The Loveliness of Spring

The last gust of winter came through this weekend. Jack Frost whispered goodbye. It seems like a dream that we had snow here (in Texas) just a few short weeks ago. In August of last year I couldn't imagine wishing for warm weather again. I never thought I would want to let go of the winter once it got here. Never have I been so anxious for sweaters as I was in the dry summer of 2009.

And then the seasons change and a new day dawns: winter becomes spring. My longing for cold becomes a desire for warmth and color.

The wise Creator gives us exactly what we need; just enough and never too much.

The loveliness of spring returns like a speckled blue secret at first, hidden under the breast of a robin.



Almost overnight the stark branches shoot forth leaves like dripping sunlight. The trees whisper of summer before our winter clothes have been tucked away.

It makes me want to count my blessings again...

Where was I? Oh, yes. Number 13. It's been too long. If I ever want to get to 1,000 - I had better get back to my weekly praise.

I'm thankful for:

13. Snow on cactus. Real snowmen that won't fit in your freezer. Memories of snowflakes on the baby's hair. Playing outside until our fingers burned from cold.

14. Golden sunshine and breezes from the north that make this place feel like heaven on earth.

15. The promise of green to come.

16. The tweeting birds. They're "twitterpated".



17. A thousand wishes yet to hope for while we still yet live. Knowing that anything is possible with Christ.

18. God's soft geometry - the puff of a dandelion.

19. The promise of seeds, carried on the wind... and life again.



20. Blue skies that reach into the heavens.

21. Easter

22. Fuzzy, buzzy, busy bees - dusted with yellow pollen - ignoring me as I stand inches from them with my camera.



23. The wonder in the eyes of a child... discovering the world anew.

24. Poetry to read:

BARTER ~ by Sara Teasdale

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

Join me at Ann Voskamp's Gratitude Community and count your blessings on your own blog each 'Multitude Monday'. Discover how she 'unwraps beauty' in the commonplace on her blog, "A Holy Experience".





Quick Links:
A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart (Post 1)

Credits: Last photo taken by my daughter, Morgan.

Happy and Green 17th

Have you ever seen a leprechaun sleeping? Today is the baby's first birthday. Here he is sleeping in his 'birthday suit' with one of his soft, fluffy blankets. I'm busy cleaning up the house today and trying to figure out what type of cake to make for tonight... to go with my chicken noodle soup (Baby's favorite meal).



Here's my desktop. Complete in Smashing Magazine's March green. I don't really believe in luck... but I am very blessed. To me, lucky is more of a choice to see the wonders that God has placed in your life... not a working of chance happenstance.



Spring is here - and so is the warm weather. I'll be getting some close up shots of the clover today - and some pictures of the baby and all of us in our St. Patrick's Day Green.

I always liked St. Patty's day - through the years - for different reasons - but now I have an extra special, pint-sized reason to love it.

Our little man is the gold at the end of our rainbow. What a fun and mischievous little fellow!

Here's an Irish blessing for you to take with you the rest of today:

Wishing you always...
Walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire.

Blissdom Limerick

There once was a girl named Heather
To Blissdom she went with Goodwill pants made of pleather
There's no way you will miss her
In tow are her kids and a her cooler
No doubt she'll come back with all her thoughts put ToGEtHeR

Can you imagine how much fun Heather is having right now?! Nothing better than driving many, many, m.a.n.y. hours in a car with children. Ah, the bliss. Who needs spas or a solitary trip to the bathroom when you can have that?

But, she does have a sweet destination to set her eyes on. While all of us non-Blissers carry on with the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, the dishes, the sweeping, the "oh, you broke my Willow Tree figurine? no problem :(", the "honey, you really should vacuum today"-- you know LIFE at home, she will be free from those duties.

Only a wife and mother would call hours in a car, hotel rooms with children and crowds of people a vacation. I mean, really, when you step back and look at it it's insanity!

Alas, that insanity does include seeing Harry Connick Jr. Not too shabby.

Hope you've reached Blissdom by now, Heather!

The Night Before School Starts...

The night before school starts...
And all through the house,
Not a child was happy;
Just frowning and pouts.

The papers weren't sorted.
Unfinished were plans.
Homeschool teacher wasn't ready.
She was wringing her hands.

Her desk was all filthy.
Co-op dues were not paid.
She was missing a math book,
And still old papers to grade.

Pile upon pile ~
Of things to complete...
Clutter to tackle ~
And people to meet.

It seemed if this school year
Was to succeed not.
And that's when it hit her ~
She then had a thought...

