for reals.
another (yes another) snowday!
3
we belong to the day (1 Thess. 5:8)
Glory of the world makes life meaningless
Glory of God fulfills it. ~CH Spurgeon
Toys, books, videos, art supplies, blankets, music, and hot chocolate are ready and waiting. It’s another snow day in our neck of the woods today. The children and I are sitting inside a giant snow globe; outside the windows of our warm house are millions and millions of tiny white snowflakes shaking down from the clouds of heaven.
“I see that if I would be happy in God, I must give Him all. And there is wicked reluctance to do that. I want Him–but I want to have my own way, too. I want to walk humbly and softly before Him and I want to go where I shall be admired. To whom shall I yield? To God? Or to myself?” Elizabeth Prentiss
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain……” Psalm 119:36
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:2
“The way upward in true life and honor is to go downward in self-humiliation. Renounce all, and you shall be rich; have nothing, and you shall have all things. Try to be something, and you shall be nothing; be nothing, and you shall live; that is the great lesson which Jesus would teach us, but we are slow to learn…… CH Spurgeon
“I believe that selfishness is the front-door key of despair.” Spurgeon
“As long as we have the itch of self-regard we shall want the pleasure of self-approval; but the happiest moments are those when we forget our precious selves and have neither–but have everything else (God, our fellow humans, animals, the garden and the sky) instead.” CS Lewis, letters, 1954
God
our fellow humans
animals
the garden and the sky
“…..the burdens of my heart rolled away….”
Whenever something is bothering me, and I’m in a moral quandary, I dig out the ol’ journal and pen and start searching for quotes, verses, and other writings that have to do with my current topic of interest. I talk things over with Joanna or Rich and that helps, too. I love that I can keep my Bible near and read it for comfort and correction at any time of day or night.
A balm for my soul that always heals.
I come away feeling so much lighter and free.
*****
(Dear Brother Dave, these are the sneakers Seth bought with the birthday gift card you sent him.)
Wednesday, February 6, 2018
“Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
most delicious chocolate cake
Seth’s birthday
had a backdrop of pure white and a sky of baby blue.
It was absolutely magical in the woods. Photos just do not do it justice as a photo turns everything flat and motionless and room temperature. Reality has endless depth, layers, temperature, smells, sounds, feelings of expectation, exploration. . . . .
nature’s playground
here comes the sunshine
They insisted on the short cut back home which involves a perilous crossing of the stream.
No one got wet.
For dinner that night……looks amusingly not that good….creamy scalloped potatoes with pan fried sausages on top. Yum!
Birthday cake for dessert; two round cake layers with fresh whipped cream, sweetened strawberries, and homemade fudge sauce.
topped with chocolate dipped strawberries.
I made everything myself except I did use a cake mix for the chocolate cake.
((((presented upon a Scarlet fiestaware cake plate))))
It was truly as delicious as it looked.
One piece remained but was quickly eaten the next day.
“I got no cake.”
“I only got this dumb green streamer in my collar.”
We took a photo that night at 9:20 pm, the exact time of his birth, nine years earlier.
9 years old!
GUESS WHAT?
Seth’s birthday is today and also:
We woke up to a dumping of fluffy white stuff.
No school!
Thankfully, the friend he invited can still come for a play day. His mom is bringing him as soon as the roads clear up.
It’s only 9:22. in the morning. Just between you and me I wish I were still in bed asleep.
Caleb took these.
I’ll treasure them forever.
We look a lot alike in this one.
My sweet and handsome Seth, who is now nine.
Happy Birthday dear son!
I love you.
bird notebook
Good morning Monday, my friends, do you feed the birds?
A thoughtful collection of bird feeders will bring an interesting variety of feathered visitors. Sometimes I even say, “Thank you for coming!”
From where I am sitting on the couch I can look right through the living room window and easily see my feeders on the porch. I have one hanging and three make-shift feeders (which are really copper sifters) sitting in different places; on the porch railing, a plant stand, and a little white table. Because their bottoms are screens I don’t have to worry about the seed staying wet after it rains. There is black sunflower seed in three of them, and dry mealworms in the fourth (wishing, hoping, dreaming…….of bluebird visitors).
I have a camera nearby with my zoomiest zoom lens attached.
