Happy New Year!

In just a little over 24 hours, a new year will begin. 

A fresh, new year,

a clean start, 

a time to plan, organize 

and dream...

Don't you just love the thought of it?

What will 2011 hold for me? for you? What does God have planned for us? It is exciting to think of all the possibilities. Without a doubt, 2011 will hold some heartache, some testing, and some stretching. But we also know that if we trust in Him, He will guide us through it. 2011 will undoubtedly contain many pleasant experiences for us as well. And lets face it, shall we? If we did not experience any hard times the good times would not be as sweet, would they?

Praying YOU have a wonderful 2011- in which you draw closer to Christ, experiencing His Love and direction for life.

~Penni

Brown

I have been asked several times recently what my favorite color is. It struck me as an odd question. I hadn't been asked that in many years and now in the past month or so, I have been asked that question three times, I think. Each time it has caused me to pause and think about just what my favorite color actually is. Although in the past I have had decided favorites, when asked recently, it took me a few moments to decide. I listed several in response each time, finally settling on one.


During my teens my favorite color was light blue, no other color mattered. And if I could pair it with a darker blue in an outfit, making "two-tone" blue, that was all the better.

During my twenties and thirties, my favorite was dusty rose (mauve).

Now I find I like several colors and at first I was unable to settle on a favorite. 

You see....

I love red - love to WEAR it.

I love blue- love to SEE it  -- in the sky (a not so common occurrence here in Maine this time of year).

I love the greens of mosses and ferns - I love to TOUCH them.

And I love brown. Brown is the sort of color you FEEL. Brown is soft, and warm, yet it is strong (think of the mighty oak.)  It is the color of chocolate. (Yum, yum, yum!) It is such a rich, smooth color.

So I have settled it. ~smile~  

My favorite is brown - not the dull, lifeless brown of a dead leaf, but the deep, rich brown of a chocolate tootsie pop or of brown eyes. The kind of brown that has a sheen and a shine to it. I am crocheting a shawl just this color now, just can't wait till it is done and I can snuggle up in it.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I have mentioned before I love having a blog and enjoy writing in general. I love words. Love to read them, write them, play with them, manipulate them.

I have at times even intentionally mis-used grammar in my posts to make a point or just to make it sound better or because I like to use ---dashes--- (and parenthesis.) 

One of my favorite books is the Rod & Staff English Grammar Handbook. Honestly, it is.

So, if you read a post and notice a participle dangling,  improper: use, of, punctuation: (excessive use of parenthesis), or ---dashes--- and 

returns 
in 

odd places. 

Please understand, I am writing for the enjoyment of it and in most cases, I do know better. Really, I do. :)

The Beauty of a Snowstorm

Snow. I love it.

I do not necessarily enjoy driving in it, but I do love the fluffy, white, cold stuff.

I love snowshoeing - although I go at the pace of toddler (no kidding). I love to go sledding down a really good hill. ---If someone is there with a snow sled to take us back up, that makes it all the better. (~wink) 

I love to make snow-forts - well, I have in the past enjoyed watching my sons make snow-forts. (~smile)  

And honestly, who doesn't enjoy a good snow ball fight?

However, my favorite activity in the snow is just going for a walk. For now, I just head out in my rubber boots, but when the snow gets deeper I strap on my snowshoes and head for the woods. I don't go far, that isn't the point, I just go out and ENJOY it. There is something MAGICAL about walking during a snowstorm. The world is hushed and lovely snowflakes are falling all around me, like it is a wonderland made just for me. The beauty of it takes my breath away at times.

It is so peaceful out there in the snow.  Somehow it dissolves away all my troubles for the few moments I am out there. I come back in with new resolve and new energy to continue on.

That beautiful falling snow that God sends to us helps to make our world a softer, gentler place. He could have just left our world stark, gray, and cold during winter but He chose to send us this beautiful snow. I'm glad He did.  

And it makes our lives a bit more fun as well. Don't you agree?

 

 

He had me; hook, line, and sinker.

Approximately five days a month I volunteer at the local food pantry.  It is a fun time. On occasion the work can be tiring or messy (like sorting through bags of potatoes to get out the few rotten ones- YUCK!). However, most days the time is passed by just chatting with folks and giving them items they need. Amongst us workers we share laughs (a LOT of laughs) and sometimes tears. There is a lot of joy to be found in serving others. I highly recommend it - find a place in your local community and volunteer. Whether you help out at a food pantry, a library, or homeless shelter, let me assure you, YOU will be the one blessed the most by the experience. 

