Buzz

On this, the last day of May, it was 95 degrees. Hello, summer. I'm not sure what came over us today, but the children and I went for a neighborhood walk at 3:30 this afternoon in the sticky, sweltering heat. Seeking some mid-excursion shade, we ducked into the shadow of a very large butterfly bush that was alive with the sound of humming bees. The bees didn't seem to mind the heat. I wish I were a bee.

Busy Shoes

Pink shoesCute shoesToddling shoesDancing shoesScuffed shoesStumbling shoesTiny shoesAlmost running shoesFirst thing in the morning shoesLearning ShoesProud shoesClimbing shoesIndependent shoesPlay shoesExploring shoesNot too dirty {yet} shoesKicked off shoesCarried shoesTeething shoesSleepy shoesLoved shoesHer shoes

God, Our Great High Priest

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Learn to Like... {this week in photos}

Learn to like what doesn’t cost too much. {bicycle rides}
Learn to like reading, conversation, music. {model airplanes}


Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking. {sunny breakfasts}
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills. {early morning walks}


Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different…different from you.
{visiting cousins}
Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
{re-siding the shed}


Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs. {a brother's friendship}
Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house, and fixing things. {late spring blooms}


Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day. {the harmony of nature and home}
Learn to keep your wants simple, and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others. {like a child}

~Lowell B. Bennion

Of Bread and Life

Regarding the practice of baking bread... Jane Brocket calls it "the stuff of life" which is an apt description, in my opinion. Over the years of bread making, I've learned that a tried and true recipe can be your best friend. When it comes to offering nourishment, comfort, love, hospitality, or thanks to others a simple loaf of fresh bread can say it all, and so much more.


It was a bit like disturbing a contented baby, but after some late night reading dear Jane convinced me to take a bit of a detour from my typical, habitual bread baking ways and venture down a new road. After all, new paths must be explored and even happy babies must be changed from time to time.


I momentarily set aside one good thing and, in turn, I discovered another good thing... a new friend, if you will. She's fancier and fussier than my low maintenance, tried and true friend, but delicious nonetheless. I'll keep her around and I'm sure our friendship will grow, but when it comes to the daily stuff of life I'll keep relying on the old friend who's been trusty through the years.

Loving folks and changing babies, making new friends but keeping the old... isn't that the stuff of life?! In the end, it's all silver and gold... and that is a very good thing indeed.

A House in Town

"She had just finished her tea and her acorn cup and saucer, neatly washed, stood on a shelf above the stove. A bed of discarded pullets' feathers covered with a bright quilt of patched sumac leaves was ready for pleasant dreams. Miss Hickory's house was made of corncobs, notched, neatly fitted together and glued. It stood beneath the lilac bush that was so sweet and purple when in bloom, so thickly green and cheerful with birds all summer long. If one had to live in town, Miss Hickory had always said, take a house under a lilac bush." from Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Hot summer afternoons {oh yes, they have arrived} and long summer evenings are made for reading aloud. The boys and I are pleasantly making our way through Miss Hickory, whose quaint, cozy home has convinced me that I must add "lilac bush" to my wish list for our mod'ish, little house 'o dreams. Certainly a house next to a lilac bush would be almost as pleasant as a house under a lilac bush.
Almost. And, that is good enough for me. One can't be too demanding, after all!

Brand New Wheels

Hello, Wheely Bug. We like you a lot.

The Horn of Salvation

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago)... Luke 1:68-70

Behind Her

{Breakfasting Alone}
{Accessorized}

Paper Chains

Little Brother spotted a colorful paper chain on an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and was fascinated. When he asked me if I could teach him how to make one I found it hard to believe that we'd never made paper chains together before!
While Sister napped, the boys and I sat at the table chatting and decorating strips of white paper with colors and designs; then we linked them together.
It was a simple and soothing activity... kind of like watching Mister Rogers... a childhood pleasure.

Busy

Christmas was the last time our entire family was together so we spent part of the weekend at my sister Anna's house where four of the five crazy boy-cousins kept themselves busy playing with each other and with the 13-year cicadas.


I busied myself on the lawn with the youngest boy-cousin who is still too little to keep up with big boys and cicadas.


On the 2.5 hour drive home Sister kept herself busy begging for snacks. In so doing, she kept me busy passing them back to her... one teeny-tiny cracker and raisin at a time. The last morsel was dispensed as we rolled back into town and, thus, a screaming fit in the backseat was avoided.
And, I wonder why we don't travel more often...

God is Love

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 John 4:16

Finishing Strong

Believe it or not, around here we're wrapping up the school year. Big Brother turned in his final project today, a charming illustration for the poem that he selected to memorize and recite in class.

Drinking Fountain

by Marchette Chute

When I climb up

To get a drink,

It doesn't work

The way you'd think.

I turn it up,

The water goes

And hits me right

Upon the nose.

I turn it down

To make it small

And don't get any

Drink at all.

Although he's not burdened with academic projects, Little Brother has been busy perfecting his two handed drawing technique.

Crazy for...

Her favorite book.

Visiting Grandaddy

Occasionally a Friday afternoon will find us downtown at the barbershop. After the boys have neatly trimmed hair and are chewing on sweet wads of Super Bubble, we like to walk down the street to visit Grandaddy at his office. Upon arrival, all manner of desk drawer exploring, lamp adjusting, and furniture climbing ensues. Grandaddy is very patient with us... and he's always happy to see us.

Founder of Salvation

For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10

One Lesson from a Second Grade Field Trip

Despite touring a large, underground cavern, beholding rare and beautiful rock formations, panning for gold, and conquering a gigantic maze, the main attraction will, of course, be the gift shop.

A Simple Denim Clutch

I can't decide if this denim clutch is cute or kitsch. It's a little too Daisy Duke meets Minnie May for my own personal style, to be sure, but for a sweet girl celebrating her eighth birthday it was perfect.
Repurposing old blue jeans to create a purse certainly isn't a new idea, but it's so easy! I lopped off the legs {just below the zipper} of some boys' size 7's, flipped the remaining part inside out and sewed one seam straight across the bottom, then I clipped the corners and flipped them right side out again. Velcro tabs inside the waistband make for easy closure; the ribbon through the belt loops adds a nice splash of color.
I let the clutch itself serve as the gift bag and I filled it with some little things eight year old girls love... trial size bottles of fruit scented shower gel found on clearance at Kroger and an assortment of colorful, jersey knit bracelets made with repurposed fabric from my stash. The birthday girl's eyes lit up when she saw it, and she was happy.

The Lord, My God

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28