Easter Plans

                       What are your plans for Easter?

I'm going to dig out the pastel shades much like these eggs....

                                               pretty.

I'm also going to indulge a little; sweet chocolate and cookies...

I'm going to reminisce about my sixth birthday and how perhaps it may have fallen close to Easter that year as well because this little bunny was a gift from my grandma...a special lady indeed she was...

               I am going to continue to live with joy and peace and gratitude  because,
 this past week brought a birthday and I became older by a year.......

                      because He Lives... 
              life is worth living...

                Much love to you this blessed Easter;
              as we celebrate the most triumphant of days...              

Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here,but has risen! Luke 24:5&6

                               I'm joining this party, come see!
                       http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/

He Has Carried Us To His Table

                                      please listen...

                              

I will never forget the first time I heard this powerful song...it touched me to my very core, as I was hit by the gravity of grace and the Lord's all consuming passion for us.
I hope you listen; and like myself feel so unworthy and yet honored,
to have a seat at the table of the Lord.

Thank-you, thank-you...Jesus.



471- visiting a church for a Good Friday service,472-our whole family together in one van and one table!
473-girls making Jolly Rancher lollipops,474-a wonderful birthday this week,475-knowing I am blessed,
476-flowers in my favorite colors,477-driving to pick up my daughter,478-seeing that sign and stopping at the coolest vintage treasure shop,479-planning a return trip to visit it again when time is not the issue,480-an invitation for Easter Sunday,481-sunshine drying clothes on line,482-buying poppy seeds for new recipe,483-music and people who play it,484-the sky and all the varying shades of blue,485-spring wardrobe,486-strength for a new day...

To Summarize and Commiserate With An Artist....

I can't say I consider myself an artist. After all artists are more flamboyant and free than I think of myself. I know I'm generalizing here and I do realize Artist is a very broad term- ...I do believe...We are all creative in some way...and everyone is an artist in their own life.LM~
One facet of art I am drawn to is writing, and that is a skill I would love to hone and own a little more freely... I love words, pondering words, hearing new words,and no dear hubby I do not make up words...:)
These two books entered my life recently and I've been delving into them intermittently..

Amy, had mentioned Rumors Of Water on her blog and recently I purchased it and have so far enjoyed it's lilting flow and subtle humor.

Letters To A Young Artist was one I picked up at a thrift store.An older,experienced artist,is writing letters to a younger artist struggling with many emotions, including turbulent self doubt,ego and fear.This book is brutally raw and honest,and while I can't 
argue that it is written from a Christian stand point, there are certain times she alludes to God, his plans and His ultimate creativity.

I hope you like this excerpt as I did;
Dear X,
You write, the odds are stacked against me.Let me be blunt.I think the odds are a drink of emotional poison.
No one invokes the odds who aren't trying to keep you from committing creativity.For one thing your odds of succeeding immediately increase if you try succeeding.You may think I'm being facile,but I think I'm simply responding to spiritual law; God helps those who help themselves."Ask, and you shall receive, even, Knock and it shall be opened to you."
When we believe the odds are stacked against us, we are choosing to believe that the odds are more powerful not only than our own gifts but also than God. If the tiny mustard seed can become a tree,if the acorn can become the oak, why can't our ideas flourish into mighty manifestations? It comes down to the question of self worth doesn't it?We tend to believe we must  deserve good fortune, but what proof do we have for that notion?
 Did the lilies of the field earn their place in the sun? No, it was God's nature to care for them,and it is likewise God's nature to care for us and our brainchildren.
When we see our work as an extension of God's work, and not as an act of ego, it is easier to believe that their may be a plan of goodness for it.
If we believe not I, but the Father doeth the works"than we really do not need to worry about the question of odds do we?(Julie Cameron)

Congrats, if you read all that:) I really liked the way that was put. Artists (everyone) have many inner struggles,and so much of our success is dependent on us placing our trust, in the One who created us ... and us doing His work for Him.

as I handed Jasmine her laundry pile I said"you could do a spring sock clean, if there's any with holes throw them out..."a little later I heard the sewing machine...this is what I found on the couch this morning...

there must of been a LOT of holey socks:)apparently they all have names too!
reminded me of this quote....

Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up.
                   ( Pablo Picasso)

now....
449-my lunch duty job,450- daughter's birthday and surprising her,451-tea kettles,452-the wonderful feeling after  exercising,453-cheese and crackers,454-a balanced life,455-glasses for my vision,456-vision,457-creative children,458-daughter taking bus home last week,459-food to make lunches even on days the cupboards seem empty,460-paying bills,461-credit card statements with a 0 balance,462-my camera,463-acceptance of things I can't change,464-snow is melting,465-Oliver,the cutest little boy at school and the way he came up to talk to me yesterday made my day:)466-coffee with a friend yesterday,467-a good nights sleep,468-happy daughter who was accepted to a mission she had applied to,469-the peace that I feel about it, (mostly)470-how God created us,uniquely!

Tin Treasures and Vingettes

Hi! I'm wrapping up a busy week on the homefront...
Spring arrived on the calendar,if no where else...
At least I can't say I never had time for necessary tasks like organizing closets...

confession;I'm a sweaterholic...(this is some of them:))
                         and blouses...

I don't color coordinate my items really, Do you?

This blouse is so pretty and vintage looking...I keep it, even though I've seldom worn it...
actually I should hang it in my laundry 
room as it matches this vignette...
                                                                                     

I found these square 
french wall hangings at 
a thrift shop recently for two dollars......































I also have a thing for vintage tins....
this is my latest...

the saying on the lid...Home Is Where Love Grows...

and it matches the clock....

 some more favorite tins....

they are great hiding spots for money, candy or whatever you'd like to save for a rainy day....(mine are empty at the moment...but at least I'll be ready when opportunity hits:)

 this one is dreamy and romantic like a lush June garden...
                       and finally...

       yesterday was my daughter Katrina's birthday...
  she turned eighteen.Happy Birthday dear, we love you.

Thanks for stopping by, and may spring spring 
                                 upon us soon!

linked here...do visit....you'll be glad you did! http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/

It's Spring..sooner or later!

  Spring is here and even though it doesn't feel anything like it around these parts,it will show up albeit,fashionably late but it will come, and soon we will bask in the beauty of it's offering...hope you enjoy a hop and a skip on me...:)
                                                        listen...

                                                             

1. spring  

   /spriNG/
   

   Verb Move or jump suddenly upward or forward.

   Noun The season after winter and before summer.

   Synonyms verb.   leap - skip - bound - hop noun.   source - fountain - fount - well - leap - springtime

The day the Lord created hope; was likely the same day
                                  He created spring.Bern Williams)

Let us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labour and to wait.Henry W Longfellow)

Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.”
(L M Montgomery)

I must lose myself in action,lest I wither in despair. 
                        (Alfred Lord Tennyson)

these photos are credited to my daughter Katrina, who loved using her  affable, younger sisters as subjects.
I recall it being a rather busy, Saturday morning and I thought they could be 'helping with chores...'now these are some of my most treasured photos.... 


            Spring hugs my friend,which aspect of spring are you 
                          waiting for the most?

Stuck Between

When March doesn't look the way I've envisioned, it's tempting to sigh and fret a little. When sibling spats and teenage sarcasm bring me close to a middle age meltdown...

When snow keeps piling up and it's almost the first day of spring, and the van is stuck in a snow drift in a lane way up the road...and instead of trying to push it out I walk home,lugging my bag of groceries and wonder why I wouldn't wear the mittens I keep in my van  for times such as these...

