A year ago today, I woke to rain dripping on our tent fly. I distinctly remember how peaceful it was. Then we got the call. My Memaw was gone, and the world seemed that much grayer. Rain fell softly for hours — it seemed that even the Ozarks of her ancestry and early childhood wept … More Weekly Update: 5.11.24
Hanging honey bee swarm traps in a tree isn’t as easy as it sounds. For one thing, scout bees look for a new home 10-feet-to-15-feet up. For another, the swarm traps are large — about 1-foot-by-two-feet-by-two-feet– and they weigh about 15 lbs. That’s not bad for carrying around on the ground, but it gets tricky … More Weekly Update: 5.4.24
Rain pours from heavy gray clouds, greening the earth further with each drop. I’ve spent most of the last few days inside the tent, listening to the rain fall — a din that sometimes obscures any other noise — and watching through the windows as the leaves deepen their verdant hues. It is wild and … More Weekly Update: 4.27.24
And may the grace of the Lord our God be upon us;prosper the work of our hands; O prosper our handiwork. Psalm 90:17, Coverdale Psalter, Book of Common Prayer, 2019 It’s a mystery to me how productive we are some weeks, in spite of obstacles. While this week had many of the same troubles as … More Weekly Update: 4.20.24
It was one of those unexpectedly difficult weeks. Apparently, our nephew brought home a germ from a family Springfield trip, and it has been working its way around our family. At the same time, both of our folks are dealing with what appear to be overuse injuries — and both are either having to rest … More Weekly Update: 4.13.24
I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the TrinityThrough belief in the threenessThrough confession of the OnenessTowards the creator… I arise todayThrough the strength of heaven:Light of sunBrilliance of moonSplendor of fireSpeed of lightningSwiftness of windDepth of seaStability of earthFirmness of rock. From “The Lorica” of Saint Patrick Tradition says that Saint Patrick … More Weekly Update: 3.16.24
Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain,from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. Zechariah 10:1, ESV On an early morning this week, I slipped outside to be wrapped in cool damp air laced with the fragrance of life. The smell is green and … More Weekly Update: 3.9.24
The snow twirled in the wind beyond our windows, providing a dramatic backdrop to a routine day of framing. It is surreal to stand in a room you built, looking through windows you installed yourself. I watched the snow, sipping a mug of chai tea while James Taylor’s Greatest Hits played in the background. It … More Weekly Update: 2.17.24
The warm caress of the sun on our cheeks was a comforting draught this week, as our eyes drank their fill of blue skies and butter sunsets. Spring whispered in our ears as she tiptoed into January, giving us a foretaste of what will come in just a few more weeks. Even the birds seemed … More Weekly Update: 2.3.24
We made it to the weekend — and I almost didn’t notice. It’s been such a long couple weeks of sickness, the days have all started to run together. We don’t know if it is a cold or a flu. Some of us have had milder symptoms, while others ran high fevers and developed terrible … More Weekly Update: 11.18.23
HOMESTEAD SISSIES 