And in this simple way, our days are peppered with bird behavior. Sometimes the feeders are empty. But sometimes chicadees fly in, take a seed, and immediately fly out to eat it in the bushes by our driveway. They don’t stay long. As soon as one leaves, another one takes its place, it is well-choreographed and there are never any collisions. Sometimes a pair of cardinals come to visit. Or a beautiful house sparrow and nuthatches, and a titmouse or two. I remember that we need more suet to cater to the local woodpeckers. I haven’t seen any bluejays lately but I saw some at a neighbor’s feeder yesterday. My parents get a whole flock of mourning doves on their front porch!
Sometimes one of the children will notice a bird and tell me to “come look, Mom!” I love that. I tiptoe over as quietly as I can. Sometimes I’m too late and “oops, it flew away.”
“Think of all the animals you know and you will see that there is not another one that is clothed with feathers.” Fields and Fencerows, by Porter and Hansen
“He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4
“A wave of song moves across the continent each morning, east to west, with sunrise. Light–a certain intensity of light–starts birds singing.” Backyard and Beyond, Edward Duensing and AB Millmoss
“He redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.” Job 33:24
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.” Psalm 96:1-2
The more things should learnest to know and enjoy, the more complete and full will be for thee the delight of living.” Phalen
“However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all……” Ecclesiastes 11:8
“Use at least one full page in your notebook for each bird sighting. First, record the day and time. Next, record the place you saw the bird. Was it in a field or near the water? Was it on a grassy lawn or in a woodlot? You might want to add a brief sentence describing the feature by which you identified the bird–it’s color, shape, or field mark. Do a small sketch of the bird and make notes about the bird’s behavior. You can squeeze a lot of information on one page.” Field Trips, by Jim Arnosky
“These birds were probably not drawn, even thus loosely, together by any social instincts, but by a common want; all were hungry, and the activity of one species attracted and drew after it another and another. ‘I will look that way, too,’ the kinglet and creeper probably said, when they saw the other birds busy, and heard their merry voices.” Signs and Seasons by John Burroughs
******
a previously despised task……..
I posted the last blog a few days ago, gathered up my things and went downstairs to the laundry room, prepared to spend at least an hour folding clothes, when my phone rang. Honestly, I hadn’t even folded ONE ITEM before it rang. It was the school nurse calling to inform me that Sarah was in the office not feeling well. She was running a low-grade fever and had a sore throat, it came on rather suddenly because she was fine that morning when she got ready for school and left on the bus.
I was quite busy with her and the boys that afternoon….along with catching up with the laundry, I also picked David up early after midterms, then picked up Caleb after newspaper club, took David back to the school for practice, took Sarah to the doctors where her strep test was negative, and got home just in time to take Seth and Caleb to practice.
Yesterday she was feeling much better but spent the day at home with me, in her cozy jammies. We picked up David again after midterms and I ran into the grocery store to get things for lasagna dinner that evening and a chicken for tonight.
This morning the three youngest ones are all at school but David didn’t have any tests today so he is home and he’s still asleep.
I’m 41 years old, I’ve been married since I was 19, I had my first baby at 20, and life is still busy (as it should be–no complaints) but as I sat this morning on the couch, I was struck by the thought of what I was doing…….MENDING A LONG TEAR IN A TWIN SHEET……
I’ve mended through the years once or twice, when absolutely necessary, but there were many many other times when something ripped and I simply threw it away. It sounds so awful, downright wasteful, but those years of having little ones at home filled me right up to the brim with other more important work, more important than mending a small hole in a pair of pants that was barely noticeable. He can wear them anyway. If a sheet tore, I would groan loudly, fold it up, and stick in the back of the closet. I can’t mend! I have to change diapers, get a child out of mischief, clean up strange messes that a house without children wouldn’t see (eggs all over the floor and counters?)….I often wondered why I was tired to tears by the end of the day. I truly thought something was wrong with me.
Now I see, as I’ve come out on the “other side”, and I see that OF COURSE a newly pregnant mom, nursing an almost one year old, with multiple other children is going to be crying at the end of the day!!! When you love and care for your children with your whole being, your whole being becomes exhausted!
……Beautifully exhausted, although back then I didn’t see much beauty in it whatsoever. I was impatient with myself……. but at least I had the sense NOT to do the mending.
