Another Winter Day

Wet snow, the kind we get when its just below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, makes the prettiest pictures! Don't you think so?

Sunday's Hymn: Praise Ye, Praise Ye the Lord

Praise ye, praise ye the Lord
In yonder heav'nly height;
Ye angels, all his hosts,
In joyful praise unite;
O sun and moon, declare his might,
Show forth his praise, ye stars of light.

Praise him, ye highest heav'ns,
Praise him, ye clouds that roll,
Created by his pow'r
And under his control,
Ye heavens that stand eternally,
Established by his firm decree.

Ye creatures in the sea
And creatures on the earth,
Your mighty Maker praise
And tell his matchless worth;
Praise him, ye stormy winds that blow,
Ye fire and hail, ye rain and snow.

Ye hills and mountains, praise,
Each tree and beast and bird;
Ye kings and realms of earth,
Now let your praise be heard;
By high and low, by young and old,
Be all his praise and glory told.

By all let God be praised,
For he alone is great;
Above the earth and heav'n
He reigns in glorious state;
Praise him, ye saints, who know his grace
And ever dwell before his face.

From Psalm 148, The Psalter, 1912
Tune: Columbia, Leonard Cooper Blanton, 1951

Thankful Thursday

I have so much to be thankful for today...and every day, truth be told! But today....Andy comes home! He only left on Tuesday morning but I'm so thankful that by tonight, he'll be home. If the flight is on time, he'll join Emily and me for dinner at the usual time.

I'm also thanking God for a clear diagnosis for Charlie's skin problem...at last. It appears that he has picked up sarcoptic mange from the wild foxes in our neighborhood. I've certainly enjoyed seeing those beautiful red creatures trot down the sidewalk in the past but I'll be viewing them with different eyes from now on. But I am praising God that this is a problem that has a clear-cut cure. Our fear was that Charlie would prove to be allergic to his food, his prescription food that prevents the formation of bladder stones. So believe it or not, sarcoptic mange is a "good" diagnosis for Charlie. Our nights of interrupted sleep are coming to a close in the near future, Lord willing.

Its 36 sunny degrees (Fahrenheit, that is) here in Crystal Lake, IL today and I just came back from a short walk with Charlie. It was such a pleasant walk with the edges of the snow melting and revealing the muddy grass by the driveways and sidewalks. Spring is in the air! Thank you, Lord! And thank you, Lord, too, that I could take that short walk and enjoy it without experiencing any pain in my hip! The bursitis does still cause pain at times but yesterday my orthopedic doctor gave me another cortisone shot in that hip and this one seems to be helping more than the last one. I pray it lasts.

What good gifts are you thanking our God for today? Why not join Kim at the Upward Call and several others of us who are praising Him for His provisions each Thursday of this year.

Update: Its 3:00PM now and the outdoor thermometer says 41 degrees!! Woohoo!!

Sunday's Hymn: Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed

Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,
And did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree!
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While his dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes in tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do

Isaac Watts, 1707
Tune: Martyrdom, Hugh Wilson, c. 1800

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

Here it is...the recipe for the soup I made last night. Kim and Sam liked it and so did we!

8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes
1/2 cup uncooked regular rice
1/2 cup thin sliced carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped green onion (The original recipe called for finely chopped celery but Andy is not too crazy about celery and I had green onion on hand so I substituted that instead.)
1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

1. In a large pot, combine chicken broth, bouillon cubes, rice, carrots, green onion (or celery) and white onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice and vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken. Remove from heat.

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Cook one minute stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in 2 cups broth mixture. Cook until slightly thickened stirring constantly.

3. In a small bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in lemon juice and two cups thickened broth mixture. Slowly add to large soup pot stirring constantly.

4. Heat gently until soup thickens. Do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

Its been a beautiful sunny winter day here at the cottage! The sky is blue, blue, blue and the fresh snow from earlier in the week just sparkles. Yesterday and the day before were full of unanticipated problems, big and small...the kind of things that mark our lives this side of eternity. But they've been dealt with and today I was able to focus on the fun of having Kim and Sam join us for supper tonight. The house is clean, I've shopped and have the ingredients all prepared and in the fridge for a new recipe....Lemon Chicken Rice Soup. I'll share it, if its good.

