Sunshine Returning

Before I forget, I've been meaning to share some little bookmarks I painted recently. They are just silly little things, but I enjoy making them very much. They're fun. Each one has a Brown Betty tea pot, a British tradition, I believe. Pom Pom got me interested in Brown Bettys.

I painted the one on the left first, then the other two.

I painted these two last. I enjoy the variety, the bright colors, the text. The whimsy?

We've had warmer days, sunshine, and outdoor walks lately in Oriental. This seagull sat comfortably on his piling in the river.

He's warming up.

Magical sunshine on water ~

Late-afternoon brilliance -- it's like a star! Well ... it is a star :)

However, it's still February, and the marina is vacant. The cruisers are south of us, in the Bahamas or Florida. Soon they'll come sailing back north for the season. But for now, the harbor is full of water and not much else.

Thought I'd share this house with you, an old one in the village just a block from the water. I've never seen anyone stay in it. The third story is lovely, isn't it? And the triple windows and cedar siding?

Does anybody have a few hundred thousand to make her a beauty again?
She's historical too.

I sneaked this photo of a colored bottle tree in a yard. This one, I think, is nicer than a plain blue-bottle tree, which is so dark. These bottles are lighter, sunnier. Beach colors.

That's it for today. Adam and I plan to go see how the bees are faring, after the cold winter. I'm wondering if they're still alive. I'll let you know.
Update: The bees are doing fine. Two healthy hives. Soon Adam plans to bring them here to our yard where he can sit and enjoy watching them.

Remembering ...

... the encouragement of a friend.

On Sunday, Adam pulled out a large pile of Bibles from his office for Sunday school, Bibles in various languages and translations. Julia opened a copy of the Greek Septuagint, and there we found a little envelope with a note inside.

My mother wrote the note to Adam on Nov. 1, 2002, a rather bleak time in our lives. With permission from them both, I share her words here:

Dear Adam,
This note is not so much for you as for me -- to express to you how much I love you and how much you mean to me and so many others. If you cannot read this -- Mary Kathryn can! (My mother's unreadable  flowery cursive is a running joke in the family.)

It grieves me so that you must endure this trial -- and for so long. I can be more objective when I hear of the terrible trials of other Christians. I want God to provide the solution for yours NOW. Then I'm reminded of David who suffered so long, so unfairly, the awful trials he endured.

We do cling to the assurance that God has His purpose and it is for good.

I'm preparing the WIC Circle lesson and it is no mere coincidence that I read I Peter 1:6-7. "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested geniuneness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

We do rejoice that we know God's purpose is not to destroy you -- rather glorify Him. The anchor holds -- and we trust.

With love,
Guess who!

Such a note is very loving from a mother-in-law. She is extremely fond of Adam. Her earnest desire to remind us ~ and herself! ~ of God's care and promises in the middle of terrible trial is a testimony to her faith.

And she was right, of course. As the winter of 2002/2003 approached, my life seemed to spiral (again) into a deep darkness. Adam was ill, very ill, and unable to perform his duties at his church job. Later we found that his condition was a common one, a manageable one, a treatable one. He has tinnitus. But like all illnesses, one must get a correct diagnosis before any useful help comes. And until his diagnosis arrived in September of 2003, the outlook for Adam and me was very bleak indeed.

Some of you are in the middle of a long trial. I hope you have precious family and friends who will lift you up. If your trial ends in death, you have the great hope of heaven. If your trial lasts for many years, it will, as Mother reminded us, prove the tested genuineness of your faith. Young Christians always wonder if their faith is real. After a few decades of trials and horrible disappointments, if you still believe, you don't doubt anymore. God has seen you through them, and you know He's there. If you wonder what I mean by "God has seen you through them," you have to know all the hairy, scary, intricate details of how you get taken care of in spite of how horrible life becomes.

In our case, my parents became the primary means of God's taking care of us. Adam lost his job. At a loss for what to do with a husband who could not work, and four young children to raise, I did what any good daughter does; I moved back into my parents' home with my family in tow. There, their church enveloped us with love. There, friends helped me find medical solutions. There, we found a tinnitus clinic. There, Adam spent two years writing sermons. There, I made friends who supported me through every horrible day and squealed with me in delight on the good days that did finally come. There, a loving, wise pastor was so very good to us. It still makes me cry to write this.

It was incredibly painful to have one church home reject us, to feel the hurt and anguish of that. To lose our home. To move in with parents. To watch our children suffer also. To sit and wait. Oh, how God's trials involve waiting! Two years came and went before we were on our own again. Two years of anxiety and fretful trusting. Two years of trying the geniuneness of our faith. I know it was hellish to go through, and how hellish it was for our family and friends to watch.

All of it was preparation, of course. When Adam preaches about suffering, it's not theoretical, and his listeners can tell. Now, the tale of his tinnitus and all its fall-out is just a story, an interesting account. But at the time? What an agony!

One Christian's suffering is not just a trial for him; it's a trial for everyone around him. It's a trial for his church family: how will they react? Will they support, or push him away? Will his family rally around, or run? Will his spouse stick by him, or jettison him? Will his children learn lessons of faith, or become bitter? Will his mother-in-law remain silent and wish her daughter had never married that man, or will she write to him in tears "to express how much I love you and how much you mean to me"?

My mother passed her test with flying colors, over and over again (as did my daddy).

Adam, sporting a bow-tie on Sunday

Ready for Spring?

I know some of you are mightily weary of winter. You're buried in snow, beaten by wind, and bedraggled by cold. So here are a few pictures from Oriental to brighten your Sunday and remind you that spring is not far away! In fact, it's arriving in some places already.

Lots of people plant pansies in wintertime in warmer places. We have several pots around town.

