First Impressions

             A front porch is so much fun to decorate....

        It can be a great clue to the owners taste and style....
         mine is a lot like me: not too formal. perhaps relaxed and a bit whimsical  that is SO much better a word than odd.( which apparently is a synonym.)
           
                                         The Front Door                                
                                       

                   I haven't had something on my door for a while...
                  but I had fun making this wreath. It's actually only fallen off once so far!

                               





Sometimes a spark can light a fire... that's what happened when I spied a trio of red lanterns a while ago.The hunt for a red lantern began....I couldn't find one in my price range so after investing in a can of spray paint my old one was transformed.also the skates which were near by...


             

       

     




















Thank you so much for visiting my version of Feather My Nest Friday.
It was fun to share this with you......
 http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.ca/




203,time to lay low a bit;colds and flue in the house, 204,health!! I take it for granted way too much!!205,slow cooker meals,206,a new tea to try called hot yoga,207,hubby who faithfully goes to work for us,208,a nice warm bath for girl who is home,209,invitations,210,the first Christmas card.

A Sign Of The Times

They said there simply isn't space.
We can't display this scene.
It really isn't all that important,
By the way, what does it mean?

They said it's a business choice.
We must stay with the present time.
 It's a little odd,and out of place.
We could be guilty of crime.


I say, have we really come
To such a place as this,
That in the maddening rush and haste
We've not realized what's amiss.

For if throughout the busy year
We've never stopped to pray,
Or thank the One who came to earth.
Then Christmas is just a day.

A day full to worship things,
That fail to fill a heart.
A day where joy is empty
And dread can sometimes start.

I pray that through this Christmas;
My heart has ample room
For the Babe who came this world to save
From our own impending doom. 


I was reading in the paper how a mall here, decided not to display the Nativity scene this Christmas.
There seems to be less room for the Real meaning of Christmas every year.

still grappling gratitude here...

 191- anticipation of the season, 192-compliments from a child:"I like that sweater, Mom:)"193-candles burning,194-cleaning out closets, 195-warm hugs,196-a blanket box that is full to pull from on these cold nights,197-shoes by the door,198-smiles from strangers,199-spray paint makeovers,200-Christmas decorating,201-child bursting out in song,202-abundance and variety of food available.

Life ; A Perpetual Learning

             



Came across this today and thought it was worth sharing....
Hope you enjoy!

 101 Timeless Lessons Life Teaches

smiles and thanks for these:
181- daughter praying;" be with all the boys and girls who get the shoe boxes and those who don't!"
182-beautiful covering of snow out there
183-thoughtful friends
184-attending craft fair
185-my clothes drier
186-cleaning my mother-in-laws house(every year her daughter and we six daughter-in-laws plan a day to clean for her. She's eighty two and lives alone, still in reasonable health but it is always great to lay aside our agendas and clean: which includes a certain degree of gabbing,laughing and general silliness.oh and....
187-pizza. (tis a tradition!)
188-courage to say 'NO' sometimes
189-discovering how freeing 'YES' was this year
190-squash; love this vegetable!


 

The Truth About Love

                  


                  The truth is some people will never love us
                                as much as we love them.
                                                         and that's okay because
                   The truth is we can never love God
                        AS MUCH  as He loves us.



 

Feathering My Nest Friday ,and an Invitation

Welcome to the second edition of Feather My Nest a fun take on a theme for Fridays.
Please join me in this venture. Link up- I'd love to see how YOU feather your nest!

Today my nest; will be brimming with girls enjoying a holiday from school, and celebrating my youngests' birthday which was yesterday. She turned ten. I can hardly believe a decade has passed since her debut.

     
      here she is sporting her new housecoat,watch and hat,
                                                                                     with no thought
                   whatsoever of the implications of ten;  and what they do to her mother.

 A few girls arrived bright and early to enjoy breakfast compliments of big sister;banana rollups,spread a pancake with peanut butter and wrap around banana!

after lunch the party began in earnest with fun for everyone...

               
                 

                                                                                                    
                      it was fun to watch them have fun, under sister's    supervision..... such aspiring artists.
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                           

        by the way click here for this theme already going strong! So lovely.

I've heard it said that joy and sorrow always intermingle; whenever you are experiencing one, the other is close at hand and you will inevitably experience it eventually. It really takes both to have a rich life.
Never did I think of that as much as I did today. In the middle of my daughter's birthday celebration I attended a beautiful memorial service for my neighbour/ friend. It was definitely a juxtaposition if there ever was one, and a poignant reminder to me to embrace all the moments I have with my loved ones because tomorrow holds no guarantees.

