Light Snow II

The forecast was correct!  

We are happily enjoying the cosy view... now that the last outdoor work was finished by Mom and Dad this morning and I got our bird feeders filled during the mid-afternoon flakes!

Light Snow

The forecast calls for light snow through the evening.

It has already begun indoors!

Sunshine - Rest and Play

A sunny spot near a south facing window is everyone's favorite right now.  And Gulliver (Gully) is no exception.

But she can be lured from even this comfort.

Distracted by a slight movement near the camera

A skillful hunter in slow-motion action

The lunge

Got it!

The camera's tether string :-)

Thanksgiving and Praise

Can you imagine the leader of any country writing this now? Oh, that they would once again!

"The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God...

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.  

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens... to set apart and observe the last Thursday  of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens..."

from Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Maybe some tea?

Every time I walked through the door, a Russian friend who was just learning English would end his greeting with a big smile and the inviting words, "Maybe some tea?" Then off to the kitchen where an electric kettle was always ready to boil at a moment's notice, thanks to twice the voltage I was used to back home.

Of course, the invitation included not only tea, but also the optional sugar or honey, a variety of lovely Russian crackers or cookies (rarely very sweet), and conversation. Where his English and my Russian words didn't come so readily, smiles, drawings, and a dictionary filled in the gaps.

And tea was not just for the morning and afternoon visits or breaks in the staff room, it also followed every meal. Yes, my doctor friend taught how it aids digestion (unlike cold pop, which doesn't allow you to digest meats and fats...), but I see even more value in this tradition.

Slowing down. Taking time to enjoy each other, to breathe, to listen, to release tensed muscles, to think, to enjoy the view... even just to warm cold fingers on a warm mug.

How often do we rush through a meal and on to the next thing as if we just put on fuel at a gas station, paid at the pump, and raced off - defying any red lights to slow us down? This post was actually inspired by noticing my bad habit of jumping up to move on before I even finished chewing or swallowing breakfast.

So, I remembered.

And made a cup of tea.  Which I will now sit... and enjoy.

Want to join me?!

"Russian Tea Company"

Snowflakes

Snowflakes!
Outdoors and In:

Wait and Hope

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in His word I put my hope.

"O [insert your name], put your hope in the LORD,

for with the LORD is unfailing love 

and with Him is full redemption."

Psalm 130:5, 7

New Views

An upside to all the travels we make for doctors appointments these years is... new scenery!

And we were blessed with more strength to get out and enjoy this view than four months ago!

Wedding Doilies

The past year had plenty of sitting-time to make seven doilies for Maren and Jason's home.  Not as many as Lucy Maud Montgomery's fanciful 'Diana Barry' was determined to have before her marriage, but it's a start. ;-)

I love being able to mimic my Creative Father in these little ways.