a spirit of simplicity

last weekend was the St. Vincent De Paul Yard sale at St. Tom's church here on this rather tiny island I managed to stumble across something I've been hoping to find for years and years a beautiful old hutch (Welsh dresser) priced for a song I spied it  tucked away in the back of the church shed covered in dust bunnies and spider webs I quickly handed over my money and started figuring out how to fit it into my car It took me three trips around the corner to my house... one trip to clean out the snorkeling gear, beach towels, sand pails and various other summer supplies one trip to bring the bottom section, and the last trip to bring the top section I managed to carry everything up to our flat on the second floor while Joe was sleeping (he works the night shift) I got it all cleaned up and set about making it look like it was part of the family Isn't it funny how just one thing can inspire a creati

It's pouring rain here and I can hear thunder in the distance. It shall be rainy all day. These are some of my favorite kinds of days to be sure. We are expecting stormy weather for the next two or three days.... I am making steady progress on the Autumn cross stitch and will not start any other project till this one is finished - no matter how much I may be day dreaming of that beautiful pink yarn in the basket... I am very close to completing all of the pumpkins with just a few more bits here and there to go. I think I shall be able to do those tonight. After that is just the other half of the fence posts! It will probably take me a week or so to stitch all the outlining I am hoping to be done by mid October. I've pulled out my copy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for the coffee table. It's beautifully illustrated by Will Moses. There are a few other Autumn-ish books that I will pull from around the house. I li

reflections in a Languid river bend Rivers reflect what they are surrounded by as do I. Therefore, I must choose my surroundings very carefully my thoughts become my words, my words become my actions, my actions become my habits, my habits become my character t ~~~ ~~~~ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good;  and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil:  for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45 ABC Wednesday wordless Wednesday Watery songlines  coffee for your heart Wake up Wednesday Women with intention  Unite  

a day to celebrate the end of harvest season and the beginning of autumn won't you come with me and see the beauty of Tuesday Afternoon Your post can be about anything  that feeds your spirit and the family friendly nature of  a spirit of simplicity    Please link to your post and not your entire blog Please comment on at least, the post before you Please post a link back to A Spirit of Simplicity so that others may join   If you choose to follow me I will follow you back Tuesday afternoon WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS NATURE NOTES THROUGH MY LENS   An InLinkz Link-up

 the good when my sister, Holly, saw this picture of my daughter she said she could still see Hannah as a two year old. One time  when Hannah was two Holly tried to carry her up the back stairs at our mum's house Hannah was insisting "I do it!" Holly had to carry her back down to the very step she had stopped her at and Hannah climbed up from there all by herself! She is 27 now and hasn't changed in that regard. She's still a little scrapper. OK the random....and catching light....and mellow yellow light all over the woods lichen growing on a pine tree  there is always more fun around the next bend It's nice to have something photographic to authenticate my existence  Mosaic Monday The good, the random, the fun sharing his beauty Monday musings Monday mellow yellow I love macro macro monday 2 nature footstep catching light

love this is from a few years ago on a family trip to Newport, RI. Everyone has grown up so much in the past 4 years  but the love for one another has only grown stronger of an afternoon less is more ugh...is it ever.... Hannah my beautiful baby girl....who at 27 years old isn't such a baby anymore Girl, you know you make me high  when you turn your love my way -Allman Brothers photographer's choice me...which Hannah took while I was playing around in the faerie wood we were walking through Scavenger hunt Sunday

Hannah and I met in the faerie wood we picnicked on white wicker chairs fresh bread and tart cherry jelly with raspberry tea in jars and molasses cookies and just each other for company which sets a mother's heart a twirling when her daughter is 27 and just the two of you are chasing frogs  and befriending pine trees in a faerie wood of an autumn afternoon ~ There's no place like New England in the autumn and this was only the very first day along the riverbanks are olden pines who whisper strength and steady friendship when you stop to listen ~ Where the frogs are You set my life a whirling darling when you're twirling on the floor and who cares about tomorrow what more is tomorrow than another day when you swept me away yeah you swept me away -Avett brothers soul food friday friday fave five