Maybe I'll start off the first day tomorrow;
After a back-to-school breakfast to share,
With smiles and discussion of goals for the school year -
But FIRST, a wholehearted back-to-school PRAYER.

~ by Sprittibee


I'm off on a wing and a prayer tomorrow... and I'm quite certain that is all I will need to start this year off well. There's time to tackle the "rest" later. I hope your school year starts well. All you need is HIM.

"When we started homeschooling, I felt as if I tucked a child under each arm and jumped off a cliff. Imagine my surprise to discover we had wings!" ~ Maura Seger

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21

This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." ~ Isaiah 48:17

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: Homeschool, Teaching, Parenting, Education, Christianity, Homeschool Mom, Back to School, Prayer, Poetry

Wordless Wednesday: 'Songs About Rainbows'

My eyes lift,
Watching shafts of color push back the mist of storm.
Broken and still beautiful - tied up; a package in light...
Gift.
I smile.
He's remembering His promise.


Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: rainbow, color, God, hope, light, life, beauty, photos, Wordless Wednesday, inspiration, happy, personal, photography, pictures, clouds

Wordless Wednesday: Puff

Just another dandelion.
Impossible not to stop and wonder -
no matter how common they are.
God's common is always incredible.
Tiny puff of dreams yet unplanted...
seeds yet to be sewn.
Capsules of future... waiting.
Feathery silver promises of bright yellow hope.


Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: silver, dandelion, flowers, seeds, gardening, life, random, photos, Wordless Wednesday, inspiration, future, personal, hope, pictures, every day

Easter Wishes

Follow the link behind the picture and enjoy the very LONG Easter poem I found on the net. My favorite part was this:

In the beauty of that desert place,
The Savior of mankind
Faced all the ugliness
His charges could offer:
The pain, the hate,
The sin, the sorrow,
The waste, the wickedness,
The pride, the poverty,
The deceit, the ignorance,
The doubt, the fear,
The betrayal
--And even the
Loneliness--
Alone.

cross cross cross

As His immortal, righteous blood
Was spilled, like sweat
From every pore
And fell to the thirsty earth below,
I cannot hide
My honor and my awe
At His great love for me;
Neither can I hide
My shame,
Self-reproach
And regret. For
How many of those precious drops
Am I responsible for?
--As He suffered
The bitter cup,
Alone.

I'm praying your Easter is a joyous one and that the savior has you wrapped in love and filled with joy.

May you... find time,
sigh big,
laugh from down deep,
spring with your step,
and be wrapped by the arms
of your beloved ones.

May the light of Christ be in you.


Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: Easter, Christianity, Jesus, Poetry, Joy, Spring, Religion, Postcard, Vintage, Christian, God, Life, Personal, Greetings, Holidays

The Caterpillar Song

My music teacher in elementary school made a song to go with Christina Rossetti's little caterpillar poem. I can remember being amazed by her long hair and lovely voice. We used to sit on bleachers in music class and she always carried a baton around like a orchestra conductor. That made her look really important to us kids, of course. I think I was in second or third grade when we sang this little poem and I sing it sometimes even now to my kids. I always enjoyed poetry and finding the message in the words that the poet was trying to convey. I love it still.

So that we could share the tune for this poem-song with you, we created a little PodBean account and uploaded an MP3 of our voices. I know you are itching to sing along with us! Click the link below to hear us in all our musical splendor (yeah, right).

Brown And Furry
by Christina Rossetti

Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Of what not.
Which may be the chosen spot.

No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

Powered by Podbean.com

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: Nature, Caterpillar, Family, Podcast, Kids, Poetry, Singing, Children, Music, Bugs, Teaching, Elementary

Autumn Reflections

I thought I would share a favorite autumn poem with you... since I am not much in the blogging mood. I want you to know that I'm coming back - and hopefully soon... just needed a little breather. Time away to reflect and pray is good medicine. Time with my husband and kids (and friends) these past few days has been priceless. I took this photo of a sunset in Arkansas as I came home from a long field trip today. It reminded me of the apple-blossom sky in Disney's "Johnny Appleseed" video. God bless Johnny for planting his apple seeds and the seeds of the Lord's truth everywhere he went.

Cherish those youthful Spring and Summer years before your own family's Fall and Winter comes. Kiss those kid's faces in the sunlight before they grow up and fly away in the autumn wisp of a dandelion-seed wind.

Something Told the Wild Geese

Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered – “Snow.”
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned –“Frost.”
All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly –
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.


~ Poem by Rachel Field

* Please remember to pray for Carla as she buries her little boy tomorrow (Wed).


