Treading on Moss

Books

2012-01-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Source: blessedwildapplegirl.tumblr.com via Cheri on Pinterest

2011 was a book year for me.

I don't know if I just had more time to read or just more desire to investigate issues in an in-depth way . Sometimes one book on a particular subject leads to an increased interest in that subject and even more reading about it as a result.

I may try reviewing some of my favorites as I get a chance. It will be fun for me to revisit some of these marvelous books as I try to remember (!) all that struck me and what I gained from their pages.

Books enjoyed in 2011: (in no particular order)

"The Island of the World" Michael D. O'brien

"Father Elijah" Michael D. O'Brien

"One Thousand Gifts" Ann Voskamp

"The Secret Knowledge": on the Dismantling of American Culture - David Mamet

"Unbroken" Laura Hillenbrand

"Jihad in the West: Muslim conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries" Paul Fregosi

"Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" Eric Metaxas

"The Road to Serfdom" F.A.Hayak

"Out of the Silent Planet" C.S. Lewis

"Perelandra" C.S.Lewis

"That Hideous Strength" C.S.Lewis

"Sharia-The Threat to America" Center For Security Policy

"Portrait of a Spy" Daniel Silva

"The Twelfth Imam" Rosenberg

"7 Tipping Points that Saved the World" - Stewart

"In The Garden of Beasts" - Larson

"Villette" Charlotte Bronte

"The Three Brontes" May Sinclair

"Armadale" Wilkie Collins

"Basil" Wilkie Collins

Christmas- The Birth of Christ

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying,

Luke 2: 8-14

After a Long Pause

2011-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

To any readers I may have left after this long pause, forgive my lack of attention to this blog.
I have had a husband recovering from heart surgery and my time has been otherwise directed. [ understatement ]
He is doing well and things are getting back to normal.
We look forward to Christmas with the family together and celebrating so many blessings we often take for granted.

Thanks, Dad, for the suggestion and shove I needed to get a new post up !
Wish you and Mom could be here too.
Unfortunately your own heart surgery is keeping you close to home as well.

Happy Birthday

2011-10-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday! to my wonderful husband, the father of our three girls

and 'Poppy' to our 7 grandchildren!

Out-Takes

2011-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mine was the back up camera in the photo shoot of our family this past weekend so I will post some out-takes, silly or otherwise less than perfect pictures that nevertheless tell part of the story of our family.

You can probably tell who the life of the party around here is.

{Probably due to the fact that they don't have to try to get 4 children to at least look pleasant at the same moment.}

To become a grandparent is tho enjoy one of the few pleasures for which the consequences have already been paid.

~ Robert Brault~

Heart Breaker Eyes

2011-09-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

5 year old Leif was given the task of pounding flat a bunch of staples so this board could be re-hung in a fixing project. He was so happy to be given a real job and so cute in the knowledge that he was being a helper to Uncle Ben. (Well, this child would be cute doing anything, right? Those heart breaker eyes!)

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

~Benjamin Franklin~

The Little Things are the Big Things

2011-09-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

"The art of contentment is the recognition that the most satisfying and the most dependably refreshing experiences of life lie not in great things but in little. The rarity of happiness among those who achieved much is evidence that achievement is not in itself the assurance of a happy life. The great, like the humble, may have to find their satisfaction in the same plain things."

Edgar A. Collard, 1974

Domestic Divas

2011-08-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ilex and her best friend Adalaine are house/dog sitting for Ben and Shannon this week. When they came over here yesterday, (decked out in two of Shan's many darling aprons), to borrow an ingredient for a salad they were making, I decided that a photo shoot was definitely in order! I think they are having a blast being "on their own" keeping house in the little "cottage".

Domestic Divas

Well, not too serious after all.

Back to back

They faced each other...

Nature is only the Image

2011-08-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Nature is mortal; we shall out-live her. When all the suns and nebulae have passed away, each one of you will still be alive. Nature is only the image, the symbol; but it is the symbol Scripture invites me to use. We are summoned to pass in through Nature, beyond her into that splendour which she fitfully reflects.
And in there, in beyond Nature, we shall eat of the tree of life. At present, if we are reborn in Christ, the spirit receives life from Him at a thousand removes--
The faint, far-off results of those energies which God's creative rapture implanted in matter when He made the worlds are what we now call Physical pleasures;and even thus filtered, they are too much for our present management. What would it be to taste at the fountainhead that stream of which even these lower reaches prove so intoxicating? The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy.

