Andy Works

Yesterday was the first day of a new routine for us. Andy will now be working from home one day per week! I know its not like he's home to spend time with me on those days but I just like having him in the house with me. There was a time when he worked out of our home every day (for a different company) and I loved it!

But back to yesterday. Here he is hard at it on the screen porch.


And...we got to have lunch out there together!


Life is good.

Chew on This: Psalm 4

1⁾Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.
3But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The LORD hears when I call to Him.
4Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
6Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?"
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!
7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

The first thought I had upon reading this psalm was in relation to the phrase "Oh God of my righteousness!" He surely is God of my righteousness! I have not one iota of righteousness of my own. All that is credited to me in the way of righteousness comes from Him through Christ and that surely is "relief in distress." So since He has such an interest, such a stake, in me why would I ever doubt that He would hear my prayer? Why do I worry so about the uncertainties of life?

Similarly, in verse 2, any honor I have is from God but that is a reproach in the eyes of the world. Something to mock and laugh at while they love what is worthless and deceptive.

But I belong to God who hears when I call. That's the God of the universe I belong to! Think about that and tremble before Him, I tell myself. I offer my obedience, poor as it is, and trust in Him.

The light of the face of God shines on me! That gives me more gladness, more pleasure to contemplate than any earthly affluence. My complete sense of safety is dependent only on Him. And I am His. I can rest completely in that knowledge.

For me, a sinner prone to worry excessively, I can draw comfort, oh so much comfort, in the words of this psalm of David!

One last thought about the references to lying in bed. In verse 4, the psalmist says, "Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still." And in verse 8, "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." These references make me think of the way worries become magnified at night when I go to bed and lay there thinking of all the concerns of the day. It can make me restless and far from sleep, for sure! But my only safety in all situations comes from the Lord. In Him, I can not only lie down, but also sleep in peace, turning all concerns over to Him, remembering that in Him is my safety, my security.

Dear Father, I am ashamed of all the times I do worry about all kinds of earthly concerns and forget where my only safety is. I ask your forgiveness and I thank you for the peace that only comes from knowing You.

Leslie at Light Came, invites us to share our meditations on this psalm. Read what she and others say and then share your thoughts as well.

Sunday's Hymn: Jesus Lives and So Shall I

Jesus lives, and so shall I.
Death! thy sting is gone forever!
He who deigned for me to die,
Lives, the bands of death to sever.
He shall raise me from the dust:
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.

Jesus lives, and reigns supreme,
And, his kingdom still remaining,
I shall also be with him,
Ever living, ever reigning.
God has promised: be it must:
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.

Jesus lives, and by his grace,
Vict'ry o'er my passions giving,
I will cleanse my heart and ways,
Ever to his glory living.
Me he raises from the dust.
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.

Jesus lives, I know full well
Nought from him my heart can sever,
Life nor death nor powers of hell,
Joy nor grief, hence forth forever.
None of all his saints is lost;
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.

Jesus lives, and death is now
But my entrance into glory.
Courage, then, my soul, for thou
Hast a crown of life before thee;
Thou shalt find thy hopes were just;
Jesus is the Christian's Trust.

Christian F. Gellert, 1757

Sprayed and so thankful!

A wonderful thing happened this morning! Besides being our 32nd wedding anniversary that is...and thank you all for the kind words and warm wishes on that.

But the thing I'm referring to now as wonderful is much more mundane. Our neighborhood was sprayed for mosquitoes at 4:30 this morning! It has been a terrible week for the little blood suckers. Well, actually, its been a good week for them. A terrible week for us as far as being in the same vicinity as them. After a fairly cool and pleasant spring, it got warm and humid quite quickly and...you all know about the rain in the Midwest, right? Perfect mosquito weather! I no longer cared how bad those weeds got, I was on strike from feeding mosquitoes! I was only going out the minimal amount with Charlie and that with a very bad attitude. But today is a lovely, low humidity, sunshiny, slightly breezy day with, most importantly, very few mosquitoes! Thank you, God!

