a changing world

The bird's calls can be heard through the glass window panes in the sunroom at dawn their sweet singing and chirping reminding me. The gradually lengthening light reveals the blooming redbuds, the lacy cherry trees, the colorful azaleas bushes, and the verdant carpeted grass outside the windows.

"Behold the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

 and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

See how the lilies o f the feed grow...

Matthew 6:26

When things are changing in our world we can trust His promises. 

Though we are doing things differently these days.

ZOOM has become a huge hit for violin lessons, orchestra practices, and ballet bar work.

FaceTime piano lessons are  now the norm as well.
But of course, school is the same.
We do try to get outside for exercise every day we can.

smug

Can it be a positive thing to use the word smug when referring to a particular feeling you have about something? Because to be perfectly honest that is exactly the word that came into my mind this afternoon. After pondering what to do with the leftover einkorn bread and then experimenting with a few simple ingredients, a most delicious dish of apple bread pudding was the result.

Yes, I felt smug.

Thankful for food, family and health.

a monday in march

"Monday, Monday so good to me..."

Perhaps you are familiar with the words of the song sang by the Mamas and the Papas in the 1960s?

 Mondays bring another opportunity to join up with with some of you wonderful homemakers on Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday.

*The Weather...☁️
Today the sky is pearly white, no sun but plenty of light. Thankful I am for my warm house slippers today since the day is cooler and as I am here at home doing my Monday things.

*How I am feeling...
It is actually afternoon now, Monday morning has long gone.  I do not turn on my computer until later in the day, never first thing in the morning. Today has been one of those days of conversations, mostly through the telephone, but also conversations with visitors stopping by for one thing or another. And the conversations always managed to give the reaction everyone is having in regard to the Coronavirus. Not one of us is short on opinions concerning all the closings.

*On my mind...
The Ladies Tea my church is hosting which is scheduled for this Saturday afternoon. I am
 " in charge" so the little details are pressing on my mind here and there.

*In my handiwork basket...
I completed my cross stitch sampler on the 32 count linen fabric I began back in the fall. I must confess I had to wear reading glasses to see the small fabric squares.

*Around the house...
...Fermenting cabbage and carrots
... Several loads of laundry, since it is Monday
...Vacuuming cat hair from the cushions in the sun room

*This week's menu plans...
Monday-Sausage/onions with polenta and green salad
Tuesday- Chicken Saltimbocca with green salad
Wednesday-Pork Chop, potatoes, and broccoli
Thursday-
Friday-

*On my camera...

Preparation for fermenting cabbage

 Jumping outside at the Art Museum last week.  Our train of thought ran something like this, if our teenage daughters could do it, than why not us?

*Praying...
In the book, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller, praying with the use of prayer cards is discussed in a simple, laid out manner. I have incorporated my own form of these cards into my early morning prayer time and have found it an extremely helpful method.

*Bible...
Joshua  Precept Bible Study for the week is in Joshua 19 and 20, the land allotments. I am finding the book of Joshua filled with life applications.

Wash your hands and carry on...

Happy Homemaker Monday

It looks like spring, it feels like spring, and it sounds like spring...is it spring? No, my dears, not yet. But today I went outside and certainly hugged some spring!

Homemaking is something near and dear to my heart, so it only stands to reason I highly appreciate women that have embraced the lifestyle of full-time homemaking, women of all ages. So I thought I would try something new this week by linking up with Sandra at

The weather:
69 degrees, sunny, not a cloud to observe in a gorgeous blue sky. But rain is coming later in the week along with even warmer temperatures, so they say. Daylight savings time is making itself known a bit, dark in the mornings once again when I arise, but oh, let's concentrate on the longer light evenings shall we?

Right now I am:
Sitting in my sun-infused parlor. We always eat dinner early on Monday nights because Charlotte has dance class at 6:00. The dishwasher is waiting to be loaded,  supper pans to be scrubbed,  and counters to be washed before I can call it a night.

I am thinking:
About  our little venture tomorrow to our state's Art Museum about an hours drive away. This semester Charlotte has been doing an art survey class, therefore, viewing works of art close up seemed a good thing.

On my reading pile:
Only two books are currently being read from my self-imposed 2020 Reading Challenge.

The Confessions by St. Augustine

One of Ours by Willa Cather

On the TV:
 Truly, there is little I enjoy watching on the television. But since my husband does enjoy a good movie now and then, I will spend some evenings watching the telly with him. Plus, it is an excellent time to knit!😊
Lately, we are watching All Creatures Great and Small. This series is entertainment at its best. If you have not been introduced to this series your are missing a treat. The first time we watched them was in 2014 on Netflix, and since we enjoyed them so much then I purchased them for my husband that Christmas.