C. S. Lewis in "The Weight of Glory"

Squirrels

2011-08-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is the prize winner of the contest sponsored by Power Line blog to illustrate the debt issue our country is facing. I think it's worth watching and passing along. Watching squirrels somehow makes the topic easier to visualize. Justin, the producer of this short video, has done a great job and been chosen as number 1 from over 200 entries. More of the top entries can be seen here.

They asked Justin to share his thoughts on the contest and his video:

"When I first heard of the contest, I found it hard to believe that anyone would put up such a great prize to offer creatives a chance to dramatize the debt crisis. Most people don’t want to think about debt or the dangers it holds. Wars and environmentalism have attracted most of the attention of creative people in our culture–and not usually for a good result. But when you consider what debt can do and has done to nations throughout history, we’d be fools to not recognize our country’s solvency as the single greatest issue we face today. In my piece, I wanted to not just show how bad the problem is- which is in itself a noble effort since 15 trillion is hard for most to comprehend–but I sought to convey how we got to this point, and our choices moving forward."

Oh, to be a child again

2011-07-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

Childhood + Summer + Water = Bliss

(even straight-out-of-the-well cold water!)

No common kiddie pool for us. How about a clean horse trough with sparkling fresh, and yes, cold water.

Fuel up.

If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in the water.

~ Loren Eisley ~

The Debt

2011-07-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

A short video from Power Line today.

Time Warp Birthday

2011-07-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Casey turns 40!

a truly psychedelic party is held in his honor

It's intriguing how costumes, in this case a "Seventies" theme,

will loosen people up in just the right?! way.

Even Drake got into the swing of things (literally) when he got

that 'magic' Afro wig on that came to the party on Ben

but made the rounds to most of the guys!

Aged Hippies

And Lola knows that Cheerios are definitely a vintage thing.

Family Reunion-Northern Edition

2011-07-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Another annual reunion this time on hubbie's side. Six siblings and their children and Grandchildren makes for a very large group. We always have great fun together talking, eating, playing and just catching up.

Lola was being her photogenic sweet self so she gets a collage all to herself.

California Dreamin

2011-07-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Being with my Mom and Dad in California while my Dad recovers from open heart surgery has kept me away from this blog for a while.

My brother and his wife and and their daughter, who is home from college, live on a lovely piece of property with my parents.

The sun shone absolutely every day I was there!

We enjoyed meals together every evening. They love good food and are all great cooks.

The beautiful garden was in full bloom! Roses in every color, clematis, lavender, {blackberries for the above cobbler} lilies and other things too numerous to mention.

And the good news is that Dad is getting stronger every day! Miss you all!

Mother's Day

2011-06-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing like getting my posts out of order----

But I forgot to share these Photos that we managed to take during the hubbub of Mother's Day. The girls and I seldom get to pose together. (With so many adorable children around.)

We had to step out in the rain (to get that natural light you know!) and found a dryish spot under the trees.

Memorial Day

2011-05-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

John Quincy Adams once said, "You will never know

how much it has cost my generation

to preserve your freedom.

I hope you make good use of it."

"Miracles do not cluster. Hold on to the Constitution of the United

States of America and the republic for which it stands. —What has

happened once in six thousand years may never happen again.

Hold on to your Constitution, for if the American Constitution shall fail

there will be anarchy throughout the world."

~Daniel Webster~

Armed Forces Day

2011-05-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on May 20, 1950, just a month before the Korean War started [and four months before I was born]. The new holiday was established the previous year.

I thought this would be a good day to share this photo of my amazing Dad who fought in WWII.
We all love him so much and are praying for a resolution to his health problems this year. He has shared so much of his wisdom and insights over the years and continues to be a wise and caring Dad, Grandpa and Great Grandpa to our whole clan.

Love you, Dad!

Driving

2011-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

My patient [ doesn't he look patient?] Hubby gets to do all the driving on a trip like this. I think he actually liked this route better than the one we usually take up I-5 due to the beautiful scenery, more challenging driving experience and slower pace. We both enjoyed it immensely. Most of these photos are taken from the moving car except for the last one of the elk herd. [and the first one]. That one we had to stop for. [Sorry Honey, no fantastic racks. It's not hunting season anyway!]

Filoli - Landscape Painting

2011-05-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Garden Side Trip

2011-05-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

A side trip on the way home included one of our favorite places ~ Filoli Garden and estate south of San Fransisco in Woodside . It's an out of the way place that is not on many people's radar screen. Even most avid gardeners do not know about it. One of the things that makes it unusual is that it has a formal style more common in Europe than in the US.

The wisteria was in full bloom which I've never been there at the right time of year to see before. Magnificent!

Shopping and Talking - What we do best.

2011-05-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Continuing photos of our California trip.....

