Compassion

Offering compassion is a gift, more for the giver than the receiver in many ways. Compassion is not something that has to be earned and more often than not, it is given to those who are troubled, on the fringe of society, or maybe just those folks that are not kind to us.

I was looking up images of compassion on google today and was a bit surprised that a huge percentage of the photos were of Buddhist mindset, well actually this didn't surprise me in of itself since compassion is a big element of Buddhist practice, but what did surprise me was the small number of photos depicting Christian compassion. There was of course the drawing of Mother Teressa with the baby in her arms and a few photos of starving children in third world countries eating bowls of white stuff, and we all know its not hard to show compassion to hungry children, its not so easy to show compassion to the adults that seem to have made poor choices in life. After 9 pages of looking, there were no photos of posters with Christian teachings on compassion, or calls to action to love the unlovable. I know that Christian compassion exists, that's not the issue here, what is the issue is that we as Christians need to spread more compassion and talk more about having it. We need to reach out to those that no one else seems to care about right in our own neighborhood, our own backyard so to speak. We need to ask our pastors to teach on how to have so much love in our hearts that reaching out to others is as natural as the breath we take. That our love is so deep for mankind that we pass no judgement on another, but see them as the dearly loved child of God that they are, sure maybe they are dirty or not so socially acceptable in some ways or maybe they are not perfect....oh but wait, neither are we perfect. Someone mentioned to me recently that a family that is full of chaos and dysfunction was in their thinking better than most because they dressed modestly....well I can tell you this...it says right in the Bible that God looks on the inside and not the outside. "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16: 7 See people the way God sees us. Our hearts, not the clothes we wear or don't wear, or the amount of dirt on our hands or where we live or don't live.

I would rather see a compassionate woman in shorts any day, than see a woman that is prideful, self centered and with no compassion in her heart for those in need but that dresses in some certain uniform of modesty. Let your extra money be used as Christ would use it. Imagine how many images would be on google for compassion if we all did that !

Lets see more compassion in action. Lets hear more about how to look beyond our own selfish desires and have the mind of Christ when it comes to being compassionate. Lets not pass by those even in our families who need a kind word or a kind deed done in secret. Forget the "stuff" you think you want and spend what you would have spent on stuff and make the lives of others better. Compassion has us reach deep down in ourselves and see that it is far better to put food on the table of a hungry person than to buy one more pair of shoes you don't need or buy that bigger car or cell phone. Pay for the medication for that person walking away from the pharmacy counter, not able to afford their medicine rather than to go out to eat in some over priced restaurant. Compassion comes when we love others as Christ loves us.

In regard to the photo, yes, we all know not to give money to those on the street, what they need is food and compassion

Photo from http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/dallas_outlaws_crimes_of_compassion

Love and A Love of Reading

"A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for a great life."

~the Dalai Lama~

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."
~ Emilie Buchwald~

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read."
~ Marilyn Jager Adams~

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."
~ Jacqueline Kennedy~

"No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. She will not want new fashions nor regret the loss of expensive diversions or variety of company if she can be amused with an author in her closet."
~ Lady Montagu, providing advice on raising her granddaughter, 1752~

"You may have tangible wealth untold. / Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. / Richer than I you can never be – / I had a mother who read to me."
~ Strickland Gillilan~

The photos are of Casi reading to Mei-Ling as he does every night, as Emery did every night to our girls. Even as infants, they would be on Emery's lap, while he read to them. Both girls are lovers of books and Mei-Ling is already that way. We can't go any place without her having a stack of books next to her in her car seat. Love grows in the time spent together and a love of reading is fostered and that is a profound gift we can give that costs us nothing but a few moments of our time.

Evening Chores

The light scent of the lantern, the damp air, with that slight chill that comes in with November. A rain gauge that shows over an inch of rain fell late last night and today. Hungry goats, chickens anxious to go back into the hen house as the darkness arrives. Cats hanging around the barn ready to be fed and Harry content to chew on his new bone. I love the easy rhythm of chore time...familiar ritual but always with extraordinary sights. Crows heading back to their trees in the woods, squawking and calling to one another. A few dry leaves hanging on stubbornly to a bare branch. Gray skies, fading into darkness. The garden, rich brown soil with beautiful vegetables springing forth. I love this part of the day...and now, candles lit, plates on the table for the pizza Emery will bring home for us to enjoy for our evening meal.

