a spirit of simplicity

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Huckleberry "Tucker" Finn He likes to take a little cat nap under the Christmas tree. He looks quite cozy under there and if I was small enough I might just join him.  ~ ~ ~ Little things Thursday Thankful Thursday

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Real or artificial Christmas tree? I think there are arguments for both. I purchased an artificial one 7 or 8 years ago.  I live in a small apartment and needed a tall, skinny tree.  I could never find one in the Christmas tree lot. Here are the things I miss about not having a real tree: * Shopping for the tree. I love Christmas tree lots. A friend I grew up with sells trees every year  and I miss being a part of that community...supporting a local cause, running into people you know,  seeing the joy on children's faces, even the cold fingers and toes, even lugging it off the car  and into the house.  Here are the things I don't miss about having a real tree: The expense...it costs about $75.00 every year!  The search for a tree that isn't very full. I like a skinny tree that has space between branches. The clean up. I am not clear on which type is better for the environment...or the overall good. Real trees must put a stress on the land but they also suppor

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The weather...It got quite cold after Thanksgiving.  We are at just about freezing temps in the mornings now but it gets warmer as the sun comes up. Right now I am sipping coffee and thinking about what a lovely and very busy weekend I've had.  I have just started The Stationary Shop. My cousin picked it out for our cousin's book club. My three grandchildren spent Friday night at my house and we watched a few Christmas specials. It was fun to see these through the eyes of a child again. They love Frosty the Snowman! Something fun to share... I purchased a beautiful rolling pin that is embossed with dragonflies. It inspired me to make an apple pie over the weekend. My grandchildren were visiting so Abigail (4) and Natalie (2)  dragged their stools over to the  counter and helped. We all had a little snack of apple slices in cinnamon sugar and then I rolled out the pie crust with the fancy rolling pin. You can barely make out the dragonflies after it baked.  I'

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My new to me bowl which I am sorta in love with. I plan on calling it the stuffing bowl because it is perfect for making stuffing in. Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. ~ I did a little bit of Christmas decorating on the hutch. I like using red and green books...I have so many books. ~ I drove about 3 hours to my sister's house on Wednesday. Her husband went to visit his family and mine had to work so we decided to spend the day together. It was lovely. Her oldest friend, who grew up next door to us also came and her daughter as well. It was just the four of us girls....so relaxing. Her silly dog checks out the TV every time there is another dog on. We were watching a dog show until it got so silly we had to turn the channel.  ~ I found this carrot while I was preparing Thanksgiving dinner. My niece said it looked like a peace sign. ~ ~ ~ Friday fave fives

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The frost settled just around the edges of the fallen leaves. It looked so pretty.  ~ ~ ~ communal Global Wordless Wednesday Nature notes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ the dressing bowl Is it dressing or stuffing where you live? We've always put it into the bird and called it stuffing. In her later years my mother would put some extra in tinfoil and place it in the oven as well. I think when it's not in the bird it's called dressing.  Or...maybe it's just a regional thing...or a family thing. This bowl, which I picked up on the side of the road a few weeks back, will forever be known as the stuffing bowl. I had a friend whose mother made a potato stuffing that was delicious.  I only met her one time but my friend made it with me a few times. I think I remember enough to attempt to make it this year. I have been eating plant-based for about a year now...with an occasional bit of cheese or fish... so I will cook my stuffing in a casserole dish. t  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10 The weather.....It has been cooler this weekend and I have to say I am enjoying temper

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness,  goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I took the toddlers in my class for a walk about campus on Monday and we came back to our classroom with some squash and pumpkins from the school garden. I cut them up and the children scooped out the seeds and stringy stuff. We have one child who is extremely sensory oriented and she loved it! We then roasted them in the kitchen with some leftover pears and oranges, cinnamon and a bit of sea salt. The whole building smelled delicious! Most of the children only had one bit but there were two that asked for seconds.  Either way, a fun time was had by all. ~ I stopped on my way to work to sit on the seawall of the beach I pass by. So beautiful. I said a few prayers and devotions for the day and then I continued to work. ~ Frost on the fallen leaves. Winter and I have come to an understanding. My mum hated winter and would say she didn't like Autumn because she knew what was coming. She was unhappy about the weather for 6 months of the year. That's half a lifetime u

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  This is one of the two the bald eagle's nests at Camp Verne. It is just so amazing to watch them flying above us and landing in one of the tall trees. Though I was able to see one up in the very high branches of a pine  I wasn't able to capture a picture because all of the branches. My son-in-law's grandfather bought this land and built a small, rustic cabin. There is no running water or electricity. There is an outhouse and lanterns.  In return for not "improving" the land or cabin you are gifted with a quiet peacefulness. Every time I visit this place I can feel the land's beautiful energy.  ~ ~ ~ Nature Notes Communal global Wordless Wednesday

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world  - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life -  is not from the Father but is from the world.  1 John 2:15-16 I think of this one often at this time of year.  In our house we don't do "black Friday" Instead we do Green Friday.  We walk the woods and we decorate the house with Christmas. ~ ~ ~ scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  t And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the spirit, "They will rest from their labours, for the deeds follows them." Revelation 14:13 ~ Quite a while back my cousin messaged me to ask if I would like my dear grandmother's desk. I said yes but she had a time requirement which I was not able to make.  Last weekend my brother called and asked if I still wanted it. He had picked it up and would bring it by my house. It is old and I don't mean antique old...just old and sort of beat-up. I cleaned it up and did some minor repairs to the hinges. Placed a picture of my beloved grandmother on the top of it.  She was born in 1898! She lived to be 98 years old! I still miss her and think of her often.  ~ My grandchildren at Camp Verne during my daughter and son-in-law's  Friendsgiving. Everyone brought something good to eat. It was a perfect day. ~