This does not look like enough snow to be stuck...but I really was...strange isn't it?
  Even the best laid plans can  go awry. 
Who am I to think I can orchestrate my day?
 Sure I make plans, and I aspire to do good each day but on my own it falls flat pretty fast.
Supper isn't started when it should be and as I'm slicing the ham to fry up with some eggs and daughter helps by setting the table and makes toast and we work in amicable silence.
The truth is sometimes I feel stuck too. stuck between seasons and stuck between gratitude and grumbling, but I know the truth; there is no in between, either I am thankful or I am not. There is no middle road to this journey, and as I mull over my day, I find the good in the gritty and the marvelous in the mundane, and I say thank-you not only for fair weather times but for times when I'm stuck and need a push in the direction of gratitude.

427- hubby who helped dig out the van,428-daughter didn't need it for work today,429-Amazon orders,430--new book to read to girls at bedtime,431-hugs and kisses from children,432-silly times,433-a great March break week,434-tea and talk with that friend,435-honest relationships,436-hair dressers,437-remembering a hair gone awry time and the lesson I learned from it,438-hair isn't half as important as the woman wearing the hair,439-hearts that feel, 440-Hope in the new,441-Spring and Easter soon,442-fresh maple syrup,443-organizing closets,444-yes, less is more.(sometimes:)445-intuition,446-mysteries of life,447-new tea,448-God's Holy Word 449-freedom to have and read it in my home...

Beyond Baking Brownies...

                                                                                                         via

She was at the kitchen counter when I walked in from driving her brother to the nearest ski hill for an evening of snow boarding with  friends.
"What are you doing?" was my query.
"Making brownies," she replied with an air of independence as she carefully examined the recipe before her.
"Need help?"was my next question as stood I and watched for a second.
"No,"she stated simply.                      
"Good" I think to myself, 'just the way I like it!'

This is the stage of parenting I'm at...it is a stage that arrives in little increments as each of my children become independent and discover who they are and what they're capable of.
It's not that I'm not needed, just not needed beside them each step of the way anymore. I have at times worried that my children are too independent and don't need me.But really this is the gift to me,the results of pouring into their lives,and giving them small steps towards freedom and independence.                                                         

It's a little like when  my girls had an interest in using the sewing machine. At first they would sit in front of me and we'd practise sewing straight and getting the feel of the fabric moving under our hands.
Eventually they would sit down by the sewing machine on their own and create something they could envision.I would be summoned to help when the bobbin was empty or the sewing machine was acting up and needed some tuning! But with time they also learned  how to solve the dilemmas without my intervention.

At times this stage of parenting can be unsettling. After all I WANT to feel needed!
 Isn't this what a Mother wants more than anything?I have thrived on nurturing my children and as they get older that nurturing just doesn't quite look like it used to.Good food, and warm clothes,and good-night stories as I tuck them all in at relatively the same time...
Now I often text my daughter who is away at school to say good-night. My second oldest will come home from her job after I'm in bed most nights.
Does this mean I'm no longer needed?
I am learning to believe that it doesn't.

It means they are trying to figure out life's sewing machine on their own; and although they will run into problems that may need intervention, independence is the reward of parenting, and  just as at times when they were sewing,I wanted to stand beside them and make sure they 'were doing it right', it will be better for both of us if I walk away. They'll let me know when they need help!

here are the brownies....they were delicious!!even though I heard her exclaim from the kitchen at one point "OH NO! I forgot to grease the pan!" :)

Illustrious Longings...

I'm dreaming about this....give me all or nothing,
I say as I my soul languishes for the deep, meaningful notes
of a summer day...

I am craving the sun's warmth while I feel the earth come to life between my hopeful touch.

         to pause in the middle of life's stream for awhile...

          and memorise these faces...

          To read by days waning light...

              and soak in the wonder of a sunset...

                                             

To stand mesmerised as plethora of colour sings in unison to 
an audience of one...

  Me alone at this magnificent garden concert.


