Oh, These New Days

"To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under Heaven."  (Even Winter...) ..... Ecclesiastes 3:1

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You saw this photo last year, but yesterday in the blowy sunshine--and after speaking with Robin, our neighbor, who also survived this winter-- I put my porch back together like this. I lugged down that chair and table from upstairs (after locking Sammy The Cat in the bathroom so he'd not sneak outside and after Skyping with Naomi who called just as the table and I teetered at the top of the stairs), but of course, this photo is ever so much greener and pleasant than one I could take during our present Still Grey time.

To me, this past Winter did not seem long or harsh, really, but even so, I wonder if springtime would feel so dreamy if wintertime were only a quick and easy blip on the calendar. After living in snow country for 37 years I've seen how we snow folk can become all loopy-celebratory come April, providing a giddy type of energy so we can rake-up those leftover leaves, haul-in garden soil bags and prune and plant and water during all those weeks ahead. A type of gratitude energy, I think, great enough to carry over inside the house for Spring cleaning and projects dreamed-up on snowy afternoons (like that closet upstairs which I will wallpaper next week).

In fact, years ago I stopped calling Autumn my favorite season because in Spring you have many months of gorgeous weather ahead. But in Autumn? You have Winter looming around the corner with his icy teeth ready to bit you you-know-where.

And I must add--again--that this year, Magnum P.I. brought early springtime, no Summer, even, to my living room as well as my heart. Tom and I are nearing the end of the series and we'll always be grateful to Netflix for providing this seaside-y beach show, Hawaii in our living room, just when we needed it most. 

It's like I've seen that, when we desire God's leadings, we find ourselves at just the right places, at perfect times and He's constantly surprising us in custom-made ways. He's that good, that completely understanding of us, not to mention that He has the awesome advantage of seeing ahead, unlike most of us who can barely understand the miracles in front of our own faces--alas!

I'm so looking forward to the return of green!

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The opposite of gratitude energy? Complaining depletion.

“Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.” 
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

"Not my will, but yours be done."   ... Luke 22:42


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For my many readers who love all things retro, you'll enjoy this which Naomi sent to me. A 96-year-old woman is selling her home which she impeccably decorated in the 1950's and 60's. Wow. Tom and I step into lots of estate sales in homes stuck-in-time, but never ones so pristine!


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Oh, I'm so slow sometimes. Only yesterday did I see the feature at Amazon.com which allows me to read the first chapter (or so) of books in my Kindle Cloud Reader so I can sample the writing style, etc., without having to buy them, first. (On the book's page, on the right, click on Send Sample Now.) I'd seen the Look Inside feature (on just some books) for years, of course, but this is better. Or is this a new thing? 

Whatever, it helped me choose to buy a dreamy book yesterday, one perfect for garden and house repair inspiration. You'll find it here:  The View From Mary's Farm.

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“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    "Winter is dead.” 
― A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young


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Did you see this about Doris Day's 90th birthday party?