Spirit Whispers

"I hope you'll hear what I'm about to tell you.
I hope you'll hear it all the way down to your toes.

When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing.

You're doing the most important something there is.

You're allowing your soul to grow up.
If you can't be still and wait, you can't

become what God created you to be."

"When the Heart Waits" by Sue Monk Kidd

Photo taken a few days ago by my daughter, Jill, in Ashland, Oregon.
I thought it was beautiful.

Thanks Jill for sharing your picture.

Cleaning around your Castle

Tips from the book, The French Art of Tea

for cleaning with Tea in the Home (Castle).

To rid a frying pan of the odour of fish or onion,

rub it with damp tea leaves.

To clean painted woodwork, nothing is as

effective as strong tea.

To clean and revive the colour of carpets,

scatter them with used tea leaves-well drained-

then brush off.

To drive mosquitos from a room,

burn some tea leaves.

Silk garments, tatamis and other mats can be

washed with tea, which removes stains and odours

and give them a fine sheen.

Disclaimer: I have not tried these tips, but they

sound like they might be interesting to try.
If you do try any of them, let me know how it worked.

A Snowy Day

First Snow

The snow wipes out the writing of the year;

Its swift erasers softly, surely pass

Across the hieroglyphics of the grass

And clean the slate of summer, spear by spear.

Where was a tale of gardens there is now

A smudged and undecipherable scrawl;

And where illumined lettering of fall,

A dim-inked outline of an austere bough.

The hills depicted on the sky are blurred

As blackboards hid behind a cloud of chalk,

And fast as feet of pigeons write a word

It is obliterated from the walk.

An ancient picture script alone remains -

A panorama etched on windowpanes.

from Kitchen Sonnets by Ethel Romig Fuller

Now you might be laughing, but this is our first snow of the year.

I picked the daffodils in my garden yesterday,

then woke to snow this morning.

I am loving it because it is beautiful,

but also because we can still get out and about.

Granola

In the past year three blogging friends have given
me homemade granola.  I have become addicted to these wonderful
mixtures of yumminess.  Last year I started making our yogurt
and the granola was a wonderful addition.
Since I didn't think bloggers would continue supplying me with granola,
it was time to make it myself.
There is a cherry tree in our yard and I had dried cherries from the tree.
Granola would be a perfect way to use the cherries too.
Recently I found a recipe that included dried cherries at Tartelette
and I knew it was time to give it a try.  It was so easy.
Now why have I not made granola before?
Now beside this recipe, I will be trying other combination's too.

You can find the recipe here:  http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2011/01/recipe-pecan-coconut-cherry-granola-and.html

Enjoy!  I certainly am.

A House is a Home

No matter how ragged it looks if there is a heart
inside it becomes a home.
There are two homes represented here,
one a glass house put together by an untalented hand
and a grass house put together by the hand of nature.

Participating in The Dollhouse Project (see the link
on my side bar), this house was my challenge for February.
It was something I had never done before,
but through The Dollhouse Project I want to challenge
myself to make a different representation of a house
or home each month this year.

Spirit Whispers

In the Silence we will hear.
Listen to your heart songs.

To Think of Tea!

A blogging friend, Annie, recently surprised me with a book in the mail.
The title is To Think of Tea! by Agnes Repplier.
It was printed in 1932 and has wonderful stories about tea in England.
I am thoroughly enjoying it.

A quote from the book:

Venus her myrtle has, Phoebus his boys;

Tea both excels which she vouchsafes to praise.

The best of Queens and best of herbs we owe

To that proud nation which the way did show

To the fair region where the sun does rise;

Whose rich productions we so justly prize.

The Muse's friend, Tea, does our fancy aid,

Repress those vapours which the head invade,

And keep that palace of the soul serene,

Fit on her birthday to salute the Queen.