Rain's Debut

Outside I did dash

At the pitter-pat's call

Finding ladies a-splash

In the portend of Fall


I love the first rain of the season .

Don't you?

Sunday Wonder

I will praise thee, O LORD,
With my whole heart;
I will shew forth
All thy marvellous works.

Psalm 9:1

Impromptu Fondue

*POOF!*

Off goes the power at 5 o'clock p.m. on a Friday Night --
our Family Fun Night of the week.

Hmmmmm . . . what shall we do about dinner now?

Not that I had any really great ideas on a muggy eve following an afternoon of grocery shopping and thrifting following a morning of experimenting with my new yo'gourmet yogurt maker (which I haven't exactly mastered yet . . . post coming soon). This tired gal found the *POOF* less exciting than did the little ladies that scurried around gathering flashlights and reminiscing about all the fun we always have during a power outage.

"Good thing we have a woodstove," observed Rachel cheerfully.

I bit my tongue rather than mention the humid 90s registering on the thermometer.

"Hey," cried Elizabeth, "Let's make fondue with the fondue set we just got at the thrift store!"

Cheers went up from all corners of the keeping room.

(Did I mention I stood in the kitchen with a shocked look on my face. I guess I expected someone to say, "Hey let's eat bread and apples with a bit of cheese and then mom doesn't have to cook and make a mess which she will have to clean up in the dark without a dishwasher's assistance. Did I mention the crabbiness flowing through my brain on this muggy day? Did I also mention that I often fall apart between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. if I don't have a bit of respite and a cup of tea about 3:30ish -- which I missed this day?)

The giggles and glee swept everyone up in cheerful busy-ness creating a wave of joy that literally swept away the grouch in me.

Rachel ran to retrieve just the right cookbook.

With a little help from Remy, we came up with a luscious cheese fondue made from cheddar cheese and milk (plus a roux of flour and butter) with a hint of garlic, paprika, nutmeg, and the juice of a lemon dashed with a bit of salt and pepper.

With proper accompaniments like fresh brown bread,
sweet 100s from our garden,
juicy grapes, and generous chunks of gala apples,

Along with a sweet treat of Virgil's old-fashioned Root Beer
(free of any high fructose corn syrup)

We prayed and dug in with delight!

Heavy-laden little forks hefted gooey, gushy, globs of YUM into our mouths.

Fortunately I had the foresight to choose a cheddar-colored table cloth,
so blops didn't distract us.

Long before the fondue ran out
Our appetites ceased calling for more.
We pushed back with a sigh and
NO ROOM FOR DESSERT!!
Imagine that . . .

: D

p.s. The power returned before we sat down to dinner, so I washed dishes in a brightly lit kitchen ALL BY MYSELF (and enjoyed every minute of it after such a fabulous feast).

Remembering . . .

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:

His heart is fixed,

Trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 112:6b,7

Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been?

Well, my dear friends, I have been away from the blogs for a fair piece (returning soon to see what you have been up to in my prolonged absence), but I haven't been to see The Queen or even a lowly jester. Instead, I have been about the business of treasure hunting . . . for true wealth, as can only be found in the memories made in each passing day.

With Autumn still about two weeks away from her official debut, the welcoming coolness of these late, late Summer days has paved the way for coming away from the fans and back out into the gardens for fun and work and a host of other activities.

Around here we choose to mix up work and play,
Evidenced here in the building of a treehouse


For one happy girl (and dad, too, I see),

Who will lie back and gaze at this wondrous site.

Not one to enjoy wielding a hammer or saw,
Miss Lydia prefers to run amongst the flowers and trees.
These sweet days offer no finer opportunity
To dance among the trees


Finding flowers laden with unexpected gifts,
Like this Praying Mantis Maiden
Coyly searching for a mate.

Another rich memory greeted us one sleepy morning
When we tumbled out of bed
And found this delightful brunch awaiting us.

Rachel had set the table,
Prepared the meal,
And then simply waited for us
To discover the surprise.

Truly priceless memories found amongst these days.

Still, there's more . . .

More spinning dates.
More to learn.

Like how this unusual contraption
makes a skein of yarn into a tidy package,

Which can then be turned into something very special
(like this blankie Elizabeth has fashioned
for a soon-to-be-born little boy).

Miss Elizabeth has had especially busy hands these days.
Here you see her very first pie crust

And the mouthwatering dinner we enjoyed.
Trust me . . . it was soooooo rich and delicious!

With so much happening around our busy homestead,
We easily lose track of time . . .

But the maturation of these "chicks"
Reminds us that time does fly.

Similarly, some things never change,
As you can see that Miss "Freckles"
Still plays the loner.

"Company's Coming!" always delighted me as a child,
and the passing of years has not changed that one bit.

Getting together with a treasure trove of friends
Makes for a day overflowing
With the kind of wealth and blessings
That satisfy long after the meal has been consumed,
The table cleared,
And the dishes stowed tidily away.

Our dear Friend, Chef Karl,
"Laboured" away over a fully-laden BBQ

While his wife Lily and her sister Susan
Enjoyed catching up on all the happenings
Around here since our last get together.

Relaxed fun for all!
(You can't find that in a bank vault.)

As the sun slipped slowly away
We chatted by candlelight,
Wishing we could find a firefly
To add to our cache of beauty
In this gently, rich life.