Around home and town this Autumn

Thyme growing wild in the cow pasture

A sleepy, misty morning on 'Wild Thyme Farm'

My favorite apple tree :o)

Our neighbors' barn through the trees...

Wind stealing leaves from the trees!

View of our town from a cow pasture ;o)

Rita and Fiona on the town green-- so pretty! :o)

Our 'Town Hall'. Where we register to vote, and go Contradancing every month! :-D

Yes 'tis true; we have covered bridges :o)

We call these "Ghost Blankets"

Morning Silhouette

Rita's thoroughbred gelding

Little People (2)

Children pick up on very interesting things, I have come to realize. Little Fiona has already developed a 'stereotype' for what different people are like! The other day she was flipping through a magazine, and came to this advertisement that featured a geeky sort of girl wearing a skirt, sneakers, and funky glasses. Fiona pointed to the girl in the picture, and said, "Annie, Annie, Annie." Apparently I am the 'geek' auntie!! LOL. :-D This was confirmed today-- I happened to put my somewhat 'geeky' glasses on to see something out the window... when I pulled them off, Fiona started to fuss, and almost pulled a fit-- she didn't stop until I put them back on, *sigh.* Should I maybe consider a 'look' change??

Autumn Colors

I finally took time to go out with a camera and record some of the fall beauty! The colors are not as vibrant as they ought to be, because there was a haziness from alternating rain/sun, and it was too bright out. The naked eye can see fine, but cameras need 'special' lighting! Hopefully before all the leaves fall off the trees I will get a chance to take more-- I hope you enjoy these though! :-)

Children

"Children"

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Come to me, O ye children!

For I hear you at your play,

And the questions that perplexed me

Have vanished quite away.

Ye open the eastern windows,

That look towards the sun,

Where thoughts are singing swallows

And the brooks of morning run.

In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine,

In your thoughts the brooklet's flow,

But in mine is the wind of Autumn

And the first fall of the snow.

Ah! what would the world be to us

If the children were no more?

We should dread the desert behind us

Worse than the dark before.

What the leaves are to the forest,

With light and air for food,

Ere their sweet and tender juices

Have been hardened into wood, --

That to the world are children;

Through them it feels the glow

Of a brighter and sunnier climate

Than reaches the trunks below.

Come to me, O ye children!

And whisper in my ear

What the birds and the winds are singing

In your sunny atmosphere.

For what are all our contrivings,

And the wisdom of our books,

When compared with your caresses,

And the gladness of your looks?

Ye are better than all the ballads

That ever were sung or said;

For ye are living poems,

And all the rest are dead.

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O LORD of hosts!

2 My soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the LORD;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself,

Where she may lay her young—

Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

My King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You. Selah

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength;

Each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

9 O God, behold our shield,

And look upon the face of Your anointed.

10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

A Blade of Grass

Have you considered a blade of grass?

Its stem grows tall and weak,

Bending, blowing, swaying

With the breeze;

Yet it does not break.

It can be damaged by the cows'

Chewing, squishing, stomping

With their hooves and teeth;

Yet it shall still grow.

The strength of this lies in its roots,

Which strong and lively are.

They push deep, that none

Shall it uproot.

The grass is like one hid in Christ

Who, when trouble seeks to strike him down

He shall rest upon the Lord,

Who his foundation is forever.

This is still a little rough, so if you have constructive criticism to offer, I'll gladly take it! I would like to do more with the last part, since it really is the point of the poem-- I had to rush of to milk the cow, though. But, I want your input on the general structure of it before I make a final draft! :-)

Two Essential Volumes :-)

Mom and Dad purchased a copy of the Scottish Psalter (version with tunes) this August at the FCC conference-- with my direction and pleading of course!! I am finally learning more psalm tunes! I have tried to adopt it as my own, but have had to learn to share... :-( My very favorite so far is Babel's Streams, and other tunes I have found I really like are Effingham, Wetherby, Stornoway, Kilmarnock, and Richmond. From the RPCNA psalter, I like Kingsfold (psalm 22), and Hope (psalm 121). It is so wonderful to be closer to having the ability to sing the psalms at will-- next goal is to not need the psalter so much. :-)

I have also been reading an excellent commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith (by Robert Shaw)-- which is incredibly helpful! I have read these things already in the Confession, but having them explained for me is incredibly valuable. I am still on the section about the Word of God, but the knowledge gained from his explanations has already been invaluable to me in conversing with unbelievers. If your stack of books is not yet too tall, add a good commentary on the confession! :-D