A Big Girl Bed At Grammie and Grandpa's House

Today I found a great bargain at Goodwill, a toddler bed just like I wanted, and the best part, it was $10. No mattress with it which is fine, I am not a fan of used mattresses. I will use her crib mattress and get a new mattress for the crib. I put it together in the living room and then brought in the mattress, her pillow and quilt. Mei-Ling was so excited, she crawled right into bed laughing with delight. Dora was on the television and Mei decided life is pretty good, laying in her new bed, watching TV. Hope she will like the bed when its her in the bedroom as well as she likes it in front of the television ! We are all set now with a bed for the baby and a bed for the little girls when they need it.

Thanksgiving Recipe, Cranberry Apple Casserole

This is a recipe we love to have on Thanksgiving morning. Perfect way to start the day.
Click the link for the Cranberry Apple Casserole recipe and enjoy !

Tea With Grammie

All little girls with good manners should have afternoon tea, and what better way to teach table manners then at tea time. Mei-Ling loves having tea with Grammie and asks for it about every day. Today was a perfect time for us to sit together at the table and enjoy some chocolate chip pumpkin bread and some King Cole tea. Mei-Lings tea consists of milk with a spot of tea and Grammies is tea with a spot of milk. These are moments in time where precious memories are made deep in the heart and held dear for life.

All was well with Melanies check up today, baby Yen is growing just as he should and an active little one.

Mei-Ling Has Her MRI

It was a very long day. We left for the hospital at 5:15 in the morning. Mei-Ling seemed a bit perplexed at getting in the car in her pajamas and heading off in what she called "night". She is a bit anxious around any medical professionals and no wonder why, she has been through so much. They put her under around 7:30 and when she was feeling a bit "loopy" from the medication, she called the anesthesiologist a "big frog" since he was dressed all in green scrubs.

By 10 we were able to go back to see her in the recovery room. She did great. A little groggy but more than happy to have some apple juice and a Popsicle. After she was discharged, it was time to go to the Doctors office and hear the results of the MRI and its really good news. There has been no change in a year. It would have been nice to hear her spine suddenly became normal at the base but at least nothing changed for the worst. We got home around 3:30 and Mei was ready for a nap when I dropped them off at their house and to be truthful, I was too, and slept soundly on the sofa for an hour.

Tomorrow, back to the big city so Melanie can see her doctor. She sees him weekly now. I count it such a blessing that I am able to take them to their appointments and be there to help Melanie when needed. I would hate to see Melanie have to drive when her blood sugars are so unpredictable right now.

waiting for the Doctor

pretending to be asleep

after the nasal medication that makes her a bit silly but certainly not stressed

waking up from anesthesia

a treat to help with a dry throat

Just a quiet day

There are some days that are just quiet and uneventful and today was one of those days for me.

It was cold when I got up, 36 F with a strong north wind that made it feel 30. After chores I got the stove fired up and enjoyed a warm cup of tea.

There were things I should have accomplished, but instead I just puttered around and spent some time chatting with a friend on the phone.

Tomorrow morning Mei-Ling has to have an MRI to check on the status of her spine. The neurosurgeon likes to keep an eye on what appears to be a tethered spine. Mei-Ling walks and runs fine, but still they want to watch it. Since she is an active 2 1/2 year old, she will need to be fully sedated for the procedure, which means we have to be at the hospital by 6 am and its a 45 minute drive to the hospital, so needless to say its going to be an early morning for us.

She has been doing so well, we often forget there are so many issues with her health. Tomorrow is a reminder that her insides are a bit different from normal.

Last night everyone was here for supper, with the exception of Melissa and James. We miss them so much, daily. The little girls played so sweetly and posed for Grammie to snap a few pictures. What fun they are. I had the joy of getting them both in their jammies and ready for bed. Both girls thought they should just climb into the big bed in the guest room and go to bed. What fun it will be for me when they are both old enough to have a sleep over at Grammie and Grandpa's house.

Another cold morning is expected and since its going to be such an early morning for me, chores before heading out at 5 a.m., I am calling it a night and heading to bed.

spinning shetland on a cold morning

A Chill In The Air

The cold front blew through around 4 this morning. Leaves falling in the same manner as what I imagine the line from "Twas The Night Before Christmas" when it speaks of "dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky".

