kitty.

So thankful for these children o’ mine. Can you imagine if we stopped at four?

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**Queen Anne’s lace reminds me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

YOU ARE LOVED, dear friends.
A very happy August 1st to you!

loving hearts!

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Shanda

(((this was so exciting!)))

Last week, I took Grace along with me to a second hand furniture shop. I was looking for a dresser for Caleb because his had broken and we had to throw it away. All of his clothes were now located in the toy box and/or all over the place and it was driving me crazy.

We traveled the back roads, which was fun, and we even stopped at a little boy’s lemonade stand. Grace hopped out to make the transaction with him and got back in the car after spending 2 dollars on big red cups of warm watery lemonade and brownies that were as square and dry as chocolate hay bales. But we enjoyed every bite because the little boy reminded us of our Seth and he was sitting so still at his stand waiting hopefully for sales.

We arrived at the furniture store and didn’t make out very well as far as dresser shopping goes. It had only taken minutes to admit defeat, and because we hadn’t ever been in this particular town plaza we decided to check out the other shops, too, since we were there anyway. I mean, it would have been a waste of gas not to do more shopping, right? Conveniently, right next door was a upscale consignment shop full of all the things girls like; clothes, bags, more and more clothes, and to a lesser degree, knick knacks and accessories. Grace found a couple of very cute dresses and I found a shirt. (Okay, two shirts.)

We paid for our selections but as we went out the door the security alarm went off. We went back to the counter so the saleswoman could go through our bag to see if there were any sensors left behind in our items. As she worked, I just so happened to look down through the glass counter into the jewelry case and saw that they had some Tiffany jewelry.

Ten years ago, Rich gave me a Tiffany ring for Christmas. I still have the photos that he took of me opening the blue box wrapped in red ribbon, with a sweet yummy baby Caleb sitting on my lap. The ring was my first experience with Tiffany and it was a heavy, gold “Loving Hearts” ring, very lovely.

I had it on my finger the day Grace and I were together.

As I studied the Tiffany pieces the shop had, I noticed they had a SILVER Loving Hearts ring, exactly like mine!

I immediately knew…..that ring was for my dearest friend and daughter, Grace Lillian. I asked if we could see it. The lady handed it to me, and I handed it to Grace. “See if it fits your finger, this one, the same finger I’m wearing mine on!”

She obediently put it on, and it fit! Thanks to that false alarm (there were no sensors on our clothes) we ended up with a sweet surprise, a ring to match her Mama’s, for Grace. And it was from a second hand shop, marked at a very nice price, plus an extra 20 percent off!!

We walked over to our next stop (ice cream!) looking at our hands, all smiles.

Well, the ring was previously owned and admittedly, quite grimy with a few scratches. But no worries, because on Sunday afternoons Rich gets a craving for Pinkberry and the only Pinkberry around is about half an hour away, in a fancy-type mall which includes a Tiffany jewelry store, with guards at the door. So on Sunday, Grace and I nervously went in past the guards and asked if we could have our rings cleaned. The ladies cheerfully directed us to the back where customer service was located and the woman there told us that my ring could be done within minutes, but because Grace’s was silver it had to be left there for 48 hours. We reluctantly left the ring with them. Forty eight hours indeed passed very quickly and yesterday we drove back to pick it up.

It was like new!!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes, the ring was so sparkly and shiny, just as silvery as could be. And, come to find out, jewelry cleaning was a free service that they provide for their customers! We left a dirty ring and were given back a sparkly one in return.

We skipped out the door and naturally took a hand-selfie right there in the mall!

It was all rather like a fairy tale of some sort!

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PS, Caleb ended up with a very nice dresser–from Goodwill! In fact, his siblings are all jealous! Rich is very happy that he married such a bargain hunter.

******

It has 9 drawers and a square cupboard in the middle for his treasures.

fly

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Shanda

I shut my laptop after the last blog post,
took a shower, got dressed,
went back on the porch……..

…..and discovered a new monarch butterfly. Our first to emerge, out of the four caterpillars we had collected.

I sat and watched it for a long time, thinking about how much life is growth, so much growing and changing. Butterflies only get to do it once, we get to do it over and over. There are dark times when we are in our little stuffy cocoons, lonely, maybe perfectly willing to be all alone, needing *something* but not really knowing what it is. It is a waiting time. Then comes the “break through”. Suddenly we have had enough of cocoon time and find that it’s time to get out from the covers, get out of bed, get out of our own minds, oh how it hurts to start breaking down walls but it feels so good at the same time….new air, new sights, drying wings…….freedom.

After the struggle to emerge comes the strengthening time…….those who are waiting for us almost lose their patience, we ourselves often lose heart, forget that God does indeed have a purpose for everything, but our Father knows, He understands, His children are ready (not in our time, not in their time) but in HIS TIME……..

He has made everything beautiful
in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God’s hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God’s works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time. Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him. God doeth all, that men should fear before him. The world, as it has been, is, and will be. There has no change befallen us, nor has any temptation by it taken us, but such as is common to men.
Matthew Henry

When we are finally strong again.

We can enjoy life. We can fly.

F L Y

Yes, the family and I have been spending a lot of time by the aquarium, watching & waiting for the butterflies to hatch and fly away. Three of them have gone now, but the fourth seems to be stuck in the cocoon. We think maybe it died inside. We can see the wings through the (now clear) casing, but it should have come out a few days ago.

morning glory leaf

It’s been so fun to see my flower garden become a butterfly sanctuary AND a bird feeding station.