So this afternoon, I am thanking God for His blessing of good friends to share a simple meal with; the kind of friends that feel like family sitting around the table; the kind I can try a new recipe on without trepidation.

I'm also thanking Him for His presence and His guidance and His strength as we face life's challenges, big and small.

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.~Psalm 46:1

I'm joining Kim of the Upward Call and others in giving thanks to God each Thursday of this year of 2010. Won't you join us?

Early Morning Tremblor

Charlie is still uncomfortably in the throws of this dermatitis. We got in a couple of nights of not taking him outside during the night. Instead, I was able to calm him down so we could all fall asleep again. But now we're back to getting up with him a time or two each night. I think the cold, and especially the rolling on the cold snow, helps with the itching.

But last night (or should I say "a couple of hours ago"), he became restless and got us up to take him out at 4 A.M. Andy, bless him, did the honors so I was still in bed but wide awake when there was a rumbling and the whole house shook. It made me nervous that the two of them were outside because it was similar to the sensation when a large amount of snow (we got just about one foot of new snow yesterday and into last night) slides off the aluminum roof of the cottage...but not quite. I came downstairs to meet them at the door and Andy thought it was snow coming off the other side of the cottage.

I dried Charlie off and took him into Emily's bed, his usual early morning haunt, and asked her what she felt or heard. Nothing.

We went back to bed (couldn't sleep though) for the next hour but promptly when we got up at 5AM, I checked the local news. Yes, an earthquake occurred just about 35 miles southeast of us in Sycamore, IL! 4.3 on the Richter scale! Felt as far away as Indiana and Kentucky!

I've heard that dogs have a sense of impending storms and seek shelter before they hit. Do you suppose that could have been Charlie's excuse for restlessness this morning and it wasn't the dermatitis after all? I'm hoping.

Update: The U.S. Geological Survey has downgraded the earthquake to 3.8 but determined that the epicenter was actually the village of Gilberts, IL which is about 10 miles due south of Crystal Lake, IL.

Sunday's Hymn: I Belong to Jesus

I belong to Jesus;
I am not my own;
All I have and all I am,
Shall be his alone.

I belong to Jesus;
He is Lord and King,
Reigning in my inmost heart,
Over ev'rything.

I belong to Jesus;
Blessed, blessed thought!
With his own most precious blood
Has my soul been bought.

I belong to Jesus;
He has died for me;
I am his and he is mine,
Through eternity.

I belong to Jesus;
He will keep my soul,
When the deathly waters dark
Round about me roll.

I belong to Jesus;
And ere long I'll stand
With my precious Saviour there
In the glory land.

M. Fraser
Dedication, M.A. Sea

Thankful Thursday

There's nothing like losing something you once had to make you yearn for it with thankfulness. That's how I am feeling about a good night's sleep right now. Poor Charlie is suffering from some sort of skin affliction and its making him scratch and lick and bite and chew himself in an effort to relieve the itching. Its most likely an allergy of some sort and we have a really good vet who is making every effort to track down the likely culprit. In the meantime, she's tried several medications to minimize the discomfort for Charlie...and us. I really, really mean that "and us" part because we do love Charlie but also because he sleeps with Andy and me at night. And if he's not sleeping because he is so restless, then we aren't either. And there's been several "we aren't either" nights lately.

So I'm not of a mind to take those nights when we have slept well for granted. I am thankful that God in His wisdom made night and day and that He intended us to be refreshed and rested in a good night's sleep. And I am so thankful when I get it.

when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.~Prov. 3:24

Each Thursday of this year, I am joining Kim of the Upward Call and several others in praising God with thanksgiving for His provisions to us. Why not join us?

Cardamom Shortbread

I brought these cookies to our church fellowship dinner last night and Kim really liked them. They are not the really sweet kind of shortbread; more the melt-in-your-mouth buttery kind. Perfect with a nice, hot cup of Earl Grey/Irish Breakfast blend! I think I'll put them on the menu at my Tea House.


1/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9 X 13 inch pan with foil so it extends over the sides. Spray foil with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Dough will be crumbly. Press into the bottom of the foil-lined pan.

Bake for 24 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Cut shortbread while warm and remove from pan by lifting foil. Cool completely (about 15 minutes).

If preferred, you can make the dough in two 9 inch pie pans and cut into wedges. You may need to shorten the baking time by a few minutes.

