sepia memories

Only one more week or so of summer.

I live on a rather tiny sort-of an island.

We are just one square mile here on the north shore of Boston.

We are connected to the mainland by a causeway that is one and a half miles long

but that may as well be a thousand miles long come winter.

In summer people go to long Beach at the end of the causeway

but come Labor day they are all gone and our rather tiny sort-of an island

is ours once again.

Our house is perched at the beginning of the island 

just in the center of a three pronged fork.

We are surrounded by two beaches, the old coast guard station,

Memorial Park, a gravel parking lot, and the softball field.

In summer we watch both the men's and women's softball games 

from the windows in the kitchen while we eat our dinner.

At Christmas tide we watch the PTO's Christmas tree sale 

in the gravel parking lot and we buy our tree from there

and walk it up the street toward home.

We we hear the Memorial day parade end in Memorial park

and listen as the speakers say the prayers for our loved ones

and Veterans who have left us.

I love this time of year.  

The darkness settles earlier and it is cool enough for cooking again

and gathering around the kitchen table. 

Church starts up in earnest again.

And I find a rhythm in the days and weeks of Autumn. 

I give my house a thorough cleaning

and set the summer things away for next year.

In their place are family photos and dried hydrangeas

which I picked from the bush in the front yard.

Monday: leftovers 

Tuesday: Swedish meatballs, egg noodles, green beans

Wednesday: Puy lentils with bacon, roast cauliflower

Thursday: Roast chicken, herbs and potatoes

Friday: crockpot turkey legs

Saturday: beef stew

Sunday: spaghetti and sausage sauce, salad

Seeking Sabbath

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t

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,

But through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:13-15

I am heartily tired of hearing about politics though I don't think I've heard the last of them.

It has become the norm to tear one another apart and call people

vile and foul names in the name of politics.

But, the Lord tells us that if we bite and devour one another 

watch out that we are not consumed by one another.

He also tells us to cast the beam out of our own eye first...

So before we start looking at those who are biting and devouring

it may be that we need to look to ourselves.

I have made the decision to abstain from any political conversation.

I don't believe that politics is a lasting solution or a permanent problem.

Only the word of the Lord stands forever.

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An InLinkz Link-up

family Friday

I have been creating a diversity tapestry with my class.

I have a big bag full of fabric that represents different colours of people.

The toddlers each take turns choosing a fabric strip

and I help them weave it into our tapestry. 

When it's done we will hang it in our class room

or perhaps in a more public area in our center.

~

I am feeling much better this week and I am very thankful for all

of my friends who sent me prayers and well wishes.

~

My husband went to his post-op appointment yesterday.

The doctor said he still has C type hyperplasia and will have to be in contact

with an endocrinologist but that it doesn't seem to be a problem right now.

All in all it was a good report and Joe had his stitches removed

and was cleared to go back to work.

~

Sunflower season!

I am stopping by the sunflower farm near my daughter's house this weekend.

Normally, both of my daughters and I meet there at this time of year

but this year we can't make it.

So, I am just going to drop into the farm stand .

I'm hoping for a big flower head with seeds that I can bring into my class.

~

An InLinkz Link-up

diversity tapestry

Diversity Tapestry

Woven together are strands of colour

perhaps the blue of a river you once kayaked

or  the grey of a craggy mountain near where you grew up

maybe the silvery twinkle of a thousand city lights

maybe a black of the darkest night

the brown of an acorn dropped from an oak tree you once walked past

with your family

or the green of a forest canopy

maybe light pink like the inside of a moon-snail shell

you found on the beach

the white of a snowy day

the blue of your daughter's first bathing suit

the red of your son's old shoes

the rich chocolate of your grandmother's eyes

or maybe the colour of your skin

all beautiful and colourful and dancing in the light

like a hundred, hundred million colours

of who we are...

celebrate the diversity of us
~
I am thankful that I work in a place where diversity is celebrated

Please feel free to add your link and let us know what you are thankful for.

An InLinkz Link-up

she looketh well to the ways of her household

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soup bubbles on the stove

and the kettle's on for tea

Summer is winding down - school has started

The beaches are quiet....

I no longer hear the squeals of children as they play in the surf

but instead, the sound of the tides rolling the on rocks 

in and out...ebb and flow.

The boys down the road meet up in the park across the street

and play a game of football in the early afternoon

just before the sun sets

 I love the rhythm of  Autumn.

All of us beginning to gather in close at end of day

A thousand sunset colours dancing off the walls in the parlor.

This morning I put on a sweater and wrapped a blanket about me

as I sat on the pouch drinking my tea. 

One hundred acorns gathered while walking 

and bittersweet berries along the dunes.

They are still all close in tight and yellow

against the deep burgundy of the sumac bushes

Monday: Chili

Tuesday: Meatloaf, new red potatoes, green beans

Wednesday: Turkey tacos

Thursday: Crock pot chicken Marsala

Friday: Turkey/sweet potato poppers, zucchini fries

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Beef Stroganoff, egg noodles, broccoli

oatmeal cake with chocolate icing

morning glory muffins

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Sabbath

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t

If we love one another, God remains in us,

and his love is brought to perfection in us.

1 John 4:12

~ ~ ~

Imagine God's love being brought to perfection...

in me? Or in you?

I had to double check what part of speech "if" is.

It is a conjunction...forming two sentences, or parts, into one.

If  we love one another God remains in us. 

And, who wouldn't want God's love to remain in them

and be brought to perfection?

That's sort of a given....

so all we have to do is love one another.

How hard can that be, right?

So you (and I) spend a lifetime learning, reading, worshiping, 

awakening ourselves spiritually, gaining self-discipline and self-control,

sacrificing with a merry heart, serving with joy, 

coming to terms with accepting and receiving, being humble,

learning to love one another...

and starting over again when we mess it all up,

which we will because we will never be perfect.

But, here's the thing...

God is perfect.

And if we love one another his love is brought to perfection in us. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Go outside and play

After my daughter's wedding ceremony a few weeks ago

they had a friend with a drone fly over to get some aerial shots.

There is also a bald Eagle's nest in the trees above my son-in-law's

family camp where the wedding was held.

I am not sure which my mum was looking at in this picture.

She looks pretty good for soon to be 84 years old!

I hope I get her aging genes. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Family Friday

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t

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go for to you I entrust my life.

Psalm 143:8

My daughter got married on 25 August!

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding.

~

I caught a wicked viral flu and was very sick on the day of the wedding.

I just barely made it to the ceremony

but had to leave for home before the party started.

The next day I was in the E.R. getting pumped with fluids and other meds.

Not going to dwell on how unhappy I was to have missed the wedding celebration.

~

I received an award at work!

I was pretty happy and proud of myself as I don't normally get those kinds of things.

~

My husband had to have a second thyroid surgery on 31 August.

He had half of it removed in June and they found cancer

so they had to take the other half out.

The doctor said everything looks good but I won't be happy

till we get the pathology report back.

~

I have a new co-teacher at work and I really like her.

I think we are going to do great together!

~

An InLinkz Link-up

4 September

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My daughter married the love of her life a few weeks ago!

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menu plan Monday

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t

Better a small serving of vegetables with love

than a fattened calf with hatred

Proverbs 15:17

Monday

Tuesday

summer corn and zucchini chowder

Wednesday

Balsamic chicken thighs-basmati rice-zucchini

Thursday

Turkey crack

Friday

Maple glazed chicken with sweet potatoes

Paleo morning glory quick bread

Selah

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t

Let not your hearts be troubled

neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

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An InLinkz Link-up