a spirit of simplicity

1~  I am still a morning person, but I need a half hour or so to gather my thoughts before the world  descends upon me. I love to watch the sunrise and hear the seagulls waking up and squawking at one  another. The very first bird singing out with the very first bit of light. I have learned that I want to  know those things before too much interaction with other people. Joe has a night shift job now and  comes home at about 5 in the morning. For him it is evening and he is ready to chat and chat. For me it is still time for reflection on what the morning holds. So, I am learning to balance the two...I'll let you  know how it works out. So far I've only lost it once.  2~  Once you make your decision the universe conspires to make it happen. I have learned that I am  stronger, smarter, and more capable than I give myself credit for. That is true with changes I make within  myself and also with changes I make in my relationships with my

bittersweet in the dunegrass 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 Peace and Love  Kara An InLinkz Link-up

the good I love the way the earth turns into the warm colors of Autumn everything all auburn and gold the random once in a while my neighbor leaves treats at our back door. the other day I came home to a basket of fresh pears. the fun Saturday I volunteered at the church bazaar. I baked molasses cookies the night before and divided them equally into little baggies. I dropped them off at the bake sale table at 8:30 and headed over to man the housewares section. We shut down at about 1:00 and I was home and ready for a nap at about 2:00. It was more fun than I thought it would be.... I'm pretty sure that means I am old and probably boring.  The dune grasses are dying down and bittersweet is taking over the path to the beach. I love the wild spaces.  I hope they never "pretty up" this path.  I can see it from my windows and from the porch.  I love to watch it change with the seasons. I have

MISTY Mist in the morning, Raw and nippy, Leaves on the pavement, Wet and slippy. Sun on fire Behind the trees, Muddy boots, Muddy knees. Shop windows, Lihted early, Soaking grass, Dewy, pearly. Red, lemon, Orange and brown, silently, softly, The leaves float down. ~Shirley Hughes When Hannah and Bonnie were young girls this was one of our favorite story books. Poems and beautiful illustrations around the seasons. 

silvery seas dotted with ducks and geese looks like a mirror reflecting gray skies ~ Knowing love ~ ~ "All shall be well, and every kind of thing shall be well." Julian of Norwich ~ pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere Friday fave fives skywatch friday faith and fellowship soulfood friday  

Ever since I can remember my mum had this candelabra in her house at Christmas time. When Hannah was a baby, she asked me if I would like it and of course, I said yes. I've always loved it. So, ever since Hannah and Bonnie were babies it has graced one or another of my tables from October till January.  At the beginning of Advent I put the traditional purple and pink candles in it and fill the bowl with greens and shiny Christmas bulbs. Truth be told, I do not love it as I used to.  It's getting a little worn around the edges and my tastes have changed. But, I love that it was my mother's, and my nana's, and now mine. Almost nothing in my home is new...it all belonged to someone else at one time or another. Once in a while I wonder what my style would be if I were to start fresh... I could never do that though...to me a home is more than a house. My father's books, Joe's mother's bureau, the old wic

t ~~~ ~~~~ to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 Many years ago I had a friend who died of breast cancer. She was 36 and she had 4 young children. All through that Autumn season she lay dying. I remember thinking that when the last of the leaves were gone, so would she be. Of course, I had known death before. My own father died when I was 18, and my grandparents, and people in high-school who had died suddenly and tragically. She was the first person who was really my friend, who was my age, who was doing the same things I was doing, who could have been me. My heart broke for what she missed. Sometimes I think the leaves that fall in thi

summer church in Rye, N.H. the rest of the year they meet in the bigger building closer to town but in summer they attend worship in this place 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 Peace and Love Kara An InLinkz Link-up

October O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know. Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees, one far away. Retard the sun with gentle mist; Enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow! For the grapes’ sake, if they were all, Whose leaves already are burnt with frost, Whose clustered fruit must else be lost— For the grapes’ sake along the wall. Robert Frost spiritual Sundays

the path through the wood aka -the hundred acre wood blackberry bushes are colouring out and will be dropping leaves by end of October Michaelmas daisies are blooming along the edge of the path the bittersweet berries haven't quite opened yet and there is some type of reddish-orange berry interspersed  brilliant dappled sunlight filters through and everywhere, everywhere, moths are flitting soulfood friday Friday fave fives Floral Friday fotos Weekend wind down party   faith and fellowship  

just before Joe left for work the other evening we took a walk along short beach There is probably nothing I can say about walking along the beach, with your man, at sunset that hasn't been said already. just.....ahhhh Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home

finishing up the outlining and vining and saving just a bit of white filling for the very end I have been picking away a bit on this book that I picked up at the second hand store Honestly, I haven't had much time for reading lately. I read more once the cooler weather settles in and I am stuck indoors for longer periods of time. Yarn along