One little blessing (treasure) I received today came from a handsome little guy who was less than three feet tall. This little guy kept looking me in the eye and smiling a cute little grin. He did not want to break eye contact. He would step behind a person or around some boxes or behind a rack and then look right back at me and grin that cute little grin. I tell you that little guy knows the way straight to a woman's heart (future heart-breaker there, I'm sure. ~wink~) He had me hook, line, and sinker. That cute little smile and the look -directly in my eyes even from far across the room, really made my day. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more, - a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.” 

 

~George Herbert 

Thankful??? Me??

Thanksgiving is nearly here. I love the holiday. I think it is my favorite holiday. -- Of course, I think EVERY holiday is my favorite when they arrive. I love Christmas, New Year's (a fresh new start!!), Valentine's, etc.. You get the idea. I even love Arbor Day. A day about trees, what's not to love?? 

I digress.... (see, I love having a blog, I can ramble on and off topic if I like...)

Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING!!!

Turkey, stuffing, SQUASH, mashed potatoes, gravy, WATERGATE SALAD, rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, it's all good. 

Family and friends together eating, laughing, sharing, playing Balderdash! Fun stuff.


Giving thanks. Thanks to God for all He has done. Praising Him for His goodness to me.


Giving thanks.... Wait.... Hmmm..... It is what the holiday is all about, but am I thankful? Really? For what God has given me?? Really? Or....do I have hidden resentments... God, why did this HAVE to happen... God, You are in control, Why did You allow this to happen?? Am I thankful? Really? For even the BAD stuff that has happened?? Hmmm. "Give thanks in ALL things." Well. I'm glad somethings are in the past, done, overwith. But I'm not thankful they happened......AND..... I don't think that is what He intends either. I think He wants me to be thankful that through out this life with it's joys and it's sorrows, I have Him. He is there. Loving ME. 


I am so very thankful for Him and His great love...


Happy Thanksgiving~
~Penni

There is something I must say....

Know what? I love having a blog. I love the idea that I can share what I want, when I want. It is so gratifying for me to be able to write about what ever happens to interest me at the moment. It doesn't matter if anyone reads it or not, it is just the writing of it, getting my words "out there" that is important to me. I have had some writings of mine published before and that was a great experience too, money does come in handy at times. ~ (smile), but it is the WRITING of it that is NECESSARY for me.


Maybe it is because I am by nature a quiet person. I prefer to listen rather than talk.  People fascinate me. I love to watch and listen. But that is another topic for another time.--  

Maybe it is because I have learned the hard way, that I have a amazing ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I have learned to be a good listener rather than always having my say. I remember once being interviewed at the Border's in Bangor by a local news crew about homeschooling - I twisted my words around so strangely they could only show about half the interview - what they had to delete was embarrassing when friends shared with me afterwards just what I had said!! Eek!! And no, I'm not sharing what I said. ~(Anyone out there remember that night??) On another occasion, I chose to gossip about someone (a horrid, horrid confession) and as life would have it, that person was sitting DIRECTLY in front of me. Mind you, I was sitting in bleachers. Yep. I was a COMPLETE moron. I didn't realize they were there, let me assure you. So I ended up hurting someone's feelings and making myself look like a cruel, uncaring person all in one shot. It was NOT a pretty picture. 

Hopefully with blogging, I have hurt no one - I certainly have no desire to and also, I hope I do not come off as being crude as well.

Maybe it is because I am not always willing or able to share my thoughts orally, that makes writing that much more important to me.

Whatever the reason, I enjoy my little blog and even if no one else ever reads this blog, (which in a sense means I am talking to myself right now - hah!) That's cool, too.

Now, I'll go off quietly and cook dinner,


God bless,
~Penni

I'm molting.... I'm molting.....

My lovely little hens are molting. They sure look pitiful right now, with so many feathers missing. In a couple of months they'll have all their new feathers and will be beautiful once again. For now, they must go through this shedding process-  in a sense they are losing all that they had that made them who they were or who we perceived them to be.

Honestly, it is as though I have 8 entirely different birds. Formerly, they were beautiful. Their feathers were shiny, full, and fluffy. They were good egg producers, averaging 5 or 6 a day from the 8 of them. They were always busy scratching and pecking at the ground and running here and there looking for something to eat.

Contrast that to their present day appearance and behavior. They have lost a lot of their feathers and have several sticking out at odd angles. Two of my hens have lost most of the feathers off their heads and just have these funny little white, spiky, pinfeathers on their heads. My, my, my, they sure are homely! I would post pictures of what my girls look like now but I will spare them the embarrassment. (Wink!)

