It's Fence Friday on Flickr. And yes, there is a fence there. Taken walking along the pasture path with Aidan. Chilly day, it was! You can see the chimney smoke on lower right.
keep peace in your soul
I have loved this poem since I was a child and it hung in my grandparents' home. I would like it better with "whatever you conceive him to be" edited, for that nearly implies that God is a human construct, or at least relative to man's perception. He is not.
Without that phrase, however, it clearly conveys my modus operandi. The goal, anyway. There is a great deal of user error in the playing out of it.
desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann c.1920
Eating Out(side)
Normally we travel cheap. They way this shakes down typically is that we pick a destination within a few hours of home, surf online and print out the history of the sites we will see, and pack lunches. We make a day of it and see all we can in that time. The reward for long car rides and trekking up and down cobblestones and in and out of churches is a treat from an outdoor vendor or bakery late the day.
Eating out lately….
Coffee
Some kind of deadly deep fried cake fries from the "sucre" stand in Luxembourg.
Grillwurst, also known as why they prefer to travel on any day besides Fridays.
You would not believe all the things you can adhere to a pretzel – nuts, frosting, sprinkles, cheese, meat pieces…..
Ahhhh the beloved Berliner which our German teacher pronounces "Bay-LEEN-uh" Brendan just calls it good.
If you have a whole bunch of boys you may know why I have to snap these signs wherever we go. I think I have mentioned before how easily amused this bunch is. <g>
Pardon our potty talk.
Daybook
FOR TODAY
Outside my window… It has been gray and misty most days. The rain has come down in a fine spray which wafts across the valley rather horizontally. Today outside I saw a…..
any ideas? Never have seen one of these out back.
I am thinking… about the difference between unconditional love and unconditional approval. Specifically, thinking how difficult it is not to let one compromise the other. Either way.
I am thankful… for mild weather during our recent travels, for some long teary talks, for finishing the last of my follow up bloodwork, for letters from old friends, for happy children.
In the kitchen… Coconut Cake for Brendan's birthday. It was much like a Tres Leches cake. Otherwise, I need to draft some menus for the new year aptly dubbed The Year of the Vegetable after hearing my husband tell the kids on New Year's Eve, "Let's get something good for tomorrow, then on Monday we all start to eat like Mom." ; )
He is 7 today btw : ) The beardless one, that is.
I am wearing… boot cut jeans, a slouchy sweater in blue's, silver earrings, clogs. I am longing to return to more skirts however and have been working on leg and footwear. Found some promising 'thermal-strumpf-hosen' (tights) today which really do look warm.
I am creating… new themes for a new year at the Snapshots Around the World blog. Asher and Colin are on board as guest bloggers from Korea and Colorado. This has been such a cool project. Come join us! I-phonography welcome!
I am going… back to the dance class routine this week. A couple big trips in the works for spring.
I am reading… The Coming of the Monster, the last of the Francis Owen Dudley novels I began last year. Will share more tomorrow.
I am hoping… Colin has a safe trip back across the ocean as Zach did, and that the little ones slip back into their routine easily. They have had a fabulously fun few weeks but are a bit overstimulated. We all needed this time together though.
I am learning… about flash photography. (not as quickly and easily as I would like)
Around the house… beds have been changed, towels all washed again. The tree and decorations are still up but a walk with Moira after dark tonight revealed that all the neighbors' houses look the same. Reminded myself that the Christmas season rightly begins on Christmas Eve, not ends. Still, it will be a good week before the house recovers from several weeks of surface cleaning.
A favorite quote for today… found on Jen's blog.
One of my favorite things… family game nights. There is an animated game of Apples to Apples going on next to me right now. There's been a lot of late night game playing around here. It is late here now. But I can't bring myself to break it up knowing Colin flies out tomorrow. I can't bring myself to go to bed either. Just hanging on for a few more moments. My table lately…
4711
I don't know why I never put two and two together, but the city of Cologne and the perfume didn't connect for me until our recent visit. As it turns out Eau de Cologne is not in fact French, but German. The formula was originally given as a wedding gift from a Carthusian monk to a young businessman. He set up shop in Cologne and used the building number "4711" to name the scent.
This story had come to light before we visited Cologne. While wandering the city I was thrilled to stumble upon the store which still bottles the original scent. We had to stop and check it out. I travel better with Fun Facts at the ready. ; )
Feast of the Holy Family
(Cologne Cathedral window)
"In Nazareth, home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family.
Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen."
(Trier Cathedral bas relief)
Say Cheese
We were able to squeeze in a few snapshots of the kids all together – or almost all together – during the little window of sunshine we saw this week. An increasingly rare treat. (both the sunshine and the getting of them all together ; ))
Hard to imagine I have children with beards and children who need me to brush their teeth. There are two decades between Abbie Rose and Zach (and Colin).
We have had to wait a very long time for this picture, Zach and I.
And the peanut girl at the end here. : )
One more day of most of my babies in the house and then we are all off to different corners of the world once again. The past couple weeks have been exhilarating and exhausting. Wouldn't trade either for the world. The one thing that would have made the holidays complete would have been Asher. But I am grateful for every minute I have with each of them. Every one of them a gift. Every one of them different. Not a repeat in the group <g>
Three Kings
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, when we celebrate the Magi who brought gifts to the Christ Child. When I was little the thing I remembered most about the Magi was that they came from "Orien-tar". <g> In our home, the day is usually commemorated with the same song, crown cake, and stories. Since living in Germany, we now have more stories to share.
In the Cathedral of Cologne (Köln) there is a magnificent gold reliquary which holds the bones of the Three Kings, which were brought originally to Constantinople and then in 344 to Milan, and finally in the12th century sent to Cologne. The reliquary was constructed by the famed goldsmith, Nicholas of Verdun, in 1180 and is considered the largest reliquary in the world.
The history of the cathedral is intertwined with the relics. It was due in part to the steady stream of pilgrims over the years that the cathedral was enlarged to it's current size.
Our other Magi fun fact this week was discovered on a trip to Trier, a city whose history also dates back to Constantine. Near the Haupt Markt you can see the Dreikönigen Haus, the house of the Three Kings, so named for it's "Moorish" design.
The house has a door on the second level which served as an entrance – by way of ladder which could be pulled up for security reasons if needed. Today the lower level houses a coffee shop.
The Doors of St. Michel
(Luxembourg, in bits and pieces.)
Luxembourg Rowhouses
I love LOVE love Luxembourg.
And have loved painting on pictures again.
Starry Sky Journal 