These pansies live outside the Red Richshaw, a fancy furniture shop.

Just around the corner is the old wooden bench by the town's dinghy dock. Doesn't that sunshine look wonderful? It's warm on the face and seeps into the bones.

Three sailboats braved the Neuse today. Here's one:

And while we're looking at the Neuse, do you see the ducks? No?     (Let's zoom in ...)

There! Now you see the ducks! Look at all the ones in the distance.

I don't know why there are so many this time of year. Perhaps it's not duck season, and they know it's safe to emerge?

This spot of grass was The Goal of my bike ride this afternoon. I wanted to show you THIS:

Daffodils! In bloom!    Three of them!

Their droopy heads are so modest.

And nearby a lone crocus is bright as butter.

I hope these cheer you today, especially if you live in a colder place. Spring will come early here, and you can be sure I'll keep you abreast of all her movements. Meanwhile, if you get a sunny day, close your eyes and turn your face to the sun, and let it soak in. You'll feel better for it.

The Blanket Grows

What I'm doing this evening, as we watch Olympics via Canadian coverage. Julia is sketching; Adam is reveling in a good day of hockey-watching.

How Adam Says, "I Love You"

Adam and I discussed what to do for Valentine's Day. We always enjoy this annual celebration of love, romance, and devotion to our marriage. And always ... we've gone out to eat. And always ... we've bought each other decadent, high-calorie chocolate and sweets.
This year, Adam bought me roses, such beautiful roses!

He's saving me from downing excess calories, for which I'm grateful.

Anyway, we decided not to go out to eat. An elegant romantic dinner, complete with the little extras that make it romantic (ambiance, fine food, coffee, dessert, etc.) would be pricey for our pockets and our waistlines. Instead, we opted to stay home for the day. Adam said he would cook for us ... all day ... planning our meals with me so I could eat the things I love, not spend a small fortune for indifferent food, and stay under our calorie count. I mean really! When you have a hubby who cooks better than most restaurant chefs, why pay for restaurant food?
I asked for waffles. I adore waffles. That's my cranberry relish on top, a great alternative when fresh summer strawberries are unavailable. And he brought me hot chai and O.J. And yes, it was breakfast-in-bed.

He and Bo-Beau said "Good morning, Mama!"

Good cards were in short supply this year. This is the best I could do. We like doggie cards.

For lunch, he made fresh bread, and a lovely chicken salad with toasted almonds and fresh pineapple. There's plenty for leftovers too.

This afternoon, Oriental was sunny and 50º, so I took a bike ride! It felt so very good to be gliding along our little streets. These benches are where Adam and I love to sit and relax together in early evening, when weather and mosquitoes permit.

Look who came strollin' along with the pups, while I was riding:

Julia took the pups away on a walk while Adam and I sat at Lou Mac Park in the chairs, where we love to sit in the summer, watching the river and dolphins go by.

Then Adam came home to make supper. He started with a light green salad, pre-dressed.

This is the supper I've been asking for. He makes this assortment quite often, but I wanted a truly tender medallion of steak -- succulent, melt-in-the-mouth steak. The fingerling potatoes were soft, and that creamy dressing on them is lovely.

Roses are for love.

For dessert, he made lemon tarts in adorable little tart pans, with a light, delicious shell, all from scratch. And my calorie count for the day (including popcorn if I choose to have it) is 2050. Amazing!

And that's one way ... only one way ... Adam says to me, "I love you." I loved my Valentine's Day this year! He's such a dear.

Cup Cozies

I found this simple pattern on Pinterest, coming originally from Summerhouse Cottage blog. I added a few helpful hints to her pattern and will post it below. Aren't these the cutest ever?

They're so simple. No bottoms, no fiddling. Just a simple wrap with a button closure.

It's mostly half-double crochets.

I picked four happy spring colors:

That's a happier red that it looks like in the photo ....

I'll be selling these for $10.00 for the set of four.

They'll keep your beverage warm and keep your hands unburnt :) Oh, happy day!

Cup Cozy Pattern:

Worsted weight yarn

Hook size H

Begin with a chain long enough to go around your favorite coffee cup.  Leave a little bit of space for stretching.  The ends do not need to meet.  In my case, I chained 32. (This is a good length.)

row 1: hdc in 3rd chain from hook and in each stitch across. chain 6, turn.

row 2: sc in 2nd chain from hook and in the next 4 st.(the length of the buttonhole flap);  hdc to end of row ending with a sc in the last st. (the chain stitch from the row below); chain 1, turn.

row 3: sc in 1st stitch/same stitch; hdc across stopping at the buttonhole flap (29 hdc). With 5 stitches left on the end, do the following: sc 3, chain 1, skip 1, sc 1, chain 1, turn.

row 4: sc in next 5 st. along the buttonhole flap; hdc to end of row ending with a sc in the last stitch. chain 1, turn.

row 5: sc in 1st stitch/same stitch; hdc across stopping at the buttonhole flap. Make sure “shoulders” of the cozy match.  Do NOT turn. 

row 6: sc around entire cozy. Allow an extra sc at each corner that you turn, to keep the corners flat.

row 7 : slip stitch all the way around. Allow an extra sip stitch at each corner also.

Finish off by sewing on a button and weaving in all the ends.

Ezekiel's Wife

I died suddenly that night.
Even my prophet husband
Didn't see it coming.
His last whispered words
As he cradled my head ~
"Delight of my eyes!
Desire of my heart!"
I love him.
He loved me
As God loved His golden temple,
Which was His point, I guess.
Those stupid people will not mourn
Its ruined glory.
Ezekiel did not mourn me
Before their eyes.
But oh! In his heart
I know he ached for me.
His eyes told me so
As he whispered,
"Delight of my eyes!
Desire of my heart!"


Copyright by the author