The six of us took a day to go on a short excursion to the quaint town of Cambria.
The drive there is exquisite any time of the year but this Spring was especially lush due to the extra rain they've had.
But the weather was certainly warm and sunny for the whole week we were there. Yes we Oregonians needed that!

This bank of wild sweet peas required a closer look. The fragrance was marvelous and Mom was hoping for some seed pods :-) .

Cambria is a small shopping destination consisting of boutiques and an abundance of all-around charm. A wonderful place to go even if you 'intend' only to window shop. A garden theme is predominant so it was perfect for the avid gardeners in the group. (Mom, mostly!)

Visiting Family

2011-05-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

A trip to visit my parents, and my brother and his wife in California, where they live
on a shared piece of property, was a wonderful sun break in the middle of a cold,
wet Spring. Our week managed to sandwich right between my Dad's 86th birthday
and Mother's Day, missing each by a day or so. I have plenty of photos to share
but to start with here are some family shots.

Bluebells

2011-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

" I do not think I have ever seen anything more beautiful

than the bluebell I have been looking at.

I know the beauty of our Lord by it."

~ Gerald Manley Hopkins ~

Infinite Beauty

2011-04-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Newness

2011-04-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

The Garden

2011-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Here is one spot where each may experience

"the romance of possibility."

Louise Beebe Wilder

I am writing in the garden. To write as one should of a garden

one must write not outside it or merely somewhere near it,

but in the garden.

~ Frances Hodgson Burnett~

In an April Field

2011-04-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

The Bright Promise of Swallows, Nesting.

2011-04-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

After almost an entire month of non-stop rain in March [one of the wettest on record]we are so glad for the beautiful 65 degrees on this, the first day of April. Wow! it seems like it has been a long, wet and windy winter! [And I'm sure we have not seen the end of it yet.] But this morning brought sunshine and the return of a family of swallows that has been nesting for the past few years in this birdhouse outside my kitchen window. A wonderful way to start April .

Soon all our backyard birds wanted to pose for their Spring portraits. This Robin had just taken her morning dip in the bird bath and thought she would look best on the back of the weathered, green Adirondack chair.

Life Delights in Life

2011-03-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom

Which springs from the soul."

- Henry Ward Beecher-

For everything that lives is holy, life delights in life.

-William Blake

Leif in the Kitchen

2011-03-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Seems we've started something. Now if we ask Leif if he wants to come over for the afternoon (to enable his Mom to concentrate on the two older boys schooling) he wants to know "is Ivy going to be there?". So since she usually isn't we've had to up our game a little with the bribe of getting to cook something out of his favorite cook book.

This 4 year old can read anything and he loves figuring out what I might have the ingredients for and what he might enjoy eating. "Treats" is the only portion in the book he'll consider so yesterday we settled on these mint patties. (without the mint-he doesn't like mint don't you know! Lemon instead.) We had to borrow food coloring from our handy neighbor, Uncle Ben. Then we absolutely had to do orange after Uncle Ben informed him that we could make it by combining red and yellow. :-)

Back to our regularly scheduled programing...

2011-03-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

...actually taken before the snow storm that blanketed the landscape in white last week. Ivy and Leif enjoyed an afternoon together-playing, hanging out and 'fishing' from our new little bridge. (recently built by Sannon)

If you want happiness for a day -- go fishing

.

Snow Beauty

2011-02-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just when I'm about ready to break out my Easter Bonnet,:)
here comes our one real snow storm of the year!

Lovely!

"Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight: the withered air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.

The sled and traveler stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, and housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm."

~Ralf Waldo Emerson~

George Washington

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

~George Washington~

I just discovered a beautiful! new website dedicated to our first president called

First in Peace.

Check it out today, on what would be his 279th birthday.

"Wherever men love liberty, wherever they believe in patriotism, wherever they exalt high character, by universal consent they invoke the name of George Washington. No occasion could be conceived more worthy, more comprehensibly American, than that which is chosen to commemorate this divinely appointed captain."

