{pretty, happy, funny, real} on May 26

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life

{happy}

Here is a shot of the morning of my birthday - flowers picked for me, fresh cinnamon buns from the bakery, and what you can't see is coffee brewing in the background :) It was a happy day indeed, spent with my 2 favourite people. And I just have to say that I got a most wonderful birthday present from my husband - Pride and Prejudice!!! With Colin Firth of course!!

{real}

In honour of Arden's first birthday, we planted an apple tree in our back 40. It's a heritage brand called "Wealthy" and is supposed to be a good all-round eating and baking apple. The poor tree is surrounded by piles of brush and junk wood and scrap metal and weeds . . . but sometimes you just have to plant beauty in the midst of it all!

~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} dreary

{real}

The world is not camera friendly. 

Dark clouds hover constantly and the dreary rain keeps beating down. Somehow the damp gets into our homes, into our spirits. There is no light at the kitchen window. The windows are shut to a cold howling wind. The darkness seems to magnify all the little frustrations we overlook on a sunny day – the smelly compost bucket, the sound of crying, the laundry hanging inside that just never seems to dry. We sigh.

We turn out the light and go to sleep, the house shaking and shuddering against the storm. Five more days of this in the forecast. Is there any point in getting up tomorrow?

But then, unexpected grace comes tapping at the window. Before I even open my eyes, I know something is different. I see the beam on the hallway floor, follow it downstairs to the front door and chase it onto the veranda. 

The whole world has been hung to dry in the morning sun, tears and troubles evaporating in the warmth. I shake out my spirit and pin it up on the line. 

{happy}

~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} birthday edition

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life

I am quite excited to share these pictures, not only because they were taken around the time of our little one's first birthday, but also because I'm learning how to use our camera at last! We have a great camera (a Nikon D90), but I've only ever used it in a "point and shoot" way. Now I'm learning how to use the manual focus, adjust depth of field, set the shutter speed and set the white balance. It's made photo taking a lot of fun this week as I've been experimenting with different settings. I still have a lot to learn, but I have many pretty, happy, funny and real objects on which to practice!

{pretty}

Arden's apple blossom birthday cake

The birthday girl 

Our button collection

{happy}

Mmm, macaroni and cheese makes me happy!

And the green grass grew all around...

bedtime books

{funny}

She found some paper to eat!

{real}

This beautiful broken robin's egg made me sad

~lg

Arden's 1st Birthday!

Happy very first birthday to Arden! We had a lovely day with cake and friends and presents, and of course, all the love sent her way by family. Our hearts and home are full of joy.

The birthday banner

Spaghetti!

The birthday cake (an apple tree in blossom)

Arden was scared of the cake when we brought it out!

She came around to it in the end :)

One little happy family

Opening presents

Playing with the wrapping paper

Giggles at the end of the day!

~lg

"Just a spoonful of sugar..."

There are some days I wish I could be just like Jesus. Among His innumerable admirable qualities, He is able to sustain all things with just a word. Wouldn’t that be wonderful and so incredibly timesaving? I can picture it now. “Dishes be done! Windows be washed! Laundry be folded! And stay that way!” Kind of like that scene in Mary Poppins where they simply snap their fingers and sing about a spoonful of sugar and the toys fly into the toybox and the blankets arrange themselves practically perfectly on the beds. But alas, I am going to have to scrub that burnt sugar out of that pot with some elbow grease, no matter how loudly I sing.

No, today I am going to renew the face of the house, à la Psalm 104:30. It’s a constant job, this renewal of my domain. Like breathing out and breathing in, over and over, repeatedly nourishing the life cycles all around me. But I just did that yesterday . . . or five minutes ago actually. It’s ok, I tell myself. It’s a Spirit kind of thing. I am imitating a holy work. And I’m not sure, but I think sanctification is a kind of housework.

So I will keep on with this my work, even as the Spirit blows the dust out of my heart and washes the windows of my mind, renewing me even as he renews the earth.


~lg

{pretty, happy, funny, real} let the sun shine in!

I meant to link up last Thursday too, but because of computer issues I didn't get my post up in time, but here it is here.





Well, this has been a busy week! A Royal Wedding, a rather exciting national election, and the regular comings and goings of life have kept us well occupied. It's been mostly overcast, but we had a couple of sunny days, which we just soaked up, as you can see in the following pictures . . .

