Chaos, Construction & Cats

One of these things just doesn't belong.  

The CATS would say it's the first two!  They're not fans of guests in general, but guests with hammers and power tools . . .

Ode to Danny

Who would have thought I'd be singing my cousin Danny's praises!  Certainly not any of my relatives who witnessed the teasing I over-reacted to endured when we were kids.  Even he, when asked if I had named my son, Daniel, after him, said "No, I was too mean to her."

As adults, we get along just fine.  (It's amazing what a little maturity will do.)  Of course, he earns big points for stopping by to visit with Mom and Dad, often with donuts!  But when he showed up the other day and announced that he was putting in the windows, I think I actually squealed for joy!  It almost, ALMOST, makes up for the torture.  (But don't tell HIM that.)

Let the fun begin!

Another Thanksgiving Song . . .

because I enjoyed this one so much I just had to share it.  And because . . .

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving.
God's been so good to me,
Everyday He's blessing me.
Everyday is a day of thanksgiving;
Take the time to glorify the Lord today.

He keeps blessing me, blessing me;
He opens my eyes that I might see,
He's blessing me.
He keeps blessing me, blessing me.
Take the time to glorify the Lord today.

He keeps blessing me, blessing me . . .


Take the time to glorify the Lord, today.

Sunday's Song - Thanksgiving Song

I've often wondered why the tradition of carols for Christmas never really spilled over into any other major holidays.  I would love to hear more Easter songs.  After all, without the Resurrection, Christmas is almost pointless really.

And Thanksgiving songs?  Few and far between.  I did find a few gems, however.  Like this one.

A Review

In the previous post, I shared about our quilt group's field trip to La Conner's Quilt Museum.  Today, I'd like to share my thoughts about the exhibit itself.

Field Trip!

This past Sunday, some members of our quilting group took a little trip up to La Conner, WA, to see the current exhibit called Material Men.  (I'll share more about the exhibit in my next post.)

It was cold and rainy outside, but inside this beautiful Victorian era mansion, we were quite comfortable.  There were three floors of amazing quilts, countless rooms filled with period furnishings, and two very friendly staff members to make us feel welcome.

Afterwards, we headed over to Dawn's.  She lives far enough away from the rest of us that most of us have never been to her place before.  She treated us to a little show-n-tell, a cozy time of fellowship and . . .

dessert!

Sunday's Song

This week's piece is a beautiful arrangement of a Salvation Army hymn.  

1.
Life is a journey; long is the road,
And when the noontide is high
Souls that are weary faint 'neath their load,
Long for the waters, and cry:

Chorus
The well is deep and I require
A draught of the water of life,
But none can quench my soul's desire
For a draught of the water of life;
Till one draws near who the cry will heed,
Helper of men in their time of need,
And I, believing, find indeed
That Christ is the water of life.

2.
Life is a seeking, life is a quest,
Eager and longing desire;
Unto the true things, unto the best,
Godward our spirits aspire.

3.
Life is a finding; vain wand'rings cease
When from the Saviour we claim
All we have longed for, solace and peace,
And we have life in his name.


On a technical note, I would love some feedback on how this Spotify play button works for you.  Especially if you don't already use Spotify.  I hope you'll leave me a comment.

Autumn Stroll

Join me on a little nature walk.  Yes, I know, we did this just a little while back.  But it keeps changing outside!  Most of the bright reds are gone but the big maples have turned golden yellow and are putting on a grand display.

Here's our contribution to the neighborhood show.









Looking the other direction from this, there used to be a clump of huge cottonwoods which was also impressive.  However, they had a habit of dropping limbs.  So now we have stumps and . . .

fungus . . .amongus!  (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

Okay, let's meander back towards the maple.

What's this?  I thought we already had the Last Rose of Summer. With the mild fall we've had they just keep going.

Hanging out with the rose is an assortment of lichen.  I think this one looks like Einstein's hair.

Are you lichen this?  (I know, there's no end to my wittiness.  I'm sure you're thinking there's no beginning either.)

Oh, look at this little guy.  Only about an inch tall.  Cute.

Oh my, I think I took too many pictures!  How do I make this manageable?  Maybe categories will help.

Usually, it's the colors that catch my eye first.  

If I look a little longer, it's the textures.

Sometimes, it's the light - directly, or indirectly.

Or what the light reveals.  When I took this I could only see the one big strand.

And then there's the broad subject of perspective.

Near.  It's amazing what you see when you get up close and personal.  This moss is growing on the roof of the shed.

Far.  The tree next door is perfectly placed for our viewing pleasure from the kitchen.

But it called for some more "near."  (With permission, of course.)

And, one of my favorite perspectives - up.

I hope you enjoyed the stroll.  I'm sure we'll do it again sometime.

Sunday's Song

I've decided to start a Sunday tradition here.

Actually, music on a Sunday morning isn't anything new for me.  In our house growing up, music is what we heard every Sunday morning.  Mom would wake us with the sounds of sacred music.  Usually it was choral. Often it was The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I tried to carry on that tradition in my own home, albeit with less consistency.

For this first installment of Sunday's Song, I'm sharing a video - not for the video, but for the audio.  (And not for the stuff at the beginning!  Click at the 56 second mark to get to the song.)

I came across this video last year when I was looking for a recording of the song we were doing at church.  I can't remember why I kept watching past their silly introductions but I'm glad I did.  I was amazed when they started singing!
But aside from how much I enjoyed listening to their beautiful harmonies, I share this with you on this Sunday morning (and I know it could very well be a Thursday afternoon as you read this) in hopes that you will take a moment to *Sing to God with gratitude in your heart.

Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills

Knowing my help is coming from You.

Your piece You give me in time of the storm.

You are the source of my strength.

You are the strength of my life.

I lift my hands in total praise to You.

*Colossians 3:16

The word of Christ must live in you richly.  Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Daniel's Quilt

Meet my son.
Whether he's just hanging out at home . . .

collaborating with family or friends . . .

leading worship at church . . .

or on stage with the band . . .

Daniel's world is filled with guitars and music.

Sometimes, as in this photo op with his best friends, it's not about the music . . .

And sometimes, an actual guitar is optional.

So, when I saw this quilt by Robbi Joy Eklow, I knew I had to make one for Daniel.