Two of my favourite sounds:

-someone giggling or laughing out loud over the book they're engrossed in

-the sound of shears cutting fabric laid out on a table or the floor

A borrowed post

There are lines in writing that resonate. Sometimes it can be the whole tone of a book or blog or website. Sometimes a sentiment behind a word or two. I have spent months on one verse in the Bible, coming back to it again and again, fully intending to get on to verse 4 but never getting past verse 3. "Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ." So good.

A while back I stumbled across Tonia's blog. I've never met her. Emailed once. Who is this woman? Remarkable for sure. In any case I read this blog post today. Look for the phrase about not knowing how to answer the questions that seek to measure. Then look for the act of defiance. If only I'd thought to think that in the days before I became aware of my own confidence in this need to be at rest.

And then explore her blog. There are many places to settle for a while.

Need to pray

For the one who holds my heart I pray for it all.
For the three who stole my heart, I pray for so much.
For the one who's been struggling for weeks with emotional heaviness, I pray for light.
For she whose daughter is ailing, I pray for healing.
For a body turned on itself, I pray for a straightening out and new cells.
For those who lost a beloved, I pray for peace.
I thank for a successful home exchange and settling in. times two.
For peace in future educational decisions and the daily yells of "Mom".
For baby number 8.
For strength, and the ability to allow for grace both to herself and her charges.
For those who do not understand the need to pray, I pray for insight.
Grateful to have experienced enough peace in difficult times to know it is possible.
May Christ be glorified.

In the middle of the night I awakened feeling I'd been asleep for hours. It was 42 minutes since I had turned my light out. And the time up to then had been slippery. While I toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the Kincaid children it slithered and crept. Although it was 9:36 when I started to read, somehow the clock said nearly midnight when I closed the book. Strange goings on.

So now, I sit here, book and journal both at hand. I have read, I have written, my mind has wandered the halls of Everywhere One Goes In the Night. I am still awake. I will not be so tomorrow, or rather later today, but really there's not much I can do about it now. Experience has taught me it's easier to just get up and do something than to lie abed tossing and sighing. Besides being up doesn't waken Pieman who has been working awfully hard. And one can usually find time for a nap on a Sunday afternoon. Usually.

I suppose I could make some soothing chamomile tea but then I'd have to use the facilities which would wake me again and besides 1) I don't like chamomile tea and 2) I don't have any. See reason 1. Coffee isn't a good option under the circumstances.

The good news is I didn't plant my frost sensitive seeds just before today's snow even though the weather this past month has been unseasonably gorgeous and seed-planting tempting.

So happy dreams to all you slumberers.

Sailing

It's possible I've blogged about this before. This sailing. It has become one of the favourite activities of my family on windy days. In winter they use a toboggan. Yesterday they used the little red wagon; Radio Flyer is true to its name. They had a hard time getting the tarp centered properly and it turns out that a lighter child would have made it all easier. But they were successful.

The stories told with the most enthusiasm though were those when the child held the tarp by hand and ran or was dragged along. I was shown some good scrape marks. My favourite scene was seeing the tarp snap in half the 1" x 2" board that it was tied to and that CTM was holding. He lurched suddenly to a stop with the two pieces in his hand while the tarp flew off happily, finally free from its bonds.

Are we just a weird homeschooling family? or are we creative and family-oriented? It's all in the perspective I suspect. In any case, it's fun to watch and experience the joy. Each child seems alive and bright when they come in, and I don't think it can all be explained by the 'bracing' wind.

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things I've seen since my last post

a really good omelette

a joust

a begonia in a hanging basket, planted by niece and nephew

our first lettuce and radishes for Pieman's birthday supper

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more things I've seen

a cardinal showing off for us

elephants (new bronze statues)

blue poison frogs (or poison dart frogs? something about blue and poison and frogs)

two rhinos

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A sunny day today tricks us into thinking it is warm. The forecast for the weekend is though. We will enjoy it no matter what does or doesn't get done. The garden is top of my list. Pieman may have other priorities. The kidlets will no doubt play, read, eat and sleep.

Today BTG participated in Shakespeare's birthday party at our local theatre. She learned sword-play and MacBeth as the 55 or so students involved acted out a version of the play. I was a little disappointed for her that the expected big stage was not used, the rehearsal hall being substituted. (This is different to the reports we had from friends who were involved last year.) BTG, however, thought the rehearsal hall a less intimidating space and was glad. She had a blast and gave us a thorough demonstration of the sword-play, complete with quotes of how they unseamed their victim.

Meanwhile, the boys and I visited with our Spanish-speaking friends over a coffee. Maria from Ecuador invited us to get together with her and her young children for some extra practice. These arrangements can be so loosely phrased that they never happen so I'll have to work on some concrete plans. I think it will be fun! How I long to be fluent in Spanish. Longing alone doesn't make things happen though. It is good for me to set in place those things that compell me to learn more and practice what I learn.


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I think I'm done updating for now.

Enjoy reading. Don't forget to hop over to "the world as we see it" and see what we've been up to in the sketching department.

Morning Calisthenics?

I can't go to bed.

I painted the floor that is between here and there. I'm hoping it dries quickly with the fan on it. Tomorrow I can move all the stuff back onto it but for tonight I get to still trip over things that are out of place. Not that I'll be going anywhere during the night across that sticky paint. If I have to I'll be able to get to my bed by going outside and through the side door. But I won't make any midnight trips to the loo that way.





So here I am, you lucky people!





Three of us had passport photos taken today. Why do I always forget to put my head in the more flattering position? And since my hair is blonde and fine, that white background makes it seem to disappear and I look scraggly. Ugh. The kidlets are cute by default but their shots aren't much better. Shh. Don't tell the grandparents.





Before going to our morning's appointment and then the photo shoot, the kids tried to chase the uncooperative (and very smart) chicken back into the coop from whence she had escaped when they went in to feed her. We left her out. One of the hens has taken to digging up my hosta garden so they've been confined again. They're much happier when they can run around though so I may have to build a fence or something. Happy chickens lay more eggs. The renegade came back at suppertime.





Only 4 more days till Pieman comes back.





Some shots I like from our nature walk the other day:

We stopped our bikes for this one. He didn't like the camera so close. First he tried to make like a leaf, then he put his dukes up, then figured the best thing was escape and scuttled away. We let him to. Figured the road wasn't a very safe place for him anyway.

Standing up straight like little soldiers at attention.

Why do I take pictures of fungus? I suppose 'cause it's so weird. This is just a cool shot. The weird fungus didn't look so weird on camera.

I love this one. I suppose it's my mother's heart. They look so independent.