{pretty}

Finally! The first daffodils of spring! 

My own little daffodil! 

{happy}

Yesterday was an unexpectedly sunny day, so we took a walk down to the pond. We watched the water running and the grass growing. Arden was happy to play in the clover, and so was I. On the way home we discovered pussy willows growing all along the side of the road next to the cow pasture! I was wondering where I might find some around. I went down to the river the other day to look, but didn't see any, so I was delighted to find so many so close.

happy to be playing outside!

happy to bring the outside in

{funny}

Arden trying to get close to Princess Kate.
She actually waved back at the Royals during the balcony scene!

Arden about to eat some clover

{real}

Storage/organization solutions brought to you by the dairy farmers of PEI!

Holding on while plotting her next move...

The sun really does make everything better. As C.S. Lewis so aptly put it, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Wishing you all a bright week!

~lg

weekly project - the funny corner cupboard

Well Mom, you will be glad to know I finally gave that funny corner cupboard you detest so much a good scrubbing and organizing. For those of you who haven't seen this hackjob in person, the previous owners built this cupboard around the furnace vent they had installed going up to the second level, presumably to hide the pipe. Now it holds a certain quirky charm for me, but the boards in it are rough, and it was full of staples and loose screws that had been painted over in place! (We've come across this issue in so many areas of the house! They must have been in a hurry to paint this place, because they painted over nails, scotch tape, Christmas decorations, stuck on dirt and all manner of things.) I think it had a quick vacuum-out when we moved in, but sadly had not been scrubbed. Until today. I got out the bleach and got rid of the layers of dirt and drywall and plaster dust that had settled over the shelf and its miscellaneous inhabitants. Things were just kind of chucked in there, so I organized it with the help of some cut-up milk jugs and strawberry containers. Now it is clean and organized, and in so doing I have freed up another little corner of my brain that had been nagged by this neglected task. Hooray!

Here is the before picture:

And now the after pictures!

And to top it off, Arden and I found pussywillows on the way back from the pond today! Much better, don't you think?

~lg

momentary prayer

Today I don’t have time for a long conversation
Just moments when you are on my mind and in my breath
I open the windows and let your breezes blow in
Noting your beauty in the sun’s pattern on the floor
I scrub baby toes and musty cupboards
And this work is my worship
This peace in my heart is prayer
These are the moments of our communion


~lg

God's work

Want to see a picture of God’s housework? Read Psalm 104. God sure is busy here. And there are a few things I noticed about His work. First, the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. (Does my work bring satisfaction to my family?) Second, there are many works He’s got on the go. (Some days I can definitely relate.) And third, He is glad in His works! (Ok, so I have a long way to go . . .)

I really enjoyed reading this chapter, seeing the riotous renewal of God's glory on the earth. I love how God gets His hands dirty in creation all the while in an apron of splendour and majesty. As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord, and learn to be glad in my work.


~lg

My new spot

I've finally settled into a cozy spot to have my morning coffee and sit and read and think and write. This chair is in the dining room close to the fireplace (for those chilly mornings) and in front of the (newly washed) window where I can see the river. The window faces east, perfect for that morning sun. Here I can turn my back on the rest of the house in whatever state it's in and give my brain room-with-a-view to breathe.

~lg

{pretty, happy, funny real} the happy edition

I started this post last Thursday morning, and then the computer with the photos on it crashed, and it took a few days for the computer and I to get back at it. It's not officially linked to the LMLD post, but I've still linked to the site through the {pretty, happy, funny, real} button.

Who could not be happy after the joy of Easter's triumph? We had a lovely sunny weekend . . . followed by 3 days straight of dull rainy days, with more rain in the forecast. But there are still so many things to be happy about!! (Like the fact that it's supposed to go up to 18 degrees today, hooray!)

Buds on the apple tree down at the pond.

A little girl playing peekaboo at the glass door.

Pancakes and strawberries topped by our very own homemade Manitoba Maple syrup.

Washing windows on a warm day, even though the view is rather depressing out this dining room window. But clear, shiny windows do make me happy!

When the tree of God's joy is rooted in my life, happiness bursts forth in so many little places like the buds of spring, and Arden is the robin singing in its branches. :)

~lg