         



thankful for; 167,life, 168,the craziness,169, the beautiful memorial service,170,the chance to know Julie,171,the hymns we sang,172,she loved the Lord,173,daughter's birthday,174,friends,175,bike ride yesterday,176,snow today(in all things, right?)177,thank-you cards,178,finding daughter who rode the bus to closest city without too much trouble,179,the steam rising from my mug right here...180, my super comfy bed.

Earthly Goodbyes

     My apologies ,but my heart is in mourning tonight, as today a friend/acquaintance succumbed after a
            horrendous battle with cancer. I wrote this hoping it may be cathartic.
                      Thank-you for reading.

The day that tree fell down at my mother-in-law, was a perfectly still,day.
There was no wind whatsoever and yet she awoke to one of the three trees strewn haphazardly across the lawn.
That was the day my father-in-law made a turn for the worse. He passed away three days later.

It really seemed odd at the time and somehow seems even more odd that this is what I think of when I come home and listen to the message on my machine.

Her voice is heavy and thick  with sorrow ,and the colour of grief.
" She passed away this morning at eleven thirty."
It is over.
All morning and for days I had thought and prayed as this mother fought valiantly to the end. My heart aches for her two children who must somehow forge the teenage years and beyond without her.
I consider her bravery as she fought this battle without the support of a loving marriage partner.
My mind drifts back to when our children played together, they had ridden the same bus, attended the same school.
She was a passionate,radiant woman.
I think about the beautiful home they lived in and the lifestyle they seemed to enjoy.
 I remember her beautiful smile...always smiling.
And then I remember how only recently I found out things were not
 what they seemed.
Smiles  and wealth can be a facade. A very convincing facade.

I wonder how many people I come in contact with who are smiling but  are carrying heavy burdens that somehow they can't share.
I wonder if I've cared enough? or even at all?
I think about moments I've squandered. I could have done more.

Fear and excuses are a feeble fight against regret.
Why is it easier to build walls instead of bridges?

Wiping away tears I lift this family to the Hands of Healing,Life and Grace.
I know she is There, her suffering here is over.
She had prayed this prayer and believed.

And I remember her; this; and realise I still have time .....
     to give,grow, learn and love.

 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.Revelations 21:4

Keep Dancing

please listen to the music

Sometimes life is just that way,                  
But never stop trying.
The courage to love and not give up.
The strength it takes to believe.
Everything will be okay.


Life and love are a phantom dance of sorts.
We can try to avoid it's mystery.
But when we embrace the wonder and  power they hold,
We truly live.

When we let go and ride like the wind towards our destiny.
When we risk.....to feel and know.
When we give..... beyond ourselves.

We  find that joy; that unveiling of a beautiful soul.
The scars of a beautiful life are in the hands and eyes
        that weep with compassion.

                         The Love that knows no Bounds....

                         
              keep sailing.....follow the Master.



 for these and more we thank Thee...
151,a walk through nature with a friend,152. riding my bike in November,153, a freezer with half a beef in it ,154. neighbours who sell beef.155.girl singing-'I've got something that the world can't give and the world
 can't take it away'156.Simple Sundays,157.sister bonds,158.watching a movie together:(the Disney movie Brave as my youngest summarised;'it was good at the beginning and end and kinda weird in the middle.)

159.beautiful music and scenery in it 160.beautiful sunset tonight,161.the power of prayer,162.packing shoe boxes,163.girl baking a wacky cake,164. good progress reports from school,165.worshipping through music.166.son enjoying basketball.

Feather My Nest Friday

Hello, and welcome to the first; feather my nest Friday!

      I love decorating my home....and creating a warm and welcoming place for family and friends.
The details and personal touches we add in a home make it uniquely ours and can be a great outlet for creative expression. 

 We can all be artists in our own way....it's all about appreciating beauty.

                                                                                                        right?
 

   I also believe happiness comes NOT when we have everything we WANT,
                  but when  we WANT everything we have.

           
 I love this quote by P.D. Eastman....

                                                                                              
  I love my house, I love my nest.
  In all the world my nest is best.

 Hence the title ,and a few 'feathers from my nest'.....
          my youngest daughters' bedroom....

          the shelves here came out of my basement, I painted the back of the bookcase pink like the wall

                       a few expressions of pure girl.....
                                                                  youngest daughter dressed up as Dorthy from Wizard of Oz)

                  the purchase of these four hangers inspired the wall colours.....

I see the day coming in the not too distant future when they will have grown out of the pinks and blues of childhood, and have the bunk bed of their dreams....
but today it is my 'little girls room' and it holds promise and wonder.

 

Short and Sweet for Moms.

       

Time is keeping it short and simple,
 but today I had a recollection of something my second daughter said when she was likely about three or four.
She said" I can't wait until I'm a Mom because than I can do
   what ever I want!!"
      (first made me laugh, then of course made me think....)


