You Are Amazing Grace

Artistic
Memorable
Angelic
Zealous
Incredible
Noble
Giving

Gracious
Radiant
Ambitious
Caring
Eyes of brown

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-"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do Amazing things among you."
Joshua 3:5

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“For the law was given through Moses, but Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”
John 1:17

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Tales from the Duck Side

Every year a pair of wood ducks nest in the maple tree right outside our back door. We have never seen the babies--until this year!! Jeremiah our son-in-law stepped outside and yelled back in to us "Hey there's baby ducks falling out of the sky!!" Some landed on the ground, and some on the deck. they literally launched out of the maple tree, and found the mama who was waiting along the side of the house. The kids put the babies that landed on the deck where they could find mama duck. One got hurt in the fall but waddled to mama just fine. She then led them under the veranda and waited for us to go away before leading them to water (pictures taken by Graci).

We had a busy weekend with Grace's grad party, a surprise visit from our daughter and her family, having all 5 of our kids home for a couple of days, and Jon's mom staying here and baking for the party. Childhood pictures and graduation pictures in piles and on display boards, my mind goes back and I think about the launched, the launching in process and future launchers.

I think about that Papa & Mama duck and I take a lesson. The nest is higher than a second story window, they chose safety for the first stage, knowing that the next stage would be a long drop. My brother told me they have to drop in order to live, an Internet search proved and disproved this. Either way us parents have to release them for the launch. I wonder if the launch and fall is an adrenaline rush for the little ducklings. The mama duck quacks a few times and just waits, she's not all frazzled and racing around making sure the landing is soft. When the ducklings have all found her she gathers them around, waits for them to all settle down and away they go out into an even bigger world.
Two of ours have left the nest. The first one launched successfully, although loss has touched her life she is swimming in the big pond, building her nest, touching lives and tending little souls. The second one launched, fell hard, and has chosen to not follow the leader. In the picture above he would be the one climbing the wall, another one is looking up to him. This is where I really need to take mama ducks lesson and not panic, just call and wait until they all settle down and lead by example. Now the third on stands on the edge, ready to leap. She will launch "Grace"-fully. Two left in the nest, and here I am learning lessons as I am trying to teach them!

Dream Chickens

I have dream chickens like some people have a dream house or a dream car. When I find pictures of a new chicken that I haven't thought about dreaming of owning one day, I clip them out and put them in my "dream" 3-ring binder. I also have dream eggs, these are the eggs I want to gather someday. I love it when the chicken of my dreams matches the eggs of my dream. I found this photo of dreamables on line and skyped it. Skype basically means to borrow without asking-we said it when I was a kid so it's probably not even a word. I google searched for it but found it not--this maybe the beginnings of a post about the made-up words of my childhood. ANYWHOO back to dreaming! These Cuckoo Marons are a total dream package, dark brown eggs laid by some of the prettiest black and white chickens.

By now you may be thinking just get some chickens and get it over with!! I can't. I had a test run a few years ago that didn't look to promising. Jon's brother had gotten baby chicks from farm & barn or as Barbs husband calls it "Mans Mall". When they were done playing farm (cuz they can) in their back yard, the chickens came here so I could butcher them. They were waiting out their last days in the pen (dog kennel) when the police man that lived across the street came and told me someone had complained about my 5 chickens in the dog kennel. It is against city ordinance to have chickens in town. Here's where I really go off!! The back of our lot butts right up to the county fair grounds, behind that is a dike, lake, then cows!! So for 5 days every summer I wake up to cows mooing, roosters crowing, one year a horse in the garden, and demo drivers pounding on their cars. Its hill billy heaven back there! But this decedent of real moon shining hill billy's can't have chickens! I am very close to petitioning the city for permission to have just 4 chickens like they do in Madison WI. It may be on my list of fun things to do this summer!


For now I will pacify my self with this hen and little chicks, thrifted on our annual Mothers Day garage sale shopping trip. And I will console my self with the thought that at least these won't run out onto the highway.

My Little Corner of the World

This is where I read my Bible, nourish my soul, sew on buttons, crochet, chat on the phone, chat with the love of my life, enjoy a cup of tea, think, plan, cry. Everyone knows it is my corner, but everyone knows I love to share it. I love sharing my world, every little corner.

Grace has made her way my to little spot in life, she's reading Robyns Table Chat, a newsy little local paper filled with old photos, old facts, and people around our small town.
Avery has made him self comfortable, reading The Hobbit, and snuggled in his Vikings blanket.

There are many perks to sharing my corner, such as, holding baby dolls, and a real life doll, drinking tea, and ...

...many times when I find my way to my little corner, there is a little Blessing to enjoy!