Buzz Words: grief, children, time, parenting, sorrow, tragedy, kids, priorities, prayer, Christianity, care, compassion, life, poetry, fall, winter, love, reflection, family

Blog Code Fog

My head is spinning with HTML hexadecimal numbers and CSS classes. I spent a lot of yesterday going through old posts to make sure they were up to standards with the new design. I got all the way from June through January, and still have from January to THIS June to go. That's the difficulty in going from a dark template to a light one (a lot of the colors you use on black appear extremely light on white).

I have added a few new features to the blog for you to check out as you have time:

• The "Home" button so that you can always click it to get to the most recent posts (a handy upgrade lacking in my last site).
• The "About Me" section
• The "Contact" section
• The "Gear" section (which is actually a link to my CaféPress site but has nothing in it yet.... a girl has to have their own logo on a mousepad, you know)

I'm taking today day off from the blog, though, to go play at the park with husband and kids.

For some reason I have yellow dots under my links on the yellow sidebar - I know, that's a blog-fashion faux pau... but I'm working to resolve this and a few other issues behind the scenes. Blogger held up smashingly yesterday for a change - no outages or such. Hopefully WE (Sprittibee and Natalie Jost who has been most gracious in putting up with my perfectionism) will be done with this project soon and return to MY 'regularly scheduled program'.

Yesterday and today, Kevin has been home and we've been mostly off-school. The kids have been doing 3 Math worksheets regardless, and today is no exception. Hopefully we'll be done with the Math workbooks we bought near Christmas Time by the end of July. That's one reason we aren't stopping school at the 'regular' time.

Speaking of FOG... I love it. Especially the kind that hangs above the ground in layers, yet you can see under and above it perfectly... almost like a blanket instead of an overwhelming mist. The children and I found a wonderful poem online by Carl Sandburg that we absolutely adore.

Here it is:

Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking over
harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Buzz Words: Personal, Blogging, Design, Template, Homeschool, Summer, Homeschooling, Fog, Poet, Family, Blogger, Blog, Redesign, CSS, Lessons, Life, HTML, Poetry

Summer Poetry and Blogiversary Countdown

Bee-U-T-ful Bloglift

Only four more days until my blogiversary and the unveiling of my new blog template (see below for the preview of the day!). Hope you'll come back to say Hi and see what the buzz is all about.

Lazy Family Sunday
I've got my honey home for Sunday (for a change), so I won't keep you. It's rare that he gets to enjoy a fun lazy day with the family and I get to enjoy his strong arm around me in the pew at church. Tonight we have small-group studies ("house church"), and we're bringing sweet tea and chips to go with the sandwiches that others in the group are providing.

"A Poem Lovely as a Tree"*
As for our KONOS Seasons Unit Study... we've really enjoyed reading all the poetry that was prescribed by Konos. My more creative side has been stirring lately and I have been looking forward to reading all this poetry. When I was a kid, I used to write a poem almost every day. I have binders full of them (3-inch binders - about three of them totally full). Most of them are dark and dreary, and I wouldn't share them with my kids until they were fully grown. I didn't have the luxury of being raised as a Christian for the most part... and dark circumstances led to dark poetry. On the other hand, I was inspired by our long, quiet drive on vacation and the lovely scenery in both our home state and beyond. This truly is a great country we live in; a land of milk and honey.

A few days ago, I wrote this poem about the beautiful and stately oak tree outside of our apartment building (a slice of it is in the photo above). I thought I would share it here and give you a link to the other great tree-poems that we discovered while looking up poems for this unit. In fact, I'll be back in later this week to share a few of our favorite seasons poems that we've discovered since we began reading poems this week.

The Tree Outside My Window - by Sprittibee

If it weren't for the tree I could not stay
It beckons outside my window each day
There's nothing this small space where I live
Offers to me That I could not give

The tree's steady strength and wind-chime sway
Hold my gaze another balmy summer day
Its lichen-covered branches wearing dappled sunlight sleeves
Beyond, the creek lies hidden by its shifting summer leaves

Always there to ease my mind by pink twilight or dawn
Holding out its arms to me, it gently shades the lawn
Squirrel, mockingbird, woodpecker and finch grace its sturdy branch
Fireflies like a glittering gown surround it as they dance

Each season as it changes it will bless the eye
A different season's story and backdrop for the sky
Its rustling green fingers speak to me more than any words
I'm glad it's here to look upon and shelter all its birds

We stand at the window together; One in and one outside
The tree and I in silent trance... waiting for goodbye
Through the glass between us the whispering breeze begins
The awkward moment finally fades between two summer friends.

