The Glad Game

Today I'm playing The Glad Game.  I popped over to Catherine's blog today and was blessed very much.  She is a collector of beauty and I'm so glad I found her.  You'll love her post and you might want to play The Glad Game, too!

I'm glad because of my Redeemer.  I'm utterly in awe of His grace given to me. 

I'm glad when I doodle and I am glad when I smell these markers!  I'm a marker smeller.  Do you have some of these?

Today Kelli is going to the zoo with the girls and April and the Ft. Collins grands.  Millie's too little, so she will stay with me.  I'm going to watch Pollyanna while Millie smiles, eats, and plays.

I read Hip-Chick's Tea Talk post today and decided to try some new teas.  See how friends are made?  Sweet sharing.  Sweet connections.

Yes, this teapot moves around the house.  This photo is perfect: an angel in the garden (Catherine) and tea (Hip-Chick).  I love it.

I'm glad about the teaching year (summer, too!), books, and reading other peoples' thinking.  Yours!

My favorite poppy (Shirley) and a fairy to match?  NICE!

Yesterday, I read Anne of the Island.  Oh, Anne Shirley is such a perfect literary character, isn't she?  In this book, Anne and her college friends live in Patty's Place.  Read it.  You'll love it.  More gladness.

And I never leave The Wind in the Willows far behind.  I have a sweet childlike love for Badger.

Bunnies in blue dresses with lace-trimmed pantaloons.  Yes.  Glad.

Maud Hart-Lovelace had the same sweet literary spirit as many of my favorites.  This book made a huge impression on me in fifth or sixth grade.  Glad.

Norman Rockwell?  Art can make one glad.

Yesterday I baked oatmeal cookies and then thought, "Hmmm.  This batch of cookies is BIG and I might eat way too many."  Glad came when Jeff's friend stopped by, spied the cookies and said, "Are those cookies up for grabs?" 

I planted my sweet peas around President's Day back in February.  Glad!  Now they are climbing up the heart trellis.

Lately, as I've been making our big bed, I've been marveling at its beauty.  I'm so glad Bill's back to keep cozy with me.

The Fourth of July is coming up and I'm thinking about how to make it even more fun.  Any ideas?

This is kind of random (shocking, I know) but lately I've been seeing so many welcoming chairs.  This one costs way too much, but the wicker chairs at the antique mall were only $115 for the pair.  I'm thinking about them and they just might come here, to this house. 

At the end of July, I am going up to Washington to see my family.  My brother stays here for a week every summer.  My parents and I will ride the little ferry over and dine on fresh- caught crab at this very table.  GLAD!  I know that Pollyanna's game involved taking something sad and turning it into GLAD.  I sort of skipped the sad part and went straight to the glad, didn't I?  Oh, well.  Do you want to play The Glad Game?  Just know that when I read your blog and when I think about you reading this blog, I'm glad.  Time for another cookie and a cup of tea and great surges of gladness and thankfulness.  (HUG!)

Night Light

Today I am naming November the Month of Night Light. The clocks fixed for daylight savings, evening comes early. Charming lamp posts adorn front yards.

The sweet moon shines on naked trees.

Clouds mixed with light grace the nighttime sky.

Wood waits for winter.

Can November have named weeks? Week 1: Evening Invitation
Week 2: Veteran's Tribute Week 3: Harvest Glory Week 4: Saying Grace
So, for Evening Invitation: Take a thoughtful, observant walk out the front door and into the neighborhood. Collect stuff and make a nature table.
For Veteran's Tribute: Thank a veteran and learn all the words to a patriotic song.
For Harvest Glory: Eat a new fruit or try a new squash.
For Saying Grace: Write a prayer of thanks and share it with the generous God of creation, and only Him.
Make some mittens. Share hot chocolate with a new friend. Hand sew a red, felt heart and pin it on your nightie. Give some sagging shoulders a loving massage. Write a real letter. Pop a HUGE bowl of popcorn and watch a beautiful movie like One True Thing. Share your feelings. Risk. Live out loud.
I'm happy. Samantha Rose is coming soon! Her mommy will have her on Nov. 23. In May, another baby arrives, and in July our seventh! We shall have seven grandchildren all born in the last three years. A gaggle of grands - a classroom full of wobbly eighth graders - a world full of heart beats. I am glad I'm a human.

Happy, Happy

Happy, happy colors and faces and fantastic places . . .

Hi, Everybody! Are you ready for a new week? It's still September, my FAVORITE month of the year because it's my birthday month! I guess October can be a favorite, too! It's both Jenny and Scott's birthday month and . . . Bill and I are going to Hawaii for my fall break at the end of the month! Yahoo! In six weeks, I'll be bobbing around in the South Pacific! Ahhhh!
However, in order to remain a nice person for the six weeks until THAT, I am going to try to keep things peaceful and frenzy free. I'm sort of considering how I am going to do this (smile) and one of the ways is to enjoy some quiet and candlelight every evening. Add to this a cup of tea and some sweet reading time.

I think I also need regular sniffs of lovely flowers. I do remember there are always fresh flowers at the grocery store!

Sometimes, a little mouthful of chocolate does the trick, too.

I think I need VERY frequent looks at THESE precious faces!















But this I know . . . by myself, I can do nothing, but if I am clothed with the most effective outfit that exists:
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
Ephesians 6:13-18
I am going to keep my gear on!
This is my friend Tracy's son in the outfit I mentioned! Isn't he a little beacon?

And . . . I'm going to hold on tight (but not too tight) to the sides of the Radio Flyer of life. I loved the end of that movie Parenthood when the grandma who has been pretty quiet through all the chaos says that life is a roller coaster and you should just put your hands up and enjoy the ride!


Oh, happy, happy abundant LIFE!
xopp