The morning sky was gray, yet friendly looking. Bits of blue poking out from behind the fast moving bands of clouds. My fingers stung a bit from the cold as I watered the animals and put hay in the manger. I felt invigorated, more alive...but the cold always does that to me. Farm chores done, I gathered an armload of wood and got the stove going, and put a pot of coffee on.
In no time at all, I was mixing up a double batch of chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Good smells from the kitchen, spicy fall smells mixing with the scent of wood smoke made it feel so homey, so old fashioned good kind of smell. The rocking chair by the window was so inviting, my shawl draped over the back, inviting. A great pile of wool next to the spinning wheel waiting to be turned into yarn for a sweater. In no time at all, my hands were busy at the task of spinning soft gray wool roving into fine Shetland yarn. A perfect morning and what feels to me like a perfectly simple life.

Cold November Morning

getting the fire going in the stove this morning. Patrick Ball playing in the background

Its Been A Good Day

The sky is changing color fast with the approaching cold front. Gray ribbons stretch across the sky, replacing the bright autumn blue. Leaves are shaking on the trees, as if they had a sudden chill, knowing that colder temperatures are on the way. So many trees now bare, skeletons reaching up to the sky, looking like a bony fingers on an old woman's hands.

You can smell the dampness mixing in with rotting leaves and soil that was just worked. My footsteps crunch leaves under foot. Goats with heads turned up to the sky trying to catch leaves that the wind blows their way, crunching in their mouths like goat crisps. Chickens picking at the few watermelons that never got picked from the garden. A reminder that I was sick for too long and things got left undone. There were never enough hours in Emery's day to do his work and mine.

My hands are feeling the work of breaking off the dead twigs from the peach tree that has seen one too many years. Good kindling. I like that feeling of working with my hands that way. Its not that my hands hurt or are sore, but they know they have been at a task that requires some strength. My hands have never seen fake nails or had a manicure. Nail polish seems silly on these farm girl hands. Shoving red nails in old work gloves or deep into the soil is strange to me.

Tonight, Emery is down the road working on a leak at Melanie's house. Nothing major and on the outside. I am glad he knows how to do so many things. Growing up on a farm made him learn all sorts of things.
Its growing darker by the moment, rain on the way and the hour of the day both factors to needing lamp light. Chores need to be done. Eggs have been gathered. Chicken chores done earlier. Just the goats to feed and hay for the night.

Looking forward to a long quiet night....maybe a game of Sorry and some popcorn, while we sit on the floor like two kids. Its been a good day.

A Peaceful Sunday

After a breakfast of eggs and sweet potato hash browns we headed outside, while the sun was shining. Emery and I are taking advantage of the good weather to get some things done outside. Garden work. Laundry to be done. Kindling to be cut and wood to be brought up to the house for the coming cold weather. Mowing, maybe the last time until spring. A bit of raking up fallen leaves to be composted. It is a day for baking cookies and eating them on the porch with a cup of tea while watching the leaves fall from the trees and swirl in the wind. There is the lingering smell of woodsmoke in the air, no doubt to chase away the chill of the early morning. It is a perfectly peaceful fall day. The steadiness of working side by side makes this day one of deep and abiding joy. Life is good.

Sweet Pea Baby Shower

The house was full and games were played. Sweet baby gifts opened and food enjoyed. It was a day of celebration and thankfulness.

Every single time I am around Casi's family, I think how blessed Melanie is to have such wonderful in laws. His entire family, extended too, are so warm and lovely. All the children are so well behaved, polite and they are such kind children.

We laughed so hard over the results of one of the games we played. Everyone was given a paper plate and told to draw a baby on it, one catch, they had to hold the plate on top of their head while doing the drawing. A winner was chosen by who had drawn the best looking baby. It was such a fun game.

I love having the house full of company and am already making the plans for our big annual Christmas party when once again the house will be full of Christmas cooking, holiday music and lots of laughter and friendship.

the house ready for the party

friends and family

playing the draw the baby

Melanie and Casi judging which drawing looked most like a baby

present time
The cake

the theme

Opening presents

Mei-Ling and her cousin Ricky play together so well

Elizabeth playing with her parents iPhone