blog troubles - updated again!

Hi there to all my blog subscribers.

I'm switching to a new Squarespace format - same URL - kathie.squarespace.com but, unfortunately, you will need to re-subscribe in order to get new entries.

Just click on Journal in the navigational bar and when you arrive there, click on Subscribe RSS in the navigational bar at the top of the page.

Or better yet - click this link - SUBSCRIBE HERE - it will take you an RSS page and you can choose the reader you like best.

phew - hope this works!

Sorry for the inconvenience

Please let me know if it's working for you!

and thanks!!

fff ~ celebrations

Celebrations galore this week! I'm listing my favourite moments, along with Susanne and the gang at Living To Tell The Story.

1. A very special birthday ~ someone turned 30!

but can someone tell me how it happened? 

Wasn't it yesterday he looked this?

The ornament gives it away - that first Christmas really was 1982 . . .

Happy birthday sweetheart - you, and our sweet dil, Dorothy, bring us so much happiness! We love you!

Josie was completely mesmerized by the birthday hat! She wouldn't stop staring. :)

2. Raspberry Trifle was requested - a perfect, celebration dessert!

So pretty and delicious. Recipe coming soon ~ promise.

3. Another celebration ~ a baby shower for a sweet, almost mama! Julie is due this Sunday.

We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl - so we guessed!

Pretty lips for a girl and a moustache for a boy. It's pretty evenly split, but I think we're leaning toward a boy!

4. Sarah is having a ball performing in the Wizard of Oz this week.

She plays many roles but here she is as a citizen of Oz.

and a "flying alternate" for the Wicked Witch of the West. On the right is our niece Rachel - she plays a Munchkin mayor.

I attended the opening show last week and I'm going to the final performance on Saturday night -  this time with the whole family. It's been an exhausting exciting week for Sarah and Rachel. It's a good thing Christmas is coming soon - it will help with the post performace slump!

5. I guess this last favourite is not really a celebration  (well, maybe just for me and all the other wives haha!) But I know Roger would like to see a hunting picture. Here he is with his buddies, Justin and Peter, heading out on the final day of hunting season.

If you knew how much Roger appreciated dogs, you'd get a kick out of this next picture.

For some reason, dogs love him even if the affection is not returned with the same fervour! :)

Handsome pup!

And now a final reason to celebrate - our oldest son, Andrew, is coming home from the UK for Christmas! We'll really miss our dear dil, Hyekoo, but she couldn't get the time off from her work.

Andrew arrives Monday and he'll get to meet his niece for the first time!

Yay!

Thanks so much for joining me in this week's Fave 5!

Happy weekend!

with love,

PS  A contest - answer the following questions:

1. is your shopping all done? 
2. are your presents all wrapped? 
3. are your cookies all baked?

If you answered yes to the following questions, you're the lucky winner!!

and here's your prize . . . you get to come and help me finish mine!

jk but I wish I wasn't!

today

abiding in this.

sweet and sweeter

A sweet new lens!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II 

and a sweet little model to try it out on! 

#happiness

Love

The story behind the songs - a little bittersweet :)

fff - did you know?

Welcome to

Five favourites on a Friday!

1.Did you know that if your dog is sprayed by a skunk,  baking soda pasted on wet fur (nose plugged please) and dosed with vinegar really does take away the stink? Also very impressive to watch it foam. 

Make sure you don't get it in puppy's eyes. (Sophie, you should be thanking me for that, not sulking on your bed!)

And don't forget the camera for a blog post (how did I miss that blog op?!)

2. Did you know that "it's fun to fly?" says Sarah.  (Sorry for the grainy cell phone picture - but you get the idea!)

Wizard of Oz opens tonight (Thursday)

A flying monkey, a munchkin, a fly-by, stand-in for the Wicked Witch and a citizen of Oz - Sarah has a busy week ahead!

I'm heading to the opening tonight and going again with the whole family on closing night - fun times!

3. Did you know it takes 150 pictures to get two passable pictures of a band? Goodness! I don't think I'll ever say yes to a wedding. And I'm very thankful for digital cameras!

The solemn pose

I'm still not pleased with the harsh shadows from indoor lighting but my models are cute :)

The smiling pose

4. Did you know  Blue Jays don't like black sunflower seeds much? They'll eat them, but they don't empty the feeder in a day like they do when it's filled with a corn mixture.

I'm thankful I discovered this because the jays were so greedy that I had almost given up filling this feeder! 

Chickadees love black sunflower seeds!

5. Did you know that watching the birds is really. fun. I'm so thankful to enjoy something that is so simple, inexpensive, and constantly entertaining, interesting and beautiful. And right outside my window!

Black-capped chickadee

Hairy woodpecker

Black-capped chickadee

American Goldfinch

Red-breasted nuthatch

Male and female purple finch

Common redpoll

but watching a sweet grandbaby is best of all! Of course!

