Sowing Seeds

Tukes helped me plant tiny seeds in egg shells.

He brought his own spoon... the better to dig with.

At Easter we'll share our little herbs with friends.

{Hat Tip to Flighty Girl, who has spring fever.}

Dots

April is a big birthday month in our family.

Oh dear, it begins on Wednesday.

I must get busy.

Unexpected Whimsy

I wished for sweet simplicity this weekend and got it... not in the way I envisioned but simple all the same. One can only resort to the simplest existence when fevers, chills, sniffles and, yes, even an episode of 1 a.m. vomiting plague the three men of the house. 

{Dare I boast of my own strong, healthy constitution? No, I must not... pride goes before the fall.} 

As I said, it was not the weekend that I imagined, but simplicity was required and thus simplicity was enjoyed.

My motley crew was in no shape for Sunday morning worship today. While the professor dozed and the boys sniffled their way through Lady and the Tramp, I sat on the floor and rifled through fabric and patterns while envisioning my nephews wearing blue and white seersucker. Yes, it is time to get started on that project!

And, as I contentedly sorted I happened to glance up and spot a wee ladybug, simply and sweetly sprinkled with black {aren't they all?}. She really must be modern at heart... from all of the books stored in the cubicles she chose an epic edition on Knoll furniture design. And, who could ignore the color scheme of it all... orange and red. Yes, she is a girl after my own heart. I smiled at the simple and unexpected whimsy of a ladybug enjoying a book.

Wonderful Counselor

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor... 

Isaiah 9:6

And I will ask the Father,

and He will give you another Counselor

to be with you forever...

John 14:16

Sweet Simplicity

Today I reclaimed my house and a fraction of my composure.

With the weekend upon us it is time...
to be still.
to eat leftover trifle with a silver spoon.

to enjoy the family addition of a turtle.

to bask in the sweet simplicity of home.

Here's hoping your weekend is sweetly simple.

Pictured above...
A bit of simplicity in our kitchen.

DCM side chair in black. 

Designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1945.

Manufactured by Herman Miller, Inc.

Rescued from a dumpster by the professor.

Making Do

When life gives you crumbled Lemon Pound Cake sometimes there is nothing to do but make Berry-Lemon Trifle. My cake fell apart last night coming out of the pan... no time to make another. Sometimes a girl just has to make do.

I've been running hither and yon all week. Appointments, decisions, more emotions than I care to acknowledge, and, oh yeah, there's that dinner event happening tonight... somehow I am one of the someones in charge. 

It's true, the pound cake is not the only thing that has been falling apart lately; I've done my fair share this week as well. Sometimes a girl just has to make do... but His grace is sufficient for me, His power is made perfect in weakness.

Swirl

"What is it," you wonder. That's pollen, ya'll... floating and swirling in a rainwater puddle.

This week the Deep South has been besieged with our annual yellow-green, powdery haze. It's no wonder the Boo and I have been prone to recent sneezing fits.

Blessed mercy, we had rain today... the air is a little clearer, the world is a little less yellow, and we've had a few less sneezes.

He Shines

He was barely four-and-a-half years old when we rescued a gently worn bike from our neighbor's trash pile. The professor polished and oiled it, patched the front tire, and we gave it to Boo with the promise of adding training wheels. Our boy was beyond thrilled with that secondhand bike, and adamant that there would be no training wheels. True to his word, just two weeks after gaining his wheels he'd taught himself how to ride with finesse.

When Boo is riding his bike he shines... He shines with the thrill of boyish adventure and with the confidence of knowing that he is doing something very well {and "very fast", I'm sure he would add}.

A few weeks ago the professor and I bought bikes for ourselves. We knew that our bike-loving little man would be excited about the purchase but we didn't anticipate the sheer delight that he would express over our new bicycles. 

What I've realized is that these crazy new bikes of ours are more than just a way for us to have fun as a family, or exercise our bodies, or commute to campus, our bicycles are a way for us to enter an important part of Boo's world, a place where he shines. He loves nothing more than to share this world... his thrill and delight, his sense of adventure and confidence, his great pleasure... with us. What a gift.

We've taken to riding often on these sunny, spring afternoons. I am happy to be pedaling next to him... watching him shine.

My Treasure Place

Tucked behind a kitchen cabinet door is my treasure place.
Bits of inspiration and delight...

~ seeds to plant this spring
~ recipes I dare not lose
~ free bowling passes
~ that unused Starbucks card
~ smiling faces on the ones who make me smile
~ notes of love from my men
~ reminders of the One who is faithful

Colors, textures, special moments, and all who are dear to me...
This treasure place makes me smile.

Start And Finish

On a Sunday evening do you ever glance at your calendar for the week and start to feel jittery and breathless upon comprehending everything that lies ahead? That is me tonight. In my little corner of the world there is nothing about this upcoming week that is simple. The spring break bubble has most definitely burst.

