springtime

 

Bald eagles back in the cottonwood tree

The old brown hills are just about bare

Springtime sighing all along the creek

Magpies ganging up everywhere

Sun shines warm on the eastern slope

March came in like a lamb for a change

Gary's pulling calves at the old stampede

We made it through another on the northern range

Well the big Chinook blew in last week

Warm and strong from the western sea

Pretty soon water running everywhere

Heck it couldn't run fast enough for me

Broodmare's sleeping in the afternoon sun

She's shedding hair everywhere

Time for a change

George's pulling calves at the T-Y*

We made it through another on the northern range

Waddie's pulling calves at the Little E

We made it through another on the northern range

 

--Ian Tyson


womanhood and book thieves

           A candle is lit in each window, there is a furry kitten in my lap and hot cocoa at my elbow. Everything in this picturesque scene is perfect --- except the dismal lack of snow. (All of my friends left for Florida this Christmas, but they didn't have to. There is tropical, 65 degree warmth here in Missouri.)
These days my life has consisted of the following:
Reading.
Two weeks ago my friend lent me the "Book Thief" by Markus Zusak..... and oh how INTERESTING it is! Every evening I curl up in bed with the thick black volume to absorb more of the captivating story. Mosi joins me -- licking me on the nose and begging for eggnog. 
The book started out like this:

"DEATH AND CHOCOLATE

First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.

***HERE IS A SMALL FACT ***

You are going to die...."

 

Clearly you can see the book is lovely. Clearly.

I won't give away any of the plotline because you simply have to read it for yourself. But I will say this: the words are full of life and vibrancy, the descriptions are startlingly accurate, and each chapter leaves me breathless. Now go. Read it. Learn about the girl with no words, and the basement dwelling Jew.

          Perhaps it is habit or perhaps it is my short-attention span, but I can never read one book at a time. My second project is "Winsome Womanhood: Familiar Talks on Life and Conduct" by Margaret Sangster. It was published in 1900, so I had a difficult time finding a copy to purchase. Thank goodness for the interwebs!! By stumbling upon Forgotten Books, I found a paper back version and promptly whipped out the credit card.

In her forward, M. Sangster says: 

 

I have called the book "Winsome Womanhood" because it is my firm belief

that we are strongest as we are gentlest,

that the "loving are the daring," and that the ideal Christian

woman should be especially serene, tender, and full of charm.

....With Martha, she may be enterprising, busy, and efficient, but with Mary also,

she shall find time to sit at the Master's feet."

 

Criminy! there is so much wisdom in this book! Each page brings insight and inspiration to my mind: in order to fathom the depths of its words, I read each chapter multiple times through. 

True, "WW" may have been written 115 years ago, but the life principles of a godly woman are equally relevant today. The biblically founded teachings are giving me renewed determination to lead my life with calmness, joy, integrity and a loyalty to God.

          Soooo.

Now it's your turn!! Please tell me what you have been reading and don't hesitate to give me suggestions. I am not a picky reader. I am a voracious reader and books are completed faster than they are accumulated.

     P.S. Isn't that blue china mug absolutely dahling?!

beautiful words

Words are vessels of emotion.

 

That is why I love to write -- why I attempt to put "the best words in the best order"....

There is no other way to express feelings so explicitly.

"She lives the poetry she cannot write."
           Oscar Wilde


"I'm restless. Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again."             Anais Nin


"There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."       Vincent Van Gogh


"The poetry of the earth is never dead."
                John Keats


"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."          
    Winnie the Pooh


"I am in the mood to dissolve in the sky."
                Virginia Woolf


"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."                Bob Marley


"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."               William Shakespeare


"There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."     Corrie Ten Boom


"He will come to us like rain."       
        Hosea 6:3


"Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door."          Emily Dickinson

Firenze {part 2}

"For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery,  back, back down the old ways of time. Strange and wonderful chords awake in us, and vibrate again after many hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness." --D.H. Lawrence 

"Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life." --Anna Akhmatova

"It is the city of mirrors, the city of mirages, at once solid and liquid, at once air and stone." --Erica Jong 

 

     "How was Italy!?" is a question people have asked me a numerous times these past few weeks.
     "AMAZING!" is how I usually respond.
     "What was your favorite part?"
     pause. what do I say?
      "Ummmm, well the pasta was fantastic! and so was the artwork......"

In my mind I'm searching for the best way to give them a taste of my Italy, but the words never come out right. What I really want to tell everybody, is how beautiful the roof tops were, how Florence was a palette of earthy tones; a blend of red and browns. I want to tell them about the breath-taking views of lush rolling hills dotted with small villages and castles.

