Dust of Snow

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

~ Robert Frost ~

Picture Books in Winter

Summer fading, winter comes---

Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs,

Window robins, winter rocks,

And the picture story -books.

Water is now turned to stone

Nurse and I can walk upon;

Still we find the flowing brooks

In the picture story-books.

All the pretty things put by,

Wait upon the children's eye,

Sheep and shepherds, trees and crooks,

In the picture story-books.

We may see how all things are

Seas and cities, near and far,

And the flying fairies' looks,

In the picture story-books.

How am I to sing your praise,

Happy chimney-corner days,

Sitting safe in nursery nooks,

Reading picture story-books?

~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~

We May Be Down But a Rebirth is Around the Corner

This month has been very trying and tiring. Beginning January 30 the health of this household has spiraled down, down, down. The flu was going around at church and Collin (age12) was the first to catch the "little buggers" and bring them home.  Then on the 8th we received a phone call from our youngest daughter - our only grand daughter was in the hospital in ICU with RSV (a respiratory infection that can kill babies). Emma is 15 months old. Her son Baylyn (age8) would come stay with us  - he has the flu. 

The following week Joseph (age8) came down with the flu and ended up in the emergency room - he has infection in both of his ears. Nobody is sleeping. It's the second week in February and Emma is  finally getting better and might get to go home in the morning. Then Ashley calls in the morning the baby is running high fever again and they are icing her down. She's back on oxygen and having problems breathing. After testing she has contracted the flu while in the hospital. No one is sleeping. February 13 my head is killing me and I can hardly drag myself out of bed. But there is a silver lining here - really. We have been having large amounts of snow and below wind chills so hubby wasn't able to work. Normally we would look at this as a bad thing - no work means no money right?

Just so happens we has our taxes done the last week in January - early for us - our refund has been a great relief. The Lord knows what we need and when we need it. Hubby is at home while I spend the next two days in bed, however, being a mom once I am able to gain my bearings I'm up and about. Collin is back to normal so we sent him over to stay with mom so he doesn't get sick again. Baylyn is croopy but feeling better. Emma is on the mend. Joseph is still in the bed.

The week end of the third week Emma gets to go home and Baylyn is right as rain amd missing his mom and little sister - so he gets to go home. Joseph is feeling better and I'm still dragging around feeling one day good, two days bad. Hubby has gone back to work. I know but I just can't land yet. Kody is running fever (age14) so he comes home from mom's, it is the 23rd. He's down but this week he's getting better. During the day mom has Joseph and Collin with her and I take naps off an on during the day . I never knew I could sleep so much. I don't know if its the flu or I'm just plain bone tired.

We've purchased a ton of meds and made pots & pots of chicken soup, chicken & noodles, and drank gallons orange juice. Today is February 27 and the boys have been asking about school. The snow is gone like it never existed and the weather is in the 60's next week the 70's. We Missed Candlemas, Valentine's Day, Church and Rangers, and the boys a weekend camp out. But we're looking forward to  St. Patrick's Day dinner, the first day of spring, and Baylyn, Emma and my birthday party dinner.  We are truly looking forward to this years rebirth. Oh, as usual hubby has yet to show a sign of anything!

Snow Day

(Photo from last January 2010)


Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,

its white flag waving over everything,

the landscape vanished,

not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,

and beyond these windows

the government buildings smothered,

schools and libraries buried, the post office lost

under the noiseless drift,

the paths of trains softly blocked,

the world fallen under this falling.

In a while I will put on some boots

and step out like someone walking in water,

and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,

and I will shake a laden branch,

sending a cold shower down on us both.

But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,

a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.

I will make a pot of tea

and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,

as glad as anyone to hear the news

that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,

the Ding-Dong School, closed,

the All Aboard Children's School, closed,

the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,

along with -- some will be delighted to hear --

the Toadstool School, the Little School,

Little Sparrows Nursery School,

Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School,

the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,

and -- clap your hands -- the Peanuts Play School.

So this is where the children hide all day,

These are the nests where they letter and draw,

where they put on their bright miniature jackets,

all darting and climbing and sliding,

all but the few girls whispering by the fence.

And now I am listening hard

in the grandiose silence of the snow,

trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,

what riot is afoot,

which small queen is about to be brought down.

~Billy Collins~

Winter Song

Rain and wind, and wind and rain.
Will the Summer come again?
Rain on houses, on the street,
Wetting all the people's feet,
Though they run with might and main.
Rain and wind, and wind and rain.

Snow and sleet, and sleet and snow.
Will the Winter never go?
What do beggar children do
With no fire to cuddle to,
P'raps with nowhere warm to go?
Snow and sleet, and sleet and snow.

Hail and ice, and ice and hail,
Water frozen in the pail.
See the robins, brown and red,
They are waiting to be fed.
Poor dears, battling in the gale!
Hail and ice, and ice and hail.

~Katherine Mansfield~

A Merry Christmas Wish for You

We hope your Christmas Day is filled with

love, gratitude, friendship and family.

The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

~ Clement Clarke Moore ~

The Death of Autumn

When reeds are dead and a straw to thatch the marshes,
And feathered pampas-grass rides into the wind
Like aged warriors westward, tragic, thinned
Of half their tribe, and over the flattened rushes,
Stripped of its secret, open, stark and bleak,
Blackens afar the half-forgotten creek,—
Then leans on me the weight of the year, and crushes
My heart. I know that Beauty must ail and die,
And will be born again,—but ah, to see
Beauty stiffened, staring up at the sky!
Oh, Autumn! Autumn!—What is the Spring to me?

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay ~

Making Tree Decorations

Hubby and I decided to get a smaller Christmas Tree and retire our old one. Well, Elf # 3 decided she wanted it, however it was one of those huge round eight foot tall trees and she had very few decorations. So Mrs. Claus,Elf #3 and Elf # 2 decided to round up the rest of the little ones and get to business.
 

 

We gathered up every scrap of construction paper, scrapbook paper, yarns & ribbons, stickers, color pencils, markers, crayons, white glue, glue sticks, scissors, pencils & erasers, glitter, and Christmas Craft books.
 

There was hot cocoa to be made, a round or two of Jingle Bells, snipping, clipping and merriment. A nibble of a cookie or two.
 

There were even a few Christmas cards threw in.

 All in all it turned out to be a pretty productive afternoon. We ended with more than enough decorations for that big old tree.

Christmas Tree

Just a quick drop by to let you into our Christmasy world around here. This week well look at the tree. The boys made the paper chain and I'll tell you it took a ton to make the crazy thing long enough to wrap the tree, but they had fun. Yea, we still have the turkey hands hanging up on the windows. They are just too darn cute to take down.

 

Thanks for dropping by.

Granny's Sleigh

Here's a sleigh for you! It was my grandmother's prized Christmas decoration. Every year it sat on the mantel when she was alive and it still sits on my mother's fireplace mantle every year.

 Its porcelain with 24 kart gold trim. It's very heavy and large. It consists of the Santa in a sleigh and two reindeer. It is very beautiful, the pictures don't do it justice. Sorry I'm so late getting this listed. The boys are all down with colds.