Hungry we Comeā€¦

I for beauty, they for food, we both ended up in the garden, the chickadees and I, in this little patch above the stone wall whereĀ  burgundy bush beans and basil shared their bed all summer with a trio of sunflowers, a row of marigolds and some aphid-ridden calendula.P1190124P1190127P1190131

The joy of distraction was the story of my morningā€”there at my newly appointed writing desk I sat looking out the window alternately with writing.Ā  A glorious bough of oak leaves translucent with morning sun hangs just above my head,IMG_20151016_122130106_HDR letting loose every so often, a leaf to catch my eye in its sashaying descent.

Have you ever caught a picture of a falling leaf?

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Me either.Ā  But Iā€™ve been wanting to!Ā  Perhaps today?Ā  But no, mustā€¦sitā€¦stillā€¦andā€¦writeā€¦

Then came the chickadee.P1190047P1190075

The rest of the morning is history, spent with the warm sun at my back, my camera poised, chickadee calls in my earsā€¦taking pictures, lots of picturesā€¦of distant blobs barely detectable as birds, of dead sunflowers, of dead airspace where once there was a bird (or a falling leaf), of green and gold backdrops and drooping sunflowersā€¦of the blur of wingbeatsā€¦

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and finally of actual chickadees, who let me approach to within a couple arm lengths P1190105

and who turned out to be quite the saucy posers, as curious of me as I of them.

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We both went about our business in the end.

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They got my seeds, I their pictures.

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A morning well spent ( :

leaves falling (I even caught some leaves in free-fall!)

So glad am I for the digital age where literally hundreds of shots can be taken and discarded in pursuit of the one that captures what the eye seesā€¦For I am noĀ  photographer, only a poser who persists out of hunger to capture the beautyā€¦

And Iā€™m so glad I planted sunflowers! ( :

–LS

 

This chorale piece seems fittingā€¦

ā€¦each little bird that sings, the Lord God made them allā€¦.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlhV80QPUuI

Around the Blockā€¦

After a busy week of planning and carrying out great celebrations of our youngest ā€˜chirpā€™ graduating, itā€™s been good to recoup and regroupā€¦and make myself get out in the little windows of brightness without rain and see that all is well and still beautiful in my Fatherā€™s worldā€¦

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P1110309One saggy evening after a slow day of much rain and little inspiration I stepped out to walk around the block. This little bird, intent on rousing me from my malaise, kept swooping down at my backā€”till I turned and had a talk with him now high on his perch. He twittered back and we had a little responsive whistling going for just a bit before I went on my way, just a bit brighter than when Iā€™d set out ( : P1110312

So, may I commend to you a walk around the block next time your dayĀ  hangs heavy?

And consider too these lyrics which brightened my morning today, sung here by GLAD:

 

This is my Fatherā€™s world, should my heart be ever sad? The lord is Kingā€”let the heavens ring. God reignsā€”let the earth be glad

–LS

A sad little end note hereā€¦ no longer are my solo walks under surveillance from this window. My elderly neighbor of all these years, who moved here with her husband from Italy in the 50s and built the house next door to us, has moved away to live with family. Her house is now up for sale, complete with these ā€˜pinksā€™ that she always insisted smelled so much better than mine!

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Risen!

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Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to him who showed great love–P1060204
And bled for us
Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bow to none but heavens will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer’s crown
No burden great can hold you down
In strength you reign
Forever let your church proclaimpink

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
Our God is not dead, he’s alive! he’s alive!

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Matt Maher: ā€œChrist is Risenā€ā€”Listen here!

This song resonates with the power of Easter morningā€™s joy.Ā  I so enjoyed singing it Easter morning and share it now in case you have missed it.Ā  It is a song for today and every day as we ā€˜walk in the light as He is in the lightā€™ enjoying fellowship with the Father and with His called out ones because Christ is risen!

Blessings!

–LSĀ