Then there were the masses of people. Tourists, policemen, street vendors, and students all crowded the narrow stone streets of Florence. Chefs stood outside of their restaurants shouting for people to come in, gypsy women followed us around mumbling and rattling their cups, while musicians were at every corner with their battered accordions. I could have spent all day just people watching :)

But in all honesty, my favorite part of Florence was the churches. There was a church on every block; large stone monstrosities with spires and heavy wooden doors. Often times the main chapel was filled with frescoes by Giotto or Michelangelo or statues by Donatello. Always the churches were dark and empty; occasionally there was a tourist walking around, or a man kneeling in prayer, but mostly I had the entire place all to myself. I'd sit in a worn pew and absorb the peaceful silence.

There. That's really what I want to say to everyone, but this blog post will have to suffice.



Someday I will return to Europe. There is more exploring to be done!

to autumn

             Currently, in British Literature (one of my favoritest school courses this year), I am studying John Keats and his life. Of course the tragedy of his love for Fanny Brawne and his passion for beauty inspired me to dive deeper into his writing. I found this gorgeous bit of loveliness (which you must listen to without further hesitation), and also this:

TO AUTUMN

by John Keats

 Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady they laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, --
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hill bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,

____________________________________________________

 

         Read it aloud, and you will see why I am in love with Keats. The imagery is astoundingly vivid and brings all of your senses to life. 

the happy children

          On a field trip to Rocheport yesterday, we stopped at an antique store ( "Friends Together Antiques.") which belongs to a good friend of ours.  Samplers, autograph books, diaries, chairs, dresses, and various trinkets (dating as far back as the 18th century) were quaintly displayed and filled the small building with that faded smell of musty age.

 

          We were only shopping for fun, but I ended up buying this little treasure:

 

          It is was published by the American Sunday-School Union for the purpose of illustrating strong morals for young children. (The kind of morals that are founded straight from Scripture and show you how best to live your life.)
          In this fragile book there are three stories: The "Penitent Robber", "The Happy Children", and an "Anecdote". I cannot describe the delightfulness of this book very fairly, so here are some excerpts. I'm sure you will find them quite whimsical and old fashioned:)
__________________________________________________________________________________

          "Now, reader, pause awhile, and think
               What thou art now, and soon must be!
          For God hath sent this little book,
               And speaks with solemn voice to thee.

          Say, dost thou long for peace in life,
                And hope for heaven when life is past?
          O pause and listen! -- search thy heart;
                 For know this day may prove thy last!"
___________________________________________________________________________________

"When this book is written, two boys and two girls, the happy children to whom we refer, are living in a little cottage, in the county of Lancaster ..... They have such kind parents, such a good governess at their well-conducted school, and are making such improvement by these means, that we call them the Happy Children; and we earnestly wish that the dear little ones who may read, or hear this account, may be like them that they may be happy also."
___________________________________________________________________________________

"One day, two of children retired to the same room to pray; and it appeared, on inquiry afterwards, that one of them chose the darkest corner in it, thinking that it would be most proper, because it was most private: the other prayed near to a window, which she set open, because she had heard that Daniel did so. They have often been much struck with the history of that eminent saint, and frequently request their parents to read it at family worship."
___________________________________________________________________________________

So, now you know why I am thoroughly enjoying this little bit of paper and binding!

What are some treasures you have found? Please tell! I would love to hear.

city life

          I profess to be a country girl--but technically I'm not. This past spring, we moved to the 'city' and it's taken us a while to break ourselves in. I still love the country, (and would prefer it any day) but now I'm beginning to see the finer points of city life.

 

 

 

 



Catherine and I went to see 'Guys and Dolls'! Gaaa! Soo much fun!!!

 

The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it.

Charles Baudelaire

"Missionary life is simply a chance to die."

This book. Is amazing.

            Do you know that jittery excited feeling you get when something you read is so impactful and full of truth?  That’s how you feel when you read this book by Elisabeth Elliot. The life story of Amy Carmichael is so beautifully captured in this book that it kind of takes your breath away. And not only is it a narrative of her missionary work—it is also a way to be prayerful about your own spiritual journey.

 

   

Amy’s entire life was a witness to God. She was not perfect—in fact she often had doubts or made mistakes, but she openly admitted them and constantly sought Truth and Righteousness.

“Give me the Love that leads the way

The Faith that nothing can dismay

The Hope no disappointments tire

The Passion that'll burn like fire

Let me not sink to be a clod

Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God”

― Amy Carmichael 

 

One person who knew Amy well said: “Miss Carmichael was a blessing to all who came into intimate and understanding contact with her radiant life.  She was the most Christ-like character I ever met, and her life was the most fragrant, the most joyfully sacrificial that I have ever known."

      Amy was also humble and faithful.  God used her servant nature to work for others and He used her deep faith to move and inspire. Miss Carmichael started the Dohnavur Fellowship in India (which is still alive today--you can see their website here), she wrote dozens of books, became the mother to hundreds of children, and devoted 53 years of her life to missionary work without furlough. 