Sunday's Hymn: Come, Let Us to the Lord Our God

Come, let us to the Lord our God
With contrite hearts return;
Our God is gracious, nor will leave
The desolate to mourn.

His voice commands the tempest forth,
And stills the stormy wave;
And, though his arm be strong to smite,
'Tis also strong to save.

Long hath the night of sorrow reigned;
The dawn shall bring us light:
God shall appear, and we shall rise
With gladness in his sight.

Our hearts, if God we seek to know,
Shall know him, and rejoice;
His coming like the morn shall be,
Like morning songs his voice.

As dew upon the tender herb,
Diffusing fragrance round,
As show'rs that usher in the spring,
And cheer the thirsty ground;

So shall his presence bless our souls,
And shed a joyful light;
That hallowed morn shall chase away
The sorrows of the night.

John Morison, 1781
Tune: Soho, Sir Joseph Barnby, 1881

Hot Tea Month--Week Four

Hot Tea Month--Week Four? It can't be! Its been so much fun, this focus on tea each week! Thanks so much to scrabblequeen who has been our gracious hostess! This week's theme is:

Whom have you met because of something related to tea? Share something about this person and how your relationship blossomed.

I'm not sure that I can honestly say there is anyone in my life that I've met because of something related to tea...except perhaps scrabblequeen herself and her tea friend, Chan, both of whom I've met because of this blog-a-thon. We're at the very early stages of getting to know each other but the potential for our relationships to blossom is apparent because of our shared love of tea and dogs...and maybe the knitting thing. I don't really knit much but I do love to crochet so I'm going to stretch it here and say we share interests in "fiber arts."

There are some other bloggers I've gotten to know who are tea lovers as well. It was Ellen's blog that first alerted me to the Hot Tea Month Blog-a-Thon, in fact. And I know Rebecca and Willow both enjoy a nice, hot cuppa. But I can't say for any of them that it was tea that caused the first connection. Its more like a love of tea was just an extra perk to the relationship.

In real life, I have a few good friends with whom I just love to share a nice, hot cuppa. Kim is right at the top of that short list even though coffee is her first hot beverage love. But she is a dog lover!

I'm thinking, though, that what makes a friendship for me is not whether a person drinks tea per se. Its more whether we can sit down and linger over conversation together, in person or in bloggyland. Tea is just sort of representative of that lingering. And it certainly enhances it on my part!

So, I'm off to make a nice, hot cuppa. Join me?

John Brown on Christian Unity

Genuine Christians feel towards one another as brethren; and when they see their Christian brethren suffering for the cause of Christ, they naturally, though not directly, attach themselves to, take part with, their suffering brethren, and thus come in for a share of the public scorn which is poured on them.
~John Brown, Hebrews, p. 481, in reference to Hebrews 10:32-34

Thankful Thursday

Its a frigidly cold day here in Crystal Lake, IL but the sunshine just streamed into my kitchen window this morning and for that I am thankful...even though it revealed a couple of cobwebs I'd missed. Or maybe that's another reason to be thankful.

Actually, its a cold week here and so I am thankful for the heater in the Honda Ridgeline. We've never had a vehicle that got warm inside as fast as this one does!

And I'm thankful for my sweet little dog, Charlie, who warms...uh, I mean, sleeps on my side of the bed.

I'm also thankful for a receiving a letter this week from an old friend in New York. It warmed my heart to hear from her.

But what warms my soul is the Word of God. I am so very thankful for the many opportunities for rich study of His Word that God has given me.

Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
~Proverbs 30:5

Each Thursday of this year, I am joining Kim of the Upward Call and many others in sharing my thankfulness to God.

Sunday's Hymn: By the Cross of Jesus Standing

By the cross of Jesus standing,
Love our straitened souls expanding,
Taste we now the peace and grace!
Health from yonder tree is flowing,
Heavenly light is on it glowing,
From the blessed Suff'rer's face.

Here is pardon's pledge and token,
Guilt's strong chain for ever broken,
Righteous peace securely made;
Brightens now the brow once shaded,
Freshens now the face once faded,
Peace with God now makes us glad.

All the love of God is yonder,
Love above all thought and wonder,
Perfect love that casts out fear!
Strength, like dew, is here distilling,
Glorious life our souls is filling,
Life eternal, only here!

