Grains of Gratitude

Grains of Gratitude is home at Brady's Bunch, blog of the gracious and energetic Christine.

School is out for two weeks at our house. That is a big long break here at Chez Joyeux. But the last few weeks have been wild and we need some time to regroup.

I am grateful for my father's visit this weekend. We are helping him celebrate his birthday. My sons are having a blast playing cards and staying up late with Grandpa.

I am grateful we have a messy home filled with work for me to do the next two weeks. Declutter, clean, rearrange are the buzzwords of the moment.

I am grateful I am feeling better. A couple weeks ago I got laid flat by a health issue that has plagued me for most of my life. Really nothing compared to what health issues so many people deal with, but enough to put me in tears and finally in bed for a couple days. Mending has taken a lot longer than it used to. The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be...and all that.

I am grateful for my husband and children who took such good care of me. They really treated me with kid gloves. I am so blessed.

I am grateful for a chance to blog a little more in the next few weeks and to visit all my bloggy friends.

I am grateful for those who laid down their lives in service to their country, to those who remain willing to do so, and to the families that support them and share with us. May this Memorial Day include time to offer prayers of thanks for all of them.

Page 123 Meme

Sweet Renee at 2 Peas in Pod tagged me for a meme. I'm a bit behind but it looked like fun and I've not done this one before, so here goes:

The Rules

1. Pick up the book nearest you.
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Type and post the next three sentences after the fifth one.
5. Tag five people.

The book nearest me is Then Sings My Soul, Volumes 1 & 2

From page 123, about Anna L. Waring:

"She was a lifelong student of the Hebrew language and daily read from the Book of Psalms in the original text. Anna's special burden was for those behind bars, and she devoted herself to prison ministry and to causes like the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society.

In 1850, she published a little volume of nineteen hymns, among them this one--"In Heavenly Love Abiding"--which Anna called, "Safety In God.""

In Heavenly Love Abiding

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear.
And safe in such confiding, for nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back.
My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waking, His sight is never dim.
He knows the way He’s taking, and I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen.
Bright skies will soon be over me, where darkest clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free.
My Savior has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

Words by Anna L. Waring
Music by Felix Mendelssohn

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

I'm tagging anyone who hasn't done this. It was a lot of fun & just what I needed to read today. Try it!!

Say That Again, Sam

This got kind of loud...oooops!

There is an old joke I am sure everyone has heard before. It goes like this:

Joke Teller: “Pete and Re-Pete are in a boat. Pete fell out. Who was left?”
Unsuspecting Listener: “Repeat.”

Joke Teller: “Pete and Re-Pete are in a boat. Pete fell out. Who was left?”
Unsuspecting Listener: “Repeat.”

Joke Teller: “Pete and Re-Pete are in a boat. Pete fell out. Who was left?”
Unsuspecting Listener: “Repeat.”

…ad nauseum…

Life has been a lot like that joke around here lately. I don’t know if it is Spring Fever or end of the school year blues (although we school year round—it never really ends). But I have been repeating myself a lot repeating myself a lot repeatingmyselfalot…sorry, my record is stuck, lately. No one, and I repeat, NO ONE, , and I repeat, NO ONE is listening too me. Sadly I can’t even seem to remember what I said to myself in one room after I walk into the next.

We are trying to tie up all loose ends so that we might have two weeks off from school. So the boys can have a break and I can clean up the fall out I mean mess I mean tidy and straighten the artfully arranged clutter.

I’m behind on my blog reading. Behind on my IRL friends, behind, behind, behind, behind…

Reminds me of a song…

Because it repeats. And makes a lot of noise. Kind of like stuff here.

You can’t ride in my red wagon
The wheels are broke
And the axle’s draggin’
Same song
Next verse
A little bit louder and a little bit worse…

You can’t ride in my red wagon
The wheels are broke
And the axle’s draggin’
Same song
Next verse
A little bit louder and a little bit worse…

You can’t ride in my red wagon
The wheels are broke
And the axle’s draggin’
Same song
Next verse
A little bit louder and a little bit worse…

Like I said…it repeats. And is loud. Kind of like here.

My Side of the Mountain Book and Movie Review

Last year I read a book that apparently many read in junior high and high school, but somehow I had missed. I read Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain. I got to share it this year with Roo who loved it as much as I do.

Sam Gribley, a young boy leaves New York to run away to the Catskill Mountains. . He takes off with supplies, a seemingly small amount of money (at least by today’s standards) and a goal; to live off the land, to be one with nature. He tells his parents of his plan, but apparently no one quite believed he would get very far. Sam hitchhiked out of town and as the trucker he got a ride with deposits him alongside the road Sam tells him of his plans:

“He laughed. Everybody laughed at me. Even Dad. I told Dad that I was going to run away to Great-grandfather Gribley’s land. He had roared with laughter and told me about the time he had run away from home. He got on a boat headed for Singapore, but when the whistle blew for departure, he was down the gangplank and home in bed before anyone knew he was gone. then he told me, “Sure, go try it. Every boy should try it.” ”

Written in 1959 this Newbery Honor winner obviously hales from a time when video games were not even a dream, baseball was a game on a vacant lot or a treat to go to a pro game. Soccer didn’t exist on this continent. What was on children’s minds then? My Side of the Mountain also speaks of a time when it was safe to hitchhike and parents were able to let their children roam freely without worry of “something terrible” happening. It seems idyllic and totally impossible. It seems almost childish in our very “sophisticated” world in the United States today. But after about the first two paragraphs the story became real and I jumped in with happiness.

