Psalm 147:12-19 (ESV)

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;

he blesses your children within you.

He makes peace in your borders;

He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

He sends out his command to the earth;

His word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

He scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before His cold?

He sends out his word, and melts them;

He makes His wind blow and the waters flow.

He declares His word to Jacob,

His statutes and rules to Israel.

Pink Notions Doggerel

So you go to the store for All Purpose pink,

for thread that will sew up quick as a wink

Just in and out, that's all you had planned
But something occurs and it gets out of hand.
Before you go to the counter to pay
You ogle pink buttons they have on display.

You didn't need ric-rack, "Or did I?" you think,
When you happen to notice that it comes in pink.
I won't mention the fabrics that didn't get bought
'cause the sales slips say you bought quite alot
of notions and items with which to play
from fancy fat quarters to pink basting spray.

Notes to readers:

As some of you know already, this is quite far from my usual writing style, but every once and a while a quick bit of rhyming doggerel is just fun to whip out. Links to poems in my more literary style can be found in my side bar under "My Poetry Online."

Pink Saturday originates with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, you will find links to other participants there.

Socks for Supper

When I was little one of my favorite books was Socks for Supper; it told about a poor family who didn't have much and a second family who made cheese and bartered the cheese for socks with the first family (thus the title of the book). The socks were made from the yarn of a sweater that the poor man's wife unravelled and re-knit. The second (cheese making) family then unraveled the socks to knit a sweater for a Christmas gift for the first family. I loved that book.

It's a great story. But I have to admit the idea of unraveling and re-knitting sweaters into socks into sweaters again -- NOT terribly keen on the idea. Seems like wasted work, because it is not snap your fingers and socks appear type stuff here. (I mean it's not rocket science, but it's not quick work.)

There are my socks, as far as I've gone, obviously I still have a toe to finish before I have a full pair. There's enough yarn in the Opal ball of self striping sock yarn that with this short cuff sock pattern I think I will have enough to make a third sock. (Fraternal triplets -- fun!)

And nobody better unravel them... Okay?

And So I Begin...

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy not rich;
to study hard, think quietly,
talk gently,
act frankly,
to listen to the stars and birds, to babes and sages,
with an open heart;
to bear on cheerfully,
do all bravely,
awaiting occasions, worry never;
in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious
grow up through communion.
This is my symphony.
-- W.H. Channing

"Please Don't Spoil the Children"

Translation Courtesy of The Oxford American Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary, and the OED:

PLEASE DON’T
Ruin,
Damage,
Corrupt,
Frustrate,
Injure,
Mar,
Make Useless,
Harm the Character of,
Flaw Grievously,
Impair the Quality of,
or Render Unfit
THE CHILDREN

This Morning's Thoughts

Autumn is gone, the last reds and golds have fallen at the feet of stark dark trees and now the season of cool colors and cooler temperatures embraces us.

The seasons shift, the equinox approaches, the year comes to an end, and we shift from gluttony to greed as our secular society appropriates the religious holidays and reshapes them. How sad not to simply be able to thank the Lord for our blessings without having to overeat and watch turkey themed sports games (aka organized violence) interrupted by gluttony themed advertising. How sad not to cherish the birth of salvation without expensive gifts as bribes to make children behave, or love you, or want to spend time with you. As you shop the crowded stores this year, ponder for a moment the original intent of gift giving at Christmas.

According to my research on the topic, holiday gift giving is intended to remind us of how the Wise Men travelled a long distance to show reverence for the new born Messiah. So when you buy that 18 room Barbie mansion, or the latest craze action hero, stop and think: am I doing this to honor the Lord? Will this gift bring reverence to Christ? Don't shop to satisfy greedy desires. If you give gifts this year give out of Love and Reverence for God who gave the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.

Re- eVALUate

I have been charged to reevaluate my priorities. To examine what I value and where I waste time and what my goals are. What end results will each of my actions have? These are excellent things to ponder in light of the season. As the year wends its way out and we look towards the miracle of Christ's birth and move each day closer to His return, How many of us waste time on frivolities? Is this blog a waste of time?

As many of you know I have two blogs. I did this initially because I did not want to confuse the focus -- yet this blog has not turned out to be purely about quilts as I had planned, and the other blog (http://leafnloch.blogspot.com/) has also become increasingly random, swerving widely from the nature-poetry focus for which it was named. Both tend towards photo essays and "philosophizing" a great deal of the time.

Would you, my few readers, be confused by the combination of opinion, fluff, fabric, devotionals, recipes, poetry, quilting, gardening, and photography? Probably not. (Feedback welcome -- please comment and also answer the polls.)

I suppose the point I'm coming to is that one of the blogs needs to end or rather, be absorbed by the other (or combined in new blog). To that end I will be shuffling priorities and posts both as I attempt to use my time wisely.

I will also be posting less frequently for a couple more weeks as I deal with the reevaluations and restructuring of (aka major upheavals in) my life.