I'm cleaning out the old china cabinet that has lived on the second floor, in the hallway for 27 years.
It's filled with books, photo albums, baby books and the children's old school memorabilia. Not china.
We must have done a poetry unit in homeschool. I had a cassette tape of 6th grade poetry I showed Carol last night. She actually knew what a "tape" was and mentioned that she might like it for when she home schools Warren, but she wouldn't be able to play it.
At least she didn't say we were ancient! But, neither did she didn't jump at the offer that Rob made that she could take one of our many tape decks residing downstairs!
After looking through Ethan's poetry journal I was was really moved by some of his entries. I thought I would share a few selections from a 10 year old.
The ice covers the window
Like the current of a river
Held still in time
Through the woods they trudged,
the two boys walked together;
Close, as though not to get lost
whereas, seperation could be worse.
Together in a world
unknown to them.
Yet tried everyday by the common person.
I think this one is really profound.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
"We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends"
Or a lot of help!
My family and friends have been just wonderful this week! Calls, notes, visits, cards, dinners, trips to the orthopedic surgeon and a much needed visit to the Carina's, a wonderful young lady serving as Innkeeper this week, and a big package filled with yoga pants and valentine pj's from my girl in Atlanta!!
And it culminated in a call from two dear friends wanting to come over and play games with us, and keep us company on Friday night! So much fun!
We decided to play Scrabble. Rob and I needing to get our brain waves going, after not being able to bring up a word that we knew from 6th grade! The finger covering some of the board is hiding a word that I put on. I had certain letters and asked if that particular selection was a word. Colin looked it up and assured us it was a word. Unbeknowns to the rest of us, it was a very offensive word, and he suggested that we cover it before we took the picture. I still don't know the definition!
And Colin, who had never played SCRABBLE before, trounced us all!
And then it was on to speed Scrabble. Ann suggested we all play with one hand, so has not to have an unfair advantage over me. But I've been practicing all week doing things one handed, so I think the advantage was mine.
Then the three of them trooped over to 44 to set up for today's breakfast.
I think it's more than getting by......
My family and friends have been just wonderful this week! Calls, notes, visits, cards, dinners, trips to the orthopedic surgeon and a much needed visit to the Carina's, a wonderful young lady serving as Innkeeper this week, and a big package filled with yoga pants and valentine pj's from my girl in Atlanta!!
And it culminated in a call from two dear friends wanting to come over and play games with us, and keep us company on Friday night! So much fun!
We decided to play Scrabble. Rob and I needing to get our brain waves going, after not being able to bring up a word that we knew from 6th grade! The finger covering some of the board is hiding a word that I put on. I had certain letters and asked if that particular selection was a word. Colin looked it up and assured us it was a word. Unbeknowns to the rest of us, it was a very offensive word, and he suggested that we cover it before we took the picture. I still don't know the definition!
And Colin, who had never played SCRABBLE before, trounced us all!
And then it was on to speed Scrabble. Ann suggested we all play with one hand, so has not to have an unfair advantage over me. But I've been practicing all week doing things one handed, so I think the advantage was mine.
Then the three of them trooped over to 44 to set up for today's breakfast.
I think it's more than getting by......
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
WE'RE BORED
NOT ME!!
I'm never bored. I have enough projects, ideas, books to read, notes to write, people to visit and places to go to keep me busy for years to come1
But the other 11 beings that share the space are completely bored.
You see we have had inches of ice recently, and layers of snow the last few weeks and it is seriously impeding activity around here.
We have forbidden Otis to play ball fearing that he might fall on the ice and break his hip. The only speed he knows is all out, full speed ahead and I want to return him to Jon in the spring in one piece. So he definitely has cabin fever!
Meanwhile, the "ladies" of the barn are refusing to go outside in their yard. At first the 8 inches of snow probably would have buried them, and when I opened the door they all just backed away. None of that cold, white stuff was going to touch their skinny, bare feet and legs! Then the -20 degrees demanded that we close all doors and windows and turn the heat lamp on. Now they look at the sheer ice outside their door and have decided that they probably could not get enough traction needed to hop up the 18 inches to their door.