Menu Planning:
 Monday...BBQ chicken, Dirty Rice, sautéed kale, and a fresh green salad with raw vegetables
Tuesday...Chili and green salad
Wednesday... Fish,???
Thursday...Macaroni and Cheese and salad
Friday...Hamburgers, Sweet Potato fries
This is a tentative plan. Rose and Ivy are arriving  onThursday and on Friday we are having the family over for hamburgers and a birthday party.

Looking forward this week:
 To Rose and Ivy coming and celebrating Ivy's fourth birthday.  I have not  put my arms around and kissed these girls since Christmas!

Around the house today:
Chicken stock simmering...I like to simmer mine for 24 hours.
Two loves of bread baked
Chili cooked and is in the refrigerator for tomorrow night's dinner since we will be out all day tomorrow.
Three loads of laundry, washed, dried, folded and put away.
Kitchen floor vacuumed
Kitchen cabinets washed

From my camera:

From my walk this morning, a forest of bamboo...

A few of the things included on my Prayer List:
*My sweet mother-in law who fell and broke her right wrist and had to have shoulder replacement surgery. We wished we lived closer to her.
*Our nation and our President
*Israel

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me."

~C.S. Lewis

Charlotte and I spend the time after breakfast reading the Bible with a plan that enables you to read the entire Bible in a year, today's reading was from Numbers 15 and 16, and Acts 18. My daily devotional reading was in I Kings this morning.

my morning as a chaperone

So what does one do when they are a die hard early riser and they find themselves in a room with three sleeping teenagers? 

I had spent considerable time thinking about this beforehand and this is what I decided would probably work the best.  I planned to set out as much as possible the night before the things that would be needed.  

Upon waking the next morning, with the light of my phone, I was able to rustle through gathering my clothes and toiletry bag as I quietly slipped  into the bathroom. Then I unabashedly exited from the room and headed to the lobby.

Sally, the Inn's resident cat greeted me. Not exactly the same as my own three cats morning's greetings, but I definitely saw some common ties here. And there was plenty of hot coffee offered along with the glow of an electric fireplace that radiated warmth, and since snow flakes were spinning lightly outside on this cold morning a certain ambience was secured. Important when one is away from home.

Eventually everyone awakened and came downstairs for breakfast. It was to be a another full day of dancing, and then a ballet to attend that evening.

extra February snippets

A medium-sized fuchsia suitcase is laying on my bed as I am in the process of packing for a weekend trip with Charlotte, we leave first thing in the morning. Her dance company is attending a dance weekend with the School of the Arts here in my state, it is a treat that I get to go along too.

 Earlier this week...

Enjoying: One of the perks of Charlotte being in the Youth Orchestra is we are allowed a certain amount of tickets to attend the local Symphony. We go as often as we can and enjoy superb programs every time. Last Saturday it was a bone-chilling walk back to our car after the concert, thankfully our souls were still warm from the music of Puccini, Hayden's Farewell Symphony, and the orchestra performing Mario Caselnuovo-Tedesco's work alongside guest artist Artyom Dervoed, a renowned classical guitarist. 

Nature Walks: The Common Grackles have appeared once again in the neighborhood. The last time they traveled through it was fall. It is the most eerie feeling to be out walking and observe the large numbers congregating in the tops of the trees, and to watch them constantly swooping across the treetops with their loud incessant chatter. Too close to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds for my taste.

And  the adoption is final!!!!
Vivid memories of that evening over two years ago when Witt and Claire came straight from the hospital carrying this three day old little one. We wanted him from the beginning, but it took a long drawn-out process and ceaseless prayer to make it to this happy moment.

winter knitting

"After supper they went into the sitting-room. It was warm enough to do without a fire and they settled themselves in the bay window, with a table between them for Lutkin's knitting..."

Landscape inn Sunlight

Elizabeth Fair

Back in early October I began a knitting project with the zeal that any new pattern and yarn summons after a planned visit to a yarn store.  The weather was graciously moderate as Octobers always are in our southern climate and winter calling as only a future impression of mindful preparedness. There were several things that drew me to choosing this pattern,  a simple enough pattern yet  including a 38 stitch cable band with a 32 row repeat.

For me this translates into a project that doesn't work as as carry-along project, but instead it requires having a pattern board at hand, and close attention to my knitting. This makes for a perfect match as my husband and I decided to pull out our BBC DVD's of All Creatures Great and Small.  The last time we watched this wonderful series was during the winter of 2014, and these absolutely well-done movies (1980 TV series) have proven as delightful as always. The wrap has been growing alarmingly long, it blankets my legs as I knit which is certainly an added bonus on cool evenings. I've knitted the (76 1/2  inch) length and now all that is needed is the addition of the side band.

I certainly am not a fair predictor of the spring weather, yet I do know there have been wintry March days, and with the hope of wearing this wrap in 2020 I can hold onto the remembrance of another  knitting project that allowed a late winter/early spring adornment. Joy!