*Subtitle for third section originated as a line in Joyce Kilmer's poem, "Tree".
Technorati Tags: Tree, Oak, South, Outdoors, Summer, Homeschooling, Sunday, Church, Learning, Christianity, Blogiversary, Redesign, Poetry, Poems, Literature, Seasons, Beauty, Blessings

Coming Dawn

I spent the night the other night at my friend Ammie's while I was away checking mail and changing my address in my old town. She happened to be cooking her famous Beef Stroganoff, so I was persuaded into staying for dinner (and then Italian Coffee)... making it too late for my return drive. It is nice when you find homeschool friends who feel more like family. I have a few of those, scattered in and around Texas (and one family in Missouri). Friends are God's richest blessing.

I have heard it said that:

"Joys shared are double joys. Sorrows shared are half sorrows."

- Swedish Proverb

This is so true. It is hard leaving friends behind, but the great thing is, they will always be there when you go back.

Ammie lives in the country, surrounded by rolling hills, creeks, and beautiful mowed lawns covered with old oaks and two "ornamental" white ponies that roam freely. At night, while I was there, I woke up in the middle of the night, surrounded by windows and couldn't go back to sleep. I could see the trees swaying in the moonlight in the skylight. Blame it on the two cups of Italian Coffee. I wrote this poem before I went back to sleep...

Coming Dawn

Yesterday melts into history
Following the score of a cricket orchestra
Night lifts her shadow and nods in a bow
A curtain opens on the morning star
Darkness makes it's way through three shades of blue

An angel's chorus rising
Audience unaware, sleeping below, humanity sighs
The hands of the Creator cradle eternity
Heaven's silver dusting a brand new sky
Sunrise masterpiece and swirling colors

Stardust and Son
Priceless gift of another day
Precious time - mystery of forgiveness
Hidden in His palm
One more chance to find Him in the Light

Breath of yesterday finally exhaled, forgotten
Glowing blue marble of Earth, turning towards destiny
Judgement's shore awaits
A spot on the horizon of tomorrows
On the edge of God's sea of love

A Favorite Poem and a Weekend Vacation

I am headed out today to go look at houses and spend the weekend in a hotel with my husband and kiddos. I wanted to check in before we left. I doubt I'll have internet access while I'm away. I don't use a lap-top (really don't like them, for that matter), so I am completely computer-free when I travel. My husband carries a lap-top, but I hate the keyboard, so I rarely use it for any length of time at hotels. I use an ergonomic keyboard... and type pretty fast, so the lap-top just seems to slow me down. I guess if I were to carry a normal keyboard with me to places, I could manage to use a lap-top someday.

I apologize for not getting around to posting the 1st-2nd Grade Homeschool Year stuff... and for not doing the review of The Old Schoolhouse yet. I am going to work on that next week! Be sure to stop in Sunday night to see if I'm back yet! I wanted to leave you with one of my favorite poems. I am sure you homeschooling mothers have already seen it. You can find it on cards at the car wash, on the internet, and in Chicken Soup for the Soul. This one has meant a lot to me through the years I have been a mother. I discovered it when my son was a tiny baby - almost nine years ago.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger-paint more, and point the fingers less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.


I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.


I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

By Diane Loomans

Technorati Tags: parenting, children, Family

A Little PC Humor...

I got this on email many years go. I thought I would share it. I need a laugh tonight, so I figure my blog needs one, too. Maybe someone else out there's got a problem, too - hey! What a novel thought! If you do have a problem, please try and smile for me - trust me, I know how hard it is! Once again, Daddy has "left the building". We were all (especially Kaden) really teary-eyed after such a long weekend. It almost made me feel like we were a normal family having him here for almost five straight days. Hope this house sells soon. I'm getting really worn down with the waiting (and so is our checkbook).

This Poem has Been Spell Checked
--------------------------------------
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

Top

Boy, this is a blast from the past. Rather than spend time writing something new today, I thought I would bless this blog with a bit of poetry I wrote in the past. Some day when I get a scanner, I'll post the photo that I have with this in my scrapbook. It is a photo of my husband - when he was only 21... looking lovely as the wind blew through his hair on the balcony of a hotel at night. It is such a blessing to still be smitten by the one you married 13 or so years ago... God is good.
_ _________________________________________________ _

Top So high...
On top of this concrete mountain

The wind blowing through my hair -
Doesn't ask where my feet stand
The stars reflecting in my eyes -
Don't ask why I gaze at them
The moon hung in this velvet sky -
Doesn't ask why I'm up so late...

So small...
The tiny world sleeping below me

No one sees the silent smile on my lips
As I stand on top of the world

_ _________________________________________________ _
Update - next morning... took a photo of my photo to post it here:
(Aint he a looker?!)
>