32 Years of Marriage

Today is an important day for me and Andy. It is our 32nd wedding anniversary! This is not a wedding picture, I do realize, but it is my favorite picture of us from that time period. But to be honest, I would not care to return to that time period. Neither of us are the same people we were in that picture and for that I am thankful. We've both grown through God's grace and I'd never want to return to what we were. I would like to take a moment though, right here on the internet, to praise and thank our gracious God for the husband He gave me, the husband who, in His infinite wisdom, He knew was perfect for me. And you know what? Andy is still the perfect husband for me! Thank you God for 32 years of marriage to a kind and loving husband and for using our marriage as Your instrument to grow us both. I am a blessed woman!

Jane Austen, anyone?

Anybody else a Jane Austen fan? I am! I love the movies as well as the books. And yes, I think Pride and Prejudice is really Jane Austen at her best. Funny, dramatic, romantic but also shaking her head at the world she lived in and the people who populated it.

I belong to a book discussion group at the public library in a neighboring community and, in July, we each read a book of our choice and then do a "book report" on it and present our book to the rest of the group. I love biographies too so often my choice is a biography. This year I read Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence and wholeheartedly enjoyed it. The unique thing about this particular biography of Jane Austen is that it interweaves her personal relationships and experiences with the stories she tells in her classic novels showing how her life affected her art. I found the biography thoroughly engaging but its been a while since I read some of the novels so I'm planning to reread the biography along with the novels in the order in which Jane Austen wrote them.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear which Jane Austen novel you particularly enjoy. Or which movie of which novel is your favorite. Has anyone read any of the other biographies of Jane Austen? I'd love to get some Jane Austen discussion going here.

Price of Gas: June 26, 2008

I had tea with Kim this morning, always a treat, and made a stop at the library before heading home via the gas station. Here's what I found for the price of gas in Crystal Lake, IL today. Its down one cent which I know is better than up but still I wish it was better news. But it is more or less stable these last couple of weeks and the fact that it is not steeply climbing at the moment is something to be thankful for.

How much are you paying for gas these days? Rebecca is keeping track of prices from all over the world so stop by the Yukon and leave a comment for her about your local prices. See you there.

Re-entered!

I totally agree with Elle that re-entry after vacation is a beast! And this time, its been the hardest ever for me. Maybe its part of the getting older thing. That's another ugly animal but don't worry. I won't go into all that now.

Really, I just want to say that I think I'm finally back! I thought I was almost here on Saturday but had a bit of a setback Sunday and yesterday. But now...its going to be okay. The yard is about where it would have been had we not left for a week. Notice, I didn't say it was all up to snuff but when is that ever going to happen? Same thing with the house. Anyway, I'm feeling good this afternoon. I can handle the undone aspects of life at the cottage now.

Sunday's Hymn: The God of Abraham Praise

The God of Abraham praise,
Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days,
And God of love:
Jehovah! great I AM!
By earth and heav'n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name,
For ever blest.

The God of Abraham praise,
At whose supreme command
From earth I rise, and seek the joys
At his right hand:
I all on earth forsake,
Its wisdom, fame, and power;
And him my only portion make,
My Shield and Tower.

He by himself hath sworn,
I on his oath depend;
I shall, on eagle's wings upborne,
To heav'n ascend:
I shall behold his face,
I shall his power adore,
And sing the wonders of his grace
For evermore.

The goodly land I see,
With peace and plenty blest,
A land of sacred liberty
And endless rest;
There milk and honey flow,
And oil and wine abound,
And trees of life for ever grow,
With mercy crowned.

There dwells the Lord our King,
The Lord our righteousness;
Triumphant over the world and sin,
The Prince of Peace
On Zion's sacred height
His kingdom still maintains,
And glorious with his saints in light
For ever reigns.

The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high;
Hail Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
They ever cry:
Hail Abraham's God and mine!
I join the heavenly lays
All might and majesty are thine,
And endless praise.