Whereas they used to be so busy, now, it would appear they have gotten to be downright lazy. They can be found lounging around most anytime. They still scratch and peck and look for food, but not nearly as much. You see, their bodies are using their energies for growing those new beautiful feathers and it takes a lot of energy. So, if you drive by and see my girls laying around out there, don't think the worst of them - they are still working hard on the inside!

In many ways I feel a bit like my hens. Oh I'm not losing feathers and I'm certainly not laying around lounging all day, but I'm changing a bit too. My new feathers are growing in everyday as I learn new things. I've written before that this is an exciting time for me, one of change, of growth. I am learning who I am, what I am, what I need, what I must do. I am excited to learn what God has planned for me. 

And...... if you do happen to pass by and see my hens..... I would ask you to remember the famous quote by Aesop.  "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." 

~Penni

What a Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying, "how do you do?"
They're really saying... "I love you."

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world
  

Yeah... I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

~Louis Armstrong

How do you do?

A Child at Heart

I'm 43. ~~Gasp!~~ That sounds so middle age-ish! I remember when I was a teenager I thought anyone in their late 20's and beyond were over the hill!! My perspective sure has changed. Fact is, I don't feel any older now than I did 25 years ago. I look older and am, hopefully, wiser but inside I feel like the same person. I am privileged to have a number of friends in the 65+ age range and they tell me the same thing. It is as though our personalities, our souls?, are ageless. For me, personally, I love the 40's. I really do. Each new day is a learning experience and there is so much I want to learn about. I have a great desire to become fluent in French, raise and milk goats, raise sheep for wool and learn to spin, become an expert (hah!) at baking different kinds of breads, learn to make the perfect pie crust, make soy candles, read the diaries and original documents of our "founding fathers", know the Father more, more, more, memorize long passages of scripture, know the names of and the uses of ALL the plants on my property, have a huge garden (I sure do love to hoe - must be a genetic defect or something, I know of no one else who feels the same way!), have a ministry working with and teaching children (Their enthusiasm is contagious! How can you not feel happy when you look into the face of a smiling child and hear their laughter?), learn to play the guitar, be able to give a speech without becoming a nervous wreck, ......the list goes on and on. In many ways, I feel like a little child wanting to learn everything at once. Honestly, it is a fun feeling, even if a bit overwhelming at times. This is such an exciting time....
Life begins at 40? I agree.

The Purpose and Practicality of Pets

This is a picture of our sweet little Belle.
She passed away a couple of days ago.


I have been thinking a bit about pets.
I have heard it said many times that pets are not needed. They serve no real purpose and are not practical.

Well...
certainly having a little guinea pig for a pet (or a dog for that matter) can not compare to having a child, they are not the same as a human, BUT ...

in the case of little Belle here....

she was always sweet and cheerful in her little way. She loved to be patted, cuddled, and held. When looking at her, you couldn't help smiling --she was just plain old cute. She made me smile every time I walked by her.

So...

yes, she did serve a purpose...

She made others happy, each and every day, she never lost her temper or sulked, she never complained......

....If only that could be said about each of us.........

Golden Days of Autumn

There is just something wonderful about the way the sun shines on an autumn day. Everything looks so golden. It makes me feel happy and nostalgic. I love the reflection of it on my dining room table and my buffet, the sun adds such a richness of color to them. Somehow it always gives me the desire to study about and do old fashioned type things from the colonial period... I know it romanticizes the period but it is fun to stir my apples for pie with a wooden spoon, wear a long apron over my skirt, make soap, and make candles.... and feel a wee little bit like I am living in the past.

Longitude, Latitude, Stalagmites and Stalactites

 Today's post is treasure from years ago. The following are a couple of memory tricks that were a blessing when teaching my sons.

One little tip that I received many years ago really helped to solve a problem I had had for years and it simplified learning a basic concept for my children. The concepts of longitude and latitude were always a bit tricky for me to learn. I just couldn’t remember which was which. Then I read this tip. Draw a picture of a ladder on a piece of paper. Label the rungs, latitude and the poles, longitude. Simple and easy to remember! To avoid any confusion, it helps to remember that the “poles are long”.

Another little tip we learned many years ago, probably from an old Bill Nye, the Science episode, deals with stalagmite and stalactites. The stalactites have an extra “t” in them placing them on top. Stalagmites have a “g” in them placing them on the ground. How easy is that? No more confusion!

Ephesians 5:33

"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that see reverence her husband." Ephesians 5:33

When smoke gets in my eyes...

Mmmm... can you feel it? That toasty warm feeling of a fire crackling in the wood stove. Don't you just love the feeling of coming in from the cold, frosty air to a warm home? It is so comforting. I have had the opportunity of benefiting from three different types of fires over the past couple of months.

