Pages

Saturday, November 25, 2023

The First Thanksgiving Day by Henry Beer | Poem

This is not the day that I think of as the first Thanksgiving. They did give thanks for a safe journey, though, so I guess it counts as the first Thanksgiving. This poem reminds me that everyday should be a Thanksgiving.


The First Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims left a foreign strand 
And sailed across the main,
And landed on New England's shore,
That faith they might retain.

Some say the first Thanksgiving Day
The Pilgrims did ordain
Was when they offered thanks and praise
For life and food and grain.

It was a day of gratitude
When stormy voyage was o'er,
When they had landed safely there
On child New England's shore.

The rolling sea behind them lay,
Before them, trees of pine.
With thankful hearts they knelt in prayer
And praised God's help divine.

The Pilgrims marked the Plymouth Rock
Where they had knelt to pray. 
And still it stands memorial of
That first Thanksgiving Day.


By Henry Beer
My Garden of Verse
Page 176-177




Monday, November 20, 2023

Thankful Tree 2023

 

I made a thankful tree craft this year for Thanksgiving.

These are not the colors that immediately come to mind when I think of autumn, but these are the colors that I had to work with. I think the colors turned nice in the end!

I chose to cut out different types of Oak leaf shapes.
Wouldn't it be funny if you found such a mixed up tree in reality? Part White Oak, part Pin Oak, part Chinquapin Oak. What an absurd tree!
I am going to fill in all the leaves with blessing for which I am giving thanks.
We have so much to be thankful for! 
I was speaking with a woman at a checkout counter a few days ago. I said, "I have so much to be thankful for." And she said, "Even to be thankful to be alive."
That's right, if nothing else, you can be thankful for each breath you draw.

Job 12:10
 In whose hand is the soul 
of every living thing, and the
 breath of all mankind.

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 17, 2023

The Wild Geese By Henry Beer | Poem


The Wild Geese

I saw a flock of wild geese fly
Across the somber autumn sky,
In orderly formation!
As to the South they took their flight,
From wing to wing in cloudy height
I gazed in admiration.

A destined course they seem to take,
Their nests and summer haunts forsake,
And fly to sunny regions.
In close formation you can see
Them make the sign of victory
By following their leader.

They take their course high in the air
And thus elude the hunter's snare;
They know the Fowler's tactics.
I thought how much akin to life,
For men, like them, in earthly strife
Must have a guide and leader.

Our God and Father did provide
For us a Captain, shield and guide,
In Christ, the Prince, Emanuel.
If, like these fowls, we ever stay
With Christ, our leader, on the way
We'll find out goal in safety.

Thanks! Thanks to you, my friends on high!
As from my wandering gaze you fly
You've taught a noble lesson.


Monday, November 13, 2023

I Finally Cleaned My Blinds

 

Cleaning blinds has never sifted it's way to the top of my list of priorities. I can probably think of a hundred things I'd rather do than clean blinds.
Let me try:
1. Wash dishes
2. Cook a meal
3. Sort laundry
4. Take a walk
5. Practice piano
6. Go to the library
7. Read a book
8. Go grocery shopping
9. Meal plan
10. Write a journal entry
11. Brush my teeth
12. Make my bed
13. Teach 1st grade 
14. Hang clothes
15. Go the park
16. Clip fingernails
17. Supervise bath time
18. Do hair cuts
19. Weed a garden
20. Cut flowers
21. Bake a pie
22. Write a blog post
23. Crack nuts
24. Climb a tree
25. Ride a bicycle
26. Vacuum the carpets
27. Water plants
28. Watch a movie
29. Sew a dress
30. Knit a wash rag
31. Change the sheets
32. Can tomatoes
33. De-bone chicken thighs
34. Call my Mom
35. Write a letter
36. Paint a picture
37. Make a card
38. Clean the bathroom
39. Rinse diapers
40. Fold towels
41. Weed wack
42. Edit photos
43. Bird watch
44. Sing a song
45. Play a card game
46. Go fishing 
Well, I am grasping at straws now. I made it to 46, not quite 100. You get the point, though. I have so many things that I'd rather do than clean mini blinds.
That is why my blinds look like this:
Yuck! The dust is so thick they look as if they have grown a fur coat! 

After I cleaned the blind on the left I was so impressed with difference in the amount of light that filtered though that I took this side by side comparison picture. The picture doesn't do the the visual justice. In person the difference was more drastic. It's a good thing, too, because it gave me the motivation to wash the rest of the blinds in the kitchen and living room.

I have been enjoying my clean windows and dust free blinds for the past few days, now that the job is done. It does feel nice to have clean window dressings!

Are there any jobs that you put off because you really don't like the work? Or, am I the only whiny, lazy housewife? Please share your stories in the comments!

Friday, November 10, 2023

November By Henry Beer | Poem


November

November days are dark and cold,
The saddest of the year;
The clouds do hill and vale enfold,
The days seem lonely and dreary.
The leaves have fallen to the earth,
The trees stand bare, alone.
Our feathered friends with songs of mirth
To sunny climes have gone.
And, when we wander through the woods,
A blanket made of leaves
Protects the springtime flowers that bloom
From winter's chilling breeze.
All snuggled 'neath this leafy robe
The flowers lie asleep,
This rustic blanket keeps them warm
When snow lies cold is gathered in,
The fodder stands in rows;
The grain is gathered in the bins,
No want the farmer knows.
Though dark November days may be,
There's beauty all around;
The bittersweet with berries bright
On fences old is found.
The cattails in the marshes deep,
The wild geese flying high;
We see them take their southern course
Across the cloudy sky.
The cellar is a festive place-
Attracts the heart and eye,
Where fruits and vegetables abound,
Which winter needs supply.
The walnuts lie in attic floor,
The pumpkins in a row.
Here peace, contentment, fill out hearts
As autumn winds do blow.
Though dark this month may be, and dreary,
Our hearts are filled with praise
To Him from whom all blessings come
On dreary November days.

By Henry Beer
My Garden of Verse
Pages174-175

Monday, November 6, 2023

Peanut Butter Treats

 

I love peanut butter! These treats are fast and easy to make and don't require an oven.

Peanut Butter Treats
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups peanut butter
10 oz. Corn Flake Cereal

In a pan over medium heat dissolve sugar in corn syrup.
Blend in the peanut butter until creamy. 
Turn off the heat and pour over corn flakes in a large bowl.
Mix thoroughly.
Spoon out scoops and press with hands to form balls.
Cool on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
Enjoy!


Friday, November 3, 2023

Chrysanthemums By Henry Beer | Poem



Chrysanthemums

Whene'er I see Chrysanthemums,
Arrayed in colors bright,
I think of Autumn's pageantry,
Each cool and frosty night.

In yellow, bronze, and snowy white
These flowers are displayed 
As lovely as the autumn trees,
In colors bright arrayed.

Chrysanthemums of snow-white bloom
Remind us of the snow
Which soon will cover hill and vale
As wintry winds will blow.

Ye artists henceforth should portray
With Cornucopia's horn
These gorgeous flowers, bright and fair,
With fruit, and grain, and corn.

As flowers in a patient's room,
Chrysanthemums give cheer;
These lovely flowers of varied bloom
Console the dying year.

We praise Him for these lovely things,,
For all that He hath done.
To see His power in humble works,
It makes us truly one.


By Henry Beer 
My Garden of Verse
Page 171