The Calm Before The Storm.

We've have had only traces of snow so far. I'm not complaining, mind you, because I hear it may be coming all at once this weekend. So, the waiting has begun.

November 2010

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.
-  Elizabeth Coatsworth

Siblings.

It all starts so innocently, and then the fur begins to fly. 

November Morning

by Evaleen Stein
A tingling, misty marvel
  Blew hither in the night,
And now the little peach-trees
  Are clasped in frozen light. 
Upon the apple-branches
  An icy film is caught,
With trailing threads of gossamer
  In pearly patterns wrought. 
The autumn sun, in wonder,
  Is gayly peering through
This silver-tissued network
  Across the frosty blue. 
The weather-vane is fire-tipped,
  The honeysuckle shows
A dazzling icy splendor,
  And crystal is the rose. 
Around the eaves are fringes
  Of icicles that seem
To mock the summer rainbows
  With many-colored gleam. 
Along the walk, the pebbles
  Are each a precious stone;
The grass is tasseled hoarfrost,
  The clover jewel-sown. 
Such sparkle, sparkle, sparkle
  Fills all the frosty air,
Oh, can it be that darkness
  Is ever anywhere!

Focusing on what is important.

Life is short. God's way of encouraging a bit of focus.

-Robert Brault

As if I need a reminder, Lord.

Yesterday spent with my sister (the one without the butt) and her youngest child, brought to focus the lessons learned about how short life is.

Justin graduates in May, the second youngest grandchild on our side of the family.

I remembered the first time we photographed him down by that old barn. I have to admit, I was nostalgic for that little guy. The one who WASN'T a teenager, and who would SMILE for the camera.