~President Coolidge~

BLANC D'IVOIRE--Three Projects

2011-02-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

~White and Cream~

It's strange the things that can inspire a color theme. When Shannon and I were in France a few years ago we fell in love with mono-tone and shades of white. White has so many varying hues, and when coupled with texture and sun light, is so calming and beautiful. (OK I'll grant you do have to have some sun light). Shannon has recently completed 3 projects that draw on that theme and I'd like to share them here (since she doesn't have a blog and I have not had any creative juices flowing lately). All three projects also pop with a little black added for contrast. I'm not going to do an extensive blow by blow 'how to'. I think the projects should be pretty self explanatory.
~~~
First Up....Creative Circles on Canvas

All you need is a canvas, a circle punch, scraps of your favorite papers,

random notions and glue stick.

Next...A Book Page-Rose

French Sheet Music covered bulletin board.

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

2011-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

I am borrowing the following from a post by Phil Boehmke at American Thinker. The quotes he chose speak wisdom to our time.

"Today is Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd birthday. Having led our nation through its darkest hours, President Lincoln’s thoughts and insights continue to resonate and inspire us today.

Given the current state of our Republic and the challenges we are facing, one can only pause and wonder what thoughts and advise 'Honest Abe' would share with us and our leaders."

Abraham Lincoln on the people:

::I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.

::The people themselves, and not their servants, can safely reverse their own deliberate decisions.

::The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.

::You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

::If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.

::This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.

Abraham Lincoln on the Constitution:

::Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the safeguard of our liberties.

::Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.

::We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.

Abraham Lincoln on liberty and freedom:

::No man is good enough to govern another man without that man’s consent.

::Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

::You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.

::Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

::America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Abraham Lincoln on the nature of wealth:

::That some should be rich shows that others may become rich and hence, is just encouragement to industry and enterprise.

::That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.

::Let not him who is homeless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.

::The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can, never suspecting that anybody wishes to hinder him.

::Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.

Some thoughts from Abraham Lincoln that the current president should consider:

::You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

::Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.

::Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

::Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worth of recognition.

::My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.

Some thoughts from Abraham Lincoln for those of us in the Tea Party movement:

::To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

::The probability that we may fail in the struggle should ought not deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

::Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.

::My dream is of a place and time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.

The earth is the Lord's

2011-02-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

"He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth."
(Psalm 33:5-6)

Little Helper

2011-01-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

It often happens to children - and sometimes to

gardeners - that they are given gifts

of value of which they do not perceive until much later.

~ Wayne Winterrowd~

Just a Hint of Spring

2011-01-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

"O the green things growing, the green things growing,

The faint sweet smell of the green things growing!

I should like to live, whether I smile or grieve,

Just to watch the happy life of my green things growing."

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik

An Outing With The Grandkids

2011-01-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

We decided a 'field trip' was in order so John and I took 5 of the grand kids and 'Daddy' Russ and
Uncle Ben to The Evergreen Aviation Museum. It has been a favorite location for many of us
from its beginning . It is amazing to have this inspiring, educational place right here in Oregon.

Christmas Day in The Morning

2011-01-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a full and wonderful day!

I loved every minute of it.

To have one's family close and happy to be together,

Bliss

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2010-12-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

And All Through The House

Not Even a Mouse

When We All Get Together

2010-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Now that the fairy dust is settling
I'll update my blog with a few shots of our week with my parents
{who came a long way to be with us}
and some of our 4 generation family fun.

{ Although I probably should be dusting that fairy dust. }

Life's Pleasures

2010-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life

for which the consequences have already been paid.

~Robert Brault~

Do you know why grandchildren are always so full of energy?

They suck it out of their grandparents.

~Gene Perret~

Ivy Helen

2010-11-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn Photos Cont.

2010-10-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wind is Rising

2010-10-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Light-Motion-Gravity

2010-10-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

These last few beautiful days of Autumn {while their Mommy has been busy with the newest member of their family}, our swing set has been a favorite spot for these two.

Leif has longed for the magic of swinging all by himself the way his brothers can. He has finally got it. This is a good thing {for all of us}!

They can spend hours.

The child amidst his play is learning the action of light,

motion, gravity, muscular force….

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boys Meet Girl

2010-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Lola Colette has her debut.

Waiting For Baby Sister

2010-09-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

So anxious to welcome our new

baby sister!

In the mean time though,

we'll just play and enjoy this magical Fall day.

Live the Width of it

2010-09-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Food For Thought Friday

2010-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing critique of the state of the American academy , by a 50 year Harvard Professor, Harvey Mansfield, in this interview on the Hoover Institute's
Uncommon Knowledge

(This interview makes a great case for classical education and great books study.)

"Statistically, Harvey Mansfield should be a raging liberal. He’s been at Harvard since 1949. In 2008, 93% of Harvard faculty political contributions were to Democrats. At Yale in the same year it was 94%. While it is no secret that America’s colleges and universities are bastions of liberalism, Harvey Mansfield in our latest episode discusses how that happened and the effect that it has on our society."

"One of the first casualties of the liberal stranglehold on the academy is a healthy emphasis on Western Civilization."

One more stop

2010-09-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I ended my afternoon with Heidi's boys at the local farm where we love to buy produce in the summer. They helped me pick out corn and other vegies to take home.

Boys at the Park

2010-09-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Slightly melancholy- ( let's just look at these flowers and see the ducks across the pond.)