    

In so many ways I wish I could be like her, but then I tell myself: 'Laurel, all you have to do is believe with the same fiery devotion and then let God work through you.' That's all Amy had; her Faith and her Savior. But she built up a legacy and touched countless lives with her contagious love and compassion.

 

“There have been times of late when I have had to hold on to one text with all my might: "It is required in stewards that a man may be found faithful." Praise God, it does not say "successful.”

― Amy Carmichael 

“to the glory of His name let me witness that in far away lands, in loneliness (deepest sometimes when it seems least so), in times of downheartedness and tiredness and sadness, always always He is near. He does comfort, if we let Him. Perhaps someone as weak and good-for-nothing as even I am may read this. Don't be afraid! Through all circumstances, outside, inside, He can keep me close.”

― Amy Carmichael 

In closing, I urge you to pick up her biography (or perhaps one of her own writings.) Then you’ll see for yourself what wonderful things God wrought through her life!  

 

Other reading material on Amy Carmichael:

•  http://www.gfamissions.org/missionary-biographies/carmichael-amy-1867-1951.html
• http://www.historymakers.info/inspirational-christians/amy-carmichael.html
• http://www.corrinesimpson.com/amy-carmichael/
• http://www.youngandmarried.net/?s=amy+carmichael

{home sweet home}

      Well folks, I’m back from my summer escapades! It feels like I have been gone for years –has it really only been 5 weeks? Sheesh. My latest adventure was in Manhattan Kansas for POE where twelve students ranging from ages 13-18 gathered for a week of recitals, organ lessons, workshops, and numerous games of pool. It is such a rare and wonderful opportunity, that I am kind of sad I haven’t gone regularly in years past. To high school aged pianists--let me give you a word of advice: GO TO PIPE ORGAN CAMP!

 

 

Twice a day, students were split up into pairs for 2 hour sessions of lessons and practice time. These were my favorite times of the day when I was completely immersed in music and had nothing else to focus on except what I was being taught. “Feel the music!” my teacher said, “make it swing and dance under your fingertips.”

Teachers also took turns presenting workshops for the students. There were workshops on practicing efficiently, how to play hymns in church, how an organ works, performance anxiety, etc.  For one workshop, an employee from Quimby Pipe Organ Company came and let us crawl through the pipes chambers.

 

 

Do you see those boxes under the pipes? Those are wind chests. You have to scoot in head first on your back to see underneath the pipes. Then, someone locks the door behind you so wind won’t escape-- that way you can see how air passes through the pipes. After that claustrophobic experience, I now have a healthy respect for organ builders.  

            Halfway through the week the whole group of us drove to Lincoln Nebraska for some sightseeing. When 12 students are packed into a 15 passenger van, chaos inevitably ensues. Towards the end of our ride all of us were impersonating Sesame Street characters, listening to classical music, talking to each other in German, and looking at gifs. Ahhhhh—such good times!

            Once in Lincoln NE, we toured Bedient Pipe Organ Company. They were so encouraging and welcoming to all of us! Thank you for letting us get a glimpse of ‘behind the scenes’.  

            Next, three different churches generously let us invade and play their organs. Westminster Presbyterian had a wonderful Casavant organ: 

 

We also visited this beautiful monster, which was by far my favorite:

It’s a Schoenstein Organ in First Plymouth Congregational Church. That thing is intimidating. Not only is it huge, it can also control a second organ in the balcony.  

And last but not least we played an Italian style organ built by Bedient in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Though it usually runs on electricity, there were bellows in the back which only the guys were brave enough to try their hand at.

 

 

 

At the end of the week all twelve students performed for teachers and parents in a recital. It was a wonderful way to end our time spent learning and exploring together. I honestly cannot wait till next year!

 

 

And storied windows richly dight,

Casting a dim religious light.

There let the pealing organ blow,

To the full-voiced choir below,

In service high, and anthems clear

As may, with sweetness, through mine ear

Dissolve me into ecstasies,

And bring all Heaven before mine eyes.

--John Milton

 

sweet sixteen

     Today I am officially sixteen! At last!--the song "I am sixteen going on seventeen..." has some shred of relevancy in my life:) 

     But honestly..... I thank God for what a wonderful 16th year I have had..... and I know that He will guide me through my 17

th with the same loving care. 

     My sister Clara took all of the following pictures for me. We had fun goofing off and striking silly poses..... Can you tell?  

Which of these pictures do you like the best? Black and white or sepia? 

 

 (the wind was not doing justice to my hair.) 

 

 

Mom gave me these nice garden togs for my birthday.... I love the pastel blue! 

 

 

My birthday was concluded with an intense game of monoply that lasted till midnight. Thank you to everybody who gave me such a happy day! 

 

Now that I am so mature and wise, I would like to share this pearl of wisdom with you all:-)

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.

(from brainyquote.com)