the first day of Autumn means molasses cookies the house smells sweet and spicy the ocean breeze floats in through the windows that are still open and a little bit later when the sun is setting  the slightest scent of a beach fire a family has lit across the street we need to grab our sweatshirts before heading out the door... and maybe some cookies to share with  them You can find the recipe for these cookies HERE share your cup thursday little things Thursday home sweet home

making my way through.... I've finished all five miniature quilts and have started on the fence posts now the nights are coming earlier and I have more time for needlework  I haven't been doing much reading except for the occasional passage from the bible there have been many opportunities for spending time with family  which is my favorite thing ever YARN OVER

t ~~~ ~~~~ Father of light I thank you for the blessings that Autumn brings  the peacefulness of the lowering light,  the calmness of longer shadows, the lessons of looking inward and calling close those that I love Guide me through your wooded paths teach me to embrace the open joys of summer along with the harvest  the bright and dying colors of autumn sing to me a sweet song Allow my spirit to find rest and peace in this quieter season. Bring love and peace and harmony to my home and to all those who read these words Aho Amen Blessed be Seasonal Celebration at Garden's Eye View women with intention

morning dew glistening in the beach grasses won't you come with me and see the beauty of Tuesday Afternoon Your post can be about anything  that feeds your spirit and the family friendly nature of  a spirit of simplicity    Please link to your post and not your entire blog Please comment on at least, the post before you Please post a link back to A Spirit of Simplicity so that others may join   If you choose to follow me I will follow you back I always return comments here are a few other places i am linking up to WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS NATURE NOTES THROUGH MY LENS An InLinkz Link-up

the good autumn is on her way!  We woke this morning to a chilly house and ran about closing the windows.   Welcome home my favorite season. The fun  It has still been warm enough for a bit more wharf jumping. Yay!! the random The ocean has been filled (and I mean filled) with these strange plankton called Salps. they are not jellyfish or eggs, they are plankton. They are completely harmless, just the tiniest bit slimy, and feel like little bits of rope brushing against you while you are swimming.  they are in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and along the Delmarva peninsula, among other places. very strange lives and HERE is a short video if you are interested in learning more about them. mosaic monday the good, the random, the fun monday musings i love macro macro monday

birds Geese in the mist at lowlands This is the softball field we can see from our kitchen windows. In summer we watch the evening games and in autumn we watch the geese landing low under the morning mist this is our house just across from the fields we live on the second floor and you are looking at the kitchen windows in the back of the house. On the right is short beach, which is where I took the picture of the sunrise just below this picture. In the front of the house is Dog beach and a beautiful view of the Boston skyline. sunrise at Short Beach the bridge over the Exeter at Phillips Exeter Academy (from the archives) the bottom of a mushroom sitting on a fencepost butterfly in the community gardens scavenger hunt sunday

t ~~~ ~~~~ If we love one another, God dwelleth in us,  and his love is perfect in us. I hadn't been to Marjoram park in a few weeks. There was a time, in high summer, when I was there every day, and every day I would find a tiny gift to leave at the base of the giant pine tree whose majestic branches hang over the cliff framing the view of the Atlantic, or the largest old Oak who drops his acorns in musical harmony on the grasses beside me while I sit on the benches. This day I found two rocks on the beach beneath and climbed up the hilly path. I leaned the larger rock, which looked like a cat's head, against the pine and the smaller triangular rock I stood on end below the Oak. In return they shared with me a smallish oak leaf browned with the coming autumn a heart in the middle green to show that love still lives outlined in yellow for friendship  

in the morning he wakes me... working the night shift leaves him awake in the moonlight and darkness even on nights off he prowls the house on the other side of my daytime while I am asleep So we go outside together into the pre-dawn me with my cup of coffee and he with his chamomile tea from the Psalms open my lips, oh Lord,  and my mouth shall proclaim thy praise create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me search me and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting ~~~ so we toss ourselves in all our vulnerability at the edge of this big blue ball we twirl upon we hold ourselves at the edge and we feel ourselves turning into the very first light of day and we enjoy the ride ~~~  we are driving home from breakfast when Joe tells me that as we ate he considered his plight ~this c