These words are from The Yig­dal (doxology) of Dan­i­el ben Ju­dah, a Jew­ish judge in Rome, cir­ca 1400, par­a­phrased by Thomas Olivers, cir­ca 1765. The lyr­ics are based on the 13 creeds of Mos­es Mai­mon­i­des (cir­ca 1130-1204).

Blueberry Rhubarb Jam

Here's one for the rhubarb lovers among us. That includes me and, since I am also a blueberry lover, this recipe is practically perfect in my opinion.

In a large saucepan, bring 7 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 can blueberry pie filling and 4 cups sugar to a boil and keep at the boil for 10 minutes. Then add two 3 oz. packages of raspberry Jello stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Can be frozen or preserved using the hot water bath method.

And it is good!

Price of Gas: June 19, 2008

I didn't do my regular gas posting last Thursday because we were on vacation but when we passed by the pumps late Saturday on our way to the cottage, the price was $4.15 per gallon for regular unleaded. So we are actually down by one penny from the price a few days ago. Still a sickeningly high price but "a penny saved is a penny earned," right? And it is even higher for our neighbors to the north in Canada as well as those across the pond in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. Hey, its higher for our friends in California than we are paying. So maybe its a downright bargain, huh!?

How does your price stack up? Check it out and share in the comments over at Rebecca's place.

15 Words or Less Poem

Awakening stretches
From curled sleep.
Blink and yawn
Before smiling.

Gas Prices in Wisconsin

As promised, I did keep track of gas prices last week as we traveled north from Crystal Lake, IL to Mercer, WI which is in the far Northwoods of Wisconsin. When we left home on June 7th, gas here was $4.11 per gallon. The cheapest prices we saw were just north of the border in southern Wisconsin $3.99 and occasionally even $3.95 per gallon! Bargains to be had, for sure. From Madison and all the way up through Wausaw it was $4.07 to $4.09. But once we got close to Minocqua which is more "tourist-y," it shot up to about $4.10 and $4.11. Pretty much the same as the price back home. In little Mercer, about 45 minutes north of Minocqua, it was $4.03 per gallon for regular unleaded.

Our destination was actually a cabin on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, about another 40 minutes or so down the road, but Mercer was our last town to pass through. We did make a trip up to Ironwood, MI one day in the middle of the week that we were in the Northwoods and gas up there was back to southern WI levels...just under $4.00 per gallon.

We left the Northwoods to return home on June 14th and by then, gas had risen a few cents but the pattern of who had the cheapest gas was maintained. Mercer was up to $4.13, Minocqua about $4.15, just north of the border at $4.04 with still an occasionally bargain at $3.99 per gallon and $4.15 per gallon back home here in Crystal Lake, IL. And while I will post my usual end of the week gas pump picture and post, there has been no change here since our return at the weekend.

We're Home!

As some of you already know, we are home! It was a wonderful vacation...a true time of rest and renewal during which we experienced God's incredible provision and protection. All that flooding in the Midwest? We didn't even know it was going on, despite the fact that there was satellite TV in our cabin. Our weather radio met our needs and we didn't go to the Northwoods of Wisconsin to watch TV! So we weren't worried about anything back home...or even getting back home! And when we encountered detours due to the closing of I-90 on the drive back, we chalked it up to some massive road work and sat back to enjoy our unplanned tour of the small towns of Southern Wisconsin!

But here's what all that wet, warm, intermittently sunny weather meant to our yard when we did reach home: WEEDS, WEEDS, EVERYWHERE!


But also the lovely sight of these:

So if you wonder what I've been doing since we got home (besides laundry, that is) its spending lots of time in the yard getting it up to snuff. I just thank God for the neighbor who mowed our lawn while we were gone. That was an unanticipated blessing!

Sunday's Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923

More Sunday's Hymns here.