This bleak canvas is waiting for the strokes of summer to enliven it....I wait in eager anticipation...

much of March in southern Ontario is rather bland,it isn't winter anymore but doesn't feel like spring either...neither here nor there!March by March:)
so I tapped into the summer archives and had myself a little reprieve...


      May your mid March day make a memory
                       you treasure.

The Gift We Give Ourselves

 

   

                                                         please listen to the beautiful song...

I watch from afar and admit it would be easy to reach up to that branch of judgement dangling it's accusations in my face.

How tempting it would be to hurl questions about motives, character and all the things that are a measure of the heart.

I wish you could be here to see;I wonder what you'd say.
I think about actions; and how they drown out all the noisy clamour of shallow words.
I breathe a prayer to release my feeble feelings... 

Grace and forgiveness that gift for us; to then release to others the way it's given to us.
I hold it close here and ponder it's glorious meaning.
 For when it is the most difficult thing in the world to do...it is the most needful.
Then and only then can true peace be acquired.

Sometimes it's easy to read into the subtleties  of a relationship, that can at times be discouraging.

Then I remember my word response,no one but myself is responsible for my response; but I. How freeing and exhilarating to know my response is my right and privilege.
I am grateful.

                                        


these thoughts came in part from reading this book recently...
a modern take on the story of Joseph.


416; March break week...happy times,417;for hubby who made the coffee on Saturday and Sunday and poured me a cup,418-listening as he talked about his first of the season motorcycle ride,419-cross country skiing on Saturday morning,420-riding my bike in the afternoon,421-daughter making breakfast for all of us,
422-good time with two oldest girls while the other three were at my sister, 423-sisters,424-a hubby who listens while I share my heart,425-praying,4-hope for a week that is a mix of spontaneity with clarity.....

Spring Things and Stuff...

Spring is beginning to peak around the corner here....
so I thought it'd be fun to share a few glimpses...

     
      my youngest was home a few days feeling a bit under the weather,so the second day we made these  tulips out of egg cartons...a little crafty spring bouquet....

my bargain new spring purse...not always easy to find a purse that's just right, but I think this one is close; I like the two side pockets for phone and sunglasses...

soon we shall see the spring birds hopping about...

I love the fabric on this vintage looking shirt my daughter and I found last week....

I cleaned my refrigerator today before I did the grocery run....

aren't we abundantly blessed to be able to go to a store and purchase such a variety of food?

with the floor reno complete I can now continue shuffling other sundry items such as my husbands antique bottles....

the other week at our local library I scored big off the 'discard' table.......
as I was happily adding them to my library my son said to me,"now you should get rid of five books, Mom."(I've talked to them about the in/out policy to combat clutter) "that is true for everything but books." was my response.




I had the privilege of watching this musical last evening with a friend who had a spare ticket...now I'd love to plan a mother/daughter event to watch it again...


How about you, are you anxiously awaiting spring with all it's newness or are you like my husband who recently stated "he still wants to hibernate a bit?"


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http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/2013/03/a-favorite-thing-27/

One Link In A Long Chain

                                                                            
                                    via
Life's chain is long and its links are strong,
because of the way they hold together.
When they are clasped from one to one,
We can stand up in stormy weather.

When one is happy or one is sad,
We feel the real emotion.
And if one's load is rather heavy
We hold out love's devotion.

I pray you will not ever frown
 and feel no worth or measure.
As a one and only obscure link 
And not a useful treasure.


For life is a chain,we are the links
and we all need each other;
Serving, caring, grace and mercy, kindness, understanding.
Living, loving,staying strong; by linking to one another.~LM~

We are all in this together. We need each other. Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young, and hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old...

We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. These friendships are a necessary source of sustenance. We need to renew our faith every day. We need to lock arms and help build the kingdom so that it will roll forth and fill the whole earth.”      (Marjorie Pay Hinckley)

I was struck the other day, when I was with my family,what a blessed thing it is to be able to love and appreciate one another's differences, and how there can be strength in numbers.