A Daughter of the Land

I discovered this book by one of my favorite authors at a book sale in our town this past winter. It just happens to have the most detailed and extensive frontispiece I have ever seen.

Page after page of black and white drawings. I haven't shown them all here.

And in the middle of those there is a stunning color painting.

You almost begin to think the story will never start...

but of course it does. A story of incredible inspiration. I stayed up till 1.30 reading it, marvelling at the hardship endured and hoping for a happy ending. There was.

Next on the list is 'Lady Ludlow and Other Tales' by Mrs Gaskell.

This one doesn't have a frontispiece like the other one though. But I am not going to hold that against it.

Acknowledging

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation bought joy to my soul. Psalm 94.19

I went outside this afternoon to read and spend some much needed time with the only One that understands my needy humanness. Lying among the daisies I felt him speak, and let his words penetrate through the anxious confusing thoughts that of late swirl through my mind. He will come if we acknowledge. He will heal if we return to him. He longs, oh how he longs, to redeem his people.

Variations on Purple

As seen in the garden late this afternoon, just before the sun dipped away.

Cherry Blossom

I got up early this morning. I love getting up before anyone else is stirring. I cleaned the kitchen and then picked these delicate blossoms and arranged them with some pussy willow for the middle of the table. It started my day off well with it's refreshing beauty.

Swiss Saturday: Sunset on Snow

A Spring Tea Party

This week there were so many reasons to throw a tea party I threw busyness to the wind and plunged into planning one. Friends leaving, a friend coming back, a friend who had just had a birthday and the simple fact that Spring was here! So I pulled out glasses and teacups, cake stands and flowery throws and cooked late into Wednesday night.

Arriving at the park everything got set up under a big and rather cantankerous tree, which with the help of a fresh spring wind sent its leaves and twigs flying towards us the entire time. Perhaps it was annoyed we didn't share the Rosewater glazed madeleines with it.

We talked of many things, buying a one way ticket to Europe among them. If only.

A Spring cake was cut and consumed.

Though many things have changed over the years we have all known each other, some things never do. Like our laughter about the craziest things. And our love for chocolate. And the feeling that when we are together problems seem to be less worrying than before.

Pink macarons with chocolate filling. There's the chocolate I mentioned.

It was a lovely morning, leaves and all.

So looking forward to the next one!

The First Day of Spring

If you had passed by our house today you would have seen this little urchin sitting in a tree, enjoying the sunshine.
This morning on my run I slowed to a walk when just over the fence I saw a tiny newborn calf, standing on it's jittery legs in a dew sparkling paddock, looking around in confused bewilderment at the wide world it had been born into. How nice to have the first day of spring as your birthday.