Rainy afternoon here.  The window is open a crack and little Sarah is watching the birds at the feeder and putting her hands out to get sprinkles of rain on them.  She feels motherly toward the birds….calling them babies.

I have BBQ pork chops in the crock pot for later, and a peach pie in the oven.  Rich is working late but I still have big and little children to feed and they sure do appreciate a good dinner.

I watched a documentary this afternoon during the S’s naptime.  It’s on instant play (Netflix) and is called “Happy”.  I’m so glad I watched….scribbled down notes, even wiped away tears at times (watching inspiring stories of people from around the world who are living a “poorer”, yet very rich in joy, lifestyle.)

One of the points brought out in the film was that “acts of kindness” toward others produces happy feelings.

Made me think of the last few days, when I was touched by some acts of sweet kindness in the children.

1.  Caleb (7 years old) got “student of the week” and a pencil.  Why?  “A girl in my class wouldn’t pick up her mess so I did it for her.”

2.  On Sunday, we were in a hurry to get out the door and I asked Rich to wet Sarah’s hair down and brush it.  He forgot and buckled her in the car seat with messy head.  I went out and sat in the passenger seat, just in time to see Jacob (15 years) get carefully back in the car with wet hands to smooth down his sister’s hair.  He didn’t know anything about the conversation between Rich and I.  He just saw that she had messy hair and dealt with it himself.  “I’m not sure how to do these hair clips” he said, awkwardly putting it in her hair.  So I re-clipped. 

3.  On Sunday evening, Rich and I were out on our date and the children saw a double rainbow.  When Ethan (14) saw it, he got the camera.

He took it so I could see the rainbow, too.  

Quotes from the documentary:

“Sometimes we only have rice with salt but we are very happy.”

“There is a tremendous sweetness in lifting someone’s burden up.”

“Fundamentalist groups (of religion) are generally not happy.” (but people with a healthy spirituality are happier)

“Any kind of physical activity is very important for the human body.”

“Happiness is not dependent on good or bad events.  In general, people do really good with really bad events.”

“Happy people have close family and friends.”

“Variety is the spice of life.”

“Work in community and experience social bonding, interaction, and cooperation”

“To laugh is very important.”

“It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, just being together makes us happy”  (this is how I feel everyday when we are all home again)

Saturday was a fall clean up day here at our place.  Rich and the older boys did most of the work outside, while I did the inside work and Grace helped with the little ones.  Dave and Caleb wandered around, not needing to be watched over.  So they were the ones that found the salamanders.  I love the picture of Davy’s hand and mine, with this small and sticky creature.  The children all like to show me their discoveries because they know how much I enjoy admiring them.  It was the Day of the Salamander…we typically never see them! But on Saturday they joyfully found them underneath rocks all over the place.

Grace came back from the woods with her small brother Seth.  They had gone for a walk and brought me home a half decomposed white birch log and some bark, now sitting on the mantel.

When I came back home from picking up pizza for our picnic lunch, I found Jacob with the camera.  He had taken a bunch of pictures of a preying mantis that he found near the garage as he was mowing.  He was able to locate it again to show me and we watched it for a little while.  It was most fascinating to observe the long legs that could fold up so nicely, or reach out to grab at grasses and climb.

And if all the happy nature finds weren’t enough, I also discovered a box in the mail that day from my dearest friend.  Inside, among other things, was a vintage copy of Anne of Avonlea.  Be still my heart.

I spent some time later that day ransacking all my books, trying to locate my Anne of Green Gables copy and YES I found it.

An old lady from church gave it to me when I was, as a teenager, helping her clean her house.  We opened a box of books and found it right on top.  When she saw me gasp and hold it to my “bosom” (as Anne would say), she AMAZINGLY GAVE it to me.  I treasure it.

It is so fitting that Joanna gave me the next book in the series.  I will dearly treasure both these books, always.

I made a new cake recipe for company Saturday night.  White chocolate and **mind the fudge filling between the cake and white chocolate whipped cream frosting**!  I am thankful the children ate it so fast…I only had one piece but that was all I needed.

Grace and I went to a used furniture store downtown and I found these sweet little towels, handmade with bright fabric and trimmed in ric rac and crocheted lace.  Only 2 dollars each.  They remind me of something I would find at anthropologie but the price there would be $$ too much.

Rich and his Gracie-girl.  He had just rode his bike for 25 miles and the two of us were about to go on our Sunday afternoon date.  PS.  He has a stress fracture in his foot and cannot run until it is healed.  No marathon for him this fall, but at least he can ride his bike.

Rich and I before we left;  I had a delicious blue cheese and steak salad on our date.

I need input on this cabinet.  I bought it at the aforesaid furniture store.  Rich promptly proclaimed it “crappity crap” (not his term, but mine, via Dottie Angel) but yours truly loves it.  I love old things that smell like something that came out of an old lady’s house.  Well, within reason, of course.

We used to have a corner entertainment stand with our old TV in it and could shut everything up out of sight.  But recently, Rich updated our TV and bought a flat screen.  *Gasp*  He  hung it over the fireplace (I’m still *gasping over the unsightliness*), but thankfully I found the prefect cabinet to hide the TV (not ordered yet) but *what to do about the VCR and all the tapes*??

I thought this cabinet would do the trick.  It’s nice and heavy but obviously painted and repainted to it’s current fabulous white state.  The inside is light orange and has three shelves.  The doors open and shut sort of stiffly but do work just fine.

What’s not to love, I ask?  (but, unfortunately he thinks it’s cheap looking and awful).  *sigh*

Other notes:

I yelled “I LOVE MY LIFE” twice yesterday as I settled into my lawn chair with a quilt, book, and coffee.  Several children looked on, amused.

I had a hot caramel apple cider at Starbucks yesterday for the first time.  Oh yes.

Jacob stayed up watching his football team lose last night and is not looking forward to being taunted at school today.

David will be starting clarinet lessons soon.

Sarah is my baby, I love her.

I finished my book; it was hauntingly beautiful.

I have spent all morning trying to find The Bad Smell.

Sarah found it; a little pile of poo in the corner.

(why?)

I will be going to the store this morning.  We are out of milk and cereal.  Dave hated his bowl of “morning mix” (all ends of cereal boxes that I save in one big storage container).

Even though the house is clean there is still laundry to do.  I will hang it on the line to dry.  It now smells of glorious fall out there.  Bliss.

I thank God for this day. Thanks for stopping by!

with son

with daughter

edged in gold

don’t be discouraged; you’re not the only one (amber-dear) who had great struggles with a Country Living craft/food project

we made “s’more” candy apples and they were such a PAIN in the NECK to make

tasted YUMMY though

just noticed this yesterday

reading this book

In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

this morning