Run the Earth and Watch the Sky: March 2011

Rumors of Spring

"[F]or he did good by giving you

rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,

satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

Only lately have we dared to say that spring was just around the corner. It is only now that we are almost weary of winter, that the signs have begun. The wind is still chilly, but more playful and less cutting. Little by little, the melting of the snow has yielded us patches of grass that, brown and matted though they be, gave us chills of delight. They smelled like mud!

And then the first robin was sighted and their cheerful evensong caught our ears once or twice. Still, it was only a spark of hope among mounds of snow. Until . . . early Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of --yes, it was rain. The first rain I had heard around these gutters and dripping down my window. Oh, the joy! Our first real rain. . . and then, rumbling persistently--thunder.

How welcome that sound was to us! I love thunderstorms anytime, but when I haven't heard one all winter, it is especially invigorating. When I looked out the window a bit later, the yard was bursting with joyous robins, half a dozen at least, hopping and singing merrily in the grass patches, now broadened and made greener by the rain.

As I stepped out onto the rain-washed pavement, the whole day seemed glorious. The air was fresh and breathed with hope and birdsong. I felt like the Pevensies seeing winter break after a hundred years. It was such a blessing!

We had our window open for the first time, which is one of my favorite things ever, and behind them you could see the robins, bouncing to keep warm on the dark hanging branches.

With this flush of spring-hope (hardly to be called spring quite yet) I give myself full permission to dream about spring and summer, and heat and life, and color and fragrance and gardens. . . And to watch Nigella's 'forever-summer' cooking-shows. These would only make me jealous during real winter--now it's just sweetly tantalizing. . .

and now:

TO SPRING!

I drink its health with (hope-of) warmth and fervor!

St. Patrick's Breastplate

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Apple Pie Order

I wanted this one to be a bit Woodwold-y (to those who know what that means) so roses are growing through the lattice-work.

At my house ::~::

Books and things. . .

* * * * *
Mama and I found a lovely new recipe for banana-bread~

Cozy Cottage Meal

Teaching Greta to Knead

Raisin-Bread~

Granola~

Awaiting Winter's Flight

Against the sky, the white, white sky
The trees are bare and dark
But even they wear coats of snow
To blend their silhouette mark
.
The standing forms are shivering
Do they enjoy such cold?
Do they remember sunny warmth
Or winter want to hold?
.
Do sky and earth forget their heat
Their life and colors bright?
Or are they yearning for it now
Awaiting winter's flight
.
Perhaps the winter's rest is peace
It's quite a pretty sight
And while they wait for spring, they rest
Enjoying winter's fight
.
When all is white and flowers dead
One chuckles to himself
He knows that summer will return
And flowers line the shelf
.
The earth says "very pretty" to
The ferny frost when seen
"But from my breast will soon unfurl
The same in brilliant green."
.
The snowflake: "There is nothing like
Me seen in summer's sun
But when he comes I help to bring
A drink to everyone."
.
So patience, creature, tree and earth
Enjoy the beauty well
And for the color, life and heat
We wait and of it tell

by Olivia 2009?

Oh, just life

Snow-day with Siblings

Here are a few pictures from last week and the big snow. After a few days of deceptive thaw, the snow whirled in so thick we got the van stuck six times in four blocks and had to rock out of the snow. But of course we didn't want that to interfere with Sister's visit, so when she made it across town in her huge van, they set to work on the driveway that had been piled high by the snowplow.

We had a very cozy day tucked into our little house and surrounded by snow. Will didn't have school that day either, so we enjoyed it together: food, cooking shows, picture-books and babies, hanging pictures, laughing, sewing, singing and playing piano.