February bits and pieces

The last Saturday in February has arrived, grandchildren showing up at the back door bundled up  against the cold temperatures at 8:30 just as we were beginning to prepare breakfast. Of course, I had been up for some time and was sufficiently supplied with needed mugs of coffee for the day. Witt and Claire had a Foster Care meeting scheduled until after lunch and had asked us to keep B and G. 

What I am remembering about toddlers is their insatiable ability to go from one thing to thing to another in a very short amount of time, so unlike me at this stage of my life. Before long G was ready to go outside, which worked great since dear husband was going outside for a walk anyway and we had wisely retrieved the stroller from the trunk of Claire's car that morning. Then I had a moment to put on soup for lunch and get Sunday's lunch started. After lunch G. was put down for his nap and  that allowed game time for Breanna, Charlotte and me.

The next few photos were on my camera roll and since I partly keep this blog as a scrapbook of my days and years, I wanted to record a few other February bits and pieces on this post. Every Wednesday afternoon at 3:00, the back door opens briskly and four teenagers converge into my kitchen for Bible Study. I have always manage to have a snack waiting on the counter for them, and I love hearing their anticipated laughter and lively conversation. This week of Valentines Day included special treats (not shown, chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate chip cookies).

Reminiscent of previous  Valentine dinners with my husband here at the house, I am fond of  the marvelous traditions we've shaped making for a quiet evening with my love.

stitching through silk

A free afternoon, yet freely chosen.

   I was free to stitch, buttonhole seaming through silk, this time on my silk-embroidered reticule. And the BBC version of Northhanger Abbey provided free amusement in the background, making all dimensions lively.

( a few hours of free time spent this past Saturday afternoon...betwixt this and that)) 

enjoying every hour...

"The seasons are what a symphony ought to be:

Four perfect movements in harmony with each other."

              ~Arthur Rubenstein

 A halcyon moment this afternoon, right before dinner prep was to begin in earnest. I sat outside and stitched, alongside me was a cup of tea and fuzzy Louie.

I am reading more these days. The challenge of choosing to read certain classics and a sound feeling of I must "get on with it" faces me daily.  Interestingly enough, I look forward to the extra hours I spend reading,  somehow this self-imposed challenge is quite enough to justify those extra moments.

  Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanhouken is lingering in my thoughts, and I expect it will for quite some time.  This book gets five-stars, and I highly recommend adding it to your reading list.

As I closed one book I opened another, thus, beginning at the top of my 2020 Reading Challenge, a 19th century classic. I remember reading Wuthering Heights in high school, the movie was seen in the theater and that is what I do remember. "Oh, Heathcliff"!  But after reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte in the past few years, it only seemed fair to give Emily another chance. This novel is slow and  slightly vapid in the beginning, but I am sensing a slight change, so I plug on...

Louie jumped down and I fancy he is pondering one of my gardens, noting the rebirth of flowers, herbs and garlic...yes, this year I am growing garlic in several garden spaces!

books, books and more books

                                                                              (image here)

I have always intended to be a woman of my word, and since I distinctly stated in my last post that I would give the books I was considering for my 2020 Reading Challenge soon, I believe soon has arrived this evening. These books are not necessarily written in stone, nor will I carve them there until I am reading a noted book and it proves itself to be a book I will want to continue reading. As you might well notice the list is not fully complete, I am open for suggestions...

1. 19th Century Classic   Wuthering Heights   Emily Bronte
2. 20th Century Classic   One of Ours   Willa Cather  
3. Classic written by a man    Jayber Crow   Wendell Berry
4. Classic in Translation    The Confessions  St. Augustine
5. Genre Classic  4:50 to Paddington  Agatha Christie
6. Classic with a person's name in the title   Celia's House.   D. E. Stevenson
7. Classic with a place in the title  We Bought An Island   Evelyn E. Atkins
8. Classic with nature in the title   The Country of the Pointed Firs  Sarah Orne Jewett
9. Classic about family  The Fountain Overflows  Rebecca West
10. An Abandoned Classic   Villete  Charlotte Bronte
11. Classic Adaption   North and South  Elizabeth Gaskell
12. Childhood Classic   Cornelli  Johanna Spyri
13. A Perennial  A Praying Life  Paul Miller
14. A Religious Classic   How Should We Then Live?   Francis Schaeffer  
15. A Grace Livingston Hill   Homing(?)
16. A biography/autobiography  Severe Mercy  Sheldon Vanauken
17. A non- fiction   Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life  Marta McDowell

What is it about typing something that makes reality spring into focus? This list seems terribly ambitious, especially in light of other things I love to do beside reading, and unfortunately, I have never been one that enjoys reading while doing something else with my hands.

      "A fondness for reading, properly directed,, must be an education in itself"

Jane Austen Mansfield Park