Stone House Scribblings

Church camping is in a few days. Our to-do list is long and threatens to steal our joy. There's not enough time in our days to get it all done. So why am I sitting here fiddling around with Scribblings? It is because "normal" has to be more than a setting on the dryer in… Continue reading Hurry, Hurry

We decided to disappear to an island in a lake for the afternoon and evening after church last Sunday. It was nice. We put up a hammock and I had my current book and phone camera. Elv snoozed. I read my book. The solitude of the island was lovely and our way of finding some… Continue reading Time Out

You can see it in the afternoon light. There's a mellow, golden hue to the sunshine by four o' clock as if the light is ripening somehow, like the tomatoes changing from green to orange to red out in the garden. Sunday night Elv made potato chips from new garden potatoes. Sliced thin and deep… Continue reading The Change of Seasons

I wrote in my journal that everything is difficult today, except crying. Just one of those days. I shouldn't waste it, I guess, and give my insecurities and sins to Jesus through tears. Or dedicate a few minutes of tears to hurting youth and their parents. I ended up in the garden where every little… Continue reading Project Pickup

So I want to talk about this here because it should be riveted into my mind and experience. If I say it and write it maybe I'll be reminded of it when I get carried away with too many good things happening. Too many good things and missing the best thing or two. Elv and… Continue reading Living In The Moment

While I should be in the garden gathering cauliflower heads, cucumbers for pickling, peas for blanching, and green beans for canning I have chosen to sit here indoors catching up on this blogging. All the shouting about simplifying our lives is anything but that this summer. I blame the gardening. But the gardening is the… Continue reading Monday Morning Musings

This is my third or fourth attempt to post about our little supper in the shade last week. I only wanted to show you how easy it is to take a boring supper of brats and taters to elegant and restful. Well! Evidently my new phone isn't up to speed with how I do my… Continue reading Shining Windows

Sitting here enjoying the summer evening. Doing Lisl's chicken chores while they're on family vacation. The new trellis and the old vine have finally made peace with each other. It took much longer than we expected. Elv is quite pleased. Roses from our own garden. Sweet alyssum. Come sit a spell. Well that line up… Continue reading Summer Delights

I had an epiphany while doing the supper dishes. This time instead of just thinking great thoughts inside my head; I am writing it down. I hope this will not sound horridly morbid to you, but I have to start in the muddy part to get to today's higher ground. So bear with me. And… Continue reading Beyond PTSD

The garden has been of utmost interest for us this year. Elv and I decided last fall to try again. Our garden has been a lot of discouraging work. But lo, we realized that we are both want to see if we can actually rejoin the ranks of those who raise vegetables for winter use… Continue reading The Garden in June