Animated (all the ducks are gathering around now !)

Or - not having versus - having a bag of old bread ( handed to us ) to feed those same ducks.

Now this is more like it!! A feeding Frenzy!

Blackberries

2010-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

"I love to go out in late September among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to eat blackberries for breakfast, the stalks very prickly, a penalty they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making; and as I stand among them lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries fall almost unbidden to my tongue, as words sometimes do, certain peculiar words like strengths or squinched, many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps, which I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well in the silent, startled, icy, black language of blackberry -- eating in late September." Gallway Kinnell, Blackberry Eating

Justin & Olive - Part Two

2010-09-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Justin & Olive

2010-09-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

September

2010-09-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

"Lord, it is time. The summer was very big.

Lay thy shadow on the sundials, and on the meadows let the winds go loose.

Command the last fruits that they shall be full;

give them another two more southerly days, press them on to fulfillment and drive

the last sweetness into the heavenly wine."

~Rainer Maria Rilke~

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields,

The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth

And you walk under the red light of fall

The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain

The sharp, gentle chill of fall.

Here as we move into the shadows of autumn

The night that brings the morning of spring

Come to us, Lord of Harvest

Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us ..."

"By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather

And autumn’s best of cheer."

~Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885~

Rudyard Kipling

2010-08-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

There is a reason why Rudyard Kipling is considered a master of story-telling genius! I have been enjoying all his books this year, starting with Kim and progressing through The Jungle books, none of which I had ever read before. I loved them all. Now I've added one more. This excerpt from The Naulica (1891) is a sample from the latest one I just finished.
( My book is a small, red, leather-bound copy from 1909 -smooth and worn.)

And just to set the mood, this random photo from my France file. (since I've never been to India)

Context....the protagonist has traveled to India (of course) attempting to rescue his lady-love and to search for a notorious, but fabulous necklace which he is told might be somewhere is in an abandoned, mysterious, walled city.

:: The shadows grew more distinct: he could see that he was standing with his face to some decayed tomb. Then his jaw fell, ( wow, is this the birth of that expression?) for without warning or presage, the red dawn shot up behind him, and there leaped out of the night the city of the dead. Tall-build, sharp-domed palaces, flashing to the color of blood, revealed the horror of the emptiness, and glared at the day that pierced them through and through.

:: The wind passed singing down the empty streets, and , finding none to answer, returned, chasing before it a muttering cloud of dust, which presently whirled itself into a little cyclone-funnel, and laid down with a sigh.

:: A screen of fretted marble lay on the dry grass, where it had fallen from some window above, and a geeko crawled over it to sun himself. Already the dawn flush had passed. The hot light was everywhere, and a kite had poised himself in the parched blue sky. The day, new-born, might have been as old as the city. It seemed to Tarvin that he and it were standing still to hear the centuries race by on the wings of the purposeless dust. [ ]

:: The silence of the place and the insolent nakedness of the empty way lay on him like a dead weight. For a long time he did not care to whistle, but rambled aimlessly from one wall to another, looking at the gigantic reservoirs, dry and neglected, the hollow guard-houses that studded the battlements, the time-riven arches that spanned the streets, and, above all, the carven tower with a shattered roof that sprang a hundred and fifty feet in the air.

From Heaven

2010-08-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Psalms 84:11-12

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those

who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:5

Food For Thought Friday

2010-08-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Trying something new here.

Food for thought Friday #1

A very interesting interview on National Review's Uncommon Knowledge.
There are 5 segments to watch of this interview with Thomas Sowell ,
author of Dismantling America. When you get to their website just click on
the perma-link under each segment.

Happy Birthday~LEIF

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

In summer, the song sings itself.

~William Carlos Williams~

White Flowers

2010-08-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music;

it is one of those things which it is far better to enjoy,

than to attempt to fully understand.

~Henry T. Tuckerman~

Colours change: in the morning light, red shines out bright and clear and the blues merge into their surroundings,

melting into the greens; but by the evening the reds loose their piquancy, embracing a quieter tone

and shifting toward the blues in the rainbow. Yellow flowers remain bright,

and white ones become luminous,

shining like ghostly figures against a darkening

green background.

~Rosemary Verey, The Scented Garden, 1981~

Processional

2010-07-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Larissa and her Dad had a long , sun drenched processional through the garden

and though I was working on prep. for the reception,

I did get my camera out for some shots of their lovely promenade.

11 Children in a Wedding!

2010-07-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that there were so many children in this wedding. They made it through a very long day remarkably well.
Heidi at Mt. Hope captured all of the wonderful details and the real essence of the marvelous day. Her pictures are amazing!! Everyone was snapping photos though, including me (between other duties), and this is a favorite.
Larissa and West with the children~they happen to all be nieces and nephews!

Prelude to a Wedding

2010-07-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Independence Day

2010-07-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

:::But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, July 17, 1775

:::How prone all human institutions have been to decay; how subject the best-formed and most wisely organized governments have been to lose their check and totally dissolve; how difficult it has been for mankind, in all ages and countries, to preserve their dearest rights and best privileges, impelled as it were by an irresistible fate of despotism.
James Monroe, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 10, 1788

:::And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever.
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 18, 1781

:::It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth — and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775

:::It is necessary for every American, with becoming energy to endeavor to stop the dissemination of principles evidently destructive of the cause for which they have bled. It must be the combined virtue of the rulers and of the people to do this, and to rescue and save their civil and religious rights from the outstretched arm of tyranny, which may appear under any mode or form of government.
Mercy Warren, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, 1805

:::No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.
Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, November 4, 1775

:::Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.
Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833

Ivy Picks a Bouquet

2010-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

The gardens of my youth were fragrant gardens

and it is their sweetness

rather than the patterns of their furnishings

that I now most clearly recall.

~Louise Beebe Wilder~