Until now. In the year of our Lord 2018, I am mending. I am downright marveling at this turn of events. Yesterday I sat and sewed up tiny holes in “baby” Sarah’s size 8 pants from J Crew. And then I sewed shut a small hole in Seth’s nice thick athletic pants. I repaired a pair of gloves that Sarah’s thumb had popped through. And this morning, I mended a 15 inch long tear in one of our very precious twin sized sheets (there are 6 twin beds in this house that need these sheets). The mending is imperfectly lovely but as I folded the sheet and put it away, I felt a connection to this thing, this fitted sheet that my child tore (how?) and I repaired. I took care of something and restored it to usefulness again. I chose to put this skill aside in those very busy childbearing years, but now have the interest and desire necessary to put my hands to work and “waste not”………
Isn’t it a marvel that life’s path changes? That a woman can change? I loved the early baby-years, but I’m loving the “school-aged-children” years, too.
What’s next while I await the next small hole? The house is tidy, I organized a closet, cleaned out a fish tank, and later on David and I are going to repair a lamp.
Unless of course, the school nurse calls.
“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were……..”
I just had to push kitty over off my lap to make room for the computer…..sorry kitty!
Today is Wednesday — ALREADY.
Seth and Sarah almost weren’t ready for the bus this morning; we were having too much fun together. Seth is making a binder for his “comic club” and I gave him animal stickers to put on the cover. And Sarah was happy that she remembered how to tie her shoes (she usually wears velcro) but it took much longer to get her sneakers on this morning. We also put together a little gift bag for her lucky teacher who will be receiving a beautiful beaded necklace made by a 7 year old devoted student. I cautioned them to walk carefully because the driveway had a thin film of ice on it from overnight freezing. Seth happily wore head to toe black and Sarah wore a green shirt that said “bloom” on it, and luluroe tomato leggings. I told her she looked like a garden today.
The house is quiet, the outdoors is quiet too, I know just by looking out the window. Although the tops of the trees are gently swaying in the wind, it’s a calm breeze, cloudy sky, quite gray with brightness through the cracks in the clouds.
*****
On Saturday, Grace had one last morning at work. The children would be with their Dad when she got done, so she said goodbye to her siblings who all ADORE their big sister Grace. She had flats on her feet so the boys came up from the snowy lawn where they were sledding, to give her hugs.
Seeing this, Sarah got upset and hid under a tree so we got in the car and drove down to the lower driveway.
The same tree that Grace spent her hiding times underneath. I watched the scene from in the car and I admit my heart ached with love. . . . .seeing that after all, Grace DID get her feet cold and snow-covered for her little sister’s sake.
Just so thankful for a family that loves.
While Grace was at work, I got the kids ready and drove to the HS wrestling meet. We arrived just in time to console Dave, who was standing in the busy hallway outside the gym with his Dad, recovering from his second loss. It’s so hard this year for him because he went from youth wrestling where he was the oldest and more experienced, to High School, where he is the youngest as a Freshman. But he is so strong of body and heart and oh how proud Rich and I are of him. Our own Davy-do. A joy. I left after just half an hour, and I left the three youngest with their Dad because I needed him to take care of them for the rest of the day.
I stopped at a second hand store on the way home and found (not that I needed them) EIGHT fiesta ring handled mugs. I did buy them, because they were half price and I knew I could save them for the older kids who might set up house keeping for themselves sometime within the next few years.
Persimmon was exciting because I only have one other piece of that (retired) color, and cobalt (yawn–I have tons)…..I got home, snipped the tags off their sweet circle handles and popped them in the dishwasher……….
“We have too many cups,” groaned Caleb two days later when I told him to empty it.
I picked up Grace from work at 3. The vehicle was all filled up with the things she needed to take back to college with her after a generous Holiday break. We were excited because we were heading to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to spend the night. Alas, the moment we got on the highway we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. It took “forever” to clear up. In fact, by the time we got moving again I had to take the next exit and find a bathroom…..We ran in and ran out of McDonalds, laughing.
We had smooth sailing and arrived at 7pm to be lovingly greeted by my parents and the family dog and cat. I had the magical feeling of slow-time. The house was warm, calm, and still decorated for Christmas. Every corner cozy.
Mom served us delicious chili for supper and tea cake for dessert. We visited and watched tv until about 10 and then went to bed, Grace and I together one last night.