I hope you enjoyed my favourites this week. Thank you so much for dropping in for a visit!

Happy weekend!

with love,

PS - for more Friday Fun, visit Susanne at Living To Tell The Story.

of peace

"When one considers the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth it becomes quite clear that God’s ways are not what any human would naturally choose. Humans always desire what is comfortable, convenient, and explainable.

We often think God should act in ways that make sense to us without leaving unanswered questions.

God is not concerned with our comfort, convenience, and unanswered questions about what, and why, His will is what it is.

A significant part of death to self

  in order for Christ to rule in your life

  is to lay down any hope of understanding God’s infinite, all-wise ways.

Who can grasp the expanse of the heavens or count the grains of sand on the oceans’ shores plus the world’s deserts? That would be easier than understanding God’s sovereign ways. 

He accomplishes His will by His Spirit for His glory with infinite love, and He answers to no one for the way He chooses.

Peace comes when we leave it all quietly in His loving hands with complete trust. He is working all things together in the best possible way for His purpose . . ."

From A Disciple's Notebook (well worth your time to read the rest of this Christmas devotional.)    

This excerpt comes from a beautiful website that Sarah and I enjoy. She shared this particular passage with me.

Isn't it sweet when your children encourage and build you up in your faith? The Lord is so good.

I hope this blesses you today, as it has blessed me.

Love,

before and after

Mo-vember

No-Movember

My boy and his girlie. <3

fff mid-November

Can you believe it's mid-November already? It will be Christmas before we know it.

Many things to be thankful for this week and I'm joining in with Susanne at Living To Tell The Story as we make our blessing lists.

1. We've had some downright unseasonably warm and sunshiny days - perfect for an afternoon walk along the beach with my beach loving, camera-toting friend, Rinda.

The tide was low

and out on the sandbars, wind and waves had formed a repetitive pattern of rippling sand.

Very cool close-up - like minature mountain ridges and valleys.

 2. The day was far too lovely to end with a beach walk - so we added a woods walk as well.

We surprised a  snowshoe hare. Notice his coat beginning to change from summer brown to winter white.

A tasty discovery - a  patch of wild cranberries hidden in the long grass. We gathered a few to take home.

But we left the rosehips for the squirrels and birds.

On the way home, I had to stop the car to capture the sunset 

and just at that moment, a flock of wild geese flew overhead ~ a glorious end to a lovely November day. 

3. It's not all walks and rambles here at A Sparrow's Home ~ there's all sorts of homey tasks and chores as we get ready for winter.

(I don't know where Roger is in this picture - it's not like him to leave the saw in the wood :)

The woodshed is filled, the potatoes are dug and the garden is cleaned up. Jams and pickles are lined up on the basement shelves and the apples are stored away in the cold room. 

It was a beautiful apple crop at the orchard this year ~ large, juicy and oh so sweet!

Time to get making some pies for the freezer! Speaking of baking, there's been a lot of that happening since the weather turned cooler.  Cookies, brownies, muffins and home-made bread help keep the grocery bills down and taste so much better.

We haven't had store-bought bread since August. I like to make it and everyone likes to eat it!

I'm thankful that we have a full woodshed and food "aplenty" for the winter. It's a good feeling.

4. We had our first heavy frost last week. It was a wee bit sad to see my poor hydrangeas go from this

to this

:(  Oh well . . . they will add "interest to the winter garden", as the gardening magazines put it.

I was really glad that we got our bulbs planted the day before the frost. 

We planted a variety of bulbs in the flowerbeds and little crocuses here and there in the yard - I'm already smiling at the thought of them next spring.

A good job done!

5. The best for last! 

A little grandgirlie came to spend the morning with us. She had some "new to her" toys to explore.

A doggie to watch - she was so interested in Sophie.

Some cereal to eat - "I can do it myself Nannie!"

A playtime with Grampy

and a phone call from Mummy ~ such a dear little expression on her face as she listened to her mother's voice.

And guess what? Tomorrow I get to spend another morning with her. John is away on tour and Kathleen teaches a Pilates class. I'm so happy to babysit.

I'm glad you came by for a visit - hope your weekend overflows with blessing.

with love and thanks for you,

autumn sunshine

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious

as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. . ."

–Nathaniel Hawthorne

Today it rained - a steady, cold rain from a sullen, grey, November sky.

But yesterday? And the day before?

The sun shone golden and I was of the same mind as Nathaniel Hawthorne.

No indoors for me.

Wandering beaches and fields and country lanes in the November sunshine - just about a perfect way to spend a late autumn afternoon! 

noticing the details

My little all-season friend ~ the junco. 

Look very closely at his eye ~ can you see something? Tell me in the comments. :)

Grace day

I will remember that today is a grace day.