Sunday's Hymn: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Refrain

Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

I've always posted a hymn that we sang in church that morning before this one but I am actually not at my church this Sunday so I don't know what was sung. I've always loved this hymn and so many times it has sprung to mind during our study of the book of Hebrews. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Project Blue: Take Seven

Here's another blue addition thanks to one of my neighbors. They've been a great resource for me! And in the not too distant future, I expect to see one of these in a particular friend's yard as well. That grandson may even be born before I get back from vacation!

Anyway, I am taking a blogging break for the next week while we are gone. I am actually gone now but I love the new blogger feature that allows me to schedule a post for a later date. I had to use it for this one and my Sunday's Hymn post just because I can!

Have a wonderful week, everyone! I'll catch up with you when I get back. Meanwhile, check out more Project Blue at Anna Carson Photography.

Project Blue: Take Six

We don't really have a lot of blue around our house but I found this glass paperweight in my daughter's room. It is a penguin with two smaller penguins within it. Somehow though, the big penguin looks more like a rather dopey rabbit to me. Anyway, its blue!






More Project Blue at Anna Carson Photography.

Price of Gas: June 5, 2008

Here's the price of gas in Crystal Lake, IL yesterday. Its up 2 cents from last week which was our recent "low" but it had been up to $4.15 per gallon again during the week and fallen back to $4.11. We're headed off to northern Wisconsin for a week's vacation starting tomorrow. It will be interesting to see gas prices up that way. I won't have internet access during the week but my plan is to catch some prices at the pump while we're away so I can share them after we get back. Meanwhile, I'm heading over to Rebecca's to check on what others are paying for their gas.

Bad Weather

Remember I said the weather was ugly this morning and I wasn't going for a walk? Well, I did go out in the garage and open the overhead door to see what I could snap from the relative safety in there and this is what I got. When I looked at it on the little screen of my camera this morning, I thought it was just not much of anything but tonight, when I was downloading other pictures onto the computer, I thought it looked rather intriguing! So here it is, the weather in Crystal Lake, IL at 8 o'clock this morning! Those white spots are actually drops of rain!

15 Words or Less Poem

Silver mushrooms sprout
In unexpected places;
Like love
In an ordinary life.



More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Project Blue: Take Five

Here's another blue "find" in a neighbor's yard from one of my early morning walks. It wasn't this morning though. The sky has been dark, we've had heavy rains and even a tornado watch already! Maybe there will be a walk in my day this afternoon but I'm not venturing out yet.


More Project Blue at Anna's place.

Project Blue: Take Four

This one's from the archives. It is probably five or six years old and I've been debating using it every day now. I think two of the three of us who wear shirts put blue ones on that day and the third succumbed to the pressure. Andy was the one doing the photography with a timed shot so he's anxiously watching the camera.

Project Blue hosted by Anna Carson Photography.

Project Blue: Take Three

I just got back from a morning walk during which I saw these lovely blue flowers in a neighbor's yard. I don't know what they are but I love the delicate perfection of them.

More Project Blue at Anna Carson Photography.

Project Blue: Take Two

Nothing's better when you're feeling blue than an nice hot cuppa!







More Project Blue photos Anna Carson Photography.

Project Blue: Take One

Blue boat, blue water and blue skies. This was vacation a few years ago and we are hoping for a repeat when we venture into northern Wisconsin next week. At least we have the blue boat part covered. The rest is in God's hands.

More Project Blue photos at Anna Carson Photography.

Sunday's Hymn: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
To his feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me, his praise should sing?
Praise him, praise him,
Praise him, praise him,
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise him for his grace and favor
To our fathers in distress;
Praise him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless;
Praise him, praise him,
Praise him, praise him,
Glorious in his faithfulness.

Father-like, he tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes;
Praise him, praise him,
Praise him, praise him,
Widely as his mercy goes.

Angels, help us to adore him;
Ye behold him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Praise him, praise him,
Praise him, praise him,
Praise with us the God of grace.

Henry F. Lyte, 1834

More Sunday's Hymns here.

Update: I didn't realize when I posted this hymn that today is Henry Francis Lyte's 215th birthday! I learned that when I read C.W.S.'s post for this day at Conjubilant With Song, where another of Lyte's hymns is posted as well as a single verse from a third of his hymns.