While at camp in August we cooked quite a bit over a campfire. I love the SMELL of a campfire. Usually I am not big on the smell of smoke but a campfire is different. There is something so soothing about sitting around a campfire in the dark and yet somehow it is exciting too, like something good is about to happen. It causes me to think about my life and dream.

When we returned to camp in September, we used the wood cook stove instead. I love cooking on a wood stove. Just the thought of it got me out of bed bright and early each morning. I just couldn't wait to hear the crackle of the kindling and feel the camp warm up. It was so satisfying to use it, like somehow I was communing with some of my ancestors who may have had to cook this way each day.


And now it is October, a chill is in the air and I am sitting in my living room being warmed by my wood stove here. This stove and I have a love/hate relationship. Actually, I hate it and I'm pretty sure it hates me. It is suppose to be smokeless and it is not. Cough, cough! It is also a bit stubborn to start most days.To start a fire in it you must leave the stove doors open, be sure none of the tiny little holes in the back of it have any ash in them, and recite the alphabet backwards while hopping on one foot. Okay, okay, the alphabet and hopping part aren't true but you get the idea. Still, after all this, many times I must open a window in my living room so it will "draw". Goodness, I'd buy it a pack of the finest Crayolas if it would only draw well enough so I could keep my window closed!! ~smile~ Yet, this frustrating thing does eventually get a really good fire going and it warms my house very nicely. THEN, of course, I love it. I am so fickle. Right now, I am sitting in my warm and cozy living room enjoying it's generous heat. And once again, I am in love.

Wishing you a warm and cozy evening,
~Penni

Love

My God is so good, I can't help but praise Him. What an awesome God to love me so. The Love of God.... how precious it is... how very blessed I am to know Him....

It is Sunday evening and I am so blessed to have spent time today in God's house under the preaching of His Word. Once again, the messages seemed aimed right at me. Even the testimonies shared this evening have caused me to do some deep soul searching....

My deepest prayer is that everyone and anyone who might read this blog would know Him. Why would you not want to???

Warning: Cute picture ahead...

"It is a very blustery day... outside." ~Pooh bear, just after flying Piglet by a sweater string and ending up in Owl's home.

It most definitely is a blustery day today in Maine. I love the wind. I love the sound of it. I love to be out in the woods and hear it blow through the trees. At times it sounds like ocean waves, at other times, it sounds as though the trees speak to me telling me all their sad stories or are singing to me a happy little song. I also love the POWER of it. It reminds me that God is in control and I don't need to worry. To see the effects of something so powerful, the bending of the trees, and yet to not see WHAT it is, the actual wind itself, reminds me of God's might, and power. I am so glad He is in control.

When my boys were young, I read aloud Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. It has been years since I have read it. I remember we laughed a lot. Today, with this wind, I am reminded of this book. I'm am going to sit down in a little while and begin it again. A well written book can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. So even though we may think of the story of a "bear of very little brain" as being a child's story, it is a treasure to read for adults as well. So, if you need me, I'll be off in the Hundred Acre Wood with Christopher Robin and his friends...

Alex and Pooh, 1989, I look at this picture and miss my little boy so much....

More of my lovely hens

Egg-actly, what are you looking at?? (Sorry just had to do the pun!)

Lovely...

For whatever reason, I can't get the pictures to open on another page and enlarge when I click on them. Can't figure out what I did in my previous post.

Just call me Henny Penny

My hens are a treasure to me each and every day. I enjoy spending time with them, I honestly do. They follow me around and when I talk they appear to really be listening. Oh, I know, they are probably thinking, "If we do this she loves it and will bring us some food." or more likely they are thinking: "Food. Food. You got Food?" Yet, they are fun to watch and I love how their silky red feathers stand out against the green of my lawn. They are truly a "simple" pleasure, but I enjoy them. --AND they lay eggs!

:)
~Penni

Is she not beautiful??

A beautiful, rainy autumn day

Today is a beautiful, rainy, autumn day. The overcast skies make the greens so rich and deep. The rain on my lawn gives it a lovely sheen. Combine that green with the yellow, orange, red, and rust of  the leaves of many of the surrounding trees and it is amazing picture. I love to watch those leaves drop on my lawn. The beauty astounds me. God has given us such beauty. What a wonderful God that He cares enough to give this to us.

A goose, a shrew and a canoe!

My husband and I were once again blessed to go back to the same camp last week that we went to in early August. 

(NOTE: if you click on the photos, they will enlarge for you. Just click the back arrow to come back to my blog after viewing. :)  )

It was a different little visit this time. It was much cooler, which meant no wading in the stream for me. I love the cooler temps though and was very happy to meander around in the woods near the camp and along the stream. 

