• Berries - Faith - Gardening - Recipes

    Fruit of the Garden

    After I retired from clinical nursing, my work has changed. My work revolves around home and church. Gardening is a pleasant task at home. I enjoy planting and nourishing the garden. It is fulfilling to pick the produce and share it with family and friends. It is interesting that the…

  • Faith - Family - Nature - Prayer

    Praise and Thanksgiving

    This morning in church we sang the hymn All Creatures of Our God and King. The words, originally by Francis of Assisi, were paraphrased by Thomas Ken (1637 – 1711) and translated by William H. Draper (1855 -1 933). Here are verses 1 & 3. All creatures of our God and…

  • Faith - Family - Nature

    Sunshine and Sunset

    Recently my husband and I drove through the rolling hills of western Illinois. The sunshine fell softly on the farms and the cattle grazing on the green hills. It was a beautiful day, and we were on our way to a retreat with our church family. We had two and…

  • Faith - Family - Flowers - Nature

    Joy and Thanksgiving in June

    The crocuses and tulips and lilacs have bloomed. Now the irises, lily of the valley and peonies are blooming in my yard. The roses have buds. Springtime and summer teem with new plant life and  flowers, created by God. I have brought some inside to enjoy.  Wednesday evening, I listened to…

  • Gardening - Herbs - Nature

    Garlic and Rosemary

    April showers and sunshine turn my thoughts to the garden. I have started some tomato plants from seed, and next I will start some basil.  It is a pleasure to walk outside and see the trees and bushes bud, and then flower. The perennial plants are beginning to sprout. The…

  • Faith - Flowers - Gardening - Nature

    The Promise of Spring

    The snowdrops by the door lift upward, sweet and pure, their delicate bells; and soon in the calm blaze of noon, by lowly window-sills will laugh the daffodils! Celia Thaxter (1836 – 1894) The snowdrops and crocuses are blooming in my yard.  The cherry tree is still barren but soon it…

  • Faith - Family - Flowers - Grandparents

    Finding Joy in Daily Life

    The snow outside is bright white and glistening. The thermometer reads 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and yet I am able to take a hot shower in a warm house. It is a blessing! Everyday there are little and significant blessings in our lives when we pause to take notice. I am…

  • Faith - Flowers - Gardening - Nature

    Joy in the Garden

    The cosmos flowers are in full bloom. The stems carry variants of color that bend and sway in the breeze. I agree with this quote by William Wilberforce: Lovely flowers are the smiles of God’s goodness. Perhaps the flowers will self-seed and come back next year (I hope). The seed…