A Contemplative Life

A chicken post. Because I can't ponder the current state of my nation. (Heads-up: I do ponder it, so if you don't want to read that, stop after the third photo.) We've had some AMAZINGLY beautiful late autumn days recently; sun and slight heat and sun and.... Did I mention it was sunny? The chicken's run is wholly in the shade now due to the towering treeline. But the garden, only a few feet away, gets sun for much of the day! And the chickens seem smart enough to know that sunshine is healing. And yesterday, I sat in the run with them. All eight hens (it's still weird to acknowledge they are finally HENS) having the time of their chicken lives! My husband was there too, lopping dead blackberry branches off the vines that cling to the aged fence. The chickens poked around, scratched in the dirt, managed some dustbathing, as well as sunbathing. They chased each other around when one found a tasty treat, but mostly they pecked at the grass, truly happy in this home aw...

I came across the above Old Testament passage last night and was struck at how complete was the prophet's admonishments. Those widowed, orphaned, foreigners, and the needy are all mentioned, as well as a warning not to engage in evil schemes. I made a Bluesky post earlier, passing along these sentiments. I have sent these verses of Scripture to Mike Johnson, John Thune, and others. When coupled with Christ's words from Matthew 11:28, 29, and 30, how can anyone who claims God as their King justify cruelties to those most vulnerable?   If you are so compelled, pass along these verses to GOP politicians, as most claim to believe in God. As their sister in Christ, I too will share these words. 

From a UK craft magazine at least twenty years ago, but now it's done! No sewing occurred over the weekend, but I dabbled in other crafts hearkening to my past. Past Me needs some props, for starting the cross-stitching above that I completed with ease. I uncovered this kit a couple of months ago, and in finishing it, I found why I had given up halfway, a mistake made in the pale blue floss. Skirting around that error, I happily stitched trees, then added the backstitching in that bold red. It will be a for a dearheart in a little over a month's time. I then dug out my cross-stitching bag, finding pieces of my creative past long before I dreamed of quilting. Yet working with my hands has mattered for AGES, first in crocheting right after I had my eldest child. Once we moved to Britain I got into cross-stitching, and now in Humboldt County that pastime has emerged with stealth, lol. Not sure how much more I'll do of it, although a HUGE project remains, about on par with my A...