On one walk up the road, my husband got this beautiful picture:

This was a bit of a set-up. I love ferns (moss, too, they are so beautiful). I spotted this clump and asked Nick to snap a photo. Then I spotted this amazingly vibrantly colored leaf and placed it on top. I love the combination. It is a bit hard to tell in the photo, but the leaf had almost the look of fire along the yellow parts and I love the little imperfections on it. Imperfections give leaves, (and people I might add), character.

We only got to go canoeing once, but Nick got this amazing shot while we were out there:

Now, I could say he was able to get such an amazing close-up of this goose because the lady in the back of the canoe was able to expertly bring him right where he wanted to go in the canoe (he, he, he) but the fact is, the man takes outstandingly good pictures regardless of where he is. He would have gotten a great shot regardless. I do enjoy canoeing though. Nick snapped pictures and I paddled. He would say take us over there to get a picture of that and I'd gladly paddle us over (or turn the canoe around, what ever was needed) and then I would get daydreaming and he would paddle for a bit. It is so soothing to be out on the water.

We were paddling on the Deadwater of the Little Machias Stream. Deadwater is an odd name for it. It is certainly alive with wildlife. It is an interesting place though, all curves and turns. One minute you are going with the current and then you turn a corner and the current is against you. The current is VERY slow through there though, almost like being on a lake so it is a  great little place to canoe and daydream or snap beautiful photos.

I am so thankful that through the generosity of friends we were able to go to camp once again! I enjoyed being at camp so much, that when it came time to leave I was (shamefully) a bit angry with my poor husband. I was a grumpy shrew! Hate it when I am like that! I think unconsciously I just wanted to stay there for a bit longer (and go canoeing a bit more), hence the shrewish behavior, but alas, we all must come back to the real world eventually! And after all, I do love home, too....

~Penni

Going my way?

I have mentioned before that I walk on weekday mornings with a friend. It is about a 15 minute drive to her home. We walk for about 1/2 an hour and then I drive home. I find it interesting, that most mornings when I drive home I am the only car on the road (within my view) heading north for the whole ride. I am definitely going against the flow. You know what? I love it. Don't misunderstand - I do not like to "stick out" in a crowd, I am a blend-in sort of person. I have no desire to be the center of attention, quite to the contrary. But I do enjoy doing things differently from others. Peer pressure had very little pull on me growing up. Never could understand how being rude or mean to others made a person "cool". People who are sincere and caring are cool in my book. Always have been. So, to put it lightly I was not the most popular girl in school (I was horribly shy) and you want to know the honest-to-goodness truth? I didn't want to be. REALLY. It was not a desire I had. I had a few good friends and that was enough. Hated all the clicky, catty stuff about school, couldn't wait to get OUT. 

As an adult I chose to do things a little differently than a lot of people, certainly most of the people I knew. As a young woman, I chose to use cloth diapers, stay home and make that my career (not the house- my family and my HOME), breastfeed, make my own baby food, grow most of our produce and can and freeze it, eat mostly wild game for our protein, Christian school for a year for our oldest son and then homeschooling - all the way through the high school years for both of our boys. Each of these met with multiple questions and unfortunately even the loss of some friends. "You use cloth diapers??? Why would anyone use them when disposables are so easy?" - health benefits, and cost. "Why are you going to quit your job and stay home? You can't afford it. And you'll be bored." Couldn't afford NOT to. Home is where I needed to be. Time will pass quickly and my babies will be grown. (Ain't that the truth!!) "Homeschooling? Why would anyone homeschool???" God wanted me to. 

I received many more questions over the years and many more rude comments. Disgusting was said at least once to me concerning one healthy choice for my babies. I would try my hardest to kindly reply and then move on. The negativity never swayed me from doing what I wanted or what I thought was right. As a pregnant, single 19 year old I was told I was STUPID for not having an abortion. All that did was firm my resolve to have my son.

Please don't think I'm tooting my own horn here. I made many mistakes along the way, some really big ones unfortunately. And I was not alone in making many of these good choices. I have made some wonderful friends over the years that have been a great encouragement to me and even paved the way ahead of me being a Godly example to me.


Well... now I find myself at another season of life. Both of my sons are grown (well.... mostly... kinda... :)...) and we are done homeschooling. The question I get repeatedly now is, "When will you be getting a job?" or something similar. Guess what? I have no plans at present to get a job, who knows what the future holds, but I know for the unforeseeable future I plan to stay HOME. God called me here and He hasn't changed His call for me yet. Fact is, I don't where I'd find the time to work outside the home for more than a few hours a week. I'm busy here. We don't have much money - I don't want it someone else can have it. :)- my car is OLD and was actually given to me, I buy most of my clothes at thrift stores and like to make stuff (soap, candles, skirts, etc.) I prefer to cook from scratch and love to use the food we grow or my husband gets hunting (this is a much healthier choice, too!) Our expenses are not great and I love to do things that help to stretch the funds we have. 