They're bored. Chickens are naturally inquisitive, but very skittish. The only interesting thing these days is to watch Otis' shadow as he walks back and forth across the outside barn door waiting for me to come out. I had grown large sunflowers this summer hopping to hang them from the ceiling of the coop to keep them occupied this winter, but silly me, I left them laying in the barn and in 2 days time the mice, squirrels and chipmunks devoured them. Live and learn!
These are the 4 new "girls". The white ones are just standard leghorns. While the brown ones are Ameracunas. One is laying the most beautiful blue eggs.
They haven't been named yet so I thought we might have some fun and name them now. For those who still follow this blog you know that the original 6 all are named after my Norwegian relatives. I've researched the family tree for more names which include:
Turid
Bente
Else
Solveig
Gun
Grete
Marit
Trude
Frida
Any suggestions welcome.
Although I an not bored, I have been sidelined. After navigating the ice successfully for over a week, I slipped and fell on Friday, fracturing my left wrist. I asked for a small cast in the ER but thet gave me a LARGE cast in the OR. My request was definately not granted. My friends have brought me flowers and dinners, and Rob has constructed this contraption to hold my arm up 90 degrees, night and day. I have taken my two arms and hands for granted for too long. One needs two hands for almost everything, including washing ones hands.
But I'm blessed. I get to have my hand and arm back in six weeks.
And as one of my friends reminded me....... it could have been my HIP!!!
I'm never bored. I have enough projects, ideas, books to read, notes to write, people to visit and places to go to keep me busy for years to come1
But the other 11 beings that share the space are completely bored.
You see we have had inches of ice recently, and layers of snow the last few weeks and it is seriously impeding activity around here.
We have forbidden Otis to play ball fearing that he might fall on the ice and break his hip. The only speed he knows is all out, full speed ahead and I want to return him to Jon in the spring in one piece. So he definitely has cabin fever!
Meanwhile, the "ladies" of the barn are refusing to go outside in their yard. At first the 8 inches of snow probably would have buried them, and when I opened the door they all just backed away. None of that cold, white stuff was going to touch their skinny, bare feet and legs! Then the -20 degrees demanded that we close all doors and windows and turn the heat lamp on. Now they look at the sheer ice outside their door and have decided that they probably could not get enough traction needed to hop up the 18 inches to their door.
They're bored. Chickens are naturally inquisitive, but very skittish. The only interesting thing these days is to watch Otis' shadow as he walks back and forth across the outside barn door waiting for me to come out. I had grown large sunflowers this summer hopping to hang them from the ceiling of the coop to keep them occupied this winter, but silly me, I left them laying in the barn and in 2 days time the mice, squirrels and chipmunks devoured them. Live and learn!
These are the 4 new "girls". The white ones are just standard leghorns. While the brown ones are Ameracunas. One is laying the most beautiful blue eggs.
They haven't been named yet so I thought we might have some fun and name them now. For those who still follow this blog you know that the original 6 all are named after my Norwegian relatives. I've researched the family tree for more names which include:
Turid
Bente
Else
Solveig
Gun
Grete
Marit
Trude
Frida
Any suggestions welcome.
Although I an not bored, I have been sidelined. After navigating the ice successfully for over a week, I slipped and fell on Friday, fracturing my left wrist. I asked for a small cast in the ER but thet gave me a LARGE cast in the OR. My request was definately not granted. My friends have brought me flowers and dinners, and Rob has constructed this contraption to hold my arm up 90 degrees, night and day. I have taken my two arms and hands for granted for too long. One needs two hands for almost everything, including washing ones hands.
But I'm blessed. I get to have my hand and arm back in six weeks.
And as one of my friends reminded me....... it could have been my HIP!!!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Diamonds in the Trees
This was our street as I was leaving home to go to church.
Winter finally has arrived, initiating us into the season by dumping 6 inches of snow after coating the trees with ice. It's like a winter wonderland here.
But driving home from church, on a back road lined with twenty huge hundred year old maple trees, I was treated to a spectaular show of glittering diamonds in the trees. The sun was out, the skies were clear, only a few wispy clouds on the horizon and the vista was sparkling. As the light fell on the thousands of branches the effect was breathtaking. I was entering a tunnel encrusted with sparkling jewels; diamonds. And around the edges were willows whose long thin branches were ribbons of silver, just waiting to be woven into some fine tapestry.
