God Hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways
All our lives through.
God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.
Things seen from the car window…
“See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security.”
Ray Bradbury, Farenheit 451
Since I don't quite fit into the available memes and am notoriously erratic posting these things, we bring you books and bites this week. Maybe we shall do this again. Maybe I will flake out and not. Disclaimer – either scenario is entirely possible.
A stretch for this culinarily-challenged chick the gyro meatballs and sauce from the Against All Grain cookbook which I heart. (The recipe is here in burger form. Same same though) It's been a very long time since I have had lamb but this was a surprising hit here. I have no pic of the zoodles on my plate which is ok because the spiralizer is not here yet so my zoodles are less than photogenic. But yum nonetheless.
In reading news I am working through the boys' book report boys with gusto so we can discuss as they go. This month it is The Singing Tree for Kieran and Lilies of the Field for Aidan. The Singing Tree is the second "children's" book I have read in recent months and ended up laughing and crying my way through. This one however hits rather close to home having a son in the military in an unstable world. Sometimes it seems we have not progressed all that much from 1914 to 2014. Anyway, a very good read.
Lilies of the Field is on deck tomorrow. I admit my only reference is Sidney Poitier. We shall fix that. Upside of waiting this long to read it is that I have recently lived in Germany. Aidan can read the dialect lines quite well. ; )
Just a handful of shots with this little man on the farm tonight. Am backlogged and should be sharing those images piling up but humor me. It's a late September sunset with a boy who is so very nearing the end of little boyhood and moving into middle boyhood. So that's where I am tonight, trying to freeze these moments of my last "little" boy.
“Time is a game played beautifully by children.” Heraclitus
It is not always played so artfully by big people. This past week didn't always feel beautifully timed. Volunteering for a soccer practice run went a long way towards correcting that. It meant an hour with absolutely nothing else to do but becoming utterly drawn into their play. It's awesome. You leave windblown and and breathless and sane and laughing.
Time spent laughing is time well spent.
There was a question this week about how our school days normally run. I have been working on a summing up, but haven't found a minute to write it. Things like this complicate…
The first of our two away game athletes just left for the weekend. When you live in Europe, an "away" game involves a passport, a ferry crossing, a 15 hr bus ride, and three forms of currency. We gathered all that plus snacks, clothes, uniforms, and stuff to do en route. However, our sleeping bags (circa 2000ish and yellow and turquoise : )) were deemed too girly/embarassing/uncool in some way and a small person (by all accounts it was "not Me" who was responsible) managed to change the combination for the brand new duffle bag lock. It's ok though. Every time we do this, it will get easier.
It reminded me of a song I listened to the other night:
And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall
…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!
Our days are a lot like this. Mostly going the way we hope they will. Sometimes not. We just put on our game face and give it our best shot. (insert fumble analogy here) Then we do it again the next day. And the next day. And the next day.
It's all good. : )
St. John's church sits nestled among high coastal meadows by the sea. The weather was rather bleak the whole ride there. The rain let up just as we arrived. My husband went to scope out the trail to decide if it was an ok idea yet. While he did that I was was able to check out the church and cafe a bit. And convince a boy he could ask the cafe people directions to the restroom. It's the little victories in life. ; )
I have been wanting to share this breathtaking bit of Cornish coast, but day after day gets swallowed up in sports and grading quizzes and sounding out phonics and practicing cursive capitals and walking my daily miles – which is all pretty cool as well. And I pictures of all that too. : ) It finally came together tonight though and it was so much fun to sit and sigh over these again.
Sandymouth, you stole my heart.
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
From one morning this week. We improvised games from this book and another favorite. Goes like this….
How many animals are in the pen?
Are there more inside or out in the pasture?
If the farmer has 3 animals and he brings in 3 more how many will he have?
If he sells 4 how many will be left?
The farmer wants 5 more (2 less, none, more, etc) in the pen.
He has three pens with 2 animals in each.
These 8 animals need to split into two pens.
Do you have to add/subtract/multiply/divide?
Can you write a number story for that?
and on and on and on and on : )
Painless review and practice of the four operations and I almost made peace with the Littlest Pet Store critters.
Almost.
Starry Sky Journal 