a spirit of simplicity

some of my favorite cookbooks on the shelf in the kitchen Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday The charm of home

the little birds my nieces made on the top shelf of the kitchen hutch I cleaned a little nest off of the porch after all the babies took wing I'm also linking up with Through my lens nature notes  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 So.... every year we buy our tree from the little PTO stand in the park  across the street. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for the grade school  on our rather tiny island. This year was no exception. Saturday morning just after Joe and Joey left for hockey practice Jack and I walked over to pick out a tree.... they had exactly 16 trees left.... all of which were absolutely gigantic!! We chose the smallest one in the lot over 9 feet tall and about 4 feet wide Somehow we got it up the stairs and into the stand it took me about 3 hours to get it all lit and decorated. It's beautiful...but we are never doing that again! the fun.... seeing the expressions on Joe and Joey's faces when they saw the tree Joey was rather understated, "it's a little big." whereupon Joe looked up and stated with enthusiasm "Holy Shit!" the random Last years tree

the kitchen hutch dressed for the season ~ We have a present or two here and there around the house I enjoy wrapping and I do it as I go so it isn't a chore on Christmas Eve ~ Once every other year or so my sister and I and three of our cousins do a cousin's weekend we do a little shopping, a little eating, and a lot of laughing! ~ Every year Marblehead, MA has a great little Christmas parade on the first Saturday of December This guy -whose name escapes me - always makes an appearance ~ I love Christmas music I have it tuned into  the radio in my car... I love hearing it in the market I even sing along as I shop and people like it....they tell me it cheers them up to hear me singing. and they don't even sound sarcastic! ~ Friday fave fives faith and fellowship Friday my town shoot out soulfood friday  

'tis the season for belief Everybody's talking about bagism, madism, dragism,  shagism, ragism, tagism, this ism, that ism ism, ism, ism, All we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance all we are saying is give peace a chance (John Lennon) An InLinkz Link-up

the fun I don't use a lot of silver and gold in my decorating. I must admit that I am not such a fan of things that don't look natural. I was able to find a glittery ribbon to tie around  Malachy the Teddy bear the good It was our cousins weekend!! We try to get together once a year or so and it's always fun during the Christmas season! the random The biggest fundraiser of the year for the PTO on our rather tiny island  is the Christmas tree sale in the park across the street. All day long on Sunday I watched them load trees onto the cars.... I swear every other car was red and it looked so festive to see the families tying green trees to the tops of all those red cars.  I could smell them every time I opened my door! One family even walked the path through the wood with a wagon! The older boy was pulling the wagon with his little brother in it then they loaded a tree into the wagon and al

love is all around At times in my life when there has been sadness I have always been able to look around to see signs in the universe that all will be well soulfood friday  

1). I learned that our children grow up, become adults, suffer serious hurt in ways we cannot protect them from. A few weeks ago my daughter suffered a miscarriage. I went with her to the ultrasound and when the midwife said she was sorry...there was no heartbeat....my poor sweet daughter, who is nothing but goodness, broke into tears and sobbed and sobbed. We just sat there crying. She cried for the loss of her dreams for the tiny life inside of her. I cried for the loss of my daughter's innocence. She is forever changed now. I learned that our children grow up in many ways. 2). I learned that there are people who are a constant roller-coaster of emotions...up and down...around and around. They cause all kinds of havoc and chaos. I don't need to take that ride. 3). I learned that it is possible to pick up and start again no matter where you are. 4). I learned that budgeting money is something I am good at....I wish I had a bit more of it to budget... 5). I

November's full frost moon rising over the Atlantic It was a full moon low tide the beach so long  and the sea so far out  it felt as if we might  step off the edge of the earth and touch the rising moon ~ ~ ~ Undulating water  Under an orange moon rising Up in the sky for Us ABC Wednesday wordless Wednesday Watery songlines  coffee for your heart Wake up Wednesday Women with intention

The Christmas Tree -I love the movie but admit, I haven't yet read the book New England Cookbook Storms and Shipwrecks of New England, which mentions a wreck off the coast  of my hometown, Marblehead, MA and a hiker's cookbook 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 post only one link  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 An InLinkz Link-up

the good boys in the hood the random macro flowers the fun Joey and I went to the Marblehead/Swampscott football game on Thanksgiving morning. I grew up in Marblehead so we routed for the home team. I live in Nahant now though, and Nahant kids go to highschool in Swampscott so we didn't route too loudly. Marblehead won though.....we creamed them 51 to nothing! Happy Thanksgiving The Glover regiment was the Marblehead regiment during the Revolutionary war. There is a reenactment team that walks the Thanksgiving game and shoots their muskets when ever Marblehead scores. There was a lot of shooting going on. there is even a little yellow on the vest of the linesman/official... whatever he's called Mosaic Monday The good, the random, the fun sharing his beauty Monday musings Monday mellow yellow making your home sing I love macro macro monday 2 nature footstep c

HOPE Joey tells me that there are no more monarch butterflies and that what we see are painted lady butterflies which look almost exactly the same since I can't tell the difference I am holding out hope that somewhere in the world there are monarchs flying about the milk weed I hope for a world torn apart I hope for a small babies lost heartbeat I hope for my beautiful daughters I hope for all the children of the world and for all us

visions of sugarplums...  the Christmas trees for the PTO fundraiser   arrived this morning We stood on the window shelf and watched the big truck pull into the lowlands parking lot The PTO parents and neighbors all came out of their houses  to help unload the trees and lean them up on the stand All the residents of our rather tiny island will be  picking out a tree to grace their homes with this season

it is not a little thing to be with the ones you love Here we are as in olden days Happy golden days of yore faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more through the years we all will be together if the fates allow.... ~ At the edges of our celebrations are the memories  of those who are no longer with us. I can see them in the way a young girl's eyes twinkle or the expression on your cousin's face  that looks just like a grandfather... or a special taste to the gravy or apricot squares mince pie with hard sauce watching Christmas Vacation late night when almost everyone has gone home ~~~ Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas is my favorite Christmas song because it acknowledges the heartbreak and sadness that we share sometimes it remembers that we may not always be together but that the most important thing is that we have one another now I am listening to

