A Rainy Fall Day

My attention has turned to the weather.  If only we had not planted in mid August, the seeds would not have died and the rain falling now would be nourishing the new pasture coming up…if only.  The sheep are hiding in the barn. No one is moving in the paddocks.  Kitty is saturated, meowing at the window. Hank has taken over my place in the bed and I am cosy in my fluffy housecoat.  I love gentle rainy days in the fall of the year.

But I have known how it is to live with weather that visits you with harsh winds and rain often.  It plays with you as it comes and goes, moving in and out to sea. And you wait.

The women of Shetland write: “We are having heavy rain and gales just now.  Dark and miserable, but I suppose since it is winter, we can’t complain.  I have been knitting two jumpers.”

“I have been so busy.  We have just finished the harvest, with a good crop of vegetables. I was glad to get out of the fields before a persistent gale came from the southeast with lashing of rain.  Now the ground is sodden, but it’s certainly not cold.”

“You will have heard about the calamity of the oil tanker aground at Sumburgh.  It’s surely a dreadful mess.”

“We are well here.  It is very wintery today, gales, and cold rain.  I have a peat fire on and it is warm, sitting writing. I am knitting one or two small presents for Christmas as it is getting so near, and I have baked my Christmas cake.”

“November so far has been quite wonderful, most days no wind and lots of sunshine.  Unfortunately, on the two occasions when the wind gusted gale force, two klondyker vessels went aground.  One we can see from our windows, at Bressay lighthouse, the other is on a rock north of Lerwick.  There were sixty and seventy-five crew all rescued by helicopter and lifeboat in the darkness of the night. It was a very dangerous mission.”(Feitelson:The Art of Fair Isle Knitting)

I remember in February of 1982 when the Ocean Ranger, the off shore oil rig, went down to the bottom of the sea along with its 84 crew members on a stormy night off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.  We were devastated and waited throughout the night for any news of hope. Newfoundland, an island, has always had a strong sense of identity and disasters at sea was felt strongly by all. I lost a friend and fellow worker who was on duty that night as a nurse. They send the rescue helicopters and  boats out but they all came back empty.

Excessive and Extreme

One morning recently, I walked downstairs to find a note on the kitchen counter  by my husband.  I think the cat had scratched him that morning and he was not in good humour.  It read something like the following:

“ You have 30 sheep, two chinchillas, three cats, two dogs- one of which is blind and deaf and has diabetes, a bird  (none of which earn us any money) and don’t you think that is a little excessive and extreme.”

I had to think.  Was I excessive?  All the cats were strays and wandered into my life.  He is right about the sheep.  They are eating machines and I haven’t yet  learned how to earn much money from them.  The chinchillas are really my daughter’s and one cat belongs to my other daughter who deposited her with us.  I do all the work for the animals but they have chewed the furniture and spoiled the wood floor and cost us a bundle at the vets….Am I excessive?

Yes, perhaps I am.  It is my weakness and yet  it is who I am.  I am also excessive and extreme about my faith. I have learned to treasure it as most of what I once had is slowly slipping through my hands.  My faith is what remains.

Without a doubt I believe that the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, covers us so completely all over that we are saved.  By His spirit, we are nurtured, made beautiful, saved from ourselves and the things of this world, saved for Him. It will come to a choice between the things of this world or the world to come... between life and death.  How more extreme can it be? His voice echoes through time, “What is it you want?” He waits to hear your answer.

Oh…just one more!

Shaun The Sheep

Take a few moments and have a chuckle with Shaun the Sheep. Enjoy.

Grandma Day

This is the “art” that appeared on the wall in the study of the house belonging to Jesse and Katelyn…

 

 

 

This is the girl who created the “art” which appeared on the wall,

in the study of the house belonging to Jesse and Katelyn.

 

This is the smile of the girl who created the “art” which appeared on the wall in the study of the house belonging to Jesse and Katelyn.

 

 

…who isn’t allowed to play with crayons any more.

 This is the  girl with the smile who isn’t allowed to play with crayons, who created the “art” which appeared on the wall in the study of the house belonging to Jesse and Katelyn

….and knows that God still loves her!

Time for nap …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma is so tired!

In the Eye of the Storm

Our two vehicles sped fast along the southern shore of Quebec, myself in one and one daughter in the other.  We were racing to  reach Riviere du Loup where we would take the road south into New Brunswick before Hurricane  Earl reached the gulf area.  I had stayed up late the night before reading internet reports on the Hurricane and 35 to 45 mm. of rain was expected to fall over a short time in  Riviere du Loup.  Heading south into western New Brunswick,  the rain followed us which was heavier than expected.  But we were managing well to stay out of the storm’s path and not enter Halifax, our destination, before the power was restored.  Driving along, I listened to the reports from people throughout the province as they talked of ocean swells, rattling doors, cooking over propane stoves.  As the storm made its way up the centre of Nova Scotia, there were those who for a brief time sat under the eye of the storm.  The winds abated, the sun came out and all was calm. They waited…then slowly the winds began to change direction and the fury of the storm was once again upon them.

What does one do in the eye of the storm knowing what is to come.   You do what needs to be done, what life has taught you, what your spirit tells you.  You reach deep to where you don’t usually go. And you wait and listen…

“Thou hast hedged me about that I cannot get out.”

 

As one elderly fisherman, living where the hurricane was suppose to land said, ‘we’ve been through bad weather before…we know what we have to do.’

The storm will come and you will be ready because He is with you.