Reverence

Sure On This Shining Night

Sure on this shining night
Of star-made shadows round,
Kindness must watch for me
This side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.
All is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth.
Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night
I weep for wonder
Wand'ring far alone
Of shadows on the stars.
-James Agee

Question

What was so all-fired important at Walmart, or Toys-R-Us for that matter, that it was worth taking human life for?

Crunch Time

My house is scheduled to be listed on Dec. 15. In other words, I have a little more than two weeks to get everything finished to make my house show ready. There are a couple of things in my favor: I already did most of the deep cleaning (the kitchen and the bathrooms are remarkable), we rented a storage unit (which David has been taking boxes over to for two weeks already), and David took the next week off of work.

This week we are going to prep and paint. Next week we are going to carpet and tile. Then I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure the kids don't mess it all up.

Any heartfelt prayers you want to send my way? They are greatly appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving

My girls are still at Grandma's (they slept over last night).

My boys are watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The turkey smells divine.

David is peeling potatoes.


I am grateful for my life.

Panic Mode

2 1/2 weeks until the house goes on the market.

Must finish cleaning.
Must paint.
Must recarpet.
Must pack "extra" stuff.
Must eliminate 1/2 my furniture.
Must weed the backyard.
Must clean the basement.

MUST STAY SANE!!!

Art as Therapy

Imagine my surprise when Ella came out of the preschool yesterday, took one look at me, burst into tears and came running over, inconsolable. Being four years old and incredibly shy, she doesn't give explanations easily, so I felt like I was playing twenty questions with her: "Uhuh" for yes and "I don't know" for no.

What I discovered was this: her cousin (who is not shy) made a new friend and decided to sit by said new friend at the Thanksgiving feast. She (being unable to even say 'hi' to new kids without a serious amount of coaxing) couldn't just join them. At this point she was feeling lonely, and so the natural course of action is to get mad at her cousin. Then, the teacher reprimanded Ella, which hurt her feelings even more, the end result being that when she saw me she burst into tears. Confused? So was I.

Ella has relied so heavily on Jacob for friendship, but we know, even though she doesn't that there is no chance of them being in the same school next year. I wish she could be just a little bit less shy. Her first year in elementary is going to be tough...new school, no Jacob, unfamiliar teachers...I suspect the list goes on.

Back on track...Ella drew me a picture when we got home. She was pretty upset until that time, but once the picture was finished, she said that she felt better; still a little sad, but not devastated anymore. If that's what it's going to take to get her through kindergarten, well, I'll buy her as much paper and as many crayons as she needs.

Part One: Life

XXXII

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson