15 Words or Less Poem

Slogging and sweating
through sticky woods;
awaiting clear, tranquil water.
Worth every drop.

More 15 Words or Less at Laura Purdie Salas's place. Try your hand?

Thankful Thursday-Part II

I have even more reason to be thankful today! I had a stress test yesterday and my doctor called just a little while ago to tell me that it came back perfectly normal! My heart is just fine!

The back story is that the EKG I had on December 31st as part of my yearly physical showed some abnormalities. While my doctor said that this particular abnormality can be caused by something as insignificant as a headache or even hyperventilation, she wanted to check it further because of my family history and some ambiguous symptoms I've experienced in the past.

I'm thankful for my doctor's thorough and cautious approach that ruled out any heart problems for me now! And I'm thankful to get those results much sooner than I expected!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for renewed energy today! It took a while to get that energy back after being off my synthroid. Then the feeling of being overwhelmed from all that didn't get done while I was hypothyroid was discouraging too. But finally, I feel ready to tackle anything...well, almost anything! And that's despite the fact that my tent is still not 100%! But that's a post for another day. Right now, I am thanking God for this renewed strength and energy.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.~Philipians 4:13

Please join in the thanksgiving to God and share your praise of Him.

Hot Tea Month--Week Two

Its week two of the Hot Tea Month Blog-a-Thon graciously hosted by scrabblequeen. Now is the time to share our favorite teas! Do you prefer black, green, white, red or "herbal"? Do you like added flavors such as fruit, flowers, vanilla, chocolate or spices...or are you a "purist"?

My favorite teas are definitely black! Earl Grey (Twinings, to be really specific), Irish Breakfast, P.G. Tips. I've learned to like the smoky lapsang souchong that my husband, Andy, loves. And I have a black tea that a Turkish friend gave me a few years ago that I ration out because we've lost touch and I really don't know how to get any more of it. These teas I take strong and hot so that I can add a bit of milk and its still strong and hot! No sugar, thank you.

There a few "flavored" black teas that I like...primarily the citrus-y and spicy ones...but mostly I'm a purist when it comes to black tea. The flavored black teas, I take with a bit of sugar or honey.

Green tea is only tolerable with some flavor to mask the grass clippings taste. And at that its only tolerable. I am not a fan of green tea.

I like the red (rooibos) teas but they are not really teas. They come from an entirely different plant! And they have no caffiene! But I like most of them with a pinch of sweetness. My favorite is a lemon rooibos that I get at Tea Gschwender.

White teas are really from the tea plant but I think of them in the same way that I think of rooibos tea. I like them well enough but they are not really tea for me. I really am a black tea person! So you can probably guess that I am not much into herbal teas (tisanes! NOT tea) either. Herbals I mostly only drink "for medicinal purposes." Ginger is for a sore throat. Chamomile for an upset tummy. I hate peppermint tea!!

Well, I'm off for a nice, hot cuppa with my family right now. Its a perfect way to end the day!

Decorated Trees

Driving to church every Sunday, we pass this group of evergreen trees but we've never seen them looking quite like this before! Remember we had quite a bit of snow in these parts on Thursday and into Friday? Well, yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures rising all the way to 24 degrees. This is the southern face of these trees and all that warm sunshine caused quite a bit of their snow decoration to melt and and then refreeze into these gorgeous icicles as temperatures dropped back to -4 degrees overnight.

Here's a close-up of those sparkling ornaments on the branches. Aren't they lovely?

Sunday's Hymn: I Love to Tell the Story

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else could do.

I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word.

I love to tell the story; for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest,
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long.

Katherine Hankey, 1866
Tune: I Love to Tell the Story, William G. Fischer, 1869

"Reblooming" Poinsettia

This poinsettia continues to amaze me! It came to my house as a gift from my dear friend, Kim, on Thanksgiving of 2008. That's over a year ago! I blogged about it last May when it still looked pretty much like it did when it arrived. Over the summer, it went completely green but it never faded and died. I did some research on poinsettia and came to the conclusion that if I treated it very well, I could probably keep it healthy but it would remain green from then on. I was given to understand that the brilliant red bracts were encouraged by some means that commercial growers had access to but a mere houseplant enthusiast like myself could not replicate. So I accepted that and continued to care for my green foliage poinsettia just the same.

Just after Christmas, it began to get some faint red in a few of its bracts. Since then, the red has deepened and appeared in more bracts. Here it is the end of the first week of January and the plant is healthy and the red, while maybe not as dominant as in the plants of the local nurseries before Christmas, is quite pronounced!

Hot Tea Month--Week One

What a perfect blog-a-thon topic for the cold, cold month of January! As a dedicated tea drinker, I couldn't resist participating! Scrabble queen is our hostess and each week of the month, there is a tea-related topic to post on. This first week it is tea as a mood lifter: How does tea improve your day? What is your favorite time for a nice, hot cuppa?

Well, dare I mention that "other" drink, coffee, right off the bat? Let's just say I don't drink it at all. It makes me terribly ill. So I start my morning off with the far more refreshing beverage, tea, right after I kiss Andy good-bye and watch him head off to work.

My next cup is usually after lunch with Emily, although I do put the kettle on at any time of day that I may feel tired or down or need to relax. Tea is the perfect mood lifter! It just is!

My favorite cup of the day is after supper though. We never fail to brew a pot and share it in the evening, the two of us. Three, if Emily is home. Its the perfect way to wind down and end the day companionably relaxing together!

What about you? What are your daily tea-drinking habits? Can't wait to hear!

Thankful Thursday

They say that "imitation is the sincerest of flattery." Well, actually, Charles Caleb Colton said it first but I do appreciate the truth of it. And in that spirit, I'm going to copy Kim of the Upward Call who is copying Rebecca of Rebecca Writes in posting thankful thoughts. In fact, I'm going to really copy Kim and try to post those thankful thoughts every Thursday of 2010! And Kim invites us all to join in!

So on this snowy, snowy day, I am very thankful for my warm little cottage. Here's a photo of what I am thankful for the protection from this Thursday! We're supposed to get lots of it!

Sunday's Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render; O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

Walter Chalmers Smith, 1824-1908
Tune: Joanna, Welsh hymn melody

Sunday's Hymn: Joy to the World!

Joy to the world! the Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.

Isaac Watts, 1719
Tune: Antioch C.M., Lowell Mason, 1836
Based on George Frederick Handel, 1742

Its the day after Christmas...

...and its been snowing pretty much all day here in Chicagoland! This is the view out the front door of the cottage now as Andy works on snow removal.



The light on the other side of the house outside the screen porch doesn't have quite as much evening to it but I love how that little tree looks draped in snow.



How's the weather in your part of the world this 26th of December?

Merry Christmas!

May the light of Christ our Saviour shine brightly in your life this Christmas Day.

Seven Vegetable Soup

We enjoyed a lovely dinner with a dear friend and her husband Saturday evening and on the menu was this delicious vegetable soup, a new recipe for me, one shared by our daughter, Emily. Its so much fun sharing recipes and cooking ideas with her...especially when they turn out this good!

1 quart chicken stock
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups 1/2 inch potato cubes
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 package frozen creamed spinach (10 oz.), thawed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

This is a slow cooker recipe and the directions say to combine all ingredients except the spinach and cheese in the slow cooker, cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low until the potatoes and carrots are tender. My slow cooker never really got the potatoes and carrots tender, not even on high. So I ended up transferring the soup to a stock pot to cook on the stove. Either way, once those potatoes and carrots are tender, increase the heat to high and stir in the thawed creamed spinach. Cook another 6-10 minutes until the soup is slightly thickened. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Sunday's Hymn: Good Christian Men, Rejoice

Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today;
Earth and heav'n before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath op'ed the heavenly door,
And man is blessed evermore.
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice,
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!

Medieval Latin
Translated by John Mason Neale, 1853
Tune: In Duldi Jubilo, 14th century melody, har. by W.D., 1918

15 Words or Less Poem

Chocolate soldiers march in perfect rows
Except me
Third row, fourth back
Always slightly askew.

More poems at Laura Purdie Salas's site.

Sunday's Hymn: Lift Up Your Heads,Ye Mighty Gates

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near,
The Saviour of the world is here.
Life and salvation he doth bring,
Wherefore rejoice and gladly sing:
We praise thee, Father, now,
Creator, wise art thou!

A Helper just he comes to thee,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe he brings;
Wherefore the earth is glad and sings:
We praise thee, Saviour, now,
Mighty in deed art thou!

O blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy he is,
Who bringeth pure delight and bliss.
We praise thee, Spirit, now,
Our Comforter art thou!

Georg Weissel, 1642
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1855
Tune: Macht Hoch Die Tur, Johann A. Freylinghausen, 1704

Morning After

I love the way my part of the world looks the morning after a snowstorm! And the best view in the morning is from our upstairs bathroom window. Its something about the way the sun strikes the snow-covered branches and the play of light and shadow it creates. The beauty outside that window makes up for the shock of looking at the outdoor thermometer on the dresser and seeing that its -1.3 degrees F. out there! And windy!

Snow!

Our first serious snow storm of the season hit yesterday and continued overnight. More snow is expected today but there was a lull when I took Charlie out early this morning.

Sunday's Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave.

O come, thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Latin antiphone, 12th century, Latin hymn, 1710
Translated by John Mason Neale, 1851
Tune: Veni Emmanuel, Ancient plain song, 13th century
Adapted by Thomas Helmore, 1856