April Showers...You Know The Rest

God must like clouds. He uses them for some of His best artwork. He chose to dwell in one when He led His people through the wilderness. His Son ascended in them and will return in the same manner. He uses them to water the earth and provide shade.

 

We were out for a drive the other day, the boys and me. My 14 year old had the camera and he caught some beautiful photos for me to share with you. Such variation, all on the same day. When we stopped for a short hike, the sky was a gorgeous blue with those white fluffy 'sheep' clouds. As we came back, thunderheads were starting to form and the sky had darkened a bit, but no worries, we drove out of range of the rain clouds and parked at a place where we could see blue sky overhead. However, soon the clouds found us again and we experienced a gentle rain. 

Its April though. We shouldn't expect less. After all, April showers bring May flowers.

Time Marching.....

Time is marching by. We had a new grandchild a little less than two weeks ago! Number 5! We have yet another wedding coming up this summer. This will make three summers in a row. Our boy is again coming home from college! My youngest two are getting so tall. The 14 year old is almost 6'3". My house is a clutter of school books and laundry and baby toys, dishes in the sink. We have purchased two vehicles to replace the one that got totaled a month ago, a 2009 Malibu and a 1996 Taurus. I am excited about having two vehicles. Seems we are often both in need of one. My flower beds are calling and the garden needs digging up. Life is good and busy and has its struggles but I am blessed. No real blogging time today, but here is a picture of green popping its head up through the dirt.

Ice Storm Kinda Day

Where do birds hide in the freezing rain? They seem to appear the minute it lets up.

My front window, a sheet of ice!

And a steady drip...drip...drip on the front walk

Trees bending low over an ice encrusted lawn

Cozy here. Pizza day, good movies, books to read, music playing. How nice to not have anywhere to go. I'd like some sunshine soon, please, but for today this is alright.

Song Sparrow and a Chickadee

Reporting live from Patrick's backyard bird cam! I love watching God's creation....better than any movies in theatre or on television.

Spring...and I Go Slightly Crazy

There are stories my kids tell, stories of being dragged through swamps and woodlands up to their knees in ice water, struggling through brambles, lost in the wilderness for like...5 hours. Walking several kilometers in the ditch along the side of the 401 highway after a grueling trek through unknown territory. They will tell you that it is because Mom loves spring and if it doesn't come to her, she goes out to find it.

Okay, thats fine when everybody is little and Mom is young and strong and the whole thing becomes a great memory and quite a hoot.

However, I am not as young as I used to be. I decided yesterday, that the two youngest boys at 12 and 14, could use some kind of spring adventure. Just a mild one. The trails between here and the village we live near are nice and tame, well marked, clearly defined. Off we went.

You amble along these nice even paths. The boys even took their mountain bikes. We agreed to meet my daughter and her car at the other end so I could get a ride home if I was tired. I am still recovering from my car accident after all. We walked quite a way and found it a bit wet as we neared the railway tunnel.

At this point I put my camera away, safe and dry in my pocket.

It was not far to the end of the trail now, about 3 hayfield lengths, I'd say. But there was some ice and snow ahead that clearly looked like a lake. I knew it couldn't be deep. It looked pretty solid. NOT! Once we fell in up to our thighs, I figured we might as well keep going. Man, that ice water is cold. And it is hard to push a bike through.  And it seems to never end. There is cold black muck under that ice too.  My fourteen year old looks at me with this funny glare and asks me to remind him why this was a good idea. He manages to stay reasonably dry by dragging his bike through the trees, but the twelve year old loves it. He gets it. He plunges right in beside me.

And we make it through. We stand and stomp our feet to get the circulation going. We head home and warm up and change. We go out and buy new shoes which we needed anyway.

Spring is here. Don't worry boys. Mom will settle down come summer.

Words On A Lovely Day....

Just words today. The sky is so blue. We had two house showings scheduled today. One was this morning and went well. The other is this afternoon. In between we drove to the local farm machinery store and ate some of their free sausages and ambled lazily through the farm equipment.

It is one of those days. Our house is spotless, there isn't much to do and I am enjoying the 'leisurely'. No, everything is not necessarily rosy today, but I can put troubles on the back burner and just enjoy today for what it is. Isn't that what joyous living is about?

If you look here,(http://journeythroughtheyears.blogspot.ca/2011/06/thats-my-word.html)you will be reminded that JOY is a word I've claimed for myself. I believe God wants us to be joyous and tells us that in His Word. Here's hoping you feel joyful today! Love, Anita