Price of Gas: May 29, 2008

I swung by the gas station on the way home from stopping by Kim's house last night and here's the latest in gas prices for Crystal Lake, IL. I don't have to whine (well, at least not quite as much) since the price dropped 6 cents per gallon from last week. Think there's any coincidence with it being right after Memorial Day?

Check out what everyone else is paying for gas at Rebecca's. So far, Mummymac is in the lead on gas prices, a distinction I'm sure she'd be glad to relinquish.

Nip Cancer in the Bud: The Answers: Part 2

The final installment of Karen's very important series on cancer awareness and screening is in at Simply A Musing Blog! This is must read material for all of us! Karen, a huge thank you for the large investment in time and effort to bring us these posts! And of course, a very big thanks as well to the oncologists who generously gave of their time and expertise. I've learned a lot and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

P.S. Don't forget to check back later at Karen's blog for the answer to the one last question that required a bit more research. You don't want to miss anything here!

Look What I Got in the Mail Yesterday!

Look at this! Here are the two cookbooks I won from Ann at Whatever Things... in our last Recipe Round Up! Wasn't that generous and sweet of her to have that drawing and send me these cute little cookbooks! I love them! Thank you, Ann!

The little books are full of delicious sounding recipes and interesting pictures alongside them. In the case of the Irish Teatime one, there are pictures of historic life in Ireland. Favourite Boating Recipes is illustrated with scenes of narrow, canal boats of England. And there is no way that Ann could have known that the name of the boat in the picture on the cover of that one is the name that I am called by in my family of origin...Annie.

So now I have the fun of pouring over them, deciding which recipe to try first. And every time I turn a page, I'll think of my friend, Ann, and her thoughtfulness.

15 Words or Less Poem

His purposes and plans
Overarch all;
I can rest
Beneath them.










Update: More poems here. And Kim's stunning poem with information on the cathedral are here.

Much Better Day at the Cottage

Charlie saw his cardiologist yesterday and it was a much better day than last Friday! He had a exam there and an echo cardiogram. That echo cardiogram did not require Charlie to lay on his back so things went much more smoothly from that point of view...Charlie's! And from my point of view, the news was much more encouraging. Yes, Charlie has some degenerative mitral valve disease as a result of the aging process. He is twelve years old, after all. But it seems that his murmur sounds much worse than his heart function really is and to quote the cardiologist "he is compensating very well." That translates to no need for medication right now. Just monitoring by doing chest X-rays (for which she had a positioning suggestion to prevent the stress on his hips) every six months and another echo cardiogram next year. We can live with that! The bill was even less than I was afraid it might be. So praise God and heartfelt thanks for your prayers!

Quotes from the Cottage

Of what high importance is the hope of the Gospel, both to the Christian's comfort and holiness! This hope rests on the faith of the Gospel. This faith springs from the knowledge of the meaning and evidence of divine truth. These are to be found in the Bible. The influence of the Divine Spirit is necessary to enable us to find them there. That influence is promised to all who ask it. "Search the Scriptures." "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read." "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you."
--John Brown

Sunday's Hymn: Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power

Blessing and honor and glory and power,
Wisdom and riches and strength evermore
Give ye to him who our battle hath won,
Whose are the Kingdom, the crown, and the throne.

Soundeth the heav'n of the heav'ns with his Name;
Ringeth the earth with his glory and fame;
Oceans and mountain, stream, forest, and flower
Echo his praises and tell of his power.

Ever ascendeth the song and the joy;
Ever descendeth the love from on high;
Blessing and honor and glory and praise—
This is the theme of the hymns that we raise.

Give we the glory and praise to the Lamb;
Take we the robe and the harp and the palm;
Sing we the song of the Lamb that was slain,
Dying in weakness, but rising to reign.

