Village Life

I've been lost of late in the world of Thrush Green.  Is anyone else familiar with Miss Read's books?

Crocus!

The first sign of Spring in my garden showed itself today!  Look carefully or you'll miss it. . . . 

Still Life Color

♫Ocean of Color♫

The month of March is the in-between month when the snow that covered the monotonous brown of Winter has gone and the green of Spring has only appeared in the stems and leaves of the soon-to-be blossoming daffodils.  I don't know about you, but I'm usually starved for color by this time of the year.  In the meantime, enjoy this feast of color from my Photo Library. . . .

Living Romantically

♫Here, There, and Everywhere♫

"When it comes to living romantically, one shouldn't follow a road map either -- it's something you should discover through contemplation and intuition."  

-Winston Churchill

Pilgrimage

"I felt in need of a great pilgrimage so I sat still for three days." 
-Kabir

Making Connections

Dear Reader,

Did you know that Agatha Christie wrote novels in addition to her well-known mysteries? I didn't until last week!  She used the pseudonym Mary Westmacott in case you want to search your library for them.  The story I am reading at the moment is  "Absent in the Spring" published in 1944. . . .

Letters From Me

I've just finished reading Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who series--all 29 books!  Have you read them?  They are "cozy mysteries" in which a Siamese Cat named Koko helps solves murders.  After a few books James Qwilleran, Koko's owner, settles in the fictional town of Pickax City, population 3,000, "400 miles north of everywhere."  It is widely believed Braun's setting was somewhere in Michigan where she lived for a number of years.  One of the reasons I loved the series so much is that Qwill, as he was nicknamed, lived within walking distance of downtown and made his daily rounds visiting eateries, shops, and visits with the storekeepers, etc.  This reminded me of my three years in Valparaiso, Indiana (1964-67) when I was a teenager.  This is a postcard off the Internet of downtown Valpo, as we called the town, in the 1960s. . . .

Lincolnway, Valparaiso, Indiana

Ordinary Days

"Such a day of small things, still, but on God's terms, and that is enough."  

-Lilias Trotter, 1 January 1902

Elizabeth's Christmas

I wrote the first chapter of this story as an enclosure for our 2012 Christmas Card.  Then after Christmas I felt there was more to Elizabeth's story that had to be told.  I put "Carol of the Bells" on repeat and sat down at my computer keyboard.  Here is the song for you to listen to as you read....