I am asking if you could please limit yourselves to one link otherwise things get a bit redundant. I will be deleting posts that do not follow along with this thank you 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 wordless Wednesday Watery songlines  An InLinkz Link-up

the good Bonnie and Dan will be moving into their first home together I think they will be happy there the random sometimes there is sadness peaks and valleys the fun Crocker Park ninja's coming soon to a park near you   The good, the random, the fun sharing his beauty Monday musings

there is sadness here these past few days My beautiful daughter miscarried at 9 weeks. We are all brokenhearted.  I just haven't had much to say of late.

Where ever I go I always sing a song of home The sounds of the bells at Abbot Hall ring out on the hour  and settle softly over the grasses and rocky scrambles  at Crocker Park they've done so since long before anyone here can remember Do you wonder if there are places that miss your footfall when you are not there? My feet trod at Crocker like  my heart beats within me I carry it with me like a song Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday

this is a man who  pulled his piano on the back of his bike into Paris so that he could play John Lennon's song  "Imagine" in honor of the victims of the bombing in Paris Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one  I am so thankful for the heroes of this world   An InLinkz Link-up

The good my home town Crocker park the capacity of the human heart The fun Ninja boys....coming soon to a park near you The random The good, the random, the fun   Monday musings

there are times when all we can do is reflect the light even if it is only a candle in the darkness until the morning comes I wake this morning with such a heavy heart    for the people of France and for the world PEACE t ~~~ ~~~~ Let your light so shine before men,  that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 Scripture and a snapshot spiritual Sundays Sundays at home  

in midst of the dune grass along the path to dog beach a juniper tree stands straight up I've a super crush on it  visiting  at least every other day. ~ Spent time with a friend yesterday    ~ The weather's been grey and gloomy dark early and even some wind November weather for snuggling at home ~ We've have had the boys with us  lots of laughter in the house! ~ Here we relax at the beach sunsets and sunrises full of beauty 6 word Friday Friday fave fives Floral Friday fotos   faith and fellowship Friday my town shoot out skywatch friday  

the path through the wood is littered with toadstools perhaps a diminutive couple live in this one Phoebe and Bear when the nights get cooler they sojourn down a very tiny path  to have a bonfire with their neighbors in the early evening twilight. ~ Joey and I didn't happen to see any of that while we walked our path it wasn't quite twilight yet.... but we are quite sure that there are faeries in these toadstools We think that Bear might be a bit of a gnome, at least in shape, because that is a rather gnome shaped door in their toadstool home. I think we have not heard the last of them... we are looking forward to tales of their adventures in the tiny wood. 30 days of thankful -12,  I am thankful for paths through the wood and  little friends to share them with soulfood friday   Share your cup Thursday Little things Thursday

t ~~~ ~~~~ I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.  O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.  ~ The ISV says: I will pay attention to living a life of integrity  when will I attain it? I will live with integrity of heart in my house Which, if we are being honest here, seems a little more likely for me. Behaving myself wisely in a perfect way is formidable  but paying attention to living a life of integrity gives me some room to correct myself when I mess up....and I do mess up.  I do believe that peace begins at home so walking within my house with a perfect heart and living with integrity of heart in my home... this is certainly what to strive for.  ~ I have put electric candles in our windows and I light seasonally scented candles so  that when Joe comes home from work or if we have friends or family over it looks welcoming and inviting in our home.  The

i love the browns and mauve colours of November almost muted now after October's fiery show 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

the good yellow berries in the wood the random  What the Salem water front will look like in a few weeks this picture is from a few years ago. the fun freestyle scrabble  with a vintage milk glass vase full of Chinese Lanterns in the morning sunlight ~ After the boys leave I often see new words that they wrote on the sly while they where here. Last week I noticed the word Poop spelled out using a P from another word....pretty funny if you ask me. 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

boots missed this one.   inspirational I can't remember quite where I was inspired to make this little candleholder/menorah I still have to pick up some wood glue but I like it very much with the colored candles. artificial light negative space outside my window dune grass and bittersweet on the path to the beach across the street scavenger hunt sunday

Dull November brings the blast; Then the leaves are whirling past. -Sarah Coleridge t ~~~ ~~~~  and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful -Colossians 3:15 30 days of thankful 7 of 30 I am thankful for rediscovering this Sarah Coleridge poem Months. When my daughters were little we had a beautifully illustrated  picture book of this poem. It is a joy to read the poem once again. spiritual Sundays Sundays at home Still Saturdays Scripture and a snapshot

late afternoon sunlight graces the dining room I love the time change. I love the late afternoon sunlight it reminds me of the school bus dropping my children off from school.  They would take off their sweaters and tiny blue sneakers I would start dinner while they had a snack the sun would set while we ate at the kitchen table I love the idea of having everyone closing in as the day ends all your loved ones gathered at close of day. Splintered sunlight streaming through the windows and lighting on the pumpkins. ~ SOUL FOOD FRIDAY