Horatius Bonar, 1866

Rough Day at the Cottage

Yesterday was a rough day here for me...and Charlie. I had an appointment for him at the vet in the morning. Now, I think you all know how I feel about Charlie but in case you don't, I love that little dog of mine! But he has a checkered medical past. And he's twelve years old. Anyway, I'd noticed a lump on his belly a couple of days ago and decided to move up his routine bladder X-ray for stones and get that lump checked while we were there. All is well on those fronts. Not so for his heart. He's had a bit of a murmur for a while. Now he's got more than that and he needs to see a cardiologist. I'm sure some people would think that is a bit over the top. Insane, actually. But fortunately for me...and Charlie...Andy is not one of them. I thank God for giving us the same point of view on that.

This morning, Charlie saw his chiropractor. That he has one is part of his checkered medical past too. He's got a history of back and neck problems but this time it was his hip. While taking chest X-rays to send to the cardiologist, Charlie squirmed in protest against being held on his back with all four legs splayed out and the strain on his hip was the result. Thank God it just seems to be a pulled muscle. He should recover from that in a few days.

Here's a picture of my much loved old boy waiting for me at the end of our bed. And if you are the sort who prays for animals, Charlie and I would appreciate that. Thanks, friends.

Belated Reminder

Did you make it over to Simply A Musing Blog today to check on the first round of answers from the oncologists that Karen has enlisted to answer our questions about cancer screening? If not, better go now. And thanks again, Karen, for sponsoring this important and valuable service to us all.

Price of Gas: May 23, 2008

Well, here's the bad news on the price of gas today in Crystal Lake, IL. While I know others (like Rebecca...and Mummymac) are paying more, it does seem like the price for us is going up faster each week. But enough whining.

Cookies for Prayer Meeting

Our little church had prayer meeting last night. We've been gathering every other Wednesday evening in our homes and sharing a meal together afterwards. The host family has been providing the main course and this time it was Kim and Tom's turn. We had grilled burgers and hotdogs fixed on their new grill. Yum!

I made the dessert and, since Kim had broadly hinted in her comment on my Half Moon Cookies that she'd like to sample them, that's what I made. I think everyone enjoyed them though. That means I can share positive reviews outside of my own family now! And outside of Upstate New York!

Also per Kim's request, I added a picture to the post with the recipe but I am duplicating it here so you don't have to click back to the recipe just to see it. They are rather pretty, don't you think?

15 Words or Less Poem

Shades of green,
Dark and cool.
God's creation,
Peace and renewal.




More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Quotes from the Cottage

Faith is the belief of what God reveals respecting the way of salvation; hope is the expectation of obtaining that salvation."'The assurance of faith" is a full persuasion of the truth of what God reveals; "the assurance of hope" is a full expectation of obtaining what God has promised....
The means calculated for this purpose are just the faith of the Gospel, and living under the influence of the faith of the Gospel. Our faith and our hope will just be in proportion to each other, and our holiness will be in proportion to both.
--John Brown

Sunday's Hymn: Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns
All music but its own:
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of love;
Behold his hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of peace;
Whose pow'r a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
Absorbed in prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end;
And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of Paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time;
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime:
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me:
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity.

Matthew Bridges, 1852

Dogwood

There are not many dogwood trees in Crystal Lake, IL but I am fortunate enough to have one in my yard. Here's a close up of the blossoms on it this year. Like the bleeding hearts, the dogwood blossoms seem especially lovely this spring.

Spring 2008

The long awaited spring of 2008 is now in progress in Crystal Lake, IL and it is certainly not a typical spring for these parts. Most years we seem to go almost directly from winter to summer. But not this year! We've been enjoying a prolonged spring. Days of moderate temperatures and nights of cool ones. The night before Mother's Day, just one week ago, it dipped back into the thirties. And its not like it has even been very rainy which can happen in spring here.

The effect has been glorious days of prolonged pleasure in our spring flowers. Tulips have been around for weeks now. Depending on how much sun they've gotten, some are not even fully opened in my neighborhood. The Charlie walks are a riot of springtime color!

