my anchor holds

We should get our first frost tonight.
Frost has been forecast a couple of times before,
but tonight I think it will come
Steve was out picking what will turn out to be the last of the garden...
except for the root vegetables that are blanketed by the soil
A few tomatoes are safe in the garage -
but I guess I have had the last warm 'just picked' ones for the year
sad days
They probably taste all the better in the summer
because of the long wait...
I am kind of ready for the garden to lose it's pull
No more guilt over food left to be picked
I am sad to see summer go for good all the same
Even though I know the seasons will come and go
just as God says they will
It is always a bit hard to see the change
Well....the change from winter to sping isn't hard
- at all -
I sure see, more and more as the years go by...
that life is just plain full of change.
Ryan surprised us by coming home this weekend
Rachel has a lot of studying and he had some free time
so here he is.
That is a nice change!
Though with everyone here, it is a lively change.
and a temporary one.
We took our two horses to their new home today
That is not a temporary change
It is good ....and sad
It will be very strange to not have them here
To not hear their nickers when we go outside
To not have their horsey smell out in the barn
To not have their friendly faces and warm brown eyes
    on the other side of the fence - hoping for a treat
But it is a change that we felt we needed to make
and they are with a new family who is so excited to have them
The horses seemed very happy and content in their new field...
not knowing that it was 'theirs'
but trusting that they were safe.
So now we have changed into a family without horses
but still with ducks and chickens and cats and a hermit crab...
and a the most wonderful dog I have ever known...
so it's all still good
And as we really transition into autumn tonight
with frosty nights that give way to frosty days
and frosty days that lead to ice and snow in the months to come
we always and for ever have our God
The one who gets us through the changes
and is the only UNchangeable part of our lives
His unchangingness is what gets me through
I can handle the things that are always in flux around me
when I can keep my eyes on Him
and know that that center doesn't move or change
He is the anchor to it all
and I am anchored to Him
humbling to ponder
it takes my breath away
but I am so grateful

another school year!

First week of school!
Three days into it....here we go again.
We have even had our first field trip -
this morning we went to Big Top Chautauqua up by Bayfield
There was a special performance of
"Abraham Lincoln's Living Legacy" put on by the Chautauqua perfomers.
It was great.
Lots of good music and narration
good reminders of who Lincoln was and what he means even today
...a bit of political editorial thrown in
but I guess I can ignore that - sort of
funny that a lot of it would have saddened Lincoln though....
well, on to school work.
Tom is working on his math
we are trying to do some placement drills
see what he remembers and what needs to be reviewed
where is a good place to start.
'the very beginning' while a 'very good place to start'...
it is not always the best place :)
Hal is off to her classes for the day
Steve is of course at school
The house is pretty quiet
but still seems busy none the less.
It is always sort of hard to get back into the routine of school
I have to make myself be organized and on task
I am more naturally slow in the morning and not great at planning ahead
Teaching my kids at home is a constant reigning in of that putsyness
To my benefit I am sure.
I kind of kick in mid morning and am much better by then
I think this will be a good year.
Having a 7th grader will be fun!
Tom is even pretty enthusiastic....
though some of that is for my benefit - thanks Tom
So here is to the year!!!