Great Riches At Christ's Expense are mine.

I will immerse myself in the ocean of His grace.

I will feed on promises of His grace.

I will be a grace-giver in prayer

And in my walk and talk.

I will bless someone with grace today.

                                       Helen Grace Lescheid  

Rich thoughts to start the day.

fff ~ goodness

Welcome to Susanne's Friday's Fave Five - we're counting blessings together.

1. Well . . . if the first greeting of November was any indication of the whole month, we may be in for a pleasant time! A beautiful blue sky and a temperature of 20 (70F)! Heavy rain, remnants of Sandy, came later in the day, but we're back to sunshine this morning. 

In fact, sunshine is streaming through the kitchen windows as I type. A little late with my fff this week!

Usually I do my Friday Fave posts on Thursday evenings but we were in town yesterday and I was just too tired when I arrived home. 

And what we were doing in town? Well . . . that segues nicely to my second favourite.

2. Buying bulbs at Vesey's huge bulb blow-out sale! $2 a bag no matter what kind or how many bulbs in the bag. I heard about the sale on Carolyn's blog - thanks Carolyn!! Some of my tulips didn't flower last year so I need to add a few more bulbs to that bed. And I want to plant some crocuses here and there in the yard. 

Isn't that a cheery sight? It makes me smile thinking how happy I'll be to see them next spring.

Planting bulbs is a little like prayer, don't you think? We plant the bulbs deep in the earth and wait in hope. And  we envision the joy they will bring us - isn't that like faith?

I have many prayers sown and I'm waiting in hope and faith for them. It gives me a deep joy to think how the Lord will answer them - He's been so faithful.

There are so many in need of prayer, especially those hit by this week's devastating storm. I've been carrying them, and others, in my heart all week. I was especially moved by our good friend Carter Conlon's devotional to his church in Times Square, NYC. They were all hit hard by Hurricane Sandy but the church is moving out to help others in Jesus' name. I wish I was closer so that I could help with the clean-up too. They'll need many volunteers.

3. We only experienced wind and rain from Hurricane Sandy. We lost quite a few leaves but there are some still hanging on. 

Is this a Red or a Sugar Maple? The maples are a little tricky to tell apart. I've checked out the MacPhail Woods Ecological Forestry Project website -  my first reference stop if I have a question about island trees - and it looks like a Red Maple.

I think this is a Sugar Maple - Roger transplanted maple and oak saplings from the woods behind the church about 21 years ago. There's about 200 acres of woodland there. Roger cuts the firewood for the manse from that property.

 I can remember asking him, "When will these trees be big enough for a swing?" and he'd answer, "Maybe by the time we have grandchildren".

Guess what? I bought a little swing at the 70 mile yard sale in Sept. and it will be hung on a nice, sturdy oak branch this spring!

Just perfect for a certain little someone  - won't that be fun?

4. And here she is - out for a playdate with her little friends.

Josie, Benjamin and Wren

I miss her - she's up in Ontario with her mummy. John is on tour with the band in Ontario at the same time so it worked out nicely for Kathleen to visit her brother and his family. Rumours are that Josie made  a sweet little strawberry for Halloween - I can hardly wait to see the pictures!

5. It seems like an extra blessing to enjoy a gorgeous autumn and have summer's beauty still around. I don't remember flowers in November as a child but we have them now. And they are lovely.

My hydrangeas are still blooming profusely. Those bushes were one of my best gardening investments!

The blooms turn from blue to a lovely purple shade. I think I'll dry some  for the winter. I did it a couple of years ago and they turned to a very "blah" beige shade. I'm not sure why. Does anyone have any tips for drying hydrangea blooms?

And here are my flowers from seed in the garden. Oh my goodness - still blooming in November - what a gift.

I'm so glad you came by for a visit. To see each name and comment is another lovely gift - thank you!

Hope your weekend is overflowing with goodness.

with love,

windy

Sophie and Mila always go a little crazy in high winds - pouncing on leaves and running like skittish colts. 

Thankfully, we didn't have any damage from Hurricane Sandy but I'm thinking of those south of us who bore the brunt of the storm. My heart and prayers go out for them.

waiting

The leaves are still hanging on but probably not for much longer.

The wind is really picking up as Hurricane Sandy makes its way up the coast. Our gutters are clear and the lawn furniture is safely stowed away, so we're ready as can be. Generally there's not too much weather panic around here - Maritimers are accustomed to stormy weather, particularly in the fall and winter. 

Praying it won't bring as much damage as predicted, especially to the heavily populated areas in the Northeast USA.

Stay safe!

Celebrations

Such a lovely weekend ~ a celebration of God's love and faithfulness over 25 years of ministry ~ and a beautiful outpouring of love and encouragement on us.

