springtime in the south

"This is spring."

I remember the years we were living on the farm and lambing season arrived with so much  highlighted anticipation. We would do all we could in the autumn to allow breeding with the intention that all the ewes would lamb somewhere between early to late March, this was shortly after shearing their long wool fleeces in mid- February.

Some of those days of lambing would be balmy and beautiful making all the extra time at the barn light and delightful, but there would certainly be those nights of freezing cold weather too, and you  simply took the good with the bad. It was springtime in the south and it was lambing time!

I walked today and spring settled deep in my soul. The potted pussy willow is blooming, the pear and plum trees are blooming vigorously, the daffodils are dancing in the breezes and spring has opened its door wide. If and when the colder temperatures do show themselves again, it is okay because its springtime in the south.

daily measures

I have been reading quite a bit lately about the renewing of the mind. The basis of this thought for me is based on the Holy Scriptures which states that I am not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of my mind in order that I would by proving, discern the will of God (Romans 12:2). First and foremost I renew my mind through the careful reading and meditating upon His Word regularly, trusting fully in the Holy Spirit. I am dependent on the Holy Spirit to renew my mind in all that I do, think, or say. Renewing my mind also involves looking at everything I do in the light of God's Word, and then giving application from His Word to the daily happenings in my life, no matter how big or how small that might look at any given moment.

This morning while I was busy in my kitchen, MR. C. came to tune our piano. I continued with the making of a loaf of sourdough Einkorn bread and made a tasty vegetable beef soup; Charlotte sat at the kitchen table doing some of her school work occasionally interspersing  questions about a paper she was writing. It was restful hearing the dramatic rising and falling pings of the piano in the next room mixed with gentle choppings and occasional stirrings of the soup while the levain was set with the flour to rise for five hours.

 The field of ornithology fascinates me, and my husband is kind to indulge me in allowing the backyard feeding of these creatures year round. Recently I ran across excellent sites, here and here to aid in learning to recognize various bird sounds. As I take my daily walk many times I hear more than I see, therefore it would be extremely helpful to being able to detect several of the birds by their beautiful calls and songs. 

(Above photo): During the cold months I will sometimes place sunflower seeds at my kitchen window ledge, then as I am busy at my kitchen sink I am able to enjoy my feathered friend's closer visits.

yarn along, winter successes

Here it is yarn along time with Ginny as the month of March has come in like a lamb...thus far in my region of the country,  and after missing last month's yarn along I was happy to be able to post on what I am presently knitting and reading.

I continued most winter evenings knitting on this fascinating cabled vest by Thea Colman, which I am  happy to announce I am almost through with the cabling side! Then its on to the front of the vest which is all stocking knit and should go much more quickly, a project to tote along while I ride in cars or wait in coffee shops allowing knitting  on it more devotedly. The cabling pattern required a pattern board and concentration....

But my serious lack of finished knitting does not mean I have neither been learning new things nor immersed in other worthwhile pursuits. The making of bread with sourdough starter and einkorn flour has been a journey worth traversing, and one which I have loved.  Along with my three cats, outside birds at the feeders (not mentioning the squirrels), I am now feeding a sourdough starter and a bowl of live brown planaria. Think tenth grade biology invertebrates, and the dissection of earthworms...

Reading....one of my goals was to find some very good clean crime/mystery novels this winter. This had a two fold purpose since my mother-in-law loves to read mysteries and crime novels and I would like to have some new authors to recommend to her. I believe I found it in Charles Todd. Why is it that crime and mystery writers can be so fecund? Their minds amaze me. I am presently reading through the Bess Crawford series by this author. And what is a winter without a little bedtime/soaking in the bathtub while reading Miss Read's Winter in Thrush Green? Truthfully, I must read that novel every winter and it never ceases to hold my delight and interest. I found another good read in the library recently, Ann Hood's Kitchen Yarns, an autobiography of her life from childhood (first memories) until the present. And she  disperses recipes at the end of every chapter enticing my tastebuds to tie on a apron and get cooking!