Thanksgiving Dinosaur

My little grandson, Nehemiah, stood on the kitchen chair beside me while I carved the remaining meat off the turkey carcass.  He watched as I pulled off the wings and asked, "Nonny, why are we taking apart this dinosaur?"  I figured when he asked the question that he had looked at picture books of dinosaur skeletons recently.  "Does this look like a dinosaur bone?" I asked as I held up a leg bone.  "Yes!" he exclaimed.  Yes, we had dinosaur for thanksgiving.  They aren't extinct after all and they taste just like turkey.  

Our Thanksgiving feast

We ate the whole dinosaur!

Thanksgiving day was Annelise's fourth birthday.  She received a violin and her first lesson from Uncle Paul Burton.

A Writing Cabin

We have an apartment which we made available to our grown kids when they were ready to be on their own.  The boys were able to get through college with relatively low college loans because they were willing to live in the small apartment on our property.  After each graduation, I had secretly hoped that the apartment would be vacated and could become my refuge; a place where Paul and I could go to talk together for an evening, or a quiet place to read and think when I need it.  However, Paul Burton will be staying in the apartment and has two more years of medical school.  After that, Kathryn is eying the apartment as her future home.

I don't know when the idea first began, but Paul has been seriously thinking of building me a little writing cabin on our property.  It wouldn't be a very big cabin, just big enough to have a space to call my own; a retreat at the edge of the woods.  This weekend we paced off the area that we thought would be perfect and went out to that spot with our lawn chairs and a cup of coffee.  It felt right.  We sat in the sunshine sipping coffee and imagined where the front door and windows would be. The plans are somewhere out in the future, but we have been waking up mornings feeling excited about it.  I dream of sitting inside the little cabin writing without interruption, while he thinks of ways to make the cabin airtight and how to provide electricity by using solar energy.

We've been sketching, dreaming, taking stock of the materials we already have on the property, and hoping that we can soon start this project in little baby steps.  I called Paul the other day because I found a poem about a cabin and read it to him over the phone.  He enthusiastically remarked that I should write out the poem and frame it to be hung later in the cabin when the walls are up. 

Is there somewhere,
anywhere...
a little, lonesome cabin
lost among the forests
on a wild, deserted shore;
an empty, waiting cabin:
rough-hewn, worn, and solid
with a dandy-drawing chimney,
books and windows little more
I'm tired of noise and traffic,
people pushing, phones and letters, 
dates and deadlines, styles and headlines,
pride and pretense, nothing more;
and I'm needing such a cabin,
near God's masterpiece of mountains,
such a lost and lonesome cabin
where a tired soul can adore. -Ruth Bell Graham

The Cabin Site: 

An idea; a dream; a possibility.

Cough, Cough

I have had one of those hard-to-get-rid-of colds.  The lingering cough has given me the voice of a heavy smoker.  It would be great if I were singing jazz, but I'm not, so I sound like a foghorn.  All of this is to say I haven't felt much like posting.  I'm going into my third week of coughing but the doctor told me today that my lungs are clear.  So I am just going to keep drinking plenty of water and I've made a decision to slow down and take afternoon naps this week.  I think that will finally kick this cold out of the door.

Mercifully, Kathryn has not caught this cold from me.  While Qavah had the sniffles and a cough last week, she is entirely better.  Paul Burton generally works holidays but has this Thanksgiving Day off for the first time in several years.  Lord willing, our plan is to have our Thanksgiving dinner with the family and spend the afternoon playing games and relaxing.  It sounds like a fabulous plan to me.  

I heard a great sermon today about letting go of all anxiety and handing every single anxious thought to God for His attention.  It is written in Phillipians 4:6,  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  I was lying down listening to those powerful words and had a mental picture of myself handing over a list of what I consider the trials in my life.  I pictured myself "presenting" my list, leaving the list with God, and returning to the kitchen where the savory aroma of a baking turkey and a grateful heart made my day perfect. This Thanksgiving I want to exercise true thanks giving, without the weight of my list in hand.  Thank God for His arms that are strong enough to carry all of our "lists."

Leave it quietly to God my soul:

the past mistakes

that left their scars.

All bitterness beyond control,

that mars

His peace,

demands its toll.

Confessed to Him and left...

it would,

like all things

work together 

for my good,

and bring release.

I would be whole.