Next morning was Sunday and as soon as he could, Dad headed across and up the road to their sled run. We watched through the window and then went out, too, deciding to forgo Sunday school (a video) for some fresh air and togetherness.
It makes me so happy to know my mom and dad have fun together. They were outside for hours on their “luge” trails this weekend, knowing with warmer weather coming they wouldn’t last. Dad drives the four-wheeler up with the dog in his crate on the back and then lets him run loose.
We stopped sledding when Dave came to pick up Grace. He was so good in offering to drive her the rest of the way to college to save me some time and also give him an excuse to visit a great Greek place in the same town as college. He sent these photos to me as they ate lunch together.
I went to church with my parents and what a blessing that was. The people are so nice and the sermon was edifying. Just wonderful. The best part is that Rich and I have visited so many times through the years that I have the feeling that it is also “my” church, too.
THE BEST STEAK EVER
Dear parents spoiled me with an absolutely wonderful lunch after church. I could cry just thinking about it. Mom and Dad on one side of the table, me on the other, conversation, love, a fireplace, busy waiters and waitresses, an amazing quilt mural on the wall, and people-watching. Great food! What more could we ask for in an afternoon? I wanted to pick up the bone and gnaw on it when my steak was gone, it was that good. 🙂 We also had french onion soup and freshly baked rolls with a lightly sweetened butter.
We went back home for coffee and Dad turned on the football games. Mom and I went out shopping at our favorite Masonville General store. I bought some chai tea mix and a lunar calendar and Mom bought one of her friends a gift and some pantry items for her kitchen.
By the time we got home it was getting dark. Dad was still watching football and so mom and I found something to do on the couch together;
I’ve been wanting to crochet again (always this time of year) so she got out her stuff and we each made a dishcloth. Mom encouraged me by saying “You don’t need directions, just do what you want! Make something up!”
She got done before I did so she ran off to the kitchen to warm up soup for dinner and work on her puzzle. I sat and crocheted and tried to keep the dog from sneaking away with my spool of yarn, which he thought was his.
We finished the tea cake.
We watched Victoria on PBS that night and I fell asleep on the couch, with mom and dad snuggled up on the other one watching their show.
****
more photos:
Dad has been collecting penguins for years and years. With five children gifting them, it didn’t take him long to have a rookery.
Aren’t they cute?
Mom’s jungle of houseplants and handmade wooden houses that an elderly man makes and paints in large quantities. He makes so many that he gives them away to classes of children at school, too. Aren’t they bright and happy?
mid-yawn
another christmas corner with a homemade paper garland and tree collection on top. Mom has such fun arranging things in just the right way and has a great eye for decorating and turning a house into a cozy home-nest.
Her office. Above the desk. I love.
also:
~brother Dave telling me I looked good and asked if I had gotten my hair done (he noticed!)
~Dad playing his drums as I looked through photos after mom left for work
~mom leaving the light on over Grace’s fish so it didn’t get cold in the night and then worrying the next morning that it got TOO hot.
~last thing mom said to dad as she left: Don’t get on the roof, Gregory! “I won’t!” he replied. “does she always say that to you when she leaves?” “only when there’s snow on it.” (he sometimes has to clear it off)
~feeding the birds on the porch railing; they get a FLOCK of mourning doves, blue jays, chickadees, etc and never allow themselves to run out of bird seed
~mom sneezing so loud from the other room that frankly I got scared and we laughed and laughed
~putting together a puzzle
~playing foosball with dad
~listening to mom’s memories and writing a few down in my book
~listening to mom worry about Grace after she was gone, “Did you give her money? Does she have everything she needs?” “yes, mom”
~hugs and the words, “come again anytime you get cabin fever!”
~stopping by my cousin Erika’s house to pick up a rose cake plate that her husband found for me and getting to see her family
~stopping to hug Marissa and to give her a couple books for her mom and sisters
~driving on the familiar back roads toward home
******
(I drove back on Monday.)
And my children and husband were happy to have me back. so sweet.
We had to laugh as Sherlock kept lazily digging his claws into Caleb and inching his way off the couch and onto his lap. Also, more crochet! I can’t stop myself. I’m going to work on it today, too. Along with folding the bazillion loads of laundry that I washed yesterday. I might do some dancing around in my empty house, too.