Here the living water welleth;
Here the Rock, now smitten, telleth
Of salvation freely giv'n:
This the fount of love and pity,
This the pathway to the city,
This the very gate of heav'n.

Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889
Tune: Stabat Mater, John B. Dykes, 1875

Hot Tea Month--Week Three

Its the third week of Hot Tea Month hosted by scrabblequeen already! This week, the theme is:

"If I could have my own Tea House, this is how I would run things...."

Well, for starters, my Tea House would be a cottage in a lovely little town not too far from the bigger city. We do need customers, you know! It would be on the main street of that little town but it would have a sweet little garden to walk through (on a stone path) to get to the door of the tea cottage. And that little garden would extend around one side of the Tea House where there would be a stone patio with four round tables for taking tea outside on a perfect, warm day. Next door, there'd be a used book store for perusing after teatime. On the other side, a quilt shop. And down the street, a couple of antique stores, as well. Hey, I can make up the whole little town, can't I? This is my dream, we're entering here.

Back to the Tea House. Inside, a hostess would greet you. She'd be dressed in the sort of dresses the Bennet sisters wear in Pride and Prejudice (the A & E version). In fact, all of the waitresses would be dressed like that! The surroundings would be sort of English farmhouse feeling. Not the frilly Victorian stuff so much. More sturdy and homey. And fresh flowers on every table.

The teapots (complete with cozies) would be the heavier kind that actually pour without dripping (I hate drippy teapots) and the tea would be very hot! Also of the very best quality. We'll serve all kinds and varieties of tea...even the stuff that is not really tea!

The food is all homemade, of course, and of the highest quality. That goes without saying! Scones of several varieties, lemon curd, Devonshire cream. Sandwiches of many kinds. Salads of every sort. And soups. Quiches! I do love a good quiche. Muffins and sweet breads and cookies (but we'd call them biscuits).

And over in an alcove, my daughter, Emily, would be playing her harpsichord. On Fridays, she'd have a couple of violins and a cello playing with her. Perhaps a flutist would join them on occasion.

There's a little gift shop off to the side with all kinds of tea things. You can buy those non-drippy teapots there. And our high quality teas. And tea cozies and all sorts of tea accoutrements.

I was sharing my dream with my dear friend, Kim, last night and she suggested Wi-Fi. At first, I was taken aback. Wi-Fi in my sweet old Tea House? "But you'll want people to feel like they can stay and enjoy a respite from the world," she said. And yes, I want that. So this is what I'm thinking. Maybe an adjoining room, more like a lounge with couches and chairs and low tables (I'm not sure I want to use the word "coffee" in this post) where you can take your tea after you've eaten and just sit and sip and relax. Again, the decor is sort of English country manor. A roaring fire in cooler weather. And bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves filled with all kind of books to peruse. But no wait staff over there so you can take the pot and refill your own cup. And when that pot is empty, come get another. We'll have the Wi-Fi area over there for those who don't want to pick up a book. Oh, and I'd love to have you bring your embroidery or knitting!

So, I can't wait for the grand opening! Please say you'll come.

Thankful Thursday

My dear friends, Kim and Carol, have just left after our weekly Bible study together. I'm so thankful for both of them! I'm thankful for the insights that they bring as serious students of God's Word. I'm thankful for their encouragement. And I'm thankful for the accountability that I can depend on in our relationship. But most of all, I am thankful for God's Word. As a young preacher who ministered to our little church on a number of occasions used to say, "It is God's most direct communication with His people."

Many of us are joining Kim from The Upward Call's lead and posting our thanksgiving to God each Thursday of 2010. We'd love to have you join us!

15 Words or Less Poems

Play or be dinner.
No wonder its called a game.





To share a poem of your own or read more, visit Laura Purdie Salas.

Photo by Norbert Rosing

Freezing Fog

Today is the first day since last week that I didn't wake up to it. I miss the fairy tale look of the world.









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Sunday's Hymn: Man of Sorrows!

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we;
Spotless Lamb of God was he;
Full atonement! can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Lifted up was he to die,
"It is finished!" was his cry:
Now in heav'n exalted high:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

When he comes, our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! what a Saviour!

Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876
Tune: Man of Sorrows, Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876