An Introspective Eve

A wee bit over a week ago, life was puttering along one eve. Tiredness was setting in as an old friend who embraces and begs us to sit a spell...to unwind..to chill...to ponder the day's work and thoughts and goings ons...

We had found out this eve that both Howard and Mr. Raymond had passed away and I think these pics reflect the quiet contemplative mood that evening...

So what did we do? So what do you do? As Elizabeth Elliot says...

"Just do the next thing"

For us, that meant a nice quiet, leisurely walk.


The trees seemed a little forlorned, sad, almost weepy.


I look down and I catch the view from here so to speak...Rubber boots were the thing for a wet post-rainy eve. I'm ready to walk and talk with God, sometimes Hubs and I just walk, quietly walk, we don't say much but sometimes we do say much...this evening we didn't say much...Except...I can't believe Mr. Raymond is gone, we were just going to go visit him.



We get to the back of the property and the sky is agreeing with us in mood.



Let's get on back, we approach our house...


... and our littlest doglet of them all, Muffie is so cute. He is so darling running excitedly, he made a show of sorts running in circles, we call him "Mighty Dog" at times like this. If I'm feeling blue I can look at one of my doglets and the innocence ministers to my soul straight from God. It's as if a little child looked up smiling. So darling.



Home is here...the cozy light in the window beckons....The girls are in the kitchen doing a sweet cleanup after sup. That too is a gift from God. One I don't take for granted. They are sweet girls, each with their own unique personality and tastes but equally pointed to the Lord.


Clean up time...Hubs side of the vanity, his sink. He installed these squares of granite and the sinks himself.

For me? And to all a goodnight.


The following days the funeral visitation was so sweet. I was able to hold Cathy's hands and she tells me...I loved that man...I loved that man...We were married for 59 years and I would do it all over again. I tell her, I know you did Cathy...You have the consolation of knowing you were such a good wife Cathy. She looks at our girls over my shoulder, they are crying handkerchiefs in hands. Those tears spoke multitudes to her I'm sure...Just little girls when Mr. Raymond and Mrs. Raymond (Cathy) were new friends of ours, such a sweet closeness to our little girls. I only started calling Mrs. Raymond, Cathy after several years of friendship. She would tell me to call her that...I remember calling her on the phone and sharing my heart on some things and she would share a hymn with me, such a sweet attitude always. Our homes were both flooded twice by the river and she was so sweet, her attitude was just unbelievably just so very sweet...I remember being devastated, our family boating out in a leaky little row boat with my baby Michelle in my arms. The next flood? I boated out with a little baby Rebecca in my arms. Life is funny like that. I looked up at the trees admiring the reflection in the river water...thinking I would make the best of it, I would admire the beauty of it all as God would want me to and praise Him. I also remember laying on my bed with my rubber boots on, muddy river water swirling around my bed, a small square piece of paper floated next to the floating bedskirt. What is that? I asked as I picked the little square paper up out of the muddy water...It was an ultra sound photo of my baby Rebecca. I remember being so stunned, the tragedy, one of several really hit. So many things happen in our lives, these things cause brokeness, and I believe there will be those we will have that companionship of brokeness with.

Thank you sweet girls who left such kind comments, I've been so awol lately, just a lot of upkeep on things lately in different ways, spiritual and physical. It's me in my prayer submarine though, the last child in the woods.

Great Love in Christ, Amelia

"God's peace...is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest."

Phil. 4:7 tlb From my kitchen flip calendar