So

"leave it quietly to God

my soul."  Ruth Bell Graham

Rainy Day Reading

On June 14, 2007, Ruth Graham left the confines of this earth to be with the God she faithfully served.  I was reading some of her poetry and quotes this afternoon.  I have a book of poems she had written and I appreciate how much of her poetry is centered around her life with her husband and children.  Although she wrote of things common to motherhood, she often focuses on her walk with Jesus as the One for Whom she lived.  Her poems create peaceful word pictures, and as the rain fell steadily on my rooftop today I felt rewarded with a ray of sunshine by reading her poems. Her husband Billy said of her, “I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together. We rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day,” Graham recollected. “I will miss her terribly and look forward even more to the day I can join her in heaven.”  I'm looking forward to reading more of her poetry there! 

Listen, Lord,
a mother’s praying
low and quiet:
listen, please.
Listen to what her tears
are saying,
see her heart
upon its knees;
lift the load
from her bowed shoulders
till she sees
and understands,
You, Who hold
the worlds together,
hold her problems
in Your Hands.  Ruth Bell Graham

Beyond Our Understanding

Paul read a few chapters of our Jan Karon book over the weekend.  The girls and I didn't go to church on Sunday.  We decided to stay home and watch some inspirational documentaries on Netflix.  Qavah and I have the remnants of a cold.  We coughed our way through the afternoon, dozing on and off.  We seem to have the same cold virus that is going around.  When a virus comes to our home we pray for the best possible outcome, which is that the girls will not get it.  So far, Kathryn has been staying healthy.   

There was a tragic accident just outside of Roanoke this weekend involving a man who our son Colin knew well and worked with at Ply Gem in Rocky Mount.  That man's life ended in a fatal car accident.  His wife and two young daughters survived the accident, but his death reminded us that life is precious and fragile.  We have stopped to pray numerous times today for the families involved, and for the comfort that only God can give.  While we have our own challenges in our family, by just looking around us, we see that there are people who suffer a great deal and need our help and prayer in their time of trouble.

Colin's friend and colleague enjoyed life and had a great love for God and his family.  We met him at church, and it would seem to our human minds that God would protect a servant like him from such a disaster.  Instead, He took the young husband and father to his eternal home.  We are praying that God will help his family through their grief, and that their reunion in Heaven will be even sweeter because of the sudden way they had to let go of their dreams and embrace the plans of God. 

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.   ICorinthians 2:9

Reading Together

Paul sat on the comfy little love seat in the corner of our room reading to us last night.  The new Jan Karon book came out in time for his birthday.  We girls sat in the bed together, snuggled under the covers, until the girls dropped off to sleep.  I sat there listening to the story beginning to unfold as Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, begin their vacation in Ireland; a dream come true for them.  Jan Karon does a lovely job of describing the scene in a way that places the reader right in the room to observe the same things.  In the story last night, she described the Bed and Breakfast so well that I could almost smell scones baking when I woke up this morning. Reading aloud together is something that we have done for nearly 37 years, and we would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to share some quiet time together. 

In chapter three, Father Tim and Cynthia had just crawled under a mountain of blankets and plumped the feather pillows to settle in for the night.  He felt Cynthia shivering and asked if he should close the window.  She replied, "No, I am just excited by it all.  I'm glad it took so many years for us to get here."  "You're glad?" he asked.  "That it was so long delayed and hoped for makes it all more precious."  That's exactly how Paul and I feel when there is a new Jan Karon book in the bookstores.  Tonight is Friday night and I am dreaming of hearing Paul's voice as he continues to read. I have a hunch that he is at work dreaming about the same thing.  Good stories read by someone you love, a bowl of popcorn, and a warm blanket on a cold night, makes for a perfect evening.  I'm thanking God right now for the imagination He gave to me.  I've been many wonderful places just by reading a good book.  I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend in Ireland with Father Tim and Cynthia.

Note:   At Home in Mitford is the first book in the Mitford series if you are interested.

Reading Together

Paul sat on the comfy little love seat in the corner of our room reading to us last night.  The new Jan Karon book came out in time for his birthday.  We girls sat in the bed together, snuggled under the covers, until the girls dropped off to sleep.  I sat there listening to the story beginning to unfold as Father Tim and his wife, Cynthia, begin their vacation in Ireland; a dream come true for them.  Jan Karon does a lovely job of describing the scene in a way that places the reader right in the room to observe the same things.  In the story last night, she described the Bed and Breakfast so well that I could almost smell scones baking when I woke up this morning. Reading aloud together is something that we have done for nearly 37 years, and we would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to share some quiet time together. 