In other news, I finished knitting my second baby beanie hat this weekend. Like the first one, it took me an entire month to complete it, but the end result makes me happy. I am officially tired of variegated pastel yarn... time for something with a punch of color and a bit of whimsy, but not until next weekend at the earliest.

It will be an early morning for me so,

Good night to the old lady whispering hush...

God of Peace

I will make a covenant of peace with them;

It will be an everlasting covenant with them.

And I will place them and multiply them,

and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

Ezekiel 37:26

Now may the Lord of peace Himself

continually grant you

peace in every circumstance.

The Lord be with you all!

2 Thessalonians 3:16

A Pleasant Place

The highlight of our simple spring break was an overnight visit to Bunny and Pop's house. There the boys received heaping helpings of attention and brownies.

I enjoyed good chicken salad and my mother's sunny living room.

The view of the dogwoods wasn't bad either.

Watercolor

Tukes experiments with watercolor... and then moves on to more exciting endeavors.

Spinning

Tops are just one of our favorite things...

Simply Living Simply

This morning dawned fresh and clean, sparkling and beautiful. I know because I was up before first light and I watched the early, eastern sunlight pour over last night's sewing mess that was carelessly left on the dining room table.

The professor was able to pedal to campus after breakfast. There is no "spring break" for a fresh, young professor who is trying to stay on top of his game. When classes are not in session his time is more valuable. So, we stay close to home this week to cheer him through part of what is, without a doubt, his toughest semester ever.

I know that other folks have dashed off to sugary, white beaches and powdery ski slopes, Disney World and cruises. And, yes, I'll agree that vacations are fun and wonderful! But, I've been thinking...

If I can instill in my children a love for simple things and simple times... fun in a mud puddle and neighborhood bike rides, chasing lizards and contentment with a stack of library books... and, if I can show them how to enjoy and value being at home, I believe I will have accomplished something that is, in short, simply wonderful.

The Reading Hour

Today, on the first day of Spring Break, we were greeted with clouds, rain, and a slight, damp chill. Nevertheless, there were no complaints at our mod'ish home... I know a certain little boy {and a mama, and a little brother} who were happy not to have to get up and go first thing this morning.

We tucked ourselves into the library for most of the morning puzzling over puzzles, choosing books, and visiting with the fish in the aquarium. {There was a certain little one among us who had fun playing in the drinking fountain while mama's back was turned!}

Upon returning home I fixed cookie-cutter sandwiches and soup for lunch while two content little boys enjoyed Peter Spier on the kitchen floor as they sat in the light of the paned glass door. After lunch I persuaded them to move to the living room where we cozied up on the couch to read together.

Lamplight On My Dresser

On my dresser sits a pretty, filigree clock. The professor gave it to me for Christmas twelve years ago. Its time always reads 8:54. 

The little Russel Wright dish contains three retired watches, each one eternally stuck on a different hour. 

I never wear a watch and I do not care to sleep in the same room as a ticking clock, but I do appreciate pretty timepieces.

Pearls, however, I not only appreciate, I wear them often.

God, The Holy Spirit

However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love Him,"

but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Mimi's Pound Cake

Mimi, the professor's grandmother, baked the most divine pound cake... crusty and golden, moist and buttery, and always a touch of almond. She wasn't afraid of butter... or sugar... or the flour sifter, which is probably why every cake she ever baked was just that good.

If you prefer a pound cake that is simple and easy to make then this is not the recipe for you. If, however, you don't mind a few extra steps and enjoy watching people's eyes roll back into their heads upon first taste then this is the recipe for you.

Garnish and serve with fresh fruit, along with coffee and tea {iced or hot}. Be prepared to become everyone's instant best friend.

Mimi's Pound Cake

Cream together in a large mixing bowl:

1 cup softened butter {2 sticks}

3 cups sugar

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 Tablespoon almond extract

Add, one at a time:

6 egg yolks, beat after each addition

{reserve egg whites}

In a separate bowl stir together:

3 cups flour, that has been sifted 3 times

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Add dry mixture to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup sour cream.

Beat after each addition.

Beat the whites of 6 eggs until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold egg whites into cake batter.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Afternoon Glow

By mid-afternoon it is time for Tukes to wake from his nap...

{Incidentally, I've been considering how perfectly lovely it would be to have someone lead me by the hand to my bed each mid-day, insisting that I rest, even sleep, for two hours. My mother can attest to the fact that I did not appreciate such tender attentiveness as a preschooler... neither does Tukes.}

After his rest Tukes will be glowing and ready to play, but first he must be properly awakened. I say properly because he needs to wake gently, on his own terms, or he will be quite a grumpy and un-glowing boy indeed. Boo can attest to that.

I quietly open the door to his room, enter the dimness, and speak to him in a soft, mama voice; when he responds I rub his back.