Aren't you glad you're a Mom and we get to do whatever we want?

                           Hope you have a day full of things you want to do!

   When you are a mother, you are never really alone in       your        thoughts. A mother always has to think twice,
               once for herself and once for her child. Sophia Loren

 real gratitude140,quilts on clothesline,141,thrumming of piano,142,listening to a child's prayers,143,clean toilet bowls,144,son's dedication to morning barn chores,,145,hosting  book study here,146,meeting new people,147, November is half over!148,a new thrift store close by,149,pilates,150,my family...so nice to have ten of us to help share the load when someone is in need.

The Trifling Ticket Incident

I see the flashing red and blue lights in my mirror and wonder vaguely if I should move to  another lane so they can  pass me.Bewildered I notice they are still behind me as I pull into the parking lot of my destination, the big thrift store. "what on earth!" I say to my daughter beside me, who is ready to get home and go out for the evening. She has spent four hours taking the bus home from college and I have come to pick her up in the closest city.I wanted to make a quick stop while I checked the thrift store for some knitting needles and then scurry home to make supper for hubby who is out plowing the field. This just seems rather unlikely.
 Feeling a bit flustered as my mind races ahead of me I pull into a parking space and roll down my window to acknowledge the approaching officer.

"What do you mean?" I ask innocently." I don't have an updated licence sticker,how could you tell this?" I ask him frankly.
I stared at the officer in disbelief, "no I am certain this is a mistake." My husband always pays his insurance on his birthday.'( I know this because he will  usually make a wry joke about what a nice present this is.)
'Would you like to see some piece of evidence?' I inquire, hoping Mr Officer will be impressed by my helpfulness, I reach into the glove department to display the ownership and insurance papers.A wave of impatience and annoyance surges through me.
Surely he has more important things to do with his time then to stop me for not having a licence sticker!
Isn't there real criminals he should be after and innocent children he could be protecting!
Fuming is futile, so subdued I sit and wait with three daughters  for Mr. Officer to return with the verdict.Eventually Mr. Officer returns with ticket in hand assuring me it is not half as bad as it could be and how he has graciously waived having us taken off the road. Determined to be a good example to my silent occupants, I thank him and assure him that we will certainly pay the licence as soon as possible. His demeanour changes slightly from superior cop to citizen as he reminds me to drive safe.

 I think about that evening and the weeks events, and how it seemed like the final straw. All week I felt like I had been running on 'survival mode' and the constant demands and duties were taking it's toll on me. I smile at the irony of my feelings when I notice this helpless little Polly my daughter had placed here waiting for glue to repair her....

                                 The truth is aren't we all broken? 
   Don't we all need that Divine heavenly glue called grace?
 Aren't we  all a mess without it. The dirt and debris of our lives are all exposed much like the bright sunshine exposed the evidence of a lack of dusting furniture here recently and
as Mr. Officer could tell by scanning my licence plate and reveal the truth of my ways,
our Heavenly Father sees all the secrets of my heart.

The feelings of not being enough and being too much.
The feelings of regret when words and silence wound hearts.
The fears and failures do not surprise Him at all.

I have spent the past week cleaning up leftover leaves and debris from lawn and garden, and as my eyes scan the bare landscape of November I consider the purpose of  this barren land, the starkness, a reminder though of Help and Healing to barren hearts. 

       Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy    laden.            and I will give you rest. Matthew11:28.




thankful for.....
 139,for cops with compassion...my second daughter( who is seventeen and only driving alone for six months) happened to be on the road at the same time that I was stopped.At the hand of fate  a cop also stopped her but
when he noticed her tears and how visibly shaken she was he kindly let her go as he assured her he realises it is not her fault:).



 

Comfort Food

Nothing says lovin' like fresh from the oven. Right?

It's that time of year for those comfort foods.

What says comfort to you?

                          how about fresh baked bread?

                                   or maybe a rack of ribs with potatoes and carrots...





or a good for you dessert like this
  blueberry apple cobbler.
    recipe here...










                        
                                  



  

 http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/recipes/maritime-blueberry-apple-cobbler

                                                 here are some popcorn balls...

              
                  and then there's pumpkin pie and muffins.

              I have to say one thing I love about fall is being in my kitchen and cooking and baking for the people I love.
                 I hope you do as well.

             After all , if love is a verb this should define it quite well.

          Love is a fruit in season at all times, and
            within the reach of every hand. Mother Teresa



 116.being able to nourish and nurture,117.a kitchen table,118.realizing life is too short to pine for yesterday,119. my Mother, who is more precious than rubies,120.Mom's 70th celebration,121.tissue boxes that match decor122.the Word,123.Grace,124.my Mom again( her name is Grace)125.a sound mind,126.colour!