Morning Minuet

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h
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a
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w
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b
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Keeping the home fires burning

Along Life's Road!

Finishing 'The Long Winter'

This life is a difficult riddle,
For how many people we see
With faces as long as a fiddle
That ought to be shining with glee.

I am sure in this world there are plenty
Of good things enough for us all,
And yet there's not one out of twenty
But thinks that his share is too small.

Then what is the use of repining,
For where there's a will, there's a way,
And tomorrow the sun may be shining,
Although it is cloudy today.

Do you think that by sitting and sighing
You'll ever obtain all you want?

It's cowards alone that are crying
And foolishly saying, 'I can't!'

It is only by plodding and striving
And laboring up the steep hill


Of life, that you'll ever be thriving
Which you'll do if you've only the will.

Then what is the use of repining,
For where there's a will, there's a way,
And tomorrow the sun may be shining,
Although it is cloudy today.


Singing along with Pa Ingalls' fiddle waiting for a Chinook wind to blow in today... some 130 years later.

MOO-tel Moments

Ever

visited

a

MOO-tel?











Come


along


inside






for
a
peek
at
its
residents.






Thanks
for
the
Valentine's
Day
tour,






Tam

and

extended fam!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sharing

our

Sunday

School

outreach

project



and

lesson

with

you!

Trading Places

"Are there any extra places set?" I asked a gal in charge.

Her eyebrows cringed. I explained, "Dan had two tickets left for the dinner. I brought Isaac with me after his basketball game.

Dan brought Aaron. But he left Noah home alone. I'm on my way, but was wondering if there are any tickets left."

She smiled, "Go get Noah. We had a no-show in our group. He decided to go fishing instead. Noah can have his ticket. Tell him: Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday. Or Happy Valentine's Day."

"Are you sure? I can certainly reimburse you," I said. She waved me on, "It's taken care of."

"What luck trading places," I explained to Noah on our drive back to the church.

The past two years, our boys had tasted left overs from the Wild Game Feed. This year, they were game for the works, especially since Dad had two of his 16 tickets left for this fund-raiser dinner.

Last night's big question was "Which two of our three sons would go?"

"I wanna try the alligator chili," Isaac said.

"I'm having the roast bear," Aaron insisted.

"I want the goose-and-bacon rollups," Noah said.

Tonight when Dan and Aaron jumped in the car, Noah was making a snow fort with the neighbor boy and whined, "Do I HAVE to go?"

"No," Dan said and drove away. When my eyes buldged over the explanation, Dan said, "I wasn't going to argue with him. I was already late to work collecting tickets."

Noah and I found plenty of room at a table with my parents. Grandma Sue ripped off a string of raffle tickets, handed them to Noah and said, "I gave your brothers a few too. Good luck!"

After full-course buffet dinner with dessert and a coffee, the raffle began. Grandma Sue was among the first winners. She chose a gift certificate to Bonanza. Midway through the drawing, Grandpa Curt matched a winning number. Flustered, he said, "I don't know. Which prize do I want?"

"The deer-horn hat rack?" I chided. He cringed. Grandma Sue said, "Take #51."

And so he did and asked, "What's that?"

"A gift certificate for ice cream," she said.

"WHAAAAAT?" he scoffed. She said, "It's for the kids."

He pouted. She said, "Don't ask me next time. Figure it out so you're ready."

Late in the raffle, Noah's ticket matched.

We perused the prize list with little left for kids.

Grandpa Curt whispered, "Noah, take the certificate for KC's Saloon and I'll trade you for the ice cream!"

The caller shouted, "What it'll be, Noah?"

This second grader hollered, "KC's Saloon!"

Everyone roared with laughter. Someone yelled, "I'll bet your dad put you up to that one!"

Noah shook his head,

"No! My grandpa did!

He's Trading Places for the ice cream!"

Hang On...

... for just a moment.
That's what I told my boys as I stopped to capture the beauty



at

last

night's

sunset




and

this

morning's

sunrise.

Cabin Fever

Winter drags on. Temperatures dip below zero again. How do we cope with "Cabin Fever?"

According to Wikipedi, the term – first recorded in 1918 – refers to a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated for an extended period of time.

(As in, winter?)

Symptoms include forgetfulness, restlessness, irritability, excessive sleeping and laughter.

It's the term that popped to mind as a friend and I shared a silly email exchange – about signs. She wrote: "At the drug store today, I saw a knitted banner that cracked me up.

'My mind is like lightening........ One quick FLASH...... and it's gone!'

"I like your quip about the MIND. I feel mine going too!" I replied. "Here's another: They say 'age' is all in your mind. The trick is keeping it from creeping down into your body."

Later at a local gift shop, I snapped photos (see below) and emailed my friend another goodie noting, "The 'smile' one says it all! That's how I feel most days in this house of men."

And speaking of men, my hubby just phoned during his workweek in sunny San Diego, some 2,040 miles away.

"Hey! Listen to the trolley," he said while waiting in his short-sleeved shirt on the street corner for the pedestrian sign to go. "Okay, now we can cross the street. We've been out walking in the heat before the next event starts. I've gotta find some freshly mowed lawn to smell before we leave. Mmm... Yeah, I'm moving here some day. I'm not sure how, but it's inevitable!"

"Great," I said. "I'll be sure to include that in my blog post. It's called Cabin Fever. Glad you're enjoying Spring."

Now where was I? Ah, yes: Forgetfulness, restlessness, irritability, excessive sleep and laughter.

I'll choose laughter. It seems the best symptom to exhibit. For somewhere it is noted as an antidote: Laughter is the best medicine.

Here's hoping it works for Cabin Fever.