~~~~~~

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.

~Heinrich Heine~

"That beautiful season the Summer!

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;

and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Book Club -"ChocLit-Guild"

2010-06-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Our favorite day of the month.....my turn to hostess. The weather was perfect, Domini's dessert luscious, the conversation lively.

Softball

2010-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

This far corner of our yard has been the greatest spot for informal, impromptu,
silly family softball games over the years. The more the family grows the better it gets.
Saturday evening was the start of our season! :) Everyone gets in the game.

The Cowgirl

2010-06-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Ivy...

Give her a hat and a saddle and she's happy for hours!

(But oh the 'joys' of photographing in bright sun)

Inlaws and Outlaws

2010-06-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Our brother in law, Al's, birthday turns into a family gathering and bash.
I'll bet you can even tell what the theme was!
His family put on a fabulous ho-down and feast for us all.

Weekend Getaway

2010-06-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

On to another location in the NW lush forest lands.
John and I spent our Anniversary at a favorite hot springs on the McKenzie river.

This place has it all if you enjoy quiet solitude, hot mineral swimming pool,
and magical, meandering, 'foresty' places to wander. It has numerous, well-kept, garden areas, both natural and formal -
each, as you happen upon them, more amazing than the last.
And the whole while, the continuous roar of the majestic river as background music.

These photos really don't do it justice. (especially since you can't feel the soothing heat of the mineral pool
or hear the sound of the river, or smell the mossy forest...sorry, you'll have to use your imagination
or just go there sometime.)

Our second day was marvelously sunny.(We were so glad, because our first day
definitely was not! We had a lovely, cool downpour while we were in the hot pool.)

The view from our lodge window....

And some of the garden areas....

The McKenzie-(taken from the middle of the bridge). Up-river and down-river.

BLISS @ 6

2010-06-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

------- Bliss -------

...... is ......

~~~

Finally!

being

### 6 ###

~~~~

Our favorite family campground is the perfect setting

for a Birthday party for this 6 year old!

Our adorable Luke.

Artist

2010-06-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

"Every child is an artist. The problem is

how to remain an

artist once he grows up."

~ Pablo Picasso~

Pioneer Cemetery

2010-05-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

We took just a short walk to a small Pioneer cemetery today. How interesting to view those 150 year old marble grave stones, most of them humble, but some quite grand, (only a few newer ones decorated with fresh flowers), to read names and dates, representing short lives or long. Its a special place which we've visited over the years. It continues to fascinate us. Memorial Day seemed the perfect time to see it again.

Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory,

nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds,

yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.

~Daniel Webster

The Little Things

2010-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.

~John Zabat-Zinn~

~~~~~

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things.

~Robert Brault~

~~~~~~

Precisely the least, the softest, lightest,... a breath, a flash, a

moment - a little makes the way of the best happiness.

