I’ve been opening the genealogy files again and stirring memories. Holidays and holydays always stir them as well. I think my first awareness of extended family came at my Grandparents anniversary party. I was one of the youngest of their twelve grandchildren.
Anna was six years older that her beloved August. There is a story that her family wanted her to marry his older brother, but she preferred to wait on August. Such a good choice! They had 60 years together.
Monthly Archives: April 2014
On a sunny day
Before the rain which turned on the greening, and before yesterday’s blast of winter cold and snow, the wild ginger folded out, like heart-felt love letters from God.
Perfect for this time when I think on His perfect Love Letter, Jesus.
Small spring joys
An early spring morning with hyacinth and coffee is such a lovely gift.
The Roses of Lent
“Delectable”, “luscious” are used to describe Lenten Roses in Seeing Flowers by Teri Dunn Chace with photography by Robert Llewellyn. Exquisitely complex comes to me.
Nourished in shade and deep composting tree litter, they are shy blooms rarely lifting their heads to gaze back at you. 
To see their beauty requires determination and the humility to bend low or even kneel in the woodsy damp round them. 
I’m sitting in the coffee shop surrounded by human bloomings and thinking about the passing of time and people and how difficult it can be to see the exquisite beauty of each person. How difficult it can be to lift my own head to look into the eyes of others. In the Book of Malachi, these lovely words are found, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;” 
I think about how hard it can be to lift my face to the Sun of righteousness Who has healing in His wings so that I might then serve others with humility.
The journey is a grand adventure, The reward to see exquisitely complex beauty is before me.
Do you find it easy to find the amazing beauty in others? I know I have often walked by without even noticing.
March into battle
After the Williamsburg and Smithfield delights, we returned to winter white. While I waited for the melt I gave into the lure of catalogs. Not that I planned to garden this year, but the ground is calling me.
Through the light snow loom piles of brush waiting for me and then our best tree guys to get things in order but I thought it might not hurt to look… and a couple of days later, the sun was warming and signs of spring beckoned to me.
And I found that the bambi-ites having wrecked havoc on azaleas, rhododendron and blueberries this winter, now march through the garden just outside the kitchen door and drink the birdbath dry. (My most creative efforts to keep them from the bird feeder failed.) They had eaten tiny shoots of new growth daylilies and tried out the iris leaves. There was quite a mess from stomping about. You may not be able to tell, but this is deer print.
Out came the jug of “go away bambi-ites“; battle has been engaged with the sprayer.
That said, the last days of March were glorious making the yard clean-up rather joyous. My chore list for the house gathered more dust as I worked through the hours picking up sticks, stacking wood, raking debris and enjoying signs of new life. I hope spring has shown up in your neighborhood!
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