a spirit of simplicity

From the kitchen window we wait for the truck ... mid-morning on Black Friday it comes over the causeway  onto the island the cry goes out over the village The trees are here! school children, parents and grandparents all gather together to unload the trees stacking them onto the wooden structure  that the fathers built after work last week. There will be volunteers at the stand till the trees are all sold... a fire in a steel can, children running about playing, grandparents with hot cocoa... people visiting one another   -jackets zipped up - brightly coloured hats and mittens everyone helping to tie the trees to the tops of all the cars some folks walk through the wooded path with wagons to tote the tree home again... we watch over the jars of seaglass on the kitchen window sill and we wait..... t Romans 15:5-6 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one a

the fun Every year the grade school on our rather tiny sort of an island has a Christmas tree stand as their big fund raiser. We can see the tractor trailer truck bringing the trees in from our kitchen window. The stand is run by volunteer parents, grandparents, and school children. Can you see the neon yellow trim on the truck driver's vest? the good We had the boys with us for the entire Thanksgiving weekend. Joey went out to help with the unloading of the trees. It's so good to have everyone home. the random Just a little teapot bird house hanging from a tree in Beacon Hill. I didn't see any birds nearby.... The good, the random, the fun Monday musings Monday mellow yellow making your home sing The art of home

t And in his name the Gentiles will hope Matthew 12:21 ~ ~ ~ places I link up to spiritual Sundays through my lens  Sunday Scripture Blessings Scripture and a snapshot

I used to say that I loved Christmas. And I still do. But what I've come to realize is that what I really love is the season of Advent. I am so thankful for my loved ones -my daughters, Joe, my family and friends... I'm thankful for my job, which I have so much fun at. I'm thankful for my grandson who owns my heart. Joe and I met in town on Tuesday night. We walked through Faneuil Hall we saw the tree all lit up for the season and walked around with hot coffee in the cold twinkly night. After work I walked around Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall to make some pictures. I have to admit that Thanksgiving isn't my favorite holiday. It's sort of like a rest stop on the highway to Christmas.. When I was a girl we would often stop at a pretty rest stop and have a little picnic and then be back on our way to the final destination... Thanksgiving morning I was up early baking the pumpkin pies everyone loves them so I

My sweet daughters how could I ever have known  when I had my beautiful daughters all those years ago that my heart could hold all the love it holds for my first grandchild sweet baby Verne.   Verne with his mum Verne with his aunt Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home

T is for.... Turkey   I enter into this season of Thanksgiving I feel burdened and heavy this is the first time we will face these holidays  without my step daughter who died in February. All that sadness slips away from me in my day to day life  then in an instant I remember and I find myself in tears. I stumble across a picture of her around a turkey and I'm on my knees in the living room  everything slowing to a grinding halt because.... it takes me a bit to get back up again and through the sorrow   knowing that she will never be in another Thanksgiving day photo never eat her favorite food, never reach for a second piece of pie Always, always, always be an empty place  I know I have so very much to be thankful for. and yet I struggle with how to lay the sadness down and let it go I need a soft wood with pines and yellow leaved birches  old oaks dropping acorns in the mossy

the good Sweet baby Verne in his yellow and black Bruin's outfit. the fun Tuck Finn thinks it is the greatest of fun to sit at the window and watch the birds at the feeder. the random It's been windy and cold here over the past few days. The sand on the beaches has been blowing around all over the place.     The good, the random, the fun Monday musings Monday mellow yellow The art of home

My paternal grandmother I have used her as an inspiration in my life as a way to love people with food, and laughter, and twinkly eyes and time She made tollhouse cookies and apple pies Mincemeat pie with hard sauce was my father's favorite I loved her apricot squares which she pronounced with a hard "A" She was born on 18 November, 1898. She never drove a car.  She had 6 children, 5 of which grew to adulthood. She always made me feel as if spending time with me was the exact thing she loved to be doing. Her favorite Christmas song was Ave Maria sung by Perry Como  I listen to it all the time.  She told me "My mother's name was Katherine but my father called her Kate." She had a lot of heartache in her life but I rarely heard her say a harsh word. She was gentle and kind I miss her. The old Coast Guard Station across the street from my home It was built in 1898

there is an oaken path through a wee wood between the parking lot and my church There are Oaks and Birches and Alders all yellow and golden and brown and crimson each leaf a flame in the sunlit trail fungi grow and acorns drop and the earth is soft and spongy underneath I came upon this tattered oak leaf wedged into the handle of my driver's door on Sunday as I walked back to my car after worship just as if some olden Oak had sent down an invitation for me I considered the weight of the world right now and how it falls and who it will fall upon I wondered whether I was in the right place to be of service  and I accepted an invitation to step off the trail and into the sunlit oaken wood Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home

