little white lies

i hate doing it. my conscience is nagging at me, but i didn't know what else to do. the new little puppy darted out into the road, she was following the big boys to the place where they "jump" their bikes and it happened-she was hit by a car. i just wanted to shield the two little ones from the pain of losing another animal. it seems we have terrible luck with pets. and i gulp each time i perpetuate this little white lie. wait till monday. let's see what the vet says. i am not sure they put her to sleep. it's not a good idea, i know, but we all do it, don't we? i like to tell myself that somehow it will make them feel better while i alone bear the brunt of knowing that she is gone and it won't be better on monday. i am going to have to come clean at some point. heaven help me when i do. for there really is no escaping from those nasty little white lies.

whiskers on kittens

these are a few of my favorite things.............

little boys with curly hair and long eyelashes

bringing plants-lilies from our old house, violets and irises-

from nana's yard to start the generational garden

gardening with my very own root children

discovering charlottes' web

spotting two new nests in the yard

reading this story tonight and finding out

that these root children were painting lady bugs too!

thank you sarah sunshine for making us think happy thoughts today.

and since shelly came out of her funk i can go to bed even happier!

it's 11:18 and all is well.

goodnite.

our sky

this was our sky today.

how was your sky?

the employees at the starbucks in my front yard called me out to look at our sky whilst they worked away making wheatgrass tea and smoothies.

i love this starbucks because they don't care about things like "no shoes, no service",

they appear to be faithful Catholics, after all, they have a statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus right in their store, they use all natural ingredients, they care enough about the environment to share a moment such as this with me, their most loyal customer and best of all, their drinks are free!

p.s. juli, maybe tomorrow i'll try to answer your question,

"what kind of homeschooler am i?"........

(i think she is trying to interview me in a roundabout way=)

holding on

sometimes i........

wonder why it is that i sit here

and type away

sending moments that are so personal and private

wonderful and perfect

off into cyberspace

to, well, in all honesty, mostly strangers

yet, so far, warm and kind strangers

who reach across the miles

to leave comments and say hello

trying to make a connection with me

a stranger to them also

each of us just trying to find some common thread

in this great big world

that our God has seen fit to place us in

and i guess my only reason for even pondering all

of this is due to the breathing in of copious amounts

of fresh mountain air today

i was so smitten

with all of my blessings even though

my hair was so

messy and staticky

from the blustery wind

but all i cared about was

the whirlwind of

sticky marshmallowy fingers

all around me

a warm fire

with dancing flames

and precious bare feet on

the hearth

the laughing faces of my family,

my children especially

and well,

i guess there is that part of me

that just wants to keep holding on

to all of the goodness

because i know that life is not

always all good

but as a Christian

i feel it is my duty

to share with you the beauty

that abounds in this life of mine

and in yours too

because it is there

and it has nothing to do

with money or status

popularity or talent

just plain goodness

from a GOD who IS

ALL good and ALL loving

and Who i like to think

is holding on to me

and mine

and you and yours...............

joyful noise

they lined up like they were asked to

they walked through puddles in the pouring rain

they sang their best

they brought smiles

and

some cards they'd made in anticipation of their visit

but i'll tell you,

what they gave today

was absolutely priceless

and i just know

that heaven heard

their joyful noise.

the little boy hat

"i wanted a blue and camo one."

"it's itchy."

"can i take it off now?"

i guess we need to work on a spirit of gratitude.