Silence

January 18, 2009

800px-378293037_399a41de0eSilence.

Winter is the only season that I can truly experience the wonder of quiet.

As a home school mom of 5 children, my household is buzzing with activity day and night.

There are rare moments when all five are busy at an activity and all is quiet in the house.

But that isn’t the silence I’m talking about.

I’m talking about the dead silence of a winter walk. The absence of sound that comes with the cold stillness. There are no birds, no tractors, no water rushing.

I can stand in the frozen landscape and the only sound I hear is my own breathing.

I need this quiet. In a world that is full of noise and distraction, I need the silence. It allows me to listen and hear the things that are truly important. To find perspective and answers, to connect with God.

Charles Hadden Spurgeon said it well,

“Quietude, which some men cannot abide because it reveals their inward poverty, is as a palace of cedar to the wise, for along it’s hallowed courts the King in His beauty deigns to walk.”

Oh that I would be one of the wise ones.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Winter | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

It’s Cold!

January 15, 2009

800px-firewood_in_the_snowWow is it cold today!

So cold that even our fool-hardy chickens elected to stay in the coop.

So cold that our storm doors froze shut (And yes- I know they definitely need to be replaced when the air condenses like that!)

So cold that schools canceled (Well, not all schools- our home school functioned just fine, thank you!)

So cold that when you blow bubbles outside they freeze and burst into tiny crystals before hitting the ground. (Hey- it was a fun science experiment- remember we did have have school today!)

But it still wasn’t cold enough to freeze spit before it hits the ground- at least that’s what my teen reported.

But it doesn’t matter what the temperature is outside- inside we are warm and cozy and thankful.

And still dreaming of green…

By Country Gal | Posted in Winter | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Gardening Catalogs

January 9, 2009

g_caillebotte_-_les_jardiniers

I’ve been looking through garden catalogs again- and dreaming about my garden.

It’s amazing how beautiful my gardens are this time of year- but of course, they are all in my imagination. :)

I love leafing through the garden catalogs as they arrive. My eyes are drawn to the bright colored flowers, perfect vegetables, and beautiful green plants.

Of course my imagined garden looks as clean and bright and beautiful right now as the ones in the catalog. As I sit in my warm house with the snow blowing outside I can easily forgot about the pesky weeds, insects, and diseases that become reality as I attempt to put those seeds in the ground.

For awhile I can forgot about the heat, the droughts, the floods, the hail storms and the marauding raccoons.

Right now I can close my eyes and imagine perfect weed free rows full of beautiful produce and flowers.

Winter is definitely the best time to garden!

By Country Gal | Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

Winter in the Old Farm House

February 27, 2008

I should have known. I thought I was prepared. But I had no idea when we moved here nine years ago how frustrating life could be living with five children in a drafty old farm house in the coldest months on the year.

Thermal socks and heavy hooded sweatshirts have been the normal attire for sometime now. (Actually I only see the boys heads on Sunday morning when they take their stocking caps off for church!)

The wood stove is like another child, always needing to be fed and changed. The need for wood is a never ending job with all the cutting, hauling, and splitting.

Yet, after nine years, despite the frustrations, I have learned to love and anticipate winter days here on the farm. It’s comforting to have the snow falling outside and know that you are all safe and warm inside. There’s a sort of rhythm and peacefulness about our days with very few interruptions.

Winter is when we get many books read, games played and we always have a 1000 piece jig saw puzzle set out to be put together.

On sunny days, we can strap on the cross county skis, walk out the back door and start to ski. The kids have hills all over for sledding and snowboarding.

I guess winter in the country can be summed up in one word, time. We have time to be together and do the things that are important. We have time to think, to grow, to explore, to experiment, to play.

Since time is a such a valuable commodity, I guess winter in an old farm house makes us rich indeed!

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Winter | Tagged , , | Comments (0)