Caleb reading Michael’s story that he wrote.
Seth decided all on his own that his special job for “moo” is to wash the dishes and so I took his photo yesterday as he busily scrubbed and got water all over (I don’t complain, I just grab towels). He’s so wonderful.
One of Jacob’s teachers knows of a little boy who has a brain tumor. The boy’s dad created a hashtag and wants photos sent, so Jacob made a sign and had the wrestling team hold it for a photo during practice last night. I have to say, Jacob has a beautiful heart. Things touch him deeply, and he got a text from his coach later saying he was proud of him. We could easily identify Jacob in the photo but Rich insisted Ethan wasn’t it in it, so I did my best to draw a circle around E, but circled him plus four other boys which made us laugh and laugh.
We sent back this photo:
tuesday evening, January 23, 2018
*****
And thus concludes the photos I downloaded this morning from the long weekend.
****
“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” P Mercier
“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.” Sarah Desson
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Maya Angelou
“There is nothing more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” Homer
romance and reality;
To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
wealthy, not rich;
to study hard,
think quietly,
talk gently,
act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages,
with open hearts;
to bear all cheerfully,
to do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never,
In a word,
let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common-
this is my symphony.
~William Ellery Channing
reality:
(While I wrote this Seth made hamburgers and dropped a spatula on the floor 32 times. Sarah’s burger broke in half. David said “ha ha” to her. She cried. Seth threw a mitten at me. David kept tapping his feet and drumming his hands. Seth yelled out strange noices and did strange dances. We are about to leave to take David to a wrestling meet. He is hungry. I feel rushed. Seth tapped his burger fingers on the clean glass door. My nose is running. Sarah yelled at Seth.)
no school today (wednesday)
David is practicing a song on the piano.
A candle is flickering on the coffee table.
Outside the window all is gray (sky) and white (snow) and black (trees). We are fast losing daylight. It’s 4:10pm.
Time to turn on lamps, think about what to made for dinner.
This morning Caleb asked to make breakfast. He made bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches for himself and younger siblings. Seth wrote up the menu and took orders.
This book is so good!
Since today was a snow day but the roads were clear, I took the three boys to our favorite barbershop for haircuts. Only two boys complained at the news and said, “I don’t want to get my haircut!” I asked them if they were still three and said go get in the car. Soon we were on our way. . . . .listening to music, going to the ATM because he only takes cash payments, and pulling into the parking lot. There were 4 haircuts ahead of us so we had to wait a while. Thankfully I had my book. Sports TV was loudly playing and it was fun to watch the boys get their hair cut. He gave me a notebook and pen when we were done, and the boys each received a piece of very hard bubble gum and a lollipop.
What’s for lunch? Two boys wanted Dunkin Donuts egg sandwiches but Caleb and I ran into Chipotle for burritos to go.
Back at home, Jack came over and the younger kids went outside to play.
David, Grace, and I watched Myths & Monsters on Netflix (highly recommended).
Dave with a new hair cut. (he has a scrubbed face (eye) from wrestling).
After the first episode I fell sound asleep on the couch and the kids came back inside to play.
Rich just came home early.
Happy Snow Day!
brisk jaunt
We had a deep deep freeze last week and now…..it’s 58 degrees. Oh it’s just so lovely outside, the air is mild and moist, slippery mushy snow is covering the ground, a mix of warm air and cold snow adds a misty fog to the atmosphere. Grace and I couldn’t resist a brisk jaunt.
On school mornings, David’s alarm wakes him and he then goes downstairs to his brother’s room to wake him up. Their bus arrives at 6:30 and I often don’t wake up until after they leave. Seth and Sarah wake up next and I’m always awake and busy with them getting their breakfast and packing snacks. Well, this morning to my surprise Caleb appeared from his bedroom half asleep. He and David had both overslept and missed their bus. I drove them to school, but had to wait until the digger got out of the way…..the town was digging out the beaver dam yet again. A deep dark cold watery mix is what is left of the solidly frozen beaver pond.
Ice impressively thick and just the gentlest of blues……
She threw in a small boulder of ice.
Ice thickness
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Be not dismayed whatever betide
God will take care of you
Beneath His wings of love abide
God will take care of you
God will take care of you
Through everyday o’er all the way
He will care for you
God will take care of you.
***
Good to be Home 