Stopping By the Woods

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.



My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.



He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.



John, Carson, and I went for a walk in the snowy woods this morning. I couldn't help but to recall one of my favorite Robert Frost poems. "Stopping By the Woods."
The snow was blowing off of the trees and glistening in the air like glitter. John said that it looked like glitter from angels' wings. I would have to agree with him.

Wild Weather & Beautiful Girls

We have had some pretty wild weather lately. On Wednesday, the wind was ferocious. It felt like a hurricane blowing in; only the air was frigid instead of balmy. Yesterday, although the air was still chilly, the wind had died down and the sun was brilliant. Today, the forecast is calling for snow! Boy, will I be so glad to see this winter say goodbye.

We did get out yesterday afternoon and prune some shrubs. I always prune ever so lightly, then John comes behind me and does the heavy pruning. I just don't have the heart for it. I am always afraid of killing one of my precious plants. He really did a number on the Knock Out roses this year. I hope he knows what he is doing. They were starting to look a little leggy last year. I am sure they were in need of some of his 'tough' love.

John also managed to prune himself. He got in a hurry and cut through his glove and into his hand. This happened five minutes before my first piano student was to arrive, so my two very responsible teenagers took him to the emergency room to get his stitches. I was very proud of how they stepped in and took over when I could not. I am always so proud of my young ladies and who they are growing up to be. They are beautiful on the inside and out! Now, if only my Knock Out roses can be half as beautiful as my girls, life will be perfect!

Hurry up, Spring! We're waiting for you!

Our Little Visitor

This morning when I went out to fill up the bird feeders, I saw our little visitor again. Carson named him Ottie. I say it is a he, but I really don't know his gender. But for the sake of telling the story I will call it a he. He is an otter that showed up in our pond a couple of months ago. Actually, there were two of them at first, but now I only see one. He comes and goes at will. When he is here, he plays and fishes in the pond for several days. Before you know it, he is gone again.

I grabbed my camera (I sure wish I had a better one) and headed down to the pier to sit and try to get some pictures. That little fellow is so elusive, although he is not shy at all. He would swim right up to me and as soon as I started to take the picture, he would dive under the water. I ended up with mostly shots of rippled water. He finally caught a fish and settled on the bank to eat his breakfast. John is worried about the amount of fish he is catching. I figure as long as he only occasionally visits we should be okay. I guess he has to eat, too.

I enjoyed my time on the pier, even if it was 38 degrees. I didn't even realize how cold I was until I started inside. I got a cup of coffee and headed to the sun room to warm up. When I sat down and looked out, I noticed it had started a slow drizzle again. I guess we are in for another rainy, winter day. At least I had my time outside before the rain came, thanks to Ottie and the birds.

Winning and Losing

Last night we had some family and friends over to watch the Super Bowl. I am not a huge football fan, but I do watch the games with John sometimes. I am a fan of the Colts, especially Payton Manning, so of course I was not thrilled with the outcome. However, I managed to be happy for the Saints because of the history of the team. It started me to thinking about winning and losing.

One of my dad's favorite sayings is, 'You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out.' I thought about how true that saying really is. It makes me think about times in my life when I have been on the winning side and times that I have been on the losing side. I am thankful that God allows me to experience both ends of the spectrum. It seems that He so perfectly balances each and every event in my life.

The year 2008 was probably one of the lowest times of my life. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer in March of that year. She underwent treatment for six months until she passed away early that September. That summer was the hardest summer in the life of my family. That was our last summer with her. John spent much of his time caring for his mom and that really left him exhausted and emotionally spent. Catie and Carson were affected by the fact that they were losing their Nana, as well as missing time with their dad. We all felt overwhelmed that entire year, but God carried us through it.

The year 2009, however, was one of the best years in my life. In April of that year, Catie and I took a trip with her school to Greece and Italy. The time spent with her and the memories of that trip will be cherished forever. In September, almost to the day that we lost John's mom, God gave us another huge blessing. Carson, our youngest daughter, had a dream to meet her favorite entertainer, Taylor Swift. A local radio station was having a contest to win a pink jeep with Taylor's picture on it, a chance to meet her, and two front row tickets. Carson listened to the station every day and called in every chance they gave. John finally got through and won a chance for the jeep. The day of the concert, ninety-six people had a chance to win. John actually won it! Our family spent the rest of the day in a whirlwind. We were taken to meet Taylor, shown around back stage by her mom, and the girls were able to see the concert from the front row! Talk about an experience of a lifetime! For an eleven year old girl, that was a dream come true.

All of these events took place in a year's time. Our special night at the concert was exactly a year after our lowest point. I believe that God is always there in each and every circumstance that life sends our way. It doesn't matter if we are on the winning side or the losing side, God is always on our side. I am thankful that He works for my good in every situation. My prayer for my girls is that they will always look for His presence in everything and give thanks to Him.

Favorite Rainy Day Spot

Another rainy day. It seems as though this winter has brought more cold, rainy, dreary days than any that I can remember. Today is another one of those. It is in the upper thirties. Usually, in our area, winter days are mostly mild, but not this year. I feel so blessed to have a room in my house that is sunny no matter what the outside weather. If anyone asked my husband or my girls which room is my favorite they would answer, "The sunroom, without a doubt." Everyone should have a place in their home that is cheerful and happy, a place to reflect and spend time with God. For me this is it. It overlooks my front yard with several bird feeders and our pond. I can sit and watch the birds for hours. We also have an otter that makes occasional visits to the pond to fish. I love to watch him dive and play in the water. I thank God every day for His blessings poured out on me. On this rainy, dreary day, I am especially thankful for my sunny room.

Morning Sunrise

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." Doxology

I woke up this morning to a dreary, rainy day. I really love rain most of the time, however, cold, winter rains can sometimes be depressing. Days like this are perfect for counting my blessings. Without the rains of February, there would be no flowers of spring. I am thankful that God has given me so many blessings in life; my family (I love my family), my friends, and simple pleasures to enjoy.

One of the simple pleasures I enjoy on most days is my Morning Sunrise. I'm quite sure this name has been used before, it probably is not original. A couple of years ago I purchased myself an inexpensive juicer from Walmart, and since then I have been making my own mixed juices every morning. This one is my favorites: I juice one orange, one grapefruit, and add a splash of pomegranate juice. I then strain the pulp simply because I am not fond of it. Yummy! It is like drinking the morning sunrise, hence the name. This can add sunshine to any day.

I think everyone needs to find pleasure in the simple joys of life. On dreary, rainy, winter days those joys can brighten any heart.

Inspiration for my blog

I didn't just happen upon writing a blog by accident. I actually had some inspiration for my endeavor. One of my favorite books ever is actually a diary written by a naturalist and artist, Edith Holden, in 1906. Edith kept a diary of birds, butterflies, bees, and flowers each month of that year. Her words were carefully written by hand and the art work was her own. The book was actually found on the shelves of an English country house seventy years after it was written, long after the death of its author. It was then published and became a favorite book of many, including myself. I am certainly no author or artist, however, I am inspired by nature and the wonderful God that created it all. I want to capture what I see around me in my own everyday life here in my little corner of the world.