I love you i dreamt of you before you were heart of my heart breath of my breath being from my being i love you in my womb I felt you swimming, and fluttering, and kicking against me and as you grew I watched you kicking, and fluttering, and finally, swimming away into a life of your own  my little mermaid-fairy daughters whose feet tread here upon the earth whose days are marked by turning tides who are counted among the stars that twinkle  once upon a time you sang little swimmy songs and rested your tiny fingers against me in the night i love you your mother coffee for your heart Wake up Wednesday Women with intention

ferns in the wood of an October afternoon ~ 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 Peace and Love  Kara wordless wednesdays nature notes An InLinkz Link-up

the good the path through the wood is lined with Michaelmas daisies (Asters) they are so cheery next to the waning goldenrod and orangy berriess the random zombie fish washed up on shore.... this is a natural occurrence.... well the dead things occasionally washing up on shore,  not the zombie part. the fun a far full of wild flowers on the windowsill I love bringing in a bit of the wild indoors to cheer things up a bit Mosaic Monday The good, the random, the fun sharing his beauty Monday musings Monday mellow yellow making your home sing In a vase on Monday  macro monday 2 nature footstep catching light 

An Autumn drink coffee in the Corningware percolator  I  purchased at St. John's parish rummage sale wooden seasonal my outfit today as I scrambled over the beach path at sunrise... it's getting rather chilly in the mornings here and I was happy to come home to hot coffee the view from our porch you can see the causeway which connects us to the mainland,  which is about 2 miles away Scavenger Hunt Sunday  through my lens

Rain stealing in  tide going out watching the headlights heading home over the causeway t ~~~ ~~~~ take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34 "Let the unseen days be, today is more than enough." J.R.R. Tolkien spiritual Sundays Sundays at home soli deo gloria sisterhood

Heading in of an evening... soulfood friday

I came upon this pretty little autumn runner at a charity shop while visiting my sister a few weeks ago I love the colors in it and it fits perfectly on the bureau in the living room My favorite part of it is that it will remind me of spending time with my sister when I pull it out in years to come. Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home

I am making some serious progress here. really, I'm almost done! I have just to finish the fence, add a tidbit here and there of the yellow and white and outline the entire thing.  Hopefully, I can finish it up by this time next week. Then I will be able to start my next project.... which I am absolutely chomping at the bit for. yarn along

t ~~~ ~~~~ A gracious woman retaineth honor Proverbs 11:16 KJV A gracious woman wins esteem but she who hates virtue is covered with shame. Proverbs 11:16 St. Joseph Edition (Catholic) I find myself thinking of this proverb fairly often lately.... King James is my bible that I usually pick up first But it's interesting to note the difference in bible versions.  I know there are those who will think one or the other is all wrong.... I like to compare versions because I am able to more fully understand  the text when I read more than one translation. I think they say pretty much the same thing since clearly, if you are not retaining honor it is only a matter of time before you will be covered with shame.  The King James, doesn't state it quite so clearly....it kind of leaves that last part out. So you have to figure it out for yourself.  Kind of like what God does.  He points out the right way

This has been a summer of loss for us. My aunt died at the beginning of the season and I found sand dollar on the beach as I walked on the morning of her services. An old friend died in the middle of the summer and I found another sand dollar as I walked the beach a few days later. On two different occasions I found two other sand dollars and thought it must have been coincidence but... My landlord, who was a sweet, friendly old man, died not long ago and just a few days ago a very old friend died. I believe that the universe has a way of responding to the ripples in its waves. These are the only sand dollars I've seen on the beaches since I was a little girl. And, while I appreciate the sentiment and the beauty, I'm hoping not to see anymore for quite some time. ~  won't you come with me and see the beauty of Tuesday Afternoon Your post can be about anything  that feeds your spirit

the good red berries in the wood the fun we went to the annual open house at the Northeastern University biomarine lab here on Nahant.  the random little boy piles in the living room 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

t ~~~ ~~~~ Shibui which is a Japanese term for the extraordinary in the ordinary morning sun comes in through the window onto this kitchen chair. Bonnie made the dream catcher from twigs and twine and two green beads. A stack of books I've mostly read.... Ordinary everyday items.... under a window in my kitchen illuminating grace and sowing Sabbath 31 days writing project (inspiration and faith category) spiritual Sundays Sundays at home Scripture and a snapshot simple Saturday blog hop Blessing counters Still Saturday

this is the secret path between dog beach and the road that leads to the causeway off island There is a beach just down and to the left of the path and a road just up and to the right but for some reason, when you are on the path, it's like you are in your own private world lemon yellow coloured leaves are beginning to litter the ground I carry some home with me because they are so pretty they grace my table top for a day or two.... Last Friday my sister and I met half-way between where she lives in Connecticut and where I live in Massachusetts. We ended up in Grafton, MA which was a sweet little town with a common green and an old fashioned country store. We sat for a coffee in the cafe at the country store and then picnicked in the town green. People have been particularly friendly lately. Have you noticed it where you live? This gentleman stopped to tell me all about his gardening project in Grafton. He's organized a vo