a spirit of simplicity

Just before a big storm blew through our area my daughter, Bonnie, and my granddaughter, Abigail, were out in the tomato patch. Her tomato plants are gigantic! Our world Tuesday Pictorial Tuesday image-in-ing Nature notes

t Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!  It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!  It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore! Psalm 133:1-3 There may come a day when Verne and Abigail argue with one another as siblings often do but these days they are the most important people in the world to each other. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  Sunday scripture blessing Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

t Let not your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  John 14:1 My daughter brought my grandchildren to visit while my sister was here for a doctor’s appointment. Though my sister faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles in regard to her health seeing Verne and Abigail brings her so much joy. I have struggled knowing that there is a very real possibility that my sister will not live to see grandchildren of her own. It made me incredibly sad, almost to the point where I felt guilty. I just couldn’t wrap my heart around it. And then I remembered that I didn’t have to. God has her and he has me as well. I cannot say that my heart is not still troubled. But the waters are not so turbulent. I can use my faith to calm the waters of my heart. I am walking with a deeper understanding of faith and of what it truly means to trust in God. We do not know what will happen with my sister in the coming months. We are almost sure there will

We had a little garden party on Monday afternoon. My daughter, Bonnie, came with my grandchildren, Verne and Abigail. My sister was here as well because she had a dr. Appointment in Boston the following day. The garden looked better a few weeks ago. We’ve been having oppressive heat and humidity so the flowers are looking a little ragged. We all had a wonderful time though. I’m glad that my sister got to see the children. My step-son, Jack, has a summer job on the boat that brings the children out to summer camp at Children’s Island. I went to summer camp there when I was a little girl and his father did as well! His job is to secure the boat to the dock when they land to pick or drop off the children. This happens at the town landing which is just at the bottom of our street. He loves the job and tells us that being out on the water is really cool. When my grandchildren were here he texted me to let me know that he would be in town soon so we went down to the landing to see

t Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” ~ If there is a lesson here for me it is to turn to the Lord.  I’ve always been a little mystified by this story. I mean if no one is doing the dishes things are going  to pile up pretty quickly. Maybe Martha is just bitter and doesn’t see or remember all the times that  Mary helped with the work. Or, maybe Mary really is kind of lazy and wants all of the Lord’s  attention. Maybe everything balances out in the end and truth can be a little tricky sometimes.  I’ve been thinking a lot about sisters lately since my own sister is facing another seemingly  insurmountable battle with cancer.  We all play certain roles within our families. Sometimes it can be difficult to break free from those  roles and their expectations...especially if we are comfortable in them or have lear

I will not be commanded I will not be controlled I will not let my future go on  Without the help of my soul.  Gregg Holden He was inspired to write this song, The Lost Boy, when he saw Sudanese refugee children. I was listening to it on my playlist when I stopped to take a rest while walking along the shore line.  It made me think of how fishermen scratch out a living on the sea.  ~ Our world Tuesday Pictorial Tuesday Nature notes Imagine-in-ing

The good My daughter is expecting her third child on January 31!!  My husband said it looked like a baby shark. The random My sister’s cancer has spread to her lung. Our hearts are breaking but we are trying to be brave and positive. Hope is a very powerful thing. The fun I had a little picnic lunch at work the other day. I sat under a giant copper beech tree on the campus and was joined by a tiny ladybug. I must say that I was more impressed with her calisthenics than she was with my sandwich. ~ The good, the random, the fun

t Exodus 2:4-8 His sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it she saw the child, and behold the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew’s children. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.”  ~ About 10 years ago my sister was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery and chemo and radiation. We all went on our happy way for the next 7 years when the cancer came back in her sacrum bone. More radiation, more chemo. And then it came back in her iliac area. More radiation. And then a prolapsed mitral valve and heart surgery. And then an inflammation in her eyes which caused her to los

Happy Fourth of July! It will certainly be a strange Independence Day this year. Here in Marblehead we normally have a town wide Arts festival with exhibits of writing, drawing, sculpting, painting and photography in various places around old-town. We have music in Crocker park overlooking the harbour day and night for the four day celebration and the local churches sell lobster rolls, chowders, apple pies and strawberry shortcakes. The shops all have sidewalk sales and the restaurants are overflowing with folks out for a bite to eat. There’s even a sand castle competition at Devereaux beach. This year all is quiet. For the first time in over 50 years there will be no Festival. I’m sure folks all over the country will be missing their celebrations this weekend. The boatyard still hangs the flag on the crane however. It waves over the harbour and it waves over the pre-revolutionary streets of the little village where I live. The retail stores finally opened up! I boug