But right here in my yard, my bleeding hearts are more profuse and longer lasting than I would have imagined they ever could be! I love them! And I am basking in them this year.

Price of Gas: May 16, 2008

After doing some yard work, Charlie and I took a walk up to check out the gas prices today. Okay, Charlie wasn't doing any yard work but I was. Anyway, here it is...$3.97 per gallon in Crystal Lake, IL. Check out what others are paying for gas at Rebecca Writes. It might make you feel better about your gas price. Or it might make you feel worse. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Cancer Awareness and Screening

Karen at Simply A Musing Blog has a post up today that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS! Could I make that any more emphatic? Karen starts her post by saying that cancer is one of the ugliest words in the English language. I can personally attest to that. I can clearly remember the impact the "C-word" had on me when my surgeon walked into my hospital room and told me I had thyroid cancer twenty-some years ago. And thyroid cancer is usually slow growing and highly treatable! I've had a couple of other bouts with thyroid cancer over the years but I'm here to tell you about it! And I'm healthy! Please get your cancer screenings of all types and don't cause yourself or your family unnecessary suffering. Read Karen's post. She has so graciously involved some Texas oncologists in a question and answer session on her blog. Take advantage of that. You can't protect yourself or your family from this ugly word if you don't know the facts. Get them! And if you have a blog, partner with us in getting the word out to others, please!

15 Words or Less Poem

Big eyes
Wet nose
Soft warm body
Love on four paws
Creeps into my heart.



More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Recipe Round Up: Half Moons

Here's another Upstate New York specialty for Ann's Recipe Round Up at Whatever Things... The big day is Thursday, May 15th and that's tomorrow! I've noticed a few international recipes surfacing among the Round Up group but I know there are more coming!

But back to my recipe for today. Half Moons are, as far as I know, the only unique food which actually started in the Utica-Rome area. I believe they started as a creation of Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, to be precise, but their popularity caused them to be imitated by many others including lots of us home bakers. They are a large cakey sort of cookie which is turned over and frosted on the bottom side with half white frosting and half chocolate frosting. Hence, their name, Half Moon Cookies. So let's get to the recipe!

Cream together:
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. shortening
Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture.
Add:
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
Mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoons, two per cookie, on a cookie sheet and spread a bit with the back of the spoon to make the cookies more round and flat.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes.

Now for the frosting. Cream 6 tablespoons of softened butter in a small bowl. Blend in 2 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar alternately with 1/3 cup milk. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until creamy. Move just slightly less than half of the frosting to another bowl to be made into chocolate frosting. To the smaller amount, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1-2 tablespoons of milk, beating until creamy.

Now frost the baked and cooled cookies remembering to turn them upside down. Enjoy with the beverage of your choice. Mine is tea, thank you very much.

Variation: You can make the cookies themselves chocolate by substituting 1/2 c. of cocoa powder for 1/2 c. of the flour.

Update: As requested, here's a picture of the finished product.

Recipe Round Up: Buffalo Chicken Wings

Only three more days until this month's Recipe Round Up! Its hosted by Ann at Whatever Things... this time and the details are here. The theme is Recipes from Around the World and I'm really looking forward to acquiring some new and interesting ones! My first contribution follows and I hope you enjoy it!

We've lived in Illinois twelve years now but we lived in Upstate New York for 17 years before that. The Utica-Rome area was where we called home and that's quite a ways from Buffalo, the true home of Buffalo chicken wings. Still no one there would dream of eating a pizza without wings. It simply wasn't done! And we missed those wings with our pizzas for years after arriving in Chicagoland so it was imperative that a good recipe be found. This is it.

Brush both sides of wings (2 1/2 pounds of them) with vegetable oil and place on broiling rack. Broil 15-20 minutes or until nicely crisped. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup of butter, 4 1/2 tablespoons of Red Hot Sauce and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar in a large saucepan. Add wings to saucepan and immediately toss them in the sauce. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Sunday's Hymn: Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Come, Holy Spirit, come;
Let thy bright beams arise;
Dispel the darkness from our minds,
And open all our eyes.