So some morning if you are heading south on a major road in Maine, you might see me driving north and wonder where is that woman going this time of day when everyone else (seemingly) is headed south? Don't worry about me too much though, the odds are I'll be smiling- happy to be going in the direction God has called me.

My Treasures, summer 2010

Ken, (I love that cute little smile!)

Alex (I love this picture...)

Looking at these photos, I see two young men. It is so incredible to me how fast time has gone bye. Seems like just yesterday I was saying I have two little boys. I love my sons and the men they have become.

Breathless

I have been walking with a friend recently early in the morning. The purpose of the walk is to get me in shape. A side benefit of this walk is that I am walking with a dear, dear friend and we get to chat all along the way. As we begin our walk the road is level. Gradually, the road steepens until it is a very steep little hill. Each morning as we walk and approach this hill I begin to dread it. By the time we are 1/4 the way up this little hill I am REALLY hating it. Half way up I am totally out of breath. I trudge along though chatting with my good friend and with the cheerfulness of my good friend's talking with me, I make it to the top! It probably takes another fifty yards or so before I am back "in breath" again. From there on out it is such a wonderful walk!! Adrenaline is an amazing thing. 

You know, life is a lot like that walk. Sometimes life gets so tough we get totally out of breath. Each step is a struggle and we think there is NO WAY we can go on. However, if we trudge along breathless, trusting we CAN make it, somehow before we even realize it we are past the tough part and enjoying our lives again. 

When life makes me breathless I must listen to the good Words of One who truly loves me. When I listen and walk with Him, I will still remain breathless. Life sometimes will still require one struggling step at a time, but before I even realize it once again I have got my "breath back" and am walking quite easily again. 

Just as with my early morning walks with my friend, I benefit most in life from the breathless moments. I hate that hill when I am walking it but when it is over I feel so good that I did it! What an accomplishment! In life, those tough times teach us a lot. They can be so very hard, but we don't need to travel them alone. I'm so glad I have my good friend to walk with in the mornings and I am so very thankful I have Christ to travel this journey of life with. 

~Penni

A Fresh New Morning

I love the early mornings. Everything feels so fresh and new as I watch darkness turn into light. (Don't get me wrong, when I have been up late it is HARD to get up early, but I am always thankful that I made the extra effort to get up!) There is something so exciting about watching a new day begin as the sun comes up. What will today hold? Blessing? Sadness? Somehow when I watch a sunrise I always feel as though good will be coming, in spite of what may be happening in my life at the moment.

The first time I ever remember watching the sunrise was when I was teenager on a camping trip with some friends. The excitement I felt as the new day began in such a beautiful way, I'll never forget. I was hooked! Sometimes months go by and I forget how great the early mornings are, choosing instead to sleep in. I am so thankful for this time in my life when I "have" to get up early and I can welcome in the new day into my life!

Won't you join me tomorrow? Rise up a wee bit earlier and greet the new day. I bet you'll feel a little bit more cheerful throughout the day for doing it.

Penni

Overwhelmed

I am overwhelmed today with the goodness of God. His goodness, His love, and His faithfulness are so amazing to me. In spite of my shortcomings, failures, and persistent sin, my God continues to prove Himself real to me. I am so blessed to know Him and to dwell in the sweetness of His presence. 

My blog's look... naturally....

I think I finally figured out what I wanted for the look of my blog. A design that is a wee bit more "me". The header is a picture of  Little Machias stream in northern Maine and the background is aptly called "Nature Walk". The header I actually made myself - quite easy once I figured out how. The background is from Shabby Blogs. For me, this is most definitely a treasure!
Another delight today is the cool breeze and drier air. 73 and breezy. My kind of day. I am so very thankful.
~Penni

He hopped to it when I asked

Today seems as though it is right full of treasures! The sun is shining, it is 79 degrees, there is a wonderful breeze, and the air is dry. I could easily find a hundred or more treasures to share. Two treasures, however, stand out to me this morning. One is very tiny and the other very tall.

