Winter Joys

A clipping from last summer's geraniums is getting ready to bloom!

It is so neat to see tracks of various wildlife in the snow.

Our Valentine tulips from Mom & Dad brightened up winter days!

Mom's multi-year crochet project has an end in sight!

Pulling out old games has been fun and stimulating for occasional family game nights. Dad learned Mille Bornes when student teaching in Africa to wrap up his music degree, so he bought this once he got back home in the 70's.

"The Greatest Thing in the World"

When unpacking boxes and totes of books from our home library which had been stored in the garage for 3 years, I found this little gem. 

There is no publication date on this edition of The Greatest Thing in the World. A search shows it may be from 1970, but the texts I find online date back at least as far as 1891. And the Introduction by D. L. Moody tells how this book came out of an impromptu, fireside chat with friends in England in 1884.

Author Henry Drummond, a Scottish scientist, teacher and church leader, was a classmate of Robert Louis Stevenson. His writings were circulated more widely than the popular novels of his day, and this little book still continues in print.

So, what does the author describe as "the greatest thing in the world?" Or as he puts it: "What is the summum bonum - the supreme good? You have life before you. Once only you can live it. What is the noblest object of desire, the supreme gift to covet?"

The answer: Love! 

But maybe not just in the way you are thinking this Valentine's Day 2025. This book takes us through 1 Corinthians 13 in detail... which of course is all about Love. 

This excerpt in particular sticks out to me:

"Love is not a thing of enthusiastic emotion. It is a rich, strong, manly, vigorous expression of the whole round Christian character - the Christlike nature in its fullest development."

After all... God Is Love! - 1 John 4:9

Drummond continues, "And the constituents of this great character are only to be built up by ceaseless practice. What was Christ doing in the carpenter's shop? Practicing. Though perfect, we read that He learned obedience, and grew in wisdom and in favor with God. Do not quarrel, therefore, with your lot in life. Do not complain of its never-ceasing cares, its petty environment, the vexations you have to stand, the small and sordid souls you have to live and work with. ... That is the practice God appoints you... Do not grudge the hand that is moulding the still too shapeless image within you. It is growing more beautiful, though you see it not. "

Happy Valentine's Day!

~ Hannah

January 2025

January 2025:

January held a few noteworthy activities for our family.

I got out cross-country skiing for my first time in years, and it felt amazing! A second time at the start of February was just as satisfying. I love this new (old) way to enjoy our 8 acres and surrounding fields in the fresh, cold air!

We ate the last tomatoes from our garden on January 25th... a record for us! They had been picked in hard and green before freeze-up last fall and slowly ripened in a box and then the window-sill through winter. They were even sprouting inside!

Though not like vine-ripened, these were certainly better than from a store. And they worked great in a Fiesta Salad with home-canned corn and beans.

Speaking of canned beans, this was also a first.

I finally tried the several day process I'd been dreaming of and sprouted black beans for extra digestibility, then pressure canned them for an easy protein to add to meals. They turned out delicious!

Elsa launched two new lines in our renamed Etsy shop: Heritage Woolen Co.

Her handknit, soft, woolen bonnets are a favorite with moms and littles alike!

And her new textured mitten design comes in the prettiest earthy colors! (limited edition)

Back to foods:

Mom made our first 2 crust pie (a challenge usually avoided in gluten-free baking) in about a decade. Delicious! 

And we are eating lots of fresh sprouts... courtesy of Elsa's diligence. 

After starting 2025 with a bang... playing Dutch Blitz with cousins at midnight (a family tradition neglected for many years past), we are on a roll!

We are keeping it up by pulling out old favorites for a weekly family game night. My Rummikub memories go back to before age 12 when we sat around Grandpa and Grandma's round dining room table and learned to plan complex moves!

While Nordic colorwork mitten designs for the Etsy shop keep clicking off my needles during family audiobook evenings, I make gifts for my stash on Sundays. This amigurumi zebra is the latest to make me smile.

And the 1 minute blind contour sketch I did of it makes me laugh!

If you haven't heard of this quick sketch practice, it involves looking only at the subject (never even glancing at the paper) and drawing in a continuous line without lifting the pen. A fun challenge!

And yes... I just noticed that this sketch was done in February. So starts a new month...

~ Hannah