~Frederich Nietzsche~

~~~~~

The eagerly awaited chicks have arrived.~(part of Ilex's birthday gift)

8 in all ~ a mix of 'Easter Eggers' and 'Rare Breeds'

Of Roses and Boxwood Hedges

2010-05-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Although it has been incredibly cool and rainy this spring,
a few of our roses are beginning to bloom. I'm so ready!

This Dogwood tree is making me happy this year. It has finally
come into its own. (they really are a slow growing tree!)

And the little boxwood hedge~is the best addition ever! (two years ago)

Planting

2010-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Now to plant the things we bought...

The Rain Held Off

2010-05-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

long enough for us to enjoy a fun afternoon with Ben and Shannon at a place we've been wanting to visit.

Let The Fields be Jubilant

2010-05-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

The LORD reigns.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

Then the trees of the forest will sing,

they will sing for joy before the LORD,

for He comes to judge the earth.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

I Chronicles 16:31‑34

The Five Thousand Year Leap

2010-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

I feel compelled to recommend a book I have just recently finished.
Without exaggeration, I would call it essential reading for every American.
Have you ever wondered what sudden phenomenon caused the giant leap in civilization?

~~Epiphany~~

:epiph-a-ny/ sudden manifestation or perception of

the essential nature or meaning of something.
~~~~
As I began reading this book I realized almost immediately that it would cause a huge leap forward
in my understanding and comprehension of the foundations and underpinnings of our amazing country
and why we have been able to prosper in freedom. (Also, perhaps, the reasons why we may be close to losing it all.)

But most importantly, in these pages, I found hope.

In 'The Five Thousand Year Leap', W. Cleon Skousen has done a masterful job
of outlining the basic principles -
or, as he calls them - '28 Great Ideas That Changed the World'.
America's exceptionalism and uniqueness are outlined and
its Founders quoted extensively throughout the book. Not only are its
Founders quoted, ( Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Adams, etc.)
but also the great thinkers whom they actually considered as their pattern
while crafting our Founding documents : men like

Polybius, Cicero, Thomas Hooker, Coke, Montesquieu, Blackstone,
John Locke, and Adam Smith.
The framers were also careful students of the Bible.
Amazingly, though they came from widely divergent backgrounds,
they shared the experience of having read and studied
the same great books.

Skousen says~

Their historical readings included a broad perspective of Greek,
Roman, Anglo-Saxon, European, and English history.
To this writer, nothing is more remarkable about the early American leaders
than their breadth of reading and depth of knowledge
concerning the essential elements of sound nation building.

This, he feels, explains their remarkable unanimity in fundamental beliefs.

On particulars, of course, they quarreled,
but when discussing fundamental precepts
and ultimate objectives they seemed practically unanimous. [ ]

From all of these valuable sources they sorted out what they considered
to be the best and most enduring for the prosperity and peace
of a free people under a republican system of self-government.

Get a copy of this book~read it for yourself~pass it on to someone you know!

Hatched Today

2010-04-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

I Wish You a Wave O' The Sea

2010-04-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

When you do dance, I wish you a wave o' the sea,

that you might ever do nothing but that

William Shakespeare

An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven,
spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought,
and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather.

Washington Irving

Ferns Unfurling

2010-04-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

A Soft Release From Man's Unrest

2010-04-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

Unto this wood I came As to a nest;
Dreaming that sylvan peace
Offered the harrowed ease-
Nature a soft release
From men's unrest

Thomas Hardy

The Girl Who Keeps Chickens

2010-04-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

In my opinion the girl who can manage a flock of chickens can probably do anything.

For some girls, turning 14 can be complicated. But Ilex has no problem with it. (Having those chickens must contribute,right? to say nothing of a loving, stable family, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents who adore her!)

So for her birthday we added to her flock,
with some new chicks, (arriving soon by air mail)
that will, when grown, lay wonderfully pastel colored eggs.
Also a quirky sign for the chicken coop! (crafted by Shannon)

Happy Birthday Ilex!

A Precious Thing

2010-04-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

These are not the beaches of Normandy nor the sands of Iwo Jima or the shores of Hawaii. Just our beautiful
Pacific coast of Oregon. But no less necessary to defend.

"Freedom is a precious thing,

it is never a guarantee,
it is not ours by inheritance alone,

it must be fought for
and defended by each generation"

~ Ronald Reagan ~

~~~~

For the past few weeks I have been contemplating
this theme relentlessly.
I've been like the sleeper who is struggling to wake
from a pleasant and beautiful dream,
who was too groggy to realize...
the smoke alarm has been shrilly blaring.

Is it too late to save the house?
Shall I run out the front door in my pajamas?
Do I have time to gather a few precious things?
(like the freedoms that yet remain?)
Perhaps a bucket brigade can still be formed
to save the house.
But it takes a lot of people to pass the buckets
and a large supply of water.
And I hope the doors aren't locked and
bolted on the outside.
I'm only one small person with one small bucket.

(Oh politics! That negative subject that seems so impossible to understand,

and so very impolite to talk about at a party.

How can I decipher whether what I read and hear is true?

It is just too complicated and confusing. Let others, smarter than I, figure it all out.

I don't have time, I'm way too busy.)