The most darling little goldfinches come to get a sunflower seed, but they are shy and at any hint of my eyes watching them they fly away making a chirping distress sound.

As we have morning glory vines twirling up the sunflowers, it makes for a very lovely photo opportunity. I had to take these photos from inside the house through the glass and screen doors……..

fledging

my darling (while mama sits on one end, oftentimes they will be on the other end playing with their little toys).

I find myself watching butterflies, birds, and children every where I turn.

Hosta flowers

*****

currently reading: Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow, by Dr. Jan Pol (good book, I love animal stories)

plans for today: Grace and I are going out with David. We are picking up her ring from Tiffany (left for cleaning) and then have to go to Target to get things for camp next week.

I just want you guys to know that I love you all and that you are so special. I’m thankful for the friends I meet and greet along the way. Friendship and connections of all kinds make life sweet.

look around and be distressed
look within and be depressed
look at Jesus and be at rest

small things

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Shanda

Whatever you do,
do it in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17

When you arise in the morning,
think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive;
to breath, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius

We are currently enjoying a few rare summer days of no outside pressures or activity; no sports, nothing on the calendar for the next two weeks. The children are wild n’ free and don’t need me whatsoever, and for the last couple of days, my mind went all kinds of “blah”. A wonderfully delicious blah, (no anxiety! no pressures!) except that I didn’t appreciate it like I should have. In retrospect, I am sure these sorts of stagnant days serve some sort of healing and function and I can be thankful……however….

When I tried doing even more laundry to give myself a sense of accomplishment; it didn’t work.
I tried watching TV and putting my feet up; it turned my mind even more numb.
I wandered slowly up the stairs to clean Sarah’s room; it took me twice as long as it should have; I felt sad when I cleared out the baby board books to make room for her big girl story books.
I thought about going for a walk in the woods; all I did was look out the window for five minutes, staring off into space.
I took photos of my pretty teenage daughter and her friend; they made cookies and I ate one. I admit, that was nice.
I tried reading a book; I couldn’t get into any of the ones I tried. blah.
I hugged people (my children) that came around; that was also nice.
I decided to make dinner even though I didn’t feel like it; it was yummy. very blah though. (spaghetti for the 5,000th time)

These activities didn’t help much with chasing away my big stagnant feeling but do you know what did?

waking up to a FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh the possibilities! The weekend is about to happen and Rich and I can do stuff together! The two of us. For two whole entire days.

This week I pulled the first two carrots. Seth ran over to me to get one. See him in the black shirt? He felt he had to rush or maybe a sibling would get to Mom first (it happens).

I love how growing things and having to wait and wait for them to be ready makes the children desire their carrots like nothing else. (we have a bunch from the store in the fridge, does anyone want to eat THOSE? only Dave.)

Caleb had a friend over for the day. They swam in the pond and then caught a chicken.

The children hosted a water balloon fight. It was rather amusing to see how much effort they put into “strategy”. After they spent time picking two teams I was waiting on the porch with my camera expecting it to start but they took so long planning, and they spread out so far across the yard, that I never did take photos of the actual battle.

How to prepare beets: begin by washing thoroughly, which is quite satisfying as they are very dirty from the garden. Then, cut the stems about an inch above the beet. Trim the main purple stem out of each green; add greens to your next salad or cook like spinach. Boil beets until soft. Drain them in the sink into a colander and run under cold water to stop cooking. Let sit in sink until room temperature, or move colander to counter on a pretty towel. When cool, skins will slide right off the beets; trim off them stems and root end. Slice for salads or continue with preparations for a beet recipe (like harvard beets; so good!)

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This year we have morning glory vines growing up sunflowers; but I didn’t plant them purposefully, they are last year’s morning glories that went to seed and grew. A fun garden gift. I did plant the sunflowers and they are at the stage now where they attract little goldfinches and chickadees. The prettiest way to feed the birds, I’d say.

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While doing some long overdue weeding and watering, I was surprised to see that my hens and chicks plant had blossoms! Such an admirable sweet, quiet combination of colors, too.

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Grace and Jenna, baking cookies yesterday.

They did a great job and talked the entire time. Sarah loved hanging around them, too.

During my laundry work; MOM OF BOYS, many many boys.

Jacob worked an early shift yesterday and came home with enough time to put his feet up and read (he was very soon sound asleep).

His favorite author is Bernard Cornwell.

My favorite 19 year old boy is Jacob.

The best part of the day; when Rich gets home, we eat our dinner, and then have a few hours to relax together before bedtime. He eventually fell asleep right where he was on the couch, with me snuggled up next to him, the boys all around us, and Grace at our feet.

I think one of the best feelings of contentment come at the end of the day when we are surrounded by our children and everyone is happy, productive, and healthy.

Ethan was playing us songs on his phone (he has the best songs), Jacob was composing, and David was watching funny cat videos on youtube. When Grace joined us I kept looking at her face and thinking how adorable she was.

Last but not least, as you can see, we have a Monarch at the end of its chrysalis stage; it has “turned black” and you can see it’s recognizable monarch wings through it’s clear, shiny casing. I LOVE the gold details that God placed on the chrysalis. Beautiful, like fine jewelry, tasteful and simple.