S is for.....Super moon and Set and Serene In light of all the political upheaval of late it's nice to see a super moon spinning and orbiting all around and above just to remind us that we are not the alpha or the omega ABC Wednesday wordless Wednesday Watery songlines  Yarn along coffee for your heart Wake up Wednesday Women with intention A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

walking the beach  of a Monday morning I was capturing images  of the super-duper closer than it's ever been full moon. My spot on this rather tiny sort of an island is between dog beach and short beach. Dog beach looks toward the sunset  and at this time of year the moon set as well Short beach looks toward the sun rise... So as I was snapping away with my camera I happened to turn around to see the sky lightening up and I noticed that the old Coast Guard Station looked pretty sweet and its reflection in the water looked pretty sweet also even though it's been the same since 1898 and hasn't gotten any closer to the earth, or bigger, or brighter.... sometimes you just have to turn toward home to find the steadfast beauty.

the good I am sure that temples, synagogues, and churches all over the nation today were full of people reeling..... In the U.U. church I go to we spoke of our power our love for all members of the human race, our love for the earth, our commitment to justice what actions we will take to be sure that the world we live in  is safe, loving, and accepting, and we lit candles the random The church is nestled into a grove of mostly Oaks and Birches fungi grow just inside the wood along the trail the fun Sweet little Verne all twirled up in the safety of his nana's arms and me all wrapped up and enchanted in the wonder of him. Yellow is a flame in the darkness Yellow is the sunlight on the forest floor Yellow is a cuff on a baby's sleeve The good, the random, the fun Monday musings Monday mellow yellow making your home sing The art of home

Joe took Saturday night off! We haven't had a Saturday night together in a very long time. We went to my grandson's grandmother's surprise birthday party. It was a fun time.  And we got to see Verne! ~ My daughter, Hannah, took this picture of Bonnie and Verne. Mother and son. It's been so sweet to see Bonnie and her little family. I love seeing her as a mother. Just a few weeks later Bonnie took this picture of her sister, Hannah with Verne. Aunty and nephew.  I love seeing my daughters and my grandson together. Can you see the yellow in the quilt? My online class has me hopping. Nothing is too difficult yet but it's time consuming.  I am enjoying it though...even if I wish I had a bit more time for it.  ~ Joe and I watched I Remember Mama the other evening.  Irene Dunne....the old movie not the TV series.... if anyone even remembers either one of those.  It's such a gre

The other night I was driving home from work and trying to find some music to listen to on my new  phone. I quickly clicked on the download section of my Amazon music and stumbled across the most random thing. One song and some voice mail messages...some of them were 2 or 3 years old and had been left on phones that I have long since forgotten about. Through the magic of modern technology they had transferred into this download section in my Amazon music. ~ a job offer that I wasn't interested in a Dr. cancelling an appointment my oldest daughter calling to wish me a happy birthday my youngest daughter calling to wish me a happy birthday my mum calling to tell me she had jammed something (I couldn't quite make out what it was)  in her garage door and she needed help...she sounded like she was going to cry my husband telling me it was him calling from a different number   and would I please pick up the phone when he

The good of course Verne steals the show. I'm afraid he will be stealing all my shows for..well...for a very long time. How can I resist all the delicious cuteness? The random  yellow wood in Autumn The fun Tuck Finn continues to amuse and entertain and cuddle with us. He likes to sit at the front window and watch the bus coming onto the island at eventide. He has made friends with a crow who sits on the wire gazing in at him.  The good, the random, the fun Monday musings Monday mellow yellow making your home sing The art of home

t ~ ~ ~ Psalm 107: 1,9 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. ~ ~ ~ Sometimes I pray in lists... did I pray enough about my family members, my friends, my co-workers? am I sure I covered everything I think they needed prayer for? Did mention the homeless man on the corner that looks like Gandolf? Did I mention all the homeless people? Did I say thank you? Am I humble enough? Am I too proud? Honestly, it can get exhausting.  I pray in the car on my way to work. I like to imagine checking off what I've already mentioned so I won't forget anything. One morning I happened to be driving over a bridge  and the sun was rising over the Atlantic ocean and the sky was filled with ribbons of color and the water was reflecting all this magnificence.  t Likewise the Spirit h

Starts with S steps on a Beacon Hill street lined with Pumpkins for Samhain -Halloween week's favorite   This is Acorn Street in Boston's Beacon Hill. I work in the area and often find myself wandering around taking pictures during my lunch hour. Acorn street is the most photographed street in Boston.  amazing I became a grandmother on 12 October! He is so amazing!!! Friday's Hunt

I finally got a chance to wander around Acorn street in Beacon Hill this week. I didn't have a whole lot of time but I was able to capture a few pictures.  It is the most photographed street in Boston and it's so small it's like a driveway. ~ I saw this beautiful little pumpkin faerie house in Beacon Hill the other day So darn sweet and creative there's even a rosemary vine climbing up the windows Tuck Finn and the boys chillin' over the weekend I have started my on-line class...  I love taking classes and I'm looking forward to learning something new. ~ an old family friend of my mum's had this beautiful sweater made for Verne. I swear he just keeps getting cuter and cuter. Friday fave fives Floral Friday fotos Weekend wind down party skywatch friday Friday my town shoot out soulfood friday Five on Friday pictorial Friday Willy Nilly Friday

the good rambling through Beacon Hill, Boston on my lunch break I happened upon this little faerie pumpkin house.... so sweet even I wouldn't mind living in it. the random And speaking of sweet..... I hope she said yes. the fun and since we are on the subject of pumpkins on Beacon Hill.... this little guy looks like he knows how to have a fun! Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home