The first is a tiny little frog I saw as I was walking out to my garden this morning. His body was approximately one inch in length. He didn't want to be picked up and held but that, of course, did not stop me. He was a cute little guy, small and quick - he hopped away when I tried to show him to my husband. I enjoy frogs, toads, bugs, snakes, etc. I have never been able to understand why everyone doesn't. (I must note here that I do not enjoy all of them ON me. Spiders are interesting to LOOK at but I really don't want one crawling around in my hair!) Most have interesting color patterns and even cute little faces - have you ever looked at the face of an inch worm for instance? I challenge you to find one and look at it's face. They have tiny red lips that form an "O" and then they appear to smile. -- Seriously cute. -- Back to my frog friend, it really amazed me to watch him. Without hardly any effort he was able to hop a good foot in length, and when scared of me (oh, dear!) he hopped nearly twice as far. In my rough estimation, this would be like me jumping about 10 - 20 feet! Frogs are amazing.

My second treasure is a tall one. It stands about 6 foot three or so. It is my son, Ken. I needed some muscle power in the garden this morning and he was there with a cheerful attitude to help me. - Thank you, Ken!! (My oldest son, Alex, is indeed a treasure, too!- I'm a blessed Momma!)

Have a wonderful day, enjoy the treasures God has in store for you.
~Penni

A VERY happy camper

My husband and I had the great JOY of spending five days at a camp in the northern Maine woods.



It was just he and me for 5 whole days (excepting the time we went out to the store to buy mouse traps!).

We walked in the woods.


We went canoeing! I finally got my husband out in a canoe with me after 21 long years of trying to do so! And don't tell anyone....but I think he really enjoyed himself as well. As for me, I was thrilled!!

We cooked over an open fire, hunted mice, read books aloud, etc. It really was a time of vacation - a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vacation). There was still the everyday type chores to be done, i.e. cooking 3 meals a day, washing dishes, sweeping floors, etc. but somehow at camp it is so pleasurable to do these things. Each morning I would scrub down the counters because Herman the vermin had visited in the night -- got some interesting tales to tell about that! - and yet somehow it was kind of fun, and almost relaxing. Ohhh and how I LOVED being away from the phone!! I love my family and friends dearly but it was so nice to not hear a phone ring for a whole five days!!!

While there, we had several visitors that made our time away even more enjoyable. I will share about more of them in the future, but first I want you to meet a visitor we had everyday while at camp. He came every morning and left each evening. I assume to return home to his family.

He liked to "sit" on the middle step of the stairs leading up into the camp. Believe me, many times he nearly met his demise, but we watched out for him because he was so darn cute.



Every time we came near him, he would curl up like that. I guess you had to be there, but honestly, take my word for it, he was cute! So much so, that when it was time to leave I wanted to bring him home with us, but he was nowhere to be found! All that time on the step showing off and suddenly he turned shy. I think that he dreaded that long sappy goodbye and was conveniently busy elsewhere. ~smile~ (So you can have a relative idea of how big he was, that is a nail head to the left of him.)

My perspective on life (if you care, and if you are reading this blog you just might) is that it is the little things in life that make our lives enjoyable. Enjoy the fun of watching a caterpillar, enjoy the pleasure of watching the cream swirl around in your coffee cup- what lovely colors this makes, enjoy a chat with a good friend, enjoy the feeling of warm water on your hands while washing dishes, etc. These simple little things add up to a much greater whole= a rich life full of what really matters.

Also, I must add that too often I hear weary, heart broken people lamenting the fact their house, car, spouse, kids, friends, etc. aren't want they want or need. They want/need/deserve better. Sorry folks, but we will never be happy in this world without acknowledging/knowing/serving the One who created it. Without Christ, this whole life is all for nothing. It is just empty pleasure or one heartache after the other as we continue to seek out more pleasure, whether it is pleasure of the flesh or pleasure of a more intellectual side. For myself, I can't imagine how I would ever make it through the tough times in life (and I mean that literally) without Christ. And I am sure that the things in this life that make it pleasurable, whether large or small, wouldn't bring nearly as much joy to me if I didn't know Him.

The Beauty of the Maine Woods

My favorite lines from a popular movie:


"What you got?"
"Wood."
"What you got?"
"Wood."
"Wanna trade?"


I love those lines from Open Season, as the beavers share their lunch up on the dam.

That is just what I have got here. Wood. Now, I'm not eating it for my lunch, but I sure do love the Maine woods. I love the variations of the color green in the woods and I love the SMELL of the woods. It smells so fresh and almost sweet out in the woods. And nothing compares to the cool dampness of the deep woods on a hot summer day.