So thankful!

fff~fall frolic

 It's Friday and time to count blessings with Susanne and all the Friday friends at Living To Tell the Story.

The sun came out on PEI yesterday and I was ready for it - camera battery charged, lunch packed, gas tank full and my adventure loving, photo-taking friend, Rinda! 

We always head out with a general direction in mind, this time the rolling hills of central PEI, but we never follow a map. That's one good thing about living on a relatively small island. It's hard to get too lost. You always end up on a beach somewhere. 

Here are a few favourite scenes from the day.

1. The lovely Stanley River

Stanley River, PEI2. Rolling hills and picturesque farms in the centre part of the Island.

3. We had an interesting visit with artist and craftswoman, Geraldien Ysselstein, at her studio in Hope River. More on that soon!

Hope River, PEI

4. A peaceful meadow on the Taylor Rd, central PEI.

 5. and a glorious sunset to end the day.

(click to enlarge)Such a fun time!

And here's an extra treat - a little clip that Sarah took at our wonderful evening of worship with Robin Mark last Tuesday.

Babies and worship - pretty close to heaven, don't you think? :)

We're gearing up for a very exciting time ~ our 25th celebration ministering here in Belfast and Wood Islands. An event on every night this weekend.

Hope your weekend is filled with blessings too!

with love,

fun fun fun!

Look who is here on the Island? Our dear friend Robin Mark.

 A night of worship and praise with his full Irish band. 

Now . . . if you can't just hop on a plane and make it tonight, why don't you mark the last weekend of May on your calendar? He's coming back to our church for another Revival in Belfast PEI conference.

4 incredible nights of worship and praise, teaching and fellowship. It's the highlight of our church year!

And guess what? The weatherman had predicted a long, grey, rainy week - but look what I saw on the weather site for tomorrow?

Sun and 0% precipitation for the next 3 days! Yay! I have my camera battery plugged in and I'm already mapping out my Fall Foliage Foto Frolic. (say that fast 5 times!)

We'd really appreciate your prayer for the worship concert tonight. We're asking the Lord to move among us as we lift His name in praise. May He be glorified and accomplish His will in every person there.

with love and thanks for you,

FFF - catch-up

I've been a wee bit lax when it comes to posting lately. No really good excuse - except clouds! It's hard to take good pictures when it's been cloudy and pictures are always what inspires me to blog.

But, cloudy or sunny, blessings abound, so I want to join with Susanne at Living To Tell The Story as we compile our blessing lists!

1. Leaves are beginning to turn.

October arrives in a swirl of fragrant blue leaf smoke, the sweetness of slightly frosted MacIntosh apples and little hard acorns falling. We are in the midst of cool, crisp days, purple mists and nature recklessly tossing her whole palette of dazzling tones through fields and woodlands.

 That quote comes from The Shape of A Year, a  month by month memoir of country living by Jean Hersey. I keep it by my reading chair and read a bit from it each season. Her writing reminds me of Gladys Taber and the Stillmeadow series.

2. Autumn is a little slow this year but it's beginning to look, and feel, a little more "fallish".

We haven't had a frost yet so my flowers are blooming away brightly. We're still digging carrots and potatoes for supper each evening. And I have a marvelous crop of pumpkins and squash. I roasted some of the acorn squash in the oven for Thanksgiving dinner and John whipped them with butter, nutmeg and a little cream. Oh my! Slightly decadent!

3. I've been reading some great books lately - slowly savouring a re-read of Pride and Prejudice. I have a 1976 edition, beautifully illustrated by Isabel Bishop, which belonged to my oldest sister, Pat. She tried to get me into Jane Austen for many years but I was a slow convert. I love to read her now.

I'm also reading/studying Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy with some very dear friends. Food for the soul!

At night I like to pick a children's book off my shelves - something cosy and relaxing to help me drift off to sleep.  I was looking for Farmer Boy and couldn't find it - so I chose The Long Winter instead.

Hmmm - definitely not the type of book to put you to sleep. I can't tell you how many times I've read it over the years - believe me, it's numerous - but it's still gripping. I read til past midnight and couldn't put it down til Almanzo and Cap returned safely with the wheat!

4. Our wee grandgirlie is half a year old - who can believe it! 

What joy she brings the whole family.

5. Lovely celebrations - our nephew's wedding last Saturday, a lovely Thanksgiving family feast last Monday and next weekend, Roger and I, along with our church and community, will celebrate our 25th anniversary ministering here in Belfast. The Lord is good!

Here's a picture from way back then -  21 years ago. In our Sunday morning finery :)

1991 - Belfast

Thanks so much for dropping in for a visit.

Many blessings!

with love and thanks for you, 

Update on 2012-10-12 14:00 by Islandsparrow

Oh my goodness! Look what was in the island newspaper this morning!! Couldn't resist sharing :)

harvest-time

Beauty and blessings all around.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!