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I am forever thankful for my mum and even more so that she raised me to to honor all people regardless of what their religious beliefs are. We are Irish Catholic and that is something my mum was very proud of. However, she understood (and passed on that understanding) that all people should be safe in their religious beliefs.  No one should have to worry that their families, their children, might be kidnapped, tortured, or murdered because of what they believe or where they live.  We are one people and what we do to the smallest person, we do to ourselves. Lord almighty, I pray for peace for all of our brothers and sisters.  ~ ~ ~ little things Thursday Thankful Thursday

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The one with friends-giving Every year at the beginning of November my daughter and her husband host a friendsgiving. They have a large group of friends that come to their family camp bearing all kinds of food! Some bring the same thing every year and have become infamous for it.  We all line up for Skippy's soup or Johnny's apple pie. The thing about camp is that it's still very rustic. There is no electricity or running water so you bring things pre-cooked  or you bring a way to cook it on the large rectangular fire pit. We were lucky enough to have the absolute perfect weather this year. We even got to see a couple of eagles flying above and I got a picture of the giant eagle nest. I got a picture of one of the bald eagles in a tree as well but with all the branches  in the way it was too hard to pick out the eagle in the picture.  Verne even built himself a fort...with a little help from Uncle Nate. ~ ~ ~ nature notes Communal global wordless Wednesday my

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The weather has finally caught up with the season. It was uncommonly hot but it is cooler now. I like my weather to match the time of year. I live in New England and I expect the Autumn to be cool if not downright cold.   Right now I am Thinking On my reading pile I've been watching Restoration Road on Magnolia TV.   Favorite blog post last week (mine or other). Something fun to share Blog hopping (newly discovered blog) Overflowing with Thankfulness On the menu for this week On my to do list I have some things to donate to the charity shop. Looking forward to this week Because Saturday is Veteran's day I have Friday off! Looking around the house My brother was kind enough to pick up my grandmother's desk at my cousins house  and drop it off on Sunday.  From the camera On my prayer list My family and those who have been effected by the terrible violence in  Lewiston, Maine. Bible verse, Devotional Thou shalt not kill. ~ ~ ~ Busy Monday Inspire me Monday Happy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I am joining the fun over at  Overflowing with thankfulness   Here are her currently prompts for November Loving: I am loving Autumn! I turned 60 this year and I have noticed a few changes. One of which is that I am  beginning to feel a shift in my favourite holidays or times of year. I've always loved Christmas time but  this year I am feeling nostalgic about Thanksgiving.   Buying: Preparing: My mum passed away in 2021 so the past few Thanksgivings have been sort of a struggle. We had always gathered at her house so I had/have to create new traditions.  The first year my husband and I went to Maine with his sons to visit his sister and mother. Last year we went to my daughter's house. It was wonderful to be with my grandchildren. I have a few options this year. No matter what we do or where we go there will always some sorrow at her absence. We will all feel it. Planning: I have made tentative plans to spend Thanksgiving with my sister in Connecticut. Her husban

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t Thou shalt not kill Exodus 20:13 I can't seem to get the events between Hamas and Israel out of my mind or heart. The fifth commandment says thou shalt not kill.  Those four little words pack quite a punch. It doesn't matter which side you are on, what your belief system is, or where your politics fall. You may not kill.  ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I took the Christmas things out of the closet so that I could get to the Thanksgiving decorations. Rather than pack them all back into the closet I put some of the Christmas things   on the bed in the guest room. Tucker took a little bit of a cat-nap amongst them.  ~ Saturday night I woke up to moon light from the beautiful full moon shining down through my window. It was so pretty that I stepped outside to take a picture then went right back to sleep.  ~ I had this felted leaf tree that I picked up at Target a few years ago  and I turned it into a Thanksgiving tree. I put some micro-lights on it and a few  decorations that have stories about some of my loved ones.  ~ One of my favourite poems January brings the snow Makes our feet and fingers glow February brings the rain thaws the frozen lake again March brings breezes loud and shrill stirs the dancing daffodil April brings the primrose sweet scatters daisies at our feet May brings flocks of pretty lambs skipping by t

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  Beautiful moon beams woke me on Saturday night.  My bed was bathed in the light of the full moon.  I got up to take a picture and then I went right back to sleep.  ~ ~ ~ Little things Thursday Thankful Thursday Thursday favorite things

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Our Autumn colours in New England are not as vibrant as they normally are. The people who figure that stuff out tell us it is because of all the rain we had during the summer. I suppose we reap what we sow and all that.  They tell us we won't have as many reds this year and from what I have seen thus far they are correct...not so much red but lots of beautiful yellow. It does make what red we are seeing really stand out. ~ ~ ~ Nature notes Communal global my corner of the world wordless Wednesday Wednesdays around the world

The weather.....It is cooler today after unseasonably hot temperatures last week.  Right now I am....Sipping coffee. The cooler temperatures had me searching for slippers this morning.  Thinking....I need to stop at the market to pick up more coffee. I won't have any for tomorrow morning and that is never any fun. On my reading pile....I just read a book called The Winter Garden which I chose out of one of those little libraries in people's yards. It was very good...but very sad.  On my TV.....I really enjoy Restoration Road with Clint Harp. Something fun to share.... On the menu for this week....I have some winter squash I want to roast, homemade pizza, I am going to my daughter's Friendsgiving this weekend and I plan on making a harvest roast to bring along with some pumpkin pie. On my to do list....Cooking for this weekend and putting the air conditioner away. I've been procrastinating about that. Looking forward to this week....the end of the Halloween madness in Sa