As I've mentioned before, I have a little path out in my woods. Around my path, there is one spot were the trees are very thick and low. I was walking there recently on a very hot, humid, and still day - you know the kind when you could just cry for a little whisper of a breeze to blow on your face? As I stepped off my main path to stroll down into the darkness of this little side path, immediately I was hit with the coolness of the spot. It felt damp in there, not the same humid dampness I had just felt, but a cool dampness. It seemed as though it was 10 degrees cooler in there. As I walked along I noticed a little rock about 6 inches by 3 inches in size on the side of the path. Now this rock could actually be huge for all I know, but all I see of it is the aforementioned part. As I saw this little rock, I noticed it was wet, very wet and very cool. Water was all over the surface of this rock, the moss nearby was cool but not wet. It was as though the moisture had come from deep inside the rock itself.

My wet little rock brought to my mind Luke 19:40 "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Although, my situation that day in the woods was obviously very different from Christ's situation the day this statement was made, this is the scripture that came to my mind as I touched this little rock. You see, I love living in Maine, but I hate it when it gets very humid outside and couple that with 90+ degree weather and I REALLY hate it. Seeing this little rock, though, made me think that if I didn't praise the Lord for this day (in spite of the weather) that this little rock surely would praise Him and was doing just that, well, in my mind anyway. The Lord used a little rock to make a point with me that day. The point is... EVERYDAY has a blessing in it. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are, there is always a reason to praise Christ. It was a reminder I needed.

Look around you today and see what little reminder the Lord has of His Goodness for you and don't miss it, you never know, it might just be a plain, old, ordinary rock.

Powdered Sunshine

Today's treasure presented itself unexpectedly and I didn't take any pictures. Fact is, I seldom take pictures at all. But I digress....
I received a call from a very good friend this afternoon. She asked, "What are you doing right now?" Me: "Sitting at my computer desk." She: "What are you doing for the next little while?" Me: "No plans, what are you thinking?" She: "Meet me and we'll go for a ride and run an errand together."
So... off I went and off we went! It was a short little visit, only an hour or so, but a time of true refreshment. It was so nice to have time alone with my friend amongst busy schedules.
Too often we don't take the time for a spur of the moment visit. Too often we feel we have to plan. How nice it was to "squeeze" in a little visit with a good friend.
What opportunity is presenting itself to you today? Maybe a visit with a friend, a phone call to pray for someone, a chance to help someone in need, a last minute invite for a meal, --- whatever it may be let's not miss a chance to bless or be blessed just because we didn't "plan" on it. Let's enjoy life, every day, every moment, as opportunities arise, seize them.

Because I love to look at pictures on other blogs, I feel the need to post a couple of photos. ~smile

Here is a photo I took of one of my sunflowers a few days ago. It is amazing to me that this huge plant came from just one little seed.

My husband took this picture of a bee enjoying one of our sunflowers:
Doesn't he look delightfully happy? Look at his little legs all covered in pollen. Can you imagine being covered with powdered sunshine like that. It looks so very cheerful to me. Now, can you imagine while this little bee was on his way to do his daily chores he happened to fly by this sunflower but because he was so very busy (bees are you know) he couldn't possibly stop here for a little snack. He had much, much, too much to do! So.... instead he flies on his way and misses all that golden goodness that God put right in his path for him to enjoy.
Let's make a point to not let the little treasures God has planned for us slip away.....

Beatrice

Last Saturday at 4:15pm we welcomed a lovely little treasure into our home.
Let me introduce to you Miss Beatrice Hill, Bea for short (because that is exactly what she is.)




We didn't realize she was to arrive until approximately 2 weeks ago and we are so very happy that she is here.



It is so amazing to think that just a couple of days ago she was still inside her momma. Guinea pigs are born fully dressed (hair) and with their eyes open. Within a couple of hours she was happily nibbling away on some lettuce.

I hope you enjoy looking at today's treasure as much as I do!

A little touch of Lavender

Because I have this blog, I did something today that I almost never do. I went walking with my camera. Usually when I go for a walk it is a meditative time and some little "treasure" will present itself to me. Today I went looking for treasure. I was a treasure hunter and I believe I found gold!! I found this petite little flower in the middle of my path in the woods in a very wet spot. The flower is so small that if I had been in a rush or if I had even been looking up at the trees at that very moment, I would have missed it altogether.




Isn't it a darling little flower? Notice the different shades of lavender and the delicate lines on it's petals.

Note: this flower is only about 1/4 of an inch in diameter. Here is a photo with a leaf near it to give a bit more perspective:




See how very tiny it is? I am so very glad I took the time to go out in the woods today treasure hunting. If I hadn't, I might never have seen this little flower. Tomorrow it could be gone, an animal could step on it or I might be in a big rush to "get my exercise" and pass by it all together.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at today's little treasure. Be sure to take a little break, look around and see what treasure awaits you today.