Squirrel Stew

"You shoot it. You clean it. AND You eat it!"

We'd heard all about Aaron bagging his first squirrel while visiting a chum. From the bushy-tail teasing, to the firing shot, to the "field dressing" and plastic bag packaging, his friend pressed Aaron into becoming a real hunter. The final challenge – "You eat it!" – remained... preserved in our freezer.

Aaron
wanted
it

for
his
birthday
meal,

but Chef Daddio
was on a work week
in Atlanta during

this 13-year-old's
big day.


Since then, Aaron had been pressing his dad to brew the stew.


Tonight the Rite of Passage was fulfilled.

"It DOES

taste like

CHICKEN!"

Aaron said in reference to his buddy's analogy.

Simmered in a crock pot with grouse, bacon and veggies, Aaron's trophy made a tasty Sunday dinner accompanied by baking-powder biscuits and blueberry cobbler.

Reporting the Squirrel Stew News,
(Uffda.)
Wendy

This Too Shall Pass

What steals your peace?

Our pastor asked that question Saturday during our women's bible study.


This morning I pondered the question again before we rushed off for school and work.

"MOM! I have no pants. Can I wear shorts today? It's supposed to get warm," Aaron hollered. I snorted, "NO! It's 27 degrees (-3ºC) and there's frost on the windshield."

"But I've got no pants," Aaron whined. "People are wearing shorts."

"I don't care," I said. "It's against the school rules unless it's miserably hot."

"But I've got no clean pants," Aaron repeated. I shrugged, "It's not my problem. You should have brought them up to the washer. Get a move on!"

Aaron not only brought his dirty laundry but also came upstairs wearing pants – that minutes earlier had been invisible.

"MOM! I need a Propel for lunch today. We have to bring a drink with a screw-cap lid for our field trip," Noah said.

"That's today? Sorry," I said. "How about a water bottle?"

"But I don't want just water," Noah droned. I sighed, "How about some ice-tea mix IN the water bottle?"

Noah rolled his eyes, "I guess that'll work."

And to WORK, I went remembering my mother's wise words (stamped into this pewter coin).

As for "Peace" – I found that hours later while sitting on my back step.

I looked up the pine-studded hill and heard the wind whisper:
"This Too Shall Pass!"

Forever and Ever

"Praise the Lord with a new song.


Praise the Lord SHOUT for joy!"



We – ladies of the choir – shouted these two lines at the Easter morning service and startled the congregation into attention as the choir's men returned a holler:



"Alleluia!



Alleluia!



Praise the Lord!"








Today

those lines,

the song's
dramatic melody

and

its resurrection message

still echo in my mind –



just like the song's title – "Forever and Ever and Ever!" Amen!

Happy Easter Season to one and all. Here we're celebrating Spring's long-awaited warmth Along Life's Road.

Spring Things

Wild

geese

that

fly






with

the

moon

on

their

wings...



These

are

a

few

of

my

favorite





Spring




Things!











Celebrating
April's
Full
Sprouting
Grass
Moon!

A Watched Pot

"When WILL spring come?" Dan jeered looking out the bed-
room window where snow covered the land and the thermometer read 23ºF (-5ºC) on this 6th day of April.

I spouted,"A Watched Pot never boils."

Here's to warming the oven and mixing cookies on a day fit for hot chocolate rather than iced tea!

Braiding Palms

Fold:
one,
two,
three...

Squeeze:

the fourth
branch
under
the first.


Tighten
the set;


Repeat
to the top.


Tie the ends
in a knot.





I teach
my son,

as my dad
taught me,

as his mom
showed him –








Braiding

Palms

on

Palm

Sunday.




Celebrating Holy Week traditions Along Life's Road.

April Fool

Today I can laugh at yesterday's mistake.

As parents retrieved their children after preschool, I said: "Have a great weekend!"

After the third time, the preschool teacher shook her head, "Wait. What day is it? Tuesday!"

I cringed, "Oh my gosh! Have you seen the movie 'Groundhog Day?'"

LeeAnn said, "You mean where the guy keeps living the same day over and over."

I nodded, "That's what it (this winter weather) feels like. Guess I'm expecting the weekend."

She laughed. I laughed. And then we roared together.

Call it: SnowStorm Silliness.


Like Bill Murray, we've been stuck in snow-mode at work. Only instead of telecasting, we've been directing our small, energetic charges.

Whenever possible, we bundle and usher them out into the fresh air. Yesterday we weathered heavy-falling snow which caused yet another early-release for the primary and secondary students.



Today –

April 1st –

the silliness

continues.



With 10 new clinging inches
(25 cm),





the great outdoors looks like Groundhog Day.





And that's

no

April Fool!