This past year as been the most difficult of my life. But driving home yesterday was a wonderful reminder of God's beauty and love. His creativity and joy in His creation. And His constant abiding love and faithfulness to me.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Fireworks...New Years Eve 2011
I've seen fireworks before.
But nothing like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI4TTcbOK3g
We were in Dubai for Christmas and New Years. Jon is working there this year at the Meydan stables and race track. The royal family's stable of thoroughbreds for racing.
His apartment is right across the street from the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, and also the sight of the worlds 2nd best fireworks for New Years Eve. I understand Sydney, Australia has #1.
We decided to walk over to the park and find a spot to enjoy the evening. So glad we got the car in it's parking spot early, the highways became one big parking lot and people were pouring in from every street. New Years Eve seems like more of a family event in Dubai. As we got situated in our spot we were surrounded by groups of families, multigenerational, including infants and older grandparents.
Our information said the fireworks would start at 11:00pm but that obviously was wrong. We were kept entertained though by the fountain shows every 15 minutes. Dancing streams of water in perfect harmony with the wonderful variety of music that was broadcast.
But at midnight everything stopped, darkened and then exploded.
And as I watched, I felt like crying. It was strange. As the fireworks exploded from the top downward, and off from the sides and around the ground, and the music rang in my ears and the water fountain danced with joy; scriptures started exploding in my spirit.
And I sensed God's very real presence in that country so far from anything that was familiar, at a very secular event.
Zephaniah 3:17, a scripture that I had been meditating on, became living and real. "The Lord thy God in the midst of you is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing". The music combined with the flashes of light and booming sounds overwhelmed me with a consciousness of how much God loves us and rejoices over us.
Scriptures from Revelation flooded into my mind......"out of his throne prodeeded lightnings and thunderings and voices", "worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor and glory and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".
The fireworks in Dubai were just man's awesome show of power, engineering, inspiration and creativity. I don't think you can hear the music that was being played on utube, but it was beautiful. And this is just what man can do. We get a little glimpse of God in His power. He gave us just a little, after all we are made in His image, but it shows us how majestic He is. How powerful, mighty, awesome, holy and strong He is. He is over all!
And He gave that all up so He could save us. So He could redeem us.
It's incomprehensible.
To God be the glory.
But nothing like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI4TTcbOK3g
We were in Dubai for Christmas and New Years. Jon is working there this year at the Meydan stables and race track. The royal family's stable of thoroughbreds for racing.
His apartment is right across the street from the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, and also the sight of the worlds 2nd best fireworks for New Years Eve. I understand Sydney, Australia has #1.
We decided to walk over to the park and find a spot to enjoy the evening. So glad we got the car in it's parking spot early, the highways became one big parking lot and people were pouring in from every street. New Years Eve seems like more of a family event in Dubai. As we got situated in our spot we were surrounded by groups of families, multigenerational, including infants and older grandparents.
Our information said the fireworks would start at 11:00pm but that obviously was wrong. We were kept entertained though by the fountain shows every 15 minutes. Dancing streams of water in perfect harmony with the wonderful variety of music that was broadcast.
But at midnight everything stopped, darkened and then exploded.
And as I watched, I felt like crying. It was strange. As the fireworks exploded from the top downward, and off from the sides and around the ground, and the music rang in my ears and the water fountain danced with joy; scriptures started exploding in my spirit.
And I sensed God's very real presence in that country so far from anything that was familiar, at a very secular event.
Zephaniah 3:17, a scripture that I had been meditating on, became living and real. "The Lord thy God in the midst of you is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing". The music combined with the flashes of light and booming sounds overwhelmed me with a consciousness of how much God loves us and rejoices over us.
Scriptures from Revelation flooded into my mind......"out of his throne prodeeded lightnings and thunderings and voices", "worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor and glory and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".
The fireworks in Dubai were just man's awesome show of power, engineering, inspiration and creativity. I don't think you can hear the music that was being played on utube, but it was beautiful. And this is just what man can do. We get a little glimpse of God in His power. He gave us just a little, after all we are made in His image, but it shows us how majestic He is. How powerful, mighty, awesome, holy and strong He is. He is over all!
And He gave that all up so He could save us. So He could redeem us.
It's incomprehensible.
To God be the glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