My Side of the Mountain is the runaway dream that many children have; the perfect meeting with nature and the majesty of Sam’s mountain and his falcon Frightful.

Jean Craighead George touched her readers and continued with the sequels On the Far Side of the Mountain, Frightful's Mountain and Frightful’s Daughter.

This week we watched the 1969 movie made from the book. As almost always, the producers/directors/screenwriters decided they could do better than the original. And while it was a fine movie, as almost always, the book is infinitely better. The movie begins, not in New York, but in Toronto and moves to the Laurentian Mountains instead of the Catskill Mountains. The acting is satisfactory. The scenery is gorgeous. The film is as dated as the book—but it’s very likely why we all enjoyed it. This is the old-fashioned family film many of us remember growing up. Not loud, no fancy effects, nothing from outer space, no super heroes. Just a simple premise and a goal to entertain.

We enjoy reading books and watching movies based on the books and discussing and critiquing them here. I recommend the movie as acceptable for all ages. There is some sadness in it with the death of a couple animals, but it is certainly not violent. The book I highly recommend again as a read aloud for

Wordless Wednesday

I don't know what this guy is. Any answers?

For more Wordless Wednesday participants visit the WW HUB.

This is my Brain on Blog

Something I do way too often:

52 words

Speed test

And I don't seem to improve all that much.

Random Ramblings

Yesterday was gorgeous here. Today promises to be even prettier. The trees are changing every time I look out the window! The boys are changing every time I look at them.

We are on a push to finish things up & tie up loose ends so the boys will be able to take a short break (hopefully they will get two weeks off) from school. I will be on a cleaning & decluttering roll, hopefully. We have been bouncing around the word "M-O-V-E" for a bit and I don't want to get caught off guard. We've been in one place for four and a half years! That is amazing for us. We will celebrate sixteen years of marriage in the fall and we've moved thirteen times. So for us to stay put for over four years is a huge thing.

I'm going to have to decide what to do about my book dilema. Over the last four years we've okay I've amassed quite a library thanks in no small part to the Half Price Bookstore. And still I am checking out an astounding amount of books from the library. You know you are a homeschool mom and a book junkie when you have so many bags of books the librarian offers to help carry your load out to the van. I love my library!

The last few weeks have been busy. We've gone to a carnival at church; the boys had a blast. We got to see a great ballet. We've had rehearsals for Spring Performance. We've been on the road. We've gotten lots of school work accomplished. And we've had a few birthdays. So that leads me to my last rambling note.

An Informal Poll:

I was wondering...

Hypothetically of course…

Say you make a cake for your husband’s birthday. Do you:

a) Pour all of the batter into the pan & bake the cake?

b) Pour most of the batter into the pan, bake the cake and eat the rest of the batter and some of the finished cake?

c) Pour most of the batter into the pan, bake the cake and eat the rest of the batter, sharing some with your children?

d) Pour half the batter into the pan, bake it, eat the left-over batter and skip the baked cake?

I of course would not engage in anything other than the first option, cough…sputter... just asking.

For the record, I didn’t short the cake (chocolate cheesecake if you all want to know) I just made extra batter.

Ummmmm…did I just admit to that online???

Late Grains of Gratitude

I am late, but still grateful for all of the blessings the LORD has put in my life.

I am grateful for the three people who have the most to do with me being a mom: my husband, my Roo and my Boo. How different my life would be without them. How quiet and empty. I am grateful to be a mom.

I am grateful for our weather--ours has been gorgeous and we've been spared so many times. There are tornadoes and cyclones and earthquakes, weather and forces of nature changing people's lives in the blink of an eye. We've been fortunate to miss out on the damage. We are praying for those who have been forced to deal with these things.

While I really enjoy the boys' activities, I am grateful that there will be a small pause in the running. My hope is to give the boys a small break from school before more joyful chaos resumes. Roo will be attending a "day camp" type situation for four weeks for six hours a day and will not be working formally on school. Boo will be doing a short version of the "camp" experience and so will resume a scaled down version of school. I am grateful for the flexibility that homeschooling has afforded our family.

I am grateful for all the family and friends who daily share God's love with me.

What are you grateful for?

Grains of Gratitude is home at one of the most joyful bloggers I know--Christine of Brady's Bunch.

On My Mind Lately

This song has been haunting me...

I've been trying to remember the lyrics.

Edited to add--The Cebu Song is no longer available on YouTube...Sigh...I am SOOOOOOOOO very sad.

We'll have to do with the pirate song. I love Veggie Tales. Larry is my hero. LOL!



...I think I could be doing something more productive.

BUT SINCE I'M NOT...

Just for fun...

If you are in need of more "Pirate-y" material:

Have I mentioned I love Captain Jack & Will Turner?:



LEGO Pirates:

Happy Mother's Day

I really need to laugh today. So I totally stole this from Heidi.