He Exceeds Our Hopes

And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed.

-- Genesis 48:11

How often God, in his merciful providences, outdoes our expectations, and thus greatly magnifies his favours. He not only prevents our fears, but exceeds our hopes.

-- Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary

Amen and amen.

Beauty on the Way to Piano Lessons

Picnic in the Park

One evening this week the boys had other plans for supper, so M. suggested a picnic in the park for us. And since I love picnics, I eagerly agreed. We picked up salads and fresh fruit from the grocery store salad bar and enjoyed them in a shady, quiet portion of the park.


Did I say that I love picnics?

How Does The Garden Grow?

Black locust tree seedlings on the porch to re-plant the forest . . .


Tomatoes in the greenhouse . . .


Beans

and melons in the vegetable garden . . .


Strawberries,


blueberries,


and pears in the fruit garden . . .

Thanksgiving For Our Husbands

God does not make mistakes; He always does what is best for us. Self-pity must be shoved back where it belongs - into the face of Satan, "the accuser of the brethren," who will always say to us: "See, your God doesn't really love you, or He wouldn't hurt you like that!"

Each of us who has a husband should hold a personal daily thanksgiving service for him. If and when our heavenly Father is pleased to remove that human support and companionship, He Himself will fill the void. "Even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you." (Isaiah 46:4) That is the word of our Maker.

-- Afternoon - For Women at the Heart of Life by Jeanne W. Hendricks

(Photo by Eli - Morning Dew candle on moss-covered steps at the cabin)

In the Buttercups

Learning From Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt lacked a formal education. Concerned about her perceived deficiency, she made a game of learning by talking with people. She wrote, “After awhile I had acquired a certain technique for picking their brains. It was not only great fun but I began to get an insight into many subjects I could not possibly have learned about in any other way. And, best of all, I discovered vast fields of knowledge and experience that I had hardly guessed existed.”

. . . Following the example of Roosevelt, we can expand and deepen our thought life via interested and enthusiastic conversation. We can be prepared to meet people with questions and thoughts of our own to share. We can learn what others are doing, thinking about, and reading and find out where they’ve been and where they’re going.

-- Just Think – Nourish Your Mind to Feed Your Soul by Nancy J. Nordenson

(Photo: My favorite activity at the cabin - reading on the front porch)

A Little Walk . . .

. . . and then a little supper.



(Photos by me and E. - in the mountains)

Eli's Silhouette

A Crab Cake Picnic

It was so nice last week on Mother's Day that M. declared we should have a picnic. So we did.

The menu (compliments of Marty) included:

* Grilled Crab Cakes
* Grilled Asparagus
* Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
* Sock-It-To-Me Cake (Ben handled this one with a bit of supervision from me.)


Crab Cakes (He usually doubles the recipe - at least!)

2 slices of white bread with the crusts removed
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tabl. parsley
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (more if desired)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tabl. mustard
1 lb. crab meat, shredded into very small pieces

Break bread into small pieces and moisten with a bit of milk. Add remaining ingredients (and more Old Bay, if desired). Shape into cakes and fry on a pan over the stove or on the grill until golden brown and heated throughout.

A New Batch of Geese on the Pond

A Bird Banquet

Attended a creative mother/daughter banquet the other night that had a bird theme. The birdbath centerpieces were eye-catching against the sky blue tablecloths and were filled with a resin that resembled water.


The menu was delicious:
* Chicken Cordon Bleu (more birds?!)
* Scalloped Potatoes
* Corn
* Coleslaw with Mini Marshmallows & Pineapples (an unlikely combination but very tasty)
* Dinner Rolls
* Hot Coffee with Chocolate Birds' Nests and Ice Cream Adorned with a Gummy Worm


And a birdhouse door prize came along home with me to boot!

Wisdom from Ecclesiastes

Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others.

-- Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Photo Shoot Along Pine Creek

Shots I took of the boys last week at the cabin . . .

Water, Water Everywhere

These are photos that E. took at the mountains last week. Up there they've been having as much as rain as we've had - it was amazing how much water was roaring down Pine Creek.