In chapter three, Father Tim and Cynthia had just crawled under a mountain of blankets and plumped the feather pillows to settle in for the night.  He felt Cynthia shivering and asked if he should close the window.  She replied, "No, I am just excited by it all.  I'm glad it took so many years for us to get here."  "You're glad?" he asked.  "That it was so long delayed and hoped for makes it all more precious."  That's exactly how Paul and I feel when there is a new Jan Karon book in the bookstores.  Tonight is Friday night and I am dreaming of hearing Paul's voice as he continues to read. I have a hunch that he is at work dreaming about the same thing.  Good stories read by someone you love, a bowl of popcorn, and a warm blanket on a cold night, makes for a perfect evening.  I'm thanking God right now for the imagination He gave to me.  I've been many wonderful places just by reading a good book.  I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend in Ireland with Father Tim and Cynthia.

Note:   At Home in Mitford is the first book in the Mitford series if you are interested.

Transfusion Day

My daughter just keeps amazing me.  About the time I think she is never going to submit to another hurtful needle, she puts on her composure the way I put on my shoes, and deals with it.  Her veins were hard to find today, and once again she had to be stuck until a vein was found.  She handled it beautifully, which always makes me so proud.  I hope when I am called upon to handle a hardship in life, I will do it with the bravery and grace I have seen in Qavah.  Don't we learn more from our children than they learn from us?  Isn't that just one more reason to view them as a gift?

Transfusion Day

My daughter just keeps amazing me.  About the time I think she is never going to submit to another hurtful needle, she puts on her composure the way I put on my shoes, and deals with it.  Her veins were hard to find today, and once again she had to be stuck until a vein was found.  She handled it beautifully, which always makes me so proud.  I hope when I am called upon to handle a hardship in life, I will do it with the bravery and grace I have seen in Qavah.  Don't we learn more from our children than they learn from us?  Isn't that just one more reason to view them as a gift?

Happy Birthday Paul

We celebrated Paul's birthday by going to church for a two hour praise and worship time last night.  The praise team did a great job choosing songs rich in Biblical content and we all enjoyed the evening together.  Kathryn had reserved a table for our family and the church also provided several delicious homemade goodies served with coffee and tea.  It was an uplifting evening and a great celebration for Paul.  We met several people last night and introductions were a part of the evening as well. 

I woke myself up during the night when I burst out laughing.  I was dreaming that we were still at the concert and some people came up to us and introduced themselves as the "Nimble" family.  Then they smiled and pointed to their 6 year old son and said, "This is our son Jack B."  Since I woke myself up, I sat up in bed and tried to think why in the world I would dream about "Jack be nimble."  The nearest I can come to an answer was that we all went into the nursery after the event at church and looked around at the way things were organized.  The babies had their own little cubbies with their names on it.  At any rate, we had a delightful evening, and I woke up this morning chuckling as I thought about the way our minds work creatively even while we sleep.

Enjoy your Sabbath rest. 

Good Eating Day

Kathryn and Qavah have days that food just doesn't taste good to them.  They have days that their appetite is next to nothing, and I have learned not to force food on them.  Usually that phase passes and they are ravenously hungry for a couple of days after that.  Today was one of those days.  They had hot oatmeal and homemade applesauce for breakfast, hummus wraps for lunch, and roast beef with gravy over mashed potatoes and greens for dinner.  Kathryn is now taking pancreatic enzymes with meals and it seems to be helping her digest her food.  Today was a good day, with good food, good music, and an afternoon Christmas movie.  At the end of the day, a box was delivered and it was filled with beautiful Michigan apples from Aunt Marcia and Uncle Les!  We had one more snack of delicious sliced apples before turning out the kitchen light.  We are grateful for good days like this one.  The blessing of good food fills the soul as well as the tummy.

The Clean Plater
Some singers sing of ladies' eyes, And some of ladies lips, Refined ones praise their ladylike ways, And coarse ones hymn their hips. The Oxford Book of English Verse Is lush with lyrics tender; A poet, I guess, is more or less Preoccupied with gender. Yet I, though custom call me crude, Prefer to sing in praise of food. Yes, food, Just any old kind of food. Ogden Nash