Then, as he begins to romp about on his bed, the window shade goes up. I see him smile. His room, and his sweet face, fill with a delightfully bright and enchanting mid-afternoon glow that I love.

{Photo: Flensted Mobile hanging in the afternoon glow of Tukes' room, as seen from the hall after nap time.}

How Sweet It Is

He dug in with a spoon and polished it off with his fingers.

Tukes takes his "chocwate" pudding very seriously.

Mere Love

"Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful indeed..."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The professor gave me "LOVE" {carefully matted in white and simply framed} on Valentine's Day seven years ago. We were expecting the Boo and he thought I might want to hang it in the nursery. I did!

Sometimes the best of intentions never come to fruition... I loved the simple, lettered, splash of color so much {I still do} that it never left its temporary place of honor in the living room.

Greeting card design by pop artist Robert Indiana for MoMA in 1964. The design was used on the U.S. Postal Service's first ever "Love" postage stamp {denomination 8 cents} in 1973.

Listen

At times He leads me to a place where the only thing I can do is take one step... the next step... in faith. There is no seeing ahead: I am walking an unknown path.

I have been there before. I am there now. No doubt, I will be there again. In the past I have prayed, "Lord, show me Your will... guide me... direct my path."

This I have learned... He will. He is my Shepherd, He has promised me this, He will not fail to do so.

There have been times, many I am sure, when He spoke gently to my heart but I missed His whisper, deaf by my own fears and opinions and plans. 

My prayer today is simply,

"Father, help me to listen to Your voice and heed Your direction."

After all, He has shown me...

what is good

what I should seek

whom I should love.

Now, I must listen...

Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

With Your counsel You will guide me,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Psalm 73:23-24

Rest

God of Eternal Comfort

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself

and God our Father,

who has loved us

and given us eternal comfort

and good hope by grace,

comfort and strengthen your hearts

in every good work and word. 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Day Off

Teacher Work Day... no school! 

Today, I decided, would be just for the boys. 

A fun day!

This morning we traded town for the country with big plans in mind.

Hiking, outfitted in boots and backpacks {it's all about the gear, folks}.

Boo's request, a picnic in the white gazebo {see above}.

Fish feeding. Horse watching. Mockingbird chasing.

After adventuring, and rock throwing, and picnicking we went in search of a mooing cow. The cow was not to be found but we happened upon a haystack which, Boo proclaimed, he and Tukes must climb, "Just like Laura and Mary."

So, my boys climbed to what felt like the top of the world, while I laid on my back in the pasture smiling and capturing their delight.

I hope they always believe that they can climb to the top of the world.

Photo Invitations

Someone... somewhere... somehow... put me in charge of creating invitations for the annual Ladies Spring Dinner at our church. The planning committee chose an Italian theme for the evening; the invitations needed to reflect the theme.

I'll confess... I'm not much of a theme-loving girl. However, I had fun creating this simple invitation that captures the essence of old world Italy, while maintaining my own understated, fussy-free design preferences.

I delved into our personal photo archives, sifting through shots from our 2007 trip to Italy. A sunny day in March produced some beautiful cityscape shots of Venice. This one, taken at sunset, was perfect for the invitations.

Photo postcards were printed with the invitation text on the opposite side thus requiring less postage and using less paper {no envelope}. Simple and beautiful, the photo speaks for itself... and this invitation reminds me of a happy day.

Random

Yesterday the professor introduced me to Skype. It makes me laugh. My first question was, "Is my hair really this red in real life?" Then, of course, I snapped a photo.

This morning after breakfast {see photo} I was trying to make sure teeth were brushed and everyone was wearing shoes when Tukes tilted his head to one side, squinted an eye, and said, "I fought {thought} today was Wednesday." 

"It is," I replied. 

"So, can we go to Wendy's?"

**********

The Boo met Mary Poppins {in movie form} for the first time earlier this week. He is charmed by her. {What child isn't?}

This afternoon we watched "Step in Time" on You Tube, much to his our delight and amusement. I can only imagine the roof-dancing ideas that are now swirling around in his head. Oh, I know he's thinking about it... remember, this is the child who asked me to hurl him across the backyard in a tent a few months ago.

Fragrance

Do you have a signature scent? I do.

Perfume has the same effect on me as wearing a strand of pearls...

They both make a girl feel beautiful.

Today, Put Simply

This morning we ate breakfast with a certain Dr. Tinsley who was dressed in a delicate pink tutu. Come July we'll root some clippings.

Today's sunlight and warmth were welcome, although they melted the snow away. Now that we've had our twenty-four hours of winter, I am ready for spring!

Goodnight stars... Goodnight air... Goodnight noises everywhere.

Snowy Sunday

Waking winter wonderland...

Breathtaking.

Exuberance and excitement...

Happy frolicking.

Cold. Who cares?

Serious play...

Laughter and squeals.

Discovery.

Fresh and bright.

Happy, happy day.