~~~~~

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms (of government)
those entrusted with power
have, in time, and by slow operations,
perverted it into tyranny”

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience
to remain silent.”

~Thomas Jefferson~

Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority.
It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people

against the dangers of good intentions.
There are men in all ages who mean to govern well,
but they mean to govern.
They promise to be good masters,
but they mean to be masters.

~Daniel Webster~

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people,
it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government
– lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.

~ Patrick Henry~

[On ancient Athens]: In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security.
They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom.
When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society
but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most
was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free
and was never free again.

~ Edward Gibbon~

Squirrel

2010-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

We have a new visitor in town. And he's figured out the art of robbing the bird feeders. I think the novelty will soon wear off ( for us I mean ).

Birthday Girls

2010-03-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

3 Daughters!

~~

3 March Birthdays!

~~

3 Goofy Outtakes!

Live

2010-03-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.

~ Emily Dickinson ~

Happy Birthday Shannon!

An Elegant Sufficiency

2010-03-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

An elegant sufficiency, content,

Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books,

Ease and alternate labour, useful life,

Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven!

James Thomson, 1700-1748, Spring

Let me be content.

A Jogger's View

2010-03-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is one early jogger's view of the morning. (No not me!)

Shannon e-mailed this photo to me yesterday. She took it on her I-phone (can you believe it?) when she was out for her walk/run. What a girl!

One of the rewards of getting out there so early?... she gets to see the most amazing sunrises! (if it's not raining) Heidi joins her on most mornings, for their exercise, talk, and fresh air fix.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

~Marcus Aurelius~

Amazing Color

2010-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Shepherd

2010-03-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Spring just seems like the right time for sheep photos, old or new!
Though it might feel like a photo you would expect to see in the back of your Bible, this picture was taken when we lived in Morocco, (not quite that long ago! )...
( the back of my little, blond, American head might be a give-away)
The young shepherd was evidently willing to let me pet one of his sheep on a day when we were out exploring the countryside. I don't remember this incident, but I'm sure I was thrilled.

Shepherds like this are probably still a common sight in many parts of the Middle East.
My Dad has been tirelessly scanning and cleaning up our old slides from those days, and e-mailed this one to amuse me, and perhaps share here. Thanks Dad!

Softly The Evening Came

2010-02-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

See! he sinks Without a word; and his ensanguined bier

Is vacant in the west, while far and near

Behold! each coward shadow eastward shrinks,

Thou dost not strive, O sun, nor dost thou cry

Amid thy cloud-built streets.

~ Rev. Frederick William Faber ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How fine has the day been! how bright was the sun,

How lovely and joyful the course that he run!

Though he rose in a mist when his race he begun,

And there followed some droppings of rain:

But now the fair traveller's come to the west,

His rays are all gold, and his beauties are best;

He paints the skies gay as he sinks to his rest,

And foretells a bright rising again.

~Isaac Watts~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Softly the evening came.

The sun from the western horizon

Like a magician extended his golden want o'er the landscape;

Trinkling vapors arose; and sky and water and forest

Seemed all on fire at the touch, and melted and mingled together.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

Beach Reunion

2010-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

It was strange to be at the beach with no children in the group (not that some didn't act like kids). It's a totally different dynamic with all adults age 59-82 just hanging out together. We did lots of visiting, eating, strolling on the beach, taking pictures, and just catching up on each other's lives. Now when you add the next 3 generations, that becomes a large and lively bunch indeed! We actually have that party once a year as well.

I Heart Faces~Focus On Hands

2010-02-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

I heart faces is changing things a bit this week with their photo contest.

Focusing on Hands instead of faces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are hardworking man-hands in their favorite

'coffee-break position'.

Check out the other great 'Hands on Fun' entries at~

Astonishing

2010-02-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

3 cloudless days at the Oregon coast~

Rare!
~~~~~~~

7 siblings and their spouses that all enjoy being together~

Astonishing!
~~~~~~~

Getting us all to the beach at the same time~

Astonishingly Rare!
~~~~~~~~~

The top photo in this next set is of the baby shoes that were made into a plaque by their Dad many years ago. It hung on the wall until their darling Mom passed away 3 years ago at age 99. At that time it was cut in 7 peices and given to the original wearers. Now it comes together whenever they do.

We Have Begun Pruning

2010-02-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

in earnest, now that it's the middle of February.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

All gardens, even the most native and naturalistic, benefit from the hand of an artful pruner. In this season where the garden is poised for the green flood of springtime, remember that our gardens are co-creations, shared with mother earth. And like any good mother, she expects you to tidy up your room. Now get clipping!
~ Tom Spencer ~