Cheer our desponding hearts,
Thou heav'nly Paraclete;
Give us to lie with humble hope
At our Redeemer's feet.

Revive our drooping faith;
Our doubts and fears remove;
And kindle in our breasts the flames
Of never-dying love.

Convince us of our sin;
Then lead to Jesus' blood,
And to our wond'ring view, reveal
The secret love of God.

'Tis thine to cleanse the heart,
To sanctify the soul,
To pour fresh life in ev'ry part,
And new create the whole.

Dwell, therefore, in our hearts;
Our minds from bondage free;
Then we shall know and praise and love
The Father, Son, and Thee.

Joseph Hart, 1759

Quotes from...Caribou

Andy and I really enjoy the occasional Saturday morning "date" at Caribou. I'm not sure exactly why since we don't have any children at home anymore...except Charlie, of course, who can be just as distracting as a human child. Then there is the phone and the computer and seeing all the tasks that need doing around the cottage. I guess I do know why we like to have our Caribou getaways!

But I digress. Back to the point. We were at Caribou this morning and I was especially rewarded to see this perfect blog fodder quote on the back of a T-shirt.


In case you can't quite make it out, the T-shirt says:

CONFIDENCE
the feeling you have
before you understand
the situation.

Price of Gas: May 9, 2008

No improvement on gas prices here in Crystal Lake, IL. But Mummymac pretty much cured me of complaining about our prices last week so I'll just keep my mouth shut about it. Or should I say "my fingers quiet."

Check out what others are paying for gas at Rebecca Writes. Then again, you might not want to know!

15 Words or Less Poem

Cast off,
Abandoned,
Alone in the world.
No!
Immanuel
God is with me.


More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

May's Recipe Round-Up

This month's Round Up is hosted by Ann at Whatever Things... and the theme is Recipes Around the World. Ann is encouraging us to contribute "recipes unique either to the part of the world or country you live or where you’re from originally." I am already thinking about what recipes I can share and I hope you are too! The big day is scheduled for Thursday, May 15th and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! New and exciting recipes are always welcome at the cottage. So head on over to Ann's place to get the guidelines for participation. While you're there, check out the giveaway Ann is featuring too!

Saving the Violets

Finally, it really is spring in Crystal Lake, IL. So much so that Andy even had to mow the lawn this weekend! But he knew how much I was enjoying all the violets in the lawn so look what he did. He mowed out around the majority of them so that we can still enjoy them from the screen porch! What a guy!

Sunday's Hymn: Lord, My Weak Thought

Lord, my weak thought in vain would climb
To search the starry vault profound;
In vain would wing her flight sublime
To find creation's utmost bound.

But weaker yet that thought must prove
To search thy great eternal plan,
Thy sovereign counsels, born of love
Long ages ere the world began.

When my dim reason would demand
Why that, or this, thou dost ordain,
By some vast deep I seem to stand,
Whose secrets I must ask in vain.

When doubts disturb my troubled breast,
And all is dark as night to me,
Here, as on solid rock, I rest,—
That so it seemeth good to thee.

Be this my joy, that evermore
Thou rulest all things at thy will;
Thy sovereign wisdom I adore,
And calmly, sweetly, trust thee still.

Listen to it here.

Price of Gas: May 3, 2008

This morning, Andy and I took a little trip out to get gas for the lawn mower from our local station about four blocks from the cottage in Crystal Lake, IL. We paid $3.73.9 per gallon. See that little sign next to the gas station sign? If you look closely, it says "Cruising Prohibited 7 PM to 5 AM." I am wondering how much cruising is happening with gas at this price.

Want to know how much those in other areas are paying for gas? Rebecca is keeping tabs right here.

But to check out prices globally and put things into perspective, read this article.

15 Words or Less Poem

Underdressed,
Overdressed,
Feeling out of step.
Who sets the rules?
Maybe me.





For more 15 Words or Less Poems, visit here.