Home Again

Hello and welcome! I've missed my busy blogging days and I am itching to catch up with everyone.

I savored every moment of Washington scenery and family love.

I'm back at school in eighteen days. I'm starting to think about kids and stories. However, I'm going to appreciate each day that remains of this peaceful summer. Being away, elbow to elbow with people I don't see enough and feasting on long days of satisfying conversation prevented me from reading and writing in my usual manner. It's time to make some plans. What are you planning? By the way, I missed you.

Up North

Hi Everyone!  I've missed you!  It's beautiful here in Washington and I'm busy visiting and soaking up all the beauty.  Here are a few glimpses.

Here's my sweet dad!

My elementary school

My dear mama

The foothills

The golf course

The farm stand

It's so warm here and so nice to have good chats with family.  My mom's computer is difficult so I'm using my sister-in-law's laptop.  I have so much to tell you!  Thank you so much for checking in with me today.  More later!  

What's the Story, Morning Glory?

Hi, Everyone! I hope this Friday finds you well and feeling very TGIF-ish! Last night it rained and then God gave us the most gorgeous rainbow. We ran outside in the rain so I could show you!

This morning as I was drinking tea and looking out the window, Reve strolled by with her granddaughter and stopped in to say, "Go take a picture of my morning glories! They are glorious!"

So, as you can see I tromped over to her house in my pajamas and took some pictures of the blues so blue!

Do you know what these are? I found them in a little green corner at Reve's.

Look at these berries growing inside my forsythia bush. Reve ate one. I'm glad she didn't die. We don't know what they are!

Something is chewing on leaves in all my flower beds and I think it just might be that big moth. Gumbo Lily told me that it was a pandora sphinx moth and it is destructive! Yikes!

My heart skips a beat when I look at Jeff's tomatoes. Aren't they miraculous?

And I want to give you a peach. Here. Take it. Eat it. Let the juice run down your chin. Enjoy the sweet taste of a fuzzy peach that God made. Simple pleasures and simple gestures of love make me like you and you like me. That feels good.

This and That Thursday

Have you seen the washing lines all over blog land? Do they make you smile? They make me happy, too.

Here are Aria's curtains. Granny finally finished them and Aria's mama hung them up as soon as I handed them to her.

Look who hopped over to rest her weary gnome bones on the fairy bench.

Speaking of Aria, here she is in her cozy bed. I know! Her hair is amazing!

Here is another picture of the four oldest cousins' fun run around Granny and Grampy's backyard. After dozens of stumbles, trips, and rolls, we had a mediocre lunch fresh out of the freezer.

Finnegan, the only boy, holds his own.

Here they are waiting for an energetic grown up to pull the wagon around in the grass - forever. No energetic grown ups to be found.

Yesterday, before CB and Finn's mama came to get them, they dug. After they left, just Samantha was left at Granny's. She gracefully took a three hour nap.

She smells like a flower. She has eyes the color of water. She smiles and smiles and smiles, even though she is intent on squash in this photo. Now she'll have four nice long days with her mama. Her daddy is in Texas for a few days. We miss him.

I keep forgetting to show you "Flock" and I know you'll think this is just as adorable as I do! April knitted all these birds and used sticks for the mobile. It's on Ravelry if you'd like to make yourself some flying birds!

Today I shall revert to my book worm ways and lose myself in my newest book, Kristin Lavrensdatter. I read about it over at Gladsome Lights. I also can't wait to read Sarum. My mother said it is delicious. Kristin Lavrensdatter is already capturing me. I'm drawing and coloring pictures in the margins.

I hope you are having a joyful day.

I'm leaving for Washington on Sunday. Soon, I'll be surrounded by my childhood home's farm scenery, the golf course, the country roads. We'll take the ferry to Guemes Island and eat crab. I'll have some rich conversations with my parents, my brothers and my sister. I'll like that. Yes, I'm taking my camera and I'll blog a bit while I'm there. You'll like looking at it because it is one of the most beautiful little spots in America.

Do you get hungry for certain things when you are reading a book? Today, I read of porridge breakfasts, so I made some myself. I wonder what's for lunch. Thanks for stopping in to check on me today. You're so nice to bear with my idea hopping, my short attention span, and my favorite thinking things.

Fancy Visitor

Hello! Look what came knocking on our door! What kind of a fancy moth is it? Do you know?

Sprites were running through the grass here. It's fun to chase cousins.

Granny is pooped.

Monday Monday

Happy Monday. I'm sitting still for a while (I do this a lot, actually) thinking about my trip up to Ft. Collins today. I am going to pick up CB and Finn! They are coming to our house for a few days. Yippee!

Jeff says the bush above looks like it is sneezing! Funny!

Speaking of Jeff (our son who lives with us) he came up with another great quote. It resonates with me for two reasons: 1. I so admire Corrie ten Boom 2. I'm reading When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life.

It's Rainer Cherry time. They are fat, juicy, and scrumptious!

Look how every little thing is growing in the fairy garden. I can't wait for CB and Finn to see it. They'll like playing with the gnomes.

"Peaches" by Monet
I can see why he painted them when I look at my bowl of cherries.

And finally, the reason I've been doing a lot of sitting: this book. It's about an orphan who thinks he would like to be a pastor but in the course of his journey finds himself a town barber. He says he lives his life "in the margins" and he tells his tale in such an inviting, fascinating manner. Well, it made me think about the beauty of land, of farming, of simplicity, of questions we ask of God, of the ministry of presence. It upset my apple cart just a bit, bringing to mind how fast our society is hurling toward . . . something and what is lost and abandoned in the process. The casualties. I highly recommend this book. I'm on the hunt for another Wendell Berry novel soon.


Bill mentioned "reaping what we sow" today and so today I wish to sow love and kindness. I'm positive that reaping THAT will be holy.